Unique Wedding Exits

In the wedding world, it is very easy to fall into a routine of similar traditions and trends. You go to your best friend’s wedding and see something you like that they did and the next thing you know you and her entire bridal party are doing it too. This is where creativity and individual uniqueness comes into making your wedding day the most special to you and your significant other. One of these traditions that are nice to change up is the exit. There are so many ways today that it can be done to switch it up and do something that represents you as a couple. Not to mention, get some great photos:) Here are a few ideas to help end your wedding with a bang!

·    Sparklers

·       Bubbles

·       Glitter

·       Glow Sticks

·       Rose petals

·       Colored Pom Poms

·       Lavender

·       Sports Shakers

·       Silly String

·       Ribbon Wands

#Wedding Etiquette

Photography: Vue 

In today’s society, an average person can’t go five minutes without checking their twitter accounts, Facebook walls, or Instagram new’s feeds. Social media is running our lives, and we’re addicted to it! And with this new internet infatuation, comes new technology etiquette, especially when it comes to weddings. This etiquette is not only for the happy couple, but also for the guests of a wedding. Here are a few tips on making this tech savvy phenomenon a do and a don’t!

                             For the Bride & Groom

•  Call your closest friends and family before you post pictures and status on social media! 

So you just had the man of your dreams get down on one knee and tell you he wants to spend the rest of his life with you, obviously you're going to scream it from the rooftops, not to mention show off the gorgeous rock sparkling on your finger! But let’s wait. For starters, this is the time you need to soak up every detail you can so you can always remember this wonderful day! Secondly, how would mom and dad feel if they found out the news on their Facebook news feed! Oh, they’d be crushed! So, instead of immediately running to your “followers”, lets call our mom and dad and listen to them cry all over you and your new fiancé!

•  Post pics of that skating rink on your finger!

Like I said earlier, everyone wants to show off that gorgeous ring on their finger, and everyone else wants to see it! But there are very specific guidelines to doing this the classy way! A picture says a thousand words, so you don’t have to. This being said, there’s no reason to tell the details of the ring, such as the carrot size and price. That is between you and your fiancé, it’s not anyone else's business. Let the ring do the talking for you!

•  Assign a specific person to narrate the day!

On your wedding day, you’re not going to have time to worry about tweeting what’s happening and taking pictures of everything going on around you. For one, that’s what you’re paying that fancy photographer for and two, that will be the farthest thing you’ll be thinking about doing. With that being said ,however, you’ll still appreciate someone else doing it for you and your new hubby to go back and look at. This is why it’s a great idea to designate a person to do this for you. As long as it’s in moderation, it’s a great contribution to your day!

For the Guests

•  Wait for the bride or groom’s permission to put things on social media.

This can be said for a multitude of many different scenarios. It’s all out of love and eagerness, but sometimes can get people into trouble. Let’s start with the engagement. If the groom asks for the brides friends or families help with proposal, they need to keep it a secret and not put anything on social media! This could ruin the surprise and the proposal for the upcoming engaged couple. This goes for pictures of the proposal before anyone else knows. As said previously, mom and dad might still not know. Moving forward to the day of the wedding! Don’t put any pictures up of the bride or groom before the wedding. This could ruin the whole “Wow” moment of the bride and groom seeing each other for the first time! I’m sure the groom would rather see his blushing bride in person for the first time, rather than a tiny little screen. When in doubt, always ask the bride or groom whether it’s okay to post something!

•  Turn off your phones for the ceremony!

This is one of the most serious and important etiquette tips I can give. While the lovely couple are saying their wedding vows and committing their lives to one another, they don’t want to be interrupted by a “It’s raining men” ringtones in the back pews. This day is already stressful enough, the bride and groom don’t want to have to worry about their friends and families phones constantly going off. If you’re worried about an emergency, put it on silent or vibrate. This is also to be said for the reception! Go have fun, take your heels off, enjoy this day of two becoming one. Lets keep it in our purse or pocket!

                                                                   What's a Groom To Do? 

Alright fellas, this one is all about you.... So pay close attention and take notes!:) The old saying goes, “A man never knows how unimportant he is until he goes to his own wedding.” Though this may have been true a decade ago, it is far from the case today. Long gone are the days that the groom is only responsible for popping the question and being on time at the church. Today’s couple is all about compromise and collaboration! So the ultimate question is, what’s a groom to do?

I feel like this question is asked a lot today. What’s appropriate for the groom? How can he be involved and add his own personal touches? The answer, anytime and everywhere! This day is about two people uniting and starting their knew life together, while also having some fun and drinking some bubbly! So why shouldn’t this be the same for the collaboration of the bride and groom. This should all start when the happy couple sit down to first discuss their ideas and expectations for their special, once in a lifetime day. This is when that pesky compromise comes into play! This helps distinguish exactly what the bride and groom want right off the bat without any confusion. Once it’s been discussed and a vision’s been made, the fun really starts!

The lovely and timeless Emily Post has taught us that there are specific things that a groom is required to do. Here are just a few….

•   Choosing the groomsmen

•   Choosing the groomsmen attire

•   Selecting thank-you gifts for the groomsmen

•   Arranging (and paying for) lodging for the groom’s wedding party

•   Picking a gift for the bride

•   Compiling the groom’s part of the guest list

•   Planning the honeymoon

•   Giving the officiate the fee for conducting the ceremony

•   Buying the marriage license

•   Planning the bachelor party

•   “The Groom’s Toast”

•   Dancing the first dance with the bride, dancing with the couple’s mother and maid of honor

These items are just a few of the many things that Miss Post tells us is correct form. But what we are learning today is that there are so many other things that the groom can do. He can attend the vendor appointments, pick out wedding colors, hire the band or DJ, choose the cake, and etc. If the groom loves to play golf, then lets get him a big golf club groom’s cake. If he is in the military, let’s have a Saber Arch. If the groom is very outdoorsy and loves to be on the river, let’s have a canoe be a place to hold drinks. These are all just a few examples of how the groom can be represented throughout the wedding with his own personal touches. Even if it’s something small, your groom will appreciate it and love that you incorporated him into the wedding. Remember, it’s the thought that counts!

Amy Little Photography 

Finally, all weddings are different and unique, just as are the grooms in them. With that being said, every groom has the decision of how involved they choose to be in the wedding planning process. In the end, all that matters is both the bride and groom are happy and enjoy their special day!

To See Each Other Before or Not?



  Having trouble figuring out whether to see each other before   the ceremony or not? Don’t worry, you’re not the only one. In today’s wedding world, this is a question that comes up more than one would think. Couples constantly question what to do and which option is more fitted for them and their wedding. Through the years it has become a trend for the Bride and Groom to see each other before their wedding vows. Stepping away from tradition, some couples feel that there are more benefits to seeing each other before hand rather than waiting till the ceremony. On the opposite end of that argument, other couples feel that it is more important to wait and in turn sacrifice a little bit of their schedule. It is all preference to the individual couple and their wants for their wedding day. There are many positives and benefits to both sides; it all boils down to what is most important to you as a couple on your special day.



Photography: J'adore la Photographie

             

   Pro’s of seeing each other before: 

·         For starters, the pictures! Come one, how great are those groom’s faces when they first see their beautiful Bride! These are priceless pictures that will always be admired in your home as that “first look”. By giving your photographer this option and more time, they can then get creative with the spot for this special reveal. All in all, this is a great option for a once in a lifetime picture opportunity where the Bride is caught literally taking the Groom’s breath away:)



·         Another positive about this option is quality time. By allowing yourself time beforehand to capture these moments, you’re also allowing private time for each other to take one another in and savor the moment. A few moments to admire your significant other and get some of those pre wedding jitters out of the way. In these moments, it allows for more affection and a breath of fresh air before the beautiful craziness begins.



·         One of the most appealing factors for couples when deciding to see each other before is the time management of it. If you decide to see one another before, that allows for plenty of time to get pictures out of the way before the ceremony. That then in turn makes it much easier for the Bride and Groom to get to the reception as quick as possible and not spend time taking pictures afterward. For couples that want to hurry and get to their reception, this is a great option for you because most pictures have already knocked out beforehand.

Photography: Kansas Pitts

Pro’s of seeing each other at the ceremony:

·         The dramatic entrance! This is a moment that we as children have always dreamed about. You’re behind the doors of the church with your dad right before he’s about to give you away. You join arms and tell him you’re ready. They open the doors and you lock eyes with your future husband for the first time. I mean come on, who doesn’t get chills from that? For a couple that puts tradition high on their preference list, this is a must. It’s a moment in which you will never forget or be able to recreate.

·         The emotional aspect of it. Walking down the aisle and seeing each other for the first time can be both emotional and intense between the couple. By allowing that wait for one another, it automatically dramatizes those feelings and emotions. The photographer is allowed to then catch those in the moment feelings. Once again, tradition, tradition, tradition!

All in all, both options have their pro’s and con’s! It all comes down to what is the most important to you on your day. If you care more about hurrying to the reception and not missing a beat of the party, then option 1 is for you! If tradition and “the dream” is one of your biggest priorities, then option 2 is for you! Whenever you see each other for the first time, whichever option you choose, it will be special and a moment that both of you will cherish for the rest of your lives!

 

 

10 Reasons to Hire a Planner from a Bride

Yes, we know that the title "Reasons to Hire a Wedding Planner" may become a bit repetitive on our blog but, we just had to share this story! This is from a bride's own perspective. No vendor or other planner but, a bride who praised her wedding planner and gave us 10 very good reasons why anyone getting married should hire one! Enjoy!

10 reasons to hire a wedding planner

 

I’ll be honest. I thought I could plan my wedding on my own. I was convinced that if I could plan a giant event all across the country and coordinate hundreds of bloggers at once for the Food Blogger Bake Sale, than why couldn’t I plan my own wedding?

Well, I was wrong. Way way wrong.
A few weeks into my engagement, I decided that as my gift to myself I would hire a wedding planner. I thought it was probably best to have someone that could help for coordinating everything and especially the day of the wedding. It would allow me to be way less stressed, and I convinced myself that it was a great idea.

And let me tell you something…. it’s the best present I’ve ever given myself! I asked Nicole, my fabulous, amazing, creative wedding planner from Green Ribbon Parties to put together a list of her top 5 reasons to hire and wedding planner. And then I put together my own list! So here it is… and I hope it helps some of you brides to be
Top 5 reasons why you should hire a wedding planner – from Nicole!

When you first get engaged people immediately start bombarding you with questions – Where are you getting married? Have you set the date yet? How much is your budget? Can my brother’s girlfriend’s cousin attend? And then, for the entirety of your engagement, the questions never end. They come from all directions, from parents and friends, to co-workers and even strangers! An engagement should be one of the happiest times of your life. You should be able to enjoy it, because after all, it is based on the fact that you have found your soulmate, the one you are going to spend the rest of your life with! This is the time you should be reveling in your love and not dodging questions and getting bogged down with emails and meetings! And that brings me to my list – the top 5 reasons to hire a planner.

1) Stress – A planner takes on the stress so you don’t have to. A planner will be the one to respond to all of the emails from various vendors and serve as the point person so you only have to deal with one contact. They will coordinate all of the meetings and be there to remember the details, plus ask the right questions. And most importantly, the planner will be there on the big day to make sure everything runs smoothly so you can be with you family and friends.

2) Prioritization – There are several guides you can find on the internet which will tell you what percentage you should be spending on every aspect of your wedding. I believe it is fine to use them to inform your decision, but I think it is also valuable to know what is important to you and put your money there. If food is your thing, then you might want to throw extra money into the catering budget. If you are a music lover, you might want to put a greater amount of money there. That’s why it is important to discuss what you (and this means anyone who has a say in the wedding) care about the most and in what order. A planner will offer guidance about what is within your price range and what will throw everything else out of whack. It is easy to get excited about all of the possibilities and make an uninformed choice, but a planner will serve as a great resource since they often know the acceptable range of what a service is worth.

3) Relationships with vendors – A planner is in the position to work on multiple events and they have established relationships with vendors of all sorts – photographers, florists, djs etc. Not only do planners spend time researching and meeting with vendors to know the best that’s out there for every budget, but they also refer couples to vendors constantly. As a result of all of these referrals, a vendor is more likely to negotiate with a planner since they can give them repeat business.

4) Experience – Most people are planning their wedding with no knowledge of how to throw a large-scale event. Of course there are books and plenty of tips from well-meaning friends and family, but a planner has seen many events. A planner is in the unique position to know what things should cost in every range. They can tell you if you are being cheated or if that “expensive” photographer really isn’t so expensive after all. They know what questions to ask your vendors and how to schedule the day so that you can get your photos taken, your guests fed, your speeches completed and everyone out on the dance floor.

5) They are required – More and more venues are requiring planners. Hotels used to have banquet managers to assist couples throughout the whole day, but this is an easy cost-cutting measure for venues. They get to cut their staff and have them go home and your planner will be the one to stay until the end of your wedding and make sure everything gets wrapped up – rentals collected, gifts delivered to your room, wait for vendors to come and pick up their items. Site coordinators offered up by the venues often represent the venue, not the couple. They will help you, but they will not advocate for you as aplanner would. In addition to traditional venues, many couples are now seeking out unusual spaces for their weddings – barns, art galleries, lofts – and all of these spaces need planners as well since they double as a wedding site and often have no one to help.

Top 5 reasons why you should hire a wedding planner – from Gaby!
1) Sanity. Let’s be honest here – planning a wedding, and coordinating all the vendors is hard work. Not to mention you most likely have a job, and hobbies, and other obligations that keep you busy. I’ve been super hands on in my wedding planning process, but Nicole keeps me sane. I know that I can send her an email randomly throughout the day about some small details of the wedding and she’s going to respond with an answer shortly and reassure me that all is going to be okay! Not to mention the month, week and day of the wedding. I think this is going to be the busiest time for me! Between all my upcoming pre-wedding travel and work, I know Nicole has my wedding in mind and she’s going to keep everything running smoothly.

 

2) Focus. I, along with many other brides I’m sure, tend to get overly excited about every last detail I see on pinterest and all the wedding blogs. I’m constantly adding things to my to-do list and making more work for everyone involved. And here’s the deal. I’ve gotta stay on focus. I have a vision, and sometimes adding too many details can get a little busy. Having a planner, who has done tons of events and knows what’s needed and what’s silly, will keep you on focus and ensure that you’re paying attention to the important things and not wasting time on anything else!
3) Peace of Mind. All I want to do on the day of my wedding, before the ceremony, is relax with my mom and bridal party, drink some sparkling wine and maybe take a stroll through the set-up of the wedding and check everything out. I know that I don’t want to be on the phone with the lighting people, trying to figure out where they are and why they didn’t arrive on time. This is probably one of my most favorite things about having a wedding planner. They take care of all that for you! Knowing me, I’ll probably want to hear a little bit of what is going on, but I know that Nicole is going to have it covered

4) Tie Breaker. Sometimes Thomas and I can’t decide on something. Maybe its a color. Or maybe its the way somethings works timing wise. Or maybe it’s the way the ceremony is going to run. Nicole is always there to give her trustworthy opinion and break that tie. She knows what works and what keeps an event moving!
5) Honesty. I know I can ask her any question and she’s going to tell me her honest opinion. And that’s exactly how I want it. I don’t need someone to side step around my feelings, I need an answer so I can make a decision and move on to the next decision that needs to be made. Not only does this make life easier, but it cuts waaaaaaay back on frivolous emails

 

So there you have it! Our top 10 reasons on why you should totally have a wedding planner! I hope this helps some of you bride-to-be’s out there!! Wedding planning should be fun – and I’m so happy I have help

Maid of Honor: Your Duties

Maid of Honor: Her Duties in Detail

Help! What do you do as the maid of honor? Don't worry, we've got your job description down to a science.

Photo: Laura Beals Photography

 

The maid/matron of honor is part worker bee, part emotional lifeboat. Chosen for your energetic, get-the-ball-in-motion qualities, you should also remember that listening to the bride, making her laugh, and offering emotional and logistical support are also part of your honor attendant package. Here's what's expected:

• Lead the bridesmaid troupe. It's the maid/matron of honor's (MOH) job to direct the other maids through their duties. Make sure everyone gets their bridesmaid dresses, go to dress fittings, and find the right jewelry. Also provide them with the 411 on all prewedding parties.
  
• Help shop for dresses (the bride's and the bridesmaids'). And the MOH pays for her own entire wedding outfit (including shoes).
  
• Offer to help the bride with prewedding tasks, from addressing invites to choosing the wedding colors and nodding enthusiastically when she waxes poetic about wedding cake.
  
• Spread the news about where the bride and groom are registered.
  
• Help the bride change for her honeymoon and take charge of her gown after the ceremony. Arrange for storage in a safe place until she returns.
  
• Lend an ear. Whether it's about the planning, the marriage, or the registry china patterns, the MOH should assure the bride that she has someone with whom she can share her thoughts. Even if she seems to dwell on the same subjects repeatedly, the MOH keeps listening.
  
  
• Host or cohost a bridal shower for the bride.
  
• Attend all prewedding parties.
  
• Keep a record of all the gifts received at various parties and showers (or delegate a bridesmaid to handle this).
  
• Plan the bachelorette party with the bridesmaids.
  
• See to it that all bridesmaids get to the rehearsal; coordinate transportation and lodging, if necessary.
  
• Make sure that all bridesmaids get their hair and makeup done, get to the ceremony on time, and have the correct bouquets.
  
• Hold the groom's ring during the ceremony. Safest place to put it? On your thumb.
  
• Arrange the bride's train and veil before the ceremony begins and just after she arrives at the altar. The MOH might also need to help her bustle the train for easy dancing at the reception.
  
• Hold the bride's bouquet while the couple exchanges vows.
  
• Sign the marriage license as a witness, along with the best man.
  
• Stand next to the groom in the receiving line (this is optional; the bride may decide to have attendants circulate among the guests instead).
  
• Play hostess along with the other bridesmaids at frequent points during the reception: show guests where to sit, direct them to restrooms, tell them to where to put presents, invite them to sign the guest book, etc.
  
• Collect any gift envelopes brought to the reception and keep them in a safe place.
  
• Make sure the bride takes a moment to eat something -- refresh her drink, get her a plate of food from the buffet table, or instruct the wait staff to keep her entree warm.
  
• Dance with the best man during the formal first-dance sequence and possibly be announced with him at the beginning of the party. Also dance with other groomsmen, the groom, and others.
  
• Toast the couple after the best man. (This is optional, but it is a nice touch.)
  
• Troubleshoot emotional crises. In most cases, this will require lots of tissues, hugging, and hair-smoothing. The MOH continues to be a trusted friend, a good listener, and a smart advisor.
  
• Keep the bride laughing. For the stressed-out bride, laughter can be as effective as venting.
  

-- Wendy Paris

Read more: Maid of Honor: Her Duties in Detail – Bridesmaid Mother of the Bride – Bridesmaids http://wedding.theknot.com/bridesmaids-mother-of-the-bride/bridesmaids/articles/maid-of-honor-duties-in-detail.aspx#ixzz2XFfBMlZP