Should You Have A Wedding Rehearsal?

How do you have a ceremony that runs smoothly?
How will the ushers know how to usher your family out?
How will your musicians know when to play for your unity candle?
How will you know when to respond to your officiate?
How can you get your maid of honor to take your bouquet and fix your muddled train?

See you really do need to practice.

Make a program- an order of details of the ceremony. Even if you don’t want one for your guests, your officiate, coordinator, musicians, readers and ushers will need one to follow. It should include the names of your musical pieces, readings and liturgy and who is intended to play, sing or speak.

Decide every detail before with your officiate and coordinator. Trust me you do not want advice from your Aunt Ruth about how to walk in or from your soon-to-be mother in law about where the men should go. No one will agree, it will add time and confusion to your rehearsal and no one will remember what you ultimately decided on. Do it before and write it down. Now is the time for a little detail. We do not suggest that you obsess about your wedding for a year before, but we do suggest you give a few things some time before your big day.

Get everyone there on time and promise them if they pay attention (harder with adults than kindergarteners) that you will reward them with a drink and dinner after.

Have your coordinator…
1- Set your bridal party up in their places at the front.
2- Guide them how to recess/leave (and inform them where they will go after the ceremony)
3- Line the bridal party up in their pre-ceremony places at the back (guys, girls, children, parents)
4- Inform participants about entry order and instructions to reach the front.
5-Run through your entire ceremony from processional songs to recessional
6- Include details like hand offs, microphones, when musicians/readers should come forward
7- Skip the words of the ceremony and the I-do’s (It’ll be better tomorrow)
8- Give your officiate your marriage license and your wedding rings to your coordinator or maid-of-honor.
9- Give everyone directions to dinner.
10- Relax and enjoy your friends and family. Don’t drink too much- there are going to be a lot of pictures tomorrow.

Where the cool people go...

Need Inspiration?

TheKnot.com has more than you can handle.

our favorite spot...

http://weddings.theknot.com/odb/results.aspx?type=3&colors=Red

check the drop down menu for all your heart desires

Fab Honeymoons

Need we say more...

Swept Away

Negril, Jamaica

http://www.swept-away.com/



InterContinental RESORT AND SPA MOOREA
Moorea, French Polynesia

http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/ic/1/en/hotel/mozpf?_requestid=314283

Dear Wedding Photographer

Dear Wedding Photographer,

Thank you so very much for the beautiful memories that you’ve given us, and for putting the photos online in your “featured wedding” section. You made me feel like a celebrity.

Speaking of celebrities, please be mindful that my younger brother is a highly-touted super star quarterback who was drafted in the first round by the Cleveland Browns. I’m not certain, but there’s a chance that you may have taken some pictures of him at my wedding that might be… well… embarrassing to say the least. I know my little brother would appreciate it if you didn’t post the pictures of him dancing to Y.M.C.A. even though there’s probably no chance that some blogger will find the pictures and make fun of him.

Sincerely,
Laura Hawk (formerly Quinn)

Dear Laura Hawk… OOPS!



File this one under things to mention BEFORE the wedding!

Source: With Leather who credits The Big Lead

Just Elope Already!

An attorney suggesting that you represent yourself.

A mechanic not finding any additional problems that you need to take care of.

Paris Hilton taking responsibility for her actions.

A wedding coordinator suggesting that you elope.

“I’ll take things that will never happen for $500 please Alex.” Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!

Well get ready, because you’re about to witness the final item on that list. (In related news the temperature in hell today is a chilly 32 degrees Fahrenheit with a cold front moving in tonight.)

Your vision of eloping probably includes a light up Elvis, a free Vegas buffet and disgruntled relatives. Modern “eloping” has evolved into “destination weddings”, and it’s not just a new name but a new way to look at weddings. Simply go somewhere else.

Your wedding dreams can change overnight, quickly going from: fairy tales, flowers, dreams, doves, and layers of flowing organza to pushy relatives, budget limitations, hours fighting over seating charts, details, details, details. One minute you can’t stop looking at your new 1 carat princess cut diamond and the next morning you realize you’re going to pay $120 a guest, your mother wants to invite everyone she ever knew, thinks you should hang swags of lace and have huge centerpieces of babies breath and carnations. All of the sudden you find yourself hoping that your mother won’t be offended if you throw up all over her wedding book from Michaels.

Usually brides seriously consider eloping after 6 months of planning, when they just can’t take it anymore. At that point you’re 6 deposits in and stuck with 6 more months of your mother.

While we pride ourselves in reducing your stress planning your wedding and helping you Enjoy Your Event!, there are cases where it’s just better to find an amazing resort, a gorgeous dress and buy an airline ticket. We are not counselors. Likewise if you would love to come to Colorado for your get-a-way, we would love to help.

Couples have many reasons not to elope. Let us tell you the truth…

1-The laws are too confusing. I can’t get a license.
(Thanks to about.com) just click here to find your location. You can also get all the info you need on the internet. Research has never been easier.

Bahamas Example:
ID Requirement: Photo ID such as passport or driver's license. Additionally, you will need a sworn declaration to prove that you are not married. If you are a US citizen, this can be done at the US Consul at the American Embassy in Nassau. Others can have a notarized declaration.
Residency Requirement: 24 hours for either the bride or groom. You must provide evidence of the date of your arrival in The Bahamas.
Waiting Period: 24 hours.

2- I want my family and friends to come but don’t want them there for my honeymoon!

There are many ways to accommodate this.
Island hop! There are so many great Caribbean locals close to each other, you can marry at one and stow away to another secluded spot to sunbathe and sip the week away.
Resort Hop! Marry at one resort and then move to another. Sandals, Couples, Barbados, check other all inclusives

Stay with your family and friends the week prior and enjoy a vacation with them, then plan for them to check out and stay and enjoy a private honeymoon for the next week. (Your family and friends will understand. Be honest with them about your desire to have alone time.)

3- I will feel like I didn't get a real wedding.

You do not have to have a shotgun wedding. You are simply planning a wedding in another location. It is less work, less details and less guests. All of this leads to a relaxing and memorable day of bliss.

Pick an idealic beach or a thatched hut in a tropical local or stay at one of Las Vegas’ new super hotels, perhaps get married at the Terrace at The Bellagio. Take your family to Italy. Spend a week in Colorado’s Mountains.

Do whatever you need to do to Enjoy Your Event!

Romantic Colorado Getaway

Gold Lake Resort
A YMCA camp? Yeah, really. I’m serious. Stop looking at me like that. Let me explain:

This resort used to be a YMCA camp.
Each cabin has been renovated to include log beds with feather tops, bathtubs carved out of rock, stained glass windows and the camp counselors have been removed for your enjoyment. Very cool.

As if that wasn’t cozy enough, just steps from your front door are rock hot tubs built into the side of the mountain with a view of Gold Lake. What could make this any more enjoyable? Some light snow, your man bringing you a hot cocoa by the fire that he built and then reading poetry to you. (OK so the poetry thing might be pushing it, but the rest sounds good right?) Oh, and don’t tell him that there are no TVs there, or be sure to go during a bye week.

Gold Lake Resort also boasts a Spa and Alice's Restaurant (awesome food)

It's ok if you want to sing...

"You can get yourself clean, you can have a good meal, You can do whatever you feel ... "

http://www.goldlake.com/
Gold Lake Mountain Resort and Spa •
3371 Gold Lake Road, Ward, CO 80481 USA •
303-459-3544

Will Your DJ Cramp Your Style

The following article comes courtesy of Jay Kacik,
DJ/Owner of Standing Room Only http://www.srodj.com/

From time to time we will feature guest writers that we feel have great insider tips for you, and because sometimes we're just to lazy to write something ourselves.

Thanks Jay...

It's difficult to write about weddings without being too cliché. Yes, it is "your big day" and, of course, a most beautiful beginning to the rest of your life. The key phrase being, "the rest of your life," meaning you'll have plenty of time to look back on "your big day." What will you want to see? Perfection. Or at least something more attractive than a Gemini TR 100 speaker sprouting from your head. (Your guests might also better appreciate a party where they won't risk tripping over a monolithic lighting structure.)

It doesn't take but brief contact with a wedding deejay to know that he (or she--yes, a growing contingent) is proud of their equipment. Just a few words past "hello" with any of these gala gurus and sound school is in session. Get ready to nod agreeably to words like amplifier, subwoofer and Mackie DFX-6 6x2 compact live sound mixer with on-board effects. But, hey, these guys are the life of the party. A good deejay has to know not only how to pronounce your Uncle Krzyzewski's last name, but exactly how to train an amateur on a mic, the right balance of bass and treble as well as the optimal sound for the acoustics of the room. But with all the time, money and sanity invested in an event as big as your wedding, it's time too for the cool deejay toys to be heard and not seen.

With all of the work you put into designing the decor and "feel" of your wedding, a little extra time to make sure your DJ understands your vision will be time well spent. Florists tend to have a natural sense of style. They know where to put the flowers and how to arrange them properly. Djs are a whole different story! Look at pictures of your DJ's equipment from past weddings. Make sure their style fits in with your wedding and doesn't detract from the beauty of your wedding venue. Any good, professional DJ will coordinate the reception and play all the right songs to keep everyone dancing. But what will the DJ bring to your wedding? Cheese or Class?

It is your choice!

***
Writer credits:
Jared Ewy
Jay Kacik, DJ/Owner of Standing Room Only http://www.srodj.com/

Your Tasting

One of the most anticipated planning events is your caterer's tasting.

Here's a look at one bride's meal and experience.

How to know if your caterer is into you…

They...
· Serve it in a clean ballroom
(Catering offices send a budget cook message )

· Set a table for the bride and groom to see
(Bride’s have trouble visualizing.)

· Let you meet the chef
(Make them feel like a star)

· Serve a plate that actually looks like it will to their guests.
(Artistic Food Tastes Better!)

· Send them with a tuxedo strawberry
(Chocolate sets every wedding contract well.)






Menu

Chicken Limoncello
Light refreshing grilled breast of chicken on
A bed of flavorful minted Limoncello sauce
Served with fragrant jasmine rice and steamed baby vegetables

Served with a Kendall Jackson Chardonnay

Piedmont Petite Fillet
Petite fillet with herbs and tri-colored peppercorns pan seared and roasted to perfection. Served with roasted rosemary potatoes
And seasonal vegetables

Served with a MacMurray Pinot Noir
***


Special thanks to Emily Burger at http://www.magnoliahoteldenver.com/
My bride felt like royalty

How to Host a Tent Event

1- Consider size…
If your tent is too small you will not have ample mingling space. You do not want your guests to have to stay camped at their table all night.
Figure it out at: http://www.bctent.com/calculator.htm

2-Consider light...
Do not take the tent company up on their ‘add on light for the tent pole’. Most are a glorified construction high wattage, hot bulb. You’ve spent thousands on your wedding and then you’ve turned it into a blinding “we didn’t want you to trip on the uneven ground event”. Use paper globe lights, battery twinkle lights from the corners, large pillar candles in hurricanes and hang candles from Sheppard’s hooks lining the entrance to your tent.

3- Treat your floor…
Unless you have a level surface with well maintained sod, opt for a floor. Your guests donned their best garb- don’t make them get all dusty.



4- Thwart the elements…

Install tent sides and a pretty fabric entrance to block the wind. Rent heaters, so your guests don’t freeze.





5- Gussy it up…
Install flowers up the center pole, swag fabric or flowers across the ceiling, install ruched fabric along the ceiling, make your guests gasp.

Remember you are transforming your space for your event. Whether it’s your living room or your backyard, treat it right.


(Picture tent wedding courtesy of Legoland- San Diego)