Small Ceremony, Big Reception

Some brides cannot wait for the drama of their grand entrance at the wedding ceremony, as they process down the aisle in front of hundreds of guests. For other brides, not so much! A great way to balance the wish for a very intimate wedding ceremony with the desire to celebrate your marriage with all of your friends and family is to have a private ceremony and a large reception. This is a look at how to plan a small ceremony and a big reception.

There are plenty of reasons why a small wedding ceremony might make sense for you. Maybe you dream of getting married on a sun-swept beach on a far-flung tropical island paradise, and know that only your closest family will be willing to make the trip. Or perhaps you break out in a cold sweat everytime you think about having hundreds of people watching you as you exchange your vows, and want a very low-key ceremony to alleviate your stage fright.  A small, non-traditional ceremony can help in this situation.

For couples who really want an ultra-tiny ceremony, a private service at home with only their parents, siblings, and one or two closest friends might be the way to go. Having a large wedding at home is a massive undertaking, but a very small one can easily be held in your living room with no special accommodations. Have a couple of bottles of Champagne on hand to toast the newlyweds at the end, and everyone can go out to a nice restaurant for dinner. That is all you need for a special private ceremony at home.

After your small ceremony, follow it up with a fabulous reception. Any style will do, from very traditional wedding reception in a country club or hotel to a casual barbeque for three hundred of your closest friends. If you opt for a traditional reception, by all means dress the part. For brides that means beautiful wedding gowns with classic sets of bridal jewelry and either suits or tuxedos for grooms. This is nice for the bride who did not wear a gown for a very small ceremony, as it gives her the chance to get all dressed up in full bridal regalia for the reception (perhaps minus the veil). The small ceremony followed by a large reception may be just the perfect combination for your wedding.

The Post-Wedding Brunch

As the wedding day has morphed into the wedding weekend, one event that has become quite popular is the post-wedding brunch. Although some brides may cringe at the idea of another event to organize and some guests feel like enough is enough already, personally I love the brunch the day after the wedding. It gives everyone a chance to visit a little more before heading out of town, and besides, who doesn’t love brunch? This is what you need to know about planning a post-wedding brunch.

First of all, the bride does not have to be the one to plan a day-after brunch. Her parents could host it, the groom’s parents could host, or even a grandparent could organize the brunch in honor of the newlyweds. Second of all, the post-wedding brunch does not need to be a fancy event at all. By far the easiest way to do it is to book a private dining room in the hotel where most of the guests are staying. Don’t worry about fancy flowers or custom linens; this is not the wedding, after all, just brunch. As long as it is a nice hotel (or restaurant, if you prefer), whatever they provide in the way of decorations will be absolutely fine.

The purpose of having another get-together the day after the wedding is to give everyone one more chance to see each other, which can be wonderful for families who are far-flung. One or two days just isn’t enough time if you only get the whole group together for weddings and holidays. The brunch serves one very other important role: it is always fun to gossip about a great party the next day! This is the perfect opportunity for everyone to rehash the excitement of the day before while it is still fresh in their minds. For the bride and groom, this is the time to get the real scoop on all the interesting things that happened at their wedding – so fun!

While the post-wedding brunch need not be formal, the newlyweds should still make an effort to look good. Match your attire to the setting. For a country inn, a cashmere sweater, tweed skirt, and pearl earrings is a polished brunch outfit. In the summer, a pretty sundress with a tin cup necklace and pearl earrings would be just right. Around the holidays, even daytime parties like brunches tend to be dressier, so step it up a notch with a beaded sweater set and a knee length velvet skirt or a silk wrap dress. After all, your post-wedding brunch is your first chance to make a great impression as newlyweds!

Wedding After-Party Ideas

If you can’t stand the thought of your wedding ending, why not keep the fun going into the wee hours of the morning? After the formal reception concludes, more and more couples are inviting their friends to keep celebrating with them in an after-party. Take a look at these great ideas for wedding after-parties.

The after-party should reflect your taste and also the tastes of your friends. For instance, if you and your friends love nature and being outside, this could be the inspiration for your post-reception celebration. After the reception officially ends, invite your friends to join you around a bonfire for singing, dancing, and even homemade s’mores. It is a fun way to kick back and relax with your close friends, especially if a lot of them will be coming in from out of town. Just be sure to note on the invitations that a bonfire will follow the reception and let guests know to bring a casual change of clothes so they can fully enjoy the experience.

Another really fun idea for a wedding after-party is a karaoke party. Hire a d.j. and bring in the microphones and other equipment to encourage everyone to get up on stage and belt out their favorite tunes. The conclusion of a wedding is a great time for a karaoke party, because most people will already have a few shots of “liquid courage” in them to help them release their inner diva. The bride should be sure to have a sassy party dress to change into, along with big sparkly Swarovski crystal earrings to really get into the party spirit.

If most of your out of town guests will be staying in the same hotel, that could be a convenient location for a party after the reception. It could be as informal as an announcement that the newlyweds will be heading to the bar at such and such hotel, and they would love to see their friends there. If you want to be a little more organized about it, see if the hotel has a private room in their lounge or restaurant. Another option is to rent a suite in the hotel and stock it with drinks and snacks for a fun after-party. Any of these options are very appealing when the wedding is done by the early evening and guests will be looking for something to do for the rest of the night. Keeping the party going sure beats staring at the walls in your hotel room!

Wherever you decide to host your wedding after-party, spread the word in advance by email or by word of mouth, or just make an announcement at the end of the reception. There is nothing like keeping a great time going on all night!

Have a Bug-Free Summer Wedding!

Summer is high season for outdoor weddings, but it also happens to be high season for pesky bugs. Don’t let mosquitos, bees, and other flying insects ruin your wedding! Take a look at these tips on how to have a bug-free summer wedding.

Any wedding location can be improved, even if it is fairly buggy to start out. To deter bees, choose your flowers wisely, avoiding those with fragrances that draw bees. A good tip for the bride is to select a jeweled hairpiece to match her wedding jewelry, instead of a fresh flower in the hair, which is known to attract insects. If you are concerned about bees coming around the food stations and dinner tables, there are a few things you can do. First, keep food covered as much as possible, and locate trash recepticles away from where your guests will be congregating. Another great tip is something which you frequently see at restaurants with outdoor seating: set up open cups of sugar water along the perimenter to draw the bees away from where your guests will be eating. It works like a charm!

Lakes make for beautifully scenic backdrops for weddings, but they also tend to have a lot of flying insects around them, epsecially mosquitos. For very buggy areas, try renting one of those propane powered mosquito traps which has a quiet fan and lures in the bugs by releasing carbon dioxide. There are similar devices which have electrical plugs and lure the mosquitos to their death with ultraviolet lights. People swear by these devices, and if the area you are trying to clear of bugs is your own backyard, you might even want to buy a couple. Ideally, they should be set out well before the start of the wedding, so that most of the mosquitos in the area will be cleared out before your wedding guests arrive.

There are also some proven low-tech ways to help keep flying pests at bay. Set up tiki torches around the perimeter of your reception space, as the smoke helps (somewhat) to keep mosquitos away. The old standby citronella candles can also be used on tables and set out in areas where your guests will gather. Place them in attractive candleholders to make them a pretty addition to your wedding. (Keep in mind that some guests may not like the scent of citronella, so don’t overdo it.) For a tented wedding, you could even have net sides that are rolled down as dusk approaches to keep your guests comfy and happy inside.

Decorate Your Wedding Ceremony Entrance

When your guests first arrive at your wedding location, it is great if the outside of the building gives some hint as to the celebration taking place within. A classic decoration for church doors is to hang a wreath on the outside. Wreaths are great, because there are so many different styles in which you can make them. Use classic boxwood for an elegant and restrained wreath, perhaps adorned with a large silver bow. Or make a more flowery wreath, using a mixture of greens and your wedding flowers. Wreaths can get very fancy too; if you were having a Winter Wonderland theme wedding and wearing a lot of sparkly crystal jewelry, you could create a crystal studded wreath.

Another lovely way to decorate your ceremony entrance is with a garland over the door. This works beautifully for any shape or size of door, and can be used in addition to wreaths, or by itself. Garlands can take many forms. Most of us are familiar with the pine garlands used at Christmas, but there are also garland designs which would be perfect for a wedding outside of the holiday season. Pretty greens with flowers look lovely at any time of the year. For an evening wedding, wrap the garland with tiny white lights to illuminate the entrance. Large magnolia leaves make a dramatic garland with a Southern flair. Accent with pretty ribbons in your wedding colors.

Potted topiaries will add an elegant style to any wedding ceremony entry way. The classic round balls are very pretty for any formal wedding. Tie a bow under the first ball on the topiary to make it more festive. A great look can be created by combining a few different topiary forms, such as the round balls, cones, and tall twisted topiaries. As the style tends to be rather formal, topiaries look best when displayed in very balanced groups or even perfectly symmetrical pairs. This would be an excellent choice to adorn the entrance of a grand old stone mansion.

Don’t think that entrance decorations are only for churches or fancy mansions. A rustic barn wedding can be dressed up with the addition of natural elements like bundles of wheat standing on either side of the front door. (Wheat can also be used to create wreaths or garlands, if you wish.) As barn interiors can tend to be dark, another great idea is to suspend a mass of floating candles in tiny clear globes over the entryway. This is a wonderful addition that will sure to make your guests feel very welcome.

Wedding Traditions: Keep or Discard?

Weddings are rich with tradition. In fact, many of the customs which a bride and groom may include in their own wedding are there because it “is the way things have always been done”, rather than because they specifically want those elements as part of their special day. Take a look at this look into some of the most common wedding traditions, as we answer the question: should they be kept or discarded?

White Wedding Gowns. It was Queen Victoria who started the craze for white bridal gowns. The white wedding gown has since taken on many connotations, especially as a symbol of the purity of the bride. There is a trend these days moving away from white (or ivory) gowns in favor of wedding dresses with either a little color or made entirely in a color like red. So as to the question of whether this tradition should be kept or discarded, the answer is to wear a traditional white wedding gown with classic pearl wedding jewelry only if you really want to. If you want to wear a red dress for your wedding day, by all means do it!

Bridesmaids. Did you know that the original purpose of bridesmaids was to dress in clothing similar to that of the bride’s to confuse the evil spirits who were believed to be drawn to brides? And bridesmaids today think they have it bad; at least all they have to ward off is unwanted advances from drunken groomsmen! Today the custom of having a bridal party has evolved into choosing to spend your wedding surrounded by your best girlfriends for support and to make the wedding planning process more fun along the way. Who doesn’t want her best friends around on one of the most exciting days of her life? Bridesmaids are a definite tradition to keep. Abuse of bridesmaids, however, is something that is definitely out, so remember to treat them like your friends, not your personal servants.

Garter Toss. The garter toss started out because of an old superstition that said grabbing a piece of the bride’s clothing would bring some of her good fortune to the bearer. After a while, brides tired of having their gowns ripped apart by their guests, and started tossing their garters to the crowd instead. These days, however, the garter toss has turned into nothing more than a tacky moment in what should be an elegant day. The point is no longer about catching the garter for luck, but rather in seeing how far the groom can push the borders of good taste. For that reason, the garter toss belongs on the scrap heap of wedding traditions!

So, what other traditions do you think are worthy of keeping or ditching? The dollar dance, the rehearsal dinner, or maybe the traditional marriage vows? Let the debating begin!

Geometric Motifs for Weddings

If you are looking for a wedding motif that is elegant and not too in-your-face, try selecting a geometric design. This guide will help to you see all the many ways you can design your wedding theme around a geometric motif.

A wonderful way to design your wedding around your favorite geometric design is to pick one that will tie in well with many of the wedding elements. In other words, let’s say that you fell in love with an Art Deco design, and have decided to use it on your wedding invitations. Perhaps you want to take it a step further and decorate your colors in the icy blue and silver tones which were prevalent in the Art Deco period. A sleek silky wedding gown with clear crystal bridal jewelry, a martini bar, and before you know it, you will have planned an entire fabulous wedding based on the inspiration of your geometric motif!

One geometric motif which is very easy to use for a wedding is the classic Greek Key design. A nice thing about this motif is that it is one which any groom would like, unlike many of the more flowery wedding themes. The simple shape would look excellent printed in gold around the border of a heavy cream invitation. It would be a very handsome design to have stitched around the border of simple white or ivory tablecloths for the reception tables. If you want to play up the “Greek” part of the Greek Key motif, consider serving delicious foods like spanakopita and baklava.

Whether you ultimately choose your geometric motif based on a Celtic knot, an art and design movement, or even a homespun sampler, be sure to really feature it throughout your wedding. One place you will definitely want to showcase your special design is on the wedding cake. Without a doubt, a wedding which is designed around a very special geometric motif is sure to be very sophisticated and stylish.

Summer Rehearsal Dinner Ideas

For beach weddings, there can be no better rehearsal dinner than a clambake right on the sand. If clam is not quite your thing, substitute a crab feast, lobster bake, or shrimp boil; other than the main dish, they are all pretty much the same to plan. Picnic tables right on the beach would be the perfect dinner seating. Either cover the tables with pretty patterned oilcloth or do what they do for a good ol’ fashioned clambake or crab feast and just cover the tables with layers of newspaper. Finish off your rehearsal dinner with a favorite summer dessert like homemade peach pie or strawberry shortcake.

A wonderful idea for an elegant summer rehearsal dinner is a Great Gatsby inspired lawn party. Picture all the ladies in their lightweight summer dresses sipping icy mint juleps. Simple accessories like a tin cup necklace will be the perfect ornament for this outdoor soiree. Imagine gentlemen in seersucker trousers playing croquet on a lush green lawn. Add a spread of delicious summer foods like salads, grilled chicken, and tasty fresh veggies for a meal that will be enjoyable but not too heavy.

A super fun summer rehearsal dinner theme is a luau. Welcome your family and friends with slushy tropical drinks like daiquiris and pina colodas, complete with paper umbrellas and fruit garnishes. Hand out leis and encourage guests to wear Hawaiian print shirts or dresses to really get everyone into the spirit. Pork skewers with pineapple are a crowd-friendly dinner for your luau, and are really easy to make if you are doing your own grilling. A luau theme is sure to be a great icebreaker when the two sides of the family are meeting for the first time at the rehearsal dinner.

A great rehearsal dinner that anyone can plan is a picnic in a park. This is a theme that can be designed to fit your taste and style. It could be very elegant, with chilled Champagne, hampers of gourmet foods, and portable cd players wafting classical music into the background to create ambiance. A picnic can also be very relaxed, with burgers on the grill, potato salad, and watermelon on the menu, either in a state park or at a shelter in a park close to the rest of the events. Be sure to bring plenty of citronella candles to keep bugs at bay as dusk falls so that the party can continue well into the evening.

Beautiful Music: Picking the Perfect Band for Your Wedding

The music is one of the most important elements to set the tone for your wedding reception. A great band will create exactly the mood you desire, while a lame one will make the party a flop. These are some tips on how to pick the perfect band for your wedding.

First of all, keep in mind that there are plenty of great wedding musicians out there, but not all of them are right for the style of wedding you prefer. The hot samba band that kept the crowd jumping on the dance floor at your cousin’s wedding might not be a hit with your husband’s conservative family or make sense for your venue. Personally, I have always thought that people in formal attire look odd dancing wildly to contemporary music, so for my wedding, I chose a band that specialized in standards like Frank Sinatra and Cole Porter. It fit well with the overall classic style of my wedding, which ran to lace, pearl bridal jewelry, and all white flowers.

Most wedding performers will have cds and other promotional materials they can send you to help you get a sense of their style. That is a great place to start, but try to avoid booking a band based on that alone. You should definitely speak directly with the bandleader to be sure that you mesh, since he will be the one directing the band during your reception. Whenever possible, it is very smart to go see your top band perform live at a wedding or other event.

When writing the contract with your favorite band, be sure to address the question of breaks: how many, when, and the duration of them. Will a few musicians stay to play background music, will they put on an ipod loaded with your favorite songs, or will there be silence during the breaks? Also put into writing your obligations regarding feeding the band, the number of musicians and which instruments are to be included, and overtime rates. Then make your deposit to reserve your wedding band, and rest easy knowing that when the big day rolls around, your guests will be treated to beautiful music.

What to Do If You Run Short on Wedding Cash

It happens to many couples: you are about halfway through planning your wedding, and come to realize that there is no way you have enough cash to pull off what you had planned! It is distressing, to be sure, but there are some things you can do to make your wedding come together beautifully, even if funds run low. Here is what to do if you run short on wedding cash.

Buy a white bridesmaid dress. Bridesmaid dresses come in a wide array of fashionable styles and beautiful materials these days. Even the most expensive bridesmaid dress is going to be a major savings over a traditional bridal gown, so this can be a great way to save money while still looking fabulous. Don’t be afraid to shop for accessories which are geared towards bridesmaids, either. In many cases, bridesmaid jewelry and shoes are sold at a lower price than the equivalent styles which are marketed to brides. While you’re at it, pick up some great bridesmaid jewelry to thank your attendants.

Have a morning wedding. Why? Because hosting a brunch reception will cost a fraction of an evening affair. The menu can be much smaller, the bar bill will drop by a huge amount, and as the reception will likely run shorter, you can also hire the band for a shorter time or skip dancing altogether, and just play background music on your ipod. The only caveat to having a morning wedding is that you will want to plan for an early end to your rehearsal dinner so that everyone can get to bed early the night before.

Skip the extras. What do you really need to get married? A bride, a groom, an officiant, and a witness. Technically, everything else is extra. Start with the bare essentials, like a bouquet for the bride and a wedding cake, and build from there. Omit all the stuff that is really not necessary, like custom cocktail napkins, printed menus and programs, and flowers for the ladies’ room. One place that you should never skimp, however, is on the food and drink for your guests. Reasonable refreshments are not extras, they are the basis of good hospitality.

With all these money saving strategies in mind, you will be able to create a wedding that is memorable without starting off your marriage mired in debt, which will make for a much happier beginning.