Posts Tagged ‘wedding’
Monday, December 7th, 2009
Before I tell you about a wedding hotline call, I want you to know that the Bride who made what she defined as her, “fatal assumption,” asked me to share her story on this blog. She hopes people will learn from her mistake. I promise, if you ever use our hotline services, we will never discuss your situation without your permission!
I received an email from a bride, who I will call, Astrid (not her real name). She asked for a wedding hotline consultation to be arranged as soon as possible – so we spoke just 10 minutes after I received her email. Astrid began the conversation by saying, “I feel like such a fool! It’s embarrassing to even share my situation with you.” After I assured her that I had “been there, done that,” and I was clearly not in a position to judge anybody on what they do under the influence of WOD (Wedding Obsessive Disorder 
), she felt comfortable enough to tell me her story.
Astrid waited 5 years for her fiancé to pop the question so she didn’t wait a second to start planning her wedding. When she and her fiancé went over to her parent’s house to show off her ring and discuss her desire to get married as soon as possible, her father told her that he would pay for the wedding and in fact would set up a checking account for her to use. The next day Astrid and her dad went to the bank and opened up a wedding account. Knowing that her Dad had made an initial deposit of $10,000 in this account, she immediately started shopping.
In less than a week, Astrid made a deposit on a $3,000 wedding dress, signed contracts with a popular wedding venue, a photographer, and a floral designer, and had sent a check off to the most popular DJ in her city.
Thinking she had done a great job at getting all her priority wedding services set up, Astrid gave herself a pat on the back and then called her father to ask him to deposit more money in the wedding account. Here it comes…(are you feeling a knot in your stomach?)… When her dad heard her request, he said, “What?! You need more money? That is all the money I am going to give you for the wedding. That is all I can afford! I can’t give you a dime more.” Astrid’s dad was very upset because now he felt bad that he couldn’t give his daughter the wedding of her dreams, and he had no idea what these services would cost. Astrid was scared beyond measure because she had signed contracts for what totaled to be a minimum of $25,000. Her assumption that the $10,000 her father deposited in her wedding account, would be the first of several deposits, had put her in a very liable position.
Astrid and I had our work cut out for us to figure out what her next steps would be. Suffice it to say, we had many phone calls with her vendors. With some vendors, we were able to renegotiate contracts and others we chose to cancel, and one deposit was lost (unless they can re-book her wedding date, then they say they will give her 50% of her deposit back). I want to be clear that none of these vendors had to negotiate with us, most did, but we were lucky!
The lesson to learn from Astrid’s story is simple; do not assume anything when it comes to someone contributing money to your wedding budget. Astrid’s father wanted her little girl to have a dream wedding but he really thought that she could make that happen with his $10,000. Astrid assumed when her Dad said, “I will pay for your wedding” that she had carte blanche on how much she could spend. Assumptions can be deadly!
As scary as a very clear budget conversation is, it must be done. You want to be grateful for any amount of money that people are contributing to your wedding and you don’t want them to feel guilty that they cannot afford more. No one owes you money towards your wedding, but if they are helping financially, you need to know exactly what they are contributing and what they expect you to do (or be able to do) with their contribution. Astrid said, “I’m going to have the words “No assumptions” tattooed on my butt!” In our next post, we will talk about how to prepare for wedding budget talks before you start spending money.
PS: Astrid is going to have a wonderful wedding while honoring a $10,000 budget. She is marrying the “man of her dreams” and she has parents that treasure her. What could be better than that?
Tags: Bride, hotline services, wedding, wedding budget, wedding budget advice, wedding planning
Posted in wedding budget advice | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, December 1st, 2009
One of my biggest pet peeves is when so-called “wedding experts” tell nearly-weds what they can or cannot do. What is right for one couple will not be right for the next. One topic that seems to bring the worst out in many old school minds, are the use of “Evites” for your wedding celebrations. When I read an absolute edict from an “expert” stating, “never ever send email invitations,” it left me with two questions: “Why not?” and “Who are they to tell a bridal couple what is right or wrong for their celebration?” Evites aren’t illegal, right?
Now clearly Evites are not for everyone, but for those who are watching their budgets, or are truly eco-conscious and planning a green wedding, Evites might be the perfect option.
There are many websites that can help design an email invitation and many have great systems to help keep track on who has and has not responded to your kind invitation. One site I really like is Myinvitationlink. This site offers many options to create highly personalized engagement party invites, save the date, wedding invitations, wedding announcements and thank you cards. They make it easy to design a “love story” pictorial including many pictures of the bridal couple with beautiful musical accompaniment and personalized text. This is a great way to share pictures with guests before and after the wedding. Green, inexpensive, personal and creative, what can be better than that?
Now some of us have a few friends or great grandparent’s that don’t own a computer, so you may want to consider creating a few paper invitations for those you think need to be mailed an invitation. Several of the email invitation companies also offer print-ready templates, so you can email some of your invitations and mail others. Some actually will print and mail them for you! Think of your paper invites as a supplement to your email invites or vice versa, which ever works best for you.
Evites may not feel right to you for your actual wedding invitation but consider them for all the events surrounding your wedding. Bachelorette parties, Bridal party get-togethers, rehearsal dinner, or a post wedding brunch all need invites – you may want to take a peek at the following sites to decide if emailed invitations may be right for these ancillary events. Whatever you choose, that’s up to you! Take a peek at these sites and see what you think.
My invitation link
Paperless Post
Greenvelope
OurWedvite.com (does Evites and has print-ready templates as well)
Pingg
Evite: (free but comes with advertisements on side of invites)
Question for those newlyweds out there – Did you email any of your invitations? Tell us how that worked for you. We really want to know!
Tags: brides know best, emailed wedding invitations, evites, invitation, musical accompaniment, wedding, wedding celebrations, wedding invitations
Posted in Green/Eco-conscious Wedding Ideas, Ideas for saving money, Invitation ideas | No Comments »
Friday, November 6th, 2009
Alcohol may not be a welcomed ingredient for your wedding. I coordinated one wedding where the bride’s sister had been killed by a drunk driver and there was no way that her family equated celebration with alcohol. The bride still wanted her drinks to add zest, just sans the alcohol. We made virgin signature cocktails for her wedding that quite frankly were as good as if they had alcohol in them.
Travelin Joe Espresso Catering
At another wedding the big hit of the evening was an espresso catering cart that made the best mocha cappuccinos I had ever tasted. Guests thought the carmel lattes were amazing as well. I remember everyone dancing so much more than the usual wedding and then I realized that the quantity of caffeine that was being consumed was quite different than most weddings. I loved that they made yummy hot chocolates for the kiddos. We added a silver tray filled with Nona’s Biscotti and chocolate dipped strawberries to complete this special after dinner treat.
I have been a fan of slush machines for a long, long time. Renting a professional slush machine can allow
you to make daiquiris, margaritas, bellinis, and so much more with or without alcohol. Slush machine rental companies have all the ingredients you’ll need to make a hit with your guests.
My all time favorite alcohol-free wedding was a 50’s themed wedding that had a full Soda Bar staffed with a costumed “Soda Jerk” that made amazing phosphate drinks as well as the most delicious chocolate malts and strawberry shakes.
For a fall wedding what could be better than serving hot apple cider with cinnamon sticks? For a Winter Wonderland wedding serve hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows (so much better than the store-bought!) And for a spring or summer wedding, large glass containers of lemonade, sun tea and citrus infused water is simply perfect.
For some yummy recipes check out:
Zero-proof Cocktails by Liz Scott
The Ultimate Liquor-Free Drink Guide by Sharon Tyler Herbst
The Mocktail Bar Guide by Frank Thomas and Karen Lancaster Brown
8 Great Non-alcoholic Cocktails by Sandy Kendall
What non-alcoholic drinks have added a special touch to your celebrations? Please share your recipes and pictures!
Tags: alcohol free weddings, alcohol slush, budget wedding decorations, Budget Weddings, chocolate, chocolate malts, Creative Wedding Ideas, Family Weddings, Frank Thomas, Inexpensive Weddings, Joe Espresso, Karen Lancaster, lemonade sun, Liz Scott
The, non-alcoholic drinks for weddings, Nona, Sharon Tyler Herbst, slush, wedding, wedding beverages, Winter Wonderland, winter wonderland wedding
Posted in Reception Ideas, Wedding Beverage Ideas | 5 Comments »
Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009
Photography by Emin Kuliyev
Confession time. Just last month I attended a great wedding with the intention of shooting pictures that I would use for a future article. I had three cameras – a professional quality camera, a cheap digital and of course my trusty phone camera. The only thing that was missing in my picture arsenal was a skilled photographer!
All I can say is thank goodness the Bride and Groom were not relying on me to capture their priceless memories. My photos were definitely not worthy of this beautiful wedding. The professional photographer’s pictures on the other hand, were fabulous. Hallelujah!!!
Because of well intentioned, but lousy novice photographers like myself, I encourage all brides and grooms to bite the bullet and pay for a professional wedding photographer to document their celebrations. I mean really, how many times can you get those that you love all dressed up and looking their best? And wedding pictures are about the only pictures that years later people will still ask to take a peek at. Just yesterday I was looking at my own parent’s pictures and they have been married for 57 years!
Here are a few tips to consider when hiring a photographer:
Photography by Emin Kuliyev
1) See and like their work. Be sure it’s their own work especially if you’re interviewing a photographer at a studio that has multiple photographers.
2) Ask for references! Call a few of their past clients and a few event sites that have experienced them at work. I have always said that although someone may be a good studio photographer, event photography requires a completely different animal. Ask reference questions like: Does their temperament at work add to the stress of your day or does their good humor actually add to the joy of the celebration? Do they play well with others – meaning your caterer, entertainment and master of ceremony? If you could improve anything about their work style what would it be? Were there any added expenses not clear to you before you signed a contract? Did they respond to your calls and questions efficiently? How long did it take to get your proofs? Were your pictures of the same quality as their sales portfolio? Did they take all the pictures you had discussed in advance? Were you disappointed in anything they did or didn’t do at the wedding?
3) Be sure you like them. There is nothing more obvious in a picture than when a person is uncomfortable getting photographed or uncomfortable with their photographer. If this is an extra special event like a wedding or a milestone anniversary, you may want to have a run through with your photographer. This may be an engagement shoot or a family or individual portrait. This gives the photographer a chance to see your comfort level with a camera and to notice things like when you blink your eyes or that nervous twitch of yours. It also lets them see your good side and your bad side — photographically and personality speaking. And you get the opportunity to see your photographer’s work — before it’s too late!
4) Read every word of your contract before you sign on the dotted line. Don’t assume that everything your photographer is saying is what will happen. Make certain everything is in writing.
5) Give your photographer a list of pictures you want to be certain they capture. And assign a family member or friend that can help the photographer find those that you want to take pictures with.
6) Let your family, friends and wedding party know when and where they need to be for the formal pictures shoot. This will help the photographer get these pictures done quickly so you can enjoy your day without any unnecessary delay.
I am staring at a picture of my late husband on our wedding day. Believe me when I say that pictures can be priceless treasures that can literally last beyond a lifetime for future generations to enjoy. So be sure you hire a quality photographer (and not me!) to do the job right.
Tags: brides know best, how to choose a wedding photographer, multiple photographers, photographer, Photography, professional wedding photographer, skilled photographer, studio photographer, wedding, wedding advice, wedding photography, wedding planning, Wedding Stories, wedding wisdom
Posted in Photography, Wedding Planning Tips | 4 Comments »
Monday, October 26th, 2009
I have it on good authority that if you choose not to have favors at your wedding, your marriage will still be legal and binding. So if favors are not your cup of tea, give yourself permission not to have them at your wedding. On the other hand…
If you are like me and look forward to sharing a little trinket with your guests, here are some “favorable” examples:
1. Marianne met her husband because they both purchased all the lemon drops out of their company’s (a trash collection service) vending machines. They began meeting at the vending machine and love bloomed. So for their wedding favors they placed a bag of lemon drops in little dump trucks. The best man mentioned the lemon drops love story in his toast, and everyone had fun having dump-truck races on the dance floor.
Joe and Jill are firefighters and did a very similar favor with mini fire trucks (they filled their trucks with personalized M&M’s). Creating a favor that is symbolic of your life together always adds a special touch to your celebration.
2. Ever since Tiger Woods came on the scene, golf- oriented favors have been very popular. Many Chocolate companies offer solid milk, dark, or white chocolate golf balls that they can package sitting on grass (artificial of course) in a beautiful truffle box or in iridescent cellophane packages. You can order personalized golf tees to place under the bow. Order plenty of golf tees and have the extra displayed in a glass brandy snifter for all the golf fanatics to grab a nice pocketful. The guys love this one!
3. Rosanne’s mom makes the best snicker doodle cookies in the whole world – that is a fact. So for Roseanne’s wedding, her mom made her delicious creations and placed them in clear cellophane bags tied with beautiful French ribbon. The note attached to the bag said “From our Family to yours, thank you for making our day so sweet!”
My family made homemade truffles and fudge for the favors at my wedding. We ordered boxes that said, “The Sweetest things in life are those you share with the ones you love. Thank you for sharing our Day.” All my friends told me that they ate all their treats on the way home. This wouldn’t be so shocking if it had been one or two truffles per guest. The truth is, it was a half-pound box of chocolates for each guest. Oy vey!
Frames can do double duty - hold your place cards and be your wedding favor
4) I love framing place cards in beautiful little frames so they serve two purposes (the favor and the place card). After the wedding I suggest that Newlyweds send a picture (included in the thank you card) from the wedding that will fit into the frames. Ask your photographer to be sure to get a picture of the two of you with every guest so this can be a very personal thank you gift.
Whatever you favor, enjoy!!!
Please share your ideas on great wedding favors.
Here are two on-line favor stores for inspiration:
Beau-coup
My Wedding Favors
Tags: Beau-Coup, brides know best, chocolate golf balls, Creative Wedding Ideas, DIY Weddings, favor, wedding, wedding favors, wedding reception
Posted in DIY Wedding Ideas, Personalizing your wedding, Reception Ideas, Wedding Favor Ideas | No Comments »
Friday, October 23rd, 2009
Here is the second part of the article “Room layout and seating arrangement advice for your wedding reception” – grab a nice beverage and read on…
Who sits where?
TopTablePlanner.com
Now for the scary part (if you are not already hyperventilating)… seat assignments!
Seat assignments can be a logistical and a psychological nightmare. Aunt Betty and Uncle Tom haven’t spoken to each other in 20 years and you are on your third stepfather and have invited them all to your wedding. Who you sit where can make or break a party.
Issues to keep in mind
1) Think of each dining table as a party within your party. Who is going to be an “Ambassador of Fun” at each table, who can make anybody feel special and who do you think will enjoy each other’s company? Who would be repulsed to sit by one of your other guests (do keep them as far away from each other as possible)?
2) Physical restrictions: Who has a cast on their leg or is wheelchair bound? Who needs to be placed where there is plenty of room because he is the size of a sumo wrestler? Absolutely think of the challenges that each of your guests may have and factor those in when assigning their seat. A table generally for 10 may have to be a table for 7 to accommodate some special needs. Be sure your event or site coordinator is alerted to those special needs.
3) Ego Placements – Are your Fiance’s divorced parents’ tables equally prominent? Will that matter to them? You don’t want a pouting new mama- in- law on your hands at your wedding. Whose ego needs to be assigned a special table?
4) Good vibrations – make sure that you do not have your 96-year-old grandfather next to the DJ’s speakers. Most elderly guests’ ears may be sensitive to noise and won’t be able to hear anybody talk at their table if they are too close to the music.
5) Kid Friendly – Don’t put your cousin and her 3 children at the same table as someone who hates children. Do you want a kids’ table and then put their parents’ tables next to the kids’ table – sort of the “family friendly zone at your reception?”
So how do you make a physical plan of your table arrangements and seat assignments without needing tranquilizers? Do you need to get graph paper, crayons, or an architect involved???
There’s help!!!!! Several brilliant people have developed programs to help you with your seating arrangements. One web-based planner, Toptableplanner.com is worth taking a peek at. Their planner can help you make a layout and assign people to different tables. As importantly, it allows you to move people (and remove people) by just a drag and a drop. You can keep track of your RSVPs and guests’ meal choices and print your revised table plans, place cards and escort cards anywhere you have internet access (and of course a printer). It is a nice and easy planning tool and I believe can relieve so much of the anxiety you are feeling right now. It’s a $20 investment towards your sanity. There are other internet and software planning tools worthy of your evaluation (we’ll be looking at a few more in future posts), so do your homework and choose the best program for your needs.
Before you firm everything up though – be sure you are showing your plan to all the wedding vendors you are using. You want to be certain your layout fits into the room with all the decor and activities you have planned for your reception.
I could go on forever on this subject (I guess I actually have!) but for now – go jot down all the issues that you know you will need to take into consideration to make your room design and seating arrangements work for your celebration. And don’t forget to ask for help – there are a lot of professionals that can help you with these tasks – event coordinators, event designers, caterers, and party rental consultants are all people who work on room design and seating arrangement issues everyday.
Happy planning!
Tags: brides know best, DIY Weddings, party, planning seating arrangements, seating arrangements, tools for table assignments, wedding, wedding advice, wedding design, wedding floorplan, wedding planning, wedding reception, wedding wisdom
Posted in Planning Tools, Reception Ideas, Seating Arrangements, Wedding Planning Tips | 2 Comments »
Sunday, October 11th, 2009
In this economy most everyone has to rethink how they are using their resources and couples planning weddings are no different than the rest of us. When Americans think of budget shopping, it leads millions to Wal-Mart.
Walk into most any department in Wal-Mart and you can find something that may be useful for a bride and groom and generally speaking, you aren’t going to find it cheaper anywhere else. 
In their jewelry department you will find a few inexpensive engagement rings and wedding bands and a generous selection of accessories and gifts for an entire bridal party. Cubic Zirconia tennis bracelets, simple anklets, heart shaped and “Journey” necklaces with earrings to match, will accessorize bridesmaids well without emptying anyone’s piggy bank.
In the party section you will find several rows of typical wedding supplies for much lower prices than most specialty stores. 
A good assortment of Favor boxes at 50 for $12 can easily be filled with a sweet treat found in their candy department. Want the kiddies-at-heart to have bubbles? 100 Ring Bubble Wand Favors are only $15. 
For the computer savvy they have invitation kits at unbelievable prices and for the home bakers they have most anything you would need to make your own wedding cake or cupcake tower.
If you venture into departments not often thought of as wedding related, you will locate some great “finds” for a celebration. Do some price comparison and you may find that it is actually cheaper to buy whole sets of dinnerware than to rent them from a typical party rental company. On a recent visit to a Wal-Mart store, I found glass dinner plates for $1.50 each. The nice thing about purchasing instead of renting is you will have a large collection for all your future celebrations.
Decorating weddings with $5 vases, filling them with homegrown flowers and surrounding the vases with $1 votive candles can make for simple and inexpensive centerpieces. 
Purchasing a gazebo or an arbor in their garden department will allow you to reuse it in your own backyard after it has been the centerpiece of your ceremony.
You can also get multi-use out of other special décor like lanterns, firepits or outdoor furniture that help create a very chic and contemporary styled wedding.
Right now, when the Christmas department is just being set up, it’s a great time to look at white lights to swag on your head and cake tables (underneath tulle or iridescent material). Or purchase Christmas ornaments and pile them in a crystal bowl for an easy centerpiece anytime of the year.
Don’t forget the personal health and hygiene departments to make “Wedding Day Emergency Kits.” Band-Aids, Tums, Aspirins, mouthwash, hairspray, deodorant, nail repair kits, Kleenex and smelling salts are just a few of the items key to a good emergency kit. Add energy bars, nuts and bottled water from the grocery section and stain removers from the laundry supplies and your kit will begin to look like a pro made it.
If your schedule is crazy and feet are sore, do some of your shopping on-line at www.walmart.com. By creatively thinking outside the box – you can come up with a Wal-Mart Wedding that won’t break the bank but can still be a very special celebration with all the trimmings!
Tags: brides know best, bubble wand, budget shopping, budget wedding decorations, Budget Weddings, cake, Casual Weddings, Creative Wedding Ideas, DIY Wedding Decorations, DIY Weddings, do it yourself wedding decorations, home bakers, Inexpensive Weddings, party, Wal-Mart Weddings, wedding, wedding advice, wedding planning, wedding wisdom
Posted in DIY Wedding Ideas, Ideas for saving money, Invitation ideas, Wedding Favor Ideas, Wedding Planning Tips, decoration ideas | 1 Comment »
Monday, September 28th, 2009
The following wedding story is shared by one of my favorite Brides. Samantha and Matt’s very intimate “Surprise Wedding” was quite a hit with their guests who thought they were coming over for a casual BBQ! This wedding was planned by the Bride and Groom in two weeks and is a wonderful memory for all who had the honor to witness the beginning of a magnificent marriage.
The most amazing day with the most amazing man…..
By Samantha Lewis
After Matt had asked my two children, Nathan, age 12 and Katie, age 10, for their permission to marry me and had received enthusiastic reactions, wedding plans began. Discussions ran from a quick trip to Lake Tahoe in Nevada with the children for a small lakeside wedding to a more formalized affair with 150 of our closest friends. In creating a guest list, it occurred to us that our families alone accounted for two dozen attendees….
Since I had experienced a traditional wedding, my priorities shifted to my future husband’s ideal wedding. He had made it clear that gift registries and seating charts were not in his future wedding plans and when asked what he wanted, he jokingly answered, “just you, the kids and our families.” We immediately began planning our surprise wedding to take place in less than two weeks at our family’s “Engagement Celebration Barbecue.” The only other people who knew of our secret wedding plans were my children, our minister and my dear friend, Leslie, who took the photographs.
When people talk about a wedding taking 12 months or 18 months to plan…. well, all I can say is that ours was done in less than two weeks and it was amazing! Matt and I raced off to the florist and bakery and placed orders. While Matt and Nathan were fitted for tuxedos, my daughter and I found perfect dresses – off the rack! My dear friend agreed to photograph our wedding and since Matt is an audiophile, music was no problem. We live near the ocean and it was instantly agreed that our backdrop would be the local harbor. We met with our minister, wrote our vows, double swore the children to secrecy and invited our families to a casual backyard Barbecue- “to celebrate our engagement”.
Family began arriving, some driving as many as 2-1/2 hours…. all dressed in shorts and summer dresses for the casual barbecue. My mother, who was quite psychic, asked my son upon entering the front door, “Are we attending a wedding today?” to which my son replied, “No way, Mimi!” After a couple of hours of chatting and hors d’oeuvres in the backyard, Matt and Nathan disappeared upstairs for a quick change into tuxedos while my daughter and I retreated upstairs to put on gowns. Matt and Nathan reappeared downstairs and inquired, “Who wants to go to a wedding?” to which there were enthusiastic shouts and screams of delight. Matt herded everyone into cars to caravan to the harbor while my three sisters and Matt’s two sisters raced upstairs to congratulate, hug and apply the typical last minute girly-touches to make-up, hair and dresses. We then proceeded to the harbor.
The day was amazing….. clear, light breezes and warm sun – the sounds of sailboat lines clanging against the posts were like our own wind chime orchestra. Vows were said to one another and to the children, photographs were taken and everyone returned back to our home for a wonderful backyard Barbecue of Shish Kabobs! I wouldn’t do one single thing differently.
BKB: Isn’t that a great story? Do you have another Surprise Wedding to share with us? Please do!
Tags: Backyard Weddings, Bride, brides know best, Budget Weddings, Casual Weddings, Creative Wedding Ideas, DIY Weddings, dozen attendees, Family Weddings, Harbor Weddings, Lake Tahoe, Personalized Weddings, Second Weddings, Stress free Weddings, surprise wedding, Surprise Weddings, wedding, Wedding Stories
Posted in DIY Wedding Ideas, Ideas for saving money, Real Weddings, Surprise Weddings | 5 Comments »
Sunday, September 20th, 2009
If we are to be honest – 99% of all brides want to be the star of their wedding day. You don’t want a bridesmaid to be hotter, you don’t want your larger than life mother-in-law to steal the show and you have prayed for the last 6 months that your husband’s ex-girlfriend won’t show up and make a scene… or something like that. For me, my reality was that I was upstaged by an inanimate object – my wedding cake.
People did not ask for pictures of my husband and I after our wedding – they asked for pictures of our wedding cake. People who I didn’t even know but had heard about “The Wedding Cake” asked me for pictures of the cake. It was… weird. I had a famous cake.
Fess up - you wanted to see the cake - not us! Right?
Now in today’s standards, my cake is clearly outdated but several decades ago, it was quite special. The first reason why my cake was such a hit was that there were 7 different flavors of cake hidden underneath the whipped cream frosting – key lime cheesecake, Swedish Princess, chocolate decadence, carrot cake, peanut butter cheesecake, banana nut cake, and a diabetic spice cake for some diabetic relatives. My wedding cake was made by my parents who do most every thing food-related a bit over the top… actually, way over the top! I had 125 guests, the cake should have served about 250 and by the end of the afternoon reception, there was not one bite of cake left. The only piece I got was the one my husband fed me. Our guests, on the other hand, ate several pieces of cake and ran around with forks in their hands eating from their friends’ plates. It was quite a sight to see. It was a fricken’ cake orgy.
The second fun cake related issue was that I did not feed my husband cake… I fed him cake batter! Yes, not a healthy choice and don’t try this at home if you don’t want to risk food poisoning, but my husband had fond memories of his grandmother giving him cake batter so I wanted him to have this little nod to his late nana. In the middle of the reception my mom went and made a simple butter cake batter, placed it in a beautiful glass bowl and hid it underneath the cake table for the big reveal. Right after we did the traditional cutting of the cake, I slipped my hands underneath the table and brought this batter filled bowl out. I then fed my husband his favorite treat (in a large acrylic spoon decorated by mom of course.) To say that my husband loved this surprise would be a great understatement! He walked around for the rest of the reception with bowl in hand and the biggest grin on his face.
Yup… I was clearly not the star of my wedding but I love every vivid memory of watching people go crazy over my parents’ creation, not me – the cake!
Tags: brides know best, cake, cake orgy, chocolate decadence, creative wedding cakes, Creative Wedding Ideas, DIY Weddings, Family Weddings, lime cheesecake, Personalized Weddings, Stress free Weddings, wedding, wedding cakes, wedding planning, Wedding Stories, whipped cream frosting
Posted in Real Weddings, Wedding Cakes and other yummies | 3 Comments »
Saturday, September 5th, 2009
Image by: Emin Kuliyev, Emin Photography www.em34.com
As a Wedding Coordinator, probably the most common question I am asked is: “Will you tell me about the greatest wedding you’ve ever seen?” I think most people are expecting me to talk about the couture designed gowns and Waterford crystal favors – the limitless budget weddings. But the greatest wedding I’ve ever had the honor of experiencing, was Suzie and Bob’s wedding.
On Suzie and Bob’s wedding day, it rained and rained. In fact it was one of the worse floods in the history of their hometown. Suzie and Bob knew most of their 130 guests couldn’t get to the church (only 30 made it) and the caterer, photographer and DJ had all called saying it would take a miracle for them to get to their wedding site (none were able to). But Suzie and Bob decided to go ahead with their evening wedding.
The thirty guests, minister and groom waited for two hours before Suzie’s Limo arrived. Knowing where Suzie came from, I still believe her Chauffeur had to be Noah to get her there. When Suzie hurriedly got out of the car, a bicyclist rode by and sprayed a muddy mist all over her wedding dress. Personally I am amazed my heart stayed in my chest when I saw this happen. I couldn’t imagine how Suzie could still be standing. As Suzie walked toward me I thought to myself, how am I ever going to get this mud off and not ruin this dress? Out loud I said, “Suzie, let’s go into the bathroom and you can dry your hair and touch up your make-up while I clean up your dress.” Suzie took my hands and smiled, “I’ve waited three years to marry this man, I’m not waiting a minute longer.”
Suzie proceeded to the double door entrance of the sanctuary and yelled “Dad, come and get me!” Everyone clapped when they heard Suzie’s voice. Her Dad came quickly down the aisle as the bridesmaids, groomsmen, minister and groom went and stood on the altar. With no music, nor wedding party processional, Suzie, escorted by her dad, walked up the aisle, muddied dress and all. When she got to the very first aisle that had any guests in it, Suzie looked around at all her guests and said “you made it, I can’t believe you all made it, thank you so much!” Tears started to roll, but then we all “lost it” when Suzie got the first glimpse of her soon-to-be husband. She looked at Bob and then turned to her guests and said “I am the luckiest woman in the whole wide world!”
Suzie is the most amazing bride I’ve ever had the honor to meet and experience. She got it. She knew it wasn’t about the dress, the photographer, the DJ, and yes, not even about the fabulous wedding coordinator. Suzie knew that a wedding is about having the people you love surround you when you get to marry the person you will be honored to call your husband or wife. Bring this wisdom to your wedding day, and you will create a moment that you and your guests will never forget.
I wish you all true celebrations of love
P.S. Many years later, Suzie and Bob have three kids. When they talk about their wedding, they say it was the most beautiful day in their lives.
Do you have a story about a Bride who filled the room with joy? Please share!
Tags: Bride, brides know best, Budget Weddings, dress, evening wedding, inspirational brides, inspirational weddings, traditional weddings, waterford crystal, wedding, wedding coordinator, wedding planning, Wedding Stories, wedding wisdom
Posted in Real Weddings, Wedding Planning Tips, What matters most | 7 Comments »
