Centerpiece

Wedding centerpieces are a statement!


Keep in mind a few things

Your centerpieces should be a reflection of your style (traditional, whimsical, elegant)

They should compliment the table not take it over. You want your guests to be able to see each other and converse…choose something lower!

Some flowers can have overwhelming fragrances (not to mention allergy-triggering pollen). Flowers can be very fragile…make sure you select flowers that can withstand many hours at room temperature.

Be careful to avoid open flames when adding candles, the only sparks should be between you and your groom!

Some creative alternatives to the traditional are:

Individual wedding cakes
Mini ice sculptures
Edible fruit arrangements

Don’t be afraid to express your own unique style…it’s YOUR day!

Did I Theme Too Far? Creating a Wedding Theme

Nautical. Tropical. Cinderella. Pirates. Medieval. Dinosaurs. These can all be wedding themes. If you've seen the montage in 27 Dresses, you'll understand how crazy they can be. We have reached a time when we want to bring some of our own personality into the wedding reception, so themes have started to become popular. A traditional white wedding reception does not suit everyone, but how do you navigate the line between theme wedding and theme party? Here are some tips to add a little personal style without going over the top:

• It is popular to pick a color as a “theme”: bright colors or pastels for spring; oranges, browns, and gold in autumn; and white, silver, and blue in winter. You can offer season-appropriate food and favors.
• Think about themes as a general concept, not a party theme. Choose “tropical” instead of “luau”. Choose “romantic evening” instead of “Casablanca”.
• This is not prom. Avoid over-the-top decorations. Instead, incorporate the theme through floral centerpieces, place cards, favors, the guest book table, a signature cocktail, and other small details. You do not need the backdrop of a castle to create a fairytale wedding.
• If it would be a good theme for a Halloween party (pirates, for example), I would pass on it for your wedding. You will have the rest of your lives to host all the crazy parties you want. Keep this one simple.
• The theme should enhance the celebration of marriage, not overwhelm it. I would not want people to remember that my wedding as the one where grandma was hit in the face with a beach ball.
• Unless you are a professional golfer or you met at a baseball game, I would avoid any sports themes. The groom’s cake is the appropriate place for a sports reference.
• If you have to ask “is that too crazy?” then it probably is. If you’re in doubt about whether you have gone too far, ask your grandmother or one of your more “traditional” friends.
• Need some classy ideas? Start with www.marthastewart.com/wedding-themes

It is wonderful that we have reached a time when anything goes for weddings, and many find a “traditional” reception a little too “boring”. Add some fun, but be sure that when you look back, you will remember the celebration more than the theme.

Rehearsal Dinners

Traditionally, the groom’s parents host the rehearsal dinner, but this is no longer a strict rule. Often times now it’s the bride and groom planning the evening. Here are a few ideas.

The rehearsal dinner should be a different style from your reception. If you are having a formal sit down dinner for the reception consider a casual buffet. Many couples are having lots of fun incorporating a theme (maybe a backyard B-B-Q or Hawaiian Luau) This allows both sides of your “soon-to-be-family” to mingle and get to know each other.

The rehearsal dinner is a great time to thank “the parents” as well as a chance to acknowledge, often with sentimental gifts, your bridal party.

A fun activity to consider is an “informal roast.” This gets both sides of the family involved and laughing. Or maybe even dancing. Make sure you do some sort of introduction so on your wedding day everyone will already know familiar faces and be at ease with each other.

Check with your wedding coordinator or hotel catering manager for recommendations. I have a list of restaurants and personal contacts I recommend for rehearsal dinners.

Lastly, have a blast but don’t stay up too late…tomorrow is a BIG DAY

The Outdoor Wedding Ceremony

Today started out sunny. Now it’s 10:30, and it’s pouring outside. I love dining al fresco & being outdoors. But days like this remind me why I would strongly avoid an outdoor wedding ceremony.

Planning a wedding is difficult and stressful, and the key is to remove all of the uncontrollable factors so that there is nothing to worry about. Weather is the least controllable of all. If your ceremony is planned outdoors, you will worry every day leading up to the reception. You will wake up with nightmares of a rainy wedding. The risk is not worth the reward.
Even if the wedding is not soaked, there are so many other issues. Summer temperatures reach the 90’s, and your guests will sweat while waiting. Of course, heat won’t help your makeup either. The sun can make viewing & photography difficult. Wind can mangle the hairdos of all your bridesmaids. And here’s one you may not expect: a colleague recounted a ceremony where all the guests got chiggers! That is certainly not how you want people to remember your wedding.

If you insist on an outdoor ceremony, be certain to have an indoor location directly adjacent to the outdoor site. The indoor site must have the same capacity also.

You wedding ceremony will be beautiful, even if it is indoors. And you will have the rest of your lives to celebrate the outdoors.

Most Requested Reception Songs

Reception music doesn’t change as fast as the Top 40, as any wedding DJ can tell you. Perhaps it is because it’s difficult to find music that appeals to all age ranges at a wedding reception. I began planning weddings in 2000, and it is interesting to note that the most popular songs are still the most popular. One of my favorite DJ’s keeps a list of the 250 most requested songs, and he updates it every few months. Current songs come and go, but the favorites stay.

His latest list is about 6 months old, but I think 80% of it was also on the list from 2000. Among the favorites like “Unforgettable”(#35), Patsy Cline’s “Crazy”(#36) and “Chicken Dance”(#44) is the mother of all break-up songs “I Will Survive” (#32). Go figure.

Check out the top 10: 1) YMCA, 2) Cha Cha Slide, 3) Old Time Rock and Roll 4) When You Say Nothing at All, 5) Love Shack, 6) Brick House, 7) Me & You. As the night goes on, you’re certain see your crazy aunt dancing to these: 8) (You Shook Me) All Night Long, 9) Mony Mony, and 10) Let’s Get it On.

See the full list here, along with some tips for parent dances & first dances: http://www.soundconnectionsinc.com/SongList.html

Maximize the Impact of Your Cake Cutting

One of the most impactful improvements in the timing of your wedding reception is not waiting until too late in the evening for the cake cutting.

A special moment like this should be shared by as many people as possible. Unfortunately, sometimes this celebration gets pushed back too late in the evening, so many your older relatives or your guests with small children may not be able to stay to see it.

The cake cutting is the perfect break between the seated dinner, with guests enjoying the company of their tablemates, and the dancing and mingling. The cake cutting invites guests away from their tables and contributes to a more dynamic reception.

You might even want a small stage for the cake. First, it will showcase your cake during the reception. You have likely spent quite a sum on this piece of edible art and want it to be a feature of the beautiful ballroom setup. A riser will likely keep the cake out of the reach of any children or accident-prone guests. Also, it will make it easier for your guests to take pictures of you during the cake cutting.

So when is the perfect time? I say within 30 minutes after the dinner. Once the dinner ends, your guests will head to the bar, to the restroom, or to get some fresh air. This is the perfect time to bring them back together. Once people are up to see the cake cutting, they’re more likely to join in dancing and mingling sooner in the evening. Of course, like any part of your wedding reception, it’s a personal choice.
--Matthew Stone, CMP, is a Certified Wedding Event Planner and Director of Sales at the Hilton Arlington