WEDDING NOTES™ – Reaffirming Wedding Vows

Reaffirming wedding vows has become an increasingly popular way to celebrate a significant anniversary or to have the formal event that a civil ceremony did not provide.

Couples may choose to repeat their original vows or they may wish to write new ones that express the way their love has grown over the years.  

Generally invitations are not sent unless the ceremony planned is large and elaborate.

The ceremony options are varied.  Some couples choose to hold the ceremony and reception in their home or they may arrange for a church with a reception to follow in a restaurant.  Ceremony details are worked out with the officiant.  If it is to be part of a regular religious service, the church will dictate the procedure.  If it is to be a separate ceremony with a large guest list, much of the procedure is likely to be similar to a second wedding.

Some reaffirmations are limited to family only and others include a wide circle of friends they have acquired over the years.  Either way, it is a nice touch to include children and even grandchildren in the ceremony.  With family members participating, it reaffirms the love of not just the parents but the entire family they have created.

Generally, the attire chosen is dressy but not as formal as that for a wedding.  The bride may choose to carry a modest bouquet or wear a corsage.  For those couples who choose to reaffirm vows in an exotic location, a call to the resort or hotel where they plan to stay is in order.  A resident consultant can help implement plans and suggest new ideas.

Some families choose this occasion to have a formal family photograph taken.  Others are happy with just informal photos taken by friends.

WEDDING NOTES™ – Hints from Planners

The professional wedding planners exchange ideas and are an excellent resource to tap.  Here are some of their key pieces of advice.

From: Stephanie Johnson, ParkPlacePlanning.com

• ·         Establishing the budget and guest list can be two of the most difficult parts of planning, but the sooner you get those tasks handled the better.  Booking venues and vendors before you have your budget and guest count settled is just asking for unnecessary stress.

• ·         What makes details truly over-the-top is doing something just a little unique or unexpected.  I had one of my couples surprise guests with a gospel choir at the end of their ceremony.  Another couple set up a make-your-own champagne cocktail bar.  The secret to including these kinds of wow-worthy experiences without blowing your budget is to pick just a single aspect and go all out with it.

• ·         Set realistic DIY goals.  Pick one or two significant details that are relatively simple to execute, and plan a crafts day with friends or bridesmaids. 

From:  Sarah Trotter, LastingImpressionsWeddings.com

• ·         Keep your vendors close.  There are always elements you have no control over on your wedding day.  That’s why you need great vendors.  Make sure you establish good communications with them early in the process.  You want to make sure that you find people with whom you “click” and who are willing to help make your vision come together.

• ·         You can really customize your wedding when it comes to food.  Just recently one of my couples set up a whole room filled with State Fair food like donuts, corn dogs and cotton candy.  As much as I love planning over-the-top luxe weddings, it’s really the food that is going to get people buzzing about the night.

• ·         A lot of my brides get really stressed about whether they’re supposed to be doing one thing or another.  Don’t get so caught up in the “rules”.  Instead, make sure you don’t have any regrets and that you’ve done everything the way you want a couple.  Enjoy the process of planning and don’t worry so much about what you think you have to do.

WEDDING NOTES™ – Portraits and Pictures

The Fall/Winter 2012 issue of the knot.com did a good job of suggesting new ideas for photo ops at your wedding.  We’ve included some of their ideas as well as suggestions from wedding planners.  Wedding photos are THE lasting memory of your special day.  Making sure that the photographer captures the essence and spirit of the day is so important.  You may wish to review some of these ideas with him/her prior to the wedding.

• ·         Though you may not like standing for posed portraits at your wedding, don’t make the mistake of skipping them.  This is a special day that will only happen once.  Everyone is together looking their best.  Even if you think you don’t want them, “you’ll be glad to have them after the wedding is over.  You can pare down to “five must-take portraits:  the bride and groom together, the entire wedding party, the bride and groom with their parents, the couple with the bride’s immediate family and the couple with the groom’s immediate family.” (theknot.com)

• ·         Consider photos of the groom and his groomsmen getting ready.  The focus of the pre-wedding pix does not have to be on every hairbrush and roller in the bride’s room.

• ·         If you don’t mind having the groom see you before you walk down the aisle, consider “staging” a “first look” photo on a stair case, in a garden or courtyard.  The point is to capture his reaction to the first time he sees you in your gown.  This can be a special shot especially if you won’t have time between the ceremony and reception for many formal pictures.

• ·         Consider having the photographer capture the look on the faces of family members as they see you walk down the aisle.  You may not even have noticed those reactions in the rush of the moment but will enjoy them later.

• ·         Ask the photographer to seek out an unusual vantage point for shooting photos of the ceremony.  Request the same for the reception.  A wide angle shot of the reception area filled with guests will be a wonderful reminder of the entire day.

• ·         Think of your wedding as a “time capsule capturing the context in which your wedding takes place” (theknot.com).  In fifty years, your grandchildren will enjoy looking at the photos.

While wonderful wacky informal shots from your reception may be recorded on the disposable cameras you have left at every table, you will want pictures from a professional photographer who knows how important they are as a record of your incredible day.  Hire the best you can afford.  They are worth it!

WEDDING NOTES™ – Guests and Gift Registries

Since the average bride and groom register for gifts as early as six months before the wedding, savvy guests who know they will be attending spring and summer weddings can take advantage of being early visitors to the gift registries.

Know that small appliances, cookware and linens tend to go on sale in early spring.  Being alert to those sales can give guests a good chance to get the couple a special gift at a special price.

According to The Knot.com, the three top stores couples choose for their registries are Target, Macy’s and Bed Bath &Beyond.  It makes sense to start collecting coupons from those stores and “like” them on Facebook for access to additional money saving coupons. 

Since many couples suspect/expect a group gift when they put a big ticket item on their registry, paying attention to registry lists early enables a family group to provide that item to the bride and groom by “teaming up”.

Couples with special interests in key product areas like outdoor activities, camping, fishing, running or entertainment, gain ground when they register early in the process.

Couples are urged to insure that they offer a variety of items in their gift registry selections for their guests.  Items in several price ranges are encouraged.

We also remind our brides that it is inappropriate and unacceptable to mention gift registry locations/choices in the invitation.  News about where a couple is registered should be shared via word of mouth (attendants, relatives and friends can share the news) or can be listed in the wedding website if one has been established.