Tag Archives: ceremony

lisa + jason :: discovery lodge wedding

This fabulous wedding was designed by us, but with unique twists from the fabulous DIY bride. Just check out her brooch bouquet that she made herself!

bag pipes for your wedding…

Our adorable bride, Liz Musgrave surprised her groom, Daniel Zummach at the end of their wedding ceremony.

To honor his heritage, after they were pronounced man and wife, you may kiss the bride *smooch* Enter the “bag piper” !

This is just total fun! What surprises can you think of for your upcoming wedding?

video: saundra’s iPhone

recap on the Royal Wedding…

It’s here. The Super Bowl for wedding planners. The Championship Game. The Grand Finale.

Duke William and Dutchess Catherine of Cambridge have tied the knot.

Now there will be A LOT of recaps. Photos of the dress, the wedding cake, the kiss … blah, blah, blah. But that’s not how we roll here at planning…forever events. Nope, let’s talk about things most people won’t say. Out loud.

A few random thoughts:

• Pippa Middleton’s dress, just about upstaged Catherine’s wedding dress (which was perfect for her under the circumstances of getting married in an uber-uptight, albeit beautiful, Westminster Abbey).
• The Priest that was marrying William and Catherine had awful hat hair when he took off that huge hat. It was distracting.
• Loved that William had trouble getting the ring on Catherine’s finger. Wonder if she had some fish and chips last night? Salt does make the fingers puffy. It was a REAL moment.
• When William whispered, “You look beautiful” at the altar, yup. I lost it. Glad I was holding kleenex anyway.
• I think I caught the Queen sleeping during the ceremony. Or perhaps she was intently staring at her lap. Or memorized by her super yellow dress.
• What happened to Prince and Princess title? Kinda a let down with the Duke and Dutchess title, which was a gift from the Queen. This is what you get when you don’t have a real gift registry.
• You know what else was distracting? Some of the most atrocious hats that has ever been seen in public. If some lady sat in front of me at one of the most important weddings of the century, where the guest list had to be pared down to an intimate gathering of 1,900 people (*snort*), there would be a beat down, I assure you.

Lastly on this incredibly long yet exciting day …. special thanks to Lauren Matter, anchor for WTVW Fox 7 AM Evansville who invited me to co-anchor the Royal Wedding Recap. Even though I do a on-air segment weekly, this was super fun and I got to sit at the “big girl’s desk”.

Congrats again to the beautiful couple and England!

common guest faux pas at weddings

Today on Fox 7 AM Evansville we talked about common guest faux pas that happen at weddings. As planners, we see A LOT of them, but here are the highlights…

1. Arriving late to the ceremony. If the ceremony starts at 1:30pm you should be arriving NO LATER than 1:20pm. Seriously, I see people give more attention to arriving at a movie theater early than they do at weddings. But let’s say something happens beyond your control and you are strolling in at 1:34. If you see pretty girls lined up and a bride at the front of the church, kindly step to the side and wait. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT, scoot by the wedding party and enter the church. If you wanted to see the bride’s face as she walks down the aisle, you should of arrived on time.

All of the guests will be focusing on the entrance of the church as the processional has already begun, so you’ll be seen by EVERYONE. Also you ruin the video and let’s face it, you’ve drawn attention to yourself at someone’s wedding. Instead, wait to the side until the bride has walked down the aisle and is at the altar. The guests will be turned around and you can slide on in, unseen.

2. Manage your children. Everyone should know that if your child starts to cry during the ceremony, please get up with crying child and leave as to not disturb all the guests. Most parents will do this. But I’d like to add, do not forget about your children at the reception. For some reason, I see parents completely relax and let their children run everywhere. And when I say run, I mean the 100 yard dash sprint. And fingers poking into the cake is not cute, nor sanitary. So please watch your child(ren). It may even mean leaving the reception to take them home.

3. You forget the gift. This is easy. Don’t say anything. Do not apologize to the parents of the bride, do not mention anything to the bride and groom. Just send the gift immediately when you get home. There is no need to draw negative attention to yourself.

4. You’ve drank too much. The best advice is to not get to this point, but I know that sometimes it can happen, to the best of people. So if you have had too much, or the bartender has cut you off, realize that they are doing this for a reason. And if other guests or staff is taking your keys from you and calling a cab, do not argue. Know that your friends are looking out for your safety and others.

ps Catch the TV version of this blog post with Saundra Hadley, Fox 7 Wedding Planner.

having a backup (heat) plan

We all know that for outdoor weddings, it is critical to have a backup rain plan.

But have you considered the other weather elements? Like oppressive, humid, glaring, blazing heat from the sun?

This year we have had an tremendous shift of venues for wedding selections. More people are choosing personal residences or outdoor venues for their wedding ceremony (and/or receptions).

It’s a fab idea, as bride and groom’s are looking for something different for their special day. The concern is mostly with the potential of rain, but you have to remember other weather elements. In southern Indiana, the humidity factor is a huge concern as it is oppressive to a woman in a beautiful, layered wedding dress and men in full tuxedos. This can lead to crabby attitudes, sweaty faces, heat exhaustion and fainting.

Keep these points in mind, when planning your outdoor extravaganza:

1. Your elderly guests need to have shade and comfort.
2. Outdoor musicians will not play in direct sunlight. It’s not the uncomfortably factor (although that should be a concern, imagine YOU trying to play a violin dripping of sweat and exhaustion for an hour), musicians WILL NOT expose their high dollar instruments to direct sunlight. It ruins them.
3. Should you proceed with the outdoor, sunny plan; then make sure you are choosing garments to wear that will allow some coolness factor. This includes your wedding dress, groom/groomsmen attire, bridesmaids and parent attire.
4. Prepare for helping the guests cool off: A shaded location to wait until the last minute to be seated for the ceremony, fans (electric and handheld), cool non-alcoholic drinks to refresh themsevles.
5. Choose a short vow ceremony. Short…. very short.
6. Have an inside backup plan to move the ceremony. You don’t want to think about this now, but once you step outside in full dress, you may change your mind.
7. Do NOT choose a month that an outdoor wedding will almost 98% sure to be miserable. In this area, August is the worth month of the year with high humidity and heat.
8. Encourage more casual dress for guests; open collar shirts and sundresses for the girls.