Avoid Wedding Drama: Special Situations And Invitation Wording

There are some families that may have different members in them, some that wedding books and etiquette guides are struggling to keep up with. How can you include everyone in such a way that all are equally important?

Well, to a certain extent, you can not. There’s only so much room on an invitation to include everyone in your life, but for those that you must, there are ways to handle the step and passed on parents in an invitation.

A step up

When it comes to step parents, most couples feel as though they are no different from their biological parents. So, they want to incorporate them into the invitation as well. And while traditionally, the parents are included, how do you put in everyone’s name?

Many invitations start off with Mr. and Mrs. So and So would like to announce the marriage of their daughter Blah Blah to John Doe, son of Mr. and Mrs. Smith. In order to include both sets of parents, you can just add them in at the beginning and end, denoting it with son of Mrs. Smith and her husband Bill and of Mr. Whatever and his wife Something.

It may sound awkward, but it can be done. Other couples have chosen to just include the names of their biological parents, referencing their present last names. That works just as well.

If there is a parent that has been absent for the child’s life, then they do not have to be put into the invitation.

When someone has passed on

If one of the couple members would like to include their parent that has passed on, they can say something to the effect of Mr. Smith and the late Mrs. Smith. That works just fine. If both parents are deceased, you may want to note that as of the late Mr. and Mrs. Smith

If someone has recently passed away, then you may want to include that as a separate note as a way to let your guests know and avoid any awkward moments. This is especially true if it was a recent event.

When in doubt about a tricky situation, do what feels right for you. A lot of the time, you can write and rewrite the wording to include everyone and still satisfy you. Read your words out loud lot of times you can see what something sounds like to a reader, and then judge your choice from there.

We would love to hear your thoughts . Please comment below, stop by and check out http://www.djxtc.net and follow us on twitter @weddingdj1

At-A-Glance Wedding Planner Checklist

So you two are getting married? Why not do everything you can to make it a wedding to remember? Here are the items you will want to consider carefully while formulating your wedding plans:

Secular or Non-secular?

Decide whether you want a simple civil ceremony or a church-affiliated wedding.

This should be a straightforward decision, but if you run into a snag on this point, don’t worry; you can work it out. It’ll just be the first of many compromises!

If you want a church wedding, make an appointment to talk to the church representative that handles such things and go from there.

Money

Weddings cost money. It’s one of a handful of life-changing events, and an investment to make it everything you ever wanted it to be is appropriate.

Talk it over. Come up with a dollar figure and start gathering estimates. Once you two have decided how much you want to spend, however, don’t go over that amount. This is the first big investment you’ll make, and you want it to be a pleasant one.

Get Informed

Make your list of “must-haves,” such as wedding gown, invitations, flowers, rings and reception. Then call for estimates on each of those items.

If your estimates total less than your wedding budget, you can go on to items on your second-tier list, your “wanna-haves.” This list would include such items as a hairdresser, a photographer, a stag night, a hen party and professional music, both for the wedding ceremony and the reception.

The Moment You’ve Waited For

Did you forget the honeymoon? Not likely!

You may look at the costs you’ve racked up on paper so far and despair, thinking you’ll only have money left over for a night at the bowling alley! If that’s the case, go back over all your lists and prune. Or give yourselves more time to save the money you’ll need to create your perfect experience. The honeymoon, after all, is the consummation of the marriage. Make it a time to remember forever.

Bon voyage!

We would love to hear your thoughts . Please comment below, stop by and check out http://www.djxtc.net and follow us on twitter @weddingdj1

Active Wedding Reception Games

Planning for a wedding is a painstaking task. There are so many aspects to think of. Things like linens ,invitations, back drops,centre pieces, etc etc etc.It may seem virtually be endless.Here are a few tips, activities and games that can be used and shared to help lift a bit of the stress and burden.

The number one complaint regarding weddings is the reception. We have all been to a regular wedding that follows the same old pattern. We welcome and celebrate the new married couple, we do a bit of dancing, and enjoy cake with them. There are those few stand-out couples that put together something exciting and interactive that helps to make the night enjoyable for everyone in attendance.One fun and active game that can be played by all your guests, including grandma as well as the young children, is “want it now”.In this game, you designate a master of ceremonies (if you have a DJ for your wedding reception, this person can serve as the DJ). The MC will have a list of “wants” prepared before the reception. Everyone sits at their tables, and waits to hear the command. The MC says he wants a person with painted toenails. All the women with painted toenails run to the front of the room, toward the MC. Each time a table sends someone to the front first, they get a point.Points should be tallied during the course of this game and prizes awarded at the end of the game. Be sure to have some obvious “wants”, as is the painted toenails, or a man with a moustache or a child with a pink dress. But also include some surprises, like “a man with a brown purse” which will require a man to find a woman at his table with the brown purse and run up to the front of the room with that.

Another fun wedding reception game that includes all your guests is musical chairs using men as the chairs. All the men line up and kneel on one knee. The women begin playing the game of musical chairs, but when the music stops, they must find a knee to sit on. No “chairs” are removed during the version of the game, but instead people are eliminated when either the man falls down when the woman finds his knee or when the woman falls down. Both are out either way, and if both fall down, they are also both out then (as well as perhaps a bit bruised). This is a fun game that often brings on gales of laughter and adds to a relaxed reception atmosphere.

If many guests are traveling a good distance to the wedding or don’t know many other guests, it’s always fun to include a game that will allow them to not only get to know each other but the bride and groom as well. For this game, you’ll need a MC again, which can be a very outgoing member of the wedding party or the DJ. The reception guests are broken into two groups, which can be as simple as having people count off “1, 2, 1, 2” and so on until the entire guest list is either a “1” or a “2”. Then the two groups band together for the duration of the game.The DJ, or MC, offers a series of questions relating to the bride and groom. The teams should work together to answer the questions, then as quickly as possible provide the answer. The bride and groom will confirm if the answer is correct or not. This is an excellent way for otherwise “stranger” guests to get to know one another and have some fun in the process. It’s also an excellent way to get to know the couple !

Organizing games at a wedding reception is a great way to get people involved and make them feel they are truly a part of the celebration. It’s also a way to fill time, if the wedding planners know this isn’t a “dancing” group or if you want to loosen people up for a long night of celebrating. Whether a small or large wedding, reception games work for just about any group.In addition, don’t assume wedding reception guests will be offended or annoyed by these active games. Most people report to wedding planners they truly enjoy being more active and having fun games to play during a wedding reception.

If you are looking for more games that can be played I suggest the DVD by Robbie Britton “Interactive On A Mission ”

 

Pre Wedding Activities

Fotolia_22650244_M Planning pre-wedding activities is a little something extra that’s not required, but certainly fun and entertaining for the guests. If the couple keep in mind the distance some guests have traveled and keep activities relevant to that level of fatigue, they’re sure to hit on some winning activities.

As you go about planning activities for the wedding, keep in mind other factors as well. Do many people have children with them? Will you provide childcare or will the children be participants in the activities? If you have several guests who are older, perhaps activities can be tailored in a way they can participate as well.

Some of the more popular pre-wedding activities include things like a group manicure. All the members in the wedding party or those that are close to the couple head to a nail salon and get their nails done. This can be relaxing for many groups and provide a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of the wedding weekend. Some might choose to golf or play a game of tennis or cards while this is going on.

Many couples choose to provide structured activities for their guests prior to the wedding. If the wedding is on a Saturday night, for example, they might choose to provide a Friday activity, especially if most guests are local to the wedding. You might have a wedding luau. Many times pre-wedding activities center around pre- wedding parties, but what about a party that includes all the members of both families? You could plan some fun (and appropriate) games and head out to a restaurant for a night of fun and games. Be sure to limit the drinking and carousing as this might not sit well with some family members.

Here is a fun activity that can be done right before the wedding. Have someone begin a gift basket. The theme of the basket is “advice for the couple” and could be started by the wedding party or attendants . They take the basket to someone else’s house, perhaps an aunt or cousin and leave it on the doorstep. That person adds an item (a book on how to end spousal arguments? Or a CD of romantic music?) and brings the basket to someone else’s house. This activity can begin a week or two before the wedding and everyone should know it is coming around.The basket can also be circulated the weekend of the wedding, but this will only work if everyone is local and if they know the basket is coming. In this case, it also might be helpful to have someone bring the basket to a house, collect the item and the take the basket to the next location, reducing the need to have each person take the basket to its next location. Once it’s full, someone can be in charge of putting the basket items together, wrapping it all up to make it look nice and bringing it to the couple . It can be delivered right to the wedding as a gift in and of itself.

Whatever activities you choose, be sure to keep in mind the needs of your guests and the limitations of those guests. If you want to plan an activity that includes everyone. We would love to hear your thoughts . Please comment below , stop by and check out www.djxtc.net , twitter.com/weddingdj1 and our new Facebook page 18008268014

#wedding #weddingdj #weddingblogger

How To Protect Your Wedding

We have all heard the endless horror stories about mobile events , weddings and many Toronto wedding djs .Here are a few ways to make sure to protect your once in a lifetime event .

Meet your DJ -you will know if they are the one for you

Hire a Professional DJ-a hobby dj is not what you want to trust for this occasion

Have a binding contract.-all parties know what is expectedHave professional equipment as well and staffing for your function.-quality equipment mean no surprises

Have an insured entertainer-To protect you and all your guest if the need arises .

 

Why leave things to chance ?DJ XTC Entertainment Services gives you all of this plus more . Guaranteed to bring you an event that you and all your guest will be raving about for years.

We would love to hear your thoughts . Please comment below , stop by and check out www.djxtc.net , twitter.com/weddingdj1 and our new Facebook page 18008268014

#wedding #weddingdj #weddingblogger

How To Protect Your Wedding

We have all heard the endless horror stories about mobile events , weddings and many Toronto wedding djs . Here are a few ways to make sure to protect your once in a lifetime event .
Meet your DJ
-you will know if they are the one for you
Hire a Professional DJ
-a hobby dj is not what you want to trust for this occasion
Have a binding contract.
-all parties know what is expected
Have professional equipment as well and staffing for your function.
-quality equipment mean no surprises
Have an insured entertainer
-To protect you and all your guest if the need arises . Why leave things to chance ?DJ XTC Entertainment Services gives you all of this plus more . Guaranteed to bring you an event that you and all your guest will be raving about for yearsWe would love to hear your thoughts .

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Please stop by and check out www.djxtc.net

#wedding #weddingdj #weddingblogger