A Wedding You Won’t Forget

Ah, the wedding. It is one of the most joyous, and torturous, events you will ever face. It absolutely amazes me what we humans put ourselves through just to create that perfect celebration of love. The planning of a typical wedding is very difficult. I should know because I have helped plan many .

There is so much that needs to be done and there never seems to be enough time. I have talked with literally hundreds of people who have gone through the planning of a wedding and I have found that it’s the little things that cause all the stress. It’s easy to plan for the obvious, but the minute details can drive you insane!

One of the most overlooked details of a wedding is what I think one of the most important details. It is making your wedding special for your guests. You see, It’s easy to forget that the wedding is not just for you and your future spouse. It’s also for everyone who attends your wedding.  It’s very important you don’t forget about all the people who are special to you and who will be traveling from all over to be with you on your special day.

Picture this…the lights dim. A hush falls over the crowd. A slideshow video starts playing on the screen at the front of the room and it tells a story. What is this story, you ask? It’s a love story! It is the story of you. It is the story of your future partner. It is the story of both of you. It is pictures of you both from birth to present, arranged with text, your special music, and just about anything you want to use to entertain your guests. It will leave your guests with a smile on their faces and tears in their eyes!

Most engaged couples I have spoken with love the idea of having a slideshow video in their wedding. The problem is that they think it’s either very difficult or incredibly expensive. Neither of those assumptions is correct. It’s actually very easy to have one made. As matter of fact there are several companies online that will make a video for you. Obviously I’m biased because I think our company is the best but I will give you some things to look for when shopping for a slideshow video production company.

Price. You have to be very careful here. Many companies advertise great prices, but they don’t tell you about all the hidden costs. For example, Company ìXî may say that they only charge $99.00 for a video. But if you read the fine print they charge an additional $2.00 per photo for scanning and another $1.00 for each picture enhancement. Once the video is complete, they will charge you another $50.00 just to preview it. So this $99.00 video just turned into a $500.00 video.

Previewing. Most places will not let you preview the video or, if they do allow it, they will charge extra to preview it. It’s absolutely critical that you preview any slideshow video before you buy it. Previewing the slideshow video allows you to make sure you like all the titling, screen transitions and photo arrangement. You want the video to be exactly the way you want it.

Montage. Montage videos are what I refer to as a tech heads video dream. They involve constant panning back and forth and zooming in and out. They also feature fancy looking screen transitions where the pictures will do flips and spins and all sorts of other cool things. Now, these montages may look high tech but they are completely inappropriate for a wedding. A wedding slideshow video needs to be classy and tasteful. It doesn’t need spins and twist, flips and twirls. It needs to have clean, smooth transitions. They need to flow from one picture to the next with elegance and grace.

Remember, you want your wedding to be special. You want your guests to remember your wedding with fondness. You want it to be an unforgettable experience. What better way than with a slideshow video that features your life up to that point! I hope your wedding is the best that has ever occurred.  I hope you decide to engage your guests by showing a beautiful, romantic slideshow video at the beginning of your ceremony. May you have the best of weddings and don’t forget to have fun!

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

A Wedding For All Seasons

In times gone by it wasn’t uncommon for young couples to consult the Tarot as to what month of the year according to the stars would be their best time to wed, this would depend on what time of year their sun or moon sign was inline with Venus the goddess of love, which I would take as a positive sign, and so on. Personally I would like to think that the longevity of a marriage would depend on the love of you and your partner and not on the date you get married but maybe that’s just me.

These days the factors that make us decide differ a little. Each season brings its own style and flavour to a wedding. The time of year you choose to get married will indeed affect the style and economics of the wedding in many ways including location of the reception, honeymoon destinations, wedding theme and price. Whatever type of wedding you desire there will be a season to suit you.

An autumn wedding brings to mind golden and copper themes through the fabrics and the flowers. Flowers this season are earthy yet rich. Take bold colours in purples russets, yellow and reds. Add a natural twist with dark leafy foliages and wood containers. If you choose flowers that are in season this will bring down the cost a little.

Seasonal fruits that you can include on the menu are Apples and Pears; these are in season all year round. All these factors combined will bring a nice autumn breeze to the day. Bear in mind that August is quite popular for weddings, if you are having the reception in a hotel book well in advance. The weather is also superb if you are thinking of honeymooning in Europe. Stay clear of south East Asia though as these are experiencing their monsoon seasons.

The winter wonderland wedding, a very romantic setting of Burning log fires, mulled wine receptions and Christmas card settings. This would defiantly be an indoor wedding, maybe in a castle or Hotel adorned with rich reds and golden glowing candles.

A December wedding is a good idea as the wedding reception price is dropped in many venues in the first few days after Christmas. The holiday spirit that is still lingering at this time will add to the atmosphere. Snowdrops, Tulips, Amaryllis, and White geisha include some of the winter blooms. Seasonal fruits to be enjoyed include winterberries, Apricots, Cherries and dates.

A New Years Eve wedding can be a good idea, ringing in the New Year with a festive and fun time for all involved. Honeymoon destinations for the winter months vary, you can opt for a skiing holiday with a romantic log cabin accommodation or maybe head for the sun kissed beached of  Thailand. Keeping in mind flights are usually scarce and pricey around Christmas so book your honeymoon well in advance.

Spring / Summer sun will provide for beautiful garden weddings adorned with all of mother natures glory, a fabulous season for a wedding. The colours and flowers to choose from are in abundance from roses to the petals of the cherry blossom, the look of this season is relaxed and simple taking bold flowers and strong colours softening them with driftwood or delicate wisps of grass and raffia.  Some of the fruits in season are Peaches, passion fruit, and Citrus fruits, and Quinces.

Freshly picked chocolate dipped strawberries would go down well with a champagne reception. A marquee would be a wonderful idea for this season allowing everyone to soak up the atmosphere, remember to include catering and furniture hire as part of the costs if you are watching the budget. The world is your oyster as far as honeymoons go but remember our summer is winter in most of the southern hemisphere including Australia.

Whatever your plans don’t stress yourself and take as much help from friends and family to make the big day one to remember for all.

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The Bridal Veil

veil

For hundreds of years until the end of the 12th Century, Anglo-Saxon and Anglo Norman women wore veils. The tradition was part of almost all married women. Only unmarried girls wore no veils. The veils had covered the woman’s hair, their neck and the chins. Veils had served a practical purpose, protecting women’s skin from wind and sun damage. By the 15th century, hoods become popular, and veils became less common.

Historically, brides wore their hair flowing down their back on their wedding day to symbolize their virginity, now the white veil is often said to again symbolize purity.

The bridal veil may have some of its origins in the mists of mythology. Ishtar, ancient Goddess of Love, came from the depths to meet her betrothed; the vapours of the earth and sea covering her “like a veil”. According to tradition, the tradition of the veil changed to include a blusher after Jacob was tricked into marrying his beloved Rachel’s sister, Leah, who was distinguished under the full veiling. It seems there is much to be said for scrutinizing the bride before it is too late! ( I’m just saying )

The invention of the wide loom and silk tulle in the 19th century gave women a sheer covering that enhanced their beauty. The wedding veil symbolizes modesty, privacy, youth and virginity. That way of thinking still has a foothold on bridal etiquette, as only a first-time bride wears a veil.

Remember, your bridal veil should complement your wedding dress. The most popular colours are white, diamond white, and ivory. Diamond white is a great choice if your bridal gown has a sheen.

If the bride takes the initiative in lifting the veil at the end of the ceremony, thereby presenting herself to the groom, she is showing more independence.

White bridal veils represent the brides purity and modesty. In addition, veils are used to add to the final touches of a wedding dress and to frame the bride’s face.

We would love to hear your thoughts.

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Picture Perfect Wedding

Weddings are definitely one of the happiest moments in a persons life. But, this momentous occasion does not always come as blissful as the event itself. Days and even months before the big day, couples usually cram up with the littlest details.

The process of listing and cutting down everything into specific details. The wedding date, the venue, the reception, the caterer, the designer of the gown and suit, all the way down to the wedding coverage are the areas where stress usually ushers in.

Due to hectic schedules, most couples usually do not pay much attention to one of the crucial things in any wedding, the wedding coverage. Despite the overwhelming tension and excitement, couples do not have to be nonchalant when choosing their wedding photographers if they want their fun times and precious memories recorded very well.

WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY PREFERENCES

To avoid making this slight neglect that usually leads disastrous results, couples have to decide first what kind of wedding photography they would want to have.

Most wedding photographers today categorize the types of wedding photography into two: the traditional or classic style and the wedding photojournalistic style.

The most common style used by wedding photographers today, the traditional or classic wedding photography is considered as a timeless and the safest style because you normally see in countless wedding albums. Characterized by classic poses of subjects aware of the camera, this style involves so much control from the photographer because he is in-charge in arranging individual and group shots before, during, and even after the wedding.

Having excellent portraiture skills, expect the photographer to focus more on the quality of the photograph by making the subject look great from the littlest details. Expect typical wedding photos like pre-ceremony pictures, formal shots of the bride and groom posing with brides maids and ushers, cake cutting, garter and bouquet toss, and the like when you choose a classic wedding photography. This style is ideal if the couple would want to keep portraits of family members for their wedding album.

If the couple is adventurous and unconventional, then you might want to consider the wedding photojournalistic style of photography on your big day. An increasingly popular style today, wedding photojournalism offers fresh and new style of taking photos in the occasion. Characterized by candid shots of the subjects unaware of the moving camera, the photojournalism style lets the attendees act freely to capture their pure and true emotion.

Sourcing style from his experience in journalism, the photojournalist pays more attention to minute details and candid shots rather than arranged ones. He’s more into eyeing interesting moments and capturing those in his lens to produce a narrative collection of images that tell a story.

Although some traditional poses will be present, expect photos that show actual emotions of the bride and groom and of other participants throughout the duration of the wedding when you choose the photojournalism style.

In order to avoid ruining the documentation of your wedding, here are some tips in making your wedding a picture perfect one:

1. Weddings are one of the most exciting chapters of ones life. Make sure that you choose a wedding photographer that can meet all your standards. Meet with the photographer before hand the so you could discuss the details you want.

2. Inform the important participants about the schedule of photo sessions and make sure everyone attends the rehearsal to cut down the stress.

3. Have a reception area so guests can be informed about the itinerary. This will set the occasion in order.

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Creating A Wedding Time Capsule

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One of the wedding trends that’s really revving up couples today is the addition of a time capsule to the wedding prep proceedings. Yes, the wedding time capsule is a growing trend — to the point where you can buy a pre-made kit from many web sites.

In kit form, your wedding time capsule takes the form of an attractive tin, in which you place various mementos — photos, videos — as well as predictions for the future; then, you seal it all up with some festive stickers, to help discourage premature peeking. You decide ahead of time how long you’ll wait until you open it again — your 10th anniversary? 25th anniversary? And then you write a stern directive to yourself on the tin to help you keep to the agreement.

Although most people equate “time capsule” with “something you bury in the ground,” burying your wedding time capsule isn’t a great idea. Not only does that subject the contents to extreme temperature variations, but with the Census bureau reporting that the average person moves every five years, chances of you leaving behind a buried capsule before the hoped-for anniversary rolls around are high indeed. Instead, keep yours out of the elements and somewhere relatively kind — avoid damp attics, but a climate-controlled closet would be just perfect.

Some of us just like to do things our own way, and a wedding time capsule is no exception. Of course you can create your own! And a great way to do that is to get close friends and relatives in on the fun. Have them scribble up some predictions — or perhaps marital advice. Take advantage of a pre-wedding party to snap photos of your intimates, and tuck the photos into the capsule. If you really want to motivate people to get involved, hold some kind of drawing for participants, such as a wedding raffle — give away a box of fine cigars, a bottle of bubbly or even an afternoon at a spa.

While you’re letting others in on the action, there are number of ways to go about it. One is to compose a list of predictions for everyone to guess at — the whole experience is similar to filling out a junior high slam book, and just as fun. For example, ask participants to predict:

How many children you’ll have,
what kind of household robots you’ll have,
how many career changes you’ve gone through,
what major nation we’re closest to, and which one we’re mad at,
what animal is the trendiest pet,

… and so on.

Another is to ask your wedding party and close friends to compose short letters to you. Give them each envelopes, and instruct them to tell you on the outside when it’s time to open the envelope. Some will simply say “fifth anniversary,” “10th anniversary,” or “when your first child is born.” Others will get more creative — and you’ll probably find it’s terrific fun to stretch out the time capsule concept in this inventive, unpredictable way.

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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.

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Dance Floor Activities

Dancing is an essential component at most wedding receptions. We look forward to the couple’s “first dance” and the bride’s special dance with her father. It’s also a place to get loose and funky, if you’re a guest or a member of the wedding party.

But what if the wedding planners decided to add some fun and surprise to the dance floor by adding fun activities there? This doesn’t mean a rousing version of the “Bunny Hop”, which, while maybe essential, is hardly unique.

There are, however, many fun games and activities you can add to your dance floor activities that are sure to be a hit.

Try a fun game of the “chicken dance”. Ok, so that doesn’t sound too original. But if most of your guests are just sitting at their tables, watching a few brave couples dancing, or just finishing their meals, you might want to get everyone up and having fun. Try this game.

The DJ announces a number. Everyone looks under his or her chair, where there is a number. Depending on the number of guests at the wedding, there might be only numbers “1” and “2” or more, up to 5.

So, say the DJ announces number “4”. Each person checks under their chair to see what their number is. These numbers can be written simply on a piece of masking tape and affixed to the underside of the chairs when the reception is being set up. Each “4” in this scenario will head to the dance floor to do the chicken dance with the other “4s”. Not only does this get people out of their chairs and on to the dance floor, they get to know other wedding reception guests they might not otherwise know.

One dance floor activity that’s gaining popularity is to bring in a dance teacher for the wedding reception. As a kind of pre-dance activity, the teacher will quickly walk people through their paces on the dance floor, perhaps teaching a bit of the waltz or, for something completely different, a little bit of the tango, before the music officially begins and dancing commences.

Having a dance teacher do a bit of teaching not only livens up the reception right from the start, but it gets people out on the dance floor who might otherwise be too self-conscious normally to get out there and let it all hang out. And practically speaking, it will likely make the wedding guests feel more confident in their skills before the “official” dancing begins.

Another fun activity to get everyone on the dance floor, including even the most reticent, is something you can refer to as the “snowball” dance. This is a good way to jumpstart the dancing at the beginning of the evening.

Here’s how the “snowball” dance works. The wedding party, bride and groom included, will head to the dance floor for a fun dance. The music for this dance should be fast, something with a disco beat or a fast song that most people have at least a passing familiarity with. After a bit of wedding party dancing, the music stops. The female members of the wedding party move into the crowd and bring back one male each. The male members of the wedding party do the same, but they bring in female guests. The dancing then begins again. This is repeated until all the guests are dancing. It’s truly a snowball effect!

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!

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Centerpiece Activities

The question of who will get to take home the centerpiece can sometimes be a central discussion at reception dinner tables, particularly if the centerpiece is particularly pretty or original.

Making a game of who gets the centerpiece, then, can be an amusing diversion and one many guests will enjoy participating in. Here are some ideas for giving away that reception table centerpiece.

How about a game of 20 questions? Give each guest a piece of paper and a pen or pencil. The MC or DJ asks a series of 20 questions, but first gives the guests the basic background information, that is, that the answer is an animal, place, person or thing. Once that’s taken care of, people can shout out questions and the MC or DJ will answer yes or no, and whoever figures out the answer first gets the first centerpiece, and that particular table is done playing. The game is repeated until one person at each table has won the centerpiece.

One of the most popular ways brides give away the table centerpieces is to put a number on the bottom of the centerpiece and give each guest a number. At some point in the evening, a number is called, each guest checks his or her number and whoever has the called number gets the centerpiece. There are many ways to put a twist on this traditional activity.

For example, you might provide each table with a number, but make it a lower number (ie. between 1 and 10) and the DJ or MC could move from table to table and have each guest do something a certain number of times. So, at the first table, for example, the guests might need to do “head, shoulders, knees and toes” six times and whoever does it first gets the centerpiece. Or, at the second table, the guests might be required to sing the alphabet 3 times or sing “twinkle, twinkle, little star” three times and whoever does that first get the centerpiece.

Another fun activity for divvying up the centerpieces is to require guests to produce a certain item. The DJ or MC moves from table to table, announcing what guests at that table will be required to produce in order to get the centerpiece. Maybe it’s a Georgia quarter or a mint, or a doctor’s appointment card. Whatever it is, the guest at each table who produces the requested item will get the centerpiece.

You can always make it easy and offer the centerpiece to the oldest person at the table, or the one who took the most number of years to finish college. Perhaps you could create an activity where the person who has the strangest talent (as voted on by the tablemates) wins the centerpiece. Then, if possible, that person might show off the talent for the entire reception party.

If you like musical chairs, you can play a game of musical dollar bills in order to give the centerpiece away. Someone takes out a one-dollar bill and music begins playing. Everyone at the table passes the dollar bill around the table and when the music stops, whoever is left holding the bill gets the centerpiece. Or this game can be played a bit more traditionally with the person with the bill being eliminated, and the game continuing until only one person is holding the bill. That person can then be awarded with the centerpiece. Or, for a fun twist, the bill can be passed around and when the music stops, the person holding the bill is told to return it to the person who first supplied it. That is the person who gets the centerpiece.

Some fun, and fairly traditional, ideas include the birthday person getting the centerpiece. At each table, the person who has a birthday closest to the wedding gets the centerpiece. Or if there are married couples at the table, the couple who have been together the longest can get the centerpiece, or the couple who were married most recently. Perhaps the centerpiece should go to the person with the longest hair, or the strangest shoes (again, this would be voted on by tablemates).

Buffet Table Activities

Most wedding receptions include a buffet-style meal where everyone stands in an enormous line waiting while those at the food table decide if they want Italian or Ranch dressing on their salad.

There has to be a more unusual way to get people to their food, and a faster one at that, right? There are several fun options you can employ to feed your guests quickly and with a minimum of groans of hunger.

Here are some fun options.

One of the most popular is the number system. Each table is assigned a number and the MC or DJ calls numbers at various intervals. The people at that numbered table then find the buffet and begin their feast. You can place the numbers in a variety of locations. For the most utilitarian version, just place the number in the flower arrangement on the table.

Some brides don’t like this look of numbered table as if at a convention. In that case, you can put the numbers under the flower arrangements, or under the chairs. If you have place cards at the tables, you can write a small number somewhere on the card so people know which table they’re sitting at. For a fun variation, you can have the florist play around with the table floral arrangements. If the arrangements are going to have a dozen flowers, you could have the florist add one extra flower to table “one”, two extra flowers for table “two” and so on and make the guests figure out which number table they are based on how many extra flowers they have in their arrangement.

The flower method could be cost-prohibitive, of course, if you have a large guest list and many tables.

Now, if the number system doesn’t thrill you or make you think “unique”, there are other options. Each table can have a color and the DJ simply calls out the color name. Depending, again, on how many tables you have at your reception, you could coordinate the tablecloths with the color of the table. So you might have white, pink, lavender, beige, and yellow tablecloths, and the guests sitting at that table simply move to the buffet table when the color of their tablecloth is called.

Another popular option for moving people easily to the buffet table involves having a little fun with your guests. You provide each table with a buzzer, either a bell like you might find at a store, or a small silver bell. Just something they can buzz or ring. The DJ or MC asks a trivia question, or a question about the bride and groom. The tables buzz in with their answers. The guests at the table with the first correct buzzed answer move to the buffet table. You repeat the process until everyone is finally on their way to getting some grub.

The trivia method is an especially fun way to help guests to get to know one another, as they might have to work together to come up with an answer. If your guests are hungry, you’re sure to hear muffled groans and sighs of exasperation. But even with the small complaints, this is always a crowd pleaser because it’s fun and gets everyone involved.

Now, this next option is fun but can engender a bit of jealousy sometimes. When people get their place card, whether it’s placed on the table, or they pick it up when they look at the seating chart, you can put a number on it. But not everyone at the same table will have the same number. If you have 100 guests, for example, you might choose to have 10 people at the buffet table at a time. So each person would be assigned a number 1 through 10.

In the same scenario as above, the DJ or MC will call a number and those numbers will head for the buffet table. There are sure to be more than one person from each table heading for the buffet table, but the guests at each table won’t get their food at the same time.

This staggered feeding can be fun or a nuisance, depending. It solves the problem of half the room being finished with their meal while waiting for the “later” table to finish theirs before the festivities start, but it can also mean that one or two guests might be long done with their food (or wanting to head back for seconds) when others at the table haven’t even eaten yet.

We would love to hear your thoughts . Please comment below, stop by and check out www.djxtc.net