Wedding planning tips to ensure brides and grooms enjoy their wedding day

Common Wedding Disasters and How to Avoid Them

Chris Morton — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 18:26:02 +0000

While most brides have some sort of emergency management on their wedding planning list, there are some situations that the bride and groom may not think of preventing but that are quite common. In order to be sure you have a wedding that is memorable for the right reasons, you should consider some of these wedding disasters and their preventive solutions:

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Ceremony Seating Arrangements: General Rules

Chris Morton — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 18:15:20 +0000

One area of the wedding planning that people forget about until the last minute is planning the seating arrangement for the wedding ceremony. Most brides and grooms spend an inordinate amount of time planning the seating arrangement for the reception. Yet there is also proper protocol for planning the seating in the church so that all those participating in the ceremony can easily partake in the ceremony as planned, and so your close family members can sit toward the front unobstructed. Here are some general rules for you to remember:

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How to Cope with Rude Guests

Chris Morton — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 14:46:49 +0000

You spend a lot of time planning the wedding, and you hope that the day will be really beautiful. However, sometimes your guests have other plans to add stress to what is supposed to be a wonderful wedding day. Here are some ways you can easily cope with some of the most common guest-related wedding dilemmas:

The Drunk Guest

If you are serving alcohol at your wedding, you may want to designate someone to stay sober and arrange cabs and other transportation for guests that get too inebriated to drive. If the guest is causing a disruption, it is okay to ask him or her to leave.

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Sorting Through the Tie Lingo

Chris Morton — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 14:44:06 +0000

Most couples know that, at some point in the wedding planning process, the tuxedo will come into the discussion. While some brides and grooms may be looking for a more casual wedding, some opt for black or white tie affairs. However, some grooms do not know the difference between the types of ties and what is appropriate for what type of occasion:

Tie

A nice necktie can add a touch of class to most any suit. It is knotted at the throat and the tails trail down the center of the chest pointing at the waistline. There are thin neckties and thick neckties, and they can be made out of a variety of materials to match the colors of the wedding. You can even purchase a clip-on tie if you are intimidated about tying the necktie.

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Top 10 Great Daddy-Daughter Dance Songs

Chris Morton — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 14:27:13 +0000

One of the staples at a wedding reception is the Daddy-Daughter Dance. While it may bring tears to the eyes of your guests to see your father give you away at the wedding ceremony, this dance allows you to celebrate what your father has done for you over the years. Yet, choosing a song that honors your father can be a tough part of your wedding planning. Here are some of the top choices today:

Butterfly Kisses – Bob Carlisle

Today, Bob Carlisle’s “Butterfly Kisses” is one of the most commonly chosen songs for the Daddy-Daughter dance, and with good reason. This song describes how every father sees his daughter as she grows up and moves on in her life toward marriage. (more…)

Children at Your Wedding Reception? How to Make it Fun and Memorable

Chris Morton — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 14:20:03 +0000

There is nothing better than watching your wedding video months later and seeing children dancing and laughing it up at your reception. However, the reason many couples choose to not invite children to the wedding is because often those children are not supervised well by partying parents. So, how can you plan your wedding reception so that the kids and parents can both have a lot of fun?

Hire a Babysitter

Hire one or two teenagers to watch the children at the wedding. Make it their job to keep the kids from getting into too much trouble. This way the parents can dance and eat without worrying too much. It also allows you to keep the children away from decor or entertainment that could be dangerous or inappropriate.

Have a Children's Only Area

Keep an area designated for the kids. Often there are hotels or reception halls that can partition off specific areas for the children that are at your reception. If you start planning your wedding early enough, you may find that there is enough space.

Make a Kid-Only Fun Table

While you may find that parents want their children to sit with them at dinner, you will still need a fun spot for the kids after all the food is eaten. Have a table set up with kid friendly games and toys so that the children can remain entertained throughout the evening. While some kids like to dance and run around, others will prefer a simple game or a coloring book with crayons. Be warned, though, that some of those young-at-heart guests may wonder why they don't get the fun toys at their tables.

Vary Your Entertainment

If you are planning a wedding that includes children, understand that they get bored fairly easily. This means you may want to vary the types of entertainment you have at the wedding. Doing your toasts, videos, and speeches together may mean guests have to sit still for up to a half hour. Children often have a hard time with these long, quiet periods. Try to vary your toasts with dancing and other entertainment.

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Alternatives to the Bridal Veil

Chris Morton — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 14:08:49 +0000

One of the most classic pictures of a wedding is the bride walking down the aisle in her beautiful white dress and long, flowing veil. However, not every bride is opting for the traditional wedding attire. One of the ways that brides are opting for something different is to eschew the wedding veil in favor of different headwear. From hats to tiaras, there are plenty of options for the non-traditional bride:

Hat

Some brides like to add a little bit of mystery to their walk down the aisle. From wide brimmed hats to small pillboxes, you may want to look at a hat as an alternative to the traditional veil. Besides, as you plan your wedding it is fun to try on a lot of alternatives. Just remember that your hat should not overpower your wedding dress.

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Top 10 First Dance Wedding Songs and Why They Work

Chris Morton — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 13:59:07 +0000

One of the things you will have to do as you plan your wedding is choose your song for the first dance. While some brides and grooms have a special song, other couples find it difficult to choose a single song that represents the love they have for one another. Here are some songs you can choose as you plan your wedding dance:

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You’re Engaged! Now What?

Chris Morton — Sun, 02 Sep 2007 11:44:03 +0000

The First Steps in Planning Your Wedding

Congratulations on getting engaged. Are you happy or stressing out already about the wedding planning that has to take place? Take a deep breath. You may feel confused and out of control, but here are some tips of how to handle the first few weeks after you get engaged.

Stop and Look at the Diamond Sparkle

Take a moment and look at the sparkle of the ring on your finger. You’re engaged! While you may be married for the rest of your life, you only get that short engagement period. (more…)

Champagne v. Sparkling Wine for Your Wedding: Does it Really Matter?

Chris Morton — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 11:29:30 +0000

There is a great debate today as to whether it is proper for couples to serve sparkling wine versus champagne at their weddings. The food and drink selection is a major part of the wedding planning, and champagne can take up a significant part of that budget. Yet, many people don’t understand the difference between the two types of drink and if anyone can really tell the difference.

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