Where is my wedding planner??
Often on the day of your wedding, that is the question you are asking. Well, let me give you an idea ~ she is checking with the musicians about cues for the entrance of wedding party & the bride, she is making sure the limo has arrived to transport wedding party and/or guests to the church, she is making sure the minister has the marriage license, the best man has the wedding rings, the programs, program attendants & ushers are in place to seat the guests, mothers are waiting in the designated spot so they can be seated at the appropriate time, the candles are all lit, she is also fielding questions from family members, ushers, bridesmaids, groomsmen & program attendants. She is at the reception making last minute adjustments to seating plan, adding or deleting, to be sure each table has the accurate number of place settings, she is checking the escort table to be sure all cards are out in alpha order, she is going over the order of introductions with the MC inclining correct pronunciations of last names, checking to be sure the cake has been delivered and set up in the right location; as guests arrive she is taking their gifts & placing them on the gift table, directing the guests to rest rooms, coat room & cocktail party where they may be asked to sign a guest book (if they didn’t have an opportunity to do so at the church) signing mat or whatever the bride has decided to have, she is checking on the favors, menu cards, cake cutting set, toasting flutes to be sure all are in place, she is inviting the guests to be seated for dinner, she is lining up wedding party for introductions and couple’s first dance, she is checking with wait staff to be sure champagne is poured at the appropriate time, alerting best man when it is time for him to do the toast, for father/daughter & mother/son dances, she is making sure all are present and by the dance floor when the music begins, she is orchestrating the departure, she is checking her “end of event” check list to be sure the designated people have taken the gifts, gift cards, guest book, left over cake, cake cutting set, toasting flutes, left over favors and family photos have been taken and finally she is going home to put her feet in a tub of warm water!
Creating Ambiance
Brides often see pictures in wedding magazines which show rooms “glowing” with candlelight, creating a romantic look. Actually, this look is not created with just candles. It is the lighting that gives that special glow. Ballrooms take on a magical ambiance when lighting is washed up on the walls and pin lighting is over each table highlighting the lovely floral arrangements.
Lighting is something that has long been used for theatrical productions and now that weddings have taken on a more dramatic look, lighting has become even more important. Some new ballrooms already have the lighting capability built into the room.
Deciding on what colors to use is to be considered carefully. In my experience, the soft amber hues add a great touch to just about any space but depending on your color theme and the colors already in the room, your lighting expert can help you create just the look you want.
This picture is from one of my very special weddings where we enhanced an already glorious space with many details such as custom linens, chairs chargers, place settings and fabulous flowers all enhanced further by the use of custom lighting.
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Details, details, details
This past weekend I had a wedding & reception in downtown Raleigh. There was also an all day concert going on in Morse Square with a variety of bands playing through the day and evening. As a result, some of the streets were closed and parking was limited around Morse Square.
This is one of those situations that one encounters when planning a wedding in an urban area. One has to remember to check with the (in this case the Downtown Alliance) city to be sure that one is aware of street closings, parades, band concerts in the park and anything else that can possibly cause disruption to your event.
Fortunately, the director at our ceremony site, discussed with the concert promoters our wedding ceremony time and they graciously took a break during the ceremony.
In my experience, working with people and approaching it as “how can we, as a team, make this happen?” People are always willing to work with you if you approach them in the right way; especially if it is a wedding. We are all a little sentimental about weddings.
As a result, our ceremony went off without a hitch and the minister didn’t have to compete with live band music across the street. The bride was happy and when the bride is happy, we are all happy!
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