to be a balancing act. Great décor
can sometimes make a photogra-
pher's job easy, but a great pho-
tographer can capture the beauty
in any style of décor. Whichever
you decide, we always stress the
importance of hiring a good pho-
tographer. Your pictures will be
one thing you have to remember
your special day. It's worth the in-
vestment.
our ceremony different from the
traditional ceremony?
incorporate to your ceremony. We
think it's important to make sure
your ceremony represent you as
a couple and stays true to you
both. It is also a great opportu-
nity to honor any family tradi-
tions. We have incorporated some
fun elements into ceremonies
for non-traditional clients, one
such element has been a wine
box ceremony. This is where the
couple writes love messages to
each other, they are then placed
in a wine box and sealed (along
with a bottle of wine) during the
ceremony. Then the box is opened
niversary. The couple reads the
notes and enjoys their now aged
bottle of wine. Another ceremony
element that we have suggested
for a non-traditional couple was
to consider alternative options
for ceremony seating. In one such
ceremony, we decided to utilize
lounge vignettes and highboys,
for guests to take their seats for
the ceremony without having the
traditional theater style seating.
This really set the mood for this
intimate non-traditional affair.
of the latest vintage décor con-
cepts?
and beautiful conceptual design
for weddings at the moment. There
are a number of methods and el-
ements you can incorporate into
your design to achieve the vintage
look that best suits you and your
fiancé. One method we suggest
is to incorporate vintage lounge
areas or vignettes, utilize vintage
reclaimed and upholstered furni-
ture and add decorative items to
tie the area together such as rugs,
side tables, trunks, vintage suit-
cases, books or lamps. This helps
create high impact visuals for
your guests without taking up or
cluttering table designs. Another
vintage design elements into
table number, escort cards, the
bar décor, or your guest book. Be
sure to use details that are unique
and true to you as a couple. For
example if you, or your husband
to be is a writer then having a vin-
tage typewriter for your guest book
makes sense. Guests can use the
old-fashioned typewriter to write
you messages and well wishes. In
addition to these, another method
we have begun to utilize frequent-
ly is an eclectic design. It is the
latest in vintage décor conceptu-
alization and incorporates a vin-
tage and modern industrial look.
You can achieve this look with
reclaimed wood furniture pieces,
vintage vignettes and mixing
various styles of seating such as
metal, chiavari, ghost, or bamboo
chairs, and benches. You can also
utilize a mix of different sized and
shaped tables.
tail hour?
a planner's perspective this is a
great way to get behind on a time-
line, and to ruin a bride's make
up. We typically suggest having
you and your fiancé attend the
cocktail hour and to utilize this
time to speak with as many of
your parents' friends and distant
relatives as possible. It allows
you to greet your guests in a more
organic way and makes them feel
special. Then you can enjoy your
and family. You can achieve this
by doing a first look and having
all your pictures taken prior to
the ceremony. Or if you are more
traditional take as many pictures
prior to the ceremony as pos-
sible such as your bridal party
and your side of the family, while
your groom takes photos with his
groomsmen and his side of the
family. Then after the ceremony,
you can take a few quick pictures
with just the two of you and both
sides of the family. Utilizing the
time before the ceremony for pic-
tures and not having a receiving
line after the ceremony will free
up a lot of time for you and your
groom. It provides a more natural
flow to your evening. For clients
of ours who prefer not to join the
cocktail hour, we normally have a
separate room for them to enjoy
some hors d'oeuvres and a favor-
ite cocktail together. It also serves
as a moment for you to reconnect
and soak in moments from your
ceremony before you join the re-
ception. This is also the ideal mo-
ment for you to bustle your wed-
ding dress.
sic should I choose?
band that is versatile. Pay close
attention to their repertoire list
and see if they can perform vari-
ous genres of music and today's
top 40's. Having a DJ also creates
this versatility and you can pro-
vide them with a music list that
will be a crowd pleaser of all ages.