Unique Ideas for your Bridal Entrance

You have been planning all the details of your wedding ceremony and reception, and this is one of the most important and thrilling days of your lives.  This is your opportunity to celebrate and showcase your relationship and style.

THE WEDDING ENTRANCE

Many couples choose traditional songs and processionals, while others make their wedding ceremony their own style with special songs, routines and surprising twists.  Create your wedding day that will be remembered for years to come by planning a special entrance into your ceremony.  Like the picture below, have the curtains closed to be drawn back magically and held in place while the Bride walks down.

ADD A SLIDESHOW

If you are getting married in a church, you can use their projector screens or large television screens  to create a slideshow to be played before the Processional.  If in another venue, you can rent one large screen to put up front so all of your guests can see the pictures.  You could also time your slideshow so pictures of each member of your bridal party appears on the screen as they walk down the aisle. When the Bride enters and walks down the aisle, you could have one of your engagement pictures shown leaving it up on the screen.  This way, the guests will see the picture and will then turn their attention from the picture to the Bride as she makes that special walk to her Groom.

ARRIVE IN STYLE

Depending on the location of your wedding, your can arrive in a non-traditional way.  If it is an outdoor wedding, the Bride could arrive on a horse drawn carriage:

With an outdoor wedding near a lake or river, the Bride could arrive by boat:

ADD A BAND 

You could consider adding a small band for your ceremony processional.  Have pre-recorded music play for the Prelude, Special Seating and Wedding Party entrance.  When it is time for the Bride to enter, have the musicians play your bridal entrance song.  They could sit to the far right or left near the front.  Your band could consist of three, four or more musicians including perhaps guitars, trumpets, piano, and strings.  The music will magically fill the room for the Bride's walk down the aisle.

Take your time and think about what kind of mood you want to set for your very special day.  This is a once-in-a-lifetime event, and you want to look back and treasure this day for years to come.

Magical Winter Weddings

Brittany and Nick hired us to plan their wedding in Michigan while they were living in Chicago.  We got to them know them and what their dream wedding would look like.   We researched the venues and vendors that matched their vision.


(Photos Courtesy of Arising Images)

 

 



Their First Look earlier in the day....



 

 

The latest trend in Floral colors is grey and yellow, exactly what Brittany chose as her bouquet accents...

After their First Look, they left with their photographers to get some gorgeous winter pictures of just the two of them in downtown Northville, Michigan.

 

 



 

 

Instead of the traditional Guest Book, the Maid of Honor (the Bride's Sister) bought them this unique box for the guests to write advice to the Bride and Groom on the little wooden hearts.  The Guests thoroughly enjoyed this!

 

 

 

And we can't forget the Groom's favorite super hero:  Spiderman on their cake!

 

 

 

Check out this weight lifting session with their wedding rings.... :)

 

 

 

All in all, they had a beautiful, romantic, magical wedding and were absolutely thrilled.

 

A small excerpt of what Brittany wrote in an email to me after their Honeymoon on the beautiful Island of Maui:

 

"My husband and I could not have asked for a more beautiful wedding than the one that we had. It was unique and perfect for us, and was truly a fairy tale wedding! We still get compliments from all of our guests about how amazing the venue, food, service, DJ, and photography were!  It really was one of the best days of my life, and was all made possible because of Kathy and her fantastic team at Dream Wedding and Event Planners.  I would highly recommend them to everybody!"

 

 

Thank you, Brittany and Nick, for the honor and privilege of planning and coordinating your special day.  You have given us wonderful memories....

 

Kathy

 



It's All About the Cake!

CHOOSING YOUR WEDDING CAKE

Whether you choose a traditional white tiered cake decorated with handmade sugar flowers, natural flowers  or a more comtemporary design in a bright color made from your favorite cake flavor, what is certain is that after the bride, your cake will be the focus of attention at your wedding reception.

Choosing your wedding cake can seem like a daunting task.  I hope you find these words of wisdom helpful in finding your perfect wedding cake.

CHOOSING A CAKE DESIGNER

When choosing a cake designer, ask to see examples of their cakes.  Not only will this inspire you, but it will showcase their skill and expertise.  A gifted cake designer can replicate any picture you bring them.

Have a tasting before ordering your cake.  Many cake designers will have a range of exquisite flavors, different fillings, and are often able to design a cake that incorporates more than one flavor.



ORDERING YOUR CAKE

When you meet wth your cake designer, take along any pictures, inspiration, or swatches of material you have for your dress, color schemes, flowers, venue, etc.  This will inspire them and make sure they make your cake so it matches the design and feel of your reception.

The best cake designers can get booked  up to a year in advance.  If you have your heart set on  particular designer, make sure you contact them in plenty of time.  For most cake designers, though, order your cake around 6 to 7 months in advanc.e  Once you have booked your cake designer, you will be asked to confirm the date of delivery and pay a deposit so you will need to have secured your venue and get an idea of your budget before you book.

When thinking about the size of cake you need, consider the number of guests who will be attending and whether you will be serving the cake as dessert or as part of a dessert table.  This will affect the number of slices you will be serving. 

Confirm with your cake designer whether you will be providing any flowers for decoration or if you would prefer edible sugar flowers - and of course, don't forget the cake stand.  Some reception venues will have cake stands for you to rent.  Ask to see pictures and check the sizing.  You may want to rent your cake stand from the cake designer if they offer them.

Make sure you advise the designer if they need to make allowances for guests with nut or other allegies.

Your cake designer will offer a delivery and setup service.  These details will be worked out with your event planner, Dream Wedding and Event  Planners.

CUTTING YOUR CAKE

Believe it or not, wedding cakes are a long and ancient tradition dating back to the Roman Empire.  In those days, the Groom would break a loaf of bread over the head of his new bride as a symbol of dominance.  Thankfully, times have changed, and the meaning behind the cutting of the cake has evolved into a joyful celebration representing the start of the couple's life together.

The cake can be cut after your Grand Announcement or after dinner, and can be served later in the evening with coffee, summer fruits or ice cream.

Hot Wedding Trends for 2013

The latest wedding trends can be predicted as a result of home decor, movies and the Stars that are in them, as well as the creations of popular designers within the fashion world.  Here are just a few:

MINT:

 

Mint will be a popular color choice for Brides in the year 2013 for their reception decor, invitations and all paper products.  Brides are steering away from the dark jewel tones this year.

 

 

BIRDS:

 

Birds are seen in home decor lately, and this is predicted to carry over into wedding decor in the year 2013.

 



 

PAPER LANTERNS

 

Paper Lanterns are a colorful, inexpensive wedding decor that come in a variety of shapes and colors.  They can be lighted accents over the dance floor, behind the wedding party table, throughout the ceiling at the cocktail hour or under a wedding tent.

 

BRAIDS
 

Braids have been seen in all of the hot movies, and this trend is already catching on for wedding hair styles in 2013.


 

 

LASER CUT DESIGNS

Eye-catching cut-out designs will be seen on wedding dresses, invitations, lanterns for the guest tables, and above the dance floor decor.




 
 
Watch our blog for more trends as the wedding season draws near.  Perhaps you can be a trendsetter for next year!!

 

Vow Renewals are Special

We previously mentioned Burma and Carlos and their amazing vow renewal this past summer.  We received some additional beautiful pictures from Blaine Siesser, their talented wedding photographer.  It was quite the celebration of a wonderful couple.  Enjoy!

 

Specialty Lighting added that Special Touch

Katy and Jon held their wedding reception in a gorgeous Grand Ballroom.  The table decor, specialty lighting and cuisine were amazing.  The nine crystal chandeliers were programmed to change colors subtly throughout the evening.  It was wonderful night for the Bride and Groom, their families and friends.  Photos are courtesy of Blaine Siesser Photography.

Your Wedding pictures can actually move!!

Although this is not a new photography trick, it is new to me.  I found this example on a blog put out by Jeffrey Lewis Bennett, a local Michigan photographer.  I think it would be so fun to have a picture like this one:

You can also have a rice throwing picture that moves a bit more like the one below done by Blaine Siesser of Blaine Siesser Photography:

You will need to ask your photographer if he knows how to do this .GIF style picture, and you wouldn't want them all to move like or this you could get dizzy!  One or two are certainly a novelty that you can share with friends and family online.