Incorporating pets into your wedding
When my Sept 7th Bride Erin told me she wanted her dogs in the wedding, I cringed a little. They are big dogs – they slobber and they have dark fur which doesn’t mesh well with a white wedding dress. Thankfully they were just fantasizing about incorporating their mutts into their special day. Instead, they invited their beloved horses to take part and I thought it was a great idea! Very rarely do you see images of a Bride _ Groom with horses, unless of course they are Texan and donning cowboy hats! Having the horses on the property of their reception (Erin’s parents home) brought a special and personalized touch to their photos. Seeing the two of them beside the brown beauties was stunning – seeing the frightened look of her mother and sister during family photos was hilarious.
If you want to incorporate your pet into your wedding, I suggest that you set aside time to take photos with them and have someone care for your pet in your absence. Asking a neighbor or co-worker who isn’t attending the wedding to look after Fido for the day and night is way better than leaving them alone all day. Plus, if you want your pooch (or horse, cat, whichever) on site for a few photos, then this person can bring them and then take them – leaving you to enjoy the rest of your evening.
When it comes to pets actually being IN the wedding, I’m not a big fan of that. I’m not a big supporter of a dog bringing the ring down the aisle, or even hanging out at the reception location (this equals too many possible disasters). BUT, if you consider your pet as part of your family which most of us do, incorporate them into your engagement photos or wedding photos.
*Photo courtesy of DEW Imagery
Spread the Love
What’s one of the most popular wedding favour these days? Jams. They are somewhat easy to make, keep for a long while and can be made in a mini size so guests can easily transport them from your wedding home. Plus, there are so many cute sayings you can pair with jam; ‘spread the love’, ‘love is sweet’, ‘he’s the jam in my peanut butter sandwich’ – okay, that one’s a bit weird. But you get the idea.
Other favours I’ve seen crop up this past year have been honey, maple syrup and chutney. I would have to agree that giving an edible favour is the best and easy choice. Is there something that you’re good at making that you can give your guests? Do you have a favourite treat that you could ask a local baker to make mini? Banana bread, molasses cookies, tarts, etc.
What are you planning on having as your favour at your wedding?
Morgan _ Adam’s wedding favours.
Photo courtesy of Beth _ Ty in Love.
The Reception {Wedding Day Coordination}
Newlyweds Jennifer _ Stephen – October 2011
What happens after you be come Husband _ Wife? Well, all sorts of things – but let’s just focus on what happens immediately after you become Mr. _ Mrs. You host a reception with all of your friends, family and loved ones! The reception is the most expensive part of a wedding – it’s basically one huge dinner party and we all know how quickly food costs add up. You know when you go out for dinner with the hubs-to-be and you get the check and you simply can’t believe how quickly and easily your bill racked up? Appetizer, drink, entree, drink, shared dessert, coffee. Oyi! But, you had a great night out, right? It was worth the price I’m sure.
During your wedding events, it’s typically the reception when you want your guests to be wowed by the fine details, have fun and enjoy celebrating with you. And how do you allow yourself to celebrate along with them? You book us for The Reception package so you don’t have to worry about a thing! We will be on hand for Wedding Day Coordination and take care of the set-up, clean-up and event logistics that go into and are a part of a reception. We will call or email all of your vendors the week of your wedding to ensure they have all the info they need and to instruct them to direct their questions at the reception to us, so you won’t be bothered or have to make decisions. We manage the timing of dinner with the venue coordinator, the dj and your MC. We pretty much make sure your entire event runs smoothly and the way you envisioned it.
The Reception package is 10 hours at one location and the investment if $1,000 which is very affordable and worth the cost when you factor in how much you are paying for food, drink, music, lighting, decor, etc. To make sure everything you planned goes as such, bring us on board for your wedding. We’d love to work with you!
Inviting Kids {Wedding Advice}
Inviting kids to a wedding…do you or don’t you? It’s a question many couples will ask themselves when planning their guest list. Some almost newlyweds are all for little ones taking part in their special day, while others are dead set on not having any kiddos in attendance.
So, what should you do?
Well…here’s our take on the matter.
If you are having your own kids, nieces/nephews or little cousins in your wedding party and choose not to allow guests to bring their children to your wedding then you should make sure that your little people are only at your ceremony. They can be on hand for photos before and after the ceremony and take part in your nuptials as Ring Bearer and Flower Girl but then that’s it – they go home. They shouldn’t be at the reception running around, dancing and having fun among your guests if there are guests there that would have liked to have their child(ren) there as well. A good way to avoid hurting any feelings is to simply say that you are trying to have a small wedding and won’t be inviting children. Or, tell your friend who might be offended her kid isn’t invited by telling her you wanted to give her and hubs a night out sans kids for once. Then, you look like a good friend again. But once you decide no children, you have to stick to that. You can’t allow your cousin to bring her newborn, but your co-worker can’t bring her toddler.
If don’t want any kids at your wedding in any fashion, then you must be careful with how you word your invitation. An Invitation Specialist can assist you with this but typically the outer envelope is addressed to the couple invited (i.e. Mr. _ Mrs. A. Richardson) and then the interior envelope is addressed to exactly who is invited (i.e. Melissa _ Andrew). This helps state just who you want to attend. Another way is to have the RSVP already filled in with their names in the M__________ spot so that they don’t go ahead and write Melissa, Andrew, Jimmy _ Jane. I prefer the first suggestion, but as mentioned, ask your Invitation Specialist.
If you want to have kids at your wedding then be sure to invite the whole damn fam. Address the invitation to “The Richardson’s” or “The Richardson Family” and then on the interior envelope list all of the names (i.e. Melissa, Andrew, Jimmy _ Jane). Most times the lady’s name is written first, followed by the husband and then the children from oldest to youngest. Be sure to find out how old these kids are if you don’t already know. If they are 16+, they can get their own invitation so they feel like an adult (remember, they likely can drive at this age) and if they are 18+ and in a relationship you will have to invite their girl/boyfriend as well.
Some couples who are anti kids attending don’t even want them at the ceremony, which is very hard to do. Many times I will see kids misbehaving during the ceremony and or crying because well, they are bored. You can’t kick anyone out for bringing their child, but you can ask someone to kindly escort them out should their child be interrupting your ceremony (yes, hello – that would be our job). If you don’t want kids at the ceremony, try to have your wedding at one location where guests will be at for the whole event. It will be harder for them to bring Jimmy _ Jane if there isn’t much of a break between festivities. But, as always – be honest with your friends and family about your desire to not have kids in attendance.
Kids are cute and they can take some of the attention away from you if you’re not overly into having all eyes on you. But kids can also misbehave and not cooperate – so choose wisely. Chat with this with your hubby-to-be for after all it is your wedding and your guests should respect your wishes. If they don’t then, make note for one day little Jimmy or Jane will get hitched too.
