Choosing the Music to Celebrate

Selecting the music for a wedding ceremony and reception is an important consideration.  Music should frame the ceremony – not dominate it.  Picking the music should be considered an important aspect of the planning process.

1.        Make an early meeting with the officiant/pastor/priest a must.  Churches tend to have constraints imposed on the kind of music allowed.  It is good to have that information early in the planning process.

Some churches limit the options by presenting the bride a list of music from which she must choose.  Others may opt to screen her choices.

2.        If the bride wants a certain music that is important to her and/or the groom, and the church organist can’t/won’t play it, she has the option of diplomatically asking if she can bring in her own musicians.  More and more brides are requesting instruments other than the organ.  Some brides want to be lead up or down the aisle by violins.  Others prefer the sounds of a string quartet.  Allowing sufficient lead-time to clarify any issues around music is a smart move.

3.       Brides must remember that music needs to be selected for the prelude, the processional, the ceremony and for the reception.  Musicians need to be chosen and booked early in the process.

4.       Many budget conscious brides are opting to use MP3 players or other electronic media for reception music – either during the cocktail hour or as background music during dinner.

5.       The bride should spend time researching her music.  Screen pieces, listen to tapes, CDs, and take advice from musicians you know.  Audition any musicians before hiring them.  Check references. Volumes of advice and suggestions are available online.  Think about your own personal preferences and music that matters to you both as a couple as you assemble your “must play list”.

Many couples are creating a CD of their favorite music and making it available as a thank you gift or favor  to their guests.

For other ideas about the role of music in your wedding, talk with an experienced TriniWeddings consultant.

How much should your wedding cost?

The answer –as much or as little as you can afford!  You can have a lavish event that tops $200,000TT or you can say your vows and entertain your close friends and family for $5000TT.   It all depends.  If you are planning a wedding on a budget, TriniWeddings offers some dollar saving tips.

·         Avoid a wedding in the traditional wedding months of April, June and December.  As couples compete for vendors and venues, prices rise – because they can. 

·         Look closely at your guest list.  Pare it down to include only those persons who are really close and have meaning in your life.

·         Have your ceremony and reception in the same place if your religion allows for this. You can save on decor costs.

·         Choose an hour when a meal is not appropriate or necessary.  Morning weddings followed by a lovely basic brunch or a later afternoon ceremony followed by a cocktail reception are wonderful options.

·         Use tropical flowers and fill bouquets with more ribbons and greenery and fewer flowers.

·         Rather than investing in large floral arrangements in the church and reception areas, consider using rental greenery.  It will fill spaces and create more warmth than large stylized arrangements can.

·         At TriniWeddings we can save you time as well as money; and most importantly help assure you of one perfect day.

Be honest about your budget and stick with it.  Look for ways to economize but know which items are the dearest to you.  Always remember that it is the marriage that is important – not the frills.  Feel free to discuss your plans and concerns with TriniWeddings.  We can help you have a gorgeous wedding and save you money in the process.

Etiquette on a Budget

Quiet elegance is always in style.

Consider a few white lilies for the bridal bouquet instead of an elaborate arrangement.

An afternoon tea or garden luncheon can be as charming as a 5 course sit down dinner.

Select fewer attendants. The larger the wedding and number of attendants, the greater the expense.

But no matter how limited the budget, the rules of etiquette still apply.

Having a reception which serves only punch and cake is acceptable. Asking guests to buy their own dinners is not.

Having an alcohol free reception is fine. Having a cash bar isn’t.

Registering for things the couple would like and need is fine. Asking for money instead of gifts isn’t.

Sending email invitations instead of printed or handwritten ones for a small intimate wedding isn’t OK.

Neglecting to send thank you notes within an acceptable time frame is not appropriate.

Every part of a wedding, even one done on a very limited budget, should be done with style and good taste. An affordable wedding can be just as memorable as a lavish one. Guests will remember the beautiful personal touches, not how much was spent on the wedding.

If you have questions about any aspect of wedding etiquette do stop in a talk with us at TriniWeddingd. We are here to help you have the wedding you want.

　

Vera Wang & Arthur Becker Split: Renowned Designer Announced Her Split

 

On Thursday, the heralded wedding apparel designer Vera Wang announced that she was separating from her husband of 23 years, Arthur Becker. Becker has helped Wang build her bridal empire and reportedly has a huge stake in the brand.

However, Mario Grauso, President of Wang's company told Women's Wear Daily, that the former couple will not let this impact the running of the company. They have worked too hard to build it up."

In a statement released the company informed the public that the couple of 23 years, "Vera Wang and Arthur Becker have mutually and amicably agreed to separate... They remain devoted parents to their two daughters," as reported by People's.

The couple married in 1989 at New York's Pierre Hotel and have two daughters Cecilia and Josephine.

In addition to her luxury bridal company, Wang recently collaborated with David's Bridal to create a line of affordable bridal gowns and accessories for the discount retailer. Her Fall 2012 Bridal Collection which featured an entire line of black wedding gowns created quite a stir in the bridal fashion world. In fact, Las Angeles Times (with intended pun obviously) reported on the spilt saying "the black wedding gowns could have been a bad omen."

Her 2013 Fall Collection contains nudes, blushes and scarlet reds, no blacks, but neither the traditional whites. Her most notable gowns have been for a-list celebrities and public figures including Chelsea Clinton, Alicia Keys, Ivanka Trump and most recently Kim Khardashian.

Questions for a Wedding Planner

Should you hire a wedding planner or are you preparing to do it all yourself? Most busy working brides today need the help of a professional planner – for all or part of their weddings. A professional wedding planner’s advice and expertise can save time, money and sanity so don’t dismiss the idea out of hand.

When you meet with a wedding planner to talk about how much or how little you need him/her to do for your wedding, here are six key questions you should ask to guide that informational meeting.

1. Here are the vendors and venues I am considering using. Do you know anything about them? Who are your favorites and why?

The planner can often give you some good feedback about a particular vendor and/or steer you away from potential trouble.

2. How many weddings of my size have you done?

If you are planning on a small intimate gathering and the planner specializes in huge society weddings, you two may not be a good match.

3. If I hire you for my wedding, what is your role and what is mine?

It is a good idea to have clarity around who is responsible for what and in a tight situation, who has the final say? Do need to have the planner clear every little detail with you or can he/she make decisions based on early parameters you two have established?

4. How many weddings do you do each month? Do you have enough staff to cover all weddings you book? You don’t want to be one of a multitude in June if the planner doesn’t have the staff to handle all of its commitments.

5. Ask for a client and vendor list and ask if you may call them for references.

6. Ask for an explanation of how he/she charges. Is there a flat rate, a sliding scale, extra charges for add ons?

7. Do you belong to any professional organizations? Associations such as Weddings Beautiful Worldwide, ISES and The Association of Bridal Consultants have helped increased the value, and raise the professional standards of wedding planners everywhere.

The goal of all good wedding planners is to save you time and money . . . and most importantly for you to enjoy one perfect day!

　

　

Selecting Gifts For Your Registry

Selecting locations for the gift registries for one’s wedding is important and fun. For your guest’s sake, it is wise to select at least three different resources. Your purpose is to give guests a variety of options and price ranges when it comes time to select your gift. To that end, experts recommend that you choose at a minimum, one “high-end” store, one moderate/lower priced retailer and perhaps one “non traditional” resource like a charity.

As you peruse items for your gift choices, most consultants would remind you to expand your vision of gifts to include items beyond the “usual”. Many couples end up realizing that they have the best equipped kitchen in town, but have no bedroom furnishings. Seek input and advice from friends and family before you sit down together to develop your list of preferences. Their ideas may help you to include items that would be helpful that you would never have considered.

REAL SIMPLE magazine asked brides to identify items for the “Things I Wished I’d Registered For” list they were compiling. Here are some of the items that made the list
                     
*Extra Wine Glasses

*Oven to table bake ware – one or two casseroles that can go to parties and events and    look good.

*Fine China – too many couples are selecting only something practical to use now. Brides miss having some fine china to use for special occasions and to “pass on”

*Bar B Q Grill

*Art pieces for home décor (consider including an art gallery in your list of registry locations

*A cordless drill

*Decorative pillows and throws for the living room – a quick and effective way to add dash

*Christmas decorations – something special and classic that the couple could bring out each year


*Outdoor gear and equipment like Coleman stoves, backyard hammocks or lawn chairs.

For more help with your gift registry, consult with TriniWeddings.

The Role of the Wedding Planner

If the bride and her family would like a stress free wedding, the best solution is to hire a wedding planner.  If the wedding is to be at an out of town/destination wedding, then dependence on a planner at the venue to which the wedding party will be traveling is a must.  If the bride and groom are planning a small intimate wedding and reception but the couple both have jobs that demand huge time commitments, a wedding planner can take the couple’s wishes and instructions and produce exactly the event they envision.

The term planner can cover a wide range of services.  In general the term refers to services provided by an individual, selected by the bride or her mother, to assist with some or all of the details involved in the planning and implementing of an error-free, stress free rehearsal, ceremony and reception.   A plus feature in hiring a wedding planner or coordinator is that the bride can decide the level of service she desires and pay only for those services.

Brides-to-be should determine the credentials of the planner they are considering.  They should check the training/certification that the planner has earned.  They should ask for references from two or three brides the planner has served and decide on the level of involvement they will require.  Maybe an initial consultation to help identify choices and set preliminary plans and schedules is enough for one couple.  Others may want a comprehensive package, which covers time and advice on all aspects of the wedding plus vendor and site negotiations.

Do make an appointment with a TriniWeddings consultant. This can make a valuable and beautiful difference in YOUR wedding.