About Me

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Marilyn Duncan Wiltshire; CWS(Certified Wedding Specialist), BA, dip Ed, is the owner and principal consultant of Triniweddings. She previously owned and managed P&S Rentals, a Party Rentals company which she sold at the end of 2013 to dedicate her time solely to weddings. She is an accomplished Special Events Planner and a member of Weddings Beautiful Worldwide, the International Special Events Society and the Association of Bridal Consultants. She has been responsible for the coordination and production of many successful local weddings and is associated with many of the country’s more prominent service providers.She also plans a great many “destination” weddings here in Trinidad and Tobago for brides who reside abroad. In addition to planning fabulous weddings she is a part time lecturer at the Lok Jack School of Business in the Event Management Program which is done in conjunction with the George Washington University in the United States. Marilyn recently acquired the license from Weddings Beautiful Worldwide to teach and confer the CWS and AWP designations to students throughout the Caribbean region.

Thursday 14 August 2014

Some ideas for a successful wedding


·         It sounds like a no brainer, but one of the most important elements of your day is the timeline.  You don’t want to end up paying your vendors overtime charges  or keep your guests waiting because  some element of your wedding  ran late.  Staying as close to the timeline as possible is the key to throwing a successful event.

 

·         Instead of decking your space out in crazy centerpieces and crystals, focus your energy and money on things like creative entertainment elements.  One couple we worked with brought in an artist to paint the party scene.  Another hired a caricaturist and guests took home custom portraits at the end of the night. Yet another had a photo booth where guests were  provided with two pictures. One was a keepsake and the guests were able to paste the other picture in the guest book and write their greeting underneath.  Then again there is the Ad Lib where guests are guided to write fun things about the couple. These kinds of activities really make the experience special for everyone.  They also minimize the waiting time while photographs are taken.

 

 

·         While edible and charitable favors are popular, every now and then we see a very specific favor that works great with a fun story or background.  For instance, there was a couple who met on an airplane and gave luggage tags as favors.  If they’re relevant, small keepsakes can be charming favors.

 

·         As your most photographed accessory, your bouquet should harmonize with your gown.  Different dress styles and fabrics set the tone for wedding flowers.  Think:  delicate florals like peonies or lisianthus for a soft lace gown, and architectural blooms like calla lilies or orchids for a modern dress.

 

·         Choose arrangements that look like they belong in your venue.  Small loose clusters of colorful wild flowers would look out of place in a formal ballroom, while glamorous groupings of all white orchids with crystals would not seem right in a rustic setting.

For more ideas feel free to  arrange a Conultation  with TriniWeddings . Call us at 868 628-9333 or email mwilt@triniweddings.com

Portraits and Pictures


Looking back at the Fall/Winter 2012 edition of the knot.com I noticed that they did a good job of suggesting new ideas for photo ops at weddings.  I am including some of their ideas as well as suggestions from other  wedding planners. 

Wedding photos are THE lasting memory of your special day.  It is so important to making sure that the photographer captures the essence and spirit of the day.  You may wish to review some of these ideas with your photographer prior to the wedding.

·         Though you may not like standing for posed portraits at your wedding, don’t make the mistake of skipping them.  This is a special day that will only happen once.  Everyone is together looking their best.  Even if you think you don’t want them, you’ll be glad to have them after the wedding is over.  You can pare down to five must-take portraits:  the bride and groom together, the entire wedding party, the bride and groom with their parents, the couple with the bride’s immediate family and the couple with the groom’s immediate family.” (theknot.com)

·         Consider photos of the groom and his groomsmen getting ready.  The focus of the pre-wedding pictures  does not have to be on every hairbrush and roller in the bride’s room.

·         If you don’t mind having the groom see you before you walk down the aisle, consider “staging” a “first look” photo on a stair case, in a garden or courtyard.  The point is to capture his reaction to the first time he sees you in your gown.  This can be a special shot especially if you won’t have time between the ceremony and reception for many formal pictures.

·         Consider having the photographer capture the look on the faces of family members as they see you walk down the aisle.  You may not even have noticed those reactions in the rush of the moment but will enjoy them later.

·         Ask the photographer to seek out an unusual vantage point for shooting photos of the ceremony.  Request the same for the reception.  A wide angle shot of the reception area filled with guests will be a wonderful reminder of the entire day.

·         Think of your wedding as a “time capsule capturing the context in which your wedding takes place” (theknot.com).  In fifty years, your grandchildren will enjoy looking at the photos.

While wonderful wacky informal shots from your reception may be recorded on the disposable cameras you have left at every table, you will want pictures from a professional photographer who knows how important they are as a record of your incredible day.  Hire the best you can afford.  They are worth it! Check us at Triniweddings for suggestions of good photographers. Call 868 628-WEDD (9333) or  email mwilt@triniweddings.com