As a HUGE admirer and fan of 100 Layer Cake – I have to say I was so excited to my own name on one of their real weddings yesterday.
You remember Mindy and Mark right? Well the amazing Amanda of SWOONOVERIT captured some of the most wonderful pictures of them and they were featured yesterday on 100 Layer Cake! I’m so excited and thankful to have worked with a fabulous couple and a team of uber-creative vendors.
xo.
Good morning and Happy Monday everyone!
I’m not sure about you, but I had one incredibly action-packed weekend.
Saturday, I spent most of the day down in the Lehigh Valley for Amanda and Mark’s Green Pond Country Club wedding. Amanda is a bride that I’ve been working closely with for almost a year and she has been nothing but awesome. And of course, as all best plans are made, a hurricane threatens to come storming through on their wedding weekend. The bride and groom’s ongoing joke was “if we can withstand an earthquake AND a hurricane the week of our wedding, we can get through anything” – and I know they’re right.
So, the storm held off (ish), and the wedding was beautiful – although it was moved indoors, just in case. But it was a fun time had by all. At one point in the night, the DJ (James Arrizza of JDA Mobile Entertainment) threw on the Cupid Shuffle which is a personal fave of mine. Come to find out it’s the photographer’s (Daniel Moyer) jam, too! Needless to say, for that one dance – we tore up the dance floor! Even Joyce, James’ assistant joined in on the fun.
The couple ended up planning this awesome sparkler send off to go down at the end of the night, and we were all concerned how the weather was going to hold up. Well… (I’m bummed I don’t have a picture to put here) but it happened! We corralled all of the guests outside – light about 50 candles (about 30 blew out the second they were outside) and yahooooo! It worked. I love when things work. I’m 110% positive that Dan Moyer caught an awesome shot of it, so don’t worry.
While all of these festivities were going on, Mr. Blue Eyes was home enjoying his Saturday off with the pup. And when I say enjoying, I mean he was crafting a project to help me with the upcoming photo shoot this week. Basically, the project is yarn-wrapped balloons that you pop the balloon when the glue dunked yarn dries and you have this really cool ball of yarn with air in the middle. It’s a project I’ve tried before, and then again with his help. When I did it by myself, some of the items came out ok – some not. When I tried with his help, none of them came out ok (not by his fault at all). So, apparently, he decided to try a different method – and it worked!! It worked so well, it put my other good ones to shame!
We also got down and dirty in the kitchen and made some (yummy) cupcakes in a jar – I even made the icing from scratch! Could not believe how easy it was!?!
Jessica from SimplYou Design also dropped off the print work for the photo shoot. (yay)
Phew…
Upcoming this week, I have the photo shoot I keep rambling on about for Adore Bridal Magazine followed by another wedding down in Walnutport on Saturday. And the week after that is my birthday!! Happy dance. :) I love birthdays.
So, anyway – how was your weekend?
Just some inspiration for your Wednesday.
Bridesmaids dress from Jenny Yoo – all in slate/granite. And some billy balls – a.k.a. craspedia.
And a question – mix-and-matching bridesmaids dresses… yay? or nay?
I say yay. With the exception of super-formal, black-tie only weddings.
Oh my goodness!!! The description for this amazing find says the latitude and longitude can be your wedding location, or whatever. But I think it should be the spot of the proposal. As in, where it all truly started. Or the first date spot would work too. Or maybe a dance floor in some masonic temple. Favorite restaurant? Ok, I suppose there are a lot of directions this can go. And for $68 – I’m sure there are a few of you who are going to jump on this! Or there is always for the 14k option for slightly more.
Love it!
Photo courtesy of Monkeysalwayslook’s Etsy Shop.
Ok, this article is not meant to scare you or give you ulcers. But, these things are possible happenings and they can ALL be avoided (or taken care of) with the help of a day-of coordinator. And please note, that I speak solely for myself. All coordinators/planners are different and you should always check before assuming that they are capable of doing what you need.
Anyway. Let’s get back on track.
It’s your wedding day (yay). Now, what would you do if…
… the limo showed up at the wrong location?
… the florist forgot your favorite uncle’s boutonniere?
… your dress bustle broke at the reception?
… no one knew what do to at the rehearsal?
… the photographer got lost on their way to the ceremony?
… the cake accidentally fell on the floor?
… a guest arrived that didn’t rsvp and they brought a date?
… some of your gifts went missing at the end of the night?
If you had a day-of wedding coordinator (a.k.a. me), you wouldn’t have to worry about any of it. It would have either been avoided, prevented, or taken care of without a problem.
Sounds nice, doesn’t it? (and your mother, sister, best friend, and grandma didn’t have to worry about it either)
Let’s go into those scenarios a bit further, shall we?
… the limo showed up at the wrong location?
Confirmations would have been made prior to the wedding day by the DOC (day-of coordinator) on exact pick up locations and times.
… the florist forgot your favorite uncle’s boutonniere?
Let’s admit it. Mistakes happen. I always have the phone number of the florist on-hand to call and rectify the situation as soon as possible. Besides that, flower corsages, bouquets and boutonnieres are all confirmed prior to the wedding date to ensure proper amounts and the correct delivery depending on the piece to avoid that type of situation.
… your dress bustle broke at the reception?
That’s an easy one. I carry a suitcase of emergency items that I have with me the entire day. Of course, there is a sewing kit in there full of everything we need to get that bustle to stay where it should. Safety pins are almost always used.
… no one knew what to do at the reception?
I’m there. I can help direct and guide you and your bridal party throughout the entire thing. This is especially helpful if you are having an outdoor ceremony wedding with no “set” structures or aisle. It’s also a huge help to your officiant who is mainly there to review your ceremony, not your processional or recessional.
… the photographer got lost on their way to the ceremony?
Once again, locations and times are confirmed. Plus, the photographer has my cell phone to call when lost, where I can easily give them directions to get them – err… un-lost.
… the cake accidentally fell on the floor?
This one is never fun. But it does happen. Thankfully, I have a great crew of bakers that are able to quickly improvise and pull something amazing together. And it’s done while you’re enjoying day and NOT worrying about the cake. Again, I’ll say – this one is never fun.
… a guest arrived that didn’t rsvp and they brought a date?
As your guest list is built and RSVPs start coming in, you will start making your seating chart. Once that is complete, I receive a copy to have on-hand so I know where, if necessary, we can fit two additional guests. From there, it’s a simple request to the venue to add two place settings.
… some of your gifts went missing at the end of the night?
This is truly an unfortunate thing to happen at a wedding, but it does happen. Throughout the night, I not only monitor the gift table and ensure that it is plain sight at all times. But I also make that those gifts and cards are either in a designated vehicle or hotel room at the end of the night so you do not have to worry about who has what.
{photo by Maggie J Photography}
Great advice! My venue had a coordinator on site, and a few things went awry. The coordinator solved the issues, with the help of the moh, and I never knew! Till later, of course… :) Had I had a day of coordinator, the issues that happened wouldn’t have happened, and that is a resource I wish now I would’ve had! Thanks for sharing the “what ifs”-it needs to be aired and much thought put into considering a day of coordinator who is looking out for the bride’s interests, and to prevent stresses!
Wonderful blog post! I am a new wedding coordinator and have been trying to find a way to communicate to brides the importance of DOCs. I just love this! I’m going to put a link on my blog to this article. So helpful and wonderfully written. Thanks Danielle.
Depending on your geographic location, a bridal party can consist of several different team players.
(Notice I used the word “team”, as your choice in bridal party member should be someone who has your back, loves you something fierce, and understands/respects that this is your wedding day. However, this does not give you the right to abuse your relationship with them in a state of bridezilla-ness-icity.)
Anyway, in this general area there are a few different roles on both the guys and gals side. Let’s break them down.
Ladies first, naturally.
Maid of Honor - Your maid of honor is your closest and dearest friend or family member. Depending on their situation, they should be there to help with projects, thoughts, and general aid in keeping you calm, happy and sane. In this case, a MAID of honor is a single, never married woman. Typically, there is only 1-2 gals in this role. The more woman that have this role, the less value it will hold.
Matron of Honor - A matron of honor is the same role as the maid of honor, but the woman with this title is either married, divorced, or widowed.
Bridesmaid - A bridesmaid is any girl over the age of 13 who is will be a part of your bridal party. She wears the dress, walks down the aisle, and does all the fun girly stuff with you.
Jr. Bridesmaid - A junior bridesmaid is any girl who is a part of your bridal party who is too old to be a flower girl and too young to be a bridesmaid. Typically, they are ages 9-13.
Flower Girl - A flower girl is the second cutest gal at the wedding after you. Ok, maybe – maybe not. But your flower girl (or girls, more than one isn’t unheard of) is one of the last girls to go down the aisle before you. Some have their flower girl drop flower petals, other carry a cute basket, or a flower pomander. Either way, if your flower girl is 5 or younger, be prepared for them to decide against walking down the aisle on the big day. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have one, you just must accept the fact that they may get stage fright.
Now for the gents…
Best Man - The Best Man is the counterpart to the Maid and/or Matron of Honor with similar responsibilities, minus the pedicures. He stands by the Groom on the wedding day and will also typically carry the real rings (not the ring bearer, more on this in a bit). He is also typically the toast-giver at the beginning of the reception. Maid/Matron of Honors have been jumping in on the toast giving lately, too, but it’s optional.
Groomsman - A groomsman is a guy that is party of your wedding party, over the age of 13. They hold the same roles as their counterparts: the bridesmaids and usually serve as their escorts leaving the ceremony and into the reception. Prior to the start of the ceremony, they can also serve as ushers.
Ushers - I like to call an usher an “honorary bridal party member”. Their duties mainly take place in seating the guests at the ceremony. They are not usually asked to rent a suit/tux as a groomsman would, but they are often given a boutonniere to sport. When picking ushers, it’s best to avoid anyone that is shy as it’s a role that involves a lot of personal interaction with your guests. Think of them like your “welcoming committee”. Note that you do not need to have BOTH groomsmen and ushers. Some brides just decide to have the gents in the bridal party serve both purposes.
Jr. Groomsman - A junior groomsman is any groomsman who is age 9-13. Once again, too old to be the ring bearer, and too young to be groomsman.
Ring Bearer - The ring bearer is the young lad (yep, I said it) who melts all the girls hearts the day of your wedding. He normally walks down the aisle (unlike the rest of the guys) with the flower girl. He can also carry a pillow or book that holds a set of fake rings. Why fake rings? Don’t even ask me that question. Really, don’t do it. And the same rule applies for a ring bearer under the age of 5 as does for the flower girl.
Phew.
Did that help at all? I hope so.
Coming soon on the blog – where to sit all these people at the reception??
All these lovely photos by the fabulous Amanda Young of Swoonoverit Photography. By the way, if you loved that last picture with the bridal party jumping, check out this blog by Amanda for a fun little find.
Hooray, thanks for the love and sharing the pictures! Loved your helpful, informative post – as always!
I don’t even understand how I finished up here, however I believed this put up used to be good. I don’t understand who you might be but definitely you are going to a famous blogger in case you aren’t already ;) Cheers!
On this lovely day, I received a message from a good friend, Jessica of SimplYou Design, telling me how much she loves BHLDN’s new accessories. Naturally, I had to revisit the site and I decided that these are the two newest items on my wish list.
Can you blame me?
On the left: Stout Spigot Cruet - On the right: Spiraled Shoppe Straws in yellow
Feel free to poke around all of BHLDN’s beautiful site. It never fails to make me smile.
It’s about eight weeks before your big day, you’ve sent out your invites to all your fabulous guests.
Did you remember to send them to your:
Danielle is an experienced and certified wedding coordinator and life-lover from NEPA. She is also fabulously obsessed with love, laughing, details, bread, naps, the color yellow and her pup, Mollie.
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