wedding centerpieces, uplighting, pinspotting, lighting design

Give your wedding centerpieces some POP!

In the WeddingWire Bridal forums, Kelly writes:

“I’ve been pretty set on my colors for a while now. Purple (like a royal purple, deep but bright) and blue. Lately, though, I really like the color blush and think it would help soften things up a bit. Our wedding is rustic themed and both the ceremony and reception spaces have lots of dark wood in them so I don’t want everything to be too dark.”

Great question Kelly!
Centerpieces and floral arrangements are a big part of the decor for your reception. But, what if your favorite color is at the darker end of the spectrum? There’s a solution!

One of the great ways to get extra POP out of deeper hues is to light them up. We use a method called ‘Pinspotting’ for this very situation. By incorporating a small focused beam on your dark centerpieces, they will stand out against the darker hues of the natural woods and stone of the wedding venue. Here’s an example of what pinspotting does.

Wedding advice for men

WEDDING Advice for men

Alrighty fellas. This one is just for you. Now this may be a touchy subject for some but, like anything else, when you hit it straight on, you get the best results.

Fellas, I’m going to tell you a little secret. Your fiance wants you to be a part of the wedding planning. No really, she does. There are so many working pieces to put together for this one special moment that she’s been dreaming about since she was a little girl. And lucky for you, you are a part of that dream. Congratulations!

Now you’re probably asking yourself, “Ok, what should I do?” or “What can I do to help?” Simple. LISTEN to her. Ask her, “What do you want for our wedding.” She will probably be taken back that you asked her in the first place and reply with, “Really? You really wanna know?” This isn’t a setup. You just opened the door of opportunity to make her day.

Once she tells you all about her dream wedding, ask her then, “So what can I help with?” She’ll probably think about it for a little bit and then come up with a list of to dos. Now don’t get discouraged. We’ve all had that uncomfortable shopping trip to the pharmacy for some feminine products where we didn’t know what choice to make. This is no different. So pay attention.

Write down what she wants.
Write down what she wants you to do.
If you do these two things, that will probably open the door for you to tell her what you want out of the wedding day. Maybe it’s a photo booth. Or a cigar bar. Either way, work together to come up with ideas for your special day.

Once you’ve gotten your list, STICK TO IT! Ask questions if you’re not sure. The key here is, ‘Under promise and over deliver’ If you can master that skill, you’ll not only have a very happy fiance, but a very happy wife for years to come. Remember one thing. Happy Wife = Happy Life. GOOD LUCK!

LGBT Wedding Help

LGBT Wedding Help

From the WeddingWire forums Crystal writes:

“i need alot of help and ideas planning a lesbian wedding is there anysites to go to to get more help and ideas… any ideas or help from anyone is very much helpful and appreciated. thanks in advance”

Hi Crystal!

Congratulations on your engagement! You must be excited.
I’ve done several LGBT weddings this year and I can say with a great deal of certainty, there’s no difference between a heterosexual wedding and a lesbian wedding. That is, unless you want it to be. Now in speaking with some of my lesbian couples, they had said that they had a difficult time finding LGBT specific vendors and decor. But let me ask you this, do you want it to be different? The only significant difference that I saw was the cake topper. Other than that, everything else was the same. Food was delicious, tables and centerpieces were tasteful and exquisite, lightscaping was colorful and vibrant, and the guests danced all night long.

As it is with any wedding we do… Every wedding. Every time. It’s all about you.

To get ideas, share stories with other LGBT couples, visit the CT LGBT Wedding Forum on Facebook by visiting www.facebook.com/CTLGBTWEDDINGFORUM

seating chart, wedding seating chart, wedding seating arrangements, wedding arrangements, wedding decor

Wedding Seating Arrangements

As if planning a wedding wasn’t tricky enough, one of the hardest parts of the planning is the wedding seating arrangements. You want those closest to you to be near your head table and then fill in with friends, co-workers, & acquaintances. Makes sense right?

Think about this for a moment. You love your grandparents and your parents. And they love you. They are ecstatic to be a part of your celebration. Do them a solid and put them as far away from the dance floor as possible.  Why?

The dance floor is a lively place to be. Full of music, and in some cases bright lights. If you remember from your childhood your parents or grandparents yelling up to you, “TURN THAT DOWN”, then being next to the DJ or his speakers is probably not the best place for grandparents. If you put them towards the rear of the room, they’ll be able to mingle with guests and chat with each other a lot easier if they are further away from the music.

“Can’t I just tell the DJ to turn it down?”

Sure you can. And they should oblige that request. But by the same token, a speaker is just that, a speaker. And it has to be loud enough to reach the far ends of the room. Not uncomfortable but, audible.

So when you’re starting to plan your seating arrangement, remember this little tip and keep guests young and old happy.

no dj at wedding, bad wedding dj, ipod dj, ipod wedding

Wedding Reception with no DJ?

Fatimah writes:

Reception with no DJ ?

“Me and the hubby to be are trying to cut costs as much as possible.we want background music but no DJ. I think it’s a waste b/c I really don’t think people will dance much. Anybody having or been to a reception without a DJ!”
A wedding reception without entertainment is just dinner. You can get that at Red Lobster.The picture above tells a lot about this topic. But one question comes to mind. Why do you think that your guests will not dance at your wedding? Are they ultra conservative and don’t like being the center of attention? Are they so immersed in playing Candy Crush on Facebook to enjoy the festivities?What is a dancing crowd exactly? When people refer to a ‘dancing crowd’ they are best described as self starters. When large groups congregate, the social butterflies of the crowd are usually the first ones to the floor. Once they are up there, others join in and the party begins. But how do you get to that point if no one is dancing?SLOW DANCES:

Anyone who has ever been to prom knows how to slow dance. For some, it’s all they know how to do. To stand with your partner and rock gently like a leaf on a tree giving a squeeze to that special someone. That’s a great way to get as many people on the floor to start the night. Once they’re out there, kick it into 5th gear and they’ll be begging for more.ICE BREAKERS:

Songs like YMCA, The Macarena, The Cha Cha Slide, and more are great ice breaker dances. they are easy enough for people to follow along and in some cases, very goofy. When you get that one person who has no fear to start it off, again, others will follow because they aren’t the center of attention. It’s a great way to get even the most conservative of guests moving. BRIDAL PARTY DANCE:

This is a great way to include your guests in the festivities and get the ball rolling. Lead by example. Invite your wedding party up to dance a slow dance with you. And then halfway through, invite the rest of your guests to join you. This will ensure the maximum amount of guests on the floor. From that point, your DJ can bounce around a few genres to see what works and keep the energy up.But what if I’m on a budget?
There is a DJ for everyone out there. In CT, DJs range from $300 to $3000 for weddings. More importantly than getting the cheapest one is finding one that is a good fit for your personality. If your DJ gets your non-dancing crowd up and running, you and he will look like a hero and you will have a wedding people will talk about and remember for ever. The choice is yours.
wedding traditions, bouquet toss, cake cutting, garter toss, something old, something new, something used, something blue, anniversary dance

Wedding Traditions – What traditions are you having at your wedding?

From the WeddingWire Forums Almost Mrs. G Writes:

“Does anyone else’s FH want to do EVERYTHING that they’ve ever seen at a wedding? It’s driving me nuts. I *really* don’t want to do the garter toss. Or the bouquet toss. We really don’t have many guests who are single and every wedding I’ve been to it’s awkward. On top of it all…I *really* don’t want him to have his head up my dress in front of my entire family. We’re still at a stand still with that because he does and I don’t. He does because it’s “traditional”. I want to change a few things about our wedding and he just has no idea that there are no “set” rules for a wedding…we can do what we want. It’s driving me mad. How do you all deal with it?”

Well Mrs G, You’ve found yourself wound up in one of the most common wedding conundrums. Weddings have various traditions. Indian weddings have the Jaimala or ‘Exchange of the Garlands’ Moroccan weddings do hena. And in North America, it’s the bouquet toss.

Traditions are much like fads. They come and they go. They go more so now in recent years. One of the reasons is that the wedding receptions have been shaved down quite a bit from 8 hours down to 5. To do every single formality would take much more time than allotted. So what do you do? How do you choose?

Knowing your guests is half the battle. If the majority of your guests aren’t single, then maybe the bouquet and garter toss isn’t a good idea. But if you want something in it’s place to break up the time, consider things like an anniversary dance or newlywed game. If done properly, these formalities will break up the day a little bit and allow for your caterers to reset in between courses and leave your guests entertained.

wedding flowers, wedding bouquet, bouquet toss, garter toss

The Wedding Bouquet & Garter Toss – Keep it or ditch it?

From the WeddingWire Forums
Katie Writes:
Having a bouquet but no garter toss?

I’ve always loved the idea of a bouquet toss since I was a little girl, but never could understand the garter toss. I don’t want FH taking one off of me in front of my family and there’s no way I would want whoever caught the garter to put it on who caught the bouquet. Have have two issues, there aren’t going to be many single ladies at my wedding and we’re stringing lights over the dance floor. Did you do the bouquet toss? If not, what did you replace it with?

Katie, those formalities have been tradition for many years. However, this is your wedding. You know who you are inviting, whether they’re single, and the personalities of your guests. To your point, you should be comfortable at your reception.  It’s up to you which formalities you want to keep and which to omit.

Concentrate on the things that matter to you and your spouse and what will create a fun and memorable day for you and your guests. Talk to your DJ about some fun alternatives to the traditional bouquet and garter toss. They’ll be able to point you in the right direction.

 

Wedding RSVP - Save the date

Wedding RSVP – Getting your wedding guest list together quickly

The date is set. The venue chosen. You’ve got your dress and your decor taken care of. It’s time to see who’s coming to the wedding.

RSVPs are a crucial part of wedding planning. Not just for budgetary purposes but it really makes you think about who you want to be present for your special day and where you draw the line. So, why is it so difficult to get people to respond? Simple. After the hundreds you spend in invitations, meal cards, rsvp cards, and then thank you cards and parting gifts, people seem to lose those little cards. They end up in the pile of mail on the kitchen table, or maybe locked in a drawer or glove compartment to respond to later and is eventually out of sight and out of mind. So, how can you get your RSVPs returned quickly, efficiently, and economically?

Social media and a wedding website is your answer. Platforms like Facebook and Google plus give you the ability to create event pages and invite the friends and family and track your RSVPs right on your screen without having to sift through paperwork and making a database. Sites like Weddingwire are also a great tool as they offer wedding websites that have apps and tools to help you get your RSVPs in order.

It’s user friendly, highly efficient, and lots of fun! Personalize your page with little tidbits about what your guests can expect at your wedding. Include pictures of theme ideas and some history on how you and your future spouse met to where you are today.

Technology grows everyday. Embrace it and get the most you can from it. It just could make wedding planner easier than before.

Alcohol Free Dry Wedding

The Alcohol Free Dry Wedding

Drinking is one of America’s favorite pastimes. There are MILLIONS of watering holes across the nation with only one purpose in mind… Social networking. They are the original facebook.

Weddings typically are no exception. It’s a gathering of family, friends, and co-workers who are all looking for a good time and alcohol helps with that when it’s enjoyed responsibly. But what if you don’t want to serve alcohol at your wedding? We all have that Uncle Bob that has one too many or the friend from your husband’s fraternity that never grew up. It happens. But fear not, there is hope in your DJ.

A wedding entertainers job is to make sure that you and your guests are happy, comfortable, and enjoying themselves throughout your special day. There’s a DJ for everyone out there and they all bring something different to the table. If you hired a DJ who works hard at making sure that your guests are on the dancefloor, chances are, they will forget that there even is a bar in the room. They will have fun without becoming intoxicated.

What’s the one thing that guests will remember from a wedding? Is it the free drinks or is it the entertainment? 9 times out of 10, they always remember if they danced. Still not convinced? Check out a video from a 100% alcohol free, daytime wedding with only 60 guests by clicking the link below. Having the right entertainment for your special day trumps every other detail.

The Alcohol Free Dry Wedding

LGBT Friendly DJ, gay wedding dj, lesbian wedding dj

Where are the LGBT Friendly wedding vendors?

After doing several LGBT weddings these past 3 years, I kept hearing the same thing from my LGBT clients. “Where do we find LGBT friendly vendors? It’s nearly impossible.”

That’s a great question. With the new legislation now making gay marriage legal, it opens the door for wedding professionals to gain a new clientele. That being said, you will more than likely see more and more wedding professionals ‘coming out’ and offering services to the LGBT clients more openly now.

Pryme Tyme Entertainment has always been a LGBT friendly company. For us, a client is a client. We wouldn’t treat an LGBT wedding any differently than a traditional wedding. After all, a wedding is a wedding right?

If you are an LGBT couple and you are looking for a great forum to chat with other LGBT couples and trade ideas, share stories, and experiences, check out Facebook’s newest LGBT wedding forum. CT LGBT WEDDINGS Forum. You can visit the forum by clicking the link below.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/CTLGBTWEDDINGFORUM
Also be sure to visit weddingwire’s LGBT offering www.gayweddings.com

Good luck with your search and happy planning!