A great idea for the party on the dance floor

If you're having the best band ever at your wedding and you have that great group of friends who love to party, would totally jump on stage with the band (bands typically hate this by the way), love to sing along - here is a fun idea.

Photo Credit: Impressions Photography

When the song comes on that everyone loves to sing along to (really loud), when they've had a few cocktails and are having an amazing time... pass these out to everyone.

Yes, it is a plastic Microphone and its bound to bring great fun and hilarious pictures & video.

Want to give a hint for the fun to come? Update your wedding website with the lyrics to the microphone song(s) - but don't say why.  You can also print the lyrics on the back of your dinner menus.

Great sing along songs:

Living on a prayer, Bon Jovi

Don't stop believin, Journey

Brown eyed girl, Van Morrison

Benny and the Jets, Elton John

The hot new sing a long song: We are young, Fun

Quick Tip: Always make sure your photographer and videographer are prepared in advance for this kind of surprise because this, you will want to see again.

A Beautiful Rainy Wedding Day at the Ritz Naples

Last month we had a stunning formal wedding weekend at the Ritz-Carlton, Naples Beach. I'm not going to say, "Unfortunately, it rained" because while the rain did come, it was still an amazing evening. There was nothing unfortunate about it! We had back up plans in place and had called for all the events to take place indoors several hours in advance (this is crucial!) so that everything would seem as it had been planned that way all along. The key is to make certain it does not appear to be a last minute move.
All photos on this post were taken by me, so yeah, they aren't so good because I am not a photographer who knows everything about lighting, angles, speed and all that stuff I find unfathomable to remember all at one time. But you get the point. To see better photos- always check out the photographers websites & blogs!
Location: Ritz Carlton Naples Beach
Photographer: Michelle Reed
Flowers: Ritz Carlton
Cake: Ritz Carlton
Band: Vox Blu
The band was unreal. We had Vox Blu at a wedding last year and I was immediately a fan. I was so excited when Kim picked them out for her wedding. They have the best Michael Jackson compilation of any band I have ever heard. There was not a single soul in a seat. Honestly, the dance floor was packed the entire night. Well, until the fire alarm went off. But that's another story. Anyway, the Hora was off the charts! Kim and Steve were up in the chairs many times until Steve was ultimately dropped. Oops. No worries though, he landed on both feet.

How big should my band be?

Here's a good question I got today.

Is there such thing as a band that's too big?

Yes there most certainly is. One easy way to know if you've gone a bit too far- if the stage will have to be bigger than the dancefloor to fit the band...it's too big. If you want a true live band experience, I vote for nothing less than 3 pieces. After that, another piece per 20-25 (starting with 3 pieces and 75 guests)people is a good rule of thumb.

Some things to keep in mind though:

Typically what makes that big band sound is a horn section. And that usually requires a 5 to 6 piece band.
The other element that makes a huge difference in not only the sound, but also the playlist- having a female vocalist.

"Wait, did someone get #17?" : The Bustle

You've got the dress of your dreams. And you've got the perfect bustle too. I have to admit, bustling, after all these years, still makes me nervous. Why? Have you seen some of these creations? There is a science to it, miss one and the whole thing is screwed up. Now, it's not so bad if there are only like 4 ties or two hooks. But when there are 27 - yes, TWENTY SEVEN, you can have issues. 27 little tiny white bows underneath 5 yards and 6 pounds of duchess satin requires at least 2 people who know what they are doing and 1 groom with some really strong arms. Why strong arms? It can take 20 minutes to get all those little ties done, and all those yards of satin need to be held at least shoulder height so that the people tying the little bows can read the little numbers on the underside of the dress. Nope folks, it ain't pretty.
So what to do? Have your designated bustle buddies (your bridesmaids, mom, or sister) go with you to your wedding dress salon or alteration shop and learn the best way to bustle the dress and to know exactly what it's supposed to look like when its done. The last thing you need is your grand entrance into your reception to be held up for 45 minutes while someone figures out your bustle DNA or for it to all come undone during your 1st dance.
This Ulla-Maija gown had a great looking bustle, and yes, it was the 27 tie kind that took 3 of us. But it looked fantastic didn't it?

Oh la la I love the Pink Shell

There isn't anything French about it, but I just love the new space at Pink Shell on Ft. Myers Beach. Dony & Sarah were kind enough to invite me out for a tour of the new facilities at the resort. Let me just say this- somebody kicked it up a notch. It is so cool! Very contemporary, hip, and modern, but still a kick-back in Florida feel. The colors are obviously tied in with the amazing view of the Gulf from the room and of course there's a terrace right off the Captiva room to chill out on when you need to take a break from the dance floor. Anyway, since I was out last August they have added oodles. Besides this new non-ballroom ballroom, there is a marina with docks, and I think 45 new rooms. Okay, the rooms. WOW. Why wow? Well, each room faces the Gulf, has a screened in porch on the gulf, oh and did I mention that a bunch of the units have hot tubs on the 2nd porch that faces the bay? Hello! Sign me up! Oh, one thing I thought was particularly cool was that there are 7 rooms per floor. And if your wedding guests take over all 7 rooms, you can actually have a welcome reception right there on your floor. The neatest location ever if you ask me. Talk about not having to worry about getting back to your room, the party is right outside your door! Oh, and if you eat at Jo Jo's by the main pool (I think its one of 4 pools), try the mediterranean salad (Thanks for lunch girls!). It is so good. I had to get back to the office, so I didn't get to go back to the spa (gosh darnit!) to meet the new spa director before I left. They have the best spa there, Aquagene. I for sure need to find some time to get back in there!

Pimp Your Flips

This past weekend was Becky & Mike's wedding weekend. It was such a great time! Clint Wiley entertained both Friday and Saturday and let me just tell you- there were people who never left the dance floor. For all I know, they are still there waiting on another encore. You can check out the short video of little ringbearer Cole dancing to Banana Pancakes at the rehearsal dinner on Becky & Mike's wedding blog. Have I ever mentioned I love Jack Johnsons music?

Anyway, let me explain the photo here. I shoulda known something was up when Becky asked me for my shoe size and favorite color in my wardrobe (hot pink & black). She surprised me, and I think all the girls in the wedding party (moms too), with a pair of these customized Reefs. Her sister Kelly embellished each pair for all of us. Oh how they sparkled in the sand. Very cool. Yes, I'm still wearing mine. Kelly is considering taking limited orders for her Wedding Flips, if you're interested, send me an email.

The Cool Factor: Furniture

Every now and again I'll have a client who just wants to do something really cool. Something non-traditional wedding that won't interrupt the flow of her wedding, but will for sure add to the atmosphere. I always suggest good lighting 1st of course, because lighting totally transforms a room. Next though- furniture. Kick it up a notch! Especially if you have the option of having your reception in 2 different rooms; one for dinner and one for dancing. I got the new catalog from Room Service yesterday and was so excited to see all the cool new furniture they had. I especially love this round bar. How cool would it be to leave the dance floor to grab a cocktail from this bar, and then sit at this bench and watch your 80 year old Great Uncle Jack & your crazy roommate from college boogie down to a little Earth Wind & Fire?
Oh and yes- I am all about splitting the reception into dinner then dancing. Why? Because its really 2 different vibes anyway; I say take advantage of it. Dinner is for eating, toasting & talking, and beautiful romantic music. Then there's party time. Celebrate with fun music, dancing, and a party atmosphere.

The Truth about your wedding menu

The truth about your wedding menu: Nobody cares what it is as long as it's hot and tastes good.
Consider all the weddings you've been too. Is the meal what you remember most about them? Doubt it.
Think about the BEST wedding you ever attended. Was the meal what made it? Doubt it.
Chances are that the best thing about your favorite wedding was the great time or feeling you had there. It's probably the memory of a band so amazing that you were dancing for so long your feet were swollen into your shoes. Or your lack of memory due to a really great signature drink. Or maybe it was how incredibly romantic and intimate the night was. Or perhaps it was how gorgeous the ceremony & reception looked and made you feel. But like I said, chances are- it wasn’t the meal.

My point is this, don't stress about what you put on your wedding menu. It's one of the elements of planning a wedding that I have noticed clients get more stressed about, and they just don't need to. So with that said:
***Feel free to serve chicken. These days, you can get some mighty good chicken! Chefs are amazing with their accompaniments and presentations, let them kick it up a notch and get creative with it. Why chicken? It is almost always the least expensive entree on a catering menu. Those savings mean you can bump up your budget on the things that really do make a huge difference in your wedding memories (the band, the flowers, etc.).
***Have a shorter dinner. Go the 3 course route rather than the 4 course. Again, there is the cost savings. Even better though, the time savings. That 4th course could easily eat up another 30 to 40 minutes of your "party" time.
***Do go all out for dessert. It's consistently a big hit when it’s done, and because it happens later in the evening- guests do remember it.
Cool ideas: add a dessert buffet, candy bar, Venetian table, or fresh doughnut bar.

Subject: Random Question #2516

Client:

Toasts for RD and Reception…
I’ve read it’s tradition for the groom’s parents to toast the bride’s parents at the RD, and for the bride’s parents to toast the groom’s parents at the reception…. Is that true?

Me:

Oh my gosh, you are so hilarious. I just realized you're numbering the questions. THAT is so funny.
There's tradition, and then there is what really happens. Tradition, yep- just what you said. What really happens...depends on the style and formality of the wedding and the kinds of guests you have. Here is what I will say for sure. Get as many of the toasts out of the way at the Rehearsal dinner. Ask everyone you think will want to say something, if they plan on saying something- before the weekend comes. Then ask them to do it at the event that you feel is most appropriate. This way you'll probably have more time to party/dance at the Wedding. Toasts and speeches on wedding night, on top of the other traditions (cake cutting, parent dances, bouquet toss, pictures, etc.) really cut into the time you actually get to just let loose and have a good time.

Your Big Exit

I received this question from a reader yesterday:

I was wondering if you had any creative/unique ideas for a send off at a venue that doesn't allow confetti, birdseed, sparklers, etc.

It's such a great question because there are some really creative things that can be done. Before you start to plan your big send off, take note of a few things:
1. The rules and regulations of your venue.
2. Local laws
3. If you're planning something really great- keep your photographer AND videographer until the end of the reception. Something like this is not the thing to leave out of your professional photos and video.
4. Somebody has to be in charge of staging the exit. If you don't have a wedding planner or wedding coordinator, make sure you have someone responsible and sober enough to remember their special job.
5. Timing, and the ability to move all the guests out is crucial.

Okay, so here are a few ideas:
1. Rose petal toss. This looks so great, its environmentally safe, and the petals don't hurt. I had rice at my wedding. It was the worst ever. It hurt so bad.
2. Fog machine, Disco lights, and a big funky song. Doors swing open, and the two of you come out dancing! This is also a really great segue to an after party...
3. Feathers, bubbles, or balloon drop
4. A choreographed dance. The dirty dancing finale would be perfect. See the YouTube video down at the bottom of the blog.

The new wedding toast drink: TEQUILA!

Move over champagne, here comes something newer. Yep. It's new and very cool. I love the idea. This new celebration toast is a toast that the bride and groom give to their guests to say "We're so glad you came to celebrate with us- let's have a blast!" Its a great surprise for your guests, and really gets conversation going, and for sure will produce awesome photos.
What I recommend:
*Use a really good tequila, like Patron.
*Serve it in mini shot glasses with a lemon slice and salt on the side. A full sized shot is not necessary.
*Do the toast right after your 1st dance, before dinner. That way you have everyones attention and they'll be eating right away.
*Have the servers take the shot glasses and used slices away as they drop the salad course.

Wedding design: How I am inspired

The other day I was having a consult with a bride and we were at the beginning stages of designing her wedding. I brought out all the wedding books of course. She brought a picture of the dress she was going to buy and the colors she wanted to use. I explained to her that its easier for me to create a wedding for her on her budget if she explained to me what she wanted if the budget was unlimited. Is that what she described to me? Nope. She was holding back and I knew it. So we just sat and talked and flipped through books, I wrote down notes that I knew were useless, until she said it, "I had always dreamed I would get married in a castle in Ireland". She said this not even knowing she said it- and that in one word, she inspired her entire wedding design. That was what I was looking for. "castle!" Between the colors she gave me and that one word, I knew exactly what direction to head in. Ivory, champagne, gold. Dim, candles, candelabras, fancy iron work, heavy draping that puddles, tassles.
Only thing was- her dress did not match the design. Not even a little. So, without saying anything about it of course, I made some slight changes to the design so that the dress wouldn't seem out of place. Because you just don't mess around with a bride and her dress! And I admit that I had a little bit of wedding designer nightmare about it. But don't you know, not 12 hours later did she email me to say, "I changed my dress, and I love it, now it all goes together"
So how am I most often inspired? By my clients. It's usually one word they mention that pulls it all together. Whodathunk?

Crying at and about a wedding

I cry at every wedding. Seriously, every single one. And its always at the same times:
When I see my bride in her dress.
When I see the look on the grooms face when he sees his bride the 1st time.
The 1st dance.
The father of the brides toast (and sometimes the dance too).
When I have to say goodbye.

Saying goodbye is the worst though. I can't tell you how many times I have sat and outright sobbed with a bride. I do get attached to my clients. Usually we've been working together for nearly a year or longer on the most important day of her life! How could I not get attached?
So yeah, I get pretty excited when the photographer releases the pictures. And I can't wait to share them with everyone and hang my favorite in my office. And I just love when they get video and the videographer sends me a copy. I get such a kick out of watching everyone so happy. I pop popcorn, call in my girls, and we watch together. Emily (she's 4) doesn't understand why I cry when I watch the wedding dvd's. But she does love to dance along with the reception highlights. Madeline (she's 8), she cries with me. I guess we're both romantics.

Weddings are so great.

"Your job is so cool" Warning: Long Post.

I giggle a little when people say this to me. I do love what I do; I love planning weddings. You couldn't possibly convince me that there's a better job out there. However, when people say this to me its either at the wedding, when they see me smiling off to the side(dancing just a little cause the band rocks!) or crying tears of joy. Or during wedding venue tours, when we're going to all these fabulous locations looking at beaches, tasting food, and eating cake. That part of being a wedding planner is so beyond great- who wouldn't want to do that?
But I giggle because never do wedding guests or clients see me in my office, with 2 computers, a fax machine, 3 phones, bookshelves full of client binders, and filing cabinets full of vendor and resource information. On my typical day I am tied to the office for 9 hours. I get 15-20 emails per hour. Most of my 8-10 phone calls take at least 15 minutes. I wish it was just my brides calling me; because I love talking to them, but I have to actually plan their weddings, and that means talking to all their vendors too. Most weddings have about 20 contracts of some sort. I have to take care of all that. Cool right?
If I have to give up some of that office time for meetings, I'm in the office on the weekend, in the evenings, and sometimes before dawn. And that's after the usual weekend meetings with clients. Because, I meet with clients when they aren't working their jobs! Then there's the calendar on the wall. Right now there are 17 weddings on that calendar (between now and next April 2008). I am a multi-tasking master. So, what it comes down to is that my job might be fairly similar to any other project-manager-office-job most of the time. Cool right?
Then there's wedding week. Adrenaline takes over big time. No matter what, there will be fires to put out, chaos to control, and a mess to clean up. No matter what, I always end up working at least 20 hours straight 3 days in a row, I might get to eat one meal (which is cold, while standing up, in a corner, in the dark), and there's no such thing as a bathroom break. Cool right?
Truly, my friends think I am insane for doing what I do. My husband thinks I work too much. My kids, they seem to get it (kids are cool like that). My dad- he didn't think I was running a real business until he read an article about me in a magazine; and this was just a few months ago (I've been in business for years!).

My job is cool- for me. Again, I love it, and there are some seriously fun parts. But it is not for everyone, thats for sure. I'll post about the fun parts later, but right now I have 17 weddings to plan. Hee Hee.

The Newest Trend: Documenting your entire wedding weekend

Not all, but most of the weddings I get to plan are 3 or 4 days of events. Here's the typical line-up:
Usually the weekend starts with the rehearsal dinner, (Thursday)
Followed by a welcome reception (Thursday)
A spa day for the gals and a golf or fishing tourney for the fellas,(Friday)
Perhaps then a sunset cruise, luau, casino night, or the newest rage- Karaoke parties (Friday)
Then of course the wedding ceremony, reception, and after party (Saturday)
And then it all has to come to a close with a farewell brunch... (Sunday)

As you can imagine, there are just tons of memories to capture with all this fun stuff going on. In 2005 I started to notice that more and more of my clients wanted to have all their events documented with professional photography and videography. And really, it kind of makes sense. You figure, when else in your life are you going to have all the people you care about and enjoy the most spending the weekend with you doing nothing but fun stuff? I had a wedding weekend, and I would give anything to have a few really good photos from our welcome reception and video of our best mans speech. One of the neat things I've noticed about these weddings where we've had everything covered is that by the time you get to the wedding, the photographer and videographer visually "know" everyone, and because of that they get amazing shots during the most important 6 hours (ceremony-reception).
Here are a few tips if you're considering going this route:
1. If you're going to have your photographer cover all or few events, make certain that your photographer is a not only a good wedding photographer, but also a good photojournalist. A photojournalist doesn't ask for things to happen, they photograph what does happen and most important, they photograph unobtrusively.
2. Book the whole weekend at once. The last thing you want to do is call your photographer a month before the wedding to ask her to cover the casino party only to find out she's already booked on another wedding for that day.
3. Book the videographer for anything that's going to be big on sound and/or movement- obviously anything where there will be speeches, toasts, or bad singing (ha!).
4. Take advantage of all this documentation- share it. In addition to your wedding video, have the videographer create a 15 minute highlight dvd of the best moments from the weekend to give to your family and wedding party. You can also have your photographer send the videographer some of the photos to add to the video highlights.

One more thing, this is an "extra". Adding something like this can throw your budget WAY off. If you can't swing the whole weekend, maybe just pick one extra event to cover.

The Wedding Party dance of the year

Okay, I'd like all of you to learn this for your wedding receptions.
Click here to see video, make sure your sound is on and you have 3 minutes.

I'll even get in on it. Just don't ask me to do the chicken dance.
<>

Photo credit: Nick Adams, Impact UK

Say No to the ipod Wedding

Okay, I tried to just bite my tongue and I can't anymore. I realize its all the rage as far as the wedding magazines are saying- but have you been to a wedding reception with a "virtual dj"? Let me tell you, it virtually DOESN'T WORK. Here's the problem; or shall I say the short list of problems:
1. Nobodys reading the crowd. A pro dj can tell what kinds of songs your wedding guests are in the mood for. If they all rush the floor when Prince comes on, he knows what other songs will keep them on the floor instead of rushing off. Because we all know- that is the worst thing that can happen, an empty dancefloor. Your ipod (or laptop) doesn't know that Jack Johnson would be perfect right now because all your college friends are on the dancefloor- a pro DJ would.
2. Technical difficulties Someone tripped over the cords and now there's no music. Hmmmm. Who's going to fix that? Your cousin Simon is suppsed to be in charge of the music, but he's in the bathroom, I mean at the bar, or is he eating his dinner? Where is cousin Simon? Wait, these plugs came out, what goes where? Uh-oh, nobody knows, because the guy who set it up isn't there. How about that.
3. It isn't a cost savings. That's right, you aren't going to save anything worth raving about. To rent the equipment, have it delivered, set up, and returned is going to cost almost as much as a pro dj. And honestly, it's a huge pain in the you know what. If you really want to cut costs, let's talk about cake and bar options.
4. Announcements. Well, you certainly can ask a good friend or family member to be the person responsible for making announcements, it's not that much to ask, right? Wrong. That person is on call the entire reception. Every time something needs to be announced, I (or your wedding planner) have to go tap this person on the shoulder, interrupt their conversation, and ask them to come to the microphone. It's just not nice, they are a guest, not an employee! Unless of course you aren't going to have an entrance, a 1st dance, a toast, tradtional parent dances, a cake cutting, a bouquet toss...

Look, chances are that you have been to a wedding where there was a really bad, corny, YMCA playing, is-this-guy-drunk DJ. They aren't all like this. I can't stand those DJ's any more than you can. Your wedding planner will steer you in the direction of a quality DJ. It really is safe. You can even make a list of songs you absolutely want played, what is not to be played, and what is and isn't to be said or announced.

Here's a great note I found from a recent DJ: "Are you looking for a Disc Jockey or an Entertainer?
When looking for your entertainment, an important aspect to consider is whether you're looking for a Disk Jockey or an Entertainer. The biggest difference is that a Disc Jockey offers very little or no interactive entertainment. A Disc Jockey will play music-nothing more, nothing less. In comparison, Entertainers are fun, creative, energetic and get your guests involved."

P.S. Can I tell you how addicted I am to the Jack Johnson cd I got for Christmas? LOVE it.

Awwww....

I can't help it. She just looks so cute. This is Emily, my 4 year old. She asked for Bride Barbie for Christmas. Weddings on the brain- even as a pre-schooler.

The Hot Trends...

This was one serious cake fight! By the time they were done, half the wedding party was covered. Just hilarious.

So as you can imagine, I get to see what so many brides are planning for their weddings. I do keep in touch with many wedding and event planners across the country so that I can keep current on what neat things are going on around the rest of the U.S. These are things you'll see in the late winter and spring weddings.


The 3-part wedding reception: 1.Cocktail Hour 2.Dinner & Dancing 3.The afterparty

Two wedding dresses: One for the ceremony & one for the reception

Coffee bars, complete with an array of flavored coffee syrups, chocolate dipped spoons, and flavored sugar cubes

Strapless dresses are still on top

A band and a DJ

Luxury or custom Linens

Big wedding cakes; The bigger, the better

Low long centerpieces on long tables

Candy buffets are still huge

The new drink- Kir Royal

Late evening ceremonies followed by cocktail and dessert receptions

Out of the ordinary rentals such as popcorn carts, photo booths, and cotton candy machines

Los Angeles, land of the cool.

Can't write much because I am so tired, but, Ellen was great. We got to see Matt Perry and Kenny Chesney. The show will air on Monday. I have a feeling all you brides may put a "no wedding planners on the dance floor" rule into effect after seeing the show. But no worries, I don't dance at weddings. Learned my lesson after I was forced into a chicken dance once...on video. I'll never live it down.
I also stopped by the Monique Lhuillier (sp?) off Rodeo today. Stunning dresses. I'll take 1 of each.