Music
Q:
What kind of church music is popular and doesn't cost a lot of money?
A:
Most people play Here comes the bride or Cannon in D. I have seen wedding where everyone just hummed Here comes the bride. You could have a friend sing or play an instrument. Some people record favorite or meaningful love songs and play those during the wedding. If you have the money to spend you can get and organist ($50 to $150 and hour) or a string quartet ($250 to $500 and hour). What ever you chose is entirely up to your, your taste and your budget.
HEAD TABLE and Kid’s table
Q:
We are planning a reception for about 100-150 people. We will be having a cocktail reception buffet at a Holiday Inn banquet room. I am uncomfortable being STARED at- do we REALLY have to have a HEAD TABLE, or can we just mingle?
Also- 5 special children (not members of the bridal party) will be attending- and I am planning to have a special "kid’s table" just for them (any ideas) I've never actually seen/heard of it before.?????
PLEASE help!
A:
Yes I can help. First of all you’re the Bride, you’re going to get stared at. And believe me you will be too drunk with happiness to care. *G*
No you don’t have to have a head table, some options are:
A table for two (bride and groom) in the center of the other tables. (That is what we did) You won’t feel so out of touch with your guests.
Have a head table for the wedding party, but still mingle. (I’m sure there will be people you have not seen in years)
Have a bride and groom only head table.
Have a wedding party center table.
I hope one of those sounds good.
As for the kids…
Yes a special table for them is a great idea! Make sure you have something to keep them busy. Washable crayons and coloring books, TV and video (if one is available) bubbles (always a hit). If you have real little kids coming you might want a quiet out of the way place for a nap area. You might even want to have an entertainer for the children. Sence the kids can't drink, how about Shirley Temples for them or some other fun drink served in plastic wineglasses.
Rehearsal Dinner
Q:
HELP!! I need rehearsal dinner advice. Any Ideas?
A:
Your wedding will be one of the greatest roles you'll ever play,
so a rehearsal is always in order. Your clergy will be very helpful in setting up the rehearsal time and answering questions, but here is some information you may need to know.
. Whom to invite?
. Who hosts?
. What happens?
Here's a guideline to help you plan and execute a most memorable rehearsal dinner.
WHO HOSTS: Traditionally, the groom's parents host the affair. It's perfectly correct, however, for the bride's family to do so or another family member on the groom's side.
WHEN IS IT HELD: The rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner are usually held the night before the wedding. Everyone travels directly from the ceremony rehearsal to the dinner site. Of course, you can have the rehearsal and dinner several days before the wedding if you prefer, especially if it's to be a morning wedding. You want to be sure everyone is up on time and well rested for the Big Day!
WHO'S INVITED: Send rehearsal dinner invitations after you receive your RSVP's from your guests. The rehearsal dinner guest list usually includes attendants, immediate family members, spouses/significant others of married attendants, children in the wedding and the parents of child, and the officiate performing the ceremony and his/her spouse. You may also wish to invite any special attendants (musicians, vocalists, readers, guest book, etc.) and also consider inviting out-of-town guests, family relatives, and special friends not involved in the wedding, but that may have traveled long distances for the wedding.
THE CELEBRATION ITSELF: Your rehearsal dinner doses not have to be a dinner at all! It can be a cocktail party, a pool party, a barbecue, or luncheon. It can be formal or informal. The idea is to relax, enjoy and have fun with family and friends.
WHAT GOES ON: Toasts, of course! In fact, they can be longer than at the wedding itself, with more of a "story-telling" touch. You can even perform skits, show videos, movies, or slides. After the host says a few words, the best man offers a toast to the couple. Then, the groom toasts the bride and her parents, the bride toasts the groom and his parents, and so on. The best man acts as master of ceremonies (MC). He should have an organized list for the toasts, etc. and introduce each one, like this: "And now (groom's name) would like to say a few words." The MC can also ask the guests if anyone would like to propose a toast. At this time, any other guest or relative can toast the couple.
The rehearsal dinner is also a great time for the bride and groom to give attendants their gifts. This is also a good time for everyone to go over any last-minute details, transportation arrangements, seating and receiving line procedures.
Now that you're all "rehearsed" and confident, make sure to have a good time with your friends. Remember not to overindulge yourself, you have a big day coming and need to be your best. On this night make sure you get to bed early and get plenty of sleep.
As much as your friends would like to "Party", wait until your reception.
Brides maids colors
Q:
I have always wanted a black and white wedding (bridesmaids in black or silver). Are these appropriate color choices? The wedding will be in the evening and will be quite formal (close family as well as the attendants in tuxes, black tie optional). Will black be okay for my bridesmaids? Would silver blend too much with my dress? Also, if I did choose black, would lavender be okay for the groomsmen’s vests in November (it is in Florida so it won’t be very "wintery")
Thank you, Erica
A:
I love Black and White weddings they are so elegant. You could see if you could find bride's maids dresses in black with silver trim or accents if you don't want to go completely black. Lavender accents would be nice too, to go with the men's vests. Remember it's your day dear, you can do what ever you want. *G* But I think you have excellent taste so I'm sure what ever you chose will be lovely.
Good luck and have fun
Amiera
Getting a engagement/wedding ring
Q:
Hello, I am in a long distance relationship and so have held off getting a ring because I wanted us to be able to choose it together. She is from HK and so the tradition of rings is not so strong but she does want one. We don’t have much money, as I will be just graduating. So I am thinking of finding a fake diamond or trying to bid for one on ebay. Is there a place I can read up more on diamonds on the net? That is not biased to buying the biggest diamond possible? Also what do you think of buying a ring through ebay, or the classifieds? We may get a nicer ring later in life when we have more money. Thanks for the guidance, I havent a clue about rings. Jeff
A:
Hi Jeff,
Guess what I used to sell jewelry too. *G*
Sure you can try E-bay but you will need a credit card, also I am always leery about buying items sight unseen.
Now quick diamond lesson.
You may have heard of the 4 C's Cost, Cut, Clarity, and Color. The last 3 determine the first.
Color: Diamonds are rated from D (whitest) to Z (Brown). The closer you are to D the higher the cost. Except for Yellow Diamonds, which are even more. As a general rule you want to buy a Diamond between D and G in Color.
Clarity: Diamonds are rated as to how pure they are and how many inclusions (flaws) they have.
F= Flawless or IF= Internally Flawless
VVS= Very Very Slightly Included
VS = Very Slightly Included
SI = Slightly Included
I
You will also see VS1 or VS2 ect this means not as good as VS but not to the level of an SI. As a general rule (unless you can afford it) stick to SI or VS2.
These are the 2 things you really need to know when looking for Diamonds.
Some places to look:
It's perfectly ok to get a ring from a pawnshop. But they might not have good information on Color and Clarity.
We bought my Ring at a jewelry outlet store. I have 21 diamonds in my ring (It's beautiful even if I do say so my self) and it only cost $241.96, but it looks like we spent a lot more.
I would not recommend K-mart or Wal-mart or any other low-end department store they just sell junk at a high price most of the time.
I would not recommend getting a CZ or other fake diamond. You should be able to get a nice REAL diamond at a good price IF you look in the right place.
Good Luck and Have Fun
Amiera
Opening Gifts
Q:
The running joke around my house is that I should become a wedding consultant! I’ve done several, mine, my oldest daughter, a friend, and helped several friends with their daughter’s weddings.
While I don’t plan to do it for a living, I have learned some tricks of the trade, and noticed that many times the same headaches appear. ;-)
One thing I haven’t found in any of the books, is when are the bride and groom to open the gifts? Each of these weddings have been medium size (100 to 200 guests), each time the bride and groom appear to have the urge to open the gifts after the cake is served. However this seems "off" to me.
One it makes the reception too long and also can open the door for embarrassing situations.
Would love to hear what you think. While I have none in the works, I have a funny feeling the rest won’t last long.
A:
Hi Robin,
I agree 100%! Gifts should be opened later in private. It can be very embarrassing if someone didn't give as much or as nice a gift as everyone else. It can make some people uncomfortable and it slows down the reception too much. Even when a bride registers for gifts, she often times will receive duplicate gifts. I myself received 3 Deluxe Sunbeam Mixers, I returned 2, but whenever I have one of those people over for dinner it is "their" mixer I use to make desert. *G*
If a couple must open gifts during the reception, if they receive cash, checks, or gift certificates no mention of the amount should be made.
I hope this helps
Good luck and have Fun Amiera
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