10 Things to Consider When Setting Your Wedding Date

This article from Lover.ly highlights 10 important things to consider when setting your wedding date.  Did you take any into consideration when choosing your date?  For us, the date and therefore, season, was important to us -- we choose July 21, as it was the date after my parents (in 1952) and my maternal grandparents (in 1916) were married.  While we could have waited another year until their July 20 anniversary date would have been a Saturday, we weren't sure we could wait that long to get married!  Summertime was important to us, too, as we wanted friends and family who were traveling a distance to be able to make it a mini-vacation for themselves!  My husband and I were married in Northern Virginia, just outside of Washington DC, so some of our guests were able to do some sight-seeing before and after our wedding day!  

Keep reading for other important elements to consider!

The moment you announce your engagement, your friends and family are sure to ask, "So when's the wedding?!" Before you get overwhelmed by the deluge of questions about your wedding date, here are a few key things to consider:

1. Season. Do you want to marry indoors or out? On the beach, at a hotel or in a cozy mountain lodge? Consider the style of wedding you'd like to have and the right season for it as you begin to think about your wedding date.

2. Budget. Believe it or not, it's more expensive to marry in June than it is in November. If you're on a tight budget, consider marrying in the off-season. Alternatively, venues are often cheaper to rent on non-Saturdays -- meaning any other day of the week. Marrying on a Friday, Sunday, or during the workweek can be a tough thing to ask of your guests, but if you're having a relatively small wedding and give people plenty of notice, we're certain your friends and family will understand.

3. Destination. Dreaming of a destination wedding? You'll want to investigate the weather patterns in your desired wedding locale before making any commitments. Keep in mind hurricane season afflicts the Caribbean and many of our eastern states, so do some thorough research before you book a venue. Also, keep in mind the flexibility of your wedding guests: Destination weddings are often smaller than at-home affairs, but if there are VIPs you want to have at your wedding (think elderly grandparents) you might want to consider tying the knot closer to home.

4. Your schedule. Many couples want to take a honeymoon immediately after the big day, so be sure you can get enough time off of work or school to accommodate your busy pre-wedding schedule and your post-wedding vacation. Also consider the busy times of year in your profession: accountants, for instance, will probably want to avoid marrying between January and April.

5. Significant dates. Thousands of couples rushed to marry on Nov. 12, 2013 -- 11/12/13 -- as often happens on numerically-significant dates. Consider tying the knot on a similar day if you want an anniversary date that's easy to remember (your next opportunity is Dec. 13, 2014 -- 12/13/14). You could also choose to marry on a day that's significant for you -- perhaps the anniversary of the first time you met, or your first date -- or on a date that's special to your family, like your grandparents' wedding anniversary, for example. You can explain the significance of your chosen date in your program, on you wedding website, or somewhere else at your wedding.

6. Venue availability. If you have your heart set on marrying at a particular venue, you'll need to check their availability early on. Many traditional wedding venues book weddings 12 to 18 months in advance, though non-traditional venues may be more flexible.

7. Guests' schedules. While the most important people at your wedding are you and your spouse-to-be, you'll want to ensure you pick a date on which all or most of your VIPs are available. Is one of your cousins getting married on the other side of the country? Don't pick a date too close to that event or you'll be competing for guests who have to take time off work to travel.

8. Photographer availability. If you want to work with a popular wedding photographer, you'll need to get in touch with them soon after you begin your wedding planning to check their availability. Be flexible, though, and know that there are plenty of great photographers out there if you just can't nail down Elizabeth Messina!

9. Health of the marrying couple and family members. If there are ongoing health issues affecting you, your spouse-to-be or members of your family, you'll want to take that into consideration when setting your wedding date. Do you need to marry sooner rather than later on account of an ailing grandparent? If so, be flexible with your date and accommodate those who matter most to you.

10. Holidays. There are pros and cons to marrying on or near a holiday. On the one hand, if you marry around a holiday like Christmas, your friends and family may have traveled back home already and no extra travel costs are required. On the other hand, families are often very busy around Christmas and food and venues prices shoot sky high. Some venues also book up quickly around the holidays for family gatherings. But tying the knot around a holiday like Labor Day, however, can be a boon for marrying couples: You can often get a better price on a venue on a Sunday, and your guests won't have to take extra time off work over the long weekend. Plus, attending a wedding on a long weekend is a nice excuse for a little getaway.

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If you are getting married, share which of these items you considered when choosing your wedding date!!

If you are already married, do the same -- what did you take into consideration when you chose when your wedding would be?

Love-Filled Rainy Day Wedding

Last fall, I had the honor of coordinating the wedding of Emily Cartlidge and Alex Champagne at her family's farm in Middletown, Maryland.

Though the day started off as partly cloudy and the haybales were set for seating for the outside wedding, it started to rain just minutes before the wedding was to start! Luckily, we were able to move the wedding and ceremony musicians into the barn and it turned out quite nice.  Emily & Alex are an easy-going couple and though they really wanted an outside wedding, by moving into the barn, the wedding took on a more personal flair as guests were surrounded by great decorations and personal details that really showed the couple's personalities!

Emily's dad had arranged to have this great covering added to the outside of the barn which is where the bar was located and it did a good job of protecting people from the elements.

A family friend, Laura Staruk performed the wedding ceremony for Emily & Alex.  It was heartfelt, sincere, and funny -- just like Emily & Alex!

Friends and family listening to the happy couple as they recite their vows and 

promise each other a "happily ever after" life together!

Emily came up with some great ideas for decorating the space!

Great guest book table idea!

Plenty of dancing!!!

Thank you, Emily & Alex, for asking all of us to be a part of your wedding day!  

We wish you many years of "happily ever after"!!

Other wedding professionals:

Ceremony Musicians:  Kiss Kiss Players, fultonruby@gmail.com

Photographer:  Piper Watson Photography

Catering:  Beef-a-Lo Bob's

Homemade Pies:  Shamrock Restaurant

Rentals:  grandrentalevents.com

Restrooms: Blue Ribbon Trailer

Reception Band:  Manley Deeds, dan.cohan@gmail.com

Lodging: TownePlace Suites in Frederick, MD

10 Way to Include Your Mother-in-Law in Your Wedding Plans!

This blog was posted by a well-known wedding planner I follow, so I wanted to share it with you all! 

When my husband and I got married, my now mother-in-law and I went on a dress-shopping day and had a great time.  We also asked her join us as we interviewed a possible photographer.  My husband is the oldest of 3 boys, so she didn't have a daughter to do all of this with -- and I was the first one to marry into the family!  

I love some of the ideas suggested below and would encourage you to try one or two of them!

10 Ways to Include Your Mother-in-Law in Your Wedding Plans

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Mothers-in-law unfortunately get a bad rap (for the most part) in terms of wedding planning. I think that a lot of time the mother-in-law-to-be is just misunderstood. She often wants to help you, but may not know how or what to help you with. Here are ten suggestions on how to better that relationship from the beginning by getting her involved in your wedding day plans!

1.      Many brides do not communicate well with their mothers-in-law because they don’t want to step on toes or are simply worried about creating a dreaded confrontation that they’ve heard friends complain about. An easy way to go ahead and side-step this potential problem is to open that door of communication from the very beginning. Ask your mother-in-law about her thoughts on the engagement parties, rehearsal dinners and other wedding-related gatherings. You can let her know that you are interested in her thoughts and what she would love to see. Tell her that you may not be able to incorporate all of her wishes and ideas, but that you would love some input so that you can start planning with everyone in mind. This will automatically make her feel like she has some ownership and an important role in the overall wedding! (You are marrying her son after all!) Also, consider that she may never get to really plan a wedding if she only has one or more sons–how awesome will you make her feel including her? (Gold stars for you, right?!)

2.      Rehearsal Dinner Planning – Traditionally, this evening is planned by the groom’s family, of course, but you can make this easier on your mother-in-law by letting her know the food plans for the wedding reception so that she does not accidentally plan any embarrassing faux pas like duplicating the menu for the wedding day.You can also suggest items that your fiancé has mentioned to you while planning that she may not know about, like certain foods, layouts, or even fun touches, like a video, photo booth or other unexpected elements. We’ve had several mothers-in-law who we helped plan and design the welcome dinners and they were so open and asking what the bride wanted–and what would make her happy and delighted in the fabulous elements of the evening.

3.      Dress Shopping – If you are not worried about your mother-in-law seeing you in your dress before the big day, why not invite her to a dress fitting or even take her shopping for her own fabulous wedding day dress? You can also let her know what your mother is wearing and the formality of your wedding so that she is prepared in her own dress shopping. She will most likely appreciate your input and it can provide an awesome bonding experience for you both…and your mother, too, if you want to make it a threesome outing.

4.      Planning Wedding-Related Parties – Allow your mother-in-law to throw you an engagement party, shower or luncheon. She may want to reach out and show you how much you mean to her. I wouldn’t suggest asking her if she wants to give you a shower, but you can ask if there are any important events she had in mind to host and that you wanted to make sure that she is included if she wants to be. Let her tell you what she’d love to do and how she wants to help you!

5.      Putting together Favors & Welcome Bags – Many brides have assembly ‘parties’ to put together favors, welcome bags and more. Why not invite your mother-in-law to be part of the festivities? It’s another opportunity for you to bond with her, and have fun in the process!

6.      Invite her to Some Appointments – Invite your mother-in-law to some of your planning appointments (within reason). You may not want to relinquish control in certain areas, so choose carefully. Once you open a door, it’s very hard to close it. So I would suggest inviting her to appointments like the food or cake tastings to sample items that you’ve already selected and you are just narrowing down. Several of our clients have taken us up on the idea of inviting the in-laws to these tastings and their parents just went wild, and they were so appreciative that they were even considered!

7.      Something Old – If you don’t have a sentimental something from your side of the family to wear on your wedding day, why not ask your mother-in-law-to-be if she has something sentimental that she would like you to wear during the wedding to incorporate and honor her family into the festivities? We had one beautiful bride who wore her fiance’s grandmother’s wedding ring. She had just passed away a year earlier, and the mother-in-law was so touched that the bride wore the beautiful family heirloom. Thoughtfulness really does go a long way.

8.      Groom’s Family Culture & Tradition – Ask your mother-in-law if there are any elements in her family’s culture that are important, or if there are any traditional aspects that their family has that you may be able to incorporate into your wedding. You never know what kind of awesome ideas she may give you! We had a wedding a few years ago with an Italian family on the groom’s side. Their family tradition was for the matriarchs in the family to bake dozens & dozens of cookies for the guests, so the bride asked her mother-in-law if they would like to do just that. The cookies were served in lieu of a groom’s cake and served as the guest favors. There were hundreds of cookies represented baked with love and joy for the couple and their guests. We also included a framed sign so that all the guests understood the importance of these fabulous cookies!

9.      Important Flowers – Ask your mother-in-law if she has a favorite flower that she would like to wear at the wedding. What if her favorite flower is a gardenia, for instance, but her own mother wouldn’t let her have them in her wedding or they were too expensive. We had a wedding wear this was the exact situation and the mother’s eyes welled up with tears at this very thoughtful and intimate gesture. Trust me, she will feel so touched and amazed that you thought so much about her to even ask what’s important to her on your day.

10.  At the Rehearsal Dinner or Wedding – If your mother-in-law loves to talk, or is outgoing, consider asking her to give a toast at the rehearsal dinner or wedding reception, or even better…add a part to the wedding ceremony where your finacé’s parents have a spoken response. Of, if she has a favorite scripture or poem (that is appropriate), consider including it in the wedding ceremony- and let her know that you’re doing this, or…surprise her on the wedding day! She will feel so moved!

Above all else, remember that a wedding is also a joining of two families, so why not start off your new family on the right foot?! You’ll be so surprised at how very little effort is needed to make your mother-in-law feel important, loved and considered in your wedding day plans. Have fun and best wishes!

© 2003-2014 Soirée! Ltd./Natalie Bradley Events

Southern Event Planner & Designer Natalie Bradley publishes the “Soirée Secrets” blog filled with secrets, tips and how-tos for planning your fabulous event. Get your exclusive inspiration, tips and tricks at http://NatalieBradley.com. Soirée by Natalie Bradley Events is an event planning and design company based in Athens, serving Northeast Georgia, the Carolinas and select destination locations.

Cowboy Boots & Camo Wedding

Last spring on a cloudy, but lovely day, Crystal & Dave tied the knot incorporating elements that were so important to and perfect for them!

Ostertag Vistas in Myersville, MD, was the venue for the wedding with the ceremony itself taking place beneath a big tree on the property.  Guests then enjoyed a short walk to the barn, for the dinner reception and dancing -- it was nice to be inside as the evening got a bit chilly outside!

Bride Crystal and her father arrived in style, via a horse drawn carriage!

Bridesmaids wore these beautiful turquoise dresses (a great pop of color) and they could each choose how to wear the top of it -- and added COWBOY BOOTS!

Here are the groom and his groomsmen getting their boutonnieres.  Notice that the vests are camouflage -- just what the groom wanted to show off his hunter side!!

As a focal point to the front of the ceremony site, the bride and groom each decorated with items that shared  who they are as individuals!

Beautiful ceremony site!!

Crystal & Dave incorporated the sand ceremony into their wedding ceremony, using their colors of turquoise and hunter green.

A very happy couple!

The new Mr. & Mrs. took a ride in the horse-drawn carriage as their guests made their way back to the barn for dinner and dancing!

And, yes, Crystal worn her own cowboy boots for her wedding day!

A fun time was had by all, thanks to great music by Matt Shew from Shew-sical Entertainment.

A big thank you to all the wedding professionals who helped make Crystal and Dave's 

wedding a wonderful day for all!

Venue -- Ostertag Vistas

Ceremony & Reception Music -- Shew-sical Entertainment

Photographer -- Frozen in Time

Florist -- The Flower Box II

Caterer -- Smokers Catering

Alcohol/Bartender Service -- Good Times Bartending

Gown & Tuxedo -- Amanda Richey Bridal & Country View Tuxedo

Lodging for Guests -- Best Western in Hagerstown, MD

Rehearsal Dinner location -- Mt. Airy Inn

Photobooth -- Fun Photo Booth

Blackberry Shrub as a Cocktail?!

In a recent issue of Special Events magazine, one of the articles highlighted very different types of cocktails. Click here to read the entire article and find out what a "Blackberry Shrub" cocktail is!

Have you tried a "Bacon Bloody Mary" or a "Pig Apple"?

Like the farm-to-table menu for meals, there is now a "garden to glass" focus which features such fresh items as herbs and produce straight from the garden! Today's event guests are focused more on natural ingredients, rather an artificial elements.  "The appreciation for simplicity is growing." event planner Hanna Meyer states.

Another trend highlighted in the article is that much like the idea of pairing wine with the courses of your meal, "beer pairings" are becoming quite popular -- especially with the groom and his groomsmen!

Last, but not least, are dessert creations!!  In these cold winter days -- how about serving a "Winter Wonderland" dessert? Made from a blend of apple pie vodka, vanilla ice cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon, and served with a mini gingersnap on the rim of the glass -- this sounds delightful!!!

What fun ingredients would you put together as a signature drink to serve at your next event?!  Share in the comments section!

Grown Sexy Wedding

How many of you watched the live wedding of Catherine & Sean Lowe last Sunday night?  I wasn't able to watch it live, so we recorded it so I could watch it one night  during the week.  What a beautiful wedding it was! 

Catherine was glowing and Sean looked so lovingly at her as she walked down the aisle to meet him. The joy shown on their faces as they walked back up the aisle after the ceremony as Mr. & Mrs. was so obvious to those of us watching it!  They make a great-looking pair!

I love pink so I thought the soft pink dresses the bridesmaids wore were beautiful and looked great on everyone!

Catherine seemed a bit nervous (as we all would!), so I would have encouraged her to keep her flowers with her until the vows and/or exchange of the rings.  She didn't seem to know quite what to do with her hands as Sean's father welcomed all and gave his heartfelt remarks.  Of course, Catherine and Sean could have held hands that entire time, too, which would have been very sweet and may have helped Catherine feel more at ease!

Do you think the wedding was "grown sexy"?  I had not heard that phrase before, so wasn't sure what to expect. Catherine looked pleased with how it all turned out, which is the main thing!  The designer and wedding planner did a fabulous job with the space for the ceremony.

Share your thoughts of what you think is "grown sexy"!! 

Have a great day!

Lexi

PS:  With our daughters the ages they are (12 and 16), I was also looking at the mothers' dresses and thought both moms chose beautiful dresses!  They looked lovely!

A Rainy Day Wedding . . . . Beautiful!

Looking out at the snow today -- it's so pretty and makes everything look so peaceful.   I do love snow this time of year!!  Before we know it, we will be heading into spring (I'm sure some of you are hoping for sooner than later!) which makes me think of spring showers and a wedding I had last May during which a dandy storm came through!

While bride Kelcie had her heart set on an outside wedding under a big tree in the yard of her parent's house, rain soaked the ground not too long before the ceremony, so we moved the wedding to the huge tent they had rented for the reception.

Despite the rainy weather, Kelice married her groom, Rob, in a lovely ceremony and fun reception with about 130 friends and family in attendance!  Kelcie and Rob's love for each other glowed and they are such a delightful couple!

Huge tent with clear panels to see the elements!

Beautiful bride Kelcie getting ready surrounded by her lovely bridesmaids!

Handsome groom Rob with a pop of color through the Gerbera Daisy!

        

Dodging the rain drops after a few pre-ceremony shots of the girls and of the guys!

Groom's family getting ready for the ceremony!

Bride Kelcie entering the ceremony site, escorted by her father.

The groomsmen were so sweet to carry the train of her dress so it wouldn't go through the very wet grass!

A Hawk swooped into the tent to deliver the rings for the bride and groom!

Blessing of the wedding rings.

The rain stopped during the ceremony and allowed for gorgeous outside photos of Kelcie & Rob!

 

Amazing picture of the night sky, after the rain storm!

(I think this picture is my favorite!)

Placecards and table decor!

A Wishing Tree for guests to leave their best wishes to and for the happy couple!

Events by Lexi had the pleasure of working with the following wedding professionals who, all together, made Kelcie & Rob's wedding day just what they wanted:

Location ~ Family home in Monkton, MD
Ceremony Music & Reception DJ ~ Steve Wolfe of Digital Sounds
Photographer ~ Molly Humphrey of Artistic Imagez
Florist ~ Radebaugh's www.radebaugh.com
Cake ~ Family Friend
Caterer ~ Jodi & Staff from Santoni's
Rentals ~ Kevin at Dreamers Event Rentals
Hawk ~ Dan at Wedding Doves for Love
PhotoBooth (not pictured) ~ William at Lovely Day Photoworks
Officiant ~ The Rev Mary T. Maurey

Best Wishes to Kelcie & Rob!!!