Still Waiting on Those RSVP's?

I saw this today on Off Beat Bride and thought it was absolutely adorable.  They suggested if you are having trouble getting your RSVP's back, email this to those late responders with a link back to you so they can easily give you an answer.  Great idea and way too cute!

Will Your Wedding Guests be "Watch Checkers"?

We have talked a lot on The Willrich Wedding Planner’s Blog about what makes wedding guests happy.  Again and again I have preached timing and flow, the two most important concepts of your event.  Timing refers to your timeline, when are events to happen, how long is each event.  Flow is how you move from one event to the next.  Each event (such as the grand entrance, the first dance, welcomes) should flow seamlessly into the next without any “watch checking”.

I was reading an article about Colin Cowie and he talks about he like to makes sure a new event, or interesting moment happens before the guests have time to look at their watch.  What a great statement. By the time a guest is looking at his watch he has gone from “wow this is cool” to “when is this going to end”.

The biggest complaints by guests are that things just drag on.  If you ever watch the show Four Weddings you know that once those brides start checking their watches, they are going to start finding fault.  “Watch checking” starts when the ceremony does not start on time,  when cocktail hour runs to long (45 minutes at the most, with 15 minutes to get guests inside and seated) when dinner takes too long to start or too long to finish up.  There are always the dreaded toasts that run on and on.  You may think it is sweet but after the second one your guests are bored and watch checking begins.

When setting up your timeline be aware of these things and make sure you have professionals in place to assure an excellent timeline and an enjoyable flow to your event.

A New Choice For The Unity Ceremony - The Unity Cross

The Unity Cross is a fairly new idea that is gaining popularity.  I haven’t had a wedding use one yet, but I think it is a pretty cool idea.  The cross is made up of a stand and two pieces, a solid cross representing the groom and a swirly feminine cross representing the bride.  The groom places the outer cross in the beautiful wood base as the Pastor explains how God created man- bold, strong, the defender of the family yet how he is empty and incomplete without the woman. The bride then places the more delicate cross inside of the groom’s cross as the Pastor explains how God created woman- delicate, multi-faceted, taking care of all of the little things that completes the man, and the two become One. The bride and groom then use the 3 golden pegs to lock the union(cross) together in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit as the pastor exclaims that: What God has brought together let no man take apart.  You then have the cross to take home and enjoy. 

This is the perfect idea for outdoor weddings, no more worrying about candles blowing out in the wind or damp weather causing sand to clump up.  Find out more information here.

TV Ad Leads to Happily Ever After

The Happy Couple in the TV Ad.

One of the first things I ask when meeting with a new couple is how they met.  I have heard a lot of interesting answers.  (You wouldn’t believe how many met on the internet).  But Tiffany and Matt, by far, have the best story.  In fact, it is so good that it is in this month’s Charleston Weddings Magazine.  You see, the first time they met they were dressed in a wedding gown and tux.  Tiffany was playing a bride for a television commercial and Matt had been hired to play her groom.  After the shoot he asked her out and the rest is history.  Now, in January, television will become real life.  Wonder if we should play the commercial at the reception?

Want to know more of the story, just pick up CharlestonWeddings Winter 2011 magazine. It’s on page 41.

Your First Dance

The first dance is the most looked forward to and the most feared event at a wedding.  Nearly every bride can’t wait and nearly every groom dreads it, the wedding guests adore it.  Ever since first dances started showing up on YouTube wedding guests expectations have been raised. The pressure is on now for young couples everywhere.  The high school shuffle no longer covers it.  So what’s a couple to do?

Dance lessons, even if it is just a few to make you and your partner comfortable in front of your guests is your best plan.  Earlier this week, I saw the offer below and I think it is a wonderful idea.  You just might want to check it out and thrill your guests with an exciting first dance

“Unique, customized, special, fun, and memorable” if you use these words to describe your wedding day, why not also use them to describe your First Dance?? Join us on Tuesdays at 8:10pm for our creatively designed Wedding Dance Prep group class that was made with the future Mr. and Mrs. in mind! We'll take some of the most popular First Dance weddings songs and teach you the style of dance that fits them. This class is special, memorable, long-lasting, and fun! And, at only $20 per person for the whole month, it's super affordable, too!

Please contact Elegant Dance Company to register for your spot, because space is limited.

Elegant Dance Company
109 E. Curtis St.
Simpsonville, SC 29681
864.787.6006
www.ElegantDanceCompany.com"

Thank you so much!

The Perfect Ceremony Layout

I adore this ceremony layout I found in the newest issue of Brides.  What an absolutely perfect way to set up your ceremony.  This way your family and friends actually see your face during the service.  Not only that, but the guests get to watch you and your wedding party's entrance without breaking their necks.  There is not a bad seat in the house.  I wish more ministers would allow this setup.

What Role Can my Nieces and Nephews Play in the Wedding?



Source: Style Me Pretty

So you have a bunch of adorable little nieces and nephews and you want them to have a role in the wedding.  But just what do you do with them?  There is always position of the flower girl and ring bearer.  But if you have more than two, how about letting some of them carry a sign announcing “Here Comes the Bride”.   What makes it even cuter is the backside of the banner reads “Just Married”.   The little cuties just flip the sign around and lead the processional out after the wedding.

Vera Wang Re-Creates Kim's Dress for David's Bridal

Did you just love Kim Kardashian’s wedding dress?   Soon even if you don’t have the Kardashian budget, you can own this dress.  Well a close copy of the dress anyway.  The dress will be re-created by Vera Wang for her lower-priced David’s Bridal line.  Both her ceremony gown and her first dance mermaid gown will be available for less than $1600.  The dresses will be available after February 2012.

Wedding Dress Company Priscilla of Boston is Closing

Did you know that Priscilla of Boston is closing?  Its parent company, David’s Bridal announced recently that it will be closed on Dec. 31.  Priscilla, a higher end bridal company has been around for nearly 65 years. They also sold dresses under the labels, Platinum by Priscilla of Boston, Melissa Sweet, Reverie by Melissa Sweet and the Vineyard collection.  All of these will be discontinued.

If you have ordered a Priscilla dress, don’t worry the company assures brides that all orders will be filled.  Go here to learn more