Jul 8, 2013 | vendors, wedding planning
Crown Restrooms, as borrowed from their website.
When you’re planning your wedding, the first thing that comes to mind is probably not, “We’ll need portable restrooms!” But if you do need them, don’t let it be the last thing you think about.
If you are planning a backyard wedding or reception, or if your venue is in a park or forest preserve, you might need to rent restroom facilities. And since you’re planning a special occasion, you probably don’t want to rent the kind of portapotties you’d find at a construction site. This is where upscale portable restrooms come in.
There is a surprisingly large number of companies providing this service, but I have only worked with a couple of them. Crown Restrooms provided a restroom trailer at a wedding I worked on a couple of years ago, and I was suitably impressed with them.
The wedding was in a private park, so it was absolutely necessary to have adequate facilities. These fit on the driveway of the lodge. They were clean, had running water, and were large enough for the purpose. The company was reliable in its delivery, and everything functioned correctly.
It’s not a glamorous part of party planning, but the importance of good restrooms to the success of the affair cannot be underestimated.
Jun 24, 2013 | Eco-Friendly Events, wedding planning
Mmm: An organic, local cheese tray. Photo by Magical Moments Photography.
Your food choices every day have an environmental impact, but they have an even larger one when you entertain guests. Here are a few ideas for how to green your special event’s food and beverages.
The most environmentally friendly choice is to serve food and drink from local sources. It is also important to serve organic food and drink, where it is available. Meat, dairy products, and eggs have more adverse environmental consequences than fruits and vegetables.
A truly sustainable meal is an organic, local, vegan meal, but that is not the only choice! Opting for organic, local food, including meat or fish, will provide your guests with a tasty meal that has a lesser environmental impact than a meal that is trucked in from distant conventional farms. Choosing either organic or local is also a way to make your celebration more sustainable.
Whatever you serve, arrange to have the leftovers picked up by the local food bank instead of going into the trash. Check your local ordinances first, though. Not every municipality permits re-serving of prepared food.
Greening your meal is easiest if you can choose a caterer who will make environmentally friendly choices. If the caterer composts food waste and recycles as much as possible, that will have a positive effect. Also, consider renting dishes instead of using disposables and finding a rental company close to your event location to minimize trucking time. If you must use disposables, use compostable disposables and be sure that they are composted afterwards. And you can reduce waste and save money at the same time by serving beer in returnable kegs instead of in bottles or cans.
Jun 17, 2013 | wedding planning
How many decisions were made to end up here? Photo by Magical Moments Photography.
Planning a wedding means making a lot of decisions. Where will the wedding be? When? Who will be invited? Who will officiate? Will it be a religious wedding? And on and on, down to the color of the dinner napkins.
Planning a wedding also means that a lot of people will be interested in the decisions that you make. Outside of the bride and groom, families–and sometimes friends–have an interest in what you decide. Some of them will encourage or pressure you to make the decision that they want, even if it is not what you want.
Weddings are also very emotional times and those same friends and family members who wish you well can sometimes let their feelings run away with them. What is the best way to handle this situation?
The question I like to ask is this: Is it more important to get what you want? Or is it more important to preserve relationships? Sometimes you have to choose. I think it is usually more important to preserve relationships. But in each situation, you will have to decide. Is this person more important than having things my way? Is there a compromise that can do both?
Planning a wedding can be full of emotional traps. It’s always good to be prepared.
Jun 10, 2013 | vendors, wedding planning
Here are some guests enjoying themselves in the Traveling Photo Booth. Photo by Light on Life Images.
Photo booths are all the rage at weddings these days. People seem to love them! At a recent wedding, I worked with the nice folks from Traveling Photo Booth.
The things I think are important in a vendor such as a photo booth are actually pretty simple: Is their equipment right for the job? Do they show up on time? Is their staff friendly, knowledgeable, and polite?
On all three counts, this company scored 100%. They arrived when they said they would and unloaded quickly. They got extra points for that, as there was very limited loading space. They set up and were ready to go when they were needed. The equipment was clean and high tech. They kept the crowd happy with their photos all evening. The staff was very accommodating. And they loaded out and left without a fuss. I would definitely recommend them again.
Jun 3, 2013 | Day-of Coordinating, wedding planning
I am asked sometimes why anyone should hire a wedding planner.
Beautiful wedding day. Photo by Magical Moments Photography.
After all, you can probably do all the planning yourself. With some time, a few organizational skills, and the ability to see the project through, you can plan your wedding by yourself. Of course, it is a large job that takes a lot of time and attention. Most people find the process momentarily frustrating. At the same time, it can be very rewarding. You might even find that it is a lot of fun.
On the other hand, when it comes to day-of wedding coordination, almost everyone needs someone to do the job. In the past when brides were typically younger, the mother of the bride often took care of the coordinating. Sometimes the Maid of Honor does all the work. These days, though, most couples want to allow their families and friends to enjoy the wedding day and not have to deal with the details.
Even if your wedding is simple and straightforward, if you hire a day-of coordinator, you are also hiring a professional consultant who can help you with the planning. When I am working with a couple, I tell them that once they hire me, they can call me or send me an e-mail any time if they need guidance or a vendor referral or just someone to bounce an idea off of. My function is to make sure that the wedding goes smoothly, and that means that I start working toward that goal as soon as I am hired. If I can prevent costly mistakes or solve a problem months in advance, then I am doing my job as day-of coordinator.
Also, I have resources that you might not have. Especially if your wedding is non-traditional or if you want to make sure it is environmentally friendly, I have access to vendors and other resources that you might not know about.
Maybe you have been to a wedding and thought it all went so smoothly that there was no need for a coordinator. That is actually the highest compliment you can pay to a day-of wedding coordinator. From the point of view of the guests, it should all look effortless, and that means that someone has put all the details together into a beautiful wedding day.
May 20, 2013 | wedding planning
It looks as if they enjoyed their first dance. Photo by hannahelaine photography (hannahelaine.com).
I have noticed two distinct schools of thought among brides and grooms on the subject of the first dance at the wedding reception. There are those who say, “Hooray, we get to dance together on our wedding day!” And then there are those (probably in the majority) who say, “I just don’t want to embarrass myself.” If you are in the first camp, you probably don’t need to know the rest of what I am going to say. This is for the non-dancers.
First, let me remind you that the traditional first dance is completely optional. If you don’t dance in the rest of your life, there is no requirement that you dance at your wedding. It is the traditional way to let the guests know that the dance floor is open, but if you have a good DJ or dance band, they will find a way to get your guests onto the dance floor.
If you do opt to dance, there are ways you can manage to enjoy it. Dance lessons are a good start. At the very least, they will give you some confidence. A good instructor can also help you with various dance moves and with feeling comfortable on the dance floor. If you like, you can choreograph the steps to your dance (with the help of a professional, if needed) so you can practice it and feel sure you know what you are doing.
Another thing you can do is make sure that the song you choose for the dance is reasonably short. Two or three minutes is plenty of first dance. Actually, this is good advice for almost everyone. Unless your dance skills are at a professional caliber, the point of the first dance is not to entertain your guests but as a moment for the two of you. But since all your guests will be watching, keep it short and sweet. Everyone will enjoy it more that way.
Also, be sure to pick a song that you like and that has a good dancing beat. Not every song is meant for dancing, so choose carefully. Your DJ or band leader can help you, as can a dance instructor.
You should be able to enjoy all the elements of your wedding and reception, so if you’re nervous about dancing, find a way to make it fun.
Recent Comments