A Wilmington Wedding

Jennifer & Michael
April 27, 2007
Hotel du Pont
Wilmington, DE
Web Site

For almost a year now, Hotel du Pont has opened their luxurious Green Room to the public for the hosting of private events, giving guests an option to weigh against the lavish Gold Ballroom.

When guests began to arrive, they were first treated to a cocktail hour in the lounge with a pianist providing the music.

Jennifer and Michael's gourmet dinner was not only prepared by the widely-respected epicureans of the Hotel du Pont, but was also served on genuine Versace china.

The delivery of a Hotel du Pont dinner is radically distinctive and without equal. The chefs carry the main course out on silver platters and present them to the guests before bringing them to carving stations in the center of the room. Topped off with a flambéd dessert and complete demitasse table, the experience is not only delicious, but visually tantalizing as well.

As a favor, every guest was presented with light and dark chocolate covered langues de chat cookies, with the bride and groom names and wedding date engraved in the surface.

Click here to see some photos from the wedding!

Congratulations Jennifer and Michael!

Agenda

7:00-8:00 Cocktail Hour

8:15 Grand Introductions
"Battle Without Honor Or Humanity" by Tomoyasu Hotei

8:20 First Dance
"More Than Love" by Los Lonely Boys

8:25 Blessing & Toasts

8:30-10:00 Dinner

9:15 Bride & Father Dance
"There You'll Be" by Faith Hill

9:20 Groom & Mother Dance
"When You Come Back Down" by Nickel Creek

10:00-12:00 Open Dancing

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A Tribute to Main Line Elegance

Cheryl & Frank
April 21, 2007
Merion Tribute House
Merion Station, PA
Web Site

Cheryl & Frank hosted their event in the unique Merion Tribute House, an English Country Manor accented with wood-beamed ceilings, slate floors, and a magnificent walk-in fireplace.

What sets the Merion Tribute House apart from other estate-like properties is the layout. The floor plan really lends itself to a multi-room party, allowing some guests to get away from the dinner and dancing to enjoy a drink in the bar or a cigar on the terrace.

It was a very fun night of dancing to a nice mix of newer popular music and traditional favorites to accommodate a wide age range of guests.

Some high points of the evening included some memorable words from the father of the bride to his new son-in-law and a few vocal performances from the mother of the bride.

The picture at the left is of Cheryl and her mom singing "Buttons" by the Pussycat Dolls.

Congratulations Cheryl and Frank!

Agenda

6:30-7:30 Cocktail Hour

7:45 Grand Introductions
"Steppin' Out With My Baby" by Tony Bennett

7:50 First Dance
"I've Got A Crush On You" by Barbra Streisand & Frank Sinatra

7:55 Blessing & Toasts

8:00-9:30 Dinner

9:30-11:30 Open Dancing

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A Springtime Wedding in North Jersey

Melody & Jared
April 14, 2007
PNC Bank Arts Center - Holmdel, NJ

Because Melody and Jared had decided to host their ceremony in the Rotunda of the same facility as their reception, the events seemed to flow very naturally from room to room as the celebration progressed.

Special bottles of white zinfandel could be found at each setting, customized with the bride and groom's names and the date they were married.

Picking out a good favor for your wedding guests can be challenging and a little frustrating, at times. Try this site out for some great wedding favor ideas.

After dinner, a Viennese buffet was presented, complete with Bananas Foster flambéed for all the guests to see. Because one of the most important facets of a wedding reception is the food being served, an elegant upgrade to your friends and families memories can be in the presentation of the dessert.

Everyone seemed to agree that Melody and Jared's wedding reception was one of the best they'd ever attended. To me, the best storytellers always leave the crowd wanting more, and Melody and Jared did just that.

Congratulations Melody & Jared!

Agenda

6:30-7:00 Ceremony

7:00-8:00 Cocktail Hour

8:15 Grand Introductions
Bridal Party "Beautiful Day" by U2
Bride & Groom "In Da Club (Instrumental)" by 50 Cent

8:20 First Dance
"Let's Stay Togther" by The Reverend Al Green

8:25 Blessing & Toasts

8:30-10:00 Dinner

9:50 Bride & Father Dance
"Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac

9:55 Groom & Mother Dance
"Come To Me" by Celine Dion

10:00-10:30 Open Dancing

10:30-11:00 Cake Cutting and flambé presentation

10:45-12:00 Open Dancing

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Avoid The Bridezilla!

From Bridezillas
Every bride and groom looks back over the wedding day and can make a list of the things that should have been changed. So you do not have to look back on your wedding day, wishing you had done things another way, we have gathered the top mistakes that can be used when planning your special day.

1. Money Down the Drain
Sure, there are a lot of costs associated with a wedding, but overspending can be avoided if you have a budget and stick to it. Don't let people who are looking to make a profit off of you talk you into spending more than you're comfortable with. Do your research, know your budget, and stick to your guns.

2. Communication is Key
Clear and open communication with both sets of parents, your fiancé and anyone else kicking in to help with expenses is key. No one should be expected to pay for something they don't approve of, yet it's important that the wedding be yours. Keep disagreements from escalating by remaining calm, respectful and kind.

3. Exploding Guest Lists
Check the numbers and make sure that your guest list and your reception site match up. If the site capacity is 200 and you invite 300 people assuming only 200 will accept, you're headed for trouble. Take a long, hard look at your guest list, count on at least 80% responding "yes", and adjust the list or the site accordingly.

4. ONE is the Loneliest Number
Ok, we know you can do it all, but why would you? If friends and family offer you help - take it! Learn to delegate and use all the resources offered to you. Moms, sisters, best friends - can help research vendors, address invitations, help you shop for your gown. But remember, these are volunteers not hired help. keep the Bridezilla at bay and accept their contributions graciously!

5. Count on Professionals
While it makes perfect sense to have family and friends help with the planning, be sure it ends there. Unless your best friend is a talented florist, make sure that she researches florists, not pretends to be one. Many relationships have dissolved because a bride, trying to save a buck, accepted professional services from a loved one that wasn't up to the task.

6. Gown Shopping 101
DON'T shop on Saturday. You will get far better service if you shop during the week. DON'T shop with kids. Do everyone a favor and get a babysitter for your sister's twins before you hit the bridal salons. DON'T order a smaller size because you're planning on losing weight. It's much easier to take a gown in, than let it out in the event those ten pounds were more stubborn than you'd hoped.

7. Assume Makes an Ass Out of U and Me
Don't assume that your bridal party knows what's expected of them. Give careful consideration to choosing your wedding party, keeping in mind that while it's an honor, it also requires responsibility, financially and otherwise. Follow your heart, but also your head and remember to be considerate of your wedding party and mindful of your expectations of them.

8. Be Accommodating
If you'll have guests arriving from out of town, it's your responsibility to block out enough rooms to accommodate them. To assure enough space, do it early. This is especially important if you live in or near a tourist town or if you plan on getting married in prime wedding season. You don't want to learn that other weddings have taken up all the rooms you were counting on.

9. Tying One on the Night Before
There's nothing pretty about a queasy, puffy-faced, fuzzy headed bride OR groom. Whether your friends have planned the bachelor/bachelorette parties for the night before the wedding (BIG mistake!) or if you're having a rehearsal dinner that night, do yourself a favor and pass on the booze. You'll be thankful in the morning.

10. Losing Perspective
Don't get bogged down in so many small details that you don't spend enough time on what's truly important. Keep in mind that you are getting married and starting a life together, not just planning a wedding. Brides, be good to your grooms. And grooms, be good to your brides! Some tension between the two of you is inevitable, but don't ever let things get out of control. Remember why you decided to take this leap in the first place. Above all, keep your sense of humor!

Using the advice above, you can avoid going Bridezilla before your wedding and having this happen.

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Knot Shop Sale

Planning a wedding includes always looking for a good deal where you can find it, so I thought I would share this one with everyone.

On Monday, April 16 and Tuesday, April 17, The Knot Shop will be having a two day sale with some items up to 75% off!

Not enough? Try using the code SPRING85 at checkout... It will get you an additional 10% off.

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Wedding Graffiti

From White Lace Wedding

"Wedding Graffiti is a unique company that specializes in removable personalizations - for example, monograms for the church doors, quotes for the walls, etc. Their products give brides the chance to completely personalize their wedding space - and they are removable so they don't damage the location at all! They have been coming out with a lot of new ideas since the first time I visit their website - including Dance Floor Decor!

They offer 5 basic designs or you can have a custom design made just for your wedding! The design comes to you on one transfer sheet - simply lay over the area, burnish an peel away the contact paper! Viola! Afterwards, they can be peeled off easily without damaging the surface underneath. Definitely a very elegant way to dress up your reception area!"

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Write Your Own First Dance!

From TailoredMusic.com:

"TailoredMusic.com is a group of professional musicians dedicated to helping you to create the ultimate romantic gift: the gift of custom-tailored music.

Custom music is the perfect gift for special occasions -- birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, personal milestones, even marriage proposals!

When you order a song from Tailored Music, our network of professional musicians will create a custom recording just for you. Using the latest studio technologies, our singers, songwriters, producers, and audio engineers will create a gift so unique and memorable, that it will be cherished for a lifetime!"

How cool is that?!?

Imagine dancing to your first dance as husband and wife to a song that YOU WROTE! Wow!

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The Real Wedding Crashers

From The Real Wedding Crashers site:

NBC PREMIERES ULTIMATE HIDDEN CAMERA SHOW 'THE REAL WEDDING CRASHERS' FROM 'PUNK'D' PRODUCERS ASHTON KUTCHER AND JASON GOLDBERG AND NEW LINE CINEMA -- THE STUDIO BEHIND THE SMASH COMEDY 'WEDDING CRASHERS'

Every couple wants their wedding day to be perfect - the pristine dress, the flawless cake, the excited guests - a day they'll cherish and remember forever. But in this one-hour reality series, wedding couples team up with five crashers to create the most memorable wedding weekend their guests will never forget! The crash team consists of five quick-thinking, hilarious improvisational performers who've made it their mission to go undercover as wedding staff and guests to save weddings from run-of-the-mill boredom. The crashers will play various people in all the weddings including, the pastor, the wedding planner, a waiter, a long lost friend, a tailor, and even an exterminator. The bride and groom are in on the fun as they assist the crashers in pulling pranks on their guests.

Like any engaged couple, they spend tens of thousands of dollars to bring together the most important people in their lives, and naturally they have worries. The crashers will make it their mission to ease the bride and groom's concerns and guarantee that it will be the happiest night of their lives. There is a deeper mission under the layer of fun. The crashers will do more than just liven up the party, some pranks will be light-hearted and funny, while others will be emotional and bring the family together. At the end of each show, viewers will be treated to a huge reveal when the crashers admit to their pranks.

This looks like a pretty cool show. I'll be watching...

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A Virtual Proposal and Invitation

Check these out!

Love Letters - From the creator: I produced this animation as a way of proposing to my girlfriend (now wife) Natasha. I assembled a team of 20 animators to assist me, including co-workers, as well as students from my 3D character animation class at the Art Institute of California-San Francisco. We created more than four minutes of animation in just three months.

When it was completed, I surprised Natasha by bringing her to the Parkway Movie Theater in Oakland, where they played the animation on the big screen in front of over 100 of our friends and family. The entire event was filmed for the TLC television show "A Perfect Proposal." See it here.

The Invitation - From the creator: A sequel to last year's "Love Letters." This time Natasha is the star as she tries to come up with the perfect wedding invitation.

We burned this animation onto DVD's and sent it out as our actual wedding invitation. It took nine months to complete, and was produced entirely as part of a group project class at the Art Institute of California - San Francisco where I'm an instructor of animation. See it here.

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A Real Family Affair

Donna & Chad
March 30, 2007
Blair Mill Inn - Horsham, PA

Click the dance floor shot to see a video!

Donna and Chad's special day moved along so quickly, it seemed as though the party could have gone far futher into the late hours. Everyone, from start to finish, had the dance floor packed and moving, singing along with songs picked out by the bride and groom, ending up with a really great evening.

Throughout the celebration, a custom-made lighting effect projected Donna and Chad's initials on the wall above the dance floor.

When given careful consideration, lighting is an extremely strong medium that can help transform a ballroom into an exciting, elegant environment.

The night was marked by several passionate speeches, one of which by Donna's father, affectionately known as "The F.O.B.". What a character...

If you click on the photo to the right, you can see for yourself how the crowd was bouncing all night long!

Congratulations Donna & Chad!

Agenda

7:00-8:00 Cocktail Hour

8:15 Grand Introductions
Bridal Party "Let's Get It Started" by Black Eyed Peas
Bride & Groom "Too Late To Turn Back Now" by Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose

8:20 First Dance
"Me And You" by Kenny Chesney

8:25 Blessing & Toasts

8:30-10:00 Dinner

9:00 Bride & Father Dance
"Daddy's Little Girl" by Al Martino

9:05 Groom & Mother Dance
"The Man You've Become" by Molly Pasutti

9:10 Bridal Pary Dance "All Night Long" by Lionel Richie

10:00-10:30 Open Dancing

10:30-11:00 Cake Cutting and Flambe presentation

11:00-12:00 Open Dancing

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