Having just brought the Bride and Bridegroom in to the Wedding Breakfast to great cheers, whistles and clapping, I was just leaving the room when a voice behind me said ‘I wish I’d had you at my wedding!’. It was the Best Man and, at his wedding, the roles were reversed and todays Bridegroom had been his Best Man. Apparently, everybody just drifted in to the Dining Room when the doors from the Reception were opened. No announcement from the Best Man or Head Waiter, so the Bride and Bridegroom just followed the guests in.
A Toastmaster would have made sure that the guests were at their tables and the photographer / videographer in a good position to record the entrance. Then, having located a suitable staircase, or putting the happy couple behind closed doors, following a rousing announcement, doors open with a flourish and a grand entrance is made, to suitable music if available!
Just one minor detail covered by a dedicated professional which might have slipped by an inexperienced Best Man or missed by a Head Waiter busy elsewhere.
But there is a snag. How do you choose a suitable Toastmaster? Firstly, is he a member of an established Toastmasters organisation, such as the leading organisation, The Society of London Toastmasters, the oldest in the business, or the National Association of Toastmasters. Secondly, has he got a website? Any Toastmaster worth his salt has one. Thirdly, what other work has he done? If, when looking at his website all you see is pictures of him with two or three different Brides it is likely that the only work he has ever done is officiating at Wedding Receptions. Fine if everything goes according to plan but in the event of something unexpected happening it can be comforting to know that the man in the red coat has the experience to deal with the problem.
If you have a good, experienced, well researched Best Man, he may cope but only at the expense of missing out of the enjoyment of the function. He is working after all! Don’t take the risk, leave it to the Toastmaster!
I don’t know if its just down here in the West Country, but the trend this last year has certainly moved away from the traditional protocol of the Bride, Groom and other principals arriving at the reception venue to form the traditional receiving line for their guests. By far the majority of weddings of late, the Bride and Groom have decided on reversing that idea, and arriving after their guests.
Judging by our bookings, this trend look set to continue through 2010/11 and it poses a number of issues to be considered when making your plans for the big day. At one wedding recently, the aftermath of the ceremony and obligatory photographs resembled the start of a Hollywood car race. Guests were frantic to get to their cars in order to get to the reception in good time. Children and spouses were left stranded at the side of the road as determined, but forgetful, husbands sped off to ensure a good parking spot at the reception venue. Three point turns and minor bumps ensued in three or four frantic minutes, the vicar was left most bemused and in need of a very large sherry.
As for the Bride and Groom, they now have to find something to do to idle away half an hour in order to allow their guests ample time to get from A to B.
For our part, we now offer clients a champagne break, some quit, private time before the demands of the reception. If you do have to time to kill, what better way than to sit in the peace and quiet of a Rolls Royce pondering the Atlantic Ocean or the breathtaking beauty of the Devon Moors. We often suggest to clients that they invite their photographer along to capture their first toast and to grab a few more relaxed, intimate shots.
So if you do decide to do away with the receiving line, ensure your guests are allowed plenty of time to get back to their cars and make it safely to your reception venue and make sure your wedding car company provides the champagne option. We can’t all offer the ocean views though, even if its thrown in free with every Devon wedding.
Now our Blog has launched, I have found myself looking around the web for inspiration, and I just came across a really great wedding Blog called Rock ‘n Roll Bride. This Blog takes an entirely different look at what Kat, the Blog owner, calls “the overly poofy, pastel and often puke-worthy wedding world”.
Rock ‘n Roll bride encourages, promotes and showcases individuality and the unconventional, a tremendously different look at weddings, awash with colour, style and a splattering of glamour.
From the Rock ‘n Roll Bride website…
‘Rock ‘n Roll Bride (Noun) A rock ‘n roll wedding is a wedding where the couple actually acknowledge that to plan a good wedding, they have to incorporate themselves and plan what they love for their day. They laugh in the face of the wedding industry and the wedding magazines that tell them what they need to do to make a ‘good wedding’. It’s not about being ‘cool’, being a rebel or even thinking of the most unique idea you can, it’s about planning a wedding that reflects you and your partner and declaring your love in your way.’
I’d love to post some of the photos from the Rock ‘n Roll bride Blog here, but they are all probably subject to copyright, so I’ll just recommend that you take a look yourself… http://www.rocknrollbride.com
I’m also adding this Blog to our recommended wedding websites list.
At Wedding Service Providers we have some quite clever, innovative services and tools in the pipeline, but tonight I came across an online tool that has made me quite green with envy.
This tool by BBj Linen in the USA, allows you to try out different table linen and overlays, chair covers and ties, chair pads and chair jackets, to see which colours and styles you would like for your wedding.
It’s a very simple tool which works in the same way most car manufacturer websites allow you to see how a car would look in different colours and with different upholstery etc.
