New Jersey Wedding Planner - Man’s Best Friend

No, I’m not talking about the best man or any of the groomsmen. I’m talking about your pet! Pets are like humans to some people (including myself, who loves my dog, Duke, to pieces!!!) and it only seems natural to some people to include them. Couples have been incorporating their furry friends into weddings for a while now, and I want to show you creative ways to get your little (or if you’re like me, big!) munchkin involved. The good news is that it doesn’t matter if you have a dog, cat, rabbit, horse.. there is a place for every animal at your wedding!!

There are several ways you can use your pet(s) during the planning of your big day. If you don’t want to physically use them in the actual ceremony or reception, consider some of the following:





1. Involve your pet in your engagement photos. You can use any type of aniaml here: dog, cat, horse, snake, rabbit, ferret, cow.. you name it! It’s a subtler way of keeping your precious pet involved, and you’ll have the pictures of him/her forever.

2. If you don’t want to have animals in your engagement photos, consider using a picture of you, your partner, and your pet in the Save the Dates.

3. Model your wedding cake, or grooms cake (see last week’s post), after your pet. This is another way of not involving the pet directly, but still paying tribute to how much a part of your life your pet is.

4. If you don’t want to compromise the elegance of your cake, you could add animal cake toppers to the top!

5. You could also name your signature drinks after them and add a photo or two! They're guaranteed to get a lot of attention!






If you do want to use your pet directly in the wedding, here are some suggestions:




1. Ride to your wedding in style on your horse! This is a beautiful, regal way to show up to the reception and a surprise to your guests, as well.

2. Use your pet to be your ring bearer, flower girl, or part of your wedding party (see: Adam Sandler, who named Meatball as his best man in his 2003 wedding). This is great for dogs, cats, or any other animal that is well trained.

3. If you have a pet bird, you can buy an elegant bird cage and utilize it as part of your wedding décor.

4. If you have pet fish, you can use them as part of your sweetheart table display, perhaps as the centerpiece!

5. Use pictures of you and your pet as table names/numbers.




These are just a few suggestions. There are many other ways that you can be creative and get your animals involved on your big day. It’s just another special “person” to be sharing your wedding day with.


Have fun!!


Kaitlyn


Photo Sources:
www.elizabethannedesigns.com
www.adamsandler.com
www.geoffwhite.com
www.ablwedding.com
www.baliwww.com

New Jersey Wedding Planner - A great gift for your Husband-to-Be

Are you thinking about doing something extra special for your hubby-to-be for your upcoming wedding, but aren’t sure what to get for him? Maybe you want to stay away from a traditional gift or want to add some spunk to something you’ve already gotten him. A great way to surprise him is to have a custom groom’s cake made especially for him. It doesn’t matter when you give it to him, that’s completely up to you! That’s right, you can stray from waiting until the wedding day to give it to him if that’s what you desire – you could give him the cake before his bachelor party (if he has one), at the bridal shower (if he’s going to be there), or catch him off guard on a random day (no audience needed!); the possibilities are endless. Whichever way you choose to surprise him, he’s sure to be in for a delicious treat.

Now that you’ve decided on the specialty cake, it’s time to decide what you want the cake to be. This is where you can be creative if you want. If you’re looking to go non-traditional, think of his favorite sports team, a pastime he loves, his hobbies, an inside joke between the two of you.. and then have that cake created for him. They can be funny, sentimental, manly, silly.. anything! Then take the idea to a local bakery and see if they can make it for you or use the internet to find bakeries near you that specialize in these types of cakes. If you’re REALLY good, you can make the cake yourself!

I Googled some pictures of groom’s cakes and here are a few for inspiration:


















Have fun with this and he will love it!! =)

Kaitlyn


Photo Sources:
themecakesbytraci.com
sweetideasbywendy.com
hotbreadsmddc.com
blog.makezine.com
sweetelement.com

New Jersey Wedding Planner - Cocktail-style Wedding

We had a fabulous wedding on Friday, May 7th!! It was the wedding of Yvette and Steve, who were the winners of our "Dream No More Wedding Giveaway" sweepstakes from Entourage Effortless Events this past November. Everything was so magical; from the wonderful couple to the stylish lounge, to the gorgeous lighting; everything was amazing!! We had such a great time.

One thing that Yvette and Steve decided to do for their wedding is have a cocktail-style wedding reception. This is a more informal way of hosting -- where there are more guests than there are seats. The tables used were a mix of high boys and regular sized reception tables. There were no assigned seats, so guests were free to roam around wherever and whenever. That is usually the point of a cocktail style, to make sure guests are up and dancing. It's just another style to consider when you are planning your wedding ;o)

We know Yvette and Steve had as much fun as we did and we look forward to keeping in touch with this fantastic couple!


Kaitlyn

New Jersey Wedding Planner - Be a Great Wedding Guest

I've been blogging a lot about what brides and couples should do to prepare for their wedding day, but what about the guests? If you're a guest to a wedding, you're going to need a few guidelines, even if you have attended weddings before. Here are some tips on what you absolutely should not do as a guest at a wedding (no one wants ANY type of “zilla” at a wedding!). Some of these may seem obvious, but trust us.. they need to be said and more importantly followed!!



1. Don’t ask to be part of the wedding party if the bride or groom doesn’t ask you. There’s a reason

2. Unless it’s absolutely unavoidable and excusable, don’t skip the ceremony and go straight to the reception. It’s not only rude but disrespectful to the wedding couple.



3. Don’t bring your children or other family members whose names are not explicitly included on the invitation.

4. Don’t wear white, unless it clearly says that’s what the couple wants (ie, some couples ask all guests to wear white, but that only happens occasionally).


5. Don’t, under any circumstances, arrive late to the ceremony. It’s extremely inconsiderate to interrupt the ceremony, so give yourself ample time to get to the venue. Allot time for traffic, lights, stops; anything that might set you back.

6. Don’t cause a scene anywhere. This includes fighting and drinking too much liquor.

7. Don't assume you can invite a date (unless it says +1). Nowadays especially, people are trying to cut their budget costs, and adding an uninvited guest is impolite and more costly for the wedding couple. There’s a reason only your name is on the list.


It's very important to follow these rules, because in doing so you are showing the newlyweds your gratitude, appreciation, and respect for them. No matter how close you may be to the wedding couple, there are no excuses to breaking these rules. Don’t assume you’ll be able to get away with it, because chances are, you won’t. A bride, especially, will remember who let her down on her wedding day.

They aren't too tough to follow, so I know you guys will have no problem being great guests! Remember to have as much fun as possible!! =)


Kaitlyn


Photo Sources:
patrickcox.wordpress.com
swsmag.net
www.faqs.org
canongateoccasions.com