Kathy

Colorful Weddings

 in Personalization / Uncategorized / Wedding Party / Wedding traditions / Weddings  tagged colorful wedding / personalized wedding / wedding fashion / weddings by


Colorful weddings often refer to bright hues selected for bridesmaids’ dresses, table settings or possibly for flowers. But don’t leave the brides and grooms colorless. Yes, elegant neutrals for the women, and black or navy for the men will always have a place in wedding fashion. But how about a bride in black with a purple underskirt, or a groom in brightly colored argyle socks. I’ve seen both in recent weddings, and they are a great way to let your personality shine.

White wedding gowns have been popular since Queen Victoria chose one for her 1840 wedding to Prince Albert. On recent runways we’ve seen pastels in blue, pink and green plus some delicate floral options for wedding gowns.
But brides are making choices to reflect their personalities and passions. Such was the case with last years bride selecting a black dress with purple underskirt. It fit perfectly with her near gothic sensibilities and Metallica ceremony music.

A black and purple wedding dress for a colorful wedding

Just last week I was speaking with a couple planning a ceremony for later this year. The bride informed me that she would be wearing a black and red gown. Everyone in the wedding party will be dressed in those hues, making for a very bold and colorful wedding.

Let’s not leave the gentlemen out of the opportunity for colorful attire, though. I’m not suggesting the pale blue tuxes of the early ’80’s, but men can add a punch of color to their wedding finery. The argyle socks I mentioned above are an option, but the Green Bay Packer socks worn by the groom and all his groomsmen are another. There was no question who the groom rooted for, even here in Viking country. Ties and vests are other easy ways for men to add a punch of color. Within the last year I’ve seen bold plaid ties, soft floral ties and vests in a variety of colors.

Colorful weddings are a way to express yourselves, to share a passion or interest, or to bring just a bit of whimsy to a day that can feel very formal and sometimes stiff. If your personality is more lighthearted or you just want to dress in your favorite color, don’t feel constrained by tradition. Colorful weddings are becoming more common and are also more memorable. They make for great pictures, too. So feel free to express yourself with your fashion choices.

A Personalized Wedding Ceremony

 in Personalization / Personalized Ceremony / Wedding Ceremony / Weddings  tagged personal ceremony / personalized wedding / wedding ceremony / weddings by

A personalized wedding ceremony can mean different things to different people. I had the opportunity last month to perform one of the most personalized ceremonies I’ve ever created. It’s also the first ceremony I’ve performed on an ice rink!

This wonderful couple had been friends for quite a few years, when he invited her to go ice skating one day. Not being a skater, she relied on him to support her on the ice and teach her basic skills. But something more important happened that first day – they began to move their relationship beyond friendship. Through the coming years they continued to skate together, and their romance blossomed, too. Then a year ago, on the anniversary of their first skating date, he proposed marriage to her on that very ice rink. And she said yes.

This wonderful couple wanted a personal, intimate wedding, but wanted it to reflect them and their story. They contacted me asking if I would marry them on that special anniversary date this year. They also wanted me to marry them on their ice rink where it all began. Sometimes couples who have such a unique and interesting vision for their wedding plan an extravaganza of a wedding day. Not so for this couple. In fact they wanted this to be a totally personal and private experience.

Since our state requires two witnesses for a legal marriage, they asked their photographer and my husband to be the witnesses. So, on a snowy Saturday evening in January the four of us gathered at the indoor ice rink for the ceremony. They provided a carpet for me to walk onto the ice to join them. I really appreciated that as it’s been literally decades since I strapped on a pair of skates. They skated toward me; the bride in a white satin dress and knit bolero to try to stay warm and the groom looking dapper in his jacket, hat and scarf.

In a personalized wedding ceremony written for them, I reminded them of their beginning on the ice. We reflected on skating as an apt metaphor for marriage. They spoke thoughtful vows and exchanged rings. I offered good wishes for their marriage and pronounced them married, upon which they circled the rink together a few times to celebrate their marriage.

While originally planned for just the couple, their photographer and required witness, this couple did invite their parents to observe the ceremony from the stands at the last minute. As this couple demonstrates, a personalized wedding ceremony makes the event more memorable, more special, and totally unique to them. Having the opportunity to create such a novel ceremony was a treat for me, and fun for all of us.

Defining Your Ceremony Vision

 in Ceremony / Officiant / Personalization / Wedding Ceremony / Wedding Vows  tagged officiant / personalized wedding / wedding ceremony / wedding planning / weddings by

Defining your ceremony vision can seem like a daunting task. This is likely the first time you’ve considered what you want in your wedding ceremony. The good news is you don’t have to do it alone. A good celebrant will be genuinely interested in meeting you and discussing your ceremony wishes. Here are three ways you can prepare for that meeting and tackle the process of defining your ceremony vision.

  1. First, consider what you’ve seen in other weddings. Think about those moments when you thought, “That’s special. I would like to have something like that at my wedding.” Or, on the flip side, maybe you saw something that you knew you definitely did not want at your ceremony. Both are good to share with your celebrant.
  2. Next, talk about your vows with your fiance(e). Your exchange of vows will be the highlight of the ceremony as you make your promises to one another. But there are a number of ways to accomplish that. You can write your own vows if you want them to be totally personal and unique. If that doesn’t fit your style, your celebrant will likely be able to offer sample vows in the “repeat after me” style that you can choose from. Or perhaps you’re very shy or maybe English isn’t your first language and you prefer to respond to the celebrant with a simple, “I do”. Since vows are so important in a wedding ceremony, identifying the vow style you prefer is a key part of defining your ceremony vision.
  3. Finally, before meeting with your celebrant, discuss the length and tone you want for your ceremony. I often hear, “We want a short and sweet ceremony.” But what does that mean to you? Ten minutes, 20 or more? Knowing the time frame you want will help your celebrant guide you in terms of ceremony content and flow. And what about the ceremony tone? Do you want a romantic and more serious ceremony? Perhaps you prefer a lighthearted ceremony and think that some laughter is essential. Maybe involving family members is important to you, or conversely, maybe you want to keep the focus on the two of you and your path to this moment.

Defining your ceremony vision is as simple as following these three steps. Doing so will help ensure that your wedding ceremony reflects your priorities and your personalities, and is memorable and fitting for the two of you.

Celebrating the New Year

 in Anniversary / Celebration / Engagement / Weddings  tagged anniversary / celebrations / ceremony / milestone anniversary / weddings by

Celebrating the new year is something all of us can do. But for some couples, the new year means even more. Perhaps an engagement made your holidays especially bright. Or maybe 2022 is the year you will be married. Or perhaps this is a year for a milestone anniversary celebration. Whatever the reason, may the new year bring much happiness and many wonderful memories.

Happy New Year!
Celebrating the new year, and maybe something more??

Newly engaged couples are still wrapped up in the wonder of the proposal and sharing your happy news with family and friends. Soon, however, you’ll begin to consider if 2022 is going to be the year of your wedding, or perhaps you’ll be looking at 2023. If you want a particular month for your wedding or have a particular venue in mind, you’ll want to work quickly to secure the date and place for your festivities.

For engaged couples already planning a 2022 wedding, celebrating the New Year is a reminder to keep working on your plans. Especially if you’ve had a long engagement, it can be easy for months to slip by and all of a sudden you can find yourself scrambling to complete all the tasks associated with a wedding. If you haven’t secured your key vendors already – photographer, musician/DJ, and celebrant/officiant, you’ll want to do that right away.

Let’s not forget about couples married 25, 30, 40, 50 years or more. Milestone anniversaries are a wonderful time to gather with family and friends to publicly voice your love and commitment to each other once again. These gatherings can be at informal – picnics or family reunions. Especially if you had a smaller celebration or eloped for your wedding, you might choose to plan a more elaborate vow renewal ceremony and celebration. No matter the style of the event, a lasting love is always worth celebrating.

Celebrating the new year is only the beginning of 2022. There are many more celebrations to come. Congratulations to all the newly engaged couples. Best wishes to all the couples marrying this year. And wishes for many more loving years together go out to the milestone anniversary couples. Love in all its forms is always worth celebrating!

Congratulations and Happy Holidays

 in Celebration / Engagement  tagged celebration / engagement / holiday / wedding by

Congratulations and Happy Holidays are going out to all kinds of celebrating people. First, congratulations to the couples who are getting engaged in the remaining days of 2021. You have lots of excitement and decisions waiting for you as you begin to plan for your wedding day in 2022 or even 2023.

Newly engaged couples, you’ll will want to select your wedding date based on availability of your key vendors. Often that list includes venues, photographers and, of course, celebrants. I’m happy to communicate via voice or email with couples as soon as you have your date and venue selected. With just those two pieces of information I can tell you about my availability and we can begin to have meaningful discussions about your ceremony wishes. It is never too early to secure a date on my calendar. But I hate to turn couples away because their preferred date is already taken.

I’d also like to extend happy holidays wishes to everyone celebrating at this time of year. Whether you celebrate Winter Solstice, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa or simply New Years I’m wishing everyone safe, healthy and happy gatherings. Special wishes go out to couples I married this year as they celebrate their first holiday season together. Whether you’re celebrating a new engagement or a winter holiday, please accept my congratulations and happy holidays wishes. I look forward to posting more in the new year!