weddings

Wedding Trends for 2019

 in Celebration / Ceremony / Personalization / Trends / Weddings  tagged personalized wedding / wedding day / wedding trends / weddings by

Wedding trends for 2019 are all over the internet as planning for next year’s wedding season is well underway. While it’s helpful to be aware of new ideas and trends for all aspects of your wedding day, it’s always best to make choices that are comfortable for you.

You’ll find a wide variety of predictions for next year’s wedding trends, and some of them even conflict with each other. Here are three articles that are fun to read with ideas that are fun to consider for your big day:

From Brides magazine: https://www.bridesmagazine.co.uk/gallery/2019-wedding-trends

From Shefinds.com: https://www.shefinds.com/collections/2019-popular-wedding-trends/#slide-1

From the UK Independent: https://www.msn.com/en-xl/middleeast/life-arts/five-wedding-trends-for-2019-according-to-experts/ar-BBN8pto#page=1

You’ll notice interesting menswear options listed in a couple of them, along with ideas for bringing nature indoors for both ceremonies and receptions. But you’ll also see some ideas that are only mentioned in one of the articles: practical wedding gowns and tiaras come to mind. There are a few ideas that you’ll find in all the articles, indicating a likelihood that you’ll see them in many weddings next year. The standout one in this category is eco conscious weddings. What exactly that means to you, however, will be up to you to decide.

There are a couple of trends that I’ve already seen making their way into southeastern Minnesota and that I especially like. First, the relaxed approach to wedding parties where you surround yourself with the important people in your world regardless of gender or number. Second, and the increasing popularity of unplugged ceremonies where guests are invited to set aside their devices during the ceremony, sit back and celebrate with you. Both are great options to consider for your wedding day.

Reading up on predicted wedding trends for 2019 is an easy and fun way to find ideas to consider, but at the end of the day, you’ll need to decide as a couple what fits your style, your vision and your budget as you plan your wedding. You want your wedding day to be a reflection of you, not of some stylist, planner or magazine article, so enjoy looking at the wedding trends and then plan a day that will be uniquely and authentically you.

New Wedding Venues Discovered

 in Ceremony / Venue / Weddings  tagged ceremony space / wedding ceremonies / wedding venues / weddings by

Discovering new wedding venues is part of the fun of each wedding season. New wedding venues in southeastern Minnesota mean more options for couples planning weddings – always a good thing. This year I had the pleasure of performing ceremonies at three new venues (or at least new to me), and thought I would share them. Each venue offers both indoor and outdoor ceremony spaces, a requirement for our variable weather.

River Run Event Center, Mantorville, MN: This venue is located on the grounds of the Zumbro Valley Golf Course in nearby Mantorville. The space is managed by Victoria’s Ristorante in Rochester and offers patio space for outdoor ceremonies and a good sized indoor room for indoor ceremonies and receptions.
River Run Event Center

The Gardens of Castle Rock, Northfield, MN: This is a lovely venue on the grounds of a garden center outside of Northfield. There are multiple outdoor venues to choose from, but the only “indoor” space is a large, fully enclosed tent used for receptions. There is a large plaza area for social hour that includes outdoor fireplaces, seating groups, and bar areas. Nearby green space is available for outdoor games, too.
Gardens of Castle Rock

Cedar Creek Barn, Winona, MN: This property is fairly new as a wedding venue, and is still enhancing the property and amenities. The inside of the barn has been whitewashed to provide bright, clean walls, and the cement floor remains. No heat or air conditioning is available, but large doors at each end of the barn allow for air flow. A newly added pavilion increases usable space, but is not fully covered, so is less useful in case of inclement weather.
Cedar Creek Barn

Each of these new wedding venues has its own personality, amenities and charms and is worth your consideration as you search for the one that matches your vision for your wedding day. Refer to my earlier post on evaluating venues for tips on how to decide which might be best for you.

Evaluating Wedding Venues

 in Ceremony / Guests / Venue / Weddings  tagged outdoor weddings / wedding ceremony / wedding venues / weddings by

Evaluating wedding venues is one of the first tasks you undertake as a newly engaged couple. When you are checking out possible venues there are many things you need to consider, and it can become overwhelming. Each venue has its own charms… and drawbacks, and you’ll want to select the one that best fits your vision for your wedding. The following list gives you a place to start.

– First you’ll want to ascertain the venue’s availability for your wedding date, or what dates they have available, if you haven’t set your date yet.

– Consider both the indoor and outdoor ceremony spaces. Even if you’re planning an outdoor ceremony, you want to ensure there is an indoor space in case of bad weather. You want the indoor space to be a true, viable alternative as the many extremely hot, wet, and cold weekends this year demonstrate.

– For outdoor ceremony spaces, check to see if power is available. Your DJ and celebrant may need it to power speakers, and you want your guests to be able to hear the ceremony.

– Ask about seating – does the venue provide chairs, hay bales, benches, or do you need to provide the seating? Does seating from the ceremony space needs to be moved to the reception space, and if so, are you responsible for moving it?

– Also for outdoor ceremony spaces, look around. Is there an obvious place for the ceremony, or just lots of open space? If open space, will you need to provide decor elements to create a focal point or backdrop for the ceremony?

– Consider the sun’s location and height at the time of year and time of day your ceremony will be held. Will your guests be staring into bright sunshine?

– When evaluating wedding venues you’ll also want to consider your guests’ comfort and accessibility. Are there restrooms, ramps, wide and stable walkways, sufficient parking?

– Does the venue require you to use specific musicians/DJs, florists, bakers, officiants, caterers, etc? Can they provide the services you want?

– And finally, remember to get information on pricing. Ask about any additional or hidden charges. You want to ensure the venue costs are within your overall budget.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed when searching for the right venue for your wedding day. Take your time, have a list of questions to ask and areas you want to see. Ask if you can take pictures so you can review them later and remember the specifics of each venue. Evaluating wedding venues can be exciting, stressful, overwhelming, and fun all at once, so go in prepared and you’ll be able to select the right venue to make your wedding day vision come true.

Change Happens

 in Ceremony / Weddings  tagged ceremony / wedding ceremony / wedding changes / weddings by

Change happens, in life and in wedding planning. There are so many moving parts when planning a wedding day that something is bound to change. That’s normal and OK… if you actively manage the change when it happens.

I’ve seen two different couples handle change very differently, one successfully, and one not so successfully. In the first case, the couple moved the time for their ceremony out 90 minutes, and didn’t let me know. The Ceremony Agreement we had all signed stated one start time, and their invitations went out with a time listed that was 90 minutes later. By the time I found out about the change – from the venue manager, because the couple never contacted me about needing to change the time – I had booked an event with another couple in a nearby town for later that day and could not perform the wedding at the later time.

The second couple shows how a similar situation should be handled when change happens. In this case, shortly after booking my services with a stated ceremony start time in the Ceremony Agreement, the bride decided the day would flow better if the ceremony started 30 minutes later than first planned. She contacted me to ask if I could accommodate the change, and I assured her I could. She asked me not to change anything yet, as she wanted to ensure that the new time would work with her other vendors – photographer, musicians, florist, and of course, the venue. Once everyone confirmed their ability to handle the change, she confirmed the new ceremony start time with all of us. We’re all working to the new time, and because the change was made early enough in the planning process and communicated well with all impacted vendors, I expect that all will be well come her September wedding day.

Weddings are complex events with many moving parts and involving many people, so it’s not surprising when change happens. It also doesn’t have to be problematic when change happens if you take the time to consider who all will be impacted by the change and communicate with them as early as possible. Staying relaxed and thoughtful when dealing with changes will help ensure that your wedding day comes together the way you envision it.

Modern Marriage

 in Ceremony / Weddings  tagged ceremony / modern / modern marriage / wedding ceremony / weddings by

Modern marriage is a venture of equals. No longer is the bride viewed as property to be passed from father to husband. No longer is marriage a financial transaction to enhance the wealth of a man. No longer must a woman forfeit her money or property and lose all rights to either in the future. Thankfully, modern marriage is a joining of equals based on feelings of love and a commitment to build a future together.

Unfortunately, some of the traditions of the wedding ceremony have not kept up with the times. There are a few “traditional” parts of the ceremony that you may choose to drop or modify so the ceremony reflects your views and values. Here are just a few examples:

– The bride is traditionally escorted in to the ceremony by her father. Historically this represented the literal transference of the “property” -the bride- to the groom. In modern marriage the honor of escorting the bride (and the groom) can be given to the parents, or kept with the father to recognize a special, loving relationship. However, you are welcome to enter as a couple, you can enter alone, or you can choose to be escorted by anyone who has held a special place in your life.

– Upon arrival at the front of the ceremony space, the bride’s escort is traditionally asked, “Who gives this woman in marriage to this man?” or something similar. There is absolutely no reason this must be included in your ceremony, and most guests won’t even miss it if it’s not. A heartfelt hug shared with your escort before stepping forward with your partner is sufficient and lovely.

– Traditionally, the bride wore a veil over her face for the first part of the wedding ceremony. Her face was only revealed after the vows had been said. This prevented a groom who had never seen his bride before from bolting if he didn’t like her looks, or was done to preserve her modesty. Today only some brides choose to wear a veil at all, and do so as a fashion statement, not to prevent being seen.

– Wedding vows used to include the phrase, “love, honor and obey…”, but only for the bride. In modern wedding ceremonies you can choose to write your own vows or select vows that are meaningful and appropriate for the relationship you have built with each other.

– And finally, modern marriage uses parallel language, so it is no longer “man and wife” but “husband and wife” recognizing that you are both taking on a new role in marriage. Similarly, the introduction of the couple at the end of the ceremony is more likely to be “Mr and Mrs John and Mary Smith” or, if you’re not changing your last name, “… as a married couple, Mary Jones and John Smith”, or even, “Mary and John Jones-Smith”.

Modern marriage is a joining of two equal people, be they men, women or one of each, so make sure you review the language and rituals of your wedding ceremony to ensure it reflects your thinking and values.