"The Grand Departure"

As the bride, have you given thought to your grand departure?  As the bride in my OWN wedding, I did not.  We had a fun, fun reception, and as Kenny and I were staying in the bridal suite in the hotel where the reception was held, there was no sense if urgency to depart. We stayed till the bitter end.  This was good, because we enjoyed the entire receptions.  But it had its drawbacks, as our departure was anti-climatic.

If I had it to do over, I'd orchestrate a grand departure.

This creates some logistical issues.  Notice the picture to the right.  You see the bride and groom leaving the church amid rice and tossed rose petals.  Is this really feasible?  I don't think so.  If you do not want to see your groom before the wedding, your wedding pictures must follow AFTER the ceremony.  Usually, you exit the church a married couple, possibly form a receiving line with the principle members of your family to greet guests as they file out of the church, THEN guest go onto cocktails at the reception and YOU take pictures.  When to throw the rice…and do you WANT to throw RICE?  What are your other options ?  More tomorrow…  Keep scrolling for pictures...

"Delegate, Delegate, Delegate!"

Now that the big decisions are complete, you may think you can sit back and relax. Wrong!  Now it's time to get the little pesky things in order.  Have you chosen your centerpieces for your dining tables?  Maybe you have.  Maybe you have decided to let your florist handle them.  Or maybe you are very fortunate, and you have a super creative future mother-in law like my daughter does…

This is where the delegation comes in.  My daughter is very good at recognizing talents in others.  She can acknowledge others' strengths and use them in a productive manner.  And the beauty of planning a wedding, is that people really do want to help and feel included.  My friend, Debbie, Rob's mom, is exceptionally creative and crafty.  I am not.  So she has stepped up and been a fantastic resource in making the wedding beautiful.  She has a vision of things that would never have occurred to me.

Kenny, as previously mentioned, is helping with the music.  He has a talent there, and a love for it.  What are my talents, you ask?  Well, to be truthful…I'm not sure, but I AM a good workhorse.  ;-)

And I can address a mean envelope in a pretty decent calligraphy script…

The pictures you see on this page are just a few ideas that you may want to give some thought to…Bubbles for the guests to blow as you depart…dinner place cards… centerpieces.  Food for thought...

Keep scrolling for pictures.

"Guest Photo Booth"

What are some fun things to do at your reception to add flair?  One option is to rent an instant photo booth.  Your guests do what we all did as kids, (before the advent of cameras on cell phones), take silly pictures of themselves.  One local company, www.forgetmenotfunbooths.com claims to have    "... many different options such as custom logos and layouts, green screen backgrounds, door colors, scrap books, props, and social media stations that allow you and your guest to instantly share photos on facebook, twitter, email, and text."  

You, as the hosts, receive a copy of all pictures taken, and as stated above, you can share instantly on social media.  My girls have been to bar mitzvah were photo booths were available, and really enjoyed it.  I think it's an options that would appeal to all ages of wedding guests.  
Keep scrolling for pictures...

"New Facebook Page"

My e-book cozy mystery, "Simply the Best",  will soon be launching it's own Facebook page. Some

things it will offer will be pictures of locations discussed in the book.  If you've read the book, it has

pictures of Santa Barbara public buildings, The Simpson House Inn, the Ojai, CA boarding school,

Thacher, where I went, and the University of Redlands, the small liberal arts college southeast of Los

Angeles, where Kenny and I met.

 If you haven't read my mystery yet, it's a fun, easy read - available from amazon Kindle, Barnes &

Noble Nook, and Apple e-books.  You can find it by going to those websites and searching: "Mary P

Karnes", or the title, "Simply the Best"... OR visit the book's own website:

http://my.bookbaby.com/book/simply-the-best  

I'll keep you posted on the launch of the new Facebook Page - and thanks for your support, my 

friends. This has been an exciting, goal achieving experience, and you have made it happier. :-)

"Dollar Dance"

"The Dollar Dance."  I don't know if other communities have the "Dollar Dance," tradition, but our little town of Ojai, CA does, or at least it DID, thirty years ago.  I told my parents before the wedding that I really didn't want it.  One of my dad's friends stepped in at the reception, and over-ruled me, however.  And truth be told, I'm glad he did...

This is how it works…simple, really… The DJ, or front man of your band, announces, "It's time for the 'Dollar Dance!'"  Then the bride and the groom go to the dance floor, and guests form two lines - one for the bride, and one for the groom.  If you want to dance with them, you pay a dollar.  But no one pays just a dollar. We made out like bandits!  It was nice pocket money for the honeymoon.  But the best, unexpected part, was…(remember that friend of my dad's?)…well he announced that whatever we made from the dance, my father had to match…and he did!

"Let's Dance!"

Yes, I do know that I was supposed to discuss reception time line details today, but dancing is much more fun...

Ahhh…those first dances…if this doesn't bring a tear to many eyes, nothing will.  Many couples choose to take ballroom dance lessons.  Most bridal fairs will have a representative from dance chains waiting with baited breath to offer "free" lessons.  I'm sure they're hoping to pull you in for a series of lessons.  If you are the type who learns easily, do it!  Even a lesson or two can't hurt.

Kenny and I took a few lessons about 18 years ago, but I'm sure we've forgotten all we ever learned.  I think I'm going to try to talk him into a refresher course.  :-)

Choose your music wisely.  Listen to it a few times.  Brides, practice with your dads… If you don't you may just be an emotional mess when the Father/Daughter dance is announced.  You may be anyway…

Tomorrow, I'll tell you about the "Dollar Dance."

"Receptions Checklist"

Photo Cred:  My friend, Pam…









Timing is everything…in all aspects of life, and especially that most important day, your wedding day.
Today, we will focus on the reception time-line.  SOMEONE must be in charge of the time line.  Choose wisely.  If you do not have a wedding planner that is going to be on site for the event, you need to choose someone who will not be distracted, who will not be 'over indulging' who has some "skin in the game."

These are some items that need to be nailed down for a smooth flow.  1) When will your first vendor arrive, and will the reception site be open? 2) When will the wedding party arrive?  3) When are the guests due to arrive?  If you have absolutely no idea when this may occur, consult your church, caterer, or wedding site.  This is on the condition that your ceremony site differs from the reception site.  If they are at the same location, no problem! 4) Cocktails - typically they are served to waiting guests while the wedding party and family take pictures. 5) Meal start  6) Bar closing - in my opinion, the bar should be closed during dinner for two reasons: one you want your guest to enjoy the wine you have provided for the meal, and two, it helps guests control their consumption 7) Toasts to be made 8) cake cut 9) First dances 10) the throwing of the bouquet and garter and... 11)… bride and groom departure…

Tomorrow, more details on the reception timeline.