Sunday, May 30, 2010

Luxury Wedding Etiquette

It is important for all weddings to follow certain rules of etiquette and protocol. This is no different for a luxurious, formal event. Most rules of etiquette are similar regardless of the extravagance of the affair. However, the overall luxury of the occasion heightens the formality of etiquette and protocol.

Payment Due
Traditionally the responsibility for paying for a wedding belongs to the bride’s parents. This includes everything from the bridal wear to the wedding cake. The groom and/or his family are responsible for his clothing, the marriage license and clergy fee, as well as the wedding ring and groomsmen’s gifts. He is also financially responsible for the rehearsal dinner. A formal wedding usually follows the traditional protocol for finances, but often the bride and groom work together to present the elaborate event.

Gift Registry
Registries are created for the convenience of the guests; however it is most acceptable to advertise your registry by word of mouth instead of including cards in invitations. Regardless of the extravagance of the actual wedding, gifts from all price points should be included on the registry. If a guest is unable to attend the wedding, a gift should be sent to the couple before the wedding or within three months of the wedding. Likewise, a thank-you note should be sent within three months.

Invitations

Invitations for a luxurious wedding should also be luxurious. The most formal invitations are usually printed on white, ivory, or ecru paper with black script. A gold or silver border or other simple accents denote formality. They include an outer and an inner envelope, often with a sheet of tissue paper to protect the ink. On a formal invitation, names are written out fully, with no nicknames or shortened names. All of the words in the address, date, time, and year are spelled out fully (i.e. “Avenue” instead of “Ave.” and “Two Thousand Eleven” for “2011”).

Attire

For a luxurious wedding, the bride, groom, and wedding party should wear the most formal clothing. Dresses should reach the floor and tuxedos should include bow ties and vests. For guests attending such a wedding, ladies should wear a formal dress (usually floor length) with formal jewelry and a fancy purse. If it is a religious wedding, shoulders should be covered with a wrap. Avoid wearing white and anything that is too revealing. Gentlemen should wear a well-fitted tuxedo with a bow tie to a formal wedding.

Reception
Typically, a luxurious wedding occurs in the evening and denotes a formal sit-down dinner. The reception will usually begin with a cocktail hour that the guests enjoy while the bride and groom are taking photographs. There is usually a receiving line at most formal receptions. The meal should consist of at least three courses, with full silver service and wait staff. At the most formal occasion, full bar service is provided along with dancing and live orchestral music.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Catholic Wedding Sand Ceremony

The Sand Ceremony is often compared to the Unity Candle Ceremony. Both are two physical displays of the unifying power of marriage. The unity candle ceremony is quite new to wedding traditions (it originated in Protestant churches about 40 years ago); later in the century, couples searched for ways to complete a unifying act without the use of candles. A sand ceremony can easily replace a unity candle ceremony in a Catholic wedding.

The Facts

In a Sand Ceremony, the bride and the groom each hold a small glass vase full of sand. At a specified time, each takes a turn pouring some of their sand into a larger glass vase. Then they pour in the remaining sand at the same time. The ceremony symbolizes the Biblical concept of two individuals becoming one. A third small vase is often used by the officiant who pours in sand representing God and His omnipresence in the life of the new couple. A sand ceremony can be used in any kind of ceremony, religious or not, but a Catholic sand ceremony will include text spoken by the priest during the pouring. Usually the two (or three) small vases contain different colors of sand, so the resulting larger vase is a beautiful blend of colors. The large vase is kept as a treasured memento of the union.

History
Although it is somewhat difficult to determine from where the sand ceremony originates, it is often thought to have begun in Hawaii, where the bride and groom scoop sand from the beach at their feet into their vases for the ceremony. Some argue that this type of ceremony originated with Native Americans thousands of years ago. Regardless, the sand ceremony is gaining in popularity and received a well-televised boost when it was featured on a wedding spin-off of The Bachelorette in 2003. The sand ceremony holds little or no history in the Catholic Church.

Types
The most commonly known sand ceremony involves sand in two or three smaller vases being poured simultaneously into one larger vase to signify two becoming one. Another option is when couples only use the two small vases and together pour the sand into the wind. In this case the ceremony must be outdoors and the couple should take care to throw it with the wind and not against it. If children are involved in the ceremony, they can pour in a vase of sand also. All of these variations would be religiously acceptable in a Catholic wedding.

Significance
The overall significance of the sand ceremony is the visual imagery of the union of marriage. Often the groom pours part of his sand first, symbolizing the foundation of the marriage. The bride then adds her sand to symbolize her support. When they both pour the remainder of their sand together, the colors mix in harmony and equality. Some couples choose to leave a small amount of sand in their individual vases to signify their individuality. The Catholic wedding ceremony stresses the unity and commitment of marriage; a sand ceremony certainly supports this belief and further symbolizes that the two that have become one can never again be separated.

Considerations

The Sand Ceremony is not a Catholic tradition and therefore is not present in the Catholic Rite of Marriage. Your officiant may decline to include it for this reason. Regulations on the inclusion of procedures not present in the Rite of Marriage differ from parish to parish. Some say that this celebration of unity is somewhat repetitious as the Catholic ceremony already celebrates unity through liturgy, prayer, and the administration of a sacrament.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Wedding Trends: Alternatives to Wedding Cakes



You may have noticed that wedding cakes tend to take center stage as it is a symbol that is prominently displayed at wedding receptions. What you may not have noticed is that many wedding guests do not like wedding cake and so the slices of sugary decadence often end up in the trash. If you’re looking for a couple of ideas to replace or in addition to the wedding cake, here are few to get you started.

The Cupcake Makes a Comeback (with a Twist)


In Miami, one thing I’ve noticed is that couture cupcake bakeries are popping up in all of the different areas of town. These are not your standard Betty Crocker cupcakes either because they come in flavors and designs that almost look and seem too gorgeous to eat (but are as delicious as they look). Cupcakes can also be displayed to simulate cake layers, placed at each place setting or designed into a cupcake buffet table, where guests can choose the flavor they wish. You can just as easily create your own cupcakes (for you DIYers out there) and put them on display. It may be nostalgia of days gone by or something different, but those cupcakes will disappear faster than any slice of wedding cake ever will.

Dessert Buffets


Another option is a wedding buffet or dessert table. Similar to a buffet restaurant, several different dessert options are put on display. Guests can either serve themselves or you can have the wait staff visit guest tables and ask which dessert they prefer. Pies, tarts, cakes, ice cream, cookies and more are but some of the options you may display.

Cookie or Candy Table

You can also pile a table high with platters of cookies or a myriad of dishes filled with different candies. Guests can fill up on the sweet treats after the meal and you can even provide favor boxes or bags for guests to carry out the treats for later.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

The Role of a Bridesmaid

The bridesmaids you choose for your wedding ate typically close family members and friends. The primary role of the bridesmaids is to support the bride in her wedding planning efforts. Tasks may include helping to plan the wedding shower, maintaining a gift list for the bride to write shower thank you notes, assembling wedding invitations, or other tasks the bride requests. In essence, being a bridesmaid is the same as being a good friend!