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Archives for September 2017

Who Else is Going to Give a Speech at Your Reception?

September 30, 2017

jeremy-wong-299076

So, you are finally Mr. and Mrs! After you are finished with your DFW wedding ceremony, and before you go hoppin’ on the dance floor, there is one wedding tradition that still needs your attention: wedding speech, or toasts.

It is important to carve out a timeline for the key speakers while organizing the evening schedule. Generally, the key speakers at wedding toasts are your parents, the maid of honor, and the best man other than the two of you. But how much time should be assigned to each speaker? It’s true that impromptu wedding speeches can be really sweet, but you don’t want to stretch it so long that your guests grow weary, and at the same time, you don’t want to rush it.

A successful wedding hinges on being timely and properly planned. Here are some tips from the experts on how you should assign the wedding speeches.

The Welcome Speech:

The rule of thumb is whoever hosts the wedding event should get to speak first. The first toast is given as soon as all the guests are seated, and it is both a ‘congratulation’ to the newly married couple and a hearty welcome to the guests. Parents generally make the first toast.

If both the bride’s and groom’s parents want to speak, bride’s parents should go first, followed by groom’s parents. If yours is a same-sex wedding, it’s totally upto you whose parents get to speak first.

The Blessing Speech:

It’s not much of a speech per say, but if you have invited someone to bless the wedding meal, this is the time for it – right after the welcome toast but before the dinner is served, obviously.

The Maid of Honor’s and Best Man Speeches:

If it’s a seated dinner, the right time for the Maid of Honor’s and the Best man’s speeches is right after the entrees have been served. This ensures that there will be no interruptions from the waitstaff for serving or clearing the meal.

If it’s not a seated dinner, then wait until all the guests have picked something to chomp on from the buffet table (or the food truck), and the wait staff have stopped making the rounds. This makes sure that the speakers will have guests’ full attention.

The Newly Married Couple’s Speeches:

Even if you’re hesitant to give a full blown speech, it is expected that the newlyweds will at least take a minute to thank their parents and guests who are gathered together to celebrate the beginning of your new life. You can give this welcome toast right after your Maid of Honor and the Best Man are finished with their toasts, or you can give your thanks right before you cut the wedding cake.

If you’re wondering about the right duration of a wedding speech, 3 to 5 minutes is the sweet spot. Also, let respective people know that they will be speaking at the toast time, so they can prepare a speech in advance.

 

 

Filed Under: Marriage, Tips

Stunningly Beautiful Ideas for the Modern Boho Bride

September 20, 2017

callie-morgan-285179

Looking for some Dallas Boho wedding inspiration? From celestial charms to dreamy gems, we’ve you covered.

The thing about a bohemian bride is, she isn’t afraid to take inspiration from all the elements of Mother Nature. People think that boho weddings are all about colorful dreamcatchers and feathers, but there’s so much more to this earthy chic theme.

For example, if you want to create a magical indie ambience, then the rich jewel tones of geodes and agates are for you. From catching the light in the right way to creating a naturally majestic feel, geodes and agates can be used to display table numbers, place cards, or even cake details. You can even suspend them through the backdrop to catch a stunning effect.

Gems, quartz, crystals, and marble have also been picked up by the latest bohemian bride wedding décor trends. Using them as a part of centerpieces or placements makes for visually stunning pictures. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Ceremony Backdrop:

Still wondering about the perfect boho-themed ceremony backdrop? Consider a custom made backdrop that showcases the galaxy, speckled with gold metallic colors. You can use floral garlands to adorn around it.

Vibrant Agate:

Want to bring a pop of color to your tablescape? Choose magenta agate table numbers along with green centerpieces to create a visual masterpiece.

Escort card ideas:

To bring a touch of celestial into your escort cards, choose swirling Italian marble paper.

Marble table numbers:

Another great idea for table numbers is marble. Using gold calligraphed script on marble adds a touch of sophistication and classic beauty to the tablescape.

Wedding cake:

How about a wedding cake that is inspired by starry sky in the Milky way? If you are having a night wedding, a wedding cake inspired by constellations and celestial beauty will be a sight to behold.

Centerpiece:

For a minimalist centerpiece, consider an arrangement of earthy leaf stems in amethyst tones ad Geodes. It is simple, yet the play of colors creates a magnificent effect.

Seating plan:

Consider hand-painted crescents of metal resembling moon to display seating numbers.

Masterpiece cake:

Fan of watercolors? Consider a wedding cake with marble icing that resembles desert canyons made of different watercolor tones, with burst of geode in the center. Talk about spectacular!

Quartz paperweights:

Spice up the ordinary paper escort cards with quartz paperweights for an earthy and contemporary touch.

Starry backdrop:

For a romantic celestial backdrop, consider a backdrop inspired from starry sky with your favorite love quote inscribed at the top. This is for you if you love timeless, romantic quotes.

Stationary suite:

Ditch the classic black invite suite for an earthy marble one! Calligraphed details over the swirling marble make for a truly beautiful suite.

Tablescape:

Consider an awe-inspiring tablescape with soft, ocean blue colored quartz and geodes to create a Pacific ocean-inspired tablescape.

Moon charms:

To add a celestial touch to your tablescape, add crescent moon charms made of metal or sheer sparkling glass.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Tips

Escort Card Ideas for your Dallas Wedding in 2017

September 15, 2017

Top DFW Wedding Venue | The Empire Room

The Katie Jane Photo

Congratulations! So, finally you’re married. But the festivities are not over yet, are they? It’s time for the celebratory dinner – a dinner that probably had you climbing the walls while designing the ‘perfect’ seating chart for it.

That’s where escort cards come into play. Sure, you can just use a seating chart, but who wants that? You even scoured Instagram and Pinterest for some creative escort card ideas!

Okay, now let’s face some facts. People love personalized favors; anything with their name on it. If you truly want people to remember your wedding for years to come, you could also choose escort cards that double up a memorable favors; something your guests can take home with them.

Here are some great escort card ideas to get you started!

Floating Chandelier:

Forget about charts and tables to display the escort cards for your guests, instead choose a hanging style arrangement that looks like a chandelier.

Calligraphy magic:

How about sheer tiles with the names of your guests calligraphed on them? This is simple yet the calligraphy on tiles looks so classical.

Simple is best:

Yes, sometimes, your wedding theme calls for something simplistic, like square shaped escort cards printed in solid gold script, and attached to vibrant colorful flowers and twine! The white of the cards and gold of the script nicely contrast with the pop of color in flowers.

Fragrant Lavender:

Lavender is one the most appealing scents known to us; from soaps, and lotions to cloth satchels, we are mad for lavender. So it only makes sense to use lavender sprigs creatively with your escort cards too. Your guests won’t be able to leave these behind!

Love notes:

Wedding guests are important, we know it, and you know it. And we bet there are cool stories from when you were growing up that you can associate with each one of them. Write ‘love notes’ to each of your guests on the escort cards to thank them for attending. These love notes can be funny anecdotes you share together, or a one-liner dialogue that reminds you of them.

Fairy Kingdom:

Think of this – a natural looking stone or wooden escort card table (or bench) suspended in mid-air with fresh green moss on it! To add a bit of fun, consider hanging marble animal heads over it, like elephant heads.

Circular arrangement:

If you’ve gotten tired of squares, think of circular installations of greenery, and flowers to hang the escort cards.

Bring out the photo albums:

If you’re looking for truly personalized escort cards, this is the ultimate choice. Use your favorite photos of your loved ones, friends, and family (in color of in black-n-white) as escort cards.

Perfect for Beach wedding:

How about little discs made of Mother of pearl (or something similar) for the escort cards? Use pink colored calligraphy script on it for an exotic touch.

For the Boho bride:

What could be better than a dreamcatcher escort card? No, seriously? Guests can even take these home as the perfect boho wedding favors!

Filed Under: Tips

Most Amazing Entrance Songs for Starting your Reception with a Bang

September 5, 2017

Melissa and John - bride & groom

We love a grand entrance! Who doesn’t? When the ceremony is over and you have said your ‘I do’s, it’s time to get the party started!

If you’re still on the fence about which song to choose to make your debut as the married couple to the Dallas wedding reception party, we already beat you to it. We have compiled a list of some of the best wedding entrance music of all the time. Take a look.

“You Make My Dreams,” Daryl Hall and John Oates

“What I’ve got’s full stock of thoughts and dreams that scatter, you pull them all together. And how, I can’t explain, oh yeah, well, well you, you make my dreams come true.”

“Signed, Sealed Delivered (I’m Yours),” by Stevie Wonder

“Here I am baby. Oh, you’ve got the future in your hand. Signed, sealed delivered, I’m yours.”

“You’re My First, My Last, My Everything,” by Barry White

“My first, my last, my everything, and the answer to all my dreams. You’re my sun, my moon, my guiding star. My kind of wonderful, that’s what you are.”

“Ain’t That a Kick in the Head” by Dean Martin

“My head keeps spinnin’, I go to sleep and keep grinnin.’ If this is just the beginnin’, my life is gonna be bee-yoo-tee-ful. I’ve sunshine enough to spread, it’s just like the fella said, tell me quick, ain’t that a kick in the head?”

“I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me,)” by Whitney Houston

“Oh, I wanna dance with somebody. I wanna feel the heat with somebody. Yeah, I wanna dance with somebody, with somebody who loves me.”

“Come Fly With Me,” by Frank Sinatra

“Weather-wise it’s such a lovely day. You just say the words and we’ll beat the birds down to Acapulco Bay. It’s perfect for a flying honeymoon, they say. Come fly with me, let’s fly, let’s fly away.”

“This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)” by Natalie Cole

“Loving you is some kind of wonderful because you’ve shown me just how much you care. You’ve given me the thrill of a lifetime and made me believe you’ve got more thrills to spare.”

“Tell Me Something Good,” by Chaka Khan and Rufus

“Tell me something good. Tell me that you love me, yeah. Tell me something good. Tell me that you like it, yeah.”

“All You Need is Love,” by The Beatles

“All you need is love. All you need is love. All you need is love, love. Love is all you need.”

“Viva La Vida,” by Coldplay

“I used to roll the dice, feel the fear in my enemy’s eyes. Listened as the crowd would sing, now the old king is dead long live the king One minute I held the key, next the walls were closed on me. And I discovered that my castles stand upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand.”

“Home,” by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic

“Home, let me come home. Home is wherever I’m with you.”

“It’s Time,” by Imagine Dragons

“I don’t ever want to let you down. I don’t ever want to leave this town…It’s time to begin, isn’t it?”

“You Shook Me All Night Long,” by AC/DC

“She was a fast machine, she kept her motor clean. She was the best damn woman I had ever seen.”

“Crazy in Love,” by Beyoncé and Jay Z

“Got me looking, so crazy, my baby. I’m not myself lately, I’m foolish…You got me sprung and I don’t care who sees.”

Filed Under: Tips

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