Choosing Unique Ceremony Music

Music. It sets the mood, it fills awkward silence, but most importantly, it is the element that moves people to tears, that makes their emotions swell, that makes them fall in love.

The modern bride is saying “no” to traditional trumpet processionals and boisterous organ music. Don’t be scared to look in some unlikely places for the solution to your musical dilemma.

Music to Match Your Decor
A wedding I just coordinated this past Labor Day weekend(congratulations, Jim and Amanda Connelly!) used beautiful piano and cello duets as the music for the processionals. Its soft backdrop created a fairytale feel and highlighted the glow of the candles in the church. Check out the composer and artist, Brian Crain, here.

Music to Match the Decade
For a stronger nod towards contemporary music, look into the Vitamin String Quartet. They take famous, popular music and re-write the songs into a string quartet work of art. The familiar tunes are of interest to guests while formal seating is still happening and the ceremony has not yet begun.

Music to Match Tradition
My most recent find is a song called “Pachelbel Meets U2” by Jon Schmidt. He blends the beautiful traditional wedding song into a modern day masterpiece. What a great way to maintain tradition with a current twist.

Music to Match the Location
Don’t stop at the song selection itself –select the appropriate musical instruments to play the songs. Have a live band play instead of playing a CD. Take your favorite song and have it re-written and composed to have a long build of volume before the doors open for your dramatic cathedral entrance. Use banjos and fiddles to play your outdoor country wedding march (think: Nickel Creek) instead of pianos and guitars. Customize the music to fit you and your event.

Music to Match the Mood
Whatever you select, think about the overall emotion you want to create in your guests and for yourself. Music can change things from upbeat to serene or from classy to sassy, so make sure you take time to select it just as you did all the décor, attire, and flowers.

Happy Planning!

Planner or No Planner...That is the Question.

Congratulations on your recent engagement! You just began the wedding planning journey of your life. Perhaps you are one of those women who LOVES to plan, maybe is a little bit of a control freak, and you are DEFINITELY on a budget.

Embrace it!

You’ve already heard from everyone and every website that you should get a wedding planner first. Sidenote: You are wanting me to tell you right now, “Go ahead! Be a Wedding Amazon Woman! Plan it yourself, save money, and take control of your event!”

Unfortunately….I can’t do that.

Now, I understand that you want to plan every detail, and I believe that some women can. However, the part you need to fast forward to is the…..

www.TwoPairPhotography.com

Wedding Day!

Imagine that you’ve planned your entire event: every detail is perfect, every flower in its place, every groomsman in his tux, and every hair perfectly coifed.  And then….the limo driver hasn’t arrived, the cake is no where to be seen, the Aunt you asked to put up the reserved table signs forgot, and now you are left standing looking around for a seat.

Ok – so that’s a little dramatic. But you can see how quickly a perfectly planned event can landslide into the shabby side of a shabby-and-now-not-so-chic wedding.

Say it with me: 

“On my wedding day, I want to be a bride – not a wedding planner.”

Whoa – take that in. In a day and age where women are uber-crafty, super saavy, and want to do it all, it’s hard to accept that you might not be able to touch the very important last detail of your wedding – the Day itself. But don’t worry, you won’t lose the right to say, “I planned my wedding.”

Having a Day Of Wedding Coordinator will accomplish the following for you on your wedding day:

1. You will have an advocate who is looking out for you and the event’s best interest.
2. Any small emergencies can be handled before you are ever aware of them.
3. You gain the gift of being a bride and getting completely immersed in what is actually going on that day: you are getting married to your best friend and starting a new family.
4. You gain another set of eyes, ears, and hands to go over every detail before the event. This will make sure that every idea is executed to perfection. 

Note: Please do not confuse a Day Of Wedding Coordinator with the venue’s sales planner that is assigned to your event. While they tell you they will “coordinate” the day’s events, what they really mean is that they will make sure the venue lives up to their contractual obligations. They are ultimately looking out for themselves, not for you.

A Day Of Wedding Coordinator goes beyond what is happening at the event, and steps in to run the rehearsal, set-up the ceremony location, set-up and supervise the reception venue prior to your arrival, keep all moving parts functioning as one, serves as a liaison among all parties, and guides your guests and you through each event of the wedding. They also serve as photographer and guest wranglers, cake cutters, production directors, and a listening ear to the Bride.

Ask me more about the Day Of Wedding Coordinator in my Candlelight Package on my website at http://www.emilyjamesevents.com/.

Happy Planning!

Eagles Executive Forum 2010: San Diego, CA

It’s been a crazy several weeks! We purchased and moved into our first home, my best friend got engaged, I’m planning 11 events for 1st Global, and now wedding season is in full swing! I can’t wait for the Trusty-Bertin wedding in only TWO weeks, the Taylor-Hatteberg wedding soon after that, and then the Goldstein-Connelly wedding in September.


I finally have a second to talk about the AMAZING incentive/educational event we did in San Diego, CA at the historical U.S. Grant.

Upon arrival, I was THRILLED to be in San Diego – I was actually COLD. Anyone who has been in Texas since May knows it’s been a crazy hot summer. After getting everything set-up, the event began with our opening speaker, Chris Gardner. You might be thinking at this point, “Who is Chris Gardner, and why do I care?” You might know him more closely as portrayed by Will Smith in the Pursuit of Happyness.

We got to listen to his incredible life story (and he is funny, let me tell you!) all the while remembering that we have so much to be thankful for. We’re practically BFFs now (see below).

The décor was “Sea Style in San Diego”, so we did cornflower bluer lamour satin linens with sand and khaki napkins. Each centerpiece of white flowers was accented with floating candles. My FAVORITE accent was the seashells at the bottom of several arrangements.

The next day went off without a hitch, and the meeting was in full swing.

The off-site night was such a blast! We rented out a private yacht and held our own personal casino night. We also created a chic lounge on the top deck for people to sit with their drinks and enjoy the beautiful San Diego scenery.

I wanted the look to be very classic casino, so what other than red, black, and white to accomplish that? To ensure that everyone knew it was going to be a fun night, they entered a room full of red boas, champagne, and casino tables.

         

Red roses don’t have to be boring! Doing a monochromatic accent in a unique way will accomplish a classic, contemporary, and clean look. In love with only one flower? We can make it work! Check out what we did for the buffet tables below.

The other few days of meetings went well, and everyone had a great time. I can’t wait for our upcoming National Conference in San Antonio, TX! It will have a less swanky feel, but it will have a distinctly Texas flavor that will be to die for!

Wedding posts soon to come.

Happy Planning!

San Diego: U.S. Grant Preview

Many months of planning have finally paid off! I am at the U.S. Grant in San Diego for the 1st Global Eagles Executive Forum 2010, and everything is going smoothly. My fellow event planner, Tonya Glass, and I are having a great time.

I can't wait to share all the fabulous details of this event with you, but until then here is a short preview.

The U.S. Grant is a beautifully restored hotel in San Diego, California that is famous for having 14 U.S. Presidents to have stayed in it's rooms over the years. 

Some activities for our attendees include: a Behind the Scenes tour of the San Diego Zoo, Sailing regatta-style on the bay, kayaking in the Pacific, and touring the USS Midway.

Tonight we are having a Soiree on the Bay, a casino yacht dinner and cruise. I am excited to see how the decor and the upper deck lounge turn out!

More pictures and details to come!

Happy Planning!

The Pearl Stables: San Antonio, TX

During an amazing site visit in San Antonio, Texas this week, I discovered an incredible wedding venue: Pearl Stables.

Once a grand home to the brewery’s draft horses in the late 1800’s, today Pearl Stable provides a unique site for events. This venue, equipped with full-size kitchen, is very versatile as it is perfect for a romantic fairytale wedding, a vintage glamour soiree, or a rustic - but chic - reception. The best part is that the Pearl Stables is practically a blank slate that you can personalize any look, theme or "feel” tailored to your event needs.

From the glass bottle custom chandeliers to the red velvet curtained stage, this hardwood-rich venue has more character than I could have imagined. Faux “stalls” provide perfectly private dining spaces, while still remaining on the main floor. The round layout creates a very intimate feel, while still remaining a lavish event.

While the website suggests it can hold up to 600, for a seated reception I would not put more than 375 on the main floor to maintain a certain level of comfort. The spacious foyer allows room for buffet stations and two large stationary bars, which are perfectly placed for flow of traffic and need no dressing up.

For more information, go to the Pearl Stables website. They have great pictures, information on event space rental, and the history of the venue.

Happy Planning!