 Hello Moms! Your son or daughter just got engaged! How fun! How crazy! How overwhelming! You are going to have a crazy couple of months ahead of you in the planning process so we decided to collect a list of roles that you will have from now until “I Do”.
Mother of the Bride You have always dreamt of this day when your little girl would find the love of her life and walk down the aisle! Be sure to remember that this is her wedding and she may have some crazy ideas, but you will have to be supportive throughout the stressful process. Here is a list of “Mother-of-the-Bride Roles” for you to keep in mind while she is planning away! - Come up with a budget you are comfortable with early on in the process - Make your guest list and keep in mind that it is not ideal for your daughter to meet anyone for the first time at her wedding! - Be supportive! Times have changed and there is a lot of added stress that comes from planning a wedding. Be her rock when she needs it! - Hire a planner! It is definitely a smart move - mostly because if you don’t have someone there the day of the wedding to help, you may be doing it all and not enjoying the day the way you should. - Be available. There are lots of meetings and decisions that have to be made and you are most likely going to need to be by her side when she makes them. Be sure that you can make yourself available for her when needed. - Get to know the next lady who's role we are going to talk about below. The more you are on the same team, the easier the planning process will go! Mother of the Groom Your son found the love of his life and now the planning begins! We have come up with a list of things for you to keep in mind throughout the planning process! - Make your guest list and keep in mind that it is not ideal for your son to meet anyone for the first time at his wedding! - Be Supportive! Let your soon-to-be daughter or son-in-law live their wedding dreams even if it was not what you would had in mind. - Find a great rehearsal dinner venue and include your son in the process. - Find a beautiful Mother of the Groom dress and be sure to ask what colors would be appropriate. - Enjoy the process. Because it is not your daughter getting married, if you have a daughter, you really need to take a bit of a back seat on this one. When they wants your help with the wedding planning process, they will ask for it, but be sure they know you are available! - Get to know the first lady that we talked about above. The more you are on the same team, the easier the planning process will go!
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As another engagement season comes to a close, we have been chatting with many couples about their wedding plans and helping them decide if they want a wedding planner. Check out the top 12 questions we have answered for our potential couples. We hope it helps you with starting your wedding planning off right!
Question #3: Do you handle more than one wedding at a time?We believe that each wedding weekend requires your planner’s full attention...especially for any last minute changes or unexpected weather that requires some extra consideration. We plan one wedding per planner per weekend!
Question #4: What are some Do’s and Don’ts of wedding planning?Some Do’s and Dont’s we like to share with our couples include: DO: Personalize it! Set a budget! Ask questions. We are here to answer! Have a plan to eat something during the day while you are getting ready. Have a rain plan. DON’T: Forget to remember why you are getting married. Let wedding planning take over all of your trips to the Cape - make time to still enjoy the Cape for the reason you picked it for your wedding! Stress too much about where people will stay - they will figure it out! Forget to stop and take it all in! Question #5: How involved will you be in the wedding planning?We at Cape Cod Celebrations are fortunate to create relationships with our couples that last long after their wedding weekend. As for the planning process, we can be as hands on and involved or as behind-the-scenes as you would like for us to be! Each couple has different priorities and strengths when it comes to the part of their wedding they take the most ownership of. We recommend setting your budget and take a deep look at your schedules to know where your wedding planner can help you most!
Question #6: What are the best means of staying in contact with you?
Question #7: I have a dog and would love to have him in the ceremony, have you worked with dogs in the past?
Question #8: What are the different wedding packages you offer?Cape Cod Celebrations offers everything from day of coordination to full service planning. We like to make sure that our planning suits your needs - so even though we offer four main packages, we can customize any of them to ensure you get the assistance that works for you and for your budget. Also, our “day of package” starts a month before your wedding to ensure we have time to learn every little detail you planned so we can execute it perfectly the day of! Question #9: For most weddings where does the majority of the budget go?
Question #10: I would love an outdoor wedding, any things I should keep in mind?
Question #11: I want to get married on Cape Cod. Where do I start?
Question #12: What is the difference between a wedding planner & a venue or catering manager?When putting together your vendor team, this is a question that comes up for many couples. It can be a challenge to know if your a wedding planner can fit into your wedding budget and your wedding plans. As wedding planners, we take pride in working side by side with your venue and caterer seamlessly to bring your wedding vision to life. So to answer this one more fully, we turn to some past Cape Cod Celebrations brides to tell you their experience! Follow this link!  Photo// Jenny Moloney Photography Happy New Year and New Decade! We love to take a minute after the holidays and festivities settle, to reflect on all the wonderful things we accomplished in 2019. It was such an amazing year for us here at Cape Cod Celebrations and once again we cannot express how grateful we are for the support and love we receive from friends, family and vendors in the industry. Here is a look back at some of the fabulous things that happened in 2019!
Happy New Year! We love to take a minute after the clock strikes midnight to reflect on all the amazing we had in 2018. It was such a wonderful year for us here at Cape Cod Celebrations and once again we cannot express how grateful we are for the support and love we receive from friends, family and vendors in the industry. Here is a look back at some of the amazing things that happened in 2018!
 You are newly engaged! You have a new accessory that you cannot stop staring at. You’ve told your family, friends, Facebook… you are on cloud nine! This is one of the most exciting times of your life. You are taking the next steps with that person who’s the one. Now what’s on your checklist? First step, picking a date, booking your venue, then booking your wedding planner :)
Full steam ahead with wedding planning! It’s so easy to get lost in the whirlwind of the amazing experience of being engaged and planning what some consider the best day of their lives. We want it to be the best day of your lives but, take a beat. Take a breath. Remember that marriage is a commitment for hopefully the rest of your lives together. While more and more weddings are non-traditional (not in a church), it’s easy to get swept up in the planning and skip a step that can solidify WHY you are getting married in the first place. Premarital counseling may seem like a thing of the past for many, but you are planning a huge life event, and we recommend at least having a conversation with your fiance about life and where it will take you. These questions may help you ease into the conversation...
Take a weekend... Take a trip together... Have the conversation… Then back to the world of planning… We’ll see you there! - written by our Senior Planner Stephanie A lot of my clients get hung up on favor ideas, so I thought I would share with you some ideas that I typically share with my clients. Now there are a ton more ideas out there that you can definitely consider, but the following suggestions are ones that I know have gone over well at weddings. First, some basic favor requirements.
Make it Edible Edible favors are my person favorite. There are lots of ideas that you can do here locally or from your home town. We have done a lot of chocolates from the Chatham Candy Manor or other local candy shops and we have also seen some really unique edible ideas from our client’s home town like maple syrup and hot sauce! Another fun and popular edible idea is a candy station! Let your guests choose from multiple candies - whether they are your favorites or just fit your color scheme, guests love filling their bags with candy! With these edible options, your guests will either eat it there that night or will be so happy when they get home to snack on it before bed!  Photo Credit: GH Kim Photography Keep Their Beer Cold! Koozies are also another very popular favor. You can find all sorts of clever sayings on etsy or pinterest like - “To have and to hold and to keep your beer cold” or “Let Love Brew”. If you’re not big beer drinkers or are going to be serving beers in pint glasses then I probably would not recommend this. Typically these are handed out at the bar with beers and are also in a basket for guests to take them.  Photo Credit: Lara Kimmerer Double as the Escort Card One great way to ensure your guests get their favor is to attach it to their escort card! In order to find where they are seated they will have to pick up their name with their favor attached. We have see these attached to compasses, starfish, jars of cape cod bath salts, keys and more!  Photo Credit: emilie inc. Donate
If a favor really isn’t your thing, then consider doing a donation of some sort to a cause that means a lot to you and your fiancee. You may have had a friend or relative pass who you would like to honor with a donation. I recommend putting this information on the menu or thank you card at the tables so that your guests know you made this donation on their behalf. Another cool donation type favor I have seen was the replacement of their guest’s carbon footprint to get to their wedding, which was a really unique idea and also helps the planet!  Most brides and grooms are taking advantage of Pinterest to collect ideas and find their colors, flowers, cakes, photo ideas, invitations, you name it. I mean, let’s be honest, it is a wonderful tool that allows you to collect inspiring ideas all in one place. But after a certain point in your planning process you will need to cave to the Pintervention. Yes I said it - You need a Pintervention. Pinterest is a blessing and a curse when it comes to planning your wedding. There are millions of ideas on the internet and there is no better tool that I know of to collect those ideas as you plan. But when it comes to the final months of your planning process, and as you start to really decide what you want for your wedding, you need to revisit your wedding board and clean it up. Delete those ideas that you thought were amazing the day you got engaged and narrow it all down to what you will be actually using for your wedding. Make it really reflect your personality, your colors, your plan. Once you realize you need a Pintervention and you complete your clean-up process, then you need to start restricting yourself on things that you look for or that you pin onto your board. When you reach the 6 month out mark from your wedding day, you need to be sure you have your colors and major ideas decided on, so there is no need to keep looking for other color schemes or themes or dresses! When you get to 2 months out you are going to limit your pinning to just final details and fun things you may want to add, such as escort cards, guest book ideas, cocktail napkins, signage, etc. Don’t get me wrong, as I said, it is a wonderful tool for couples to use, but it is smart to realize when you need to slow down and reign everything in. The last thing you want to do is fall in love with a totally new idea only a couple of months before your wedding! Follow Cape Cod Celebrations on Pinterest  In some way, shape or form at your wedding you are going to want to be sure to say hi and thank each person that was able to join you in the celebration. The receiving line used to be the most popular way to do this, but here are some ideas as to how you can take care of this task, depending on your wedding day schedule. Receiving Line The receiving line is a bit old fashioned, but it does come in rather handy from time to time. If you are getting married at a church and/or you have a lot of time to kill in between your ceremony and reception, I would highly recommend thee receiving line. This way you are able to greet all of your guests, with your parents, immediately after the ceremony, go for photos and meet them at the reception. I typically recommend this for my clients that have more than enough time in between their ceremony and reception. Greeting Guests at the Tables If you do not have time for a receiving line, or think it is too old fashioned, then the fall back would be to greet your guests at the tables after you have finished each course of your meal. It is always nice to have someone in charge of making sure you get back to your seats when each course is brought out so that you do not miss a course. This is a great option, but remember to keep it short and sweet at each table - keep it movong! I would also recommend that you choose to sit at a sweetheart style table so that you are not leaving your guests at your table each time you get up. The Cocktail Hour If you are having a less formal affair, and you are having all of your photos done before the ceremony, then it is perfectly fine to mingle at cocktail hour and visit with all of your guests. That way you can enjoy your meal without interruption and converse with those at your head table. On The Dance Floor If you don't like those options, and would rather keep it super casual, then just thank your guests by dancing the night away with them!!   Photo Credit: Stacey Hedman You said yes! You have a beautiful, sparkling new ring, you can’t get the smile off of your face, so now what? Here is a list of the first 5 things to do once you get engaged. (After jumping for joy and changing your facebook status of course)
Make your guest list One of the most important things to do once you get engaged is to put together your guest list. Without the list you cannot discuss your budget or start thinking about where it will happen. The guest list may change depending on your budget though and could even change if you find the perfect location that can accommodate more or less. But starting with this list will give you a good idea of where you can start looking. Discuss your budget Sit down with your fiance and discuss finances. Who will be paying for the wedding? Will it be the both of you? Your parents? His parents? Think about what you can save and how long you will need in order to be able to save it. Keep in mind that the average cost of a wedding is around $25-$35k. This may also help you to determine if you need to cut back on your list at all. And depending on how long you will need to save, will help you to pick a date. Discuss where you would like it to take place Start a list of locations you would love. Not necessarily venues per se, but more of cities, states, etc. If you are looking at a destination wedding, think about what things that location can offer different times of years. Consider travel, hotel rates, etc. Lots of things to consider when having this discussion, so be sure to take notes and even consider a pros and cons list to help you make the best decision. What time of year? Your answer above will really guide you to the time of year that will work best for you. For example, if you want to have a Cape Cod wedding, and want to have a beach ceremony, you would not choose to get married on the Cape in December. Announce it! Contact your local newspaper, hometown newspaper, or both, and announce your engagement! You can do most of this online nowadays, but be sure to have a super cute pic of you and your fiance that you want to submit along with it. You can always just update your status on facebook too, sociall media does wonders for getting the word out! We are about 5 months away from the NotWedding, but why not get this party started by announcing to you who the happy NotCouple will be! I am super excited to be able to share with everyone that Chris & Peyton Lambton will be joining us at the NotWedding as our bride & groom! They will renew their vows, show off some amazing attire, and party with the guests! Two weeks ago we had an amazing photo shoot at the Knob in Falmouth with Chris and Peyton and a selection of the vendors who will be at the NotWedding. Below are some of my favorites, but you can check out more from Amanda on Shoreshotz blog and check out the super fun video from Harborview Studios! This is only the beginning of the excitement, so be sure to GET YOUR TICKETS NOW to one of the newest bridal events on Cape Cod! You won't want to miss it! NotWedding Save the Date Photo Shoot Photographer - Shoreshotz Design - Cape Cod Celebrations Videographer - Harborview Studios Paper - Dulce Press Furniture - True North Flowers - Designers Touch Hair & Make-Up - Lisa George |
Plan. Relax. Enjoy.At Cape Cod Celebrations, your vision is our brand. Learn more about how we can help you pull together your beautiful Cape Cod Wedding. Archives
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