Cape Cod Celebrations has been fortunate enough to have an amazing young woman interning with us for the past 2 years and who will be joining us again this summer, but not only as our intern, but also our new admin! Olivia has been studying event planning at UMASS Amherst and will be graduating a semester early this fall - smarty pants! Words cannot express how grateful I am that Olivia found us. Her drive and attention to detail is well beyond her years. And in her 2+ years with us she has been on site with me to trouble shoot events with no air conditioning on one of the hottest days of the year, but also to be thankful for beautiful days like the one above at Chequesset Golf Club. We love you Olivia! Thank you for being so awesome!
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One of the most dreaded planning components of any wedding is where and how to seat the guests. Long tables or rounds? Assigned seating or open seating? Can Aunt Martha sit at the same table with Uncle Bob? There is not really any easy way to figure it all out, but we can provide you with some ideas to help to make the decision on how the seating will work best at your wedding. Long Tables or Rounds
To be honest, I really feel that either work. A lot of people will say that the long tables are not as good for conversation, but I can also see how the rounds may not be good for conversation either. So I would base it off of what you want your aesthetic to be in your space. It is very popular now to do a mix of shapes as well to give more movement to the room. Open Seating If you have under 50 guests at your event, you are more than welcome to skip the escort cards and just let your guests seat themselves. The only caveat I have for this, is to make sure you have a table, or tables, reserved for the bridal party and family. If you skip this part, the bride and groom may end up at a table that they do not want to sit at! Escort Cards If you have over 50 guests, I highly recommend escort cards. An escort card is what guests pick up and “escort” them to their table. This could be anything from a tented card with their name and table number to a tag on their favor which they take to the table with them or a map on an easel with names in alpha order. One big thing that brides tend to forget is that the escort cards need to be in alphabetical order, not table number order, and it is so nice to hand them over to your planner or catering manager in that order. Saves tons of time! Place Cards If you are having more of an upscale event, or if you want to assign specific seats at the table, you would start with escort cards to get the guest to the table and then you would have place cards in front of each seat showing where that guest would sit. This is not necessary, but some couples find that they prefer this so that they know that people sitting next to each other at the table will make conversation. One thing to consider when building your seating plan is that your guests will really only be seated for 1-1.5 hours. Most of them are all just waiting for the dance floor to open! So don’t stress about it too much! Who? What? Where? When? Always big questions come up when figuring out who will toast the happy couple the weekend of their wedding. Here are some key ideas to help scheduling your toasting throughout your wedding festivities. Who? Father of the Bride (Mother of the Bride could also do this with the FOB) What? Usually toasts the couple and thanks everyone for coming to celebrate Where? Typically this happens the night of the wedding When? I like to recommend this toast right after everyone has taken their seats (after introductions and maybe even after the first dance). It typically is the first toast of the night Who? Best Man What? Usually toasts primarily to the Groom and their relationship, but brings in great stories about how the couple met and tries not to embarrass anyone….too much. Where? The night of the wedding. When? Can be after the Father of the Bride toast before dinner, or after dinner is complete. Who? Maid of Honor What? Usually toasts primarily to the Bride and their relationship, brings in great stories about hour the couple met. Usually less embarrassing and more sweet. Where? The night of the wedding, unless the MOH would rather toast at the rehearsal dinner When? After the Best Man toast. Who? The Happy Couple What? Usually thank their parents, the bridal party and everyone for coming and sometimes they share words about each other. Where? This is usually at both the rehearsal dinner and the night of the wedding. The rehearsal dinner is to really thank family and bridal party with gifts and the wedding is to thank the guests for coming. When? At the rehearsal dinner or wedding it is typically after dinner has completed. Who? Parents of the Groom What? Usually toasts the couple and the parents of the bride for hosting the next day Where? At the rehearsal dinner if they are hosting When? Before dinner is served Who? Other Random Toasters What? Typically the other random toasts are more like roasts Where? At the rehearsal dinner. It is always good to let others toast you at the rehearsal dinner so that your wedding night is not full of tons of people talking which can take away from precious dance time. When? After all of the toasting by the couple has completed. Have you ever thought of having your wedding on Cape Cod on or around Halloween? There are many brides out there that love the holiday and take it to a whole new level when it comes to throwing a Halloween wedding! There are many locations on Cape that would be perfect for your themed event and lots of fun things you can do to give your guests a spooky experience on Cape Cod!
Location When looking for your Halloween wedding venue, look for historic locations like the Captain Linnell House, The Lighthouse Inn, or Dan’l Webster. Consider locations that would be really fun to go out after in costume like Provincetown! The more historic you can get with the right lighting, it can make for a really fun event! Colors Orange, yellow and black are the obvious choices, but what about considering purples, deep reds and golds to take it from a “kids Halloween party” feel to a more adult Halloween wedding feel. Sparkles are always a good idea at a Halloween party! Find a rental company that may offer different or interesting linens to make your tables pop. Costumes! If you are really, truly a Halloween junkie, then you must ask your guests to dress in costume! You could keep it basic and just have them pick their own, or you could give them a theme like Great Gatsby for a fancier event or maybe something more Cape Cod like Pirates and Mermaids! Have fun with it! Food I think a candy bar is a must! Reach out to a professional, like the ladies at The Perfect Table (pictured above with Chocolate Rose Cake Shoppe and True North Tables), and have them put together a super fun Halloween candy display for you. For your main course, I think stations would be more appropriate, instead of a sit down dinner. Or you could do a cocktail party with tons of great appetizers and mini desserts, and of course a spooky signature drink. Have Fun! Think outside of the box and find ways to do Halloween with a twist of wedding bells! You can have fun naming your tables, sending creative invites or choosing a theme. I can tell you honestly that I am not a huge fan of Halloween, but I would have so much fun planning a Halloween wedding! In your planning process have you had anyone ask you if you are going to do a first look or if you are going to see each other for the first time when you walk down the aisle? If not, then start thinking about it! Coming from a planner or a photographer’s perspective this is a very important decision to make, as it can play a major role in how your time line unfolds and if you get any time at your cocktail hour. Take a look at some of the things you should consider when making this decision about your wedding day. First Look So what is a “first look” anyway? A first look is when there is a private moment when just you and your fiance get to see each other for the first time before the wedding and the photographer is there to capture this amazing moment. Why is it a good idea? 1. They are great when you have a very tight time line and you have a lot of photos to take. By doing a first look, this opens up more time prior to the ceremony to get all of your photos completed so that you can join cocktail hour almost immediately after the ceremony is complete. 2. It is a very private moment where it is just the two of you (and the photographer) where you get to see each other, hug, kiss, cry, smile, with no one else watching. 3. It takes some (not all) of the nerves away, making walking down the aisle more comfortable. Down the Aisle So what does “down the aisle”mean anyway? Down the aisle means that you want to see your fiance for the first time that day when you are at the top of the aisle walking towards him or her. Prior to that moment you would have seen each other the night before at the rehearsal. Why is it a good idea? 1. Seeing each other for the first time down the aisle is very traditional and means a lot to certain people to have it be done this way. 2. If you have a long break between your ceremony and cocktail hour, you will have plenty of time for photos in between, so there is no rush to get to cocktail hour. 3. Your family and friends get to witness the joy and happiness and the amazing reaction you will have when you finally see each other! The choice is ultimately yours and in most cases you can choose to do it either way! What about the groom?!? It seems that on the wedding day the groom always gets the easy way out - quick shower, shave and get dressed and he is on his way while the ladies are up at 8am starting to get ready. There are some very important roles of the groom on the wedding day and we wanted to focus today’s post on what those are so you can share this with your lucky groom!
The Rings! The groom is typically in charge of the rings, which then he in turn puts his best man in charge of. If you have a ring bearer under the age of 5 I would highly recommend putting fake rings on the pillow and just giving the real rings to the best man. It is the groom’s job though to be sure the right person has the rings ready for the ceremony! The Marriage License The groom is also in charge of getting the marriage license to the officiant the day of the wedding or at the rehearsal if your officiant is there. All you have to do is hand it off, the officiant takes care of the rest! Easy job! How to Tie a Bowtie Now this is not for all grooms, but if you are a groom with a bowtie, please, please, please be sure you know how to tie the bowtie on yourself and on others. If you are making your groomsmen wear them as well, you are most likely going to need to know how to tie them for them. Gratuities If you do not have a wedding planner to handle final payments and gratuities for your vendors, the groom should be prepared to tip your vendors or should assign one of his groomsmen to take care of the task. The guys are typically the only ones with pockets! Arrive to the Church On Time The groom is also responsible for getting himself and his groomsmen to the church on time. Usually the men are the first to the church and are in charge of ushering guests to their seats and handing out programs. The groom can be seen by guests before the wedding, but he can also wait somewhere with his best man if he would rather not chat with others. Arrange for a Way to Get Home If you are spending your wedding night somewhere off site of the reception, the groom should be in charge of making sure hum and his new wife have a safe way to get to their room. That could be a taxi, a school bus, a trolley, a friend, you name it! Just be sure you have a way to get there! Have Fun! Last but certainly not least, be sure to have fun on your wedding day! Enjoy every last minute of it because it will fly by! Take a few minutes with just you and your bride after the ceremony and during certain times throughout the night and just remember that moment you are in and how much fun you are having. It will be an amazing day! So what is your music style? Do you have one? Classical? Modern? Old School? When considering music for your wedding, don’t forget to think about what you will have playing as you walk down the aisle, as you leave the ceremony and while your guests are enjoying cocktails and hors d’oevures. Below are some ideas you can consider for any and all of the above. Be sure to consider your style and vision - you don’t have to have “Here comes the bride” played as you enter if it doesn’t suit you! Ceremony Classical - If you are a classic person, then start by considering classical composers like Pachabel, Bach, Beethoven - the typical songs being Canon in D, Trumpet Voluntary, Wedding March, etc. These can be easily played by a string quartet, harp, pianist or organist. A handful of churches will only allow for sacred music, so be sure to ask your officiant if you are getting married in a church. And most churches will have a pianist or organist from the church that you either have to use, or will have the option to use. They can typically play most of the classical music. Modern - If you want to bring a twist to your ceremony and you have the option to do so - like at an outside venue, museum, etc. - then you can consider almost anything and everything you love. You could play Bruno Mars, Amazing, as you walk down the aisle and the Beatles, All You Need is Love, as you exit, anything goes! Get creative, think outside the box. Play the songs you love! Think about taking a popular song and having it played on a classical instrument like a harp or acoustic guitar. Or if you have a couple of first dance options and only have to choose one, then think about using the others during your ceremony. Cocktail Hour Depending on what instruments you have at your ceremony, I would recommend seeing if they can also play for your cocktail hour. Or you can also have your DJ or band play for your cocktail hour as well. It usually makes the most sense to have someone that is already going to be there to play during that hour. Unless you want to bring in a specialty instrument like a steel drum or an accordion! The cocktail hour is also a place to have fun with music. If you are Irish and you want to bring in Irish music into your day, this is a great place to do that and wow your guests. It is also a good place to play music that you may want to hear, but is not really right for dinner or dancing music. Think about it, it could be the perfect touch that your wedding needed! 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! Winter A beautiful, quiet time on Cape Cod and a great way to save a lot of money! Venues and vendors do deep discounts in the winter for weddings because they hardly exist! So, if you love snow and the cold, and want to save a buck, choose winter for your wedding on Cape Cod. Spring Spring on Cape Cod is a mix of weather - could snow, could rain, could be 70 and sunny. Spring is tricky on Cape Cod, but that does not stop anyone from getting married that time of year! Early spring - March and April - you can find deals at venues as well as at hotels for your guests. Once you hit Memorial Day, rates start to go up and the Cape starts to get rather busy. June is one of the busiest months on Cape for weddings, so if you have your heart set on June, book early! Summer This is the busiest season on Cape Cod due to the weather of course! Beach days galore! Summer is a beautiful time to get married on the Cape, just take note that July & August have the highest rates of the year for hotels and venues and can also have the most traffic. So be prepared and tell your guests and vendors ahead of time about the options they have available to them. September is also considered summer and is also one of the most popular months on the Cape for weddings, so book early! Fall My personal favorite, fall is a beautiful time on the Cape. You can still get a 70 degree day even in October sometimes! Granted it is hurricane season, and one year we did have snow in October, but I would have to say that October is my favorite month for weddings on the Cape. And even November and early December can be beautiful for a fall themed wedding. I highly recommend choosing a venue that does not require a tent though, less stress that time of year due to the possible weather scenarios. I am feeling really sappy today and have been reminiscing about all of the years I have been working with amazing couples, their family and friends, and some fabulous vendors and just had to pause to write this post and say THANK YOU. I would not be where I am today, coming up on my 7th Anniversary in September, without all of you. Your kind words that you share about my team and me on wedding websites, to your friends, to others wanting to get married on beautiful Cape Cod are just unreal and I am so gracious for every last word. And to my awesome team - Ashley, Mandee and Marni - Cape Cod Celebrations would definitely not have grown to where it is today without you. You are all amazing people and your continued support does not go unnoticed. To my wonderful husband and son who deal with my insane schedule every year - Thank you :) Your unconditional love and support makes me who I am and allows me to do what I love. I cannot wait to work with all of our couples this year, one down and a lot more to go! We will be at some beautiful locations with some really different and new concepts which we cannot wait to share with all of you! And don't forget the NotWedding this November! Another amazing opportunity I cannot believe I get to bring to life - Thanks Callie! Thank you so much. |
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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