Planning a wedding can sometimes be a challenge. Planning a wedding that is personal and meaningful to you, your fiance, and your guests can be a monumental undertaking. Following are some tips on how to make your ceremony and reception an event that will be remembered.
CEREMONY
1. Instead of having a traditional bouquet of flowers to carry, consider having your bouquet made into four or five sections. Before the wedding, have your maid of honor hand out sections to important people in your life, such as your mother, your fiance's mother, grandparents, or siblings, and collect the bunches of flowers from each of them as you make your way down the aisle.
2. If someone who was special to you has passed away recently, light a remembrance candle for them during the ceremony, or carry their favorite flower in your bouquet.
3. Get detailed in your wedding program. Include a few sentences about each of your attendants, introducing them and explaining why they are special to you. This might also be a good place to write a heartfelt thank-you to them for taking part in your day. Your program could also include details about your day and the traditions that you are following, such as what you've chosen to use as your 'something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue'.
4. Make your own unity candle. A nice way to make your wedding ceremony more personalized is to make your unity candle together. There are kits available at craft stores that make it easy to pour the wax into a mold to make a unique candle. Consider putting some dried rose petals from your mother's garden or other small items into the wax before it cools, making it special to you and your fiance.
5. Walk down the aisle with both parents. This is a great way to honor both of your parents and show that they are equally special to you.
RECEPTION
1. If you are having assigned tables, don't just number them - name them. Use names of places that are significant to you and your husband-to-be, such as the place he proposed or the site of your first date. Or, if you are the adventurous types, name them after the mountains you plan to climb together after you're married!
2. Rather than having the usual guest book, leave a sheet of stationery and a nice pen at each place setting and ask your guests to write a short note to the happy couple, to be bound in a binder as a timeless keepsake. Or, make a time capsule. Have your guests write out their predictions for where they think you will be in 10 years, and read the notes on your 10-year anniversary.
3. One of the most memorable weddings I attended did not include a receiving line. Instead, the bride and groom had a small cake on each table as a centerpiece. Rather than the usual cake-cutting, they mingled with guests at the reception while they went table to table, serving each cake to their guests. It gave the newlyweds a chance to speak to each of their guests, and was a nice change of pace for the guests.
4. Arrange with your caterer to have a special family dish served at your reception. Is your mom known for her fried chicken? Then why not have the caterers serve it? Include a note on the menu cards telling your guests that it's Mom's special recipe.
5. If you are having assigned tables at your reception, consider leaving a small handwritten note at each place setting telling each guest why you are thankful that he or she could attend.
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