Looking for Wedding Ideas!

[SonjaB]

Okay, guys, Don and I are getting married in January. We want the event to be deeply personal, both for ourselves and our families. I haven't been to a wedding in I don't know when and I'd like some ideas for little touches to make the ceremony/reception really "ours". I have the big things thought out, but I'd really like the details to be special.

Any thoughts? Things you've seen? Anyone? Anyone?

 

[dianeschlicht]

A picture album of your growing relationship is always fun.
I also liked the rose petal packets that one wedding party had given out for the guests to use instead of rice. It was beautiful and less dangerous! Some churches do not allow rice, bird seed or the like, so you have to ask if it is allowed.

At one wedding we went to, each table had a disposable camera on it with a note to take pictures of everyone at that table. I thought that was a nice idea.

 

[Kirby]

I went to my niece's wedding in May. They kept it to about 100 quests. She and her husband did something that I had not seen done before but I really liked.

Instead of having a receiving line at the reception, she and her husband re-entered the church after the wedding party had exited. Then they went to the first pew, dismissed her parents and others on that row, greeting each one individually. Then they went to his parents row and did the same. They kept this up, alternating each row until all the guests had been personally greeted. This way they introduced guests to each other that they didn't know in a more personal manner. And each guest felt welcomed. I thought that it was a unique idea and different.

 

[dianeschlicht]

That has kind of become the norm around here too. I like the idea of the couple ushering the guests out as opposed to the recieving line. Much more personal and real!

 

[CEDmom]

At our wedding after DH and I had danced to our song a few minutes the DJ asked any couples who had been married 25+yrs to join us on the dance floor, then 20, 15, 10 etc. It was really nice to see family and close friends come out and join us. It also gave us a moment to pause and reflect on our committment to one another. Often when planning a wedding and during the ceremony etc you're so caught up in the moment you forget the big picture.

BTW, congratulations and best wishes

 

[dianeschlicht]

Oh yes, I forgot. At one wedding, the bride and groom distributed communion to the guests. That was nice too.

 

[Chattyaholic]

Our DD got married in a beautiful ceremony 3 years ago, a few things she did were: they had single roses in vases in the windows of the church - one for each close family member who had passed away and they had their names printed in the wedding programs too.

Rather than the guests throwing rice, bird seed, or blowing little bubbles, they had a balloon release. A few of the uncles spent an hour or so blowing up white balloons with a helium tank and tying sage green (her main color) ribbons on and then the ushers distributed the balloons to the guests as they were leaving the church. Everyone lined up along either side of the sidewalk and then when the bride and groom came out of the church the guests released their balloons as the couple walked by. It was beautiful, and quite different.

Rather than a pianist or organist, she had a string quartet play at the wedding. Very pretty.

And last but not least, something the groom's family always does at wedding receptions: the groomsmen brought in a bowling ball with a long chain on it and hooked it to the groom's ankle, then they gave the bride a hacksaw and she was supposed to saw through the chain to free him. Turns out the blade was turned the wrong way, which she wasn't supposed to notice, but she did so she kind of spoiled their fun as she was supposed to saw and saw and saw trying to free him from the ball and chain! Got it all on the wedding video, really cute!!

 

[CamColt]

The last 2 weddings Ive gone to have had the coolest favors...cds made by the couple. One had all love songs, including the wedding song, the groom/his mothers song, bride/her fathers song, etc... The other had the wedding song, and a few love songs, but a lot more party type songs, like Oh What a Night, Grease Lightning, Dancing Queen, etc...

 

[ckmommy]

For our wedding, I made paper and used it for the wedding program. We also gave out the communion. We greeted the guests at the reception (just DH and I--no Mom and Dad or others in the wedding). This really made us feel good that we really knew everone at the reception (not that they were just our parents friends). Also, give a rose from your bouquet to your mom (and his mom if you are close) while you are walking down the aisle. I do not know how many people you are inviting, but for our reception, instead of having people tap on their glass to make you kiss, take your responses (the card you recieve back from guests saying if they are attending or what their food choice is) and draw a name from a basket--then have those people kiss each other while you are kissing. That was really fun--even when we picked a card that had three of our bacholer friends names on it!!

 

[SonjaB]

These are GREAT! I've written down a few of them to discuss with Don. Keep 'em coming!!

 

[joats]

A unique idea that one of my bridesmaids came up with for our wedding was to decopage an envelope box.

She bought a cardboard mailbox at a craft store and decorated it using tissue paper and pictures of DH and I from birth to the wedding. A lot of the pictures were silly ones. It also included quotes out of magazines. Of course we had pics of WL and WDW on it as it was our Honeymoon destination.

When people went up to put any gift on the table, they got a big kick out of it. It was definitely a converstaion piece and handy for the uncomfortable "what to do with gift envelopes". Just a little more personal than the norm.

Also, instead of throwing my bouquet, I gave it to my grandmother, who has been a constant support in my life, in a nice presentation.

The possibilities are endless...Just think about what is important to you and what you want people to experience on your big day. The best compliments we received were that they had never seen a bride and groom so happy - we truly had the time of our lives!

Good luck with the planning and wishes for a lifetime of love and happiness!

 

[skuttle]

At one wedding we went to, each table had a disposable camera on it with a note to take pictures of everyone at that table. I thought that was a nice idea.

I was going to suggest the disposable cameras, too! We did this for our wedding and it worked out great! We have some funny pictures from those cameras!! We got a lot more candid shots w/ those cameras than from the professional photographer. My mom got them all developed while we were on our honeymoon and it was great to look at them when we returned.

Congrats on your upcoming wedding!!

 

[debster812]

My DSIL was married a year ago in June:

My favorite thing that they did, was to gather EVERYONE at the church on the church steps, and take a group picture. That picture is in the middle of her album-covering the full 2 pages, and it is gorgeous.

She also gave her bouquet to her grandmother, who was simply reduced to tears when it happend.

Hmmmm, I will have to think some more.

Sonja--you could also start taping A Wedding Story on TLC, I see some things on some of the shows, and some of the ideas are out of this world fabulous. (Some are just plain out of this world, lol, but some are great!)

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

We had the disposable cameras at our reception also. Of course, Lauri's nieces and nephews and my little cousins made sure that there weren't any wasted shots on the cameras.

Thankfully, though, no one did anything like Doug on "The King of Queens" did.

 

[marlasmom]

My daughter had bride and groom Mickey and Minnie on top of her wedding cake. I got it from the Disney catalogue. She also wrote up little "programs" with a list of who was doing what in the ceremony and a little bit about the bride and groom, how they met, etc. and a little blurb about each of the attendants and ushers. She did not have a receiving line - but she and DSIL went around to each table at the reception and spoke to everybody. All the men wore Mickey socks. Cute but very subtle. I bought little bottles of bubble solution which I wrapped in net with ribbons and a tiny flower. We blew bubbles at the bride and groom while they danced their final dance to "When You Wish Upon a Star." I lit a unity candle with the groom's mother. DD and DSIL gave their mothers a rose after the ceremony. She told the florist that she did not want roses or carnations but she wanted fall colors. The centerpieces and bouquets were fantastic - tiger lilies, mums, all sorts of fall flowers (the wedding was in October). Very pretty and unique.

 

[2bemarried]

I love the idea of a balloon release. Wish I had read that before our wedding in May

Hmmm....guess it's not original anymore but I also presented my two grandmothers with my bouquet. I wanted something to honor them for being married for over 50 years and for teaching me so many things in life.

 

[bfeller]

You all have me in tears....what special ways to do things for a wedding.

 

[Sonya]

What we wanted to do was to give all our guests a candle and after we light the unity candle then go and light our parents' candles and they in turn would light the people next to them and so on until the whole church would be bathed in candlelight. The church said it was a fire hazzard and no way.

Instead of rice we had bells. We took little jingle bells and tied them to a card that said:
"Ring this bell loud and clear, when you see the new couple appear"
Kind of cheesy but it was nice to hear the tinkling of little bells.

BTW- did I mention we got married at Christmas?

Congratulations Sonja!



Not to be too negative but releasing baloons could be bad for the enviornment, the string catches wildlife when the baloon finally comes down, and some animals try to eat the flat baloon and choke. At least that is what I was always told.

 

[Mermaid02]

I just went to a wedding on August 2 that was the BEST wedding I have ever been to!

The bride and groom had someone who knew them very well perform the ceremony- he was the grooms cousin-in-law... a lawyer, he was FANTASTIC!

They wrote their vows and they were truly from the heart.

The programs not only gave names but told how the bride/groom knew each attendant (a little paragraph for each). Also with the new couples address!

I have NEVER been to a wedding with such "electricity" in the air! The groom couldn't wait for the bride to come down the aisle, he ran up to where her Dad was walking with her! They smiled and laughed and made lovely little comments all through the ceremony- as did some who were watching.

The tables had pictures on them instead of numbers. When you picked up your favor (a tumbler with their initials and date along with a little saying) on the back of your name card, their was a place name... Mine said, "Griffin Ave. " I was sitting at the table with the street sign at it and on the back of the photo was a paragraph telling about why that place was important to the couple (it was the street where the bride grew up!)

They had a slide show before they started dancing... each of them growing up and things they have done since they have been together.

If I remember more I will post it later! It was tons of fun!!

 

[kathymc]

couple of things from our wedding a few (wow almost 6!) years ago that we thought was special

someone already suggested something similar. we danced to "can I have this dance for the rest of my life" and had all the married couples come up - then the dj made people who were married 2 - 5- 10 years sit down so the last couple dancing with us was the longest married couple - 57 years! I gave my DH aunt my toss bouquet for being the longest married.

also, instead of favors we made a donation to the Jimmy Fund in everyones honor - just had little cards printed up that said that. I have seen this done more and more frequently now.

whatever you do it will be a special day - good luck and congratulations!