Urban Elegance Awaits at the Los Angeles Athletic Club

There are some places, some buildings, that are so inviting and magnetic that you just don't want to leave after you arrive.  The historic Los Angeles Athletic Club is one such building.  As you pull up to the 100 year old Beaux-Art style building, it's very presence says "Welcome" to you and your guests.  It is - without question - one of the most elegant, spacious, stylish, and memorable venues for your Los Angeles wedding. 

The history of the building adds depth to the venue.  The Los Angeles Athletic Club began it's life in 1880 at a location on Spring Street downtown.  When a hotel was demolished on the current 7th Street location, they seized the opportunity to build their club building, and opened this location in 1912.  It was the first building in Los Angeles to have an indoor pool on an upper floor.  Entering the building, you sense the feeling of time, the feeling that you are almost taking a step back to another time and another place.....that embodies our romanticized visions of what glamorous Los Angeles life was like over the course of the past 100 years.  It is at once comforting and refreshing, and offers a perfect backdrop for your event.

The ballroom floor will make your jaw drop from the time the elevator doors open.  It is simply beautiful and welcoming.  The high ceilings, dramatically large windows, the rich flooring and detailed carpet, the warmth of the wood paneling, the feminine touch of the intricate chandeliers, the spaciousness that allows your guests comfort throughout your day are all magnificent.  The Los Angeles Athletic Club is one wedding venue where your guests will never feel cramped or claustrophobic.  You and your guests have the entire third floor at your disposal...the ballroom, the foyer, the club room with a quintessential wooden bar, and the vast hall.  

The rooftop is available for both ceremonies and receptions as well.  When you step onto the rooftop, it takes your breath away.  On one level, it almost makes you feel like a kid again, looking up at the skyscrapers surrounding you like a modern day forest.  The iconic Southern California skies shine down on you and your guests as you celebrate your love and your future in a place that so few people will ever see.  It is magical.  At An Amazing Affair, we recommend having your ceremony on the rooftop, and your reception in the ballroom for a perfectly wondrous event (although you can do both in either place).  

But what about the food?  Certainly your food choices are one of the most important aspects of your wedding!  Rest assured - the food at your LAAC wedding will be memorable for all of the right reasons!   The gourmet food is not only delicious and varied, it is also beautifully presented and graciously served.  

Working together with the chef, you can personalize your Los Angeles Athletic Club wedding menu to reflect the style and taste of both of you, as a couple.  

There is a delightful Bridal Lounge where the bride and her attendants can relax and prepare for the big event.  It is private, quiet, and offers to opportunity for some great candid shots and posed portraits.  The bridal party has access to this lounge throughout the event, offering a refuge from the madding crowd if needed!  

One of the reasons we love the Los Angeles Athletic Club is because the attention to detail, the style, the feeling, the romance, permeates the entire building.  Frankly, in some venues, the foyer and entryway are nice, and the front of the ceremony room might be nice, but the rest of the place may be vanilla and plain.  Not so at the LAAC - every detail - down to the newly built women's restroom on the third floor - is authentic, inspiring, and beautiful.  

If you are considering a Los Angeles Destination Wedding, you definitely need to look at the LAAC.  The boutique hotel is highly rated, and newly renovated.  Your guests will be treated to breakfast each morning, and will be able to use the gym as well during their stay.  Having your wedding at the LAAC makes it easy to turn it into a whole weekend event, maximizing the amount of time you have to spend with friends and family creating memories that will last a lifetime.

As far as style goes, this is a venue that allows you to have any type of style or theme at your wedding that you desire.  If you are considering having an Art Deco themed wedding, it would be hard to find a place better suited than the Los Angeles Athletic Club.  

A few practical notes about having your wedding at LAAC - 

*  Even though it has a vibrant downtown location, parking is no problem as they have their own private parking garage.

*  The LAAC Ballroom and third floor will accommodate up to 350 guests wonderfully.  The rooftop will hold 200 guests comfortably.

Contact us for more information or to schedule a tour of this iconic, historic, romantic venue at bridgetanndooney@anamazingaffair.com.  An Amazing Affair will be happy to help you create the wedding of a lifetime for you and your loved ones.  

Top 10 Fresh Ideas for Kids at Your Wedding

Ever wonder how many brides and grooms have children at their weddings?  According to a recent Brides Magazine survey, 63% of couple have children at their wedding and their reception!  If you are one of the 37% of couple with no kids at the wedding, check out our blog on personalizing your wedding.  But if you are going to have children at your wedding, read on!  We have assembled our Top 10 Fresh Ideas for what to do to ensure your littlest guests have a memorable time and the adults do too.  These ideas are mainly for the 12 and under set, as most teens enjoy the opportunity to play "grown up" and want to be treated as the adults are treated.

One note for the ceremony - have the ushers seat the families with children towards the rear of the ceremony location, and near the aisle.  Have your wedding coordinator ready to escort any parents with a distressed child to a room in the venue where they can calm the child without disrupting the ceremony.  At An Amazing Affair Wedding Planning, we set up a lounge area with bottled water, coffee for the parents, a few snacks, books, toys, and a comfortable place to sit for the calming area.  

For the Ceremony

1.  Goody baskets!  Have your ushers greet families with children as they enter your ceremony location and have them hand out small baskets or fabric bags with quiet toys and a book.  Make sure that the container itself is not noisy!  Paper bags and plastic bags make noise taking things in and out.  Some possible items would be a small picture book, felt finger puppets, small stuffed animals, or a soft doll.  If you put any snacks in the bag, make sure they are not cellophane wrapped!  Goldfish or Cheerios in a small plastic container with a flip top would be quiet.  If you are only having a handful of children, take the time to personalize their goody basket.  

2.  Rehearse! Rehearse! Rehearse with the children!  Especially the younger ones!  Oftentimes at rehearsals, people use words that may be unfamiliar to a 4 year old, and they may nod in agreement out of their natural desire to do a good job for the wedding.  "Walk slowly down the aisle" is everyday to us...a youngster may not be so sure about what that really means.  Have them do it several times.  It is something that your wedding planner can do with any children in the wedding while the officiant is speaking to the couple and the bridal party.  

For the Pictures:

3.  Get the photos with the kids FIRST!!  Let me be frank - I even got bored while getting my pictures taken at my own wedding....and I am in my forties!!  Photo sessions can be torturous for children, and can be the beginning of a spiral effect of bad behavior carrying over into the reception.  Plan with your photographer to get those first, then set the children free!  

4.  Get Real...Candids of children will be some of your most beautiful photos.  Make sure to ask your photographer to capture candids of your youngest guests throughout their time at the celebration.  have your wedding coordinator or one of the bridesmaids let the parents of children know that we want to capture them when they are unaware, and ask them not to say "Smile!" or "Say Cheese!" or distract their precious little ones when they see their photo being taken! (nicely, of course)

For the Cocktail Hour and Reception: (make sure you read number 10!)

5.  COCKTAIL HOUR is critical!  If children are not considered for the cocktail hour, it can set the seeds of discontent, distraction, and disturbance for the reception!!  We call it "taking a kid's eye view" of the cocktail hour.  Have a full service lemonade stand set up near one of the bars just for the kids.  Your reception sitter can man the stand.  Have a child sized hor d'oeuvres table set up near the lemonade stand, with a table for them to sit and enjoy their snacks and relax as a reward for their excellent behavior during the ceremony.  BONUS - this allows the parents to relax during cocktail hour too.  

6.  All together now!  Have the children sit together at a child sized table if possible. Offer a child friendly menu! Think about when you were a kid....didn't you love it when things were sized down for you?  I did.  It seemed more special.  *Again - this should be for 12 and under-ish.  If you know the children, you will know if they want to be with the kids or with the grown ups.  We create special arrangements just for the kids' table.  Here is a list of great items to have on the kids' table:

• tic-tac-toe boards
• small puzzles and games (travel sizes are awesome!)
• a photo album with pictures of them, their families, and their pets - they can look through and try to find themselves! (I have seen groups of kids around one chair all looking to see themselves.  We actually can coordinate with the parents bringing children to your event and get the photos and assemble this for you.)
• disposable cameras - you will be amazed at the pictures they take.  Some will be amazingly awful....some will be amazingly touching, from a child's perspective.

7.  VIP Kids Lounge - especially if there will be more than 8 children attending the wedding and reception.  We love to set up a separate tent or room as the VIP kid's area.  It is stocked with everything kid's would love.  Games, toys, electronics when possible, bean bag chairs or low slung gaming seats, easels & smocks in a painting area, craft kits, drinks, food, music, movies, even a ball pit depending on how many kids there will be.  This can help you avoid one of the common pet peeves of having children at a wedding - when they dominate the dance floor.  If they have their own enticing area, you are more likely to avoid this situation.

8.  Let them eat (their own) CAKE!  Have a children's cake, and join them to cut it.  Take a moment for the bride and the groom to go to the children's lounge, and have them cut the children's cake surrounded by all the children who have participated in and attended their special day.  This creates such a lovely photo!!  

9.  Give them a MYSTERY to solve!  When you know you will have a lot of 8 - 11 year olds attending, give them a mystery to solve, or a scavenger hunt to follow.  Children at this age love to utilize their improving reading skills and cunning insight to figure things out.  At An Amazing Affair, we have four different mystery scenarios - complete with props, clues, and materials ready for you to implement for your younger guests.  We also create scavenger hunts as needed, taking the theme of the wedding and the venue into consideration.  This makes it so memorable for the children, and there is not even a chance for them to get bored (unless of course, as so often happens, one of your young guests has a sardonic side that comes out).   

10.  Most important!!  HIRE A PROFESSIONAL SITTER!!  Please please please trust us when we tell you - your 14 year-old niece does NOT want to be the sitter for your wedding.  She wants to wear a gorgeous dress, mix and mingle with any other teens that may be there, observe the young adults, and dream of her own big day in the future!  She will say yes to you out of obligation.....not desire.  Also, as wonderful as your niece may be, unless she is a trained camp counselor during the summer, she probably does not have experience wrangling a group of children, possibly jacked up on sugar, in fancy clothes they may not be used to wearing, wondering why Mommy and Daddy are paying attention to everyone else and listening to grown ups prattle on and on.  A professional child care provider will add such a layer of confidence to you and the parents of the children attending.  It will allow all of your guests to truly be guests, and not be harried watching over the children.  You should have a professional child care provider available from the beginning of the cocktail hour through the reception.  We will work with you to set up however many sitters you will need based on how many children will be there.  This service can be custom tailored to whatever needs you and your guests may have.  It is money well spent, if you are going down the road of having pint-sized guests.  They should also sit at the children's table through the dinner.

Children can add life, humor, and feelings of family to a wedding in a unique way.  Just make sure that you and your planner do a separate "children's plan" to ensure that their needs are considered throughout the event, and that it will be fun and memorable for them as well as the adults.  

 What ideas do you have for children at a wedding?  We would love to hear what you did at your wedding for the little ones.  Contact us at bridgetanndooney@anamazingaffair.com for more information, or for assistance planning your wedding, wherever you may be located!

So Many Colors, Too Many Choices: How to Pick Colors for Your Wedding

Sometimes couples are surprised by what they assumed would be a somewhat simple decision being harder than they expected - deciding what their colors will be for their wedding! It can be hard. The colors you choose can impact the formality of the wedding, the overall atmosphere conveyed by the tablescapes and decor, and the implementation of a theme. Brides and grooms may disagree on what color scheme to choose. On top of that, if some of the parents are paying for the wedding, they may feel that they should have some veto power, or at least a vote.

But let's set all of that aside for the moment, and talk about a few ways you can find inspiration for your color scheme, aside from just looking in bridal magazines.



1. Look in your closet

There is probably a prevailing color, or a a tone that is prominent. This can be a launching point for selecting your scheme. If this was one of our client's closets, we would recommend looking at guavas, persimmons, corals, and possibly watermelon with accents of brown.



2. An absolutely mesmerizing scarf.

At An Amazing Affair, we have a huge lot of scarves - from the '60's through today - with all tones, shades, patterns and colors. It is a box of inspiration that we add to frequently. If you see a scarf that catches your eye, it can serve as your color swatch as you design your entire wedding! We have had brides that then use the inspirational scarf as the wrap on their bridal bouquet instead of ribbon. Such a nice touch.



These three Liberty of London Scarves give you an idea of how a scarf can give you inspiration for a main color, a complementary color and an accent color that all work together (that you may not notice otherwise).


3. Go to the paint store!

While working with a Santa Barbara bride several years ago, she and her fiance had reached a mental block in regards to what color scheme to use. He wanted more vibrant colors, she was a fan of more muted, earthy tones. Looking in magazines did not seem to work. Looking in the scarf box nearly led to a..... let's say a heated debate. A trip to a gown store was system overload for the groom. I looked at the two of them and said, "Get in your car and follow me." I took them to the Home Depot. (Needless to say - they were confused in the parking lot!)

We went inside and went straight to the paint department. I asked them to pick at least three combination cards (one of the cards with a main color, an accent color, and the trim color). It was so cute - they asked if they could look together or if it had to be separately! I told them either way was fine, and stepped out of their way. It was so heartwarming to see them start to chat over the paint chips, and ask each other's opinion, and select several cards - together.



Paint experts know what will work as an ensemble of color. If it works in a beautiful interior, it will work in your wedding. The groom may also be more comfortable discussing colors in the comfort of the hardware store.




4. Hit the Art Museum

This may seem obvious, but if you are having a mental block regarding color scheme, head to an art museum or gallery. See what catches your eye. The cool thing is if one particular piece really gets your attention, you can often purchase a postcard or small copy of the artwork in the gift shop and have that as your inspiration centerpiece throughout the planning process.



One of our clients then had the artwork at the wedding as part of the reception table decor. While the Impressionist genre naturally offers a lot of inspiration, look at other types of artwork as well. you might be surprised at what will touch your heart, and your eyes.


5. Nature

This one is a no brainer. Head out to a botanical garden or a local nursery, and see what nature has to offer. Forests, hiking paths through canyons or meadows, and parks are all options. Another great place to go is near a body of water - the colors and reflections near any water is incredible. Just get outside!

It is best if you can actually go out and visit in person rather than just search galleries online. When you are searching for inspiration, your best bet is to engage as many of your senses as possible.



Hopefully, if you are facing a mental block regarding your color scheme one of these ideas will help you make a decision. With most of these ideas, you can incorporate a fun date with your fiance as you do your research.

Contact us at An Amazing Affair via email at bridgetanndooney@anamazingaffair.com or give us a call at 310.909.6769 for further assistance and even more color ideas.

Bridget Ann Dooney
Certified Bridal Consultant
An Amazing Affair

Theme for your wedding? Or no theme? That is the question...

Or someone would say at a 'Hamlet" wedding!  

Themed weddings used to be the predilection of science fiction fans, renaissance faire addicts, and civil war reenactors.  Then the 'Gone with the Wind' devotees.  The historical fiction lovers.  The Disneyphiles.  The French Revolution libertines.  The Vampire and zombie wanna-bes.  

Now it seems to have boiled down to "themed" and "non themed".  (And - for those of you that think that a color scheme is a theme - I beg to differ.  It is a color scheme!)  And nearly everything and anything goes!  (Cole Porter theme, anyone?)  Themes can revolve around the bride and grooms favorite pastimes, their favorite cities or places, favorite movies, or events.  Favorite authors, books, historical time periods, music, types of travel, holidays, or food.  Or, as previously stated, anything goes!

There are passionate arguments for having a theme, and equally passionate arguments for making your theme simply 'your wedding'!  Here are some of the arguments put forth in favor of themed weddings and receptions:

  

1.  Themes make your wedding different and memorable.  Not many people can forget a Star Trek wedding conducted on a replica of the bridge of the Starship Enterprise.  Nor will many people forget a Zombie wedding.  How about a Moulin Rouge wedding?  Although the main components of ceremony/cocktail hour/reception will probably be followed, the theme adds a dramatic element that can be very memorable.  

2.  Themes make it easier to choose decorations, formality, dresses/attire, and music.    (How do you dance with music that goes with science fiction?  Hhhmmm.)  There are so many choices to make while planning a wedding.  Having a theme eliminates many options, so theoretically, choices will be easier.

3.  Themes definitely give you the opportunity to express what makes the two of you, as a couple, special (aside from your love and devotion to each other!).  

There are a few things to consider when choosing a theme wedding.  How far do you want to carry the theme?  From the "Save-the-Date" cards all the way through to the Thank You cards?  Will it be a part of the ceremony itself, or just the reception?  If you are getting married at a religious venue, are their limitations on decor or changes to the traditional ceremony to accommodate a theme?  If the theme is just going to be "sprinkled on top" of the reception, will it even make sense to the guests? Or just be a distraction from the main event?  

One of the main arguments against having a themed wedding is that a wedding is a theme in and of itself!  Many marrying couples prefer to have the essential fact that they found each other, and they are openly celebrating the creation of their new family, and commemorating their love for each other is the theme.  

If you are getting married, are you planning on having a theme?  For the already marrieds, did you have a theme?  If so, what was it, and how did it go?

In this blog, we will be discussing different theme options for couples in the future.  Feel free to contact us at An Amazing Affair to explore a theme for you and your wedding now though!  No need to wait!

Thanks for reading - have a great day!

Kids at the wedding? Or no kids at the wedding?

Romantic visions of girls with charming dresses with bows and sashes being chased across a lush green lawn by tuxedoed boys, bow ties askew, with gorgeous grown ups looking on holding champagne flutes and knowing grins on their faces.....that is the dream of kids at your wedding.  And this moment might happen.  Other moments might happen too - a child crying right during the exchange of vows, and no one beyond the first two rows can here you.  Toddlers and young children taking over the dance floor.  Temper tantrums.  Tipsy teens (inadvertently, of course).  Sugar crazies followed by sleeping sugar slumps. And, this is tough to say but true, spotlight stealers.  

Absolutely, your own children and your fiance's children should be there and when it is right for the kids, be a part of the proceedings.  But how do you decide on other people bringing their children?  If you do decide to have "No Kids", at what age are they able to come?  How do you address this in invitations and addressing of invitations?  And, worst of all, how do you handle it if you are having a "No Kids" wedding and someone shows up with their kids?  Argh.  

First of all, let me assure you that this is a choice that you and your fiance can make confidently and based on your desires entirely.  Do not allow anyone else to pressure you one way or the other.  The two of you need to decide privately, and then stand behind your decision.  In all likelihood, you will be spending somewhere between $25,000 to $40,000 (if not more) on this ceremonial life changing event.  You get to decide, and either decision is fine.  Your 6 year old nephew will have no lasting impact on his life one way or the other if he attends your wedding or not.  And the new parents that just cannot imagine leaving Junior or Junette with a sitter at just 9 months old - they will either get a sitter and thank you later, or they can stay home and you and your love will still get married and have an awesome time.

Second, if you dream of being surrounded by lovely children like an Estee Lauder perfume advertisement, you can do that too!!  You run the risk of having people get upset that children are there.  Too bad!  This is one issue where, as mentioned above, you and your fiance decide to suit yourselves.  So, your Uncle Herbert might leave the reception early because of all the young hooligans, or you may hear chatter that the kids are interfering with the dancing.  Oh well.  If you have the feeling and photos and ambiance you want, then that is all that matters.

So, here are some thoughts to consider while making the decision:

1.  Wedding days are long - even for adults.  

2.  The time of day and your venue may help make the decision.  An outdoor daytime wedding will handle the presence of children with less impact on other guests than a formal evening with dinner and dancing in a banquet hall. 

3.  Guests want to hear the vows and the ceremony (usually!).  Babies and children can interfere with this in a significant way.  Work with your wedding coordinator to have a separate room or area with a video feed so that parents that need to leave with a crying child can still watch the proceedings without ruining it for other guests.  Let your guests know that you have set up this special lounge for them.  

4.  If you are having your wedding at a hotel or a banquet facility, arrange a daycare room, and provide a Red Cross Certified babysitter for your guests to use as needed.  This can be a godsend for the parents of babies and toddlers, especially if they are traveling from out of town and have to bring their kids with them on the trip.

5.  If you are not having children at the wedding, include information regarding babysitting services in your area to your out of town guests.  Many hotels have recommended and approved sitters that will come right to the hotel.  Or www.care.com and www.sittercity.com have built good reputations for having skilled and reliable sitter services.

There really isn't a right or wrong answer regarding this issue.  Make your own choice.  Remember, as W. C. Fields said, "Never work with children or animals".  However, I believe he did both!

Let me know if you have any questions, or additional ideas on this issue!

Wedding Pitfalls to Avoid

Everyone has such high hopes for a perfect day at their wedding.  However, guests are sometimes left scratching their heads in wonderment at planning pitfalls that make it less than wonderful for them!  Of course, everyone wants the bride and groom to have the day of their dreams, but guests want to have fun too! Oh, you are planning your wedding, and just want it to be perfect.  The perfect time, the perfect place, and perfect experience for your guests.  Here are some common pitfalls in wedding planning that may look good on paper - that usually do not translate well for the attendees of your wedding: 1.  A long gap between the ceremony and the cocktail hour or reception.  This might be convenient for the wedding party, as it gives them time to take photographs, catch their breath now that the "main event" is over, and it is sometimes created in order to meet religious requirements for the time of the wedding and the type of reception desired.  It is hard to match up Roman Catholic Nuptial Masses (usually before noon on Saturdays) and a dance party reception long into the night!  As participants in the wedding, the bride and groom, ushers and bridesmaids, and family really will not plan on doing anything else on the wedding day.  however, most local guests have their regular life going on.  It can be difficult to attend the ceremony and then wait for hours to go to the reception.  Try to avoid this if at all possible. 2.  A long distance between the ceremony location and the reception.  (Especially for Los Angeles weddings!!)  You may have your heart set on the church near the home where you grew up, and the Country Club 50 miles away.  This creates stress for nearly all of your guests!  They will do it because they love you, but believe me, they will be grumbling about it to each other!  If you are in a metropolitan area, such as Washington, D.C., or Los Angeles, or New York, this can create a logistical headache with real consequences.  Traffic can tie up guests and cause events to start late, out of town guests can get lost, (sometimes very lost - we had a guest go east when she should have gone west from LAX and she ended up an hour and a half away.  She says Pasadena is lovely!!), and people may leave your event early to get home at a decent hour.  The out of town guests will debate about where to stay - near the ceremony or reception.  You may lose out on the opportunity for visiting with out-of-towners due to running the roads.  Give this serious consideration! 3.  Not enough space during the cocktail hour.  Some brides and grooms, when wedding planning, give short shrift to the cocktail hour.  DON'T!!  Guests love the cocktail hour!  It loosens them up and gets them ready to party and have a good time.  Many times, it seems that venues will try to squish people into a hallway, or a space that is too small without enough seats or tables for people to set down their drinks.  Your guests have gone out of their way to come to your big day - let them relax in comfort after the ceremony! 4.  Long Lines at Cocktail Hour.  We work with our caterers to ensure that there will always be either a signature cocktail, red wine, white wine, and/or champagne passed on trays as guests enter the cocktail hour area.  If someone wants beer or a different drink, they will wait in line at the bar.  This one strategy alleviates so much congestion and makes so many people smile!  Sodas and non alcoholic drinks will be on a table ready to grab and go as well.  Don't make them wait! 5.  Not enough or too much food at the cocktail hour.  Think hors d'oeuvres at the cocktail hour, and make sure that your caterer knows how to gauge for an adequate amount of food for your head count!  By the same token, there has been a trend lately to have food which is more like a dinner at the cocktail hour.  Some guests eat so much then that they are not hungry for your main event!  No one needs two dinners!!  (And the ones that want two dinners will eat so many hors d'oeuvres, you don't need to worry about them!) 6.  Too many speeches at the reception.  We understand that most of the people at your wedding have known you and loved you for a long time, and they want to share their fondest memories of you and wish you well.  Please realize that the amusing family anecdotes which warm your heart can be a giant snooze fest to your guests!  Even other relatives!  I guarantee that someone in your family will roll their eyes and say, "Oh no, Uncle Herbert has the microphone" under their breath at some point.  Work with your wedding coordinator to prevent the talkers from taking over the show.  We have several creative ways to let the talkers talk without putting half of your crowd to sleep.  (On a side note:  sometimes the bride or groom may not want the story shared with the group to begin with....) 7.  An Outdoor Wedding without a Backup Plan.  Trust me - this is best for you too!  If you are planning an outdoor wedding - anywhere - please have a secondary plan in case of inclement weather!  This is one of the many instances where having a wedding planner at your side is invaluable.  Make sure that the Backup Plan will accommodate as many guests as you expect.  There are few things worse when going to a wedding to have bad weather, then no place to sit whilst being crammed against others in a hot room with wet shoes.  Review the wedding insurance options with your wedding planner.  There are many options that can be in place, ready to execute at a moment's notice.  Remember that tents cannot usually be put up in the rain!  Stay one step ahead of the game. There are more pitfalls to avoid, but these are some of the most annoying.  While working with your wedding planner, every once in a while, put yourself in your guests shoes.  See how they fit!

Encore Brides. Really?

Really?  The phrase for people getting married that have been married before is now an "encore bride and groom"  or an "encore wedding".  I am not so sure this is an accurate use of the word encore.  Are they suggesting that someone who has been married and (for the most part) are now divorced are being requested by the audience to get married again because they did such a great job on the first one?  Surely, (and yes - this writer is an "encore bride") that is not the case in my life! And doesn't an encore suggest that the same characters who performed that evening would come out again to perform again?  Wouldn't "encore" be a more appropriate word to use to describe a vow renewal?  Then, at least, the same cast of characters would be involved. Regardless of the accuracy of the term, there are an awful lot of encore weddings going on.  And many people have strong ideas about how they should be.  Should the bride wear a full, white gown?  Should there be bridesmaids and ushers?  What elements of a first wedding are now deemed wrong for the second?  Or the third?  Or, if you are going Elizabeth Taylor style - the seventh? This is a mystery to me.  If two people are in love, and they want to celebrate their union and new life with a wedding, why should they diminish the event just because they married the wrong person (and yes, they may have been the wrong person for the other as well) in the past?  In many ways, I almost feel that the second, or third, or seventh wedding should be grander than the first!  You are boldly proclaiming that you believe in the institution of marriage and the ritual of a wedding in spite of any previous experiences!   Of course, some people may say that I feel this way because I plan weddings, and that I just want people to spend more money on their next wedding.  This is not quite true.  When I looked at my third husband, and we were planning our wedding, I told him that I love him more than I have loved anyone else in my lifetime.  I did not want to dilute our wedding plans, or wear less of a bridal gown, or have fewer flowers than I did at my first wedding. I am more excited and confident entering into this relationship, and wanted to show our friends and family this feeling through our celebration. Some of my clients that are encore brides do want a smaller, or more subdued wedding because they realized that all of the extravagance was not really their style, or it did not make they day or the marriage more successful.  That is fine too! The beauty of it all is we live in a time when you can plan the wedding of your dreams, the day you desire, whether you have been married before or not.  Just let yourself create a memory for you and your groom that suits your style.