Vol. IV

Weddings and the Web: Welcome to 2009
by Abbey Roy

It is now 2009, if you were not aware. Perhaps one of your New Year’s Resolutions was to be better about planning your fast-approaching wedding. Or perhaps that has been a resolution all along, but the New Year has provided you with some snappy new motivation.

Or, perhaps not.

In any case, I have good news for you: The Internet is your friend.

I can’t say I was around when wedding planning (or much of anything else, for that matter) had to be done without the assistance of the World Wide Web. But I imagine there was quite a bit more running around involved for a more limited amount of resources.

Case in point: Just have to have that circa-1600 Celtic-themed vase to adorn your head table because it fits perfectly with your décor? Done. Ships overseas in a couple weeks (for a price) and you’ll undoubtedly get loads of comments. Thanks, ebay.

Speaking of ebay, I highly recommend it for all aspects of wedding shopping, from bridesmaid apparel to tableware. You have to be cautious, of course, but there are some great and original deals out there waiting to be discovered.

Having a Christmas-themed wedding? Do an ebay search for “Christmas-themed wedding décor” and see what comes up. Chances are, someone is willing to get rid of her lot of 50 poinsettia wreaths for a price that’s at least a bit cheaper than what you’d find at your local craft store — especially in the off-season.

Have a bridesmaid who’s hesitant to spend $200 for the dress you picked out for her to wear? Hey, you never know. Maybe there’s one of the right size and color just awaiting a new wearer. Doesn’t hurt to at least check!
Even if you don’t end up purchasing anything, the Web is a free and readily accessible place to glean ideas from past and future brides.

When I first got engaged, my married cousin referred me to theknot.com, which is a resource crammed with megabytes of everything a bride-to-be could want to know: Pictures of hairstyles and gowns, forums with any question you could think to ask about your big day and the planning stages, columns, links to other resources and personalized checklists to keep you on track.

While of course every new bride should have the satisfaction of paying for an issue or two of “Real Simple Weddings” at the counter of her local CVS, I’ll have to say that theknot and other similar wedding planning Web sites provide more information than you could fit into a year’s worth of magazines.

Now let’s get away from the commercial aspect for just a minute and think about the personal.

My wedding took place in Wadsworth, in northeast Ohio. I live near Columbus. My bridesmaids were living in Los Angeles, New Orleans, Athens (Ohio), Indiana, and Kent (Ohio). Needless the say, we didn’t have a whole lot of opportunity to get together and plan bridesmaidsey things to do.

But to keep them in the loop, I started a wedding planning blog/Web site that illustrated how planning was coming along. Included were links to photos of my dress, pictures I had posted of the decorations and invitations, links to the Web sites of the vendors (deejay, photographer, venue), a menu for the big day, and dates when wedding-relatedevents were happening (bridal shower, rehearsal dinner, etc.) Many deejays, including LV Sound, allow you to choose your music and set up your wedding day timetable online. You can even include a link for guests to request songs of their own!

If you are recently engaged, consider setting up a Web site with information and perhaps a snapshot of you and the groom, details about the wedding and, if possible, a guestbook for visitors to sign (theknot.com and others have templates you can personalize which can be put together 15 minutes or less). If your family and friends haven’t met the bride or groom, a Web site is a great way for them to read a bit about the couple and how they met. You can also include a link to your wedding registry, which can save them the hassle of having to ask you or another member of the wedding party.

The point, I guess, is that on the Web, the possibilities are virtually endless. So make sure you don’t limit yourself. It’s not hard: Grab your laptop, situate yourself on the living room sofa and let the Web work its magic.
After all, you’ll be accomplishing a New Year’s resolution, right?

-- Abbey

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To contact Abbey?

Send emails to: Abbey@lvsoundent.com

Do you have a comment or idea for the LV Sound Wedding Zone?

Please email us: info@lvsoundent.com

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More Wedding Zone Advice and Tips

CREATIVE IDEAS

Instead of numbering tables, name your tables. You can name your tables after favorite places. We saw one couple that was from the Columbus area and attended Ohio State University that named their tables after favorite area landmarks, buildings on campus, and other places that they enjoyed going to. At each table the couple put a card naming the table and explaining why that place was special to them. While your guests are going around looking for their table, they will learn a little more about the two of you.

Publish your own wedding newsletter to be passed out as a keepsake.

MUSIC IDEAS

Wedding Ceremony Selections:

Processionals

Canon In D - Pachelbel
Trumpet Voluntary - Clarke
Bridal March - Wagner

Recessionals

Wedding March - Mendelssohn
Trumpet Tune - Purcel

Wedding Reception Selections:

Father/Bride Dance

Daddy's Little Girl - Al Martino
Butterfly Kisses - Bob Carlisle
I Loved Her First - Heartland
Unforgettable - Natalie / Nat King Cole
Wind Beneath My Wings - Bette Midler
What A Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong
Hero - Mariah Carey

Mother/Groom Dance

A Song For My Son - Mickey Viereck
Mama - Boyz II Men
Unforgettable - Natalie / Nat King Cole
Wind Beneath My Wings - Bette Midler
What A Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong
Hero - Mariah Carey

Bridal Party Dance

Unchained Melody - Righteous Brothers
Unforgettable - Natalie / Nat King Cole
What A Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong
Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton

Bouquet Toss

Chapel Of Love - Dixie Cups
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper
Oh Yeah! - Yello

Garter Removal, Garter Toss, and Garter Remount (this part is optional)

The Stripper - David Rose
Legs - ZZ Top
You Can Leave Your Hat On - Joe Cocker
Oh Yeah! - Yello

Anniversary Dance

For The Good Times - Ray Price
Grow Old With Me - Mary Chapin Carpenter

Last Dance

The Way You Look Tonight - Frank Sinatra or Steve Tyrell
New York, New York - Frank Sinatra
That's What Friends Are For - Dionne Warwick and Friends
I've Had The Time Of My Life - Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes
Goodnight Sweetheart - The Spaniels
Last Dance - Donna Summer

Need more ideas? Here's the Top 200 requested wedding songs of all time!

List of the Top 200 Most Request Wedding Songs

 

MONEY SAVING IDEAS

Tuxedos...

Many of the larger tuxedo chains will have a special outlet store within their chain where used tuxedos are often available for purchase at prices often lower than what it would cost to rent a tuxedo. Think about it... even if the tuxedo is never worn again and thrown away, you will save money. Also, the tuxedo can be dry cleaned and saved for use on a cruise or a future formal function.

The one down side is that there may be less of a variety of accessories such as vests and ties available for purchase in the colors you desire. However, if you have a smaller wedding party, no wedding party (just the groom in a tux), or can live with black or white as your vest and tie colors (these colors go well with almost anything), purchasing a used tuxedo versus renting might be a great idea for you.

Disposable cameras...

As cell phone cameras have become so commonplace, fewer and fewer guests that want to take a picture will bother to do so with the disposable cameras that are placed on tables at receptions. In our many years of providing entertainment at weddings, we often see these cameras not even used at the end of the night.

If you do have your heart set on these cameras, save money by purchasing them at a wholesale club in large quantity and check the "must use by" date. These cameras get the best results with fresh film, so do not buy these cameras a year before your wedding. Also, don't bother with the specially decorated wedding models. These cameras often have a lesser quality film inside and cost many times what a name brand camera will cost at a wholesale club.

Do you have a money saving tip you would like to share? Email us.

FORGOTTEN THINGS AT WEDDING RECEPTIONS

Caterer or bartender does not have the champaign or preferred beverage ready on the table for the toast. Also, having the appropriate glassware for the toast on the head table is overlooked.

Bride misplaces the "toss" bouquet.

Bride forgets the garter.

Cutlery to be used for the cutting of the wedding cake is forgotten or not placed by the cake when needed. Also, couples need to review with their caterer whose responsibility it will be to cut and serve the wedding cake as all caterers do not provide this as a service.

Parents of the bride or groom cannot be found when it is their time to dance with their son or daughter.

Members of the bridal party cannot be found when it is their time to be introduced or dance together.

Person giving a toast makes their speech but forgets to raise their glass to conclude the toast.

There is no special basket or wishing well to use for the money dance.

Vendors that arrive ahead of time before the wedding, such as a florist or cake decorator, do not know where to drop off or set up their goods.

The bride and groom or a guest provides the DJ with a burned cd having a special song that the DJ may not have. They failed to test the cd ahead of time in a car stereo or boombox to make sure that it burned correctly. Even though the cd works on the computer, it may not have burned properly to play in a regular cd player. Always check!

RUDE GUEST BEHAVIOR

Guests do not turn off their cell phones or pagers even when asked to do so before a wedding ceremony. I have seen them go off during many a wedding ceremony. I even saw one guest take the call and tell the caller that they would call them back in a few minutes.

Guests do a variety of rude cell phone behaviors at the wedding reception such as taking calls at their table, surfing the internet and texting.

Guests that fail to honor the tradition that the bride and groom should have the first dance of the evening by going out onto the dance floor and dancing during or after the dinner.

Fighting. Yes, many couples fight at weddings.