Dear Wendi Wednesday...Who Knew There Were So Many Songs to Chose From?

This week's Dear Wendi Wednesday is again for all the men out there in need of some professional wedding help! I find that many of you are given the responsibility of finding the DJ or Band for your wedding. It is an important task, and should be done with careful thought and consideration. It does make or break your party!

After you successfully do so, there is always the task of giving the DJ the list of songs for the reception. I'm talking the "important event" songs, like first dance, cake cutting, etc. I am throwing all you men a bone here by giving you a "real" (not cheesy or over played lists you find after googling "popular first dance songs") list of popular songs for all of your important dances. Many of these have come from my past clients weddings, and are very personal to them. The songs are also interchangeable with other dances or events. It is completely up to you. If anyone has a favorite song they would like me to add to my list let me know! I would love more suggestions!



So, here you go:

First Dance Song
· “More Than Anyone” Gavin DeGraw
· “I’m Yours” Jason Mraz
· “You Say It Best” Allison Krauss
· “Beyond The Sea” Bobbie Darin
· “Our Love Is Here to Stay” Ella Fitzgerald
· “My Best Friend” Tim McGraw & Faith Hill

Father/Daughter Dance
· “Who I am” Jessica Andrews
· “ Unforgettable” Duo with Nate King and Natalie Cole
· “What a Wonderful World” Louis Armstrong

Mother/Son
· “Forever Young” Rod Stewart
· “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” Israel Kamakawiwo'ole or Louis Armstrong
· “The Way you Look Tonight” Frank Sinatra

Cake Cutting
· “Sugar, Sugar” Archies
· “When I’m 64” Beatles
· “The Best is Yet to Come” Frank Sinatra
· “When Did You Fall In Love with Me?” Chris Rice
· “Let’s Stay Together” Al Green

Bouquet Toss
· “Single Ladies” Beyonce
· “Girls, Girls, Girls” Beastie Boys
· “Wishin’ and Hopin’” Ani DeFranco

Garter
· “Let’s Get It on” Marvin Gaye
· “Sexual Healing” Marvin Gaye
· “Pour Some Sugar on Me” Death Leopard

Last Dance
· “Last Dance” Donna Summers
· “Save the Last Dance” Michael Buble
· “Piano Man” Billy Joel
· “Home” Michael Buble

Introduction to reception
· “Eye of the Tiger”
· College Fight Song

Dear Wendi Wednesday...Man's Best Friend

In honor of my month dedicated to the Groom, here is an article by Lisa Lombardi, I was quoted in to answer a question I get asked a lot about Man's best friend.

Can My Dog Be in the Wedding?

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tuesday, June 23rd 2009, 1:34 PM
Kaycee English considers her dog Bowser part of the family, so including him in her wedding was an obvious choice.

Hadn't she spent the year before her special day scouring Petfinder.com, wishing she could adopt a dog? Hadn't her husband, John, taken the lead on talking their landlord into allowing a pet?

"I really wanted everyone that I loved there that day," said English, who lives in Freehold, N.J., and dressed Bowser in a tuxedo T-shirt for ringbearer duty.

The idea of dogs walking down the aisle or sitting for wedding photos may be strange - even repulsive - to some, but a little planning can make things run smoothly and bring families closer together.

Stephanie Baker of Bowling Green, Ky., said she and her husband, Steven, adopted their blind dog Tucker when his story on Petfinder "tugged at our heartstrings." They rarely leave home without him and felt strongly about including him in their wedding.

She made one wedding photo a tribute to her mother, who has cancer. Baker posed in the same position with Tucker as Mom did with her own dog at her wedding 35 years ago.

"If it's something that's important to you, do it," Baker said. "If you have strong feelings about wanting to include someone, you'll regret not doing it."

Finding a venue that allows dogs may not be as big a deal as you might expect. Jessica Sempek of Skokie, Ill., said she was the first to ask her chosen location if dogs were allowed and the reaction was, "Why not?" Sempek and her husband, Scott Stewart, had a young nephew walk their dogs Lady Bug and Emmie down the aisle.

"He took his job so seriously," Sempek said.

Once you have your location, be prepared to answer questions about the details, like how long you expect the animals to be there, and many sites will accommodate, said Wendi Hroncich, a wedding planner in Seattle.

"Most venues generally want the bride and groom to have anything they want," she said.

The experienced brides are loaded with pet planning tips:

- Designate someone to be responsible for a dog during the ceremony and to transport the pet there and back. The human should be someone who's not involved in the proceedings. If it's a child's role to walk the animal down the aisle, an adult should supervise before and after.

- Don't forget to schedule a dog's trip to the groomer. "They went to the spa just like I did," Sempek said.

- If you're boarding your dog after the ceremony, check timing. Julie Hall of Silver Spring, Md., said finding a kennel for her pooch Maddy with late enough drop-off hours was difficult.

- Bring treats to help persuade the dog to participate in the photo shoot and make sure it can sit and stay on command. Before her wedding, Hall took her pet to obedience classes.

Most couples don't bring their pets to the reception - it's too long and overwhelming - but being part of the ceremony really isn't a challenge for most dogs, Hroncich said. "All they have to do is go down the aisle and then sit."

Sempek found that the only unexpected behavior at her wedding was little 9-pound Emmie's reaction to the music. "She wanted to pick a fight with the cellist," she said. "That was the only time they barked all day."

In the end, all the couples thought the effort was more than worth it - and reluctant relatives came around.

"After the fact," English said, "people look at the photos and say, 'How cute is this one,' and it's always the one with the dog."

Check out the article and more here

(Article from NYDailyNews - Written by Lisa Lombardi)

Mishap Monday - Word to the Wise

There is so much information that goes into an invitation that the wording needs to be carefully thought out. This applies to all invitations, wedding, bridal shower, rehearsal dinner, birthday, engagement party, etc. You need the date, time, location(s) and any other sentiments you see fit. For a wedding if the ceremony and reception are in different location it is thoughtful to incorporate a map or directions. An RSVP card is a very important enclosure to include as well.
With all of this information it's important that you think about not only what you mean, but also how the wording can be interpreted by your guests.

This is weeks mishap I encountered very recently:

A fantastic couple of mine recently sent out there wedding invitations. They were very thoughtful about what to include. They thought a lot about their guests and guest count. They had some signs that some guests may not know NOT to bring additional people with them. Wanting to prevent this confusion we included a line on the RSVP card that read ____ # Guests. So, if the number of guests on the RSVP card was higher than the number invited we could touch base with that person. This seemed like the correct wording to us, until they received an RSVP with the name of 1 person attending and then 2 guests in the blank space. This particular invite was sent inviting 2 adults and a child. (Does that mean that all 3 are coming or 2 total guests are coming?) It raised our eyebrows for sure wondering if we were facing another confusing situation.

To make a long story short, at great way of wording an RSVP card for the total number of guest coming is: ____Total # Attending! This eliminates all confusion. Luckily for us, the large majority of the guest understood what we meant, and there was very little confusion. For me, I want a plan ahead of time that guarantees no extra work or confusion for my couples. I wish I would have know this sooner for this couple. Valuable information!

Please learn from our mishap, and use it to your advantage!

Radio Star!

Tune in this morning at 8:00am (PST)for my interview with Rev. Angela on "I DO" Radio! I've been waiting months for this day, and it has arrived! Click here to tune in!

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The countdown begins...One Week

Please tune in Saturday 6/20 to hear my radio interview with Rev. Angela on "I DO" radio. Click here in 7 days to hear it!

Dear Wendi Wednesday...This Months for the Boys

Dear Wendi Wednesday for the rest of month of June is being dedicated to all my male readers. I know how often you are forgotten during the wedding planning process. My next 3 Wednesday’s are dedicated solely to you! It is a small attempt to make up for the imbalance.

Dear Wendi,

My fiance and I are having an evening ceremony and reception. What is there for my grooms man and I to do on wedding day prior to the wedding?



- Bewildered Groom

Dear Bewildered Groom,

Thank you for the question. I actually get asked this quite a bit by both concerned brides and clueless grooms. Before making too many plans it is important to know what your wedding day schedule is going to be. Your wedding pictures usually start two to three hours prior to the ceremony start time. (So, if you are having a 6:00pm ceremony you would need to be dressed, ready, and on location at 2:30 or so.) With this in mind, I have a lot of ideas I recommend to my clients.

My first suggestion may sound a little odd to the men who do not consider themselves “metro sexual”, but it’s important. Male Grooming!

Take you and your grooms men to Flint Men's Grooming located in Bellevue for a few beers and a little pampering. They offer a number of services from massages to straight blade shaves and have a large selection of beers to choose from. They can provide a space you can all hang together. There is no risk of the dreaded cohabitation like all other salon/spas. It is men only!

A man and those closest to him should look and feel their best on wedding day. Yes, most of the attention will be on your beautiful bride, but all of her attention will be on you!
(Important to note: You should get your hair cut at least one week in advance, NOT the day of your wedding!)

My next suggestion after you're looking your best is go out and do something fun near by. You are lucky enough to be able to shower and dress in a relatively small amount of time. So, take advantage of it! Go boating, golfing, out to eat, etc.

Hotel 1000 has an amazing virtual golf club. Over the last few years my clients have really enjoyed it! You can have a private party or just hit a few rounds. There are two tee boxes that allow 4 golfers each, so reservations are a must. If you plan ahead the hotel can provide food and drinks for you to enjoy. It's a great way to spend time with your buddy's before your wedding festivities begin.

Lastly, I suggest if you are getting ready in a hotel, see what the hotel offers for entertainment. They may have a great restaurant, movie theater or know of something close by you can take advantage of. Wedding morning can be a high energy time, so if you have something fun planned it can help take your mind off all the excitement for a little while.

Most importantly, go enjoy time with those closest to you. Plan ahead so you are ready ON TIME!! Your wedding is the most important event on this day. Have fun, but always keep that in mind!

Have a suggestion for groom's activities on wedding day? I would love to hear it. Tell me what you did on wedding day.

Real Wedding Friday - Michele and Paul Stephens

Michelle and Paul's first wedding anniversary is coming up this month! The beautiful and statuesque couple was married memorial day of 2008! St. James Catherdral and Hotel 1000 were the perfect locations to show off Seattle to this East Coast couple's friends and family. Michele and I started working together in January of 2008 to put on this intimate affair.

Michele and Paul, thank you for letting me be a part of your day. I hope your first year of marriage was as full of love and joy as wedding day!

Wedding Planning: Ethereal Events
Ceremony Location: St. James Cathedral
Reception: Hotel 1000
Photography: Barbie Hull
Florist: Flora Nova
Videography: Aaron Horton
DJ: Piano Joe
Dress: Cynderellie's Closet
Hair & Makeup: Erin Skipley

Mishap Monday - RSVP nightmare!

It's a huge mishap for Brides and Grooms to not pay for postage on their guests RSVPs. It is a simple gesture that lets your guests know that you will be taking care of them come wedding day! It's thoughtful and considerate.

For you 2009 summer brides, when you do send out your invitation make sure you stamp every envelope or postcard you send with the appropriate postage for when your guests will be returning it. The price of postage is going up Today, May 11th from $0.42 to $0.44.

You can combat this price increase by buying forever stamps at the $0.42 price. These "forever" stamps will work no matter how high the cost of postage gets. I recommend buying far more than you need so you can use them on your RSVP envelopes or postcards and thank you notes too! With the Forever stamp you won't have to worry about not receiving an RSVP due to inadequate postage. Saving money and stress anywhere you can adds up to a lot of savings!

Mishap Monday - Did you receive it?

The postage on a wedding invitation varies quite a bit depending on the invite. There can be a huge difference in paper weight, number of inserts and envelopes, invitation shape, ribbon detailing, crystal gem stones, etc. All of it makes a difference in the cost of sending it to your guests. The one thing that does not differ from invitation to invitation is it is a huge mishap to have the wrong postage!

Make sure you take all of your invitations to the post office to be weighted for correct postage value before you put them in the mail. This will relieve a huge amount of stress about whether or not your guest received their invitation!

Invitation in picture is in the Yummies line by Mmm Paper.

Stamp photo from US postal service website.