A blog with planning tips, fun new trends, and info related to Ethereal Events.
Photo by Barbie Hull
"Today I am marrying my best friend, the one I laugh with, live for, dream with, and love."
~ Erin & Forrest Pangborn

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

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)

Monday, June 22, 2009

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!

Saturday, June 20, 2009

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!

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Tune In!



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!

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

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.