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by Shauna Lund
The Gathering Place at Gardner Village
I received a call from a “Maid of Honor” last week to set up an appointment for a tour of The Gathering Place at Gardner Village. I was impressed by her eagerness to help her bride. As they arrived for the tour, she pulled out a checklist and began to ask important questions about availability, parking, ceremonies, wedding luncheons and reception information. She also inquired about details such as linens, centerpieces, décor, food options and favors. She was well prepared with her questions and wrote notes to refer to once they had completed their tour of wedding sites. She was definitely going above and beyond the call of duty. How lucky that bride was to have such a well-organized and helpful friend in planning that very important day!
As you choose attendants who will assist you on your wedding day, I recommend choosing someone who has a pleasing personality, is organized and will be a calming influence even if something goes wrong. Here is a list of additional things you may want to consider.
• Make it a bonding time for you and your attendants. Outline what you expect from each of them over a nice lunch, followed by a shopping excursion to look at dresses for the wedding. A lot of our brides take advantage of the wonderful Cottage Retreat Day Spa here at Gardner Village, going for massages, pedicures and hair-dos on the day of the wedding.
• Give each bridesmaid a list of things she is in charge of on the wedding day. For example, putting on chair covers and sashes, setting up a display table or centerpieces. One of our cutest brides, who just happened to be an interior designer, had designed the most amazing centerpieces! She knew she would not have time on her wedding day to assemble them. So she took pictures as she created them, and placed the pieces into a box. Each table was to be unique. Each box was labeled and the picture added to the box. The night of the wedding, her attendants took their boxes complete with the picture of how each was to look and reconstructed the centerpieces on the tables. It was fabulous!
• Many hands make light work. Use your attendants to help lift the stress of your wedding day, so you feel relaxed and confident and can enjoy your guests and the memories you’re creating.
For an ideal venue for your special day, visit The Gathering Place at Gardner Village. We are located at 1100 West 7800 South in West Jordan. 801.566.0917, www.gardnervillage.com.
Just a reminder to scale your bouquets to match not only your style, dress, and waist size, but also the size of your hands!
Compare these examples of larger mannish-looking fingers holding oversized bouquets…
…to some examples of some more delicate bouquets that match the sassy sexy brides that hold them! Read more…
Things change. And we’re glad. Every year something new sparks, a trend hits and rules change. Here’s some advice from those who know best on what’s new and improved in the wedding industry—and in modesty.
Night Engagement Shoot
One hot new trend is the night engagement shoot, which I usually do in tandem with day shoots. We typically shoot about an hour before sunset for perfect warm-golden light, and then as the sun sets I treat the couple to dinner in downtown Salt Lake while the city lights come out to play. Night shots are unique because they allow for really moody lighting and creative techniques that aren’t available in the day. In addition, spending more time with the couple as a photographer helps us build a strong and comfortable relationship that translates into the photos. Digital Izatt Photography
Bring In Your Own Catering
Are you on a tight budget but want a reception center? Look for a venue that will allow you to bring in your own catering. Food is a major portion of your wedding reception costs, and a reception center that will allow you to cater the event yourself will save you a substantial sum of money. These types of venues Read more…
Lasting memories are important especially when it’s your wedding day. What’s happening at the guest book is one of the most creative ways a bride and groom can make those special memories … and today’s brides are being very creative. Here are some great ideas for your Guest Book.
IDEA #1 - Picture Perfect
Find a special picture of the bride and groom, any shot from being casual to very formal. Make this a black and white shot and add a large white around a matte and frame with a black frame. Have all the guests sign the matte. Make sure you have enough pens (all in the same color - black!) and have guests Read more…
With the return of leggings, Ray Bans, and blue eyeshadow, I feel a sense of comfort knowing that the 80’s have made another appearance in fashion. (Yes, I once wore peg-legged jeans.) It’s amazing to see the way that trends swing back and forth in so many areas of our lives! Car bodies are looking boxy again. Yes, that All American Rejects song is probably a remake. And even wedding styles have a way of making the old seem new again. Keep an eye on the runways this fall and you’ll notice that shiny-satin jewel-toned bridesmaids are back, asymmetrical styles and single-strapped gowns get a nod, and a wave of mermaids have come ashore!
Flowers too have a way of riding that pendulum of style, swinging back and forth from small and simple to Read more…
One of the great wedding sites to visit on the internet is BrideAccess.com, formerly UtahBrides.com. This site has some great tools and a fantastic selection of recommended vendors. Even though, at this time, the vendors listed are only for the State of Utah, (they have plans to expand to other areas of the country in the future) the site has absolutely fabulous tips, advice and ideas for creating the wedding of your dreams. There is, also, a weekly television show, featuring the BrideAccess experts, discussing everything wedding-related, from design to relationships. For those of us not in Utah – past episodes may be watched by simply visiting the website. As a prospective bride, you can register (free) to gain even more “access” to wedding planning tools and tips. Read more…
Thought #1:
A very current trend is the use of Tiffany blue with another accent color. Just remember the issue for florist is there is no tiffany blue flower and white and cream are over used. Here is an example of Tiffany blue used with shades of blue, such as Iris, and a complementary color such as Apricot or Lemon Yellow.
“Make it work” used to be the frustrated conclusion when shopping for modest bridesmaid dresses. There simply weren’t a lot of options, let alone many choices for color, style or length. You were lucky to find a modest dress in your wedding color and crossed your fingers everyone would look nice and be comfortable.
Thank goodness those days are over. Today, brides have access to modest and stylish bridesmaid dresses in numerous colors and options perfect for each member of your bridal party. At LatterDayBride, you can find the latest and greatest in bridesmaid fashion. “Our bridesmaid dresses ROCK,” says Nicole Thomas, owner of LatterDayBride. “Our dresses have the perfect mix of color and length in a style flattering on all shapes and sizes.”
Research ideas for your wedding by looking at Vogue, fashion magazines, blogs, ect.
Include your wedding album in the budget. Make sure to allocate budget money to go towards your album so that you can have that one valued keepsake of your special day.