Smooth Transitions from the Ceremony to the Reception

The ceremony was beautiful! You floated down the aisle to the strains of Pachelbel's Canon, and said "I Do" to your gorgeous groom. Now you need to take photos, the guests are ready to party, but you would like to transition them smoothly from the elegant ceremony to the "rock the house" reception you have planned. But you would rather them wait on the house rocking until you and the groom can arrive and start the party with the first dance. Come to think of it, the guests would really like to talk and mingle and make comments to one another about how lovely everything was and how long it has been since they have seen one another. This may be a little hard to do once the DJ has the sound system at full volume. So now what?

This is where the "cocktail hour" comes into play. While the bride and groom and family are taking photos, they can entertain the guests by having upscale, elegant, easy-listening type music played by a string quartet or small ensemble. A little Sinatra style, a few Italian love-songs, a few Broadway classics from Cats or Phantom of the Opera will fit the bill nicely here. The guests can easily talk over the music of a string quartet, yet the mood will be transitioning from traditional classical to more contemporary, and the stage will be set fot the DJ or band to take over when you are done with photos and ready to be introduced for the first dance.

Talk about romantic!!

Fall Weddings

Summer is wrapping up now, and Fall is right around the corner. Time to think about heading to the mountains to say "I Do." How beautiful! Fall leaves in full color, crisp mountain air, the smell of apple cider, gorgeous bridesmaids in full Fall colors.....wow! Now is the best time to secure those venues in North Georgia if you haven't already. Try Brasstown Valley Resort. Last time I played there it was beautiful, and they can accomodate more that one wedding at a time! Check out Glen Ella in Clarkesville also. I am personally in love with the covered balcony at Frogtown Cellars in Dahlonega. The view from the balcony while you say your vows was outstanding.

Take a drive to the mountains this weekend and take a peek at these venues. You can find them all listed on www.atlantabridal.com. Just pack a cooler of wine and take your fiancee and have a weekend get-away to find the perfect place to make those vows. You won't be sorry!!!

What type of music should I choose?

What style wedding are you going to have? Traditional, eclectic, religious, or a mix of a couple of these? If you can define the "feel" for the ceremony that you are trying to convey to your guests, then choosing music will be much easier. A professional musician, usually the one bringing the musicians to your wedding, will be able to make suggestions quickly and easily based on the style wedding you tell her you want to have. Rely on tunes that your guests will easily recognize, and you will have a truly beautiful day without the headache of hours of music planning!

Try not to mix too many styles. For instance, don't start with classical music in the prelude, send the bridesmaids down the aisle to " All You Need Is Love" and then have the bride enter to the traditional "Wedding March" by Wagner. You need to keep a cohesive feel to the whole ceremony.

Does that mean you can't "rock out" like crazy at the reception? Absolutely not! Go for it! This is the time to bring in the DJ and "let it all hang out!" Don't worry about changing styles after the ceremony is over.

"I Do" Outdoors Part 2

OK, so you want to say "I Do" outdoors anyway. Good for you. It can be very lovely and romantic. Now keep in mind a few things and you will find it a pleasurable experience.

1. Have soemthing on hand for beestings. Benadryl is best. Never know who might have an allergy. Don't want the groom to have a puffy face in the photos!
2. Have a covered place to actually say your vows, unless it will be close to dark.
3. If it will be close to dark, talk to the videographer about filming. There are special concerns when there is little lighting.
4. Have a safe walkway down the aisle. Runners on top of grass are very dangerous!!!!
5. Have a cool place for folks to wait inside, with cool drinks, before the ceremony begins.
6. Have a place out of the sunlight for the musicians. They have very expensive instruments, and can suffer damage easily in direct sunlight and heat if they are string instruments.
7. Have a covered place to put musicians if it indeed looks like rain. They will have to run for cover quickly if it begins to sprinkle, even though the guests might be fine sitting still. Again, remember the instruments are delicate and expensive.
8. Don't plan on lots of crinolines and puffy, scratchy underlayers with your wedding gown. The lighter and simpler the better outdoors.
9. Remember their will be airplanes and traffic noise and maybe dogs barking in the background, so plan on some type of sound system if you want the officiant to be heard.
10. The larger the musical group playing the better. It is hard to hear a duo outdoors, so think quartet when planning.
11. Be flexible!!!! Don't "loose it" if you indeed need to have the ceremony indoors at the last minute. Just be OK with whatever happens.
12. If you can pick a venue with a covered deck you can do the ceremony regardless of rain. I recently played a string trio outdoors at Frogtown Cellars in Dahlonega and it rained and rained!! It was actually very romantic playing outdoors in the rain, though, and watching the storm come over the mountains! With a deck raised off the ground and a full cover over it, the rain didn't affect anyone....it just added to the ambience. Keep this in mind when looking at locations.

"I Do" Outdoors?

Thinking about getting married outdoors? Sounds dreamy, doesn't it? Maybe. Maybe not. How flexible are you when it gets down to the 11th hour and your plans are "all wet?"

Over the years, I have played sooooo many wedding outdoors. Some were absolutely beautiful, some were a disaster. I'll give you some things to think about if you are thinking of saying "I Do" outside! First of all, is it Spring, Summer or Fall you want to tie the knot? Hopefully not Winter unless you are in south Florida. Keep in mind you will probably have on a long dress, more than normal makeup, maybe higher than normal heels, and possibly a veil as well. Think how you feel in your bathing suit in summer and add quite a few degrees. Fall can be roasty as well. Now think about Prince Charming. Will he be wearing the obligatory tuxedo? Black, no less? This can be twice as roasty as your dress! All this is fine as long as you know what to expect and can "handle the heat," as they say. Fainting as you go down the aisle is not something you want on film!

Keep in mind your elderly grandparents and parents as well. How will they fare in the heat? One option to consider is to have everyone stay inside until just before the attendants process in. That keeps grandma cool, and the other guests as well. It would be nice to have lemonade or water for them to sip on while they gather inside. Make sure you have a cover to stand under while you say your vows.....shade is nice.

Rain? Be prepared to have it inside at the last minute without being utterly destraught. I have seen a bride demand to be outside come rain or shine. She passed out umbrellas. Unfortunately, the chairs were soaked. The tuxes didn't look so great after the ceremony either, so no telling how much the rental store charged her upon their return. Needless to say, the hairdos weren't doing so well either. If it rains on your party, just pull it indoors and smile and keep going!!!

Happy Wedding Planning!!!

How about a DJ for the ceremony? He is already doing the reception, and will give me a great deal!

Good question! DJ's are a viable choice for a wedding reception. Lets leave it at that. Why would it matter whether a live string quartet or a DJ were doing the ceremony? After all, the DJ can get a recording of a string quartet playing "Pachelbel's Canon" or whatever else you want!

Here is the reason, the BIG reason, to always choose LIVE musicians over a DJ for the ceremony.

1. If grandmother takes longer to get down the aisle than the tune allows, in other words "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" has played in its entirety, then the DJ has to start over at the beginning. OUCH! An experienced group of musicians are always prepared for this often seen reality, and know exactly where to add repeats as needed in their music and can keep tunes going indefinitely without any bumps or starting over.
2. If the bride reaches the end of the aisle before "The Wedding March" is done, which happens ALL the time, it is rather a nasty jolt to hear the music just stop mid-tune! Again, a professional group is well prepared for this often needed early ending. We in the profession call it an "early cadence" and are prepared to do it at any time during any piece without letting your audience feel like they just hit the windshield of a car!

Please don't just take my word for it. Ask some of your friends to see their wedding videos and compare the live musicians with any DJs they may have used. Live music has its place, so does a DJ, and the proper use of both is a wonderful thing!