Wedding Details

rmp4996

Good Morning and TGIF!!!!! So, since we are all 8-9 months out, I thought it would be a nice time to share some of the smaller details of our weddings. Then, when we are 1-2 months out, I will post this again, and we can see what we kept/changed, added, etc.

So, what are some of the smaller details of your wedding? Some of your personal touches? Anything that you are doing that is different from most weddings? And don't list things you've gotten done, like I got a DJ, we booked a baker, etc. And for those of you who are more recently engaged. what are some things you have seen/heard that you are considering? Or things you think you might want to do?

cnf2013

I want to have a kids table with butcher paper as the table "cloth" so they can draw right on it. 

For my centerpieces I'm thinking low, shallow "fish" bowls with water beads in them. They're really cool; you fill it about half way up, then add water. The absorb all the water and double in size. And I plan on filling it out with gerbera daisys in bright orange. 

We're also thinking about getting a rock candy cake. That should be fun! And we're getting a grooms cake in the shape and color scheme as the cabin/program signs our camp program director hand makes for the program and overnight staff at the summer camp we met at. 

Our escort cards are going to be wine corks with the bottom cut length wise so they don't roll over, with a slit cut in them for the actual cards to go into. The cards are going to be travel tags since FI and I love to travel and road trip. The tables are going to be named after fun places we've been, like some of the National Parks, or more quirky place the Alamo or Space Camp. Then on each table will be a brief description of when and why we went and a few facts about that location. 

Edit: FI is semi aware of this, but I'm making him do two dances with me. We're doing our first dance right when we're introduced then I'm going to make him do a ballroom swing dance with me after all the toasts/dinner/bouquet and garter/cake. He surprised me with lessons a few years ago so we could dance at our friends wedding, then he never dance with me even once (he hates to dance). I've never let him live it down, so at our wedding he will swing dance with me. Though I'll spare him and after about 45 second the DJ will open the floor up to other couples, then another 45 second or so to everyone. 

rmp4996

I have a handful of things:

- For our table numbers, I got 2 sided glass frames that can be spun around, and I plan to put a picture of me on one side and FI on the other side at our ages that match the table number. So, table one will be pics of us at 1, table 2 will be pics of us at 2, etc. 

- I plan to have a "Were We Come From" Table, with pics of our parents/grandparents weddings, pics of me in my dance costumes and soccer trophies since those were big parts of my life growing up, pic of FI in his football uniform since that was huge for him, baby pics, E-pics, etc. 

- At our shower, I would like to do a "Meet My Maids" table, with pics and descriptions of each of the girls.

- We will have a photobooth at our reception. I would like to get photobooth frames to give as part of the favors, and use them as escort cards with a strip of paper that explains the photobooth as well as has their table number on it. However, I don't really like (or should I say, my mom doesn't really like) the acryllic frames and wants something like a metal, and I can only find one and it's a little pricey. If she really wants it, she will kick some money towards it she said, so we'll see where that goes.

- We are going to get cocktail hour napkins with some kind of quote printed on them in our wedding colors.

- Our cocktail hour will be an hour and a half, so we plan to attened like the last 45min-half hour and say hello to everyone in there, so we don't have to do it in the reception.

- I want to do some kind of ceremony at the church, we will probably do the unity candel, but I think I want to include our parents. I think we will have our parents light a candle for each of them, then my parents will give me theirs and his parents will give him theirs, and we will use those to light our unity candle.

- I REALLY want to do some kind of midnight snack. We talked about a candy bar, but I would rather do more substantial food. I would love to figure out how to get fast food french fries, or pizza, or burgers or someting to come out at like 11:15ish that night for the people who work up another apetitie (hopefully from dancing) or for the drinkers who are hungry. We also thought of bagels, but I feel like that's more of a take home snack, which is ok too. My DOC said she knows someone who does soft pretzels, so I really liked that idea. I also saw a snack truck that had pretzels, otdogs, candy, coffee, etc, but the person i saw it with wanted $1000, which is crazy to me. So we'll see if I can work that out.

- With our DJ, we got 2 flat screen TVs and we will have a photo montag playing all night. Not somethin where people have to stop what they're doing to watch, just one that will constantly play. It will have pics of FI and I growing up, plus us from when we were dating and all the trips we took together. Also, because our DJ and photog work together, our photog will be feeding images from that day onto the screen. So people will be able to see FI and I getting ready, pics from the ceremony, and pics of themselves at the reception. FI was actually really excited about that when we talked to the DJ and he really pushed for it, and I'm excited about it too. We are going to try and include all guests in the slideshow, as well as their live pics that will be feeding in.

- Oh, and our photobooth connects right to facebook, so people can upload their pics right there as well as print a copy for themselves and a copy for FI and I. 

I think that's it for now. Some of those details are a bit bigger. I'd like to maybe do the choose a seat not a side sign, or a more interesting program, but haven't gotten their yeat. We really don't have a theme, but we are thinking that picstures might be it, like a past, present, future theme because a lot of our special touches have to do with pictures.

I'm excited to hear all of your special details. Special cake topper? Cool signs? Activities or performances? Special dances? Let's hear it!!!!!

rmp4996

Cnf- I love rock candy!!!!! It's delicious. I don't drink coffee, but I know my parents love to stir them in theirs.

Edit- because I wrote delishous like a dummy.

emilyb213

Hmm, this is tough because I'm one of those people where I decide on something, that's it, I've made up my mind and I'm not going to keep revisiting the decision. 

Right now, I'd like to do this time capsule guestbook that I saw online a while back. You set out small pieces of paper, and the signage says "Leave us a note, draw us a picture, or predict the future...we won't open it for one year." I thought it was a cute and different way to do the guestbook, and it would be fun to open it on our one year anniversary and see what everyone wrote. We'll see though...

Edit: I saw a program the other day where there was a short, cute description of each member of the wedding party, i.e. "Rose X, Bride's sister, baker extraordinaire, has killer dance moves". I'd like to do this, because I know as a guest I'd enjoy reading it while waiting for the ceremony to start.

cadamus

We are doing a casnio theme. Very small touches of it. So here are a few things we are thinking about doing....

*Our card box is being made by my moh (who is my sister) It is going to be a dice the the cirlces for numbers will be pictures of us growing up.

*For our escort cards we are going to take pocker chips and stack them up and put a hand of cards as their table number.

Our hald our centerpieces are going to be huricane vases that are fillied with a few poker chips and then clear stones and then filled with water and has a floating candles on top with a silver ribon around the tope. And the other half will be similar but with dice in it and blue stones and the blew ribbon around the top.

*Are favors are going to be made by my mom but they are going to be N's that are make from white chocolate and milk chocolate. The white chocolate ones will have a blue dust on them and the milk chocolate ones will have a silver dust on them.

So far thoae are the personal touches we are doing.. things might change since my mom and fmil dont like the theme that we are going with.

ashlidie

I think most of the things im doing aren't really original.  I found some rustic items here and there from my family's barn and just from family on the lookout and I am incorporating them into our decor much like the things on pinterest:

window frame bar menu, barn door will hold our escort cards that are chalkboard painted tags, finding random cable spools for cake table and ones too small so just sitting decor, got a hold of some old wine barrels from my aunt whos friend owns a brewery so they will be our cigar table (FI loves cigars) and cocktail tables by the bar and guest book table.  Im making table numbers from old pieces of barn wood and screwing house numbers into them with a brass fixture, Im doing the cliche barn wood sign thing for pointing to the bathroom and yard games, etc.  Im having a lantern "in memory of" table where I will use the other window frame I have to display pictures of our loved ones.  I made chalkboard signs for the cigar table, bar, and cards, which is a birdcage I found for $1 at a yard sale lol.

What Im considering is having an ipad photobooth since i have an ipad.  Im not sure if I have the room yet or if I want to take on the task, but everyone loved the photobooth at FIs cousins wedding so Im seriously considering it.

I think my most unique thing is my donation favors I made honoring my uncle who died from lymphoma, and that I may be able to have a slideshow up at the wedding of our engagement photos that is a part of my photographers package.

Samela20

--At our ceremony the guests face west and its a late afternoon wedding so I'm worried about the sun's position soooo I'm getting a bunch of sunglasses and putting them by the programs with a cheesey sign that says "Don't let our love blind you!"  hahahaaa!

-- THANK YOU to whoever posted about having the butcher paper drawind table for the kids- that's genious!!! I mayyyy have to steal the idea! :-) or do something similar maybe some wedding theme coloring books...

-- Might do a large candle or flower arrangement at the guest book table with a sign that says something along the lines of "in honor of our loved ones who are here with us in spirit" something like that...

-- I want to do one of those poles with the little signs that points the directions to the reception, ceremony, bathroom, etc...

-- Oh and my FI best friend (groomsman) does ballroom dancing so he is going ot teach us and the wedding party a little dance for our first dance... something where FI and I start and then the two BM and GM join in for the rest of the dance :-) it should be fun

Haven't gotten these done... just envisioned :-)

LadyLuck77

We are doing a rustic/country wedding and a lot of our decorations are just going to be small personal touches. But I think all the little things done nicely will bring everything together in the end.

Some of the smaller things that we're doing: two shot sized tin pails will be filled with M&M's in our colors on each table. Larger tin pails will be decorated and on each table (still not 100% sure how we'll use these yet). Centerpieces will be mason jars and a floral arrangement. Burlap table runners. Each placeset will be set with the plate at the table with a napkin in our colors topped off with a set of silverware wrapped and in a napkin and tied with twine. There will also be signes in barn wood that have various things on them. And lots of other small things that I am missing probably. Lol.

It should be interesting to see how things have changed or stayed the same 1-2 months out, and then seeing everyones pictures of their wedding to see how their ideas all came together in the end.

sopraffina

@cnf: Rock candy cake sounds amazing. I should totally get a groom's cake with blue rock candy because he's a big fan of Breaking Bad. 

Our round menus are going to be photoshopped from my great-great grandmother's china pattern.




For the processional, our string quartet already has our song on their playlist, which is a miracle (You Needed Me by Anne Murray.) FI knows that the recessional song will be the theme from The Simpsons when we walk out after the ceremony is over. What he doesn't know is that I got the saxophone player from our reception band to play the Lisa Simpson sax solo during that part of it. This isn't our quartet, but it gives you an idea:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJ9CRBC3fxk

Our favors are going to be salted caramel and vanilla bean macarons. (One of each, not both in the same one.lol)

We're thinking of doing a dictionary guestbook where guests circle a word that describes us. We may do a Scrabble tournament word list instead (it doesn't have definitions, just words) and ask people to write their own definition or something. Haven't thought about it yet.

Also, FI and I are sitting at the kids' table for dinner. They're our special guests. It's not a popular idea, so we don't really talk about it. lol

SusieSunshine2

Something small that we are doing is that I am going to have 2 lockets on my bouquet for my grandparents, since they have all passed away.  For table numbers we were thinking of doing the photos of us at that age but might change it if it becomes too hard to find photos.  That's a great idea for the kids table having the coloring paper as the tablecloth, we are only going to have a few kids there and only the RB and FG would be interested in coloring since all the other kids will be between 10 and 12.  We are doing an anniversary dance instead of a bouquet toss, so we can honor all the married couples at the reception.  I'm sure we'll add some other personal touches along the way.

anastassiiat

Hmmm, we haven't thought too much into small details yet, but here are a few things that I can think of right now:

- FI and I will dance with our daughter, right now I'm thinking of starting up with a slow dance and then switching to one of the songs that our daughter likes (her favourite at the moment is Call Me Maybe, but it'll probably change by next year lol) and when we switch to that song we'll open the dance floor for everyone;
- for centerpieces we'll be using lanterns in our wedding colors (green and purple);
- I like the idea of doing some sort of coloring/activity book for kids, but we haven't thought of the details yet;
- yesterday I came across the idea of using a jigsaw puzzle for the guest book, I found it on Pinterest, and I thought it was really cute.

kellyeliz

- At the church we are doing the sign "as two families become one we ask that you choose a seat and not a side". My FI's family is a lot smaller than mine and his parents hate eachother so I am hoping that will ease some of the tension and will make the sides more even.
 - Our centerpieces are going to be shallow vases with straight lines (not a fishbowl shape) we will have clear and aqua beads in the bottom with a couple inches of water. I don't particularly love flowers so we are going to have one floating red spider mum. Around the one flower we plan to have 5 votive candles.
- Our tables numbers were going to be on wine bottles but we already got rid of that idea when we chose to get rid of the wine cork escort cards. They were the first thing I found for the wedding that I loved but we decided to scrap that idea because it was going to cost about $200 and nobody would even take the home. We are doing the table number tents and on the back we are going to put a fact about our relationship like "Highland Ave ' Where we first made our relationship official" we figured they would be good conversation starters and we have some funny stories.
-We are doing the beer koozies but also doing a donation to the American Cancer Society so we are going to have pictures of the ones we lost and the donation will be in honor of them (there are 3 of them).
- We are doing our grandparents wedding pictures by the guest book.
- We are putting a baby picture of each of us on the bathroom door - him on the men's room and me on the women's.

So far I think that's it!

ygymnast1

- I DIY'ed pommander balls for the pews in the Church during our ceremony. Took me about 4 months to complete them!
- I decided to do our centerpieces. 10" cylinder vases with clear beads at the bottom, silk orchids floating in water and a floating candle on top.
- I found a cute wooden box at Michaels for cards and my Dad painted it and stenciled our names.
- My Dad is make a sitting bench for us to use as a guest book. People will sign there names on the top of it.

The other things I am thinking of doing is having my Dad make our favors, some type of treat. Also doing some type of memorial for our family members that have passed. Maybe a fishbowl with a floating candle for each?

Miss Esa

Our wedding is largely DIY, so there are going to be lots of personal details. I am hand making my bouquet, as well as my bridesmaid’s and I will be making the boutonnieres. For the boutonnieres I am using the person’s favorite super hero or action figure. I am also making my garters.

My brother is currently in the process of building a life sized Dalek from the Doctor Who series and I am thinking about having it at the entrance of the reception with a little sign.  

We are using wine bottles that are painted with chalkboard paint for the table cards.   

We are stocking the bar with some of our favorite booze, like Maple Bacon Ale, Jack Daniels, and Gummy Vodka. (Our venue lets us bring our own alcohol to add to the bar at no extra cost.)

I am making a scrapbook for the guest book featuring photos and souvenirs from things that my SO and I have done over the years.

And I'm sure other things will come to mind later.

Mikesgal419

Everyone has such neat ideas.

FI and I are having a baseball themed reception.
I am making small fishbowl centerpieces that look like baseballs with a simple tealight inside. I feel like there may need to be more, but I'm not sure what yet. We are having the classic bottles of coke and a small bag of cracker jacks at each place setting. I want to do a small play area for kids, with a small table, coloring books and maybe blocks.
Our guest book is going to be a real wooden baseball bat. FI is getting leather roses that are made out of baseballs for all the guys for bouteniers (spelling?)
I am not doing a father daughter dance, since my dad died, but I will be dancing with each one of my children after FI and I have our dance. We are getting a limo for us to ride in on the way to the reception and I want it to come back to take my kids and my best friend back to the house while FI and head off to our honeymoon.
I know there are a few more, but I can't remember them at the moment.

ciligirl

OK, you guys need to keep posting so I can get more ideas!  Thankfully someone introduced me to etsy and I think I am going to end up getting a lot of things from there.

- One thing I really want to do is christmas ornament favors.  One of our traditions is to get an ornament anytime we travel (even to weddings where we stay overnight), and also for the past 17 years every year I host a party for my gf's where we yankee swap an ornament.  I wouldn't get one with our name or wedding date on it.  The only problem is the ones I like that are beach/nautical related would get expensive once they start adding up so I am still thinking.  Plus I would want to put candy in there too.

- I am trying to incorporate a nautical chart into our decor and I am having trouble trying to figure that out too.  FI and a lot of our friends and fam are really into fishing.  But I don't want it to look too crafty.  Possibly table numbers or as a wrap on the favor box or as the seating cards/chart.  But I like the wooden table numbers too.  If I was talented I could make the chart into an ornament.  I think I may play with that idea.

-  My friend and I are making shell boquets for our bridemaids similar to ones I saw on etsy for $300 each. 

- Our venue is letting us stay and have an after party. Its a waterfront restaurant with an outside bar and they will probably have a band go on when our reception ends (10 pm) so I plan to do  some type of food at the end, maybe sliders and sweet potatoe fries and pizza.  I will definitely be asking for advice from you guys on timeline.

Julie2013

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_june-2013-weddings_wedding-details?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding Club BoardsForum:f30b0bfc-508d-415c-bf59-ab83e327da37Discussion:7edca2e9-f90d-4b1b-85d1-8f1d55237528Post:69e5f90a-dcab-47e1-a478-129baa479f4b">Re: Wedding Details</a>:
[QUOTE]I want to have a kids table with butcher paper as the table "cloth" so they can draw right on it.  <strong>For my centerpieces I'm thinking low, shallow "fish" bowls with water beads in them. They're really cool; you fill it about half way up, then add water. The absorb all the water and double in size.</strong> And I plan on filling it out with gerbera daisys in bright orange.  We're also thinking about getting a rock candy cake. That should be fun! And we're getting a grooms cake in the shape and color scheme as the cabin/program signs our camp program director hand makes for the program and overnight staff at the summer camp we met at.  Our escort cards are going to be wine corks with the bottom cut length wise so they don't roll over, with a slit cut in them for the actual cards to go into. The cards are going to be travel tags since FI and I love to travel and road trip. The tables are going to be named after fun places we've been, like some of the National Parks, or more quirky place the Alamo or Space Camp. Then on each table will be a brief description of when and why we went and a few facts about that location.  Edit: FI is semi aware of this, but I'm making him do two dances with me. We're doing our first dance right when we're introduced then I'm going to make him do a ballroom swing dance with me after all the toasts/dinner/bouquet and garter/cake. He surprised me with lessons a few years ago so we could dance at our friends wedding, then he never dance with me even once (he hates to dance). I've never let him live it down, so at our wedding he will swing dance with me. Though I'll spare him and after about 45 second the DJ will open the floor up to other couples, then another 45 second or so to everyone. 
Posted by cnf2013[/QUOTE]

Cnf, my venue has banned those due to guests (I'd like to think it's kids, but most of us know some irresponsible adults who act like kids!) digging them out and popping them. Apparently, they stain, remove wax from the floors, and are a nightmare to clean up after. You may already know your venue allows them, but thought I'd send you a heads up in case you hadn't given it a thought. It never would have occured to me they would be a problem before my venue mentioned it.

Julie2013

You guys are so creative! I can't wait to see the pics come July 2013!

I'm thinking about making my own anniversary cake and much of the candy/cookies for our candy buffet.

Those can be done well enough ahead. My daughters, my bff, and I are trying to decide on a dance or two to do together, like a line dance.

I'm going to DIY the invitations, but haven't settled on a design.

Much of my family won't dance at the party, so we are going to try to at least put in songs from their teen years. That way they'll at least enjoy the music! For example, "Tutti Frutti" by Little Richard will be fun to dance to AND thrill my mother.

crazykatiemae

-For reception space centerpieces, we are doing black table cloths with oversized martini glasses filled with those jelly beads in pink and green (alternating by table) with an LED light and a pink, white or green mum (alternating by bead color). We'll also do some type of sprinkly confetti on the tables.
-For the cocktail hour high tables, we are doing those low shallow wide bowls, with these metalic beads, water, and a floating bloom or candle (flameless) of some type.
-We are doing an eco photobooth, so they don't print the pictures right there, but have them online and downloadable in 24 hours. They are super high resolution and professional with the camera type.
-I want to do a giant wooden heart in gray or pink with nails all around it and string strung throughout it. Maybe hang the escort cards off of it, or just use it to draw attention to our escort card table?
-Frames with both of our parents wedding pictures in them on the guest book table with our engagement picture guest book.
-I want to encorporate pictures of our bridesmaids and groomsmen throughout the cocktail hour space. I'm not exactly sure how right now, but our cocktail hour is in an art gallery so that might allow us to be a bit more creative.
-We rented out this classic auto museum space for our guests during cocktail hour as well, so i need to find some way to encorporate that for our guests!
-I will be doing a little picture frame hanging off of my bouquet of my late grandma and we will also be doing some type of candle/memorial spot too either at church or at cocktail hour.
-Hand made bridal hangers (with their names), engraved hot pink flasks and maybe some hand painted wine glasses for my bridesmaids?
-I also want to make a Green Bay Packers grooms cake for the rehearsal dinner too!

cnf2013

Julie, I did not know that. I'll ask my coordinator when we meet for our details meeting after the six month mark. Moh and I used them for a friends baby shower last winter and I absolutely wanted them for my wedding after that. Something to look into, thanks!

lovefuzzies

Well I'm a little late to the party but thought I'd throw my two cents worth in anyway, lol.

*We're planning to do a tartan pinning ceremony during the wedding ceremony.  I'm very excited about that and I think FMIL is too.  I'm thinking she really wants to be the one to do the pinning.

*I'm hoping we can coordinate with my son's high school orchestra to have a couple of people or a small group play the prelude and postlude music at the wedding ceremony.  My son loved that idea when I mentioned it.

*I really want to do a picture charm thing for my bouquet with pictures of my close family members that have passed.

*I'd like to have a "heritage table" at the reception with pictures of at least parents and grandparents along with a picture of FI and me on the table.  A bonus would be if I could get wedding pictures of the grandparents but I'd be happy with pictures of them in their mid-30s since that's about how old FI and I are.

*FI really wants to brew some of his own beer to have as an option at the bar during the reception.  He also wants to add one of the wines we made as an option at the bar.  We'll see if that works out, lol, since we haven't decided who the bartender is yet.

*I really, really want to do a father-daughter dance.  With my dad's health being so up and down right now I don't know if that's going to be a possibility yet.

*I would love to have an ice cream bar as a late night treat.  Not sure if I'll be able to make that happen or not.