Aisle Style
The ATB Dream Team believes that the ceremony is THE most important part of any wedding day. After all, if there's no ceremony you're not married and then there's no reason to celebrate! The style for your ceremony can be as elaborate or as simple as you would like. Sometimes the location will dictate the decor. Indoors or out? Cathedral or chapel? Barn or ballroom? Woods or beach? Backyard or boat? Tent or open air?
Sometimes it's the type of ceremony that dictates the style. Religious, civil, ethnic, spiritual? Are you incorporating family or religious traditions? Huppah, mandap, or arch? Maybe a tree is your focal point or a mountain in the distance or perhaps a body of water that's as large as the ocean or as small as a stream.
If your ceremony is outdoors the possibilities are endless! Will there be chairs or benches? What about couches or hay bales covered with quilts? Rows or in the round? Aisle runner or bare floor/ground? PLANNERS NOTE: Don't forget to have a Plan B established well in advance in case of inclement weather.
If you've got rows of chairs or pews are you using aisle markers or pew flowers? Will the VIP guests have "behind the rope" cards to show the ushers so that they may be seated in the seats reserved for them? PLANNERS NOTE: If your ceremony venue does not allow - or you don't want - your flower girl(s) to throw petals give her a basket of stemmed flowers (daisies, roses, etc) to hand to those sitting on the aisle as they make their way forward. OR give her something else to carry like Morgan did (see caption below).
Perhaps your ceremony location is unusual such as an aquarium, zoo, or amusement park.
How about a vineyard, park, farm or backyard?
The ATB Aisle Style Pintrest Board shows over 200 possibilities from which you can draw inspiration for your Aisle Style. The photos range from extremely elaborate to very simple. Make it your own style by changing the colors, adding or subtracting flowers, creating different focal points, and adding your personal touches. Can't decide? Contact an expert! All the Best Weddings and Celebrations can help you define your style and bring it to life. Contact us to inquire about a complimentary consultation now!.
My Daughter’s Wedding – Design & Decor
The Planner Says:
The design or "feel" of an event is very important. It's how your guests will know they're part of more than just a wedding. The ceremony is the celebration of the love and commitment that the bride and groom share. It is the start of their new life together as a married couple. The ceremony can be very solemn and religious or it can be very light and spiritual. The reception after the ceremony is the time to celebrate this new union. Personal touches that reflect the newlyweds should abound. Party on!!
It was important to Austen that they be married in a church so they set off to find one in Asbury Park that would accept them. PLANNING NOTE: Here at the Jersey Shore it's very difficult to find a church that will allow non-members to marry there. This is especially true of Catholic churches. I'm not saying it's impossible. I'm just saying it's not easy.
They found a church within a reasonable distance of where the reception would take place and booked it with the help of Austen's father who is a minister and would perform the ceremony. PLANNING NOTE: It is recommended that you keep that "reasonable distance" in mind if your ceremony is going to be offsite from the reception. None of your guests will thank you if they have to drive an hour or more from one place to the next especially if they're from out of town and unfamiliar with the area.
Their chosen church did not have a center aisle but after Superstorm Sandy that became a non-issue after a large stained glass window was damaged during the storm and had to be boarded up. At least the scaffolding was gone by the time of the ceremony. PLANNING NOTE: If your ceremony location has two aisles use one aisle for the processional and the other for the recessional. The decor was kept simple in the church; pew markers which would be re-purposed later in the day and a floral swag on a railing. PLANNING NOTE: use decor items as many times as possible from ceremony to cocktail hour or reception to after party.
They specifically chose New Year's Eve because they wanted a huge party to celebrate their marriage. That theme didn't work well with the usual four hour wedding reception timeline of intros, first dances, toasts, dinner, cake cutting,and dessert service leading to last dance. We decided to break it up with a sit down dinner for up to 50 guests followed by the party for those 50 + another 100. The dinner would be held in one room with the party in another.
After some discussion the bride and groom decided to let me do the design for the dinner and party. Alison did have a say on the flowers that would be provided by Dara Ellis of Designs by Dara and decor for dinner. She hit Pintrest hard for ideas that included bell jars. I would be responsible for the party with little or no input from them. Dara, Alison and I did a site visit to go over everything both at the church and at both locations at the hotel. PLANNING NOTE: Site visits and walk throughs are extremely important to make sure that everyone is on the same page. Keep other professionals who may not be able to attend in the loop - especially your sales representative at the venue. We did another one with Jason Jani from the SCE Event Group just for the ballroom.
The Continental Room on the Berkeley Hotel's mezzanine level was chosen for dinner. Two sets of 24' long tables that would seat up to 25 guests each were set up using the hotel's high back padded chairs. The feel was to be soft and romantic for a quiet dinner with lots of candlelight and flowers. PLANNING NOTE: Open flame candle rules are different at each venue. Check with your venue before making any final plans. Letterpress menus with hand calligraphied names provided by Abbey Malcolm Press were used as place cards. Alison chose the fabric for the custom made table runners that were placed over black satin linens with cream colored napkins. The pew flowers were re-purposed here as chair markers for the four couples that would rotate to new seats after each course (note the re-purpose of the pew markers on the mantle also). The room glowed once the lights were turned down.
The ballroom for the party was set up like a club. White lounge furniture provided by SCE Event Group surrounded the white dance floor (really wanted checkerboard but that's what happens when you call two months before a major holiday) provided by Ocean Tents who also provided the 8' banquet tables for dinner, and the tables and chairs for the eating area for the party. PLANNING NOTE: Never assume that your venue has all the items that you'll need such as tables and chairs. Ask your venue representative for a list of their usable inventory and what their policy is on bringing in outside rentals. The food area featured black and white check linens with alternating black and white chairs. My associates (THANK YOU Lauren and Melissa!!!) moved the candelabras from dinner down to these tables. There was a quiet lounge off to the other side for those who wanted to get away from the music for a while. SCE provided custom lighting (an absolute must for any event) including a gobo of their monogram created by Abbey Malcolm Press. They draped all the wall dividers and even made it snow....
The bride and groom was not allowed to see the room until it was completely finished and they were speechless! The guests were impressed as well. As a planner (and the MoB) more than that I cannot ask!
The Mother of the Bride says:
I shed gallons of tears over this. Most of them unwarranted. I just wanted everything to be perfect which just added to my stress level. Dara Ellis of Designs by Dara did an outstanding job of making our ideas come to life - even after I had to cut the budget somewhat. PLANNING NOTE: If you cut your floral budget by 10%, for example, expect to get 10% less flowers than originally quoted. Alison's bouquet of protea and roses was supposed to be wrapped with lace from my wedding gown but the piece got lost somewhere along the way. She did have a rosary that my father had gotten from the Vatican wrapped around the stems.
For the ceremony I insisted on a large floral swag which shows up in ZERO photos and no one really looked at anyway because the focus of the ceremony was away from it. Given the choice I definitely wouldn't do that again. I gave Dara my wedding veil to use as the tulle for the pew flowers.
I really wanted phalaenopsis orchids in the dinner flower arrangements but gave that up after finding out how much they cost. Dara was able to get tulips for the arrangements which included hydrangea and roses. The overall look was better than I imagined. Dara added votives wrapped in crystals and made the bell jars which held topiary type arrangements of flowers and moss. PLANNING NOTE: Coffee cups should not be pre-set. They should be brought out for coffee and dessert service at the end of the evening. Bring this up during your final walk through with your catering sales rep.
The only extras ordered for the party was a "Resolution Tree" and a midnight balloon drop. Guests were asked to write a new year's resolution for themselves and the bride and groom and hang it on the tree.
What I would do differently: Not much other than delete the swag from the ceremony decor and increase the size of the midnight balloon drop. I had a vision in my head of what everything should look and feel like and the reality beat the fantasy thanks to Designs by Dara and Jason Jani and his team at SCE Event Group. When Jason and I worked together on the setup the day before the wedding I came home relaxed and with a smile on my face. I knew then that everything would be OK and it was.
My Daughter’s Wedding – Entertainment
The Planner Says:
There are three things people will be talking about after your wedding - the ceremony, the food, and the music. The ceremony will be a reflection of your love and the start of your life together. The food and the music are the heart of the reception. Is everyone having a great time? Is the dance floor full?
Question # 18 on the ATB new client questionnaire is about entertainment. Band or DJ? This is a 100% personal preference and is sometimes driven by budget as some people believe that a band costs more than a DJ. There are a lot of factors that go into whether or not this is true. Some clients choose a DJ because they only want the hear the original versions of their favorite songs. I've had clients hire a fantastic band but still asked them to play the recorded version of their first dance song. Regardless of the choice the leader of the band or the MC/DJ must know how to read your crowd. They may have a planned set list but will see the crowd not responding and make a change on the fly or the crowd is very much into the current set and it might not be the time to change the tempo. Only an experienced leader can see that and react accordingly.
If the answer is band, the next question is what kind of band? Here at the Jersey Shore there are quite a few bands that play the local bars in the summer and do weddings as well. There are small bands, there are large bands that can get larger, and bands that also include a DJ. PLANNING NOTE: Your band contract should include the specific musicians and singers that will make up your band. Get their song list and find out how much time they need to learn new songs. Check their space and electrical requirements with your venue. See the band(s) you're considering in action. Some bands play at bridal shows and others have their own showcases. Check their website for a schedule of live performances.
- Part of the brass section from Brian Kirk and the Jirks in action at the Liberty House in Jersey City for Kristen and Mike's wedding. Photo courtesy of John Arcara Photogrpahy
If your answer is a DJ the next question is what type? Do you want the over the top kind of DJ that makes plenty of noise or do you want someone a little more laid back? What kind of music do you expect will be played for the dance sets at your reception? Do you like club music or are the '80's more your style? All the Best currently has four strategic partners in the DJ category that we recommend based on the criteria given to us by clients. There are literally hundreds of DJs out there in a variety of price ranges. PLANNING NOTE: Please do not make your decision based solely on cost. This goes for any professional you choose for your wedding. I promise you that basing your decision on cost alone will bite you in the butt every time.
Two of our strategic partners have two DJs to choose from, another has seven, and the other has over 20 including women and DJs that are bi-lingual. They all offer lighting and A/V packages. One offers live musician accompaniment such as percussion.
If you choose a DJ there are a number of things to consider including whether or not the DJ has the personality you're looking for for your event. Does the DJ have the skills to get your guests involved in your event from the moment they walk in the door through last dance? Is the timing of intros, toasts, food courses, and cake cutting done in such a way that there's still plenty of time for dancing? Have you seen them in person, gotten a referral from a trusted source, read their reviews? Are you being pressured to add high priced extras to your contract? Are they listening to you? Is this your wedding or theirs? PLANNING NOTE: Once you've found the DJ that's right for your event get a contract to secure your date and the specific DJ that you want. You can always add the bells and whistles later.
PLANNING NOTE: Whatever form of entertainment you choose don't forget to include them in your vendor meal count for your caterer. The count will include the technicians too. Ask your contact for a count for meals. One band we know provides their own meals and will charge you accordingly. BTW - meals for your professionals (including photographer and videography) should always be hot meals. The cost should be considerably less than it is for your guests.
The Mother of the Bride says:
This was the easiest part of the entire wedding for me. Alison and Austen wanted a DJ for their New Year's Eve party. As a professional musician the music was very important to Austen. They wanted a DJ that would bring a club vibe to the event. I gave them the four websites to look at and after some discussion they chose Jason Jani of the SCE Event Group. When I called Jason to see if he was available, without telling him it was my daughter, he said he would change his own personal plans for my client if necessary. I am grateful to his wife for being so understanding!
Alison and Austen made an appointment to meet with Jason to discuss music selections and I spoke to him about lighting, furniture and draping. I'm going to discuss the decor of the event in another blog post but here's a sneak peak of the main event space that Jason and his team brought to life based on my design.
The SCE crew rocked the party from beginning to end! The screens they brought showed videos of some of the songs they played, the photographer's same day edit photos, and the countdown to midnight with the ball drop in Times Square. Jason got the party going the moment the doors opened and the guests started coming in. He handled the bride and groom intros, their first dance and the bride's dance with her dad. He even made it snow!
Austen's friend Mimi told me that she was supposed to go to another NYE party but didn't go because she was having too much fun with us. Another friend commented that being at the party was like being at the best club in NYC that was filled with everyone you wanted to party with. The packed dance floor even included my 82 year old mother who danced until we ended at 1:00am with everyone yelling "ONE MORE SONG!"
The SCE Group creates VLogs of each event that they do. Jason created two for Alison & Austen's wedding that show the magic created that night. One is a time lapse that's about a minute and 40 seconds long. The other is great capture of the energy of the party that's a little over 4 minutes long. In the longer version you can see the snow and the way the lighting changes affect the room. Just click on the highlighted text to see either or both so you can see for yourself just awesome it was!
How to Achieve Your Picture Perfect Day – Guest Blog from John Arcara Photography
Words of wisdom from John and Lovina Arcara as to how you can achieve a picture perfect wedding day!
*Don't drink too much the night before. Alcohol will dehydrate you & create dark circles under your eyes that are hard to cover up with makeup.
*Watch those tan lines if you have a strapless gown....no amount of Photoshop will cover that!
*Hire hair and make-up artists who are professional, efficient, and dress the part. They are going to be in your pictures so they should be put together on your big day. They also will be the first ones to cause the entire day to run late & that usually cuts down on the time your imaging professionals have. Less time = less photos. Ask your wedding planner or photo/video crew for referrals if needed. If the professionals you trust recommend them then you'll be able to trust them too!
*Schedule hair and makeup so that the bride is IN the make-up chair when the imaging professionals arrive, this way they can catch some great preparation images.
*If you're having your makeup done at a salon instead of where you are getting dressed then arrange to have your photographer come there to take some photos. It makes for great images & a wonderful start to your story.
*If your photographer does not provide video also then be sure to hire a videographer who uses an unobtrusive, complimenting style to match your photographer. Ask your planner or photographer for a referral This way you know they will be a good match.
*Think about where you are getting dressed. Is the space big enough to accommodate you, your girls,and family? Can you be properly spread out? Would you want pictures of that space in your big beautiful book since your photographer WILL be shooting it? Is there sufficient light?
*Have everything ready BEFORE the imaging professionals arrive. Dress hung on a nice hanger (no wire or plastic). All bride's jewelry including wedding bands. Bride's shoes and veil. Any special lingerie?? Don't forget your invitation too.
*SHOES SHOES SHOES, lose the white & think about color or bling or both!
*Whoever is going to help you into your gown should be all dressed & ready before you are out of the make-up chair.
*Don't open gifts or cards or notes without your imaging professionals there. This is an amazing opportunity for them to capture some beautiful emotion.
*SMILE! SMILE! SMILE! I guarantee you it's going perfectly!
*Do a toast with some good champagne! It's relaxing & a great photo op!
*Tell you florist to level out the bottom of your bouquet stems so your photo & video stand can stand them up if need be for a cute image. Make sure all the personal flowers are all there before the photographer arrives.
*Don't worry so much about the gown getting a little dusty pre-ceremony. If its sparkly clean after a photo session, it means you didn't get fun, radical images.
*Ditch the list. Your photography team knows who is important in your immediate family. Save the college group shots for during the reception. Make sure immediate family knows where to be and when for group photos.
*If your ceremony is at the same site as your reception you should seriously consider doing a big reveal. Seeing each other before the ceremony gives your photographer more time to be really creative. PLUS it will have you relaxed for the rest of the day AND you will see your entire cocktail hour. It's a win win win win! Consider doing the Big Reveal alone. No Family No Friends.
*If you don't do a "Big Reveal" before the ceremony AND you want a receiving line, you are tying the hands of your imaging professionals. Nothing eats into photo time like a receiving line. No matter how you do it it’s 30-45 minutes of natural light ebbing away and expensive talent counting how many pictures they have to cut out as they watch the minutes go by. No receiving line = better pictures.
*Expect the unexpected. Look to the imperfections to make your wedding perfect. Rain or shine, hail or snow, it's your day to celebrate no matter what happens.
*Details Details Details... bring a lot of yourselves to the wedding; props, details, grooms cake, custom sneakers or socks for the boys, hand painted signs, photobooth. Magazines LOVE details, your vendors LOVE details & you will be soooo happy when you see your book filled with images of all the little things you so painstakingly created for your day.
*Have family & friends help you to get where you are going. Would you rather have the limo driver or your someone you love helping with your dress? Have Dad, Mom or your Maid of Honor do it. After the ceremony your new husband will help you.
*Give all of your vendors FULL names & addresses of all locations. Creating a detailed timeline is a bonus!
*If your celebrant stands with their back to the audience make sure the bride and groom are elevated for all to see. If you're all on the same level they officiant may block everyone's view & their back will be the focal point of your vows, ring exchange & first kiss!
*At the ceremony, make it about you. Pay attention to each other, look at each other a lot. Face each other as much as you can. You are allowed to talk to each other up there. Don't turn your back to the congregation when you do the ring exchange. Hold hands. Kiss for a long time & enjoy that kiss.
*Have fun recessing back down the aisle! Take it slow!! YOU'RE MARRIED!! WOO HOO!! Hands up, faces up too! Big smiles, laugh, wave, kiss each other, let the party start while you're going down the aisle & you will get awesome images. Pay attention to each other NOT the congregation.
*Having a drink is OK during the ride after the ceremony. Relax, loosen up but don't get drunk! Make sure your bridal party knows that too. There will be plenty of time to party!!
*Have fun with your images. Get radical & be an actor... Not a good actor? Fake it 'til you make it! Take direction from your photographer. Just let got!
*Once the formal photos are done you can enjoy your cocktail hour. Have a cocktail and hang out with your guests. Give us some more opportunistic for natural photos.
*Enter the reception connected. Hold hands and come in together, You are now one & shouldn't leave the other behind. Pay attention to each other during your first dance. Feel alone on the dance floor. Use your Jedi powers to ignore the people, cameras & shouting & romantically involve yourself in the moment.
*Leave your Family & Bridal Party out of your first dance. It's time to be in love and make the song yours. Your video & photo crew do need some time to capture those amazing moments during the first dance. If you're thinking of inviting everyone to join you because you think the song is too long to be up there by yourselves talk to your DJ or band MC to cut the time down.
*Make sure your entertainment has a wireless mic so that all of your speeches canbe done at the table where you are seated.. It looks great & your imaging professionals can capture the emotions of everyone involved.
*Get on the dance floor! Nothing fills a dance floor like the bride & groom.
*Uplighting rocks! It adds color & dimension to an otherwise flat background. Try to keep the color off the dance floor. If there's a green light shining on the dance floor everyone in the photo under that light will be green. Photoshop is not getting that out.
*No Surprises! Tell your photo & video crew about ALL surprises you are planning for each other & your guests. A surprise to us could leave us blindsided & the opportunity could be missed. We can keep a secret!
*Personalize the day.... Don't be afraid to think outside the box with your formalities, structure and music requests.
*Just because every past wedding you have ever attended has had the electric slide doesn't mean you need it too.
*Finally ... SHOW UP, not just physically, but mentally... It's going to be an amazing day! Enjoy!!
John & Lovina Arcara
John Arcara Photography
64 Broad Street Red Bank NJ 07701
FaceBook | Website | Blog | Films | Pinterest