How to Avoid a Cookie Cutter Wedding - Wedding Article

The guests are being seated to the tune of Pachelbel’s Canon in D. Next is “Here comes the bride” as the bride, preceded by her wedding party, enters in her white A-line gown, holding her bouquet of roses. During the traditional, religious ceremony, the unity candle is lit, the couple says I do, and 1 Corinthians 13 is read aloud. Immediately following the ceremony, guests scurry to find their assigned seats at their round, white linen covered tables. Toasts are given, chicken and carved beef are served with a salad and steamed vegetable. Guests yawn as they watch the newlyweds dance to “At Last,” and when the bride’s father cuts in for “Butterfly kisses.” The dj tries, with little success, to get everyone on the dance floor to do the “Chicken Dance” and “Macerena.” After the cardboard flavored, 3 tiered, white cake is cut, the majority of the single guests decide to cut out early in order to avoid the embarrassing bouquet/garter toss ritual. As the end of the night finally approaches, the bride and groom, exhausted from their stress filled wedding planning, depart, leaving their loved ones to clean up the mess of “the most memorable event of their lives.”

Does this scenario sound like every wedding you have ever been to? Do you want your wedding photographs and memories to be exactly the same as your parents’, cousins’ and friends’? When you work with a wedding consultant, such as Katie Marie James of Precious Moments Weddings and Events, every aspect of your wedding will become uniquely your own. A consultant will work to discover your personal style, interests and desires.

Don’t get married at the same venue that has housed all of the weddings that you have attended in the last year. If you and your fiancé are lovers of the outdoors, try a ceremony nestled beneath pine trees with picturesque views of the Rocky Mountains. Your reception, held in the same log cabin lodge rented to house your guests for your activity-filled wedding weekend, homey in atmosphere with cracking log fireplaces and a hot cocoa bar with refreshments. At the conclusion of mountain hiking, white water rafting and marshmallow toasting, leave guests with a tree sapling as a memento of your unique wedding.

If you pride yourself with being trendy and hip, serve signature cocktails in an art gallery downtown. Before the main course is served, guests are entertained by a live action sushi chef. Use bold colors such as orange or magenta and geometric shapes throughout your dress and décor. Instead of one bland wedding cake, guests are treated to a cheesecake tasting spread and fill take out boxes with their favorite candies, matching the color scheme of course, from the sweets table. Tired of hearing the top 40 from the dj? Play your favorite mix on your IPod, and then continue the after party taking advantage of diverse Denver nightlife.

Look to your heritage to add personal touches to your wedding such as themed ethnic food, a ceremonial ritual or a traditional dance. If your partner and you come from two different backgrounds, embrace both cultures, with a ceremony in two languages or a change in bridal attire halfway through the reception. Include your ancestors by wearing a piece of antique jewelry that has been passed down through generations. Develop a wedding logo incorporating your new monogram and include it throughout your décor, favors, and thank you stationary.

By enlisting in the services offered to you by consultants such as Katie Marie James, a member of the Association of Bridal Consultants, you can plan a wedding that you will want to remember for the rest of your life. A consultant can develop a theme and course of action for your wedding planning; locate the perfect venue to fit your needs and contract quality vendors who share in your vision. “The bride and groom (and guests) should be able to enjoy the big day without having to worry about all of the little details,” says Katie about why she thinks that wedding consultants are so necessary to the success of such an event. Even the do-it-yourself bride could use an extra hand with the week of event planning package. A consultant is the next best thing to a lawyer to look over all of the wedding contracts and to help finalize any last minute details. Then, the day of the wedding, a consultant will set up, orchestrate all events, make sure that everything runs smoothly and stay after the bride and groom have departed to make sure that no one has left anything behind and that everything is cleaned up as to avoid the loss of a usually very expensive damage deposit.

So to avoid the “cookie cutter” wedding and to have the least amount of stress as possible during the whole planning process, consider enlisting the help of a wedding consultant, such as Katie Marie James of Precious Moments Weddings and Events. Visit http://pmweddingsandevents.googlepages.com to see a complete list of services available.

For more information about this article, or if you are interested in an interview with a member of the Association of Bridal Consultants, please contact Katie Marie James, of Precious Moments Weddings and Events.
970-330-8584 pmweddingsandevents@yahoo.com.

Submited by: Katie Marie James