Is it traditional for the bride to be late?

Contrary to general belief, it is not a tradition for the bride to be late. The bride might like to allow 5-10 minutes after the ceremony start time to arrive to ensure all guests have arrived but, to keep your guests waiting more than 15 minutes is thought to be rude, especially if there is no shade or seating for them.

It’s becoming increasingly popular that couples are putting the time on their invitations which is actually half an hour before the ceremony is due to begin. This is a good idea if your guests are prone to running late. However, for the guests who are prompt and think the ceremony will be starting at the time stipulated, they may be waiting up to 45 minutes beforehand not realising the ceremony wasn’t actually starting when it was stated on the invitation. There’s a good chance they will be getting quite impatient with the bride, thinking she is extremely late!

A better way is to put on your invitations something like “3.30pm for a 4pm ceremony”. This way your guests are given plenty of time to arrive and know exactly what time the ceremony will be starting.

Helen Coghlan,

Simply Magic Ceremonies

simplymagicceremonies.com.au

Gold Coast - Queensland – Australia

Beach Weddings vs Park Weddings

We’ve all seen the beautiful photos of beach weddings  -  the colourful flowers wrapped around a bamboo arbour, a seagrass mat,  the white sand, blue sparkling water in the background, gentle breeze blowing. Sounds idyllic, doesn’t it?

Unfortunately, only a small percentage of beach weddings are as perfect as they sound. Usually it’s either too windy or too hot - perfect conditions are rare. The wind causes havoc with the decorations, the sand blows onto everything (and everyone) and, of course, you’ve spent hours getting your hair just right only to have the wind mess it up in a matter of minutes! On the other hand, without any sort of breeze at all, it can get downright hot.

Guests usually aren’t too keen, either, of trudging down the beach in their formal clothes and shoes.  Ask someone who has been to a beach wedding and I’m sure they’ll tell you this.

Most couples these days are, instead, opting to have their ceremonies in a park due to the uncertainty of the weather conditions.

With a park wedding you can still have the same decorations which will look just as stunning. A park is usually more sheltered from the wind and is also cooler which is a relief on a hot summer’s day.

Guests will also be relieved to know they won’t have to spend half an hour after the ceremony trying to get sand out of their shoes.

There are definitely advantages to park weddings and, here on the Gold Coast, we’re lucky to have so many beautiful parks to get married in.

Approval for a park wedding is given for two hours, giving you plenty of time for the decorator to set up, the ceremony and photos afterwards whereas approval for a beach wedding is given for only an hour.

So, if you’re thinking about where to have your wedding, think twice before you decide to have it on the beach.


Helen Coghlan,
Simply Magic Ceremonies

simplymagicceremonies.com.au

Gold Coast - Queensland – Australia
 

Have you thought about a 'Guest Photography' & 'Social Media' policy?

Today’s modern world brings a modern set of concerns that you may wish to discuss and consider prior to your wedding day. This is not an exaggeration and is something we experience every week at our clients' weddings.

The following article has been supplied courtesy of A Fabulous Event Planning Service.

iPhones, iPads and Guest Cameras:

 

With the increasing popularity of modern recording and photographic devices like smartphones, tablets, point-and-shoot cameras, more wedding guests are plugging in and snapping away throughout the wedding day. And although having the capability to capture special memories is exciting, many wonder whether this technological obsession is taking away from experiencing the events of the day.

Ten years ago, when the bride walked down the aisle, photographers captured the smiling faces of her friends and family, emotion stirring behind their eyes. The bride could make eye contact with her guests and share her joy and that moment. Now, it’s quite likely for the majority of wedding guests to hide behind their smart phones, iPads or point-and-shoot cameras.

What breaks the hearts of couples and professional photographers alike – are the countless wedding galleries that are more filled with the screens of iPhones than they are with the smiling faces of wedding guests and family members.

I know that the guests are just trying to enjoy the day but sometimes they can be so caught up at capturing the moments on camera, they end up not being present in the moment themselves, they cannot be photographed properly themselves and they can get in the photographer’s way.

There are also concerns about multiple flashes going off at the same time, causing further difficulty for your professional photographer and videographer.

Some of the most award winning and heart moving wedding photos have been raw emotion shots of family and friends enjoying your special moment. Now when photographers attempt to capture these moments for you, they are faced with the above images instead. Which would you prefer?

Social Media:
It is now extremely common for wedding guests to use their smartphones to post pictures on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter before and during weddings.

Bridesmaids have posted photos of a bride in her gown that was seen by the groom prior to the ceremony even taking place.

Other guests have posted photos during the ceremony and reception. This can be fun and may not bother you at all but take a moment to think about your feelings in this regard prior to your wedding day.

Some couples prefer to be the ones making the Facebook announcements themselves and do not wish their guests to do this before they get a chance. You also have no control over the quality of the photos posted and some of the candid unprofessional shots may be unflattering in your opinion.

Some couples prefer privacy with friends and family and would prefer not to share these moments with the world in an uncontrolled environment.
 
What can be done?
Dealing with these situations can be as simple as asking the celebrant to make an announcement that all phones and cameras are not to be used during the ceremony but they are welcome to use them again afterwards.

Some couples are now opting to have an “Unplugged” wedding and placing signs or cards at the ceremony or inscriptions on wedding invitations giving people prior notice of their preference. A mention can also be made regarding your request for privacy on social media.

You may like to state an official social media page where everyone can share their photos but where you have the control of the content.

If none of these issues worry you, then don’t do anything and just enjoy your day as it happens.

Helen Coghlan,

Simply Magic Ceremonies

simplymagicceremonies.com.au

Gold Coast - Queensland – Australia

5 reasons why it's good luck if it rains on your wedding day

Rain represents many things in different cultures, most of which include fertility, cleansing, unity, renewal, and tears.

©      Fertility: Rain on your wedding day is good luck because it signifies that you will have children. This belief came about since rain ultimately waters the ground and lends to fertility, thus allowing growth of plants and vegetation. This was always a big deal in communities based around agriculture.

©      Cleansing: Rain on your wedding day is good luck because it signifies the cleansing of tough times or sadness in your past. People began saying this since rain tends to wash away dirt and even pollution.

 ©      Unity: Rain on your wedding day is good luck because it signifies that your marriage will last. As you know, a knot that becomes wet is extremely hard to untie – therefore, when you “tie the knot” on a rainy day, your marriage is supposedly just as hard to unravel! We can thank Hindu traditions for this belief.

 ©      Renewal: Rain on your wedding day is good luck because it signifies washing away of bad memories or occurrences and in effect, gives you a completely new, fresh chapter in your life. You know that refreshing scent after the rain, just when the sun starts peaking back through the clouds? That “new day” feeling is where this belief came from – that your wedding will truly be the beginning of a new chapter in your lives.

 ©      Tears: Rain on your wedding day is good luck because it symbolizes the last tears that the bride will shed for the rest of her life.

*From thepinkbride.com

Helen Coghlan,

Simply Magic Ceremonies
simplymagicceremonies.com.au
Gold Coast - Queensland – Australia

Ways to save money on your wedding

It’s a well-known fact that getting married isn’t cheap. On average a wedding will cost $36,000. The biggest expense is the venue followed by the cost of the wedding dress and clothing.

Here are my top 10 ways to save money on a wedding: 

1.      Go for a mid-week wedding - Many suppliers such as venues, photographers, etc will offer a cheaper price for mid-week or ‘off-peak’ weddings. For eg. As a celebrant I offer mid-week weddings for $295 (save $200).

2.      Guest list – Deciding on whom to invite can easily get out of hand and blow out your budget quickly. To cut down on costs, cut down on guests.

3.      Load your ceremony music onto an iPod - Rather than hiring a band or a DJ, load all of your favourite songs for dinner and then for dancing onto your iPod and plug it into the venue’s PA system.

4.      Ceremony venue - Shop around for a venue. Some venues need you to have a minimum number of guests. Don’t go to the expense of inviting extra people just to secure the venue. Find another venue instead. There are plenty available. Consider hiring a community hall and have a catering company supply the meal and a wedding decorator to give the hall a ‘wedding’ look.

5.      Do decorations yourself - This suggestion is pretty self-explanatory. It doesn’t take much effort to make the place cards. You can even go as far as making your own bombonieres and table settings, too.

6.      Make the invitations yourself - As with the above suggestion, it really isn’t too hard to make your own invitations. If you’re not creative ask someone you know who has the special flair and ask for their help. They’ll probably be honoured that you asked.

7.      Skip the champagne toast - instead let your guests toast with the drink they already have.

8.      Make the wedding cake yourself - get a friend or relative to make your favourite cake (you’ll be too busy) and either they can decorate it or get a professional to add the finishing touches. (Carol from Decorated Cakes Gold Coast will do this for you.)

9.      Use friends’ cars instead of booking a limo - your friends will probably be tickled pink to think their car is worthy of being used for a bridal car.

10.  Make a budget and stick to it- It’s important to create a budget and stick to it! Going over a little bit here and a little bit there will quickly add up to a big bit at the end. Wouldn’t you rather spend any extras on the honeymoon?

 
Helen Coghlan,
Simply Magic Ceremonies

simplymagicceremonies.com.au

 Gold Coast - Queensland – Australia

Box, Wine & Love Letter Ceremony

This is a really meaningful inclusion in any ceremony and it comes from Carol J. Merletti (USA).

You will need a wooden box or container that will hold a bottle of wine and two glasses. Before the ceremony you write each other a love letter, expressing your thoughts about the good qualities that you found in your future partner and the reasons for falling in love. Under no condition can you read each other's letter. During the ceremony the letters are sealed and placed in the box with the wine and glasses.

The idea is that, should you ever find your marriage in difficulty, you open the box, drink the wine together and then go to separate rooms and read the letter that you wrote to one another to reflect upon why you fell in love in the first place.

The hope is that you'll never have a reason to open the box and, if this is the case, you can open the box on your 10th anniversary.

 

Helen Coghlan,

Simply Magic Ceremonies

simplymagicceremonies.com.au

Gold Coast - Queensland – Australia

Acknowledgement of Country

Whether you are indigenous or not, consider including an ‘Acknowledgement of Country’ to your ceremony which is a way that all people can show respect for Aboriginal culture and heritage and the ongoing relationship the Traditional Custodians have with the land. Something similar to the following could be said:

“I wish to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land we stand on today and I pay my respects to the Elders past and present.”

Helen Coghlan,

Simply Magic Ceremonies

simplymagicceremonies.com.au

Gold Coast - Queensland – Australia