By Katie Ives of Second Line Weddings and Events

What is is one of the biggest wedding planning detail that gets overlooked? Sorry to all of the men out there, but it is the marriage proposal!  To all of the moms, grandmothers and sisters who have a special guy in their life who is thinking about popping the question to his girlfriend, you may want to put this little tidbit of information in his ear: a recent poll found that 85% of women are disappointed by their engagement stories!

The fact is the most women want their men to be more thoughtful and creative when it comes to asking for their hand in marriage. Of course, there will be guys who are thinking, “I just spent a small fortune on an engagement ring – and now I have to spend a small fortune making the proposal special?” No, not at all!  A thoughtful and creative marriage proposal doesn’t have to break the bank! Whether you put the ring on her finger while she is sleeping and wake her with champagne or craft a special scavenger hunt that ends with you on one knee, there are a million thoughtful, romantic and inexpensive ways to create an unforgettable marriage proposal. But for everyone’s sake, just don’t do something that is cliché  - like placing the engagement ring at the bottom of a champagne glass!

The good news is that more and more men are going out of their ways to come up with creative and unique marriage proposals. From proposing at the end of a hot air balloon ride to dropping down on one knee in the middle of Grand Central Station, some future grooms are setting the bar pretty high with their marriage proposal plans. New Orleans is actually becoming a popular destination for men who want to pop the question in a romantic but unique way!

Take  Jeff, for example.  A few months back, Jeff contacted me about proposing to his girlfriend, Amy, during their trip to New Orleans. Jeff had the idea of proposing during a traditional New Orleans second line parade, but, not being from New Orleans, he had no idea how to take that idea and turn it into a really special marriage proposal. Although it is pretty easy to find a wedding second line parade on any given Saturday night in the French Quarter, Jeff wanted to create something that would appear spontaneous but at the same time be specifically for Amy. So we decided to hire Baby Boyz Brass Band (an up and coming local brass band) to stage a second line parade in the French Quarter.  The idea was for Jeff and Amy to be somewhere in the French Quarter having coffee and they would join in on a random second line parade passing by.  Eventually this evolved into a whole backstory, where Jeff told Amy that I was an old college friend who wanted to meet up for coffee and beignets at the New Orleans institution, Cafe du Monde. However, the real plan was for my husband, Clay, to show up instead and explain that I was held up nearby at at work (my job? managing a brass band, of course) and for him to relay my text message that I would be parading by with the band to get some publicity and that they needed to come join us to see what a second line is all about.  How did it turn out? Watch for yourself . . . and be inspired!

Click here to watch the proposal!

Cheers to You!

Why have just an ordinary bar service at your reception when you can step it up a notch with fun drink specials?  The options are limited only by your imagination and personal preferences, but here are a few possibilities to inspire you.

Creative Cocktails

Love everything BLING?
Get Iced with a
Diamond Martini:
Dash of premium vermouth
½ cup premium grain vodka (best frozen)
Lemon wedge    

Rock it old school with an
Old Fashioned:
2 oz bourbon whiskey
2 dashes bitters
1 splash of water
1 tsp. sugar
1 maraschino cherry
1 orange wedge

If the real wedding cake isn’t enough to satisfy your sweet tooth, treat yourself and your guests to a
Wedding Cake Cocktail:
1.5 oz vanilla vodka
½ oz coconut rum
1.5 oz pineapple juice
1 splash grenadine syrup

A Few Non-alcoholic Options

Are you an Espresso fanatic? Does the smell of fresh roasted coffee make you swoon?  Why not add a coffee bar to your
reception.  It needn’t be a simple boring urn of coffee – have fun!  Order personalized drink sleeves created with your
names and wedding date on them.  Make it an Action Station by having a barista make espresso drinks to order and set
the scene with authentic coffee shop décor like the fun chalkboard below.

Photo Credit: Claire Elyse Photography

 Why serve sodas from a tap when you can have fun glass bottles instead?  This fun touch is perfect for a non-traditional
reception and you can personalize this by having custom labels made for the bottles.

On hot summer days, nothing quenches your thirst like a glass of lemonade.  Set up a “lemonade stand” at your outdoor
wedding to welcome your guests with a fun treat!


 

The days of boring, cookie-cutter pre-wedding parties are gone.  Today's couples are exploring new ways to celebrate with their friends and family that will reflect who
they are as individuals and as a couple.  Examine your own life for inspiration, or use our list and expand upon an idea in order to create a truly personalized party.  
Also, in spite of thoughtful registering, a couple's new home is often cluttered with gifts that may rarely, if ever, be used.  These parties ensure that you will receive items that will truly be appreciated and, most important, used often!

Interactive parties give your groom a chance to get in on the fun.  He no longer needs to be kept in the cold until his coveted backelor party.  There are several fun, themed (no, you do not need to wear a toga or make a costume) parties you and your groom can either host as a couple or separately.  

Stock the Pantry or Bar Party
What good are new pots with an empty pantry?  Or new glasses with an empty bar? Guests can bring food items, spices, wine, or liquor and leave the couple with a
kitchen that is ready for entertaining.  If you provide the snacks and hors d'oeuvres, your guests will take care of the drinks.

Garden Party
In the place of the old "honey-do," with a feminine touch, gifts can include traditional yard-work tools and decorations.  A new twist: have each guest bring a small
plant or flower to plant in a "wedding garden."  Creating a special section of your garden with your close friends and family is a great boding experience and will leave
a lasting imprint on your future home.

Towels and Linen Party
This theme is great for stocking your linen closet with everything from bath and kitchen towels to bed linens, table cloths, and napkins.  Include a different room on
the invitations (such as kitchen, bathroom, bedroom) to broaden your selection and help your guests narrow down the best gifts for your theme.  You don't want to
end up with ten sheet sets!  

Recipe Party
This is great for younger couples who are still spreading their culinary wings.  Invitations should include a recipe card to be filled out with guests' favorite recipe and
brought to the gathering along with one kitchen necessity (a particular utensil or special ingredient).  Sharing family recipes is a great way to pass down tradition, and
you can wow them when you perfect their signature stuffing the next Thanksgiving!

Fill the Toolbox Party
On the invitation, request guests help prepare the new couple for the responsibilities that come with a new home.  Many young couples may not think about having a
hammer to hang pictures or a step ladder to reach high light fixtures - until they need them, that is! This party will ensure that they can fix whatever household
mishaps occur (and they will occur).

By Emily Lawrence

Wedding videography has experienced a Renaissance lately, becoming an increasingly important component of the modern wedding.  The cheesy, homemade movies of your parents’ generation have gone by the wayside in favor of slick, Hollywood-production level wedding films. But with these new production techniques comes the increased difficulty of navigating this new landscape. How does a bride-to-be choose the right videographer? And then, how does she pick the right package to capture this special day? With complicated terminology like “depth of field” and “rotoscoping,” it can seem like choosing a videographer is difficult, but with a clear vision, budget, and communication it can be one of the easier and more enjoyable aspects of wedding planning.
  

Before you can begin the process of reviewing and meeting potential videographers, it is important to set your budget. Without a realistic budget in place, it will be difficult to find the right videographer to meet your needs. The increasing popularity of wedding websites and Facebook dictates advances in wedding technology, with more brides turning to videography in addition to photography. As photographers and videographers often work in sync, it’s important to keep those budgets in mind together.  Scott Alwert, videographer of John Alwert Photography & Video, suggests initially researching via bridal magazines, internet search engines, Facebook, videographers’ websites, bridal events like “I Do at the Dome!” and his favorite, word of mouth. “We highly recommend Facebook and websites as a wonderful tool to research pricing and small demo clips which demonstrate filming methods, special effects, and choices of music used for the highlight portions,” says Alwert. This initial research gives the bride a general sense of pricing and package options available so that she can craft an accurate budget and build realistic expectations of her videographer.
  

Once you’ve narrowed down your top choices of videographers, it’s important to meet with them in person to discuss all aspects of your wedding and expectations of their work. Kevin Terrington of Terrington Films stresses the in-person meeting as vital to getting a satisfactory video experience. “The more I know, the better I can be prepared,” he explains. The in-person meeting gives the videographer a chance to show the bride-to-be and her groom longer samples than they can see online, discuss important or unusual things that will happen during the ceremony and reception, and speak frankly about the budget. As Terrington points out, the goal of the in-person meeting is not to mislead but rather see every option available in depth and for as long as necessary for the potential client to make a decision that’s right for them. Videographers are there to serve you, the bride, and want to be sure to give you a product you’ll treasure for years to come.  Honesty in all aspects from budget to special requests will help them achieve this goal.
 

It’s advisable, depending on the complexity of your event, to book your videographer six to twelve months in advance. This doesn’t mean that you have to have every detail of the procession or vows worked out by then, but it does guarantee that you are able to work with the videographer that suits you best. It also allows you plenty of time to convey all necessary information to the videographer and for them to do any advance set up. Some important information to pass on to the videographer includes special rules of the church or venue, the contact information of the photographer so the two can work together, any special events like speeches, toasts, gifts, and whatever the bride and groom view as a priority to capture. Basically, “what’s most important to you so we can guide how and what to film,” instructs Terrington. Once the initial booking has been made and those details worked out, it’s important to be in closer contact as the event date approaches. Alwert recommends a lead time of one month to finalize the remaining details and monies due. A lot can change from the initial booking to the day of the wedding, so it’s important that the people who will be capturing the day are aware of any and all changes. As Terrington says, “It’s one shot, we can’t do it again!”
    

One thing videographers share is the importance of the video and photo teams working together. “Our photographers and videographers work together on a regular basis so as to provide a smooth working relationship during the day,” notes Alwert.  This simpatico working relationship allows the photographer and videographer to work in sync, rather than competing with one another. If you are anticipating any special set-ups or group photography, be sure that your videographer knows so that they can capture digitally what the photographer is cementing on film. For example, if you want the videographer to catch the “behind the scenes” moments of the formal shots (aka wedding party photos), be sure to tell them that you’re looking for that casual effect, rather than having the videographer stage still shots of the same thing for them to take. Terrington, for example, will put aside an extra 10-15 minutes to cover just these, if that’s what the bride and groom are looking for. As ever, communication between all parties involved will result in the best wedding video possible.
  

Once you’ve done all of your planning, communicating, and marrying, the end result is near: final DVD. Reputable videographers use modern video editing techniques and the bride should know what she can expect to receive in terms of final product when she signs a contract. DVD-quality packaging is de rigueur, and some packages give you multiple hardcopy DVDs or one DVD and a digital copy to use on your website or Facebook. Terrington Films has lately been experimenting, following customer demand, with making their videos available as Blu-ray or USB, rather than traditional DVD. Alwert Photography & Video now offers a short film clip of the wedding for use on the couple’s Facebook page or other social media site. If embracing these kinds of new technology is important to you, be sure to let your videographer know upfront so that the delivery matches your expectations.  
  

As Scott Alwert of John Alwert Photography & Video says, “your wedding day will be one of the most amazing moments in your lie. [The fun and excitement] deserves to be captured by a professional videographer.” With the right planning and an honest budget, you can be sure that you’ll have a wedding memento to enjoy for years to come.