iMemoryfilms Wedding Toasts 101

Wedding Toasts - The 10 Commandments Of Toasting We've heard lots of great,...and several NOT SO GREAT wedding toasts lately, and thought maybe a bit of help and ideas might serve your wedding day to help make it perfect. Here's some good toast stuff from, by Rick Pieczonka, Owner & Founder, InstantWeddingToasts.com The only one required to propose a Wedding Toast is the Best Man, but watch out for some competition...most weddings now include a toast from the Maid of Honor as well! The 10 Commandments Of Toasting 1. Plan to speak from 1 to 4 minutes. No one wants to be bored with an extraordinarily long toast covering the entirety of your friendship. With wedding toasts, even a short toast will do if delivered with feeling and sincerity. 2. Make sure all other glasses are full before beginning. You may want to announce to the guests, or have the MC announce to the guests, to fill their glasses because toasting will commence shortly. Then give guests 3 - 5 minutes to fill their glasses. 3. Stand to give a toast (sit to receive one) and hold your glass with your right hand as you toast. After the toast, it is tradition to then clink the glasses together before sipping. 4. Start with something personal. How the bride and groom met is always a favorite. You can also use humor or quotes to get started. 5. Always use humor in good taste. While poking fun at the bride and groom can add the touch of humor you're looking for, poking too much fun will only gain you a disapproving audience. 6. Speak in your normal voice, and avoid unnatural hand gestures or fake accents. Wedding audiences want to hear what you have to say, not watch a drama unfold. Just remember you were chosen to be you, not someone else. 7. Practice your toast. Unless you are an accomplished public speaker, just 'winging it' for the wedding toast is always a bad idea. 8. Look around the room at the audience and to the bride and groom as you toast. Eye contact is an important characteristic of a good speaker. 9. Speak clearly and don't rush. Take your time and take a deep breath, because if you speak too fast, no one is going to understand you. 10. And finally, finish your toast with a wish, blessing, congratulations, or cheers. The 5 Biggest Mistakes To Avoid 1. Having more than one drink to calm nerves beforehand. It may seem like a good idea, but besides calming your nerves, too much alcohol will also keep you from speaking clearly and hinder your good judgment of appropriate speech material. 2. Swearing and/or lying. 3. Apologizing for being a bad speaker - Never apologize for being a bad speaker, and don't say you really didn't want to speak. It's a rule for all speeches and all occasions, not just weddings. 4. Mentioning previous girlfriends, past marriages, or past relationships. Not only could it be potentially embarrassing, but it's inappropriate at a wedding. Leave this for the stag party. 5. Stories about the Bride and Groom that aren't rated PG. Remember, Grandma, Grandpa and possibly even children will be present at the wedding. Make sure your stories are appropriate for the audience. So here's to your next toast, my friend, may it be a sweet success! www.imemoryfilms.com info@imemoryfilms.com 818.760.9490 For more ideas, tips, and info on your wedding planning, visit us at, www.imemoryfilms.blogspot.com. To book imemoryfilms for your wedding, and to check out out prices and filming options, see us online at www.imemoryfilms.com

iMemoryfilms Wedding Veil 101

Choosing & Caring for Your Veil TRADITIONAL VEIL DEFINITIONS By Peggy Mead of the The Blissful Bride BLUSHER - is traditionally short, shoulder length or shorter and is worn over the bride's face to hide her from the groom until after they are wed when it's pushed back behind the head. It is usually combined with another layer sometimes a different length. Despite tradition, blushers of today can be any length as long as they cover the face. Blushers can be worn in formal or informal weddings. ELBOW LENGTH - is usually worn with a gown without a train and is a little less formal. FINGER-TIP LENGTH - is usually for formal and semi-formal weddings. CHAPEL - is for a more formal wedding. A chapel veil falls to or near the floor. CATHEDRAL - is for formal weddings. A cathedral veil extends on to the floor like a train and is usually worn with a dress with a train. TIPS FOR CHOOSING YOUR VEIL The great thing about being a bride today is that anything goes! Whether you want to do everything traditionally or just choose the style that looks best and suits your personality. The following are a few tips to help you in making your decision. Choose a simple veil and headpiece if your dress is very ornate. Consider the back detail of your dress. If you want to show off the back of the dress, you may want to choose a short veil (blusher or elbow length) a veil with less fullness to it (72" width, pony veil, or the ballerina headband and side veil). If your gown is very simple, you may want a very ornate headpiece and or veil to attract attention to your face. OR if your gown is very simple and your style is very simple and elegant, you may also want to wear a simple headpiece and or veil with minor details. Be confident in your decision! This is your day. If you feel confident, you'll beam with beauty. Congratulations! CARING FOR YOUR VEIL When you first receive your veil in the mail, immediately take it out and hang it up. The only way to ship your veil to you is to box it which will cause it to first appear very wrinkled and unattractive. We recommend that you hang your veil from the center so that it will hang straight down. Most of the wrinkles should come out over time from just hanging however, if you don't have time or it's still too wrinkled for your taste, try the following methods: Steaming the veil with a steaming iron Hot shower method - steaming the veil by hanging it in the bathroom with a hot shower on for several minutes to steam up the room. Dry cleaning - have an experienced bridal dry cleaner press or steam it. www.iMemoryfilms.com info@imemoryfilms.com 818.760.9490 For more tips, ideas, and wedding planning info, visit us at www.imemoryfilms.wordpress.com. to visit our website for booking, or pricing info on event and wedding filming, see us online at, www.imemoryfilms.com

iMemoryfilms Wedding Shower 101

Wedding Shower 101 Bridal wedding showers are one of many pre-wedding parties and are great fun. They are known as parties with a purpose. The purpose of a shower is to assist the couple in equipping their new home or for the bride to assemble a trousseau. Not only that, but they are a good excuse for the bride to get together with her friends and family to play hilarious games and to enjoy the food and wine. Here is some cool info from iMemoryfilms! Did you know that a trend has started for 'couples showers'? This is sometimes termed as the 'Jack' and 'Jill' shower where you shower both the bride and groom with gifts and good wishes. Either way, if you are having a traditional shower party for just the bride, or decide to have a couples shower, then the planning and the checklist will invariably be the same. Here is an outline of a wedding shower checklist to get you on your way to organizing a great shower party. Who should host the wedding shower? Traditionally the maid of honour tends to plan the shower party. But today, anything goes and it is perfectly acceptable for both family and friends to work together to organize, host and share the cost of the wedding shower. It doesn't really matter who actually hosts the party as long as it is planned well in advance and normally in consultation with the bride. If the shower is planned to be in someone's home, then it's always a good idea to choose the person with the largest home or garden. When to have your party Because of the busy schedule the bride and her family will have in the lead up to her wedding, it is best to hold the shower about four to six weeks before the wedding. A growing trend is that more wedding showers are no longer a surprise and statistics show that 4 out of 5 brides are employed, therefore it is necessary to include the bride in the planning when it comes to setting a date and time. A traditional 'girl-only' party could be a Sunday brunch, a midweek lunch or an afternoon tea garden party. Couples showers are best held on a weekend day or evening. The majority of people tend to work between 9-5 Monday-Friday, therefore a weekend is a safe bet in that most of the couples' friends and relatives can attend. If you are having a shower party with work colleagues, then the ideal time would be in your lunch hour or straight after work. Who to invite Apart from your family members, the host should invite people you know well whether it be friends, relatives or work colleagues. You don't want to invite too many people, as a large group tends to split off in small separate groups. You want everyone to interact with each other and be a manageable size for everybody to play the hilarious shower games and not feel left out. Taking all this into consideration, a comfortable shower should involve about 10-20 people. You don't necessarily need to buy expensive shower invitations. Another growing trend is that many brides are doing their wedding research on the Internet. The internet has opened up many 'cheaper' avenues and you can now get some great printable-wedding-shower-invitations. These invitations are customized with your own wording and design, and are printed directly from your own printer. What's your wedding shower Theme? As with the actual wedding, it is wise to choose a theme before sending out the invitations. The theme can then be used throughout the shower and incorporated in with the invitations, decorations, favors and refreshments. There are literally dozens of topics for a shower party theme. The most popular is the 'kitchen' theme as there are endless pieces of equipment and accessories you can buy for the kitchen. The host knows the bride well and will surely fit a theme around either what the bride and groom need, or their lifestyle. For example if the happy couple are both into health and fitness, then a fitness theme could be an option. One good idea for a couples shower is a wine tasting theme. This is ideal for a Saturday night party and I am sure the men will enjoy this one and easily get into the swing of things! Food, Favors and Games Food: It depends on the theme and location for which type of food to prepare. For example, if you are holding a 'wine tasting theme', then a finger buffet with crackers, nuts and other nibbles goes down well with wine. If you are holding a garden shower party, consider light finger food - cheeses, crackers, fresh fruit, mini-quiches, blueberry cream puffs, crab dip and a bacon, egg and cheese casserole and salads. Favors: Some people choose not to give shower favors. It really depends on where you live and if it is a tradition in your area or not. If you do, you don't have to go overboard with favors if you want to keep the expense down. Give something small and useful like a scented candle. Most people like scented candles and they are practical. A potpourri satchel is another welcome and practical idea. Games: Everyone should be included in the shower games. Shower party games are a great ice-breaker for people to get to know each other. Games can include bridal shower bingo as this is always a big hit as is 'what's in the bag (memory game). Trivia questions about the bride and groom or making a wedding dress with toilet paper are all fun games to be had. Thank You Cards: Normally a simple 'thank-you' was enough, but today, with showers being larger and guests busier, a personal note is the only way to make sure that sincere appreciation is expressed. iMemoryfilms Summary Bridal showers are meant to be fun. They do need a lot of planning and organization in advance, but they are worth it. The bride and groom receive practical gifts for their home, and shower party's are a great excuse to get together with friends and family to have one whale of a time! www.imemoryfilms.com 818.760.9490 info@imemoryfilms.com For more great wedding tips, info and ideas visit us at: www.imemoryfilms.wordpress.com! Article is by Claire Bowes, successful freelance writer and owner of www.1st-for-greeting-cards.com

GREAT Winter Wedding TIPS!

How to Create a Romantic Winter Wedding By Lynette Gamble of Affairs of Grandeur. You can reach them at, 240-281-5608, or visit them at, www.affairsofgrandeur.com A wedding of your dreams does not have to be in the popular wedding months. A winter wedding can be quite spectacular and there are significant financial advantages. While the summer months remain the most popular time of the year to say "I Do", many couples are choosing to have a winter date for the "big event." According to the Society of American Florists, 13 percent of weddings take place in the winter, with 11 percent of those being Christmas weddings. Summer weddings account for 35 percent, spring weddings 29 percent, and autumn weddings 23 percent. Décor that appeals to the senses is important when trying to pulling off a romantic winter wedding. "Choose colors of rich jewel tones such as purple, forest green, and navy. Sapphire blue, ice blue or powder blue, silver and white can be used if you want to steer clear of the traditional Christmas colors", suggests Lynette Gamble, senior coordinator of Affairs of Grandeur. The glow of candlelight will add warmth and ambiance to your ceremony and reception site. Iridescent or frosted glass balls and pine cones can adorn your guests' tables. Snowflake ornaments and glittery ribbons may be placed on the food tables or hung from the ceiling. For a simple touch, only decorate with red and white Poinsettias. Since many locations will already be lavishly decorated, your décor budget will be minimal. To keep floral costs to a minimum, use flowers that are already available during the winter months. Some flower choices are: poinsettias, roses, amaryllis, and lilies. Evergreens are popular choices for decorations while holly branches and other plants with red berries are ideal for use in floral arrangements. A cozy cottage or bed and breakfast is an ideal location for your wintry wedding theme. Your guests may warm themselves in front of the fireplace while sipping hot chocolate or wassail during the cocktail hour. A view overlooking a partially frozen pond will add to the ambiance. Imagine your guests delight as they get a glimpse of a deer drinking from the pond just outside the reception room window or a family of rabbits scurrying over the freshly fallen snow. To add a little creativity to your dinner menu, ask your bridal party to submit traditional family recipes for your caterer to make for the reception. If you don't want to serve the traditional Christmas fare, ask your caterer for alternatives and create a unique meal for your guests. As for favors, Gamble recommends candles of course. "Cinnamon Apple, Pumpkin Pie, and Vanilla are all pleasant scents that remind you of being a kid in your grandmothers' kitchen and they're nice this time of year", says Gamble. "Spiced teas, coffee mugs, snow globes and Christmas ornaments imprinted with the couples name and wedding date will also make great favors." Want a memorable getaway? Give out mini bells and have them rung as the two of you make your way to a horse-drawn sleigh. Decorate the coach and harness with Christmas foliage and chiming bells and ride off into the evening. John Lafever/partner www.imemoryfilms.com info@imemoryfilms.com 818.760.9490 For more tips, ideas and info on wedding planning visit us at www.imemoryfilms.blogspot.com

Garden Weddings101

Garden Weddings 101 by Tara L. Lazar of www.lazarbridalconsulting.com Wedding Coordinator & Designer (910) 798-9339 Planning a garden wedding can be lots of fun. A garden setting offers one of the most romantic and sensual locations for celebrating your special day. Remember to keep it simple and elegant. Below you will find suggestions on how to achieve the ultimate garden wedding of your dreams. Use varying shades of one color accented with white or cream to create a very visual and striking combination. Use lots of delicate fabrics. Solid table linens with vintage overlays purchased at flea markets can make an unforgettable statement. Small painted terracotta pots with seedlings make great favors. Buffet-style catering with large clear glass jugs of lemonade, punch and sweet tea add whimsy. Keep the menu simple. Grilling favorites are an easy and affordable way to go. Decorate tall trees with lights. Hand-write placecards, then tie them with a ribbon and hang from the trees for the guests to pick. A trellis decorated with ivy, Spanish moss and fresh flowers is the perfect focal point for your ceremony. If possible, use the trellis for the reception by placing the cake table underneath it. Use a floral topper for the wedding cake instead of a traditional cake topper. Monogrammed linens add a touch of elegance. Set up a birdbath. Have guests make special wishes for you and your spouse by throwing pennies or flower petals into the birdbath. String white lights around trees and across from one tree to the next. Using a favorite theme, give each table a name. EX: Butterfly, Dragonfly, Lightning Bug, Lady Bug, etc... Use chair covers and tie with a white sash. Before the sash is tied, place a single flower bud in each knot. Roses are a strong flower and work well for this. Hire a band, not a disc jockey. Hire a local dance group to perform the May Day dance during the reception. Serve coffee in vintage teacups and saucers from local flea market finds. If they have chips or imperfections...perfect! Even if the colors do not exactly match your theme, go for it! Keep your invitations simple. Choose hand-made paper with pressed flower petals and a velum overlay tied with a coordinating ribbon. It does a great job setting the tone of the wedding for guests. Use a rectangular table for the head table. Decorate it with tulle and mini white lights. Use flowers on the corners and area where the tulle is bunched up. Large mason jars filled with sand and tea lights make great additions to tables or pathways. They can even be wrapped in heavy wire and hung from trees. Cone shaped bags with potpourri make cute favors. Hang them from the arms of chairs for a festive look. www.imemoryfilms.com info@imemoryfilms.com 818.760.9490 For more tips, ideas and info on weddings and wedding planning, visit us at www.imemoryfilms.com. You can also follow our blog at: imemoryfilms.blogspot.com. www.twitter.com/imemoryfilms

Wedding Reception Music: It's in the details!

Some good stuff to know by By Mikki Viereck People always ask me what music is best for a wedding reception. As you might guess there is no exact answer because a lot depends on the reception itself. For example: If the reception is being held in a small room adjacent to a church and there is no dancing the bride and groom might want a pianist playing very soft background music. However if the reception if being held in a banquet hall with 500 guests there is a good chance the bride and groom will want a 12 piece band with a few singers. And if the bride and groom are trying to achieve a certain theme they will often choose a style of music to complement their wedding. (If the groom wears a cowboy hat and the reception is on a ranch they will probably choose all country music). But the basic answer to this burning question is that most times brides and grooms want big band, swing, and pop-songs for the first part of the reception. Then after dinner, they choose top 40, oldies, R&B, country, ethnic music, group dances, etc. In other words, they want a good mix because when you mix different styles of music, you are more likely to please all ages and, as a result, more guests will be inclined to dance. As soon as you confirm a wedding date and secure a location for your reception you should begin making arrangements to hire (and contract) your musicians or DJ. The most popular wedding music professionals are booked at least one year in advance. Once you have decided who will be working for you don't be shy about telling your bandleader or DJ exactly what you want. Confirming special details will take more time on your part, but it is the only way to achieve the wedding of "your" dreams. If you are undecided about anything, definitely ask your bandleader or DJ for suggestions, but you should make the final choices. You should have an in-depth meeting with your bandleader or DJ at least six weeks before your wedding day. At that meeting you should discuss... Introductions: Bring a list of names of the bridal party and in what order you want them introduced. When you compile a list of your bridal party names, you may want to include something about each person so your guests will now why that person is special to you. Whether it is funny or sentimental, everyone will enjoy this personal touch. Confirm songs you want played for special moments: The bride and groom's first dance as a married couple. The bridal party dance (you could also have the bridal party join in the bride and groom's first dance) Father/Bride dance Mother/Groom dance (or you could choose one song for a father/bride, groom/mother dance). A special garter and/or bouquet toss song (s). Songs for any other special dances (including ethnic or group dances). Anniversary song for all other married couples. A song for the end of the reception. Confirm exactly what order you want special moments to take place: Blessing (confirm the name of who will give the blessing) The toast (confirm the name who will give the toast) The cake cutting ceremony. The bride and groom's first dance. The father bride dance. The mother groom dance. The wedding party dance. Any ethnic dances. Garter and or bouquet toss. Anything else you would like to add. Confirm a list of songs you want played. Confirm a list of songs you definitely do not want played. Confirm any special instructions for the cake cutting ceremony. Confirm any special instructions for the garter and/or bouquet toss. Confirm band breaks (the band should play CDs while they are on break). Confirm the band or DJs attire. Confirm a wireless microphone for the blessing, toast, etc. Confirm overtime charge (if you think you will want it) and when it would be paid. Review the entire contract including final payment and when it should be paid. Confirm that the person who you hired, had meetings with and signed the contract is also the person who will be working for you on your wedding day. You don't want some mystery musician or DJ at your wedding. www.imemoryfilms.com 818.760.9490 info@imemoryfilms.com We are a event film company based in Los Angeles that offers event filming in Arizona, Nevada, and California. for more info & pricing details visit us at: www.imemoryfilms.com!

6 GREAT Wedding Day Tips

Six Tips For A Worry-Free Wedding

Some really good tips for your wedding day by: Karen Sullen of My Wedding Favors

From getting everyone to the church on time to making sure the centerpieces look stunning, planning the details of your wedding day can be stressful. Use these tips for a worry-free wedding day.

Details, details, details! From the perfect menu to the beautiful centerpieces, there are so many details to take care of when planning your dream wedding. But what happens when your perfect wedding is not so perfect? Let’s face it. There are plenty of opportunities for things to go awry. Even with the best-laid plans, things are bound to happen. But don’t worry. Here are some tips to help you panic-proof your wedding.

1. Don’t make any verbal agreements. Have everything in writing. Be specific about the items you want AND the things you don’t want. For example, if you don’t want to see a lot of posed pictures in your wedding photo album, it’s best to be specific about that and request more candid photos.

2. On the day of the wedding, bring along a survival kit for those little emergencies. Include a needle and thread, aspirin, safety pins, nail polish, hairpins, extra pantyhose and some hard candy or breath mints.

3. Do a test run. Practice driving the route to the ceremony at the time of day and day of week of your wedding. Check out traffic patterns, construction delays, etc. That way you’ll minimize surprises and will know how much time you’ll need to get to there.

4. Call all your wedding vendors and verify your bookings two or three days before the wedding. Confirm the time, date, location of the wedding and reception, directions to the sites and the services or items they'll be providing. A good way to know you are both on the same page is to have them read back the instructions from their notes.

5. Assign someone to take care of the last minute details, such as helping the bridal party get dressed, running errands to the store, etc. Provide her with the contact numbers for all of the vendors, just in case someone is running late.

6. Don’t wait until the last minute for anything. If possible, take care of as many details well in advance of the wedding. The night before the wedding is not the time to put together 200 wedding favors. Limit yourself to just a few small tasks and leave the rest of the day to relax.


What’s the best wedding day stress reliever? Realizing that, while you will have a wonderful day, a beautiful day or even a memorable day, it will most likely not be a perfect day. Try not to make a big deal about things and take it all in stride. Sometimes, it’s the quirky things that go wrong that help make your day memorable. Stressing over every detail can take the joy out of the wedding and the planning process. The most important thing to remember is that you are marrying the man of your dreams, and at the end of the day, that’s all that really matters.

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