YOUR PROFESSIONAL WEDDING SPECIALIST

THE CULTURAL CORNER

America is truly a melting pot of various cultures, religions and races.  We mix culture in everything we do. This can be true in your wedding plans too.  In the Cultural Corner we open a window to various cultures specifically related to wedding traditions.  When making your wedding day plan, remember that the day should be a reflection of you.  The wedding ceremony itself is cloaked deep in tradition so it would only be appropriate if you could find the right cultural flare to express your culture and individualism. 

Mexican Tradition:  It is a common custom of Mexican brides and grooms to decorate the church with white roses and hold a mass at nine o’clock in the evening.  During this mass the godparents are given responsibilities; one is to be kept as a memento, one is to be used as a toss bouquet at the reception and one is to be placed at the altar.  The second of the two godparents takes a dish with thirteen coins (arras) and rings.  From this dish the groom gives the rings and coins to the bride as a symbol of his giving of all his worldly possessions and promise of support for all time. 

Also popular in the Mexican tradition is the “lazo”.  This is a long rosary rope which is draped around the bride and groom when they are kneeling at the altar.  Traditionally it is also the godparents that perform this ritual.  The rope symbolizes the strength and unity of their bond.

One last Mexican tradition that would make replacement to typical tossing of the bouquet is the “la vibora”.  This is a line dance that the single women perform during the reception.  It is typically before the meal is served.  Unmarried women gather in line around the bride, who is standing on a chair while the groom forms an arch by her veil or the train of her dress for the women to pass under.  The maidens traipse along holding onto each others’ waists. When the music stops, the bride throws her bouquet over her shoulder, and the lucky one who catches it supposedly will be the next joyful bride. Bachelors do the same around the groom, but in this tradition, the groom throws an apron. Whichever man traps it in the air supposedly will be the next “hen-pecked” husband. 

ELIZABETH’S ETIQUETTE

This week we will cover the proper Etiquette for the Engagement.

Q.               When are you considered engaged?

A.      When one of you asks the other to marry and the other says

                   Yes.  There are no tests or forms or licenses required for this

                   to be official.

Q.               Is there an official length of time for the engagement period?

A.                There is not.  It could be one month or three years.  The

national average today is fourteen months.  Most people are

comfortable with an engagement of six months to one year. This allows plenty of time to plan their ceremony, reception and living plans beyond the wedding date.

Q.               If I am currently married, when can I make the announcement

of my engagement?

A.                You should not make any announcement of your plans to marry 

until you’re legally divorced.  It is not proper to make an engagement announcement if you are not completely finished with the divorce process.

Q.               What is the proper way to spread the word that we are

engaged?

A.                Key family members such as parents, grandparents and siblings

should be notified, in person first.  It is not proper for family relations that are as close as this would hear the new from a written communication or hearsay.  Beyond this, it is best to communicate your engagement through a written communication such as an announcement card or news letter.  Make sure you (the bride and groom) work together so that you don’t leave anyone off your list.  Compare notes with your parents so that you don’t leave anyone off the list of communication. 

Wedding of the Month

Melody and Derek Barney are our featured Wedding of the Month.  They were married at the Westmonte Civic Center in Altamonte Springs.   

This couple has been together for more than eight years and took their time to get to know each other and establish themselves before planning their wedding day.  Their Grandmother, Ms. JoAnne Hill said that she was very proud of both of them for waiting until the time was right for both of them before they committed to their life together.  She went on to say that they are a very sensible couple that is perfect for each other.

Their colors were cinnamon, ivory and gold. It was perfect for welcoming the Fall season. Their centerpieces were done in berries surrounding a large hurricane lamp in the center of a round table.  It was a stunning effect that was simple and cost efficient to achieve. 

Some unique touches that Melody and Derek mixed into their day was adding photographs of their childhood and special events during their years of courting.  These photos were placed in golden frames on the sign in table that was presented in fall colors.  It was a very nice personal touch.  They also had fun with their last name.  The D.J. from Accent Entertainment mixed in tunes from the Children’s Barney Character, “I Love You”, into some key portions of the reception.  This fit nicely with the couple’s sense of humor. 

The bride had been especially nervous about all of her plans coming together and flowing smoothly.  What concerned most is that the reception and ceremony were in the same room.  To create a definitive end of the ceremony and start to the reception, we decided not to light the candles on the table or put water in the glasses until after the ceremony was complete.  

We created an aisle right down the center of the room for the bride to enter upon.  Since her flower girl, Keelyn, was very young and unpredictable, we dropped the fresh rose petals on her runner and rolled it back up about an hour before the ceremony started so that she could still have her fresh rose petal effect regardless of what Keelyn decided to surprise them with later in the day. It worked very well.   

It’s great to see a plan come together, the guest list of approximately 90 people were visibly moved by the romantic layout of the room.  The smile on the bride’s face during the reception and comments made by the guests throughout the evening made it clear that we had been successful in our attempts to transition the single room into dual functionality. 

We wish Melody and Derek nothing but the best in their lifetime together.  We feel like we have established a long term relationship with her family and look forward to staying in touch with them all.  We thank Melody and her Mother, Mrs. Kelly Buckley for choosing us to be their “Day of Event” wedding coordinators.

The couple's complete wedding photo album can be viewed on our Scrapbook page.

NEWS

Last month Special Event Solutions was honored with the opportunity to work hand in hand with Hurricane Katrina victims.  We met our couple, Dannielle and Frank through their neighbor and friend, Shana Spooner.  Shana had made her financial contributions to Katrina victims through the Red Cross but when she met her neighbors, Dannielle and Frank, when they moved in she had already had the feeling that she wanted to do more.  Now she saw her chance.

Dannielle and Frank had their wedding scheduled in New Orleans for October 1^st.  Her bridal shower was the day before Hurricane Katrina hit and it was intended to be a grand affair.  Due to evacuations in progress, only a small fraction of guests attended.  When Dannielle and Frank made their own evacuation plans, they did so with the intention of coming back home in a few days.  They left almost everything behind.  They packed only what they needed to live in a hotel for a week at the most. 

When they returned there was very little left.  Furniture, clothing, photographic memories had all be torn away by Hurricane Katrina.  Amongst a few things recovered were some of their wedding keepsakes that had been up on a shelf.  They salvaged these precious few items with the date of October 1^st and their names etched into the glass. 

Dannielle lives in Clermont but works in the Lake Mary area.  Her manager, Louisa Hewitt, was like Shana and wanted to help.  The two of them became connected in their efforts and was referred by Michelle Meredith of WESH Channel 2 to Special Event Solutions.  We couldn’t have been more delighted to help.  Between the three of us, Shana, Louisa and Special Event Solutions, were able to enlist all the vendors needed to make a dream day come true.  The wedding was presented to the couple at no charge to them. 

The day was absolutely wonderful.  Lake Receptions in Mt. Dora provided the venue and an absolutely delicious lunch.  Their staff helped to create a romantic and elegant environment.  There was a list of vendors who jumped at the opportunity to contribute their services.  Together, they orchestrated a touching and memorable ceremony.

Mrs. Diana Johnson – Harry, Mother of the Groom, told Special Event
Solutions that they never expected anything like this.  They thought they were just going to go to lunch and at some point Dannielle and Frank would stand up and state their vows.  She continued to say, “The flowers and decoration in the ceremony and reception were just breath taking”.  It just warmed her heart to see the compassion of others at work in the room that day. 

Dannielle and Frank brought tears to the eyes of everyone in the room with their personal thanks and prayers for everyone.  The groom, who stated himself that he was not an emotional person, was moved to tears when he stood to thank everyone.  The wedding mementos recovered from their home after the storm were given to the guests and vendors in attendance as the most precious gifts they had to give, and it was right from their hearts to ours.  It was emotional for everyone.

The couple along with their children, Miquelle, Miesha and Malik moved to the Central Florida area on an invitation from their cousin Millicent.  She is the only member of their family that lived outside the New Orleans area.  Everyone else was displaced all over the country. They plan to make Central Florida their home and pray that the relationships started as a result of their wedding day will last a lifetime.
 

Dannielle and Frank's wedding photo album is available for viewing on our Scrapbook page.

Special thanks to our vendors who didn’t have to think twice about donating their services:                           

* One anonymous contributor who donated accent items such as gift book and cake cutter.