Blog - Mrster :: Gay Wedding Planner in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Flagstaff, Tucson, Arizona Gay Wedding Tips, Gay Friendly Vendors

Blogger :: Cicely Rocha.Miller

Here are a few ideas to enhance your Christmas-themed wedding.

Give ornaments as the favor and include them in your decor.
Ornaments can also act as your guestbook. Set up a tree at your reception and include a basket with inexpensive solid-colored ornaments in it piled on top of each other. Supply a gold or silver pen and ask your guests to write their wedding wishes on the ornaments. Think how cool that would be to unwrap your ornaments year after year to decorate your tree and "reconnect" with your guests and their thoughts for you both from your wedding day.
Instead of having guests clink on glasses to get you to make a toast, have them stand up and sing a Christmas carol instead.
Serve eggnog and coffee with your cake.
Hang mistletoe everywhere. Give your guests the chance to kiss, too!
Name your table reindeer names or after Christmas songs.
Connect with your Christmas tree lots for their scraps and use them to decorate and add a lovely pine scent.
Instead of presents to you, ask your guests to bring a gift for a family in need.
Ask everyone in your bridal party to write one original line for the song "Twelve Days of Christmas," then have them perform it at the reception.

The holidays are such a fun and memorable time of year. Having it be the theme to your wedding is super-easy and gives you a chance to be extremely creative. If you are having a Christmas wedding, what are some other ideas you are doing?

With all that Life has to offer,

Cicely

Cicely Rocha.Miller is the founder of MRSter.com and is the owner and senior consultant of an event and wedding planning company based in Phoenix, Arizona-- Life Design Event Planning. She specializes in celebrations of all types including straight and gay weddings or commitment ceremonies.

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Saturday, December 19, 2009 at 8:00AM

Friday

13Nov2009

The Pre-Ceremony Mixer

Guest Blogger :: Rhonda

I've written before about my love for the daytime reception and at a recent Mrster meeting of the minds we took the idea a little further.

As a wedding photographer, I have access the some of the best people-watching opportunities available and am always fascinated as to how the day evolves. One of the many beautiful aspects of weddings is that they bring together different families and different circles of your favorite people and friends that may not have previously met. Your work colleague probably hasn't met your mother who lives out of state just as some of your college friends may not have met your BFF since kindergarten. They often arrive to the ceremony, maybe a little unsure of where to sit or if they know anyone and then it's not until many hours later when the toasts are given and people have had the opportunity to chat that the connections are made.

I like the idea of a little pre-ceremony mixer. Even if it's only 30-45 minutes, it gives people the chance to mingle, have a drink and a snack and basically just get comfortable. (This is also great for those friends that are chronically late.) If you're not worried about when your guests see you for the first time, this could be the perfect chance to grab a couple of snapshots with your buddies as well.

At the appropriate moment guests can be asked to take their seats for the ceremony...possibly with a new friend.

Rhonda is the owner and wedding photographer for Rhonda Lewis Photography based in Phoenix, Arizona.

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Friday, November 13, 2009 at 9:00AM

Wednesday

11Nov2009

Ditch the Guestbook!

Guest Blogger:: Gina

Who pulls out a guest book years after their wedding to reminisce about attendees? Keep this wishing wall up in your home after guests have added personalized notes on your wedding day. Write love notes to your better half, record important happenings in your life...and then stash it away in its own carrying case when its 500 holes are full. The cardboard frame can be painted or covered in fabric to match your decor.

Find the wishing wall at uncommongoods.com

Guest blogger Gina Niemiec is the owner of Fiori Floral Design in Scottsdale, Arizona.

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Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at 9:00AM

Friday

28Aug2009

Paper Love

Guest Blogger :: Gina

I love flowers, it is what I do. But fresh flowers are so fleeting, so fickle and often so expensive. Is mentioning this career suicide? Maybe, but I am now officially in love with paper flowers. No more worrying about wilting, timing the life-cycle of a bloom just right, or a heat wave ruining my handiwork. Make all the bouquets, boutonnieres and decorations out of paper and it can all be done months ahead of time. Have a flower-making party with friends while watching Mad Men and drinking manhattans. Talk your mother into pitching in and spending her free time folding paper instead of laundry--it is much more fun.

Image courtesy of Craftstylish.com

These little white beauties would look great grouped en masse in a bouquet, or just use a few stems for a boutonniere or corsage. For more impact around a ceremony site, go for larger paper flowers, or giant paper poufs:

Image courtesy of MarthaStewart.com

These poufs are so festive and fun, and can be re-purposed as reception decor. To bring color to the dining tables, make centerpieces out of paper flowers and put them in a vase just as you would fresh. Since the stems of paper flowers are not the most attractive part of the craft, choose a container that is opaque, or cover a clear glass vase with even more paper. A pattern in a complimentary color would be a fantastic choice.

The centerpiece shown below is so colorful and artfully done--damn you, Martha! I may just have to add "paper floral designer" to my resume.

Guest blogger Gina Niemiec is the owner of Fiori Floral Design in Scottsdale, Arizona.

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Friday, August 28, 2009 at 8:00AM

Monday

20Jul2009

An New Option for A Photobooth at a Wedding :: Try a Photo Wall

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Guest Blogger :: Gina

We wedding professionals love to scour the web for great ideas (imitation being the sincerest form of flattery). I came across this unbelievable photo booth idea on Kiss the Groom. Sasha Souza Events created this amazing wall prop for guests to enjoy, which I am sure made for hours of entertainment. Prints could serve as favors--double duty! Have a laser printer on hand, print a photo of each guest, and each couple/partygoer could grab an empty picture frame on the way out to display their memento at home.

Photo courtesy of Sasha Souza and Bliss*

This board was created by the wedding planner at this particular event, and yours may be up for such an endeavor. If not, talk to your photographer about dimensions that would work best and create it yourself!

A big sheet of plywood can have the "picture frame" holes cut out, then cover it in wallpaper to match your wedding colors and style. Hang photos on the wall of family members on their wedding day, snapshots of your pets, or anything that is dear to you. Prop it all up with 2x4's, and snap away!

Of course, having your photographer bring a second shooter would be the best choice for getting this idea going. Otherwise, enlist a friend to hang out and take shots for an hour or so, and then hand the camera off to someone else. Digital cameras make the process easy, and if your friends or family members are gadget-savvy, they can print the photos on the spot. Just like Santa's helpers do at the mall! Now that I think about it, fake beards as props would be fun for the shoot...

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