Nov 11, 20205 min read

Make Your Wedding One to Remember

As you plan out your wedding day and go through the checklist, don't forget about the overall experience. With all of the weddings you've been to, what do you remember the most? Yes, the food is always at the top of the list but so is entertainment! I don't know about you, but I want to make a lasting impression on my guests. You want your family and friends to be talking about your wedding day for years to come. To do just that I have vendor recommendations and tips on what you can do differently, starting with your ceremony all the way through the reception.

Ceremony:

From the moment guests arrive, you want to get them excited for what's to come. Start by having custom welcome signs that are tailored to your wedding theme and colors. Go a step a further and have a fun guest book. Let's be honest, what are you actually going to do with your guest book after your wedding? You may look at it once and then it goes in a box. You might as well do something different with it. To make it fun for both you and your guests, set out an instant print camera that guests can take photos with and tape it inside of your guest book. This way you can see photos from your special day along with a sweet message from your guests.

If you have been keeping up with my previous blogs, you'll remember the one where I featured Fairytail Petcare. For my wedding day, you know my little Corgi, Jasper, is most definitely going to be the ring bearer at my ceremony. If you have loving pets home, why not include them as your flower girl or ring bearer on your special day? Your guests will for sure not be expecting this! Jasper is my first dog that I've had on my own and will be going through all of the big changes in my life, so I definitely want him involved on wedding day.

When you walk down the aisle, you want it to be epic. Having the perfect music for your ceremony will for sure give you all the feels you're looking for. My life revolves around music. I grew up playing the trumpet in high school marching band and am always singing around the house. The majority of my family grew up playing a musical instrument as well. With a love for music in my life, I knew that having a band at my wedding was a must. When deciding between a DJ or live musician for your ceremony, it really comes down to the overall emotion you want to have. If you have a favorite song that's special between you and your partner, sung by another artist, then a DJ will be best for you. They can have the proper level of volume, and fade the song in and out at the exact moments you start walking down the aisle to meet your partner. However, the sound of live music is just so different. The overall feel a live musician brings to your ceremony is just so raw and beautiful.

Cocktail Hour:

After your ceremony, guests will gravitate towards the bar. But after everyone has gotten their first drink and bites to eat, then what? You definitely want to have an interactive element here! For my generation, it's a selfie station. I recommend renting a hedge wall or a fun backdrop and then providing cute props for guests to use while posing in front it. You can totally DIY this or use an Orlando wedding vendor. The vendor I recommend is Orlando Flower Walls. The ladies at OFW specialize in handcrafted silk flower walls for your special day. You can choose from 12 gorgeous ready to rent flower walls for your wedding day backdrop. The best part is, you can use these flower walls at multiple spots for your big day. You can rent it for your sweet heart table, bar, DJ, etc... the opportunities are endless! They can also add neon signage to the walls, which is super trendy right now, with your new last name. My absolute favorite design that they have out right now is their Isabella design. It'll give you that perfect pop of color every wedding needs!

Music is super important for cocktail hour as well. It's definitely a must! But, to really keep your guests attention, you can bring live animals into the mix. I know, you must think I'm crazy, but it's a real option! The company that offers this service, here in Orlando, is "Beautiful Creatures Farm To You Revue". The have sloths, donkeys, mini horses, alpacas and llamas. You can even have a small petting zoo if you wish. These animals can be booked for a variety of options. The donkey, or Beverage Burro, is trained to deliver to drinks using a pack to hold beverages. Jimmy the sloth is available for selfies with guests. The wedding llama is a huge hit as well. They can come dressed in a bow tie, hat, flowers or wedding attire and pose for pictures. That's definitely something your guests will never forget. I swear, you can have anything at your wedding now a days.

If you don't want to go too crazy, but still would like to keep your guests entertained, then have little activities set out. If you're outside, lawn games are always fun! I've had couples set out customized corn hole boards with their monogram carved at the top. Super cute! Another fun idea is you could have a station where guests can fill out fun date ideas to keep your love alive over the years. You will get some good advice and also the wackiest tips that you will make you laugh when reading it years later!

Reception:

To always cherish your wedding memories, a photographer and videographer is key, but have you thought of hiring a live painter? Diana Crow is a professional painter here in the Orlando Florida area. She focuses on one important moment from your wedding day of your choosing. It can be your ceremony, first look, first dance, etc. When choosing this specific moment, Diana creates an impressionistic style oil painting on a canvas. Guests can watch her while she paints through your cocktail hour or reception and then you have a beautiful portrait to hang up in your home and always reflect on.

Photo booths will always be a fun experience for wedding day, but what about a slow motion video booth? If you want to have a completely different experience on your big day, you have to check out Omarvelous Productions! The owners Marianthy and Omar are a husband and wife team and do such an amazing job. This interactive experience will definitely be one to remember! Throughout the wedding reception, the videos created by your guests will playback in real-time for everyone to enjoy. A few weeks after the wedding is when the real magic happens. Omarvelous Productions edits the footage and puts it together in one video to your song choice. In addition to the slow motion video booth, they are also offering a live streaming service. This is perfect for couples that have out of town guests that may not be able to travel to your wedding at this time. You really have to see this company for yourself, so make sure to click the link below to check out their website.