Weddings on Stage

"Masquerade!
Grinning yellows,
spinning reds...."

Trends come and go, but the ones that stick around are worth a second thought. Wedding ceremonies produced in a theatre (that's "re" not "er") create an amazing dynamic and will give you that "oooh, that's different" feeling. Whether you have a large or small stage to play with, if you're planning to wed on one, take a trip to Broadway or your local theatre to observe how creative you can really be.

First assess your theme. Any theme works for a stage, hence why there are so many shows performed. From Phantom of the Opera (pictured above) to Rent to Oklahoma, theatre is something that speaks to everyone. But you wouldn't use the same lighting for Les Mis that you would for Annie Get Your Gun. Lighting is the first place to start because it sets the mood for the entire ceremony. Is your wedding in the winter and are you using dark colors? Then consider some well placed shadows and dark curtains. If you're having your big day in the spring, spotlights of yellows, greens and light blues would make the mood light and airy.

How do you fill a stage though? If you're having a small bridal party, or none at all, you'll have a lot of dead space to work with. Consider having some small sets built, whether it be a faux chapel, a pretend house, or a cardboard wedding cake. Anything that works with your theme and takes up space works as long as you're creative. Don't forget to use the curtains to make an overwhelmingly large space, smaller and more intimate. Not looking for a grand stage, but still want a theatre? Utilize a black box space where you're still the center of attention, but fairly level with your audience. Musicals like Godspell and The Fantasticks took place in a blackbox theatre, so google pictures of those for inspiration.

If you choose to go the theatre route, make sure you're working with some one at the theatre that knows how to move the curtains and how to set up the stage. You will need to speak with someone that is their lighting technician as well as a sound technician.  A stage performance isn't any good when the audience can't hear! Keep this in mind for music as well, whether you're using piped in music, soloists, a live band, or anything in between, you'll need microphones to carry through the space. Everyone that speaks will need to have a microphone as well, so don't forget about your readers, the officiants, and of course, you and your partner! Body mics are one way to go, but standing and hand held will be easier to use and switch with people on the day of.

If you are having your wedding in a theatre, then make sure that your guests know. Too often there are fashion faux paus at some of the best theatres on Broadway. Do not allow your guests to show up in jeans just because they think that's acceptable at a theatre (it's not). Make it clear what the dress code is on the invitation so that there is no confusion. Writing "dress for the theatre" will be open to interpretation, so make it crystal clear what you are expecting. Guests will feel less out of place if they are all dressed appropriately. How would you feel if you showed up to a black tie in shorts and a t-shirt because you didn't know? Be thoughtful and keep your guests in mind.

Of course, if you're theme is Oklahoma, and you're wearing cowboy boots on stage, then encourage your guests to do the same. The theme doesn't just stop with your wedding, your guests should feel like a part of the show as well.

Lastly, go over the smallest details with a fine tooth comb. Just because you see a grand piano on stage at your site visit, doesn't mean you're allowed to use it for your wedding. Ask about everything! Never assume when it comes to the theatre. As the wife of a professional musician, I can assure you that my husband always has to ask if he has to provide his own piano when he works.

Have fun! Get your guests involved. A "staged" wedding takes more preparation than many others, so give yourself some time to research and plan out the details. It takes over a year to mount a Broadway show from audition to curtain up for the first time. Don't rush, and have a good time with all of the planning.

"Masquerade!
Take your fill -
let the spectacle
astound you!"
-Phantom of the Opera-

Heaven...I'm in Heaven...

"...and my heart beats so that I can hardly speak.."
-Frank Sinatra-

One of the best singers of all time may have been singing about dancing cheek to cheek, but what's more important to us? How good those cheeks look!!

On your wedding day, you of course, want everything to be perfect. This obviously includes with how you look because, let's face it, you will be in 90% of the photos that are taken. It's no surprise, that cosmetic companies are constantly looking for new ways to make the face look amazing, and once again, MAC is the clear winner.

It's no secret that we at Golden Wedding Planners are huge MAC fans. The colors are beautiful, the lasting power is amazing and they don't test on animals...not to mention they have a killer recyling program! Anytime they come out with something new, which is pretty much every other month, we're holding our breath to see the amazing new colors.

Well exhale ladies! This week, MAC unveils their "Heavenly Creature" collection. Whether you're planning a summer, fall or winter wedding, there is something in this collection for every bride. That said, we think it's a bit too heavy for spring, but with MAC anything is possible. However, if you're gearing up for that big day this summer, fall or winter, we suggest taking a trip to your nearest MAC counter to pick up a make-up artist for the big day, and these amazing new colors.

From "Pleasureseeker" to "Cusp of Dawn", peach to pink tones are available for every skin color. Top your lips off with a Celestial Kiss or be Strictly Plutonic and you'll shin for hours! What MAC is probably most famous for is their eyeshadows. This new collection from "Magnetic Attraction" to "Bright Moon", will leave you feeling "Invincible". There are so many new colors available that you won't feel restricted to just being able to wear one! Of course you can finish off your face and be the "Center of the Universe" with a dewy glow using their skinfinish pigments.

Ladies, don't forget that you need to look fabulous for that Bachelorette party! Golden Wedding Planners can help you plan the night of her dreams, starting with a MAC party with certified artists using their brand new colors. We'll bring in wardrobe, spray tans, and even hook you all up with amazing limo rides to the hottest clubs and restaurants available. It's truly a girl's night out, so get in touch today to book with us!

From bachelorette party to wedding day, MAC is always finding new ways to bring out your inner beauty....contact us today to find out more!

" ...and I seem to find that happiness I seek,
when we're out together
swinging cheek to cheek..."

Hot, hot, HOT!!

To honor today, the first day of summer, Mother Nature has brought a heat wave to New Jersey! Today topped out at 100 degrees and unless you were in a pool, being outside was not easy!

It made me think about all of those summer weddings I've planned and been to. I'm sure you know the ones I'm talking about: hot, humid and outdoors! Even if it's just the ceremony, sometimes those 20 minutes can be unbearable unless you find a way to keep your guests cool!

First things first, make sure guests are aware of what they're going to. If it's a black tie affair but no one knows the ceremony is outdoors, people might dress very differently. Give guests a head's up in the invitations that part of your big day will be outside. The more they can prepare, the happier they'll be.

Find interesting ways to keep them cool. Whether that means tenting areas and bringing in air conditioning units, providing fans or have cool drinks offered, it's all about keeping your guests happy. You don't want to hear people complaining about how hot it is when you're up there saying your vows. Talk about getting burned!

Think about ordering some fans with your names on them so guests can keep themselves cool while watching the ceremony. Play up your colors and have them alternate! Consider having a small cocktail offering before your ceremony complete with icy appetizers. From shrimp cocktail to shots of gazpacho, this is a great opportunity to show your creative side. I would also recommend offering drinks, but non-alcoholic. Drinking before a ceremony can be a recipe for disaster. Consider fun twists on drinks like blueberry lemonade, or a fruit punch complete with fresh fruit. 

If it's more then just your ceremony that's outside in the heat, analyze your day carefully. This goes for what you're wearing as well. No puffy wedding gown is going to be comfortable in the heat, and your bridesmaids would probably appreciate a short flirty dress instead of a gown. If it's a casual wedding you're planning, consider BBQ food and food trucks coming in for some added fun. End your evening with some super cold desserts, including ice cream. Pick some fun flavors but don't let people make their own sundaes because too often, they'll end up wearing them. Flavors like mint and mango are cool in the mouth and will be pleasing to your guests. 

Make sure there is plenty of shade offered, and consider adding fun touches like hats, sunblock and flip flops for your guests to use. Have an usher pass out ice cold hand towels throughout the time outside to help keep everyone chill. You want your guests to remember how beautiful your wedding was, not how much they were sweating through it.

So how would you keep your guests cool? Do you like our ideas? Please share with us some of yours! 

Happy Summer!

Cha-CHING!

You hear the stories: $250 centerpieces, $175 a head, $350 bridesmaid dresses.....and all you hear is cha-ching over and over in your head. Isn't a wedding about two people who love each other plus flowers, unicorns and rainbows?

Well, yes...but unicorns are expensive.

So how do you cut down on your budget? Well, a good planner is the first step to figuring our that mess of numbers. We also suggest that couples reach out to planners the day they want to start planning. Planners know the best venues and the best vendors and can help you figure out your favorites that can work with your budget!  The first step we take at Golden Wedding Planners is to figure out what you want to spend in each category and then we bring to you the vendors that can bring that to life.

So if you want big tall centerpieces with poofy, dreamy flowers..and you have a general romantic feel throughout the wedding...well, we'll contact our florists with your theme and budget and work from there. No need for you to do the research and hit up google just to be disappointed!

The most expensive wedding ever was Sheik Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum's son to Princess Salama in Dubai. It was $44 Million.

There are ways to give yourself the dream wedding at the dream pricetag. But the first step is to hire a professional who does it everyday. Call us at Golden Wedding Planners and tell us everything about what you want and what you want to pay. We'll make it happen and show you how affordable unicorns really are.

Very Superstitious....

"...writing's on the wall...
When you believe the things that you don't understand then you suffer,
Superstition ain't the way"
-Stevie Wonder-

Well, it might not be the way, but I have yet to cross a bride that doesn't have some sort of superstitious bone in her body, at least for her wedding that is. Find me a bride that will walk under a ladder or will shrug her shoulders at a mirror she just broke. It won't happen, I'll just tell you this right now.

But where does all of this come from? Rain on your wedding day is a good omen! Many brides think this is just a saying that developed because what else could you say to a bride about her outdoor ceremony that is now flooded? Well actually, it's Hindu tradition that dictates that rain on your wedding day indicates good fortune.

But how superstitious are you? We polled our brides. and surprisingly many of them thought they didn't care about superstition. However, we asked them about some more common things that might happen on their wedding day and they had much to talk about....for instance:

According to English Fokelore, Saturday is the unluckiest day to wed. Yet, for us (and I'm sure many wedding planners) it's the most popular day to wed.

Is your groom carrying your across the threshold? Of course he is, don't lie! Well, that's a superstition that means that your new husband is protecting you from the evil and bad luck below. For all of my Greek brides, I make sure they have a sugar cube tucked into their glove to ensure a "sweet" union. Of course, none of my Italian brides (nor I, being half-Italian on my mother's side) would dare to wear pearls because that just promises a marriage full of tears. Looking for something to throw? Break of the peas if you're Czech, because instead of rice, that's what they throw and it promises good luck for the newleywed couple!

So many superstitions, so little time. For every couple there is something different. Depending on your background, you may have a list a mile long of things to do and to NOT do surrounding your wedding day. But the bottom line is, if you're prepared with all of your ducks in a row, and just can't wait to see your soulmate that day, then luck has nothing to do with it.

Well...maybe a little...Because you must believe that luck, if not fate, brought you together in the first place.

Happily ever after. Glass half full. Rabbit foot around your garter.

How do you ensure good luck on your wedding day? Share with us at danielle@goldenweddingplanners.com or post in the comments below!

You Might be Glowing on your Wedding Day but...

...these can compete with you.

Welcome to the wonderful world of glowstones. These amazing tiny stones need only 10 minutes of exposure to light and will illuminate any walkway for up to 12 hours!

Now, we firmly believe that an invitation sets the tone and is one of the most important items to choose for an event. An invitation gives guests a free preview of amazing things to come. Why not heighten their anticipation with a lit-up entrance void of candles and Christmas lights? Guests will wonder how you made this entrance so beautiful and will absolutely be asking you how they can duplicate it. It's your choice if you want to keep it a secret!

These stones are non-toxic and the possibilities are endless. Whether it's a wedding or any other party, you can use these in various ways. Outside by water? Why not line the water, a pool, lake or anything with these stones? Instead of a candlelite walk-way, use these to line the outside of the aisles. Of course, you can simply sprinkle them all down the walkway as shown in the picture above. They are available in a variety of colors, but to keep the cheese factor down, just use one.

Find a way to incorporate these into your favors, or perhaps have a signature drink that lights up. If you're stuck on a theme, these rocks hand you the "starry night" or "bright lights" theme. Who needs flames when you have rocks?

Have you seen these at a wedding you've been to? Perhaps you discovered them already and have pictures to share! Make sure to send them to us at danielle@goldenweddingplanners.com so we can feature you in a future blog and send you a gift!

Glow in the dark...not just for kids anymore!

Danielle's Pick of the Week: Essence Wedding Gowns

Here at Golden Wedding Planners, we believe that your dress and your venue should be the first two things you select for your wedding day. Everything else will simply fall into place. But committing to a wedding gown, a dress that will be in 90% of the pictures, seen all day and worn only once, can be a little scary. When you're buying the gown you probably won't be walking down the aisle for another year afterwards...so how do you pick something that you know you'll love later? Pick something amazing. Simple right?

Introducing Essence of Australia. One of our favorite dress shops in New Jersey, I Do! I Do! in Morristown, will be bringing this amazing line to their stores this June. Incidentally, they are our "vendor of the month" so make sure to check that out at www.goldenweddingplanners.com and tell them we sent you!

Essence offers a wide variety of gowns, one more different than the next. In fact, the gown pictured above comes with a detachable lace overlay, which transforms this dress into something completely different. This is perfect for the bride who wants to walk down the aisle in one gown, and into the reception in something different. 

Their website is located here: http://www.essensedesigns.com/index.html and when you visit you'll be able to find a store near you that carries their dresses, as well as a list of trunk shows. While Essence isn't new, having been around for the past 14 years, we want to make sure that as many brides know about this line as possible. Consider it a little industry hint to you from us! 

Right now there are 7 stores in New Jersey that carry this line, but no matter what state you're in, there's a store locator on their website: http://www.essensedesigns.com/storelocator.php

Buying an Essence gown? Already wear one down the aisle? Let us know and send pictures to danielle@goldenweddingplanners.com for a chance to win a prize and be featured in an upcoming blog!