Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Picture Perfect




Pictures of your wedding ceremony show some of the most emotional moments of your wedding day.

To capture these priceless moments...you need a good photographer! Shira Weinberger took the pictures of a wedding I did recently at Tavern on the Green. Her imagination and skill combined to create some wonderful pictures of the expressions on faces during the ceremony. She also got great shots of the rituals in the ceremony...exchanging rings and lighting a unity candle.

The picture of the ceremony above is her work. To see more, check out her web site: www.ShiraWeinberger.com.

Ceremony Tip: Ask your officiant to work with your photographer so that you get the ceremony pictures you would like to have. In the picture below, I created the certificate and Shira created the photograph. I talk with photographers before the ceremony and let them know what will happen visually in the ceremony...even suggesting which rituals will be the most visible for them to photograph and even the most advantageous angle for their shot.






Julie Laudicina, Celebrant!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Listen to the Music...


Music for a wedding ceremony sometimes seems like a bit of an after-thought. Some couples hire their DJ to provide the music for the ceremony. Some use their Ipod toplay some of their favorites. Nothing wrong with either of these approaches, but once in awhile...there is music that is unforgetable!

That is the case with Duo Ulla & Carlos. When I heard them at the ceremony I conducted last week, it was all I could do to pay attention to what I had to do. I just wanted to listen to them.

Ulla and Carlos are fine-tuned professionals...their repertoire is varied...they are not prima donnas...and their sound is marvelous. After the ceremony they played through the cocktail hour. My husband and I hung out near them just to enjoy the music. Got to find that Chick Corea piece they played as recessional music!

Ceremony Tip: Place more attention on the music for your ceremony. You may find a solo musician or group that will really add to the beauty of your ceremony. It may not add that much to your budget to have excellent live music for the ceremony. Employ a musician...or a duo!

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Forget and Forgive



At nearly every wedding, someone forgets something. This is a theme lately! Sometimes it's a major disappointment; sometimes it isn't worth a second thought.

It was a romantic wedding at Tavern on the Green, touching love story, beautiful music, two families that have come to enjoy each other...just a perfect wedding for the couple and their guests!

I forgot my camera - so it was a challenge to get a snapshot for my album of all the couples I've married. My husband managed to figure out how to make my cell phone camera work...the picture isn't great (see above), but I have my picture with the bride and groom...and I forgave myself this memory lapse. (So much for the effectiveness of check lists!)

The bride's mother forgot her flowers at the hotel. At the last minute, the banquet manager cobbled together a small bouquet from a centerpiece, something that matched the wedding colors. No one knew; no one fussed.

Ceremony tip: There is a high probability someone will forget a detail at your wedding. Best course of action: See if there is an easy substitution or alternative. If not, go with the flow and don't let this dampen good spirits. Chances are - no one will notice! And most important tip - forgive and forget!

Julie Laudicina, Celebrant!

Monday, March 9, 2009

Don't Forget the License




Last Saturday's wedding...famous NYC restaurant, bride arrived in a horse-drawn carriage, dashing groom, beautiful flowers arranged by the groom's mother, fabulous jazz music...it was a stunning event.

In the rush to get ready, the marriage license didn't get to the ceremony, so the groom had to go back to his apartment to retrieve the license. The restaurant obliged by serving the cocktail hour food, the musicians played on, and the bride was unbelieveably calm looking for the 45 minute delay.

Ceremony Tip: Check and double check...decide who is responsible for bringing the license, and then check again.

Julie Laudicina,Celebrant!

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Interview Tips - Hiring Your Celebrant



Most wedding officiants/celebrants will offer potential clients a free no-obligation meeting to talk abour your ceremony. You should plan on about an hour, and you should come prepared with questions. You can expect the celebrant will ask you what kind of ceremony you would like.

Here are some questions to ask your civil wedding officiant:
1. Are you legally qualified to perform a marriage in the location of the ceremony?
2. How do you create my personalized ceremony? What is the process?
3. What is your fee? What does it include...or not include? What is in your contract?
4. How much freedom does a couple have to do what they want in the ceremony?
5. What interested you in doing this work? What do you like about being a wedding celebrant? How long have you been doing this work?
6. How many weddings to you do in a year? Do you do more than one a day?
7. Can I see a sample of your work...video or written document?
8. Can I check out your work with one or more of your past clients?
9. Do you have back-up if you are sick or otherwise unable to be at the wedding?

And ask yourself: Am I comfortable with this person? Is this the person I want to perform my wedding ceremony in front of all my family and friends? Does this celebrant seem to understand what we want? Can this celebrant be flexible, helpful, and creative when unexpected situations arise?

When the celebrant you are interviewing asks you about your ceremony, here are some things you can be prepared to talk about that will be helpful:

- Where the ceremony will take place, the set-up in the ceremony location
- A description of the wedding party (how many people, any children)
- How many guests you will be having
- Your plans for music for the procession and recession
- Some ceremony traditions that you like, traditions you don't like
- Your thoughts on wedding vows - write your own or do something traditional
- How much time you want the ceremony to take
- Any considerations you want to make regarding parents' expectations
- Will the bride and groom see each other before the ceremony
- Any ethnic or religious traditions from your families you want to include
- Ideas from other weddings that you liked

You may only have this one opportunity for "face time" with your celebrant before your wedding day. Make the most of it...stick to the agenda - which is:
1) getting acquainted and
2) assessing if this celebrant can create the wedding ceremony you want.

If you liked how the interview went and you want to hire the celebrant, ask what are the next steps. It will probably be signing a contract and making a deposit to reserve your date on your celebrant's calendar. Ask for a timeline of wedding ceremony preparation activities.

If you decide to hire another celebrant, do take the time to let any other celebrants that you interviewed know that you selected someone else. It's helpful for a celebrant to know you made a decision. A brief email is fine! You'd be amazed how many people don't follow through with that courtesy.

Julie Laudicina, Celebrant!