The wedding ceremony is very important on this momentous occasion and using live music can give the ceremony a unique perspective to the wedding. A ceremony that has no music or a wedding ceremony that does not have the appropriate music may work out but it will not have that romantic feel and it will feel lifeless.

The wedding ceremony is the more serious part of the wedding while the reception in the grand celebration which congratulates the couple on their marriage. There are 2 general types of music available for a modern wedding, they are a DJ or live musicians. A DJ is a person who plays CDs through a sound system at your reception and provides stage lighting for additional effect. The advantage to hiring a live band for your reception is that there is a certain synergy that occurs when live musicians perform together that cannot be achieved with a DJ, and live musicians can are also able to adapt to the “vibe” of the room – playing faster, slower, louder or softer depending on the preferences of you and your guests.

Unless, of course, you’re determined to have a band sing at your wedding. One of the critical steps during wedding music planning is to decide the type of music to be played, and who will perform it, a live band or a DJ. Regardless of a live band or a DJ, your goal is to hire the right person(s) for the job to enliven your wedding.

A four or five-piece band with a small PA system is generally required if the party is 100 or more. Listen to recordings of the band performing live, where available. If the band is having fun on stage, so will you on the dance-floor. You need a band that wants to party as much as you do.

Here are some tips you can use when you choose music for your wedding. When choosing the music for your wedding make sure you choose something that you and your guests will dance to. Experienced musicians are able to play songs that will be appropriate to the wedding even if you don’t know what songs to choose from.

If there is no theme and you are having trouble choosing the song this means you will have many choices to choose from. Why not walk down the aisle to an appropriate pop song or soundtrack from a favorite movie or musical. Choosing music for your wedding you need to find a piece that stands apart from other music.

Many people are still using traditional bridal songs, but many are not because most want to walk down the isle to music that fits their personalities.

There should be songs that are exciting and that will make the guests get up and dance. During the first dance of the wedding most people never forget how their spouses looked. The most enjoyable part of the wedding reception is the dance music. When choosing dance music for your wedding, you need to decide if you want the services of a DJ or a band for your wedding.

When your marriage is over many grooms and brides can recall the songs that were played at their wedding are able to relive the day they were married. There are so many wonderfully romantic and very suitable songs available today.

Just when you think you’re all done planning the wedding you remember there’s always a special part of any reception or wedding that you have to take into consideration, and that’s the wedding cake.  Everyone knows that all wedding cakes come in many sizes and shapes and can be designed to accommodate most any taste or any budget.  This budget item shouldn’t be a problem with any wedding couple.

You have to know that wedding cakes are certainly a natural and necessary part of any wedding festivities and require a great deal of thought and consideration to your theme.  Traditionally there are many people out there who still think of the tiered cakes when they think of weddings, however, there are many ways that you can accommodate your own creativity into making your cake stand out all on its own.

Keeping your cake costs down will require knowing a few tips of the trade:
• Make your own wedding cake creations
• Serve cupcakes and a smaller cake for the cake toppers
• Ask a guest with a baking passion to make the cake for you instead of giving you a gift. Just remember to buy the ingredients and toppers yourself.
• Have a baker make the cake but you can put it together yourself
• Buy your own cake toppers and other decorative additions
• Pick up the cake rather than have it delivered.
• Use your own decorations like flowers, autumn leaves as accents rather than theirs etc.
• Use extra candies and Hershey’s kisses as accents

Don’t forget to incorporation those extra cake accents and dividers that can easily be made at home for the cake by you and your wedding party.  Make it a fun night at one of your family’s home and get the job done.  It should be a memorable evening.

Examples of some nice homemade dividers might be the oversized brandy glasses that you can accent with ribbons tied around the bottom flute of the glass.  After you’ve done that you flip the glasses upside down in order to allow room for your cake sections.
Know that those glass bottoms will also make a nice sturdy separator for the cake layers to sit on. 

One of the best part about this type of decoration is that you can also place some neat candles or other nice things inside of the flipped upside down glass as an added accent.  It should be a delight to view during the reception.

You can also use rhinestones or anything else that you might think would make your cake stand out and make it more beautiful and elegant.  Many people have the idea that they can always take these decorations and use them later for another occasion or for someone else’s wedding at a later date.

If you happen to order your cake from a real professional, you better be sure to do the following check list of items to make sure you have the smoothest transition possible and without any hassles:

• Order your cake at least 6-8 weeks ahead of time
• Be prepared to leave a deposit when you place your order
• If you don’t know much about the cake that you want is ready to make an appointment for a taste test of different samples. If this is required, you might need to give yourself a larger amount of time for the cake like 6 months or more
• Know that you will be paying for the decorator’s time as well as the baker’s and the reserved time for your cake
• Think seasonal when it comes to your cake, for example, you can’t get a mousse cake in the summer months because it will go bad
• Remember that the simpler your cake design is the cheaper it will be
• If you are planning an outdoor wedding, remember that the heat will melt the icing, flies loves sweet stuff etc. think of this before choosing your cake

Also Remember:

• Have a big enough cake to serve all of your guests
• Try to be mindful of allergies and tastes of your guests when choosing your cake
• Choose ornaments that are not misplaced on your cake
• Don’t forget to confirm later
• If you have to cancel the cake, do it sooner rather than later or you might get stuck with the bill anyway

Can you remember when you were just a child and you had thought of just how your wedding day would be?

You envisioned exchanging your vows on the sand with the waves crashing behind, as the wind blows gently against your gown. The aromatic smell of the salt fills the air.

The sunsets over the hills as the gleaming stars fill the night sky. A day you could only imagine in a dream; a day to end all days and a day to begin the rest of your life.

Now the day has finally arrived and your vision is about to become a reality. More questions than answers on whether an outdoor wedding is still right for you. What if it rains? What if my guests are cold?

What if the wind blows up my dress? What if my heel gets stuck in the sand? What if?

Turning Your Dream into Reality

With careful planning your vision can be a reality. To help you decide if you should have your wedding outdoors, there are some important notes to keep in mind.

Whether you hold your wedding in the park, on the beach, or in your backyard, the right location may be able to accommodate your ceremony and reception at the same site.

An outdoor wedding brings the feeling of charm and casualness

You may also be able to lessen costs on flowers and décor. The outdoor atmosphere creates its own ornamental surrounding. However, to create the perfect atmosphere you may want to include chair decorations, topiaries, columns, aisle bows or ceremony arch; when carefully placed it will turn any location into a unique setting.

Other advantages of an outdoor wedding include the following:

Convenience for your guests; not requiring them to travel from one location to another.

Saving money by only having one location for both the ceremony and reception.

Uniqueness of outdoor locations is unlimited and can give your event a bit more lustre.

By observing the following creative, practical tips, you will be well on your way to achieving a stress-free, outdoor wedding.