“I meet many couples planning their wedding, and it constantly amazes me, just how much they outlay, both time and money, on numerous glossy wedding magazines that mostly focus on the same thing. Don’t get me wrong; the magazines fill a vital need in the wedding market. They offer a bride an array of amazing pictorials depicting many aspects of a wedding. There’s fabulous beach locations, amazing intricate decorations, gorgeous seasonal flowers, modes of transport, photo options, and fashion trends, not to mention gowns that can literally take your breath away. But what they fail to do is point out the pros and cons with each of these choices.
It is evident each advertiser expertly pitches their best reasons on why to choose their product or service “ says Celeste.
“Yet when I would talk to these couples about the logistics of choosing for instance, one of those beach setting for the ceremony especially in the peak summer months, they hadn’t really considered the full implications of that choice of location.
How many Celebrants have officiated at a beach wedding where the wind played havoc not only with the brides hair and veil, but made it near impossible for the microphone to be used or the celebrant to be heard. Or as happened in my early learning curve days, the couple didn’t factor in the tide times and the water ended up lapping at the heels of myself, and the bridal party.
Celeste went on to say… “A beach wedding, like any outdoor wedding has its problems. Whilst certainly romantic, a couple need to consider many scenarios, not just the tide and hot powdery sand where any professional would think twice about taking their audio equipment, but the overall weather conditions, exposure to the site by the elements, and the fact that if there is no shade, the guests will be onsite for approximately 90 minutes before moving off to the next location.
I suggest to all my couples to try and organise seating for all the guests, not just the immediate family. That way the celebrant do not have the concern of trying to fill those seats, she or he simply invite all guests to please take a seat in anticipation of the bride’s arrival…so much more easier!”
“How often have you turned up to a summer wedding and seen the groom and his boys standing in 3 piece suits just about melting. My tip here is to suggest to the groom to pack a wet washer, his favourite chick magnet cologne and a second shirt to change into before returning to the reception. Then those congratulatory hugs will be welcomed with a little more enthusiasm.
These are things a couple would never consider in their overall planning of that perfect wedding day. But these are things as a Celebrant we see happen all the time, so why not share the information with our couples.”
As well as sharing the practical tips on aspects of timing, location, positioning etc, and what needs to be addressed from a legal perspective, the book also focuses on saving our couples (or maybe their parents), possibly hundreds of dollars on the cost of bringing that wedding together. In this challenging economic climate, these aspects of ‘The Ten Second Kiss’ are like manna from heaven for parents not wanting to dampen their child’s wedding dreams in any great degree.
“Quite often the ceremony site is not situated near the main roadway, so why spend hundreds of dollars on luxurious wedding vehicles when none of the actual wedding guests will get to see them. Often a bride hasn’t thought about this fact and in this instance I suggest that as a couple they can save some substantial dollars by asking a friend who has a ‘head turner’ of a vehicle if that person would chauffeur the bridal party to the wedding and the groom shouts for a car detail” says Celeste.
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A Fabulous NEW resource guide for NEW Celebrants & their Blushing Brides!!!!
