Archive for the ‘Music’ Category

BRIDE-TO-BE BLOGGER KRISTY: CHOOSING OUR WEDDING BAND EARLY

Posted by Kristy Schultz on 8/28/2012 at 1:10PM | No Comments

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So, maybe Eric and I haven’t always been known for doing things just like everyone else. We’re both the babies of our families, so it might stem from years of wanting to do things, well, differently. Some might call this “difficult” or “challenging,” but it’s just the way we approach things (sorry, Mom and Dad!).

Needless to say, our wedding planning hasn’t been standard. We have some wedding resources that have general time frames and month-by-month breakdown of planning—but we are far from following them, whoops! So shortly after we chose our venue, we confirmed our band. (See? Far from standard, considering most timelines advise you to book this between six and nine months away from your wedding; we were well over a year.) The early band selection happened because of a few factors: our love for music, our love for a band we already heard and knew, and trusting a few friends.
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LANGUAGE FROM GAY-MARRIAGE COURT RULING POPULAR AT STRAIGHT WEDDINGS

Posted by Carrie Denny on 7/30/2012 at 4:01PM | No Comments

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In this week’s New York magazine, writer (and former Philly magger!) Sasha Issenberg pens an article about how language from Goodridge v. The Department of Public Health, the 2003 landmark Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court case that first legalized gay marriage in this country, has become increasingly popular as a sort of wedding reading during heterosexual couple’s secular ceremonies.

The now oft-quoted phrasing from the court’s decision reads: “Civil marriage is at once a deeply personal commitment to another human being and a highly public celebration of the ideals of mutuality, companionship, intimacy, fidelity, and family … Because it fulfills yearnings for security, safe haven, and connection that express our common humanity, civil marriage is an esteemed institution, and the decision whether and whom to marry is among life’s momentous acts of self-definition.”

Seems there are many couples out there—especially those who want to add oomph and meaning and eloquence to their ceremony without any religious involvement—who are finding the words really resonate with their idea of marriage, and are finding various ways to work it into their day.

You can hear those couples’ stories, and read more about it here.

Anyone out there have plans to use this piece of writing already—or who would, after having it called to your attention?

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BRIDE-TO-BE BLOGGER KATHLEEN: MY WEDDING DAY RECAP!

Posted by Kathleen Johnson on 7/12/2012 at 5:29PM | 3 Comments

They're married!

I knew the time would come when I was going to have to say, “It’s all over,” but I have mixed feelings on whether or not I am actually OK with it.

Sure, I am happy to get my life back. I am happy to have a clear mind and not have to constantly think about whether or not the shade of gray in the bridesmaids’ dresses will clash with the shade of gray in the guys’ suits. I am happy to have married my best friend and begin our new life together. I am happy that we were lucky enough to be able to have the experience of a lifetime. With all that said, I am a little sad that now that everything has come and gone and the day is now just 24 hours worth of memories and photographs.
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MADONNA HELPS WOMAN PROPOSE TO BOYFRIEND DURING CONCERT

And then offers marriage advice.

Posted by Carrie Denny on 7/10/2012 at 10:27AM | No Comments

Madonna took a quick break during her concert in Amsterdam the other night to assist a lovely lady standing in the front row in asking her boyfriend to marry her. She hands off her microphone, requests that they engage in a celebratory kiss—”with tongues”—and then offers them a few golden nuggets of marriage advice.

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TIPS FOR AN AWESOME FIRST DANCE

From our pro at the Society Hill Dance Academy

Posted by Alexandra Leshner on 7/5/2012 at 4:27PM | No Comments

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Amongst the chaos that often consumes your Big Day planning, we know that certain details—such as the traditional first dance—sometime drift to the bottom of the priority list. You may give it a passing thought when explaining to your beau why your song choice is much more wedding appropriate, but besides that, your mind is often too busy sifting through cake flavors and flower arrangements.

The fact of the matter is, even if you and your groom immediately agree on a song, your first dance as a married couple can go downhill real fast—we’ve heard the stories. So, we enlisted the help of Shana Vitoff, a professional dancer and owner of the Society Hill Dance Academy, who can train even the most rhythm-less bride and groom—no matter what level of skill they’re hoping to achieve—for their ultimate dancing debut. “We have couples come in who just want to look and feel natural during their first dance,” she says, “While others want an entire Fred and Ginger number to wow the crowd.”
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OMNI HOTEL AUCTIONS OFF WEDDING PACKAGE TO BENEFIT ALEX’S LEMONADE STAND

It's a pretty sweet deal for a pretty amazing cause.

Posted by Alexandra Leshner on 6/8/2012 at 2:05PM | No Comments

You can bid between June 9th and 15th!

How does August 17, 2013 sound as your day to tie the knot? We ask, because we just got word of a seriously fabulous wedding package that can be all yours at just the click of a mouse—that is if you’re the highest bidder.

In collaboration with the much-loved Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, the Omni Hotel at Independence Park is auctioning off an unbelievable Big Day (and honeymoon!) bundle, appropriately titled A Wedding for Alex. The hotel teamed up with a selection of top local vendors to put together a totally covetable wedding experience—valued at over $50,000—that also benefits a wonderful cause.
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MOST INAPPROPRIATE SONGS TO REQUEST AT A WEDDING

Posted by Carrie Denny on 5/31/2012 at 3:08PM | No Comments

Fuse

In general, most etiquette experts say that it’s a good rule of thumb to not request songs at weddings. You don’t know what the couple has already told their music-makers concerning playlists, and well, it’s just not about you and what you want to hear.

Maybe this is why. The other day, the hashtag #InappropriateWeddingSongs started up on Twitter, and the Huffington Post gathered the most mentioned ones and put them into a slideshow. All excellent choices, we have to say.

What other ridiculous songs would you add to your Do Not Play list?

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BRIDE-TO-BE BLOGGER ALYSE: OUR FIRST DANCE … LESSONS

Posted by Alyse on 4/16/2012 at 11:40AM | No Comments

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One thing Kevin and I are a little nervous about is our first dance.

It seems like many couples are nervous about the first dance, but for different reasons. Some don’t like the focus being on them, some aren’t sure which song to pick and some just don’t like to dance. Thankfully, we don’t have any issues like that—we are just awful dancers. Early on we decided that we would take dance lessons to hopefully cure our two left feet. We figured that this isn’t just something that will benefit us on our wedding day, but will help in all future-dancing events.
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BRIDE-TO-BE BLOGGER KATHLEEN: WHAT IF WE DON’T HAVE A SONG?

Posted by Kathleen Johnson on 2/24/2012 at 10:55AM | No Comments

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What do you do if you don’t have a “song”?

Back in the day, couples almost always had a specific song, it seems, that had some sort of significance to their relationship when they were dating. Then, that particular song would automatically become their wedding song. So, what happens if you don’t really have one?
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BRIDE-TO-BE BLOGGER CAROLYN: DESIGNING THE COCKTAIL HOUR

Posted by Carrie Denny on 11/11/2011 at 11:24AM | No Comments

iStockphoto courtesy of ThinkStock.com.

I love me some bite-sized food, and Chris is a bit of a beer snob, so altogether, I’d say we’re pretty big fans of a good cocktail hour. We’d really like to make this part of our day reflect our personalities and preferences, so we’ve been brainstorming ways to make this special.

I really think signature cocktails are a great idea. We would love to do two signature drinks, actually—one for me and one for Chris. I have a strong sweet tooth, so mine would have to be a sugary drink—and preferably pink—while Chris’ would have to incorporate some sort of bitter liquor or, even better, a particular beer (although I doubt he could choose just one). I love how signature drinks add some excitement to a standard open bar. I’ve also seen cocktail hours with assorted fruit sangrias and frozen drinks—I love this idea, too!
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