Some Really Strange Places to Tie That Knot

Looking for something different for your wedding?  Choosing an unusual location might be the best way to make your wedding one that everyone will talk about for a long time!  I did a little online research, and came up with some of the most bizarre places that people choose to say their vows:

~ Bungee Jumping:  Talk about taking the plunge, off of a bridge!  This isn't for the faint of heart, and besides, it certainly would ruin your dress and hairdo!

~ McDonald's or Taco Bell:  Couples love to incorporate their "story" into their wedding.  A couple met while working at Taco Bell, and decided to have their wedding there.  They didn't wait until the restaurant was closed, either...just had their t-shirt wearing officiant marry them at one of the tables while the rest of the patrons looked on.  I wonder if they tossed cheese instead of rice.

~ Clowning Around:  A couple that enjoyed spending time as clowns got married in their make up.  Well, I guess that cuts down on the cost of formal wear, stylists and make up people!

~ Wing Walking:  A very daring couple got married while riding on the top wing of a biplane as it flew.  I bet the hardest part of planning this wedding was finding an officiant who wasn't afraid to take a ride.

~ Hot Rod Wedding: Rev. Daniel Best has a reconditioned 1942 Edition American LaFrance Fire Engine.  It's got a chapel on board, with a steeple and stained-glass windows.  There's room for the essentials of a wedding:  Bride, Groom, Best Man, Maid of Honor, Officiant.  Rev. Best charges $200 per hour and $2 per mile, and he and his rolling church are located in Shelbyville, Illinois.

~ Haunted House or Cemetery:  Okay, so the bride and groom are goth, and are interested in a creepy wedding.  Why not a cemetery?  There's lots of parking, and no traffic issues - unless, of course, you're lucky enough to have a funeral going on at the same time.  Or, if you're worried about the weather, what about a haunted house, or better yet, a funeral home?  If some of the guests aren't still among the living, you won't have to include them in the number you give to the caterer.

~ Underwater:  Do you love to swim?  Is the beach not close enough to the water for you?  Take a scuba class and get hitched under the waves.  What a great story to tell your future grandchildren!

~ Nudist wedding:  No worries for this one - no choosing gowns, tuxes, shoes, or foundation garments.  But you exchange that freedom for the fear of sunburn, and never being able to display your wedding photo in polite company - that, and the sight of your grandparents au natural.

~ Garbage Dump:  Evidently, someone thought that putting a red carpet through a dump constitutes a lovely and meaningful union of two who love each other.  Well, I guess there's no where to go but up from there when you begin your life together in a pile of garbage!

~ Prison:  True love happens all the time - even to people who live behind bars. The peneteniary isn't the lovliest of settings, the attenants are armed, and besides, the spouse that isn't incarcerated  gets to spend an extended honeymoon alone.

~ Top of Mt. Everest:  What a view! Celebrating the highest love on the highest mountain top in the world! Only one couple made it so far, but aside from the pesky details like the dangerous climb (don't mind the remains of those who didn't make it on the way up), having to add a shirpa into your budget, and that annoying lack of oxygen at this height, a wedding at the summit would be one to remember!
If you want some help planning a great wedding that's not so bizarre, give me a shout out and we'll get together and talk about it.  You can text me, call me (513-407-7165) or e-mail me (innobrations@yahoo.com).  I'd love to help you make your day the best ever!

What if SOMETHING goes WRONG? Part 2 of my unofficial poll

In case you missed it, a month or so ago I polled a whole bunch of my friends and family and asked them to answer three questions about their weddings.  Those polled were all women, most of whom have been married for a while, and have the luxury of looking back on their wedding day and giving me some great insight!

Those three questions were:
1.  What was the favorite part of your wedding day?
2.  What went wrong on your wedding day?
3.  What would you change?

I have blogged about number one, so if you missed it, just scroll down and you'll find it!  Today, I'm going to address question number two:  "What went wrong on your wedding day?"

I found it interesting that only three of thirty responses said "Nothing.  It was perfect."  I tabulated all of what the rest of these brides said went wrong, and divided those results into "Uncontrollable by the bride" and "Controllable by the bride".  I only had one clear instance of what the bride considered controllable, which was that she wished that she had spent more time getting to know her future in-laws (she got married quite quickly after she met her groom, and I'm happy to report that they have been married for around 40 years!).  A bad situation was mentioned a couple of times, and in those instances, there probably wasn't much that the bride could do about it, no matter how much communication there was beforehand. 

Most of the "what went wrongs" were uncontrollable.  The weather was mentioned ("It was too hot and the air conditioning broke at the reception"; "it rained on our outdoor reception"; "there was a huge storm"), as well as a few instances of the bride being sick.  The rest were things that no bride could plan for or expect, such as the bride whose husband's cousin and his bride showed up at HER wedding reception in their wedding attire - now, that's a real slap in the face...another bride at your reception!  There was the bride who was driving around town with her groom and the car overheated, leaving the wedding party to figure out how to get help in the days before cell phones.  Then there is the bride whose father almost wore his navy blue dress pants instead of his black tuxedo pants (the sharp sister of the bride caught it before they got to the church), the bride whose mother-in-law to be had to have gall bladder surgery a week before the wedding, the bride who had to dig through the trash because the marriage license got lost (they never did find it!), and the bride who had a centerpiece go up in flames at her reception!

What does this tell me?  Well, first of all, the odds are against anyone having a "perfect" day.  Judging by the responses I got, only 10% of brides have nothing go wrong at their weddings. So, a wise bride should expect some little things to go wrong, and begin the day with the mindset of "if it goes wrong, oh well!  It's not the end of the world!".  But then again, complete planning is the key to keeping many problems at bay. For example, one bride had a DJ whose equipment didn't work.  This may have been avoided by asking the right questions when booking the DJ.  At my wedding, I figured three hours for the photographer would be plenty.  It wasn't.  He left when time was up, and there are a lot of things I wish I had photos of, including the bouquet toss, the garter toss, and a photo of me kissing my groom.

This is where it pays to hire a wedding planner.  No one is a professional bride, and a wedding planner can steer you to the vendors that can be trusted and provide you with the right questions to ask.  For example, wedding planner can't change the weather, but can encourage you to plan for inclement weather and help you to develop that plan.  A wedding planner can't prevent you from being sick, but can hold your tissues and help to touch up your makeup to make sure you don't look too ill in your photos.  

If you're planning a wedding and want to talk about it, I offer free consultations!  Just e-mail me (innobrations@yahoo.com), call or text me (513-407-7165).  I'd be delighted to help you minimize the "wrongs" and make your day a wonderful day to remember! 

Destination Weddings

Greetings from Upper Michigan!  My daughter (who is in college) and I are on our way to Marquette, Michigan, to visit my niece who is a student at Northern Michigan University.  We have been in the Mackinac area for a day or so now, and today we leave for Marquette.  In case you're not familiar with the area, it's where Lower and Upper Michigan are connected by the Mackinac Bridge, which  traverses the Straits of Mackinac - the 5 mile-wide channel that connects Lake Michigan to Lake Huron.  It's snowy and cold in March, but it's absolutely enchanting in the summer.  Located in the Straits is Mackinac Island, accessible only by ferry boat and a place where automobiles are prohibited.  It's like stepping back in time.  With it's gorgeous views, temperate climate, and old-world feel, it's a popular place for weddings.  This got me to thinking about destination weddings.



Photo from Mackinac Island Carriage Tours website, http://www.mict.com/

     Maybe you've always dreamed of getting married on the beach, or on a mountain, or in the tropics, but remember, there's a few important things to consider before you jump head first into a destination wedding:
1.  Your guests!  It's expensive to travel, even if it's by car.  Recently, my cousin had a lovely wedding in South Carolina, and many of our family traveled from Michigan to attend.  I estimated that with all the travel and lodging costs, guests probably averaged $800 - $1,000 to attend her wedding.  Just keep in mind that some folks won't be able to afford it, so expect to have some people that you love absent from the big day.
2.  Your venues, flowers, cake, etc!  Unless you've got a great wedding planner (and there are lots of them out there!) you're taking a chance on venues, flowers, etc.  It's great to be able to visit the site of your destination wedding ahead of time to make the arrangements and visit these vendors yourself.  But if you're hoping to just make some arrangements via the internet, you might be in for a big disappointment.
3.  Your timeline!  Travel takes time.  Unplanned and unforseen things can affect travel - the biggest being the weather, but think about things like flight delays, lost luggage, etc.  Planning to arrive at the destination well ahead of your wedding time might be a good idea for avoiding some stress.
4.  Your marriage license!  Make sure you've covered all the bases there - is the officiant licensed in that state or country?  Is there a waiting period after you apply?  Are there blood tests required?  Do you both have to apply in person?  Better to get those wrinkles all worked out ahead of time then be a bride without a legal license!

    Destination weddings are wonderful and special.  They allow you to break out of your local "box" and create a day that you'll hold fondly in your memories.  Making sure that all of the "i"s are dotted and the "t"s are crossed will make you enjoy it all the more!

For more information on Mackinac Island and weddings, visit their website at www.mackinac.com.
For more information on wedding planning in Cincinnati, visit my website at www.innobrations.com.

Favorite Moments

"What was your favorite part of your wedding?"

That is one of the questions that I asked when I contacted quite a few of my friends and family for a little unofficial poll.  I'm almost 48 years old, so I know a lot of ladies who were once brides.  These wonderful women are from different parts of my life: some were schoolmates, some are family, some are friends, some I met through my children.  There were two common threads:  first, they are all women, and secondly (and most importantly!) they all were/are married.  I asked them three questions:  1. "What was your favorite part of your wedding?"; 2. "What went wrong with your wedding?"  and 3. "If you could change anything, what would you change?".  I was delighted to have received 30 responses!  This gives me great insight into the mind of a bride, and what is remembered many years after the day.
Today I'll blog about the first question - but I'll address the other two later.

My Wedding, September 1, 1984

"What was your favorite part of your wedding?"
       I was pleasantly surprised to find that many women responded to that question by telling me of a specific moment.  When you're planning your wedding, you're concentrating on the big things - gown, reception site, food, flowers.  Surprisingly, none of those things were mentioned by my friends.  One friend told me that when she was leaving the church, she lost her shoe on the steps.  Her new husband went back to get it, and one of her guests remarked, "Just like Cinderella!".  Former brides fondly recall being with their family as one of their favorites, especially the special moments while getting ready for the wedding, and their parents (some had just dad, some both mom and dad) escorting them down the aisle.  Some loved their cake; some, their first dance; some the car rides; but, overwhelmingly, more former brides mentioned that the ceremony was their favorite part - marrying the man they loved in front of all the people that they loved.
      This tells me that while many brides are fretting and stressing about details, what really matters is what is basic:  again, marrying the man that you love in front of all the people you love. 
      Keep this in mind when you're planning your wedding. 
Remember to cherish this time with your family and friends. Remember it's about your groom and how much you love him.  And, mostly remember: it's the moments, both planned and unexpected, that you'll carry in your heart.
     





Wedding Traditions - Bouquets & Flowers

The earth laughs in flowers;
A flower is love looking for a word.

At its inception, the bouquet formed part of the wreaths and garlands worn by both the bride and groom. It was considered a symbol of happiness. Originally bridal wreaths and bouquets were made of herbs, which had magical and meaningful definitions for the couple's future life. Traditional Celtic bouquets included ivy, thistle and heather. Ancient uses included herbs, not flowers, in bouquets because they felt herbs -- especially garlic -- had the power to cast off evil spirits (can you imagine walking up the aisle holding a clump of garlic!?). If a bride carried sage (the herb of wisdom) she became wise; if she carried dill (the herb of lust) she became lusty. Flower girls carried sheaves of wheat, a symbol of growth, fertility, and renewal. Later, flowers replaced herbs and took on meanings all their own. Orange blossoms, for example, mean happiness and fertility. Ivy means fidelity; lilies mean purity.