DIY Wedding in Philadelphia (Wedding Wednesday)

Today's Wedding Wednesday comes from stylemepretty.com, and features DIY details and local Philadelphia charm.  Our own Anamaria Achitei (cellist) performed with her ensemble as the string quartet for this job.  Original post can be found here. 

DIY Wedding in Philadelphia

October 7th. 2010 by Abby Larson | Filed Under | 26 comments

Well, we’re back in Boston after four awesome days in Palm Beach. And, I’m kind of re-thinking this whole “we should move to Boston” thing because of the four seasons. Which basically translates to really cold, pretty wet days. It’s probably just a Palm Beach hangover but still. Leaving the sun was a tad challenging. Anyway, I’m padding the blow with this absolutely darling wedding sent our way by the beautiful bride, Jasmin, and her groom, Steve…who were all about the sweet but totally elegant DIY details. Love, love, love this little gem and I know you will too. Click here to see even more!

click here to see the gallery and all of the super cute DIY details!

To wed or to elope? As self described scrooges…Steve and I wrestled with this question for a few months! In the end, we decided that it was important that we celebrate the day with our family and close friends. Once we went down this path, well, I went from “Monique Lhuillier who?” to owning a Monique Lhuillier dress! I obsessed about every detail of our wedding and spent my nights lurking on websites such as SMP looking for inspiration. Now that the planning is over, I’d like to contribute back to future brides!

There were several DIY components to our wedding; the most notable were all our paper items, our flowers, and our origami name cardholders. We DIY’ed as much as we could, not only because it was budget friendly but also because I had a lot of fun doing it. We knew we wanted to play with color and decided on green, yellow, and gray as our color palette. Our event ended up more yellow and gray with a touch of green but it definitely helped to have a color palette from the get-go so as not to be led astray by all the beautiful color choices out there!

The paper products were one area where we decided to save (splurging instead on our venue, caterer, and photographer). Three invaluable items which I used over and over again: my Xyron machine, paper cutter, and Fiskar corner punch. With an architect and a marketing professional as two of my three bridesmaids, I did not lack for creative talent and they helped create our bird logo. This was one of the best decisions to nail down early in the process because we were able to “brand” our wedding from start to finish in a consistent manner, from our website to our programs and menus.

My favorite component of the invitations was the envelopes! I had a crazy idea of sewing glassine inner envelopes with green thread around the borders. I purchased a $40 sewing machine on Amazon to test my project. The effect was pretty but I discovered that I couldn’t sew a straight line if my life depended on it. Using a pencil to lightly outline where to sew seemed to do the trick! I also fell in love with envelope liners; they were so easy to do and did not require a template or kit. If there’s only one DIY project that you do, this is it because it gave our invites extra oomph without taking up a lot of time.

Flowers…yes, logistically you CAN do your own flowers! And no formal training is required (I am a geeky number cruncher by profession)! I knew I wanted to have tons of flowers without breaking the bank but I was on the fence about this, worrying it would take away from time with friends and family. But with careful planning, I banged out table arrangements for 13 tables, 4 bouquets, 11 boutonnieres, and 4 corsages while still spending quality time with our wedding party. The trick is to have your flowers delivered on Tuesday or Wednesday assuming you have a Saturday wedding. You can then prepare your arrangements on Wednesday and Thursday (although corsages are best done on the day of). My other secret ingredients were the use of corsage picks to provide the bouts with a water source, a flower sealant spray to lock in moisture, and Oasis flower adhesive for the corsages. Make sure to do a couple of practice runs a few months or weeks before your wedding.

Our actual wedding day was so much fun and we felt so grateful that we could spend it with our closest friends and family. We chose to take pictures before our ceremony so that we could max out time with our guests. Our first look was just so precious; I’ll remember it always!Seeing each other before the ceremony had the added benefit of calming my nerves so that I was able to remember actually walking down the aisle! We drafted our own vows and we were able to inject some meaningful readings and humor into our ceremony. And the speeches during dinner…well, they were one of my favorite moments that day. We were touched by all the speeches (best man, matron of honor, my brother, Steve, and Steve’s mom), words cannot even describe.

For the Philly and NYC brides, I totally have to give a shout out to some of my vendors who made a big difference during the wedding planning process. Our photographers Margaret and Max from Unusually Fine, located in NYC, took amazing pictures and made us feel so comfortable in front of the camera. Stephanie at Robert Ryan Catering rocked! She took care of so many details and was always a step ahead. Tasha and Christina at cHill Weddings were our day-of coordinators; it was the best money I spent to make sure all went well during our wedding. Ann Hamilton, also in NYC was absolutely wonderful to work with and transformed my $250 dress (that’s right, you didn’t misread, I bought a Monique Lhuillier dress for $250 on sale!) into the vision I had in my head.

I had a lot of fun planning my wedding and I wish you ladies the same as you plan your special day!

Photography: Unusually Fine / Coordinator: cHill Weddings / Catering: Robert Ryan Catering / Alterations: Ann Hamilton / Bridesmaid Dresses: Jenny Yoo / Groom & Groomsmen Tuxes: Mens Wearhouse / Online Flowers: 2GRoses / Cupcakes: Brown Bettys / Makeup: Aleksandra Ambrozy / Hair: Calista Brides / String Quartet: Anamaria Achitei, Musicali Strings / DJ: Kim Walsh / Custom Hand Lettering: GalaFont / Custom Table Numbers: Blue Mountain Crafts / Hair flower: Twigs & Honey / Cupcake Toppers: Naked Peggies

CARA MIA REAL WEDDING- Li and Susan

Susan and Li Wang

Susan and Li were such a fun couple to work with.  They were great at making their wedding intimate, fun, elegant, and full of personality.  They got married at the Morris Arboretum, in Philadelphia, PA (near Chestnut Hill), an absolutely beautiful space maintained by the University of Pennsylvania, which is exclusively catered by Bruno's Restaurant. 

The entire wedding was full of whimsical and personal touches, from the butterfly cupcakes at the reception, to the mini-cheeseburgers and fries during cocktails, to the small and intimate circle of chairs in which Susan and Li stood in the middle to say their vows during the ceremony.  And how could I not mention- their main entrée? Philadelphia Cheesesteaks.  Represent! 

From a musical perspective, they were the perfect example of how Cara Mia can compliment some of the previously existing musical elements for your wedding. Susan and Li had already bravely opted to play their own i-pod through a PA system for their reception music- a choice that I think turned out well for everyone, although I don't recommend it! They also asked their dear friend to play a guitar solo and sing "Do You Remember" by Jack Johnson during their ceremony, which was beautiful.  Cara Mia provided a solo violinist to fill in the gaps- prelude music as their guests arrived, the processional for the beautiful bride and her bridal party, and the recessional music.  

Here are the special requests that they selected: 

Processional:

Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring, by J. S. Bach 

Ceremony music: 

Do You remember, by Jack Johnson 

(performed on guitar and vocals by a family friend) 

Recessional:Wedding March, by Mendelssohn, followed by

Concerto for violin, by F. Seitz 

The most memorable thing I took from that day was the beautiful love Susan and Li had for each other, and how well they used the details in their wedding to display not only their love, but their individual personalities.

Best of luck to you both, Susan and Li! 

Wedding Wednesday Week 4- Engagement Parties

Today's Wedding Wednesday is presented by our partners, Gigmasters!  You can find the original post here.


Engagement Party Ideas
by Drew 28. December 2010 10:17

 

 

Planning an Engagement Party can be FUN

There are a few things that you can count on every January: Christmas trees waiting for curbside pickup, over-crowded gyms and at least one of your friends sporting a new diamond engagement ring.
Some reports claim that around one quarter of all engagements happen during the holidays.  This means a huge influx of wedding planning come January.  It also means a lot of engagement parties.
Hosting an engagement party can be more fun, not to mention less work, than hosting a wedding shower, bachelor party or bachelorette party.  That being said, engagement parties don’t plan themselves.  You'll want to do your homework.

Here are a few fun engagement party ideas:

• Unlike some of the other celebrations that come before a wedding, engagement parties can be a co-ed affair, though they don’t have to be.  Depending on your group, the engagement party might be one of the few chances you have to get everyone together - both the guys and the girls.
  
• If you are planning the party for friends, be sure to talk to them about the guest list.  Traditionally, everyone invited to the engagement party will also be invited to the wedding.  Make sure your lists match up! 
  
• Like the wedding itself, an engagement party can be either formal or casual.  If you are planning a formal wedding, consider a more casual, laid back engagement party.  After all, all you need to have fun is a few friends and family...and plenty of cake!
• We might be partial, but we happen to think that great entertainment makes the party!  For smaller engagement parties, consider an acoustic guitarist or another type of solo musician.  String groups are great for formal parties and if you are at a loss for what sort of engagement party you want - take your guests to the beach with steel drums.

Whether you are planning your own engagement party or celebrating your recently engaged friends, we wish you the best.  And remember party planning is supposed to be FUN!
Happy Planning!

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VISIT OUR GIGMASTER'S PROFILE: 

CTO Rock Strings-
http://www.gigmasters.com/classical-string-quartet/Cto-Rock-Strings/


Cara Mia Strings-
http://www.gigmasters.com/classical-string-quartet/Cara-Mia-Strings/

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Cara Mia's Wedding Wednesday FAIL: 

 Hey, I kinda like it! Really! original content posted here.

Music Monday Week 4

Want a unique special request?

Don't worry about looking at song-lists. Not with us. We have created many custom arrangements for our clients.  Often times a bride or groom will request a song for string ensemble, and no sheet music exists for this song.  As long as you have a recording of the music, we will be able to listen to it and transpose the song into a score.  You can then keep a copy of this score for yourself as a keepsake after your wedding!




Just a few of the custom arrangements we have done...
-Incubus, I Miss You
-Incubus, Aqueous Transmission
-Jay-Z/Beyonce, Bonnie and Clyde
-Jens Lekman, Your Arms Around Me
-Sarah Bareilles, Love Song
-Taylor Swift, Love Story
-Rainbow Connection (Kermit the Frog)
...and many, many more.

In fact, we are in the process of adding many more songs to our repertoire!  You can see the list of our newest songs (just a FEW of all the MANY that we have) on our post CTO Rock Strings.

CARA MIA REAL WEDDING- Matthew and Katie

One of my favorite parts of my job as director of Cara Mia Wedding and Event Music (www.yourcaramia.com) is meeting with my clients to discuss their special requests. 

Some people want strictly traditional music.  Others want music that sounds traditional but isn't.  Many want contemporary music, or a mix of traditional and contemporary.  But some of my favorite clients are the ones who have a special story to tell through their music, like Matthew and Katie. 

Over the past few years working as a music consultant for weddings and events, and as a violinist myself, I have had the pleasure of meeting so many wonderfully diverse clients.  I love to sit with them and really get to know their style, and then design the music around their love story.

For example, Matthew and Katie are having a Catholic and Jewish wedding ceremony at the Lowes Hotel in Philadelphia, and hired a string trio through Cara Mia to play for their ceremony and cocktail hour. They heard about us through their friend Krissie, who hired us for her wedding last year.  Matthew, Katie and I had coffee together and got to know each other- and I got to meet their adorable little girl. 

Through our conversation, I learned that they wanted traditional music for the prelude and ceremony, and more contemporary music for the recessional and cocktail hour.  We used my laptop to look up different song choices and listen to them on the spot, and then built a totally unique program of music for their wedding! 

They aren't getting married until August 2011, so there is still some time to change these special requests if they want to.  But here is what we have decided on so far....

SPECIAL REQUESTS

• Prelude- Classical, Catholic, and Jewish songs, including Ave Maria
• Bridal Party Processional- Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (Catholic)
• Bride's Entrance- Erev Shel Shoshanim (Jewish Wedding Processional)
• Recessional- Bittersweet Symphony (Contemporary)
• Cocktail hour- Contemporary/rock/pop music, including All You Need is Love by The Beatles and Eye of the Tiger from the movie Rocky.

For those of you who are not familiar with the Jewish Wedding processional, here is a video of Erev Shel Shoshanim-

Note: these are not Cara Mia musicians- just an example of 

what the song would sound like on stringed instruments

Since there is still some time before their wedding date, Matthew and Katie are also considering adding a djembe (african hand-drum) player to the string trio for the recessional only, and for the entire cocktail hour.  This will bring a more modern feel, adding the beat to the music, and has been a popular option for couples who want something different! 

Djembe Drum

Matthew and Katie, I wish you both the best happiness in the world.  And I'm very excited about finalizing the details of your wedding with you!  I think it will be a beautiful marriage of two people, and their two worlds.


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Wedding Wednesday week 3

Wedding Table THEME idea! 

Instead of just numbering your tables at your reception, it has become popular to give each table a theme.  Be creative with your theme, and design your place cards and centerpieces around it!

Here is one idea: Flowers.

Your florist will hate you. :-)

Here's how you do it- 

1) Choose your colors. Here is what ties it all together- pick one- maybe two- consistent colors.  Perhaps your wedding colors are soft pink and white, then each centerpiece will have a different arrangement of soft pink and white flowers.

2) Choose your flowers. For each table, chose a different flower.  Roses, chrysanthemums, hydrangeas, you name it.  Your florist can direct you to flowers that will fit your style and budget.



3) Run with your theme! Name each table after the flower that is represented.  The Rose Table, The Chrysanthemum table, etc., and design place cards to match.  You can also design wedding favors, programs, menus, and more to go with your theme.  Get inspired, and get creative!


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Music Monday Week 3

Many of the brides I speak with like to keep things pretty traditional for the ceremony- maybe get a little funky later!- but stick to mostly Classical music during the ceremony itself.

But I often get asked for song suggestions that sound traditional, but are still different.  "Anything but Canon in D", they may say, or, "Anything but the Wedding March!"

Here is one song I might suggest for the bride's entrance, for just this situation.  

Camille Saint-Saëns - The Swan 

I love the poetic comparison of a graceful swan to the bride's sacred descent down the aisle.  This song has such a beautiful, melancholy air about it, I'm surprised it is not used more often in weddings.  If you are looking for something a bit different, but still Classical/Traditional, I might suggest this as one option. 

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