KISS Older Couple Wedding

I attended a wedding for an "older" couple last Saturday. Although it was a second wedding for the bride, it was a first time for the groom. Since the couple was together for 13 years before the wedding, it was more of a party to celebrate their love rather than a new beginning. (Here is a good article about "older wedding couples" and their needs.)

I asked the bride why it had taken them so long to make it official and she said, "Between my kids and their weddings, my parents passing on and then the grandkids coming, we never had time for ourselves. Now that everything is settled we decided to have the wedding I always wanted and never had." (Her first wedding was a hasty elopement when she was quite young.)

I have to say, that the bride kept the wedding simple and stunning. It truly was a KISS wedding, starting with the informal wedding gown, on through the wedding ceremony and ending with the wedding reception. As her parents are gone, the bride walked down the aisle accompanied by three bridesmaids and her little granddaughters. Her wedding gown silhouette was simple and elegant - no ball gown billowing out behind her. The bridesmaids all wore simple and flattering black tea length dresses that were age appropriate. Only the cute little flower girls had frills on their dresses. (They were the bride's three- and four-year-old granddaughters.)

After the wedding ceremony, the bridal couple eschewed the traditional receiving line and went around to each guest, greeting everyone as we all stood outside the church. No one threw anything, which made me happy - rice isn't good for birds, and bird seed is messy as the birds can attack to get it. Rose petals are a mess to clean up, too.

The wedding reception was fun and had some really poignant touches. As we entered the party center, there was a table set up with the guest book and place cards. Behind this was an open photo book of all the family who were gone. I saw the bride's parents, her aunt and uncle, my mom, uncle and even my grandmother. It was a nice gesture and made all of us quite nostalgic about the times when we were quite young.

Instead of wedding favors, there were signs on each table stating that the funds that would have been spent on the wedding favors were instead donated to the American Cancer Society and the Alzheimer's Society.

A pretty wedding wishing well was set up for any additional donations to these societies, as well as a nice box for wedding cards for the wedding couple.

I really like that the wedding couple didn't throw bouquets or garters, and that the wedding cake was sliced and wrapped up for guests to take home.

This was a simple wedding where everyone danced, talked, and interacted with the wedding couple, who made a point of spending time with each guest.

This was an informal yet touching wedding and I am so glad I could share some of it with you. It just goes to show that keeping it simple doesn't preclude having a lot of heart.

Keep it Simple and Stunning 3 - Some final tips

Over the past several days I've been talking about keeping it simple and stunning -- that is, your wedding, of course! Here are a few final thoughts on focusing on simplicity in your wedding design.

Simple weddings should have a unifying theme.

Whether you use color, a culinary focus, ethnic customs, a Celtic knot or a Zen garden, choosing a central theme that works in your setting is a guarantee of a more harmonious mood for your wedding celebration.

A wedding focused around a Celtic knot may have all sorts of variations of a Celtic theme. You could carry out your simple 1-2-3 colors in various shades of green, serve Irish soda bread hors d'oeuvres and concentrate on Celtic music.

A Zen-style wedding might feature an invitation printed on rice paper, or a sake and sushi cocktail. You could have floating orchids on the tables and wedding party favors of Asian candles, and packages of green tea.

When all the design choices fall into line with an overall theme, from fonts to foods, the result is not only more appealing, but it also simplifies the planning process.

Know your design priorities.

The possibilities in designing a wedding setting seem endless. Too many choices and you can go into design overload! Make wedding checklists of the things that are MOST important to you as far as your wedding is concerned. Flowers? Music? Food? It is sometimes really hard to choose and every couple feels differently about which details are most crucial.

(Hint: The wedding planner book may look whimsical, but it is the contents that are key. Have one for your spouse and another for your main assistant and that way you are all on the same page!)

Write down your priorities and stick to them every step of the way. Discuss your priorities up front with each of your vendors at the very first meeting! Make sure they understand what you are seeking, and are willing to provide it for you. If not, find another vendor!

Use your setting as your reference point. Don't try to make it something it is not. If you are holding your wedding reception in an industrial loft, don't try to have a botanical garden wedding. Trying to turn the loft into an English country garden defeats the purpose of simplicity. If you want the botanical garden wedding, go to the botanical garden site. If you are inflexible about your setting, be prepared for complications - and for things not working out the way you envisioned them.

Simplicity is well-planned.

Knowing your priorities is the key to maintaining your design and your sanity, but be open to new possibilities along the way. The best way to keep glitches from happening is to evaluate these priorities from the start, review what you really want and then make your changes early on. Once the invitations are sent, and the wedding linens are ordered, your flexibility becomes limited. If you set these priorities first and tinker with them then, you will likely avoid any major changes and huge expenses!

Simple is better.

Take the time to apply these KISS principles. Focus your budget, preferences, and approach on smart details and gracious warmth, rather than stiff pomp and circumstance - it's not a royal wedding.

You will be rewarded with a simple, stunningly beautiful wedding day free of headaches and stress. And in 50 years, you will be able to celebrate your anniversary looking back on a treasured memory and toast each other's good sense to go simple yet stunning!

KISS Weddings - Simple as 1-2 3 and Anti-trendy

Here are more KISS - keep it simple and stunning - secrets for a successful and elegant affair!

Simplicity is the key. There are even magazines, like Real Simple, devoted to the concept. Why not keep your wedding with the times and strive for simple -- but wow your guests and show them just how stunning simple can be!

Simple as 1-2-3

As much as you can, limit your color scheme to three colors. For example, using three shades of blues and purples against a white background will create a more harmonious aesthetic than a room filled with a riot of yellows and greens and reds. It also means coordinating your colors, your wedding linens, your wedding invitations, bridesmaids' dresses and wedding flowers in the same three colors.

Your centerpieces can be equally simple - for example, a single narrow vase, a wedding sticker or accessory tag beneath it, holding three unusual flowers will create a dramatic effect, especially when repeated on all the tables.

Additionally, the 1-2-3 concept goes for food. Have a choice of 3 appetizers, 2 entrees (with sides, of course) and 1 dessert besides the wedding cake. You will be surprised how dramatic and stunning your wedding will be if you apply the idea of a simple 1-2-3.

Simple stunning weddings are never trendy.

Simple design, by its very designation, is both classic and contemporary. It can have any kind of wedding theme, or represent any kind of ethnic wedding, but it always emphasizes well chosen details and not the latest fads! A table laid with crisp white linens and a simple centerpiece, white china, clear crystal and shining flatware will always look elegant, no matter what the theme or color scheme.

Centerpieces don’t have to be overflowing. Place floating flowers and candles in simple clear bowls. This is both romantic and easy on the budget. You only need a few for each table and they don’t create the fuss of huge arrangements that can often block the view of the diners from each other. Make sure that these flowers are in your 1-2-3 color scheme.

For a chic contemporary wedding design, choose orchids, daisies, dahlias or sunflowers, while a classical surrounding calls for gardenias, peonies or roses. Coordinate the candle color to the flowers and float them away.

Use simple placecards for each place setting and have a small elegant wedding favor attached to them. A simple wedding favor can be a small bag with Jordan almonds attached to a wedding sticker or a gift tag with the couple’s names and wedding date printed on them. No fuss, and everyone has a nice treat to take home.

Simple doesn’t mean you skimp -- it means you determine what your design for your wedding will be and stick to it, following a few simple rules. Next time we will talk about unifying themes, design priorities and a well-conceived plan.

The Keep It Simple And Stunning (KISS) Wedding - Part 1

KISS - or keep it simple and stunning - weddings are just that - a simplified way to celebrate without all the extraneous things that can actually interfere in your enjoyment of the special day.

• Simple is not the same as cheap.

A simple wedding stems from a clear vision that is in harmony with the wedding theme and the setting. What you choose for linens, flowers, menu items, wedding invitations, and even the number of guests all determine your costs.

You can have a wedding reception at a 5-star restaurant for 50 guests that will cost as much as a wedding reception for 200 guests that you have prepared on your own. You just have to consider what you want to spend and on what.

• Simple is not necessarily "minimalist."

A simple wedding design uses restraint to create a more powerful effect. It's the "less is more" concept. There are times when a single element, repeated several times in a design, gives a sense of opulence, while remaining simple. For instance, take a single hyacinth or hydrangea in a narrow glass vase, placed on each table. At the head table, place 10 or so of these flower-filled vases in a straight line. Simple and dramatic, with minimal fuss or cost.

Simplicity means limiting how many types of materials you use - simple linens, the same type of flower, colors, etc., whether you are having a Medieval wedding feast or a formal sit-down wedding dinner for 300 guests.

• Simple, stunning weddings stress harmony and focus.
  

Take the time to discuss with your partner, your bridesmaids, your parents and whomever is paying for the wedding what type of theme you want. Brainstorm and make a list of priorities.

Discuss the the wedding style - formal, informal, or casual - and all the things that make up a simple, stunning wedding. Reach a consensus and then choose the setting with care, and design the wedding to suit your setting.

• Simple, stunning weddings are comfortable parties.

Make sure first and foremost that your wedding guests enjoy your wedding. Sacrifice your "look" if it will make them uncomfortable. While it may be your day and you want it to look like your vision, take into account that your guests are there by your invitation and deserve your best hospitality.

For instance, don't seat everyone at long trestle tables in a narrow room so that the servers have to bump into them to get the food and drinks onto the table. The setting may look lovely, but the only thing your guests are going to remember is that it was impossible to relax and enjoy themselves with the servers banging into them because there was no room to get around. In the end, your vision needs to be adaptable so as to accommodate the comfort of your guests.

Next time we will talk about more simple truths about keeping your wedding simple and stunning!