Today on the Bridal Boutique: Monogrammed Wooden Flask

This week we are featuring this awesome wooden flask from Wickensnuffers! This flask is made with real wood veneer and then sealed after the personalization is added to it. The seal makes it water and drink resistant! This is perfect the perfect gift for a best man, the groomsmen, father of the bride (or groom) and even your bridesmaids! Each flask is one of a kind and a great personal touch to top it off. Go to their page on Etsy to check out this flask and many more!

And don't forget to subscribe on the right so you don't miss out on next week's featured item and all of the amazing articles in between!

If you have any comments, feedback, or even suggestions for products, please feel free to contact us at meredith@theoverwhelmedbride.com

All photos courtesy of Bleudog Fotography

12 Tips to Writing Your Own Vows (Part 2)

Written with love, by Pastor Dave Page

TIP # 7:  GET ALONE FOR SOME REFLECTION TIME

After chatting with your future spouse, take some self-reflection time alone to think about how you feel about your fiancé. What did you think when you first saw him? When did you realize you were in love? What quality do you most admire in him? How has your life gotten better since meeting your future mate? What about him inspires you? What do you miss most about him when you’re apart? You may be surprised how these answers may lead you to the perfect words.

TIP #8:  BORROW FROM OTHER GREAT WRITERS 

Borrow freely from poetry, books, religious and spiritual texts, or even from romantic movies.  Write down words and phrases that capture your feelings.  Widely recognized works ring true for a reason. I’ve found that the Bible has some of the best quotes I’ve ever heard.  For example, the wise King Solomon penned these words in Proverbs 5:18-19: “Rejoice in the wife of your youth. She is a loving deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts satisfy you at all times. Be exhilarated always with her love.”

Based on the last phrase in the second verse, I said to Carrie, “I am captivated by your beauty, refreshed by your genuineness and encouraged by your love for me.”  My wife is a beautiful woman and a very authentic person.  There is no pretense with her. She wears her emotions on her sleeves – what you see is what you get so I wanted to include this wonderful character quality in my vow to her.  At the end of the vow I said, “I will always be exhilarated with your love.” 

Your vows should reflect your beliefs, values and desires as a couple. Some of you will want to be more covert when including your spiritual values while others of you will want to be a bit overt. Some couples I marry do not want anything spiritual or religious in their vows to one another or in the ceremony itself.  I respect each couples wishes.

I provide my couples various readings for their weddings from all different sources – from Scripture to Shakespeare.  Here is a link some excellent WEDDING READINGS.

TIP #9: CREATE AN OUTLINE

An outline can get you started by helping you establish structure. For example, plan to first talk about how wonderful your fiancé is and then about how you work together as a couple; pause to quote your favorite writer and then go into your commitments to each other.  You may want to share why you chose to marry your fiancé, reasons why you love your fiancé and promises you intend to keep.

TIP #10: GET SOME FEEDBACK

Get some objective feedback from people you trust. Run your vows by some of your trusted friends and get their input. Listen to their constructive criticism of your vows in order to make them even better. I also read my vows to my mom because she was a English major in college and I wanted to make sure they were grammatically correct.

TIP #11: REMEMBER YOUR AUDIENCE

Don’t make your vows so personal that they’re obscure, mysterious or embarrassing! You’ve invited your family and friends to witness your vows in order to make your bond public, so be sure everyone feels included in the moment. That means putting a limit on inside jokes, deeply personal anecdotes and obscure nicknames or code words. My favorite nickname that one bride used for her fiancé was Stud Muffin. That also means being sensitive to the different religions and faiths represented in your audience.

TIP #12:  PRACTICE YOUR VOWS OUT LOUD

Remember, these words are meant to be heard by a live audience, so check that they sound good when spoken. A good rule of thumb: When you write, you write for eyes to read. But when you speak, you speak for ears to hear. Speak your vows out loud to make sure they flow easily. Rehearse in front of the mirror a few times – seriously!  Beware of tongue twisters and super long sentences. Go slow when you say your vows to one another – you do not want to get out of breath or stumble. And remember speak up so that everyone can hear you! There is nothing worse than attending a wedding and not being able to hear the couple when they say their vows. You may become overwhelmed with emotion in the moment and begin to cry. That’s okay because they are happy tears - just compose yourself and carry on.

In my opinion, your vows are the most important part of your ceremony. The key to crafting the perfect wedding vows is just to take them one word at a time. In summary, get at the heart of what marrying this person means to you; pick the most important points and say them well. And lastly, remember to have FUN!

Below are the vows my wife and I wrote and said to each other on our wedding day. We are both people of faith so our vows have a bit of a spiritual overtone to them.

Dave to Carrie:

Carrie, my love, I have prayed my entire life that God would send me the right person to marry.  He has given me the desire of my heart in you.  I am captivated by your beauty, refreshed by your genuineness, and encouraged by your love for me.  You mean more to me than anything else in this world.  I will seek to love you sacrificially, as Christ loved the church.  I will seek to understand you and listen to your innermost thoughts.  I will protect you and provide security for you.  I will encourage and support you in the interests and goals that you have. I will honor, respect and adore you.  You alone will be my desire as I forsake all others. I will always be exhilarated with your love. Carrie, I commit my entire being and covenant my love, representing my life, promising to remain committed to you, along side of you, as long as I shall live on this earth.

Carrie to Dave:

Dave, I love you so much!  I’m committing everything I have and everything I am to God first and then to you. You are my greatest joy!  You’ve become my best friend lovingly designed by our Heavenly Father.  He knew from the very beginning that Dave Page would be the man I would eventually marry.  You are the unique person who meets my special needs and adds to my life things that were missing, bringing out the absolute best in me that only you and your closeness to God could bring out.  Our love has that perfect completeness I hoped and prayed for, a special love that is from the Lord. He promises to go before us and through his special power, hold us together. Dave, I’m confident we will last a lifetime as husband and wife and I will love, support, encourage, challenge and cherish you throughout that lifetime.

My wife and I recently had a wonderful anniversary weekend in Santa Barbara. I’m going back up to Santa Barbara this weekend to learn to paddleboard!

You Make My Wedding Go 'Round: Wedding DJ Blog Series, Part III

After six months, a year, or even two years of planning, we’ve successfully made it to Wedding Week! All of the planning and preparation is completed, and now it’s time for all of the final details to be confirmed. Stay with us as Kurtis Cross, Professional Wedding DJ, takes us through the wedding week of a DJ and through “game day.”

Let's first preface this part of the series by taking a quick look at what we've already covered.  The past couple of weeks, The Overwhelmed Bride has looked at the role of a professional DJ and more specifically, how my team and I approach different angles of producing a fabulous wedding celebration.  In those entries, we've discussed several points and matters which are equally important during the wedding planning process.  If you haven't done so just yet, you should take a moment to read our previous entries.

In getting to "game day" I truly believe that prior proper planning prevents poor results.  In keeping with this theme, my team and I prepare, as much as we can, in advance for each wedding celebration.  With many hours of planning in our rear view mirror, we've taken the time to get to know each couple, their likes and dislikes and, of course, the vision they share for their dream wedding day.  Our main goal on their wedding day is to execute their wedding day as one fine masterpiece.  It is with this in mind that my team and I approach each couple and each wedding day as if it is the only wedding in the world that matters.  In fact, to us, it truly is.  There are no "do-overs" and we have just one opportunity to make each moment, on this day, count.  Let's fast forward...

Wedding Week

On the Monday of each wedding week, we confirm the final details of the wedding day with the couple, the designated venue contact person and, if needed, any other venue staff who may be critical to the wedding day.  The evening prior to a wedding, it is important to me to have a low impact day ending with a great night's sleep.  I conduct a normal business day. However, part of me is getting into performance mode.  Tomorrow is a big day...

Six Hours Prior To Show Time

In the hours prior to the wedding celebration, Paula Panasiewicz (our in-house wedding expert) and I review the timeline/itinerary.  By this time, Paula has loaded the day's timeline into an iPad, sent it to me via e-mail and has print copies available for me and for venue personnel to have on-hand.  We have a "dress rehearsal" for the wedding, whereby my script, all of my cues, song selections and special instructions are executed in an abbreviated format.  All name pronunciations are rehearsed, and cues are confirmed.  The day's music program is identically arranged in both laptops via our music program "Virtual DJ."  Our Road Crew then picks up the laptop system I'll be working with that day (consisting of two Macbook Pro laptops, two external hard drives, connecting cables and so forth).  They are required to be neatly dressed and professional as they are the first impression that the event venue will have of The Kurtis Cross Team.  Once they arrive to the event location, the Road Crew will check in with me... and the countdown continues.

Four Hours Prior To Show Time

Appearance plays a part in our professionalism.  Therefore, I prep for today's celebration by shining my shoes, picking out the suit or tuxedo (client's choice) that I will wear.  Where possible, I'll match my tie and pocket square to the dominant color that the couple has chosen for the wedding.  Very few things speak to a wedding vendor's attitude and readiness better than a professional appearance.  A pressed suit, laundered shirt, crisp tie, sparkling cufflinks and let's not forget the shiny shoes, are all a part of my professional appearance.  From our team, a Reception Coordinator always accompanies me and this person is also expected to have a similar, professional appearance.  Now, it's time for a meal!

Two Hours Prior To Showtime

By this time, I am en route to the performance location.  Typically the Reception Coordinator and I will ride together and during that time, we discuss the wedding and what role they will play in building the perfect wedding and/or reception.  Each of our Reception Coordinators understands the importance of each couple's day and will work tirelessly to fill the role of support person to the couple and to my performance.  The mood is professional yet lighthearted.  For me, the anticipation builds as we are now inside of two hours until show time.

One Hour Prior To Show Time

We arrive to the event venue.  The Road Crew briefs us and I then introduce myself to the venue personnel.  Key people to meet are the front desk staff, the maintenance staff, banquet captain and on-site wedding coordinator.  Once I've met the key venue staff, I check in on the couple... first the bride.  Our early arrival to the venue is something that each couple appreciates, knowing that our part in their day is underway without a hitch.  With 45 minutes to go, we conduct a sound check with our Road Crew.  Both laptops are tested, the wireless mic scans for an open frequency, and I conduct a mic check.  I scroll through the iPad and then match our timeline to what the banquet captain has.  More often than not, our timelines match.  If for any reason they do not, we work together to sharpen up any inconsistencies, in the best interest of our couple.  With 30 minutes to go, I am now in the ballroom, waiting for our first guests to arrive.  I begin the music program with time to spare as I would like music to welcome even our earliest guests.  It's time to kick-off this celebration!

Game Time!

Am I nervous?  Slightly.  After all these years, I find that my nervousness serves as a reminder to me, that each wedding celebration is unique and deserving of our best effort.  This evening, we will deliver exactly that.  Beginning with organizing the bridal party for their grand entrance and ending with the couple's final dance, it's game time. 

To see where we go from here and what guides us, click here, for a sample of an itinerary used at a recent wedding celebration!

There's nothing like the day of a couple's wedding.  For me, each "game day" is equally thrilling and exciting.  At the same time, I am the slightest bit nervous, on each wedding day.  Forget the number of years I've been in business (28 to be exact!).  This is a couple's WEDDING DAY!  All must be perfect... this must be their dream day and I am responsible for completing their day with a huge celebration.  A celebration that they will remember for the rest of their lives.  And just for good measure, a couple hundred of their friends and family will be in attendance as well.  With each vendor playing an important role in the success of a couple's wedding day, some vendors are more on "display" than others.  As a professional wedding DJ, each announcement I make and every song selection I choose is public.  I do not look at this as pressure, but rather an opportunity to make this celebration distinctly different than last week's wedding.  I must take the personality of the couple, their ages, each interaction I've had with them and their wishes into my "game plan."

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Wedding DJ Blog Series...featuring Kurtis Cross, Professional Wedding DJ

Follow us over the next four weeks as we take a deeper look into the life of a professional wedding DJ, with the help of professional wedding DJ, Kurtis Cross. We will start with what you need to look for and avoid as a bride, as you begin your search for the perfect DJ, head through the planning process and what a DJ does to prepare for your wedding. Finally, we will end with the wedding day and all that he or she does on your big day in order to ensure your day is even more spectacular than imagined!