Recently Engaged and need some Wedding Help

[Miss Kitty]

If you could get them all to agree on a plan, the wedding would be phenomenal!

Barring that, to the OP -- I attended a wonderful wedding in Carillon in May. It was a simple beach ceremony with a small, low-key reception on the lawn with a DJ, a dance floor, a tent and some food. I doubt it was cheap but it was understated and I'm sure much less expensive than Rosemary. I do know the bride and groom were on a budget. Good luck and hope it all goes well!

That would be one safe, practical, and well-stocked wedding!

Well we know who to hire as the bartender and what to stock. Do we really need anything else?

...okay, add one more jsut for funn...PUNZY!

 

[Matt J]

...okay, add one more jsut for funn...PUNZY!

Oh thank god, that takes care of the rest of the wedding. :funn:

 

[Beach Runner]

My plan for daughter was marriage at First Methodist, do a "second line" with a NOLA brass band to the house (a mile away to our 1830's reproduction Louisiana plantation house designed by the renowned Samuel Wilson Jr. of Koch & Wilson in NOLA), and throw the reception at the house with some big tents. Music would be strings at the wedding (we have that covered), and whatever fun music she wants to do at the reception.

But now she is talking Atlanta. We're paying. That should carry some weight, right? And her maternal grandparents had their honeymoon in NOLA, her father and I met at Tulane, and she was conceived during the NOLA World's Fair in 1984 after I was told at Duke University that it was impossible for me to get pregnant. That should carry some weight, too.

On the other hand, I will fold and do whatever she wants. I her so much.

 

[DD]

My plan for daughter was marriage at First Methodist, do a "second line" with a NOLA brass band to the house (a mile away to our 1830's reproduction Louisiana plantation house designed by the renowned Samuel Wilson Jr. of Koch & Wilson in NOLA), and throw the reception at the house with some big tents. Music would be strings at the wedding (we have that covered), and whatever fun music she wants to do at the reception.

But now she is talking Atlanta. We're paying. That should carry some weight, right? And her maternal grandparents had their honeymoon in NOLA, her father and I met at Tulane, and she was conceived during the NOLA World's Fair in 1984 after I was told at Duke University that it was impossible for me to get pregnant. That should carry some weight, too.

On the other hand, I will fold and do whatever she wants. I her so much.

BR, you're a good mama.

 

[ameliaj]

1) Get all deposits/contracts in writing and give them the ol' legal eagle eye - there have been some threads about people not being able to get their $ back due to a change or because of a verbal agreement, even with months of notice.

2) Make sure that your wedding/reception music more than complies with any noise ordinance. We have been having issues w/ cranky neighbors (who just need to eat more prunes IMO) calling the po-po at other 30-A locations.

3) It is more hot, breezy, and humid here than you realize. Plan all clothing, hairdos, make-up, and tailoring accordingly. An ice pack wrapped in a towel is a must have pre-ceremony and so are those little blotting papers and a handkerchief wrapped around your bouquet (for sweaty hands). Not eating or drinking enough water can also cause trouble.

4) The words Rosemary and wedding will both add $ to your costs, so prioritize and decide what is important to YOU. This day is about you and your spouse so decide what is special to you and what you want to spend money on - noone comes to a wedding for the food, flowers on the beach don't last long, noone knows if you got your dress on sale, and your mothers/in-laws have decades more of input. If you try to please everyone, you will end up pleasing noone and getting very frustrated.

5) You are the person getting married, not the group's dietician, babysitter, travel agent, fashion designer, or fairy godmother. It is your wedding and your decisions. People can have input, but it is YOUR WEDDING, so Aunt Tilly can arrange her own ride from the airport and call for more towels, the bridesmaids will wear what YOU say and do their hair how YOU say and like it, the vows/ceremony will be what you want - even if Great Uncle Humbert has always wanted to officiate and the demon twins want to be flower girls and Gina has a friend who does great things w/ fake flowers......

6) The things you do that reflect your personality are what people remember - not the chef flown in from NY to make the fruit shaped sorbets (which were basically popsicles) or that unique idea from Martha or the bridal mag - that every bride then does that season. :roll:

7) Assume everything will go wrong and plan accordingly - then you will have fewer surprises on the big day. Have a bad weather plan, travel plans w/ wiggle room & insurance, a dress/undergarments that are adjustable and comfortable, a reception w/ a HC stall (even then going to the bathroom is hilarious) and a friend/relative you trust (who is not a memeber of the wedding party) taking care of details in addition to your wedding planner so you don't have to.

8) Take breaks from the chaos/stress. Have times when you do NOT talk about the wedding for 24 hours, and also schedule massages or similar relaxation time. The planning can consume you until you are so sick and stressed you wonder why you wanted to get married and you cannot say something w/o using the W word - even if you were a perfectly normal low-maintence girl beforehand.

9) Have the bachelor/bachelorette weekends several weeks removed from the wedding and ban cell phones.

10) Have a great time! It's your wedding day and no matter what happens, you will still have a great day and all of the little things you went crazy about beforehand you won't even notice during the wedding/reception.

SB, my niece-in-law (is there such a thing?) is getting married in May in the UGA Chapel with reception on Herty field in Athens this May. Her Aunt, (my sweet sister-in-law) is helping her. Unfortunately, the words "its her wedding" keep having to be said. I think I'll foward your advice to both of them if you don't mind.

 

[ameliaj]

1) Get all deposits/contracts in writing and give them the ol' legal eagle eye - there have been some threads about people not being able to get their $ back due to a change or because of a verbal agreement, even with months of notice.

2) Make sure that your wedding/reception music more than complies with any noise ordinance. We have been having issues w/ cranky neighbors (who just need to eat more prunes IMO) calling the po-po at other 30-A locations.

3) It is more hot, breezy, and humid here than you realize. Plan all clothing, hairdos, make-up, and tailoring accordingly. An ice pack wrapped in a towel is a must have pre-ceremony and so are those little blotting papers and a handkerchief wrapped around your bouquet (for sweaty hands). Not eating or drinking enough water can also cause trouble.

4) The words Rosemary and wedding will both add $ to your costs, so prioritize and decide what is important to YOU. This day is about you and your spouse so decide what is special to you and what you want to spend money on - noone comes to a wedding for the food, flowers on the beach don't last long, noone knows if you got your dress on sale, and your mothers/in-laws have decades more of input. If you try to please everyone, you will end up pleasing noone and getting very frustrated.

5) You are the person getting married, not the group's dietician, babysitter, travel agent, fashion designer, or fairy godmother. It is your wedding and your decisions. People can have input, but it is YOUR WEDDING, so Aunt Tilly can arrange her own ride from the airport and call for more towels, the bridesmaids will wear what YOU say and do their hair how YOU say and like it, the vows/ceremony will be what you want - even if Great Uncle Humbert has always wanted to officiate and the demon twins want to be flower girls and Gina has a friend who does great things w/ fake flowers......

6) The things you do that reflect your personality are what people remember - not the chef flown in from NY to make the fruit shaped sorbets (which were basically popsicles) or that unique idea from Martha or the bridal mag - that every bride then does that season. :roll:

7) Assume everything will go wrong and plan accordingly - then you will have fewer surprises on the big day. Have a bad weather plan, travel plans w/ wiggle room & insurance, a dress/undergarments that are adjustable and comfortable, a reception w/ a HC stall (even then going to the bathroom is hilarious) and a friend/relative you trust (who is not a memeber of the wedding party) taking care of details in addition to your wedding planner so you don't have to.

8) Take breaks from the chaos/stress. Have times when you do NOT talk about the wedding for 24 hours, and also schedule massages or similar relaxation time. The planning can consume you until you are so sick and stressed you wonder why you wanted to get married and you cannot say something w/o using the W word - even if you were a perfectly normal low-maintence girl beforehand.

9) Have the bachelor/bachelorette weekends several weeks removed from the wedding and ban cell phones.

10) Have a great time! It's your wedding day and no matter what happens, you will still have a great day and all of the little things you went crazy about beforehand you won't even notice during the wedding/reception.

SB, my neice-in-law is getting married in the UGA chapel with reception outdoors at Herty Field in May. My sweet sister-in-law (her aunt) is helping her. The words "it's her wedding" keep having to be said. I think I will forward to your very excellent advice to both of them.

 

[tchuck]

Thanks for all the feedback on here.

I am already starting to use the advice some of you have mentioned. The wedding is about us and trying not to please anyone else.

Anyone have good experiences with any of the caters in the area? This seems to be the only thing that I am unsure about.

 

[No Regrets]

If you need any help with invitations, please give us a call. We can set up an appointment to help you with all of your needs.

No Regrets Stationery & Gift Boutique
800 Pier Park Drive, Suite 110
Panama City Beach, Florida 32413
850-233-6131
ask for Shelia

or
No Regrets Stationery & Gift Boutique
318 Harrison Avenue
Panama City, Florida 32401
850-747-0227
ask for Barbara

 

[Beach Runner]

Thanks for all the feedback on here.

I am already starting to use the advice some of you have mentioned. The wedding is about us and trying not to please anyone else.

Anyone have good experiences with any of the caters in the area? This seems to be the only thing that I am unsure about.

Thanksgiving weekend we were eating at the bar at Borago, and I was telling Murph that I was taking a break from cooking. The couple next to us recommended Townsend's catering. They said they never cook at Thanksgiving and Christmas any more because Townsend's food is great, and it would cost them almost as much to buy the groceries as Townsend's charges, not to mention the prep time.

Any locals know about Townsend's? I can't vouch for it personally.

 

[tistheseason]

But now she is talking Atlanta. We're paying. That should carry some weight, right? .

I, too, am from "South of the ATL" and opted to have my wedding in Atlanta. The problem was hotels. And the fact some of our guest were coming from Spain. I would have loved to introduce them all to my cute little town of Griffin. But, I just couldn't imagine them having to stay in a Best Western.