Thursday, March 17, 2011

Tips from the master himself ....Colin Cowie





The day of your wedding needs to have a rhythm and flow that takes guests on a journey, with a carefully thought-out beginning, middle, and end. It can only happen if everyone is in sync; the ceremony needs to begin on time, the caterer ready when it’s time to eat, and the music cued and ready when it’s time to dance. It doesn’t just magically happen—it requires thought and planning so everyone is literally on the same page, working from the same schedule of events.

Whenever brides ask me what the single most important aspect to their wedding is, I always have the same reply, and it's one that doesn't cost a cent, and that's timing. We have all been to weddings where the bride kept everyone waiting for the ceremony, where the cocktail hour lingered on and on, and an hour later, still no sign of dinner. In the end, the party never got going and half the guests slipped out tired and bored before the cake cutting.

Unlike a "regular party," a lot of things have to happen at a wedding: aside from just a ceremony, there's a cocktail hour where most likely photographs are taken, then a reception with the bride and groom being announced for the first time as husband and wife, then there's a first dance, a welcome speech, a meal to be served, toasts given, a father/daughter dance, and a cake cutting. The trick is to make sure the next activity takes place before anyone looks at their watch. Doing so brings a sense of production value to your party that keeps things moving along.

As always, there's more to come!

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