What We Loved Most About Our Wedding
The atmosphere and feeling of togetherness. We decided to host it at Middleton Lodge in Richmond, North Yorkshire, where we were able to have exclusive use of the main house for the ceremony and orangery for the reception.
We had use of the venue for a rehearsal dinner the evening prior until breakfast the day after. We didn’t see anyone we didnt know on the day. That was really important to us. We wanted it to feel intimate – we had a guest list of around 90. Our rule was that if we didnt know them well enough to give them a hug on the day, we didnt invite them.
We also didnt have ceremony and reception guests – everyone was welcome for the entire day. I suppose that was our theme – everyone was welcome and we were thrilled that they were there. While I am from Yorkshire, my husband is from North London . People had travelled a long way to be there so it had a real feeling of an event rather than people drifting in and out. It was such a dreamy three days.
Host A Mini Reception
Its the party before the party! If a majority of your guests are staying at the same hotel, consider hosting a mini-reception at said hotel before the actual celebration begins. Most hotels have party rooms, bars, or restaurants where you can provide light snacks and beverages so your guests can mix, mingle, and get in the mood to party. Another option is to host a mini-reception at your ceremony location immediately following your I dos. Then, provide a shuttle to transport your guests to the reception so that everyone is on time for the big party. Yes, these are added expenses, but will certainly help keep the mood up as you head into the reception.
Walk Down The Aisle With The Person Who Make You Feel Confident And Calm
Walking down the aisle is one of the biggest moments of your wedding day. Having someone by your side who has had a meaningful impact on your life will make that moment all the more special.
Traditionally, fathers walk their daughters down the aisle, but this is not a moment where you should feel chained to tradition! Having both parents walk the bride down the aisle is a meaningful way to honor the role that both of them have played in your lives.
Those that come from blended families might have a lot of family and parental figures to honor. A unity candle or sand ceremony is an easy way to include extended family members who have played a part in raising you.
Anishas mom had the joy of walking her daughter down the aisle to say I do to Brandon. | Image by Irrok Photography
Both of Heathers parents were there to give her a steady hand as she walked down the aisle toward August. | Image by Meagan Gaines Photography
Even though Ambers father wasnt able to be there, she took a piece of him with her by wearing a pair of his shoes as she walked down the aisle with her uncle. | Image by Ais Portraits
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You Have The Option Of Getting Married In Nature
The majority of religious spaces cannot accommodate couples that wish to celebrate their wedding ceremonies outside.
Indoor religious spaces offer a certain level of sacredness, so it can be challenging to convince church leaders or rabbis of synagogues to celebrate a wedding outdoors.
As a result, couples are limited to an indoor wedding ceremony when celebrating at a church, synagogue, or other holy space.
This might be a conflict of interest for you if your dream is to celebrate your wedding day outdoors.
Luckily for you, an outdoor wedding is possible when you have your wedding ceremony and reception in the same place.
Tsunami Izakaya & Teppanyaki Bar
Not your average locale, Tsunami is a restaurant, bar and function venue that has everything you need for your wedding, plus more. Tucked away in a little corner of Mosman Park, Tsunami offers authentic Japanese cuisine and experience in a romantic and unique atmosphere. Whether your guest list is big or small, or youre looking for either a cocktail or sit-down reception, Tsunami has a wide selection of wedding packages. There is even an option to have your ceremony there too.
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Establish Your Aestheticand How Youll Go About Bringing It To Life
A double wedding works best when the two couples have similar visions for their wedding days. If one pair dreams of a glitzy ballroom soirée, while the other loves the idea of a rustic alfresco affair, youll end up with the worst possible outcome: a compromise of a celebration that no one loves. You need to have similar tastes, or be comfortable allowing one persons taste to lead, Laskey explains. Otherwise one person picks the plates, one person picks the glasses, and theres clashing.
When it comes to categories that leave room for more than one option, embrace it! Laskey says that dinner menus and song choices are especially good opportunities to get all four members of the couples involved. Be sure that everyone picks an appetizer for the cocktail hour menu, and that the DJ or band plays a few of everyones favorite tunes. This will also go a long way towards ensuring that the members of the couples who dont overlap still feel an ownership of the celebration.
Diana Limongi And Ludo Gabriele Of New York Ny
Courtesy of the couple
Their Backgrounds: Ludo is French and Diana is Ecuadorian American. “My husband is spiritual but was not raised religious at all. I was raised very religious, with a Catholic school upbringing,” Diana says.
How They Combined Cultures: In a perfect mix of their customs and beliefs, Diana and Ludo wed at a Catholic church in the South of France, and had readings in both English and French. “I had bridesmaids, which isn’t customary in France. I actually had to order their dresses in the USA and have them shipped to my bridesmaids in cities all over the world,” Diana says. At the reception, they danced to cumbia, salsa and merengue music. As for food, the couple went above and beyond. “We had a traditional Provencal dinner with many courses, including a cheese platter, and served wine with labels that said ‘cheers’ in Spanish, French and English,” she says. And the dessert table was also a clear homage to their roots. One cake was made with traditional French pastry puffs in the shape of the Pont d’Avignon, a 12th century bridge in France, and another was a “torta de novia,” an Ecuadorian wedding cake with fruits and nuts. A third cake honored their American home: a Statue of Liberty made of sugar, featuring both the American and French flags.
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The Biggest Perk Is Pooling Your Resources
They say two heads are better than one, but you know whats better than two heads? Four. Liz, Brian, Katie, and Akira were all at busy points in their lives while wedding planning, and having more than one couple working on the wedding meant there was always someone to keep the ball rolling when real life got in the way. It helped with the budget, too, says Liz. We could have four people contributing instead of two to what ultimately became our best vision.
Know It Could Make Travel Considerably Less Complicated
Cost-cutting is a big perk of a double wedding, but travel is another important reason to consider the approach. If you and a sibling or close friend are both considering a destination wedding around the same time, chances are guests might not be able to attend both. Combining the celebrations will ensure people wont have to choose one over the other.
Per Laskey, a double wedding can also be a good idea in the face of travel restrictions. If visas for important relatives living overseas are difficult to obtain, it might be too much of a gamble to expect theyll be able to visit twice.
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A Break Of 60 To 90 Minutes Is Fine
If you’re moving onto a different spot in town for the party, having an hour between the end of the ceremony and the start of the reception is fine-it’ll give everyone time to leisurely make their way to the second venue, or to even go home or to their hotel room for a short break. Anything longer and guests will start getting antsy, but it’s impossible to avoid in some instances .
Linda And Seth Kuriloff Of North Bergen Nj
Courtesy of the couple
Their Backgrounds: Linda is of the Zulu Tribe from South Africa and Seth is Jewish.
How They Combined Cultures: The couple’s ceremony took place at the Manhattan Penthouse in New York City, where they had their close friend officiate. At the reception, the couple focused on music and dance to celebrate their different cultures, playing a song by South African singer and civil rights activist Miriam Makeba to honor Linda’s culture and dancing the hora to recognize Seth’s Jewish faith. Linda’s family also sang a Zulu wedding song and invited guests to dance along.
Their Best Planning Advice: “Consider what elements of a traditional wedding in your culture your grandparents would miss if it were not included and then decide on how you want to incorporate them into your day. Also, be careful not to choose too many traditions from one culture over the other. Most of all, celebrate!”
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Traditional Religious Wedding Ceremony
A traditional religious marriage ceremony takes place in a house of worship where at least one person of the couple getting married is typically a member of the congregation. The reception usually occurs immediately after the exchanging of vows, either in the church’s banquet room or at a separate location.
While a lot of brides opt for unique weddings nowadays, there are still vast amounts that stick with the tried and tested traditions. Traditional weddings are exactly what you’d imagine when you think of a stereotypical wedding. Generally taking place in hotels, conference halls, ballrooms, or marquees, at these formal weddings you’ll find a full three-course sit-down meal, age-old floral arrangements and decorations, and a big beautiful white dress.
Couples who choose the religious route must still obtain a civil marriage license from their local courthouse or county clerk’s office for the union to have legal standing.
The Differences Between A Wedding Ceremony And Wedding Reception
Before we dive into the differences between a wedding reception and wedding ceremony, keep in mind that this is what’s traditionally done. Some couples may opt to ditch tradition and do things their own way. There’s no right or wrong here. Do what feels right for you and your partner on your big day. Below, we’ll break down the various elements that make each event distinct.
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Take A Quiet Moment To Finish Getting Ready With Someone Special
There isnt a lot of quiet or private time on your wedding day. From the moment most brides and grooms wake up, they are on a tight schedule to make sure that they can get ready in time for the ceremony.
Brides are typically surrounded by bridesmaids, makeup artists, hair stylists, photographers, and more. Grooms are often surrounded by groomsmen, friends, and other family members for most of the day.
Plan a few minutes on your wedding timeline for some private time with that special family member who can help you finish getting ready. Whether they are helping you put the finishing touches on your perfect wedding dress, or helping you get that bow tie straight, you might be surprised at how powerful a quiet moment can be, especially on your wedding day.
Natalies mom helped make sure her gown looked perfect before her first look with Matt. | Image by Stout Photography
Katies mom helped fasten her stunning diamond choker before she walked down the aisle to Zack. | Image by Alex & Cammy
If you want to make this moment even more meaningful, give them a handwritten letter letting them know how much their love and support has meant to you over the years. If words arent your forte, give them a small token of appreciation instead.
Sample Program Of Events For 2
The question many brides ask is how to structure their program of events for a combined traditional and white wedding reception on the same day. Some couples choose to have the white weddings first or in the morning, and later have the traditional wedding and combined reception party.
When the White Wedding Happens First:Heres an example of how Ive seen the wedding reception program ordered:
- The couple goes from church and dance into the reception venue
- A few minutes of MC introducing and opening the event
- The couple cuts the wedding cake
- The Toast guests toast to the couple
- The couple have a short dance, whereby they dance to the outside to leave and change quickly into their traditional wedding attire
- While guests are waiting for the couple, the MC is entertaining guests, DJ is blasting music and cake slices and small chops are served to keep guests busy and not complaining before couple returns
- The couple arrive back quickly
- The trad part of the wedding reception starts and leads to the programs end.
IMPORTANTNOTES:
Some Nigerian brides change into multiple outfits during their wedding. If you must do that during a combined traditional and white wedding reception, you have to make it fast. Here are things to do:
Also, check down below for the program of events ideas when having the trad first and a white wedding later the same day.
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How To Include Family In Your Wedding Ceremony & Reception
CHOOSE A SEAT, NOT A SIDE. WERE ALL FAMILY ONCE THE KNOT IS TIED!
While your wedding day is very much your daycelebrating the commitment that you and your partner are making to one anotherits also about two families becoming one. Many couples take this opportunity to recognize their families for everything they have done. After all, these are the people who have loved you, supported you, and made you the people that you are today.
Making the choice to honor your family in some way is an easy decision what may be harder is figuring out how and when during the wedding festivities to do so. Some family members might thrive with a special moment where the attention of everyone in attendance is briefly drawn to them, while others would just appreciate a small private moment between the two of you.
To help you find the best ways to show the family some love on the big day, we are sharing some of our favorite ways that our Treasury on the Plaza couples have involved their families throughout their wedding day!
How We Began Wedding Planning
We wanted the wedding to be a blend of both of our cultures without a distinct line where one started and the other ended. Weve always seen our relationship as equal and believe all religions are founded on the same thing: being a good person. We therefore wanted to merge the two as much as possible.
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Our Advice For Couples Planning A Multicultural Marriage
Decide what both of you want most on the day and go with both your heart and gut a blended wedding doesnt need to be perfect or adhere to a rule book. The most vital thing is that it represents you as a couple. If you love some traditions but arent too sure about others, pick what lights your fire and leave the rest . You might even inadvertently start some new family rituals of your own.
One Location Or Two Separate Venues That Is The Question
The Griffin House on the Columbia River Gorge
There’s no question that all-in-one venues are preferred by the vast majority of today’s wedding couples for the obvious reason: It’s so much easier! Exchange vows in the garden or out in the vineyards or up on the rooftop, then move on to the ballroom or barn or terrace for cocktails and reception.
While this sequence of events has become the wedding norm, many couples are still opting for two separate event venuesespecially those that want a more specialized ceremony space!
If your wedding fantasy has always included saying “I do” in front of the crashing surf, or on a mountaintop, or in a soaring redwood forest, then your perfect all-in-one venue options will be more limitedand maybe even more costly. In this case, booking two different event venues may involve a bit more effort, but sometimes it’s the only way to get exactly what you want.
Terranea Resort | Von Jackson Photo
So…should you commit to one wedding venue for both your ceremony and reception, or do you book two? There are pros and cons to each, my friend, so consider the information below and then choose which option is best for you.
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Benefits Of Having Your Wedding Ceremony And Reception At The Same Venue
by Jeff Huebner | Feb 25, 2022 | Wedding Planning |
Wedding planning can be an exciting period in someones life. The excitement of planning every detail, such as selecting a wedding ceremony and reception venue, hiring your band, and looking for the right decor, are just a few of the things that couples have to consider after getting engaged.
There are so many questions to be answered for your big day. This preparation might be a bit intimidating for couples. For some couples, juggling an extensive to-do list may be a lot of fun.
The wedding ceremony and reception location are generally one of the couples first considerations. These choices set the tone for the rest of the day. This initial choice may allow the rest of the day to come into place, making decisions on décor, menus, and hiring photographers more straightforward.
