Fall Bridal 2018 - DHG

Bridal 2018 FA L L

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FALL BRIDAL, Friday, September 21, 2018

Supplement to the Daily Hampshire Gazette, September 21, 2018

Dreams come true

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FALL BRIDAL, Friday, September 21, 2018

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FALL BRIDAL, Friday, September 21, 2018

LIVE

wedding MUSIC

Making guests happy, and making them dance!

By CHRIS GOUDRE AU Gazette staff

T

he Pioneer Valley is home to a plethora of musicians and there’s no shortage of bands that’ll get you moving on the dance floor. In western Massachusetts, there are many bands that specialize in weddings, bringing with them an eclectic mix of genres and years of experience as professional musicians.

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FALL BRIDAL, Friday, September 21, 2018

Mixing modern with classics Fever is an eight-piece band from the Pioneer Valley that specializes in everything from dance music to modern pop hits, R&B, disco, hip-hop, swing, and funk. The group includes two lead female vocalists, backing vocals, trombone, keyboard, guitar, bass, saxophone, and drums.

Rickie Louise Miller, vocalist with Fever, said she founded the band based on the idea of having a young lineup with a focus on mixing modern pop/ rock songs with classics, and having intricate vocal harmonies.

“If we have a dinner set, we’ll do some Norah Jones, Frank Sinatra, or Van Morrison, and we do a lot of oldies in our dinner set,” she said. “But there’s a lot of classics that everyone knows and a lot of Top 40s throughout the decades.”

She said when she was starting out in music, it wasn’t considered cool to be part of a cover band, but she found a passion for putting her own style on SEE WEDDING MUSIC 7

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Fever is an eight-piece band from the Pioneer Valley that specializes in everything from dance music to modern pop hits, R&B, disco, hip-hop, swing, and funk

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FALL BRIDAL, Friday, September 21, 2018

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famous hits.

“There’s this stigma with wedding bands, I think from the days of super cheesy people wearing matching weird colored suits,” Miller said. “For me, I love it because you know it’s going to be a party. You have a built-in attentive crowd that’s here to have a good time.

It’s the most important night of their lives for the couple. There’s an art to working a dance floor and I enjoy that.”

During the 1990s and early 2000s, live music wasn’t as popular at weddings, but in the recent decade it’s seen a comeback, Miller said.

“I think because the wedding band industry needed a little breath from what used to be kind of hokey to make it work for the modern bride,” she said.

“The modern bride has changed. The

Spreading happiness The O-Tones, a New England swing and motown group based out of Northampton, have been performing as a group for more than 25 years. During that time, they’ve focused on classics by artists such as Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Etta James, and Marvin Gaye to cater to a nostalgic ear whether that’s classic R&B, motown, jazz, oldies, blues, classic rock, and lounge music.

“People always come up afterwards and say how happy they were that they

ETHEREAL DIAMONDS alternative bridal

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Making people dance The Soul Sensations have been performing at weddings across New England for the past 13 years with a mix of R&B, soul, and Motown influences.

The seven-piece group consists of members who all have backgrounds in jazz and are formally trained as well as college educated performers.

“My basic essence and instinct is to make people dance,” said Doug Londraville, drummer and manager of the Soul Sensations. “As a matter of fact, that’s probably my only superpower.”

He said the band enjoys playing

The O-Tones weddings because the guests are gathered there to have fun.

During cocktail hours, the band performs jazz standards, but when it comes the dance floor, The Soul Sensations bring their eclectic mix of R&B music to the stage, he said. All of the musicians in the band have accomplished sight reading skills, which allows the Soul Sensations to be versatile enough to perform Classical compositions during wedding ceremonies such as Pacabelsel’s Canon in D. “All the guys read music like a newspaper, so pretty much any request is easy for them to do with those kind of skills,” Londraville said.

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FALL BRIDAL, Friday, September 21, 2018

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Live Music

modern groom has changed. Everything changes and you have to be flexible.”

For a full-priced wedding performance, Fever will learn three songs for the bride and groom to customize the music at their wedding, Miller said.

Couples can also choose 10 songs off the band’s master list, which includes hundreds of cover songs.

found us and that the music was perfect for their celebration, said Mary Witt, band leader, vocalist, and bassist with The O-Tones.

The six-piece band includes keyboards, tenor saxophone, lead guitar, vocals, rhythm guitar, drums, and bass, but sometimes the group is paired down to a four- or five-piece group, Witt said.

“It just has so much to do with what the bride and/or groom want and what kind of feel they want for the day because people have very specific ideas about whether they want to be really laid back or relaxed or rev up the crowd,” she said.

She said performing at weddings is always a joyous experience.

“We pick songs we love from the styles that people like and it ends up being things that make people happy,” Witt said.

A A R T R X EXT E READ ALL ABOUT IT

By Andy Castillo

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FALL BRIDAL, Friday, September 21, 2018

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s a journalist and artist, I’ve been aware of the Newspaper Club for some time now.

It’s an online printing business based in Scotland that can produce small batches of newspapers for relatively low cost.

Initially, I thought it might be a creative way to make an art portfolio for future gallery shows. But when I became engaged last year, to my (beautiful) fiance Brianna Lertora, I came up with a different idea – we’re creating a personalized newspaper highlighting details of our upcoming November wedding. In large part, this idea was fueled by a desire by Bri and I to acknowledge the many people who, already, have donated generously to our wedding.

In total, there will be four pages, with the first designed around ‘breaking news’ articles, including one about the ceremony and another about our honeymoon plans.

The second page will dedicated almost entirely to an ‘editorial’ section where Brianna and I can publicly acknowledge our family members and loved ones who made the wedding ceremony possible. I also intend to draw a ‘happily ever after’ comic to include on that second page.

Dominating the third page will be a photo spread of our engagement photographs, taken a few months ago by Greenfield Recorder Photographer Paul Franz. The fourth, which will be the back page, will have space for a few more articles, including one that outlines our future plans.

On the big day, which falls two days after Thanksgiving, we’ll leave the newspapers at the sign-in table as a ceremony program. And after, we’ll probably frame a copy, and keep a few others to pass down to our children.

For more on the Newspaper Club, visit www.newspaperclub.com. Tabloid newspapers start at around $40 for a single copy, and become exponentially less expensive with each additional copy that’s printed.

Royal Hacks FIT FOR A DUCHESS

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By Gina Beavers

few months have passed, but photos of the romantic union between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (the Duke and Duchess of Sussex) is still a hot tabloid item and bevies of photos of their ceremony at St. George Chapel continue to be published in print and online.

And with good reason; in the U.S. alone there were 29.2 million viewers who swooned as the swanky lovebirds exchanged vows on that May morning.

As expected, everything from Markle’s simple bateau-necked Givenchy gown and 16-foot, hand-embroidered cathedral veil to the choral song selection of “Stand By Me,” the May 19 nuptial continues to be inspected and dissected so as to wring every ingredient from its superb formula.

And even though we weren’t privy to the two receptions following the wedding, some of the juicy details have been leaked — including photos of the beautiful lemon elderflower cake and the couple’s song choice (Whitney Houston’s classic “I Want to Dance with Somebody”) for their first dance as husband and wife.

Of course Harry and Meghan’s wedding budget was enormous, and with an estimated cost of $4 million (which doesn’t include the $42 million cost of security), the rest of us can only dream of the frills and luxuries of a reception at the Crown Estate’s Frogmore House.

But with a little imagination and creativity, couples-to-be can hack their way to a wedding fit for a duchess. From Markle’s creamy white dress to the rum-and-ginger cocktails called “When Harry Met Meghan,” you, too, can sprinkle a dash of artfully modern royal fairy dust onto your big day.

“Find a florist you’re comfortable with, who knows and understands you, and who knows what you like,” he advises. “And don’t micromanage the stems! Rely on your floral artist’s expertise to achieve the look you want.”

As for the bridal bouquet; Prince Harry hand picked the flowers Markle carried down the aisle. The bouquet was made of Forget-MeNots, sweet peas, lily of the valley, astilbe, jasmine, and astrantia. It also included a sprig of myrtle which symbolizes hope and love.

The Hair and Makeup

Although there were mixed reviews on the Duchess’s hair during the ceremony (some thought it was too messy), she seemed confident as she rocked a pretty nape of the neck chignon.

Harper ’s Bizarre notes: Her hair was center-parted and tucked behind hair ears, and the Queen Mary tiara was placed on top of her head with a veil.”

Chances are you won’t have the 125 year old

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DKSESH PHOTO

FALL BRIDAL, Friday, September 21, 2018

The Flowers According to a survey by wedding resource guide The Knot, in 2017 the average couple in America spent $33,000 on their big day. And Matt Flatow, manager of Springfield flower shop Flowers, Flowers! says that number also reflects the budget of many of his Pioneer Valley clients.

And of that, “most couples spend 10-15 percent … on floral arrangements. I’ve worked with brides who’ve spent between $2,000 and $12,000 on flowers,” Flatow says.

Although it’s estimated the royals spent over $200,000 on flowers, there were few mysteries in their selection. There was liberal use of flowers and plants that were naturally blooming, in keeping with modern simplicity.

Flatow says finding the right florist is key to making your floral arrangements personal.

Queen Mary diamond bandeau on your head, but finding a replica on Etsy is pretty easy.

Regardless, a beautiful headpiece for your veil is a royal way to spice up your wedding day look.

Part of Meghan Markle’s charm are her adorable smattering of freckles and her bright eyes. Her wedding day makeup strove to keep her natural beauty at the fore, and website Pop Sugar says Prince Harry was overwhelmed and grateful for his bride’s minimalist glow.

The Dress

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FALL BRIDAL, Friday, September 21, 2018

Markle’s dress, too, was a study in classy modern minimalism. Valued at $250,000-$400,000, the Duchess’ Givenchy haute couture affair had a bateau neckline, three-quarter sleeves, and a nipped waist.Although some royal spectators were disappointed by the absence of lace, hand sewn pearls, and other frilly bridal finery, brides-to-be have reportedly rushed to copy Markle’s simple neckline and sleeve length.

David’s Bridal senior vice president of merchandising, design, and product development Lori Conley told Elle.com. that after the royal wedding “.... [Brides] are definitely inspired by Meghan and responding by wanting to look like a duchess of their own.”

If you’re dying for the Markle Sparkle, Brides.com is the place to peruse Meghan inspired wedding gowns for under $2,000.

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The Cake

The Duke and Duchess’ wedding cake also veered from tradition; they made it their own by forgoing the usual multitiered fruitcake. It was a nice reminder that no matter how big your wedding, making your wedding your own makes for beautiful memories.

“The cake ... [had] an elderflower syrup drizzle on the sponge,” royal baker Claire Ptak explained. “... It [had] an Amalfi lemon curd, and … a Swiss meringue buttercream with elderflower.”

Ptak finished the lemon sponge cake with a rough-textured frosting which was another modern twist. Greggory Thornton of Greggory’s Pastry Shop in Hadley says that rustic cakes, or cakes with textured and raised frosting finishes are more popular in the fall rather than in the spring.

But the royal cake, adorned with a beautiful bevy of fresh white flowers, affirmed Greggory’s experiences with the spring wedding cake business in the Pioneer Valley.

“Seasonal colors are very important,” he says. “In the spring pastels are popular.

White, yellow, lilac, and sage are popular colors.”

Beside replicating the delightful springinspired flavors and the daring frosting texture, you can also opt to abandon the traditional tiered assembly. Ptak made a lovely display by perching each cake tier on separate stately gold platters. Another modern note in an affair steeped in centuries of tradition.

My mother’s ring

Alex Johnson wears his mother’s ring, left, during his wedding ceremony with wife Jodi, above.

M

y mom, Judith Ann Johnson, loved her jewelry. Amber necklaces, Cloisonné earrings and the occasional gold rings often adorned her. Never ostentatious, the pieces she wore seemed to become her. I always marveled at the way she could make just about any combination work.

She had a ring that she wore more than most. It was a beautiful Jabel, 18K, white gold ring with six tiny diamonds in two rows of three. I can’t really think of my mom without thinking of that ring on her finger.

When it came time to decide on rings for my and Jodi’s wedding we were set with my grandmother’s slim gold band for her (it was a near perfect fit). And I checked out some basic white gold bands for myself but nothing really spoke to me. My mother had robust fingers, as it were, and her Jabel seemed to fit my left ring finger perfectly. It only made sense to take this heirloom out of my keepsake box and try to make it into something that I will wear forever. Kurt and Paul at Murduff ’s Jewelers in Florence were tasked with slimming the wider edge and attaching a very think portion of gold around the thinner edge.

They also managed to inscribe “Love forever and happiness always 2017” inside the band.

Sadly, my mom didn’t live long enough to see her boy get married to the woman of his dreams. But it’s a wonderful feeling to have something which represents her and the love I have for Jodi all in one place so close to me at all times.

F. Alex Johnson

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Relax...

A magical day Vida and Madison Cripps wanted a fairy-themed ceremony in the woods ... and a puppet for an officiant Vida and Madison Cripps and puppeteer Joshua Holden and Mr. Nicholas, also shown below.

FALL BRIDAL, Friday, September 21, 2018

W

hen we decided to get married, we knew right away it would take place at a beautiful, grassy knoll in the forest. This patch of magic sits on family property in Ashfield, Massachusetts. As makers and performers, we wanted to share the creative process with our loved ones.

This pretty much meant that friends and family were required to put together a costume to attend. It still didn’t feel complete.

There had to be puppets. That is where Mr. Nicholas came in.

As a matter of fact, our first encounter was all thanks to a puppet. Madison sat Pinky the marionette in the lap of his future bride at a West Asheville bar while opening for a scamp rock band. It began to unfold when our beloved friend and puppeteer Joshua Holden shared the stage with the groom exactly one year prior to the wedding date. After the show we had a special request for Mr. Nicholas—a skeptical sock puppet with a permanently furrowed brow. Despite having his doubts and reservations, he agreed to officiate the wedding ceremony. Joshua, on the other hand, was overjoyed.

The ceremony was performed impeccably with grace and fluidity. Mr. Nicholas even arrived clad in a Cupid costume. The puppet element honed in on what made it all the more uniquely personalized. He was the perfect choice.

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FALL BRIDAL, Friday, September 21, 2018

Photos by Shaun Hollingsworth of SIC Images

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proverbs for love

1. “Health and life to you; The woman of your choice for you; A child every year for you; And may you die in Ireland.”

—IRISH PROVERB

2. “If you want happiness for an hour—take a nap. If you want happiness for a day—go fishing. If you want happiness for a month—get married. If you want happiness for a year—inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime—help someone else.”

—CHINESE PROVERB

3. “Deep love is stronger than life.”

—JEWISH PROVERB

4. “Where there is love, there is no darkness.”

—BURUNDI PROVERB

5. “Love itself is calm; turbulence arrives from individuals.”

—CHINESE PROVERB

6. “Don’t just take love, experience it.”

—PERSIAN PROVERB

7. “The heart that loves is always young.”

—GREEK PROVERB

8. “Let your love be like the misty rain, coming softly but flooding the river.”

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FALL BRIDAL, Friday, September 21, 2018

—LIBERIAN PROVERB

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FALL BRIDAL, Friday, September 21, 2018

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F

rom royal family members to Elizabeth Taylor and Jackie O, the world has witnessed a great many extravagant engagement rings.

When Prince Charles proposed to Diana in 1981, it was unconventional— much like the rest of their sensationalized relationship — in that she chose her own ring. Her pick was a £30,000 sapphire, leaning away from the diamond that was expect when important engagements were announced. The media took to calling it a “commoner ’s sapphire,” because of Diana’s lack of a royal bloodline, but it nonetheless became an iconic symbol of Britain’s unorthodox princess.

Almost 30 years later, Diana’s eldest son Prince William chose his late mothers ring to propose to his longtime girlfriend, Kate Middleton. The sentiment did not go unnoticed by the media, and William noted it was his way of making sure his mother didn’t miss out on such an important day.

Elizabeth Taylor, a bride no less than eight times, was known for her extravagant taste — so much so that there is now a diamond named after her. In 1968 her fiancé Richard Burton bought her the 33-carat Krupp diamond, and became so synonymous with her image that it adopted her moniker soon after.

Many future spouses still shell out thousands for the perfect ring, but as society becomes more and more socially and environ-

mentally conscious, the way we purchase jewelry will change.

In the 21st century, attitudes towards expensive jewelry as a representative of the institution of marriage had a massive shift.

Young couples are looking for diamond alternatives, and shying away from the ostentatious pieces that still dominate the market.

Local jeweler and owner of Northampton Jewelers Cuauhtli Hernandez encourages his customers to choose sapphires, which come in a variety of brilliantly refractive colors, and are more in keeping with the original symbol of engagement, before diamonds were so heavily marketed.

“I’m sort of a believer in stones that hold value,” Hernandez says. “I also encourage my customers to reuse diamonds that are already in their family.”

With about 70 percent of his business consisting of engagement rings, he sees the trends that come and go, and notes that his clientele in the diverse Valley region contribute to the variety of work he gets to do.

“A lot of people are interested in sapphire and garnets, and they put some thought into a custom piece, as opposed to buying it from the mass market,” Hernandez notes. “But I still have plenty of people still really looking for that ‘wow ’ factor.”

When people bring in their own stones, the final piece often means more, and the sentimental value outweighs the price of the piece. “People are stuck on what they perceive to be valuable, not what something is actually worth.”

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By Maggie Brady

FALL BRIDAL, Friday, September 21, 2018

Attitudes about the traditional engagement ring changing with the times

After 60 years,

couple renew wedding vows in dry cleaner parking lot

By Richard Chin/ Star Tribune (Minneapolis)

W

hen Jim and Diane Cook renewed their wedding vows after 60 years of marriage, they had a minister, a flower girl and professional violinists playing Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March.”

And the romantic venue? The parking lot of a dry cleaner in Robbinsdale.

It wasn’t because they were worried that someone would spill something on their clothes at the reception.

It’s just that 60 years ago, before it became the Pilgrim Dry Cleaners, the corner of 42nd Avenue N. and Bottineau Boulevard was where First Congregational Church of Robbinsdale stood. That’s where Jim and Diane met and later got married on Aug. 30, 1958.

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Jim Cook became a schoolteacher and then a Presbyterian minister. He and Diane raised three children before they retired in New Hope.

The church later moved and the old building was demolished in 1965 and replaced first by a gas station and later by the dry cleaner.

Sometimes when the couple would drive by, they would tell their children, “That’s where we got married.”

So as their 60th anniversary approached, their children hatched the idea of surprising them with a vow re-

newal ceremony on the spot that now specializes in getting spots out.

The dry cleaning chain was happy to accommodate.

“We’re just really excited,” said Pilgrim Dry Cleaners marketing director Keona Tranby.

The Rev. Richard Buller, pastor at the Cooks’ current church, Valley Community Presbyterian Church in Golden Valley, agreed to perform the ceremony.

Fellow church members Taichi Chen, a violinist with the Minnesota Orchestra, and his wife, Robin Chen,

“Humor and friendship,” Jim Cook said afterward of the secret to 60 years of marriage. “Can’t think of a day without being with the person who makes your life whole.”

Diane and Jim Cook after renewing their wedding vows in the parking lot of a Pilgrim Dry Cleaners location in Robbinsdale, Minn., on their 60th anniversary on Aug. 30, 2018.

Photo: Richard Chin/ Minneapolis Star Tribune/TNS

FALL BRIDAL, Friday, September 21, 2018

near the drive-through lane and the sign announcing “Same Day Service.”

They were surrounded by about 18 friends and relatives and evening rush hour traffic, including someone driving by who shouted, “Congratulations!”

After Buller announced, “Diane, you may kiss the groom,” there was a touch of Christmas in August as the violinists played “O Holy Night.”

The family is uncertain why that carol was played at the original wedding. Maybe because it was a holy ceremony at night?

“Humor and friendship,” Jim Cook said afterward of the secret to 60 years of marriage. “Can’t think of a day without being with the person who makes your life whole.”

The couple then rode the golf cart to a reception dinner at a nearby restaurant while spectators honked their horns.

“It was just as emotional as I thought,” said Donna Philippot.

It was also convenient. While preparing for the parking lot ceremony, Lynne Osterman said she took the opportunity to get some clothes dry cleaned.

“I just dropped some off,” she said.

The dry cleaner employee gave her a reminder slip. But she said, “I’m pretty sure I’m going to remember this.”

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also a violinist, agreed to provide the music.

“This is very special,” said Taichi Chen, of his first performing gig after touring with the orchestra in South Africa.

“This is unique,” said Robin Chen.

The secret arrangements made by the family included a decorated golf cart, because once, after performing a marriage on a golf course, Jim announced in a church service that he wanted a golf cart involved if he ever renewed his wedding vows.

“My face is hurting from smiling,” said Lynne Osterman, one of the Cooks’ daughters, of the planning for the event. “It’s just a hoot.”

On Thursday evening, Jim and Diane thought they were being driven to an anniversary dinner. Instead their other daughter, Donna Philippot, pulled into the dry cleaner parking lot.

“My dad said, ‘Oh, is the dry cleaner going to have a reception for us?’” Philippot said. “I said, ‘Close.’”

Philippot had gotten a white dinner jacket and horned rimmed glasses for her father to wear to duplicate the way he looked on his wedding day when he was 23. She got her mom a veil and lace gloves that Diane Cook remembered wearing as a 19year-old bride.

They repeated their vows in the parking spaces next to the front door,

Millennials want to say ‘I do’ to high-tech wedding registries From STATEPOINT

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FALL BRIDAL, Friday, September 21, 2018

O

nce upon a time, wedding registries were created so newlyweds would have all the basic essentials to establish their first home. But as technology has evolved, so too has the registry. Gone are the days where registries only include dishware and candlesticks. Couples can now incorporate modern must-haves, like connected lightbulbs, voice assistants and smart showers.

Leading faucet manufacturer, Moen, commissioned a survey conducted online by Harris Poll in March 2018, which investigated what smart products would top the list when it comes to millennial (ages 18-34 at time of survey) wedding registries and how this tech-savvy generation may be reinventing the process of registering.

The gift of technology

• Would-be grooms in particular seem to love tech — nearly half (48 percent) of male millennials who would want smart home products on their wedding registry would add smart lightbulbs/light switches, smart thermostats (42 percent) and a digital shower (32 percent).

“Tech is trending when it comes to wedding wish lists,” says Andrea Maher, senior marketing communications specialist, Moen. “Our survey found that just as many millennial would-be brides would put smart home products on their registries (43 percent) as glassware (44 percent), with products like a robot vacuum cleaner (65 percent) and a hands-free faucet (39 percent) being some of the most wanted items among those who would want smart home products on their wedding registry.”

“After all, with the great gear available today, why would you limit yourself to towels and serving trays?” adds Maher.

It may have once been a no-no to ask for anything except traditional house- Registry reboot hold goods. But young nearly-weds are modernizing registries by embracing Across the country, young couples aren’t just bending nuptial gift list rules, the gift of technology: • More than two in five millennials (42 percent) would want to include smart they ’re rewriting them. With emerging technology, it’s not just the presents home products on their registry if they were registering today, with digital voice that are being modernized, the registries themselves are too.

Moen’s survey found that of millennials who have ever had a registry, over assistants (66 percent), such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home, topping their two in five (43 percent) registered at online-only retailers, such as Amazon or lists of desired smart products.

Jet.com, while 23 percent used a honeymoon registry, which allows couples to request donations to use toward honeymoon experiences, and 18 percent used a universal registry, where newlyweds-to-be can seamlessly link gifts from multiple retailers. Of millennials who have ever had a registry, only one in five (21 percent) registered at a brick and mortar store without an online option.

“Recent CDC research found that young people are getting married later and living with partners before tying the knot, meaning they may already have glassware, blenders and toasters,” says Maher. “As a result, gifts like a hands-free faucet for the kitchen or money toward honeymoon excursions are what couples really want and need.”

Online tools like Zola and Honeyfund have made creating a modernized registry easy and can help ease the minds of traditionally-minded guests, as they’re able to see exactly where their money is going.

“From high-tech wedding presents to donations for snorkeling excursions, millennials are bucking many age-old gifting customs,” says Maher. “Though traditionalists may find these new registry customs strange, couples shouldn’t be afraid to craft a list full of things they’ll be excited about receiving – even if they are a little unconventional by your grandmother’s standards.”

Smart showers and voice assistants are becoming popular wedding registry items.

13 Main Street, Leeds, MA | 413.586.1898 | hampgolf.com

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PHOTO PROVIDED BY PATRICK BROUGH

Our lovely fireside dining room overlooking the golf course makes Northampton Country Club a beautiful spot for your special day.

FALL BRIDAL, Friday, September 21, 2018

You’re invited.

WEDDING CHECKLIST

Checklists are great for helping couples plan weddings. Don’t feel overwhelmed by all the items listed here.

Just pick the ones that best suit your wedding.

9-12 MONTHS BEFORE THE WEDDING

❑ Officially announce your engagement ❑ Decide who pays for what and set an overall budget ❑ Set a wedding date (consult with registry office and officiant) ❑ Decide on the type of wedding (formal, semi-formal, informal…) ❑ Book reception site (liability insurance necessary?) and arrange parking ❑ Book ceremony location (liability insurance necessary?) ❑ Decide whether you need/want pre-marital counseling ❑Get some useful wedding checklists or prepare your own ones ❑ Hire wedding planner if you wish ❑ Start first draft of your guest list

6-9 MONTHS BEFORE

❑ Announce wedding date (especially for out-of-town guests) ❑ Start shopping for wedding dress, shoes, jewelry etc. ❑ Decide on bridesmaids dresses ❑ Organize (flower) decoration and bouquets ❑ Hire catering service ❑ Hire wedding photographer/videographer ❑ Hire DJ/band ❑ Choose officiant and discuss ceremony process ❑ Start thinking about gift registry options ❑ Reserve hotel rooms (in varying price ranges) for out-of-town guests ❑ Have an engagement party if you wish ❑ Book honeymoon

4-6 MONTHS BEFORE

❑ Select and order wedding invitations and stationery ❑ Choose wedding cake ❑ Discuss menu ideas with catering service ❑ Arrange for rental items (arches, candelabras, china, crystal, flatware…) ❑ Buy wedding rings ❑ Organize groom’s tux and decide what groomsmen will wear ❑ Make sure bridesmaids ordered their gowns and decide on accessories ❑ Look for wedding favors ❑ Confirm dates for bridal shower ❑ Start registry (before sending bridal shower invitations) ❑ Get ideas for wedding hair and makeup ❑ Organize helpers (readers, musicians, guest book attendant etc.) ❑ Organize additional management staff, babysitters etc. ❑ Give guest list to shower hostesses ❑ Decide whether you want wedding insurance

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FALL BRIDAL, Friday, September 21, 2018

2-4 MONTHS BEFORE

❑ Finalize guest list and send invitations ❑ Select place for rehearsal dinner ❑ Finalize rehearsal dinner plans ❑ Finalize menu ❑ Select music for ceremony, reception etc. ❑ Book makeup artist and hairstylist ❑ Check that tuxes for groom and groomsmen have been ordered ❑ Organize wedding transportation (for you and your guests) ❑ Order wedding favors ❑ Find gifts for each other, your attendants, shower hostess, parents etc. ❑ Purchase bridal party gifts ❑ Purchase wedding accessories (candles, baskets, ring pillow etc.) ❑ Check registry regularly (there always have to be enough options left) ❑ Joint bank accounts, insurance, merging of money… ❑ Start preparations for honeymoon

1-2 MONTHS BEFORE ❑ Have first bridal gown fitting

❑ Schedule a final fitting for gown so it can be ready for formal bridal portrait ❑ Finalize ceremony readings, songs, etc. ❑ Design wedding programs ❑ Meet with officiant to finalize ceremony ❑ Arrange pre-wedding parties ❑ Write vows ❑ Arrange formal bridal portrait ❑ Prepare photo and video shot list ❑ Check requirements for blood test and marriage license in your state ❑ Discuss and finalize details with wedding service providers

3-4 WEEKS BEFORE

❑ Get marriage license (normally no earlier than 30 days before wedding) ❑ Arrange name change ❑ Mail rehearsal-dinner invitations ❑ Meet with stylist to discuss makeup and hair ❑ Confirm hotel arrangements for out-of-town guests

1-2 WEEKS BEFORE

❑ Call guests who have not responded to invitation ❑ Make final payments for all services that require payment ❑ Have final wedding gown fitting ❑ Finalize wedding-day schedule and share with attendants, parents and all vendors ❑ Pick up wedding dress and make sure all accessories are together ❑ Reconfirm all wedding plans: ceremony, reception site, florist, photo-/videographer, musicians, DJ, baker, honeymoon ❑ Give caterer/reception site final head count ❑ Provide wedding party and out-of-townguests with itinerary and maps ❑ Prepare emergency kit with needle, thread, safety pins, tape, mirror, etc. ❑ Give someone at home emergency numbers of honeymoon locations, credit card numbers etc. ❑ Finalize seating arrangements ❑ Prepare place cards ❑ Prepare wedding box for ceremony accessories ❑ Prepare reception box for reception accessories ❑ Prepare wedding favors for transportation ❑ Complete seating plan for reception ❑ Confirm all rental and floral delivery dates and times ❑ Confirm arrival times for attendants ❑ Pack for wedding night and honeymoon

THE DAY BEFORE

❑ Prepare payment envelopes ❑ Hand out assignment lists and checklists to ensure everyone knows their tasks ❑ Hand out ceremony box to appropriate person ❑ Hand out reception box to appropriate person ❑ Hand out favor box to appropriate person ❑ Give rings to best man or other attendant ❑ Gather wedding dress and all accessories ❑ Get a manicure, pedicure, massage ❑ Rehearse ceremony with officiant and wedding party ❑ Confirm flight arrangements for honeymoon ❑ Compile an emergency list of all wedding vendors with phone numbers

WEDDING DAY

❑ Try to eat breakfast ❑ Take a relaxing bath ❑ Go to hairdresser ❑ Apply makeup ❑ Don’t forget rings and wedding license ❑ Deep breaths and have fun, this is your day

Visit www.umassweddings.com or call (413) 577-8200 to inquire.

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Whether you seek a tranquil countryside escape, or prefer a more extravagant approach, the UMass campus has a number of unique locations that can be tailored for your special day.

FALL BRIDAL, Friday, September 21, 2018

Make the University of Massachusetts Amherst the ideal venue for your wedding.

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FALL BRIDAL, Friday, September 21, 2018