3 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR WEDDING DAY MEMORABLE
There are lots of articles on ways to make your wedding day memorable, but I write this article having been to my daughter and son in law’s wedding reception last November. They were married in St. Lucia and decided to have an evening reception for the families when they got back and wanted to theme the reception after their wedding and honeymoon in St. Lucia. Here are 3 of the ways they made the day memorable for everyone.
#Theme – the wedding was themed on the Caribbean at the beach. Place names were set in boxes of sand adorned with fishing net, shells and other seaside articles placed around the boxes. A fog machine was hidden under some authentic crates, which puffed out smoke around the table plans, lit up with green and blue lighting and candles. It really made it authentic and Caribbean looking’s. The table numbers where attached to some craft fishing net at the front of each row of names for that table.
A cocktail made from blue liquor and mixers were given to guests on arrival to remind them of the sea. It was a budget option, but the guests never knew. They were the perfect refreshing arrival drink.
Once at the table, a clam shell with the guest’s name inscribed awaited. I personally was sent to the beach to collect these shells, clean them and then inscribe with the guest’s name.
The cake was also themed on: you’ve guessed it “the seashore” designed and made by Niki Carey. Amazing! Well done Niki
#Unique – making the wedding unique makes it memorable as guests will remember the little things that stand out from other weddings they have attended.
Simon obtained a list of Paula’s favourite songs (by deception) and we had one of the agency’s musician’s (David Marshall) play guitar while Simon sang the song to Paula, he had changed some of the words in the song so that it was adapted for and to Paula. It was amazing and nearly a year on, guests still talk about it; that is because Simon isn’t a singer! But he performed it so well.
As the family reception was in Southport, the shells; mentioned above were collected from Southport beach making it unique and bringing together St. Lucia and Southport. Another unique idea was having a Gobo at the wedding. The gobo disc was etched with Mr & Mrs Bolton in their favourite colour and the date of the wedding. This was then projected onto the venue wall, which revolved around the room for an elegant, dramatic impact.
On the tables, my daughter had placed some disposable cameras for guests to take pictures, not just of anything! The guests had to take pictures of specific things, which were written in an ‘Eye-spy’ leaflet which was placed on the tables. So, they had to take a picture of the mother in law crying, of the bride and groom kissing etc. These were fantastic when we had them developed.
Instead of a guest book, my daughter purchased a huge canvass board and had it placed on an Easel for guests to write messages on, which she then put up in her house to remind her of this amazing day.
#Entertainment – you need the entertainment to create different atmospheres during the parts of the day but to also be continuous. Meet & Greet acts and entertainers are a great way to start the ball rolling. Stilt walkers are amazing and will get the party started straight away. Exquisite performances from Fire Breathers add that extra flare and excitement. Their unique talent will WOW your guests and really give them something to remember. Once our guests were inside the venue there was a sleek and unique string quartet playing seaside music, Caribbean themed music and some other modern day hits that were favourites of my daughter and her husband. They created an amazing atmosphere whilst having first drinks and saying hellos. Our DJ “TK” kept the atmosphere rolling once the wedding dinner had been eaten. The guests were kept engaged and children duly participated in the banter. Having a great DJ is really important!
Providing young children with entertainment throughout the day is important so they don’t become bored and disrupt the day too much. Having a table set aside with a variety of things to do is a must!
We had a fabulous band to keep the party rocking, and keep the party rocking they did. The fabulous “Ukebox” a 5 piece Ukulele Band performing songs that made every guest get up out of their seats and party all night long.
Ultimately what made the day memorable, was picking their favourite theme, choosing and selecting all the bits and pieces around the theme and then seeing it all come together on the day was just spectacular. Make your wedding personal with your own touches, they don’t have to be expensive. For help and ideas of how to theme your wedding and your wedding entertainment, contact Actastic Entertainments or visit www.actastic.co.uk
