HOW TO | WRITE YOUR WEDDING CEREMONY

We all know that planning a wedding includes a ton of decisions to make and a lot of those take place during the writing of your ceremony! Stress not, we have 3 steps to writing your own ceremony!

Step One:

Narrow your interests. Grab a pen and a note-pad and create a "Needs" versus "Wants" list and keep some of the following questions in mind.

What would you like your ceremony to reflect? Would you like a long or short ceremony? Traditional? Non-traditional? A little of both? Will you have any religious components? Are they by choice or are your parents desiring that they be included? Do you want your ceremony to reflect the love built between you two or the love and support of the people that surrounds you? 

Step Two:

After deciding the components you will add to your ceremony, create the order in which they will proceed. A traditional order can be seen below: 

• Welcome: This includes a quick welcome, any reminders and a thank you to the guests!

• Address: Your officient will typically share a story, message or a sermon. Once that reading is finished, the officiant can welcome anyone else that might share some words, sing, read a poem, etc.

• The Expression of Intent: A.K.A. the only legally mandated part of your ceremony! This is that infamous question asked to you and your partner that is followed by an "I do!".

• Vows: This is one of the most versatile parts of the ceremony. Worried about not remembering what your carefully-crafter words are? Read them off of a page or have the officiant read them for you to repeat. More interested in memorizing your vows? Do it! Don't want to create your own vows? Keep it traditional! There is no right or wrong way!

• The Ceremony of the Rings + Ring Vows: The officiant will typically say a few words on the significance of the rings and then the exchange of rings and ring vows will follow. The ring vows are typically repeated after the officiant so no memorization needed here!

• The Final Step: I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU HUSBAND + WIFE. YOU MAY KISS THE BRIDE!

Step Three: 

Enjoy the wedding planning stage! Don't let the stress overwhelm you! Remember this is your wedding and it should radiate nothing else than the two of YOU!

MOST LOVED | MASTERS OF CEREMONY ENTERTAINMENT

Happy Wednesday! 

Entertainment for your wedding is a must and a crucial part to making your magic night even more memorable which is why we are introducing you to Sean Lee of Masters of Ceremony Entertainment & Lighting today! Not only does he provide some awesome tunes to get your guests out of their seats and onto their feet but he has more than 25 years of experience in the industry and is based in the DFW area! We recently teamed up with him for our couple, Celina + James, wedding! Check out what he has to say! 

What are 5 words (or a 5 word sentence) that would describe your services the best?

        Interactive, organized, personalized, unique & memorable 

How long have you been DJ/Emcee-ing? What got you into the game?

        27 years I started as a DJ when I was 15 in 1988. I was in the drumline in school which makes me a music lover. Becoming a DJ was a no brainer! 

What’s your advice for the couple who’s number one priority is having a fun wedding?

        Choose wisely! There are tons of DJs out there in the market and it is their job to find the right match for what they want and for their personalities. For a wedding, finding a professional MC that is a good DJ is more important than finding an amazing DJ that knows how to make announcements. A true MC that involves all of the guests in the fun is what will make a wedding fun and not just music. 

Spill your favorite wedding jam!

        My personal favorite (since I'm originally from Southern California) is This I How We Do It by Montel Jordan. The band nerd in me still loves slipping in something from Grease though! 

You haven’t been in Texas long! What’s your favorite Dallas hangout so far?

         Well...this question made me feel old! I don't really "hang out" anywhere. I'm a husband and a father and I serve at church. There really isn't a whole lot of time after all of that and doing weddings and events on the weekends to hang out. I love to eat, so I'll just give you my favorite place to eat since moving to Texas. I love Hutchin's BBQ in McKinney! 

For more inquiries:

Sean Lee

Masters of Ceremony Entertainment & Lighting Website

Email: MastersofCeremony@ymail.com

Los Angeles: 661-476-5658

Dallas/Fort Worth:214-412-2720

CELINA + JAMES | EL FENIX DOWNTOWN DALLAS

Yay! It's #marriedfacemonday!

To me, nothing makes a wedding more memorable than just relaxed authenticity and Celina + James' rooftop bash was the epitome of a memorable wedding! These two tied the knot on October 10th on the rooftop of the El Fenix Downtown Dallas. Their fiesta themed celebration was full of colorful details and so much love.

My absolutely favorite moment of this wedding was James reading his vows to Celina. The ceremony was happing on the patio and our team and the restaurant staff was inside the banquet room preparing for the cocktail hour and dinner. He spoke into a microphone which was coming through the speaker indoors and during the last few lines of his vows, he switched to Spanish to speak to Celina and the restaurant staff inside when nuts! They were yelling and screaming about how smooth that was and it made us Celebrate girls tear up instantly. It was such a perfect moment and I swear, I'll never forget it!

Enjoy the gallery of bright and colorful images from this wedding as you start your week and know that there are moments that no amount of wedding planning can create and those will be the ones that make your wedding day perfect! 

VENDOR TEAM

COORDINATION | CELEBRATE COLORFULLY
VENUE + FOOD | EL FENIX DOWNTOWN DALLAS
PHOTOGRAPHER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY HANDS
ENTERTAINMENT | MASTERS OF CEREMONY
CAKE | FROSTED ART BAKERY
TRANSPORTATION | PREMEIR TRANSPORTATION

Plan B - Common Wedding Day Mishaps & Solutions

Image // Gábor Lajos

Plan B - Common Wedding Day Mishaps & Solutions

The party planning is wildly fun but the execution and delivery of a wedding can be taxing. Weddings always come with a few hiccups, but with a Plan B in place you won’t have to worry. I don't know how many times I can say having a wedding coordinator is essential, but when executing a plan B they really shine. We make sure Plan B is crafted and executed without causing you any extra anxiety on this special day.

Plan B – Vendors

On rare occasions, vendors don’t fulfill their promises. Some go out of business. Others cancel last minute. In these situations, planners like to utilize their social network for help.  So can you! We recommend reaching out to friends and family or even the Facebook community to see if anyone can help. Maybe they have a friend of a friend in the business! One of our brides found her bartender through her maid of honor’s husband’s college roommate’s new roommate. Can you say Six Degrees of Celebration?

Plan B – “Oh No I Forgot...”

If you forget it, we’re here to get it. From the little things like extra ice to a change of clothes, planners have a team in place to ensure your day continues flawlessly. Designating someone to fetch odds and ends is critical in lowering your stress level day-of. It’s also beneficial to map nearby locations that could be helpful with last minute party necessities. No one wants to burden family members during such a special celebration so taking advantage of the coordinator’s team is ideal.

Plan B - Weather  

The most common uncontrollable event for a wedding is the weather, but rainy day weddings are not the end of the world. Weather can be unpredictable but with a day-of coordinator on your team everything is managed. They usually monitor the weather for days leading up to the big day and develop a secondary game plan if necessary. We recommend having a site visit with your coordinator 3-4 weeks in advance to talk about logistics. This prevents a ton of stress on the bride the week leading up to the wedding, and it ensures that everyone is on the same page for what to do in cases of inclement weather. Besides being good luck, rain can lead you to find romance and joy in unexpected ways.  

You may be starting to see why day-of coordinators are so crucial. We’re instrumental in making your wedding day Plan B stress-free 

NINA + RORY | BROOKHAVEN COUNTRY CLUB

Hooray! It's #marriedfacemonday

Nina and Rory are a couple so near and dear to my heart. Don't get me wrong, we love every single on of our incredible couples, but sometimes people just get you. Nina and Rory are those people!

These two tied the knot on November 7th at St. Monica's Catholic Church and celebrated with reception drenched in jewel tones and gold accents at Brookhaven Country Club.

I think the wedding industry spends so much time these days telling you to buck tradition and make everything your own. And believe me there is nothing wrong with that, but, in a crazy twist, that shift can make super traditional weddings incredibly special!

Our lovely bride Nina is from a huge, Italian family which meant this day was chockfull of the most incredible (tear-inducing) traditions like wedding cookies, group dances, and the best grand march entrance you've ever seen. That's right! The couple was led into their reception in a line of about 20 family members including, her adorable grandmother. They marched around the room to the dance floor and surrounded the couple for their first dance together. **sobs uncontrollably**

Enjoy their gallery while I compose myself! :)

COORDINATION + DESIGN | CELEBRATE COLORFULLY
CEREMONY | ST. MONICA'S CATHOLIC CHURCH
RECEPTION VENUE | BROOKHAVEN COUNTRY CLUB
PHOTOGRAPHER | FAIRY TALE PHOTOGRAPHY
VIDEOGRAPHER | STORIES BY FISTCLOUD
ENTERTAINMENT | DJ CONE
HAIR AND MAKEUP | ERIN BLAIR
FLORALS | ANTEBELLUM DESIGN
CAKE + DESSERT TABLE | LAYERED BAKESHOP
LINEN RENTALS | AM LINEN