In the "Zone"...the 2008 Miss Torrid Pageant

"And suddenly I see..."

Months of hard work and planning came together this evening at the Chamber of Commerce. Downtown Fort Wayne was filled with contestants, supporters, and their well-wishers. History was made by the crowning of the first Indiana Miss Torrid.

All of the 17 contestants were all winners just by taking steps on that stage. It was a great privilege to work with Jama Young and her staff from Torrid as well as all of the girls. It was also great to know that so many people came out to help raise funds for Reilly Children’s Hospital.

From “Suddenly I See” to “Ever, Ever After” the night was a whirlwind of Torrid fashion, contestants, and all of the components that make a pageant a unique experience.

After all of the acts were completed and the votes tallied, everyone held their breath for the final announcements.

Miss Photogenic was contestant #5 ~ Brittany
Award for the Most Sponsors was contestant #9 ~ Amanda
Miss Congeniality was contestant #11 ~ Lovey
Audience Choice Award went to contestant #15 ~ Karen
2nd Runner up was contestant #17 ~ Katrina
1st Runner up was contestant#15 ~ Karen
The 2008 Miss Torrid Indiana was contestant #8 ~ Meagan

It was a pleasure working on this pageant. Congratulations to Meagan and all of the Miss Torrid contestants. You are all winners!!!

Table Numbers...More than 1,2,3

It does not matter whether you use round, banquet style, or square tables for your reception. You have a unique opportunity to be creative with your table “numbers.” This is not about seating your hippy Uncle Ralph next to the girls from the office. You will have to decide on reserved seating or open seating yourself. And if you use place cards or not, it is nice for each table to be a continuation of your wedding theme.

Here are a few suggestions and you might come up with some very creative one that really fits you and your new husband.

Traditional numbers (1,2,3,4, etc) – whether the numbers are on table tents or place card extensions, make sure that the numbers are large enough to read when you look at the room from a short distance. Some DIY brides like to use spray glue and glitter to create numbers that match their wedding colors.
A Year in the Life – take 8x10 or rectangular photo frames print special years and add photos of you and your new hubby. Think of the important years such as the year you were born, the year your parents were married, the year you met, and the year you were engaged to name a few. This gives your guests something to talk about when they arrive at their table.
Places – print off and frame your honeymoon destination, places you have lived or traveled. You can even add postcards or photos from family trips.
How do I Love thee – If you have a lot of family and friends from out of state or the country, print the different languages and how to say LOVE. Be sure to print LOVE large enough so everyone can read it. You might include sweet sayings or affectionate pet names such as “sweetie pie,” “snoog-ums,” and “doll-face” if you and your husband share cute lovey-dovey moments.
Flowers – designate each table with a specific type of flower bouquet as the center piece. This will create a very spring-type motif for those flower lovers.

Talk with your venue, MC, or bandleader about who will release your guest tables when it is time for the buffet. Whoever is releasing tables can go table by table or you can place all of the table “numbers” in a hat and have you MC or bandleader announce who gets to be the next table in line to eat. Make sure your MC clearly announces “how” tables will be released so you do not have a cattle calling at the buffet table.

If you are having a plated or served meal, you can still have a table numbering system. This will work very well when you a specifically assigning seats to your guests.

Have a good time showing off your creativity to your guests. And remember, you are the Bride and you get to be the first in line!!

When “Adults-only” reception is not an option…

…what to do with the kids?

So your guest list contains a good number of younger attendees. Family is a very important part of any wedding. Many couples already have children and what would a wedding party be without an adorable flower girl and a handsome ring bearer? They have “behaved” through the ceremony and now it is time for the party to begin.

Take time to plan ahead especially when you know that you will have a lot of pre-teen and younger guests attending your wedding. A reception should not turn into a parentless, heathen attack with children running in between caterer’s legs, behind the bar, and around the entertainment setups. If you expect a lot of children, see if your reception venue has an area for “day-care” or a children’s area. Some facilities have DVD players to add to the fun.

Even a table or two in a corner can become a children’s entertainment area. Talk to your more responsible teenage guests ahead of time to see if they would be able to help out watching over the youngsters for a portion of the evening. Have things like coloring books, crayons, books, little toys, and other amusing items for kids to play with through out the evening.

Talk to you catering staff to plan a special “kids” menu (which is normally a lower per person charge). Chicken fingers, tater tots, mini pizza, and baby carrots go a lot farther to fill little tummies than salmon and filet.

If you have a theme wedding, you might add some cool stuff to the “kids” table such as feather boas, bling rings, pirate’s loot, and other goodies. Or you might pre-order children’s wedding entertainment kits from Oriental Trading (or other on-line companies) that are filled with books, balls, crayons, and more. Be careful about adding racing cars, airplanes, and sling shots to the mix as it is a recipe for disaster.

So whatever you decide as your best course of action for the kids at your wedding, try to include some fun elements so your reception does not turn into a three ring circus.

Enjoy your planning!!

Why Have a “Cake Cutting” Theme at Your Wedding Reception?

The cutting of the wedding cake is one of the “big” traditional events at a wedding reception (right up there with toasts and the first dance). Whether you have a traditional wedding cake, cupcakes, or some other sweet treat, you can set the tone for the rest of the evening.

The bride and groom feeding each other some sweet delicacy is generally one event very close to kicking off the celebration and the first dance. You can create excitement for the festivity or continue your wedding theme. It is also fun to get a paparazzi excitement going by asking your MC to announce for the cake cutting so that family and friends can bring cameras up to capture the moment.

Be careful with how you treat the cake cutting experience. You might think “ahead of time” that it is funny to “smash” cake in your new spouses face. Be aware that unpleasant results and messy pictures may result in this type of mayhem.

You might consider having your DJ or band play one of these cake cutting themes or pick one of your favorite songs to kick of the party.

“Chapel of Love” by the Dixiecups
“Cut the Cake” by the Average White Band
“Grow old with Me” by Adam Sandler
“How Sweet it is (to be Loved by You)” by James Taylor
“I got You Babe” by Sonny and Cher
“Ice Cream” by Sarah McLachlan
“I’m so Excited” by the Pointer Sisters
“Love & Marriage” by Frank Sinatra
“Pour some Sugar on Me” by Def Leppard
“That’s Amore’” by Dean Martin
“Sea of Love” by the Honeydrippers
‘Sugar, Sugar” by the Archies
“Unforgettable” by Nat King and Natalie Cole
“What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong
“A Wink and a Smile” by Harry Connick Jr.

Wedding Arch/Canopy/Chuppah...whichever you want

The Chuppah (Huppah or wedding canopy) is the symbol of the new couple’s home. Whether you want to be married under a Chuppah, bridal canopy, or wedding arch/arbor, you will want to keep a few things in mind for your wedding.

Outdoor weddings are beautiful. Remember that Mother Nature is unpredictable and have a back up plan. Where will you get married if it rains, sleets, or hails? Even a lovely sunny day can give way to strong winds so make sure that your wedding arch is securely anchored to the ground. Having some sort of reinforcement for the sides is helpful also. You can use plants, flowers, or other decorations to “hide” cinder blocks or other support systems. Bees, wasps, and other flying pests are less likely to bother artificial flowers and foliage on your arch. If using real flowers, try to decorate the canopy the day of (or very close to the ceremony time) so the flowers look fresh instead of wilting and droopy.

For your indoor ceremony (not in a church), find out the restrictions ahead of time for placing a Chuppah in the ceremony area. Most facilities have limits on how you can secure the canopy/arch. Your indoor ceremony will have fewer “weather-related” problems than an outside ceremony. You will want to confirm that candles can be used near the canopy. You should consider using drip-less candles to avoid any potential fire hazards.

Regardless of an indoor or outdoor ceremony, the Chuppah adds beauty to a wedding and will offer a wonderful back drop for photos after your vows.

Enjoy your planning!