Sunday Weddings

Labor Day and Memorial Day are two very popular dates for weddings because of the 3 day weekend. The most popular day of the 3 day weekend is Sunday and everyone knows that booking a Sunday wedding saves plenty of  money.

Need a few more reasons?

The three day weekend also gives your guests an additional day to recover from the festivites (Monday) or travel before returning to work on Tuesday. Most people don’t have to taky any time off!

Sometimes airfare and hotels can be a bit more expensive when traveling on a holiday weekend but, if you book the travel together (encourage everyone to use the same travel agent) there may be some discount.

Out of town guests may want to use the 3 day weekend to have a mini vacation to rest, relax and sight-see. A happy guest is…. a happy guest!

The weather is usually warm and pleasant in both May and September, many times avoiding heatwaves and torrential downpours (depending upon your geographical location).

One last bonus: you can use an Americana theme without being corny. Labor day is the day that is designated to celebrate the workers, the people who built this country with their blood, sweat and tears. The  men and women who toiled in unsafe conditions decades before Norma Rae put down her work and held up that now famous sign. Celebrating America’s workers, and America herself is a great way to begin your life together.

Weigh the options, take all things into consideration and see if  a Labor Day Wedding is right for you!

 

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago

 

 

 

 

Surprise!! It’s a Wedding!

Most brides are so excited to share wedding planning with their friends and family that it is hard to imagine keeping the whole thing a secret until the last minute. But, this is exactly what some couples do when a surprise wedding is in store for their guests. 

The legality is that only the guests can be surprised at a wedding since both parties being married need to have a valid marriage license in order to have the union recognized by the state.

Surprising your guests may seem like a great, fun idea. However, there are some guests who will not be pleased to be left  out of the planning process. Parents, siblings, and close friends may not find it amusing and much older guests who have weak hearts probably don’t  find a surprise as much fun as they used to.

Try to incorporate another celebration. Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan told their guests they were coming for a graduation party, only to find out it was really their wedding. Surprise!

Keep the whole affair low key. Guests will feel they would have liked to dress up a little more unless it is a casual, relaxed atmosphere.

Make sure you tell your guests there will be some sort of special entertainment at a certain time. Party guests often arrive late… you don’t want them to miss out!

 Have a DJ or Emcee announce what is about to happen and then give some time for the guests to digest the news, chat and laugh.

People want surprise weddings for many different reasons. It can be a way of holding the reins over what happens, it may be a way to keep the costs down, for others they just don’t want any fuss; and well, some people just like to stage a big surprise. As a guest, it is your job to honor this and not to judge, to be happy for them and not make it about you.

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo

 

Congratulations Mark and Priscilla!

A few months ago we reported a trend that couples are opting for smaller, more intimate gatherings focusing on family and friends. Leave it to Mark Zuckerberg to ‘one up’ everyone by having the smallest, most private gathering of all. Forget that he is a 29 year old billionaire. Forget that he founded the largest, most popular and life changing website in history. He is a young man celebrating love with his young bride, ready to move forward and somehow was able to keep the entire thing secret until the guests arrived. There was no paparazzi, no helicopters, no red carpet – just a simple relationship status change to ‘married’.  Disappointing for wedding watchers like me but, also refreshing in many ways!

 

Of course, when I first saw this picture I thought it was photo-shopped. Where’s the hoodie? I mean, here is a guy who is notorious for wearing those darn hoodies to meetings with lawyers and investors… and to ring the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange so, what gives? As you can tell, he didn’t go for a tuxedo but, instead opted for a demure navy suit. His bride, Priscilla Chan, wore a simple, traditional lace gown that was neither flashy nor strapless. But, I digress…. the expressions on their faces and everything about the picture looked  photoshopped ( to me).

However, after a bit of snooping around I found this photo which is much more flattering and relaxed.

Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan's Surprise Wedding: New Details!

Skeptics will tell you that his matrimonial motive was calculated; getting married after the company went public, IPO’s,community property, inheritance tax, blah, blah, blah. And being somewhat skeptical I would venture to guess that he has his pre-nuptial posterior sufficiently ‘lawyered up’. Maybe he didn’t make the information public because he was afraid of being overtaken by swarms of reporters, maybe he didn’t want the news of his company’s stock to be overshadowed by his own personal  business, maybe he was afraid the Winklevoss twins would say it was their idea first.  Maybe he just wanted it to be about love and family and commitment… Kudos and congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Zuckerberg.

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago