catholic wedding hymns

Hymns are a beautiful and important part of wedding ambiance and can be just as meaningful as Catholic wedding vows. However, sometimes your selection process is not as simple as just choosing your favorites. There are a few guidelines you should follow if you want to incorporate Catholic hymns into your marriage ceremony.

catholic wedding hymns

Will There Be a Mass?

First, you will want to find out if your wedding will include a mass. This is usually up to the discretion of the priest or the Catholic community you are getting married under, however sometimes a couple can decide whether or not they would like to include a mass in their ceremony.

If you do choose to incorporate a complete mass, you will have many more songs to choose from. Every Catholic wedding ceremony has an opening and closing hymn, a gospel acclamation, and a psalm. If you choose to have a mass, you will also need to hunt down a memorial acclamation, a communion song, and a few others. A priest should be able to provide you with a full list of required music once your planning is in full swing.

Selecting Appropriate Hymns

Next, you will want to make sure your songs are overall very sacred and traditional. In the Catholic Church, marriage is a blessed sacrament rooted deep in history and ritual. Again, ask a priest or Catholic Church advisor to help you in your selection process, especially if you are a new convert or not exceptionally devout in your faith.

Choosing Musicians

Finally, if you’re having live musicians play at your ceremony, don’t be afraid to audition them. You will want a rich and gorgeous feeling to fill the air as you and your attendants are walking down the aisle as well as during the different parts of the wedding ceremony. Keep searching through musicians until you find the one able to perform your exact style preference. You’ll be glad you spent the extra time hunting down the perfect musical fit.

weddings at the portofino

Weddings At The Portofino

Have you chosen your wedding venue yet? Considering weddings at the Portofino?

Since Rod Stuart married last year at the Portofino in Italy, weddings at the Portofino have become more popular.

Recently Wayne Rooney joined the weddings at the Portofino in Italy club.

Whether you’re contemplating weddings at the Portofino in Italy or weddings at the Portofino in Los Angeles - take a look at the following article - about choosing the right venue for your wedding before you decide.

weddings at the portofino

Tips Choose Your Wedding Reception Venue

You will need to choose your wedding reception with the greatest care. In fact the reception venue is one of the most important items in your wedding planning. You will be staying there with your guest for no less than a few hours. The followings are some tips when you are selecting your venue.

Book as early as possible

You will need to book the reception venue as early as possible. For some popular sites, you will need to book a year in advance. It will be even more difficult to secure your plan if you are going to have your wedding on a Saturday. This is because Saturday is a more popular day for wedding. On the contrary, Fridays and Sundays are less popular and you can secure your plan relatively easier if your big day is on a Friday or Sunday. Some venues may even offer you discount if you book for a Friday or Sunday. Of course you cannot just think of money saving, you will also need to consider your guests. Your guest may need to leave early if your wedding is on Sunday because they will need to go back to their offices early in the morning on Monday.

Scale of your wedding

You will need to determine the size of the venue you will need for your reception. You may only need to book a small pub or restaurant if you are going to hold a small wedding. However, if you are going a have a wedding which is large in scale, you will probably need to consider venues such as the grand ballroom in a hotel. In fact I myself am an advocate of small weddings since you can enjoy the time with your guests. The intimacy is what I love. Of course the choice of having a large or small wedding is totally up to your preferences.

Parking spaces near the venue

One of the most important facilities you will need to ask beforehand is the parking space. Unless you are going to arrange transportation for all the guests, it will be inevitably that some of the guests will drive to your wedding reception venue. It will make the situation very complicated if no parking space can be provided.

weddings at the portofino

wedding planner

One of the questions a couple will probably ask when they are planning for the wedding is that whether they should hire a wedding planner. In fact, there are so many details you need to take care of when you are planning your wedding and a wedding planner can really help to release your stress in wedding planning. Your wedding planner can also help you to save money in some cases.

wedding planner

It is true that the planner can help you a lot when you are planning for your big day. However, you should also bear in mind that you need to pay extra attentions when you are choosing a wedding planner. If you are unable to choose a good wedding planner, he / she may just ruin your wedding!

There are a lot of vendors who may also provide so called one stop solution for wedding planning. However, you have to be very clear that they are not professional wedding planners in most cases. If it is possible, you should choose an independent planner instead. This is because an independent planner will be unlikely to force you to make any decision on choosing a certain vendor. He / she will only give you advices and let you make the final decision.

To this end you should try to make sure that the planner will not get any commissions from the wedding vendors. If the vendors will also pay the planner, the planner may also try to force you to hire a particular vendor. This will not be a good idea because the planner is not helping you to choose the most suitable one. Instead he / she is only trying to force you to choose someone that may not meet your needs.

A wedding planner will also give you invaluable advices on your wedding. For example, he / she will discuss with you whether a particular kind of wedding favor will match your wedding theme. When you have come up with an idea on the kind of wedding favor you want to choose, the planner will be able to introduce some vendors which can fulfill your requirements. Of course he / she will also help you to look after the quotations and prices so that you can be sure that they will be within your budget.

You wedding planner should also be able to set some milestones with you. He / she will know when you should order your wedding invitation and when you should start sending them out. Some wedding planner may also help you to take care of all the RSVP cards so that you will not need to spend the time to settle the issue.

Your wedding planner will also help you to make sure that everything will just go smoothly on your big date. You may be quite nervous on your big day and it will certainly be good if your planner can help you to take care of all the minor details. He / she will help to make sure that there will be no mistake!

wedding planner

wedding centerpieces

The Wedding Day is filled with the joy that goes along with all of the planning and, for many, the reception is not only a continuation of the ceremony theme, but is often a lavish affair that continues the theme in a stylish way. The Wedding Centerpieces can certainly add to that ambiance and, if you are not careful, can be a distraction to the Event.

wedding centerpieces

The centerpiece is one of the most important part of the reception event as it is an extension of the theme established by the bride and groom. To have a centerpiece on each of the tables that is beautiful but not distracting can be a challenge. With that in mind, lets look at some tips that could help you in the process of choosing that perfect piece.

Tip 1: Continue the theme. There is nothing more frustrating that seeing a bunch of centerpieces that look out of place as far as the wedding theme goes. If you have a color theme that is noticeable then carry it through to the table centerpieces.

Tip 2: Be aware of who is sitting at the tables. Be practical here. Most times the centerpieces are flowers, which are acceptable. But where most fall down is having centerpieces that overwhelm and many times are much taller than they need to be. If your guest have to strain to see who is across from them, it could be an annoyance.

Tip 3: Don't allow the centerpieces to be budget busters but don't let them look like an afterthought. A delicate balance here, no doubt, but you should not let a flower designer insist on making up elaborate centerpieces that end up breaking the bank.

Tip 4: Elegance and Style. It is better to have no centerpieces at all than have something just to have something. It lends itself to Tip 1, in that, you need to be aware of the theme but don't allow it look cheep.

Tip 5: Make the centerpieces part of the fun. Let them have an additional meaning by giving them away at the end in a fun way. The winner will cherish the centerpiece even more, especially if they win the honor of taking it home at the end of the festivities.

It's your Big Day and continuing the style and theme you set in every detail that you plan is especially important as you attempt to give your guest a fantastic experience and make them glad they came.

wedding centerpieces

sandals wedding

Strappy sandals are one of the most stylish and sexy accessories that a bride can choose for her wedding. Unlike a traditional white pump, they are young and sassy. Best of all, a great pair of strappy sandals is something that you can even wear again after the wedding.

sandals wedding

Young women love strappy sandals. When I managed a bridal shop, one of the biggest arguments that almost every bride had with her mother was over pantyhose. All of the moms believed that stockings were an absolute must on a formal occasion, but the brides all wanted to wear sandals. And as we all know, you should never, ever wear stockings with an open toe shoe. I say this even though my own mother, a staunch pantyhose supporter, does it on a regular basis! Oh well - I guess it's just a generational thing.

Within the general category of the strappy sandal, you will find infinite variations, which means that there is a perfect style out there for every bride. When you are looking for a sandal for your wedding, one of the first things you should check out is the shape of the toe bed. Some are rounded, some are square, and others come to more of a point. You want to choose a shoe that fits the shape of your foot. Otherwise, you end up with your pinky toe falling off the front of the shoe (square foot on pointy footbed) or a huge amount of shoe showing past your toes (pointy foot on a square toe bed).

sandals wedding

There are many choices of strap configuration, as well. If you have a slim foot, a skinny strap that goes across the toes looks very elegant. If your foot is wider, this can end up making your toes look pinched. A diagonal strap is often very flattering on many types of feet. Some of the prettiest ones are accented with beads or crystals sewn to the straps. Look for details on your shoes that coordinate with your other accessories, like your headpiece and wedding jewelry.

The closure of the sandals is another key part of the design. Some shoes are simply backless, as in a simple silk thong sandal. Ankle straps can offer a nice secure feeling on a strappy shoe. If they don't slip on your heel, the slingback is one of the most flattering designs. It elongates the look of your legs. The claps on wedding shoes are often highly decorative. Crystal buckles are especially popular, as they work so well with the Swarovski jewelry that so many brides wear for their wedding.

Comfort is key in any pair of wedding shoes, because you will be in them for such a long time. Look for a pair that has a well padded footbed. The higher the heel, the more cushioning you will need under the ball of your foot, as that bears all of your weight. Be wary of shoes with straps that chafe or bind. As you stand on your feet for the ceremony and then dance on them all night, they will tend to swell a little, so definitely avoid any shoe that feel snug in the store.

One thing that is really great about wearing strappy sandals for your wedding is that they are so little shoe that you can be very free in your choice. In other words, if you want to wear a light blue sandal for your something blue, feel free to do so. It will be a nice accent, without being too bold a statement. Other popular choices include silver and pink sandals. A white strappy sandal is also a style that you will have ample opportunity to wear with your summer dresses, so it is okay to splurge and get the shoes that you really love.

There is no doubt that a strappy sandal will add a great finishing touch to your wedding gown. Women just feel great in a cute strappy shoe, which makes them perfect for the day when you really want to feel your most fabulous. Just remember to get a fantastic pedicure!

sandals wedding