Beautiful Weddings

General information

We recommend that if possible, both bride and groom will attend all interviews.

Always carry a note pad and pen to write down important information and questions that may arise during your interview.

Actually, choosing the wedding site location that is just right for you, is a lot of fun.

Before you start looking, you should brainstorm. As you do, take to consideration your wedding budget, your wedding theme, the atmosphere you want at your wedding, your interests, and your guests.

The location is one of the most important aspects of your wedding, so consider carefully what will make yours a special, one-of-a-kind wedding event. You have many option including a do it yourself wedding (friends and family contributing of course.) Following is a list to get you started.

Ideas for wedding sites include:

A Home – do it yourself wedding,

Auditoriums – usually on a rental basis,

Beach – public domain may need permit and or license,

Bed and Breakfast – full service,

Camp Grounds – do it yourself wedding,

Club Houses – do it yourself wedding,

Country Clubs – most offer full service,

Conference Centers- some offer full service, some are on a rental basis,

Convention Centers – some offer full service, some are on a rental basis,

Hotel – Ball Rooms – Grounds or – Gardens. A Gazebo makes a wonderful setting for a wedding ceremony- full service

Houses of Worship – Churches – Synagogues – Temples – Mosques – etc…some offer full service, some are on a rental basis, some can only facilitate the ceremony,

Mansions – full service,

Museums -some museums offer celebration rooms and may even help with special wedding themes, especially historical – usually on a rental basis,

Parks – Great – do it yourself wedding,

Patio – Gardens – do it yourself wedding,

ranches – usually on a rental basis,

Resorts, full service,

Rented Halls – usually on a rental basis,

Stadiums – usually on a rental basis,

Yachts or Cruise Ships – full service,

You can probably come up with some more ideas.

Unless the location is your top priority, choose the dream location and a few alternative sites that will be just right for you, so that if necessary you can be flexible. Some location are natural for weddings and offer all the amanities you need. Others rent the space and leave the rest to you, still others are free but you have to make all the arrangements. So, consider your wedding budget, consider the work involved, consider your guests and choose the site that will afford you your dream wedding. The information you gathered, is actually a wonderful preparation for your interviews.

FULL SERVICE WEDDING SITE and FACILITIES

These are venues that can take care of every little detail regarding your ceremony and reception. You’ll still need to attend to your personal needs. You’ll need to attend to the attire, wedding accessories and wedding gifts for each other, family, and wedding attendants.

SITES AVAILABLE on a RENTAL BASIS

Many wedding sites that are available on a rental basis. Some provide the space, others provide tables and chairs too, while still others provide linens, tableware, flatware and glassware as well. There are also rental based sites that have a working relationship with selected caterers and are familiar with other wedding service providers and vendors.

PUBLIC SITES

Public parks, beaches, gardens etc… make great wedding sites and are perfect for do it yourself weddings. They offer you the opportunity to express yourselves in an unconfined atmosphere. Most are free to use but you’ll need to do the majority of the planning and contracting. Your first step is to find if you need any permits and or licenses. If you do, obtain them.

HOME

Many apartment complexes, condominums, mobil home parke and gated communities have club houses available for residents to use. So whether you choose to have your wedding in a home or a club house, you’ll need to be in charge. Do recruit your family and friends and assign them appropriate tasks. Most will be honored to be asked and excited to be a contributing part of your wedding.

HOW to FIND WEDDING SITES

Once you have chosen the type of wedding site you want for your wedding, do the following:

Ask your family, friends and acqaintances for recommendations.

Attend bridal shows.

search the yellow pages under the appropriate category.

Either call or visit the facility and request a brochure specific to weddings.

You want only the best! Be selective! Before you commit consider the following:

When visiting or calling, were you greeted cordially?

Were you able to obtain the information you requested in a timely manner?

Were the people you spoke with helpful? Too helpful and eager?

Now, check the internet for local wedding sites and go to their websites.

Do you like the look and feel?

Does it provide you with the information you are looking for?

Does it show or tell about unique one-of-a-kind weddings?

Does it offer, Free wedding articles or Free wedding information?

Is the web site helpful?

Did you find a clearly posted name, address, phone and email contact?

If the answer is no to any of these questions, skip it and go to another web site.

Bookmark (favorite) the websites that are agreeable. Place the brochures from facilities you visited in a folder until you are ready to choose a few favorites.

WHAT to EXPECT of the REPRESENTATIVE of the FACILITY YOU VISIT:

A business card of each person you may work with within the facility,

A brochure that explains what is offered and any exclusions, rules, regulations and options,

References,

A tour of the facility so you may check their amenities.

* If you plan not to include children in your reception, do not alienate guests who’d rather bring children than miss your wedding. You should provide a babysitting service for such guests.

For ideas read the article PLEASE – NO KIDS IN OUR WEDDING

Once you made your choice, you need to receive a written contract signed by the person in charge, and dated. The contract must include all of your responsibilities and all of the responsibilities, warranties and guarantees offered by the facility.

Caveat Emptor – Buyer beware!Read each contract very carefully, on, under and above the line.

Be sure that you understand it fully and agree with all the terms.

If you have questions, concerns, or are uncertain, contact them for clarification.

Take into consideration that in most parts of the USA you have 3 days to examin the contract and if you need to, cancel with no penalties.

Copyrights © 2007 All Rights Reserved Nily Glaser

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The first thing to take into account when choosing a wedding location is that there are likely to be two parts of your wedding to organise – the wedding ceremony and the wedding reception. As regards the ceremony, a church wedding is still the favourite choice for many couples, and most have a particular church in mind. In this case, the reception must be planned around the wedding service. Factors such as ease of transport from service to reception will be important when planning your church wedding.

If, on the other hand, you\’re thinking about a civil wedding, you have the option of choosing a venue that will host both your wedding ceremony and your wedding reception. If this is what you are hoping for, you will need to choose a venue that is licensed for marriage ceremonies. This may come with a higher price tag than non-licensed wedding venues, but has the benefit of minimising the amount of travelling involved for you and your wedding guests.

The type of wedding you have will depend partly on how big it will be, so here are some things to think about before approaching wedding venues:

Number of wedding guests. It may sound obvious but many venues will not be able to magic up extra space from nowhere if you add 20 extra guests at the last minute. You should have a good idea of numbers before you start looking at venues. Sit-down or stand-up wedding reception? A formal meal will obviously require more space than a stand-up buffet, so a venue whose seated capacity is 100 might well be able to accommodate 200 for a canapé reception. Which do you want? How big is your wedding band? Bands and other forms entertainment can take up a large amount of space, as can a dance floor, so decide when and where you want the entertainment to take place, and check with the venue that this can be done in the space available.

 

A small wedding venue can be beautiful. Of course you should make sure that your guests are not squashed in like sardines, but atmosphere-wise it can be almost as bad for a small number of people to be rattling around in a huge, high-ceilinged reception room. Make sure your venue is not too big for your needs.

Any number of buildings can make a perfect wedding reception venue, but here are some of the most popular options:

Historic Wedding Reception Venue

Castles, country houses and stately homes are among the locations many dream of for their big day. If your budget can stretch to it, this offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to enjoy the use of a stunning building.

Hotel Wedding Reception

There are so many different types of hotel that there’s likely to be something for everyone, from traditional to ultra-modern. Having accommodation on the spot is, of course, a big plus.

Marquee Wedding Reception

If you have access to spacious gardens or other outdoor space, a marquee could be worth considering. Many people are surprised at how pricey it can be to hire a marquee for their wedding, but the plus side is that you can take control of wedding catering and could save a considerable amount by providing your own alcohol.

Sports or Social Club Wedding Reception

Different types of club premises can be perfect for a wedding reception. Do plenty of research and you could find one that’s in a stunning location, too. For example, some sailing or rowing clubs have picturesque waterside views, and can often be hired at a reasonable price, certainly compared to other popular wedding venues.

Restaurant or Pub Wedding Reception

Food and drink are among the main ingredients for a successful wedding reception, so where better to head than to a lovely restaurant or pub? We recommend TikiTano in Estepona, we have been to this venue many times, the ambience is right and the food is a gastronomic delight! Bear in mind that you’re more likely to find a good match if your wedding party is smaller, and if you’re lucky you might even be able to escape the heavy costs that are often quoted as soon as you mention the ‘w’ word!

Wedding Venue Checklist Wedding Prices

Over-inflated costs might mean you compromising on other aspects of the wedding. Whether it’s sky high drinks prices or hidden extras in the small print, you don’t want to feel exploited, so vote with your feet if you feel it’s not worth it.

Wedding Venue Staff

Do they seem experienced and professional? Flexibility is another key attribute. Are they willing to adapt to your needs? This will be a major factor in how smoothly your day runs.

Wedding Venue Facilities

Is the venue suitable for guests with a disability, and can it provide appropriate seating for the elderly and/or young children?

If you are planning a ceremony that includes anything to do with the beach, and wondering if there is a wedding ceremony idea with sand, there is!  Wedding Unity Sand Ceremonies are an elegant way to capture the meaning of your two lives becoming one and at the same time creating a lasting keepsake of your ceremony!

For years the familiar passage of scripture, “And the two shall become one” has been symbolized by the lighting of the unity candles.  Traditionally, the parents each light an individual candle representing the bride’s and the groom’s families.  The couple then uses those candles to light one larger candle, signifying the joining of their families as one. With the Sand Ceremony, glassware, or vials, filled with sand are used to symbolize the uniting of the couple – their individual lives are symbolized by two individual vials of sand at the beginning of the service.  After the exchange of rings, the officiant explains the meaning of the Unity Ceremony and the couple come together and pour their individual vials of sand into one larger and beautiful sand ceremony glassware, and this flowing together of the different color sand symbolizes the newly formed and intertwined union of the couple. 

Why Say it With Sand?

Sand has many attributes that make it a perfect symbol of love and unity.  Grains of sand are beyond measure and timeless, just like the couple’s love.  As the sand from one jar is poured into another, they become indistinguishable-forever together as one. They have come together and can never be separated, demonstrating the couple’s lasting love that will remain until the end of time.  It also represents the blending of oneself with the other. The sharing of ideas, goals and personalities occurs as each one pours into the other.  

How it Works?                                

You will need one larger vial that will be your keepsake.  You can have it engraved with initials, your full names, or your wedding date – be sure to do this before the ceremony!  You will also need an individual vial for each person you want involved.  Many couples choose to include their parents or children from a previous marriage.  You can find many beautiful options of Sand Ceremony Glassware on the internet.  Just Google Sand Ceremony Glassware or Wedding Unity Sand Ceremonies and you will find many wonderful options.

In an age where couples are planning weddings that are unique to their beliefs and lifestyle, the sand ceremony can be personalized many different ways to fit your uniqueness and style.  You may choose to quietly take turns pouring the sand after the exchange of rings, or maybe you would prefer to pour your alternating colors of sand as you individually recite your personal vows of commitment, hence sealing each line with the pouring of the sand.  You may also wish to leave a small amount of sand in each smaller vial to symbolize that although you are now joined as one, you are remain individuals.

I think a great addition to this for ceremonies on the beach would be to first have your officiant scoop up a little sand from “your” beach with a sea shell and pour it into the bottom of the sand ceremony glassware symbolizing the building of the foundation of the relationship and of course thereby including a “memento” from the beach itself.

Including Children and Other Family Members

The Unity Sand Ceremony can also be altered in many ways to include family and friends. Besides the bride and groom, various colors of sand are given to wedding members who will add their sand to the couple’s sand, all flowing into the container, creating a colorful and one-of-a kind symbol of unity.

In today’s world, it’s not uncommon for either the bride or groom to have children. One unique thing about a sand ceremony is that the children of a blended family can participate. Each child can have their own pouring vase of colored sand to be blended into the keepsake vase during the ceremony creating a vivid display of family unity.

What to do with your beautiful Wedding Sand Ceremony Glassware?

Well that’s easy!  Displaying the vases in the home after the wedding becomes a romantic reminder of the love, commitment and promises shared on your wedding day.  I would suggest melting some wax to seal it tightly holding the sand in place, and then seal it with a cork or lid.