Growing up, you've dreamed of your wedding date. The cake, the flowers, the music, the setting, and of course, the other half. You've found the perfect person you want to spent every moment with, and the scene is set. You’re ready to start the rest of your life. Just like a movie, right?
This is not an advice column, nor meant to sway you from taking the plunge. This comes from experience, and in marriage, just like in planning a wedding – details count.
There’s a scene in Wedding Crashers where Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn are at a wedding ceremony, betting on what reading will be read next. Then they go on to recite the reading from memory as it’s being read. I’m to the point where I've attended enough weddings, I can do the same.
I've seen weddings from every angle. From standing up front, along the sides, in the back, above from the balcony, listened underneath the church, and from far in the distant. Some couples I knew very well, some were family, while others I never met until after the ceremony.
As a bagpiper who’s attended and participated in several hundred weddings, my role is unique. It begins with a request. Some people know exactly what they, but most don’t. Many have centered their whole wedding around having a piper, while to others, it’s a complete surprise. No matter what the reason for having pipe played at a wedding, whether they want to keep something alive with a tradition or make a statement in a different way, it always leaves a mark.Requests and calls come from everyone – brides, grooms, mothers and friends – and most don’t know where to start or what to ask. Just like planning for flower arrangements, the choices are unlimited and often overwhelming. As the expert, they look for a better understanding of the role you play in the wedding. They want you to listen to their needs and make the best recommendation possible. Also like flowers at the wedding, it’s all about creating a memorable experience, both for the newlyweds, but also for the families and guests. It’s the extra-special details that create that “wow” factor and leave everyone talking about the wedding for years to come.
Here are a few examples of making sure your wedding comes out a success:• Keep the lines of communication open. Don’t become a nag, but make sure people in the wedding party know what is happening throughout the wedding day.
• If you’re the bride or the mother of the bride, and you’re on a one-person planning committee, try to delegate some of the responsibilities. Ushers get bored, so give them something to do!
• Avoid the wait and don’t waste time. Nothing sends the message to guests that you don’t have your act together than awkward silences in the ceremony and long periods of time between events. If there’s a receiving line, be respectful of people’s time and keep it moving.
• Treat every wedding and every situation like it’s unique – because it is.
Regardless of how many weddings I've performed for, each one is special to the people getting married. Instilling complete trust and reliability is something that doesn't come natural to someone you just met, especially in planning the most important day of your lives. Take note that regardless of the role you play in someone’s wedding, you are there to make their big day extraordinary. You only get once chance at weddings (hopefully!)
Tiffany Wells is a professional blogger that writes for Afloral.com, a leading online retailer of silk flower arrangements and floral supplies.
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