Getting your guests to follow the rules!
As strange as it may sound, rules are actually kind of a tricky thing. Of course, making rules is one thing; however, trying to follow them without being a damper is another whole story. You’re throwing the party of the century, and, understandably, want it to be the greatest event that your guests have ever attended, but you don’t want to make a giant announcement of the dos and don’ts of the venue and kill the entire vibe. So, even though you’ve studied the rules inside and out and are following them to the T, how do you make your guests do the same? Well, luckily for you, we have already thought of four ways to (sneakily) get your guests to follow the rules, without becoming a dictator of the entire evening.
Bridget and Mike 6.18.16
Bridget and Mike Carmody have a different kind of love story, made up of the perfect accidental meetings. Their initial run-in was in a film class at their college, Western Michigan University. However, at this time the couple were just acquaintances, with the casual in-class talks. So, naturally, they fell out of touch after their class came to a close and went their separate ways. It wasn’t until four years after the two had graduated college that they randomly ran into each other. 
Bridget saw him and decided to say hi to see if Mike would remember who she was and, of course, Mike couldn’t forget her. It was almost too perfect that after some chatting Mike had mentioned that his department was hiring, and it just so happened that Bridget was looking for a new place to continue with her career. Well, soon enough, the former class acquaintances began to date, fall in love, and would start their lives together. Mike had actually always known that they would end up together, and later told Bridget that this is exactly why he was nervous to ask her out; he knew that they would never break-up. He was right! They’ve been together ever since, living in LA for a few years, working on some feature films and rescuing an adorable dog, Walter.
Where to Rehearsal Dinner in St. Joseph!
Before the huge wedding day festivities can happen, there must be some practice. You have to rehearse who is going at what time and where exactly everyone is placed. So, after all of that rehearsing, you all want to go out and celebrate, and there is no better way to celebrate than with some delicious eats! If you’re looking to get married in St. Joseph (Aka the most beautiful place on Lake Michigan), than you’re probably looking for some good rehearsal dinner restaurants to celebrate the fact that you’re almost there. Well look no future, my friend, because here is your guide to some great, as well as tasty, places to host your rehearsal dinner!
Wedding Transportation
Limos, trolleys, and party busses oh my! These days there are more options than just a stretch limo for transporting the bridal party from point A to point B. Now it’s a growing trend to provide transportation not just for the bridal party for pictures, but for the guests as well. This blog will talk about the pros and cons of providing transportation and some tips to keep in mind when booking your wheels for your big day.
Pros:
- If you have a lot of guests at one hotel, or have room blocks at a couple places, it helps guarantee guests getting to the ceremony and reception on time.
- If guests are from out-of-town or not as familiar with the area, it cuts down on people getting lost and driving around aimlessly.
- Providing transportation cuts down on the number of parking spaces required at a venue. (Shadowland has roughly 80 available spots so for larger parties, transportation around the area helps with the flow of traffic)
- There is less worry about guests over-indulging in drinks and then driving afterwards
- Depending on the type of transportation you go with, there could be some great photo
opportunities with the vehicle - Using it to tote you and your bridal party around helps keep everyone together and arriving at the same time, which will help stay on your wedding timeline for the day.
Cons (but really more like just things to think about while coordinating transportation):
Erica and Kyle 5.24.15
Kyle Decker and Erica (Weidner) Decker wed Sunday May 24, 2015 at Dunes Pavilion on Silver Beach with reception at Shadowland Ballroom. Their story all started on a wintery December night in Angola, IN; where they happened to meet when they were out with mutual friends listening to live music. After talking and dancing a bit, they decided to stay in touch. As multiple days passed, talking, texting, and chatting on Facebook were frequent, but it was a little over a month before they were able to have our first date. The rest as they say is history.
Bridal Shower Ideas
So your best friend just got engaged, and appointed you as the maid of honor, congrats! This title comes with a lot of responsibility. Now you have two parties to plan, a bridal shower, and a bachelorette party. So let’s focus on the bridal shower. Coming up with different ideas is difficult, and you want to plan the perfect party that’s not your typical everyday bridal shower.
Wine tasting can be a fun idea, and most of the guests will love it. You can either choose a winery to host it at, or have the winery come to you for a private tasting. Customizing the tastings ahead of time can be a good idea that way you can pair food with the different tastings. When it comes to decorating for the party all you need are some empty wine bottles and some flowers. All you have to do is keep it simple.
First Look?
A growing trend in the industry is the couple having a “First Look” before walking down the aisle. For you traditionalists out there, you may be panicking at the thought of bringing bad luck to the already stressful day and be looking for the nearest salt shaker to throw over your left shoulder, so this route may not be for you. But for those wanting to be a little trendier, or may just be in a time crunch and need to move things along quicker, a first look may be for you.
Why all the buzz about bad luck?
Candles Do’s and Don’ts
A lot of our couples have questions about the use of candles in the ballroom. Follow these simple do’s and don’ts when mapping out your décor for the big day:
Do:
Use real flame
It looks absolutely beautiful in the ballroom to dim the lights and rely on candle light to light the room later in the evening.
Contain them!
Having wax drip on linens, the floor, and walls is a big no-no. While we love candles, we love them being contained in some sort of vessel more.
Put them in the windows in the sunset room
Will You Be My Bridesmaid?
In today’s age of social media, proposals are being shared every day on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram…the pressure is on to come up with unique and fun ways to pop the question. No longer limited to just the couple getting engaged, brides are even getting in on the action when choosing their bridal party. Here are a few ideas to get the creative juices flowing to inspire some festive proposals for the ladies closest in your life:
Bridesmaid Boxes
Trending now are these personalized bridesmaid’s boxes of goodies. A fun weekend DIY project, most of the supplies can be found at your local craft store and you can fill them with whatever seems most appropriate for your girls. Jewelry, nail polish, mini champagne (or the alcohol of choice) bottles, candy, duties of the bridesmaids (be nice…don’t be a bridezilla right off the bat 🙂 )…the possibilities are endless when it comes to filling these boxes. A nice thing to keep in mind if you are having a large bridal party who may not know each other very well, would be to include the phone numbers and e-mail addresses of all in the bridal party so everyone can plan together and be on the same page.
Guest Books Galore
There are few things that put a smile on my face faster than books. I can’t get enough of books and anything that has to do with them. Because of me Barnes and Noble will always be in business. When it comes to weddings, sometimes a traditional book is the way to go. Sometimes couples are looking for other ways to personalize the day There are so many creative and personal touches that can come into play with the guest book area. Here are some of our favorite ideas that have come into Shadowland:
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