Welcoming & Seating Your Guests For An Elegant Start To Your Ceremony

Scott & Pamela Faulkner

May 20, 2007

Hollywood Schoolhouse

I had a surprise a week ago at Scott & Pamela's wedding!

Scott and Pamela had a fairly large community of family and friends at their mid-afternoon wedding ceremony - and not only did the group seat themselves without any prompting, but they were the most "on time" group of people I have seen in a long time!

Welcoming Guests: To elegantly welcome your guests, have two people at the door to greet people as they walk in. This gives guests an idea of what is going on - when things are starting, where to put a coat, where the restroom is, etc.
Seating Guests: Having been to more weddings than most, I can tell you that most guests like to seat themselves. While ushers are a nice touch and appreciated by some people, the majority of people tend to want direction on seating but prefer not to be ushered and formally seated. Considering this, have two people as "seating directors," offering seats to people so that the aisles are filled first and the seats in the front are also filled just before the ceremony starts.

** photo by Kate McElwee: www.katemcelweephotography.wordpress.com

Your Wedding Rehearsal - 3 Top Rehearsal Tips To Insure An Elegant Ceremony...

Ryan and Erin Bowles,

Married May 19, 2007, Tyee Yacht Club

Go Team Bowles!

In this work that I do, I've been to many rehearsals. And rehearsal parties come in many shapes and sizes: big and small, organized and chaotic, emotional and stressed, fun/festive and uptight/concerned, full of humor and a tad more serious.

A wedding brings up all sorts of emotions. It's a ritual of transition and transformation - from one stage of life to another. So, given that emotions are often all over the map at rehearsal and on a wedding day, here are three top tips to consider when planning your wedding rehearsal:

1) 30 MINUTE RULE. Often, people are late to rehearsal. So, to keep any dinner or afternoon/evening engagements and appointments, tell everyone to arrive at 5:00 p.m. if your rehearsal is at 5:30 p.m. By having everyone arrive "30 minutes early," you give people a chance to mix and mingle, take a breath and everyone is then unknowingly on schedule.

2) BRING YOUR MARRIAGE LICENSE. I request that my couples bring their marriage license to rehearsal. This insures that I have the license for the wedding day and it's one last thing for you to worry about.

3) GET CREATIVE. When you are at your wedding venue for rehearsal, talk to your Officiant/Minister about 'staging,' i.e., creative placement of wedding party, how your Officiant may move around in the ceremony, etc. Often, your Officiant has ideas for making a ceremony more fluid and interesting once they get a sense of the venue and your best wishes for your ceremony. For instance, many of my couples now choose to face their family and friends instead of each other or me. This gives family/friends and opportunity to more fully experience a wedding ceremony and also makes for some very beautiful pictures.

Handsome Henry - A Rescue "Miracle" - From Blind to Sight...

HANDSOME HENRY, Blind & Neglected, Rescued 2/13/07

Eye Sight Restored in Left Eye, March 2007

Adopted to Loving & Forever Home, April 2007

While I love my ceremony work - and do this work full-time - another huge part of who I am is all about rescuing and rehabilitating abused and neglected companion animals.

Please indulge me - I'd like to share a little joy. No, alot of joy!

Working with two of my dedicated rescue pals, Barbara and Carl, we rescued a nameless blind cocker spaniel from certain death in mid-February. We named this furball "Handsome Henry" and under a ton of mats and hair, we found the most beautiful cocker spaniel.

Working with Barbara's small and mightly animal rescue organization, www.vipp.org, and through the generosity of several benefactors, Handsome Henry's eye sight was restored in one of his eyes on March 6th. He endured four weeks in an elizabethan collar (no fun for a dog) and repeated visits to and from the doggie eye doctor to insure the healing of his fixed eye.

And now, Henry can see!

He's gone from blind to catching biscuits and watching everyone and everything. It was amazing journey for us to be with a dog who was born blind and then one day woke up and saw the world around him.

And in keeping with Handsome Henry's good fortune, he has been adopted by a wonderful lady and now lives in the lap of luxury in a nice house with his choice of bedrooms!

Handsome Henry - and all the dogs that I work with in this rescue work that I do - help keep me in the present. The courage of these dogs who have endured so much suffering and abuse is an inspiration in all that I do. While I deeply love my ceremony work, nothing brings me as much true personal joy as helping to relieve a companion animal of suffering. Well, okay, perhaps watching a "wedding dog" walk down the aisle in pure delight, celebrating the wedding of his/her guardians!