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7 Secrets to Planning a Wedding From New York Wedding Experts
05 Nov 2014 •4 min read
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Are you a New York City newlywed seeking a more personal and unique wedding planning experience? We tapped 7 of New York's top wedding experts to dish on the secrets to pulling off an epic wedding.
1. The Ceremony Decor:
"An excellent way for couples to personalize their wedding decor is with a ceremony backdrop. It's an easy way to create a big visual impact, and it allows the couple to express their personal style or incorporate their color palette. Floral backdrops are very popular as are fabric or ribbon installations. But your backdrop can be as simple or as complex as the wedding dictates. An added bonus? Your ceremony backdrop can be re-purposed into a photo booth backdrop during the reception! Make sure to choose materials that photograph well with a flash and won't distract from the main attraction...you!"
--Michelle Bablo of Michelle Bablo Design Studio
2. The Invitations:
"I encourage all nearly-weds to not get too caught up in formalities and etiquette. Your invitation (or save the date) is the first glimpse into your special day that your guests get, so I believe it’s very important that what makes each couple unique shows through. We’ve come a long way from yesteryear when there was only one way to word your invitations and rules you had to follow to be proper. If your hubby-to-be’s name is Theodore but no one calls him that and he prefers Teddy, then use Teddy. You don’t have to use to your middle names. You don’t have to list both sets of parents if you’re footing the bill for your own wedding. You don’t have to address your envelopes using formal prefixes (like Mr. and Mrs.) if you don’t want to. Throw out the rules! Don’t settle on doing anything that feels stuffy and doesn’t feel good for you. Get creative with modern fonts, casual wording, bright & bold colors. If there’s a song lyric that really speaks to you as a couple, consider printing it in your program. In general your guests will embrace you being you. Worrying about etiquette is stress you don’t need."
--Tara Arjona of Dea + Bean Invitations and Paper Goods
3. The Flowers:
"Use locally-grown, seasonal flowers! Seasonal flowers make environmental sense and look incredible as their quality far surpasses flowers shipped from abroad. Work with a design company (like ours!) that prioritizes using locally-grown flowers in their work. Add your own twist to your wedding by curating your own vessel collection. Cull from thrift and vintage stores or by visiting wedding and event upcycling websites."
--Molly Culver of Molly Oliver Flowers
4. The Music:
"Meet with your DJ and discuss your tastes in detail. I have my clients fill out a request list with different sections for each part of the day. My clients can pick songs for prelude, cocktail hour, dinner, and dancing, along with specific choices for any traditions (first dance, parent dances, cake cutting, last song). The more selections you give and discuss with your DJ, the more personalized your wedding will be. Also, make a "do NOT play" list. Nothing will wreck your party more than your DJ playing songs you don't enjoy. This part of the process is as important as the request list, and it helps your DJ understand your tastes and keep your guests on the dance floor. Don't let a generic guide determine your wedding soundtrack; go with songs you truly love and embrace your tastes. Having fun with the playlist for the entire event will make for a truly personalized celebration."
--James Mulry of DJ James Mulry
5. The Event Design:
"Consider doing something fun like creating a logo or coat of arms that's completely custom-made for you as a couple. Consider featuring your pets, including your initials in a fun font, or even incorporating the place you met or fell in love. You can also use your new family name! Then use the custom design throughout your wedding—on customized tote bags for your welcome bags, on matchbooks or beer cozies as favors, on wine labels and cocktail napkins during your cocktail hour, on fun temporary tattoos for your guests, or have it printed on a chalkboard or welcome sign. The possibilities are pretty much endless! It is way more fun and unique than just doing a pre-printed outline from a website or plain, old initials. Your guests will love it and it really ties your event together!"
--Tatiana Jones of Whimsy Weddings 6. The Cake:
"If you plan on creating a cookie table or cake display at your reception, consider reaching out to your family members to borrow (or even keep!) their vintage or heirloom cake plates. This way, you can add meaning and a personal touch to your dessert settings. Also consider working with a local designer to create a unique logo that can be stamped on a linen bag or craft paper box, and then pack each to-go container with a delicious treat as a gift for your guests at the end of the night."
--Kristina Gish of Ovenly 7. The Photography:
"Ultimately weddings are about the unique relationship you and your partner have and about your friends and family all coming together to celebrate YOU. The most important part of personalizing your wedding is forgetting about what you think it "should be" and to allow yourself to be there in the moment. Soak up the love that surrounds you and feel that joy. Once the wedding day arrives it is time to forget about the details and focus on what a wedding is about: love and fun. Focus on that and your pictures will be beautiful reflections of your inner joy."
--Levi Stolove of Levi Stolove Photography
1. The Ceremony Decor:
"An excellent way for couples to personalize their wedding decor is with a ceremony backdrop. It's an easy way to create a big visual impact, and it allows the couple to express their personal style or incorporate their color palette. Floral backdrops are very popular as are fabric or ribbon installations. But your backdrop can be as simple or as complex as the wedding dictates. An added bonus? Your ceremony backdrop can be re-purposed into a photo booth backdrop during the reception! Make sure to choose materials that photograph well with a flash and won't distract from the main attraction...you!"
--Michelle Bablo of Michelle Bablo Design Studio
2. The Invitations:
"I encourage all nearly-weds to not get too caught up in formalities and etiquette. Your invitation (or save the date) is the first glimpse into your special day that your guests get, so I believe it’s very important that what makes each couple unique shows through. We’ve come a long way from yesteryear when there was only one way to word your invitations and rules you had to follow to be proper. If your hubby-to-be’s name is Theodore but no one calls him that and he prefers Teddy, then use Teddy. You don’t have to use to your middle names. You don’t have to list both sets of parents if you’re footing the bill for your own wedding. You don’t have to address your envelopes using formal prefixes (like Mr. and Mrs.) if you don’t want to. Throw out the rules! Don’t settle on doing anything that feels stuffy and doesn’t feel good for you. Get creative with modern fonts, casual wording, bright & bold colors. If there’s a song lyric that really speaks to you as a couple, consider printing it in your program. In general your guests will embrace you being you. Worrying about etiquette is stress you don’t need."
--Tara Arjona of Dea + Bean Invitations and Paper Goods
3. The Flowers:
"Use locally-grown, seasonal flowers! Seasonal flowers make environmental sense and look incredible as their quality far surpasses flowers shipped from abroad. Work with a design company (like ours!) that prioritizes using locally-grown flowers in their work. Add your own twist to your wedding by curating your own vessel collection. Cull from thrift and vintage stores or by visiting wedding and event upcycling websites."
--Molly Culver of Molly Oliver Flowers
4. The Music:
"Meet with your DJ and discuss your tastes in detail. I have my clients fill out a request list with different sections for each part of the day. My clients can pick songs for prelude, cocktail hour, dinner, and dancing, along with specific choices for any traditions (first dance, parent dances, cake cutting, last song). The more selections you give and discuss with your DJ, the more personalized your wedding will be. Also, make a "do NOT play" list. Nothing will wreck your party more than your DJ playing songs you don't enjoy. This part of the process is as important as the request list, and it helps your DJ understand your tastes and keep your guests on the dance floor. Don't let a generic guide determine your wedding soundtrack; go with songs you truly love and embrace your tastes. Having fun with the playlist for the entire event will make for a truly personalized celebration."
--James Mulry of DJ James Mulry
5. The Event Design:
"Consider doing something fun like creating a logo or coat of arms that's completely custom-made for you as a couple. Consider featuring your pets, including your initials in a fun font, or even incorporating the place you met or fell in love. You can also use your new family name! Then use the custom design throughout your wedding—on customized tote bags for your welcome bags, on matchbooks or beer cozies as favors, on wine labels and cocktail napkins during your cocktail hour, on fun temporary tattoos for your guests, or have it printed on a chalkboard or welcome sign. The possibilities are pretty much endless! It is way more fun and unique than just doing a pre-printed outline from a website or plain, old initials. Your guests will love it and it really ties your event together!"
--Tatiana Jones of Whimsy Weddings 6. The Cake:
"If you plan on creating a cookie table or cake display at your reception, consider reaching out to your family members to borrow (or even keep!) their vintage or heirloom cake plates. This way, you can add meaning and a personal touch to your dessert settings. Also consider working with a local designer to create a unique logo that can be stamped on a linen bag or craft paper box, and then pack each to-go container with a delicious treat as a gift for your guests at the end of the night."
--Kristina Gish of Ovenly 7. The Photography:
"Ultimately weddings are about the unique relationship you and your partner have and about your friends and family all coming together to celebrate YOU. The most important part of personalizing your wedding is forgetting about what you think it "should be" and to allow yourself to be there in the moment. Soak up the love that surrounds you and feel that joy. Once the wedding day arrives it is time to forget about the details and focus on what a wedding is about: love and fun. Focus on that and your pictures will be beautiful reflections of your inner joy."
--Levi Stolove of Levi Stolove Photography
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