There are various options on how the wedding processional order should go.  But rememeber, it’s your wedding and at the end of the day, you are the one who needs to be happy with what you have created.  So, whether you choose to have a traditional religious ceremony in a church or a non- traditional ceremony in a reception hall or on a beach in Hawaii, most weddings will have a processional.  These days, people have many important people in their lives that they want to inclue in their wedding.  You may want to be given away by your sons or walked down the aisle by you biological father and step father… it’s is your choice to decide how you want this to flow.  As long as you are happy with it, thats all that counts.

Below, we have included a traditional Christian processional order, used commonly at LeSoiree, for you to use as a guide.  But, again, remember to be creative and think outside the box.

LeSoiree’s Ceremony Processional Order

1. The mothers of the bride and groom are generally escorted in by ushers before the processional begins
2. *Groomsman walks to the alter
3. *Bestman walks to the alter
4. Groom walks to the alter
5. Officiant walks to the alter
6. Junior Bridesmaids
7. Bridesmaids (alone or escorted by groomsmen)
8. *Maid of Honor
9. Flower girl & ring bearer
10. Bride (escorted or alone)

*The alternative is to have groomsmen, bridesmaids, bestman and Maid/ Matron of Honor walk in pairs with the Maid/ Matron and Bestman walking in last in the pairs.

References: Martha Stewart, Bridal Guide

Planning and preparing for a wedding can be overwhelming. But there are some ways to wind down and have fun before that ‘BIG DAY’. Many people these days plan pre- wedding activities, which is not very traditional but it’s a new way to incorporate family and friends, especially the ones traveling a far.

Depending on what day your wedding is scheduled and taking into consideration when most of your guests will be arriving, you may want to have just a day before wedding activity or a week long.

Wedding colors reflect the couples’ style as well as influence the mood of the wedding.

Wedding motifs may be based on the couples’ favorite colors. However, some couples’ favorite colors do not look very flattering when combined that is why some modern affianced couples would look to current color trends for inspirations.

There are various venue types and locations. For example: A botanical garden, church, reception hall, bed & breakfast, event mansions, and many more.

First you wanna think about how many expected guest you have? And remember, only about 3/4 of the people invited will show up. Decide if you want two separate venues, one for the ceremony and another for the reception. If separate, make sure to choose venues relatively close so that you don’t confuse your out- of- towers. And always make sure you have a few extra accommodations for those reception only guests. You will want to do a walk through of all the possible considered venues and maybe take pictures of each venue so that you don’t have to go off memory when it comes to the final pick. Also, be sure to compare prices for each venue and keep a list of yes & nos per venue to help make your decision a little easier.

When it comes to planning for an event. Whether it’s a wedding, birthday, shower or just a casual get together, you must be mindful of your time and abilities. Some projects at a glance, may seem minute, then once you take on that task…. BOOM!!

The most important thing you can do is Prioritize!!!!

Communicate with your fiance & come up with a reasonable budget. Don’t forget, if you have family who wants to help, get specifics on how they can help & factor that into your total budget. And don’t over do it, no one wants to go into debt just to get wedding. Be wise! After the budget is decided, create a priority list. 1. being must have and 10. being something you want but not necessarily needed (or something you have chosen to have but wont spend much on). This way, you know where the majority or your budget is going and why? For example: 1. Venue, 2. Food & beverage, 3. flowers.. etc.

For those of you planning a party and are on a very tight budget, money conscious or just looking to create your own inexpensive favors, there are many things you can do. Favors are just a way of saying “Thank You” to the guest who showed up at your event. Whether its a birthday party, wedding, cocktail hour or corporate function.

LeSoiree planned an Engagement party this month and favors were not required, per the budget. However, “WE” believe in some form of “thank you’s”, so we decided to incorporate some favors into the budget.

One of the most popular sweet 16 themes is the ‘Glow’ theme.  For teenagers, it’s different, fun and exciting.  With this glow theme, its really very easy to plan an intimate gathering for his or her friends.

To save money, pick a large room in your home, like the basement, something with doors or areas that can be blocked off.  If a venue is in the budget, choose an all inclusive banquet hall, nothing too big.