To assist with the planning, DiscJockeys.com has compiled an extensive list to help couples select music.

First Dance Music: First dance as husband and wife.
Father/Daughter Music: The dance between the new bride and her father.
Mother/Son Music: The dance between the husband and his mother.
Bridal Party Dances Music: The dance including the Bride & Groom, Bridesmaids & Groomsmen, and family members.
Cutting The Cake Music: Played while the Bride & Groom cut the cake.
Garter And Bouquet Toss Music: Played during the bouquet toss and garter toss.
Last Dance Music: The last song of the night for the Bride & Groom and their remaining guests.

Candle Lighting
Light is a powerful reminder that dark times do not last forever. The Olympic Torch, the infamous light at the end of the tunnel, candle-light vigils–all of these symbols work to keep our hope, faith, and love alive. Therefore, using the symbolic light can be the perfect way to remember a loved one. Light a candle during the ceremony; incorporate a moment of silence as you light it in respect to departed. If your venue has special regulations against fires, use a lantern or one of those battery-operated tealights. The flame doesn’t have to be real in order for the remembrance to be true.

Photos in Remembrance
Using photos to remember your loved ones is an excellent way to keep the mood light while showing your guests just who miss so much. You can create a special remembrance table and place all of the photos there. You can bring your surviving family members into the moment by having each of them place a complimentary flower on the table, either during a scripted portion of the event or throughout the day. Depending on the number of tables you have, you could use photos (marriage photos would be best) as centerpieces for the event. It’s a great way to show the continuity of love while giving a place of honor to those who came before.

Seat of Honor
A “Seat of Honor” at your wedding ceremony is a very direct way of letting everyone know that while this loved one is no longer with us physically, they are still present in spirit. The honorary chair may be decorated with flowers or any other appropriate item and is placed near the altar. Either the couple or the officiant can explain the meaning of the chairs during the ceremony.

Wedding Program Acknowledgment
If you don’t want an added physical or ceremonial element to remember your loved ones, then a simple acknowledgement in your wedding program should be the perfect solution. Simply insert a page of names you wish your guests to know, or have a running script of names boarder your program. Both options give you the opportunity to acknowledge your loved ones seamlessly and practically.

Play a Special Song
Mine is a family of music lovers. If a beloved song comes on the radio, chances are we know where we were, what we were doing, and who we were with when we first heard it. If your family is anything like mine, then a special song is probably the perfect way to bring your absent loved ones into the celebration. Whether poignant or vibrant, wistful or fun, choose a song that reflects how you remember those who are no longer here. If you wish to make them the center of the moment, incorporate a slide show to play with the song. If you want to make it a celebratory moment, ask your family to join you on the floor to dance in your loved one’s honor.

There are many ways to honor your loved ones on your special day. Just remember, if it is a true reflection of who they were to you, then it is probably the best way to remember them on the big day. And if you have some great ways to remember those you love, we’d love to hear them!

Happy Memorial Day to you and yours!

According to Peter O. Whiteley, Sunset senior writer, the best types of mats for this diy project are made of reeds, slender pieces of bamboo, twigs, or other natural materials that roll up easily.

Most place mats measure about 14 by 19 inches, so select a vase that stands 12 to 13 inches tall and are about 4 inches wide.

To make your vase:

1.Test-wrap your mat around the vase and mark where the ends overlap.

2. Cut off the extra so the ends of the mat butt together or overlap just slightly.

3. Retie any strings that may be woven through to keep your mat from unraveling.

4. Roll the mat snugly around the vase. Join the ends together here and there with pieces of slender wire.

The mat will become a tight-fitting sleeve that you can slide off when it is time to clean the vase.

Simply Candy Buffets is a part of the growing candy buffet business. If you have always wanted a candy buffet for your wedding, bridal or baby shower but were not thrilled about putting it together yourself, you can hire experts in your area to customize an assortment of sweets for your event. If you plan on doing it yourself, remember a few tips:

• Go for aesthetics. You will need more candy than you think your guests will actually consume to make sure the buffet has height, looks full and is a focal point.
• Select various sizes for your containers. This will add depth and show off your selections.
• Add cute labels monogrammed with your names or sweet sayings to personalize the buffet.
• Dress up the table with the same décor you are using throughout the event.
• Have fun with your color selection. A monochrome look can be just as beautiful as a mixture of colors.
• Don’t forget the favor bags and scoopers!

Down the Aisle:
I often joked with my mom about how stressful my wedding would be simply because I had 3 fathers, none of whom were as monumental to my life as she was. This is often the case when kids are raised by one parent after a divorce or separation. As such, the decision about who is to escort the bride during her trek down the aisle may not be an easy one to make. So I say, why not forego that choice. If your mom is the one you feel deserves the honor, then give it to her. If you have 3 fathers like I do, have them all escort you down the aisle. If you have a friend or family member who is more suited for the task, then let him/her complete it. The aisle walk is no longer about “giving away” a daughter to a man’s family. It’s symbolic for the journey of two houses, two families coming together, and the person or people most important to you shouldn’t be excluded from that moment.

Family Dance:
Traditionally, the father/daughter dance and the more modern mother/son dance are the next biggest dances after the newlyweds’ first dance. As with the walk down the aisle, such moments can be awkward or difficult when familial bonds aren’t so cut and dry. So, why not nix both dances and have a single dance in which all family members converge upon the dance floor for a massive groove session? This will ensure a good time without leaving any person in particular feeling snubbed.

Honorary/Family Table:
Seating at the reception is a big deal. Typically, 2 tables are reserved close to the head table for parents, grandparents and other close family members. This can be trouble if you have feuding parents, grandparents, and/or step-parents. There are two ways that you can possibly pull-off a harmonious event in this situation. The first is to completely do away with the honorary tables. Organize the tables so that the head table is center and equal distance to all of them. Leave seating unarranged so that individuals who do not wish to sit together do not have to, and individuals who desire to sit together may do so. The second option is to either have one huge family table for parents, grandparents, step-parents, and others or have 3 or more tables close to the head table. Other family members can act as buffers between warring factions of your family, or the extra tables can help them steer clear of each other while maintaining their honorary position.

Weddings are supposed to be about unity, family, and above all love. When you feel a traditional practice takes away from either of those key elements, it is a good sign that you should break with that tradition. Your bond and your big day will be all the more special because of it.

We support indy designers and Made For You, Just By Me caught our eye with these unique table numbers.

Description

You’ve just found your wedding/event’s table numbers! These luminaries are designed specifically for you. They’re unique, pretty, and useful as well! They are Made For You, Just By Me.

These luminaries are 8-1/2″ tall and measure about 3-1/4″ in diameter. If you’d like these elegant table numbers to arrive at your doorstep ready-to-use, shown above as is or customized, they’ll only cost you $3 each plus shipping. Shipping typically costs between $6-8/box (each box typically can hold between 10-16 luminaries). All you need to do is unpack these beauties and place them over a votive candle that’s inside a glass holder. They are quite sturdy and self-standing.