What Could Go Wrong?

The Victorian House is holding its monthly 'Save the Bride' event today and the theme is "What Could Go Wrong?"  After close to 650 weddings, I've seen miscues and mistakes galore, and for the most part, it hasn't mattered a bit.  When you bring together the various ideas, vendors, and people that a wedding combines, you are bound to have some things that don't go to plan.  But that can be a beautiful thing!  You want your day to be unique- to almost have a life of its own.  If you prepare for the big things that my go wrong and don't sweat the little ones that do, your day will be like no other wedding day, as unique and memorable as the love that you and your future husband or bride have for each other!

Samantha Duran of The Grove at Southcreek wrote down the following possible issues and advice to alleviate them, and it is great advice from a coordinator who deals with things like these week in and out:

·       The little things:  Hair out of place; minor spills?  Solution:  These problems are easily manageable when your maid of honor, mother, groomsmen or wedding coordinator provides an EMERGENCY WEDDING KIT.   Having bobby pins, tide bleach sticks, matches, tissues, deodorant, Tylenol, tape, bottled water, band-aids, etc handy could save a “bridezilla” moment…or two J

·       Bride feeling faint:  Brides need to remember to EAT in the morning.  Of course feeling too full or bloated is never good before trying to slip into a wedding dress, but plain, nutritional food is essential in getting through a long day of hair, makeup, photos and dancing (and of course, that whole marriage thing!).   Examples: smoothies, light breakfast foods, salad, and WATER.

·       Décor disasters:  When the bridal party is spending all day getting ready, it is easy to miss the vendor deliveries if there is not a wedding coordinator present or someone at the venue to greet them and double check that everything is ok.  Sometimes, even if incorrect orders are caught, it is too late to change anything.  If a cake turns out more blue that it should, or the caliliies end up being daisies, this could be a potential disaster.  Preparing ahead of time by triple checking orders when made, having a point of contact handle the deliveries with ample time to fix a problem should it arise are a few ways to steer clear of disaster.

·       Weather, oh weather:  The solution to the outdoor ceremony fear of bad weather is always PLAN B.  Can the ceremony be moved to an inside location?  Can a tent be rented in enough time as the forecast predicts? 

·       The overall riding solution to what could go wrong is to have the attitude that NOTHING IS PERFECT.  Weddings should be, and are, perfectly imperfect.  Someone sneezes during toasts, Uncle Bob had one too many martinis, or the flower girl cries the whole way down the aisle.  At the end of the day, all that matters is that vows are exchanged and that a new life together was created; no matter the surrounding circumstances.

Samantha Duran- The Grove at South Creek   

Liz & Chris at the Kerak Temple with Quality Event Design

Arriving at the Kerak Hall

Had a great reception last night at the Shriner Kerak Hall, next to Channel 2 in Reno.  It was my first time playing there and I arrived early and had to wait for the bartender to arrive to open the hall up.  When we went in, he and his helper both exclaimed "Wow!" as Chrissie from Quality Event Design had really outdone herself.  The room was transformed into a winter wonderland with draping, lighting and LED- lit centerpieces that glowed when we came in.  She really thought of everything- snowflakes hanging from the ceiling, candles for the head table and white lights strung everywhere.  The bartender said it was the best decorated event he'd ever worked there.  I took a pic or two, but I am a way better DJ than I am a photographer, so the pix don't do the place justice.  Spectacular.

Cupid Shuffling

The reception was attended by over 200 people and it was such a fun crowd.  Chris & Liz arrived and went immediately into their first dance, "My Best Friend" by Tim McGraw.  After a delicious Italian dinner some great toasts were made starting with the Best Man Josh, with an amazing toast by Chris' dad Gary, and ending up with Chris & Liz.  Then the dancing started in earnest with some special dances and then open dancing.  The Money Dance was very memorable and lots of people took advantage of some one-on-one time with the bride or groom.  The Anniversary Dance was special as well, with the last couple on the dancefloor celebrating 46 years of marriage.  I felt really honored to be a part of Liz & Chris' big day and their bridal party, family & friends made me feel so welcome- like I was a guest instead of a professional they had hired.  Congrats Chris & Liz and also to Chrissie from Quality Event Design who really went above and beyond with all the details!

Chris, Liz & Chrissie

Tommy & Randee at D'Andrea Golf Club with Zinser Photography

Receptions at D'Andrea are always special with the thoughtful staff, delicious food, and breathtaking views and when you pair these things up with a gorgeous bride, a terrific groom and some great Victorian House vendors, you have a guaranteed phenomenal evening.

Randee was stunning in her dress from Alfred Angelo and the rest of the bridal party looked amazing as well.  When I played "Canon in D" by the Angels of Venice, she emerged from around the balcony and there was an audible intake of breath and a huge smile on Tommy's face.  The wedding was officiated by Pastor Kris Dahir who always does an exceptional ceremony and it was a very memorable one.

Taking much better pictures than these were Evan and Kinsey Zinser of Zinser Photography.  They are awesome wedding photographers and just great people to boot.  They treat every event they photograph as if it were their own family and regularly go above and beyond to exceed their clients' expectations.

One of Randee & Tommy's more unique ideas was to have the rest of the bridal party enter to the theme from "Star Wars", a very regal and upbeat song.  But then they entered to the "Imperial March" from The Empire Strikes Back, which everyone cheered and loved.

Randee and Yours Truly

Lots of popular dance songs were played, but I enjoyed the fact that Randee and her family really enjoyed '80s funk- Dazz Band, Kool & the Gang, Cameo etc.  so a lot of classic R&B and hip-hop was danced to.  Once again, thanks to Stef, Savannah and the rest of the super crew at D'Andrea, and congrats again to Tommy & Randee!

Dana & Frank at D'Andrea with Zinser Photography and Photobooth and Pastor Kristopher Dahir

What a magical ceremony and reception for Frank and Dana at D'Andrea Golf Club up in the hills overlooking Reno & Sparks!  I thought I'd be different this post and take pictures of Evan Zinser hard at work photographing the event.  He gets such amazing shots, and when I saw him shooting this one I just had to take a picture.  Dana is a beautiful woman, both inside and out, and framed by D'Andrea's glass doors, she looked positively ethereal.  Frank was no slouch either in his dress whites (see below), and together they were one of the best-dressed couples I've seen in 600+ weddings.

Another Victorian House member, Pastor Kristopher Dahir officiated the ceremony and it was special and memorable.  Pastor Kris has a way of calming nerves, interjecting a bit of humor, and leaving the assembled with an outstanding message that makes him heads above other officiants in the area.  I always am uplifted by his message of love and God, and his advice for relationships that everyone benefits from, not just the bride and groom.

After walking down the aisle to "Endless Love" and leaving as a married couple to "Kiss Me" by Sixpence None the Richer, the guests went inside to amazing appetizers and cold drinks passed out by the always exceptional D'Andrea staff.  Stef and her staff are top-notch: everyone is very friendly, efficient and truly invested in the flow and feel of the event. Shelby & Savannah lead a great bunch of waiters and cooks and I am always amazed at the hard work they all put in in front of and behind the scenes.  Also exceptional are the bartenders who adroitly dealt with the crush of an open bar and a hundred thirsty guests as soon as the ceremony was over, and kept everyone happy all night long.  They obviously enjoy their work and were dancing and playing air guitar behind the bar at times.  If you want an outstanding venue, with a killer view, amazing food, and a staff that treats you like family, D'Andrea is for you!

The toasts were memorable, especially Frank's at the end.  What a class guy, and what a great family he is marrying into!  Dana & Frank then started the dancing with "At Last" by Beyonce', and their dance lessons by Doug & Charlie of the Dancin' Partners really made it elegant and special.  The dance floor was rocking all night, and the guests loved the Zinser Photobooth staffed by Josh and the jars of candy on each table.  D'Andrea even had s'mores outside at the fire ring later in the evening.  It was an outstanding event, one I was privileged to be a part of.  Thanks & congrats Frank and Dana!