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Miscellaneous Details

Wedding Party Transportation

Today wedding parties are finding original modes of transportation ranging from limousines to horse drawn carriages, Lamborghini's to hot air balloons, a vintage Rolls Royce to a bus. There are many options available.

Traditional Order of Procession To and From the Church

There are traditionally three cars. The bride's mother, Maid of Honour, and a couple of attendants arrive in the first car. The second car carries the rest of the attendants. The third car carries the bride and her father. The groom and his attendants should arrange their own transportation to the church beforehand.

Order of Procession after the Ceremony

The bride and groom leave together in the car the bride and her father arrived in. The second car is for the parents of the bride and groom, and the rest of the bridal party leave in the third car.

 Questions to ask when booking your transportation:

  • Are the vehicles available to view prior to the wedding?
  • What is the minimum rental time?
  • What about overtime availability and costs?
  • Are there mileage limits?
  • What is the deposit amount and when is the remainder due?
  • Cancellation policies?

Remarriage

In approximately 46% of weddings today, the bride or groom has been previously married. As remarriages become more common, wedding etiquette regarding size and ceremony has become much more flexible. For example, a second wedding can be larger and more elaborate than the first if desired. However, there are special conditions that need to be considered.

Announcements: Children of the couple should be the first to know, then their parents, friends and relatives.

Invitations: Invitations are printed for large or formal remarriages; after a private ceremony, send announcements. The invitation's wording should fit the circumstances properly.

Ceremony: If you want to be remarried in a church, contact your clergy member right away, as certain remarriage regulations must be followed for religious services. Regardless of the ceremony size, the children of the bride or groom may participate as attendants. The bride is escorted (the bride is never "given away" a second time) by her father, brother, son or her husband to be, or may walk down the aisle on her own.

Attire: Only two guidelines should be followed by the bride: she should never wear either a full face veil (it symbolizes virginity) or a long train (still exclusively worn by first brides). Otherwise, the bride can wear any color or style of wedding dress. The groom should follow the bride's lead - he can wear anything from a tuxedo to jeans.

Honeymoon: One necessity for any remarriage is a honeymoon. A practical way to solidify a new family is to split the honeymoon in half: the newlyweds spend half the time alone and can be joined for the other half of their honeymoon by their children, if desired.

The Gift Opening

Your wedding does not end right after the reception. The day following the exchanging of vows is traditionally when the gift opening is held. This gathering often takes the form of a champagne breakfast, light brunch, or afternoon tea. The gift opening can take place in a variety of locations, from the home to the hall where the reception was held.

When opening the gifts, have someone record who each gift is from (usually the maid/matron of honour), to ensure that all gift givers are properly thanked.

Wedding Gown Preservation

After your magical day, what do you do with your wedding gown? You paid dearly for it and you’re sure to feel extremely sentimental about it. Your wedding gown also has major heirloom potential. While preservation is done after the wedding, you should have a plan in place beforehand. Wedding gown preservation can be done at anytime, the sooner after the wedding, the better. Quickly preserving your dress means there is less of a chance for staining, or damage due to improper storage. 

Come up with a list of reputable wedding gown preservationists and do your research before the wedding. This gives you a change to create your list in a relaxed manner rather than in hurried desperation. Check references from friends; look them up with the Better Business Bureau and find out exactly what they offer, as each company is different.

Wedding gown preservation is a process completed by trained professionals who carefully clean your gown, remove stains, and repair any damage that might have occurred. These specialists know the proper techniques for cleaning bridal fabrics and working with the beading, pearls or jewels that might be on your dress.

After it has been thoroughly cleaned, your gown undergoes a safe chemical treatment to prevent “aging” of the dress; i.e.: yellowing and deterioration. Your gown is then placed into airtight packaging to further protect it. If you want to get your gloves, headpiece or veil preserved as well, most shops can do this along with your wedding gown. Some shops also include this in the price with your wedding gown, so make sure to find out.

Flower Preservation

Your beautiful bridal bouquet won’t last forever, unless you get it preserved. If you want to find someone who’ll do a great job of preserving your flowers, you’ll need to be prepared to ask lots of questions of potential candidates. How do they preserve their flowers? They should have a few different methods, as some flowers work better with freeze drying and others work better with sand. Do they guarantee their work?

Don’t forget that you will need to let your florist know that you plan on preserving your flowers so that they are as fresh as possible.

After the wedding day, keep your wedding flowers refrigerated and in water to prevent them from opening any further. If possible, have your flowers picked up from your reception. It saves you time and worry. Remember to check if there is a fee for this service. Try to keep some greenery in your bouquet; it adds a nice finishing touch.

Some flowers preserve better than others. Here is a list for you:

  • Roses: Excellent (Ask your florist for roses that will have a sculptured look, medium to large size)
  • Alstromaris: Fragile (These become transparent)
  • Casablanca Lilly: Excellent
  • Calla Lilly: Excellent
  • Carnations: Excellent
  • Delphinium: Excellent
  • Dahlia: Fragile (Shatters easily)
  • Freesia: Fragile (Shrinks and becomes transparent)
  • Gardenia: Excellent
  • Hydrangea: Excellent
  • Lilac: Fragile (Shatters easily)
  • Lily of the Valley: Good
  • Dendrobium/Catelya Orchids: Excellent
  • Phallanopsis Orchids: Fragile (Becomes transparent)
  • Peonies: Excellent
  • Stargazer Lily: Excellent
  • Sunflower: Fragile (Shatters easily)
  • Tulips: Fragile (Shatters easily)