Wedding Planning
The Perfect Wedding Guide
17732 Highland Road
Suite G-206
Baton Rouge, LA 70810
Jeff & Sandi Boykin, Owners
Q:
I’ve just bought a beautiful gown and veil for my wedding. What about appropriate accessories? (My mother will be helping me.) Thanks.A:
Every bride needs to finish her look with the perfect accessories. From jewelry to shoes, and purses to ring bearer pillows, there is something available for every style. Once you purchase your wedding gown and veil start to look for your jewelry. Take a photograph of your gown with you when you shop so that your sales person can help you pick out the perfect earrings or necklace to complement your gown. Find out the shop’s return policy incase you decide you aren’t happy with your selection when you try the jewelry on with the gown (which you should do shortly after you make your purchase if possible). Shop early for your attendants’ jewelry as well as ring bearer pillows, flower girl baskets, guest book and pen. Don’t forget something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue! Pay close attention to your selections. You want a coordinated look rather than a bunch of items that look like they have been thrown together.Q:
How do I go about choosing the music for my ceremony?A:
The music you choose to walk down the aisle should reflect the overall feeling of your ceremony. A dramatic organ is wonderful for a church. A harp, flute, or string quartet is beautiful in a garden. If you are looking for something a bit unusual, consider a jazz trio with an upbeat tempo or even a bagpiper. Recorded music is also a good option if you need to cut some costs. Check with your DJ or ceremony location to see if they will provide a sound system and a person to run the music. Request several demo tapes of live musicians and a list of the music they play. Your musician will be able to help you choose the music that is perfect for you. If you are married in a church, there will typically be a music director who can help you with your selection. He will also be able to advise you of any music restrictions the church may have.Q:
I have family and friends coming in for my wedding in February. What arrangements am I responsible for?A:
Most weddings have out-of-town guests joining the celebration. It is important that you make their travel plans as simple as possible. You can send your guest a list of website addresses and telephone numbers of hotels convenient to your ceremony and reception sites, or you can block rooms for your guests at area hotels and send out reservation forms. You should send a save the date card to your out-of-town guests at least six months prior to the wedding. This will allow them enough time to research their traveling options. If you get a room block there is some terminology you should know. Hotel rooms are sold in terms of room nights. If you block ten rooms for two nights you will have twenty room nights. Your room contract will most likely have an attrition clause. This clause makes you responsible for a certain percentage of the rooms you block. If you have twenty room nights and your guests only use eighteen of them, you will be required to pay the difference.Q:
What is new in Wedding Cakes?A:
Wedding cakes have become works of art that rival museum sculptures and they come in just about any flavor you can imagine. Rolled fondant is the most popular frosting to put on wedding cakes. Fondant is what gives the cake a porcelain look. Trends in wedding structure and decor include copying the beading design of your wedding gown onto the cake, using different shaped tiers and covering the cake in sugar flowers. You will rarely see a bride and groom sitting on the top of the cake, but cake jewelry in the form of a monogram is very hot. Think about your favorite dessert or candy bar, chances are your pastry chef can turn it into your wedding cake. Flavors like chocolate cake with chocolate and peanut butter filling, and pina colada with coconut and pineapple filling are replacing plain vanilla cake. Pastry chefs are also infusing flavor in frosting. What could be yummier than an almond cake with a delicate almond frosting on the outside and chocolate filling on the inside?Q:
May I please get the rule on wedding announcements?A:
Announcements are an important part of your stationery trousseau. Traditionally, when someone is sent an invitation, that someone is expected to send a gift. If you have family and friends who you know live too far away or whose health may not permit them to attend the wedding, it is most proper to send them an announcement so that they are formally informed of your marriage, but they are not obligated to send you a gift. You may also send an announcement to reduce your guest list. The announcement will remind the recipient that he is special to you, even though you were not able to invite him to the wedding. Announcements are worded similarly to your invitations and are typically on the same card stock. They should also be addressed with the same formality of your invitations. You should assign someone reliable to send your announcements on the wedding day. With the exception of Sunday weddings, your announcements should be postmarked on your actual wedding date.Q:
All of my friends who’ve gotten married in the last two years have chosen very traditional white layered cakes. I’m more modern. What are my options for a modern wedding cake?A:
When it comes to your wedding, a modern wedding cake can be as elegant as a traditional one. Gone are the days of mandatory multi-tiered white cakes. Why limit yourself, your wedding cake should be a beautiful work of confectioner’s art. After all, its design and detail will live in photographs as well as the memories of friends and family. Although essential, there’s more to consider than just good taste. Exotic flavors, textures and shapes can add romance and reflect your sophistication and sense of style. Bakers are more than prepared to create modern wedding cakes with only your imagination limiting you. Good luck!Q:
Who chooses first, the mother of the bride or the mother of the groom, and what color should their dresses be?A:
If the parents of the bride are taking over the traditional role financially in the wedding, the mother of the bride decides on the formality of the mother’s dresses. If however, the mother of the groom has assumed that responsibility for the wedding she makes the decision. (This often happens when the mother of the bride is deceased or not participating.) As for as color, whatever she looks best in! This is the second most photographed event in her life after her own wedding and she needs to look her best. Be sure to choose a color that will actually photograph, realizing that many colors shown in catalogs and magazines have had to be color enhanced to actually show up.Q:
Where can I find a copy of the Perfect Wedding Guide?A:
We maintain nearly 200 distribution locations around Baton Rouge, Lafayette, the Northshore and surrounding areas. An alphabetized listing can be found on our website.