Monday, November 28, 2022

Irish Prayers and Blessings for Your Wedding

You certainly don’t have to be Irish or have distant Irish Heritage to appreciate the sentiment of an Irish wedding blessing! But, if you have Irish heritage, you can embrace it on your wedding day by including a collection of well-loved blessings or maybe even prayers, spread throughout the celebration. 

Just make sure you select your ceremony blessings with care and keep the more lighthearted (or inappropriate) verses for after the wedding formalities, because, while some Irish blessings might not quite be appropriate for a ceremony, they can certainly add some humor to the less formal reception!

Your first task will be to distinguish the Irish Prayers from the Blessings. In the simplest description, a prayer is considered a direct conversation with God or a higher power. During a prayer you can ask for something for yourself and others and maybe even offer praise and gratitude, while a blessing is a form of prayer, typically requested on behalf of another. It’s a subtle but distinct difference. 

Your next task is to decide who will recite the reading, and when the prayer will be included in the wedding mass or ceremony. This honor is typically reserved for family, godparents, or very close friends, and generally a prayer would be recited early on in the ceremony, and possibly as part of the welcome address or even the sermon. While a blessing is generally recited towards the end of the ceremony after most of the big formalities have been completed.

Irish blessings at weddings are used as a way to send the newly married couple off into the world with overflowing positivity, and typically whoever is officiating the wedding would give the final blessing, but alternatively, a very close friend or family member could also recite the blessing. If you need further guidance on this, be sure to talk to your priest, as they will be your best reference when planning out your wedding mass and ceremony. 

With all of that fresh in your mind, here are a few of the most uplifting Irish Wedding Blessings and Prayers!

Irish Wedding Prayer

“By the power that Christ brought from heaven, mayst thou love me.

As the sun follows its course, mayst thou follow me.

As light to the eye, as bread to the hungry, as joy to the heart, may thy presence be with me, oh, one that I love,’til death comes to part us asunder.”

Excerpt from St. Patrick’s Prayer:

“I arise today, through the strength of heaven, the light of the sun, the radiance of the moon, the splendor of fire, the speed of lightning, the swiftness of wind, the depth of the sea, the stability of the earth, the firmness of rock.

I arise today, through God’s strength to pilot me, God’s might to uphold me, God’s wisdom to guide me, God’s eye to look before me, God’s ear to hear me, God’s word to speak for me, God’s hand to guard me, God’s shield to protect me, God’s host to save me from snares of devils, from the temptation of vices, from everyone who shall wish me ill, afar and near.”

Irish Wedding Blessings

“May love and laughter light your days and warm your heart and home. May good and faithful friends be yours, wherever you may roam. May peace and plenty bless your world with joy that long endures. May all life’s passing seasons bring the best to you and yours!”

“May joy and peace surround you both, contentment latch your door, and happiness be with you now, and God bless you evermore. May you live your life with trust, and nurture lifelong affection, May your lifelong dreams come true for you, move ever that direction.”

“May God grant you always a sunbeam to warm you, a moonbeam to charm you, a sheltering angel so nothing can harm you. Laughter to cheer you, faithful friends near you. And whenever you pray, Heaven to hear you.”

“In good times and bad times, in sickness and health, may they know that riches aren’t needed for wealth. Help them face problems they’ll meet on their way—God bless this couple who marry today. May they find peace of mind comes to all who are kind, may the rough times ahead become triumphs in time, may their children be happy each day—God bless this family who started today. As they go, may they know every love that was shown, and as life it gets shorter may their feelings grow. Wherever they travel, wherever they stay, God bless this couple who marry today.”

“May your mornings bring joy and your evenings bring peace. May your troubles grow few as your blessings increase. May the saddest day of your future be no worse than the happiest day of your past. May your hands be forever clasped in friendship and your hearts joined forever in love. Your lives are very special, and God has touched you in many ways. May his blessings rest upon you and fill all your coming days.”

In closing we’ll leave you with one of our favorites:

 “May the blessings of each day be the blessings you need most.”

The post Irish Prayers and Blessings for Your Wedding appeared first on SCE Event Group.

Monday, November 21, 2022

The Perks of Hosting a Winter Wedding

While it might be too late to plan for a winter wedding this year, it’s just the right time to start planning your Winter 2023 Wedding! 

I know that most people think of the summer and early fall as prime wedding season, but winter weddings really have a lot going for them! It’s true! Yes, we know that summer weddings are stunning, but there really are a few downsides to consider when getting married at the height of summer! 

But, when you plan a winter wedding, you can avoid all of those downsides and get stunning snowy wedding photos, featuring holiday-themed wedding decorations, and more. But, if you’re not convinced, keep reading, because being a winter bride or groom is basically the best!

Reasons to get married in the winter…

Less Stress

One thing about winter weddings is the lack of stress about the weather since they do tend to take place inside. Whereas planning a wedding in the summer, the risk of rain, hail, wind and extreme heat can make the planning period stressful and potentially costly if you need to add a tent, or have a whole (weather related) back-up plan in place.

More Venue Date Availability and Better Rates

Most venues and vendors book up all their prime weekend spots quickly during the summer months, and they often come with a large price tag, whereas those same locations and vendors might be available for a lower price during the winter months of the shoulder season or off-season. Because the winter months aren’t as busy as others, the venue will also be able to focus more attention on your big day.

Bonus Decorations!

Although the festive time of year might not be the reason you chose a winter wedding, there are many benefits to a celebration aligned with the holiday season. It’s very likely that any venue you choose will already be decorated for the holiday season adding an even more celebratory feel to your special day. This is a huge bonus, because really, who doesn’t like twinkle lights?!

No Summer Wedding Season Fatigue

The spring and summer months can get so jam-packed with weddings that your family, friends, and guests can start to get a serious case of wedding celebration fatigue. Not to mention the cost of attending numerous weddings over the summer! 

But, a December, January, February, or March wedding is likely to be the only one your guests attend that season (unless of course, you’re living in the deep south or somewhere very warm), which makes it something that people will really look forward to. 

Something a Little Different

From your color palette to flowers, there are many elements of the season to inspire your theme! Meaning that your wedding decor will likely stand out in your guests memories, in a sea of peonies and summer brights. You can embrace the season even further by throwing cozy blankets over guests’ chairs, keeping them warm by serving a hot signature cocktail, like a rum toddy, cider or mulled wine, or even embracing nordic vibes by having an outdoor space available to your guests that includes patio heaters, fireplaces and cozy sheepskin rugs to sit on!

It’s the Best Weather for Black Tie Events

Really! If you’re planning a formal wedding, you can bet you’ll hear much less complaining from your wedding party and guests in black-tie attire when it’s cold outside. Tuxedos really aren’t meant for outdoor ceremonies and cocktail hours in the blazing heat of the summer, however, they are definitely the perfect choice for indoor winter weddings!

You Won’t Be a Hot and Sweaty Mess

Some people really don’t deal well in the heat! The heat simply makes them irritated, cranky, and not to mention, a sweaty mess. If that’s you, or your loved ones, it might be best to embrace a winter wedding! Because, when it comes to weather, you can always add layers to combat the cold, but in the hotter months, well, there’s only so much you can take off and still be wedding (or publicly) appropriate.

Stunning and Magical Snowy Wedding Photos

If you’re lucky enough to be blessed with a sprinkling of snow ahead of or on your big day, your photographer can capture some absolutely stunning snowy wedding photos that’ll rival any sun-drenched summer photo!

The post The Perks of Hosting a Winter Wedding appeared first on SCE Event Group.

Monday, November 14, 2022

Planning an Epic Cocktail Party Reception

You and your fiancé have looked at all your options and have decided to embrace a cocktail party style reception for your wedding! Well, we think that’s Awesome! Some of the best parties we’ve been a part of have embraced the more informal (but no less amazing) cocktail style reception! And, it’s your wedding, so if you’ve always wanted a wedding reception that feels like one big party, we say… Go for it!

So without any further ado, here’s a quick list of tips and tricks to bring out the fun and absolutely rock your cocktail party celebration!

The food is always a really big part of a cocktail style wedding – it truly is one of the main features – even more so than during a sit down dinner where there are lots of other distractions and formalities. As such, there are many opportunities in the choice of hors d’oeuvres, food bars, desserts, and late night stations to have fun and tailor the entire menu to your (and your fiancé’s) family heritage or traditions or  maybe even your sparkling personalities!

Keep the food coming throughout the evening! Seriously! People will be dancing and enjoying cocktails and will burn off all of those hor d’oeuvres and smaller bites fairly quickly. And, you never want your guests to feel the need to leave because they’re hungry! And, trust us, too many cocktails with too little food isn’t a recipe for a fun party, it’s usually a recipe for an early night!

Even Though you’re having a cocktail party style reception, it’s best to still include some comfy and inviting seating nooks or areas and likely even a small collection of tables and chairs. Your older guests, and guests with young children will appreciate a place to sit, have a break and chat while they have a bite to each. You seriously don’t want your guests to leave so that they can sit down and take a rest, so give them the opportunity to do that in your celebration space, so they’re ready to get right back to partying!

If you want to have a great dance party, make sure your venue isn’t too big and cavernous! Ideally you want to hit that sweet spot where your reception doesn’t feel crowded and cramped, but still feels intimate. And, the same goes for your actual dance floor! People tend to feel a little shyer and a bit slower to warm up if the dance floor is too big or the guestlist isn’t big enough to fill it! Also, if you hire an awesome DJ (hint, hint), they will often need to bring more sound equipment to fill that large space, which could affect your bottom line as well as increasing set-up/tear-down time. 

Since you’re unlikely to have quite as many formal wedding reception elements in a cocktail style reception, you may need to tweak the wedding timeline. Sometimes shorter can sweeter when it comes to cocktail receptions. After all, guests will be coming ready to party and if they arrive at 6pm oftentimes a 6 hour cocktail reception can be too much without some of the more time consuming elements of a traditional reception. After all, of course you want our guests to come, mingle, celebrate, enjoy and party, but it’s always best to end the party on a high note! Sometimes the best parties leave the guests wanting just a little bit more. It’s kind of like having out of town guests… the best visits are the ones you find yourself wishing were just a little longer, the worst are ones that go on way too long.

You are, of course, welcome to take or leave our advice! And, always, always do what works best for you as a couple! But, these are some of the elements of the most successful cocktail style receptions we’ve been a part of, and we’ve been to quite a few over the years!

The post Planning an Epic Cocktail Party Reception appeared first on SCE Event Group.

Tuesday, November 8, 2022

9 Tips For Delivering a Killer Wedding Speech

When you think about all of the weddings you’ve been to, what does every absolutely killer wedding speech have in common?!  I bet your answer falls somewhere along the lines of “It had the right flow and it wasn’t too long!” 

So, if you have a wedding speech to write and deliver in the near future, and are feeling a little nervous, we recommend that you factor in some of the below guidelines to help you find your own short but sweet wedding speech flow!

Open With a Statement or  Maybe a Question

Don’t lead with a joke or a reference to how nervous you are. After all, the goal is to engage your audience, not make it a boring one-way message. And, it can be as simple as “Hello and welcome everyone. I hope you’re all having a great night so far.”

Address Your Audience

Focusing on yourself only enhances speech delivering nerves. Instead, it’s wise to concentrate on your audience and how you want to make them feel with your words. This will help you to speak from the heart, and will convey your gratitude for being chosen for such a special moment. Ideally you want to make the happy couple feel special while also engaging the audience.

Zero in a Few Important Points

We recommend that you select one to three aspects of the newlyweds that you love and appreciate, along with very simple, and succinct stories where the bride and groom are the heroes to illustrate your points. This is an excellent way to keep your message clear and focused. And, definitely avoid inside jokes and “You had to be there” stories, or you will lose your audience’s attention.

Rehearse, But Not TOO Much!

The better prepared you are, the more confident you will feel behind the podium and the better your speech will be. A good rule of thumb is to practice your speech enough that you can remember the most important points you want to make and the order in which you plan to make them. That will free you up to relax into the moment and make eye contact with some of the guests. But, don’t practice so much that you are simply reciting from memory, word for word. You want it to feel sincere, not canned!

Record Speech Practice

We suggest that you use your phone to take a video of yourself during your practice sessions. We know that it can feel a little uncomfortable to watch yourself, but you’ll be able to identify distracting mannerisms and body language. It will also help to weed out verbal pauses such as, ‘um,’ ‘uh,’ and ‘like’.” It’s also a good idea to practice your speech in front of someone else, as a second opinion can help you make your speech that much stronger.

Minimize Pre-Speech Cocktails

Although it may be tempting to look for a bit of liquid courage, alcohol definitely won’t do you any favors. But, if you really feel like you need a drink to loosen up the nerves or don’t feel like you can refrain from participating in other toasts, stick to one glass of Champagne or one cocktail before you address the crowd. Don’t let all your pre-speech prep go to waste by slurring your speech, or forgetting your most important points!

Be Yourself

Keep in mind that you’re not putting on a show, only sharing your personal perspective and well wishes. And, trying too hard to force the funny can yield the opposite of the desired effect! Remember this isn’t about you! To that end, we’ve noticed that keeping it short, sweet, heartfelt, and authentic and staying focused on the couple generates some of the most wonderful wedding speech moments. 

Don’t Embarrass the Newlyweds

It’s a wedding speech, not a roast! So, while this should go without saying, make sure you keep the bachelor or bachelorette party jokes out of it, and remember that grandma and your friends’ colleagues are in the audience!  It can be okay, at times, to look back at childhood and refer to something funny, but ask yourself this first… If the shoe was on the other foot, would you like 100-plus of your closest friends knowing that story about you?

Refer to Your Notes

Reading your speech straight from a piece of paper is absolutely a big no-no! However, having a couple of note cards handy is encouraged, and will make you feel more prepared. After all, you’re likely to feel a little nervous, excited, which can make you forget your lines. The audience won’t care if you glance at your notes from time to time. In fact, there’s a good chance they won’t even notice.

The post 9 Tips For Delivering a Killer Wedding Speech appeared first on SCE Event Group.

Tuesday, November 1, 2022

Divorced Parents? Blended Families? How to Keep Your Wedding Drama Free!

From the time you decide to tie the knot, to your wedding day, until the very last day of your honeymoon, is supposed to be a joyous, fun, happy and memorable era of your lives for you and your fiance! 

But wedding planning with divorced or separated parents on either side of the family can complicate things a little. Meaning an engaged couple might also need to also potentially navigate an emotional minefield of unspoken rules, misunderstandings, hurt feelings, with added stress and tension. 

For many couples these days, it’s increasingly common for one, or both, of them to have divorced parents, bonus parents and step Brothers and Sisters. And, seeing as they may not have separated or divorced on good terms, the situation is likely to call for increased sensitivity, diplomacy and boundaries!

Whether they’ve only separated recently or have been apart for many years, your wedding and your loving relationship can bring up a lot of strong, and sometimes unresolved, emotions for them. And, these feelings might take them by surprise in their strength and persistence!

Often this is not only the case for you, your fiancé and your parents, but close family and friends may also experience the tension as both parties try to navigate each other, their emotions and the decisions that need to be made in the planning stages and also on the wedding day itself. 

It’s no wonder that wedding planning and trying to involve your divorced or separated parents can feel like it creates a lot of added pressure on you. It does! But, here’s a few ways to help take the pressure off!

Planning a Drama-Free Wedding

Enjoying your dream wedding day is still possible without unnecessary family drama stemming from your divorced, separated or remarried parents. 

First comes our absolute number one piece of advice! 

Decide, Set and Share your Expectations Early On!

Cutting through the sometimes complex dynamics between divorced, separated or remarried parents requires forward planning, with a healthy dose of sensitivity! 

To that end, generally speaking, when people are surprised or put on the spot, they’re more likely to bring other unproductive/unhelpful emotions out in the open too, especially on a grand, formal occasion like a wedding. 

The key is to be upfront with everyone as early as possible, meaning:

  • Keep tensions low by openly and honestly communicating your expectations to your parents and your wedding planner (if you have one) at the start of your wedding planning, or even directly after you announce your engagement.  
  • Talk individually with both of your parents and be upfront about your hopes and plans for them on your wedding day. 
  • Do not, in any circumstance, spring decisions and expectations on them in a group setting or with their ex-spouse in attendance.
  • Give a heads-up to your bridesmaids, wedding party, siblings, and other key family members who may be able to help to make any uncomfortable situations a little more bearable in the leadup and on the day.
  • Think about the pre-wedding gatherings and their impacts too; engagement parties, the hens/buck’s night, bridal shower and wedding dress shopping are also times and occasions you will need to consider the emotional impact of including (or excluding) one parent might have on the other.

Give Everyone Jobs

Humans can be strange! If you give them too much responsibility, they’re likely to be unhappy, but on the flip side, if you don’t give them any responsibility, they tend to feel like their contributions are unimportant or the relationship is not valued! 

So, for those parents not included in the ceremony entrance or processional, make sure to give them the opportunity to help with a different, but equally important, job and try to include your step-parents too, if applicable and possible!

From readings during the ceremony to toasts at your wedding reception, to helping set-up decor before the celebration, ask your parents and step-parents to help with tasks that make them feel involved and valued during the leadup to and on your wedding day. 

Be Strategic With Your Seating Plan

Allocating specific seats for (at least) your immediate families, from the ceremony right up to the reception, means that: 

  • Everyone knows where they need to be, 
  • No one is trying to second-guess what you want
  • Uncomfortable/problematic interactions are minimized
  • Everyone’s anxiety and/OR sense of authority is kept in check.

Bottom line: The less all they need to interact, the less there’ll be to worry about.

Be Mindful of Your Parent’s Feelings

Even though the wedding day is your day as a couple, it doesn’t happen in a vacuum! So, if you value your relationships with your parents and/or stepparents then it’s important to be sensitive to how they feel within reason! So, give everyone ample time to process their feelings and step away from your wedding planning, or your parents, for a while if you need to! This can really help to give you a little perspective when strong initial reactions to your decisions feel hurtful to them. Keep as calm as you can and try not to get caught in the middle of any high emotion or drama, and hold strong to the boundaries and list of non-negotiables you have decided on as a couple!

The post Divorced Parents? Blended Families? How to Keep Your Wedding Drama Free! appeared first on SCE Event Group.

All You Need to Know About 360 Photo Booths!

So, first things first, what do you know about 360 Photo Booths ?! If the answer is “Nothing!” keep reading and we’ll give you the lowdown ...