As I always say to my clients, if you have the guts to go with a wedding theme, then it really makes the night better. As you can see, at a recent hockey theme wedding I was the DJ for in Altamont NY, the bride and groom did just that. I hope the pictures help you with your planning!
ENCOURAGING UGLY SWEATERS AT YOUR CHRISTMAS WEDDING
Yes. While some people cherish the formal tux and gown wedding, others dare to be different. That’s right… The Ugly Sweater Wedding…
If you are looking for something different than the typical tuxedo wedding, “it’s the most wonderful time of the year” …for ugly sweaters. What could make your alternative Christmas wedding better than a a bunch of friends gathering in bad Bill Cosby-like knit tops?
The Ugly Sweater
I recently had an Ugly Sweater wedding to DJ for, and found that it was one of the most fun ones I ever serviced because of the attire alone. People searched high and low for their knitted outfits and it was like a fashion show of foolishness.
This helped everyone unwind and loosen up quick and made them READY TO PARTY from the get-go.
HOW TO PLAN UGLY SWEATER WEDDING
1) CREATE EASY PLANNING – Selecting a theme makes your wedding chapter write itself. A Christmas wedding theme brings all the details together and makes planning easy. Starting from invitations, to the cake, to the centerpieces and even onto the music, everything will fall together in the spirit of the Christmas season. And if you want it to be a night to remember – add sweaters.
2) DRESS CODE – Right in your invitations, tell people this is what you want. Let them know to shop for your sweaters early. If you hit the thrift shops in December, you will be too late. Start looking and have guests look in July! (I recently tried to find one the first week in December, and every thriftstore in the area had two or three college kids and office party hopefuls looking for the same things right next to me. Slim pickings!)
3) KEEP THE BRIDE LOOK – Brides, one thing to keep in mind, the bride should still look like a bride for picture reasons, but also opt for epic yarn sweetness as an accessory.
Before you met your significant other, if you were best friends with your laptop, and if Siri was the only woman willing to talk to you without being paid, then this wedding cake article could be for you.
Since you are reading this, you are probably finally about to boldly go where no man has gone before. This probably means that you have finally met that special someone – that person who “gets it.”
Getting married is a bond of love that should last for ever. If you are now really ready to move out of mom’s basement and start planning your wedding, there are ways to make your wedding really reflect who you and your spouse are.
Whether you fell in love because you both like superheroes, outer space, steam-punk, middle-earth or Japanese Anime, you can have a the perfect wedding cake that encircles your geeky passions if you look hard enough for it.
Don’t adjust your band-aid-taped glasses, because below is an extensive look of cake ideas that could help you figure out the right cake for you!
I am versatile. I have done a couple of country / rustic weddings over the last few weeks and had NO problem dropping the tech look to make it work. Rather than my regular sweet DJ booth, I went for the barrel look here at a fun wedding at Burlap and Beams of Athol, NY.
This venue had some great old barrels available and we took advantage of it and made it work! A rustic theme can really make your wedding a success.
BARN VENUES – There are a few great “barn” venues in the Albany, NY area to consider, if wanting this rustic feel. One as we said is Burlap & Beams. ANother is Pat’s Barn in Troy NY , and another is The Pruyn House in Latham, NY.
Here are a few pictures to give you some ideas.
Wagon for Flower girl
Antique Decor
Suitcase Card Holder
Old loved ones pictures
For more ideas including crafty crepe paper flowers and a do-it-yourself rustic photo booth click here -> COUNTRY THEME WEDDING in ALBANY
If you liked this, please consider us to DJ your event! Call Ken at 518-506-3305
Here is a 10-year-old “Princess Theme Birthday” that we were the DJ for at Saratoga Springs, NY’s Museum of Dance. They had a princess dress up booth/photo booth, colorful uplights, a great twisty balloon maker (Balloon Girl Jenny
Princess Theme Birthday DJ at Saratoga Museum of Dance
) and also our DJ set up!
SOME PRINCESS BIRTHDAY IDEAS
“Princess Parade” – Have all the girls come in costume as their favorite princess. Then have them line up outside the room and come into a big parade. I used IZ’s “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” as the music backdrop.
Group Photo Opp – Have all of the kids and parents line up in a horseshoe formation with the birthday girl in the middle. Take a number of fun shots!
Coloring Contest – Photocopy a number of different princess-related pages out of Disney coloring books for a great table pastime.
Twisty balloons rule!
Lip Sync – We had the girls sing into inflatable microphone (much like the inflatable guitars) along to the new Frozen movie.
Limbo – You can never go wrong with the limbo!
Twisty Balloons – New twisty balloon sculptures are like never before! Check out this “Little Mermaid” ballon. It really puts a twist on the idea of old ballon twisting and it is also a work of art!
If you are planning an outside wedding and are really into the rustic crafty country look, I just did a wedding at Lakeside Farms Pavillion in Ballston Lake, NY. The bride and groom really got into the theme and did a super job. Here are a few of their crafty little ideas.
MESSAGE TABLECLOTHS – This bride and groom wanted a crafty feel for their wedding, so in addition to making their own flowers they used nicely decorated brown paper for their tablecloths. Then, they actually wrote each guests name on the place setting and encouraged their guests to write messages of well wishes on their tables throughout the night.
Tea Candles
Burlap Runners
Provide Crayons for Guests To Write With
Guests Write Messages on The Tablecloth
At the end of the reception, they rolled up the messages like giant scrolls with the intent to publish all of the messages on their special wedding web site that they had created for the event.
Custom Wedding Photo Backdrop
CUSTOM CRAFTY PHOTO BACKDROP – This next idea is very novel and acts as both decor and entertainment. My bride and groom also created and painted their own custom backdrop for photos, borrowing from the photobooth idea. The difference here is it had their names, the wedding date and other important tidbits splattered all over it
What this couple decided to do to create their custom backdrop was to make a tri-fold chalkboard-looking bacadef by hinginging three pieces of plyboard together. The boards were painted in black and decorated by white writing and designs.
To add to the entertainment value of this decoration, they also left a box of silly costume accessories and props for the guests to use while posing in front of their creation. Some things in the box included feather boas, crazy hats and even costume jewelry.
Finally, they strategically placed their crafty backdrop in a corner and let the fun begin.
Mini Chalk Board Table Signs with Flowers
CREPE PAPER FLOWERS EVERYWHERE – Who says you need to spend a fortune on flowers? The crafty bride and groom at this particular wedding made all of their own flowers out of pink and white crepe paper. It was really quite impressive.They covered the whole pavillion with baskets bouquets and bunches of these decorations, and even hung massive ones form the rafters. Any flat surface was subjected to the pink and white attack.
Each flower was different. Some were solid colors, other were multi-colored. Some flower arrangements were tiny and placed and displayed in baskets, while others where giant blooms were attached to actual tree branches!
What a great idea! Below is a video on how to actually make a crepe paper flower, yourself. Enjoy!
