Photo By Matthew Morgan

For this vintage ceremony they hung frames in the tree to stand in front of during the ceremony.

Photo by Love Ala

This wedding choose two yellow side tables with books and gorgeous colorful arrangements to anchor their ceremony. To add touches of color they also added ribbon to the trees and coordinating pillows on the bench under. Designed by Simply Modern Weddings.

 Photography by Raya Photography

This colorful ceremony backdrop was created by Bash, Please.  This is a fun way to bring in lots of color with tissue paper pomanders in all sizes to create a unique backdrop to the ceremony.

Happy Planning

-Julie Hinton with Middle Aisle Event Design and Coordination

The next 3 brides that book their weddings at Astoria are getting $1,000 worth of free upgrades with their booking!!

This is an amazing deal to get the wedding of your dreams at Southern Utah’s newest and most unique wedding and event venue.

Check them out on their website Astoria Weddings to schedule a tour and see for yourself how unique and one of a kind your Astoria wedding will be.

(Photo by Of My Affection Photography)

Happy Planning,

-Julie with Middle Aisle

The Value in Having a Wedding Film from Russ Broadhead | RB STUDIOS on Vimeo.

2849 E 850 N
St. George, UT 84790
435-986-7500
www.gardencourtevents.com

With 4,300 square feet, The Garden Court has two distinct and individually decorated spaces.  Both The Garden Court Ballroom and the scenic, open-air Courtyard can accommodate anywhere from a small gathering to a maximum of 400 guests.  If need be, you can rent both spaces and your event can flow inside and outside as well.

The Garden Court Ballroom features a Four Seasons atmosphere under an arbored ceiling illuminated by ornate chandeliers.  The trellised walls and lush greenery lends a playful atmosphere to the room, while grand-scale floral arrangements also contribute to the welcoming tone.  This warm and gracious room can accommodate up to 350 guests for a seated dinner or buffet, and up to 450 for a stand-up reception.

The extraordinary indoor/outdoor design of each event space is what makes it extra special in creating a lovely and intimate atmosphere for your wedding guests.  The Garden Court Ballroom offers floor to ceiling trellises adorned with lush foliage running the length of the ballroom.  Ceremonies may begin in The Garden Court with guests adjourning in the open-air Courtyard where drinks and hors d’oeuvres await them.  The Ballroom can then be transformed from the ceremony into an elegant reception area.

]]> http://stgeorgeweddings.com/archives/969/feed 0 http://stgeorgeweddings.com/archives/949 http://stgeorgeweddings.com/archives/949#comments Wed, 04 Aug 2010 15:49:28 +0000 nickadams http://stgeorgeweddings.com/?p=949

567 South Valley View Drive
St. George, UT 84770
435-628-1057

Visit our website

As creative partners, Nick and Signe Adams combine their talents producing what has become their signature style of photography. Nick and Signe have their radar tuned to the world of fashion, music and art. Their shared artistic vision is a fearless blend of classic style and modern rebellion. The heart of their work captures the beauty and truth of an instant.

Nick’s creativity only begins with the light and composition of a photograph. His work in the digital darkroom allows him to push the boundaries of creative expression. Signe’s friendly, gregarious nature helps put people at ease in front of the camera. Her love of all things fashion and her critical eye for detail serve her well as a stylist and photographer.

The wedding and portrait images of Nick Adams Photography are recognized internationally for excellence and have won many awards. Nick and Signe are active in professinal organizations that inspire learning and growth as artists and make it possible for them to share ideas with photographers from around the world.

“We are so grateful for the invitation to share the important events in our client’s lives, and to witness their love. Sometimes our photographs celebrate a new life, a commitment, or a once-in–a-lifetime event. Sometimes our photography illustrates family relationships. Sometimes we are asked to document sorrow and difficult times. To be trusted to portray a personality or tell a story through our unique perspective is a gift from our clients. Many of the people we have photographed over time have become friends who we care about deeply.”

Thank you for your interest in our photography. We look forward to the opportunity to meet you.

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The Engagement Ring

This tradition dates back to classical times when it was thought that the fourth finger on the left hand contained the “vena amoris” or the “vein of love”. The idea of the engagement is attributed to the Catholics in 1215 when the Pope called for a longer time between betrothal and marriage. Basic rings of gold, silver or iron were used and gems were incorporated over the years. Gems were reserved for the aristocracy and eventually made their way into the middle class.

One tradition follows that rings should use the birthstones of the bride and her parents (on the left) and the groom and his parents (on the right). It would follow mothers on the outside, fathers on the inside and the bride and groom adjacent in the center.

De Beers is credited today with popularizing the diamond engagement ring, instilling “A Diamond Is Forever” into the hearts of young men and women everywhere, standardizing the diamond engagement ring in the middle of the 20th century. The first diamond engagement ring ever given was by Arch Duke Maximillian to Mary of Burgundy in 1477.

Diamond engagement rings used to only be popular in the United States and parts of Europe until WWII when soldiers who were in Japan met many of their wives there. Many Japanese women received diamond engagement rings from their GI fiances, and this led to the adoption of diamond engagement rings in Japanese culture.

Escorting guests, which arm should be used?

When a man is escorting his partner, tradition has it that men offer their left arm. This originated from medieval times when men escorted women around town and through the fields. If danger were to arise, or their honor disgraced, the men would have easy access to their sword to defend their escort’s honor. Today the tradition holds true at the ceremony and at the reception.

Garter Toss

The garter is traditionally worn by the bride on her right leg above the knee. The garter is removed by the groom at the reception and thrown to all of the single men in the room. The person who catches the garter is thought to be the next to marry. Many brides will keep one for themselves for their husband to remove in private later, while a throwaway or themed garter is given at the reception.

The tradition is that having a piece of a bride’s clothing is good luck. As the bride and groom left, guests would grab a piece of the bride’s dress for good luck. Grooms and families grew angry that others were ruining and nearly taking all of the brides clothes off and over time brides gave away the garter and other items their reception to bestow the bride’s luck upon others. To stop others from attempting to get the garter off at, the tradition of the groom removing the garter at the reception was started.

Bouquet Toss

Associated with the garter toss, the bouquet toss was created as one of the giveaway items brides could give to the women at the wedding reception as a symbol of good luck. The lucky person to catch it would be the next to marry.

The Toast

Generally as a message of goodwill, toasting someone with a drink is a sign of good luck.

Ancient Greek culture had a fear of poisoning and to accommodate this fear at large gatherings the host would pour glasses of wine for his guests from the same decanter and then take a first drink and toast everyone to show that the wine was suitable for drinking and guests would follow.

The actual term “toast” was also gathered from this time when pieces of toasted bread would be dipped in the wine to reduce the acidity and make it suitable for drinking.

There are 3 components to an official toast:

• Verbalization or the reason for the toast: why they are making a toast, and what the purpose of it is.
• Agreement soon follows after verbalization of the toast is made when everyone agrees to the toast that it reflects their own personal wishes, a sign that everyone is bringing their own good wishes to the toast. The clanking of the glasses is to be done with eyes locked to symbolize the purity behind a toast. Not looking someone in the eye while clinking glasses is showing a lack of trust and brings bad luck.
• Imbibing, taking the drink symbolizes the sanctity of the toast and conferring the toast upon the toastee. It is viewed as bad luck to toast with an empty glass. Not actually drinking from the glass or leaving the toast is considered disrespectful and bad luck.

If more than two toasts are given, most of the time with weddings, the second toast should have a different focus or a different purpose than the first toast. This is normally taken care of by the best man chiding the groom, the bridesmaid chiding the bride and then together reassuring their commitment to their marriage and that they wish good luck and good will upon them.

“Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, and Something Blue”

Something old symbolizes perpetuity and longevity: both excellent qualities in a marriage.

Something new represents optimism, happiness, and a fresh start into the future.

Something borrowed represents using family and friends to help you in your relationship and that having a strong family and friend connection is key to the strength of marriage. Never being afraid to ask for help when needed.

Blue has since classical times represented purity, faithfulness, love and good luck. Blue is characterized as strong, steadfast and steady: all of the things marriage is based off of. Brides used to wear something blue, or a blue ring at the bottom of their dress, to symbolize the power of blue in their future.

The Best Man and Bridesmaid

Around 2 A.D. it was customary to marry someone in your town or community. When communities were small and the choices locally weren’t up to your standards, the man would ride off to another community to find and kidnap a bride. The best man served to help fight off other suitors or the father of the bride so that his friend was able to succeed acquiring a bride.

Bridesmaids originated around the same time. These women would help the bride prepare for her wedding and make sure that she got to the church in time.

These roles started out as one person, but it is acceptable to have groomsman and bridesmaids to assist the Best Man and Maid/Matron of Honor help the couple prepare for their wedding day.

The Veil

Started in the US in the 1700’s, its coupled in meaning with the wedding dress. Being white, it represents purity, while the veil over the bride’s face represents modesty.

The Honeymoon

Associated with the tradition of the best man and the bridesmaid, when a groom would go off to capture his bride when a suitable mate could not be found in his own community, he would leave with his bride and hide for a week while they would try to get pregnant. Upon return from the honeymoon, they would have to get married as was customary with the bride who was now pregnant. Today couples opt for cheap flights to Hawaii or Tahiti as opposed to running away from friends and family.

Wedding Cake

The Romans have a lot of say in American culture and for many of the roots of our tradition and language. The cake’s traditional color of white represented purity, success, and good luck. It’s embellishments are symbols that the couple will have a long and happy marriage together. Associated with the garter and bouquet toss, it is another way the bride and groom can bestow their luck upon guests as they together cut the cake with a single knife and give away the cake to their friends.

Wedding Dress

Vera Wang, Jessica McClintock and the bridal magazines weren’t the first to create the tradition of the wedding dress. It originates from 1499 when the dress was created to represent purity, virginity, and pure mind and thought. These were regarded as extremely important for brides and only the bride was able to wear a white dress on her wedding day to symbolize this.

The Train

Not the dance made popular in the ‘90’s by the Quad City Boys, this garment attaches to the end of the brides dress. The train to those in the Victorian era was a symbol of status to the family of the bride and the status of the marriage. The higher the stature, the longer the train. Many modern weddings involving royalty will have very long trains attached to the wedding dress to symbolize their higher stature in society.

There is no “one-size-fits-all” for a wedding. It’s up to the bride and groom to decide which traditions to incorporate.

Starting in the mid-1980s, the wedding and banquet business changed dramatically with the introduction of DJ music, replacing the bands that had been the norm. Bandleaders, like Jerry Perell and others, started DJ companies. Using their knowledge of audience participation, MC charisma, and “crowd-pleasing” repertory selection, the wedding music industry became almost all DJ while combining the class and elegance of the traditional band presentation. New DJs as well as bandleaders with years of experience and professionalism transformed the entire industry.

The ipod on the other hand was introduced in October of 2001, and has forever changed the music and recording industry, and really put Apple on the map as the company that changed the way people listen to music forever.

Most professional DJs (myself included) use computers to pay the music at events, and play the same songs that are available on your ipod, but there are some REALLY BIG DIFFERENCES in how each can benefit your wedding reception.

The most important and obvious reason to hire a DJ is the experience they bring to your event. I have performed at literally thousands of weddings all over the West Coast, and I bring that experience to each event I DJ. From the direction your reception needs to go, to the details of the toast, cake cutting and first dance, a DJ makes sure that all these important aspects  of your wedding go as planned. We make sure you and your wedding party are in the right place at the right time. Is your father here for the Father/Daughter dance? Is the photographer ready for the bouquet toss? These are things that you and your family should not have to care about while you are enjoying your party. The ipod may play the music, but a DJ can play the crowd.

The second reason is that your favorite music may not be the most appropriate music for your wedding reception. Not that a DJ will play inappropriate music, but we can integrate your musical choices with the best reception music that we have learned over the years works. Getting guests to dance is somewhat of an art form, especially at wedding receptions where you have lots of generations mixed together from grandpa to your nephews and everyone in between. A DJ knows exactly what works and what doesn’t.

The next reason to hire a Dj over an ipod is as simple as who do you want in charge of the music? An ipod is great for when you or some friends are listening, but what about a wedding reception where time lines change, moods change and songs may need to be changed. Do you want some random family member to have to be in charge of this, or someone who has many years experience creating the perfect mood? Your little brother or nephew may love to hear Slipknot or Eminem, but that may not be the most appropriate song to play while grandma and grandpa are sitting in front of the speakers.

I could go on and on about other reason such as having a professional sound system, having a microphone, not forcing your family or friends to run the ipod, but you probably get the idea by now. We hope you choose the appropriate way to handle the music at your event, and hire the professional, you’ll be glad you did!

As your planner they have the contacts necessary to match you with the right wedding professionals, which are wedding vendors.

Your planner also works with your wedding professionals that you have chosen to make sure all the details are set just the way you want them. The planner will help you organize your dream wedding and keep you within your budget by suggesting ways to make your dollar go the farthest. Since your wedding planner is an independent party, he or she, may often mediate disagreements when you are caught between family disputes and friendly disagreements.

You can afford a wedding planner since it is not an extra expense if you consider the planning part of your wedding budget.

Your wedding planner will even be able to save you money by suggesting the appropriate vendors that will provide professional services to accommodate your budget.

It is a penny well spent to have a wedding planner overseeing the wedding professionals that you have spent an investment with to insure that your day goes just as you have paid for and planned.

Of course you may opt to plan the entire wedding yourself or have a family member and even a friend to help, which is sometimes part of the fun of the wedding. However, it can also be a huge hassle and a headache especially if you, your family member, or friend does not have the proper professional wedding training that most professional wedding planners have and experienced. In addition to just finding wedding vendors, you’ll need to check out sources, make sure all the details are in place, and worry about whether you’re getting the best deal, and, ultimately, if everything will turn out right.

A professional wedding planner has the training and experience to do the ground work, and make sure it all works the way you want it to, while you relax and enjoy.

For example, your dress gets muddy if it starts to rain and your fiance is already 30 minutes late and the limo driver has not even shown up yet to bring the officiant to the chapel–what do you do? This is where your wedding planner will see to all of these details without breaking a sweat. She will be able to locate the fiance and ensure he gets to the eventl on time; they will clean your dress with a wipe from their emergency kit; they will track down the limo driver and have a back up limo driver in waiting just in case.

The wedding planner will get it done so you don’t have to worry. When you hire a wedding planner you know that you are buying quality, service, knowledge, professionalism, creativity, guidance, leg work, a stress reliever, an etiquette expert and a personal assistant and friend. What could be better than that for the most important day of your life? Just knowing that you were smart enough to hire a wedding planner! Check out StGeorgeWedding.com’s professional wedding and event planners here!