In my years covering Hollywood, now with Entertainment Tonight, I’ve seen some spectacular weddings. My own tastes, however, run a little simpler. When Keith and I were married in June 2005, we kept it to just family and a few very close friends. That was part of a conscious effort I made to keep focused on what’s important to Keith and me.
Courtesy of Nancy O'Dell
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Be My Guest: The guest list is an age-old struggle, I know. I’ll just say that, for me, it was important to keep it small so that I felt like I was getting to spend quality time with everyone who was there.
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Be in the Moment: This one’s been said a thousand times before—for a reason. I’ve lost track of how many brides I’ve talked with who tell me, “It was wonderful, but the whole day is such a blur.” Be in the moment. I know you’ve put a lot of work into this day, but at some point, you’ve got to step back and enjoy it! Be intentional about capturing the little memories and hanging onto them.
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Shoot First: For my own wedding, I wanted the photographer to be one of the first ones on the scene. I wanted him set up early in order to capture all of our preparations. That was important to me. On that day, I had no idea what Keith and the boys were doing while we got dressed and ready—but I do now, and I love that. If something like that is important to you, make sure your photographer knows your expectations in advance. In my opinion, the flowers will wilt and the cake will get eaten, but the photos will be with you forever. Don’t skimp on the photographer!
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Open Invitation: Keith and I had a copy of our wedding invitation set to be framed with a large mat. And, since we kept the ceremony small, there was room on that mat for all of our guests to sign. That framed invitation and mat are hanging in our home right now (and will be for a very long time).
- Welcome to the Family: If your wedding will be blending a family, I don’t have to tell you how frightening and exciting that can be. Look for ways to formalize those new relationships in your ceremony. On the morning of our wedding, Keith and his boys took a walk along the beach where my stepson found a heart-shaped rock he wanted to give me. I taped it to my bouquet and carried it down the aisle. And, during our exchanging of rings, in addition to a ring for Keith, I had special bracelets to give to both of the boys.
Courtesy of Nancy O'Dell
It’s all a matter of choosing what matters to you and doing the little things that have meaning. In my new book, Secret Ingredients: Step-by-Step Recipes for Creating Meaningful Gifts, Creative Memories and I offer simple instructions for projects that will do just that on milestone days, like your wedding day, and on simply special days (like today!).
Here’s an example: By adding some photos and idea starters to a Creative Memories 8x8 Scrapbook Album, you can put a personal spin on the old wedding reception guest book. Ask simple, specific questions on each page and you’ll get honest, fun, heartwarming answers from your guests (way beyond, “Best wishes!”).
Weddings are a special favorite topic of mine, so I made sure that many of the ideas in the book can be easily customized to work with your wedding. Try this Wishful Tree: It’s an amazingly simple team effort. Start with a Creative Memories Magnetic Everyday Display. Create the trunk of your “tree” with paper, and cut lots of strips of paper to make up your branches. Leave the strips out at the reception along with a few pens. Your guests can add their wishes for your future and you’ll end up with a thick, lush tree to hang on the wall and symbolize your growing love.
Choose where you want to invest your effort and make the day great. Hope this helps, and hope your wedding day is everything you’ve imagined. Celebrate every step along the way!
—Nancy O'Dell
For more ideas and time-saving tips, visit creativememories.com/nancy.
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