October 22, 2023

Creative Ways to Ask Someone to Be Your Bridesmaid/Groomsmen

October 22, 2023/ Hartinger Management Team

Your wedding day is not just a celebration of love between you and your partner; it’s also a beautiful testament to the bonds you share with your closest friends and family. Asking someone to be your bridesmaid or groomsman is a special moment, marking the beginning of a new chapter in your lives together. To make this occasion memorable, we’ve come up with some creative and heartfelt ways to invite the people you’ve selected to stand by your side on your big day.

Alysha Rose Photography - AlyshaRosephotography.com

Customized Keepsakes:

Personalized Gifts: Consider giving your bridesmaids and groomsmen personalized items such as engraved jewelry, custom-made cufflinks, or monogrammed notebook or jewelry box. Attach a heartfelt note asking them to be a part of your wedding day.
Message in a Bottle: Write a heartfelt letter expressing your feelings and place it in a customized water bottle. The novelty of receiving a message in a bottle will add a touch of magic to the moment.
Customized T-shirts: Design custom T-shirts or tank tops with a fun slogan like "Bridesmaid Squad" or "Groomsmen Crew." Include a heartfelt note along with the shirt, making the invitation both stylish and personal.

There are many places you can find customizable items to gift ranging from shirts to keychains and even phonecases - There are so many options for you to choose from!

lindsay miller photography - lindsaymillerphoto.com

Hand-crafted (or baked) with love:

Baked with Love: Bake cookies, cupcakes, or any sweet treats. Present these goodies in a beautiful box with a tag that says, "Will you be my bridesmaid/groomsman?" Everyone loves a delicious surprise!
Let your art speak for you: If you are someone who loves to craft and enjoy giving gifts of your handmade items, creating a personalized piece of art - a small painting, a resin coaster with their name in it, handcrafted jewelry - can make a deeply sentimental item for your bridesmaid or groomsmen to enjoy.
Handmade Cards: Craft beautiful handmade cards, adding your personal touch with colors, glitters, and embellishments. Write a heartfelt message inside, expressing your gratitude and excitement about having them in your bridal party.

claire chantel photography - clairechantelphotography.com

Memory Lane:

Scrapbook of Memories: Create a scrapbook filled with pictures, mementos, and notes recalling your cherished moments together. At the end of the scrapbook, include a heartfelt letter asking them to be a part of your wedding story.
Picture Puzzle: Send a custom jigsaw puzzle featuring a picture of you and the person you're asking, with a message asking them to join you as well. As they solve the puzzle, the message asking them to be your bridesmaid or groomsman is revealed piece by piece.

Themed Proposals:

Movie Buffs: Create a movie-themed proposal by designing a poster with your friend's name as the star of the show. Add cinematic elements like credits and taglines. Present it in a frame, making them feel like the VIP they are. (Canva is great place to start to make something like this.)
Book Lovers: If your friend loves to read, craft a bookmark with the question written on it. Pair it with a book, their favorite book, a bestselling novel or a book related to your friendship, making it a thoughtful and meaningful gift.

laura alpizar Photography - lauraalpizar.com

Virtual Proposals:

Online Puzzle Games: Create an online puzzle game with the final solution being the question, "Will you be my bridesmaid/groomsman?" Share the link with your friends and enjoy their surprise as they solve the puzzle.
Social Media Posts: Not able to see them in person anytime soon? Create a charming graphic or edit a photo collage featuring you and your friend. Post it on social media with a heartfelt message and the official request. This way, you can involve friends from afar and make them feel special.

You could combine a couple of the above options. Some people like to get gifts to propose to their bridesmaids and groomsmen that they will be able to use or wear during the bachelor/bachelorette party or even on their wedding day!

Erin rae photography - erinraephotography.com

No matter how you choose to ask, the key is to make it personal and meaningful. Consider the interests, hobbies, and shared experiences you have with each friend, and incorporate these elements into your proposal. The effort you put into asking will be cherished as much as the honor of being part of your special day. So, grab your creativity, add a dash of love, and get ready to make your bridesmaids and groomsmen feel truly special. Here's to the joy of friendship and the adventure of wedding planning!

September 20, 2023

Grand Exit Ideas

September 20, 2023/ Hartinger Management Team

There are many memorable ways to close out your wedding day and we want to talk about the grand exit!

Captured by glory photography ***capturedgloryphotography.com***

A grand exit to your reception is a wonderful way to round out your evening with one last cheer. Your friends and family that joined you on your big day line up (typically outside, but you can accomplish inside) to create a pathway to shower you in love as you leave your event.

Consider including these possible ideas to make it special:

Sparklers
Bubbles
Confetti poppers
Glow sticks
Ribbon wands

Fun tip: Some couples opt to double up on items - i.e. glow sticks PLUS bubbles - to create beautiful light effects and fun shots! Or you could consider incorporating a song and dance with a little choreography as you make your way down the line up of your friends and family.

Mads Lizotte Photography ***madslizotte.com***

Communication is key!

Communicate with your DJ, photographer, and venue and/or event coordinator to plan the best time to make your grand exit. Sometimes it happens at the very end of the evening and sometimes it happens earlier in the evening before the photographer departs.

You will want to make sure you have someone communicate to your group about the last dance/timing of your exit - Inquire ahead of time with your DJ that they bring a microphone along so that announcements can be made throughout the event (as well as speeches!)

Your DJ is also a great choice to make announcements throughout as long as its properly communicated with them in advance. A trusted member of your wedding party is a great option as well.

If you choose an end-of-the-night grand exit, let your photographer know well ahead of your event if you and the photographer need to arrange for them to stay later!

Noah Hedlund pics ***Instagram:*** ***@noahhedlundpics***

Here is how we typically see the grand exit executed at The Charleston Event Center:

Have your respective individual make an announcement approximately 15 minutes prior to the grand exit time chosen so your guests are aware. This will allow for one more song to be played along with time for everyone to make their way to the area you’ve chosen to have your grand exit.

A trusted member of your wedding party, or your coordinator if they are able to, can help hand out your items and provide instruction. Make sure you have a lighter if you go with sparklers and a re-collection bucket for the items so they don’t get tossed where they shouldn’t.

Your photographer will stand on the opposite end of the line to capture photos as you and your partner make your way through. We love to see couples smiling with guests as they make their way through. Your guests will hold up their sparklers or glowsticks high, pop the confetti poppers or blow bubbles as you go through their tunnel - take a few stops as you make your way down the line to kiss your partner for photo opps and to soak in the cheers!

Make sure someone is designated to collect the items once they are done being used (ex. a bucket of sand for sparklers to make sure they’re burned out fully, a bin for empty poppers) or let guests know they can keep the item if its items such as the glow sticks or ribbon wands.

Tip:
If you choose a ‘mock’ grand exit earlier in the evening while your photographer is still there to take photos, it may be easier to do this with just the wedding party or a few select guests rather than the whole group since it can disrupt the flow of the dance and cue some guests to leave early.

Things to consider:

Check with your venue before you make a final decision. Some venues do not allow confetti (glitter, petals, etc.) and some may not allow sparklers. (It take time to clean it all up!) Also, plan ahead to consider the weather if you choose sparklers - if conditions are trending dry, it may be best to have another option ready to go!

If you plan to leave immediately after your grand exit, make sure you have your getaway car ready! In this case, assign someone to drive the car up for you ahead of the exit and potentially invite some people to decorate the car. (Or if you’ve chosen a rental car, communicate with them day of early on to confirm they know the time and location!) Also, communicate with your wedding party and family who will be collecting your personal items once you depart.

You can use the grand exit idea for a post-ceremony moment. Whether you have your ceremony at your venue or off-site, this can be a memorable way to take off before you head out for capturing photos in between ceremony and reception!

If you are worried about items getting in front of your face in your photos, make sure you communicate with whoever is passing out your items to tell guests to only pop/throw/wave the item once you and your partner have passed in the line up - this way you will still have the confetti or ribbons in your photos but they won't obscure your face.

August 01, 2023

How to Prepare for Bad Weather on Your Wedding Day

August 01, 2023/ Hartinger Management Team

Expect the unexpected

Rain on your wedding day is good luck

Isn’t it ironic, don’t you think - it's like rain on your wedding day

Whatever comes to your mind when you think of rain sprinkling down on your big day, you should be prepared. Have a plan A and B, and maybe even C if you want! We want your day to be sunny, comfortable and just right for you. But sometimes the weather, especially here in Minnesota, doesn’t always want to cooperate. Communicate with your vendors and venue about what-ifs and make sure everyone has all they need to be prepared and ready.

Let’s address some planning details for a more inclement weather situation first, and then move onto smaller details.

Emotions are already running high on your wedding day. You are excited, nervous, giddy - you name it - and weather altering your plans may bring on some difficult emotions. You may not get your outdoor ceremony. The golden hour pictures may not happen with overcast skies. Dancing on the patio may need to move to a new area. Take a deep breath. You cannot change the weather, but you can make sure your day continues on with as few hiccups as possible. Your day will still be amazing with a positive outlook!

***LilY AND LIME PHOTOGRAPHY - lilyandlime.com***

You check the weather the day before. And then check it again the day-of. Is there rain predicted? Storms? Are high winds expected? Will the UV index be high?

If inclement weather is highly expected and you are at a venue with the option to move inside, your venue probably has a decision time of about 3 hours prior to the ceremony to ensure time for all vendors to be set and ready in the best location.

***BELLAGALA PHOTOGRAPHY - bellagala.com***

However, deciding to take the Plan B route might be something you want to settle with the day before the event rather than just a few hours before the ceremony. You want you, your guests, and your vendors to be ready and comfortable with plenty of time to adjust accordingly.

Here at the Charleston Event Center, we have a beautiful outdoor veranda and lawn that we typically host ceremonies on during the Spring, Summer and Fall, as well as social hour, first dances, and post-dinner reception activities. We always make sure we have a plan B if we need to move any part of the day inside due to inclement weather. We also have a generator in case the power goes out and flashlights around the building that are plugged into bases and can easily be removed and used as handheld lights.

Whichever venue you choose, ask them about these details! If they don’t have a generator or flashlights, that’s ok! Work with the venue or your coordinator to formulate a Plan B in case anything needs to be moved to a covered location. Worst case, make sure you know where to go for safety and assign a few people in your wedding party to be able to direct guests in that situation.

***SPICY MEATBALL PHOTOGRAPHY - www.spicy-meatball.com***

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You have everything planned out. The ceremony is set to be held outside. Then, you check the weather. Rain just before the ceremony looks like it’s going to pass through - here are a few things to consider:

Wait out the rain and delay your ceremony up to 30 minutes. Your social hour can be split - a little before and a little after the ceremony. Just communicate with your caterer and other vendors about the change.

Make sure you have towels. If you want to delay the ceremony to wait out the rain you’ll want to dry off the chairs outside to make sure your guests aren’t sitting in a puddle when they join.

Are your vendors ready? Talk to your DJ or musicians - if you have a DJ, live music or just a speaker set outside for your ceremony (or at any part of the day), make sure they understand where to go if the day gets moved inside. Or perhaps they can stay outside if they have proper coverage like a small tent. Also, give them notice and time to move and reconnect equipment/instruments

Also consider your photographer. They are probably ready and have all the equipment. But did you know they make little rain jackets for cameras? Ask your photographer if they have one if you are set on taking pictures outside so they are fully prepared and don’t have to worry about their camera getting rained on!

***PHOTOS BY JENNIFER JANE - photosbyjenniferjane.com***

Items to consider providing - there are plenty of options to get any of these items as personalized wedding gifts to hand out to guests:

Umbrellas
Towels to dry off chairs or for guests if they get caught in the rain
Shoe covers to protect guests’ shoes from rain or mud (or inexpensive sandals for guests to swap into in case their shoes do get muddy and they don’t want to track the mud into the venue or even into their vehicles after)
Sunblock - there are options online to purchase personalized sunblock as small gifts for your guests with your names and wedding date printed on them. You can also pick up a few options of spray and lotions to have ready for any guests that would like to use wherever they enter for your ceremony.
Heel stoppers (To protect slim heels from sinking into the earth)