01
Apr

Intimate Weddings, Unique Venues & More..Have Your Day Your Way

Not everyone wants a huge wedding with all of their friends and family.  

Occasionally, we book an intimate event with less than 10 guests because that’s what the client wants.  This rustic barn wedding was exactly what Danielle wanted with very few guests.  

My photography team love to “one up” each other by finding the most unique backdrops and poses.  Stephanie is really good at action shots while my son excels at still shots- together they make a pretty good team!

 When I’m asked what was the biggest wedding we’ve ever done, I always go back to the T&P in downtown Fort Worth with over 250 guests but most of our events have 150 guests or less depending on the location.  That wedding was spectacular with “no expense spared.”  The T&P wedding not only featured a New Orleans jazz band but also a full Mariachi band.  The only thing that went wrong with that beautiful couple was the Lasso breaking during the ceremony.  However, I was quick to grab it and recover my place at the ceremony and the good natured couple played along with me by “pretending” the Lasso never fell apart with pearls flying everywhere.  It’s sometimes stressful for couples to “wing it” but after six years, im getting pretty good at it.

Larger weddings bring a lot more chaos and stress to couples because the more people you have- the bigger chance of problems happening almost always go hand in hand.

    
 

We orchestrated a wedding a few months ago on a C-130 with only the parents of the bride and groom along with their children because the bride found a guest list overwhelming and “caught some flack” regarding her choice for the wedding on the Tarmac, in a cargo plane and on the base.  

When she asked my opinion of “cutting the inlaws and outlaws” off her invite list- I agreed.  Why invite someone who doesn’t want to be there and celebrate with you?  I worked with her by purchasing items to build the bouquet but she surprised me by adding handwritten poems the couple had written to each other throughout the courtship and LED lights to her bouquet-Hannah & Her Dream Wedding At Carswell AFB.

Since I’m always asked about the occasional drama Pawning Planners Clients bring, they often have “baggage” along with no money so their stories are always a bit more dramatic than Texas Twins Events folks who are mostly white collar and haven’t suffered job loss or other “hurdles” of Pawning Planners clients.  

Our story with Pawning Planners Clients the past 3 years has often involved clients who have faced discrimination (LBGTQ), death, divorce & poverty.  Occasionally-my family and I have had to sit them down and explain that no one else is competing with us to help them and remind them that we chose to help them when no one else would.  When you help under-privledged or struggling families with an event they could never afford on their own-you meet people who can (and are) be pretty emotional and occasionally unreasonable.  Working with my family to get the job done isn’t easy or always cut and dried because the families we help are a virtual melting pot of backgrounds and beliefs.

Overcoming everything to pull their event off normally involves head butting when their friends or families think they need an elaborate event but contribute nothing other than complaints about the location or other aspects of their event.  The truth is that inlaws and outlaws bring far more drama than the clients themselves but when you are planning a Dream Event, you (almost always) are forced to deal with their friends and families!

Don’t get me wrong, we’ve had a few “incidents” with Texas Twins Events Clients too but (as usual), it was their family and not the couple who brought on the drama.  Understanding that many parents of couples are divorced and effectively forced into seeing each other at a wedding will give you a few clues as to who is misbehaving!

Last year the father of the bride was arrested for drunk driving leaving a Burleson venue.  I’m fairly certain that he used “liquid courage” because he knew that running into his ex wife would be a stressful endeavor.  After meeting his ex wife myself at the rehearsal with my sister, it was easy to see why he may have overdone it by “hitting the bottle.”

The truth is that his ex wife argued about every step of the planning process to such an extent that the rehearsal lasted over two hours.  I’ve often said an open bar is a bad idea but this event was the first time I’ve ever met someone drunk at a rehearsal-Why An Open Bar Is A Bad Idea-Inlaws & Outlaws Spoil The Fun For Everyone.

Sadly, the ex wife wound up giving the bride away and bossing everyone around minutes prior to the wedding and pushed me so far that I threatened to leave if she didn’t back off and settle down.  

When the DJ realized he couldn’t find the music for the bride to enter-I asked for the name of the song and began singing Here Comes The Sun while asking the guests and wedding party to join me.  I have to think on my feet at all times and often help other vendors when something goes wrong.

Texas Twins Events Clients write a check and move on towards their event which significantly limits conflict but inlaws and outlaws continue to “stir the chili.”

Last week, my twin and I met with our April 8 clients that Cindy has already decided are going to be a lot of fun.  Robert is from the Bronx and perhaps the most animated Groom that I’ve ever met.  Janelle is very quiet and barely got a word in edgewise.  

The “plan” for their wedding is a business in the front yard with a party in the back.  When I asked about hand written vows, Robert described his history as a writer and storyteller while explaining that he was intent on “owning his wedding.”  

When I asked Janelle if she had written her vows, Robert jumped up and offered but his bride to be explained “you would make them all about you so I will do it myself.”  

Cindy and I decided to gift a wedding crown to Janelle in order to help her “own” her day from my Texas Twins Treasures inventory because we both quickly saw that Janelle may easily be overlooked at her own wedding with a groom that barely gives her time to speak.  We often loan a lot of the extras but sometimes outdo ourselves with jewelry, tiaras, fascinators & more.  

You would be hard pressed to find anyone willing to go to the lengths we do to make things special.  From loaning clothes to providing bouquets- we are committed to helping our diverse client base.

 From the location of your event to what you’re going to wear, I often accompany brides on an adventure to find the dress they love and offer my opinions (when asked).  Many of them have lost their mother and want a second opinion or live too far from their parents.  For brides planning to borrow their dress from me, we often use my home and have fun trying on several options.

    
 Although the white wedding dress is always a big hit on any brides list, the fit should be equally important whether you are busty or plus sized.  If you feel good in something-it shows!  

The ongoing mystery of why bridesmaids always feel “pressured into” wearing something they don’t like continues to confuse me.  Give bridesmaids the option of strapless, spaghetti strapped, bandeau, etc and let them wear different colors if they want to.  A bridesmaids dress shouldn’t be a one time only wearable item.

    
 Recently, a beautiful wedding at the Dallas World Aquarium provided a unique and interesting setting.  If you are only shopping traditional venues for your wedding, you are missing out on a non traditional but certainly memorable venue option. 

 The rain forest and wildlife provided several interesting photo ops for my team and we loved having a wide range of backdrops.

When shopping for your wedding dress or venue, take a friend with you and don’t settle on the first thing you find.  Reach out to friends and family for ideas and input because they may have a creative idea you haven’t considered on your own.

Whether you plan to write your own vows (or not), it’s always a good idea to actually write them rather than saving them to your phone.  On your wedding day everyone will be calling you- the last thing you need is a dead battery with everyone waiting to hear what you have outlined to say. 

 

Every venue is different but lay out what is most important to you-the dance floor, the DJ booth, the bar, the view, the outdoor area.  You will (most likely) spend 3-4 hours at your venue location so be sure to check out the changing area too.

Can’t afford a venue?  Area parks, backyards, barns and even an unexpected location will give you memories that will last a lifetime when you plan your event with friends and family.

A family reunion?  When planning this type of event, it’s always a good idea to know your number of guests up front.  Based on the menu options and activities you’re planning-you will need an overall budget.  Texas weather can be unpredictable but if you have your heart set on having your family reunion outside, consider renting misting fans or a tent for older guests to get out of the heat.

Planning a wheelchair accessible event? Read this blog for tips-Tips & Tricks For Handicapped Guests

Pets at your wedding?  We love pets and accommodate creative requests all of the time-We Love Our Clients & Their Pets!

Not sure if you need a rehearsal?  If you’ve never been married before or have children in the wedding party, it might be a good idea-Wedding Rehearsals Are A Walk Through For Couples But Up To The Clients.

Can’t afford our low cost options?  We also take trades at my sister site-Barter Your Dream Event With The Pawning Planners Today!

Vow Renewals are another option of celebrating your marriage and history as a couple.  A Vow Renewal is a “wedding walk through” without the license and have become wildly popular.  But remember a Vow Renewal usually isn’t a legal ceremony because the couple are almost always already married.

Looking for a list of our services?  Visit this link-Services & A La Carte Options With Texas Twins Events.

Intimate weddings and ceremonies can be far more personal because you have an opportunity to visit with your guests that a traditional ceremony with 50-250 guests would never give you.

Remember that inviting all of your friends and family may be a very expensive endeavor and wheedle down your guest list by choosing people that would be honored to be invited…

Wendy M Wortham