Sienna's Idea Pulse: Tips for Bridal Party Toasts & Speeches

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               Are you chosen to be a Maid of Honor or Best Man? Are you excited and honored but dreading the speeches? Many people wonder what makes a toast or speech fantastic. They come in all shapes and sizes. The worst; you’ve got your very drawn out (lost interest 15 minutes ago) speeches, you’re talking so fast we can’t make out the words speeches, and we’ve all heard the drunken burst into song speeches. The best; tear jerker touching speeches, the beautiful how they met speeches, the funny witty speeches, and the classic when we were little speeches. Everyone is different and has different ideas as to what makes a speech good. Here are some points to keep in mind along the way…

1)   Always keep your audience in mind, your toast of course is to the Bride & Groom but consider and respect everyone in the room. (For Ex: if there are children present, or people who you know would not appreciate certain words keep it clean and respectful.)

2)   Start by introducing yourself and how you know the Bride & Groom. They know who you are but most likely not everyone at the wedding will know you.

3)  Tell why they chose you to be in the wedding party. Did you grow up together? How did you become so close? Etc…

4)   How would you describe each of them? Tell about what the Bride & Groom mean to you and something about their personalities.

5)    If you knew either the Bride or Groom before they met the other, tell about whom they were before and how they have changed since they met.

6)   How did the Bride & Groom meet? Maybe tell how the groom told you about the bride when they met, or visa versa.

7)   If you are married, you may have some advice you would like to give.

8)   You may want to share some kind of quote, scripture, or saying.

9)   End on a positive note and make sure that if you were telling a story you always draw attention back to the bride and groom.

It’s good to write your thoughts down but not word for word, doing so may cause you to get nervous if you lose your place while following along. It’s best to write down Ideas and somewhat of an outline and then speak from your memory and your heart, referring to the page if need be. Also, remember to thank the host whether it is the parents or the Bride & Groom themselves. Let them know you are happy to be there on the joyous occasion. Most importantly just be yourself, after all that’s why they picked you!


With love and care,
Sienna Forrester
Forest House Lodge, Wedding Journalist

Sienna’s Idea Pulse: Wedding Flare or “You in a Day” or "Methods for My Personality Madness”!

    Good Afternoon Everyone! This Blog post is for all of you couples that want a bit more flash and glint in your celebration; the Brides & Grooms who want to add a splash to the classic traditions of the wedding day. No matter what you choose to do with your dream day, make sure through and through that it is a representation of your personalities and interests colliding. It must be “You in a Day”, if you will. How do you show off your personality on this beautiful occasion? Some people feel as though if they are too goofy it takes away from the seriousness of the occasion, while others say classy is just not them. Either way you can find balance.

Yes, I am filling your brain with ideas and influence! However, how you change them to make them your very own is up to you. One of my favorite things about working here at the Lodge is being able to notice the little details that Brides use to add flare to their wedding day. This can be done in many ways;

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•      the cake,
•           the Brides gown,
•           the bridal party’s shoes,
•           the first dance etc…

One way that has stood out to me lately has been the Bride’s hair accessories. Whether their made of flowers, feathers, jewels, or glitter, hair accessories can add a lot of flare to a Bride’s apparel. Here are some unique ideas I have found on www.Etsy.com :

   

  

(Weddingaisle store)   

               

(Bethanylorelle’s Store)          

(Headfulloffeathers store)          

(Olasdreamworlds store)

     

(Marietfemmebridal store)      

 (Untamamed Petals store)                    

(Floreti’s Store)

Hair Accessories

                

Hair accessories are an easy and beautiful way to bring out flare on your wedding day. Many people like to add a splash of color to a white dress or even matching the hair accessory with a sash or something similar will help to add personality and style. There are so many ways to convey your personality on your wedding day. Now I know what you’re thinking (wow this girl stresses personality A LOT!) but there is a reason for my “personality madness”. Here’s why:

      

      1.)  We want your guests to remember your day as different. Let’s face it weddings happen every day, but yours does not! Make it stand out; make it unlike anything your guests have ever seen. Make your big day one that they will always remember and talk about. Think about it this way… say one of your friends wanted to pick out your outfit for a day. Now, it may not even be ugly but it just feels strange because it’s not normally something YOU would have chosen for yourself right? So you feel a little uncomfortable, it’s just not YOU. Now on the one day that is completely dedicated to you and the love of your life, do you want to be wearing or doing something that’s just not you? We want to make sure you know all your options. Not all brides should look the same on their wedding day! We want YOU to shine! 

      

      2.) Your wedding is YOUR day at the Forest House Lodge, so take advantage of our private usage!

      

      Shoe Flare

      

      Another of my favorite things to notice is the Bride’s shoes, which you will notice in a few upcoming posts. Many brides will choose to go with a classic, elegant, white or ivory gown and some will wear elegant shoes to match. However I have noticed that many brides let their personalities out in their wedding day shoes. I have seen polka dot flip flops, bright colorful shoes, even converse! I will never forget when I first began my career here I saw a Bride whose bottom half of her dress zipped off into a shorter dress and she was wearing brown converse underneath. This was her attire for the reception so that she could dance without all the hassle of a big dress and heels! I remember thinking that was one of the coolest things I had ever seen. It portrayed her fun carefree personality that everyone knew and loved! Every Bride and Groom deserves to show off their stunning personality! Never forget that you can do this all the way down to your feet!

Also, because of a common love for shoes, and with your help, I have decided to put together collections of real Forest House Bride’s shoes for you! I will be posting pictures and ideas along with them, so look forward to those my fellow “shoebies”!

The Groom’s Flare

            Don’t forget about the Groom and his men! The guys always have the shoe option as well; however guys have a lot of other things to work with too for instance socks, ties and vests. Now here is a unique touch that maybe you hadn't thought of before; Lego cuff links. Yes, that’s right I just said Lego cuff links! There are so many styles and unique cuff link ideas I know you would love! Also, along with the cuff links, you may choose to pick out stylish lapel pins. Oh and guys, don’t forget floral is not just for women! Boutonnieres are also a fine touch to bring life to any suit! Take a look!

Shoes & Socks:

     

Cuff Links & Lapel Pins:

   

 

Boutonnieres:

     

Vests & Ties:

                                       These ties have each of the Groomsman’s names on them!

Accessories never fail! You can see the life brought to these pictures! Each one tells you a little bit about the Bride & Groom and their view on life!

So whether you’re looking for a splash of color and pizazz or you just want to stand apart from the crowd, never forget all the opportunities you have to share your combined personalities with your friends and family!

With Love and Care,

Sienna Forrester, Forest House Lodge Wedding Journalist