Wedding Planning and Officiant Services and Rentals
Planner: Sandra O’Connell, Hudson Valley Ceremonies
Photographer: Madison Baltodano Photography
Church: Our Lady of Rosary Chapel
Florist: Lucille’s Floral of Fishkill
Hair and Makeup: Celeste von Damon
Limousine: A Hudson Valley Limo
Rentals: Durants Party Rentals
Lighting: Hourglass Lighting
Photo Booth: Hudson Valley Party Rental
Hotel: Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel
Planner: Sandra O’Connell, Hudson Valley Ceremonies
Photographer: Paige Nelson Photography
Catering: Black Eyed Susie’s
Desserts: Kosiner Brothers Dohnut Shop and 221 Bakery
Lighting and Sound: Bearfly Designs
Florist: Wades Florist
Hair and Makeup: Denim and Diamond Hair Salon
Rentals: Morris Tent Rentals
Venue: A Private Estate (Northwood)
Wedding Planner: Jeanne Stark, Hudson Valley Ceremonies
Photographer: Jacquelyne Pierson Weddings
Videographer: Hello Super Studios
Caterer: Lola’s Catering
Ice Cream Truck: Sweet Central Express
Florist: The Rosery Flower Shop
Rentals: Events Unlimited
Band: Brian Killeen Band
Hair and Makeup: Annaliese and Co.
Transportation: Birnie Buses
Rehearsal Dinner: Helsinki Hudson
Cupcakes: Stephanie Keyser
Other Services: WB Golf Carts and Stone Industries Portable Bathrooms
That is fantastic! There is nothing more personal for a wedding ceremony than a friend or relative that you have known most of life performing your ceremony. Let’s discuss the pros and cons to this gift.
Pros to a Friend or Relative Performing the Ceremony
1. Personal, history, and comfort level. This person knows you both really well and that makes it so easy to create a ceremony together. The know the history of you and your fiance and speak about this in the ceremony. You have a real comfort level with this person and that will make the ceremony easier.
2. Free of charge. Hopefully they are providing this as a gift, but if there are any expenses that they are occurring, etiquette says that you must reimburse them or pay for these items.
Cons to a Friend or Relative Performing the Ceremony
1. Are they legal to perform ceremonies in your state. So they decided to fill out that little form online and maybe even paid $20 to get ordained. Many states, counties and towns will not recognize these forms of ordination.
2. Creating the ceremony. There is an incredible knowledge and ability to an official officiant with the wording of a ceremony. What you are paying for with a professional is the writing talent. A good officiant can write a ceremony that guests want to listen to and are eager for the next part.
3. Crossing the lines. When you hire a professional officiant, they work for you and your fiance. You have the ability to say to them what you want them to wear, what to arrive and what you want them to say and not. Friends and relatives are not professionals (unless if they do this job professionally).
What are your options:
1. Hire a professional to perform your ceremony
2. You decided to have a friend or relative perform the ceremony anyways. Hudson Valley Ceremonies has a solution. The Friend Officiates Package. One of our legal officiants comes to your venue before or after the ceremony and takes care of the legal paperwork. That’s it! So simple.
Any questions please contact Hudson Valley Ceremonies at 845-244-1482 or email at HVCeremonies@gmail.com
Now that the proposal has been accepted, what’s next? It’s time to create your signature wedding.
What exactly does that mean? It means that from this day forward, until the day of the wedding, you will spend 75% of your time thinking about how to create a wedding that will be like no other. You may not have given it much thought, but most couples have thought about this day for many years and envisioned their wedding in their minds a thousand times. Both of you are about to embark upon what could be a wonderful journey… or a nightmare! The choice is yours. Why leave it to chance that everything will go according to plan? Instead, implement a fail-proof plan. How? By hiring a wedding coordinator
Consider this idea as the first and one of the most important decisions you will make as a couple. Hiring a wedding coordinator will give both of you reassurance that you are making the right decisions about your choices; help bring your dream to fruition; and maintain a peaceful, loving, relationship in the process.
Although most couples enjoy the idea of designing a wedding, they often find that the planning is much more work than they imagined. It takes time and experience to address every detail. Let’s face it, some people just aren’t planners. Planning your wedding doesn’t have to be a frustrating and overwhelming experience. Organization and careful planning are the keys to a stress-free, fun-filled event. Hiring a wedding coordinator will ensure a much happier experience for you both!!
A wedding coordinator will not only help coordinate the details of the wedding but, more importantly, will help to make the process fun, reduce the stress and ensure that you have the wedding you desire. You will not have to worry or become stressed during the planning process. Instead, you both will enjoy planning the wedding.
Don’t misunderstand, you both will still make all the decisions, but consider leaving the details to the experts. Most couples truly enjoy the journey and, even if they don’t, the coordinator will be there to guide them. Trust me on this one, by hiring a wedding coordinator, your life will be happier, because everyone will be happier and less stressed.
Wedding coordinators are trained professionals who know the industry. Couples should understand that they are not just paying for a coordinator to manage the day for them; they are also paying for knowledge, expertise, skills, services and, ultimately, peace of mind.
Wedding coordinators provide a higher level of comfort for everyone. They are able to recommend the right professionals for you. Professionals enjoy working with other professionals. Are trained to handle difficult scenarios and unexpected occurrences at weddings; Are familiar with the latest trends and have the best resources; Know the best locations and services for each couple’s particular needs; Have access to exclusive locations that couples would otherwise never hear about; Can recommend the right wedding professionals for all aspects of the wedding; Are trained to help create a budget, keep expenses within that budget, and protect couples from making costly mistakes; Can save couples time in researching options. They already know what works best and why.
Now that you understand the various roles of a wedding coordinatoe, it’s time to start getting the important questions answered. Setting the budget first is the key! You and your fiancée should agree on the expenses before you begin the planning process. The budget must accommodate the size and style of the wedding. Write down your wishes and desires and compare notes. Distinguish your “wishes” from your “must haves”. Your coordinator can create a budget based on the most important elements of YOUR wedding. He/She can help prioritize which areas are most important to you.
Remember there is always room for compromise. Target more money towards the areas that are most important and reduce the areas that are less important. Your wedding coordinator will show you how to make changes without changing the feel of the wedding. Is it more important to have great food or a great band? Do you want an extravagant cake or beautiful flowers? You can have all of the above with proper planning. Whichever you choose, remember to stay on track with the expenses as you move forward. The budget is one of the most important areas where your coordinator can assist and it’s the start of making financial decisions together, a very important part of marriage. Open and honest communication is the key.
In a post-wedding survey, couples were asked, “If you had it to do over again, what would you have done differently?”
Number 1 Answer: “I would have hired a wedding coordinator – someone to ensure that all of the details were handled so that I could have enjoyed my day without worry.” Coordinators provide this reassurance on the wedding day! It is worth the investment to have peace of mind.
A wedding coordinator is able to provide: Peace of mind while planning the wedding; A great experience on the wedding day; and Wonderful wedding memories that will last forever!
From Christmas to New Years Eve, what better time for shopping, meeting family and friends, exchanging gifts, and . . . getting married. When you think about it, what better time during this “season of giving” than to share the most important gift of all — your marriage. And yes, the holiday season is an ideal time to elope.
The holiday season elope is popular for many reasons:
– Your marriage is one of the greatest gifts that you can give and share;
– Elopement destinations are specially decorated and offer more picture opportunities;
– The holiday festivities and goodwill of others add to the romance of your wedding; and
– Combine your elope wedding with a winter sport honeymoon — a ski vacation, for example.
Picking the Perfect Gift
Picking the perfect gift during the holidays is one of life’s most difficult chores. You want your gift to be: romantic; heart-felt; represent an important part of me; valuable; and most of all — forever. It is difficult to think of a more priceless gift than the gift of love and support of each other throughout time.
The Most Festive Season
During the holiday season, all the travel destinations are decorating their establishments with festive Christmas trees, garlands made of evergreens, wreaths with poinsettia, gift-wrapped packages, twinkling lights, ornamental holiday characters figurines, fancy red and gold ribbons, the crackle of wood in a burning fireplace, and much more. Imagine the wonderful wedding picture opportunities these festive holiday decorations will offer. And in addition to the decorations, many destinations will also be offering holiday feasts and menu specials to celebrate the holidays — and of course your wedding, also.
Beware though, the holiday season is also the most popular travel time and some destinations may be crowded. Always call ahead and speak to the manager about your ideas and plans. In most cases, early reservations will be the safest. On the other hand, brides tend to be lucky and your destination may be able to accommodate you on short notice. Either way, call ahead for details.
Romance in the snow
A holiday season elopement is also a great opportunity to travel to a wintry location and enjoy a winter sport honeymoon. There are a multitude of travel destinations that offer every kind of winter sport and activity imaginable: alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, tubing and sledding, sleigh riding, ice skating and much more. Add a few extra days to your elopement and enjoy the outdoor winter activities. The most important thing is to remember to bring warm outdoor wear; you can easily rent sport equipment everywhere. And if you don’t know how to ski or snowboard — professional lessons will have you schussing and gliding like a pro in a few hours.
Andrew & Leah 3/3 at HVC
Erin & Carly 3/9 at The Doubletree Hotel Chelsea
Brian & Angie 3/9 at The Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel
Brett & SandiLynn 3/17 at The Round Hill House
George & Kelly 3/24 at The Fountains at Millbrook
Daniel & Kerianne 3/30 at Arbor Ridge Catering & Banquet
Chris & Danielle 3/31 at The Candlewood Inn
Cesar & Bruna 4/13 at The Villa Borghese
Gustavo & Diana 4/15 The Villa Borghese
Arya & Sapna 4/21 at The Hindu Samaj Temple and Locust Grove
Charles & Ashley 4/21 in New Paltz, NY
Mario & Paula 4/27 at Mesier Park
Joe & Marissa 4/27 at The VIP Country Club
Mark & Chelsea 4/28 at Shokan Weslyan Community Church
Shakia & Malcolm 4/28 at Atrium Caterers
Justin & Liz 5/4 at The Grandview
Chad & Kristen 5/5 at The Grandview
Jordan & Jordan 5/6 at The Full Moon Resort
Lisa & Terry 5/12 at The Skytop Steakhouse & Brewing Co
Earl & Rina 5/12 at Pamela’s on the Hudson
Dominick & Melissa 5/13 in Poughquag, NY
Christopher & Jessica 5/18 at The Grandview
James & Sharon 5/19 at The Rhinecliff
Krystal & Patrick 5/19 at Lake Minnewaska
Matt & Amanda 5/19 in North Salem, NY
Evangelos & Kimberly 5/19 The Ham House
Rosa & Austin 5/19 at The Gosling Pond B&B
Elaine & Davanh 5/19 at Beckwith Pointe
John & Sharon 5/20 at FEAST at Round Hill
Keith & Diandra 5/20 at Catlin Gardens
Jason & Regina 5/26 at The Wilderstein Historic Site
Laura & Shaun 5/26 at West Park Winery
Tom & Kelley 5/26 at Oceanbleu Beachfront Catering
Adam & Elizabeth 5/27 in Kingston, NY
Antonio & Cheryl 11/4 at Overlook Lodge
Mike & Pamela 11/4 at The Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel
Inna & Gregory 11/5 at The Stone House B&B
Glen & Sally 11/7 at The Rhinecliff
Brian & Ann Marie 11/11 in Hopewell Junction, NY
Matthew & Tiffany 11/12 in Stanfordville, NY
Justin & Jami 11/12 at Ceola Manor
Victor & Kristina 11/18 at The Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel
Leah & Jonathan 11/19 in Hudson, NY
Vanessa & Mike 12/2 at HVC
Chris & Jennifer 12/3 in Yorktown Heights, NY
Kevin & Rosaria 12/17 at HVC
Evelyn & Claudia 12/23 at Minnewaska State Park
Mike & Willa 12/31 at Bear Mountain Inn
Nicholas & Carlina 12/31 at Patriot Hills
Jason & Jason 1/17 in Beacon, NY
Maria & Christopher 1/27 at HVC
Robert & Nena 1/28 at HVC
Melody & David 1/28 in Hopewell Junction, NY
Rudy & Nadine 2/11 at The Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel
Rene & Dominique 2/17 at HVC
Kyle & Kayla 2/25 at HVC
Devon & Nicole 2/25 in Rhinebeck, NY
Angel & Ann Marie 2/26 at The Bykenhulle House
For Our Contracted Couples Only
Free Wedding Workbook & Website
Workbook Services Include:
Guest List & Budget
Task Calendar
Wedding Ceremony and Reception
Rehearsal and Rehearsal Dinner
Seating Arrangements
Engagement Activities
Bridesmaid’s Luncheon
Bridal Shower
Bachelor and Bachelorette Parties
Post-Wedding Activities
Honeymoon
RSVPs
Gifts and Thank Yous
Costs and Payments
Vendors and Contacts
Out of Town Guests
Gift Registry
Create and Collect Notes Electronically
Organize Notes into your own Categories
Attach images and Links to Notes
Share Notes with Family and Friends
Maintain a Master Email List for your Wedding
Create Customized Lists
Send Email in Bulk
Works with your Existing Email Address
and so much more!!
Contact us today to have this set up for you for free.
Wedding Cakes
Gone are the days of white cake, white icing and a figurine of the couple on top. Many couples are taking their cakes to new levels with unique fillings such as caramel apple or cream cheese, while others are making each layer of the cake a different flavor. The days of the white cake are over. Brides are opting for cakes with bold colors and abstract shapes.
The cupcake wedding cake is also becoming extremely popular. Instead of a fancy, expensive multi-tiered wedding cake, many couples are opting for cupcakes arranged in the shape of a cake. This is a much more affordable alternative to a traditional wedding cake. Your guests, young and old, will enjoy the cupcakes at your reception. What’s fun is that you can get the cupcakes in a variety of flavors.
If you’d like, you can still have a smaller, separate one tier cake used for the cake cutting ceremony.
Wedding Food
Instead of a sit down or buffet dinner, many couples are saving money by serving only cocktails and appetizers at their wedding reception. If you aren’t serving a meal at your reception, be sure to plan your wedding away from traditional mealtime and indicate that it is “cocktails only” on your invitation. You don’t want hungry, disgruntled guests who were expecting a full meal.
Dessert action stations are also becoming very popular. You can rent a chocolate or caramel fountain and provide lots of fruit, cake and other treats for dipping. A build-your-own banana split or ice cream sundae station is also a terrific idea.
Fried food and heavy entrees are out. Lighter fare, organic cuisine, and vegetarian cuisine are definitely in. Serve guests an organic feast of foods produced without chemical fertilizers, antibiotics or pesticides, and top it off with organic drinks. During cocktail hour, for example, try Square One vodka and Juniper Green gin, both fermented without additives.
Wedding Flowers
Symmetrical floral centerpieces are out. Choose centerpieces of varying size, shape and color. Stay away from using the same vases at each reception table. Choose local, organically grown flowers. After your wedding, donate the arrangements to nearby hospitals or other facilities.
In color palettes, green is still the most sought after color with accent shades of creams and white or hot pinks and mango coral. However, combinations of deep burgundy red Black Magic roses, Black Forest mini Callas and rich purple, almost black, tulips are striking against ornate damask linen. No more white linen on guest tables for sure.
Destination Weddings
Some reports indicate that as many as 20 percent of all weddings are now destination weddings where the bride and groom travel to a vacation destination to host their wedding ceremony and reception.
Celebrities have been hip on the destination wedding trend for years. But destination weddings aren’t just for the rich and famous.
Because of the travel expenses, most destination weddings are relatively small involving only the couple, family and close friends. Resorts and hotels offer packages that make planning a destination wedding relatively simple. Many offer the services of their own on-site wedding coordinator who will plan all the details of your wedding from decorations to sightseeing activities for your guests.
Though it may seem expensive to hold a destination wedding, it actually may be cheaper than holding a large wedding with a seated dinner in your hometown. It is commonplace for the bride and groom to pay for the hotel rooms, food and other guest expenses. However, normally guests pay for their own airfare.
When planning your destination wedding, keep your guest list small. Choose a destination with inexpensive airfare and avoid traveling during peak season.
The biggest drawback of a destination wedding is that unless you are wealthy, all your family and friends will probably not be in attendance. Many times all your invited guests will not be able to travel or get off work. Consider the schedule of your most important guests when selecting your destination wedding date.
All in all, a destination wedding can be a wonderful choice that allows you to experience your wedding in an exotic locale, combining your wedding and honeymoon in one destination.
Wedding Colors – These are interesting ideas for wedding colors
Tangerine with Azure Blue and a shot of Espresso
Sky Blue, Navy Blue, Celadon Green and a splash of Purple Wine
Glossy White, Metallic Gray, Bold Magenta and Sleek Black
Dark Cocoa, Seafoam Mint, Metallic Silver on Ivory
Blueberry, Raspberry, Lavender, Black and Charcoal Gray
Jewel tones mixed with antique metallic for fall and winter
Black and White, add a splash of Apple Green or Citrus Yellow