9 On Your Side reporter Ally Kraemer got engaged in November. She will be writing about her wedding planning experiences until her wedding in August. Expect to see the good, the bad and the bridezilla. (Just kidding!)
CINCINNATI -- Are pearls bad luck on your wedding day? Is rain good luck? Do I really need something borrowed and something blue?
I want to know which wedding traditions are worthwhile -- and which I should leave at the door.
Something old, something new
These have me stumped. I can’t possibly think of something old or blue. We don’t have family heirloom jewelry, and my mom has always hated the color blue.
Can my wedding dress be my something new? Is that what most people use? The ring is new, the husband will be new -- pretty much everything is new!
My something borrowed might have to be a veil from one of my friends who is already married. First, veils can be ridiculously expensive, and I don’t plan on wearing it for long. Second, I need something borrowed, so I think it’s a good plan.
The vows
We can’t decide whether or not we want to write our own vows. I think it would be easy, writing a few lines about how our relationship started and has grown. But my fiance, Jake, might have a harder time with it, so he’ll want to opt for traditional vows.
We don’t have a traditional ceremony planned, so we can go with the flow. Or I’ll procrastinate and end up going with the traditional vows.
The bouquet and garter toss
I’ve heard it can be hard to get single ladies on the dance floor when it’s time for the bouquet toss. And a lot of my guests are already married.
At my friend’s wedding last year we all crowded around for the ball of flowers. I didn’t catch it, but the bride’s mom took a bouquet, tore it in half and gave half to me and half to our friend Morgan.
Morgan and I both got engaged within a few months of that wedding. So maybe I owe it to my single friends to chuck the flowers. Or I’ll give them to my maid of honor. (I hope she’s next!)
Jake doesn’t love to be the center of attention. If he’s dying to toss a garter, I say go for it, but neither of us will be sad if we skip it. It’s just one more thing that interrupts and slows the party down.
The cake
I’ve mentioned this before: We decided on a fairly traditional wedding cake from the BonBonerie. If you haven’t had the opera cream torte, make time to go and try it. It’s life-changing.
There won’t be a groom’s cake at the wedding. If anything, I might surprise Jake with something Ohio State-related at the rehearsal dinner. (It’s still a secret; I don’t think he reads these stories.)
Toasts
I had to give a toast at a wedding last summer and was really nervous. I talk into a microphone for living, but doing it in front of close family and friends is totally different.
I was so busy with the wedding I didn’t write the toast until the night before! I just stuck to what I knew about the couple’s relationship and what was important to them. Short and sweet is the answer. I’m not trying to rush through everything, but droning on is so boring.
So we’re sticking with tradition on this one, the maid of honor and best man will both get to give a toast. My MOH, Taryn, is my best friend from college. I foresee memories about eating Buffalo chicken together in the dorms and our time spent in the Kappa Dreamhouse.
The best man, Curtis, will hopefully share similar PG-rated stories about college. He basically introduced us, and his family is like our family. I might have to reiterate: Keep it PG!
That’s it -- just two toasts. Have you been to weddings where everyone gets to give a toast? The inside jokes just seem to drag on and people lose interest. I want to keep things moving!
We have bets on how my older brother, Andrew, will find a way to get on the mic. I worry he’ll go off on a tangent about some old boyfriend I used to date or get all sappy and overprotective about his little sister. I’m sure he’ll have the heart-to-heart moment with Jake and I, but let’s not let it be after three hours of drinking in front of our entire family and friends. (Love you, Andy!)
What’s next
I’m still looking for lots of advice! What made your wedding special? What do guests really want to eat and drink? Should I allow kids at the reception? I want to hear it all. Send me a quick video and you could make it in my next blog post! My email is ally.kraemer@wcpo.com.
