Vendors:

Wedding Coordinator: Claire Garcia, A Moment in Time, LLC

Photographer: Rob Wennerberg, Wennerberg Portrait Photography

Caterer: D’Vine Cuisine

Cake: Blondie Carrell, Cakes by Blondie

Florist: Susan Keough, Floral Design by Susan

Venue: Rock Lake Ranch

Wishing you all the best in your life together! Here are a few of the highlights from Mike, our camera man.

Photo Credit: Phoenix Wedding Photography

Including children in your festivities can enhance the celebration with a multi-generational commemoration of love and marriage.

But as most parents and teachers know, working with young children during special events requires patience and planning. Here are six drama-free ways to include children in your outdoor wedding to make the day as wonderful as you deserve.

1. Keep the kids occupied until the wedding begins. Encourage physical activity to let them wear off excess energy from the excitement. Designate a family member to supervise the children and keep them safely occupied until it’s time for the ceremony.

2. Schedule vital functions for the children beforehand. Let the kids eat a snack before the wedding so they don’t get grumpy or whiny. Younger ones may need a bathroom break, and perhaps even a short nap.

3. Explain and rehearse their wedding role. Children may require more than the day-before rehearsal to get their parts right for the big day. Ask parents to arrive a half-hour before the rehearsal time to walk kids through their parts a couple of times so that it becomes familiar and less intimidating to them.

4. Maintain a positive attitude. An outdoor wedding requires special attention to details like seating, protective cover in case it rains, and food set-up, and nerves can get frayed. As with any wedding, however, keep smiling, especially around the kids, as they often take emotional cues from the adults around them. Praise them when they successfully practice their parts and gently correct them when mistakes happen.

5. Dress kids at the last minute. Avoid letting the children wear their wedding finery more than a few minutes before the ceremony. Kids are magnets for dust, lint, crumbs, and other nuisances that can result in frantic last-minute touch-ups. Remind parents to tell the kids that their pictures will be taken later, so they should stay clean and neat during and after the wedding.

6. Don’t expect perfection. Kids will be kids, and like adults, they may stumble or drop something during the ceremony. These moments can become opportunities to share laughter and enjoyment of children’s spontaneity and humanness. Have parents or the wedding coordinator remind children that the ceremony is like a mini-play, with the wedding party as actors, and the kids may view their roles as more fun than work.

The innocent joy of young children at celebratory events can make your wedding even more special and memorable. With adequate planning and a calm attitude, everyone will appreciate your thoughtful inclusion of the youngest members of both families, and your wedding day will be as spectacular as you hope.

photos credit: Brazos Valley Bride Magazine, Spring, 2012

It was so much fun hosting the bridal shoot for the current Brazos Valley Bride magazine. We were so honored to be selected as the venue background for these gorgeous bride models!  Even the winter weather cooperated for some great shots. The models were troopers, too, as the temperature is a lot colder than it looks! Thanks to all who made the day go perfectly!

Would you like to have your wedding or engagement photos taken at the ranch? We are currently offering our venue for professional engagement or wedding photo shoots, free of charge as available by appointment. This offer is good through the month of April, 2012.

Come out and see us soon!

The “R” word. Often, the first concern with an outdoor wedding is the possibility of rain. You will want to be sure your venue has made every possible consideration to  accommodate your guests in the event of, dare I say, a rainy day. Covered ceremony and reception sites and paved pathways, and umbrellas all can make your day comfortable, no matter what the weather

Perfect timing. Ask your venue to help you select the time for your ceremony based on their experience for their location. We ofte suggest ceremonies to start based around sunset times for the day you have in mind. With appropriate positioning of the ceremony site, sunset weddings are especially beautiful. (The warm glow also creates amazing photo light.)

Keep your guests comfortable.  Be sure to offer cool drinks. Have your ushers give guests ice-cold bottles of water as they are seated or serve lemonade or other non-alcoholic hydrating beverages as guests arrive. Consider printing your wedding program on a fan so that guests may cool themselves. For very warm days, you may want to rent large fans. On cool evenings, portable heaters can help warm everyone up. and enclosed areas can shield guests from gusty winds.

Uninvited guests. Summertime mosquitos can be taken care of easily and efficiently with a little forethought. Citronella candles and bug spray are handy to keep nearby to help keep the bugs at bay.

Gone with the wind. Most everyone loves a refreshingly cool breeze, but your hair may not. Be sure to select a hairstyle that is either windproof or works for you in the breeze. For some hairstyle tips from The Knot, click here.

Candles or sand? If you are planning to incorporate a unity candle as part of your wedding, it may be difficult to keep the flame lit in an outdoor ceremony.  If you like this concept, a good alternative is a sand ceremony.

The long and short of it. Wedding and bridesmaid dress styles and fabrics should also play well with the wind. Straighter hemlines for daytime dresses work better than short, flippy skirt styles that might create an awkward moment.

Unique photo opportunities abound in lush outdoor settings. Some vantage points hold unexpected beauty. Ask your venue host where some of the best shots have been taken that capture your personality. Sure to be some of your favorites!

Bring snacks. Whether you’re indoors or outside, chances are you’ve eaten poorly for days leading up to your wedding. Blood sugars run low and irritability can set in. It can be a long day getting ready and preparing for the ceremony to get started. You will want to bring healthy foods to keep your energy up and plenty of clear colored drinks (in case of spills) to stay hydrated and relax while you wait.

Plan for the unexpected. Sit down several weeks before the wedding when your mind is clear and make a list of things you might need during the day of your wedding. Create and bring with you a first aid kit and a simple sewing/emergency kit. for you to have close by to cover most of the common needs. You’ll be so glad you thought ahead.

Relax. With just a few well thought plans in place, you can know your wedding will come off without a hitch. Even if . . .

Coordinator: Ashley Brockman, An Affair to Remember

Photography: fidelis photography

Videographer: Cinema Candy

Wedding Cake: Sandee Moss, Cinderella Stories

Catering Coordinator: Lauren Bielski, Madden’s Casual Gourmet

Venue: Rock Lake Ranch –rocklakeranch.com

Sunday, we had a great turnout at the Bridal Association of Brazos Valley Spring Bridal Show. There were our usual favorite vendors and lots of brides to come by and say hello! While we were there, we learned a lot about what our brides are looking for, and how we can improve your bridal show experience.

Many brides are at square one. But make no mistake. You’ve done your homework. Chances are you already know about us from our website or facebook page. You have questions to ask your potential venue, and you want to know about details you may not have thought of.  One bride simply stated, “We’re just here to see if we’ve forgotten anything, which brings us to our first point.

You want to know what you do not know. The vendors’ job at shows is to give you valuable information that you might not have thought about. They are there to answer any question you might have, whether it’s about what their business offers or even general wedding questions. We know for most brides, this is your first wedding and you are looking for people you can trust to make your day happen.

Keep a notebook handy. By the time the show ends, your brain is on overload, and you won’t be able to keep everyone straight. If you write down your favorites you’ll be able to sort through your materials later and set aside what you’ll need.

Follow up within a week or so after the show, while the information you gathered is still fresh. Make an appointment to talk with wedding planners or visit potential venues. Try to bring as many of the people who will be helping you make the decision with you as you can. Otherwise, you’ll be making multiple trips.

Ask the vendors who they recommend.  Most have the inside scoop in dealing with other vendors in the wedding business and can give you some valuable leads. If they do offer suggestions, be sure and ask them why. You’ll get some more insight into what is important.

Set goals as to what you want to take home from the bridal show. Do you want to walk away with the names of three florists you’d like to obtain quotes from? Are you ready to book a site visit for the ceremony or reception venue? Try to take care of some aspect of the decision making process while you are there. Many vendors are ready to book you an appointment when you visit their booth!

Bridal Shows are a great place to get ideas for your wedding as it progresses from dream to reality. Wear comfortable shoes, bring a digital camera, take plenty of pictures, and you’ll make the most of your day!

It was a gorgeous night for a wedding at the ranch. We can’t wait to see and post some pics from the real photographer. Our resident photographer (Mike) was not able to make it, but we managed to get our hands on a photo of the band. The Kenny Orts Band kept the party going with some amazing Texas dance music. Have a little listen here.

Vendors:

Coordinator: Deborah Bradley Events & Designs, LLC

Photography: Anna Spencer, Grace Photography

DJ: Kenny Orts Band