Tag Archives: wedding venues in Utah

Extra Tips For Memorable Weddings

December 5, 2011 Wendy Pettit Leave a comment

An extraordinary wedding reception can be provided by Salt Lake City Utah wedding venues that provide unusual wedding extras, that will not add a lot more to your wedding budget. Elegant weddings can be held at the spacious Ivy House wedding reception centers in Salt Lake City, along with added extras for you to experience the wedding you have always dreamed of.

There are lots of wedding extras that can be added to make your wedding one of a kind, which do not have to be expensive, but can add a unique aspect to your wedding. Adding some extras is important to give your wedding a unique aspect, plus it is one of your most prestigious events of your life. An extra that includes everyone, is a memorable gift for each guest that attends your wedding reception. Check with Utah wedding locations to see what all extras they can provide.

Having a plant, like an herb that people can use, placed at every setting with a personalized tag, marker, or pot provides a nice touch that every guest will appreciate. Choose an herb or plant that people will use multiple times if not every day, so the memory of your wedding will last. Reception centers in Salt Lake City Utah can often help with many extras you would want to add to your wedding, which will give it a more personalized feel.

Another extra that can be added that does not cost very much, but adds a particularly dramatic effect to any Salt Lake City wedding reception is the addition of lighting under the tables. When lights of different colors are placed beneath the tables, they will produce an elegant soft colored glow through the tablecloth. Tables can be color coded using these lights to designate the family members from the guests, along with specific colors for the food and extra tables at your SLC wedding reception.

Adding a specialty food or beverage station can certainly add a trendy touch to any Utah wedding reception . There are wedding venues in Salt Lake City that offer these type of unusual catering services. Frozen yogurt or ice cream bars, specialty fruit, sushi, even popcorn can add a unique element, depending upon what you feel your guests would enjoy during the Utah wedding reception.

One of the most popular extras for any wedding receptions in Utah, is to add a chocolate fountain. Many of your guests love chocolate, and you can offer a variety of types, from milk chocolate to white chocolate. This one extra will always draw a crowd when it is provided at any Salt Lake City Utah reception center, because almost everyone loves chocolate.

A Utah wedding reception centercan provide you with help on adding extras to your wedding that will provide lasting memories. Keeping the guests in mind, and trying to provide extras that include them, plus help them build memories of your blessed union for a very long time can be accomplished when using wedding venues in Utah.

How-To Tips, Receptions

Customary Wedding and Reception Floral Arrangements

November 28, 2011 Wendy Pettit Leave a comment

Wedding and reception floral arrangements are an important focal attraction of a wedding and reception. Western Gardens Utah wedding reception recommends Hillside Floral as a preferred florist, both for their designs and for prices that accommodate any budget.

There are varieties of floral arrangements that are customary for the wedding ceremony. These include the bride’s bouquet, maid of honor’s/matron of honor’s bouquet, bridesmaids’ bouquets, groom’s boutonniere, best man’s boutonniere, groomsmen’s boutonnieres, corsages for each mother, boutonnieres for each father, a hair piece for the flower girl and rose petals for the flower girl to gently toss down the aisle.

The wedding reception typically includes centerpieces, the customary bouquet that the bride throws, flowers on a gift/guest attendance book table and cake flowers.

A wedding’s theme and colors incorporate into the flower selection process, including types of flowers, flower colors, ribbons, greenery and accents. Flowers are a beautiful reflection of a couple’s personality, albeit it the exotic orchid to timeless calla lilies. Flowers also help capture the theme of a wedding, from romantic, timeless, elegant, rustic, modern, antique to simple. A bridal bouquet reflects the essence of the bride’s gown and is an accessory that completes her attire.

To help keep the flower budget at a reasonable cost, it is always less expensive to select flowers that are in season and locally grown. This may mean improvising and coordinating colors and flowers around certain seasons, but it also means that a couple can afford more flowers if they are open-minded and willing to work with the local expertise of a florist, instead of having their hearts set on certain varieties of flowers that require importation.

It is easiest to coordinate with a florist who can accommodate both the Salt Lake City wedding venue for the ceremony and Salt Lake City Utah reception center venue flowers. This allows the florist to help form a cohesive theme. Florists are professionals and are able to provide guidance and advice about what flowers will work best with themes and colors. Many times, they can supplement flowers in bouquets and centerpieces with more greenery, feathers, pearls or artistic elements.

It is important to inquire about vases for centerpieces, if they are rented through the florist, if the florist provides the service of setting up centerpieces, aisle runners, potted plants, etc. Another query is if the florist allows guests to take the centerpieces home as gifts and if the florist cleans up after the reception. These are all important questions to ask and items that should be readily addressed by a seasoned, professional florist.

Many brides want their bouquet preserved and some florists provide this service. Inquiring ahead of time will help save the bride significant time and allow her to preserve her bouquet while it is still vibrant and fresh.

Ceremonies, How-To Tips

Making Wedding Cake Dreams Come True

November 16, 2011 Wendy Pettit Leave a comment

Western Gardens Ivy House is an all-inclusive Utah wedding reception center located in Salt Lake City.

Selecting a wedding cake that reflects the theme of the wedding and the couple’s personalities can be a challenging, yet creative task. Ivy House works directly with Carrie’s Cakes, an exclusive pastry expert that specializes in creating magical wedding cakes.

Wedding cakes reflect personal style. While the exterior of a cake can reveal a classic elegance or perhaps an eclectic, artistic flair, the most important aspect of selecting a wedding cake is the base flavor of the cake. Guests travel from everywhere to attend weddings, so it is important that they eat a cake that is memorable in appearance but also imparts a delicious flavor. From selecting chocolate, vanilla, cheesecake, carrot cake, red velvet cake, to any flavor of the imagination, the very essence of a wedding cake helps give guests a more memorable experience.

The beauty of multi-tiered wedding cakes is that several different types of cake can incorporate into the structure of the cake. Layers vary in shape and size, ranging from the classic round or square tiered cakes delicately stacked atop one another, to those that incorporate small columns to distinctly differentiate each layer. Salt Lake City wedding venue can help determine the precise size of the layers, as the size will accommodate the number of guests in attendance.

When selecting the number of tiers, it is always important for the bride and groom to remember that preserving the top layer of cake is customary. The cake is typically frozen, thawed and eaten on the first wedding anniversary, allowing the couple to recall fond memories of their wedding and reception. When selecting the type of cake, it is important to select a cake type that will accommodate a yearlong deep freeze.

Decorating a cake is simply a work of art. It is a custom reflection of the wedding theme and the personal tastes of the couple. Decorations are endless; the most popular include incorporating fresh flowers, creating sugar flowers, adding delicate pearls, incorporating vibrant colors from the wedding theme and some are even whimsical, artistic masterpieces.

The delicate frosting that seamlessly combines the cake’s layers is as important as selecting the variety of cake itself. Frosting ranges from the common flavors of chocolate, vanilla, cream cheese, butter cream and fondant. Fondant is in a class of its own as it is a sugary substance that is rolled out much like dough, draped over the cake and form fitted. This gives cakes a seamless appearance, though for some people the texture and taste are less desirable.

The typical tradition for wedding cakes is that the couple cuts the first slice and takes turns feeding each other. A long-time wedding tradition, it symbolizes love, appreciation and trust for one another.

Western Garden has two reception centers in Utah, one in Salt Lake City and The Atrium Western Gardens in Sandy, Utah. Both locations are eager to help create a couple’s dream wedding cake and can coordinate and work together to create a cake masterpiece.

How-To Tips

A quick guide to writing your wedding vows

November 13, 2011 Wendy Pettit Leave a comment

“I choose to cherish you.”

“I promise to make you your favorite milk shake and make you chicken soup when you get sick.

“I promise to laugh with you but not roll my eyes at you.”

“I take you as my friend, my partner, my one true love.”

“You are the best gift ever given to me.”

These are just some of the words spoken when a couple exchanges wedding vows. The moment the bride and groom say their vows is a magical moment. It is a moment filled with joy, hope and expectancy. It is also an important moment because as vows, these are not repeated again and again. Rather, these are cherished and remembered, particularly during times when these vows are tested. Over the years, your mind’s eye will go back to your wedding venue where you stood and faced each other as you shared these promises.

As important this is, you may decide to write your personal vows, rather than use the traditional (though beautiful) wedding vows. You may feel that you are stuck with getting the words just right. Here are some quick and easy tips to help you:

– Decide if this is what you both want. Your future spouse may be reluctant to get this “personal”, especially with a crowd watching. Be sure that you are both comfortable with saying your own vows. You should also decide whether you want an element of surprise, whether you will write it together or if you will have the same vow.

– Your vows should reflect who you are. Your vows should sound like you – they should be a reflection of your personality. Are you serious and formal, or do you have a dry wit? Let that show.

– Keep it short. Avoid the temptation of using 20 words when 10 is enough. Ideally, your wedding vows should be 1 to 3 minutes long.

– Focus on the details, not on generalizations. “I will love you forever and ever.” may be too general. Instead of dwelling with generalities, focus on the key elements of your relationship. How will you also continue to build that relationship in specific ways?

– Some questions to guide you. To help you synthesize what you love about your partner, fill in the following blanks:

– The day we met, I thought that you ________________________…

– You are my ____________…

– I knew you were the one when __________________…

– Thanks to you, I knew ____________________… or, you have shown me how to ______________…

– Together, we will ____________________…

– For me, being married to you is __________________…

– Avoid the clichés. “You complete me.” or “You decorated my life.” may be too clichéd. You can still use a famous line from a poem, movie or song but try to personalize it so that it doesn’t sound too much of a line.

– Borrow ideas. Although you should avoid clichés, it doesn’t mean that you can’t borrow some ideas from experienced wordsmiths and romantics. Take a look at other people’s vows (the internet is liberally peppered with them). Pick the ideas that appeal to you but avoid copying word for word – make the words your own.

– Don’t overdo the “personal touch”. Your vows are very personal but try to avoid being overly suggestive or telling details that your partner may not be comfortable revealing to others.

– Practice, practice, practice. Call the help of a trusted sounding board – a loved one or a friend who will honestly give their opinion of the vow. Go through the vow with him/her listening and explore areas you can still improve on. As much as possible, memorize your vow.

– Have a back-up. Even if you have memorized your vow, make sure that you have a written copy nearby (assign your maid of honor or best man to hold on to some cue cards) in case you blank out at a crucial moment.

– Get your officiant’s opinion. He or she may have valuable advice. There may also be some restrictions that the officiant knows of.

Now, as you have given careful thought with your vows, you should also take a good look at other elements of your wedding ceremony. Remember, your vows should ideally be said in a beautiful backdrop so your choice of wedding location is important. Make the moment even more magical with a fabulous wedding venue.

If you are thinking of holding your wedding in Salt Lake City, Utah, be sure to take a close look at Western Gardens’ The Ivy House. It is one of Salt Lake City’s premiere wedding locations. We understand the importance of beautiful moments and we have carefully thought about our facilities to make sure that as your exchange your vows, it will be as magical as you dreamed it would be.

How-To Tips, Receptions

What Happens in a Wedding Ceremony?

November 1, 2011 Wendy Pettit 1 Comment

A wedding is filled with many precious moments. And most of the times, these moments are to be found in the wedding ceremony – where you kiss as man and wife, when you say your vows to each other, when the groom sees his bride in her gown (presumably for the first time).

The question is what happens during a wedding ceremony? Oftentimes, when we attend weddings, we get caught up in the romantic moments that we don’t really get into the details of which part goes where, what happens during which part and so on. But when we’re planning our own wedding, it is important for us to know and understand what happens in each part of the wedding ceremony.

There are a lot of variations to a wedding ceremony. You can find many pre-set traditional wedding ceremonies or you may craft your own unique wedding ceremony. Or, you may go for a mixture of traditional with your own personal touch.

To give you an idea of what happens in a wedding ceremony, here are some of the more traditional elements:

The Entrance

– Seating of the guests. Guests, assisted by ushers, enter the wedding venue and take their seats. The prelude or pre-ceremonial music will be played during this time.

– Seating of the Parents. The groom’s parents and the bride’s mother are accompanied to their seats. If the bride opts to have her father give her away, the father would enter later with the bride.

– Entrance of the groom and other attendants. The officiant, the groom and the best man either enter through a side door or also march down the aisle. Then, they take their places in front.

– Entrance of the rest of the wedding party. This includes the bridesmaids and groom’s men walking in pairs, followed by the ring bearer, the flower girls and the maid of honor. The officiant instructs everyone to rise for the Bridal march. Here, the bride enters the wedding location, usually with her father (or other close relative).

– Giving away of the bride. This is an optional part of the program, where the officiant asks who gives the bride to be married. The parents of the bride will answer, “We do.” Sometimes, in modern ceremonies, the officiant instead asks, “Who supports the couple in this marriage?” and both sets of parents will answer, “We do.”

The Address

This is the “meat” of the wedding ceremony.

– Welcome remarks and statement of purpose. The officiant says welcoming words to the guests and the wedding party and states the purpose of the gathering. In some instances, the bride or the groom may wish to include a loved one or a friend who has passed away or are unable to come. This part is where they can be acknowledged and recognized.

– Charge to the couple. The officiant gives some advice about marriage and how it is to be founded not just on romantic love, but also on respect, friendship and trust. The officiant will remind the couple of the challenges and joys of married life.

– Question of Intent. This is where the officiant asks, “Do you, __________, accept ____________ as your lawfully wedded husband/wife?”. This question is asked to the bride and the groom individually and they each should answer, “I do.”

– Saying of Vows. This is where the bride and groom pledge their vows to each other. The officiant may dictate the words. One of the more common vows go,

I, _____________, take you, _____________ , to be my wedded (wife, husband), to have and to hold from this day forward; for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health; in joy and in sorrow; to love and to cherish, as long as we both shall live. I give you this ring as a sign of my promise.

The bride and groom may opt to write their own vows beforehand.

Unity Ceremonies

– Blessing and exchanging of rings. The officiant briefly explains the meaning of the rings and their significance in the couple’s union. The bride and groom then exchange rings.

– Optional unity ceremonies. The couple may also add a unity ceremony at this point. The most popular is the lighting of the unity candle. Two smaller candles are each held by the bride and the groom. Other unity ceremonies are the rose ceremony (where the bride and groom exchange roses) and the sand ceremony (where the bride and groom pour different colored sand to symbolize their union).

– The Pronouncement. The officiant will declare the newlyweds as officially man and wife.

– The Kiss. Another much-awaited part of the ceremony is when the couple kisses as husband and wife for the first time.

The Closing

– The Presentation. The officiant presents the bride and groom as Mr. and Mrs. The introduction depends on your preference – would the bride like to take on the groom’s last name or does she want to keep her own last name? Or, would the bride go for a hyphenated name?

– The Recessional. The newlyweds lead the wedding party down the aisle.

When crafting your own wedding ceremony, it is important to remember that this is a reflection of who you (as a couple are). The ceremony ideally reflects your values, beliefs and intentions. It is best if you and your fiancé feel comfortable with each part of the ceremony. You should also carefully consider your choice of wedding venue or SLC wedding reception center. This will provide an excellent backdrop to the beautiful wedding ceremony you have prepared.

When planning a wedding in Sandy, Utah, check out Western Garden’s The Ivy House. It has all that you need for a dream wedding – a beautifully decorated hall, exquisite chandeliers giving your wedding the extra sparkle, plants, artwork and classic-style furniture. The Ivy House makes a perfect Sandy, Utah wedding venue for your dream wedding!

How-To Tips

Send the Right Message with Your Wedding Invitations and Thank You Cards

September 9, 2011 Wendy Pettit Leave a comment

So you already have your Utah wedding venue picked out and booked for your fast approaching special day, and now you have to let all of your friends and family know about it. The wedding invitation that you decide to send to your guest often sets the tone for what you ceremony and Salt Lake City, Utah wedding reception will be like, therefore it is important to choose one the truly represents what your nuptials will be all about.

The thank you cards are equally as important as you invitations. These cards let your guests know how much you appreciated their supportive attendance on this momentous day of joy. Ideally these will match your invitations in style, though there is no rule against mixing it up and choosing a different design.

Color

If you have chosen colors for your SLC wedding venue incorporating these into your wedding invitations and Thank You cards will tie everything together nicely and give a sense of cohesiveness. The colors can be portrayed by either using dyed paper or colored ink. Adding a touch of color will make your invitations and cards pop.

Picture or No Picture

Did you have an engagement photo taken of you and your future spouse? If so, consider including this in your wedding invitation to add a personal and sentimental touch. You could have your portrait either printed directly on the invitation or insert individual photographs into each invite.

Font

The font of an invitation can be a good indicator of what type of event your wedding will be. If it is going to a more classic gala, the use of a timeless script font would convey the intended elegance of your wedding. Though, if you are planning a more relaxed wedding affair like a beach wedding; you may consider using a more modern font that is airy.

Wording

Of course you invitation should give the typical details of your Salt Lake City wedding venue, but what else would you like it to say? If you are holding a special event that requires guests to dress formally include this in your invites along with any other specific information that is important for guest to be aware of. As for your Thank You cards, decide whether or not you would like to include a special quote printed inside that will convey well with your personalized hand written sentiments of gratitude.

Paper and Envelope Type

Make sure you chose a well constructed paper and envelope that will be both pleasurable to the eye and sturdy. The first thing your guests will notice about your wedding invitations and Thank You cards is the quality of the paper and envelope, selecting those that are an equal combination of aesthetically delightful as well as durable will work out the best.

If you are holding your wedding reception in Salt Lake City, Utah the Ivy House can assist you in making the proper wedding invitation and Thank Card choice for your nuptials. They offer a wide variety of invitations which can be customized to your specifications.

Beautiful Celebrations, Ceremonies, How-To Tips, Receptions

Wedding Planning Shortcuts for a More Relaxed Bride

August 14, 2011 Wendy Pettit 16 Comments

Planning a wedding is no simple matter. The moment you said “Yes” to your man, you will have to face a long to-do list complete with timelines to ensure that everything comes out “just right”. To tell the truth, a wedding is one big production that has a lot of elements that you will have to book, decide upon and check up on. You are actually managing a lot of mini-projects within this one big “project” – your wedding.

Often, you will find in wedding planning websites tables, charts, to-do lists and timelines. Yes, you will find these helpful as you plan your wedding – so that you don’t forget a single important item and you keep track of the progress of each element.

Here are some of the important things you have to remember or do to prepare for your wedding:

– Get out your calendar and select the date of the wedding

– Inspect the wedding ceremony and reception center

– Book the church and wedding venue for the desired wedding date

– Discuss the wedding budget, who contributes for which item and for what amount

– Choose and order the wedding rings

– Select motif or theme of the wedding

– Select and order gowns – for the bride, mothers of the bride and groom and the rest of the entourage. Arrange for fitting and altering of the gown.

– Arrange for suits or the wardrobe of the male members of the entourage.

– Announce the engagement

– Send out wedding invitations

– Select menu and caterer

– Select bridal cake (or also groom’s cake) and baker

– Discuss floral arrangements with selected florist

– Book musicians and decide on songs and music

– Book officiant and discuss the wedding ceremony details

– Process legal documents required for the wedding

– Decide on decorative elements of the wedding (centerpieces, linens, gazebo, etc.)

– Book videographer and photographer

– Have hair and makeup trial and book makeup artist

– Schedule honeymoon and arrange travel and hotel details

And mind you, this is just a start of that list. And each element of this list has its own considerations and requirements. You may also need to read and sign contracts for the vendors.

As you can see, a wedding will not just make demands of your finances but also your time and effort. Even with the simplest of weddings, you still need to make arrangements to arrange for everything and ensure that the wedding is just as you wanted it to be.

The good news is, you don’t have to go at it alone. One, you can hire a wedding coordinator to take away much of the stress of the planning and implentation from you. Two, you can also consider a Utah wedding reception center that provides much of what is already in your to-do list so that planning becomes easier on your part.

Most wedding venues in Utah provides a lot of help in that it not only gives you the perfect spot for your wedding ceremony and/or reception, it also offers packages that incorporates a lot of the key elements you need for your wedding.

For instance, The Ivy House is a wedding venue in SLC, Utah which provides value-added services such as linens, catering, floral arrangments, contacts with photographers and videographers as well as an experienced baker for the wedding cake.

With the combination of The Ivy House’s unique ambiance, the presence of a host on the day of the wedding and a lot of amenities at one convenient location, you can enjoy your wedding day to the fullest. You can be a radiant and relaxed bride with the peace of mind that everything you wanted in your wedding is in place.