LDS Wedding Receptions

LDS groom

Alternatives to the Wedding Garter Toss

garter toss and alternatives for LDS wedding receptions
Photo Courtesy of Ravenberg Photography

If you are LDS and planning your wedding reception and your reaction to the words “garter toss” is “absolutely not!”, or you are in any way uncomfortable with removing and tossing a garter in front of all your friends and family, read on to find plenty of fun alternatives.

Toss the Boutonnière

No law says the groom has to toss a garter. Why not another important part of the wedding ensemble? The groom could throw his boutonnière. Or, have him undo his necktie or bowtie and toss it to the crowd – as long as it’s not a rental! Line up the single male guests at the reception and announce that whoever catches this tie is destined to be the next one to get married.

Balloon Drop

Blow up a bunch of balloons, one of which has a ribbon or other lightweight item in the wedding colors inside (the exact number of balloons depends on the size of your guest list.) Secure them in a net that is fastened near the ceiling. Have all men or all single men stand underneath and let the balloons drop – the lucky guy who finds and pops the balloon with the ribbon wins.

Gift Toss

If tossing the tie isn’t an option, consider another garter toss alternative like throwing a new gift. Some good examples are a new necktie or a pair of leather gloves. You can throw anything that most men would like as a gift, but nothing hard or dangerous to throw like a pocketwatch or pen knife!

Race to the Bride

garter toss alternatives for LDS wedding receptions
Photo Courtesy of Burnt Exposure Photography

On one side of the room, line up the bride and the male guests; at the other side set up a long table scattered with inexpensive dollar store scarves or handkerchiefs. On the groom’s signal, the first man to run across the room, retrieve a scarf, and give it to the bride at the starting line is presented with a garter or garter alternative.

Musical Chairs

Think musical chairs is just for kids at a birthday party? It’s actually hilarious when adults are the players. Set up chairs in a circle and let the best man win. This is a great time to have some fun with the music. Try the Mission Impossible theme song, “Luck Be a Lady” by Frank Sinatra, or “Perhaps” by Cake. The winner of the game receives a garter or LDS garter alternative.

garter toss alternativesfor LDS wedding receptions
Photo Courtesy of Justine Miller Photography

For those of you who are brave enough to have a garter removed from your leg with everyone looking on, let your groom go for it. But if you don’t want anything to do with the traditional garter removal and garter toss at your wedding reception don’t leave out your male guests while your female guests get the bouquet toss. Instead of cutting the garter toss altogether, consider replacing it with a more appropriate LDS garter toss alternative.

♥ Jenny Evans
Exclusively for WeddingLDS.info
Copyright © 2010 WeddingLDS.info. All rights reserved.

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Pros and Cons of Hiring Wedding Professionals

Wedding Service Professionals for LDS Receptions

Wedding Service Professionals for LDS wedding receptions
Photo Courtesy of Whitney Lewis Photography

Some LDS brides and grooms hire a professional wedding photographer and rent a reception hall with professional catering and DJ services for their special day; others let family and friends handle the pictures and serve homemade food at a wedding reception in their backyard or at a local LDS chapel. Which way is best for you depends on your circumstances, preferences, and of course your budget.

First, let’s take a look at the reasons why people hire professionals – and why they sometimes choose not to. Many people like professional wedding services because they…read more

DIY Wedding Music

DIY Wedding Music

Do-it-yourself wedding music for LDS wedding receptions and open houses
Photo Courtesy of JarvieDigital.com
With all the expenses and costs of a wedding and reception, you may be considering DIY options like you never thought you would. Are you ready for a do-it-yourself job on your reception music, otherwise known as an “iPod wedding”?

Like any DIY wedding option, handling your own reception music has a big list of pros and cons. The biggest benefit is of course the hefty savings once you cut out hiring a DJ or wedding band to provide your reception music. Others like it because you get complete control over the song selection. Being your own wedding DJ is…read more

How to Hire a Wedding Band

How to Hire a Wedding Band

How to hire a live band for an LDS wedding reception
Photo Courtesy of JarvieDigital.com

It’s true that while DJs seem to be the most popular choice for your wedding reception music these days, have you considered hiring a live band? It’s hard to find something that will instantly transform your reception as dramatically as live entertainment during your reception. Have you ever noticed that movies like My Best Friend’s Wedding and The Time Traveler’s Wife have live bands? Nothing is as amazing and classy as a live band.

When booking a wedding band, size is an important consideration. Most bands have between 5 and 7 members, but the band you choose should roughly correspond to the size crowd at your reception.

Three players would seem…read more

Theme Wedding Music

Beach theme wedding music for an LDS wedding reception
Photo Courtesy of Carly Daniel Photography

Theme Wedding Music

Some theme weddings come with a ready-made soundtrack. A Phantom of the Opera or Lord of the Rings themed wedding, for example, is easy to pick songs for. But most of us aren’t so lucky. What about those of us with theme weddings who don’t have a clue what music to choose?

– if you have a tropical or Hawaiian theme, you can choose songs with a bubbly reggae feel like Israel’s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” “It Must Be Love” by Madness, “Cupid” by Amy Winehouse or “I Can See Clearly Now” by Johnny Nash. If those aren’t for you, opt for songs with beachy lyrics like “Walk on the Ocean” by Toad the Wet Sprocket or “The Ocean” by U2.

– if your wedding falls in…read more

LDS Wedding Cake Cutting Songs

LDS Wedding Cake Cutting Songs

cake cutting music for LDS wedding receptions
Photo Courtesy of Ravenberg Photography

Whether your wedding reception features a big cake or a small one, chocolate or vanilla, you’ll need to select the right music for the bride and groom cutting of the first slice.

These songs about sweetness and sugar run the gamut from ballad to up tempo, silly to romantic. There’s got to be a perfect cake cutting song for you here.

Recipe for Love by Harry Connick, Jr
Sugar, Sugar by The Archies
How Sweet It Is by James Taylor
The Sweetest Thing by U2
Ice Cream by Sarah McLachlin
Pour Some Sugar on Me by Def Leppard
Savoy Truffle by The Beatles
I Want Candy by Bow Wow Wow (or punk remix by Good Charlotte)
I Can’t Help Myself by the Four Tops
Cherry Pie by Skip and Flip
Cut the Cake by Average White Band
If I Knew You Were Coming I’d Have…read more

Dance Songs for Attendants of an LDS Wedding

Dance Songs for Attendants of an LDS Wedding

Dance songs for LDS wedding attendants
Photo Courtesy of JarvieDigital.com

After the bride and groom’s first dance, the bride’s dance with her father, and the groom’s dance with his mother, you could open the floor up to everyone. Or you could include a fun tradition that not all weddings include in the reception: a special dance just for members of the wedding party.

Everybody does the wedding party dance a little bit differently. Some have each bridesmaid dance with one of the groomsmen, while others allow each wedding party member to dance with their spouse or significant other. Your preferences and the preferences of your…read more

LDS Wedding Reception; Mother-Son Dance Songs

LDS Wedding Reception; Mother-Son Dance Songs

Mother-Son Dance for an LDS wedding
Photo Courtesy of Lindsey Hale Photography

The mother-son dance at the reception is the mother of the groom’s big moment, and the song you choose can say “thank you” for everything she’s done.

That said, it can be really hard to pick a song. There seem to be a lot less songs about mothers than fathers (we don’t know why), making it difficult to find one that says exactly what you want it to say.

If you’ve got a close relationship with your mom and really want your mother-son song to say what she means to you, try one of these songs on for size…read more

LDS First Dance Wedding Songs

Wedding Music Checklist for LDS wedding receptions
Photo Courtesy of Justin Miller Photography

LDS First Dance Wedding Songs

Believe it or not, five or ten years from now you won’t quite be able to recall the taste of your wedding cake, the colors in your bouquet, or the way the bridesmaid’s dresses looked. But you’ll still get teary-eyed when you hear the song that you chose for your first dance of the wedding reception.

So how do you go about choosing “your song,” the one you will remember forever? Write down five adjectives that describe the atmosphere of your ceremony, and find the correct category on this list. It will point your feet in the right direction and help you make the best decision possible.

You can’t go wrong with…read more

First Dance Tips and Ideas

First Dance Tips and Ideas

LDS bride and groom, first dance
Photo Courtesy of Justine Miller Photography

The LDS bride and groom’s first dance is one of the sweetest moments of the wedding reception. It is symbolic of the new life you’re starting together, so it’s important to do it right.

Traditionally, the bride and groom first dance happens right after dinner is served to warm up the dance floor for the guests. If you aren’t serving dinner, the first dance is held soon after the bride and groom’s entrance to the reception.

Choosing a first dance song is more complicated than it might at first appear. Before you…read more

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