Your Dad!  He has been the main man in your life for many years.  He was the first man to love you and the first man you loved.  If you can, don’t miss out on a special moment with the first man in your life.  The Father-Daughter dance is a tradition that creates a special moment for any loving father as he gives his little girl away to the man who has promised to be her partner for life.    For many, this dance is an important part of many Utah wedding receptions and can’t be missed.  Don’t have any regrets by not doing it.

For Sharae P., a mother in Draper, Utah, she feels that this dance is “a symbol of a father who has loved and taken care of his daughter for so many years, and now is saying his goodbyes and passing her on to a new man who will assume the duties of making sure she is loved the rest of her life.”

Carolyn G. from Salt Lake City, Utah, never had such a moment with her father but now that she has a daughter of her own, she looks back to her wedding and wishes she would have shared this tender moment between her and her daddy.  She feels this special dance is “a way to recognize that [daddy-daughter] relationship and let the father have that last moment where he is his daughter’s ‘handsome prince’ before turning her over to her husband.”

I asked my mother if she had a daddy-daughter dance with her father.  She said she didn’t even think about having one.  She didn’t have anyone help her with the planning of her celebration so it totally passed her thoughts.  She regrets not having that last dance with her dad, especially since he passed away a few years ago.  

Ivy House Weddings and Atrium Weddings are two Utah wedding venues that help make dreams come true on a bride’s special day. If she dreams of having such a tender moment with her father, they have dance floors and wonderful sound system are provided to help make this moment everything she imagines.

When you’ve gotten so wrapped up in all the other details of the celebration as a whole, you are more apt to forget those details that only you can do.  My wedding day was wonderful and we had several moments when we had forgotten to do a task that only we could do for ourselves.  For example, my fiancé showed up at the wedding ceremony without having shaved his face!  He has been so nervous doing other things like picking up tuxedos, etc, that he forgot to do “his” task.  At first, I was frustrated with him, but then we laughed and realized how busy we had been and now the day was here and we needed to relax and enjoy each moment.   

Do realize that on the day of your wedding, things will happen that are beyond your control.  Take the day as it comes and enjoy!  If you don’t want your venue to be among those laughable moments that you actually would like to cry about, then choose one of the wedding locations in Salt Lake City run by Western Gardens, like Ivy House Weddings or Atrium Weddings.  They will provide you and your guests with a beautiful setting and very little is left up to you to worry about.

The photos from your wedding day are priceless treasures, so make sure you capture all those tender and sweet moments with a good wedding photographer who has experience shooting at beautiful wedding venues in Utah.  Many reputable photographers enjoy Ivy House weddings for their spiral staircase and romantic chandeliers that offer unique backdrops.  But more important than just background scenes, a good talented photographer is a must.  

I had two friends that planned their wedding on a tight shoestring budget.  They happened to win a free wedding day photography package from a local company.  Though they loved the work of the photographer who did their engagement photos, the company sent a different photographer for the wedding day events.  The outcome of this story is that the photos were terrible and they didn’t keep even one photo of the day’s events.  Luckily the company arranged for another photographer to come take photos after their honeymoon.  However, there is nothing like the actual day to capture those sentimental moments with family and friends.  My friends did have fun dressing up in their wedding clothes again!

Be sure you hire a trusted photographer and one that has talent and artistic ability.  Wedding venues in Utah can be wonderful backdrops for a good professional photographer.  See some example of good photographers at Ivy House Weddings.  Brides can browse through several photo books of photographers that enjoy shooting at that reception hall.  

In my neighborhood growing up, there were always women around who were willing to help with anything they could. They would make sure every young woman getting married was thrown a bridal shower, they would help with serving the food at the wedding and moreover volunteer their daughters to bus tables. When a bride was in need, they would willingly get to work. 

This was especially true for one young woman in the neighborhood. About a year or two before her wedding, her mother passed away. Knowing that she would need some extra help, a few women showed up at her door asking what they could do. She wasn’t exactly sure what she needed to be doing herself, much less know how these women could help her. Since most of them had daughters of their own and knew a little about planning weddings, they were able to help her along the way. One helped with dress alterations, others helped put together the menu and gather all the food, others did the centerpieces and most all helped to serve and bus tables at the reception. She had very little to worry about in planning her wedding. Not only did she get a lot of help with her wedding, she learned that there were many women in her life who loved her and were willing to step in as mother figures when her mother was not there. 

In planning your special day, remember that there are women and men in your life that will be more than willing to help with whatever you need. If you plan to have your event at Ivy House Weddings located in Western Gardens downtown Salt Lake City, you have the option of self-catering which can save money and provide an opportunity for others to help with your wedding. 

When planning your wedding celebrations, communication is key. It is important that everyone involved in planning the event is on the same page.  Even when you book with any of the beautiful wedding venues in Salt Lake City, like Ivy House Weddings at Western Gardens Center downtown, make sure they know what needs to be done and how you would like it. Make sure people know what you want or you might be surprised with something you didn’t want. For example, a cake may show up when you thought you had been quite clear that you did not want one.

This is what happened at my reception. I wanted nothing to do with having a cake because the idea of having it shoved in my face did not sound appealing. I also thought that it was a silly tradition that no one really cares about (you may have a different opinion and that’s okay). I made this clear to everyone except apparently my own mom. While she was at her friends house asking for a little help with the wedding, I guess they had a conversation about a cake and how my mom really loves the pound cake that her friend had made for her daughter’s wedding and that it would be good to have at my wedding. Upon returning home, my Mom told me about the conversation and I responded that I did not want a cake so her friend did not need to worry about making one. I guess my mom never told her friend because to my surprise a plain frosted cake showed up at the reception. When my florist arrived to bring all the flowers, she saw the bare cake.  She drove back home to get the leftover flowers to decorate the cake with and make it a little more presentable. I was a little upset that the cake was even there and did not even want to cut it. It wasn’t until after we had changed and were about to leave that we were told we should cut it just to please the friend that brought it.

Just remember that communication is key, but don’t be surprised if something is not quite as you had planned. Also, if you are unlike me and do want a beautiful cake, Western Garden Center’s wedding reception centers in Salt Lake City provide excellent suggestions for cake designers.

As a bride plans her wedding day she strives for absolute perfection, after all, this is the day she has been waiting for her entire life. Once the ring is on her finger she begins her search for the perfect dress, flowers, cake, invitations and the most perfect of all the Utah wedding venues.  She may be so focused on every tiny detail that she forgets the most important detail of the day.  She forgets the monumental life changing event that will give her a new identity as a woman. It is on that day that she becomes a wife and begins a wonderful, exciting new life with the man she is deeply in love with. 

When you are caught in the moment of planning a wedding, EVERYTHING seems important, but you will find that on your day those things are not so important after all. In all honesty, all the things you do for your wedding day will soon be forgotten by most in attendance. The invitation you so carefully picked out will most likely be thrown after it is used to find your venue. The food you chose to serve will most likely not be tasted by you because you will be in the line greeting guests and not eating. You may not notice or even have a chance to really see how your beautiful centerpieces turned out. Also, your gorgeous bouquet will seem so heavy after holding it for hours that you may wish you either didn’t have it or that it was much smaller. The bridesmaids that you so carefully chose may spend the evening extremely bored hating the dress they have been forced to wear. 

Plan now to remember that on your wedding day,  you will slow down and focus on the tender moments that make your day special instead of rushing to make things look perfect. Let your Utah wedding reception centers worry about all those details.  You just enjoy the moments.  Remember the expression on your new husband’s face when he sees you in your dress for the first time. Remember the moment in the dressing room with your mother as you look in the mirror together and she tells you how beautiful you look and how proud she is. Remember that your frail grandfather was able to make it to the ceremony and the tender kiss he gave as he wished you well. Remember the pure joy you feel as you are joined to your dear husband. If you take the time to focus on the tender moments of the day, it will be the perfect day you have always dreamed of. 

Weeks in the planning and creating, it is obvious that Kristen has a real talent.  She created each individual silk flower from all types of ribbon.  The plethora of roses, hydrangeas, gallardias, dahlias, hibiscus, lily of the valley and other beautiful creations adorned this masterpiece.  She chose rich earth tones with touches of gold and silver for an elegant spray.   When she had created all the pieces, she asked a friend to arrange them into this work of art.  I would say this was a huge success and Kristen will be able to enjoy this art work in her home for years to come, a constant reminder of her and Doug’s wedding union and their celebration at Ivy House Weddings, one of Utah wedding reception centers that allow the bride to use her own florist.  

The bride’s bouquet was not the only item that set the bride’s style at her wedding celebration.  She also chose to use a dear friend to create her wedding cake.  Again, it is another unique piece of art, definitely worth noting.  A delightful kindred spirit created this 3-tier delicate masterpiece.  The bride and Linda have been long time friends, traveling together on many adventures, and sharing church beliefs and interests.  The cake consisted of two-tiers on top of four white pillars upon a large round base.  The most unique attribute about this cake was the delicate pastel frosting used to decorate.  The little pink rose buds with green leaves was indeed very light and airy, giving the cake such a delicate and tender appearance.  The artist also included Lilly of the Valley along with a few white pearls to give it just a final little touch of lightness.  There was nothing heavy about this gorgeous cake.  I have not seen a cake with Lily of the Valley.  This was a very unique and soft touch.   

We are finding that brides really enjoy wedding reception centers in Utah, like Ivy House Weddings at Western Gardens downtown, that allow them the freedom to choose their own cake designers and florists.  It becomes a more unique wedding celebration that reflects more of the bride’s personal style.  

This petite vivacious bride chose ivory and pastel pink colors for her decor.  All the guests enjoyed her beautiful cakes as refreshments that she ordered from Granite Bakery, who also was her cake designer.  Beautiful and refreshing fruit assortment also was served.  

This bride had her brothers introduce all her bridesmaids who came parading in from the elegant bride’s dressing room.  What a fun time everyone had dancing the Macarena among other dances.  Salt Lake City wedding venues like Ivy House are a great place to celebration such special unions.  

The Flower Patch created her flower masterpieces and her photographer was a dear friend of the bride named Bethany Bown.  Salt Lake City weddings can be beautiful dreams come true for Utah brides when their reception centers allows the freedom to work within a budget.

If you have other themes you want to read about or see on our blog, please ‘like’ our Facebook page Ivy House Weddings and list your subject matter.  I will research those items of interest to you and then post them.   Also, tell me if you like reading about the events we have hosted at our wedding center.  That has been the main focus of our blogs to this point.  What’s your opinion?

Ivy House doesn’t want to be just another of the many Salt Lake City reception centers.  Our privilege is to be YOUR reception center.