I was sitting with clients recently and we were talking about the flow of their gay wedding in New York. I have this four page questionnaire I go through a few months before the wedding with our big wedding clients. The conversation went something like this:
Me: Are you having a first dance?Them: Nope
Me: Are you having anything tossed? Garter and bouquet are the typical things.
Them: No
Me: Are you dancing with your parents at all in any formal, announced way?
Them: No
Me: Are you cutting anything on the dessert display (this wedding has no wedding cake)?
Them: No
All of these are fairly common answers when we're planning a gay wedding, though. After all, those are traditional elements and many of our clients love the opportunity to be non-traditional and reinvent what weddings should look like! And you completely have permission to do so!
The problem with those answers is that when we take out so many things, there is a lot of dead space and time. The guests get bored and heaven forbid, the wedding ends early. I believe it's very important to add things back in that are conversation starts and memory makers...
Here are some examples that we've experienced, have recommended or are recommending:
- photobooth (the obvious example)
- drag kings/queens
- some dance performance (fire dancer, salsa dancers, tango dancers, burlesque etc)
- caricature artist
- casino
- psychic (see above photo by Kelly Guenther Studio)
- cigar bar (if the venue allows it)
- aerial artist
What are you doing to add some conversation starters and entertainment to your wedding?
