Clarification on the Ring Bearer (He’s not supposed to carry the real rings) Thursday, Jan 8 2009

As an event planner and wedding coordinator I find joy and amusement in some of the “urban myths” that make their way into my clients minds.  Some come asking questions like, “Is it true that when you are attending a child’s party that if that child has a sibling that you also get the sibling a gift?” (NO, its not true. This is fully ridiculous.)  Some come asking for clarification on wedding etiquette and tradition.

Two of the more interesting “urban wedding myths” are these:

Myth #1: The flower girl(s) walk(s) down the aisle before the wedding party.

Correction: The flower girl(s) traditionally walk(s) down the aisle just before the bride does.

Myth #2: (The reason for this post.) The ring bearer carries the wedding rings down the aisle tied onto a little pillow and patiently awaits instruction from the Officiant while holding perfectly still. He then handles the rings most delicately before placing them into the waiting hand of the Officiant.

Correction: I think that you kind of saw my silliness and sarcasm in the Myth #2 itself, but the reality is that many, many people believe that the ring bearer – a human of anywhere from 4 years to 8 years of age – actually holds the expensive wedding rings on his little pillow.

The reality is this: the rings that you see placed onto a ring bearer’s pillow are symbolic. They are supposed to be fake rings sewn gently into the pillow.  The real rings traditionally rest comfortably in the pocket of the Best Man. Or, as has become very popular, the Maid or Matron of Honor holds the Groom’s ring, while the Best Man holds the Bride’s ring.

IF YOU ARE STILL CONVINCED THAT THE YOUNG RING BEARER SHOULD CARRY YOUR REAL RINGS UNTIL YOU PLACE THEM ON YOUR FINGERS, PLEASE KEEP THEM UNTIL IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THE WEDDING. TIE THEM ONTO THE PILLOW YOURSELF. (OR BETTER YET HAVE YOUR TRUSTED BEST MAN PLACE THEM ONTO THE PILLOW.)

Lost or damaged rings can be an expensive or altogether unrealistic replacement, especially as many Bride’s and Groom’s do not immediately insure their rings.

Enjoy!

Best,
Alisha Forrester Scott, Owner
La Ruche. event design studio.

You can reach AFS by e-mailing: studio@enterlaruche.com

In 2009 look for La Ruche on the hit television series Bridezilla alongside clients Kathryn Wells and Keith Hicks.

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Event Planning Advice: Sometimes event success means letting go Thursday, Nov 13 2008

Stress Less to Gain More!

Planning the perfect event often starts-off innocently enough and seems like a welcomed challenge. Happily, you dream-up the event theme, and you immediately scratch-out a list of the persons who will just absolutely have to attend. You look online for the perfect venue, and you are secretly starting to spend time shopping for your party attire during your lunch break. In fact, your minds-eye may already have you drinking a perfect glass of wine while picking into some exotic snacks.

While the design-phase of an event is rather enjoyable, many will soon find that the day-to-day details appear to become a little more complicated than first expected. With vendors, timelines, budgets, contracts, rentals, entertainment, food and beverage to attend to, some begin to feel the slow-building panic set-in. Oh, no…stress!

Stop and breathe.

The moment you realize that you may in fact be in over your head, consider calling an event planner. The sad fact remains that many of us are out of time, most of the time. The precision that planning an event requires is widely considered an art form. You might be asking yourself, “are you saying that I can’t do it on my own? I am pretty organized and I am a qualified bargain-hunting party veteran.”

The major differences between an event planner and someone who wants to plan their event are: time, expertise, vendor relationships, budgeting and cost-containment [tools]. Anyone with the gumption and enough time can design and plan an event; especially the brave souls who are reading this article. But the point is, do you really want to, or can you afford to spend the necessary time and energy on the design, planning, full execution and follow-up of your event? Why should you when – if you hire an event planner – you can be going about your day as required, or relaxing and daydreaming of your LBD (little black dress)?

If you need to impress your boss or some important clients, taking the path of least resistence seems like a very safe bet. By using impressive phrases like “our event planner has it covered”, you will be well on your way to a more sophisticated and well-adjusted you.

Your in event planning,
Best,
Alisha Forrester Scott

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