TRADITIONAL PUERTORRICAN WEDDING (OUR CULTURE)

Except for capias

and bride dolls, there are no unusual wedding traditions. But you can always give your wedding a Puerto Rican flavor. When you think of things Puerto Rican you think of; coquí, orchids, tropics, palm trees, seashells, Taínos, guitars, coconuts, rum, pig roast, and amapolas. You can use things in the wedding and party that remind us of our Enchanted Island. The wedding party could be held in the bride's parent’s house and yard area. That is traditional because long ago there were no ballrooms for rent. Lights were strung on the trees outside to light the yard for the party - I am talking about strings of large bulbs. If it is impossible to have it there finds a party room that has a yard that you can use. Wealthy families would serve a large banquet, jibaritos served a rotisserie roasted pig. That sounds like an unforgettable event - doesn't it? Serve all Puerto Rican foods and desserts. Make the wedding cake coconut, rum, or pineapple flavored. Cake decorations may include seashells, pineapple motifs, etc.

The wedding "brindis" used to be made using coconut cups because there were no fancy glass goblets. The bride and groom may drink a traditional café con leche (espresso) using coconut cups - done more like a ritual and photo opportunity.

I've seen websites selling these coconut cups - some of them are really nice. A traditional brindis may also be included. Capias for all the guests. The capias were attached to ribbons that hung from the bridal bouquet. At the reception the bride and groom cut off the capias from the bouquet and pin them on the guests. This is a great way for the bride and groom to make contact with each guest. The capias had a piece of “abeto” fern (spiny fern used in weddings) attached to the capia (about 5 inches of fern), and the capia sat in the middle of the fern. The fern lasts a long time. The capias include a piece of folded narrow ribbon printed with the bride and groom’s names on one end, and the date of the wedding on the other. This ribbon can be ordered at bridal shops. The bride's bouquet was made using wild flowers of Puerto Rico – mostly amapolas, but also Mimosas flowers, and margaritas (include local greenery and abeto). Puerto Rico has over 50 native orchid species. Use orchids. The bouquet may include a fan - in Puerto Rico fans were a traditional part of a woman's attire. Wealthy women had fans in different colors to match their clothing. There is a long and detailed history of fans - too long to go into now. Bridesmaids may carry a fan and an amapola (maybe a silk amapola) - the flor maga, which is similar to an amapola, is the official flower of Puerto Rico.

During the ceremony - in very low volume - play a tape of coquí sounds - that would be most romantic. The Doll - At the traditional Puerto Rican reception it is customary for a doll, dressed similar to the bride, to be placed at the head of the main table. The doll can be a Barbie or a larger doll. She wears a wedding dress to match the bride's. The bride and groom may choose a danza criolla, a Puerto Rican waltz. La Borinqueña is a waltz. There are many, many beautiful Puerto Rican orchestra pieces for ballroom dancing. If you are interested in the Taíno culture use strings of seashell jewelry for the bridal party and to decorate the table. Centerpieces could reflect our Taíno heritage using petroglyphs somehow. Use lots of candles too. Centerpieces - make small palm trees using “abeto” ferns for centerpieces and decorate with seashells. If you can afford it, hire a local Puerto Rican folk dance group to entertain during dinner. Of course - play Puerto Rican music. Flowers were used to decorate the church, house, and the yard. Again these were flowers that grew wild including amapolas, margaritas and Mimosa flowers as well as local greenery and palm branches. Select a wedding invitation with a tropical theme like ferns, palm trees, or sea shells. Select matching napkins.

If you need napkin rings they can be made using elastic and have a sea shell on top with some ferns. The napkin rings are those rings that hold the silverware that has been rolled on a napkin. ... Honeymoon – a Caribbean Cruise, of course.

Wedding Flowers Tips

Flowers

The Bridal bouquet should complement the bridal gown. The Bridesmaids bouquets should coordinate with the dresses worn by the bridesmaids.
The groom traditionally pays for the bridal bouquet, all the boutonnieres (except his own), the corsages and the rehearsal dinner flowers. The Bride’s bouquet is traditionally made of white flowers such as stephanotis, orchids, roses, lilies of the valley, gardenias, carnations, or sweet peas. Included are fillers like baby’s breath, ferns or ivy for greenery. The traditional bouquet should be carried low so as not to hide the details of your dress. The groom’s boutonniere should be different from the groomsmen’s. You should arrange to have a toss away bouquet made for the bouquet tossing and make arrangements to have your bouquet preserved. The meaning of flowers:

Rose - Love

White Daisy - Purity

Gardenia - Joy

Orchard - Beauty

Carnation - Distinction

Blue Violet - Constancy

Forget Me Not - True Love

Red Chrysanthemum - Sharing

Lily of the Valley - Happiness

White Lilac - Youthful Innocence



We will be posting everyday on Wedding Etiquette & Tips Stay tune for more by EnhancEvents, LLC (888) 533-5572 ext. 104

The Caribbean Wedding - My Latest Work

Melody Joy Guerra & Adrian Marcus Landa

About the bride

Melody Joy Guerra was born on November 16th, 1981 in Dallas Texas. Raised and still residing in Texas by her Mother, Kathy Goria (married to Bob Goria), and her father, Michael Guerra (married to Theresa Guerra). She has two siblings, her sister Elissa Barbosa (married to Andy Barbosa), and Jon-Michael Guerra (engaged to Bethany Pagel). She has a niece and nephew, Mia and Christian. The rest of her family resides in Chicago, Illinois and surrounding suburbs. She also has two step brothers, Bryan and Tony Goria.


About the groom
Adrian Marcus Landa was born on June 22nd, 1978 in Dallas, Texas. Raised and still residing in Texas by his Mother and Father, Argie and Richard Landa. He has one brother, Chris Landa (married to Jody Landa), and has two nephews, Carlos and Cruz Landa. He shares his home with Melody, and their kids......Mama's, Mr. Bigglesworth, Cleopatra, Reggie, and Turtle.


How we met

Adrian and Melody met through friends, and of course, the infamous, Tia's Tex Mex, where Melody worked for many years. They knew many of the same people, and probably crossed paths plenty of times before they actually began dating, and never even knew it. They both went to Newman Smith High School, but graduated 5 years apart. They actually started hanging out because he was dating a friend of Melody's, and when they broke up, which was winter of 2000, Melody and Adrian began spending more time together as friends, and grew stronger feelings as time progressed, but not a word of it was spoken until February 14th, 2001. Adrian woke up extra early on Valentine's Day of 2001, picked up two dozen roses, and headed to Melody's sister's apartment where she was living. He walked in, kissed her on her cheek, handed her the two dozen roses, and said he has to go to work, but that he wanted to see her that night. She was stunned, for it was 5:00 a.m. on Valentine's Day, and she already had her valentine. They have been together ever since! Ten incredible and adventurous years!

Ceremony Site

Information for our guests

Melody Joy Guerra and Adrian Marcus Landa will be uniting their love on June 11th, 2011 in Humacao, Puerto Rico. The ceremony will be taking place on the beach in a large resort subdivision in The Palmas Del Mar in Humacao. It will begin promptly at 5:oo in the afternoon, right before sun down.
Driving directions

Humacao, Puerto Rico is estimated about 40-50 minutes southeast of San Juan, PR and approximately . San Juan is where you will be arriving at the airport San Luis Munoz International Airport.

Reception Site
Information for our guests

The Reception will immediately follow the ceremony:

PLACE: Cedro 6, Palmas del Mar, Humacao, PR
TIME: Approximately 7:00 pm

We will be serving a whole Pig as the main course, as well as stuffed Chicken, shrimp cocktail, and of course the wedding cake!

What to Wear

We want our guests to feel relaxed and laid back for our ceremony and reception, so please feel free to dress nice, but not formal. It is a beach ceremony, so tropical attire would be nice, but not required. If you would care to know our colors, they will be aqua's, blue's, yellow's, red's, and oranges. TROPICAL FLAVOR!

Our wedding party

The Best Man: Chris Landa
Maitron of Honor: Elissa Barbosa
Flower Girl: Mia Barbosa
Father of the Bride: Michael Guerra
Mother of the Bride: Kathy Goria
Father of the Groom: Richard Landa
Mother of the Groom: Argie Landa

Special Thanks to all the Vendors;
Officiant: Santana Ministries (787) 435-3145
Decorator: Ideas a tu Gusto (787) 595-8726
Wedding Cake: Jossi's Cakes (787) 678-7872
Catering: Ita's Creole Kitchen, Absolute Catering (787) 738-6090
Entertainment: H & M Entertainment (787) 429-3474
Rental: Party Line, Inc. of PR (787) 747-9092
Misc. Vendors: JCJ Remodelaciones (787) 212-4182 Installation of Ceremony Site
Luxery Villa Rentals: (787) 507-1966 Reception Site
Healing Flowers: (787) 562-4207

Experience the Differences About EnhancEvents, LLC

Why do you publish your prices when other planners don’t?
We believe that from the very beginning of our relationship we will be honest and straight-forward with our clients. By informing you of the fees of our exceptional service up front, we can spend more time during our consultation getting to know you, and you getting to know us, while discussing the vision for your perfect day.
What does “Starting At...” package pricing mean?
Our pricing is based on guest size and your event logistics. All of our wedding packages include a minimum of one Event Planner and one Event Assistant on the day of your event. Larger guest counts and larger event productions dictate more Event Assistants in order to give you our signature service. When we meet during our complimentary consultation, we will provide a custom quote for your one-of-a-kind celebration.

I’ve seen other planners on the internet that charge a few hundred dollars for their service. Also, there are so many planners in the North East area. What is the difference between you and them?
o While we certainly love and have a passion for what we do, this is not a hobby or side-job for us. Wedding & Event Planning is our full-time job.
o We are active members of the Association of Bridal Consultants and are constantly attending seminars, national and international conferences and continuing education to provide our clients with the latest industry trends and style.
o We have established relationships with our preferred vendors who pass on great service and exclusive specials to our clients. Our policy is to not accept any “kick-backs” or returns from our vendor relationships.
o We carry a $1,000,000 insurance liability policy and have a Tennessee business license.
o We are members of NAPW (National Association of Professional Women), an elite group who are fastest growing women organization that supports small business.
o We were voted by real brides for 2010 A-List in North East Weddings in the following categories: Best Wedding Coordination, Best Event Design and Best North East Wedding Blog.
o With EnhancEvents, LLC, we are a team of planners, designers and production assistants. We work together with our combined talents to produce a truly unique and special occasion.

8 Questions You Must Ask a Wedding Professional Before Booking Them

Hiring the right team is critical to planning your dream wedding…and it can also be quite stressful.

How do you find the right match for you? How do you know who to trust? Where do you go for advice?

First of all, this is not an easy task and it’s totally normal for couples to feel overwhelmed, frustrated or confused.
It’s not like you plan a wedding every day! This is all probably brand new to you, so be patient with yourself.

A few tips to finding the right ones for you…

•Do Your Homework. You’ll get much more out of a meeting or conversation with a wedding professional if you do a little background homework first.

Spend some time on the internet or talking to friends who’ve recently been married. Find out the average prices in your area and what services are available. Get an idea of what you like and don’t like. Wedding websites and chat rooms can be a great resource. This way when you meet with a wedding professional you’ll be able to ask better questions and have an idea of what to look out for.

•Meet With Them. An in person meeting is the best way to interview a potential wedding vendor. It lets you get the full experience of their personality, style and professionalism. If that’s not possible, have a phone conversation.

•Ask Questions. There are no stupid questions! Make sure you get clear, specific answers to your questions. If you aren't sure what something means, ask them to clarify. Keep asking questions until you completely understand.

If a wedding vendor has a problem with you asking questions, they probably aren’t the one for you. The best wedding professionals are patient, understanding and take the time to help you make the best choices for your wedding.

•Listen. Don’t just hear the words they say, really listen. Watch the vendor’s body language. Are they confident and comfortable with their response? Do they look and sound nervous? Do you get a “funny feeling” about them? Take all the sights, sounds and feelings into account along with their responses; if your gut tells you something isn’t right, it probably isn’t.

•Check References. Portfolios are hand-picked to show off the best work, but they may not represent the “average” wedding performance. Videos are edited for the optimum presentation. But real referrals from satisfied clients are hard to fake.

Call up both client and professional references. Ask questions and use those listening skills. Even if they give a rave review, you’ll often be able to “read between the lines” if there were any issues or problems.

Ask around and search the internet for reviews. Check the Better Business Bureau for any outstanding complaints against the business. Weigh all of this information into your choices.

Here are 8 Must Ask Questions to ask ALL your potential wedding professionals before booking:
1. How many weddings do you do per year? How much experience do you have?
This is an extremely important question. Ideally, your wedding professional should have ample experience specifically with weddings. Not only will they be more skilled in their craft, this also makes them a valuable source of information and ensures that your wedding day goes smoothly.
2. How much do you cost?

Price is often relative, especially when you factor in experience, reputation and expert skill. Generally, the most talented professionals have a higher price tag because they are worth it.

3. How much is the deposit?

4. What specifically is included in that cost?

Because packages often vary, it’s likely that you won’t be able to compare one vendor exactly to the next without doing a little figuring. The lowest cost isn’t necessarily the best deal; some higher quotes include services that you have to pay extra for in other packages. Make sure you take this into account.

5. What happens if I cancel? What happens if you cancel?

Find out if your deposit is refundable under any conditions. Does the wedding professional have a back up plan if something happens to them?

6. Do you use a contract?

If the answer is No, RUN! A contract is designed to protect both you and the wedding professional. Don’t settle for a verbal agreement that won’t hold up in court.

7. Are there any additional fees?

Taxes, service charges and travel fees can add up quickly. Make sure you understand exactly what is included and if there are any other fees you’ll have to pay. This should be clearly defined in your contract.

8. Do you carry liability insurance?

The answer you’re looking for here is yes. This protects you in case an unfortunate accident should occur on your wedding day. It’s also a sign that this is a reputable business; since most “fly by night” operations don’t invest in insurance.
If chosen wisely, with the right wedding vendors you get expert help and advice…for free!


You can visit us at www.EnhancEvents.com for more information about wedding planning tips.