How To Tastefully Promote Your “Unplugged” Ceremony To Guests

Smartphones and their cameras are everywhere— and with them, every detail of your wedding ceremony and reception can be uploaded to social media within minutes. What if you don’t want all those photos taken or uploaded by your guests?  

You may want to consider having an “unplugged” ceremony, where no one is allowed to take photos or mention the wedding on social media for the duration of the event. Discover how to tastefully promote your “unplugged” ceremony to guests. 

Help Your Guests Understand Your Reasons 

Maybe you dislike the idea of amateur photographers taking inappropriate or low-quality photos at your wedding. Perhaps you’re nervous that camera flashes and reflective smartphone screens will interfere with your photographer getting the high-quality shots he or she needs.  

There may also be more serious reasons for your choice, like a foster child, adopted child, or children in a troubled custody situation whose security might be compromised if their photo appeared on social media. If high-profile or celebrity guests are attending your wedding, they may also prefer an unplugged ceremony, to avoid publicity issues.  

You don’t have to explain all your reasoning to your guests, but a brief explanation could help them accept your choice to have an unplugged ceremony.  

https://www.naninasinthepark.com/2018/09/06/how-to-tastefully-promote-your-unplugged-ceremony-to-guests/

How To Incorporate Technology Into Your Wedding

It’s no secret that changes in technology, from social media to advances in lighting and video, have radically changed the way we plan for and celebrate weddings.   These days, brides have a wealth of tools right at their finger tips that allow them to get new wedding ideas while Nanina’s is always integrating new technological features that can make your big day all the more memorable.  Here is a selection of new developments and features that you can use to truly make your wedding stand out.

• Helpful Hashtags: With the rise of hashtag-based social media services like Twitter and Instagram, more couples are creating unique hashtags, such as #HoltMillerWedding, that allow their friends and family to share information about the big day and have it visible to everyone involved.  In addition, with photo-sharing sites like Instagram, guests who are taking photos can use hashtags to have their personal wedding day photos available to all.
• Wedding Day Tablets: With the invention of the iPad and other tablet devices, couples are now able to put a unique spin on guest books and wedding albums with the help of specialty apps that allow guests to leave custom notes and photos the day of the wedding, creating an instant wedding album.
• Live Streaming: With any wedding, there are always invited guests who due to travel restrictions are unable to make it, but still want to participate.  Now with live streaming services like UStream, the happy couple can now set up a custom channel that allows them to broadcast a live stream of the wedding.  Furthermore, Twitter’s Vine function allows guests to upload quick videos on the fly that home-bound invitees can view in real time.
• Instant Movies: Professional wedding videographers now have many more ways to broadcast the proceedings live to the whole wedding party on a screen visible to everyone.  Now wedding guests and the happy couple can have a view of what’s being recorded on the very day of their wedding.
• Pinterest: Since its creation, the social photo sharing site has become a fantastic resource for brides to be to look at other weddings to get ideas for everything from trends in dresses to floral designs and everything in between.  Be sure to check out Nanina’s on Pinterest to see some of the fantastic wedding ideas we’ve helped bring to life and get ideas for your own Nanina’s wedding.
• LED Lights: With our multi-million dollar renovation, Nanina’s is equipped with state of the art LED lights that line the ceiling of our ballroom, allowing couples to have their chosen color palette for the day shining for everyone to see, adding an elegant, heavenly glow to any wedding.

From getting ideas for your wedding to sharing your special day with all of your guests and much more, there are plenty of practical ways to bring everyone closer on your big day via technology.  And with more and more couples becoming tech savvy, this is a trend that will only improve in the years to come.

Picking The Best Vendors For Your Wedding At Nanina’s

Choosing the location for your wedding venue is a huge first step in any wedding preparations.  This is one of the biggest choices you will have to make for your wedding.  However, what follows are seemingly smaller choices—like choosing your entertainment, your cake, your wedding dress, and so much more—that can make it hard not to get overwhelmed.

Being in the tri-state area, it can seem like there are more wedding service providers than one could ever research or discover.  Here are some suggestions on how to find exactly what you’re looking for in a vendor.

• Ask Us: Having hosted 100s of different types of weddings, we have compiled quite the list of local companies to help realize your wedding day theme.  You can visit our site (this will link to the vendors page) to see a selection of some of our preferred vendors. Or by talking to us directly and getting to learn the exact theme of your wedding, we can draw on our experience to suggest a vendor you might have otherwise never heard of!
• Wedding Sites: As any web-savvy bride-to-be knows, there are seemingly an infinite number of wedding how-to sites, which often have their own lists of recommended vendors.  While larger, national sites like TheKnot.com are great sources for getting ideas for your wedding, it also helps to look into local wedding sites that focus on the New Jersey area to get a better idea of the options in the immediate area.  One great site that we’re huge fans of is MyWedding.com!
• Friends and Family: As it’s very likely that either someone in your extended family or circle of friends has gotten married in the past year, this is a great place to start in finding vendors that match your taste.  After all, your friends and family know you extremely well and can suggest vendors that are ideal for your big day.

While it can be initially daunting to plan your wedding and make the many choices that come along with choosing different vendors, there are plenty of resources right in front of you to help you make your wedding day everything you dreamed about.  Often, we find that the most successful weddings selected their vendors through a combination of our suggestions, online research, and recommendations from friends and family.  With all of these great resources, we at Nanina’s will make sure you find the vendors that are right for you!

Tips On Staying On Budget For Your Wedding

Every wedding has a budget and it’s a challenge for every bride to keep from over-spending while ensuring her wedding day is exactly as she imagined it.  With the average wedding costing upwards of $30,000, there are plenty of ways to avoid unnecessary costs without compromising your vision.  Here are some general guidelines for staying within budget for your wedding.

• Aim For Fun, Not Perfection: While many businesses stress that your wedding should be your perfect day, we urge brides to focus on having fun over perfection. Budgets will easily balloon during the search for perfection. After all, perfection doesn’t exist, but fun most certainly does.  We’ve found that the happiest weddings happen when people don’t worry about planning out every detail to perfection, but rather embrace their big day as a chance to have the most fun of their lives!
• Ask Plenty of Questions: When dealing with the various vendors that come with holding a wedding, be as thorough as possible in getting all the information up front.  Make sure that the prices you are being quoted are the final prices, and that there are no extra fees or taxes hiding around the corner that could end up costing you.
• Cheap Can Cost: While there is nothing wrong with being frugal in your selections, do not make the mistake of choosing items solely for the price.  For example, while choosing the cheaper wedding dress might save you money at the point of sale, you might decide at the last minute that it’s not right for you and you require either a new dress or alterations.  After all, you get what you pay for.
• Quality Over Quantity: On a similar note, try to always go with the vendor whose products you like the most.  If they are outside your budget, try to find a way to get them inside.  For instance, if there’s a wedding photographer whose work you enjoy and trust over other photographers, but you lack the budget to hire them for the whole day, hire them for the amount of time you can afford so that you get the wedding photos that you want.
• Ask Us: With plenty of experience planning hundreds of weddings, we here at Nanina’s have the know-how to help you pick the best vendors without breaking your pocket book.  We are here to ensure you stay within budget without sacrificing quality.

With these principles in mind, you can get the best of both worlds by choosing the quality vendors that will deliver the integral elements for your wedding while still staying within your budget.

What To Do Before Choosing A Wedding Reception Venue In New Jersey

Preparing for your wedding requires plenty of things to plan before the actual wedding, ranging from designing your wedding invitation cards to choosing the right venue for your big day. All of this planning is bound to give you a bit of stress and tension. This is quite common, but handling it in a savvy manner and making your special day successful requires a bit of foresight and know-how that we at Nanina’s know a few things about. Fear not; you can overcome this anxiety just by remembering few things.

To get started planning your wedding, set the date before you start looking for wedding reception venue in New Jersey. Remember, a few of the venues you’re interested in might already have been booked in advance. Hence, you might need to adjust your wedding date or choose another reception venue. It is recommended to have at least three alternate dates for your big day. Another thing to consider is whether you want your wedding to be indoor or outdoor. Depending on this decision, you can narrow down to your choice of wedding venues in New Jersey. Also, keep the season in mind. For instance, if you plan your wedding during the winter, you can actually decrease your budget and you may even earn a venue discount since many people do not arrange weddings during this season.

Setting your budget is essential when organizing your wedding. Without a set budget, you risk spending money on unnecessary things. Also, think about the type of reception you would like to have. For instance, some people prefer a buffet dinner for their guests while others might choose a sit-down meal or even a cocktail party. It is recommended to decide on the type of reception while choosing the venue. Estimating all these things can truly make your event a successful one!

https://www.naninasinthepark.com/2013/04/24/what-to-do-before-choosing-a-wedding-reception-venue-in-new-jersey/

Choosing The Right Time For Your Wedding

You might be debating about the date of your upcoming wedding ceremony, but have you given much thought as to the time of the wedding? Even though late afternoon and late evening ceremonies are quite popular, weddings can be organized at any time of the day you want.  At Nanina’s, we work around your schedule to make sure your wedding and reception are held exactly when you want it to be.

Opting for an evening wedding and reception is a romantic and stylish choice, which reflects the taste of the couple. The bride, groom and even your guests can feel more comfortable and enjoy the party with dance and drinks till the end of the evening. The moonlight also has the added benefit of making people look radiant! When dressed in cocktail dresses and evening attire, attendees will look simply gorgeous.

Planning for an afternoon wedding ceremony can be a great choice if you have a tight budget. You can start the event around 1:30 to 2pm and wrap everything up by at least 6 or 7pm. Hence, you will need a single New Jersey wedding location for the entire event since the reception will be held directly after the wedding. Because of this, you also will not have to spend as much money on meals, which can end up saving you thousands of dollars. In an afternoon wedding scenario, you can serve your guests snacks and fewer drinks than at an evening ceremony.

https://www.naninasinthepark.com/2013/05/02/choosing-the-right-time-for-your-wedding/

How To Do Tasteful July 4th Wedding Celebrations

Are you planning a July 4th wedding? The holiday, with its patriotic overtones and its emphasis on family and togetherness, can be a perfect backdrop for your wedding celebration. However, that’s exactly what it needs to be— a backdrop, not an overpowering or corny theme. Discover how to do tasteful July 4th wedding celebrations that give a nod to the occasion without going too far.  

A Subtly Patriotic Color Scheme 

You don’t have to use the precise hues from the flag in your wedding; in fact, it’s best to avoid that overtly patriotic look. Instead, try subtler shades, like rich burgundy with navy and white, ruby red and sky blue, or cream with smoky blue and dusty rose. Even a simple, crisp white with shades of blue and hints of silver will work beautifully. 

Festive Decor Elements 

July 4th comes with plenty of basic shapes and patterns that you can incorporate into your wedding. You can repeat a five-pointed star motif, possibly using a large wooden star as part of the centerpiece decor for your reception tables.  

If you use stripes, vary the sizes and shades of the stripes so they will hint at patriotism without screaming “American flag!” Tinted glassware, patterned fabric, and rustic elements or textures play well as decor elements at a July 4th wedding.  

Florals with a July 4th Twist 

For your bouquet and centerpieces, talk  to your florist about blue flowers that might be in season and within your budget. Since there aren’t many blue-hued blooms available, you may want to opt for a sprinkling of these flowers within a bouquet made up of mostly white or crimson blooms. Incorporating tiny white or silver stars is a lovely touch; but if you’d like to have a more noticeable festive note, try a bit of bunting or a small flag in each centerpiece.  

Favorite Holiday Foods 

An All-American July 4th celebration often features grilled meats, grilled veggies, watermelon, and delicious desserts. You’ve got the dessert covered with a cake from our chefs or from one of our favorite bakers, as well as other delectable dessert options like tiramisu, cannoli, French pastries, mousses, and more.  

What about the rest of the menu? Can you pay tribute to the holiday while still keeping your wedding chic and elegant? Talk to the event specialists at Nanina’s in the Park and explore the available menu options, along with any possible July 4th-style adaptations.  

For example, our menu already includes a delicious variety of grilled vegetables, including Portabella mushrooms, red roasted peppers, eggplant, asparagus, zucchini, and Finocchio. Our event specialists will help you decide on the perfect July 4th-inspired entrées, cocktails, and pass hors d’oeuvres.  

Important Memories 

As you plan your Fourth of July wedding, you may want to honor someone in your family who has served in the military. Tastefully and correctly displaying a flag at your reception, along with a photo and important medals, could be one way of honoring that man or woman’s service.  

Sparklers and Colorful Lights 

Maybe there were figurative fireworks when you met, and you’d like to get married with the distant showers of colorful sparks in the sky. While you can’t have fireworks shot off at your beautiful venue, you can use sparklers, glowing balloons, or colorful electric lanterns to light your way to the getaway car.  

Who knows— you and your guests may have a good view of some faraway fireworks as you make your big exit!  

Planning your Fourth of July wedding is a team effort, so don’t do it alone! The event staff and wedding specialists at Nanina’s in the Park are happy to help you figure out the best way to honor the holiday while keeping the focus on you and your significant other. Keep in touch as your July 4th wedding date approaches!