Wedding Details that Nobody Notices But Are Important Anyway

I am of the opinion that the devil is in the details. Or - wait a minute. The GOD is in the details! (I've come to learn that the former phrase actually derived from the latter, but anyway... See what I mean?!)

In other words, I love details. Details are like the magic fairy dust sprinkled on an event or a moment that give it just the right amount of sparkle to catch your eye and have you going, "Ah! Did you see that? That's COOL!"

So, for my wedding, I had some sweet little details of which I am personally and especially proud, because I think they turned out really nice! I have NO IDEA who, if anyone, noticed or cared. But, I did, so that's what matters!

I'll share them here with you, in case you want to steal any of these ideas.

And if you see anything that you'd like to use for your wedding or event, get in touch and I'll share templates with you. Or we can arrange for me to do them for you, for a small fee (like your first-born child. or maybe something more simple, like a Starbucks gift card:)


Devilish Detail #1: Centerpiece Giveaway Table Tents

Ok, so, it wasn't my idea to make these BUT the text was all mine! In addition to having 2 of these on each dining table, the DJ also announced the procedure part-way through the night.

I didn't want this big hulabaloo made about who gets to take the centerpieces home, so we (my coordinator and I) thought it would be subtle and sophisticated to put these puppies out.

Feel free to steal!

Bella Rosa Photography by Jennifer Carrillo. All Rights Reserved.

paper and stamp from Paper Source / paper color: persimmon

Devilish Detail #2: Escort Cards

These are not very novel, but I still like how they turned out.

Perforated paper-bag printable placecards from Paper Source + that stamp, again = magic!

The detail here is that I indicated which entree the guest was receiving by placing the stamp in a different corner. So, upper right corner was Chicken, lower right was Salmon, etc. The kitchen captain got the key and we were good to go!

ONE CHANGE I WOULD MAKE: choose a more visible stamp color. I think it was hard to see in our low-lit venue.

Bella Rosa Photography by Jennifer Carrillo. All Rights Reserved.

Name font: Business Penmanship / Table font: Futura

Devilish Detail #3: Table Tents

Again, nothing novel here. I just want to show off what I did with Vera Wang's Table Number Tent Cards from Paper Source.

It's true I can't take full creative credit for this. My maid-of-honor, Marcela, came up with the design.

Just a little ribbon of fancy paper at the bottom, a stamp at the top and - voila! Fancy table tents!

Bella Rosa Photography by Jennifer Carrillo. All Rights Reserved.

Devilish Detail #4: Kids' Kits

Expecting the little ones to be restless throughout dinner and the speeches, I created personalized little kits for each of them with some things for them to do at their tables. We only had 6 children at our wedding, so this was a piece of cake.

For the smaller ones (age 4-6), I tied together a coloring book and a little box of crayons, like they give out at restaurants with the kids' menus.

For the older kids (age 8-12), I created a little stack of Mad Lib-style cards for them that I stole from Martha Stewart Weddings. Did they do them? I have no idea. But I like to think they did, and had a blast! :)

Bella Rosa Photography by Jennifer Carrillo. All Rights Reserved.

Tied to each Kid Kit was a rustic tree-branch pencil and
a paper lotus flower that my sister made for my Bridal Shower. Aww! :)

Devilish Detail #5: Unity Candle(s)

I saved this for last, because it's my favorite!

It's our Unity Candle. Rather, CANDLES.

To symbolize the 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit (Catholic, from my background) and the 7 steps that a couple takes around the Sacred Fire (Hindu, from my husband's background), we chose to light a bunch of candles together at our wedding rather than the usual One Each. 

So, here's what we did:

1. Dads lit Moms' tapers. 
2. Ashish and I took tapers from Moms (representing the life we received from our parents).
3. Ashish and I lit all seven small candles (labeled each with one of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit which are: courage, understanding, reverence, awe & wonder, knowledge, counsel and wisdom.)
4. THEN, we lit the main candle, which was labeled with a sticker with our names on it, tied up with a pretty little bow. 

After the ceremony, this arrangement framed the front of our sweetheart table (see photo). 

And NOW, these eight special candles sit on the fireplace mantle in our living room. A constant reminder of our unity and prayers for those gifts we need the most to maintain it. :)

Unity candle set

close-up of one the "Courage" candle

our sweetheart table lined with the Unity Candle set

Ok. ONE MORE!

Devilish Detail #6: The Program

Even if nobody cares too much about what's going to happen in the ceremony or who's coming down the aisle, I like making that information available anyway. You know that kid who always wants to know the class agenda for the day? Yeah. That was me. And as I teacher I especially like letting people know what's coming up. That way, they're ready for it, and looking out.

Again, with the guidance of my MOH, Marci, I ended up making the program a double-sided half sheet. It was on nice paper from Paper Source, but not cardstock. I couldn't stand to see too much fancy, expensive paper wasted.

I really enjoyed making our programs. Let me know if I can't help you with program design in any way.

Bella Rosa Photography by Jennifer Carrillo. All Rights Reserved.

the front side of our ceremony program.

the back side listed the people in the procession.

So, thanks for checking out my wedding details. I'd love to read comments about your own details, or questions about any of the above.

If you're planning a wedding or helping out a friend, make sure to also check out my post My Fair Wedding Vendors for reviews and links to all the vendors with whom I worked for my wedding.

Happy preparing!

~Kristin