Photo Credit: Alamo Photographic

The mother and son dance is an expression in itself.  Your mother has had that maternal bond with you since your birth.  She has cared for you and made sure you were safe, fed and clothed.  Now she is passing that torch onto your wife. The song you choose can perfectly express the bond between you and your mother, can tell the story of your relationship, and is your opportunity to honor and thank her for all she has done for you.

Sit down with mama and go over some of these songs and see if any spark her interest:

Classics:

• A Song for Mama –Boys II Men
• Blessed –Elton John
• Close to You –The Carpenters
• In My Life –The Beatles
• What a Wonderful World –Louis Armstrong
• You are the Sunshine of My Life –Stevie Wonder
• Simple Man –Lyrnyrd Skynyrd
• First Lady in My Life-Paul Todd
• Stand by Me –Ben E. King
• First Time I Saw Your Face –Roberta Flack
• Sunrise, Sunset –Steve Kirwan

Country:

• I Hope You Dance –LeAnn Womack
• Heart to Heart –Toby Keith
• The Best Day –Taylor Swift
• Angels –Randy Travis
• It’s Your Song –Garth Brooks
• I’ll Be –Reba McEntire

Modern classics:

• Hero –Mariah Carey
• Wind Beneath My Wings –Gary Morris
• Greatest Love of All –Whitney Houston

Not so mainstream:

• Dear Mama –Tupac

So many of the mother-son and father-daughter songs are interchangeable; don’t feel like you can’t do The Beatles’ In My Life with your dad just because it’s on this list. Listen to the lyrics and what speaks to you and your mother or father. And remember that you can always do a google search to help in this quest…last time we checked there was about 2 million hits about this topic, so you are sure to find something you can dance to!

Photo Credit: Alamo Photographic

Beyond your memories of your special day, you will want to capture and look back at those special moments from time to time. Here is a list of shots that you should ask your photographer to take of your wedding ceremony and reception:

Bride’s Pre-ceremony Shots:

• Shots of bridal party preparing for wedding
  • Bridal party putting on make-up
  • Bride’s dress hanging
  • Bride’s shoes, accessories, garter
  • Placement of the garter
  • Putting on the veil
• Bride completely ready
• Bride w/parents
• Bride w/mother
• Bride w/father

Groom’s Pre-ceremony Shots:

• Shots of groom and groomsmen getting dressed
• Groom completely ready
• Groom w/parents
• Groom w/mother
• Groom w/father

Wedding Party Shots:

• Bride w/each bridesmaid individually
• Bride w/all bridesmaids
• Bride w/all bridesmaids & flower girl
• Bride w/all bridesmaids & ring bearer
• Bride w/all bridesmaids, flower girl & ring bearer
• Ring bearer and flower girl together
• Groom w/each groomsmen individually
• Groom w/all groomsmen
• Groom w/all groomsmen & ring bearer
• Groom w/ring bearer
• Bride & groomsmen
• Groom & bridesmaids
• Bride & Groom w/flower girl & ring bearer
• Entire bridal party

Family shots:

• Bride & Groom w/Bride’s parents
• Bride & Groom w/Bride’s immediate family
• Bride & Groom w/Bride’s grandparents
• Bride & Groom w/Bride’s extended family
• Bride & Groom w/Groom’s parents
• Bride & Groom w/Groom’s immediate family
• Bride & Groom w/Groom’s grandparents
• Bride & Groom w/Groom’s extended family
• Bride & Groom w/both sets of parents
• Any additional family shots

Wedding Ceremony Shots:

• Shot of church/ceremony site pre-ceremony
• Seating of parents & grandparents
• Members of the bridal party entering
• Bride walking into ceremony
• Groom when sees bride walking into ceremony
• Mother’s doing unity candle (if applicable)
• Various shots during ceremony
• Bride & Groom’s vows, rings & kiss

Reception shots:

• Various shots of reception set-up (location, location sign, table set ups, centerpieces, favors, sign-in, gift table, cakes)
• Presentation of Bride & Groom (and bridal party if applicable)
• Guest tables
• First dance
• Any family dances
• Bride & Groom’s rings
• Toasting
• Cake cutting
• Dollar dance
• Bouquet toss & garter removal
• Candid shots of guests
• Couple’s last dance
• Couple’s exit

There are just suggestions and you should definitely sit down with your photographer and let them know about what is important to you for your big day. That way he/she will be better prepared to take the shots you want!

You asked and we listened! We have had a couple clients and vendors recommend adding Cowgirls Unlimited to our list of approved bar services because of their stellar customer service and great prices. Cowgirls Unlimited has been servicing San Antonio’s events for over 10 years. With what started as a small idea to provide bartenders for events serving alcohol has blossomed into a full-fledged operation that serves between 100-125 events per year.

We sat down to talk to Jen Tyson, owner of Cowgirls Unlimited and asked her a few questions:

(PL) What sets Cowgirls Unlimited apart from other bar services in San Antonio?

(JT) We are absolutely 100% professional in everything we do from answering the 1^st phone call to the very end of the special event.  10 years ago, we were the only company in San Antonio who operated in this sort of fashion.  We are an all-female group who can adjust to any and all, casual or formal, special events.  We firmly believe our staff personalities are extremely friendly, kind and catering to all of our client’s needs.  There is also no limit to our services as we can customize any order to fit each client’s needs and budget.

(PL) Do you provide clients with guidelines for the amount of alcohol they should provide for their guests?

(JT) Yes.

(PL) What other services do you offer besides bar service?

(JT) We focus 100% on the bar area.  We want to ensure our clients have the best experience when it comes to their special events.  Alcohol is such a popular but dangerous category so we want to make sure that everyone has a great time but remains safe while doing so.  We also want to make sure that our clients get the most value for their budgets.  Whether they choose an open/hosted bar, cash bar or just want to hire our bartending staff only for what they choose to provide, we always was to make sure everyone is happy in the process.

(PL) What do you hope to get out of a relationship with Plaza Lecea?

As with all our vendor relationships, we want to make sure that everyone involved in the event has a great experience with our services.  We always strive to make processes quick, easy and clean.  Upon gaining 100% trust from our vendors and facilities, we believe the entire process from beginning to end always goes much quicker and smoother.  Then in turn, we hope the healthy facility relationship with us is transferred over to each and every client and their served guests.

(PL) Is there anything else you would like to include?

We never want to disappoint anyone!  We not only cater to our clients but we are also very friendly and kind to other vendors that may be working the event as well.  Positive relationships with everyone is very important to us!

If you’d like to get in touch with Jen Tyson and Cowgirls Unlimited for your next event, check her out on the web at http://www.cowgirlsunlimited.com/index.aspx or at 210.872.8746. We’ll cheer to that!

December is only 33 days away! Why haven’t you booked your event location yet for that office holiday party?! Lucky for you, we have a few dates and some great specials still available. In keeping with the spirit of giving, we have partnered with An Event to Remember to give all clients that book a holiday party in December will receive a free upgraded linen package for their event. You can make it look like it took a lot of time and effort to make your event spectacular when we’ll do all the work! You can choose from a ton of different fabrics including pintucks, iridescent crush, embroidered overlays and more. An Event to Remember offers over 60 colors to choose from in a variety of linen selections to choose from to make your special event a little extra special this year!

We are also extending this offer for weddings as well! Always wanted a winter wonderland-themed reception? Or just in love with the idea of a Christmas wedding? Let us help you create the memories that will last forever!

We currently have a few dates available, including a Saturday! Contact Stephanie for more information at 210.615.0009. As an added incentive, An Event to Remember is also offering a special on catering for the month of December as well-5% off your catering. Tis the season for savings!