Three Keys to a Totally Awesome, Rockin' Wedding

I get asked over and over again, what are the essentials for an awesome wedding?  I started thinking about this topic recently after the totally awesome wedding of my friends Dustin and Sara (see some of those deets here).  One of the bridesmaids and I had a convo about how we mentally rank the weddings we have been to on a scale of one to awesome.  Which led me to think about my top three weddings (as a guest, not a coordinator or a bride).  And those three weddings have three very important things in common...hence, the three keys to a totally awesome, rockin' wedding...

1.  Booze.  I understand that there are some groups out there that for religious or personal reasons, don't want booze at their weddings.  Respect that 100%.  However, for the vast majority of weddings, alcohol is a key component.  Why?  Alcohol means people are loose, happy, and willing to dance.  All of my top three weddings had an open bar (though not all of them had a huge budget).  An open bar might sound expensive, but it doesn't have to be.  If you have a venue that allows you to bring in your own booze, then it can actually be very reasonable.  If that's not an option, go with beer, wine, and a signature cocktail.  But if you want people to hang out at your wedding and have a good time, booze is the way to go.

2.  Hand in hand with an open bar: good music.  At your ceremony, the music should be thoughtful.  Pick songs that mean something to you and are significant in your relationship.  For cocktail hour and dinner, give your DJ lots of input on what you would like to hear.  During our cocktail hour, we played the first dance songs of all of our married guests and everyone loved it.  If you can hire a live band, it makes a huge impact.  Live bands tend to be loud and energetic, which helps your guests get into the dancing spirit.  If you don't want to go the live band route, make sure you find a DJ who gels with you and your vibe.  If you are going to go the iPod DJ route (which I don't recommend), make sure you edit the songs appropriately so there is no gap in between music.  The gap means people will take that opportunity to sit down.  If dancing is one of the main focuses of your wedding, make sure you spend a good amount of time on the dance floor, if people see the bride and groom boogying, they will boogy too!

3.  Personal details.  Giving your guests unique and personal details will make your wedding stand apart from the million others they have been to in the past.  Think about what makes you and your significant other different from everyone else and bring those elements into your big day.  Here are some examples from weddings I have been to in the past:

My good friends Mike and Brianna (see their wedding here) used books as their Mr. and Mrs. chair signs...

And they used Scrabble letters and book pages in the guys' boutonnieres...

My friends Ashley and Khalil used green apples as their escort cards since Ashley is a teacher...

And their sense of humor led to one of my favorite wedding photos of all time (courtesy of Nick Charrow)...

Sara and Dustin (sneak peek here) used vintage travel post cards for their centerpieces...

And they incorporated their love of wine into their guest book...

Let's recap.  If you want a totally awesome, rockin' wedding, here's what you need: an open bar, good music, and personal details.  That combination will lead to an amazing wedding that you and your guests will never forget!