First Dance Friday: Say All You Want for Christmas

Can you believe it’s already the last Friday before Christmas? Like we knew December would be a whirlwind, but we weren’t expecting it to go this quickly. All the cookies are baked and decorated (or purchased, no judgement), the gifts are wrapped, and the credit cards are getting a better workout than we are. But it’s all in the spirit of the season, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Photo Cred

But December isn’t just for Christmas, it’s also for weddings. What a better time of year to get married than in a time of year already filled with family and love, and joy? People don’t often consider getting married around the holidays and immediately think about summer months for their wedding, but if you love the holidays then it might be the perfect time for you to get married. And December weddings mean a little added twist to your first dance song. If your hall has a Christmas tree, and maybe using some Christmas inspired decor, maybe you would also want a Christmas song for your first dance. And don’t worry, we don’t mean Joy to the World, or Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer, but there are still Christmas songs out there for you.

And here is where we come in. We have a song for you that has the feelings of the christmas spirit, with the elements of a first dance song, all wrapped up with a nice big bow. And here is that gift now.

I know I got this thing on me, I don’t need more expensive non-essential things, cause when I kiss your lips it feels like it is everything I need, so tell me all you want for Christmas is me (0:34)

When you get to a certain age, Christmas becomes less about the gifts and more about the time you get to spend with the people you care the most about. Maybe you only get gifts for a few of your closest friends, or you choose to do a secret santa, because you enjoy the time you spend together with these people more than you would enjoy a gift card or something like that. The love you have is the most important thing. And this is no different for the love of your life. Sure you still buy each other gifts but it’s never about the actual gift, it’s about the thought they put behind it or the time they put into it. They are everything you need, and all you could really ask for for Christmas, is them!

So I’m going to love you like it’s always Christmas Eve, I’m gonna sacrifice the selfish part of me. Cause when we’re all alone and I hold you close, everything I’ll need. Say all you want for Christmas is me (0:57)

When you were a kid, Christmas was probably one of your favourite days of the year. And that may have changed as you got older (or not, that’s what we’re feelin over here), but it became your favourite for different reasons. It wasn’t for the number of gifts under the tree, or what you were going to ask for in your letter to Santa, it became more about spending time with the people you cherish most in the world. And when you started dating this person you are now going to marry, that probably became even more relevant. They give you that Christmas morning feel every day of the year. And what better gift could you ask for than that?

This time of year we always get distracted trying to fill up space under the tree, so lets take and I know what we really need, say all you want for Christmas is me (1:24)

It is easy to get swept up in the commercialization of Christmas. We see decorations show up in stores in November, and Christmas music starts to play, so then we start to think about what gifts we are going to buy and then about wrapping them. It is easy to lose yourself in the gifts. When it comes down to it, if you are happy and healthy, there really isn’t anything else that you need. So rather than trying to fill up the space on the tree skirt under the tree, try to fill your hearts with joy and love and compassion for others, and then everyone could feel a little more love on Christmas.

Stay warm and in love my dearies, and Merry Christmas!

Cheers!

 

 

Originally posted December 22, 2017

First Dance Friday: Everyday is Christmas

Here we are already in the middle of the month, how crazy is that? You are probably busy buying gifts and stocking stuffers while thinking about which Christmas cookies you’re going to bake all white keeping your Starbucks perfectly balanced in your manicured hand. We know because that’s what we’re doing. But just because December is a whirlwind month doesn’t mean we stop thinking (and dreaming and pinning) about weddings.

For the entire month of December we are putting a little twirl on our First Dance Friday posts by bringing you the perfect combination of love song and Christmas song. No Jingle Bells here, but we are able to bring the essence of the season while still capturing the classy characteristics you crave in a first dance song.

The song we have for you this week comes from the new Christmas album from the uber talented Sia. If you’re like us, you sang Chandelier semi-poorly but full of passion in your car for months, because like why wouldn’t you. Sia has such a unique voice that is full of soul with lyrics that are so thoughtful; the perfect recipe for a first dance song for our lovely December brides.

Everyday is Christmas when you’re here with me. I’m safe in your arms, you’re my angel baby

Christmas is a time a year that most people look forward to. And it’s not about the gifts. It’s about the spirit of the season, and the time dedicated to friends and family. The feeling you get at Christmas is warm and cozy. It is a fireplace lit with stockings (in a safe distance from the fire) hung on the mantle, with the lights on the Christmas tree lighting the house.. it’s all of that in a feeling in your heart. When you are in love, you can feel that Christmasy feeling everyday. Everything is a perfect Christmas scene from a Norman Rockwell painting when you are with the one you love.

Photo Cred

Everyday is Christmas when you’re by my side, you’re the gift that keeps giving, my angel for life

Finding the person you want to spend the rest of your life with is better than any gift you could put on a wish list. Just like the Grinch says, “Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store. Maybe, Christmas maybe means a little bit more”. It isn’t about shopping malls (read Amazon), and presents, but about the time you spend together. A gift at Christmas is something that you give one time a year, but being in love is a gift that you give yourself, and your partner each and every single day for the rest of your lives.

Oh, you’re my love, You’re the joy in my holiday song, and when you smile I can’t breathe, can’t believe that you’re mine

Trying to explain love can be difficult to do, which if you have sat down to try to write your vows, is something you completely understand. That is why love songs are so great. It helps us say express the feelings we have. The joy in a christmas song is like the love you feel. You know its there, but it doesn’t necessarily come out and tell you where exactly it is. It isn’t in any particular word, but is there when all the words are strung together. That’s what love is. It isn’t one act, or one thing. It is the simple elements of everyday life strung together into the life that you are creating together.

Christmas is a time of year where people are more willing to express their love for one another. The act of writing Christmas cards, and finding the time to get together even when you are super busy. It is a season that is filled with love and family and makes you appreciate the life you have. What better time of year to get married? And adding a first dance song with the powerhouse Sia in a Christmas song makes it even better.

We hope you enjoyed our selection this week. Are you a December bride? Will you be using a Christmas song for your first dance? Let us know in the comments, and bring your friends along next week to dance along with us.

Enjoy the season, it will be over before you know it.

 

Until next time elfies, cheers!

 

 

Originally posted December 15, 2017

2018 Pantone Colour of the Year.. it’s Ultra Pretty

Pantone has announced their colour of the year for 2018: Ultra Violet.  According to Pantone, it is “A dramatically provocative and thoughtful purple shade, PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet communicates originality, ingenuity and visionary thinking that points us towards the future”

So why do we care about the colour of the year?

The colour of the year influences trends in many different industries, and the wedding industry is no different. It can majorly influence the wedding industry with bridesmaids’ dresses and accessories being more widely available in this focused colour. This colour can be used for groomsmen bowties, or wedding party bouquets.  Or can even be used for napkins or table cloths.

Having a defined colour with a specific colour code makes it very clear what colour you want and you aren’t left assuming you mean the same colour as someone else.

Check out this gorgeous dress in ultra violet from the Dessy Group. Your bridesmaids would be sure to love to wear a dress as beautiful as this one.

You can also add elements of ultra violet to your bouquet and your bridesmaids just like this one here.

And just as adding colour to your bouquet is easy, its just as easy to bring colour into your wedding cake. A classic tiered wedding cake in white fondant can be enhanced with a touch of ultra violet ribbon and flowers like this one here.

The colour of the year can have a huge influence on wedding trends. Get ahead of the rest and getting to Pinteresting.. I mean planning, your 2018 wedding with ultra violet.

 

Originally posted December 9, 2017

First Dance Friday: Stars and Midnight Blue

Can you believe it’s December? It’s time for winter coats, and Christmas shopping. But December isn’t just about Christmas, it can also be about weddings. Although not the most common, but can be the most beautiful. So we can’t forget about our December brides, they need first dance songs too! And we know that your first dance isn’t going to be to Jingle Bells, but you may still want it to be Christmas-y at heart. Which is where we come in. For the entire month of December we will be focusing on our December brides and giving you the most amazing first dance songs.

Photo by Rodolfo Sanches Carvalho on Unsplash

The first song on the docket comes from the extremely talented, Enya. She is an award winning classical artist that has created music for Lord of the Rings, but most widely known for her song Only Time. Her soothing voice and instrumental mix make for a dreamy song that is perfect for your first dance.

Memories we share together, memories no one else can know. I will keep them close to me, never let them go (0:05)

No one knows all the details of your love story other than the two of you. And even when you tell stories to other people, you can never explain it quite as special as it actually was. Every love story is different, and yours is unique and perfect for you. There are little details that make you perfect for each other, it isn’t one big thing that draws you to each other and keeps you together everyday, it is a bunch of little things that can be hard to explain, but you know them in your heart, and you keep them there with you each and every day.

Photo by Shamim Nakhai on Unsplash

Once you filled my hands with roses then you gave your heart to me. When a kiss had followed this love was meant to be (0:46)

At the beginning of your relationship, there were probably small gifts exchanged, maybe flowers, or a teddy bear. But it isn’t the gift that was the point, it was to show each other that you were thinking of them, and that you wanted to give them something, however small it may have been, that they are important to you. Then the gift you gave each other turned to your hearts when you started to fall in love. It doesn’t fit in a box or a bag, but it is one of the most important gifts you can give to each other. Love turned to engagement, which is leading to marriage, is where you are today. You will continue to give each other gifts, both big and small, throughout your lives that will all have that same level of thoughtfulness and meaning that it did when you first started dating.

Photo by Inna Lesyk on Unsplash

You have lost yourself in dreaming, I have lost myself in you. Now we lie beneath the sky, stars and midnight blue. (2:08)

From the day of your engagement (or maybe even before that) you have been lost in dreaming about your future together. Your wedding day, your wedding dress, maybe a house you will live in, maybe its kids or a dog. There are lots of things about your futures together that you will dream about, but the most important part is that you will be living these dreams together. But until the someday comes, you have today, the now, together, and together is a great place to be.

And just like that, we have been swept away in a daydream of a first dance being serenaded by the talented Enya. She transforms you from your living room or your office, or wherever you are reading this post, to a snowy field dreaming about your wedding, and all the best parts of your life that are waiting for you in the future.

We hope you enjoyed our song choice this week and we can’t wait to see you here again next week where we will share another song perfect for your December wedding.

 

Until next time lovelies, cheers!

 

 

Originally posted December 1, 2017

First Dance Friday: Who I Am With You

Hey hey lovelies! It is our favourite day of the week again and we are so excited you are here to spend it with us. Fridays are not only the end of the work week, but it is also the day when we get to chat about our favourite topic.. weddings.. and our favourite element about weddings.. you guessed it, the first dance!

Photo by Carly Rae Hobbins on Unsplash

The song we have for you this week you ask? It is a country song (surprise, surprise), from the super talented Chris Young , a singer songwriter who got his start on Nashville Star. And if you like the song, he can be the musical star of your first dance.

But who I am with you is who I really want to be, you’re so good for me. And when I’m holding you, it feels like I got the whole world in my hands. Yeah a better man is who I am with you (0:34)

You are the best version of yourself when you are with your person. You bring out the best in each other which is why you’re perfect for each other. When you’re together, the rest of the world falls away and everything is the way it’s supposed to be. You provide each other strength and courage when you don’t have enough for yourself. When you are holding hands you can tackle anything the world throws at you together.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

I’ve got a ways to go on this ride, but I got a hand to hold that fits just right. You make me laugh, you make me high, you make me wanna hold on tight (1:05)

Whether you are getting married in your 20s, 30s, 40s, or later, you feel like your life is starting over when you get married. Everything that happened in the past, is in the part of your life before you were married. From your wedding day, you now have a life partner that will take on every challenge and triumph together. Your hands fit perfectly together to help you cheer each other on, to hold on tight when you’re scared, and to help you up when you fall down.

Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash

Because of you I’m a lucky man. You’re the best part of who I am (2:01)

Sometimes you will get lost in your thoughts and wonder how you got to be so lucky to have found this person you share your life with. You have something special that not everyone has, and because of that you are lucky. Lucky to be happy and healthy and to have a partner to face the world with. You bring out the best in each other and you they are the best part of your day each and everyday.

What better way to kickstart your married life together than with a song about how lucky you are to have found each other and how perfect you are together. Nothing better than stepping out with your best foot forward right? You are presenting yourselves as newly married people in a position of the deepest love and appreciation.

So, what did you think of our song choice this week? Was it everything we promised it would be, or do you think we missed the mark? Let us know in the comments, and as always we want to hear your suggestions for first dance songs.

Until next time love birds, cheers!

 

 

 

Originally posted November 25, 2017

First Dance Friday: The Rest of Our Life

The days are getting shorter, and boy are they getting colder. But we are here on another Friday to try to warm you from the heart outwards by filling you with the wedding feels.

If you have started your wedding planning, you know there are so many options and ways to personalize your wedding that sometimes its hard to know where to start. And one of the many decisions you need to make is your first dance song. And lucky for you, we dedicate Fridays to your first dance needs by breaking down the best elements of a song to help you find the perfect song for you.

This week we are featuring a song from a duo that we have featured here before. And a country duo that needs no introduction: Faith Hill and Tim McGraw.

I got something I gotta run past you, I just hope I say it right. So I take your hand and ask you, have you made plans for the rest of your life? (0:39)

Proposals can be super stressful. It’s not just buying the ring and bending the knee. There is planning of a location, some sort of surprise, some words to say.. a lot of factors to consider. Proposals can be grand or intimate, but however it happens, it is perfect for you. Hey do you have plans on Friday and for every Friday for the rest of your life? A proposal can be as simple as that, and if its the right person, it’s all you need.

Oh, I’ll be fine. If my gray hair shows I’ll be fine. If my waistline grows I’ll be fine. Even if time takes it’s toll we’ll  stay young for the rest of our lives (1:13)

When you met the love of your life maybe you were in high school. Or maybe you were done school and working. Or you may even have met them later in life. Regardless of what stage in your life you were in when you met, the longer you stay together and your relationship evolves, there are bound to be changes. Maybe your hair used to be long and now its short. Maybe it used to be brown and now its gray. Maybe you used to spend a few evenings a week at the gym, and now life gets in the way and you don’t. Any maybe none of those things changed, but you still just got older anyway. Even if the way you look changes, the way that you feel about each other never will. You aren’t together for the long hair and defined shoulders, you are together because of the way you make each other feel.

I don’t really care about those storm clouds brewing, oh, as long as you’re here by my side. Oh we’ll be young when we’re old (2:39)

It doesn’t matter what struggles come your way because you will get through it together. The love you have for each other will help you get through the toughest times, and be there to celebrate the best times. As long as you have each other you can take on the world together and share the tears and the smiles with each other. You bring out the best in each other and you are best self when you’re together. As you grow older and you are no longer newly weds, that doesn’t change, it gets better. Love will keep you young at heart even when you aren’t young in body.

 

There you have it folks. The powerhouse couple of country music. You can see the love they have for each other shine through in their lyrics and in the music video. What better way to kick start your married life together than being serenaded by all that love and history of their successful careers and marriage.

Hopefully you enjoyed our song selection for this week. Thinking about using this song for your first dance? Let us know in the comments. Thinking of choosing a different song? You can let us know that too and maybe we will feature it on an upcoming week.

Until next time lovelies.

Cheers!

 

 

Originally posted November 10, 2017