If you want your wedding to be completely eco-friendly and sustainable you should consider making some green choices to reduce your event’s effect on the environment. The key is to reduce your carbon footprint. Since sustainability is a popular concept, you can easily find green options while planning your wedding.
Here are some tips for your perfect eco-friendly wedding:
Wedding venue: Choose a venue whose commercial practices are sustainable. For instance, make sure they use local products, they do not use disposable plastic tableware, they implement separate collection correctly, among others.
Catering: Select caterers who use local products (vegetables, fish, meat and wine) and seasonal cuisine. Also avoid having many leftovers and opt for plated dishes if you can.
Bride dress and accessories: Get a second-hand wedding dress or rent it. Once you use it you can definitely recycle it or return it. Same apply to the bridal accessories: shoes, jewelry, tiaras, brooches, veil, among others.
Invitations: choose to send only electronic invitations, do not print them out. E-invitations are easy to create, there are plenty of free online tools you can use on the web and most importantly you can erase this item from your wedding budget, since there will be no expense. If you have to print the invitations you can opt for seed paper which is biodegradable material.
Name tags & Menu: if you cannot avoid having name tags, a table sitting chart and Menus, try to use recycled paper and eco-friendly inks.
Wedding favors: you have plenty of green choices here. From seed packets to aromatic herbs kits, from succulents to other plants, from donations to charitable organizations working to protect the environment to sponsoring the planting of a tree. You can also opt for homemade edible products, such as jams, preserves, herbs mix or tea blends, coffee blends. Other options are homemade candles, soaps or shampoo bars.
Charity registry: you can opt for a charity registry to collect donations for a specific cause instead of receiving the usual wedding presents.
Flowers: instead of freshly cut flowers you can choose potted plants such as orchids or succulents, or herbs. These options can be reused at home, planted once again. Your guests could bring them home as wedding favors.
These are useful tips if you choose to opt for a green wedding, but remember that planning an eco-friendly wedding is not necessarily more difficult to plan than a less environmentally friendly event.
Wedding photo sessions are a big responsibility for photographer since they have to create unforgettable and unique memories for bride and groom. In 10 years the couple looking at their wedding photos, they will cherish memories of that day. Here a list of tips on how to plan the perfect wedding photo session:
Consider lighting when scheduling your photo session. Lighting is essential for the result of your photos, a goodphotographer knows how to use natural light at its best. If you are planning to take photos in an indoor location try to find a spot with large windows.
Make a list of shots that you consider mandatory, not more that 20-25 must-have shots so that you have also time for spontaneity. That way the photographer will know what are the photos he has to take during your photo session. This is crucial and we suggest to talk about it during the meeting you have with the photographer before the wedding. You can also ask the best man orthe bridesmaidto help you with the list of mandatory photos. They might help looking for people who might need to be in that specific shot.
Retouch your make up. Before starting your photo session is important to retouch your make-up and hair, since you have already gone through the ceremony, hugged people and run to the photo session location. So you better bring with you your make-up artist or a little beauty-case with mascara, lipstick, powder, your hairbrush, and hairpins.
Make sure to have bride solo and groom solo shots. They should be included in your must-have shots list. Also do not forget the first-look photos, so emotional and intimate moment. This is certainly a great way to represent couple’s feelings on the wedding day.
Try to be relaxed, since every feeling will show in the photos. So first of all, try to fully enjoy your day, have a toast with your best friends, laugh with your family members and friends, so that you will also have these spontaneous and real shots.
Having great wedding photos will definitely help you cherish memories of that day. So give the wedding photography the right attention while planning your wedding.
2021 is almost over but we want to make a list of the best wedding cake trends that bride and groom have been following this year.
Theuse of isomalt in wedding cake as topper or at the side of the cake. Isomalt is a sugar substitute, often used in the pastry industry to creat translucent and magnificent sugar scultures. The effect is extremely dramatic and cakes will look amazing!
Mixed wedding cakes: we have seen several mixed sweet wedding cake this year. The most used sweets are macarrons, cookies, candies, doughnuts and cinnamon rolls. They are quite common
The use of edible flowers: the use of flowers in cuisine is quite common and this year we could experience the use of real blooms in wedding cakes. So let’s put asidethe traditional flowers made of chocolate, fondant or sugar, and let’s go for edible flowers.
Brush Strokes cakes:They are brush strokes made of chocolate and edible colours, refrigerated and used to decorate the cake. The effect of this decoration is awesome!
Single-serving wedding cake: This has been a very good option during the COVID-19 pandemic, in line with safety restrictions, since each guest will have his mini wedding cake at his place.
One-tier wedding cake:Due to COVID-19 restrictions people sitched from big wedding with more than 100 uests to small weddings with 20-30 guests. So bride and groom often opt for small 1-tier cake.
Skinner multi-tier cakes: This is connected with the need to have smaller cake without giving up to the classic multi-tier cakes. The advantage is that they are extremely elegant and sofisticated.
So the trend for 2021 wedding cake can be resumed with less is more, since couples preferred to opt for smaller cake without compromising elegance, sofistication and colours.
Covid-19 pandemic has hit wedding industry badly, but as people are getting vaccinated and we have more weapons to fight against this pandemic we can also start planning small and middle-size gatherings. Many couples are now scheduling their weddings, booking services and the wedding planning coordination is starting again. However, we should consider that there is no “zero risk” event anymore, what we can do is to limit the risk and take all the necessary precautions.
One thing we know for sure: weddings will be different but we will keep creating unique experiences for our couples.
Here some useful tips if you are planning to get married in 2021 or 2022:
Try to opt for an outdoor venue, in case you choose an indoor venue make sure there is the right amount of windows for ventilation purposes and that it’s big enough based on the number of your guests.
Reduce the guest list and opt for a mid-size event instead of a big wedding.
Live-stream your wedding, for people who do not feel safe to come, people that you had to cut from the guests list for COVID reasons, or people who are doing a quarantine can be there with you.
Plan the seating arrangements smartly so that your guests will have the right security distance and there are no more than 8 people at each table. You might want to place at the same table people from the same household and do not mix people.
Use signals on the floor to make people aware of the distance they have to keep at the buffet table or at the bar. Try to personalize them based on your wedding theme.
Create one or two “sanitizing station” where your guests can find hand sanitizer and masks. Also place a basket with those items in each bathroom.
Encourage your guests and wedding suppliers to do a COVID-19 test 24 hours before the wedding. You can also make arrangements and pay them. Depending on the country a negative test could be mandatory to take part in indoor event.
Send your guests the safety protocols to follow few days before the event to make sure that everybody is on the same page and avoid misunderstandings.
After the wedding keep track of your guests and make sure to have all the contact numbers of guests and suppliers in case of unexpected COVID-19 cases.
Las but not least get yourself a wedding planner, you will really need it now.
For more information you can send us an email to info@sayidoinperu.com or call us 703-822-5311.
Due to the current situation Say I Do in Peru had to adapt to the new context and the uncertainty we are facing every day. Therefore, we decided to go international and serve our couples wherever they want to celebrate their marriage with a special long-distance consultancy service and new wedding packages. Here you can find more information on the changes we implemented and the new packages: http://blog.sayidoinperu.com/say-peru-goes-international/
Also, we decided to take another move and wejust opened our Facebook shop (https://www.facebook.com/sayidoinperu/shop/?ref=page_internal) to sell these new packages and we will definitely add more useful services and resourcesto plan your wedding. So, stay tuned! ?
In the virtual shop you can also find a special service of 3-hour consultation with one of our wedding specialists, which is a key service for us:
https://www.facebook.com/commerce/products/3172259569459391/?rt=9&referral_code=page_shop_tab&ref=page_shop_tab. This is a way to have advices from one of our experienced wedding specialists who will definitely help you with all the issues you might have. I am pretty sure that you have issues with your wedding planning process, it would be awkward if everything runs completely smoothly. For all the month of May this service comes with a big discount, you will basically end up paying only two hours of consultation instead of three. Yu might want to check it, and do not miss thisone-hour free service.
What are the issues you may discuss with our wedding specialist? We have basically no restrictions on what you can discuss with us, but here some examples:
Seating arrangement for your wedding guests;
Catering and menu suggestions;
Ceremony timeline;
Reception timeline;
Vendor contracts review and advices;
What should I ask to my wedding vendors? This is an extensive issue that deserve at least one-hour.
You do not have a clue on the quantity of wine, champagne and alcohol you might need for the cocktail hour and the reception? We will help you with that, with our bar formula.
Wedding Moodboard and how to prepare it.
How to choose your own color palette.
Thinking about postponing a wedding due to the COVID-19 pandemic? We will help you clarify what are the things you might consider to postpone it.
Thinking about switching to a virtual wedding? We can help you with some advices.
These are only some of the issues we can discuss, you can make us the questions you prefer and we will help you solve the “wedding issues” you have with our precious advices.
Coronavirus pandemic has certainly affected business worldwide, many are considering to close and many simply shut down their doors.At Say I do in Peru we want to stay positive as always, trying to make the best we can to cope with this difficult and unique situation. This exceptional moment has made us understand that businesses need to adjust to what is going on, to the changing people’s behaviors and definitely be more flexible on issues such asthe products they sell and the market they target. That’s why we decided to step up to the new challenge and go international.
We lunch a new range of products for wedding planning and coordination, including an e-package with many tools and resources for couples to plan and coordinate weddings of different sizes, from elopement to big weddings of 50+ guests wherever couples want to celebrate them. Do you want to get married in your own country since you are scared that things are not going to get better soon? We are there for you! We will help you virtually with all the details of your wedding and we will provide you tools and resources for a stress-free wedding planning process.
The all idea is to offer the possibility to couples who wanted to get married in these months and did not want to postpone their plans.For instance, we have many couples that were planning a destination wedding in Peru for 2020 and they had to cancel their plans, since getting married abroad means travel, means that your family will have to travel to attend the wedding, so we understand this is not exactly the right time to do it. They startedthinking about a Plan B, such as getting married in their own country. So, we thought it would be good for them to keep working with us and we decided to lunch five products, which allow couples to have wedding planning and coordination services basically everywhere, knowing that Say I Do specialists are just one email away.
E-package, including useful tools for the planning process, 3-hour consultation with one of our wedding specialists, and unlimited emails with us
Private virtual wedding, addressed to those couples who want to elope just the two of them or couple who decided to have only few guests.
Small private wedding, ideal for couples who want to get married surrounded by their direct family and close friends, up to 20 guests. Small traditional wedding, ideal for couples who want a small wedding with approximately 40-50 guests.
Wedding, ideal for couples who are thinking about hosting a big wedding with 50+ guests.
A part from the e-package, all the packages include the support of our team to develop a wedding schedule (you can learn more on our wedding schedule here: http://blog.sayidoinperu.com/secret-weapon-wedding-schedule/ ), a wedding budget, the design of the wedding announcement or Save the Date to be sent out to your wedding guests, 3-hours consultation with a wedding specialist, unlimited emails with us, help with uploading information on your wedding website, coordination with wedding local vendors that you have already chosen, coordination for special dinner or events related to the wedding with vendors already chosen, summary of wedding payments and vendors confirmations, vendors contracts review, support with broadcast wedding, in case you opt for a virtual wedding though an on-line platformsuch as zoom or google hangout, honeymoon planning in South America and many other tools and resources which make the planning of your wedding much easier. We also offer a video-editing service, the result is avideo made off photos or videos taken during your wedding by your family members or friends. This service will allow you to cherish your wedding memories forever.
Among the tools we provide to couples there are the following:
Q&A foryourweddingvendorswithkeyquestionsto ask them
Script for religious or symbolic ceremonies
Color palettes tool and support, useful to define the colors of your wedding
Customized To-do list for the whole process which will make your wedding planning a lot easier and help you keep track of things
We made the decision to go international/virtual because we also believe in our work and in factors that really differentiate us on the market. First of all the experience in planning destination weddings really sets us apart, the details to consider are many and believe me at some point you will be desperate asking for assistance in the planning process. We also have experience working with foreign couples and suppliers so we are ready to the challenge. After a market research we also selected best value prices for our services, especially compared to local vendors, you’ll see that! We gave you the opportunity to have an open channel with us, that why we offer in our packages unlimited emails and calls with expert at no extra cost, because we are here for you and the requests and needs you have. One-to-one communication with our couples is one of our stronger weapons for a successful wedding. Also, we definitely are quick and reliable, we always get back to our couples by 24 hours with the answers they need.
Remember that we are expert in customizing package, so we can definitely create a unique wedding package for you depending on your needs and the wedding you have in mind. Our promise isto make your wedding dreams a reality and we will never give up on it!
Did I mention to you how beautiful is my country? I guess tons of times in this blog…the beauties of Peru are those things that push me to keep working on planning destination weddings here! My goal is to have couples and their guests enjoying Peru as much as I do every day. ?One of the best opportunities couples have to enjoy Peru is during the days before and after the wedding. What best of a pre wedding shoot to have some beautiful memories of your Peru destination wedding? That’s the moment where you can take casual and romantic photos in beautiful scenery without the wedding dress, which could be a bit bulky.
Pre wedding photo shoots have become an integral part of all the wedding photo package, you can also choose to add a distinctive touch to our shoot, including special props and elements related to your love story or your life. The sites of the shooting are also a big factor for creating beautiful memories, and in Peru you have many of them.
Here a couple of pre wedding sessions photos in Lima, mainly taken in Miraflores and Barranco areas.
Here photos from a pre wedding shot in the Sacred Valley. These are photos mainly taken in the Urubamba Valley, Maras Salt mines where you can actually enjoy stunning landscapes.
Peru destination weddings can be so much fun! We had the pleasure to be part as wedding coordinators of a very special and entertained destination wedding in Paracas, a town located on the Peruvian central coast. It is about 3 hours car ride from Lima.
Bride and groom were looking for a relaxed wedding celebration with plenty of food and drinks, nothing too fancy, but something absolutely fun with a relaxed atmosphere for their guests. We tought about a beautiful Oceanfront venue in the area, with several open space options and fabulous grounds they could consider for their specia day.
The result was a stylish and fun wedding celebration in front of the Pacific Ocean, which blended the charme of Afro-Peruvian traditions and the modernity of Australian culture.
The ceremony setting was extremely simple, a foliage half-moon arch placed in one of the garden areas of the venue, rounded by tropical palms with the ocean right in front. We opted for wooden back chairs for the guests and little bougainvillea flower arrangements. Bestmen and bridesmaids, dressed up respectively in beige and tobacco tones, stand up at bride and groom’s sides. The sun was shining during the ceremony, the ocean breeze was quite intense, as well as the sound of the ocean’s waves…it was such a special moment for all.
The reception was really fun! Fourteen rounded table with white tablecloths, delicate flower arrangements with few cream, white or malva flowers, wooden chairs set around a squared wooden dancefloor structure placed in front of the long bar. As backing for the bar, we used vintage lamps hung up on different levels. Wooden and cream tones fabric were the main characters for the reception. The lighting effect was beautiful at night, few bulb lines hung from the top of the dancefloor to all the reception area and few reflectors for the party.
Bride and groom opted for a champagne fountain, very popular in Australian weddings. They started pouring champagne into the glasses and people helped themselves from the tower. The entertainment part was also very important for bride and groom, they choose an Afro-dance show and cajon and zapateo show. The cajon is a traditional Peruvian percussion instrument, a sort of box-shaped played with the hands and fingers, used in Afro-Peruvian music, but currently used also in flamenco. Zapateo is a type of dance, also typical of the Afro-Peruvian culture, where dancers use their feet as percussion instruments. It is usually accompanied by the Peruvian cajon.
The party was so much fun, the dancefloor was so crowded and the guests danced until dawn.
This is definitely a great venue for outdoor wedding celebrations!
Are you planning a destination wedding in Peru? Are you dreaming about having a fun wedding with a real Peruvian touch? That’s the article you’ve been waiting for. Peruvian weddings are fun, they reflect our joyful Peruvian culture, and it is most likely that bride and groom work very hard to plan the party and ways they entertain their guests. Entertainment is a quite important concern for the couple, since people must have fun and remember the great time they spent at their wedding. A live band or a DJ is not enough for us, we need to have a surprise factor, and let the guests live a unique experience.
Here some entertainment options you might consider for your Peru destination wedding:
HORA LOCA: I know the name sounds very exotic and crazy indeed, but there’s nothing weird in it. As I said in another blog article (http://blog.sayidoinperu.com/hora-loca-perfect-way-make-wedding-guests-dance-dawn/) “hora loca” is a combination of Mardi Gras from New Orleans and Brazilian Carnival celebrations. It’s a carnivalesque min-bush which lasts for approximately one hour of the reception party. You will see dancers, still walkers, other performers and a lot of props, such as sparkly masks, colorfulhats and boas, oversize glasses and ties, glow sticks and much more. This actually depends from the theme you choose for your “hora loca”. The Dj will select the best party songs and wedding guests will start approaching the dancefloor…a real fun moment!
AFRO-PERUVIAN SHOW:In Peru there’s a big afro-Peruvian community living in Chincha area, they are descendants from Africans who were enslaved and brought to Peru after the arrival of the Spanish “conquistadores”. That’s why the Afro-Peruvian culture is a big part of our cultural idiosyncrasy and our cultural essence, especially when we think about their dances, their music, their cuisine. That’s why is very common to have an engaging Afro-Peruvian show with captivating music and great dancers, which will make you move your body and feel your soul.
MARINERA SHOW: Marinera is a traditional Peruvian dance from the coastal area of the country. It’s a romantic couple dance with a specific choreography and beautiful traditional costumes, which uses handkerchiefs as props. It’s so popular that there are several Marinera’s school all over Peru, to keep alive the old traditions. Marinera has been considered the National dance of Peru. Having a marinera show during your wedding is a great way to entertain your guests and make them know a real part of Peruvian culture and folklore.
CABALLO DE PASO SHOW:This is a perfect show for Hacienda wedding, many haciendas have their own Peruvian Paso horses and the show is usually part of the service they offer. The Paso horses are ride by chalanes, the iconic Peruvian horseman dressed up with a white poncho, boots and a big hat, who traditionally raises Paso horses in Peru. The chalanes will lead Paso horses through the show with a Marinera soundtrack.
DANZA DE LAS TIJERAS SHOW: The Scissor dance is a folkloric dance original of the Peruvian Andes, actually thesouthern area of the famous mountain chain. Usually there are two or more dancers, dressed in traditional outfits embroidered with golden fringes, little mirror and colorful sequins, who dance in turns doing specific moves, also challenging since they also dance with one foot with a pair of polish iron rods in their right hand.They are accompanied by the music of a violin and a harp. The dancers cannot enter a church with their traditional outfits, since it is believed that their great physical ability and athletic skills come out from a pact they made with the Devil.The Scissor dance more than a simple dance is a ritual, and it has been inscribed in the Representative List of the Ingible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2010.
As you can see there are many types of show you can consider for your wedding in Peru and we can ensure you that your guests will be amazed by the variety of our culture. Entertainment is a big part of a wedding, so do not underestimate this kind of choice.
Few weeks ago we had the opportunity to plan an elegant wedding in a charming oceanfront location nearby Lima and we felt in love with the decoration details. This wedding was all about flowers arrangements, flower centerpieces and a beautiful flower and foliage arch for the ceremony. The stunning venue did its part too, since all these elements combined with the location made everything even more perfect. Here I want to give you an idea of how the decoration details bride and groom choose really made a difference in creating the atmosphere they were looking for.
When I received the call from the couple, I immediately understood that they were looking for a special location and this is really one of a kind. That is why I proposed them this beautiful oceanfront villa with romans architecture pieces, a little pool and a beautiful garden area. I also understood they were looking for an elegant wedding with a Peruvian touch, so me and my team tried heard to propose them little but meaningful decoration details.
First, the charmingand elegant arch! This was a super fluffy arch with foliage and flowers as ceremony backing. It was a great choice to have the ceremony in the evening under a beautiful sunset. The sunset light combined with the arch really created an outstanding atmosphere for unforgettable photos.
As I said above, this wedding was all about flowers. Apart from the arch, the beautiful flower arrangements at the center of the buffet table added an elegant touch to the wedding reception.
The bar was one of a kind with the beautiful eucalypt foliage backing, highlighted by hanging light bulbs. At the side of the bar we placed two big flower arrangements, to create a perfect symmetry. The effect was very elegant and romantic.
Another beautiful decoration detail was the ceiling of the tent, which mixes foliage dangling lianas with ivory fabric.
The table set up was very elegant, with a beautiful white, ivory and light pink roses with foliage, white tablecloth and crystal dishes with golden border. The chairs chosen for the reception were golden tiffany chairs with white cushions.
The tree in the reception area was decorated with hanging jars with white candles, another elegant touch.
On the wooden table for the sweets we placed a huge flower arrangement in ivory, light pink tones with foliage with truffle towers and little traditional Peruvian sweets.
Also the cake was very flowery, a beautiful three-tier with the top tier covered in gold fondant and decorated with white, red and gold flowers.
