You can visualize yourself walking down the aisle, locking eyes with your partner, saying ‘I Do’ and sharing that first kiss as a married couple. You’re ready to sign on the dotted line to book your wedding ceremony venue! But wait – have you asked all the right questions?!

Not to worry, Team JBW has got your back! Here are 5 important questions to ask when booking your wedding ceremony venue.

1. Are there any décor restrictions? For example, many indoor venues do not allow real flower petals down the aisle. Some churches have restrictions on what (if any) décor can be placed at the altar. It’s important to find out what is and isn’t permitted before booking your wedding ceremony venue.

St.Joseph’s Basilica / Carey Nash Photography

2. What is included with the venue rental and what am I responsible for renting or supplying? Find out what the venue is providing and what you must bring in yourselves or rent. Some examples of items you may require for your wedding ceremony include: chairs or bench seating, a signing table for the registry, a ceremony arch or arbour, a sound system with a wireless or lapel microphone, and easels for directional signage.

Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise / Stoffer Photography

3. When can a rehearsal date and time be confirmed? Some venues will allow you to schedule this upon booking, while others will only confirm your rehearsal a couple weeks in advance. This is important to ask, as it may take some juggling to coordinate the availability of your Officiant, Wedding Party, Wedding Coordinator and rehearsal dinner venue.

The Lake House / Infused Studios

4. Is there an indoor or covered backup space in case of inclement weather? Always have a Plan B! If weather is poor, is there an on site backup space you can move the ceremony into? And when must you make the weather call? Often times this can be done on the day of the event, as late as a few hours prior to your ceremony start time, but some venues require 24 hours notice if utilizing the backup space.

University of Alberta, Botanic Gardens / Kelly Redinger

5. Is only one wedding held per day? Some ceremony venues book multiple weddings on a single day (we’ve seen as many as 4 different timeslots), while others provide exclusivity to a single wedding couple. It’s important to understand if you are restricted to a specific ceremony time, and whether you have to hustle out of there following your nuptials or if you can stick around to take photos.

Fairmont Hotel Macdonald / Romy Young

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We hope this is a helpful resource for you when booking your wedding ceremony venue. Stay tuned for our next blog post outlining 5 Questions to Ask Your Wedding Reception Venue!

Jennifer + Team | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Edmonton Wedding Planners, Edmonton Wedding Designers

We are back with our 2nd edition of Wedding Song Ideas (check out Part 1 here)! Choosing those special songs for your wedding day can be challenging for many couples, so we’ve compiled a list of ideas – both Classic and Contemporary – for all those memorable moments.

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Ceremony

Classic:

1. Hallelujah / Jeff Buckeley
2. Summer Guest / Ásgeir
3. Maybe I’m Amazed / Vitamin String Quartet
4. La Valse de L’Amour / Patrick Doyle
5. Beethoven’s 5 Secrets / The Piano Guys
6. Clair de Lune / Clade Debussy
7. Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring / Johann Sebastian Bach
8. Your Guardian Angel / Vitamin String Quartet
9. Here Comes the Sun / Guitar Dreamers
10. I’m Ready / Bryan Adams

Contemporary:

1. Boom Clap / Lennon & Maisy
2. Flightless Bird, American Mouth / Iron & Wine
3. Turning Page / Sleeping at Last
4. What Love is All About / Johnny Reid
5. Somewhere Only We Knew / Lily Allen
6. Love / Matt White
7. Love Someone / Jason Mraz
8. You and I / Michael Bublé
9. When You Say You Love Me / Josh Groban
10. Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop / Landon Pigg

Grand Entrance

Classic:

1. Signed, Sealed, Delivered / Stevie Wonder
2. You Make My Dreams Come True / Hall & Oats
3. It’s Not Unusual / Tom Jones
4. Could You be Loved / Bob Marley and the Wailers
5. Come Fly With Me / Frank Sinatra
6. That’s Amore / Dean Martin
7. You’re My Best Friend / Queen
8. Bittersweet Symphony / The Vitamin String Quartet
9. This Will Be / Natalia Cole
10. Get Ready / The Temptations

Contemporary:

1. Happy / Pharrell Williams
2. Shut Up and Dance / Walk the Moon
3. Honey, I’m Good / Andy Grammar
4. Sugar / Maroon 5
5. Adventure of a lifetime / Coldplay
6. I Got U / Duke Dumont feat. Jax Jones
7. Top of the World / Tim McGraw
8. Love Is / Rod Stewart
9. Good Life / Kanye West feat. T-Pain
10. Best Day of My Life / American Authors

First Dance

Classic:

1. It Had To Be You / Billie Holiday
2. Something In The Way She Moves / James Taylor
3. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic / Sleeping At Last (cover of The Police)
4. Let’s Stay Together / Al Green
5. You Are So Beautiful / Joe Cocker
6. I Cross My Heart / George Strait
7. Crazy Love / Van Morrison
8. Endless Love / Diana Ross & Lionel Richie
9. Unchained Melody / Righteous Brothers
10. La Vie en Rose / Andrea Bocelli

Contemporary:

1. Thinking Out Loud / Ed Sheeran
2. Purpose / Justin Bieber
3. Tenerife Sea / Ed Sheeran
4. How Long Will I Love You / Ellie Goulding
5. Latch (Acoustic) / Sam Smith
6. State of Grace (Acoustic) / Taylor Swift
7. I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) / Sleeping At Last
8. Die a Happy Man / Thomas Rhett
9. Heartbeat / Chris Young
10. Close Your Eyes / Michael Bublé
11. The One / Kodaline

Parent Dance

Classic:

1. Cupid Shuffle / Cupid
2. Overjoyed / Stevie Wonder
3. I’ll Be Seeing You / Billy Holiday
4. When the Stars Go Blue / Tim McGraw
5. When You Need Me / Bruce Springsteen
6. Landslide / Fleetwood Mac
7. When You’re Smiling / Louis Armstrong
8. The Prayer / Céline Dion & Andrea Bocelli
9. Cinderella / Steven Curtis Chapman
10. Love Me Tender / Barbara Streisand (with Elvis Presley)

Contemporary:

1. To the Moon and Back / Luke Bryan
2. Book of Love / Peter Gabriel
3. Even My Dad Does Sometimes / Ed Sheeran
4. I’ve Got You (And You’ve Got Me) / Lennon & Maisy
5. Stars / Alessia Cara
6. Golden / Lady Antebellum
7. Across the Universe / Rufus Wainwright
8. By Your Side / Sade
9. Lost Stars / Adam Levine
10. In My Life / Diana Krall

Bouquet/Garter Toss

Classic:

1. Walk this Way / Aerosmith & Run – DMC
2. Hit Me With Your Best Shot / Pat Benatar
3. A Little Less Conversation / Elvis Presley
4. U Can’t Touch This / MC Hammer
5. Last Dance / Donna Summer
6. The Final Countdown / Europe
7. I Got You / James Brown & His Famous Flames
8. Burning Down the House / Talking Heads
9. Whip It / Devo
10. She’s a Lady / Tom Jones

Contemporary:

1. Watch Me / Silento
2. Hot in Here / Nelly
3. Partition / Beyoncé
4. Country Girl / Luke Bryan
5. Milkshake / Kelis
6. Marvin Gaye / Charlie Puth & Meghan Trainor
7. S.O.B / Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
8. My House / Flo Rida
9. Hey Mama / David Guetta ft. Nicki Minaj, Bebe Rexha & Afrojack
10. Don’t Stop The Party / Pitbull

Photo Credits (top-bottom): Carey Nash Photography, Brianna Hughes Photography, DQ Studios, Kelly Redinger Photographer, DQ Studios.

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Jennifer + Team | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Edmonton Wedding Planning + Design