[vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][vc_single_image image=”799″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]
Are you getting married soon? Or have you recently been dubbed the Maid of Honor and are at once delighted and petrified? Or are you simply an undeniable wedding enthusiast who seeks updates on the latest and greatest?
Enter Main Stage, help yourself to a front-row seat, and get swept up by Tom Noel’s latest masterpiece. Tom, a passionate wedding-planning guru – or, rather, Director – has been enlivening the industry for 30+ years.
We’d all like to think that a wedding – especially our own – would come together seamlessly, playing out like a perfected Broadway production. Planning a wedding is all about the personal details – the moments that convey exactly the type of relationship you’re in – and by breaking down the elements of a wedding, Tom wants to show you just how that beautiful intention can be accomplished.
PLOT
A simple philosophy that guides Tom’s work: A proper wedding accurately represents the people it’s uniting. Tom’s vision of a wedding is ripe with both symbolism and passion. “A wedding is a gift of your love [between the bride and groom], that is shared with your community!”
A wedding is indeed a once-in-a-lifetime monumental event, one that has no do-overs.
That being said, Tom’s goal is that your wedding become a perfect memory, a tribute to your most treasured milestones, and a beautiful imprint of a forever-life-changing event.
SETTING
One of the best ways to illuminate a stage comes from nature. Outdoor weddings set the ultimate scene. Whether the wedding is on an expansively green and lush lawn, an elegant Napa Valley vineyard, or a tropical and breezy beach, the atmosphere will be set to positively heighten everyone’s senses. This sets the stage by pulling everyone into a world where the beautiful, simple, and natural things are the most enduring, and that is where you want your love to be displayed to your guests. Get the most out of all that nature has to offer. The birds, the bees, the flowers and the trees are all bonuses of the bounty that the outdoors embody. In Tom’s view, nature is the best backdrop – richer and more fulfilling than any man-made object.
Another thing to consider – the SEASON of your event. Embrace your inner Goldilocks! Don’t settle for any time that is too hot or too cold. This is your perfect day; don’t settle for anything but the ideal temperature.
Tom suggests to put on your production in the Fall or the Spring, both of which happen to be the most popular wedding seasons and require advanced planning. Aside from both seasons being more moderately tempered in comparison to Winter and Summer, they both signify changing seasons. Themes of rebirth and renewal are often inspired by Spring. Lilac blossoms signify ongoing hope and renewal. In Fall, we can bask upon the radiance of the changing foliage we see during this time of the year. This is a time to savor the bounty and provision we’ve been afforded, a time for itemizing our blessings and recounting our joys. Likewise, weddings hallmark a change in life… from flying solo to joining our soul-mate.
“Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.” – George Eliot
MOOD
Every set must have COLOR. Colors set the tone, and serve to effectively record the memory of your wedding. Embrace your favorite color, and use it to punctuate the moment. Tom suggests to stick with your favorite, to set a spirited thematic feel, from flowers to tablecloth. Narrow down your dream scheme to one color, and run with all of its tones, shades and hues.
And, how about an encore for the DJ, or live music? Another way to burn the memory of the wedding is to add this audible element, replaying the songs that have strung together the many moments you’ve spent getting to know your soul-mate.
“Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.” -Plato
ACTORS
A wedding should be an extension of who you and your partner are: your personalities, sense of humor, your ways of seeing and sense of being. The bride and groom are the lead actors, whose love creates the look and feel of the wedding. Your love is inspiring and should color every detail of the wedding.
Your performance raises eyebrows, encourages wide smiles, and inspires many tears. Treasure your platform, and try to walk down the aisle like you own it.
CAST
LOVE is one of the most liberating risks. It’s flying through the air without looking down. It’s filled with uplifting enthusiasm, in which you take that leap of faith. If your love were the only thing needed to plan a wedding though, this would be an easy task. However, Tom recognizes that your wedding has more players to take into account than just you and your loved one.
You must have enough tables and chairs to accommodate your guests, or cast members. Also, let your cast members participate by giving them something to clap to. From champagne toasts to speeches all around, encourage all forms of expression – aside from that one drunk relative’s crazy antics; We can live without that. The interactions between you and your guests will lend to a more intimate environment, one that will create even more lovely memories of this day.
HAPPY ENDING
Exchange your vows, take your bows. Embrace the applause, and savor the celebration between belly laughs and salty tears. Bravo – you’ve put on the perfect play.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
