What makes a theme wedding a success? I will try to answer that from the point of view of someone who has actually planned and pulled off a memorable theme wedding.

The successful execution of a theme wedding is all in the details! A Halloween wedding we filmed lined the driveway to the mansion in Butler with white pumpkins carved as jack-o-lanterns. At another we saw each table decorated for a different favorite Disney movie; one couple wore Mickey and Minnie ears decorated for a wedding. A life-sized Mickey and Minnie attended the reception, and you know that this couple went to Disney World for their honeymoon!

We are in Arlington, Virginia, again today capturing another class concerning malware analysis. What is nice is seeing the people we work with. The genesis of many friendships can be traced to professional contacts over the years. We have become close to many clients as well as other vendors such as photographers, bands, and disk jockeys.

We shared photos of our wedding (twenty years have gone by so fast!) with Dennis and Chris. One’s wedding can be the start of some interesting conversations, everyone has a story about their own to share. But few can top our masquerade wedding, you can see the photo here. Theme weddings require careful planning, and in a future post I will provide some tips on how to make yours a success.

I guess I am a traditionalist at heart - I think that the Father Daughter and Mother Son Dance is something that should be included in all wedding receptions. But I can tell you from experience that it can feel kind of awkward out there, turning a circle slowly, with your baby in a tuxedo. What do you say? Should you say anything? Did you even wonder about these things when your son/daughter announced “I am getting married”? As a bride, I don’t remember those feelings; but as the mother of the groom, I did.

I loved the song that I chose to dance with my son, but I had seen countless weddings and given years of thought to what I would choose. Not everyone has this experience, so let me give you some tips to consider. Your choice will reflect your personality as well as set the tone for your reception, so give it some thought.