Making A Wedding World Premiere
by: Michael Kabel
Everyone "likes" movies, but for some people they're more than just a way to pass the time. For the romantic at heart, films (especially the classic ones) provide a window into another realm of adventure and drama. For the movie buff or cinephile, everything's bigger on film, more elegant, more sumptuous in definition and meaning.
You see why for film lovers, there's nothing better than a Hollywood- or cinema-themed wedding. And if you're the kind of person who sees their life as a movie and your fiancé as your "true love interest," the Hollywood cinema theme could offer the perfect way to decorate your wedding reception celebration. And… action!
Give your guests the red carpet treatment.
As your guests enter, have them walk down a red carpet into your reception venue. Along the way, they can see framed posters of your favorite movie romances set up on easels or along the walls. Have a venue staff worker dressed in usher's livery there to greet them, opening the doors and gesturing inside. As an "extra" bonus, the lobby might also "feature" a snack cart offering incoming guests a hot pretzel or bag of popcorn.
The inside of the reception hall is your "theatre of dreams."
As they enter the hall, guests find a welcoming arch festooned with silver and black balloons, and even replica "filmstrips." Each table has an award statue for a centerpiece, with favors of silver keepsakes at each place setting.
One wall of the venue can be devoted to showing home movies, your favorite films, or a slideshow or video of the wedding ceremony the guests just witnessed. As they enjoy themselves, a photographer wearing a suit and hat with a "Press" badge goes between tables, taking pictures.
Some venues might also have a soda fountain setup available, where guests can get free drinks and beverages.
Your reception feast has its own special effect.
While you're the star of the show, the special effects are really the delicious meal you serve your guests. You can plan the menu yourself, but the dinner should pull out all the stops and fill like your guests like a big-budget blockbuster. One great course of action would be an old-fashioned steak and mash potatoes feast, to remind guests of the big portions and attention to luxury of Hollywood's Golden Age.
For dessert, you'll serve - what else - gourmet candies, popcorn, and ice cream.
Make your guests say, "That's Entertainment!"
Make your grand entrance to the sounds of 20th Century Fox's fanfare trumpets, so guests know they're about to see your big moment. During the meal, play love themes from your favorite movies
In keeping with the classic MGM musicals of yesteryear, the reception should include plenty of dancing. The music can come from a variety of sources, including movie themes as well as contemporary rock, pop and dance tunes. You might give your guests mix discs of your favorite songs, a kind of unofficial soundtrack of the day's celebrations.
The end of the reception can close with something memorable from Hollywood's Classic Era, for example "Thanks for the Memories" or "I'll Be Seeing You."