Congratulations Taylor and Nick!

Everyone knows I may be a little partial when it comes to true TCU purple weddings at the Chapel… and for good reason!

The wedding I’m so excited to share with y’all today is a wonderful example of how gorgeous using shades of purple can really be. The chapel was glowing under the chandelier lights and so was  the bride, Taylor as she and Nick were married here at Robert Carr Chapel on a crisp evening back in January. Her bridesmaids dazzled in floor-length, chiffon gowns with a sweetheart neckline in varying shades of purple – they also each had a sparkling brooch to add to the waistline for a little extra sparkle. Nick’s groomsmen looked pretty dapper themselves in sleek black tuxedos with grey vests and ties. Taylor chose Tami Winn Events to create the stunning floral arrangements, bouquets and boutonnieres to add just the right finishing touches to their big day! Erica of Erica Joyce Photography captured the day beautifully and was kind enough to share these photos with us. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Congratulations Lindsay and Bret!

Just a few short weeks ago in early March, RCC was the venue of choice for TCU Showgirl and Cheerleading director, Lindsay and her long-time love, Bret. In the short period of time I got to spend with them, it became apparent that they could get through just anything! The high-energy couple had been a long-distance relationship while Bret spent time as Ranger in the U.S. Army Special Forces and Lindsay danced professionally for the Dallas Mavericks. Their photographer, Lynn of Lynn Michelle Photography did an awesome job of capturing their day and the attention of their large wedding party of supportive family and friends. As a special treat, the TCU Showgirls and Cheerleaders were waiting for the happy couple outside of the chapel, right after they said their “I do’s”! Check it out!

Congratulations again to the happy couple! Bret and Lindsay, you were tons of fun and we’re happy we were able to help you celebrate your big day in true Horned Frog style.

xoxo

Kaci

Etiquette tips: the processional and recessional

We see a wide variety of family shapes, sizes and dynamics at Robert Carr Chapel and we’re often asked about the most appropriate order for both the processional and recessional. So today I thought I would share with you some general guidelines for the big entrance and exit so that no one feels left out or that their thunder was stolen. As with most wedding “traditions” these are guidelines, not a black and white how-to so take notes but feel free to tweak this as necessary for your bridal party. I also want to provide a list of traditional songs for both the processional and recessional.

General Guidelines:

• Traditionally, ladies are always on the left side of their escort (we’ve discussed this before) however it is also acceptable for the lady to stand on the side she will be seated. For example, the mother of the groom (MOG) may walk in on her escort’s right side because she will beseated on the right side of the chapel.
• If there are ushers/escorts, the lady will be walked in first on the escort’s arm, with her husband following behind.
• In circumstances of divorced families, the mother of the bride or groom is traditional given precedence and therefore walk in after the father and stepmother have been seated. They also traditionally get to sit in the front row unless the parents are on good terms, in which case they may choose to sit together.
• The wedding party may process in seperately or in pairs, at Robert Carr Chapel, we most often see them enter seperately so that is how I will list it below.
• Child attendants are the last ones in before the bride, depending on their age, they may walk in together or seperate but it’s really not too important because they’re usually so cute they can get away with anything at this point.

Processional Order (if present):

1. Groom’s paternal grandparents
2. Groom’s maternal grandparents
3. Bride’s paternal grandparents
4. Bride’s maternal grandparents
5. Groom’s parents, MOG may be escorted in by the groom with her husband following behind.
6. Mother of the Bride (MOB), often escorted by a son or another male relative but may also be escorted by the Father of the Bride who returns to the front of the church to escort his daughter, the bride.
7. The Wedding Party: Beginning with the officient followed by the Groom, his best man and groomsmen in their standing order. After they are in their places, the bridesmaids begin filing in in reverse order; beginning with the last bridesmaid in line and ending with the Maid/Matron of Honor.
8. Children attendents
9. The Bride and her father, or whomever she chooses to be her escort for the day.

Recessional order (Essentially the reverse of the Processional order):

1. The Bride and Groom
2. Children attendants
3. Honor attendants (Best Man and Maid/Matron of Honor)
4. The rest of the bridal party in pairs
5. The Bride’s Parents
6. The Groom’s Parents

Grandparents may also recess but often stay seated because the bridal party returns shortly for pictures and this eliminates any excess walking for those who may not be as mobile.

Music Choices for the Processional and Recessional:

Processional:

Seating of the Families and Entrance of the Bridal party:

• Beethoven’s 5th Symphony
• Air on the G String by Bach
• Arioso by Bach
• Four Seasons by Vivaldi
• Greensleeves- a traditional English folk song
• Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring by Bach
• Ave Maria by Schubert

Entrance of the Bride:

• Air on the G String by Bach
• Canon in D by Pachelbel
• Bridal Chorus by Wagner**

Recessional:

• Festive Trumpet Tune by German
• Fanfare by Lemmens
• Toccata by Widor
• Rondeau by Mouret
• Wedding March by Mendelssohn**

I hope this post serves as a guide and resource to your big day! If you have any suggestions for my next etiquette post, please leave a comment or go to our facebook page and write on our wall!

xoxo

Kaci

 

 

Staff Special Post: Kaci’s Wedding!

Hello all,

Today I’m excited/anxious/joyful/proud to be share with you a little bit about my personal life. Some of you may have noticed in Andrea & Bernee’s post that I mentioned I also got married on that warm and windy Saturday afternoon in November (4 months ago today, in fact).

I met my now husband, Will nearly 5 years when he was hired by my boss; he became my coworker and instant friend. We were both in other relationships at the time and the thoughts of dating never really crossed either of our minds. Eventually, we were both single and after months of working side by side in the hospitality industry (inlcuding working wedding ceremonies and receptions together) we went on a trip with friends to New York City and we both felt the spark of possibility. We started spending more time together outside of work and our relationship formed organically over time.

We had been together for nearly 3 years when Will proposed to me in December of 2011 in the same place where his sister had gotten engaged at his mother’s home in Weatherford. 10 1/2 months later, thanks to help from our families and Sarabeth Quattlebaum of Sarabeth Events, I was walking down the aisle towards the man I didn’t realize I had always been searching for. We were lucky enough to be married by his grandfather, Ben Long, former Parker County Judge at Canyon West Golf Course in Weatherford. His brother, Quinn, served as best man and his sister, Betsy was my Matron of Honor.The rest of our wedding party were the sweet children I nannied for during the majority of our time together; Big brother, Parker was our ring bearer and he proudly carried a ring box protruding from his pocket down the aisle, twins Will and Kate acted as “messenger” and flower girl, respectively. All of the flowers throughout our ceremony and reception were made of fabric and carefully crafted by mother, Kay, who made the all of the other decorations as well. It was a true family wedding and Will and I will always cherish the memories we have of that special day.

I have spent some of the time since trying to decide how best to put into words all of the things I saw, heard, noticed, remembered, felt and went through my head that day. I don’t know that I will ever be able to do that but I read something the other day by a favorite blogger of mine, Tyler Knott Gregson, and wanted to share it with you guys:

“You are the poem I never knew how to write and this life is the story I always wanted to tell.”

I think that the pictures captured by my sweet cousin and amazingly talented photographer, Tonda Thomas of Sweet Light Photography (see her Facebook here) does a lot better job of telling our story better than I ever could.

xoxo

Kaci

AACWP “My Favorite Vendor Awards”

Hello everyone!

As many of you may recall from our Facebook page, Robert Carr Chapel was nominated (for the second consecutive year!) for “Best Ceremony Site” by the American Association of Certified Wedding Planners 6th annual “My Favorite Vendors Awards.” While we lost to the stunning SMU Perkins Chapel, we were honored to have been considered among the best ceremony venues that DFW has to offer.

Incidentally, we also had a fabulous time at the dinner getting to know others in the DFW wedding industry while exploring the phenomenal Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas! A special thanks goes out to Tami Winn and Jamie Lemke of Tami Winn Events and Le Fleur Couture for keeping dinner interesting and congratulations to our friends from Fort Worth and “Best Reception Site” nominee, The Ashton Depot. Here are just a few pictures from the event:

Looking forward to the 7th Annual My Favorite Vendor Awards! Who knows…? With your help and continued encouragement, maybe we’ll take home the prize

xoxo

Kaci

Meet the Wedding Team: Kristin Flynn

Kristin is a University of North Texas graduate, and has worked in the wedding business for 7 years! Kristin joined the Robert Carr staff in January 2011. While not at the chapel she is busy in the industry helping brides plan their special day from beginning to end. Kristin is also a mom to an active toddler.
One of her favorite things about working at the chapel, and weddings in general, is seeing that second just before opening the doors to the chapel and seeing the intimate moment before a new chapter begins.

Chapel Website

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Congratulations Carolyn & Wiley!

With so many couples getting married at Robert Carr Chapel, I rarely have the chance to meet with brides and grooms in the middle of their planning process. Lucky for me, this was not the case with today’s featured couple, Wiley and Carolyn. I first met them over the summer, soon after their engagement when they came by on a busy 3-wedding Saturday to take a peek at Robert Carr. Their timing couldn’t have been more perfect because we were “turning over the chapel” between wedding parties being there and it gave me a short window of time to get to know these two. Carolyn and Wiley could not have been any sweeter to work with or more obviously in love. It was so wonderful to see their journey come full circle when they were married in the middle of advent season this past December. A BIG thank you to Addison Myrick of Addison Studios for sharing the photos she took of the big day.

 

Congrats again to the happy couple and happy two month anniversary! We are honored that you chose Robert Carr Chapel to start the rest of your lives together.

xoxo

Kaci

Looking for a Saturday evening wedding this year?

Saturday evenings (from 5-8pm) currently available for 2013 include:
• February 16th
• March 30th
• July 20th
• September 14th
• December 14th, 21st , & 28th

Email us at robertcarrchapel@tcu.edu to book your wedding today!

Meet the Wedding Team: Kayli Burnett (in her new role!)

Kayli is the Robert Carr Chapel & Events Coordinator. She started with the team in May 2011 as the Chapel Intern. During this time, she helped coordinate 89 weddings! She is a proud TCU alum & Fort Worth native from Southlake, TX. When Kayli is not working at the chapel, she loves to babysit, do yoga, watch Dr. Phil, spend time with her family, & root for her little brother’s football team- the Mizzou tigers! Kayli loves working at the beautiful Robert Carr Chapel & hopes to wed there someday.

We’re so glad to have Kayli back on the team! Make sure to say hello if you see her around campus!