More Monograms, Please
The use of monograms has long been a tradition for newlyweds, especially when it comes to those "must-have's," such as the couple's first stationery, or glassware for their new home. And although monograms have always been welcome at the wedding itself, today it seems they're reaching new heights in popularity. I believe one
key reason is that modern brides and grooms are making even more of an
effort to personalize their wedding experience--and what could be more
personal than prominently displaying their brand new initials on their
big day?At the weddings I photograph, I've begun seeing more elaborate monogram designs. Often they include the wedding date. Some are almost like a logo and occasionally they also include a small, eye-catching graphic such as a rose or a seashell. You can "commission" a monogram by hiring a graphic designer. With a little research, "do-it-yourself-ers" can learn to drag and dr
op their initials into on-line templates or, depending on their creativity, design their own monograms from scratch. These new opportunities could be another good reason why the monogram trend continues to be so "hot". There seems to be mixed opinions about exactly when and where it's appropriate to display your newlywed initials. Some brave brides have begun putting theirs on their wedding invitations -- but most experts turn up their noses at using the monogram that
early. Some still frown on displaying the couple's monogram at all
during the ceremony, but I've been seeing them more often printed on programs, embroidered on the bride's veil and, increasingly, printed on the aisle runner. 
em displayed on all the things you'd expect: cocktail napkins, matchbooks, champagne flutes. Lately, though, the monograms I see most often are on wedding cakes--frequently as a simple emblem piped or pressed into the icing on the front of the very top or middle tier (if you want yours to be ve
ry large or more elaborate, the cake maker may
suggest placing the design on the lower tier). One particularly
memorable cake was decorated with the couple's last initial repeated
over and over in the intricate lacy "white on white" icing. Probably
the most popular choice I'm seeing, though, is the monogram
cake-topper. Usually it's a single letter, sometimes it's a more showy combination of three initials. I've seen them in everything from polished metal to sleek porcelain to sparkling rhinestones. 
displaying your new initials: embroidered on the ring bearer's pillow; printed on birdseed pa
ckets or "petal cones"; etched into "sand cere- mony" con- tainers; piped onto tiny dessert cakes or cookies; on the head table linens; stamped on paper fans; printed on facial tissue ("tears
of joy") packets; featured on a beautiful full-length photo banner welcoming
your guests to the reception; on custom-labeled wine or water
bottles; printed on ribbons; embroidered
in pale blue somewhere inside the wedding dress; laid out in flower petals on the lawn of an outdoor ceremony site;
printed, stamped or stickered onto favor bags and boxes; pressed into the unity candle; at the top of the table makers; stamped on the luminaries lining the walk to the reception hall or bordering the patio during the cocktail hour; carved into the ice sculpture. If your reception venue has one of those 
popular electronic signs at the ballroom door, that's an excellent place to display your monogram and set an elegant tone for the evening to come!Something else I'm seeing are the large "stick on" monograms on the walls of reception halls. They peel right off when you're done! Also many couples are displaying their initials on thei
r wedding guestbook. Doug Forner Photography's own graphic designer is often asked to incorporate a monogram on the cover, opening page or closing page of our popular photo guestbook. I especially like to see a monogram done with lighting on the wall behind the head table, or better yet, on the dance floor! It makes a dramatic impact, although I'm told it entails a special lighting attachment. My friends Wendy and Les Kopasz at Soundwave Entertainment offer this service as an option called "Lighting Enhancement." According to Wendy, when it comes to projecting intitials, "uplighting works, but monogram lights can't be used everywhere. For example, if a reception room is surrounded by windows, it's harder to get that 'wow factor'. On the other hand, most hotel ballrooms are perfect places for monogram lighting. We're always very careful to accent it just right for the reception room's layout." While the monogram-lit dance floor might be perfect for your first dance, as Wendy points out, "Once everyone else starts dancing, the effect is lost". Check out Soundwave Entertainment's website: djsoundwave.net.
As a wedding photographer, I take extra-special note of anything that's monogrammed. After all, the use of a monogram is carefully planned and it's bound to be something the newlyweds would like to have documented in their wedding images. In addition, monogrammed items make for excellent "detail shots". Make sure you tell your photographer about all of them. While some will be easily spotted, such as initial ornaments in the bouquet, others -- like a monogram on the bouquet stem wrap -- might be missed. Emily Ribeiro with Charming Events, a wedding decor and floral designer (weddingdecorator.net), says monograms in the bouquet design are growing more popular. They're usually made of crystals and most of the time are the bride's married initials. Emily notes monograms on stem wraps are a newer trend, but also growing in popularity.
Of course, these suggestions don't begin to address the long list of ways brides and grooms are using their new monogram after the wedding--on thank-you notes and personalized postage stamps, in the new home decor, incorporated in the designs of their wedding albums, to name a few.
Monograms are just one of the many personalization trends brides and grooms are experimenting with. Years from now, as you look through your wedding pictures together, you'll be glad you had an experienced photographer who was on the lookout for special, personal touches!
Posted by Doug at 12/31/2008 7:16 PM 
Categories: Personalize Your Wedding, Wedding Traditions, Wedding Trends
Categories: Personalize Your Wedding, Wedding Traditions, Wedding Trends
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