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Making the Big Day Special
By Shari Duffy,
Sentinel & Enterprise Correspondent
Whether a wedding couple prefers the New England charm of Wachusett Village Inn or the royal treatment from the Best Western Royal Plaza, or to simply celebrate with family and friends under a tent in their own backyard, wedding options in the Central Mass area are limited only by the couple's imagination.
And unique and creative local wedding experts are ready and willing to help make any couple's special day a unique reflection of their romance.
"You can deck the place out and be as formal as you want to be or as rustic as you can be," explained Melissa Banks, function coordinator for the Wachusett Mountain Ski Resort. For the past three years the site has offered weddings atop the mountain or on their deck overlooking the pond along with receptions that include a cocktail hour complete with skyrides to the summit and the option of a helicopter pad in case the groom wants to whisk his bride off on their honeymoon in style.
For today's brides, say local providers, it's all about choices. And those choices begin with the engagement ring.
Virginia Tocci, owner of Joseph's Jewelers in downtown Leominster, explains that while a simple round cut white diamond is still the most popular choice among local brides, many couples have begun to opt for the less traditional customized pieces.
"The trend now is to get side stones," said Tocci. Three rings, representing the couple's past, present and future have become more popular on the heels of DeBeers' diamond marketing campaign. And with the three stones, brides are also opting for customized wedding bands.
"We've been doing more and more custom wedding bands because the diamond engagement bands now, with side stones, cause gapping," said Tocci. "Curved wedding bands are requested more now than ever."
It's not just the style, but the color options that are increasing.
"When J-Lo got her pink engagement ring, I immediately decided to look into getting pink diamonds because everyone was asking about them them," said Tocci. And while a half carat will cost over $30,000, Tocci said brides can still have the uniqueness of a pink diamond by incorporating smaller pink diamonds with smaller stones in the wedding band.
"Brides are also going more toward the platinum or two-tone band," said Tocci. And it's not just the brides. "Men are starting to go with a designed band rather than plain," she added. "They like the Celtic knot or weave designs."
More color is also finding its way into many areas of the wedding that were traditionally white. From the cake to the bridal gown, brides have expanded their options to make their weddings unique.
"The girls are looking for something out of the norm. They want to make their wedding cakes more unique," said Joyce Addonizio, owner of Joyce's Pies and Bakery of Leominster. "Instead of the traditional white cake, they are looking for pastel colors."
Addonizio said she is currently working on a cake that is lilac and seafoam green.
Brides also have opted out of the tier-style cakes complete with fountains, for a more elegant look. Some have even had smaller cakes made for each table as centerpieces.
Color and a refined look are also the choices brides prefer in wedding gowns.
"Wedding dresses have moved away from the puffy fancy dresses and more into the the informal look with a small train," said Carol Cooney of Yours Truly in downtown Leominster. "It's a much more sophisticated look."
One of the few bridal shops in the area, Cooney said the store carries over 10 different bridal lines and although most dresses can take several months to be custom made, the store also carries a line of gowns that can be ordered and delivered within a week.
"Light ivory is a more popular choice versus the white," Cooney said. Multicolored dresses are also popular."
But it's the reception where local couples have the most options.
"Brides are being less traditional and we try to figure out what's unique about the couple," explained Erin O'Neill Wholey, catering sales manager for the Four Points Sheraton in Leominster. Some times that means little touches like including an ice sculpture of their pet dog. Other times it means "throwing out the traditional food menu" if it means serving the couple better.
That's what happened, said O'Neill Wholey, when a couple who married in Costa Rica wanted to create a special reception complete with fun food stations serving Costa Rican food here in the states for family and friends. The hotel even had the waiters adorn coffee hats and serve the coffee the couple brought back from their wedding.
In many cases, local reception areas offer couples choices they might not expect.
Every wedding reception at the Wachusett Village Inn, for example, includes a horse drawn white carriage and a chocolate fountain for dipping biscotti and strawberries. Wachusett Village Inn also offers packages that include a day at the onsite spa for the bridal party for manicures, pedicures, makeup and hair while the groom and his groomsmen are treated to a tour the Wachusett Brewery or they can take in a round of golf at The Woods in Westminster.
Couples who have their reception at the Best Western Royal Plaza in Fitchburg can have a tasting dinner before their wedding at a table designed exactly as their own wedding tables will be.
"You sit exactly as you would as a guest in your wedding and get the full feel of it," said Best Western's Catering Manager Amy Beaulieu. Couples also are given a wedding host who will greet all their guests when they arrive and will help care for the needs of the couple from coordinating their time to bringing them drinks.
And for those couples who prefer to celebrate under a tent along the reservoir and stone church in West Boylston or in their own backyard, places like Taylor Rental can deliver and set up a tent complete with a dance floor and special lighting while local caterers like Shirley Catering of Fitchburg offer menus as diverse as a full service sit-down dinner with linen and china to barbecues and everything in between.
Even some local photographers have made it simple for brides and grooms to capture their wedding exactly the way they want.
Finkle Photography of Leominster, which can create a custom designed coffee table story book of a couple's wedding which includes personalization from the groom to the bride and vice versa, said his wedding packages meet any couple's needs.
"We don't have any set packages at all," said Richard Finkle. "We custom design a contract to our brides specifications."
Local videographer Ron DiNinno of DiNinno Advertising can film your wedding with up to three commercial grade cameras and can even create custom music for the background. Or he can simply take your wedding and family photos and edit them with a soundtrack to create a DVD full of memories to last a lifetime.
O'Neill Wholey said for wedding experts, it's about creating for that couple a day they will always remember.
"If I were a bride," said O'Neill Wholey, "I'd like someone to say to me 'Whatever you want.' "
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