Create Your Own Rob-Amber Wedding
Tuesday night, CBS is airing a 2-hour special "Rob And Amber Get Married," and the whole thing was designed and planned by celebrity party planner Colin Cowie.
He also happens to be an Early Show contributor, and Tuesday morning, he recreated a few of the elements of the wedding to give you a sneak preview of the special and to offer ideas to people who may be planning their own weddings.
The entire wedding was really all about beach chic.
"I took inspiration from standing on the beach with the water in front of me," Cowie says, "The colors we used were all inspired by the surroundings, so they were colors of wet sand to dry sand, i.e. ivory to dark beige and accented with gorgeous turquoise/aqua, which came straight out of the Bahamian sea."
Initially, he says he didn't get much direction from the couple and notes the whole thing was planned in just 30 days. The following is the explanation of how he incorporated his ideas.
The setting for the ceremony:
Offer special seating arrangement - Says Cowie, "Rather than having a traditional set-up for the ceremony, we made it so that the aisle actually weaved throughout the seating of the guests. So everyone got the see them walking down the aisle, and it flowed the way a beach wedding with the ocean behind it should flow.
Fill ceremony with ritual - Says Cowie, "I always believe that standard preacher ceremonies are as interesting as watching paint dry, and today, the most important thing is to personalize them and fill them with ritual so we, as guests, can be involved. In addition to some special elements we incorporated for Rob and Amber and their guests, I also gave them a directive to go out and come up with amazing surprises for each other, which they did."
Make it personal - Cowie explains, "One aspect to make it more interactive and not so standard, was that we gave ribbons to each guest in their hotel room before the wedding. What I wanted to do was incorporate all the guests into the wedding, and have them send Rob and Amber on their way with all the best wishes.
"We put a ribbon in each guest's hotel room before the wedding and asked them to take a few moments to think of their wish for Rob and Amber and write it on the ribbon. Then everyone brought the ribbon to the ceremony and we placed them all under an arch, so when Rob and Amber came down the aisle they walked through the collective wishes of their friends and family. It was fabulous.
"We then rolled the ribbons up and presented them to Rob and Amber so any time they ever get to a bumpy spot they can take them out and read them and remember all the wishes of their friends and families."
Individualize the ceremony - Cowie explains, "They also did a hand washing ceremony during the wedding, which also helped to individualize their ceremony. We used a shell bowl and it wasn't even so much about washing their hands, as it was about purifying their hands and souls before taking place in this special ceremony. And the words they spoke during this made it so sincere and magical and special."
Remember: Little details count - Cowie notes, "Another little element I added was placing cold towels on top of everyone's shoes. This was a beach wedding and all the guests were required to remove their shoes before sitting. And what's worse than having to put back on sandy shoes and having sandy feet afterwards? So the towels were to wipe off the feet and get the sand out of your toes before putting the shoes back on.
Table setting: - Cowie explains, "The tables were set with tablecloths that had beading around the edges, and we had special chair covers, as well. The tabletop elements were glass hurricanes of different heights, with candles for the lighting. We also placed shells and flowers around the center of the tables to give that beachy, airy feeling. And we decided on a menu that was served family style, which Amber loved because it made people interact with one another."
Be sure to tune in Tuesday night for "Rob And Amber Get Married," at 9 p.m./ET on CBS.