Wedding Stress - Don't Be a Super Bride!

Planning a wedding can be stressful with the many decisions and details that it entails. The reality is that the planning stages should bring you closer as you make important decisions together. 

Do not let planning the wedding consume you, your family, and friends. Remember it is also important to just be you and take breaks from planning the wedding.

Here are a few tips on reducing the stress while planning:

•  Prepare a budget to use as a guide; there are plenty of templates available. If you are registered with Wedding Wire or The Knot they both have this tool.
• Date your fiancé – this keeps the romance going…this is how you got the ring in the first place! Don’t be lost in the wedding planning and not prepared for the marriage.
• Communicate – It is important to communicate your ideas, vision, and have an open dialogue with your fiancé and whoever is playing a role in your wedding.
• Plan & Think Thoroughly- Plan your ideas on paper and think every detail through from the start to finish. Too many times I meet/see Brides plan to do thing themselves because ‘no one else is going to do it right, or the way they want it done’……big mistake! As a Bride you cannot do it all.

• Enlist Professionals – I cannot stress enough that you should secure professional vendors with contracts for each person. There is no rewind button for your wedding day so invest and enlist professionals. If you think you cannot afford one, please call and discuss the services you are looking for with them. Invest in quality for your wedding.  There are other options to the ‘packages’ listed on the website. 

For Example:

Photography- I really love you work…but I don’t need eight hours. No problem let’s see what we can do for six hours coverage.

Wedding Planner/Coordinator- I feel really good about selecting vendors, I just need help with the design and the weeks leading up to the wedding. Sure we can customize these services for you.

Happy Planning!

 

Colorful Teal and Orange Nigerian Fusion Wedding in Baltimore, Maryland

Colorful Teal and Orange Nigerian Fusion Wedding in Baltimore, Maryland

This is blog is originally posted by Munaluchi Bridal, we are so excited that one of our weddings was selected to be a feature!

Thank you Charlotte & Sola!

Posted Mar 5 2014 by Angela Washington in Multicultural Weddings, Nigerian Weddings, Real Weddings 

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Charlotte Young and Olusola Fadare’s wedding was a chic and heartwarming celebration of culture and love.  Charlotte’s stunning face, and timeless natural updo were complimented beautifully by her gorgeous crystal statement earrings. Olusola looked like prince charming in his perfectly tailored tuxedo, which he accessorized with charming personalized black cuff-links that read, “I Do.”  This stylish couple fused Charlotte’s African American heritage with Olusola’s Nigerian culture throughout their ceremony and reception. In tribute to the groom’s Yoruba Nigerian roots, their bridesmaids wore Ankara fabric print dresses and danced the night away to Nigerian music; to celebrate the bride’s Southern roots, the couple jumped the broom and soul food was served during the reception. Paosin Photography took the most lovely pictures of this gorgeous fusion wedding.

Quick Facts 

• Wedding Date:  08/17/2013
• Wedding Location:  Preston Hall, Baltimore, MD
• Wedding Colors: Teal and Orange
• Wedding Flowers: We made the flowers for the wedding: I used balsa wood and preserved roses for the bouquet and the bridesmaids used real touch calla lilies.
• First Dance Song: ”Amani” by Philip Monteiro/”I Love My Baby” by Wizkid
• Wedding Cake Flavors: Praline-the wedding cake came from a french bakery.
• Wedding Menu Favorite:  Everyone loved the blending of the Nigerian and American foods, my personal fav was the Nigerian moin join.
• Bridesmaids Gifts: I spent the summer in Morocco and brought back Moroccan pillows, pottery and jewelry for all the bridesmaids.
• Groomsmen Gifts:  Traditional Nigerian caps.

                                 
Wedding Theme
We were inspired by our desire to infuse African American culture with Nigerian style and tradition. We wanted to use bright bold colors and so chose teal and orange.
Wedding Style
My wedding dress was a fit and flare gown from Allure that I paired with a Maggie Sottero diamond belt and a lace veil from Etsy. I loved all of my accessories, but my favorite were my wing tip earrings from Nordstrom.
Incorporation of Culture
We did our best to mix both my SC and his Yoruba Nigerian roots: My bridesmaids wore Ankara fabric print dresses and the groomsmen wore matching Ankara bow ties. We jumped the broom, had both Soul Food and Nigerian food and played both styles of music.
Most Memorable Moment 
There were so many great memories, my fave was after we said I do and jumped the broom, we danced down the aisle to “I Love My Life” by Demarco.
Wedding Advice
Don’t be afraid to stand up for your wedding vision, everyone will offer their input but it is your wedding and at the end of the day you want to be happy with what you see.

Vendors

• Wedding Planner: Prestigious Occasions
• Invitations/Stationery: Invitation Consultants/Vista Print
• Ceremony and Reception Location: Preston Hall
• Wedding Dress: Allure
• Bridesmaids Dresses: Tailor Made by a family friend
• Grooms Suit: Topman
• Hair: Octavia at Studio Chique
• Make-up: Laide Akinfolarin of Style Dazzle
• Shoes: Luichiny
• Photography: Paosin Photography
• Videography: Faraday Video Productions
• Florist: We designed our own flowers
• Wedding Cake: Patisserie Poupon
• DJ: Dee’Jay Donn

Missed Opportunities | A Bride’s “Should Have….”

We have had the pleasure of working with plenty of couples over the past decade and we always like to hear what the couples would change if anything. I thought I would share two things with you today on what most would say they would have done differently.

The top decision is usually is “I would have hired a videographer” there are so many wonderful points of the entire day that you may wish that you had the opportunity to play back and enjoy. We had a bride in the Fall of 2012 that wanted to see the Flower Girl and Ring Bearer’s adorable dance for the introductions and was a little sad that no one captured this.

While the wedding was gorgeous and just simply wonderful, she splurged more on décor & food while cutting back in other areas. The reality is that guests are not going to remember the type of flowers that you selected; they just know that it looked nice. If you can shave off a few savings in the correct areas to fit everything that you truly want in the budget then do so!

The second we would like to share with you is “I would have started planning earlier”

This second feedback is very interesting, based on time and our customer service commitment we limit the number of full planning weddings that we offer each year. Therefore we have many clients that book with us for partial planning and month of coordination. We find that many couples begin the planning process and get overwhelmed with securing the right vendors that fit within their budget. It is easy to put things off until ‘next week’ and by the time you realize you may be just a few months away from the wedding!

Although you may feel that you have lots of planning time, there are so many other weddings, milestone parties & events, and special occasions taking place in the lives of other that may be planning at the same time. For example, during the late spring is a peak season with weddings, proms, graduations, and other events. Event professionals usually book pretty fast. Start planning as early as possible so you have time to think about all the details and logistics your wedding involves.

Have fun planning, plan ahead and weigh the pros and cons about hiring a videographer for your special day!

How to Save on a Budget Wedding?

Having a wedding is costly and adds up pretty quickly as many couples find out during the planning process.

We understand that not all couples have a large budget for planning a wedding. Here are somethings to consider that may help you with savings.

I. Location 
Select a location that will fit your budget, this means that you should base your venue selection on the key items that you are looking for and important to you. If you would like a venue more central for your guests and would like to have an outdoor wedding then these are the top priorities for the search.

If you cannot afford the Country Club wedding here is an alternative - How about a ceremony in a park? There are nice local parks that offer their grounds for weddings with or without a pavilion. If your guest count permits look into a summer house that you can rent out for the weekend for your intimate wedding?

II. Food & Beverage 
What type of food would you like to serve?
A quick and easy way of saying a nice amount of money is having a brunch reception or a cocktail reception. These are a little less formal, however also lots of fun. Most guests would like to enjoy the food, drinks, and dancing! If you are fortunate to locate a venue that will allow you to bring in your own catering company, this is an advantage to negotiating with caterers. You will not be restricted to 1caterer...you can now choose your preferred caterer.

III. DIY 
Do as much as possible yourself leading up to the wedding without stressing or compromising the quality of your wedding. It is important to take your time in creating the details that will be displayed at your wedding. I am a fan of DIY, however you should be crafty and the personal touches should not come off as 'cheesy' if you are not great at crafts outsource the tasks.

IV. Rent Items 
There are so many companies that you can rent items from to create a design that you would like. From linen, napkins, chair covers (we also offer chair covers), birdcages, to many other items...why buy when you can simply rent them! Your local wedding planner may have several items available for rent. Just send a quick email to find out if they have what you may need.

* We rent decor items and also offer design services with or without planning services*

V. Use Alternatives 
Flower Centerpieces > Change the expensive flower to something cheaper...or use > Candles

Satin Linen Tablecloth> Use Polyester ....or > Use long tables & keep the satin or poly (less tablecloths)

Aisle Decor> The decor you use for the aisle double use them for the centerpieces (floating candles/flowers)

In the picture below the altar arrangements were used to frame the sweetheart table during the reception.
Venue Location: Cira Centre, Philadelphia, PA

Grey Rock Mansion - Red, Black, White, & Damask Wedding

Greetings!

We had the pleasure of working with an awesome couple this past Friday and their colors of red, black, white, with damask accents were very pretty at Grey Rock Mansion in Owings Mills, MD.

Enjoy the pictures if you are considering these colors or you can also envision this scheme with a different accent color other than red. Regardless of your budget you should can have a nice reception layout with good decor. Just be creative, we welcome creative DIY wedding projects. We worked closely with our clients on the details of their wedding.

Prestigious Occasions provided the Stretch Chair Covers, Sashes, Runner, Napkins, and Centerpieces. Please feel free to contact us with any questions.

www.prestigiousoccasions.com | 410.783.8211

Design and rental services optional with or without planning packages. We deliver setup and return for the breakdown the same night. You do not have to worry about returning items.

 A vase was placed for the Bride's bouquet to serve as the centerpiece for their sweetheart table.

Saving Tips for your Wedding

Let’s face it weddings can be expensive!

You find this out when you begin planning and researching weddings along with the many details that are involved with designing an amazing wedding day.

Here are a few tips to assist you with saving as much as possible. 

1.        Be Flexible – When you are selecting a venue have an open mind. Weddings are taking place on just about any day of the week in this day and age. Instead of getting married on a Saturday, are you open to Thursday, Friday, or Sunday? This may be a significant savings for you. Compare the rates of the venue and if an outside catering company is involved this is also a great negotiating tool, as now they have another prime Saturday available since you have selected an alternative non primetime day. 

2.       Stay in one place- If you have your ceremony and reception in one location this is helpful to cut the décor budget, all you have to do is use the décor twice! Your altar arrangement can also function as a centerpiece for the reception. Also having one location also cancels out or minimizes the transportation arrangements in most cases.

3.       Shop Around – Compare quality, service, and prices. It is important that as you meet with wedding professionals that you pay close attention to the quality. In some cases you will not save if you need to make adjustments to complete the vision that you really want. Circle back to who you love and negotiate your desires.

4.       Follow Professionals Twitter/Facebook/Blogs – Savings and discounts may be posted there. If there is a deal/offer posted, that may be a good time to sign a contract. 

5.       Customize your Needs into a Package  – Be specific with your needs, it is okay to ask if items can be added or removed  to create a package that you feel good with. 

Lastly, the guest list is the best way to save and keep you on track. Do not feel obligated to invite everyone, the more guests, the extra, tables, flowers, linen, place setting….etc……. you get the point. Think about the guests list and make sure that the people you invite and there to shower you with their love for you both.

Happy Planning!