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!

 

Wedding Party Roles - Bridesmaid & Hostesses

 
Your wedding is such an important day and selecting the right people to participate is key. It can be challenging with the amount of friends and family that you have to select your Bridesmaids and Hostesses. 

 The role of a Bridesmaid is being readily available throughout the wedding planning process, helping with DIY projects, dress shopping with the Bride and the rest of the girls. Typically the ladies will pay for their own dresses. It is optional for the Bride to pay for their hair and/or makeup, if so this can be considered a gift to the Bridesmaids. 

While you would love to have your ladies be around and helping with everything. Keep in mind that you should be respectful of their time also. Plan ahead as much as possible and have a few conference calls or get together (if you are all in the same state) throughout the planning process. 




After selecting your Bridesmaids it is now time to narrow down the Hostess and Usher roles. Being a hostesses is an important role and this should be someone fun and bubbly. They will greet your guests, accept cards at the card box, hand out programs, ensure that your key family members have arrived and are seated as you prefer. 

Tip: Your Hostesses and Usher should arrive at least 1 hour before the ceremony to begin their tasks and seating guests. Work with your Wedding Coordinator on the perfect schedule and all the logistical details to share with your Hostesses so they are well prepared for the wedding day!

Happy Planning!

Purple, Teal & Peacock Accent Theme Wedding - The Hotel at Arundel Preserve

Here is another recent wedding with fun colors and peacock accents throughout the wedding.

I had an AWESOME time working with this couple throughout the planning process. On the wedding day our team had a ball. Usually we don't need four team members for a wedding but with all the details and logistics that this wedding entailed it was key. Timing is everything and we did not want to miss a beat!

The Bride and Groom are both creative and handmade many items for the wedding: their invitations, monogram, menu cards, down to the homemade wine jelly favors. I shared tips and ideas with them to guide them on their wedding details. Regardless of the budget, your personal DIY touch is always great.


- Three different centerpieces for the guest tables
- The LED photo booth was an absolute hit and kept going all night!
- The hilarious shoe game played by the Bride and Groom has guests in stitches with laughter!

The pictures below are not the professional pictures, however we wanted to share these pictures that my inspire you.

 - Custom aisle runner was ordered using the monogram that the Groom designed
-  A quartet played for the prelude and selected parts of the ceremony
- Guests enjoyed live music during the cocktail hour as they sipped on the signature drink accented with an edible peacock feather

If you learn anything about Prestigious Occasions....Every Wedding is NOT the same and should be personalized.

We worked with an awesome team of vendors to create a memorable wedding for this couple. White dance floor, Stage, Drapes, Linen, Chairs, Sweetheart Table Chairs, Flowers, etc..Please note everything for this wedding was brought in to the hotel...except for the tables. We offer planning and/or design services please feel free to contact us.

 

Below is a picture of the room revealed to the couple before guests entered. The emotional response from the Bride once the doors opened was absolutely amazing! She cried and there was no way I could hold back my tears...we just cried and hugged together for a few minutes. The short video clip was awesome and captured our raw emotions.

They check out the tables and all the little details that we planned out together.

As a planner it is easy for me to visualize the reception space and details because this is what we do weekly. However for the couple this was a priceless moment as they looked at every detail we worked on for months come together in one space.

View this wedding gallery (click here to visit website)

5 Details and Tips - Not to forget for the wedding

(1) When creating your invitations get a final proof with all pieces included in the envelope. Take the envelope to the post office and check the mailing price of the stamp that you will need. Many standard invitations are $.65 to mail for a wedding invitation. Based on the style, size, and weight of the invitation this price my increase the cost of mailing your invitation. 

 

(2) It’s never too early to find out the details and requirements to obtain your marriage license for the location that you will be married in. When you apply for your marriage license you will do so based on the location of your venue. You may be getting married in the city, however live in the county. Your marriage license would be for the city

(3) You cannot legally get married without your marriage license on hand. Give this license to your wedding planner either at the rehearsal or on the morning of the wedding. It is also important that once the license is signed that you have a dedicated individual that will be responsible in keeping the license for you. Usually a parent is the best option for this.  

(4) Keep good track of the RSVPs that you receive using a program like Excel. This gives you the ability to sort your list in many options and create your floor plan and seating chart. 

 

(5) If you are leaving for your honeymoon the next day or just do not want to deal with the hassle of collecting items following the wedding day designate a family member to handle specific items at the end of the evening. For example, the sand ceremony vases, memorial candle, etc…

 

Finding your Summer Venue

Summer weddings are fun, but can be challenging to plan when you are looking for the “perfect venue” and have a large guest list!

The visions of a summer wedding are very popular and venues book quickly, in some cases years in advance. It is important to know your maximum number of guests; this will give you a guideline in addition to the amenities that you both are looking for on your wedding day.

If you are available to see a venue during the setup process of another wedding this is also helpful and allow you to envision your day and floor plan in the space. Contact the representative for the venue you have in mind and ask to see the space before an upcoming wedding.

There are many things to consider when searching for your summer venue. If you are having an outdoor wedding don’t just think about a backup plan for rain….also remember the sun. While outdoor weddings can be very nice, think about the location and setup of the venue, the position that the sun will set and other details. Explore the options of renting a tent, this help with shade and shelter case of rain.

Keep good notes on the venues that you visit and include the pros and cons. Always inquire about the food if you have an option between the catering companies or if you must go with their company. This can be a deal breaker if the food is not good.

Just remember to plan carefully and think about the overall logistics before signing your contract.

Happy Planning!

DIY Signs to Guide your Guests

If you have venue that it may be a challenge to get to in the car and/or on feet, think about extra signage to help your guests find their way.

I have two brides so far this year that their receptions are on a college campus. As many of you know it can be challenging to locate the correct building on a large campus such as John Hopkins University. However we are planning to DIY a few things to keep the expenses down and help lead the guests in the right direction.

I found a post by a previous bride and her DIY tutorial. All the details are listed below and also a link to the original blog post. Enjoy and share this blog with someone else who you may think want to save.

If your ceremony or reception location is challenging to get to although the turn-by-turn directions on the back of the map you may have included in the invitations were received. There may be a few guests that will forget this information, GPS is great but may not work in all areas that you are traveling in. Here is a quick DIY project that will help you with some simple signs to help your guests find their way.

Supplies Needed:

1. 12″ unfinished wooden plaque
2. Indoor/Outdoor satin finish spray paint in Ivory
3. Martha Stewart Crafts rub-on alphabet decals
4. Cricut Cuttables adhesive vinyl in black (not pictured)

How they are made:

1. After laying down a few sheets of newspaper outdoors to protect the grass, apply three coats of spray paint to each wooden plaque, allowing a few minutes of drying time between coats. (TIP: Disposable gloves are a great idea!
2. Allow the paint to fully dry for about an hour. Using a light colored pencil and a straight edge; sketch a faint guide line where your letters will be placed.
3. Position a decal on the plaque with the ink side down. Apply by rubbing all over the surface of the decal with the included craft stick, using a good amount of pressure. To ensure a clean transfer, make sure to rub over all of the little detailed areas, and especially the edges of each letter. Slowly peel back the acetate backing. If you notice that parts of the decal have not transferred, lay the acetate back down and keep rubbing. Repeat for all letters.

4. Using adhesive-backed black vinyl, free-hand an arrow shape in Sharpie on the paper backing. Then cut it out with a craft knife and adhered it to the plaque. The nice thing is that the vinyl is repositionable, meaning that the arrow can later be changed to point in a different direction and the sign can be used again.

A small screw with a loop on the back of the sign with ribbon will allow you to tie the signs to the a sign that is already in place such as a stop sign. Add a stake to the back and this sign can be placed in the ground along the route.

Original Post

RSVP & Open Receptions....Save yourself the drama!!!

Here it is another Sunday that I relax and hang around the house watching wedding shows and movies after doing the normal Sunday routine things. I decided to watch Four Wedding on TLC since I am almost never available to watch it on Friday nights.

For those of you whom have never seen the show it is about four brides competing for a honeymoon and have to critique the other brides on their dress, venue, and food. At the end the ratings are revealed along with the overall experience.

One of the brides had her DJ make an announcement “If you did not RSVP for the Reception you have to wait outside”.

Yes…I’ll wait until you go back and read that again……you read right! This is a No No…

Unless you can afford unlimited food and seating please manage your guest list. As a planner I strongly suggest during the consultation that the couple be realistic in the guest count and also leave room in the budget and guest estimate for additional guests. This particular wedding was for 200 guests within a $30,000 budget.

To avoid or narrow down any confusion for the guests and attendants have your hostesses in place to assist with the escort cards and/or seating cart. If a guest’s name is not on the list the hostesses will know how to handle this particular guest. Have a default table available for possibility of overflow. This table can be used to house your vendors and a few extra guests, your vendors will not sit and eat for long, most just enough their meal and go right back to working.

If you run into an overflow problem please don’t have anyone make an announcement that your overflow guests will have to go outside. This will leave a bad impression on the guests overall, the guests outside and also the ones inside. Don’t take over as a bride, after all this should be a day for you to enjoy, make sure you have a planner or someone as your point person to troubleshoot your day. However, this individual should know all your details to the entire wedding….you must give up all information to them to be successful. Plan accordingly to prevent having to extinguish a fire that could be prevented in the planning stage and last minute logistics of the reception.

Happy Planning!

It's not too early for Seating Charts!

Good News!! It’s not too early to start your floor plan and seating chart!!

When you send out your invitations you can create the floor plan at the same time. List the table number and the guests that you would like to sit at that particular table. As the RSVP’s come back in you can highlight the guest as attending. Once the RSVP deadline has come to a close you are able to shift around your guests if necessary to eliminate and add additional tables.

Many couples get overwhelm with the table seating, address this at an early stage and it will be less for you to worry about in the end. To also make this task easier for you, print the escort cards a week before the wedding and organize them in alphabetical order. If you are using and seating chart in alphabetical order by last name, this can also be printed and framed ahead of time.

Be strategic when you plan out your tasks….especially as you get closer to your wedding day.

Enjoy the planning process and relax as you move along towards your wonderful wedding day.

Photo Credit: http://weddinginvitationplace.com/Seating-Arrangements.html

Meet the Bridal Party - "Bridal Party Social"

Now that you have made the decided to select your bridal party, it would be great if all the ladies get an opportunity to meet each other! Don’t wait until the day of the wedding to meet everyone if you can prevent it.

Gathering before the events unfold can be more exciting and special if the ladies get together early to discuss the details of the wedding such as:

The colors, theme, dresses, fittings, shoes & accessories, hair, nails, makeup and the many other topics to be discussed.

Your maid/matron of honor may begin her responsibilities by hosting the first meeting if you prefer. Don’t have a formal meeting and be stern with guidelines and expectations….incorporate ice breakers and games to get the ladies mingling…. and remember to listen to feedback. Having a bridal party social during in the planning process can alleviate the stress and pressure and sets your expectations in the beginning in a nice way.

Make it fun and think about possible Bridal Social Party Themes….Pamper Me / Spa Party, Wine & Cheese.....etc.

Happy Planning!

DIY: Creative Welcome Letter Alternative

If you are looking for an alternate idea for a formal welcome letter for your out of town guests or for a destination wedding......here is a really cute idea from a destination bride.

Print less and save more by cutting back on the multiple pages of information and create a cute informative trifold filled with great local info.

Check out the photos below and the link to the original blog.

Enjoy!

Original Blog Post: http://www.projectwedding.com/wedding-ideas/diy-wedding-challege-welcome-letters-for-guests

RSVP Dilemmas

Handling RSVP cards can be very time consuming and challenging at times. Keep in mind that when sending out RSVP you should have a projected number of guests that will respond to the RSVP card.

Track your cards by having the responses in alphabetical order; an index card box comes in handy with keeping the cards together in one location.

To avoid guests from reserving five seats when you expected them to reserve two you may also prepare RSVP cards based on the specific number of seats you are able to reserve for your guest. To do this you will need to know the person that you are sending the invitation to and the estimated number of seats you will need.

Below is a suggestion on wording the specified number of seats reserved per invitation.

We have reserved two seats in your honor.

M____________________________________

_____ Accept with pleasure _____ Decline with regret

The kindness of your response is requested by September 1, 2010

Shade on a Summer Wedding Day

If you are planning on having a ceremony outside, many people think about the chance of rain…..how about the chance of unbearable sun? Think about your bridesmaids as they stand in the hot sun and your guests while they are seated.

Pass on the boutiques, save on the cost of the boutiques and order personalized parasols for their use following the wedding. Having a personalize parasol can serve as a wedding day necessity to keep your bridesmaids out of the sun, for creative photos, and as a keepsakes. Check out some photos below from http://www.idooriginals.com/ and http://www.pamelasparasols.com/

Oh and don’t forget about your guests! Consider having a program fan to serve as double duty….cooling down your guests and informing them of the details for the ceremony & reception.

Tip: Immediately after the ceremony your coordinator should have water for the entire wedding party while your guests attend the cocktail hour.