Choosing A Photographer- Part I

Okay..... so now it's time to select your professional special occasion photographer for your special day, there are various elements to consider that will greatly affect the outcome.

How can you be sure which wedding photographer is the right one for you? There are several things that you may do to assist you with making your final decision.

• You can research online


• Visit bridal shows


• Recommended by friends


• Read local wedding boards & magazines

Are there pictures in their gallery that reflects your preferences?

Some photographers cost more than others, often this is for a good reason. Always remember the saying "You Get What Your Pay For" has its merits.

The most important thing is to educate yourself on the current trends in the market and know what you type of photos you would like to capture for the day.

There will be a few blogs dedicated to selecting your photographer as it is a very important topic, your photographer captures your entire day.

The next blog will cover narrowing down your photographer and agreement details.

Prestigiously your,

Kay

2010 Bride's Choice Award

Baltimore, Maryland – January 19, 2010 - WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced Prestigious Occasions has been selected to receive the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™ for Wedding Planning!

The annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ recognizes and celebrates excellence in quality and service within the wedding industry, as determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 500,000 newlyweds.

Prestigious Occasions is among the top five percent of all vendors in the WeddingWire community, which includes over 100,000 wedding professionals across the US and Canada. Awards were given to winners across 19 different service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers.

“We are excited to recognize and honor the success of the top wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “The annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ program has given us the unique opportunity to highlight the best wedding professionals in each region as reviewed by brides and grooms who have utilized their services in the past year.”

We are happy to announce that Prestigious Occasions is among the very best Baltimore, Maryland within the WeddingWire Network, which includes WeddingWire and Martha Stewart Weddings. We would like to thank our past newlyweds for nominating us for the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™.

For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today at http://www.weddingwire.com/biz/prestigious-occasions-towson/999b56dfc7d73e77.html

Kay

Selecting Flowers for any Occasion

When you think about choosing your flowers for your occasion, most clients think about what type of flower and the colors?

Guess what there is a little more to it, and here are a few tips to help you out while you meet with the florist.

* Schedule a consultation with the florist to secure their services for your event.
* Have a picture or detailed description of your gown if you’re a bride or a swatch of the bridesmaid dresses for a wedding.
* If you are selecting flowers for a special occasion, bring in swatches of your attire and/or linen selection.
* Have a budget in mind, also be flexible with you budget as a secondary resort. Start out a little less than your maximum budget.
* You can save money by the type of flowers you select. Do a little research and find out what flowers are in season.
* If you are having a ceremony, find out if your church/venue allows fresh rose petals (this may stain the carpet).
* For a wedding discuss the options of reusing flowers for the ceremony and bridesmaids bouquets for the reception, they can take them home at the end of the night.

Floral Credit: Divine Designs and Events, Baltimore MD

http://www.divinedesignsevents.com/index.html

Floral Credit: Martha Stewart

Prestigiously yours,

Kay

Should I hire a Wedding Coordinator?

Each couple envisions their wedding day to be a beautiful dream day that comes to light. The countless decisions and the planning that take place may become overwhelming to couples.

Myth: Wedding planners are too expensive; I don’t have that in my budget.

An advantage of hiring a professional wedding planner is that planners have industry connections with the relevant vendors desired for a wedding. In search of ceremony, traditional, eclectic, or unique reception venues, caterers, and other vendors. Wedding planners build a relationship with vendors and will negotiate for the best rates of services.

For these reasons and many more, countless couples are opting to hire a professional wedding planner. A wedding planner can relieve most of the stress that accompany planning a wedding. You determine the level of assistance you would like to plan your wedding. As a client you can leave as many or as few of the decisions up to your planner as you see fit.

Professional wedding planners can guide you in the right direction during the planning process and walk you through the logistics. They know what problems to avoid and the steps that you should take beforehand. The peace of mind that a professional wedding planner provides is worth the price alone. Relax and enjoy the day.

As a planner our goal is to save you stress during that planning process with professional insight, logistical preparation, understanding, and complete wedding day management.

Happy Planning!

Prestigiously yours,
Kay

Bridal Shows- Brides Making the Best of Them

The clock is ticking and it’s now time to put the planning in high gear. With the countless decisions that need to be made and vendors to meet with, going to a bridal show will give you many ideas and the opportunity to meet professionals in the wedding industry.

Bridal shows offer a one stop pre-screen shopping experience…..it’s the Wal-Mart of weddings as I sometimes refer to shows. Take advantage of these shows and here are some tips.

1) Register online before the show, you may usually save an average of $5.00 by doing so.
2) Print address labels including your wedding date, this will be helpful for all the drawings you will be encouraged to enter. This will lessen times you need to write your information!
3) If you don’t already have a separate email address specifically for your wedding, you may do so now. To be honest your email address will be shared once you register for the show.
4) Bring a friend if your fiancé does not want to attend and wear comfortable shoes, you will walk around at least twice.
5) Bring a small notebook to take notes of vendor advice, make as many notes on their cards/handouts first.
6) Ask as many questions that you can about the vendor and their services to learn more tips and to gauge how they will interact with you as a client. Feel free to prepare your questions ahead of time. Split up your questions between vendors.
7) If you are looking for a makeup artist, wear little or no makeup and volunteer to be a model. This helps the vendor with a demo and you for a free mini consultation.
8) Your friend should help keep you on track to narrow down your prospective vendors. Here is what you do:
* Collect as much literature as possible, for the vendors that you really like you keep the information. The others give to your friend to place in her bag. This helps you filter the information while at the show, still go through the information…you never know what you will find.
* Rate the vendors you see, whether you use an A,B,C method or 1-5 rating this will also help when reviewing information. If you don’t mind have your friend rate the vendor and compare ratings later.
* Take note of the vendors with the Bridal Show deals, there are usually great saving using a special promotional code.

Don’t feel pressured about making any decisions on the spot, follow up and schedule consultations.

Prestigiously yours,

Kay

Budget: The Bar

If you’re planning an event and are concerned about the cost & the consumption of alcohol here are a things to consider.

Offer cocktails for a limited time during the first part of your event
* This will allow your guests to enjoy a few drinks while mingling with others and you won’t pay for the open bar/ cash bar fees for the night.
* Limiting the consumption will decrease the number of alcoholic beverages and increase sober guests leaving your event.

Limit the options; choose one or two signature drinks to serve
* Having a signature drink will lower the variety of mixed drinks and alcohol required to have at a bar. The less options of alcohol will also lower your expenses.
* With the limited options of drinks there are less chances of over consumptions.

You also have the option of serving wine and beer with other non alcoholic beverages
* Paying for beer and wine is less expensive than top shelve liquor
* Guests can still enjoy themselves without mixed drinks and enjoy a glass of wine during dinner before they dance and party.

To be honest, no matter what you choose you cannot please everybody. Just be concerned about your budget and stick to it. Plan ahead and accordingly the last thing you want to do at your affair is frequently check with the bartenders as to where you are sitting in terms of an alcohol bill.



Prestigiously yours,
Kay

Inspiration Boards

It’s a new year and lot’s to do…….

Have you created an inspiration board for your event? Regardless of the occasion you should look at pictures and ideas to inspire you for your big day. I started looking at green trends for an upcoming 20th anniversary party and here are a few things I came across.

What would your board look like?

Event Planning Tips

Are you planning an event in the near future? Here are some things to consider while planning your next event.

1) Guest List - Who should you invite? How many people would you like to share this special occasion with? Will the occasion be small and intimate or a big party?
2) Venue - Where would you like to have your event? Keep in mind a few different places and dates, just in case you find a venue you love and the date is not available. Get price quotes from each and take pictures, there are several questions to ask please see Selecting a venue for any event.
3) Menu - What food should you serve? The menu selection will also play a role in the guest list. Depending on your menu selection, catering quotes for a seated dinner, buffet and open bar this may increase or decrease your guest list. Try to make sure to include several different food options because you may have guests with food allergies or special diets.
4) Invitations - Mailed invitations are always a great idea, especially if your event will be formal dress. The invitations should match the decorations for the party.
5) Colors/themes – Do you have an event style in mind? This can be a color design or a theme that you would like to carry throughout the event.
6) Music – Think about the music that you would like to hear at specific points throughout the event. For example: Wedding- What will be your music during dinner? Anniversary Party- Perhaps choose songs from the decade you were married. Sweet Sixteen- Favorite song and special dance with best friends.
7) Toasts - Do you toast each other? Who toasts to you? Will there be a variety of toasts in an order of preference?
8) The Cake - Do you have an idea of the type of cake or desserts you would like? This is the fun part! Start tasting and choose a bakery.
9) Party favors - Something for your guests to remember not only your event, but you!
10) Event attire- Simply said your attire should say: I’m so beautiful this is my day! It’s your party after all!

These are a few basics for planning your next event. Good Luck and Congratulations!

Prestigiously yours,
Kay

Wedding Wire Rated

WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, has just announced that Prestigious Occasions is officially WeddingWire Rated 2009! WeddingWire created the annual Rated program to honor wedding professionals, like Prestigious Occasions, for their excellence and to help brides and grooms easily find the right wedding professionals to match their needs.

“We are excited to unveil WeddingWire Rated 2009, now in its third year. With hundreds of thousands of reviews, WeddingWire has made it easy for engaged couples to find the nation’s very best wedding professionals,” according to Sonny Ganguly, WeddingWire’s Chief Marketing Officer. “WeddingWire Rated is an excellent way for businesses to showcase their continued success in the wedding industry.”

Prestigious Occasions has 5 Reviews with an average of 5.0/5.0 rating, making us eligible to hold the Rated title on the WeddingWire Network. Each review has been written by our former clients and includes detailed ratings and insightful descriptions of their experiences with our services. These reviews not only enhance our credibility, but also help differentiate our business within the WeddingWire Network.

Prestigious Occasions would like to thank our past brides and grooms for taking the time to review our services on WeddingWire.

If you are a past client of Prestigious Occasions and have yet to provide us with your feedback, visit reviews.weddingwire.com and review our services today.

Budget: Timing & Venue

Some clients during consultations wonder….how much money will I be spending for what I want?

Your wedding budget is completely essential for planning your marriage. It should be prepared well in advance, start saving as soon as you say YES!
Prices can easily spiral out of control so have a budget and stick to it. Give preference to the important things first .Make a priority list.

Let’s talk about budgeting do’s and don’ts for weddings ….. This information will be helpful to you with your planning efforts.

Timing & Site

Please DO
1. Consider dates that fall out of busy wedding seasons (May-October)
2. Think about having your wedding on a Friday, Sunday or a day other than Saturday.
3. Consider have a daytime reception or a brunch.
4. Seek a venue that has the tables, chairs, and possibly the linens you would like. This will help save on the rental cost of these items.
5. Consider a venue that does not require you to use their preferred vendors. In many cases this is more expensive because you will be choosing from one list. Are outside companies allowed?
6. Inquire about the service fees and any other fees associated with the service being provided.
7. Inquire if candles prohibited?
8. Think about additional expenses; is there a charge for the cake cutting, early/late set up, and any surprise guests?
9. Consider a professional planner to manage your day and let your family relax and enjoy the day.

Please DON'T
1. Don’t get married during peak times for the hotel business if most of your guests will be traveling out of town.
2. Please don’t forget to take in consideration the distance from the ceremony to the reception.
3. Don’t overlook having your ceremony and reception in one venue convenient for all.
4. Don’t forget to set your budget and establish who will be paying for what, in the event that others are also assisting with the finances.
5. Start shopping for your décor until you find and secure your venues.
6. Include a variety of friends and family members in your planning and day of wedding; too many opinions can become stressful.
7. Don’t think you can’t afford a professional planner; many planners will work with your budget. You should at least have a DOC (Day of Coordinator) to lead your team of vendors.

Here are some tips for keeping your budget under control:

* Limit the number of guests to friends, family and close acquaintances only.
* Don’t just invite a person for the sake of inviting or just because he/she is a colleague. * Book your venues at least 8 to 12 months prior the wedding so that you can pay it over a period of time.
* The more items you are able to pay for before the wedding and over a period of time the better and less stress for everyone as you get closer to your big day.



Prestigiously Yours,
Kay

Lights, Camera........Action!

Have you thought about lighting?

The simplest venue can turn into an amazing venue with the change or addition of lights.

Whether you are having a wedding, anniversary party, sweet sixteen, mitzvah or any other event, have fun with the lighting and set the ambiance. Create your theme and look at ideas to bring your vision to light. Gather pictures from past events, magazines, creative websites and other resources to create your wow factor.

While doing so keep in mind the logistics and of course…..details….details….details.







Photo Credit: Red Cat Lighting

Prestigiously yours,
Kay

Selecting a venue for any event

When selecting a venue for your event regardless of the occasion there are many things to take into consideration. Think beyond the space that you see, if you are not taking a tour of the venue with a planner/décor designer envision the layout and logistics. Don’t be misled with the facility sales manager or their event coordinator as they say “the food usually goes here…..we set the tables up like this….etc...” you can deviate. Feel free to be creative and make changes you would like within their guidelines. Take note of the outlets around the venue, particularly where you would like the band or your entertainment to be set up.

Many venues will allow you to take pictures of their location, this can be beneficial when creating a floor plan and sharing the details with your florist and other vendors if they are not familiar with the venue you have selected.

There are several things to take into consideration before signing a venue contract; whether you are on a $3,000 budget for an anniversary party of $30,000 wedding budget. Here are a few questions to ask:

1) Will the occupancy limit accommodate your guests and your vision of the layout?
2) Is the venue flexible with your date and time? Will they allow enough time for set up and breakdown without additional charges.
3) Is the venue a central location that will accommodate your guests? If they are traveling from a ceremony location to a reception will it be easy for your guests to locate?
4) Are off site caters allowed? This can save you money, if on a tight budget or if you have an assorted cultural cuisine planned.
5) Is alcohol permitted without the hefty expense of the bar tab.
6) Are linens included in the rental agreement?
7) Is there ample parking for your guests?
8) Don’t forget to check out the restrooms. Will they be maintained and refreshed during your event by the staff?

Keep these things in mind when you visit each venue and compare your notes on a chart before you make your selection.

Prestigiously yours,
Kay