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!

 

Planning a Wedding in a Different State

Planning from a distance can sometimes be challenging, whether you are planning a destination wedding to an island or to another state. Hey let’s face it planning an event in the same state can be a bit much! 

We are no strangers to this concept, so far for the 2014 year we have completed three weddings with Brides that live in another state and have traveled to Baltimore to tie the Knot! This happens for a variety of reasons; they may have met the love of their life in Baltimore or simply grew up in Maryland before relocating. Let’s face it planning a wedding in a different state can be stressful if you do not have a good plan in place and great support (family and/or your wedding team of vendors). 

Our most recent wedding was with a wonderful couple that resides in the state of Texas. We worked with them on planning their wedding with a good amount emails, phone conversations, and other forms of communication. There were in person meetings when they traveled in town during the nine months we worked together. 

By the time they arrived into Baltimore a few days before the wedding, they were in very good shape with minor items to take care of. 

If you are planning a wedding from a distance, do not stress it can be done.

Here are a five tips to help you plan your wedding in a state you do not live in:

1.      Start planning as early as possible by creating your own detailed planning agenda. While there are many online tools to help you stay on track, those tools do not know when you will be traveling to the state you will be getting married in. This may mean booking your photographer at 5 months out instead of 8 months. Side note: choosing a good photographer is very important!

2.      Do not rely on online sources for everything, this is very helpful…but sometimes this may sway your decision of quantity vs. quality. Use online as a tool and dig a little deeper in what wedding professionals have to offer in their areas of expertise, not all details and portfolios fit online.  

3.      Consider hiring a planner ….you should consider meeting and hiring a professional planner that is very knowledge of the industry and the market. Since you are planning from a distance, their communication must be GREAT!

4.      If your venue has a planner some things you should keep in mind are: will the venue planner assist you will identifying vendors, negotiating contracts, schedule appointments, and attend meetings? These are things should consider and will be beneficial with an outside planner assisting you along the way.

5.      When you plan on traveling into town, plan weeks in advance…most vendors are working on events for the weekend. If you can schedule all your appointments within a 5-15 mile radius this will be helpful for you. Tip: If you planner has an office, schedule a full day of appointments at their office so you can get lots accomplished without traveling. 

There are so many things that you will need to know, research as much as possible until you have a good understanding, be as organized and detailed as possible when contacting vendors and planning overall. If this is too stressful or you just need some help, considering interviewing at least two to three planners.

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

Planning Checklist, What First? - The Venue Selection

Greetings and welcome to our blog. 

Planning a wedding can be stressful at times when there seems to be endless details and decisions to make. There are so many checklists and timelines to read, which one is right for you? The reality is you have to pace yourself base on order of importance and your finances. In this blog we will focus on the venue selection and guest list.

Each individual has their own top priorities when planning their wedding…Is the venue one of the most important essentials of the day to you?

The best thing to do is not set your date first. You may fall in love with a venue, however your ideal date is not available…then what do you do? If you have an open mind during the search for a venue, their available date can determine your wedding date. The rental rates and per person cost per guest may be cheaper to host a wedding on a Friday or Sunday instead of a Saturday. In 2012 we had a handful of Thursday evening weddings as well. Have your ideal date/month….however also have an open mind this can save you some money. Some venues are currently booked going in 2015 so don’t wait on securing the one you love with a deposit. During the planning process you will learn that deposits and contracts are the key items to secure your date. 

Have you thought about the number of guests that you plan of attending your wedding? This will play a role in the venue as well.  Your venue should be able to accommodate your estimated guest count comfortably. Remember the more guests you add the more tables, line, centerpieces, etc…

Be prepared putting together the guest list can be a headache! You may have to set a specific amount of guests that you will allow your parents to invite and also come to an agreement with your fiancé on the absolute final number of guests that you will accommodate. Remember the numbers add up pretty quickly. 

Consider meeting with a planner and getting some fine points on planning your wedding. Before you rule out hiring a planner at least meet with one whom is well knowledgeable in planning weddings professionally. 

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!