Who Runs My Wedding?

A lot of brides assume their sales person will be running their wedding & in most cases this isn't true. Most venues have a "Banquet Sales" person, and then a "Maitre D'" or "Banquet Manager". The sales person is in charge of booking your wedding, and helping you through the planning process until the week of your big day. At that point that Maitre D or Banquet Manager will meet with you when you drop off your wedding decor, help you through the rehearsal, and especially be there for your wedding day. 
If you have the option to meet the Maitre D early on you can ask them more detailed questions about the operations of your wedding. Find out how your venue runs early on so you can plan ahead!

Wedding Photo's

Make sure when you are searching for the perfect photographer that you really do your research. Take friends advice and and look at reviews online before booking. 

Make a list of "Must Have Photo's" and "Do Not Take Photo's". 

I regret not making sure I had photo's done with my grandparents, I just assumed the photographer would know to take them. And, if your parents are divorced you want to make sure your photographer doesn't awkwardly put them next to each other. 

Before the wedding you'll meet with your photographer and go over all of the details about your wedding, but its also best to have it written down for them too. 

They meet with tons of brides and may get family history's confused between appointments. 

Dress Shopping

Don't go into your appointment thinking you know exactly what you want. 

Try on all different shapes, colors and styles. Magazine's use stick figure models to show off their dresses, you need to understand your body and realize that  a mermaid style does not fit every body shape. 

Also, white may not be the best color on you! Try off white, antique white, light pink etc. until the right shade of what looks good on you too.

Happy Halloween

I have to say that I was disappointed that none of my brides this weekend embraced the halloween theme into their wedding!

Recently,  I was talking to a friend about halloween weekend weddings, and we both agreed that if you get married on this weekend you should completely go with the theme! 

How fun would it be to go to a wedding where everyone had to dress in a full blown halloween costume? Ladies always go out and spend money on a new dress, why not go all out on a crazy costume? 

I think that if you choose to get married on a  holiday weekend, you should do your best to incorporate it... have fun with it!

Have a fun & safe Halloween everyone!

Seasonal Wedding Dresses

When dress shopping, you need to factor what season  your wedding will be in. A strapless loose fitting and flowing fabric will look ridiculous in November. Just as a silk & tulle ball gown  looks ridiculous in the July. 

When you're about to "Say Yes To The Dress" make sure you'll look appropriate. 

Wet Sand = Not helpful!

Sand is a popular prop for weddings. 

If you are using sand to hold up place cards, or any sort of paper product 

MAKE SURE IT IS DRY SAND! 

On more than one occasion I have had grooms drop off a bag of sand from Home Depot. 

The bags does state that it is dry sand made for sandboxes, 

but its usually very moist still from packaging. 

Save yourself money and go to the beach and pick up sand that is furthest from the water, dry it out over the weekend just to be safe too! 

If the sand is wet it will ruin your paper products!!

Wishing Tree

This couple chose a new approach to the guest book. 

Guests signed pieces of paper and attached to the branches. 

By the end of the night it was filled with different opinions on love, life and family. 

Very beautiful! 

Neat idea for your envelopes

Buy a large, deep picture frame and fill it with rocks so that the cards can easily stand up. 

Much prettier than a box!

Include your furry friend in your wedding, tastefully

My dog is my life, she's licking the screen of my computer as I write this post!

A neat way to include your furry friend in your wedding day 

is to name your signature drink after them! 

Include the ingredients of your drink on a sign along with your pets name and picture. 

It will definitely get an "awww" effect.

Origami Menu Cards

This bride went on Etsy.com to find the most creative menu card yet! 

Each flap and the options for all 3 courses and their thank you to their guests.

The bottom picture shows the table set for the night, the menu cards are located on the bread & butter plate.

GIANTS fans

This couple loved the GIANTS so much that their uplighting was Red & Blue.

Understanding your wedding timeline

Weddings typically go as follows...

1/2 hour Ceremony (if at the venue)

1 hour for cocktail hour

4 hour reception

5 1/2 hours to make all your dreams come true. 

The purpose of this post is to help make all the B&G's out there make the right decision with their food courses.

In my personal opinion, I go to weddings for the amazing cocktail hour and then to dance my butt off. I am not impressed with 4 courses of food, because that takes away from prime dancing time... but I also understand that not every family or bride agrees with that.

Here is an example of a 4 course + dessert wedding dinner timeline...

7:00 - 7:20 - Seat guests and line bridal party up for introductions

7:20 - 7:45 - Introductions, B&G 1st dance, parents dances, and toasts

7:50 - 1st course (usually pasta)

8:10 - 2nd course (usually salad)

8:30 - 3rd course (intermezzo)

8:50 - 4th course (main entree)

**You've only got 2 hours left of your wedding at this point**

9:00-10:00 - Dance

10:00 - 10:15 Cake cutting, garter, bouquet toss

10:15 - Cake is served and any other dessert station you have is put out

10:15-11:00 Dance


The times can obviously fluctuate, but each course typically takes 20 min. Depending on how many guests you have it can take longer too. These times are based off of 120-160 people. Once you hit 180-200+ guests the course take much longer. 


This post isn't meant to take away from fabulous high end wedding courses... its meant to make you think about what is more important to you, and realize that more course means more time. 


People will warn you that your wedding day will fly by... make sure that your 5 1/2 hour window is everything you want it to be!

Seating chart

One of the most difficult parts about planning a wedding is doing the seating chart. 

It can cause major family drama if you don't seat everyone properly!

A great website to help you with you seating needs is http://fluidtables.com/.  

Upload your guests names and move them to tables at your leisure. 

You can also print your guests names alphabetically or by table number. 

(You should always give your venue a copy of both that way if there are seating issues the day of they have something to refer too.)

Ballerina party

 

If I were 8 years old again I would love to have a party that looked like this! 

Adding tulle around a table is so simple and elegant.  

Candy Bar Setups

Candy bars are all the rage this summer. 

If you are going to have one, make sure you prepare and organize properly. 

1. Make a diagram or take a picture of how you want the station to be setup

2. Number each jar that will be used, using a post-it

3. Number each bag of candy, using a post-it, so that it corresponds with the glass jar you want it placed into

Now your venue will know how to set it up properly!

Its better to give too much information than not enough. 

Why the traditions?

The rhyme dates back to the time of Queen Victoria and is often quoted "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence in her shoe." 

Something old: Represents continuity with the bride's family and the past, usually a ring or a piece of jewelery that has been passed down through the family from generation to generation.

Something new: The wearing of something new shows the bride is looking to the future of her marriage. This could be the wedding dress or the lingerie worn under the dress.

Something borrowed: a token borrowed from a happily married friend or relative in the hope that some of their happiness and good luck will be transferred to the new couple. A piece of jewelery is usually borrowed for the big day.

Something blue: The color blue is believed to come from the Virgin Mary, who is often portrayed in a blue robe, blue is a symbol of purity, most often the something blue is the garter the bride wears.

A silver sixpence in her shoe: A Scottish tradition that actually started with the groom putting a sixpence in his shoe to represent financial security and future wealth. The custom these days though is for the bride to have the sixpence in her shoe.

Need a Chuppah?

Call "Chuupahs Are Us"... seriously!

Check them out at http://www.rentchuppahs.com/ and ask for Yani.

Out of the ordinary cakes

Love Letter & Wine Box Ceremony

Here is something new!

The love letter & wine box ceremony is so touching and meaningful. The Bride and Groom, prior to the wedding, write each other love letters explaining why they are marrying each other and what made them fall in love. During the ceremony the letters are placed inside the box along with a bottle of their favorite wine and locked. On your 5th or 10th wedding anniversary you are to unlock the box and read your letters and drink the wine you chose. If, however, you reach a rough patch in your marriage you are supposed to open the box and remind yourselves why you got married in the first place.

Beautiful.

NYC Custom Invitations

If you are in the NYC metropolitan area, 

please contact Maritza at Going Postal Designs to schedule a consultation. 

I worked with her for all of my paper-wedding needs and couldn't be happier with the result!

 The difference between Going Postal & other companies is that you sit down and design every detail of your product. You don't flip through a catalog and choose a print. You touch fabrics, view paper selection, choose fonts that YOU want. She will not push you to make a "professional opinion", it is all up to YOU.

Take a look at her website; www.goingpostaldesigns.com to view some of her work. 

She is fabulous at what she does and a wonderful person to work with!

Nothing about this is OK

Don't put creepy touches on your wedding day...

Personalized Ceremonies

I recently worked with Tony Zecca, a wedding officiant that works in NY & NJ. He clearly understood the couple and made their ceremony customized. He included their proposal, how they met and their personality traits without making it awkward or boring. Check him out at www.tonyzecca.com

Open House & Private Showcase

On Thursday Sept 29th @ 7:30pm

my friends at Elite Entertainment are hosting an open house. 

This will give you a chance to meet their staff,
look at their different lighting options, 

and scan their packages and potential discounts!

Reservations are required. Give them a call at 888-354-8380 or check them out online at www.eliteentertainment.com

Cant afford to get your makeup done?

http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P210575&categoryId=B70

I thoroughly stand by this product! 

Not everyone can afford to get both their hair & makeup done. This mineral primer goes on as a satin finish, and keeps your makeup on your face the whole day. 

I was skeptical at first, especially because its not exactly cheap... but I work 13-15hr days and my foundation and blush are still on at the end of the night. 

If you are doing your own makeup for your wedding I highly suggest you invest in this product! 

You'll want your makeup looking flawless in all of your wedding photos the whole night.

Have fun with your response card

This is going to be a fun wedding!

A friend of mine forwarded me a response card to a wedding he's invited too. 

Doesn't it make you wonder how the wedding will be? Love it! 

Rock Candy Alcohol?!?

I should have taken a picture of this one... its normal to see strawberries in champagne at weddings, but what about rock candy?
The bride tonight bought rock candy in all different colors and had us stick it in the champagne glasses for when her guests showed up to cocktail hour. Each glass slightly changed to a bright color, and was definitely a conversation piece. I love this idea... spread the word!

High Five

Im not normally a fan of B&G cake toppers, but this was cute. 

The B&G are giving each other a high five

Love the creativity!

How creative! 

This couple made a sign showing which direction the Reception would be, and the Cocktail Hour... 

Love it!

Wedding Cake

As much as I love to bake and be creative, wedding cakes are not my most favorite part of a wedding. Its just a cake. There is so much more to your wedding day then flour and sugar... there are a lot of people that completely disagree with me, but I just don't get it. Because of that I suggest that if your venue offers to include your wedding cake in your package, go with it. Why spend the extra thousand on a cake?

 I do however think that you should get creative with it!! There are so many more flavors to a cake then just yellow & chocolate. A friend of mine did hers with confetti cake. Why not try red velvet, or a cheesecake? Ive seen peanut butter & jelly centers, canoli, raspberry & mousse & strawberries. My coworker had her wedding last weekend and had chocolate ganache on the outside (the picture above) how cool is that!

Fondont tastes like crap. Fondont is basically the thickest form of sugar & bakers use it so that the outside of the cake can look as perfect as possible. They are able to smooth out the lines and hide imperfections using it, and it definitely gives off a more finished look than buttercream, but tastes awful. Just wanted to throw that out there.

Some things to avoid on your cake.... 1, dark colored icing. Your guests WILL leave with green teeth if you have hunter green icing all over your cake. 2, playing it safe. How boring is a cake when its all ivory, round, and has not pa-zaz. Put some jewels, ribbon, exotic flowers, fireworks (yes i have seen fireworks before) or a unique design on your cake. 3, choosing a design that does not reflect your theme. Your cake should always bounce off your color scheme or theme in general.

A great way to show off you and your finances personality is by choosing a cake topper. Please, do not go to Michael's and buy the $12.95 bride and groom in the plastic box. You can put whatever you want on top! Maybe let your fiancé put in his personality? Here are some examples... Your fiancé is a huge car guy, buy match box cars for the top. Your fiancé is a surfer, buy mini surf boards. Your fiancé is Chinese, put fortune cookies or chop sticks on top. The ideas are endless, just have fun with it.

Table Numbers

A great way to bring your theme or color scheme into your wedding is by dressing up the table numbers! Venues should always have table numbers for you to use, but they are usually very simple and should not stand out by any means!

If you are having a garden party theme, heres a way to bring in your theme...

If you have engagement photos done you can always add text to a photo like this...

Some couples like to use names instead of an actual number. When I worked in Newport couples liked to use different islands that they had sailed to as their table names. Now that I am back in New Jersey, Ive seen a lot of couples use the different beach towns as table numbers too. Maybe you and your fiance are world travelers and want to use each table name to show people where you've been. The ideas are endless, here's one idea...

The most important part of a table number is to 

make sure the number or name is in a BIG font! 

Your guests will be overwhelmed when they walk into the room for the first time so finding their table should not be a difficult task. If you use a font that is really tiny, it can stress some people out. 

Make sure it stands out and is easily readable from across the room. 

Amazing Bouquet

I have never seen a bouquet like this one! This was the brides bouquet, and her bridesmaids had the same size, just all yellow. It was very different & cool!!!

Drop Off & Pick Up

When you are ready to drop off all of your items for the wedding, do everything in your power to label EVERYTHING! Some venues can do 5+ weddings over a weekend so it can be tricky to remember where every little detail belongs. Over organize yourself! Write both last names, the date & the day on a piece of paper and attach to everything you are dropping off.

Example

Jones/Smith

Saturday August 6th, 2011

If you want centerpieces done in a very specific way, or a candy bar to be setup in a certain color coordination,= dont assume the staff knows what you're thinking. Take a picture of it and include it with your drop off items. The more information you hand over to the staff the better! 

One bride I worked with gave each bridesmaid and groomsman a job at the end of the night. They each were in charge of finding an item included in their drop off. It may sound anal or bridezilla-ish but when she left that night she knew she was not leaving a single thing behind.

Bridal Shows

Whats the purpose of going to a bridal show?
Bridal shows are a showcase for local vendors to show you what makes them stand out in the crowd. There can be anywhere from 10 - 50 vendors there! If you are just starting your planning process or only looking for one type of vendor its still good to go and see whats out there. Go with your mom, your whole bridal party, or just your fiance. No matter who you bring you're sure to leave with new ideas everytime.

Something else to consider is the venue the show will be at. Typically, the people signing you in will ask if you already have a location picked out. If you dont they can set you up with a sales person from the venue to give you a personalized tour. Its a great one-on-one experience to learn more about the location too.

The American Bridal Show will be hosting a bridal show at The Mill on Thursday August 18th, come check us out!

What's a SDE?

SDE = Same Day Edit. A camera crew follows you around the entire day of your wedding and captures every magical moment. They call themselves "cinematographers". 1-2 people are filming while the 3rd is editing their little heart away. They are basically creating a 3 minute movie that sums up your entire wedding day, and play it while dessert if being served at the venue. Its an out of body experience to be on cloud 9 for 24 hours, and then watch yourself on a screen in front of all your loved ones watching your wedding day replayed in such a hollywood art form. I worked with someone out of Ontario Canada named Konrad. I recently found a company based out of Belmar NJ that does that same line of work as Konrad, and is actually really good friends with him too. The company is called Endless Wave, www.endlesswaveproductions.com. I highly suggest that if this is something you are interested in you call them ASAP. I have worked with the owner Greg and he's amazing. Check out their website and the SDE's he has posted. Imagine the video is yours, being played at your wedding. Pretty cool, huh?

Organize yourself

So, you are recently engaged and the spam mail starts flowing in... what do you do with all of it?? I created the "Wedding Bible". All you need is a 2" binder (I prefer a flexible one vs a stiff one) and buy a set of 8 tabbed dividers with folders. As vendors send you their information you should 3 hold punch it and add it to the section... for example, you will need tabs that say:

• Venues
• Bridesmaids/Groomsman
• Photographer/Videographer
• Florist
• Guest List
• DJ
• Ceremony Ideas
• Misc.

Highlight the prices that vendors quote you and organize your information within the sections. Once you and your fiancé decide on a vendor start keeping all email logs and ideas together that way you can easily find all of the information you'll need. Always keep a misc file. You will stumble upon pictures online, in magazines or of a perfect stranger walking by you and you will want to file it away somewhere. My binder was my savior! Enjoy.

What to do with your response cards

One of my most favorite parts leading up to the big day was checking the mail for our response cards. Most of my friends and family wrote something really nice, or drew a cute smiley face or our relatives from over seas who couldn't come wrote us really nice apology letters on the back. I wanted to find a unique way to display all of the love our family had given us. So, I bought a large picture frame (about $20 at Xmas Tree Shop) and displayed the frame on an easel at our wedding, our guests thought it was so cool! Now Im able to hang it in our house too.

Umbrella Shots

So, you're looking at the forecast and rain may be headed your way for the wedding. Don't panic. There is absolutely nothing you can do about it. There are a million other things to worry about besides rain. No, your ceremony won't be outside anymore, but thats not the point. The vows and love are.

If rain looks promising for the wedding I suggest you invest in these umbrella's, Target sells them for about $20. That way if it starts to drizzle or stop raining at some point, you can still go outside and take some really amazing shots. Let your photographer know in advance so they can plan accordingly.

Kids @ weddings

Should kids be invited to weddings? No. Especially if they are under the age of 3. Children can act like untamed animals. Between hot & humid weather, wearing an outfit that they aren't used to wearing, being around adults they don't know and being forced to do something specific at a certain time... its cause for disaster! Granted it can be really cute to watch a little tot walk down the aisle, but it can also make you want to pull your hair out. From what I've seen, kids over the age of 5 or 6 seem to get it a lot better. They are a lot more excited for the wedding because they seem to really grasp whats happening.
If you do choose to have kids in your wedding you should have someone come pick the children up from the venue. At that point their job is done, and they don't really know what to do with themselves anymore. Plus, I'm sure their parents could use a few hours to themselves to let loose! Do you want your wedding pictures/video to focus on you and your now husband, or be filled with kids rolling around on the dance floor? Its just not an appropriate setting to have children at. Only adults should go to an adult party.

DJ or Band?

I get this question a lot, should I book a DJ or Band for my wedding day? Im happy to say you can do both now a days. Let me explain...

Option 1 - If you are more interested in hearing the real song at your wedding, or want a nightclub type setting you want a DJ. DJ's on average cost $1500-$1800. The more you spend, the more you get... ex: up lighting, effects, TV monitors, props etc.

Option 2 - You love live music and having a band put on a show is your cup of tea. I suggest you do your research and see the band before you book. A good band should not cost any less than $6000. Again, make sure you see the band before you book!

Option 3 - I have worked with a couple DJ companies that perform live as well. Tonight, for example, had a piano player and male vocals to go along with the tracks. I've also seen DJ companies have a snare drum, male/female vocals & saxophone along with the tracks. I have to say, its very cool! It still feels like a DJ is running the wedding, but gives it a "live DJ"feel. Im not sure what companies like this charge, but it is definitely worth looking into.... you get the best of both worlds!

The best advice I have for choosing your wedding music is DONT CHEAP OUT. Whatever you decide keep in mind the music is the whole party. If your vendor is a dud your wedding will be too, guaranteed.

The "Inappropriate's"

My staff and I love to pick out women who have absolutely no idea how to dress for a wedding. The bride is the only woman who should stand out... if your dress is bedazzled, white or red, or could be worn at a night club YOU SHOULD NOT WEAR IT! This is a major problem. Please pass the word along to all of your friends, for the brides sake.

Eco-Friendly Placecards

Eco-Friendly themes have become very popular this summer. Here was a very cool idea... this bride took an ordinary picture frame and removed the glass and paper inside. We then filled the frame with tiny green  beans, followed of course by recycled brown place cards. Another great idea she had was for their ceremony. Instead of a candle/sand ceremony, the couples mom's brought containers of water to the alter so that they could water a tree they could plant in their yard.  Very clever!!!

Parents Opinions

Once he puts a ring on it, the advice will start flowing in!! Listen to all of it! You do not have to follow through with any of it, but its only right to let friends and family give you their input. They are just as excited as you are about your wedding day!
When it comes down to the final say it should only be what you and your significant other want. Just because you are listening to their advice, does not mean they can be pushy. Stand your ground if you and your fiancé are passionate about something in particular.
Wedding planning in meant to be fun. If you find yourself fighting with your fiancé you need to take a step back, breathe and remind yourselves of why you are getting married in the first place. The planning stage should ALWAYS be fun :)

What's your theme?

You wedding day should have a  theme.
It all begins with your invitations... the invitation gives your guests an idea of what you're party will be like, if you go the cheap route, why would anyone expect fine dining? If your invitations are blue and orange and they show up to a party thats all purple that could be really confusing. From invitations, to flowers, to dresses  & props everything should stay within  a certain color scheme or theme in general.

Finding the perfect officiant

Finding an officiant can be stressful for you and your families. The ceremony is the most important part of your wedding day! You want to make sure you find someone that will incorporate your religions and personalize your ceremony to the type of couple that you are. I recently worked with Reverend Mark J. Larose and couldnt be happier with his professionalism as well as his caring nature towards the couple. Check out his website at:
http://www.moretothislifeweddings.com/

Make sure you call around to a few people before booking. Some officiants act like car salesman = do not book them!

Something Blue

Have fun with your "Something Blue". These decals cost about $5 plus shipping.

Welcome!

After telling family and friends all of my own ideas, as well as wedding ideas I've seen I've decided to create a blog and share them all with you. Feel free to post comments, opinions and your own ideas to share with & help out future brides too.