WEDDING NOTES™ – Invisible Budgeting

We hear brides say how much they want a big wedding, but it is hard to do on a small budget.  We are happy to tell them that with careful planning and some creativity, it can be done.  A budgeted wedding does not have to mean cheap.   Let us show you how to have a lovely wedding on your budget.

• ·        Consider invitations that are on quality paper but are not genuine engraving.

• ·        Have the wedding of your dreams within your price range.  We can help you find exactly what you want.

• ·        For décor drama in the church or reception area, consider using rental greens in place of large floral arrangements.  The greenery adds an elegant touch and provides a perfect background for flowers added to set or reflect your color scheme.  Be sure that you choose flowers grown locally and in season.

• ·        While a band for dancing may be your first choice, know that a good DJ can provide music and entertainment for far less than a band.

• ·        Disposable cameras on the tables can cut back on the photographer’s bill, but you will still want a professional at the helm to insure that the critical photographs you will keep for a lifetime are beautifully done.

• ·        Consider having an hors d’oevres/cocktail reception rather than a sit down dinner.  In addition to being less expensive (depending on how much and what you decide to serve) it keeps the party moving as guests nibble and move among tables.

Call or email us for more ways to have the wedding you want without going over your budget.

WEDDING NOTES™ – Aisle and Pew Decorations

Brides often ask us for ideas on how to decorate the aisle and/or pews for their weddings.  Our first piece of advice is to make sure that the bride knows the church’s policy is what can or cannot be attached to the pews.  Whatever decorations are selected, they should not scratch the wood or leave tape residue behind.  Respect for the church’s furniture should be a major concern.

If decorating pews is permitted, some brides choose to decorate every pew on the center aisle.  If that is your wish, consider using smaller, tighter items.  Other brides may choose to decorate every other or every third pew.  In that case, arrangements can be somewhat larger.  For those brides who wish decorations on only the last, the first and the pews that mark the beginning for the family sections, consider even more elaborate combinations of flowers, ribbon, greenery or metallics.  One rarely sees single bows attached to pew ends.  

Some brides attach paper cones filled with flower petals to select pews.  Someone from the bridal party can collect and distribute the cones to guests who can then shower you after the ceremony.

Seasonal items can make attractive pew/aisle decorations.  Pumpkins in the fall, potted evergreens in the winter, colorful paper fans in the summer and blooming potted lilies in the sprint can add the perfect touch.  And an added benefit is that they can be transported to the reception site for continuity.

When chairs are used instead of pews, many brides weave ribbons through the chair backs to highlight their color scheme.

If there is no aisle in the location you’ve chosen, you may wish to create one.  Lanterns, potted plants, flags, pennants, or stanchions with velvet ropes can be used to define your walkway.

Whatever you have chosen to decorate the aisle, remember that the best focal point is YOU – the beautiful bride.  Walk beautifully down that aisle.  This is not a 20 yard dash!  Take your escort’s arm, stand up straight and walk toward the most important moments of your life.

WEDDING NOTES™ – Favors

One small way to make sure that guests remember how special your wedding was is to make sure that there are special gifts for guest to take home with them.   With today’s interest in personalized weddings, make sure that whatever mementos you select carry your names and wedding date.

For a spring wedding consider packets of flower seeds in glassine envelopes with a message from you both that talks about growth and love.

Ordinary mints can be transformed into special packets when wrapped in tulle and tied with ribbons matching your color scheme. Attach a message of thanks to each packet.  Keep the ribbon ends long and place bunches of the packets in baskets for the guests to take come with them as they leave the reception. 

If tulle isn’t your thing, pack sugared almonds or mints or chocolates into small boxes.  Personalize each box with a foil sticker bearing your names and wedding date and note of thanks.

More and more couples are creating CDs of their favorite music and providing them for guests to take as they leave the reception.

If you are planning a photo booth at the reception, provide a small frame for each guest to use to take their photo home.

Some couples prefer a dessert station to a formal wedding cake and instead provide each guest with a tiny individual cake – boxed and ready for each of them to take home.

If yours is a destination wedding, an appropriate favor might be a luggage tag.  An outdoor wedding may call for a small potted pine tree or a succulent plant depending on your location.

Whatever you choose, take this opportunity to share your joy and thanks with those friends and relatives who have come together to help you celebrate your new life together.

WEDDING NOTES™ – Surprise!

A growing trend among couples planning a second or third wedding is the surprise wedding.  While some grooms may like the idea of surprising their intended with a surprise wedding, it takes a very organized fellow to pull that off without the bride’s knowledge.

What we are talking about is a wedding planned by both the bride to be and her groom to be.  The surprise is for the guests.  Typically the couple host a party for themselves – birthday, house warming, Halloween, or no reason – just invite guests and family and  Surprise!  The wedding happens at the party.  Good friends can be brought into the surprise by having them host the party – but with lips sealed as to the real reason for the event.

Of course, some pre planning is necessary – you need an officiant and the license plus it would be a good idea to work out how and when in the party the ceremony will take place.  

You can hold the event in a home, hotel, restaurant, boat – wherever you like.  Just make sure the location chosen is large enough for the crowd you invite and for party foods.

You will want to have the wedding style match the wedding site just as in a ceremony and reception that is well known in advance.  If you want a formal affair, select an elegant location and invite black tie on the invitations you send out.  If this is to be a kick back informal event, invite people to wear casual attire and/or western apparel.

Another approach is to invite people to a house party and then when all guests have arrived, load them into limos or buses or cars and take them to the ceremony site and reception location.  This is a more complicated and expensive surprise but it can be special and memorable.

If a surprise event is on your maybe list, give us a call.  We have tons of good ideas for how, where and when to really surprise family and guests.  With a wedding like this, you avoid a great deal of stress around the expectations that come from a formal wedding celebration.

WEDDING NOTES™ – More hints from Planners

From:  MiMi Design, MiMiWeddings.com

• ·         It sounds like a no brainer, but one of the most important elements of your day is the timeline.  You don’t want to end up paying for overtime for vendors because things ran behind, and you certainly don’t want to keep your guests waiting because the transportation is late.  Staying as close to the timeline as possible is the key to throwing a successful event.

• ·         Instead of decking your space out in crazy centerpieces and crystals, focus your energy and money on things like creative entertainment elements.  One couple we worked with brought in an artist to paint the party scene.  Another hired a caricaturist and guests took home custom portraits at the end of the night. These kinds of activities really make the experience special for everyone.

• ·         While edible and charitable favors are popular, every now and then we see a very specific favor that works great with a fun story or background.  For instance, we once had a couple with the last name Duncan give away Duncan yo-yos.  Another couple who met on an airplane gave away luggage tags.  If they’re relevant, small keepsakes can be charming favors.

From: Carrie Beamer, Floral Fetish

• ·         As your most photographed accessory, your bouquet should harmonize with your gown.  Different dress styles and fabrics set the tone for wedding flowers.  Think:  delicate florals like peonies or lisianthus for a soft lace gown, and architectural blooms like calla lilies or orchids for a modern dress.

• ·         Choose arrangements that look like they belong in your venue.  Small loose clusters of colorful wild flowers would look out of place in a formal ballroom, while glamorous groupings of all white orchids with crystals would not seem right in a rustic setting.