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Kathy: Posted on Thursday, May 10, 2012 12:33 PM
Choose your wedding theme! The first thing you should do when planning your wedding (besides hire a wedding planner, of course) is choose a theme for your wedding. Yes, even before you choose your dress. decide on a theme that has personal meaning for you and your fiance, that reflects your personal styles. Some examples are:
Bohemian Romance Timeless Elegance
Urban Chic
Country Chic
Vintage Romance
The Options are endless. For example you can have a bohemian beach wedding or you can have a bohemian wedding on an open prairie and get a completely different feel.
Your theme will pull all the individual elements together to tell your story. Every tiny detail should be a reflection of your vision.
Consider working with a wedding planner. It's their job to take your theme bring it to life. Be inspired by it, by incorporating elements of things you love and cherish. Keep this in mind and you will succeed in creating the day of your dreams. |
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Heather Chesnet: Posted on Thursday, April 19, 2012 12:21 PM
This is one of the biggest decisions you will have to make regarding your wedding day! Do we have alcohol or not? Open bar? Cash bar? A combination bar? Here are somethings to consider in making this decision. How well do you know your guest? How will alcohol affect my budget? Are you inviting a lot of twenty-somethings who will likely drink as much as they can simply because they can, or do you have that crazy alcoholic uncle who gets drunk at every family function and never fails to strip down to his skivvies? If you can say yes, you may be wise to have a cash bar or maybe even no alcohol at all (a dry wedding). Having a cash bar does help to deter some guests from getting completely drunk because they either don't want to spent the money or they are not carrying much cash on them. If you choose to have a dry wedding, be prepared for some of your guests to leave the reception earlier than you might expect. Right or wrong, weddings with open bars often keep people partying longer. Both of these options cost you nothing except for maybe a fee for the bartenders. If you can say that most of your guests will only have a few drinks and you find it rude to ask your guests to buy their own drinks, by all means you should have an open bar. Just to be safe though, if you have an open bar, you should offer a shuttle service to and from a local hotel and encourage your drinking guests to stay the night there. Nothing can destroy a joyful wedding memory more than having a guests get into a fatal or even a small drunk driving accident on the way home from your wedding. Having an open bar ca be very expensive, but many venues and caterers include a cash bar in their packages automatically. The last option is to offer a combination of an open bar and cash bar. You can do this a few different ways. You can say the first hour or two is an open bar and the remainder of the night is a cash bar, or you can place a poker chip or two at each place setting for free drinks and then if they chose to have more drinks they can buy them. This option allows you to give the gift of limited free drinks while keeping the cost under control. What are your plans regarding alcohol for your wedding?
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Posted on Wednesday, March 21, 2012 7:12 AM
 Surprise Wedding? Really?!?!
This is one for the books. I was speaking to a catering sales manager at a top-notch venue we work with last night when she told me that she had a call from a man wanting to plan a surprise wedding for his fiance. What?!?! Are you serious? My venue contact said she asked him if she at least has a wedding dress picked out and fitted. He replied that she didn't but that she would be wearing a sun dress most likely. Most likely?!? To make it worse, they are traveling from out of state and he has less than two months until the date he has chosen to do this. So let me recap, you are flying with your fiance to the east coast in less than two months and you want to "throw" together a wedding at an elite venue to surprise her?!?! Do you think that maybe she might want to plan her own wedding?
I don't know about you but I would be furious if my fiance did this to me. My thought is that he must be attempting to be romantic, but honestly, this is not the way to do it. If you want to be romantic, plan an amazing honeymoon beyond her dreams or buy a thoughtful gift to give her on your wedding day.
I suppose there are brides out there who are so laid back that they would be perfectly fine with this, but I hope he knows his bride well enough to be sure that she is one of them. I also hope that the family members who are helping him pull this off have asked him, are you sure she will be okay with this?
 There are also the logistic problems with this. Though it is not impossible to pull a wedding together in less than two months, it is incredibly difficult. Then add in the long distance factor and it makes it almost impossible. You also need to know the laws in the state you intend to marry. The state he is flying into requires the bride and groom to apply in person for a marriage license at least 3 days, but not more than 30 days prior to the wedding day. How are you going to do this and still keep it a surprise?
Dear readers, what do you think? Do you find this romantic or a bit insane? How would you react if your fiance gave you a surprise wedding? |
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Heather: Posted on Wednesday, March 07, 2012 1:16 AM
How do you feel about children being at weddings?
There is something super adorable about seeing children all dressed in their best for a wedding, and no one can dispute the air of purity they bring to a wedding ceremony as flower girl and ring bearer.
My question is, where do you draw the line? Is it just enough to have a few special little ones in your ceremony? Do you love the site of dolled-up toddlers so much that you want everyone to bring their children? Do you just have too many friends with babies to exclude them?
If you want children at your wedding, there are some other important things to consider. Do you want all of these children at your ceremony? What if one starts crying or is extremely disruptive? What about having the children eat at your reception? Does your caterer offer special meals for the little ones? Are they at a discount? As the late night approaches with dancing and alcohol, is it really appropriate to have children there?
 I can not tell you whether or not you should have children at your wedding ceremony or reception. That is a detail you must work out on your own. What I can tell you is that you have options.
 If you really want to have children as a part of your special day you need to take into account some extra planning. Ask your caterer what deals they have to accommodate the children's needs. Ask your venue if they have a room where a parent can take a fussy child or where you can set up a childcare room. Ask a friend of the family, one who wouldn't normally expect to be invited to your wedding, if they would be willing to babysit for the children at your wedding as needed, in that room. 
 My favorite option is to hire a wedding day child care service. They will set up in a hotel room or in a room at your location. They remain there through out the length of your wedding available for parents to drop and pick up their children at their own discretion. They bring toys and activities to keep children of all ages entertained. They are state licensed, safe, and reliable. They bill the parents directly for their service and their rates are very reasonable so there is no charge to the bride and groom. Tell us what you think? Children? Just a few? Bring in a sitter? Let them run wild? Or leave them at home? |
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Heather: Posted on Monday, March 05, 2012 5:06 PM
Do you intend to include wedding favors as a reminder of your special day?
I have recently heard a few contradictory opinions on the use of wedding favors. Some have said they are out dated, tacky, or a waste of money; while others look forward to having a memento from a loved ones wedding.
 I have seen wedding favors which vary from a simple little tulle satchel of mints to a glass candle holder intricately etched with the couples name and wedding date. It has also been suggested that it may be more chic and appreciated to donate the money that you would have spent for favors to a charity of importance to your family and put a nice little note card saying so at each place setting.
I think that the choice to give wedding favors or not is a personal preference, but if you are choosing not to do include them because you find them out dated or tacky, then I think the option of donating the money to a charity is a great idea.
What do you think? Favor or forget it? OR make a donation? What kind of favors do you like? Let us know... |
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