Determining Your Wedding Day Style

Style is an individual experience. Your personal style and your soon to be's personal style may be similar and it may be very different. The one thing that is a definite though, is that you need to find YOUR wedding style. Something that captures and embodies what you want the wedding to be. Whether it is a traditional or modern feeling, a specific theme, something beachy, fun, city like or rustic and charming, spend time with your soon to be and put thought into your wedding style. Start by defining your personal couple style. Next, start to think about how you visualize the wedding day. What does the alter look like? How do you feel when you walk into the reception? What is the goal for the evening? Does the venue or area you've chosen elude to a specific style or theme? Once you've picked a style, start researching that style on blogs, in magazines and in life. Clip images of things you like. All this information will help your vendors enormously when it comes time to design the wedding day.






(courtesy of Martha Stewart Weddings)



This post was originally published on June 6th, 2009

Creating Your Wedding Guest List

Another important factor into your wedding budget and location is how many of your nearest and dearest will be coming to celebrate your vows. Creating your master guest list takes time, so don't expect to finalize the list overnight. There are essentially three sides (more if you involve Step Parents) to the guest list:

Bride / Groom
Bride's Parents
Groom's Parents

Traditional conventions say that whomever is paying for the wedding gets the larger portion of the guest list. I disagree as the lines of who pays for what are getting blurred in this modern age and while your Father may think that inviting his first boss who has never met you is appropriate, turns out, it may not be. Have an honest conversation with all the parents about what the goal of the wedding is. Is it just family? Is it just family and close friends? Is it not all family, just close family? Or, is it everyone you've ever encountered in your entire life? Once you've created a general "acceptable to invite" list, set a date (within a month) for all parties that get to invite people to give the Bride and Groom their lists. Once the three+ lists are merged, you will get a better sense of numbers. Please keep in mind that you'll probably trim the 'fat' off the list before it is truly final, but this number will be a large indicator on what is a suitable venue for you.


(courtesy of ancestry.com)

This post was originally published on June 5th, 2009

Fabulous Friday: Ipad Obsession

The mister and I celebrated our second anniversary earlier this week and I was lucky enough to receive an ipad as my gift. Me, being the slightly non-tech type have fallen in love with said ipad. I have grand plans for the ipad and me. I've been searching through 1000s of apps to see what will tickle me pink. And, my to do list has gone on there already. I swoon over this to do list now. I can't wait to check things off.

If you have any fabulous app recommendations, please share them!

This post on why you need to hire a wedding planner from a photographer's perspective is genius.

Five simple tips to use when planning your wedding from Brides - these are good ones!

What fabulous things have you found this week?

The Makings of Your Wedding Budget

Its no hidden secret: weddings cost money. Once you've gotten engaged, you'll need to figure out two large aspects of your wedding planning: whose paying for the wedding and how much you want to spend on the wedding. Keep in mind the following factors when determining your wedding number:

time of year
location
# of anticipated guests

Read as many wedding planning sites and blogs to get a feel for what "things" cost in your wedding destination. Food in Kansas is bound to be a much different cost to Food in New York City. I know that talking about money can make people uncomfortable, but don't let it. Its good to have your wedding budget out in the open ~ it will help hone in and make decisions on every other aspect of your wedding.

Regardless of what your wedding budget is, you will have a fantastic wedding, you and your fiancé are in it and that is, at the end of the day, all that matters to your friends and family.


(Courtesy of MIT libraries)

***TIP: If you are able to, try and pay for your wedding related expenses with a credit card that amasses miles, hotel points etc - you may just rack up enough points for a free honeymoon!***

This post was originally published on June 4th, 2009

Engaged? Begin Wedding Planning

Eventually Cloud 9 dissipates and you've got to start planning your wedding. First two items on the agenda: Pick a Place, Pick a Date. While everyone is going to chime in on location and dates, trust your instincts and pick a place and a time of year that is meaningful to only you and your betrothed. Other opinions really don't matter, its not their wedding. When picking a date, think logically about what fits your schedule ~ wedding planning takes time and energy, therefore, make sure you have time to plan your wedding & pick a date that suits your schedule. As for the place ~ pick something meaningful and within your means. Think about where your guests will be traveling from and the location's convenience.





This post was originally published on June 3rd, 2009

Newly Engaged? Stop and relax first!

Regardless of whether you've dreamt about your wedding your entire life, or you've never given it a thought, take time to let the good news settle in. Don't be swayed by family and friends who immediately start asking about wedding dates, wedding dresses, wedding planning ... even if you are getting married in only a short time, relax and savor the moment! You'll get to the wedding planning process in due time.


(courtesy of Holiday Rentals UK)

This post was originally published on June 2nd, 2009

You're Engaged! Now What?

The feeling that you've had since he got down on one knee and proposed ~ keep it throughout your wedding planning process. The pure elation & happiness of simply getting married will be a good guide throughout your wedding journey. It will quell any stressful moments and ease any anxiety. Just remember, without the amazing proposal, there would be no wedding. Don't sweat the small things in this planning process, concentrate on the happiness of getting married.


(courtesy of Greenville Daily Photo)


This post was originally published on June 1st, 2009

Re-Introducing: 30 Day Guide to Wedding Planning

This month, I will be re-posting all the posts from our 30 Day Guide to Wedding Planning series that was published in June 2009 so that all of your new-er visitors to the blog have a chance to read them.

The goal of the series was to give you quick insight into wedding planning over the course of 30 days. A primer on wedding planning if you will. Obviously the wedding planning process is an in-depth and detailed one, this guide really is a way to get the most information on each topic quickly.

if you have any comments, please post them! And if you'd like clarification on any topic, please ask for it!

Starting tomorrow: Day 1: You're Engaged!

What Do I Love?

I was recently interviewed for a blog that features Successful Female Entrepreneur's Under 30 ... in a few months I won't be applicable for this, so I thought I'd better answer them quickly!

One of the questions resonated with me: "What part of my job do I love?" I loved this question because it gave me the opportunity to share my thoughts on what part of the wedding planning experience that I love and it'll surprise you, while I love the planning aspect, the creative aspect and the over-organized aspect, my true love of this industry comes on the wedding day itself. I love seeing all the hard work that my couples and I have put into planning their wedding day, come to life. I love to see a set reception area just before guests arrive, knowing that each element of the design are choices that are reflective of this newly minted married couple. I love seeing my couple's recess down the aisle knowing that they have this new life to begin together. I love being told Thank You at the end of an awesome wedding. So while I love the wedding day, I love more what the wedding day represents: the joining of two souls together and the knowledge that I helped to shape their day. To me, that is incredibly meaningful.

And as an added bonus, coordinating a wedding allows me to reflect back on my own wedding day: the extreme excitement I had almost two years ago when I got to say I do to my best friend.

What do you love about your job?

Another Friday, another week down. Can you believe that its almost September? I would love to find the brakes on this year since its whipping by so quickly!

Lots of goodies around the web this week ...

My good friends, Aleah & Nick {The Good Life Events} wrote up a fabulous post about your wedding not being a competition. Truer words have not been spoken.

Your married, now what? There used to be "rules" that all married women adhered by, times have changed!

Another fabulous and to the point perspective on hiring a wedding planner for your very big day!

Ok, I really wrestled with linking to this post, but its a good one, I promise. Very insightful.

And lastly, an honest opinion of what separates a professional wedding planner from a I was a bride and I know about weddings wedding planner.

Happy Weekending!

Weddings = Family Drama

Chances are, once you got engaged, you've begun to see different emotions come out of various family members. Happiness, excitement, bossy-ness, aggression ~ I haven't quite figured out why a wedding, the union between two people makes family members {ok, mainly mom} behave in different ways, but they do.

Regardless of how your family is behaving know these two things: their thoughts aren't your thoughts, you aren't beholden to doing things their way or taking them up on their every desire and this isn't their wedding, its yours. While its beyond easy to get sucked into whatever emotions they are having - don't let yourself. This is your special day and it really doesn't matter if Aunt Suzy thinks that you should do x, y and z at the wedding. This wedding day is about you and your soon to be. It isn't about anyone else.

While I know its easier said than done, I promise, you'll have a much more zen like wedding planning experience if you can just shut out the white noise.

Thoughts from a Bride Three Weeks Before The Wedding Day!

My name is Michelle and I am an Associate Planner at Anderson Green Events. I am getting married in less than 3 weeks, and Lisa asked me to share some insight into my wedding planning now that the big day is getting really close!

When we first got engaged, my fiancé and I sat down and created a wedding planning timeline that listed every single detail that had to be planned month by month, week by week. In the beginning stages I worked off this list religiously and found a sense of accomplishment and excitement every time I checked something off. After 15 months of planning I realize I left off a very important “TO DO”…and that is take a break!

Since the moment you got engaged all your coworkers, family members, friends, and future spouse have heard is wedding related thoughts. By attending family BBQ’s, meeting friends for drinks, or simply having a date night with no wedding talk will feel normal. You, your future spouse and all your friends will certainly appreciate this and feel like you have come back down to earth out of Bridal la la land, even if it is only for a few hours everyday. Besides, not talking about the wedding 24/7 will give you a chance to relax as well.

It’s important to realize the reasons why you’re getting married in the first place; you said yes for a reason so don’t let the last few weeks leading up to the wedding day make you loose sight of that because you are feeling so pressed for time to get things done. Years down the road you don’t want to be disappointed that you missed out on little things that may have happened because you were so wrapped up in all the final details for your 8 hour wedding day. Let normal life happen and enjoy it a little too.

I Hired "A Life Coach"

OK I have a confession to make. I hired a life coach. She's not entirely a life coach, she's actually more of a nutritionist / therapist / going to be spending a ton of time with me over the next 6 months person.

Now, what did I do this and why am I telling you {the world}?

Simply because I want to. I am so excited at the possibility of fundamentally becoming healthier in mind and body that I've been telling lots of people {including my dermatologist} about my journey to becoming a better version of myself. Not that I think anything is wrong with my past / current self, but everyone needs a system upgrade, right? {i.e. the recent launch of the Iphone 4} Owning and running your own business is stressful even when you love what you do. Trying to run a household and a business + attempt a social life can cause stress. Stress = No Good. Essentially, my nutritionist / life coach is going to be bringing order to my diet, my routine and my life so that I am an even more fabulous wife, daughter, frenchie mama, business owner, friend and wedding planner. See, a win win for everyone!

As I begin this journey, I will share my insights with you all ~ especially the ones that relate to wedding planning. Your first lesson: breath. Sometimes stopping to let some oxygen deep down into your lungs can relax you and de-stress you. Go ahead and try it!

Hiring a Wedding Planner {Part 2}

You've decided that you can't possibly live without a wedding planner for your wedding {wonderful decision says me!}. If you're like me, once you've decided you want / need something, you go right to the internet to do some research / due diligence. While I applaud your enthusiasm, slow down for one teeny tiny second. Have you attended a friend or family members wedding that you loved? If so, reach out and ask if they used a planner. Trust me, its worth checking them out - they come with a gigantic gold stamp of approval! If you've already hired vendors for your wedding day or have a pre-existing relationship with any vendors, ask for their recommendations as well. A referral you receive from a trusted source will have more weight in your {sub}conscious than what you find in a magazine or on the internet.

If you chose to do your own research to find a planner, be prepared to spend some time checking out things online. Go through several sources to find a planner: wedding wire, my kate parker wedding, brooklyn bride, new york magazine weddings, style me pretty's little black book, etc. Once you've compiled a list of planners that you want to check out: take to their websites. See what resonates with you - is it their graphic design, the words they use, their portfolio images, the advice they post in their blog? If nothing appeals to you: MOVE ON. Don't waste your time or the wedding planners time to meet if you don't like their website or their blog. Chances are, since their website and blog are branding tools for their business and them, you won't like them in real life either. Thats fine! Not everyone is a fit for your wedding planning process.

Once you've narrowed down your choices, look for reviews / testimonials about each firm. Read what their former clients have to say - does this person sound like someone you want to meet and potentially work with? Is there something that resonates with you in these testimonials? If not, MOVE ON. After you've picked the suitable options, sit down with your fiance and get his opinion on each wedding planner's website - his input is invaluable here. Since you'll all be working together, you want to make sure that he's onboard with this person as well.

Up next: submitting an inquiry and making an appointment.

{Check out Part I here}

Interview with Sara Rue

In one word, Sara Rue is glowing. She’s glowing from her engagement and upcoming wedding and she’s glowing from her fabulous weight loss with Jenny Craig. I was lucky enough to attend an event recently at the Mark Ingram Bridal Atelier where Sara was checking out wedding dresses looking for inspiration for her wedding. We had a moment to sit down and chat about Jenny and about her wedding {and check out her beautiful bling!} and I can say with 100% honesty, this gal is the sweetest and nicest person ever. She described her wedding style as “vintage, antiquey with lots of color and on the more romantic side” with a wedding day that emphasizes "fun, love and no pressure". Since she and her fiance have an affinity for beer pong, it’ll likely be included in the wedding day festivities as well {as an aside, I love this idea – always aim to include a hobby or something you are passionate about as a couple in your wedding day – its your day, do what you want, not what ‘tradition’ dictates}.

She went on to discuss her experience on Jenny Craig and losing 40 lbs in 5 months {girl, you are my role model now!} and she stressed that the program really is a lifestyle, not a diet. She describes it as “dieting for dummies” as you really go back and re-learn the basics – portion control, exercise, and shifting ones thinking away from the emotional eating and more into making smart choices. Sara spoke a lot about her consultant and the constant supply of support that her consultant offers – she said that it has been key to sticking with the program and not getting derailed. As a skeptic when it comes to weight loss programs, I was encouraged to hear Sara say that this Jenny Craig experience has made her “hopeful” and that the program is truly satisfying and easy to include in one’s every day life.

Well, Sara, all I can say is that you are an incredible woman to have met and spent time with – your attitude regarding Jenny Craig and all that you’ve learned is truly contagious and inspiring. I know that your wedding day will be a truly amazing experience for you, your fiance and your guests and I wish lots of love, happiness and success in life.





{images via ABC News & Getty Images}

Do You Pay For What You Get In Wedding Planning?

At Eventology last week, there was lots of discussion surrounding getting paid what you are worth and how the price cutters who charge sub $1,000 for their services {yes, full planning included} are de-valueing the wedding industry as a whole. Saundra Hadley, a planner and marketing / sales guru wrote two posts earlier this week regarding pricing {see here & here} and its sparked a big debate in the social media world {just check out her comments}. This got me thinking - all the professionals have been talking about their value and their services but what does the bride truly value? What are you, as the bride, willing to spend more on? Are you paying for quality or are you looking for a deal? Where does value / quality experience come into play when you see a wedding planner who charges you $1,000 vs. another wedding planner who charges you $10,000? Forget the "gucci taste on a target budget" mentality for a second. Everyone loves a deal, loves to save money but when it comes to your wedding, what do you value more? Someone who is professional, experienced and charges accordingly for what they offer or someone who gives you a great deal on the package but then minimally plans your wedding.

As a bride, what do YOU value? What are you willing to spend YOUR money on?

Sticking With Your Wedding Decisions

I have a theory that I would like to share with you all: Weddings can make even the most confident decision maker wishy washy. Why? Because there is too much inspiration and too many ideas floating around the internet and as soon as you've made a decision about one thing, you see that same idea done better somewhere else and it makes you waver on your decision.

I am here to break the cycle of madness because really, I know its driving you crazy. Every bride I speak with says they read 100's of wedding blogs per day. Every wedding vendor I know says they try to keep up with the 1000's of blogs in their google reader, but let's face it, we all have lives to attend to as well. While I certainly LOVE that there is so much out there for brides to be inspired by, it can make a gal have doubts. And just like 'there's no crying in baseball' there's no doubts in wedding planning.

If you are indecisive in your wedding planning, chances are you'll miss the opportunity to work with the vendor of your choice {how many people has that happened to? you meet, you take forever to decide, you pick one and then they are already booked - in wedding planning, the early bird does get the worm}. While I get that budget is always a factor in wedding planning - stick to your guns when making decisions. Be confident that your decision is the right one for your wedding.

Too many times I have seen brides make a choice and then get deflated when they see something they deem cooler / swankier / better on a blog. Keep in mind that your decision is the right one for you and not everything out there fits every wedding. Or, if you're like me, as soon as your wedding has happened, you'll start planning on your vow renewal so you can use all the cool ideas you saw and didn't use!

Business & Wedding Planning: Bartering

Every good business relationship is filled with some sort of give and take, a bartering of sorts if you will. I'll provide knowledge and expertise in exchange for something else. Its natural that in business, people help people or make a barter in exchange for something. So why aren't more brides and grooms bartering in their wedding planning?

In the past few years, every magazine and wedding blog has drilled into newly engaged couples that they should negotiate and they should ask for discounts. While I agree that negotiating is a great strategy - straight up asking for a discount isn't. Why? What does your vendor get in return from giving you a discount? And, why should you get a discount to begin with? Because you're engaged and planning a wedding? Vendors are providing their skill, knowledge, expertise and passion with you in their services ... you wouldn't walk into a shoe store and just demand a discount simply because you need a pair of shoes. All of the vendors that I work with and know aren't out to screw the engaged. I hear it time and time again at consultations "don't tell x,y and z vendor that its a wedding - they'll jack the prices up!" ... um, usually not so much. Vendors know their market, know what things cost and like every other company that exists, needs to make a little extra in order to actually stay in business.

If you really fall in love with a vendor but know you can't afford their services, sit down with them and be open and honest. Flattery does help. Offering a barter or exchange may work in your favor. Do you have amazing writing skills? Offer to re-write all their marketing material. Do you have the time to come in and cut flowers for them on the weekends? Let them know. Be offering something of yourself, you're much more likely to get a vendor whose willing to give you a break on the cost of your proposal, or at least work with you to bring the cost down. Use your expertise to trade with the vendor in an area that you feel they can benefit. In everyday life, we make exchanges with people based on our needs and their needs - this should apply to wedding planning rather than just demanding a discount.

Figure out what you have that a vendor needs and then exploit it! Bartering is a years old tradition and in many cultures is the way of life - time to employ it into your wedding planning process.

Poll: What does Today's Bride Want?

Most of the advice that I offer up on this blog comes not only from my professional experience of wedding planning, but also from my experience as a bride. I aim to share insight that is practical, realistic and most importantly ~ applicable to all. Having been a bride I can relate to the stress, drama, excitement and pure elation that each of you feel.

I would like to take a moment to hear from YOU, on what you think Today's Bride wants. Is it calm during a sea of tulle? Is it assurance knowing that the awesome vendors you've picked will create and execute all your wedding day desires? Is it knowing that your day of coordinator is the best money you spent? Or is it the feeling that no matter what happens on your wedding day, you get to marry your best friend and that's the only important aspect?

Share your thoughts / wants / needs ... the advice I write is meant to be helpful to you, so I want to make sure that it is!

Weekly Round Up: Wedding Planning Advice

I've come across some amazing reads, tips and general wedding goodness this week and I wanted to talk a moment to share some of it with you.

Firstly: Spencer Lum of 5West Studios has posted some images from a wedding we worked on together back in August. It was a two day affair {small intimate ceremony at their home on Friday evening, big blow out bash on Saturday night} ... once all the images are up, I will do a full post, but in the mean time, check out the slideshow!

Secondly: Take a looksee at Saundra Hadley's blog for awesome advice on working with some of your wedding vendors. She gives it to you straight and its so on the money!

Lastly: Check out this lovely tidbit on writing thank you notes to your vendors after the wedding. The written word means everything to your wedding vendors, so be a love and write them a glowing testimonial if they earned one.

Have a fantastic weekend!