May 21, 2012 | wedding planning, Weddings
Florists' contracts might have less information that others. Photo by Happy Buddy PhotoArt.
Every wedding planner has a calendar or timeline laying out the important steps necessary to plan a wedding and reception. The timeline is an important part of planning your wedding, but there are other equally important things to think about in order to have the wedding you really want. Here is one more of them:
Remember when hiring vendors that this is a business proposition, and deal with them in a business-like manner. Never, ever give any vendor a down payment until you have a written contract and until you understand and agree with everything in the contract. A contract should contain, at a minimum, the vendor’s name, business address, and telephone number; an itemized list of services the vendor will supply and dates and times the services will be provided; and the cost for those services and when payment is due. Some smaller businesses, especially busy ones like florists and bakeries, sometimes have minimal information on their contracts. Feel free to hand write missing information on the contract they give you, and get them to initial it. You should also initial any changes. Contracts are also negotiable. You will not be able to negotiate everything you want into a contract, but if there is something important you want, try to get it included. Or if there is a clause you can’t live with, you can try to negotiate it out.
May 14, 2012 | Eco-Friendly Events, Other Events
Healthy Green Goods in Evanston is not a wedding vendor, but Marny Turvil, the owner, is someone you should know if you are interested in environmental topics.
The store on Main Street stocks a wide variety of non-toxic and environmentally safe items for the home, including linens, paint, furniture, air and water purifiers, and personal care items. Marny is also available for in-home consultations on indoor air quality and keeping a healthy home.
If you are looking for a high-quality, environmentally friendly, non-toxic gift (for a wedding or for any occasion), Healthy Green Goods is a good place to start. They will even ship anywhere in the US.
May 7, 2012 | Day-of Coordinating, wedding planning, Weddings
I am asked sometimes why anyone should hire a wedding planner.
Beautiful wedding day. Photo by Magical Moments Photography.
After all, you can probably do all the planning yourself. With some time, a few organizational skills, and the ability to see the project through, you can plan your wedding by yourself. Of course, it is a large job that takes a lot of time and attention. Most people find the process momentarily frustrating. At the same time, it can be very rewarding. You might even find that it is a lot of fun.
On the other hand, when it comes to day-of wedding coordination, almost everyone needs someone to do the job. In the past when brides were typically younger, the mother of the bride often took care of the coordinating. Sometimes the Maid of Honor does all the work. These days, though, most couples want to allow their families and friends to enjoy the wedding day and not have to deal with the details.
Even if your wedding is simple and straightforward, if you hire a day-of coordinator, you are also hiring a professional consultant who can help you with the planning. When I am working with a couple, I tell them that once they hire me, they can call me or send me an e-mail any time if they need guidance or a vendor referral or just someone to bounce an idea off of. My function is to make sure that the wedding goes smoothly, and that means that I start working toward that goal as soon as I am hired. If I can prevent costly mistakes or solve a problem months in advance, then I am doing my job as day-of coordinator.
Also, I have resources that you might not have. Especially if your wedding is non-traditional or if you want to make sure it is environmentally friendly, I have access to vendors and other resources that you might not know about.
Maybe you have been to a wedding and thought it all went so smoothly that there was no need for a coordinator. That is actually the highest compliment you can pay to a day-of wedding coordinator. From the point of view of the guests, it should all look effortless, and that means that someone has put all the details together into a beautiful wedding day.
Apr 30, 2012 | wedding planning
Make sure everyone you hire is someone you want to see on your wedding day.
Every wedding planner has a calendar or timeline laying out the important steps necessary to plan a wedding and reception. The timeline is an important part of planning your wedding, but there are other equally important things to think about in order to have the wedding you really want. Here is one of them:
When you are hiring vendors, I can’t stress enough how important it is to find people who are easy to communicate with. Any vendor who implies that they know better than you what you need is not someone you need at your wedding. Find people who listen to what you want and are enthusiastic about your ideas. Only hire people you feel comfortable calling if you have a change of plans or a new set of ideas. Make sure they are the sort of people you would want to invite to your wedding.
Apr 23, 2012 | Eco-Friendly Events, wedding planning
Try a beautiful outdoor location for your celebration. Photo by Magical Moments Photography.
Yesterday was Earth Day so I’m thinking about locations for eco-friendly weddings and events. There are many choices you can make to have a sustainable location for your event.
For example, you can choose a LEED certified building, or rent from and support a location that has an environmental mission, such as a botanic garden or organic farm. You can also look at the Green Hotels Association to find a hotel with an environmental commitment. Or you can find an eco-friendly restaurant through the Green Restaurant Association. Celebrating outdoors, of course, reduces the power needed for lighting and air conditioning. If you’re having more than one event on the same day (such as a wedding and reception), have them in the same location to reduce the amount of transportation needed.
There are lots of easy things you can do to make your wedding or other celebration more eco-conscious. Every little bit helps!
Apr 16, 2012 | Budget Planning, DIY, wedding planning
Do-It-Yourself is all the rage. And there are lots of things you can do yourself for your own wedding (or a friend’s). But I have also heard some DIY ideas that might need a little more thought before implementation. This is the first post in a series on the beauties and pitfalls of DIY.
This is NOT a potluck, DIY place setting. Photo by Carasco Photography.
I have been to two potluck wedding receptions, and both of them worked out very well. They were very different from one another and offer some interesting lessons on how to make this idea work.
One was in a church hall with no caterer or serving staff. The other was in a rented hall that required a certified kitchen staff.
If you have no hired kitchen staff, the question is who will set up the food and–more importantly–who will clean up. At the first potluck, the bride asked some of her friends (including me) to take charge of scraping and packing the rented dishes at the end of the day. Fortunately, this couple have a lot of responsible (and sober) friends who cheerfully stayed to help them. It was also a daytime wedding, meaning no one had to stay until 1:00 a.m. scraping dishes. They also had friends help set the tables and set up the buffet.
The second potluck had a professional kitchen staff, which increased the cost but meant that the guests were not involved in running the kitchen. If you are thinking of having a potluck buffet, this might be a better idea, unless you both have a hall that will allow you not to have hired staff and have friends who are sufficiently responsible.
There are other pitfalls to be avoided at a potluck. The biggest one is not knowing whether you will have enough food, enough good food, or enough variety. You can overcome this by asking your guests to tell you what they are bringing and making sure the best cooks bring large quantities. That requires extra organization and extra time on your part.
And there is one more pitfall to a potluck wedding reception: One of your relatives will be scandalized. But if you can live with that, if you want an informal reception, and if you can figure out how to do everything that needs to get done, it’s not impossible. But I would not recommend it for everyone. Be sure you think it through before you commit to doing it yourself.
Apr 9, 2012 | Uncategorized
If it's the cake that has be to perfect, start early. Photo courtesy of Artisan Events.
Every wedding planner has a calendar or timeline laying out the important steps necessary to plan a wedding and reception. The timeline is an important part of planning your wedding, but there are other equally important things to think about in order to have the wedding you really want. Here is one of them:
For everyone, there are one or two elements of the ceremony or reception that will make you unhappy if they aren’t as close to perfect as possible. For me, it was the food at the reception. The meal I served my guests had to be better than anything I eat on an ordinary day. Most caterers just weren’t up to the job, and I didn’t care for their attitudes, either. I interviewed half a dozen caterers and tasted their food before I found one whose food and attitude I really liked. With the elements that are most important to you, take time early in the planning process to find someone to do the job you will be entirely happy with. See or taste samples of their work. Get at least two references. Don’t settle for second best or feel pressured by any vendor. You know what you want, and it is always possible to find it.
Apr 2, 2012 | Day-of Coordinating, Weddings
I got a last-minute call to coordinate a wedding recently. It was for a couple who got engaged in October, so they had a very short planning period. It was stressful for them, but they were smart planners and had a gorgeous wedding day.
The hall at the Kenilworth Club, waiting for guests.
The ceremony was at the bride’s parish church with the reception at the Kenilworth Club, one of my favorite reception locations. Here are a few photos:
The hall set for cocktails with guitarist Jim Perona playing in the background.
The cake was from Oak Mill Bakery with flowers by Four Finches.
A La Carte catered lunch.
This part was the coordinator's job.
The favors were a tribute to the groom, a geologist, and the place where the couple met.
Swing Assembly played for dancing in the afternoon. And I hope to have some professional photos from Peter Coombs to share with you sometime soon.
Mar 26, 2012 | vendors
Veronica's latest custom creation. I stole this image straight from her blog.
I met Veronica when she hired me to coordinate her wedding a couple of years ago. She was the one with the insanely hand-made wedding. It was beautiful. She made her own dress. She made her mother’s dress. She made her bridesmaids’ dresses. So, it was no surprise to me when she went into business making bridal gowns.
I think Veronica’s work is gorgeous. She has seasonal collections of dresses and she also does custom work. (Another client of mine is having Veronica make her gown even as we speak.) She also makes and sells accessories. And she does it all with a sassy and fun attitude.
If you can’t find the dress you are looking for in the bridal boutiques, consider looking Veronica up. She may be able to fix you up with a dream dress.
Mar 19, 2012 | Day-of Coordinating, wedding planning, Weddings
You can greet your guests with cocktails before the ceremony as they did here. Photo by Paul Grigonis, pplusgphoto.com.
A couple of recent client weddings have skipped the usual cocktail hour between the ceremony and the reception. There have been various reasons for this choice, but I think one of the most important reasons is the five-hour time slot imposed by so many venues.
If you are venue shopping now, their time restrictions are an important thing to know before you sign a contract. Some venues will give you the whole day until their closing time. At least one I know of divides the day into two slots so they can do four weddings every weekend. Most, however, seem to like to give you any five hours you want, plus set-up and clean-up time.
You can definitely have a wonderful wedding and reception in five hours. If it seems a little short, one of the things you can jettison is the cocktail hour. If you were planning to take photos during the cocktail hour, that means finding another time for them. Doing them before the ceremony might not be an option if you and your fiance are not seeing each other before the ceremony, so if that is the case, your options are more limited. If not, consider doing photos before the ceremony and going straight from the ceremony to the reception.
Talk to your planner or coordinator about how to make the day’s schedule work best for you. She or he should be able to tell you what your best options are.
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