Look for Budget Breakers

Built in resources are your first way to save money. If you choose a beautiful outdoor gazebo as the setting for your ceremony. Do not spend thousands of dollars on decor. You picked this spot because it was beautiful. Besides who is looking at anything but the Bride!

Having your event at a hotel and your guests will be staying there. ASK, for a benefit if you reach a certain room amount. We asked for 1 free night for every 10 nights booked and ended up with two free rooms to use the day of the event for the Bride and Groom parties to get ready in. You can also use those rooms for guests that should not drive but did not make arrangements. Remember you only can get what you ask for!

Wedding Party Crashers

Your beautiful wedding reception venue can accommodate 3 events at a time! Should you plan for crashers? Yes, because your party is the coolest! Talk to your event manager about 30 days out to see the schedule for other events. Normally, you will have traffic before and after the other events occur. To prevent crashers ask the venue to provide a door staff during this time. If they will not then use a member of your family or your wedding coordinator to be at the entrance to your party. I have also seen people ask unfamiliar faces who they are here for and most say "Ops Sorry"and leave. Unless its George Clooney...no crashers allowed.

Reception - Set the mood with lighting

You have the spot now set the mood. Lighting can affect the feel and fun of any event. In most venues additional up lighting can give an area a more romantic and festive feel. The lights are controlled by a computer that is programmed to the beat of the music which can increase or decrease the intensity of the light. You can add a monogram to the floor or wall. They even have an effect that will add a texture. The texture effect is great if you are in a white walled room or tent. Don't forget the details for your event and lighting is definitely one of them!

Reception Site Rules - Don't take their word on how many quests will fit!!!

We are having our event at a beautiful 1927 Boutique Hotel. The elegance of the hotel and the area were the deciding factors. However, when we inquired about the dinning room size we were told 100 people for a sit down dinner. I then asked for a floor plan to scale and found out to accommodate this there would be 12 inched between the backs of the chairs. Really does that seem like a good idea to you? I think not. So even though the maxed out room could do it. The truth is we ended up with 72 chairs and a smaller head table. Ask questions to get a quality event! They want the biggest number they can....you want the best quest experience you can get!

Reception Perfection - It's in the details

You will probably find the vast number of locations overwhelming. But, digging a little deeper into the location will save a lot on the big beautiful day. Some examples, the beautiful mansion has limited bathroom space and the VW lodge has no character but lots of bathroom space. It is always a unique challenge to balance the wish list and reality list. So take your time at each venue and review the must haves. I think a natural charter and enough bathrooms go along way!

Bridesmaid Dresses

A new trend in the wedding world is to dress each girl in the color theme but different styles. I like this ideas, just based on the fact that your skinny girlfriend and the chunky girlfriend can't possibly both look good in the same dress. What we need now is for the major companies in the market to allow you to upload a virtual you to their website and you can try on from the convenience of your computer. Seriously, gone are the days that everyone lives in the same town and can get together to try on dresses. Many brides are waiting till well into their 30's which supports the theory that our friends would be more spread out. I played with the one found on www.seventeen.com/fashion/virtual-model . But think it would be best if each company had their own and when you went to the site you could actually try on the dress. What do you think?

What is the Difference between a $1000 and $5000 Photographer?

Good Question! We meet with three different photographers and that was the range. It was hard to tell any specific skill difference between each. But, what they did do is add ons and whether or not you need them changes the price tag. I also was concerned with not getting full use of the pictures that they took. What if the bride didn't pick a picture and 5 years later decided she wanted more of her grandmother or something. We decided we did not need a photographer with a flashy studio, nor one that could create a 200 page leather bound book. We wanted someone who showed energy and good attitude. One of the photographers was 300 pounds and talked like Minnie Mouse...I'm not sure that would have worked all day long. With all the albums you can create on line your self you really need someone with good equipment, good pictures, good energy and not a lot of fluff!