Thursday, March 31, 2011
Face lift!
While we lack the spring weather, I'm in the spring spirit! I have changed my blog title and URL to now be Vendor Vibe! Sounds catchy, right? Look out for a new design coming soon too.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
What NOT to do when planning your wedding
I spend plenty of time talking about what you should do and should ask when planning your wedding, but there is also a host of items you should avoid doing when planning as well. This is equally important and can save you time, money and sanity.
1) Don't lose sight of your budget - The most important element in planning is budget. Every decision should start and end with budget if you want to stay on track. As you plan items from catering to favors, always think about how the cost plays into your overall budget. Spending is easy, it's keeping in your cost guidelines that hard.
2) Don't view venues out of your budget - It's nice to dream, but if you visit wedding venues that are out of your budget reach you're doing more damage than good. Don't set yourself up for disappointment or a constant "if only I had..." attitude. There are plenty of beautiful venues in all sorts of budget ranges. If you spend all your time looking at what you wish you could have, you may miss out on the perfect venue that you know you could have. Not to mention, it is costing the venue rep their time as well. On that note, don't interview any vendor who is out of your price range - that's time you can spend finding one who is in your price range!
3) Don't get lost in bridal magazines - I love bridal magazines, but what a lot of them don't tell you is that most of them showcase weddings that are out of the average bride's price tag. Or they feature vendors in the industry who were able to get a great discount on a big wedding. They are a great inspiration, but trying to recreate what is pictured may result in you breaking #1 on this list. These magazines are centered around advertising and getting you to spend more. Glance, look, indulge in eye candy but don't let them run your wedding or your budget.
4) Don't forget to ask your friends and co-workers for advice - You have a great resource on hand that's free so use it! Ask your friends what they enjoyed, what they would change and what registry items they actually use. You don't have to choose their photographer, but maybe they learned some great questions to ask while interviewing them. Even if you hated everything about their wedding, you should still pick their brains. You never know what piece of information or handy tip you can pull out!
1) Don't lose sight of your budget - The most important element in planning is budget. Every decision should start and end with budget if you want to stay on track. As you plan items from catering to favors, always think about how the cost plays into your overall budget. Spending is easy, it's keeping in your cost guidelines that hard.
2) Don't view venues out of your budget - It's nice to dream, but if you visit wedding venues that are out of your budget reach you're doing more damage than good. Don't set yourself up for disappointment or a constant "if only I had..." attitude. There are plenty of beautiful venues in all sorts of budget ranges. If you spend all your time looking at what you wish you could have, you may miss out on the perfect venue that you know you could have. Not to mention, it is costing the venue rep their time as well. On that note, don't interview any vendor who is out of your price range - that's time you can spend finding one who is in your price range!
3) Don't get lost in bridal magazines - I love bridal magazines, but what a lot of them don't tell you is that most of them showcase weddings that are out of the average bride's price tag. Or they feature vendors in the industry who were able to get a great discount on a big wedding. They are a great inspiration, but trying to recreate what is pictured may result in you breaking #1 on this list. These magazines are centered around advertising and getting you to spend more. Glance, look, indulge in eye candy but don't let them run your wedding or your budget.
4) Don't forget to ask your friends and co-workers for advice - You have a great resource on hand that's free so use it! Ask your friends what they enjoyed, what they would change and what registry items they actually use. You don't have to choose their photographer, but maybe they learned some great questions to ask while interviewing them. Even if you hated everything about their wedding, you should still pick their brains. You never know what piece of information or handy tip you can pull out!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
To see or not to see? - Should you see your groom before the ceremony?
While doing a site tour today, I was reminded of a little tradition that tends to bug me as a venue: the first look. We've let a lot of wedding traditions slide, but the one that no one wants to let go of is not seeing their groom before the wedding. I think one of the best things you can do the day of your wedding is take photos with your groom before the ceremony.
1) It helps with timing - You can get so many more photos in if you see your groom before the ceremony. The day of is a time crunch already, so freeing up some minutes after the ceremony by taking photos before can really help out.
2) It can help take the stress away - You have enough butterflies in your stomach already! Why would you add to it by not having some calm words whispered to you by your groom before the ceremony? I think it puts both parties at ease and gives you more time to celebrate together this happy moment.
3) No one needs to know - A first look should still be private and a surprise. Find a secluded garden or private room at your venue to meet up before hand and get some personal pictures and personal time in.You can still capture the magic of moment with how you enter the space (make it dramatic!). Remember, you only need to do this an hour or two before the ceremony, so you're look is still a surprise!
In short, I know this is the one tradition that brides try to keep but I also think it can be impractical with the modern wedding. Keep your mind open on this matter and it could help open your timeline a lot the day of!
1) It helps with timing - You can get so many more photos in if you see your groom before the ceremony. The day of is a time crunch already, so freeing up some minutes after the ceremony by taking photos before can really help out.
2) It can help take the stress away - You have enough butterflies in your stomach already! Why would you add to it by not having some calm words whispered to you by your groom before the ceremony? I think it puts both parties at ease and gives you more time to celebrate together this happy moment.
3) No one needs to know - A first look should still be private and a surprise. Find a secluded garden or private room at your venue to meet up before hand and get some personal pictures and personal time in.You can still capture the magic of moment with how you enter the space (make it dramatic!). Remember, you only need to do this an hour or two before the ceremony, so you're look is still a surprise!
In short, I know this is the one tradition that brides try to keep but I also think it can be impractical with the modern wedding. Keep your mind open on this matter and it could help open your timeline a lot the day of!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Wear me out!
All of those blog pieces about discounts wore me out! I need some fresh new ideas to blog about. I hope to come up with an awesome piece for next Wednesday, but in the meantime I wanted to open it up to you, my few but loyal readers. Comment section is open - post some topics that you'd like me to write about or if you have a specific question I'd love to answer it!
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