Category: Weddings

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The Secrets of an Event Planner: Planning your Wedding like a Professional

I’m an event planner.  That is precisely why I wanted to hire someone else to plan my wedding.  Planning a party, event, wedding, shower- each of these things has its own stresses right up until it’s over, and planning all of these things within the space of six months is an overwhelming nightmare.  I have long sympathized with ‘bridezillas’ knowing that under their scales they are generally lovely girls who are simply experiencing the stresses of event planning; stresses which I have learned to take on board (without anyone else seeing the external effects) over the course of a lengthy professional career.  Much as an emergency ward nurse, I imagine, I see people crazed by the pain of a trying ordeal who immediately return to being sympathetic, friendly personalities as soon as the pain is alleviated- in this case meaning the event [wedding] is over.  Is this how a person wants to feel on their wedding day?  I certainly did not.

Alfred Angelo Disney Wedding Dresses

Why Hire a Wedding Planner?

Hiring an event planner is not about outdoing your friends’ or relatives’ weddings, or even about getting a better end result.  Hiring an event planner is about alleviating as much stress from the shoulders of the couple as possible so they are able to fully enjoy their own big day.  It’s about hiring a data entry specialist to get all the contact details, spellings and phone numbers of your friends and family into the event software quickly and correctly; it’s about having someone else taking twenty calls a day ringing up to RSVP, to ask what will be served on the menu (when the wedding is a year away), and to change their minds about attending over and over again; hiring someone to plan a wedding is an investment in always being shown the three best options on flowers, food, cakes, venues, etc. with all the proper research done and dusted, and you simply pointing and saying ‘that one.’

Why, then, doesn’t everyone hire an event planner?  Why didn’t I?  The problem with hiring an event planner is that it takes away from the actual wedding budget, and in the face of dropping all those zeros, a seasoned event planner must roll up her sleeves and say “I’ll do it myself.”

If like me you are planning to go it alone, I have a bit of solid advice for you to help arrive at the altar feeling fresh, prepared, and with only a few slight bumps where the scales are sticking out under your perfectly tailored satin gown.

  • Lock in everything possible– right now.  Sit down with only one other person, your soon-to-be spouse, and decide when and where you will have the bridal shower, the hens and bucks nights, the rehearsal dinner, the wedding and the honeymoon.  Do not leave the room until this is done.  Call and make bookings for everything.  If you need to book catering, book the tasting now.  Pick the three best options for each venue or option, and only explore those.  Do not waste time hemming and hawing, or you will end up with choice #42 on the list instead of choice #3.
  • Plan slightly under all across the board (except for booze and food).  If you can fit 150 people in your reception hall, plan for 120.  Plan to spend only 70% of your ‘full’ budget.  Plan under, because as all event planners know at the last minute there will be expenses, you will have to take in extra guests, and you will have unforeseen battles to tackle.  This wiggle room saves your skin over and over again.  That being said, and for obvious reasons, over-plan for drinks and catering.  A trick of the trade?  Assume each adult will have 6 adult beverages, and 1 Bottle of Wine = 5 Beverages, 1 Bottle of Beer = 1 Beverage.
  • Make technology your friend.  There is fantastic, free, software out there which can help you keep track of everyone invited, their details, what events they are coming to leading up to the wedding, help you create table plans, remind you to call the caterers, remind you of the day to order the flowers, keep track of dietary requirements, and the list goes on and on.  You will reach a point where you literally cannot remember everything and this will make you feel like you are losing your mind and the world is spinning out of control.  Have one resource to go to where all the information has been recorded.  Also remember that a paper wedding invitation is romantic, but that following up with emails, in this day and age, is a luxury that you should afford yourself without hesitation.
  • Delegate.  Ask a family member to take all the RSVP calls.  Ask each bridesmaid and groomsman to take one task on board that you won’t be able to do on your own.  Get the bridesmaids to pick their own dresses.  Get the groomsmen to pick a few wedding bands for you to audition.  Everyone is willing to do one task.  TRUST YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS!
  • Be where the buck stops.  Let’s be honest, as the bride it’s your day that you graciously ask opinions about from one other person and one other person only- your partner.  At the end of the day you are where the buck stops.  There has to be one person sitting at the top of the pyramid that settles debates, makes final decisions, and throws out bad ideas- even the ones that come from your soon-to-be mother-in-law.  Stand firm, stand tall, and put your foot down.  Everyone else will get over it.  Trust me.  I’m a professional.

Author Bio:

Jessica Josh has spent the past 5 years writing and blogging online.  She has worked with a number of different companies in the wedding entertainment and corporate entertainment niche such as http://weddingbandsmelbourne.net.au/

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Five essential tips for choosing a fabulous mother of the bride outfit

Is your daughter’s big day approaching and you still haven’t found that perfect mother of the bride outfit? It can be a scary task and you’ll want to make sure that it not only complements you, but the style of the wedding too! Below you’ll find some tips to help ease the stress and narrow down your search.

Mother of the Bride Dresses
Mother of the Bride Dresses
  1. Get the colour scheme right. Using a matching colour scheme can really help you all feel connected on that special day and ensure that there isn’t a clash of colours or styles. However beware of your daughter’s choice of dress. If your daughter has selected pale shades in the colour scheme for the wedding you don’t have to search for a dress in a similar shade. Find a close matching colour that is maybe a little brighter so you standout rather than blending in.
  2. Footwear. Believe me when I say, you’ll find yourself running around and on your feet for the vast majority of your day. You’ll want to find comfortable shoes that match your outfit. You will also want to make sure that you choose shoes that you like! Feeling confident in your image is an important part of having a good time, so bear this in mind. If you’re going for heels, make sure you choose the right height that will allow comfort whilst taking nothing away from style.
  3. Don’t forget a coat! Throughout the day you’ll find yourself in and out. Moving from one venue to another, photo shoots, dancing, standing, the day will have you up and down like a yoyo. You’ll want a light weight coat that will keep in the warmth and can easily be transported. You’ll also want to make sure that it complements your dress, so take time in choosing it and remember it’s going to be on and off all day so make sure it isn’t overly heavy.
  4. Put your thinking hat on. Choosing the right hat all depends on the dress you’ve decided on and the style of the wedding itself. Hats are generally considered to work with a traditional style and can hugely vary in style. A key thing to remember though is that everything is down to you. Don’t just wear a hat because that’s what other people are doing. Make sure you feel happy and comfortable with your decisions.
  5. It pays to shop around. Many of your usual wedding boutiques haven’t largely changed in style. They still offer the stiff traditional options that many people now consider to be dated. Remember to think outside the box and aim for contemporary fashion, such as a Condici mother of the bride dress. If you put time and care into shopping around, you’re bound to find something that’s up to date and affordable.
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How To Predict Your Man’s Most Likely Stag Preference

We all know that before every wedding is the inevitable stag party and admit it or not, most women out there can’t help feeling apprehensive over these parties due to their reputation of being too wild. To help allay your fears, maybe these new data released by event agency, Chillisauce.co.uk, can help you predict your man’s most likely behavior.

Included in the findings is the percentage of strip club bookings by email address. It was found out that males who use AOL the most have the highest proportion of strip club bookings with over 25%. Yahoo and Hotmail users follow with 24.62% and 21.8%, respectively.

Email provider choice was also linked with how much a guy is most likely to spend on his stag party. Men who used their work emails expended the largest amount with an average of £104.62 per person. On the contrary, AOL users spent the least amount with an average of £92.52.

Relatedly, email provider use was also linked with how far a guy’s preferred destination would be. It turns out that Gmail users are the most conservative travellers of all with an average of less than 400 miles for their chosen stag party destination. At the opposite end of the spectrum are those who use their work emails who average at least 1,400 miles per person for each of their chosen bachelor party location.

These data definitely sheds light on a thing or two about men’s stag party preferences in general. Anticipating what his most likely decision is doesn’t have to be done through prying questions alone when you have the right data to back up your assumptions. To see the full summation of data, check out leisurestats.com and get to know more about the link between technology use and leisurely choices.

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The 5 Questions Brides Wish They Had Asked their Wedding Videographer

There’s nothing like hindsight to give some clarity as to the questions you would have asked, had you known what would go wrong that is. Luckily for brides today there is the internet; this invaluable tool helps brides to learn from the misfortunes and misgivings of couples far and wide when it comes to making bad decisions about the big day. While it might seem that with today’s technology any old point-and-shoot camera should do the trick when it comes to a wedding videographer, just ask a couple who has a grainy five minute VHS with Michael Bolton playing over all the sound bytes if there’s any difference. That being said, here are the top 5 questions brides wish they had asked their wedding videographers… before putting down the deposit.

5. What will be the picture quality of the final product?
Many videographers throw out terms like “HD” and impress unwitting couples into choosing their “state of the art” video service, but don’t be impressed until you’ve seen a sample. Not every amateur or freelance videographer has the right technology not only to shoot a good video at such high resolution, nor the equipment to edit it properly. See some samples and decide what looks best to you. Also keep in mind that not every shot is flattering in high definition, and take some test shots before the big day.

4. Will you be using microphones?
Almost nobody thinks to ask this question, but almost everyone has to crank up the volume when it comes to any part of the wedding video with speeches, toasts, or vows. Instead of leaving it to chance find out if the videographer plans to bug the altar, use wireless mics on participants, or make friends with the sound guy at the reception to get a direct feed into the audio. If the videographer is simply filming these speeches from afar, it’s not very likely you’ll hear a word that’s said.

3. How many cameras and camera operators will you be using?
This one is important especially if you have a large wedding, a large wedding party or a large wedding venue. One camera operator can only be one place at once. Some set up stationary cameras to supplement their footage, but these are only really useful for far-off shots, the ceremony or speeches. You’ll find you get the best results if there are at least two camera operators who are twice as likely to be in the right place at the right time to catch the very most special of moments.

2. Have you done this before?
Shockingly enough, many people fail to ask this question. This question does not refer to student films, friend’s weddings with home equipment or bar mitzvahs. This question refers specifically and exclusively to hiring a client, filming a wedding, producing an end product that the couple loves, and correctly billing the couple for it. As mentioned before, ask for samples.

1. Are there choices on music and style?
Even the best videographer with the best shots can still product a cringe-worthy end product with sappy love songs, fading transitions and love heart frame effects if not properly guided during the post-production phase of the program. Ask before if there are choices and provide some very specific suggestions if you want an end-product you can actually stand to watch!

Author Bio:
Jessica Josh is a freelancer who makes her living by writing and blogging online. She has worked with a number of different businesses in the wedding bands and wedding videography niche such as http://weddingbandsmelbourne88.com.au/.