Back in the Saddle!

I have been absent for far too long. I would like to mark my return with a great website for you: Style Me Pretty.

This is truly a website for every bride, regardless of your budget. Real-life weddings are displayed and ideas range from the frugal to the flambouyant. There is literally an idea to fit any and every budget.

For the bride who truly wants a unique wedding that will highlight she and her husband-to-be as a couple, this is a great site to spark creativity and new ideas.

Enjoy!!

Size it Up!

One common mistake brides can make at the beginning of the planning process is to choose a ceremony and/or reception venue that doesn't adequately fit the number of guests who will be attending.

Count, count, count! I can't emphasize that enough. I had one wedding where the bride & groom had booked the venue without first stopping to consider how many guests there would be. Once I got the max. capacity of the room, it was evident that they were going to have to scale back on their guest list. That proved to be harder than they thought it would be and I ended up having to troubleshoot to accommodate about 40 more guests than the room could hold. (Thankfully there was an outdoor deck!)

Be smart. For the ceremony, you need to have enough room to seat everyone ... and yet you don't want the venue to be so large that it overwhelms and makes your wedding look miniscule in comparison. Let the venue fit not only the style you envision for your wedding, but also the size of your guest list.

For the reception, have adequate room at each table (don't squish everyone together!) and remember to allow for things like a good-sized dance floor, a place for the DJ or band, buffet tables, drink stations, cake and/or dessert tables, gift table, guest book table, photo booth, etc. And give your guests room to mingle.

If you find that your guest list is too large for your venue, that's okay. That's when it's time to make out two separate lists. On your "A" list, include everyone who simply has to be there, such as close family members and close friends. Send those invitations out first ... and early! On your "B" list, include everyone who you would like to come, but who doesn't necessarily have to be there, such as co-workers, business associates, acquaintances, etc. As you receive a regret from someone on the "A" list, you can then send out an invitation to someone on the "B" list. Just make sure you're not sending out the "B" list invitations at the last minute or it will be obvious that they were "second choice".

Gotta Smell Good!

When it comes to smelling good on your wedding day, I have found one recurring theme both online and in print ... Vera Wang's "Bouquet". It is mentioned over and over again as a delicate, sweet-smelling fragrance that is perfect for the bride.

I haven't personally had a chance to check it out yet.

Have any of you tried it? ...

Save Money on Your Reception

I got the strangest email today. It was a random email from a bride-to-be in Ohio. She is getting married in mid-November and is soliciting what she calls "wedding sponsorships" from wedding vendors. In essence, she is trying to obtain free services (food, flowers, wedding planning, photography, etc.) in exchange for free advertising for the vendors. She is having a wedding that will be open to the general public and is hoping to attract media attention.

Now, if it has always been this bride's dream to have a wedding that is "in the media spotlight", then more power to her. I suppose this is one good way to try to achieve her dream.

If, on the other hand, she is prostituting out her wedding because she thinks it is the only way to afford the wedding of her dreams, she is mistaken and will likely be disappointed and in tears on her actual wedding day.

There are always ways to have the wedding you've dreamed of, even if a few of the little details have to be altered.

Let's talk food, for example. Food stations are very popular right now at wedding receptions. If you're needing to save money, you can use this growing trend to do so. For instance, have you considered having a dessert & coffee reception? A no meals, hors d'oeuvres optional, dessert-only reception. You could have a small wedding cake for the cake-cutting ceremony and focus instead on other desserts. Here are some possibilities:

Are you into ice cream? Have a build-your-own ice cream sundae bar!

Hire a caterer who can give you an abundance of yummy desserts. Or, for more savings, enlist the help of family members to make some favorite desserts. Then place signs by the desserts to give credit where credit is due. For instance, "Uncle Joe's Apple Pie", "Grandma Betty's Chocolate Chip Cookies", "Cousin Emma's Fudge Brownies", etc.

These chocolate shells speak for themselves. Yum!

Another scrumptious dessert bar.

Believe it or not, these are individually dipped mini-cheesecakes.

What is very popular right now is the Candy Bar/Buffet. All that's required are some decorative glass jars, some of your favorite candies (even in your wedding colors), and some pretty scoops. And if you set out some personalized bags, the candy can double as favors for your guests to take home.

Another thing that's big right now? Comfort foods! Check out these mini-root beer floats. Mmmm.

Comfort foods evoke our fondest childhood memories. Brides are having their caterers use favorite family recipes, or create main dishes like macaroni & cheese.

Some brides are serving snacks later in the reception as their dancing guests begin to need some carbs ... things like mini-grilled cheese sandwiches, mini-cheeseburgers, mini-french fries, popcorn, etc.

Consider also the possibility of foregoing alcohol in exchange for beverage stations. You could have a gourmet coffee bar or a hot chocolate station.

It's your wedding, and there are always low-cost ways to make it everything you've dreamed of.

Just don't forget the Wedding Planner!

Rent a Photo Booth!

If you're looking for a really fun alternative to the traditional guest book, think about renting a photo booth for your reception!

As one of the newest wedding trends, it ranks right up there in terms of guest enjoyment and entertainment. Once guests have had the fun of entering the booth to get their pictures taken, they can place part - or all - of the picture strip into a scrapbook you have displayed on a nearby table. Provide some scrapbooking pens and voila! You have a creative guest book you're sure to look at over and over again throughout the years.

It's the kind of innovative idea that brings a smile to everyone's face.

Wedding Programs

If wedding programs are in your budget, they are a wonderful way to let your guests know a little about your ceremony and your bridal party.










Most people appoint a friend or family member to hand out the programs to the guests. However, an alternative is to place one program on every seat.

If your wedding is outdoors, a fun alternative is to tie or hang the programs on the chairs. This will keep them from being blown off. If your programs are printed on paper to match your wedding colors, this can add to the total visual effect. And if you know it will be a hot day, you can create your programs so they double as fans for your guests.

Be creative with the shapes of your programs.

Have fun with them!

P.S.
Becca, if you are still reading my blog, please know that your comment wasn't relayed to me by the site until today. I will be sure to get that problem fixed right away! But I wanted to thank you for your sweet comment last month. If you have any questions I can help you with, please feel free to contact me at becky@noordinaryaffair.com or 503-868-9455. Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

Personalizing the Bride's Bouquet

Bride's bouquets are so beautiful in today's weddings. The hand-wrapped look sure beats those ugly cone-shaped holders from days gone by!

Although wrapping the bouquets is a gorgeous and simple way to tie in the colors and theme from your wedding, there are other ways to personalize this most important bouquet of all. Just think out of the box and be creative ....

... do you have a swatch of material from your mother's wedding dress that could be used to tie your bouquet?

... what about a piece of that afghan or muffler your grandmother once knit for you?

... do you have a special or sentimental piece of jewelry (necklace, earrings, bracelet, pin, brooch, etc.) that could be attached to the ribbon?

... what about something "borrowed" or something "blue" that could hook to or hang from the ribbon?

... how about the collar from your favorite pet? (This is one creative way to include your pet in the wedding without the chaos of actually having the pet participate in the ceremony.)

... what about something from your first date with your husband-to-be?

Do any of you have any other creative suggestions?? Please share them!

One Stop Shopping

Planning a wedding can be more than a little overwhelming. So when you come across a place where you can do a little "one-stop shopping", it can be a real God-send.

Life's Little Polka Dots is one of those wonderful sites where you can get a little of everything. The owner, Molly Guler, cares very much about providing quality products for her clients. She offers invitations, favors, jewelry, gifts, cake toppers, unity candles, sand ceremony vases, decorations and so much more.

And because her site is for more than just weddings, you'll know just where to go when you & your new husband get ready to welcome your future babies.

Straight Talk About Wedding Planners

If you are like most brides, the thought of having a Wedding Planner seems like the impossible dream, right? You love the fantasy of having your own personal Wedding Planner, but you think you can't afford one, or that it is a "non-necessary" that just won't fit in your budget.

Let me tell you some stories about the last two weddings I was hired for. Here are but some of the last-minute problems I had to trouble-shoot on the "big day":

...The bride didn't purchase enough supplies for all of the centerpieces.

...Just before the toasting, we realized the designated bartender forgot to bring the corkscrew.

...The bride forgot the Mothers' roses (a surprise gift during the ceremony) at home.

...The rental company was 3 hours late and shorted us 12 napkins.

...The large floral arrangement in the sanctuary fell - twice!

...The bride's bustle broke and, since the reception floor was cement, the underside of her wedding dress was black with dirt within minutes.

...The bride & groom, although counseled prior to sending out the invitations, invited more guests than the reception venue could hold.

...The tape to secure the wedding dress to the bride (provided by the bridal salon) wouldn't stick.

Add to that some additional stories from a wedding a friend was in on Friday:

...As a surprise to the bride, she was picked up from her hair & make-up appointment in a limo that delivered her to the church; once there, she realized that all of the centerpieces had been left in the trunk of her car.

...It was an outdoor wedding (at the hottest part of the day) and the temperature soared to over 100 degrees; the bridesmaids & groomsmen (in their 3-piece tuxes) almost passed out.

...The bride forgot the large under-skirt needed for her dress.

Can I just tell you this? In the examples from the first two weddings, all of the problems were handled without the bride even knowing about 90% of them. One of the greatest pleasures of my job is seeing the bride & groom laughing and smiling and having a wonderful time ... oblivious to any problems going on behind the scenes.

In the wedding from Friday, that bride didn't have a Wedding Planner. She was stressed-out, overwhelmed and in tears. And her family and wedding party were stressed out trying to help her fix the problems instead of being able to enjoy the day with her.

The cost of a good Wedding Planner will always be off-set by the discounts they are able to get for you, and by the research they can do on your behalf to find you the best deals and creative solutions. No, the discounts and deals do not account for the full cost of the Wedding Planner. Instead, what you are left paying for is your peace of mind.

Think about it: What is it worth to you to have the wedding of your dreams without the stress? What is it worth to you to spend your magical wedding day laughing and smiling and dancing your heart out with your new husband and your guests?

Stress or fun? Tears or romance? Anxiety or laughter?

Which will you remember when you look back on your wedding?

Fun Cookies!

Now here's something a little fun and different ... personalized wedding cookies! I will tell you up front that they are on the pricey side. However, I know that there are some of you with larger budgets; I also know that there are ways for the rest of you to be creative with just a few of these fabulous cookies.

The owner/creator, Eleni Gianopulos, is able to match any detail of your wedding on the cookie ... your bouquet, the colors of the wedding, the design of your dress, etc. She has had many celebrities as her clients.

An obvious use for the cookies is as desserts or even favors. However, Eleni is willing and able to get very creative. She's made specialized themed cookies to use as centerpieces, she's made them as save-the-date "cards" for destination weddings (think tropical palm tree), she's created them as engagement announcements and has even made bridesmaid cookies ("dressed" in full detail) for brides to use to invite their friends/family to be in the bridal party.

Here's her link: Eleni.

Go check it out and see what you can dream up!

Very Cool Marriage Certificate!

In the June/July issue of Modern Bride, there was a little blurb about these "antique" marriage certificates that are handmade by a man named Jeff Cane in Los Angeles. These marriage certificates are created with high-quality materials to replicate 15th Century pieces. They can be purchased on parchment, tile or wood. For an extra fee of $55, you can even have the exact signature of the bride & groom copied onto the piece. It's pretty cool for the Bride & Groom who want to "start their future with a sense of history". Check it out! ... An Englishman in LA.

Let's Talk Centerpieces!

I have to apologize for my lack of blogging the last 3 weeks (was it really 3 weeks??!). A combination of severe poison oak and preparing for a large wedding got me off track.

Today I thought we could talk about centerpieces. This is one area where you can really let your creativity run wild. Your centerpieces can be very traditional or very unique. They can be very expensive or very inexpensive. They can be large or small. They can be romantic or whimsical. They can be the same at every table, or they can vary from table to table (while keeping the same color scheme throughout). This can actually be very visually stimulating to the eye and create an interesting flair to your reception.

The ideas are absolutely endless and I won't pretend that I could come up with even 5% of the ideas that exist. But here are some ideas that can get your brain working. Don't be afraid to brainstorm!

Rather than using flowers or candles, use these little romantic lamps.

For a themed wedding, use glass bowls filled with fun items. Place a candle in the middle for that romantic ambience.

Be fun ... use jelly beans to fill the bottom of your vase! You can add small dishes of jelly beans around the vase that your guests can munch on.

Don't be afraid to get fruity! Fruit comes in all different colors and can easily be used to fill vases and bring in the colors of your wedding.

Frame your favorite poem or a picture of the two of you. This bride & groom had a love of books, so they were a perfect addition to the centerpieces. It allowed their personalities to be showcased.

Floating candles are very inexpensive and can be quite beautiful. Group some of varying heights.

Here's another fun vase filled with fruit.

If brown is one of your accent colors, coffee beans can be a great, aromatic filler.

Simple can be beautiful. Each centerpiece consists only of a small wooden tray (painted), some small stones, a silk flower and a candle. Notice how the candle heights are not all the same.

For those of you who are crafty, it doesn't get much easier than this. Buy an inexpensive cylinder vase and glue bamboo sticks all the way around.

One great idea is to have either cupcakes or a miniature wedding cake on each table. This allows you have a small cake for the cake-cutting ceremony, and it allows you to use your desserts as centerpieces. You no longer have to worry about what to do with all of those centerpieces at the end of the reception.

(*For those of you who are getting married in the Yamhill Valley/Portland/Salem area, I do have a multitude of different candleholders that can be rented out as centerpieces. This will save you about 50% off the cost of buying them!)

Here's something that's great for outdoor weddings. You get the romance of candles without the fear of them being blown out.

So how 'bout it? Did I get your creative juices flowing?

Sand Ceremony ... An Alternative to the Unity Candle

A very popular alternative to the Unity Candle during a wedding is the Sand Ceremony. While no one is quite certain whether this tradition began with the Native Hawaiians or the Native Americans, the symbolism of the ceremony is identical to that of the Unity Candle. It symbolizes the joining of two lives into one.

The way the ceremony works is this: there are 3 glass vases, the outer two containing two different colors of sand, one representing the bride and the other representing the groom. When the officiant comes to the part of the wedding ceremony where he talks about the joining of lives, the bride and groom pour their sand into the middle vase. The groom traditionally pours a little of his first to represent the fact that the man builds a strong foundation for the marriage. The bride then pours a little of hers to represent her commitment to the support of the marriage. The two of them then pour the remainder of their sand together to show the blending of their lives and their equality in the marriage. Sometimes a bride & groom will choose to leave some sand in the original vases to represent the fact that, while joined as husband & wife, they are still individuals.

The outcome is a beautiful, lasting reminder of the couple's commitment to one another. It is something that can be saved and displayed forever in their home. There are many Sand Ceremony vases that come with some kind of lid or cork so that there are no issues with the sand ever spilling out. And almost all of these special vases can be engraved.

While the Sand Ceremony is a beautiful alternative in any setting, it is especially fitting for outdoor weddings (where wind could extinguish a Unity Candle) and in venues where candles are prohibited. Because this tradition is gaining so much popularity, it is easy to find sand in almost any color you can imagine.

The Sand Ceremony is also great when there are children from a previous marriage or relationship. It is easy to create a Family Sand Ceremony where each member of the new family has their own vase of colored sand they can pour into the blended family vase.

Unique Bridesmaids

It used to be that every bride "dressed" her bridesmaids exactly alike... same dresses, same shoes, same jewelry, same manicure, same hairdo, same bouquets. If every woman had the same shape, height, hair color and length, skin tone, etc., that method of cookie-cutter perfection would be great. However, we women come in all shapes, sizes and colors, and what looks wonderful on one woman can look downright horrible on another.

Today's brides are much more kind to their bridesmaids. Bridal shops offer dresses that come in a multitude of shades so that a bride is able to choose her color and then allow each of her bridesmaids to select their own unique dress in that color. Each bridesmaid is able to choose a dress that flatters her individual figure.

Another newer trend that allows a bride to add a unique touch when it comes to her bridesmaids is varying their bouquets. There are two way to do this. The first is to have every bridesmaid carry a different color of the same flower. The second is to have every bouquet be completely different while carrying out the same color scheme. For instance, if a bride wanted all of the bridesmaids bouquets to be red & white, her florist could use different flowers for each bouquet while keeping the red & white theme.

Try out one of these unique ideas and your bridesmaids will love you!

Favors: To Be or Not To Be

In today's world of weddings, favors have become something that brides feel is expected of them by their guests. But is that really true?

Favors, by definition, are a gift from the bride & groom to their guests, a small token of thanks. While they are a very sweet gesture, they are not mandatory and can easily be cut out of your budget if you are looking for ways to save money. The guests who attend your wedding are there because they love you and are honored to be able to celebrate with you on your special day. They come expecting nothing in return.

If, however, you do have room in your budget for favors, they can be a very fun part of your planning. As you search through the myriad of ideas in magazines and online, keep in mind that, while the favors should reflect your unique personality as a couple, they are ultimately for the benefit of your guests. In other words, while a magnet of the two of you might seem cute, the only people who may ever use it are your moms and grandmas. And while it might seem elegant to have a favor with your names & wedding date engraved, again, only mom & grandma are going to see them as sentimental tokens worthy of keeping.

If you want to have favors that display your picture, names or wedding date, think edible and perishable: candy, cookies, water bottles, plant seeds, etc.

If you're thinking more along the lines of a keepsake or something practical, keep it generic. Your guests will appreciate it more and your money will not have been spent in vain.

If your favors are truly a "thank you" to your guests, make sure your choice reflects that.

Thankfully there are thousands of choices when it comes to favors. If you're looking for a great place to start with ideas, The Knot is an excellent choice. Go check it out!

Local Venue - Navarra Gardens

Today I would like to tell you about another local venue that is a gorgeous place to have a wedding... Navarra Gardens in Willamina, OR.

Owners Joe & Marie Navarra have worked hard to provide a natural setting full of beauty. In the late spring and summer, the grounds will be in full bloom, ignited with all sorts of brilliant colors.

If you look, you can imagine the peaceful sound of the river, the beauty of the flowers, lights or lanterns strung from the trees, and tables adorned with beautiful centerpieces.

Marie is one of my favorite people to work with. She is very flexible and wants nothing more than to provide a way for each bride to have her own unique wedding just as she's envisioned it.

Marie is so accommodating that she even welcomes brides to hold their rehearsal dinners in a relaxed atmosphere right here on the grounds.

She has a cute little cottage for the bride & her bridesmaids to get ready. She even welcomes them to spend the night in the cottage the night before.

When everything is in full bloom, the grape arbor provides a beautiful backdrop for pictures.

There are so many photo opportunites on these grounds that a bride is sure to want her photographer to come out beforehand to make a mental list of locations for some unique wedding pictures.

One thing that every bride is sure to love is how many water features there are. Imagine you and your new husband with this backdrop in your photos.

Navarra Gardens is perfect for both small and large weddings. Although you would have to rent all of the tables, chairs and linens for your wedding, the fee for the venue itself is so reasonable that there is nothing cost-prohibitive about it. And while Marie is able to provide you with vendor referrals, she is open to accommodating anyone you choose.

If you get the chance, call Marie and experience the pleasure of your own tour. And if you book through No Ordinary Affair, you can look forward to receiving a discount on this venue!

Local Venue - The Mansion at the Bayou

One of the things I'd like to do with this blog is to provide you with glimpses into the local Yamhill County wedding sites.

Today I'd love to tell you about The Mansion at the Bayou in McMinnville, OR. Here's a little history straight from their website:

The Mansion was built back in 1948, and was the family home of Dr. Byron A. White. Dr. White was well known for his chiropractic practice, which he began in 1922. Thousands of patients came from around the world to see Dr. White. He was known as “The Miracle Worker” to many and performed a method called “bloodless surgery” on his patients.

Interests of Dr. White were not limited to his chiropractic abilities. At the time of his death, Oct. 16, 1963, he was directing construction of a large golf course project. On April 11, 1964, the White family opened the first 9 holes plus a short 9. Dr. Whites dreams still lives on as many people enjoy and love the surroundings of the Bayou.

Amanda Mercier, the Mansion's Event Coordinator, is very personable and easy to work with. She and the new owners have done a lot of work toward renovating the Mansion in order to make it a very desirable location for a wedding. She has also secured discounts for brides from local vendors.

The grounds of the Mansion are gorgeous and well-manicured. For outdoor weddings, there is this beautiful gazebo for the ceremony, and room to easily accommodate up to 300 guests. The possibilities are endless as far as design, theme and decoration.

For indoor weddings of up to 75 people, there are two spectacular ballrooms. You can use the downstairs ballrom for the ceremony and the upstairs ballroom for the reception. There is ample room for dancing upstairs (even with tables!), as well as a special loft alcove for your DJ. The upstairs ballroom even comes complete with a bar area.

All of the Mansion's wedding packages include tables, chairs and linens for all of your guests.

It's a gorgeous place for a wedding.... and if you are referred through me (as your Wedding Planner), you get the added bonus of receiving a discount at this venue!

Wedding Cakes: Fondant vs. Buttercream

It's time to choose your wedding cake and you're faced with a dilemma... what kind of frosting you want on the cake. This is a matter in which you want to choose wisely!

Fondant icing is a sugar dough that is rolled onto cakes. It is what you see on most cakes in bridal magazines. It's the very pretty, very smooth icing that comes in a multitude of colors. Cake decorators use it to make the elaborate concoctions that are able to replicate literally anything. Without a doubt, fondant makes for some gorgeous and creative cakes. It also holds up well in heat if you have an outdoor wedding.

If you choose fondant, you can expect to pay about 3x more than you would for buttercream. Before committing to that kind of expenditure, do yourself a favor and request a taste test. In many instances, you will find that fondant is tasteless. Some cake designers are able to add flavoring to the fondant and this may or may not make it seem a little more edible to your guests. You'll have to decide. If you choose fondant, you might find that your guests simply eat the cake and leave the fondant shell on their plates.

Buttercream frosting, on the other hand, has a wonderful flavor. Some people will say that you cannot get that same smooth, finished look with buttercream like you can with fondant, but a good cake designer will be able to design a cake with buttercream frosting that looks every bit as good as one with fondant. (Note: Not every cake designer can achieve this, so be sure to view their portfolio!) By choosing buttercream, you are sure to get a cake that is delicious.

Either way you go, you will want to request to see pictures of past weddings your cake designer has done so you have a good idea of their level of expertise. Decide first what is most important to you... Is it taste? Is it appearance? Does your choice fall within your allotted budget?

Be Kind to Your Feet!

I just got done coordinating a rehearsal and wedding this past weekend and I was reminded anew how important it is to have some comfortable shoes for the reception!

As a bride, I know how much thought and preparation and time go into finding just the right shoes to compliment your wedding dress. The shoes can add that extra bit of "bling" to help you feel like a princess on your special day.

However, by the time you reach the reception, you have already been in those princess shoes for several hours and suddenly they may not seem as comfortable anymore. Unless you slip into something a little more comfortable, you may find that you are hobbling before the day is even over.

Here are some suggestions for you:

If you love being barefoot and your reception area has grass, sand, or even carpet, then by all means kick off your shoes and enjoy! Just don't try going barefoot on cement, tile or hardwood floors or your feet will still be aching by the day's end.

Some brides opt for cute ballet shoes. These, however, are little more than covering for bare feet. They will keep your feet clean, but they won't provide any cushion between you and the hard floor.

Many websites offer special flip flops for brides. One such site I found is AnaDia T. Another one is Exclusively Weddings. While this site is a little more pricey, the shoes are elevated so your dress is less likely to drag on the floor. Advantage Bridal offers rhinestones on their flip flops instead of bows.

If you're not a flip-flop type of bride, you can always opt for some cute, comfortable sneakers. You can buy and/or decorate your own, or you can opt for an online company like Savvy Sneaks and Sandals.

There is also an online discussion board for brides on this very subject. It's found on Yahoo! Answers.

No matter what you choose, do keep in mind that your dress will be altered to fit with your ceremony shoes. If your reception shoes are significantly shorter (or if you choose to go barefoot), your dress may drag a little. Be sure to try out your dress with your reception shoes before the big day. In most cases, your dress will drag very little and your feet will be very grateful.

The Making of a Great Reception

According to a survey conducted by Modern Bride Magazine, what your guests are likely to remember most from your wedding is not your dress or the food or the cake or the decorations. What they are most likely to remember is the entertainment! Yes, there will be tender and touching moments that they savor along with you; and yes, there are likely to be some funny moments that live on as stories long after your wedding is over. But what your guests may remember most is whether or not they had fun.

Think of it this way: while the wedding ceremony is the joining of two lives, the reception is technically the first party the two of you host as husband & wife. While the ceremony is all about you, the reception is just as much about your guests as it is about you.

Your choice of entertainment has the power to make or break your reception. Whether you hire a band or a DJ or have Uncle Pete stand in as the Master of Ceremonies, your reception can be a great success if you choose wisely. The person or band you choose needs to be able to direct the pace and flow of the reception, they need to be able to creatively involve your guests, they need to have an entertaining personality and be skilled in public speaking, and they need to take the time to get to know you on a personal level beforehand. It's important that they make this event unique to the two of you and that they carry out your vision for the day.

Keep in mind that you often get what you pay for. If someone's prices are far below average, you need to ask yourself why. Get referrals from people you know; see the DJ or band perform live at another event, if possible; or contact a local Wedding Planner for some great referrals.

How A Wedding Planner Can Help

In our world where the economy is tight, gas prices are soaring, and everyone is trying to save money, many of you brides wonder why you would need a Wedding Planner, or just how you could ever afford to pay for one. Am I right?

Let me put your mind at ease... not only can a good Wedding Planner help you, they can also save you both time and money.

All brides go into planning with the thought they get only one shot at having the perfect wedding. Right off the bat there is that pressure to get everything right, to live out the dream wedding and to impress the guests. For some brides that pressure becomes overwhelming right from the start. It takes about 250 hours to plan an average wedding ("Plan Your Wedding in No Time" by Leah Ingram). Trying to fit an extra 250 hours worth of work into your already busy schedule can be difficult, to say the least. A Wedding Planner can alleviate much of that stress and pressure and can allow you to enjoy your engagement with your new fiance.

By bringing a Wedding Planner in right from the beginning, you have someone who can take your vision and turn it into a reality. The Wedding Planner can either work with you from start to finish, or they can simply head you in the right direction by referring you to the best vendors for your budget. The Wedding Planner is able to keep your budget on track and is often able to get you vendor discounts that you could not get on your own.

If, however, you love the planning & organization parts of a wedding (as I do!), you may not think about bringing in a Wedding Planner until a month or so before the wedding. This is usually the time that most brides really feel the stress of the last-minute details; the handling of the guest list and seating; the coordination of the vendors and the decorating; the organization of the rehearsal, ceremony and reception; etc. The Wedding Planner can take all of that responsibility off your shoulders.

Perhaps, though, it is simply the actual wedding day that causes your stomach to go in knots. You wonder who will make sure that the cake knife is at the table, that your family is in the right place at the right time for the pictures, that the florist delivers the right flowers, that the photographer isn't AWOL at a critical moment, that the reception schedule flows smoothly and your guests enjoy themselves. The Wedding Planner will confirm with all of your vendors, will have detailed itineraries for both the wedding party and the wedding vendors, will coordinate the rehearsal, will handle the tiny details, and will troubleshoot any last-minute problems that arise. This allows you, your family and your guests to enjoy the wedding celebration that you have worked so hard to put together.

So is a Wedding Planner a luxury or a necessity? Why don't you take advantage of a free consultation with one in your area and then decide for yourself...