Thursday, January 31, 2013

Why Hire a Wedding Planner?

Megan is sneaking the bride down the back steps so the groom cannot see her!

Back in May of 2010, I officiated the wedding of Megan and Jason Gillikin. At the time, Megan was the Catering Manager at the Marriott Renaissance Hotel in North Hills. She and I had worked several weddings together at that venue and I was honored to officiate for her and Jason. Shortly after getting married, Megan stepped out on her own and acquired A Southern Soiree, a wedding planning company, and her expertise, hard work and the wonderful staff she put together have made A Southern Soiree one of the most desirable and popular wedding planning companies in North Carolina today.  Go here to see some of the weddings on this blog that Megan and I have worked together on. Since she has seen both the venue side of wedding coordination and the independent wedding planner perspective and because she planned her own wedding, I asked her to write an article to share on my blog. I also asked her to explain the difference between a venue wedding coordinator and an independent wedding planner. So here it is! Thank you, Megan! 
Guess who thought to bring scissors!

Have you ever had a married friend tell you, “The wedding day was a blur and it was so difficult to take it all in?”  Well, let me tell you that your friend is absolutely right! The wedding day, the ceremony, and the reception will be over in the blink of an eye.  Before you know it, you’ve opened a few gifts and you’re off on your honeymoon. Hiring a planner won’t slow that time down, however by hiring an experienced wedding planner, you’ll be able to let go and enjoy your day – your unforgettable special moment – and the entire planning process!

Even though all brides truly want to let go and enjoy, some believe that hiring a wedding planner is a frivolous expense.   The reality is that a good coordinator can keep you on budget and make sure you spend your money wisely.
Wedding planners pin on boutonnieres. 

Most brides don’t understand the difference between a venue coordinator/catering manager and an independent event planner.  I spent four and a half years working for Marriott in various catering coordinator roles before A Southern Soiree, so having done both jobs I’ve done my best to explain some of the main differences below: 

An independent event/wedding planner has worked at multiple venues in the area, knows the ins and outs and rules of various venues, and is experienced in negotiating contracts with your florist, photographer, DJ, etc. So what might seem like a “frivolous” expense can actually save you money – and is guaranteed to save you time!  There are a few (really just a few!) venues here in the area which offer complete coordination of all details and in these cases, it is not always necessary to hire an outside planner. 

If you have a “wedding coordinator” from your reception venue, in most cases it is not the same as hiring an event planner. Don’t get me wrong, there are some amazing coordinators at the local venues in the area, but that individual’s job is to make sure that everything relating to the facility (set-up, food, staffing) runs properly. A planner will be a second set of eyes at the event and will make sure every detail is covered – even the little things like making sure the champagne is poured before the toasts start or loading your gifts into your family’s car at the end of the night. 
Gina was "day of" wedding coordinator for this small wedding. 

Some other things to consider:

·      Many venues do not offer ceremony coordination as a part of the package.  Many local officiants also request that you have a dedicated person to handle the ceremony logistics.  This is where it’s key to consider hiring an outside coordinator.   We will work with you (and your officiant) closely on all of the ceremony details including the processional, recessional, special reserved seating, dealing with unique family dynamics and current ceremony etiquette.
·       The planner is the “go to” person for the event (so that you or your close friends and family do not have to be this point person). Many times weddings can have 20+ vendors involved in pulling off an event. When you factor that number in with your entire wedding party, your family, and your guests, you have lots of people with questions and concerns! As your planner, we can provide answers to all those people and ensure that you only have to think about the love and joy of the day, not the details!
·       What if the cake doesn’t arrive on time or your getaway car at the end of the night doesn’t show up? Whether you like to admit it or not, most big events involve some type of crisis – and this is not typically the responsibility of the venue coordinator. Our experience gained from working in the industry allows us to anticipate challenges that our clients may not see coming.

Kailey is getting the wedding party at The Carolina Inn all lined up to process in.
      Special guests at this wedding were the Clef Hangers who made a surprise appearance at the end of this ceremony. Kailey is watching to see when to cue them to enter. 
·      A planner will attend all of your initial consultations with you and will help you select your vendors. We will review and negotiate contracts for you and will remind you of upcoming payments due to all your vendors as well.  Although a venue coordinator is often happy to provide you with vendor recommendations, they will typically not get involved in the contract or payment process.

   Even for couples who don’t mind the long hours or really enjoy being hands on, having a planner can still be beneficial to you. A planner is not hired to take over and make decisions for you, but instead to guide and assist you in making informed decisions. The event is supposed to be about you and making your dreams into reality.  The MOST important reason for you to hire a planner is to avoid all of the stress! A lot of people who plan a wedding without a professional planner become so stressed that they cannot wait until the event is over. We want you to enjoy the process of planning, then relax, be at your best, and take it all in on your big day!
If you need a wedding planner, please check out our website at www.asouthernsoiree.comand contact us for a complimentary consultation.

Bryllupsbloggen er åpen! The Norwegian Wedding Blog


Da er vi på nett - endelig!

The Norwegian Wedding Blog, din unike inspirasjonskilde for brud & bryllup på web.


Inspirert av alle de vakre bryllupsbloggene rundt i verden som; Style Me Pretty, Green Wedding Shoe, Love & Lavender, 100 Layer Cake, RockNRoll Bride + disse, for å nevne noen veldig få, fant vi ut det var på tide at også Norge, fikk sin egen brud - og bryllupsblogg, med en moderne & stylish twist. Vi skal gjøre vårt beste, for å leve opp til våre 'søsterblogger', og være kilde til inspirasjon og glede for alle som elsker å lese om bryllup, og for alle som trenger inspirasjon på sin vei mot bryllup og giftermål.

Vi lar herlige bilder fra filmen THE VOW - få åpne inspirasjonen & introduksjonen av bloggen vår, da vi synes de er betegnende for hva vi ønsker å representere.




VELKOMMEN!

På THE NORWEGIAN WEDDING BLOG, ønsker vi å fremheve de vakreste & orginale bryllupene fra Norge, Skandinavia og verden ellers, til glede og inspirasjon for våre norske bruder, brudepar, og lesere, slik at du kan planlegge din perfekte dag - og bryllup. Vi ønsker de personlige & moderne bryllupene med hjerte & sjel, de storslåtte, og de intime, de elegante og de bohemske.

NWB ønsker å representere noe annerledes, noe som berører både blikket og følelsene. Derfor setter vi vår ære og stolthet i å publisere noe som kan vise noe unikt, og være med å dra de norske brud - og bryllupstrendene fremover i tiden. Vi ønsker å være moderne og fresh, med en stylish twist. Hos NWB elsker vi selvsagt detaljer, og ønsker alltid endel detalj bilder.

Vi publiserer bare bryllup som kommer fra fotografen av deres store dag. Har du et bryllup du ønsker vi skal publisere, be da den respektive fotografen ta kontakt med oss, for mer informasjon om hva vi trenger. Sammen med bildene ønsker vi at det skal følge en kort tekst om brudeparet om hvordan de/dere møttes, og hvordan den store bryllupsdagen var. Samtidig er det viktig å få med all informasjon om de forskjellige leverandører, som var med på å gjøre deres dag perfekt (dvs navn/tittel/leverandør med link, hvis det finnes). Ta kontakt med oss, slik at vi sammen kan presentere moderne & stylish romantikk 'på godt norsk'!


New Arrivals February @ Wedding Bells

Here we go again! Latest design of Wedding gowns :- beautiful and  flattering, sweet and gorgeous, mermaid and princess cut dresses have arrive at your one and only store ya kuaminika- Wedding Bells.... si ya kukosa
Model Lauren...all the way from Canada!!



...akikukumbusha we are now in Mwenge only!! barabara ya Africa sana/TRA






Trust us in the very best quality dresses by which you cant find anywhere else in Tanzania


Do not miss.....Nguo ni nyingi za kila aina... More pictures to follow! ...in the mean time wahi sasa @ Wedding Bells

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Emerald Green and Pink Ideas

Here are some green and pink ideas...  

center piece flowers



A 'sustainability' theme with a little bit of vintage & some rustic tones

As our loyal readers know, at The Wedding Gurus we love to celebrate those who take a chance and do things a little 'differently'. We love to bring you inspiring pictures and ideas of those who have been courageous enough to try something unique and have pulled it off fabulously.

Vintage themes are definitely a popular choice with couples and wedding stylists and our readers are always on the look out for interesting and inspiring ideas, but the wedding we are bringing you today was much more than simply vintage it carried the theme of 'sustainability'.

The wedding of Leah and Mawson was held in the gorgeous Adelaide Hills town of Woodside  -approximately 38km's south-east of Adelaide City, at Bird in Hand winery.

Take a look at the wonderful ways they have recycled, reused and incorporated produce to create an amazing and fresh look.




Leah's dress was by local designer Caleche Bridal (Norwood), although Leah herself designed the sleeves of the vintage inspired dress.


 Leah spent many months collecting individual recyclable pieces including some pictured below


With the stark contrast of the background against the lucious green lawn and vegetation of the property, this was the perfect setting for a natural look


Some of the local wildlife also managed to steal a small piece of the spotlight




The uniquely brilliant and delicious cake was made out of layers of gourmet cheese.





These arrangements were an assortment of local wild flowers and plants


The couple actually grew all of the herbs that were beautifully placed on the tables with great effect and added to this were lemons and limes for the guests to take home.


The cheeseboards pictured above were actually made by the brides father from old wine barrells in an effort to promote recycling ideas. 


 

These completely cute wooden pegs were used as place settings and the whole scene set amongst the wine barrels with splashes of green herbs and colourful fruit was a sustainability fans dream.




Heirloom seeds were even given to the guests as gifts on the table 




We hope that some of these great and unique ideas have inspired you to think outside the box when it comes to your own wedding. Leah and Mawson have certainly gone to great lengths to create a reception that truly represents who they are and what they believe in and which hopefully reminds us, even just a little to remember what is important to us when it comes to planning our big day.

The Wedding Gurus
xxxx



Thursday, January 24, 2013

Yet Another Nice Thank You Note!

We love being thanked, and since today is National "Thank You" Day, we thought you might enjoy reading this as much as we did.

By the way, THANK YOU, fair blog reader, for paying attention to what we write, right here.

Juli

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Bridal Bouquets Spring 2013 trend

In 2013 bridal bouquets expected to change from just plain roses to a wild and rainbow colours by mixing different type of flowers...let see how experts suggested... (sijui kama hii tunaweza sana in TZ but few can try)


 



Go exotic!!!

 
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