Wedding Guest Etiquette, As Seen on WJXT's The Morning Show

I had the pleasure of speaking with Nikki Kimbleton on WJXT's The Morning Show again today - this time, the topic was Wedding Guest Etiquette.  Here are some of the tips we discussed:

Can you wear white to a wedding?

There is no hard and fast rule that says "no," but it is generally frowned upon. However, the bride will never notice what her guests are wearing!

Where do you sit if you are friends with both the bride and groom?

You can sit on either side. We ask our ushers to keep the seating balanced, so sit on whichever side has the fewer guests.

Should you bring a gift to the wedding? Gifts are never required. However, if you choose to give one, it's best to send it ahead of time to the bride or groom, or up to one year after the wedding!

Do you have to stick with the registry? I'm saying, YES! This is one of the biggest pet peeves we hear from brides and grooms. They spend many hours setting up their registry and choosing items for their homes - stick with their wish list.

Is cash better? What is an appropriate amount? Emily Post says, "Let your affection for the bride and groom be your guide." In general, think about the amount you would spend on a gift, and give the same as a cash gift.

What if you are invited but your significant other is not? You should never, under any circumstances, bring an additional (uninvited) guest to a wedding. However, you may want to gently ask the bride or groom to be sure there was not an error.

What is the #1 mistake guests make? Arriving late!  Plan to be in your seat for the ceremony 15 minutes before the time listed on the invitation. If you do arrive late, wait outside the church until the processional has finished, and then slip in a side door or the balcony.

Check out the interview here! http://www.news4jax.com/video/28810496/index.html

What To Put In Welcome Bags

Lately, we have been getting a lot of questions from brides about what to put in their welcome bags. In case you aren't familiar with the term, these are little bags or baskets of goodies delivered to the hotel room of your out-of-town guests. They can be as elaborate or as simple as your budget will allow! The container itself can be inspired by your wedding location, theme, or personalities - we've seen everything from cute beach pails to formal baskets to reusable shopping bags.  If you opt for the gift bag route, you can have them printed with your names and wedding date, or attach a cute tag to the handle.  The bag pictured here  is from FavorsYouKeep.com.

So what goes inside?  The most common items are:

• Bottled water.  An absolute must!
• Snacks.  Something salty, something sweet, and perhaps something with a local flair. (More on this below.)
• Information about the area.  Contact the local visitors' bureau or chamber of commerce, and they will be more than happy to send you brochures and maybe even coupons!
• Information about the wedding.  If you have an action-packed weekend planned, include an itinerary and maps/directions if transportation isn't being provided.
• Contact information.  Assign a local friend to act as your concierge for the weekend to help with last minute questions from your guests.

From the basics, you can upgrade to include bottles of wine, personalized toiletry items like lotion or bubble bath, even slippers!  If you are planning a beach wedding, perhaps a pair of flip flops and bottle of sunscreen.  For a garden wedding, a lovely hat. Just remember that your guests will have to pack these items for their trip home, or leave them behind.

When our brides ask us for "regional" favorites, we suggest:

• Peterbrooke chocolates
• Florida oranges
• Boiled peanuts
• Datil pepper sauce
• San Sebastian wines

What are some of your favorite welcome bag items?

Royal-Inspired DIY Candle Centerpieces

I recently attended a conference session called "25 Centerpieces Under $25." While most of our clients spend a great deal more than that on their centerpieces, I got some great ideas for enhancing floral arrangements, adding a special touch to a bar or guest book table, or perking up the ladies' room.

One idea presented was adding ribbon to the top of vases or candle holders.  While this isn't a new idea, the speakers put a little twist on it by using a pretty lace ribbon.  Lace has been extremely hot since William and Kate's wedding, and what an easy way to add a royal-inspired touch to your wedding!

I found this photo on a blog post over at Wedding Paper Divas.  What a pretty glow!  Even if you are using floral centerpieces, this would be a beautiful additional to the table surrounding your arrangement.

Have you found any cute DIY ideas you will be incorporating into your wedding?

Such An Honor!

Earlier this week, I attended NACE Experience! 2011, the annual conference for the National  Association of Catering Executives.  I have been a NACE  member for 10 years, and on the board of directors most of that time.  I always come home from their conference with a notebook full of  ideas I can't wait to share with the First Coast Weddings team, and our clients. During the conference, I received a huge honor - I was  named to NACE's President's List.  This award is presented for "outstanding achievement and selfless volunteer service."  We have an excellent Northeast Florida chapter, and it's an honor to be recognized by them and the national board of directors as well.

Speaking of our chapter, we  won Chapter of the Year for 2011! We were up against two other great chapters in the "under 100 members" category.  With over 40 chapters across the country, it was so exciting to be selected!

I love being involved with local, national, and international associations for so many reasons - but mostly, I love giving back to the hospitality industry!

Love Note: Shanae and Marlon (07.16.11) - The Lodge and Club Wedding

I just received a sweet email from Shanae's parents! We can't wait to share more details about their wedding at The Lodge and Club.

Heather,

Thank you for all of your hard work during Shanae and Marlon's wedding. Your attention to every detail was impeccable. Your coordination and organization of the wedding was outstanding. You and your staff helped make this an unforgettable event.

It was a joy working with you... You took the stress out of wedding planning....Thank You !

This was one of the happiest days of our families lives

Thank you again for making everything extra special.

Engagement photo by Naturally Photography

Wedding Tips, As Seen on WJXT's The Morning Show

This morning, I got hang out at Channel 4's The Morning Show and share some tips for planning your wedding.  Here is a recap of the tips I discussed, plus a few more we didn't have time for!

Budget-Saving Tips:

• Plan ahead - don't rush your decisions, and spend time comparison shopping. This will also save on rush charges.
• Remember to factor in all aspects of a purchase; for example, your wedding gown may cost $1000 but you also need alterations, shoes, a veil, jewelry, and undergarments. These extras can almost double the price!
• Check websites like Craigslist or Ebay for decorations, centerpieces and accessories.  Brides often sell their decorations after a wedding.
• Consider investing in wedding insurance to protect your deposits and purchases.

Watch out for:

• Additional venue fees, like room rental, bartenders fees, and overtime charges. Sometimes these are included in the menu price, sometimes they are not.
• Large companies that can't guarantee you will be working with on your wedding day - especially DJs, photographers, videographers.  Be sure you can meet with the person you will actually work with to be sure their style matches yours.
• Unlicensed or uninsured vendors.

Some general tips:

• Check the Better Business Bureau, online customer reviews, and actual client references before hiring anyone
• Know your budget before you book anything, and prioritize your wish list.
• If you are ordering a product online, order a sample first (invitations, programs, favors).
• Ask about return/refund/cancellation policies; these should be clearly stated on the contract or receipt.
• Use a credit card to add a layer of protection to your deposits.

Rebekah & Dave (5.28.11) - TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach

We had the pleasure of coordinating Rebekah and Dave's lovely ceremony at TPC Sawgrass on May 28th.  One of my favorite moments was watching Rebekah and Dave share a very sweet and romantic first look with their family and bridal party.  I can't wait to to see the rest of the photos from Corinna Hoffman!  Congratulations to the new Mr. & Mrs! Rebekah and Dave had a great team of wedding professionals:

Photography:  Corinna Hoffman Photography

Music:  Event Sound Entertainment

Flowers:  Kelley's Bloom Room

Officiant: Pastor Cedric Johnson

Hair & Makeup: A Glamour Bride

More photos from Rebekah and Dave's wedding will be posted on Corinna's blog next week!

Love Note: Sandi and Jason (05.21.11) - St. Augustine Beach Wedding

Emma,

Thank you so much for everything with the rehearsal and the wedding. You and your team did an amazing job decorating, running everything so smoothly, and making it possible for us to relax and enjoy ourselves. Several of our guests said it was one of the most beautiful beach weddings they'd ever been to and everything ran perfectly. We could not have done it without you!

Sandi

Lauren & Kevin - Grace UNited Methodist Church and River House Wedding, St. Augustine

I was so excited when I got Lauren's email.  It read: "I interned for Heather in 2007 and she was the first person I thought of when I got engaged!" It was such a joy to spend time with Lauren again, and to get to know her parents.  And to hear all about Kevin.  Since he is in the Air Force, I didn't actually get to meet him until the rehearsal, but I know he  is an incredible man that is perfect for Lauren.

Their wedding day was just amazing, as you'll see in the incredible photos from Brandy  Burridge.  The rest of their amazing team included:

• Ceremony: Grace United Methodist

• Reception: River House

• Photographer: Brandy Burridge Photography

• DJ: D'Land Entertainment (Darrin)

• Florist: Rose Of Sharon European Florist

• Caterer: Valerie Kline

• Wedding Cake: Delicious Designs by Irma Kay Strickland

This was so sweet.  Although they didn't see each other, Lauren and Kevin prayed together before their ceremony from opposite sides of the door.

This is one of the  most amazing reactions I've ever seen caught on camera!

The cake was cut with a sword that Lauren's parents and grandparents used at their weddings!

Love the LED lighting  provided by D'Land Entertainment! These are wireless, can be changed to any color (or even changed during the event), and don't get hot.

Ready to see more?  Check out Brandy's blog post for lots more photos from this wedding!

Words of Wisdom from Randy Fenoli

I recently attended an event in Orlando for wedding professionals featuring none other than Randy Fenoli, star of Say Yes To The Dress and Fashion Director at Kleinfeld Bridal. At the end of his presentation, Randy opened the floor to questions.  I asked, "What is the one thing you wish every bride would do before their first dress appointment?"  After the shouts of  "wear underwear!" from every seamstress and bridal shop owner in the audience, Randy answered the question quite simply: bring  in  pictures!

He suggests pulling  a few pictures (don't get carried away) from magazines of dresses that you like.  He said he can tell a lot from a picture - and it's not always about the actual dress.  It might be the fabric, it might be the look on her face.  So don't be afraid to bring in some ideas when you make your first appointment to try on gowns.

Randy has a new book coming out in November, which you can pre-order on Amazon.com.  It will have tons of his tips - and will feature only photos of real brides in real dresses in every shape and size.  We can't wait to read it, Randy, and thanks for helping make every bride beautiful!

Love Note: Lauren & Kevin (05.07.11)

I got the sweetest card from Lauren's mom:

Dear Heather,

I could not have been so relaxed this week without you.  You have made this day even more special. I really appreciate your attention to detail and organizational skills. It has been so much fun getting to know you.  Lauren spoke so highly of you and you have impressed us greatly.

Thanks so much, Jim and Debbie

We love Lauren, and her parents too!  (And her photographers, Brandy and Beau of Brandy Burridge Photography... we swiped this image from their blog!)

Wedding Planners Don't Just Work On The Weekends!

Yesterday, I had the honor of attending the first ever Executive Women's Day at The Players Championship. It was a terrific day filled with networking with powerful women, inspiring discussions from a panel talented female executives, and an entertaining and informative keynote address from MSNBC's Contessa Brewer.

I thought it was interesting when one of my fellow attendees asked me what I would normally be doing if I weren't at that event.  It made me realize that not everyone realizes that being an event planner, specifically a wedding planner, is a full-time job.  So I thought I'd make a little list of some of the things I handle on a daily basis at the office!

• Call and email vendors for upcoming weddings to finalize the wedding day schedule (about 10 hours per wedding)
• Create wedding timelines, inventory lists, bridal party mailings, and other day-of paperwork (about 10 hours per wedding)
• Check availability with vendors for my clients (about 20 hours per wedding)
• Gather pricing information and submit it with analysis to my clients (5-10 hours per wedding)
• Meet with clients as they interview prospective vendors, and then as they begin to finalize details (about 20-40 hours per wedding)
• Follow up with clients to be sure they are completing their to-do lists for the month (3-5 hours per month)
• Return emails and phone calls to discuss details with clients (2-3 hours per day)
• Meet with potential new clients regarding their wedding (3-7 hours per week)
• Create proposals for prospective clients (3-7 hours per week)
• Send out contracts, set up online binders, create files for new clients (2-3 hours per wedding)
• Assorted bookkeeping and accounting tasks (2-3 hours per week)
• Assorted marketing tasks, like uploading photos to our blog, website, Facebook, Flickr, etc. (5-10 hours per week)
• Meet with potential new vendors and check their references (2-3 hours per week)

I'm sure there is a lot more - maybe my fellow wedding planners can add some of their favorite tasks in the comments?

Love Note: Jessica and Brian (04.16.11) - TPC Sawgrass, part 2

Thanks again, Melanie, for making Brian and I's wedding day so special. The ceremony was flawless and know that wasin large part due to your work and planning. Really appreciate your work and please let me know if we can every be a resource or reference moving forward.

All the best,

Jess

Love Note: Jessica and Brian (04.16.11) - TPC Sawgrass

Melanie,

Thank you so much for you and Emma’s help in making our daughter’s wedding everything that she wanted.  We appreciated your professionalism and your seamless way of making sure everyone was where they were supposed to be.  It was a pleasure working with you both.

Jeanne, Mother of the Bride

Royal Wedding Tips: Flowers

While we still don't know exactly what the flowers for the royal wedding will look like, it's been reported that Kate has been very deliberate in her choices.  According to Shane Connolly, floral artistic director for the wedding, "One of the things that has been very important to Catherine is the meanings of flowers and the language of flowers."  Some of the flowers planned for Westminster Abbey include azaleas, the Chinese symbol of femininity, and lilacs, which represent first love. During the Victorian Era, flowers were sent as coded messages, allowing individuals to express feelings which otherwise could not be spoken.  What are some other flowers the "speak" of weddings?

• Calla Lilies:  "Magnificent Beauty"
• Chrysanthemum: "Wealth, abundance, truth"
• Gardenia: "Purity, joy"
• Hydrangea: "Understanding"
• Orchid: "Love, beauty"
• Stephanotis: "Marital happiness"
• Sunflower: "Pure thoughts"

But stay away from yellow roses, which symbolize a decrease in love, and petunias, which signify anger!

Royal Wedding Tips: The After Party

Prince William and his bride Kate will certainly have a busy wedding day!  Immediately following their wedding ceremony, Queen Elizabeth will be hosting a reception for the newlyweds.  Then in the evening, 300 of the couples' closest family and friends will dance the night away at Buckingham Palace.  But what about the after party?

Prince Harry has that covered.  He is said to be hosting a breakfast at 6:00 am for those still on the dance floor.

The concept of an after party has grown in popularity over the past few years.  Some couples choose a nearby bar for a more intimate celebration with their friends after the reception ends.  Others create a whole second reception!

We've seen couples transform a smaller ballroom at the same venue into a trendy dance club, complete with lounge furniture and mood lighting.  Often, another round of food is served - the "late night snack" that includes everything from mini-pizzas to sliders to McDonald's French fries.  The photo above is from our friends at Room Service, a great source for lounge furniture rentals.

How will you be continuing your wedding celebration?

Royal Wedding Tips: The Guest List

With the royal wedding just days away, you may have heard talk of who did, and didn't, make the guest list.  While most brides and grooms don't have to deal with the political protocol that William and Kate do, there can be tricky situations when creating you wedding guest list.

How do you decide who to invite?  Maybe one of you has an extremely large family while the other's family is very small. Maybe your parents want to take over and invite their business associates from across the country.  Maybe your venue can only seat half of those you'd like to invite.

Family: Start with your immediate families.  Next add your extended family - grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins.  Many of us have friends that we are closer to than our family; they should be next on the list.

Friends and co-workers: I often tell my brides to imagine watching their wedding video or looking at their photo album in five years - will you still be friends with that person?  If you were having a small dinner at your home, would you invite this person? If the answer is no, then cut them from the list.

The Plus One: Does every person have to bring a guest? No. If they are married, engaged, or living together, then they need to be invited.  But your frat brother doesn't need to bring whatever girl he picked up the night before!

Lastly, don't feel obligated to invite someone just because you went to their wedding. Relationships can change over time, and you shouldn't feel awkward about it.

Royal Wedding Tips: Traditions

Yes, THE wedding is almost here! It's finally the week of the wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton.  So we'll be doing a series of posts with things you can learn from the royal couple. First up, we'll look at traditions.  It's been reported that William and Kate have been in charge of all aspects of their wedding  day, unlike most royal weddings in the past.

Kate chose  her wedding cake and its baker, reportedly a multi-tiered cake  with cream and white frosting with scrollwork, leaves and flowers.  The couple have  also chosen the charities that will benefit from donations in lieu of gifts.  And the choice to have the wedding in Westminster Abbey, a "small," intimate venue that only seats 1,800 was reportedly their choice as  well.

So if William and Kate can break with family traditions, why can't other modern couples?  Many brides and grooms find themselves torn between two families, two cultures, or two religions.  But a wedding ceremony should truly reflect the couple getting married, and who they will become as a new family.

It's always best to try to incorporate little  touches from each  family, but there is no reason for the bride  and groom to give in to every whim!  Start early, 6-9 months before the wedding, by asking each set of parents  (and grandparents, if that's  important to you), what traditions they would like incorporated into the wedding day.  Make a list,  and then prioritize them.  Be sure that equal priorities are given to each side of the family, and then begin exploring ways to include those traditions.  If there  is something you feel strongly about, be honest.  But remember that in the end, it's YOUR wedding day!

Escort Cards vs Place Cards: What's the difference?

Often mistakenly interchanged, escort cards and place cards actually serve two distinctive purposes.  Simply, escort cards let guests know where they are sitting. In effect they escort guests to their seats.  These cards are often seen creatively displayed on a separate table just outside the dining area.

Alternatively, place cards sit on each table and indicate the specific seat where a guest will sit. In addition they are often used to indicate to the catering staff which meal you guests have chosen, if they have been given a choice between two or three items.

And what if you have open seating? Well then cards aren't necessary at all! For the couples who to choose to use escort and pace cards, use it as an opportunity to enhance your decor! For example escort cards can be hanging from a tree or enclosed in an envelope. Place cards can be placed inside a frame or attached to a single flower. Don't be afraid to get creative!

Tom & Lydia (03.27.11) - TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach

Tom and Lydia were married in a beautiful ceremony at TPC Sawgrass on March 27th.   We were so happy to share their special day with them!  Our amazing vendor team included:

• Photography: Kris Graham Photography
• Music:  The String Group
• Cake: Classic Cakes
• Florist: Rose of Sharon European Florist
• Officiant: Rev. Craig Grandstaff, Sr.