Eating your money - Making the most of your event catering bill

Believe me, as an event planner I have seen that it is EASY to blow through $20,000+ by feeding (and giving alcohol to) 185+ people. For privileged couples this type of budget allowance is available. But, for those unable or unwilling to shell out that much money, may I suggest the following tips:

• Understand the correlation between the cost of catering and the number of mouths that you feed. Although the ‘quality’ of food that you serve your guests will increase or decrease the cost of catering for your event, you must first understand that the number one factor for enormous food bills is number of mouths that you are feeding.  If you are planning on inviting 100 guests to your reception then you need to plan to feed those 100 people.

If after doing the numbers with your caterer you do not have the funds to feed everyone on your invitees list, then it is time to re-evaluate your guest list. When it comes down to it, if you don’t have the money you don’t have the money. There is nothing to be ashamed about. However, you will need to modify your list to include only the most important persons.

"But we HAVE to invite everyone on our list to the reception!" Not true. Consider throwing a party where hors d’oeuvres and drinks can be served. When it comes down to it, a big reason that hurt feelings happen may be because people want to have an opportunity to share in your moment and in your joy. Creating a moment for those that you cannot afford to have at the reception is perfectly acceptable.

• Go heavy on the hors d’oeuvres . Although you may be serving a meal at the reception, consider adding a one-hour long cocktail party to allow guests to quench their post-ceremony hunger. Guests that eat before dinner will eat smaller portions and are less likely to go back for second portions. Go "fancy" and have butlered hors d’oeuvres passed to the guests, alongside "do it yourself" hors d’oeuvres stations.
• Filler, filler, Filler. Filler foods are foods that fill stomachs fast and for little money.  Have you ever eaten at a restaurant that first serves bread? Bread is an excellent filler. As for class, try using an exotic pasta, bruschetta + toppings, and other such foods that will take-up room in a guest’s stomach. Another helpful tip is to have the filler foods waiting at guest tables for the guests, so that they can get started with their eating before the food line opens or wait staff begins their service.
• Control your guests’ portions. Even (and especially) if you are offering a buffet, ask your caterer (or volunteers) to stand behind the foods to dole-out portions. Portion control is an easy way for you to save big dollars on large amounts of food that would otherwise not be consumed because most guests would not eat so much unless it were free.
• Post-dinner pickins. Especially when serving guests alcohol you may wish to consider erecting a few small hors d’oeuvres stations posted throughout the ceremony space. Guests that are dancing and drinking are likely to search the venue for a few crackers and cheeses, fruits, or sweets to munch on. As a bonus, giving guests reason to munch will allow for [slightly] less alcohol consumption. Keep in mind that for convenience sake you may not want to serve foods that require refrigeration or constant heating. (Food poisoning guests = icky.)
• Plan for the staff gratuity. In many situations the gratuity for the wait staff, bartenders, and food captains will be directly added to the food bill that you endorse from the caterer or venue. However, some companies will allow you to add-in your own gratuity based upon your experience. In either case make a decision that you are going to plan for the staff gratuity instead of being shocked or put-off by it. After all, the staff gratuity helps the people behind the wait staff uniforms to feed their own families.

Happy eating!

Best,
Alisha Forrester Scott, Owner
La Ruche. event design studio.

You can e-mail AFS at: studio@enterlaruche.com

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Preparing the Bridal Suite

I want to focus on a topic that is not discussed often, if at all - preparing your Bridal Suite.  If you can imagine a wedding day filled with non-stop action and passion, tears, and excitement, you can then imagine the "crash" that many couples feel once they leave the reception to head back to their Bridal Suite for their first night  together as a new couple.  This post is dedicated to making your overnight stay "post-wedding" a comforting success. If you are unable to prep by completing the tasks described below, perhaps you can ask a trusted friend or family member not in the wedding party to accommodate.

During your planning phase, consider the following questions and suggestions and how they will relate to your post-wedding overnight accommodations experience:

What will you eat? You may have just spent eight to ten hours looking and acting perfect, and perhaps you did not feel like or did not get a chance to eat at your own reception.  You’ll likely feel like consuming something light, something healthy, something without sugar or caffeine. Consider packing a meal to have waiting in the room, or better yet pre-order room service with your ideal meal. Remember, indulge yourselves…you don’t have to eat the same thing if you don’t want to!  If all else fails (or you forget to plan this part) you can always just order in pizza or Chinese and be less formal. Just make sure that you are able to find napkins and plates.

What will you drink? First, something hydrating, then perhaps something soothing. Whether a cup of tea or a night cap, have your favorite beverages and the proper equipment (ice, cups/glasses, tea, etc.) waiting for you in your room. Keep in mind that if you order alcohol from the hotel bar you can expect a price mark-up of literally at least 100% - A $35 magnum of Grey Goose will be marked-up as high as $100 - so plan accordingly.)

What will you listen to or watch? (Hint: not TV)…but maybe a movie you both like playing in the background? (Will you need a DVD player?) What if you want to listen to a favorite CD, or what if you have packed along your mp3 player and some little speakers (will you need your charger or batteries?)?

What will you want to smell? Soothing scents can enhance nearly everyone’s experience, no matter the situation. Consider bringing along some scented candles, incense, or room fragrance. Soothing scents such as lavender or vanilla will help your post-wedding transition.

What will help you to relax? Perhaps your idea of relaxation is popping open a beer, or perhaps you are anticipating sore feet and muscles.  To relieve a day’s worth of stress consider scheduling an in-room double massage for you and your sweetie. Believe me, there are companies that offer this in-room service - be sure to ask your concierge for a referral. (Don’t feel bad if you both find yourselves totally unwound and napping during the massage!) If a professional massage is out of the question, give each other a little rub-down (at least your feet!).

What type of lighting is present? Candlelight is most flattering, white (holiday) lights are magical. Whatever your lighting preference consider using dramatic lighting.  There is a chance that the room you are staying in has adjustable lighting (which means no extra work for you), so be sure to ask. Important: if you are going to bring candles make sure that you bring candle plates or holders to catch the melted dripping wax…you don’t want to have to pay for room damage.  Also, make sure that they have a fire extinguisher in the room (or at least nearby) for unforeseeable emergencies.

What will you want to wear? If you have packed something sexy to ‘play’ in, don’t forget to pack something new and comfortable to sleep in. Sleeping in your ‘everynight’ pajamas is not exciting, so consider purchasing a new pajama set…it will make your first married nights sleep a huge and special success.

Take a nap. Seriously. Whoever "invented" sex immediately following post-wedding may have been unwilling to discuss the sheer exhaustion which tries to infiltrate most newly married couples bedrooms. Before you both completely unwind for the evening, consider setting an alarm or scheduling a wake-up call with the front desk, and then settle down for a nice mid-sized nap. Once you wake-up you can shower or bathe and then begin the next phase of your night together.

The formal wake-up call . Perhaps you have brunch with your family scheduled for the next morning, or perhaps you are both going to get a massage. Be sure to call the front desk for a wake-up call, or be sure to pack and bring your own alarm to set, or have one of your friends call your hotel room. You won’t want to oversleep if you have plans for the next morning.

Do Not Disturb (DND ). If you end up getting into bed late (and waking-up late) you won’t want to be disturbed by the hotel staff trying to clean so be sure to place the DND sign on the door and enjoy. Another form of DND will be to hold your phone calls (call the front desk to request this), or simply unplug your hotel room phone. Don’t forget to turn-off your cell phones. You’ve earned a night together without any outside interruptions.

Enjoy your first night together!

Best,
Alisha Forrester Scott
La Ruche. event design studio.

You can reach AFS by e-mailing: studio@enterlaruche.com

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How to prep for a cold-weather wedding

Last Saturday, December 20, my little sister entered into matrimony .  In Arizona where we reside, cold weather may be defined as "below 70 degrees Fahrenheit".  So, you can imagine the goose pimples on the guests when weather for the outdoor ceremony and reception dipped below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Although most of the guests toughed-out the cold weather and stayed for the entire event, with recent memories of freezing fingers and toes, I propose the following ways to help avoid freezing guests and dwindling guest numbers:

1.  Mention the weather considerations in your invitation - You may wish to place a mention the cold weather alongside the registry, wedding website, or venue map.  For my sisters wedding we used a single (small) card (about the same size as the Response Card [RSVP Card] for this purpose, broken down as such:

Front side - Registry, event timeline, and weather consideration mention
Back side - Venue address, map, and driving directions

2. Having an indoor ceremony and/or reception? Set-up a coat check area . Guests will appreciate not having to lug around their winter coats, or worse yet having to hang them over the back of their chairs.

3.  Having the event(s) indoors away from the cold weather? Err on the side of placing the thermostat temperature "a little cool".  Consider that your guests may not be able to peel off too many layers past their winter coats should the indoor temperature climb.  (Nearly everyone gets warm when they dance.)

4.  Having the event(s) outdoors in the cold weather? Err on the side of heat which means considering the use of heaters, fireplaces, hand-warming packets , or decorative fire pits (covered or screened) where guests can warm their parts and then leave to enjoy more wedding action.

5.  Incremental weather means having brooms on-hand to sweep away water, shovels or a snowplow on stand-by to make a path in snow, and umbrellas for the ushers use to assist guests as they arrive and depart.

6.  Transportation considerations - if your ceremony and reception are in different locations and it is sure to be snowing, consider renting buses, limo buses, or cars to transport guests (to avoid parking accidents, sliding, or hydro-planing).

If you have any questions about this post, or need advice, feel free to contact studio@enterlaruche.com.

Stay warm and Happy Holidays!

Best,
Alisha Forrester Scott
La Ruche. event design studio.

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Wedding Planning Advice from Audrey Hepburn

Okay, so, this comment wasn’t really spoken in reference to wedding planning, but it’s definitely something we can all apply! Let’s break it down.

“For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For beautiful hair, let a child run their fingers through it once a day. For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone. People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and remembered’ never throw out anyone. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others.” Audrey Hepburn

Take Great Pictures

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. Sometimes it’s hard to speak words of kindness, especially if someone has done something to upset you. And trust us, during the wedding planning process, someone or something will upset you. But don’t let it get to you (we know, harder than it sounds)!! Deal with issues as they come up. And on your wedding day, when someone complements your centerpieces, instead of venting for a brief five minutes about how the florist (after months of meetings) used the wrong shade of pink for the roses, simply say thank you for the compliment! If you must, you can even throw in “They are just a bit different than what we were expecting, but I sure do think they are beautiful!”.

For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. This can be particularly difficult when you’re planning your wedding, especially if you’ve heard a lot about bad vendors. It’s one thing to play it safe when interviewing and hiring your vendors, but it’s not quite fair to assume that they are all out for just getting your money! I’d say, for the majority of vendors, that’s definitely not true. In addition, try to give people the benefit of the doubt is something little does go wrong. Looking for the good in your vendors (not to mention your family, wedding party, and guests) will help making anything that doesn’t do exactly according to plan seem less “catastrophic”.

For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. While some couples literally do share their delicious wedding left-overs with “the hungry”, you can do something a little more figurative. For example, if you’re wanting to give philanthropic favors, donate to your local food shelter. Or, take a wedding planning brake with your fiance (or even your wedding party) and help out with a food drive. Helping others simply feels fabulous!

For beautiful hair, let a child run their fingers through it once a day. Well, if you don’t have a child handy, grab a flower girl or ring bearer. And while no, you don’t actually have to have them run their fingers through your hair, many couples do love having these youngsters around. They can add a ton of cuteness to the day, not to mention, a bit of comic relief. Unless they are little hellions, we tend to notice that they generally lighten the mood!

For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone. So true. And very good to keep in mind during your planning. You have your family, friends, vendors, wedding party, and of course, your wedding planner. And if you’re just having one of those days where it feels like no one understands or care, you always have Fido who will always, always listen to you.

People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and remembered, never throw out anyone. I’d just call this one a good life lesson. We know that your wedding is just that - yours. But keep in mind people have lives that don’t really revolve around your wedding. So if someone you adore can’t make it on the big day, just realize that they may have something else going on in their lives that is more important.

Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms. Yes indeed. Don’t be afraid to try and do things yourself, for your wedding or any other area of your life! Doing something “all by yourself” can be really rewarding, whether it’s negotiating a contract with a vendor, designing your gown, or assembling all 300 wedding favors!

As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others. Never underestimate the power of people. Never be afraid to help yourself and always be looking for ways to help others. With weddings, sometimes you just have to get the job done yourself! But other times, you’ll need to help someone else out a little. Perhaps your mom needs help with the tasks you gifted her with, or maybe your MOH is going through a rough patch in her life. If you have your own life under control, never be afraid to offer someone else a little assistance!

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Tips for the People-Pleasing Bride (or Groom)

Don’t be afraid to voice your opinion. Just because you want to make the people you love happy does not mean you have to cover up what you think and feel. If you really don’t like orange as your main wedding color, but your mother-in-law to be keeps telling you it would make everything look even better, then just tell her the truth. Of course, you don’t have to be mean about it! Simply tell her something like, “I’ve given it a lot of thought and I really just think the color pink (or green or blue, etc.) would reflect our personalities more.” If she keeps talking up orange, you know you tried and don’t have to feel bad when you don’t use orange on your big day.

Don’t be afraid to put your foot down. It can be hard, it’s very true. But putting your “foot down” is something you need to learn sooner or later! Do you just plan to pay for an overpriced cake? Are you going to “just this once” let your mother decide which dress (or tux) you’ll buy (or rent) or what flowers you’ll use? What about wedding party members that don’t like the way you have the day scheduled? You’ve put a lot of time and effort into making your wedding day the way you and your love want it (we hope), so don’t let other people change your mind or make you second guess yourself. Put that pretty little foot down and say “NO”!

You can’t make all of the people happy all of the time. If you’re a people-pleasing person, you’ve hopefully already come to terms with this. You really can’t make everyone happy all of the time (even though you may try and try). It’s just not possible. All you can do … is do your best! Make the decisions you feel are right and stick to ‘em. If someone gets upset about a tiny detail, you did what you could and that’s that. Don’t let yourself feel bad about it!

You may regret or resent not fighting for what you want. If you don’t at least try to get what you want (within reason) for your wedding day, you may regret it. If you end up with flowers you didn’t like (but your mom did) and bridesmaids dresses that just weren’t that great (but your girls loved them) and your hair…well, let’s just say you can’t believe you look like this on your wedding day (but your stylist said it will be perfect), you may be overcome with disappointment - on one of the happiest days of your life. And the last thing you want to be thinking about as you walk down the aisle (or as you’re waiting at the end of it) is how you should have just said “No” to this or that or “Sorry, but we’re doing this instead”.

Bottom line : It’s your wedding. It’s true. If you and your man (or woman) are happy, then that’s what really matters.

Just a few more tips:

-Don’t really feel comfortable stating your opinion or saying no? Hire someone to do it for you. That is just one of the many ways a wedding planner can come in handy. If you feel comfortable enough telling her (or him) what you do and do not like, she can help you get what you want and save you from putting up with those things that you don’t want.

-If there are a lot of people around when you’re trying to make a decision, it can get rough and tricky to say what you really want to say. For instance, if you’re meeting with your florist and mom, future MIL, and three of your BM are there (and they all want different flowers), ask if you can chat with the florist alone for a few minutes (or tell her you’ll call her back with the final order). This way, you can be honest without being afraid of hurting anyone’s feelings.

-Do some wedding planning alone or with only your future spouse. You can make decisions together. After all, the wedding is a reflection of the two of you.

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Fall Wedding Flowers

When you think of fall wedding flowers, surely the first few things that pop into your brain are red, orange, yellow. Maybe a little brown, rust, or burnt orange. These colors are definitely beautiful, individually or together, for a fell wedding or any other wedding for that matter.

But in this post, we want to touch on flowers that are readily available during the fall, not necessarily flowers that look like they bloom when the winds pick up and the weather gets a little crisper. How can this assist you during your wedding planning venture? Flowers that are “in season” are often less costly to purchase (and who is not up for saving a little cash here and there?).

Here are some great “fall” flowers. Many of the little pretties pictured come in a number of colors! Clock wise from the top left :: Roses (Diane James) :: Scabious (Rampant Scotland) :: Sunflower (Meta Edge) :: Dahlia (Thirteen Months) :: Hydrangea (Breath of Life Photography) :: Orchids (My Dream Wedding) :: Gladioli (AllSortza) :: Gerber Daisy (Still Light) :: Cyclamen (Flowers) :: Chrysanthemum (CTAHR) :: Zinnias (37 Days) :: Lilies (Gene Burch Photography). Center :: Anemones (Martha Stewart)

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An Exuberant Bride

Happy Monday, everyone! Here is a little tidbit by Ayesha Sandra Lee, from Merry Maui Weddings. Do enjoy!

I love happy, excited brides. After all, many women have dreamed of their weddings and planned them since childhood. Then, a woman finds the man she wants to spend her life with, and perhaps have children with. She plans her dream wedding for months and often several years. Shouldn’t she enjoy this beautiful celebration of beginning her life with her true love? “Yes, of course,” you say. But, sadly, this is not always the case.

Some brides are so sabotaged by nervousness, self-doubt or even their desire for “perfection.,” that they cannot enjoy the planning or the wedding, itself. Their extreme concern that every detail be perfect, ruins their appreciation of the true joy of marriage – the wondrous fact that two people are promising to join their hearts and lives in a lifelong commitment.

Happily, some brides are so appreciative of this miracle of marriage, that they perceive the world through rose-colored glasses and see perfection in every aspect of their wedding. If only every bride knew that this kind of joy gives them more luminous beauty, than any make-up, dress or lighting could, they would all strive to “don’t worry, be happy.”

Dark clouds hide sunlight
But cannot dim the radiance
Cast by their Love-Light

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Keep it Original

Getting married is one thing. Planning a wedding is another. We will just assume you are getting married for the “right reasons” and that you’ve put all that serious thought into the life-changing decision. On to the “fun” part!

I believe that to some extent, everyone wants to be original when it comes to her wedding. It can be difficult to come up with original ideas when you get inspiration from magazines and tv and the Internet (and let me tell ya’, there is a LOT of wedding stuff out there). Then throw in designers that lead and follow trends and a few vendors that lack a bit of creativity, and you’ve got bland, done-before wedding that’s more ew than you! How do you avoid such a catastrophe? A few things to keep in mind:

If it doesn’t reflect you and your personal style, it’ll be less memorable. Ever been to a wedding that was just so/so? You don’t really remember it much because there wasn’t much that tied the day to the Bride and Groom. Letting your personal touches show throughout the day will leave your stamp, and will be something that your guests will remember.

Think outside of the ring box in everything from fashion to food to decoration. Working with a tiny budget? You don’t have to spend lots to get something “unique”. Buy simple dresses and spice them up with hand-made accessories or “extras”. Get a simple cake and add your own personal decorations. Reception centerpieces don’t need to be made up of flowers and candles! And you definitely don’t need to serve chicken and green beans for dinner!

Do what feels comfortable to you…and most of your guests. Love your pooch to pieces? Insist that Fifi walk down the aisle as the flower girl, or Fido as the ring bearer? Do it! Always dreamed of getting married beneath the stars, late at night? Don’t let anyone stop you. As long as it’s what you want and something that won’t make your guests uncomfortable (ie asking all your guests to throw on an air tank so you can tie the knot under water….probably asking a lot unless they are all diving enthusiasts), go for it. If nothing else, it will be memorable.

Don’t be afraid to go for something a little unexpected. Just because your brilliant idea isn’t “traditional” doesn’t mean it won’t be fabulous!

Keep a secret or two from your family, friends and guests. Thinking about making your grand exit in a helicopter? Planning on singing a song for your new spouse at the reception? Go for it! If it doesn’t happen, no one will know!

image form Susie’s Scrumptious Sweets

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How To : Write a Thank You Note

It’s good to give thanks. In wedding world, it’s especially good to give thanks in the form of a thank you note. What you should not do:

Send out mass thank you notes looking something like this:
“Thanks for coming to our wedding and for your generous gift. Love, Sally & Ed”
The only thing worse is not sending one at all (although if you send something like this, you’re not really accomplishing much).

Wait a year to send them out. People will wonder if you ever actually got the gift or if you got them and are just a particularly rude or forgetful couple. Your best bet is to get them out of the way as soon as possible! You can do it!

Think a verbal thank you is enough. For some people, saying thanks verbally is more than enough. But still, it is a nice gesture to send it in writing. It shows that you put some thought into it and took a little time to put it on paper.

With the should-nots out of the way, here are a few tips to make your TY note writing go a bit more smoothly.

1. Address the individual(s) the note is to
2. Say THANK YOU!
3. Mention the specific gift
4. Say why you love/like it and what you’ll use it for
5. Add any additional note or thanks you’d like to include
6. Close and sign your names

An example:

(1)Dear Hannah and Ryan,

(2)Thank you so much for the (3) Vera Wang wine glasses! We were so excited to receive them - we can’t wait to (4) use them at our first dinner party.

(5)Thank you also for coming from Chicago to share our special day with us. It was so great to see you again. We hope you had a wonderful time!

(6)Best wishes,
Katie and Connor

We like these fabulous notes from Hammer Press.

Happy writing!

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The “W” Word

Ever heard that when shopping around for wedding vendors, as soon as they know it’s really a wedding service your shopping for, the prices magically rise? In some cases it’s true. Obviously, even if you can dance your way around the subject for a while, your vendors will eventually “find out” that they are selling their services or products to a bride. But how can the tips below help? If they quote you a price for a “non-wedding” service or product, they can’t change their prices once you tell them it’s actually for a wedding. And if they do - well, maybe you should find different vendors!

To be fair - there are a TON of great, honest, and talented vendors out there that will quote you the same price for wedding and non-wedding events alike. They are definitely the ones you want to work with! But, we must also remember that sometimes a wedding-related service DOES cost more. For example, you can’t tell a photographer that you want to hire her for a photo shoot, book her for a few hours, THEN tell her “Oh, by the way, we’d like you to be around all day because it’s actually our wedding you’ll be photographing.” It just doesn’t work that way!

Check out what we have below for some helpful hints on working with specific vendors.

Florist

Instead of saying you need reception centerpieces, altar arrangements, and personal flowers for your entire wedding party, ask something like “I’m having a party and need some arrangements for the tables. I like lilies, roses, and daisies and I’m looking to spend no more than $2000. What are my options for that price range?”

They may ask what kind of party or how many pieces you need and catch on pretty quickly (they are professionals, after all, and have been doing this for a long time). And remember that if you want them delivered or they require a special setup process, their price may rise in the end anyway.

Cake

Not all cakes are labeled “wedding cakes”, thank goodness. When shopping around for cake, try asking something like “I need a cake for a dinner party. I’m looking for something a little different, though, maybe something with square tiers in a pale pink color.” If you need a cake for oh say, 400 people, the baker will wonder. Consider your options: you could get a smaller cake from ABC Bakery that will act as your main cake, and sheet cakes from XYZ Bakery in order to feed the rest of your guests.

Dresses

While it can be particularly tricky to find a “wedding dress” without asking for a “wedding dress”, it has been done! If you’d happily wear a dress with a simpler pattern or one that doesn’t really look like a “wedding dress” at all, try looking in places that aren’t strictly bridal salons. Look for white dresses anywhere dresses are sold. Or, if you find a dress you love, ask if it can be ordered in white. Depending on who makes it and where your buying it from, special ordering in different colors than you see on the rack is sometimes an option.

For bridesmaids dresses, the same thing goes. Just because you’re not shopping in a bridal salon doesn’t mean you won’t find dresses that flatter your bridesmaids and coordinate perfectly with your color scheme. Keep in mind that dresses made specifically for “special occasions” (and to go on six girls for the same event) are sometimes more cheaply made then those that are usually bought one at a time. Check out this great article from Bridezilla about cheap bridesmaids dresses and other wedding scams!

Caterer

For a small reception (150 or less), telling your caterer that you’re having a large dinner party would suffice. Because in essence, that is what you’re having. Depending on whether you’re wanting plated meals or a buffet, the price will be different.

Venue

When calling around to get information on venues, merely state that you’re looking for a place to hold X number of people for an event you’re having. Ask for weekend AND weekday rates (many times they are different). It is possible to book a place without them knowing that it’s a wedding, but they will find out eventually (if not before, I think walking into the place in a wedding dress and a groom on your arm might just be a dead giveaway :P).

Photographer & Videographer

For these vendors, a wedding truly means more work, so don’t be surprised when their wedding packages are more pricey. But in all fairness, while you may be paying more, but you’re definitely getting more, too. You can just schedule a shoot with normal sitting fees, etc. with a photographer for your engagement pictures. But, it is good to let them know what these pictures will be for so they can advise you on what to wear and give you more helpful tips.

From Real Simple
*Side note: I like the looks of the bouquet…but I can’t stand the smell of Baby’s Breath. Yick!

In the end, don’t lie. It’s just not nice! But at the same time, neither is charging more for something just because it’s for a wedding. Use those smarts and go get yourself some honest deals!

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