Cut vendor costs in the “new” (bad) economy

This post is meant to nudge consumers (hint, hint) to research their wedding vendors a little more than normal to take advantage of some of the positive sides of the tanked economy.

An open letter to the economy:

Although I cannot escape you as you insist on showing-up everywhere I get my information - television, radio, print, magazine - I would like to THANK YOU for giving me five ways to cut wedding vendor costs.

1.  VENUES (AKA event locations)

Although some venues will always cost "more" because of location, noteriety, or simple supply and demand, I am happy that you have motivated less-busy venues to give better discounts.  I understand that many of these venues may not be advertising these great discounts, but I know that all I have to do to find these venues is make some telephone calls.

2.  FLORAL

Out-of-season and imported floral will always be more expensive, but I am pleased that my local florists are giving great deals on certain varieties, with some even discounting their labor and delivery costs.

3.  DJ’s

With wedding budgets (and most other types of budgets!) being trimmed-back, I can appreciate that you have prompted even the most popular DJ’s to negotiate their typical $200/per hour (averaged) fees.

4. CATERING

Food costs are high, but the high cost of food has compelled many catering company’s to offer discounts on items such as: chaffing dishes, delivery charges, and set-up fees. These deals are getting so good that I can almost taste the wedding dinner!

5. RENTALS

Oh thank goodness! I rejoice at the new lower prices on chair covers and chair ties…and not the cheap stuff, either.  I am on Cloud 9 knowing that I can now save on even premium covers. My local rentals shop has even sent me a coupon for one free delivery. Yippee!

Enjoy the savings!

Alisha Forrester Scott of La Ruche may be contacted at studio@enterlaruche.com.

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Real Simple Weddings 2009

Hello all!! I got a copy of the always fabulous Real Simple Weddings 2009 a while back and wanted to share a bit about it with you. I’m a big fan of Real Simple as it is, so naturally, I adore anything “weddings” they produce. They stick to their simple way of doing things, which I find quite refreshing!

I let one of my newly engaged gal pals check it out. She loved it so I asked her to write a review. Check out what she said :

Hello! I’m Cassie, and I’m a newly engaged bride-to-be. I’ve only been engaged for a little over a month, but I’ve gotten quite a head start on planning. For one thing, my nightly reading material has become all wedding magazines, and it is nothing less than fabulous! I love it! From planning tips to entire lists, looking at big beautiful wedding gowns to flowers to wedding favors, browsing wedding material is quickly becoming a passion!

While enabling my wedding infatuation, Katie passed along to me the new copy of Real Simple Weddings 2009, and I absolutely love it! To put it straightforward, Real Simple Weddings is just that- real simple. It’s not cluttered with ads, as a matter of fact, the only ads are from Crate & Barrel. The layout of the entire magazine is what makes it so attractive to being with. It’s simple, yet classy. It’s organized very well into sections that begin with a short paragraph that coincides with a Crate & Barrel ad on the opposite page. It’s neat and sophisticated looking.

One of my very favorite things about the magazine is its sporadic little tips and pieces of advice scattered throughout in the margins of the pages. They’re short and to the point, and offer great information about saving money, saving stress, and saving time.

Being the clueless bride-to-be that I am, weddings are all new to me. That’s why I love the “10 common questions” sections in almost every chapter. It gives sort of a break down of popular FAQs that aren’t that easy to just ask, ranging from invitations to food and cake to proper ceremony procedures. It really seems uncomplicated when you see all these mind-boggling questions answered simply and effectively on two pages.

A flower guide spreads over two pages as well, outlining over 30 types of flowers. The table shows a small illustration of the flower, what seasons it is most available in, and a little note about a positive or negative aspect of each one! The guide will definitely help me to coordinate the flowers at my wedding with my wedding colors, as well as keep the florist charges relatively inexpensive!

The last thing I really enjoyed in the magazine was the 15-page timeline in the first chapter. It details a checklist starting at 16 months before the wedding all the way until the week of. It also provides a wedding registry checklist, to make sure you don’t leave anything off of your registry, something I know will come in handy for me, as I’m sure I’ll forget many things when preparing for a new home!

Overall, Real Simple Weddings 2009 is classy and stylish, and a very helpful tool in planning your big day!

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Win an Inspiration Board!

Darci of With this Ring is offering up a personalized inspiration board to one lucky reader! All you have to do is preorder your Brides Give Back ticket or make an in kind donation of $15 to help combat domestic violence. It’s a win win! Head to Darci’s blog to find out more, or click here to make your contribution!

Arizona brides definitely do not want to miss out on this amazing opportunity to save on the top vendors in the state while giving back to a great cause. Scoot on over to Bridesgiveback.com and order your tickets - for every bridesmaid, MOH, groom, FMIL, or wedding crasher you bring, you’ll increase your chances of winning a piece of Darci’s creative genius! Good luck and happy planning!

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Brides Give Back

It’s no secret that weddings have become incredibly costly - both to one’s sanity as well as to one’s wallet. Sarah Hubbell, an Arizona wedding planner (and former MTV personality), has created a way to direct that cost to benefit a very worthy cause.

"Brides Give Back" is set up like a luxury bridal expo, but with a distinctive charitable twist. Sarah has garnered the support of the Southwest’s most elite wedding vendors, who have generously donated their services to the event’s silent auction, where brides and grooms can bid on the services they need for their big day. So, if you are like most brides, struggling in this down economy, but still trying to pull off the wedding of your dreams, you’ll be able to set the price for the top wedding professionals in the state. The best part is that 100% of your cost benefits women and children fleeing domestic abuse.

As if that weren’t cause enough, there will also be yummy hos dourves, on-site beauticians to give mini facials, and a photo booth for endless silly picture taking! So, come win a honeymoon suite, ballroom dance lessons, wedding day videography, or a 2000 dollar Ace-of-Cakes style wedding cake!

Tickets are only $15, so invite your bridesmaids and make it a night out on the town!

To read up on the Faith House or to get tickets for the February 19 event in Arizona, head over to BridesGiveBack.com.

Don’t forget to repost this on your blog and spread the word!

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Honeymoon Location

You should remember your honeymoon for the rest of your life. There are millions of places the two of you can go, but how do you decide?

Most importantly you should choose a location where the two of you can focus on eachother, be busy with eachother and really enjoy eachother. Choose a beautiful location! Beaches are very popular locations and there are many beautiful beach destinations. And hey! Its a great excuse to wear less clothing

Our destination was Santorini Island, Greece . I have to say, it was the most beautiful place I have ever been to! Absolutely breathtaking all the time. It’s a small little charming and unique island in the Greek Caldera. It is known to have the best sunsets in the world! We stayed at a hotel called Oia Mare Villas. Great accommodation! Pictured below is a photo from our honeymoon.

The two of you have to choose together where you want to go and then have some unforgettable fun!

Hmmm….I can’t seem to figure out how to post a photo? Can someone help me?

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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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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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