There are plenty of reasons not to stop spending money; the biggest being our economy not being able to improve if consumers stop buying.
If you are set to marry in 2010 THANK YOU for doing your part. Being smart about how you will spend your wedding money comes down to logic and timing. Capitalism leans heavily on supply and demand, and so in the spirit of saving you money, I offer you the Top 5 vendors that you should hire NOW for 2010 in order to avoid planning snafus and fiscal headaches (seen below in order of importance):
[ALWAYS BOOK YOUR WEDDING CONSULTANT FIRST. THEY WILL SAVE YOU MONEY AND HASSELL.]
- Book your ceremony and reception venue(s). Prices for many regularly expensive venues have hit rock bottom and so now is the time to book! If you think that waiting to put down your deposit will afford you deeper discounts you may end up scrambling to find a venue that has not already been taken for all of the best 2010 dates (especially weekends). Booking one year in advance is standard and recommended.
- Book your photographer and videographer. Just like venues, many photographers and videographers have either dropped their prices or are offering substantial economy-related discounts. If you ever wanted an upgrade in talent now is the time to find and book the vendors that will tell your story in images.
- Book your musician(s) and entertainment. With many musicians finding "day jobs," the pool of available musicians has decreased. First, book your ceremony musician(s) (since the ceremony is the most important part of your event). Then, your reception, and lastly your cocktail hour. If you are opting for an "iPod" vs. a DJ, then be sure to book a qualified sound engineer to hook up and test all of the sound equipment and sound levels.
- Book your Officiant. Last year I said to book your Officiant 2nd. However, since it has become common knowledge that anyone can perform your ceremony with a simple online ordination, there are more than enough qualified Officiants to go around. However, do not delay in your search, as the most personable and professional Officiants get booked fast and well in advance.
- Book your caterer. If you are working with a venue that requires you use a vendor that they have provided, then go ahead and skip to the ‘bonus’ item below since this entry will not apply to you. **Many caterers can handle up to 2-3 events simultaneously, but as we all know catering is an art form requiring a competent staff. Many of the catering companies that I have met disappoint in one way or another. From commuication and fair pricing to tasting and presentation, secure your catering company now.
BONUS
Book your florist. Many shops are struggling to stay open, and so now is the time to book for maximum ‘fee forgiveness.’ Shops will consider dropping their delivery fees and minimum order requirements, so be sure to ask.
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Today, while I was walking up and down the aisles of the Bridal Fashion Debut in downtown Phoenix, Arizona, I happened upon a booth that excited me to my core. The booth’s sign read, "Goodwill Eco-Chic Wedding Campaign". This modern booth featured a dress rack holding at least a dozen gorgeous wedding gowns in many different shades and styles.
Long-story-short, after chatting with the booth’s residents I was ecstatic to find that the very Goodwill that I both donate to and purchase from had an offer that any bride-to-be would be crazy to ignore…
A FREE ECO-CHIC WEDDING! ("Reuse, Recycle, and Revitalize!")
If you live in the Phoenix-metro area and you are getting married, visit http://www.goodwillaz.org/ecochic and register to win. This contest should especially titillate my D.I.Y. brides (think LIMITLESS design and decor opportunities). Entries are being accepted from June 10 to July 10 so do not delay.
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RULE #1: SET YOUR BUDGET BEFORE YOU START PLANNING
To all of those that have champagne taste on a Martinelli’s budget, the best thing that you can do is to set your budget FIRST. Who among us hasn’t wanted more than what we can afford? If you put realistic budgetary limits in place before you start planning you will save yourself heartache and frustration.
RULE #2: IF YOU DON’T KNOW HOW TO PLAN AN EVENT and BUDGET, HIRE SOMEONE TO DO IT FOR YOU
There are already many reasons to hire a professional event planning, and being able to throw your event while staying within your means is another excellent one. A good event planner will be able to purchase wholesale, use proven vendors and contacts, use space wisely, AND keep your budget. It is worth it…trust me.
RULE #3: CONSIDER USING WHAT DECOR YOU ALREADY HAVE
Whether out or in a storage closet, often times you can create and build a lovely concept around the decor that you already possess. Re-using your decor can potentially save you hundreds of dollars by utilizing the "small things" that you (and your budget) may have taken for granted or forgotten about all together. These types of often-forgotten decor include:
- candles, candle holders, candle plates, etc.
- lighting
- linens (or sheets), place mats, napkins, coasters
- silverware or flatware
- art, photos, sculptures…items that you can create interesting centerpieces or stations with
- tables, chairs, and other seating options
RULE #4: IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE AN ALL-NIGHTER
The reality is that the longer your guests stay, the more money it will cost you. To put it bluntly:
- If you are serving alcohol, after 2 drinks per person your costs can sky-rocket to about $11 per person per hour.
- Same goes with food. The longer they are around, the more food they will need to consume.
- Same goes with toilet paper and other household products.
Consider capping the night off near 10 PM, instead of 1 AM. Or, consider holding a lunch instead of a cocktail hour.
RULE #5: THE POT LUCK IS BACK "IN"
By coming-up with another way to spin the name "Potluck" you will be able to excite the interest of your guests’ friendly, competitive cooking sides. How many of us know others that would LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE to show-off their cooking skills? (I do!!!) And, to be honest, who among us doesn’t like the idea of trying several dishes from several different Chefs? (I would!!!)
Call it a food tasting. Call it a communal meal. The potluck is SO "in", again.
RULE #6: HOLD A CHARITY EVENT, WITH 50% OF THE PROCEEDS GOING TO A LOCAL CHARITY
Tough times mean tighter wallets, but many good-natured folks would enjoy combining charity with a great event. Why not charge "x amount" per guest, but with the commitment that half of (or whatever percentage is left after the cost of the event is paid-off) the proceeds will go to "such-and-such" charity?
Pick a worth cause. Pick a worthy occasion. Pick this winner!
Alisha Forrester Scott of La Ruche can be reached by e-mail at: studio@enterlaruche.com.
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A cautionary tale
Wedding #3 of our 2009 spring wedding season was beautiful. A year of planning happily ended on a high note, guests were happy, the couple was happy. However, let’s rewind to four weeks before the wedding.
Of the 225 folks that the couple had invited, only 65-75% were "supposed to" RSVP with a yes – statistically-speaking, that is. Imagine the financial horror – to the tune of nearly $10,000 more than was budgeted for – when…at final count…200 people RSVP’d. Do the quick math…that is a nearly 90% response rate.
I’m not sure if this high response rate is partly due to the economy (and everyone wanting stuff for free), but FAIR WARNING: If you do not have it in your budget to seat and feed all of the folks on your invitations list PLEASE REVISE YOUR INVITATIONS LIST.
To those who may have parents partially or completely funding their wedding – whose parents may also have a large "invitation guest wish list" – give your parents this very important message:
- You are welcome to invite whomever you want – since you are funding the wedding.
- However, if you are to invite all that you wish to invite you will need to contribute "x amount" more money. Otherwise, we are not able to afford the wedding.
Plain and simple
Be honest with yourselves and your budgets or you risk getting bitten by the RSVP Fairy.
Alisha Forrester Scott of La Ruche can be reached for comments or questions at studio@enterlaruche.com.
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Writing about Brides freaking-out might seem taboo, but to a wedding planner who cares about you 
I feel that it might be important to talk about. Why I am inspired to write this post? Well, first, here at La Ruche we are in the midst of prepping to be filmed for the television show, Bridezilla, with clients Kathryn and Keith.
Secondly, right now in Arizona we are in the midst of "wedding season". The big bridal show just happened, many of the newly engaged women are hunting for the best deals, and at La Ruche we are walking many couples through the final stages of wedding day preparation.
With this said, I DO think that it is natural and many times very gratifying to freak-out. Okay…maybe not freak-out per se, but to at the very least put your foot down and stand-up for yourself. Below is a quick mini-guide on to how to freak out when you need to freak out, and when to know if you’re freaking-out about the right thing.
DO freak-out on someone or some vendor if or when:
- Your vendor increases your pricing from the contracted rate . A deal is a deal, so gently remind them of their obligation. HINT: Do NOT use the word "legal" or "legally" when talking to a vendor as this type of serious banter can create huge problems later-0n.
- Your Maid or Matron of Honor (M.O.H.) or Bridesmaid complains about her dress. Remind her that you do like the dress and that you hope that she can support you. Let her know that her complaining does not help, it just creates friction. If you are related to your M.O.H. or Bridesmaid ask them to be positive on your behalf. If your M.O.H. or Bridesmaid is complaining about the cost of the dress, do some fact-finding to see what they believe a reasonable amount to pay for the dress is. If finances is a real concern for them, consider offering to pay the difference of what they cannot.
- Your fiancee is absent during the planning process. Although many brides will agree that the complexity and details of the wedding may be more for the bride and less for the groom, that does not mean that it is appropriate for your fiancee to bow-out when planning discussions begin. I often tell engaged couples at wedding consultations that if one of you seems disinterested in the process it is likely because there are terms and timelines that aren’t being properly explained, explored, or understood. If you have an ongoing issue with your fiancee being involved, perhaps it is time to take a step back – without precondition – and find out what the real issue may be. There is no sense in getting married if you are dragging your fiancee to the alter.
- Your financial backers create specific conditions with their financial support. It may not be worth the sadness and heartache caused to you (and your wedding planner!) to plan a wedding that will soon be resented because of conditions that some families place on their financial support of a couple. If you know that you will be planning a wedding for others and not based upon your and your fiancee’s desires, consider eloping. Not kidding. (You would NOT be surprised at the devastation and chaos that this type of conditional financial support creates.)
DO NOT freak out on someone or some vendor if or when:
- You are on your period. This probably goes without saying (because you likely know yourself well by now), but trust me…waiting until the menstrual cycle crazies are over will 100% for sure calm you down. If you feel yourself about to call "so-and-so" to give them a good tongue lashing, instead simply write down the issues that you have with "so-and-so" and follow-up on the issue in a few days. If the issue cannot wait, ask your fiancee or your best friend to hear you out and determine the best course of action.
- You feel stress. Many times the endless knit-picking – especially to your fiancee – can send the wrong message. Instead of conveying that you are very happy to be getting married but that you are just stressed about "such-and-such", when you knit-pick and are generally morose or negative it sends EVERYONE the message that you wish you were not having to go through this experience. Instead of complaining out loud, consider practicing discipline and write a letter instead. The letter can be written to yourself – simply to complain – but after it is written you may actually feel better having expelled some of your negative energy. Even better, consider burning the letter after you write it and starting a list of the things that need to happen in order for your issues or worries to be resolved.
- You don’t have enough money. This is tricky because nearly everyone I know wants finances to be private, but when the money is tight or simply isn’t available, complaining about your financial situation to whomever happens to be listening sometimes accidentally happens. Instead of allowing outsiders into your very personal financial situation, consider taking an honest "from-the-top-down" approach to the most expensive items on your wedding list. You may find that you really don’t need the personalized water bottles, bubbles, or specialty linens after all.
I am soooooooooooooo not a relationship expert; I am an event planner. I am certainly not condoning calling-off weddings, Bridezilla moments or creating lasting family problems. I simply wanted to put into plain terms some of the real issues that may arrise and what to do about them when they happen.
Best,
Alisha Forrester Scott, Owner
La Ruche. event design studio.
Alisha can be reached by e-mail at studio@enterlaruche.com
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I am often surprised at the creativity of my clients! Today, while walking the grounds of a museum where she’ll marry in March, my client introduced me to yet another idea which will act as her alternative to a guest book . Many of my clients and acquaintances feel similar – guest books are now becoming antiquated . Creative "guest projects" are now preferred.
In the spirit of alternatives and trends, below you will find a list of the most interesting guest book alternatives that I have "found", heard of, and recommended.
Just a hint: If you have invited two groups to your wedding…one group for the ceremony + reception, and one group for ceremony-only, you may wish to consider using a traditional guest book to register attendance for your ceremony, then use the alternatives below for the reception (where guests will have more creative time to spend).
1. [This idea is from today's client meeting... ] The Guest Tree
(Note: After researching this idea is also sometimes called a "Wishing Tree")
This idea combines the idea of a guest book and a "best wishes" guest area. (A best wishes guest area may be defined as an area set aside for guests to write personal thoughts for the couple. Today, many brides still use photo mats for guests thoughts and signatures.)
2. The Wedding Canvas – A work of wedding art
- Recently, at my sister’s wedding, we used a large blank canvas for guests to "make their mark". Permanent markers, paints, scissors, and interesting pictures were placed on a table next to the canvas which was held on an easel (my sister’s request). An 8" x 10" rectangle section in the center of the canvas was marked and designated as a spot for a future photo to be placed, and the guests were helpful about not writing or marking in that area. A variation of this idea would may be to use watercolors (paints and paintbrushes), or just colorful permanent pens. (It all depends on what you want the guests to "do".)
3. The Wedding Vase
If you are the type to place flowers in your home, consider purchasing a vase for your guests to sign. (Again, you may wish to leave a card printed with helpful directions to the guests.) If you are going to choose a dark vase, use a light paint pen , and vice versa.
4. The Wedding Quilt (Important: This requires sewing)
Have you ever seen patchwork quilts? Well, the premise of a patchwork quilt is to take squares of fabric and sew the edges together to make a quilt. Imagine then squares of fabric cut for guests to write well wishes or thoughts for the couple on with a permanent fabric pen ! You would want to have a table set-up with fabric squares, directions to the guests, permanent guest pens, and a "finished" box or bin where guests could put their finished squares. You could go shopping for your favorite fashionable quilting squares, or you could just purchase a generic set online.
A bit of Caution
Giving gifts to the couple that are used in daily life, such as aprons or plates, makes for a sad day when the markings wear-off when being laundered or washed. Although aprons and plates are cute ideas you may be happier with an item that isn’t used as often or as regularly.
Happy guest project-ing!
Best,
Alisha Forrester Scott, Owner
La Ruche. event design studio.
You can reach AFS by e-mailing: studio@enterlaruche.com.
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