An Event To Remember's Blog

He asked you said yes! Now what? "J"

Wow! Isn't planning your wedding absolutely the most wonderful thing in the world?  If you answered no, you should be on the phone calling me for a consultation.  It is the month of June so we are right in the middle of the heat and at the peak of the wedding season.  Those of you who are getting married in the fall or winter are probably starting to look for your jewelry.  The jewelry selection for your wedding day is very important.  Some brides take care of their something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue with their jewelry selection.  I can only imagine what it would have felt like to walk down the aisle in a family heirloom, what an honor. 

Ok, everyone is not fortunate enough to wear a family heirloom on their wedding day.  That's when you have to start shopping.   When shopping for your jewelry if you have enough time you can utilize some of the major department stores.  A lot of times they put boxed sets of jewelry on sale and they make excellent choices for the bride, and if not the bride definitely the bridesmaids.  I must admit that I stumbled on to some beautiful boxed sets of Monet jewelry for my bridesmaids.  I saw one of my bridesmaids  in her jewelry (two years later) on our family vacation to Disney World a month ago.  You definitely want to pick out something that you and your bridesmaids will wear again.  You will never believe where I found my necklace, QVC.  Yes I must admit that I am a QVC junkie, one day when watching I saw the most beautiful necklace, decided I had to have it, gritted my teeth (because it was a little pricey) and called in the order.  I will attach a picture.  What do you think was it worth a few hundred dollars?  So I like a little bling!  I added some Swarovski Crystal earrings and bracelet that I already owned.  If you are thinking about how much to spend on your jewelry let me recommend purchasing a set of Swarovski Crystals that is something that will be with you for years.  You will definitely get your money out of your purchase.  The earrings and bracelet I wore are something I have owned for 7 or eight years.  I also have a necklace that matches the set and it is something I wear whenever dressing up and I loaned it to my sister 5 years ago to wear on her wedding day. 

 
That is not the bracelet I am referring to, the arm belongs to the makeup artist.

 
Calandra fulfilling something new a necklace that I splurged on, and something old Swarovski crystal earrings and bracelet that I already owned.

 
My sister fulfilling something borrowed, Swarovski set of jewelry loaned to her by me.

Keep in mind when selecting your jewelry the style of your dress and the headpiece play an important role in determining what type of jewelry you will need to wear.  You can choose crystals, diamonds, pearls, etc.  Remember every dress will not need a necklace.  When shopping remember you can find your jewelry on-line at sites that offer multiple accessories or at dedicated jewelry sites.  Remember wherever you find your jewelry to consider how it is going to look with your dress and tiara/veil, and try to find something you will wear again.

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Planning

Calandra

Monica and James Maddens fabulous Sandals honeymoon

Our Trip to the Sandals Resort, Nassau, Bahamas

"Let me start off by saying this; when you plan your trip, make sure you get the Butler Service Category!!! It’s not much more than a regular room and the service will make your trip so enjoyable! The Butlers cater to your every whim, making you wish you never had to leave.  They turn your bed down every night, leaving lovely notes and cute little “towel animals” all over your bed. If you don’t feel like leaving the room one night, they will bring you dinner from whatever restaurant you chose. You have a fully stocked bar in the room, along with a fridge full of juices, water and cokes. They also serve you breakfast in bed every morning! You get to chose from an array of foods for breakfast, and your Butler brings it to you when you state you want it! Try the French Toast- it’s amazing! You will also have the ability to eat at Gordon’s on the Pier, which regular guests have to pay for, and let me tell you the food is magnificent! The only downside to Gordon’s is if you’re allergic to seafood as I am, there is only one dish you can eat there; it’s a fabulous chicken, but it would be nice to have more dishes for the seafood allergic people.

Now, on to the rest of the trip! We arrived at the airport, and were greeted by the courteous staff there, and our Butler took our luggage to the Rolls Royce (another great perk of the Butler Category Rooms- other have to take a bus) and we were off to the Resort! Now, a caution to any Americans going there, they drive on the WRONG side of the road, so don’t freak out! Lol. Once we arrived, the Butler greeted us with a glass of champagne while we were serenaded by music from the calypso drums! They took us on a tour of the resort, while our luggage was taken to our room and unpacked for us. The room was beautiful! We stayed at the Cassia Villa, and the view from the top floor (it’s only 2 stories with 4 rooms) was glorious! The balcony has a table on it if you desire to eat outside for breakfast one day. The swim up bars are awesome, and the bartenders can make the most amazing drinks!! Ask them to make a Miami Vice for you- out of this world! There is a little pizza place where they have tables outside that makes the pizzas in a brick oven right in front of you with whatever you like on it! They also have plush seats with fire pits in front of them for the night life, and different musicians will play for you each night. Cassanovas has the most amazing buffet and their menu has outstanding dishes on it! You have to eat at the Crystal Room when you go!!! You are required to dress up, but it is well worth it!

The extra activities on the island were so neat! You can go scuba diving (it costs $70 per person and you have to qualify by swimming the length of the pool twice so beef up!) , and snorkeling is free and so awesome! Bring French fries with you when you go, cause the fish will swim right up to you for some great photo opportunities! The fish are so colorful and the coral is magnificent! Don’t touch it though, cause they have fire coral which will burn your fingers big time!! They also have Waverunners and Sailboats so you can do pretty much anything you would like on the water. They also have trivia during the day, pool tables inside, movies at night, bands that play at night, or if you please, you can just relax on a beach chair by the ocean and enjoy time away from reality.

Sandals Cay Island is so relaxing! It’s a 5 minute boat ride from the island, and this is where you can get your massages if you choose! They have their own restaurant there as well that is out of this world! Try the boneless wings- your mouth will water! They have a swim up bar and hot tub there as well, and it is a brief beach walk to the Red Lane Spa, where you have exclusive access to hot tubs there, as well as a staff of massage therapist who are so great! On the main island, Red Lane offers their facials and nail salon; my husband had the “it’s a man thing” facial and left there relaxed and a new man! I had my nails done there and they did not disappoint me with their services. Both islands are so full of wonderful and exciting adventures you are sure to be shocked. Their gift shop, cutely titled “Royal Tings” has almost everything for you to buy for people back home, and they also carry sun block, brushes and many other things you may have left at home or ran out of.

All in all, this was the most amazing trip!! The people you meet there will blow you away, and the other guests are fun, friendly and ready to party right along with you! I enjoyed every moment of the trip, except having to leave!! The day life keeps you busy, and the night life will keep you dancing! Without Calandra helping us plan every detail of this trip, it wouldn’t have happened!"

Thank you Monica and James I wish you the best in your marriage.
Warm marriage wishes,
Calandra

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He asked, you said yes! Now what? "I"

Alright, so we have been planning the big day for a few months now.  Invitations are something that you want to start looking at about 4 months before your wedding.  Wedding invitations are so important because they set the precedence for what the wedding is going to be like.  When choosing invitations you want to consider the theme of your wedding, color scheme, style, and your budget.  Keep in mind the size of your invitation could create an additional cost at the post office. 

There are so many options when thinking about invitations.

1.  You can purchase kits and create your own invitations.  This allows couples to show their creativity and personalities.

2.  You can order your invitations through a retailer.  This is my rrecommendation because it aallows you the opportunity to touch and see the quality of the invitation as well as have someone to help you make decisions and choose your wording.   Some retailers also allow the option of ordering invitations on-line.   Of course this is extremely convenient for the busy bride to be. 

3.  You can also go to a stationer and have your invitations and stationery created.  Jan at Celebrations Plus does a fabulous job.

A few things you want to keep in mind when ordering invitations are:

1.  Make sure to give yourself enough time to shop around, order or create invitations, address and stuff envelopes, and have them in the mail 6 to 8 weeks before the wedding.

2.  Make sure to consider postage when creating your invitation budget.  A rule of thumb is to add an additional dollar per invitation.

3.  Make sure to put a stamp on the response envelope.

4  Proper etiquette calls for a bride to use her last name on an invitations monogram before her wedding day ( The married monogram can be used on items at the reception such as napkins).

5.  Be sure to include programs and other stationery in the invitation budget. (thank you note cards, napkins, direction cards, accommodation cards, etc.)

Remember your invitations can be a reflection of your personality, wedding theme, color, or style.

Happy wedding planning

Calandra Terry
Professional Bridal Consultant
Huntsville wedding planner

He asked you said yes! Now what? "H"

Ok, so we have talked about several important aspects in the planning process up to this point.  Now I want to talk about "H" which is for honeymoon.  The honeymoon is probably one of the most important memorable trips you will ever take.  The groom is usually responsible for planning the trip although most brides usually have input in where they are going. 

When thinking about the honeymoon there are several things that should be taken into consideration before making a final decision on the destination.

1.  What are the traveling habits?  Basically you need to think about what you both like to do.  Do you like the mountains?  Are you both beach people?  Do you like the tourist attractions and excursions?  Are you amusement park people?  Do you like to relax and do nothing when you travel?  Are you a spa person?  Do you like the cold?  Do you enjoy cruising?  All these things and many more should be considered before you choose a destination after all, this is a trip for both of you and if you both are not having a good time the trip will be ruined.

2.  How long are you going to stay and what is your budget?  I definitely recommend if you are going to a destination where it is going to take a long time to get there i.e., Hawaii, you should plan on staying at least ten days.  The average honeymoon is usually a week.  When coming up with the budget take into account all travel expenses such as air for two, travel insurance, food, drinks, entertainment, lodging, rental car, souvenirs, passport, etc.

3.  All inclusive versus ala carte.  When looking into travel the all inclusive honeymoon resorts usually turn out to be great deals.  Sandals happen to be rated the number one ultra all inclusive resorts in the world and I must say their properties are my favorite.  Sandals has standard, concierge, and butler category rooms.  If you can fit it into your budget, I strongly recommend getting a butler category room.  Sandals has properties throughout the Caribbean and they have an exchange program which allows you to stay and one and play at all of the other properties in your area.  That means that you could have several beaches to choose from, several restaurants to eat at, and even several spas to visit.  Sandals provides entertainment, water sports, golf, scuba diving, excursions, the list goes on and on.  The thing I like most about Sandals is the fact that everything is included, food, lodging, alcohol, water sports, entertainment, transfers, gratuities.  The only thing you pay for are extras such as spa or excursions.  Sandals even provides honeymooners with a honeymoon package that includes champagne upon arrival, first night turn down service and breakfast in bed one morning.  Doesn't that sound nice?  If honeymooning somewhere that is not all inclusive you will probably end up spending a lot more money upgrading to a nice category room, eating at least three meals a day, paying for drinks, entertainment and excursions. 

4.  Cruising is also a great option.  The advantage of cruising is that you get to see several different places on one vacation.  Cruising is also all inclusive so everything you need is provided on the ship.  Keep in mind gratuities, alcohol and sodas are not included and you will need to pay that bill the night before you get off the ship.

5.  Whatever you decide to do make sure you make the best of your trip.  Do some very special things that you would not do on any other vacation.  I am a Certified Sandals Specialist and a Certified Independent Travel Agent and would be happy to help you come up with an awesome honeymoon.  Whatever you decide on I wish you the very best on your honeymoon.

Happy wedding planning,

Calandra Terry
An Event To Remember, LLC
Huntsville Alabama wedding planner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He asked, you said yes! Now what? "G"

G stands for the groom.  Ladies, so often during the planning process we think only about ourselves.  Yes, it is your day and it is mainly all about you.  Please don't forget about your groom.  Include him in the planning process.  Believe it or not he really does care about what happens on his wedding day.  Ask him what parts of the planning he wants to be involved in.  Usually they are interested in the DJ, transportation, and maybe the photographer and videographer.  If you and your groom are paying for the wedding he will probably be very interested in a lot of the planning details.  Speaking of paying for the wedding, if you are planning the traditional way where the bride and her family take care of the majority of the wedding; there are certain parts of the planning the groom and his family take care of.  Those items are:  the grooms attire, the boutonnieres, the brides bouquet, corsages for mothers and grandmothers, transportation, wedding night hotel room, the rehearsal dinner, and the honeymoon.  Oh, and southern brides don't forget about the groom's cake.  This is the opportunity you have to let your guests get to know your guy and his personality.  Lastly, ladies let your groom have a say in what he and his groomsmen will wear on the big day.  Remember the wedding planning should be fun and there is nothing funner than you and your husband to be exchanging ideas of what you want for your wedding.

Happy wedding planning

Calandra

 

 

 

 

He asked, you said yes! Now what? "F'

Weddings are all about family.  After all, you are celebrating two families coming together.  Family can be acknowledged in so many ways throughout the wedding day.  First it is always great to have family members included in the bridal party.  The family can actually give the bride away or even be asked to participate in a family prayer.  The unity sand ceremony always works great for the bride and groom to include children.  Even though it is your special day be sure to acknowledge other special events that members of the family are celebrating.  Pictures displayed are another great way to include each family.  I have included some family pictures.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

Continuing Education

I think it is so important for a wedding coordinator, or for that matter anyone who is interested in being at the top in their craft to continue there education.  Within the last year An Event To Remember, LLC has attended a lot of workshops and Conferences.  Our goal is to provide excellent and knowledgeable service to every one of our brides.  Within in the last year we have attended

1.  Rockstar Wedding Planner Live - February 18-20, 2009, Manhattan Beach, California

2.  Sandals/ABC training - January 31- February 4, 2009, St. Lucia

3.  Association of Bridal Consultants Business of Brides, Annual Conference, November 8- 13, 2008,
     California

4.  Wedding Merchant's Business Academy, September 22- 25, 2008, Phoenix, Arizona

5.  Sandals/ABC training - March 31- April 4, 2008, Ocho Rios, Jamaica

 

 

He Asked, You Said Yes! Now What? "E"

Ok, "D" was for dancing now "E" is for entertainment.  Entertainment plays such an important role in the reception.  Entertainment can be covered by using an awesome Disc Jockey, a great band, or some form of instrumentals such as a string quartet, harpist, etc.

A great DJ should do several things during the reception:

1.  act as the master of ceremonies

2.  keep the guests aware of the flow of the reception

3.  provide appropriate music for the guests to enjoy

4.  feel the audiences mood and make necessary music changes to match the mood of the crowd

5.  provide audio and microphones for ceremony

6.  provide lighting to enhance the atmosphere on the dance floor, some DJ's are offering lighting 
     packages that enhance the atmosphere of the room as well

7.  present himself in a professional and tactful manner

8.  keep the crowd on the dance floor all night

One of the DJ's we really enjoy working with is Steve Metz of Metropolitan Disc Jockey Service

 

 

 

 

A great Band can provide live entertainment for your reception.  Some brides decide to use the services of a band and DJ.  A good band should be able to:

1.  have a member who can act as the master of ceremonies

2.  have some way to play a CD if necessary for special dances

3.  provide pre recorded music during their break

4.  dress in an appropriate and tactful manner

5.  keep the crowd on the dance floor all night

 

 

 

 

Sometimes instrumentalist are used to provide music during the reception.  String quartets, harpist, etc.  are great to use if you are having more of a talking reception.  They are also great to use during the cocktail hour or dinner.

 

Other forms of entertainment that can be used at receptions are dancers, soloist, karaoke, and don't forget the photo booth it is an excellent for of entertainment for the guests.  Regardless to what you choose, just make sure you have a good time.

Warm wedding wishes,

Calandra Terry,
An Event To Remember, LLC
Huntsville wedding planner

CNNMoney.com article posted Saturday, February 14th

 

Column Archive SPECIAL REPORT Issue #1: America's Money Crisis

Love in the time of recession

The average price of a wedding has dropped nearly $6,000 as brides scale back. That's grim news for companies that cater to the industry.
By Maggie Overfelt, CNNMoney.com contributor February 13, 2009: 6:01 AM ET

 

Susan Morgan, owner of Elegant Cheese Cakes, bakes centerpiece cakes such as these to help brides cut costs.

Photos

Love in the time of recession

The average cost of a wedding fell $6,000 last year as brides confronted a deepening recession. We asked readers to share their economy-induced wedding jitters.

View photos

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Last week, a bride-to-be visited online wedding hub TheKnot.com (KNOT) and posted a wistful set of questions to her virtual sisters. "Fiancé got laid off a month ago. We're trying to keep our wedding the way we had originally planned. How many of you are working through similar situations, and how do you...adjust your wedding/honeymoon plan?"

About three dozen brides posted replies, giving advice that ranged from cutting guests lists and postponing honeymoons to serving "heavy appetizers at a location that needs no decoration."

Jenny Woods, a journalist in Minneapolis, will spend the morning of her wedding in September buying flowers from a neighborhood farmer's market with her fiancé, putting the extra money they would have spent on a professional florist toward the one thing they wouldn't relinquish: booking their favorite local band.

"We share a passion for music," she says. "We met at a concert, and my fiancé, a music journalist, proposed in a CD review."

Like these women, many brides of 2009 lament the fact that their weddings will fall during one of the worst economic times in recent history, forcing them to scrimp. According to The Wedding Report, a Tucson, Ariz.-based research firm, the average amount couples are spending on a wedding is expected to drop in tandem with the economy, decreasing at least 10% in 2009. In 2008 the average price for a wedding rang in at $21,814. (That's down from $27,490 in 2007.)

"Couples aren't cutting things out dramatically, but they are scaling back," says Melissa Bauer, senior public relations manager with The Knot. "You're seeing more off-season wedding dates and a lot more Friday night or Sunday brunch weddings."

For vendors catering to the industry, that means a slight dent in revenues. In its third-quarter report released in November, The Knot reported that its registry revenues were down about $200,000 and that some of its national advertisers - including many small consumer-goods companies and retailers - canceled and delayed their ad plans.

Even the Ritz-Carlton, the upscale hotel chain that offers brides luxurious reception locales, hinted that wedding revenues have dropped, due in part to couples booking less "over the top" receptions. In an e-mail, Vivian Deuschl, one of the company's vice presidents, writes, "You can assume if weddings are somewhat smaller, the revenues can also be less."

Small businesses are getting hit a little harder, especially the florists and bakeries that are still sore from battling a slow 2008 holiday season.

Smaller cakes

"We're down, financially," says Susan Morgan, founder of Elegant Cheese Cakes in Half Moon Bay, Calif. Morgan, whose business is split between weddings and mail-order catalogs such as Neiman Marcus, bakes and sculpts artistic cakes that sell for as much as $4,500.

To cope with the weakening economy, she cut three staffers, turned off one of her freezers, and is trying to renegotiate her lease. But to deal with penny-pinching brides, Morgan won't back down on price or bake cupcakes. Instead, she'll suggest cake centerpieces - smaller versions of her desserts to place on each table - or a small, decorated cake accompanied by a "backup" sheet cake, a solution that runs around $1,000 less than a bigger, fancier cake.

"I don't want to compromise the quality and style of what we're doing," she says. "The backup sheet cake is a nice way to economize."

After a bumpy fall, Shirley Tan, owner of online wedding-favor retailer American Bridal, started wooing brides to her Web site by promoting big discounts on cosmetic and tote bags. By the end of January, traffic to her site had doubled and sales were steady - not down - for the first time since summer.

"Instead of sitting on inventory, we're being aggressive and selling off what we know would eventually sell later, even if it's at or below cost," Tan says. "The idea is to free up cash and build up a reserve."

Yet even as industry players watch couples pare down their lists and forgo pieces of their original plan, they like to point out that people are still getting married, economic meltdown or not.

"We're in a recession, but that won't stop people in love," says Mike Hough, a licensed minister and wedding coordinator in Kauai, Hawaii. "People got married in the Blitz in London, in concentration camps in Germany, in good times and bad."

To that end, many wedding planners - who have captured the business of about 15% to 20% of the nation's brides - report that business is up. Hough says that his bookings for 2009 weddings have increased by about 5% over the same time last year. Calandra Terry, a full-service consultant in Huntsville, Ala., has 12 weddings on the books, the same number of events she used to do in one year. And Robbin Montero, who books high-end weddings in northern California's wine country, received more than 300 inquiries last year and recently hired her third associate.

"Death, taxes, and weddings," she says. "Weddings are recession-proof; they're always going to happen." 

To write a note to the editor about this article, click here.

Find this article at:
http://money.cnn.com/2009/02/13/smallbusiness/wedding_jitters/index.htm

He Asked, You Said Yes! Now What? "D"

So you are planning an awesome reception.  Don't forget about one of the most important wedding traditions the Dance.  Your first dance is something that guests love to see.  I have so many brides tell me that they and/or their fiance cannot dance.  It really doesn't matter, guests just want to see you and your husband out on the dance floor swaying to a beautiful song for the first time as husband and wife.

If you and your fiance are truly dance challenged how about dance lessons?  There are several schools in the area that offer dance lessons.  Every couple I have had who have taken dance lessons really talk about how much fun it was.  Think about it, you are very busy working, planning the wedding, etc.  Dance lessons can turn into a wonderful date night for the two of you.  I would suggest starting lessons a few months before the wedding so that you have a chance to get several lessons and practice sessions in.

Ok, so you can't get your fiance to go to lessons with you.  No problem, they actually have dance lessons on DVD that can be done in the comfort of your home.  Or, why not be like a couple I had a few years ago who watched a lot of videos and cooreographed their own dance.  Do whatever works for you, just make sure to do something.  Be sure to spend some time picking the perfect song to showcase your awesome dance skills.  After all, no matter what you do the guests will applaud because they love you.

Don't forget to spend some time practicing with your Dad for his special dance with you as well.  Although I must say, a lot of Dad's can dance, gracefully might I add.  Make sure to pick out a song for you and your Dad, the groom and his mother, and any other special dances.

Happy wedding planning,

Calandra Terry
Professional Bridal Consultant
An Event To Remember

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don't forget about the bridal party and the guests they want to dance also!