Wedding Planning Blog

Anyone who reads my blog or articles knows that I love color. Color brings out the couple’s style and personality and color is so much fun to work with.

I have really enjoyed working with chocolate brown over the past couple of years, but chocolate brown is going to have to step aside for slate this year. The rich, gray-color is going to take over as the hot accent this year. Flowers of all colors will really pop against this color. Like black, it is flattering to the figure, but it isn’t as severe.

For those of you who like color — fear not, orange and yellow are still very hot. Yellow is so bright and lively. Using it is like bringing sunshine into the room.

Monochromatic combinations are very popular this year. Pick two or three shades of your favorite color and use them in combinations around your room. Perhaps use deep orange linens combined with a pale napkin and chair tie and then yellow flowers.

White flowers are also going to be a popular choice this year. What could be more stunning then a room full of white flowers and candlelight?

These are just a few ideas of what is hot for 2008, but you don’t have to stick with the trends, choose colors that you love. Your wedding should be a reflection of your taste and style. Have fun with color and texture and create a look that is all your own. We use the Just Marry! Color Wheel with our clients. It helps to choose colors that compliment and highlight.

Happy designing!

Its wedding show season once again. For those of you who have never been to one, it is quite an experience! Hundreds of brides running around, dozens and dozens of vendors vying for your business. It can be very overwhelming. Here are some tips to surviving a wedding show.

1. Wear comfortable shoes. This is no time to show off your exquisite stiletto heals. Bridal shows are big and you will be walking around for hours. You won’t be able to enjoy yourself if your feet are killing you.

2. Make a plan. You will not have enough time to have in-depth conversations with every vendor you meet. Think about what you want to accomplish at the show. Do you want to find a photographer and videographer or are you shopping for a florist? Plan on spending the most time with the vendors you need to hire. Gather business cards from other vendors that you like and plan on meeting them later.

3. Bring address labels. You are going to be asked to fill out dozens of entry and information forms. You will waste a lot of time (and get a nasty cramp in your hand) if you have to fill out each form by hand.

4. Don’t be afraid to say, “no thank you.” The vendors at the show are all there to sell you something. Once again, if you stand by and listen to every sales pitch, you wont get to meet with the vendors you really like. The vendors know they aren’t going to appeal to everyone, just politely say that you are not interested and walk away.

5. Don’t bring all of your girlfriends with you. Take your mom, your best friend, or another bride to keep you company and have fun with you, but too many opinions will get you stressed out.

6. If you have purchased your gown, skip the fashion show. The booths tend to be less busy while the fashion show is going on. All those vendors who were chasing after ten brides at once will find themselves twiddling their thumbs. This is the perfect opportunity to have a relaxed chat with one or two of them.

7. Make a note on the literature you take. You will leave the show with a bag full of business cards, brochures and magazines. If you meet someone who has an interesting product or service, be sure to mark on the brochure what struck your fancy; otherwise that vendor will just get lost in a flurry of paper.

8. Create a wedding email address. Keep in mind that after signing up with all those vendors, you will be inundated with email and snail mail advertisements. Rather than giving them your personal email address, or even worse, your work address, create an email address that you use exclusively at bridal shows. That way, you will be able to sort through wedding email at your leisure rather than having to clear things out just to find an email from your aunt.

I hope these tips will help you enjoy all the upcoming bridal shows. Keep your wits and senses of humor! Happy shopping.

I just attended my first wedding in one of those famous wedding chapels on the Las Vegas strip. What an experience! It was amazing. They really have weddings down to a science in Vegas.

The bride, groom and the guests arrived and gathered in the lobby of the chapel. The lobby was also the gift shop. You could buy everything there from an Elvis wig to toasting flutes. They had a huge variety of bride and groom t-shirts, shot glasses, mugs and Las Vegas memorabilia. Well, maybe that sounds a bit tacky, but the lobby was no indication of what was to come.

When it was time for the wedding, the chapel doors opened. The inside had lovely wooden pews, the ceiling was also made of wood. There were silk arrangements on the alter that looked nice. Once in the chapel, you might have thought you were sitting in your church from back home.

The ceremony was short and sweet and was broadcast over the Internet for friends and family who couldn’t make it to Las Vegas. After a few quick photos, we were all escorted out to the parking lot where a sign overhead read Just Married and had my friends’ names on it. The entire process took about a half an hour and from what I understand, was very reasonably priced.

If you are looking for a budget-saving, fun way to get married, you may want to check out Las Vegas. They are well-prepared to help you with your wedding plans.

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope those of you who have been planning your weddings took a well deserved break over the holidays to enjoy family and friends. To those of you who got engaged over the holidays (and I know there are lots of you, congratulations! What an exciting way to start the new year.

Most of you will be eager to get started planning and hiring for your wedding. I cannot stress enough that now is the time for you to sit down and plan your wedding budget. Before you attend a bridal show, or try on your first wedding gown, you must decide what you are going to spend for your wedding and how you are going to spend it.

A big item that affects how you are going to spend your money is to decide who you are going to invite to the wedding. The number of guests who attend will be the single biggest impact on your overall wedding budget. Feeding 200 guests is quite a bit more expensive than feeding 125. You also have to consider that you will need more table linens, centerpieces and favors if you have a larger number of guests.

Get out those calculators, start thinking about your wedding budget, and happy planning!