A bride I know recently toured a local wedding venue and ultimately fell in love with the place. Walking around the venue with her mother, she considered all of the options she had to add personal touches and beautiful décor. Her mother said the bride positively beamed as she envisioned herself walking down the aisle with her family and friends in attendance.

The following day, the bride approached the venue about contracting the space. It had booked for another wedding on her preferred wedding date within hours of her phone call. The bride was understandably devastated.

For today’s wedding blog post I thought I’d discuss some ways to find a solution if in event this happens in the course of your wedding plans:

1. Check for other available times on your date. Many venues have more than one time slot available for booking events. You may have had your heart set on an evening wedding followed by a dinner reception and dancing, but what about a brunch wedding instead?

2. Consider comparable venue alternatives. With the wedding industry growing every year, there are likely many potential venues in your area interested in your business. What did you most like about the first venue? Did you love the grand staircase? Was the quaint garden gazebo the exact look you were seeking? Identify those points that most matter to you and then seek alternative venues that match or exceed your expectations.

3. Be flexible in your date. Many brides select a date first in the course of their wedding planning. This can really work against you as you begin looking for a venue and your primary wedding vendors. Before deciding on the date, check availability. The more flexible you are in your date, the more likely you will be to book your preferred venue and hire your ideal vendors…and the more likely you will be thrilled with the results on your wedding day!

If you have questions on this or would like to see a particular planning topic discussed in this wedding blog, please post for me here or send me an email to susan [dot] southerland [at] pwg.com. Also become a fan on Facebook by clicking here and follow me on Twitter by clicking here.

Your partner in perfect planning,
Susan

Whenever I am looking for a spark of creativity, I turn to my good friend and graphic artist, Amy Morelli. She comes up with so many wonderful ideas for her clients. Today’s wedding blog post features this recent creation Amy designed for another friend (and PWG Account Manager), Jennifer Kurzig.

Invitation Inspiration: Cowboy Elegant

Some fun elements include wooden numbers for the table cards and red raffia to add dimension.

Wedding invitation front detail

Wedding invitation interior detail… I love the fold-out concept! It’s so nice having all of the inserts organized in one place.

Dinner menu detail

If you have questions or comments on wedding invitations or wedding themes, please post for me here or email me directly at susan [dot] southerland [at] pwg.com. Also become a fan on Facebook by clicking here and follow me on Twitter by clicking here.

Your partner in perfect planning,

Susan