Wedding Planning Blog

I was doing my final planning meeting with one of my brides last week. At this meeting we plan our schedule of events; setup, breakdown, first dance, last dance, dinner service, bouquet toss and cake cutting time. This particular bride wanted to cut the cake late in the evening in hopes of keeping her wedding guests from leaving early. Once-upon-a-time the cake cutting served as a signal to guests who wanted to make a hasty exit, that they would not be gauche by leaving the reception.

As with most wedding etiquette, changes in times have brought changes with this tradition. One of my brides wanted her cake to have a very prominent position in the wedding reception (The couple had spent about $4000.00 on the cake. I would want it noticed too!) Rather than performing the first dance after being introduced, the couple walked to the center of the dance floor where their beautiful cake stood on a rolling table (they wanted it there so no one would miss it). Accompanied by great fanfare from the band, the couple cut the cake and fed it to each other. The servers dramatically whisked it off to the back of the house. After dinner, the sliced cake was served to the guests on beautifully decorated plates — a presentation that was only possible because we cut the cake early.

Another one of my brides wanted to make sure she had a great dance party. (You can see her photos here and her wedding story here) As soon as dinner service was over, the bride and groom cut the cake (about an hour and a half into the reception) then they led the guests upstairs to the pool deck where the dj was playing great dance music, a cigar roller was rolling cigars and a desert presentation was displayed with cookies and… the wedding cake. How did we get the cake plated and upstairs so quickly? The wedding cake on display at dinner was a dummy cake with a small corner cut out with real cake so the bride and groom could feed each other. The dessert cake was in the kitchen ready to be placed on display upstairs.

Sometimes the tradition is changed out of necessity. A few years ago one of my brides wanted a cake with white chocolate ribbons all over it. I reminded her that her wedding was in July… she still wanted that cake. I reminded her that her wedding was outside… still wanted that cake. I reminded her that we live in Central Florida! She had to have that cake. The caterer and I held off in putting the cake out on display as long as we could. Sure enough, the second the chocolate met with the July humidity, it began to sweat. Shortly thereafter, the beautiful white chocolate ribbons began to slide. The entire cake started shifting. It looked like a tire with a slow leak. We quickly had the bride and groom cut the cake and we carried it to the back of the house just in time for it to completely slide apart. Fortunately, we had servers with quick reflexes. None of the cake hit the floor and as each piece was plated, we reshaped the chocolate on top.

So back to my bride from last week… I suggested that rather than holding her guests hostage by postponing the cake cutting, that she put the cake cutting where tradition has always had it, after dinner. This will allow any guest that wants to leave to gracefully make an exit. For those who want to stay and party, they can have a yummy sugar boost prior to getting their dance on!

I was watching The Early Show while getting ready for work today. Laura and Jenna Bush were on promoting a children’s book they co-authored. The last few minutes of the interview, Mrs. Bush was asked what she hopes for her daughter on her wedding day. I was putting on mascara while she was speaking, so I have to paraphrase what she said… In essence, Mrs. Bush’s hope for Jenna is that she is able to relax and enjoy every minute of the wedding day. The day goes by so quickly and it is easy to forget special moments that take place.

That is the most wonderful sentiment from a mother to a daughter on her wedding day.

I encourage brides to not obsess over every last detail of their weddings. Once the big day comes around, it is crucial to just let everything unfold. The wedding day is not the time to worry about flowers being slightly off color, or linens being wrinkled. It is important to let all of that go so that you can enjoy and remember every special moment.

Looking back on my own wedding, the things I remember most have to do with the people who were there. Some of them are no longer on this earth, some have lost touch, others, I speak with regularly. I cherish the memory of all of them dancing, laughing and enjoying themselves. I must confess, I was very unhappy with my flowers that day, but I didn’t let it bother me. My photographer even commented to me that he had never seen a bride enjoy herself more on her wedding day.

That was very true… I didn’t want it to end. I enjoyed every second.

Keep that in mind as you approach your wedding day. Things will go wrong… No matter how careful you are, no matter how much planning you do, something will happen. The key to enjoying your wedding day is not with having a perfect wedding, its in how you handle the things that come up.

Just keep a sense of humor and keep dancing!

I just received the photos from the Ritz-Carlton Bridal Showcase. Thank you very much to Damon Tucci, a wonderful photographer here in Orlando for these lovely photographs. I hope you enjoy them.

Once again, Michele and I couldn’t have done it without Lee Forrest. He is an amazing designer and an amazing friend!

YES, YES, YES!

I have to tell you. I am planning destination weddings for two clients, one in Italy and one in the Bahamas. It is a very different experience from planning one locally. It is much more time consuming. I plan weddings all day long. I can’t imagine fitting in all the details if I were working a full time job AND planning my wedding.

Here is what we need to do to get the marriage license in Italy:

Get copies of birth certificates with an Apostille.
Have the documents translated into Italian.
Go to an Italian Embassy and swear in person that you are eligible for marriage.
Go to the region where the wedding takes place to get an Atto Notorio.

Then, weddings in Italy can only take place in the town hall. So we have to have the official wedding in the morning in the town hall and a symbolic wedding at their desired location in the afternoon.

The most interesting part of this wedding is that we had to get permission from the mayor of the town to get married in July since they typically do not do weddings in July or August. Pheww!

I always learn something new!

In the end, my bride and groom are going to get the wedding they always dreamed about… but it is a lot of work. If you have dreams of getting married in Europe, or some exotic locale, make sure you know what you are getting into… Most importantly, hire a good, patient and determined wedding planner!

I just came from the most wonderful appointment. Well actually, I am still here. I am in the lobby of the beautiful Portofino Bay Hotel here in Orlando. You can see a photo of it on our website: I just left a menu tasting and I am waiting for a wedding rehearsal.

So, I have a beautiful wedding scheduled for May here at the Portofino. Today we made our final menu selections. The chef prepared petite selections of various soups, salads and entrees for us to try. For the soup course we chose between Cream of Acorn Squash Soup (so yummy) and Wild Mushroom Cappuccino Soup with a truffle foam (we chose this one).

Our salad selection was among Baby Greens with Grilled Fruit with walnut crusted goat cheese, grilled apples and pears with a balsamic vinaigrette; Warm Four Cheese Tart with carmelized onion, mixed herbs and mushrooms on a bed of greens with chilled asparagus; or a Golden Beet Salad with chevre and a crispy basil leaf. The were all great, but we settled on the Four cheese tart.

Finally, my client is doing a dual entree, fish and beef. We had to choose among Sliced Tenderloin of beef stuffed with Porcini Mushrooms, Fillet Mignon, Striped Bass, Black Grouper or Trout. We chose the stuffed tenderloin and the grouper. It was all so good. You can see the final plate in the photo below.

We didn’t get to try dessert because in addition to wedding cake, they are having a sundae bar (the groom’s one and only request). I can’t wait to see how it all turns out. I will have photos for you at the end of May.

Menu planning and food tasting is a very important part of the wedding planning process. You can tweak the food presentation with the chef and make sure you like the way all the flavors were combined.

Besides, it’s lots of fun!

Happy planning!

I attended a fabulous wedding last night — as a guest. We had so much fun! The decorations and the meal were simple but very good. The DJ did a great job and we danced all night.

I think the camaraderie among all the guests was key. The friends of the bride and groom had known each other for years, some since high school. Everyone was really invested in the bride and groom and in each other. I am very new to the group, but they all made me feel welcome. In fact, they wouldn’t let me off the dance floor!

This proves once again that it isn’t the money you spend, the decorations, the food, the gown or the location… it is all about the relationships in the room. By all means, if you have the money to spend for an over-the-top event, do it! It is great fun. BUT, if you don’t have tens of thousands of dollars to spend on your wedding, don’t fret, invite the ones you love and have a blast!

Hi All,

I am very, very excited. After working for a year, my new wedding planning DVD is finally here and available to you! Susan Southerland’s Wedding Planning Secrets has my most sought-after advice in one DVD.

I share my secrets for choosing colors, creating a reasonable budget, dealing with vendors and organizing the day. Check out the website for more information.

I will be at the Perfect Wedding Guide wedding show on Sunday at the Buena Vista Palace. If you are in Orlando, come see me. I am looking forward to discussing your wedding plans with you and on my table, is my Ten Inspirational Ideas for an Out of the Ordinary Wedding idea list, to assist you in planning a memorable wedding!

I hope to see you there!

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 have had the most amazing week in Colorado. What a gorgeous place to get married!

I was here to speak to the wedding professionals who advertise in The Perfect Wedding Guide in Boulder. It was the perfect place to start this speaking tour because I think Colorado, Boulder in particular, is on the leading edge in the conservation movement, not only in weddings, but with daily life and all types of commerce.

Our topic, was “Making Green from Green Weddings.” Of course the speech was geared towards making wedding businesses eco-friendly and profitable, but I learned so much about making eco-friendly weddings that I wanted to share the information with you.

Weddings have a huge impact on the environment. Guests’ traveling via plane and car sends tons of carbon into the atmosphere, transportation of goods and services to the wedding also creates pollution. Pesticides in the flowers have an environmental impact as well. I read a study that said that commercially grown flowers have 1000 times the amount of cancer-causing chemicals compared with food products. (ecobusinesslinks.com) Photo paper and chemicals have an environmental impact as do paper products and food waste.

Of course we are not going to change the traditional wedding, but their are some things we can do to help protect the environment. Consider requesting organic and locally-grown food. Organic will help reduce the chemical impact of your wedding and by purchasing locally, there will be reduced transportation costs. Also, find out if your reception site or caterer will consider donating leftover food to a food bank, this will help those in need and reduce waste.

Flowers are a bit of a controversial issue — go organic or go local? Going organic is a great way to reduce the use of pesticides, but there are very few organic sources for purchasing flowers. The transportation impact from shipping organic flowers across the country may have just as great an environmental impact as using locally-grown flowers with pesticides. Regardless of where your flowers are purchased, ask your florist whether or not she can compost the wasted and leftover flowers, or if she could donate them to a local hospital or nursing home.

When it comes to photography, for those who are technologically savvy, there are some great ways to reduce paper and chemical use. Consider having an electronic album, or rather than having all of your proofs printed, do online proofing. Digital frames are also a great alternative. Imagine having a beautiful frame on your coffee table that cycles through all your beautiful wedding photos rather than just an album. You could also have a pod crunch done. You can share your photos with your family and friends right on your I-Pod!

The most interesting method of off-setting a weddings environmental impact I found was purchasing carbon credits. There are websites that can calculate the amount of carbon your wedding sends into the atmosphere based on the number of guests you have, the number of nights they are staying in the hotel, and the number of miles they travel by plane and car. Once this amount is calculated, you can purchase carbon credits. The money is donated to organizations that do things to improve the environment, whether it be an organization that plants trees or builds windmills. It is one way to give back to the earth in honor of your special day. If you want to learn more about carbon credits go to www.terrapass.com

Please note that these organizations are not yet regulated. Make sure to do some research prior to making your donations.

Incidentally, my plane trip to Colorado created 2407 pounds of Carbon Dioxide emissions. To offset that, my company will be purchasing a Terrapass for $9.95 counterbalance the impact of my trip. The donation will be put towards a wind farm which helps generate clean energy.