Wedding on Christmas?

Having a Christmas wedding can seem like an oxymoron, but it can be done. If you are planning to have your wedding on a major holiday which lasts a day or several days, you want to aim for a stress-free affair.

Realize that when your guests read your wedding invitation and realize that your nuptials are taking place during a commonly hectic time of year, you want want to have your detail ammunition ready. The biggest concern for many people could be the cost of holidays plane tickets, so you may consider setting up an informal "travel fund" for guests to subsidize the cost. Also, you may want to cover any hotel fees and other expenses that guests may encounter. If possible, having the wedding venue close to an airport (15-20 minutes away) would give guests greater ability to fly in and out of your wedding. Perhaps an early afternoon occasion would fit your wedding ceremony best. Ultimately, it is important that your guests feel comfortable and relaxed enough to celebrate your big day, no what date your wedding falls on.

Photo by getwired, sxc.hu

Resisting Your Inner Bridezilla

The idea that as a bride-t0-be you must control everything is fodder for your inner bridezilla. To tame your "zilla" from getting out and devouring everything in its path, keep in a mind a few tips while planning your wedding:

1. Letting go and delegating. You probably think that you have to do it all alone, but this isn't true. If you haven't recruited help, yet feel completely overwhelmed by all the planning, then find someone to lift some responsibility off of your shoulders. It's okay to not like every aspect of the planning process and being honest with yourself about what you least like can actually be your mental list of tasks that you can delegate.
   
2. Have a back-up plan. Knowing that you are prepared for worst-case scenarios, will give you greater peace of mind that you've done all you could to ensure a stress-free wedding. Make sure you give yourself enough time to walk-through your wedding day.
   
3. Remember the "our" in your day. If you are taking on all the responsibility, then you may not realize that your feelings of stress or anxiety are probably felt and experienced by your significant other. Remember not only why you are getting married, but that you are creating a milestone memory with your partner and will recall the details for years to come.

Dear Customers,

We feel fortunate to have testimonials from hundreds of content brides about our work ethic, devotion, and professionalism within the wedding industry.

The challenge that we all currently face is how to receive an excellent level of client service, yet fit into shrinking budgets. We have been fortunate to continue providing our clients with services beyond the capabilities of standard production company. Almost a hundred percent of our work is custom and we do everything in-house - creating unique stands for table arrangements, arches and chuppas, custom drapery and more, which allows us to pass on savings to our client. At the end of the day though, we provide a fundamental service - client satisfaction.

We hope that you will give us the opportunity to tell you about the great advantages of services that Wedding Maker will provide. I'm convinced that my company is uniquely positioned to help you turn your wedding into an unforgettable event. I want to, therefore, make sure that we're meeting your expectations in terms of the success criteria.

As your needs may change, we will be happy to help you evaluate them and offer you specific services that will help you achieve your new goals. To assure you of the quality of our work we would like to create and show you samples of your bouquets, centerpieces and other items that you have chosen prior to your wedding date.

Special Holiday Gift Just for You!

FREE BRIDAL BOUQUET

Call us for a complimentary consultation at 800.640.1930 and we would be happy to answer any questions and discuss any detail further.

Sincerely,

Michael Valdmaa
CEOWedding Maker
866-616-1266

Receive a FREE Bridal Bouquet with your wedding flowers contract.

What If...?

A bride has so many things on her mind that her brain could very well turn into mush as the wedding day approaches. Hopefully, she'll be able to block out the negative, accentuate the positive, and have someone to do all the worrying for her.

For one wedding, we helped a bridesmaid repair a tear in the hem of her dress. Traditional sewing wouldn't repair the hole, so we had to get a little creative. The end result was the bride telling us that we made the bridesmaid dresses look even more beautiful. We didn't just apply the change to a single bridesmaid's dress, but to all of the bridesmaids' dresses.

As wedding consultants, it is important that we handle every external detail as well as those events that happen behind the scenes. This preserves the bride's sanity, ensuring a wonderful wedding experience.








Photo by lockstockb, sxc.hu

Winter Wedding

It may be challenging at times to think of colors for your wedding that won't announce the holiday season.

For one wedding, a bride envisioned a perfect winter-wonderland wedding, but wanted colors that were both cool and warm. The colors we choose for the room decor and centerpieces were a mix of white and different shades of blue and purple.

Selecting colors that complement a season, without fitting into a traditional holiday theme can be accomplished without your venue space seeming austere and cold.



Photo by Lockheed, sxc.hu

Top 3 Reasons Why It's Okay to be Picky About Invitations

Through the invitations, guests can get a sense of how the couple envisions the special day. It's okay, therefore, to take your time when selecting the invitations and here are a few more reasons why:

Choosing invitations assists with the wedding theme. Selecting your invitations is an important step, since t can help couples figure out their wedding theme or weave important ideas into their wedding concept. For one wedding we coordinated, the color green was important to both the bride and groom. The color expanded into a concept and the couple literally "went green" and asked their guests to donate to the green charity that they supported, instead of giving them traditional gifts. Their invitations were made on recycled silk, green paper and the design represented an enchanted forest, an image that carried throughout the wedding ceremony and reception decor.


Purchasing invitations helps determine your guest list. Starting with a budget is your first step toward selecting invitations, but the cost of invitations will also help inform your guest list. If there are invitations that absolutely embody your event, but are bit pricier, then you might be more prudent when it comes to forming your guest list.


Comparing your invitation options helps you research better. When you're looking for invitations whether online or in a store, you want research your vendors, so you know you're working with reputable dealers. Building your research skills can help you throughout the entire wedding process.

Want to know more about the dos and don'ts of invitations? Click here!

Bride-to-Bride: No More Boring Napkins

The holidays are a great excuse to spice up your cloth napkins. Not only can you do this for your wedding event, but in your own home!

For an event we did earlier this year, we wrapped the stem of a flower around a textured napkin. The calla gave the thicker stem a more delicate feel, but also complemented the thicker feel and appearance of the rolled napkin.

If you want to use a holiday plant that you may already have, like a poinsettia and have silk or raffia ribbon, you can thread the ribbon into your flowers and tie them around your napkins!




What creative holiday ideas are you thinking of for your wedding?

Bride-to-Bride: What if...

Stacy, a bride in 2008, is a 33-year old fashion designer who lives in Philadelphia, PA. Stacy was a hands-off bride and wanted her event designers to take care of everything. Little did she know that everything really meant anything!

Stacy's mom insisted that she use an aisle runner that was a shiny ivory color - her mom asserted that it would, "illuminate the bride." On the big day, Stacy was focusing on walking down the 100 ft. aisle, and not the runner. As she took her first steps down the aisle though, she realized that she was starting to slip. The heel and toe of her shoes were made of a porous material that created slippage against the aisle runner's surface.

Stacy knew that she wouldn't make it down the aisle and was far enough away from the guests that no one could see what the event designers were about to do. In record time, Stacy's shoes were quickly affixed with a rubber fabric to create more traction on the aisle runner. Stacy made it down the aisle and the only thing people focused on was the beautiful bride.

Photo by bjearwicke, sxc.hu

Reusing Party Favors

It seems that when you have one wedding to attend, three others follow and after awhile you may acquire your fair share of party favors. Some party favors will last a lifetime, but others are meant to be consumed or used within a short period of time. If you have a bit of party favor overflow that is now in a drawer or gathering dust on a shelf, then you may benefit from the following tips:

• Bag of Almonds. If you don’t eat the almonds, make sure to still keep the bag! These bags can be used as candy bags to give trick-or-treaters for Halloween and the almonds can serve as garnish around your Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzza, etc. dishes!
  
  
• Potpourri. The fragrance may have dissipated, but you may be able to convert the fragrant contents into a compost pile. Make sure to check with a gardener or lawn care specialist to make sure that you are applying the correct compost techniques for your lawn.
  
  
• Topiaries. Topiary is the art of designing shrubs and small trees. In the context of the wedding, people can use miniature topiaries not only to hold name cards and photos, but as decorative party favors. If you want to make a simple dinner at home a bit more formal, then placing topiaries on the table with your family member’s names can help to set a special mood.
  

Photo by broo, sxc.hu

There Is More Than One Way to Be Creative

Many of us have heard the phrase “thinking outside of the box,” but what about thinking “around” the box instead? Many event designers start with a concept, colors, and a venue, but what about thinking beyond those initial visuals? At the heart of our event design is the bride and groom and minimizing any stress or anxiety that the couple may feel during their wedding. A bride or couple’s wedding should reflect fundamental aspects of what is wanted yet provide all that is needed with a sense of style.

The designer should know how the bride wishes to showcase her décor, lighting, and other aspects of a wedding as it pertains to the venue location. We strive to think and create outside of the box as well as innovate ways to reinvent the box when the need arises. This will ensure not only a creative wedding, but something that is uniquely your own.



Photo by Leonardini, sxc.hu

Part II: You Really Do Need a Backup Plan

The only reason I knew about the hurricane is because the hotel had the weather channel on in the hotel lobby.

Luckily, months before I had given into my instincts and decided to be more open about the back-up plan. It was important that everyone’s time, money, and energy not go to waste. We wanted to honor our guests by protecting our special day as best we could. Also, discussing the worst-case scenarios with my planners and knowing that they were prepared for the unexpected made me feel more confident.

Feeling self-assured was an especially helpful state of mind to be in when I overheard the bits about the hurricane. Luckily, through the magic of our ancestors, the weather held and there was neither a drop of rain nor hint of wind. The lighting was complex and perfect. It totally matched the tone of our venue and the photographs were ethereal, sultry, and classic – truly capturing our happiness ‘sigh.’

In retrospect, I realized that thinking of a back-up plan is a natural and really necessary part of planning. It makes sense to seek comfort in those things that will ensure your wedding happens no matter what. As they say in the theater, "the show must go on!"

A Few Tips for Planning Your Wedding

While you’re planning your wedding it may seem that everything around you somehow relates to the upcoming special day. Whether it be a commercial or some conversation that you overhear at Starbucks, you start to imagine how the wedding day will go, infused by images of things that you particularly feel strongly about like décor, the wedding dress, the cake, the venue location and more.

If you are trying to develop your vision of the big day, but don’t know where to begin, try these tips to help you on your way!

1. Start with your favorites spots. You and your fiancé should revisit some shared favorite places, like a restaurant, park, or even a movie theater. Just pick places where you love to go and write down or talk about why you love that place so much. Not only will this help you think about what kind of venue you want to have, but the tone and style that you want to achieve.

2. Consult with an expert. You probably want to bounce your ideas off of an impartial party or need help to extract and combine your particular tastes. You may discover that when you talk with a wedding consultant that the impossible may be possible with a bit of creativity.

3. Look through old and new photographs. If your family is involved in planning your guest list, then you could suggest sitting down with photographs to determine the guest list. You may not have pictures of everyone that you want to invite, but it’s a good start to know who matters most to your family. Looking through photos is a good refresher for everyone about your guests' names, especially if the list is long!

Photo by bea29sm, sxc.hu

Bride-to-Bride Part I: You Really Do Need a Backup Plan

Ah, there I am on the day before I am married, the anxious and extremely happy bride-to-be. The day of the wedding rehearsal was gorgeous and sunny, how I envisioned that every day would be in May, especially on our wedding day.

I had planned every detail of my wedding and still hired event planners. We were having a destination wedding and I was living in London at the time. I remember our discussion with Julie (one of the event planners) about having a back-up plan. I also remember completely humming "la,la,la,la" in my head about the topic too. The day would be perfect no matter what, so why was she trying to rain on my parade?

At the time, I didn't realize the importance of our conversation. I was a super organized bride, who knew exactly what she wanted and wanted NOTHING to do with the back-up plan ... at first. Who would've thought a hurricane would come through the state on my wedding day?

Thanksgiving Fall Photos

Here are some beautiful photos from an event that we did last weekend. Let us know which color combination is your favorite and enjoy the pictures!

Luxe Designs

A luxurious wedding event can be expressed through a wedding dress, venue, and most definitely, through the décor. By creating cohesiveness between different elements of your wedding, you can achieve the wedding of your dreams.

On the new TLC show Flowers Uncut, floral designer Jeff Leatham typically starts designing with a theme in mind. On one particular episode, Jeff matched the color of a pink martini to the flowers used during a charity event. Your event designer should not only be able to match different colors, but coordinate them so that your décor will fit into the desired theme.

Photo by Flowerful Events

The Highs and Lows of Centerpieces

Centerpieces can transform the mood and tone of any room. Your centerpieces can be carefully crafted to reflect your design concept and can also incorporate other ideas that you wanted to include in your event decor.

In addition to the design, it is important to consider your centerpieces height in the following ways:

• If your event is held in a banquet hall or enclosed room with low ceilings, then high centerpieces will make the room look smaller. Conversely, higher ceilings would be ideal for higher centerpieces since they will fill the room.

• Steer clear of centerpieces that are at eye level. It will be difficult for your guests to talk across the table, however, this may be a part of your strategy!

• Think about how the centerpieces will look against the color of the walls. If you want your flowers to stand out in a room, then make sure you select centerpiece colors that will give you a contrast.

If you've ever been to a wedding, then you have probably experienced that feeling of excitement upon entering a room or arranged space. Your attention has likely been drawn not only to the room, but to any eye-catching centerpieces. Give your guests a centerpiece visual that they won't soon forget, no matter how big or small!

Event Designer: Luxury or Necessity

Busy schedules and limited time can make it difficult for most couples to plan and orchestrate an entire wedding. The wedding or event designer, once a luxury reserved for only the wealthy and elite, has become a necessity for many people. A wedding designer can coordinate every aspect of your wedding and provide a range of services from concierge to coordinator.

How does your designer make your event successful? I think giving my clients their personalized version of "WOW" will make their wedding successful. With that feeling of amazement also brings a sense of joy. Our couples share that joy with people who can recollect memories from their wedding for years to come. Your event designer should create a unique atmosphere to ensure that your guests will truly enjoy a memorable moment of your life. He or she has to help you express yourself and define your event goals.

Ultimately, an event designer can provide support for and insight into all the various aspects of your wedding and give couples added comfort that the event will run as smoothly as possible.

"Now There's (One Type of) a Bride"

The first Sex and the City movie, released in May of 2008 was a must see for many brides-to-be. Not only did the movie reveal some of the details that go into wedding planning, but how beautiful things can look when you create a cohesive vision.


Through the movie, main character, Carrie Bradshaw became even more of a fashion icon in a Vivienne Westwood wedding dress that was complemented by a classic bird headpiece and an exquisite bouquet of flowers. Since Carrie’s fashion is often portrayed as sophistically-daring, you can probably appreciate how her wedding décor reflected her personality. I couldn’t help, but notice the wild stems enclosed in silk fabric – that reminded me of Carrie (and she’s a fictional character)!

You can fully accomplish the same feat when you design your own wedding. Giving yourself enough time to think about things like the color and tone for your wedding can help you achieve your vision of the big day.

Photo by perischristou.blogspot.com

Weddings at Liberty House

Ting's & Ken's wedding @ Liberty House in May 09

Weddings at the Shadowbrook

Sara's & Terrance's wedding in January 09 @ the Shadowbrook

Victoria's & Chris's wedding in June 2008 @ the Shadowbrook

The key question isn't, 'What fosters creativity?' But it is, 'Why isn't everyone creative?'"

The wedding can be built around tradition and heritage, your personal style and taste, couples' interests and hobbies. It is a priority for everyone to ensure the success of this memorable moment.

So, where do you begin? How do you envision and create an environment for your guests from scratch, the one that they will remember long afterwards?

Over a decade, I have been privileged to help people to plan and design their weddings. Although every event or wedding is unique, similar components are always present. Most likely, a wedding will have a ceremony and reception, flowers for the bridal party and attendants. The décor for every segment of the wedding may be elaborate, simple or traditional and can be summarized with one common word - elegant. Therefore, we need to determinate what style suits you best and start designing an event that is truly yours.

Be original. Your guests will certainly be charmed and excited by what you create because it is unlikely for you to be ordinary. A wedding is all about details every step of the way. Today I would like to concentrate on the reception area. In most cases, it would be a place where your guest will spend the majority of time. The table settings will be a focal point that commands the attention of everyone. Depending what kind of space you have to work with, you have to consider a few aspects while designing the centerpieces for dinner tables; scale, texture, color and even sense.

Lighting could be the most important design element, it evokes a different atmosphere.

If a wedding is a formal seated dinner in a ball room with a twenty four foot ceiling you probably will want to fill the empty space by building six/seven foot arrangements.

Most likely, you would want to add more texture by dressing the table with an elegant overlay and napkins. In the areas where the ceiling will not allow you to use the high arrangements, you may want to create an interesting composition of different size lower glass containers and flowers. Whatever the case might be, we need to allocate the budget for our table setting and frankly it could be very costly, especial in our trouble economy.

Don't worry. There are ways to create elaborate events without spending a fortune. Let's look at some options.

Visualize the overall look that we are trying to achieve. If we were to build a high centerpiece, wouldn't you say that using small flowers might not be feasible? On the other hand, flowers like hydrangea, gerberas, and lilies would cover a lot. A lot of times my clients don't want to see any greenery. Ok, not a problem. Use less expensive flowers like carnations as a base. It just happens to be that carnations are very beautiful, sturdy and colorful flowers, but if you do not particularly like them, not to worry, you will not see them. Use them as filler and a base.

If your theme is more towards the natural look, you can use branches with flowers attached. I love to work with curly willow. When using a proper container you can build a centerpiece that would be over six feet high and still cost under a hundred dollars. Another option is to use natural trees. For example, a six feet tall Manzanita tree gives you a spectacular, chic and unique look. Again, although those trees are very pricey you may easily find a company who rents them.

Recently we built a six-foot crystal chandelier centerpiece with silk orchids attached. Our client saved a ton of money and still had a million dollar look on her wedding day. There are event design companies who specialize in building custom designs. You can save money and yet craft a unique wedding.

I remember, about seven years ago we created our first life-like silk centerpiece. Over sixty high quality flowers in true natural colors were used in each arrangement. It was a "million dollar" look then and it still is. Today you will find a few companies that rent silk centerpieces for your event for a fracture of cost.

Keep in mind dimensions if you need to create low table arrangements. Pending on your theme, use different size glass containers. There are so many options. The containers can be filled with different color gel and LED lights, sea glass, marbles, green leaves, fruits and more. You can use the same flowers in all of the containers or fill each container with a different flower in a different color. The possibilities are endless.

My advice to you is, find an event/wedding design company near you, make an appointment and see what they have to offer. Tell them your budget and see what they can do for you. You will be surprised how easy it could be.

Michael Heifez

Event Designer - Luxury or Necessity ?

The wedding/event designer, once a luxury reserved for only the wealthy and elite, has become a necessity in today's world. Planning and orchestrating a successful event can require the coordination of numerous details. A wedding designer can provide services in various capacities, from concierge to coordinator. It's important to learn as much as you can when you are looking into hiring a wedding designer for your event. How does one person manage to stay on top of the myriad decisions that must be made? Often the biggest challenge will be to keep yourself focused as you bringing your thoughts and ideas to a particular venue. You have to adopt your vision to a location without losing it. Designing an event or a wedding takes much more time and effort than planning it. Planning an event is like a production of the show, whereas the venue is a stage, the bride is a director and your designer a producer. A good wedding/event designer will help you to express your vision. Begin with inspiration, ideas and dreams! He will help you to generate an overall concept, conceptualize a style and communicate this to your guests. He should be able to find a way to create a wedding uniquely your own.

What makes an event to be a success? I think the "WOW" factor, the feeling of joy that people will feel when they remember the party later. Your wedding/event designer should create a unique atmosphere to ensure that your guests would truly enjoy the memorable moment of your life. When you design a wedding you are surrounding your guests with a part of who you are. It would be a challenge for a wedding designer to read your mind, sometimes as we say get into your head to understand what are the most important aspects that matter to you. He has to help you to express yourself and what you are aiming for.

Usually at the first meeting with your wedding/designer, you should discuss an ultimate concept or theme, including color and mood. You have to be as original as you can and design something that you are comfortable with. You have to pinpoint what do words like romantic, chic or elegant mean to you. You will be surprised how differently each one of us defines them.

Style is adaptable; it can be anything for anyone. Signature elements of your own wedding design have been overlooked in the pass, some of the elements like ambiance lighting in reception area will add enormous visual impact, adding scent will tickle your guests' senses and using texture in your floral décor and table setting will leave fabulous and breathtaking effect.

A good wedding designer also should maximize any budget and make the most out of the couples' valuable time and hard-earned money. He should be there to ensure proper setup and breakdown of each decorative element. Any wedding and event presents a challenge and it will turn out to be successful when you will love the result and your guests will never forget it.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Heifez

How to Choose Your Wedding Professionals

Eight most important principles to consider when choosing your wedding professionals:

Reliability, Experience, Reputation, Honesty, Ethic, Personality, Professionalism, Cost

A wedding professional with all of those values is the one you want. The real challenge is to find one. Newly engaged couples have to select qualified wedding experts from unqualified ones.

Because in today's advanced internet era it takes just a few hours to create a spectacular website, then a few minutes to insert raving reviews by imaginary wedding couples, less than a hundred dollar payment to the top wedding sites for advertising and off you go. Online you would never know the difference! You hear a lot of horrifying stories how the florist did not show up to the wedding or photo albums did not come in, or wedding video got lost and it goes on and on. Unfortunately it is true. In today's economy, it is obvious that price determines the sale. You will find people who will promise you an exceptional deal for a very low cost. Just be aware that grapes are not always sweet and even the best deals sometimes fail. We all know that the value of quality, honesty and reliability cannot be priced. Indeed we are not suggesting clients to overpay just because some vendors have been on the market for 20 years.

Always check the credentials or at least ask for valid references. Any vendor should not be offended, he or she should be happy to provide you with a list, because word of mouth is the best advertising. This does not apply to situations, where your sister already used the services of the same professional, it applies to professionals you do not know.

I would suggest meeting the vendor before reserving his/her services. If you have three similar offers from wedding professionals in pricing, quality and services - who will you hire? You need to establish a bond and understanding with that person. Personal qualities are important and you have to assure that you feel comfortable. There are some exceptions; for instance being an out of state bride makes it difficult to meet with the vendors in advance. In that case, I would either call up the banquet hall or ask for references.

Also, don't forget to ask for a contract, read it carefully and then mutually sign it. Make sure that the person you are meeting with is actually the one performing the services on your wedding day, and if not, ask to meet with the one who is. The last thing you want is to spend all that time and money to find out on your wedding day that the job is subcontracted to a totally different person or a company.

If quality is important to you, don't only consider the price, find out about how reliable and experienced the vendor is. You have to keep in mind that most of the advertisements in different wedding magazines and sites are "paid advertisements" and do not necessarily always mean high quality service. As I said before the best advertising is word of mouth. If your friend is raving to you about a wedding designer who decorated her/his wedding, definitely check that professional out.

by Kristina Valdmaa

February

How stylish!

January 09 Wedding Highlights

Congratulations Joan and Samy!