5 Ways To Make Your Wedding Unique

Tired of the "cookie cutter" wedding?  Do you want to take your wedding from drag to fab?  Below we share 5 tips to add some spice in your wedding day!

1) A fabulous way to make a wedding unique is to incorporate the cultures of the bride and groom. Whether you feature a traditional Chinese tea ceremony, the breaking of the glass, jumping of the broom or traditional foods, I think incorporating one’s culture is a beautiful way to add depth and uniqueness to your wedding.

{Jumping the broom by Annie Lee}

2) Another way to add dimension to your wedding is to entertain and “wow” the guests with creative interactive experiences. Some examples might be adding a photo booth, a dessert buffet of your favorite desserts, a cigar roller, or a port and cheese tasting. All are non-traditional items that you wouldn’t find at weddings past and also provide an interactive element to your wedding that your guests will enjoy and best of all remember for years to come.

3) Think outside the box when it comes to your wedding décor, more specifically your table centerpieces. Instead of using traditional flowers, try something a bit different. Some ideas might be incorporating a few stunning vintage bird cages, elegant crystal chandeliers, or even miniature wedding cakes as centerpieces.

{weddingbee.com}

 

4) Make your wedding special and different (not to mention “wow” your guest) plan to include over the wedding weekend some different activities for your guests to participate in. Plan a mini tennis/golf tournament; a Clam bake for all your guests; a morning hike; a luau or a Sunday brunch, just to name a few. Adding some creative activities for your guests really helps add a whole new unique aspect to your wedding.

5) However the most important part of making a wedding unique is to incorporate the passions and personalities of the bride and groom. For example, if the couple is really into wine, use that theme and infuse it throughout the wedding. You could have the tables named after vineyards you love, set place cards in wine corks, use deep reds and browns as your color scheme, and bring in wine barrels to add additional décor to the room. Bringing in who you are as a couple is very important in making your wedding special and unique!

 {Flickr photo: camillestyles}

7 Tips For Planning a “Signature Wedding” on a Small Budget

There is no direct correlation between your budget size and having a fabulous and stunning wedding.  Truth be told, many a brides have managed to plan the most beautiful weddings on small budgets with no one being the wiser.  The key to pulling off this feat is lots of planning, research and planning.  Below I have provided some tips you can use to make your budget (no matter what the size) work for you!

Tip #1 – Request quotes from a few florists and price compare. There are florists out there at various price points, and it is good to see what is out there and which florists are willing to work with you.

Tip #2 - Choose flowers that are in season because that will help reduce extra costs.

Tip #3 - Hire a planner! Wedding Planners have longstanding relationships with vendors and venues, and can really assist in bringing down the costs.   A good planner will ultimately pay for him/herself in the end.

Tip #4 -If the venue has their own white linens, use them, and accent them with great napkins and flowers. If you can afford to rent linens from an outside vendor, make sure you request quotes from a few companies.  Just like florists, there are varying levels of price and it is important to see what is out there so you can make the best choice for your wedding.

Tip #5 -Try skip using flowers all together and invest in something more creative for a centerpiece.  Think vintage chandeliers (which you can buy from a flea market), or a few hurricane candles or vases filled with unique items. You can also try reworking the tables to form long tables instead of traditional rounds, possibly reducing the number of centerpieces you actually even need.

Tips # 6 -Integrate your personality and style into the small details which really define a “Signature Wedding” such as place cards, table numbers, ceremony details, etc. It is in the details where your style really comes out and you can add this feel with little touches.

Tip # 7 -Instead of having a large cake to feed all your guests, opt in favor of having a fabulous but smaller cake, and using a sheet cake to feed your guests. This will save you a substantial amount of money and your cake will still be the stunning one you want.

Custom Card Boxes - A Bride's Best Friend

While planning her own wedding, Marni Gold, creator of Creative Custom Card Boxes was searching for a unique and secure way to store cards during her wedding reception. Frustrated with the limited selection of card boxes available at the time, this DIY bride rolled up her sleeves and loaded her hot glue gun and went to work. The final product was a beautiful custom card box that was simple, elegant and most importantly - it went along with her wedding day decor. What started out as a simple project to create something custom fro her own wedding has now turned into a successful business.



Today while looking at Marni's site I found 3 custom card boxes that I am absolutely in love with for the fall wedding season.

Champagne and Chocolate Brown


Chocolate Brown and Orange

Ivory and Chocolate Brown

So if you are looking for a unique way to store your wedding cards, check out Creative Custom Card Boxes.

"Q&A with the Event Diva"

It's that time once again this week and we're still talking about weddings!


Q: I am on a very limited budget for my wedding and would like to provide my guests with a nice wedding favor as our way of saying thank you. The favors that I have picked out are a bit expensive, to save some money is it necessary for me to give one to each guests, or can I give them per couple?

A: It is absolutely okay to give favors per couple. Just keep in mind your single guests that you may have invited as they should give them their own favor so they won’t feel left out. The tricky part is going to be deciding on how to distribute the favors. Putting the favors on a “favor table” runs the risk of people taking more than one favor. To remedy this I would suggest using place cards during the reception. With the place card, you are putting their name in the exact spot you would like them to sit at the table. Simply place the favor between the two place settings so they will be able to see that the favor is for the both of them. For your single guests, simply place the favor directly above or on top of the place setting so they will know that it is for them.

Q: I have been reading the one way to save money on your wedding is to plan it during an “off” month. What are the “off” months?

A: The winter months (January – March) tend to be the least popular for weddings. Whereas June, August, September and October tend to be the more popular months. December is also starting to become more popular for weddings all due to the holidays. Because the demand is less during the winter months, you’re more likely to find places (ceremony/reception) who are more likely to offer specials or deep discounts. These discounts can often extend to other wedding services like rentals, photography, flowers, videography, etc too.

Got a question for the Event Diva? Email us at info@beckwithevents.com - and include in the subject line "Q&A with the Event Diva". We will try to answer all questions in the order in which they were received. Check back every Wednesday to see if your question is listed.

HAPPY PLANNING!

“Q&A with the Event Diva”

Q & A with the Event Diva

This week I thought we would tackle some common questions I get regarding weddings.

Q: How much time do I need to plan a memorable wedding?

A: About 10 years ago my answer would have been for couples to allow anywhere from 12 – 18 months to plan their dream wedding. However today it all depends on the couple and how much time they have to invest in the planning process. My rule of thumb in planning is pretty simple, the more time you are willing to invest up front with the planning the better. But typically it will take most couples 12 months to properly plan and pay for a wedding. Keep in mind the key to planning your dream wedding is working with an experienced planner and vendors who are great at what they do. With the right mix of wedding professionals a fabulous wedding can be planned in any amount of time!

Q: With the current state of the economy, is hiring a wedding planner even necessary?

A: The current state of the economy is the reason why every couple SHOULD hire a wedding planner. A great wedding planner will streamline the planning process for the couple. There are so many vendors out there to choose from, by hiring a wedding planner he/she will help you select the right vendor that meets your criteria and fits in your budget. A great wedding planner in the end will pay for her/himself and will ultimately save you money in the end. Keep in mind that a wedding planner’s prize possession is her vendor list. We work hard to maintain relationships with great vendors who offer top notch products and excellent service. Because of our relationships we are oftentimes able to negotiate great deals on behalf of our clients saving them hundreds of dollars.

Q: Do you have any money saving advice for couples planning their wedding?

A: Yes, first things first – create a realistic budget! This will be your blueprint throughout the planning process. Once you know what you can comfortable afford, you empower yourself to make “smart” money decisions.

Got a question for the Event Diva? Email us at info@beckwithevents.com - and include in the subject line "Q&A with the Event Diva". We will try to answer all questions in the order in which they were received. Check back every Wednesday to see if your question is listed.

HAPPY PLANNING!

Hiring a Wedding Consultant, a Wise Investment

Congratulations you’re engaged…now what? After the proposal of your dreams you spend the next few days making tons of phone calls and visits to share the exciting news and to show off the ring, then one day as you are flipping through a wedding magazine it hits you - you have to a wedding to plan!

Where do you begin?

Who do you call?

The task of planning a wedding to a newly engaged bride can seem quite overwhelming. Where should you have the reception? Should you have a buffet dinner or seated served? Should you have it outdoors or inside; what if it rains? Your wedding will likely be the most elaborate and expensive party that you will ever host, and you want it to be perfect. For this fact alone many couples are deciding to hire a professional wedding consultant.

What was once considered to be a luxury only reserved for the famous and affluent, hiring a professional wedding consultant has actually become a necessity and can actually be a smart move economically. A wedding consultant should be considered a part of your wedding expenses when determining your budget, not an additional expense.

The scope of the consultant’s involvement in your wedding is entirely up to you. You can have the consultant plan as much or as little as you desire. If you find that you are a “hands on” type of bride and want to do the planning yourself you can still enjoy the benefits of a wedding consultant by selecting only the services you need.

Wedding consultants can provide an array of services to their clients which can include:

• Determining the wedding budget – This should be one of the first things you should do after getting engaged. Costs for weddings vary greatly depending on factors such as location and your wedding style. A wedding consultant can help you decide which aspects of your wedding are important to you and the overall look you are trying to achieve. Based on your priorities, your consultant will determine realistic ideas of what things will cost to help you achieve your overall vision all while keeping within your budget.
• Referring Qualified Vendors – Putting you in touch with qualified vendors that are within your budget is the most important job of the wedding consultant. While referrals from family and friends are great, their style and budget may not reflect your own. A wedding consultant, knowing your budget and style of wedding you are trying to create will refer vendors that meet your criteria. A wedding consultant’s prize resource is the relationships she establishes with other wedding professionals. Therefore he/she may be able to negotiate a better price than you may obtain as a one-time customer.
• Stress Reducer/Confidante – Planning a wedding can be a time of great joy and often time’s one of great stress. Many couples find themselves riding on the roller coaster of emotional tension during this time in their lives. Not only are they preparing for the biggest day of their lives, they are also under going a life-changing process and starting a new family together. Sometimes it’s nice to have a third party who is neutral listen to you as you let off steam about family disputes or someone to simply bounce ideas off of who is not emotionally tied to the wedding.
• Time Manager - Many of today’s couples are immersed with responsibilities involved within their personal and professional lives. With career commitments, family responsibilities and maintaining active social lives, many couples are finding it increasingly difficult to find the extra time needed to plan the wedding of their dreams. A wedding consultant can set appointments for you, keep track of deadlines, develop a timeline and payment schedules.
  

Hiring a consultant does not mean that you will have to give up control of your wedding. However, it does mean you will have someone who is knowledgeable of the wedding industry that will look after your interest. Realizing the benefits of hiring a professional wedding consultant early in the planning process will allow you and your family the luxury of enjoying your special day without having to worry about whether the flowers have arrived or if the correct linens have been placed on the tables. Keeping everyone on track can be stressful for the bride and groom as well as their families however it’s all in a day’s work for an experienced consultant.


Erika Beckwith is an experienced event planner specializing in both social and corporate events. She is also the founder of the event planning firm Beckwith & Associates LLC which serves the Metropolitan Atlanta Area. Visit her website at http://www.beckwithevents.com/.

Copyright © 2009

~~Starting the Planning Process - Step 1: Determining Your Wedding Style~~

You've dreamt about your wedding day since you were a little girl. The man of your dreams plans the most romantic evening...dinner...dancing...you end the evening with a late night stroll through your favorite park. The air is crisp and the stars are bright. As you're walking through the park, he stops...turns towards you...gently kisses you on the lips...and while looking deep into your eyes starts to bend on one knee. You start to get butterflies because you know what is about to come next. And then you hear those four sweet words...

"Will you marry me?"

Ahh the perfect engagement right? In the beginning you're excited...can't believe that it's happening...and after a few days reality starts to set it...you think to yourself..."I'm really getting married!" Now it's time to plan the perfect wedding but where do you begin? How do you go about selecting the perfect location? Find the vendors that match your personal style and budget? How do you fit in phone calls, vendor meetings, dress fittings, engagement parties, showers, tastings, and site visits while still working, your family responsibilities oh and let's not even think about trying to maintain an active social life all while trying to remain sane.
The first thing that I suggest is that you take a deep breath...and have a glass or bottle of your favorite drink. In other words calm down. Planning a wedding...excuse me YOUR wedding can seem like a overwhelming task but if you break it down into bit size pieces, planning it can be manageable if you take it one task at a time.


Starting the planning process...

First determine your wedding style. To get some insight on your particular style try answering the following questions:

1. When envisioning your wedding, do you see a celebration that is modern/contemporary or classic/traditional?

2. Do you imaging a part of your wedding (ceremony or reception) taking place outside?

3. You envision your wedding taking place in the spring, summer, fall or winter?

4. What would be your ideal number of guest at your wedding?

5. Your wedding colors should be:

• deep and passionate
• soft and subtle
• natural and organic
• contemporary and chic
• romantic and bridal
• unusual and fresh

6. Your ideal wedding meal would be:

• buffet dinner
• seated formal dinner
• seated family-style
• cocktail party
• brunch
• lunch
• other

7. At your wedding you want your guests to feel - (fill in the blank)

8. If you had to describe your wedding in a sentence or two, it would be -

9. You don't want your wedding to be - (fill in the blank)

10. Other words that you might use to describe your wedding would be:

This exercise works best if you and your fiancé answer the questions independently and then come together and share your answers with each other. This starts the dialogue on how you both envision your wedding which should aid you when talking to potential vendors and making decisions on the types of products and services you will need in order to make your "dream" wedding a reality.

If you want to take this exercise one step further, then I would recommend that you also create an idea board. Take all of those bridal magazines that you went out a purchased right after he popped the questions, grab a pair of scissors and start to cutting! Cut out dresses that you like, cars that you think it would be cool to ride in and centerpieces that inspire you...cut out everything! Love a color of a dress in a magazine but hate the style? Cut it out too...just make a note to yourself on why you cut it out (for the color) so you can communicate this with those helping you plan your special day.

Determining your style is the first step in planning your wedding. So grab a sheet of paper...answer the questions...and look through your magazines with scissors in hand...and have fun!

Check back later when we look at step 2 in the planning process...creating the wedding budget!

Happy Planning!
Erika Beckwith - Beckwith & Associates, LLC