Picking Your Reception Site

First things first, trying to decide when and where your wedding reception and ceremony is going to take place. Keep in mind your budget when even looking for places. In any event planning ask right off the bat what the space costs. If you know your budget you should know right away if you have to cross the space off you list before wasting time going to see it. When you do go and check it out, below are some important questions to ask – and these aren’t all the questions just a good start!

 How much will it cost to use this site? Is there a payment plan?

 Is there a reception package? What's included and how much does it cost?

 Does the site have liability insurance? (If someone gets injured during the party, you don't want to be held responsible -- if the site doesn't have insurance, you'll need to get your own.)

 How long will you have the site? Is there an overtime fee if you stay longer? Must you rent the site for a minimum amount of time?

 Will there be another party just before or just after yours? If so, will there be enough time to clean up and redecorate before the next wedding begins, or is an awkward overlap possible?

 Are tables, chairs, plates, and glasses available, or will you have to provide (rent) them yourself or get them through your caterer? This can send your costs a lot higher then you may anticipate

 Is there an in-house caterer (or a list of "preferred" caterers), or must you provide your own? Can you choose to use an outside caterer instead?

 Are there kitchen facilities? Caterers charge extra if they have to haul in refrigerators and stoves and that is usually not something that works with a budget.

 Must you leave everything as is, or can you move things around and decorate to suit your purposes? Are there decoration guidelines?

 If there's parking, is it free? If not, what are the rates and gratuities for valets? (You can and should pay this up front so your guests don't have to tip.)

 Will there be, or can you set up, a coatroom? Are there sufficient restroom facilities?

 If there's no bar, can one be set up? Does the place even have a liquor license or does the caterer (outside) have to provide one?

 Is there a dress code?

 Does the site have restrictions on what kind of music you can play, or a time at which music must be turned off?

 Will someone who works at the location supervise your wedding? This should be the person you plan with, not someone you won't meet until the wedding.

 How about security? Must you hire your own security guards, or does the site hire them or have them on staff? As much as we all love the movie wedding crashers, you should feel comfortable with the security level so there isn’t one.

 What’s the cancellation policy? Some places will refund most of your deposit if you cancel far enough in advance (often 60 days), since there's still a chance they can rent the space.

Good Luck!

Will You? I Do.

Will You? (Q):

Who walks the bride down the isle when her parents are divorced and she has a great stepfather?

I Do. (A):

There are many ways to approach this dilemma. I think one of the main things is deciding how the stepfather should participate in the wedding. Does he assist in walking the bride down the isle or does he have another important role – and even sometimes, a not so important role. It is up to the bride and groom, they could have him do a reading or help light the unity candle, and he could also have a dance with the bride at the reception.

Guests “Gifts”

Welcome to the wonderful world of wedding gift giving, in my opinion one of the most anti-climatic gift giving experience.

Don’t get me wrong, it is wonderful to buy a blender for the newlyweds– maybe even a stainless steel one! It is a comfortable gift buying incident, you know they want it, they know they will most likely get it; it’s a win-win situation.

However, maybe the Bride, Groom and the checkbook are not thinking about other things they really want in respect to their wedding… maybe they have been living together for years and have a stainless steel blender and they just don’t need another one. Maybe they would rather have really fun favors for all their wedding guests.

If you, as a guest, the Bride & Groom, and the wallet think outside the box a little maybe you can all walk away with a true sense of gift giving (and receiving) bliss and a great memory of really pitching in to send the newlyweds into married life with some style!

The chances the Bride & Groom will ask for these things are pretty slim, speak up and offer and if they insist “no” then it’s back to the ‘ol registry …

- Wedding Cake
- Invitations, Menu Cards, Place Cards etc.
- Special Linens, Glassware etc.
- Wedding Favors
- Centerpieces
- Bridal Party Bouquets & Boutonnières

You’re Getting MARRIED!!

Bridal showcases are designed to give you more information you could ever want or need for your wedding. Take the girls, a snack, some water, comfortable shoes and an open mind – you’ll need it! These are only some of the many that are being held in January – and there are more every month (check back later for monthly updates)

Sometimes you can get admission discounts depending on the venue – be sure to do some research to see which vendors are being showcased, if any. HAVE FUN!

Washington, DC
January 2008

20th
Great Bridal Expo

Renaissance Washington DC Hotel
999 Ninth Street NW


Maryland
January 2008

13th
Washington Bridal Showcase
Martin’s Crosswinds
7400 Greenway Center Drive, Greenbelt MD

20th
Hagerstown Bridal Show
Clarion Antietam Creek
901 Dual Highway, Hagerstown MD

20th
Washington Bridal Showcase
Bethesda Marriott North Hotel & Conference Center
5701 Marinelli Road, Bethesda MD

27th
Wedding Expo 2008
Holiday Inn, Francis Scott Key Mall
5400 Holiday Drive, Frederick MD


Virginia
January 2008

6th
Greater Virginia Bridal Show
Holiday Inn Select
2801 Plank Rd, Fredericksburg VA

6th
Richmond Bridal Showcase
Greater Richmond Convention Center
403 North Third Street, Richmond VA

13th
Southside Bridal Show
The Founders Inn
5641 Indian River Road, Virginia Beach VA

20th
Greater Virginia Bridal Show
Hotel Roanoke
110 Shenandoah Avenue, Roanoke VA

20th
The Wedding Expo
Downtown Richmond Marriott
500 East Broad Street, Richmond VA

27th
Washington Bridal Showcase
Dulles Expo Center
4368 Chantilly Shopping Center, Chantilly VA

'Tis the Season

They say the season of Joy and Cheer is upon us; well whoever “they” are couldn’t be more right! This little diddy is for all those who aren’t planning a wedding but just a FUN holiday party!

No one has to spend a lot of money on their friends & family when putting together the perfect holiday party… don’t be afraid to go to Target, K-Mart and all those less expensive stores – who needs Crate & Barrel?

Whether you are having a seated dinner or a cocktail party there is plenty you can do – and you don’t have to spend a lot of extra cash!

- Make up a specialty drink with self-serve Cosmos and call them Rudolph’s Red Nosed Martini!

- If you’re adventurous, make chocolate dipped marshmallows and call them Snowman Droppings! (My Aunt did this about 10 years ago and we STILL laugh about it!)

- Buy mini stockings (Target, Michaels, the Party Store, CVS – they all have them) and make napkin holders out of them by folding the napkins length wise and inserting them into the stocking. If you have the time you could even buy glitter paint and put everyone’s name on the stocking – now it is doubling as a place card and napkin holder!

- Buy red and white candles in all different heights and sizes and place them all over the house for warm ambiance and a great splash of color! Buy rhinestones and put them around the bottom for a little holiday sparkle! (easier to clean then glitter)

- Use old ornaments (ball ornaments work the best) and fill a clear glass vase with them for a centerpiece

- Make your own Charlie Brown Christmas trees all over the house by clipping a pine branch from the backyard, put it into a clear glass vase and top with a single ornament - perfect for the bathroom or other small space!

My favorite thing to do is flip through the Crate & Barrel, Pier 1 and Pottery Barn holiday magazine and re-create everything they show in the magazines. It can usually be done for less moola and you can add your own little flair, as long as you’re having fun then it is going to be great!

Happy Holidays!!

Keeping Everyone Happy at YOUR Wedding

Now that you, your fiancé, your families and all your friends have decided to take the plunge - you have a lot of fun, stress and happiness ahead.

When planning your wedding the hardest thing you will come across is remembering while it is important that the people who are paying for it (usually mom & dad) are happy with how their money is being spent, the wedding is about you and your fiancé.

When making floral choices, color scheme choices, linen choices etc. keep in mind it doesn’t matter is Aunt “I’m going to complain about everything” Louise doesn’t like the color purple. It doesn’t matter if your brother hasn’t worn shoes in 13 years because he is a self proclaimed “mountain man” – he has to wear those shiny, patent leather penguin shoes because you say so.

Just keep in mind that you don’t want to become a Bride-zilla and Groom-zilla (do those even exist?!). During the planning process make sure to say thank you to everyone who helps, breathe slowly when something is getting a little stressful – and take a break with each other from the wedding planning! By keeping yourself happy, stress-free and calm, all of your friends, family and guests will be happy too!

P.S: As long as your wedding party isn’t dressed like they are from another galaxy, everyone should be JUST FINE with the way YOUR wedding pans out – enjoy, and may the force be with you…