As we take our annual mini-vacay to celebrate my grandparents’ birthdays, we leave you with a wish for a safe and happy holiday weekend.
Used via a Creative Commons license from MoEaFaTi on flickr.
Wedding Wednesday: saving on the big day for the big day! Part one of two.
You just got engaged. You want the wedding of a lifetime (who doesn’t?) but you also want to keep some money for a down payment on a house. Oh, and now that you’ll have in-laws, your travel expectations have just gone up (How much is that annual holiday flight?). How do you accomplish it all without putting your parents into debt? (After all, they helped you through college and you are a real, live grown-up, now!)
Budget
Establish a wedding budget and stay within it. If a vendor is outside that budget, politely negotiate as far as you can. Be prepared to walk away from the vendor of your dreams to stay within your budget.
Less Is More
Cut back on all but the essentials. There are a lot of new traditions in weddings, even just in the last few seasons. Not all of them are expensive, but some are. Pick a few elements that are especially important to you and your fiance and focus on those.
Except for obligations to religion or etiquette, don’t let your maids or your moms talk you into doing anything that you don’t specifically want for your event. You don’t have to have a groom’s cake, or save the date cards, or a champagne toast, unless those are the things that are important to you and your groom-to-be.
More Is More
Invite more maids/men to be in your wedding party. Yes, it will cost you the extra gifts and flowers, but that is a small price to pay for all the help they will be to you during the planning process and on the weekend of the event.
In my experience with brides and grooms (and in my own as a bridesmaid and as a bride):
- 2-3 maids/men is just too small; it’s a burden on your attendants for showers and parties
- 4-7 is “just right”, as Goldilocks would say
- 8 or more can be utter chaos (because it’s hard to wrangle that many people)
Register
Most vendors will allow you to “register” for their services. Your family and friends can purchase gift certificates toward those “must have” vendors. It might be worth sacrificing the last two place settings of china/crystal to nudge your reception budget just a little more. Put those last two settings on your birthday wish list. Or, ask for them for your first anniversary.
Make Payments
Your vendors will happily put you on a leading-up-to-the-wedding payment plan; this is easier for us and for you. Make the effort to pay down your wedding bills in advance of your event. This will not only give you a lot more room in your budget for last minute-emergencies (or splurges), it will also help you pay for the wedding with more cash and less credit.
Save
Set aside at least 10% of every paycheck for the emergency wedding fund. Make this payment to yourself beyond what you already have budgeted for your wedding payments. This way, if any emergencies occur, you have a fund to work from. And, if not, you have money to add to your honeymoon, a down payment on a home, or just to start off your marriage with a nice nest egg.
Piggy bank photo used with Creative Commons License for Commercial Use by o5com.
This Wedding Wednesday, we share some first steps to wedding planning for those who are newly engaged.
Newly-engaged couples have several initial tasks ahead of them as they embark on the journey of planning their wedding.
Announce your engagement.
Northern brides and grooms may find themselves the guests of honor at fairly formal engagement party. In the South, an engagement announcement runs in the society pages of the local newspaper. Tech-savvy brides and grooms will set up websites, Tweet their friends, and change their facebook statuses.
Parent meetings.
If your parents haven’t yet met, now is the time. Any help they are going to be during the planning process will go much more smoothly if they have met.
Select a wedding season.
Selecting a wedding date can depend on your ceremony and reception venues, and even your favorite planner/coordinator and photographer (most other vendors can handle more than one wedding on a day). For now, get an idea of what time of the year you’d like to get married and consider a window of ~6weeks while you shop for venues and your key vendors.
Guests.
Outline a rough guest list: 60 family members on his side, 30 on yours, 40 friends, a handful of his guy friends from work, a dozen or so from your job. The numbers need not be exact for now (but you might as well start a list for the rough count). But, having a general idea will help you narrow down ceremony and reception venues and may influence the style of wedding/reception you select. Be sure to consult with both sets of parents on this, too. And, be willing to stand your ground when things go too far. If your parents are going to invite all their colleagues and business associates to your wedding, be sure that they are helping you foot what will certainly be a heftier bar tab. Be sure, too, they they all have their own section or room at the reception. You’ll want to concentrate your attention on family and your friends.
Budget.
Establish a budget. There are many great tools for this. Find a tool that works for you. Involve all those who are contributing to the cost of the wedding. Parents always forget how expensive weddings are. (They know how much inflation has occurred since they got married, but they are still floored by the updated costs…every time.) If they are helping you pay for the wedding, you should show them some hard numbers. Your vendors can help you explain to them why things cost what they do.
Next, take your total budget and divide it by the number of months in your planning process minus 2. Put that much money into your wedding fund every month. The extra two months will give you a cushion to handle unforeseen expenses, last-minute splurges, or contributions from family that don’t quite work out like you’d hoped.
Here’s an example: You get engaged on Valentine’s Day and decide you want a May wedding the following year (14 months away) in Austin, Texas (average cost $26,722).
$26,722 / (14 – 2) = $2,226.83
is what you’ll need to put into your wedding account each month.
Then, in April and May of next year, you’ll have some breathing room in your budget and can splurge on a couples massage or that special thing you didn’t think you wanted early on, but now you really want.
Gown.
Once you have an idea of the season and the time of day for your wedding, shop for your wedding gown. Take two truly honest friends with you. There is a statistic floating around out there that something like 93% of all brides buy the first gown they tried on. The theory is that they can’t replace the feeling of seeing themselves in a bridal gown for the very first time. Consider your emotions and factor this in. Try a wide variety of dresses including styles you think aren’t quite you. You want to see a wide range of dress types. Ask your friends which dress looks the best on you and which one accentuates your best features. Do not fall for that “first dress” experience. After all, a savvy saleswoman has just put you in a dress just “this much” more than your budget…and with accessories, you’ll spend far more than you had planned.
Kathy was getting ready for her debut as a blogger for B2B Magazine and needed an updated headshot for the gig. We met her at her office so we could photography against several backgrounds in her environment. For this use, we both liked series of her from the building lobby. Doesn’t she have the greatest smile? Oh, and she has a way with words, too: just check this out.
http://www.btobonline.com/article/20110617/BLOGS/110619973/creating-an-enduring-business-brand
It is with heavy hearts that we say goodbye to a dear client and colleague.
Ron Ratliff, CPA
Ron was a great man who had faith in his colleagues. He had a grand sense of humor and a contagious laugh.
from facebook:
“we as the family have set up a tribute page and are directing friends, family, and colleagues who wish to to share memories, photos, or give to the charities he supported. seeing as he was such an internet savy person this just seemed so fitting http://tributes.com/Ratliff“
from Linkedin:
“I am sorry to pass along the news that our friend Ron Ratliff passed away Saturday. The viewing will be held Thursday, June 16 from 4-6 pm at Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home, 3125 N. Lamar Blvd. Memorial Services will be Friday, June 17, 11:00 am at Highland Park Baptist, 5206 Balcones Drive.”
One of the most fun parts of wedding planning can be choosing a unique color palette. At the same time, unique colors can be harder to match with ribbons, tulle, and wedding accessories. And that, is the quandary. With all the cool palettes and inspiration boards out there, the accessories and decor items are going to catch up, soon. They’ll have to to survive. But, what can you do in the mean time to get the fun color combos, yet keep it all in sync?
Shades and Hues
Work with shades your primary/single color. One of our brides had six maids and dressed them in 3 shades of her wedding color: 2 in the main color, 2 a shade lighter, and 2 a shade darker. It was beautiful and gave her an immense amount of flexibility when selecting accessories, crafting invitations, designing programs, etc. Her handmade invitations and programs were a mix of blue papers that gave the products depth and interest.
Not Just White
Do beige and champagne do it for you? Or, are you working with a fall or earth tones palette? Are you afraid that the base linens and guys’ shirts will clash with your creamy idea?
Mix up your palette with shades of white. Be sure to tie in a brighter white and you won’t spend half your wedding planning time searching for ivory shirts for the guys.
Just look at all these shades of white: Alabaster, Albino, Alice, Antimony, Argent, Blond, Bluing, Blush, Bone, Buttermilk, Champagne, Chiffon, Cloud, Coconut, Cold, Concrete, Creme, Dew, Dove, Eccru, Eggshell, Electrum, Ice, Iceberg, Ivory, Jeffrey, Lace, Lily, Linen, Lotus, Magnolia, Milk, Navajo, Onion, Palladium, Parchment, Pearl, Periwinkle, Platinum, Powder, Rhodium, Seagull, Seashell, Snow, Stucco, Sugar, Swan, Titan, Titania, Titanium, Vanilla, and White.
Inspiration from Nature
Look at nature and see what jumps out at you.
Peacock
A popular inspiration these last few years, the peacock is a bevy of color inspiration. Bright blue and spring green are a common combination inspired by these beautiful creatures.
Artichoke
Once upon a time, a popular TV-show designer, Genevieve Gorder, used an artichoke to inspire a kitchen’s palette: eggplant and vanilla-sage.
Fall
An obvious go-to for a fall wedding might be a fall palette, but some of the warmer shades of fall colors can work quite well in other seasons, too. Pull our your favorite shade of orange or dusty red and pair it with another color for a completely different look.
The Beach
The khaki color of sand pairs quite well with sky blue or seafood green. Or, start with a sunny yellow and work in a tattered blue and white for a nautical inspired look.
Gardens
Another place to find fabulous inspiration is a gardens. A lot of thought and effort goes into the planning of which plants are paired with others, not just for the health and natural pest control of a flower garden, but also for the visual appeal. If you are devoid of ideas, visit your nearby botanical gardens and see which groups of color jump out at you. Bonus: you also can see a large selection of flowers in/among those colors, which will give you ahead start when you involve the florist in your wedding plans.
Aquarium
Visit your nearby aquarium! The salt-water tanks will be full of vibrant colors paired by nature. You are sure to find inspiration among not only the sea creatures, but also the plant life.
Inspiration from Others
Sports Teams
Is your beau a huge fan of the Cowboys, but the idea of a navy and silver wedding just reminds you too much of the “cage dancers” atop Jerry’s World? Steal inspiration from these colors. Use one of the popular muted “brushed” pewter colors for the maids dresses, wrap them in darker gray shawls, and work in some gentle and occasional navy blue touches. Even if he’s a Packers fan, you’ll find a green-and-yellow that are elegant instead of “cheesy”.
Brands
Most brands have put a lot of time/money/thought/effort/research into the color schemes that represent their products. Think of your favorite products, clothing lines, etc. and consider their brand colors and marketing for inspiration.
Use Your Professionals
Florists, most wedding planners, and some wedding coordinators have a great eye for color and planning of the elements of a wedding that involve color. When in doubt, ask their advice. Even if you have just one color you know you want to use—or no color in mind at all—they can help you design a palette that represents your personality and tastes as well as your event’s style.
Research
Your library may not have these books (some are pricy!) books on the shelves, but your local book store will. Consider spending an afternoon at a book store and browsing these books for more ideas and inspiration.
Tools
http://colorschemedesigner.com/ (currently down…but we hope it comes back, soon!)
and
http://kuler.adobe.com/
IRL
Regardless of the first item to inspire your color palette, get a sample set of that/those color(s): fabric swatches, paint chips, whatever. If you can, get several of them to share with your vendors. This will help your planner, your florist, your photographer/designer, your bridesmaids, your lighting professionals, and every other vendor stay inside your color palette. While not every element of your wedding will match, exactly (after all, a monotone wedding would be quite boring!), swatches and sample sets ensure that every element will coordinate in harmony.
Surprise Weddings
Surprise Weddings are one of those things that comes and goes in the industry. One version of the idea is that the guy is not only proposing “Will you marry me?” to his girlfriend, he’s really asking “Will you marry me right now?”
- Over the years, the kind of boyfriend who can pull this off is well-aware of the girlfriend’s opinions. He’s worked in the right location and colors. He’s probably chosen classic elements like harp music and roses. He’s hired a Professional Wedding Planner/Coordinator to ensure the details are covered.
- Most of all, he’s arranged for her—and all her family and friends—to be at a lush party, dressed to the nines, without the slightest hint of what is about to happen….a feat all unto itself! What kind of excuse could work for such an occasion? After all, the groom-to-be has to make sure that no one is absent without letting on what is about to happen.
- Finally, in most states, this wedding won’t be legally binding since the bride-to-be will not have applied for the marriage license.
Between insane logistics and taking away a girl’s chance to plan her own wedding, most people are against the idea.
Surprise Wedding on Mobbed (Fox)
Howie Mandel hosts Mobbed. After the first episode aired this week, Fox picked up the show. Ratings were through the roof.
Our Take
It was a wonderful surprise for Nikki (after she recovered from the poorly-planned decoy that was meant to throw her off the scent). However, the wedding part of the surprise was more like a “pep rally”, complete with cheerleaders doing stunts, a marching band to supply the music, and a parade of a processional. There were serious planning flaws from a wedding perspective. Did they hire a wedding planner to help choreograph that part of the mob? And if so, did they give him/her any authority or say in how it would work? While there are very quick “costume changes” in a mob performance, they could have done much better.
- The dress. Yes, had to be big enough to (quickly!) go over whatever she was wearing, but she already thought she was on reality TV.
Instead of gray, her dress for their date could have been white on top with a neckline that wouldn’t show above the wedding gown. They could have picked a gown a little closer to her size. They could have used Velcro™ like a zipper in the back instead of leaving it hanging open. - The tiara. It looked like a kindergarten project gone awry; pipe cleaners dipped in glue and silver glitter is not acceptable. Tiaras have to be pinned or otherwise seated into a hair do, which is why it wouldn’t stay on her head.
Instead, they should have used a headband either studded in sparkles or with an attached flower for her hair, which is all the rage right now. - The wedding party.
They already flew the bridesmaids to California, so they needed to put a little more effort into their attire. - No flowers?
Instead, pick a handful of actors from the mob of about 1,000 to hand flowers to the bride and maids as they pass by. - Her family stuck in the cheap seats.
Instead, make them part of the conga-line procession and the them, as a family unit, wish the couple happiness. - Where were his family and friends?
Leaving them out of the narration makes it seem like they didn’t support this idea or like he doesn’t have any. Was there not even a Best Man who was able/willing to fly to California for the wedding?
Worst of all, Nikki seemed just stunned and shell shocked by the whole thing. Your wedding day is already a blur of memories that goes by so fast. What if the whole day was crammed into a 5-minute TV spot filmed at a shopping mall?
There were a lot of lines missing from the wedding, even for a civil ceremony. We suspect a real wedding will be planned that speaks to their tastes/faith/culture and involves all their family and friends in a more intimate setting.
So, if this surprise wedding was really just an elaborate proposal for a real wedding that they can plan together, then we give it a thumbs up for fun!
Planning to Pop?
If you are planning to pop the question, we recommend a wonderful and creative proposal—whether it’s just the two of you or a big mob, whether it’s a big production or a traditional asking, “Will you marry me?”
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Another surprise-type wedding is when the bride and groom plan the whole thing, invite everyone to a “party,” and then surprise the guests with their wedding.This week’s Wedding Wednesday tip is about negotiating.
Negotiate
It’s your big day. Many brides dream of their wedding day from the time they are little girls and have grand plans and elaborate fantasies of every detail. Sounds lavish, already, right? In addition, family can have expectations on the couple that translate into a more expensive event (like inviting all those third cousins you’ve never met).
Small or large, elegant or casual, hired out or DIY, weddings are expensive.
As professionals, we are quite aware of how expensive weddings can be. We are also embarrassed by any vendor in any sect of the industry who charges more than a fair price for their work.
How To Negotiate
So, how do you effectively negotiate with that favorite wedding vendor so that you can fit their wonderful services into your budget?
Politely and honestly is the basic answer.
Be polite and kind; never threaten. Keep your questions and requests gently worded and remain respectful of the vendor, their craft, and the industry at all times.
Ask questions; don’t make demands.
- “Are there any parts of this package we can eliminate to bring the costs down within my budget of $N,NNN?”
- “I’m handy/crafty and want to do some of the work myself. Are there parts of the labor I can do to offset some of the costs?”
- “Are there other recommendations you can make that will ease the financial burden?”
- “I really like your work the best. What else can we do to make this work for both of us?”
Be honest; share your budget. You’ll be amazed and surprised at what your vendors will do to win you over if you just communicate openly and honestly. Within my own business model, I can work quite a bit of “behind the scenes” magic if I know what I’m working with. The brides who have gotten the best deals from me have been those who gave me a budget and said, “What is the most I can get for ‘this much’ money?” While they may not get the exact combination of prints/albums/etc. that they originally thought they wanted, often times, they end up with some unexpected service/product. Sometimes the things I can offer—like invitations—can save money in another area of their budget.
Recognize, too, that some vendors have flexibility on service, but not product. Others may have greater control. Every niche of the industry has its own business quirks.
And now, to answer those questions from As You Wish:
“Are there any parts of this package we can eliminate to bring the costs down within my budget of $N,NNN?”
Absolutely! Because we offer a build-your-own custom package model, you can select only the services and products that meet your needs and budget.
“I’m handy/crafty and want to do some of the work myself. Are there parts of the labor I can do to offset some of the costs?”
Certainly. If you plan to make a scrapbook, you can purchase affordable prints from us.
“Are there other recommendations you can make that will ease the financial burden?”
Yes, take advantage of our unique split payments. You’ll pay us for our overhead and labor (an hourly rate) to work your event, pre-touch the images, and host them online (among other goodies and bonuses that come with the As You Wish model). Then, after the wedding, buy all the prints/albums/canvases/etc. you like. Because you don’t have to pay for the costly album before the wedding, you can stretch your budget. And, you’ll be able to use cash gifts from your wedding to put toward your album purchase.
Let us set up a registry for you. We’ll monitor each and every gift payment that comes in and send you full information for your Thank You notes and budget tracking.
Pay as you go. You can make a payment at any time. Paying along the way will be a lot easier on your budget and planning than making a large payment just before your wedding.
This Wedding Wednesday tip is about cutting costs, so you can save money!
A wedding is a once in a life time occasion. You want the day to be perfect. You don’t want to start your married life with debt. Here are some tips for making your day truly special while keeping an eye on the budget.
Select a few high-priority items and concentrate your budget there. Find affordable alternatives to the items that are less important to you. Be careful in your selections; sometimes, cheaper vendors will cost more in the long run.
Shop Local
With all the rage to shop online, it’s easy to forget your local vendors. However, local vendors have more power to negotiate than national websites. Local shops can also offer you more personalized deals to fit your needs.
Ask
Don’t be afraid to ask, “What else can you do to help us get within budget?”. Often times, vendors can remove items from your package of products and services to help lower the costs. Be careful, here; don’t be afraid to hear the words, “I’m sorry, but we just can’t.”
From CreditCardLowdown.com:
63. Hire a high-quality vendor: This may seem counterintuitive, but it’s important to splurge on a professional that can get the job done right.”
Read the entire list at 100 Creative Ways to Cut Wedding Costs.
Cut Wedding Costs
We strive to remain an affordable option. We do this in several ways:
- Design your own package. Select as many hours as you need. Select the prints and products that you desire. With this setup, you will not be roped into purchasing items you don’t really need.
- After-the-event print and album purchases. Since we don’t require print and album payment before the wedding, you can stretch your budget just a little more.
- Purchases from your event–regardless of who makes the purchase–count toward the minimum purchase requirement to obtain the free CD-ROM. So, if his mom is going to go nuts buying prints to send to all the family members, you’ll save money. It’s a win-win.
This week’s Wedding Wednesday tip is all about budgeting!
With more and more couples footing the bill for their own weddings, budgets have shifted from a “who pays for what” list to a “how much should we allocate” model.
Here are the traditional line items for your wedding budget. You’ll find this or similar recommendations in almost any issue of almost any wedding magazine.
- 10% Wedding Attire
dress, alterations, veil, lingerie, jewelry, shoes, hair/makeup, groom’s tux - 50% Reception
site, catering, bar, cake - 10% Photography
engagement session, bridal session, wedding/reception coverage, album, videography - 10% Flowers
ceremony site, bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages, reception centerpieces - 10% Music
ceremony, cocktail hour, reception - 4% Stationery
save the date cards, invitation folios, calligraphy, postage, programs, escort cards, place cards, table cards, menus, favor tags, thank you notes - 6% Additional Expenses
rings, attendants gifts, gifts for each other, marriage license, bridesmaids’ luncheon, welcome baskets, rehearsal dinner, wedding-day transportation, officiant honorarium, favors
Of course, some things may be more important to you than others, and you can adjust the percentages to your liking. Just be careful, however, that you don’t adjust them too far. Your guests will notice if you spend most of the wedding budget on your dress. You might look great, but that won’t overshadow your guests not having a good time.
And, if you want a more specific breakdown that will figure the amounts for you, TheKnot.com has a great tool!
We had a lovely session series with Baby C. and his family….and can’t wait to get started on the baby announcements!
Click any image to go to the full gallery.
Click any image to go to the full gallery.
M. family, thank you so much for sharing one of his first few days with me!
Jordan & Greg are quite camera shy. As sociable and lovable as they both are, they neither one like to be the center of attention. They needed images for their wedding invitations, so our session with them was as quick and painless as we could make it. Oh, and while we were at it, we grabbed a quick headshot for Jordan’s online profiles.
Click any image to go to the full gallery.
Click any image to go to the full gallery.
Congratulations on your engagement, Jordan and Greg. We can’t wait to hear all the plans for your Cabo wedding!
This week’s Wedding Wednesday is all about fun and inspiration!
Thanks to the folks at ExtraTV for this great list of 15 16 wedding-themed movies!
- Wedding Crashers [d]
- My Best Friend’s Wedding [d][i]
- The Hangover [d]
- Sixteen Candles [d]
- Father of the Bride [d][i]
- Mamma Mia [d]
- Bride Wars [d]
- The Wedding Planner [d]
- The Corpse Bride [d]
- The Wedding Singer [d]
- Rachel Getting Married [d]
- My Big Fat Greek Wedding [d]
- Runaway Bride [d]
- Muriel’s Wedding [d]
- Four Weddings and a Funeral [d][i]
and just opened this weekend: - Bridesmaids
[d] – on Nextflix DVD
[i] – on Netflix Instant
What others would you add to the list? My first thoughts were:
17. How To Lose a Guy In Ten Days
18. 27 Dresses
The lovely ladies of the University of Texas chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha hold Crown Cookoff, an annual salsa competition. It’s a fun way to be on campus on a pretty (albeit windy) day and raise money for breast cancer research and support!
Click any image to go to the gallery on facebook.
Click any image to go to the gallery on facebook.
My dear ZTA sisters, thank you for allowing me to be part of your lovely event! zlam!
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