The Etiquette of E-Mail
Just because you can send an e-mail does not mean that you always should. The more formal the communication, the more appropriate it is to use postal mail rather than e-mail. A good test of whether it is acceptable to send an e-mail invitation of other communication is to ask yourself if you'd feel comfortable extending the same invitation over the phone. If the answer is yes, then e-mail away.
When Not to Use an E-Mail
For Wedding Invitations. E-mailing a wedding invitation, even to closes friends or family is not appropriate in any situation. I am going to use a phrase my mother would use "Tacky, Tacky, Tacky". Take the time to print invitations and mail.
For Thank you Notes. Take the time to sit down and hand write each thank you note and send through the mail. If you have fallen behind on your note writing, however, you can send an e-mail as a stop-gap measure to let the gift giver know you've received his or her gift and will be sending a formal thank you soon. Just remember the e-mail does not replace the actual thank-you note.
Modern Technology is great for the wedding planning processes and will help streamline everything, just keep in mind some things just are not appropriate for e-mail or social networks.
I hope you all have a good day, I am going to get better at my blogs but please send me any questions that you might have.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Why Hire a Wedding Coordinator?
Wow! Congratulations, you are engaged! As you begin the some what daunting task of planning your wedding, consider hiring a wedding coordinator. A wedding coordinator can help you from the beginning with budgeting, where to obtain specialized services, and how to choose vendors. After the excitement wears off and reality sets in, its shocking to discover how much preparation is involved. Couples are faced with everything from invitation wording to planning their honeymoon. Couples often find they want experienced professional help.
Wedding planners used to be thought of more as a luxury and only used by the wealthy. Now a coordinator is essential to the well planned affair. It is not just "trendy" to hire a coordinator it is essential. Coordinators are experienced in contracts with vendors and venues, and can save you valuable time and money. Coordinators can take advantage of discounts not available to individuals and avoid costly mistakes.
The average wedding can take more than 250 hours just to plan. With today's hectic lifestyles you may not have time to compare all of the options, making sure you get the best deal and make sure all the details are in place.
Wedding Coordinators are not here to make all the decisions for you, but to guide and assist you in making informed decisions. Their training and knowledge and experience will turn your dreams and expectations into reality.
A wedding coordinator will save you time and a lot of times money, in most cases the money that they can save you will be more than the fee they charge. They will help you get the biggest bang for your buck.
Trust is the most important factor in making the decision of which wedding planner to choose. You should feel completely comfortable with the coordinator and feel assured that he or she completely understands what your needs are. Your personalities should match.
How Do Wedding Coordinators charge for their services?
There are several ways that coordinators charge for their services. Here are a few ways.
10 to 15 Percent of the Budget
Fee Based on the Number of Guests
Flat Rate Based on the Amount of Work Needed
Hourly Rate Often more than $40.00 per hour
I hope this information is helpful, I have always say that the only things a bride should worry about on her wedding day are; "Will my Daddy Cry?" How will my future husband look at me while I am walking down the Aisle?, and Will I remember my vows? Please give me a call and I will go over my fees for my wedding planning service.
Clay
Wedding planners used to be thought of more as a luxury and only used by the wealthy. Now a coordinator is essential to the well planned affair. It is not just "trendy" to hire a coordinator it is essential. Coordinators are experienced in contracts with vendors and venues, and can save you valuable time and money. Coordinators can take advantage of discounts not available to individuals and avoid costly mistakes.
The average wedding can take more than 250 hours just to plan. With today's hectic lifestyles you may not have time to compare all of the options, making sure you get the best deal and make sure all the details are in place.
Wedding Coordinators are not here to make all the decisions for you, but to guide and assist you in making informed decisions. Their training and knowledge and experience will turn your dreams and expectations into reality.
A wedding coordinator will save you time and a lot of times money, in most cases the money that they can save you will be more than the fee they charge. They will help you get the biggest bang for your buck.
Trust is the most important factor in making the decision of which wedding planner to choose. You should feel completely comfortable with the coordinator and feel assured that he or she completely understands what your needs are. Your personalities should match.
How Do Wedding Coordinators charge for their services?
There are several ways that coordinators charge for their services. Here are a few ways.
10 to 15 Percent of the Budget
Fee Based on the Number of Guests
Flat Rate Based on the Amount of Work Needed
Hourly Rate Often more than $40.00 per hour
I hope this information is helpful, I have always say that the only things a bride should worry about on her wedding day are; "Will my Daddy Cry?" How will my future husband look at me while I am walking down the Aisle?, and Will I remember my vows? Please give me a call and I will go over my fees for my wedding planning service.
Clay
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Commonly Asked Food Questions
Again, I've had some great questions coming in, I love to get questions so that I know what you guys are thinking and wondering. Please keep them coming.
Should we spring for an open bar?
Open Bars maybe the most expensive choice, because the bartenders have to cover all tastes, habits, and preferences. There are some options other than no bar or a cash bar. Trim costs with a limited-time open bar just during the cocktail hour, then shift to wine with dinner. My favorite is offer a signature cocktail rather than the full range, plus wine and beer. The cost depends on the length of time the bar is open, as a general rule, you can shave about 30 percent off the total bill by limiting hard liquor.
Should we serve food at the cocktail hour?
That's an easy, absolutely you don't want guests drinking alcohol on empty stomachs. Discuss the plan with your caterer. You can have these elegantly passed hors d' oeuvers, it may be wise to have a station, too; Such as one with a cheese and fruit display-so hungry guests don't gang up on the waiters.
I hope this information helps each of you. Please send your questions to stevenclaydesigns@fairpoint.net. I look forward to helping you out.
Clay
Steven Clay Designs
Should we spring for an open bar?
Open Bars maybe the most expensive choice, because the bartenders have to cover all tastes, habits, and preferences. There are some options other than no bar or a cash bar. Trim costs with a limited-time open bar just during the cocktail hour, then shift to wine with dinner. My favorite is offer a signature cocktail rather than the full range, plus wine and beer. The cost depends on the length of time the bar is open, as a general rule, you can shave about 30 percent off the total bill by limiting hard liquor.
Should we serve food at the cocktail hour?
That's an easy, absolutely you don't want guests drinking alcohol on empty stomachs. Discuss the plan with your caterer. You can have these elegantly passed hors d' oeuvers, it may be wise to have a station, too; Such as one with a cheese and fruit display-so hungry guests don't gang up on the waiters.
I hope this information helps each of you. Please send your questions to stevenclaydesigns@fairpoint.net. I look forward to helping you out.
Clay
Steven Clay Designs
Monday, August 23, 2010
How Can We Stop the Cell Phones?
I received the following question or concern. "I recently attended a wedding. Everything was perfect except for one thing: It was interrupted several times by the ringing of a cell phone. Is there a tactful way to tell wedding guests to turn off their cell phones."
I have found the best way to deal with cell phones at a wedding is to stop it before it begins. There are several ways to accomplish this. Print a tasteful little notice in your ceremony program if you decide to give programs to guests. You could write something like: "We wish to remind you to please turn off your cell phone ringer and to refrain from using your phone during our wedding ceremony. Thank you!" or you could notify everyone as they sign the guest book just before they enter your ceremony site. You could put an attractive sign next to the guest book and the sign would have the same message. If you do not have a program and you are not having a guest book, then just have the Minister or Officiant make the announcement.
Please keep your questions coming, I look forward to our next blog.
Clay
I have found the best way to deal with cell phones at a wedding is to stop it before it begins. There are several ways to accomplish this. Print a tasteful little notice in your ceremony program if you decide to give programs to guests. You could write something like: "We wish to remind you to please turn off your cell phone ringer and to refrain from using your phone during our wedding ceremony. Thank you!" or you could notify everyone as they sign the guest book just before they enter your ceremony site. You could put an attractive sign next to the guest book and the sign would have the same message. If you do not have a program and you are not having a guest book, then just have the Minister or Officiant make the announcement.
Please keep your questions coming, I look forward to our next blog.
Clay
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Flowers for your Wedding
How to Choose Your Flowers
You should choose your wedding flowers based on the following factors:
1-The formality of your wedding. The more formal the wedding, the more formal the flowers such as formal bouquets, which are traditionally all white and generally one type of flower.
2-The time of day. For an evening wedding, for example, white or brightly colored flowers stand out, especially if the ceremony is held in candlelight.
3-The colors you and the bridal party will be wearing and the color of the table linens. I have had brides actually plan their bridal party colors around the flowers they love.
4-The Season. Flowers in season not only will be the fresher but will last longer and cost less, because they don't have to be shipped from far away.
5-The Interior Design of the wedding site and reception site. A church with a high ceiling, for example, demands taller plants.
6-Whether the site is indoors or out. If you are marrying outdoors, you may need to supplement a blooming spring or summer garden site with only a few flower arrangements here and there and bouquets boutonnieres, and corsages.
7- The unifying theme of your wedding. Are you planning a country-style wedding with baskets overflowing wildflowers and simple bouquets? Or do you favor a traditional formal celebration and see understated elegance carried throughout from attire to decorating? Do you have a color scheme in mind? Or are you considering all white flowers and decorations? Will you have accessory themes? Are you making floral choices based on as much fragrance as on color and texture? If you are having a real theme wedding, you will want flowers and decorations that match the theme.
You should choose your wedding flowers based on the following factors:
1-The formality of your wedding. The more formal the wedding, the more formal the flowers such as formal bouquets, which are traditionally all white and generally one type of flower.
2-The time of day. For an evening wedding, for example, white or brightly colored flowers stand out, especially if the ceremony is held in candlelight.
3-The colors you and the bridal party will be wearing and the color of the table linens. I have had brides actually plan their bridal party colors around the flowers they love.
4-The Season. Flowers in season not only will be the fresher but will last longer and cost less, because they don't have to be shipped from far away.
5-The Interior Design of the wedding site and reception site. A church with a high ceiling, for example, demands taller plants.
6-Whether the site is indoors or out. If you are marrying outdoors, you may need to supplement a blooming spring or summer garden site with only a few flower arrangements here and there and bouquets boutonnieres, and corsages.
7- The unifying theme of your wedding. Are you planning a country-style wedding with baskets overflowing wildflowers and simple bouquets? Or do you favor a traditional formal celebration and see understated elegance carried throughout from attire to decorating? Do you have a color scheme in mind? Or are you considering all white flowers and decorations? Will you have accessory themes? Are you making floral choices based on as much fragrance as on color and texture? If you are having a real theme wedding, you will want flowers and decorations that match the theme.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
The Ceremony, How Things should be done.
Today's blog comes after a discussion with a bride over what aisle should be used when the particular church does not have a center aisle. With that said I have decided to do a blog and hopefully answer several questions about what to do and what is etiquette for the ceremony.
Seating Parents:
The parents of the bride always sit in the first pew on the left, facing the pulpit; the groom's parents, in the first pew on the right. If the church has two aisles the bride's parents sit on the right side of the left aisle (As they Enter Church from the back), and his parents sit on the left of the right aisle. This way, they are both seated in the center section of the church.
Seating of Immediate Family:
Behind the front pews, several pews on either side of the center aisle are reserved for Immediate family. The people who are to sit there can be given a pew card to show the usher or the usher my keep a list of guests to be seated in the first few pews.
Seating of Guests:
The ushers show all guests to their places. They should ask any guests they do not immediately recognize whether they wish to sit on the bride's side (the left) or the groom's side (the right). Just as the reserved pews are divided more or less evenly, so should the rest of the church be divided.
In taking the guests to their seats, each usher should offer his bent right arm for the women guests to hold on to, with their escorts walking behind them.
The Ceremony:
Once the bride reaches the front of the church she let's go of her father's arm, transfers her flowers to her left hand and gives or father gives her right hand to the groom.and the brides arm goes through the left arm of the groom.
Just a quick bit of information on the ceremony, based on questions that I am asked frequently and info that I thought would be most helpful.
Seating Parents:
The parents of the bride always sit in the first pew on the left, facing the pulpit; the groom's parents, in the first pew on the right. If the church has two aisles the bride's parents sit on the right side of the left aisle (As they Enter Church from the back), and his parents sit on the left of the right aisle. This way, they are both seated in the center section of the church.
Seating of Immediate Family:
Behind the front pews, several pews on either side of the center aisle are reserved for Immediate family. The people who are to sit there can be given a pew card to show the usher or the usher my keep a list of guests to be seated in the first few pews.
Seating of Guests:
The ushers show all guests to their places. They should ask any guests they do not immediately recognize whether they wish to sit on the bride's side (the left) or the groom's side (the right). Just as the reserved pews are divided more or less evenly, so should the rest of the church be divided.
In taking the guests to their seats, each usher should offer his bent right arm for the women guests to hold on to, with their escorts walking behind them.
The Ceremony:
Once the bride reaches the front of the church she let's go of her father's arm, transfers her flowers to her left hand and gives or father gives her right hand to the groom.and the brides arm goes through the left arm of the groom.
Just a quick bit of information on the ceremony, based on questions that I am asked frequently and info that I thought would be most helpful.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Welcome Gifts for Your Guests
It is a great idea to have a little something waiting for each guest in their hotel room upon their arrival. You can make up boxes and fill them with goodies and a personalized note. You may also want to provide an itinerary to remind guests of any wedding events, along with a few recommendations for places to dine and sites to see in your area or the area of your wedding. Here are a few suggestions of some fabulous welcome treats.
Welcome Sack
You can get great canvas totes. You can personalize these with the Bride and Groom Initials, or maybe a painted stencil of the Chinese symbol for love. Personalizing with iron-on transfers is fun, too. Fill it full of:
Bottles of Water
Chocolate balls
A Chinese take-out container filled with a decadent assortment of dried fruits and nuts
A little book on Feng shui
Have fun with what you put in each bag.
Hats off to you
Hats can be a fun way to package things, sombreros are great or any straw hat.
Bottles of Water
A bag of pretzels
Bubble bath
A disposable camera
Mouthwatering handmade toffees
All about Orange
Fill a decorative box or a Kraft paper bag with goodies that you've chosen in a specific color scheme.
Tangerine-flavored sodas
Miniature marshmallows
Jelly Belly jelly beans packed in miniature paint cans with personalized label
A pair of tangerines, which are healthy and likely to survive any minor accidental squashing. Present these in burlap bags.
Nostalgic Knickknacks
Bucket of goodies to greet guests.
Salt-and-vinegar chips
Bottles of old-fashioned lemonade (World Market is a great place to find these)
Candies
Gum
A Rubik's Cube for a touch of nostalgia
Other Welcome Bag Treat Ideas:
A deck of playing cards can be personalized with an image or you names and the date. Order them at www.customplayingcards.com .
Sunscreen and flip-flops are perfect for a sunny location
Your favorite novel
A guide to the city
A bottle of wine
Decadent bath products
A pair of terry cloth slippers
Personalized T- Shirts
Travel Puzzles, or maybe a jigsaw made out of a special photo.
What ever you choose will be great. Just knowing that you thought of them will make your guests so very happy.
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