Mark Your Calendar for the Upcoming Fort Wayne Bridal Spectacular

Newly engaged or already planning your dream wedding? The Fort Wayne Bridal Spectacular is right around the corner on January 2^nd and 3^rd. Many of the Wedding Connection members will be on site during this two-day bridal event. To get your wedding planning started, be sure to stop by and talk to Berghoff Sound (Pro DJ Now), Ceruti’s Catering, LC Media, Elegant Cakes by Carolyn, Picture Perfect Photography, One of a Kind Events, The Wedding Place, The Monogram Shoppe, Orchard Ridge Country Club, and K&S Travel.

 

The New York-style runway fashion show is at 2pm Saturday with an encore presentation on Sunday at 2pm. The Wedding Place will be featuring totally hot styles from new designers for bridal gowns, bridesmaids dresses, and other wedding party attire. One of a Kind Events will feature a lovely selection of creative and unique bridal bouquets and other wedding flowers, and Megasound will be on hand for all the MC work and runway soundtrack.

 

Be sure to stop by the Wedding Connection booth to purchase your tickets for the upcoming “Staycee’s Dream Wedding” dinner-theater production.

 

 

 

The Ft. Wayne Bridal Spectacular is held at the Allen County Memorial Coliseum at 4000 Parnell Avenue in Fort Wayne. Tickets are available at the door.

Members Featured at Upcoming Bridal Spectacular

Regardless of where you are in your wedding planning, the Bridal Spectacular has something for everyone. Northern Indiana’s “Largest Bridal Show” is Sunday, October 18, 2009 from 12pm-4pm. Plan to visit Wedding Connection members as they share with brides and grooms extensive wedding expertise as well as inspiring wedding planning options.

 

 

The Wedding Place will take center stage at 2pm for an awesome, fast-paced wedding style show. Formal attire for all members of the wedding party will be on display for you to enjoy. Bouquets, boutonnières, and other floral accessories from One of a Kind Events will accent the stunning wedding attire on the runway. Megasound will provide MC services as well as the high-energy soundtrack for this dazzling fashion show.

 The Bridal Spectacular is every brides opportunity to meet other Wedding Connection members (including K&S Travel, Picture Perfect Photography, the Monogram Shoppe, Elegant Cakes by Carolyn, Ceruti’s Catering, LC Media, Orchard Ridge Country Club, and more). Many of the wedding products and services that you need to plan an awesome wedding, will be available in one convenient location at the Fort Wayne Bridal Spectacular.

 

Tickets are available on show day only at the Memorial Coliseum 4000 Parnell Avenue, Fort Wayne, Indiana. Tickets are $5.50 each with free admission for children under 12.

 

Be sure to register for door prizes when you arrive at the Bridal Spectacular. Many Wedding Connection members are also hosting specials and their own registration for some fantastic prizes.

 

Hope to see you there!!

Local Florist Honored by International Organization

Linda Maggert AIFD of One of a Kind Events in Northern Indiana has been recognized by the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD) as a charter recipient of it’s new Certified Floral Designer (CFD) designation.

 

The floral industry’s leading non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the art of floral design through education, AIFD created its CFD program, in part, to provide a tool for consumers to use when selecting a professional florist. CFD recognition is granted only after a floral designer has demonstrated his or her understanding of the concepts of design through educational pathways and a written design-knowledge assessment, he or she must then present his or her floral design work to a vigorous peer evaluation as conducted by an international panel.

 

Within the floral industry, AIFD has long recognized the most advanced of the floral design artists through membership and Accreditation. Having already achieved the coveted level of AIFD, Linda Maggert AIFD was granted the CFD Charter status.

 

For many other excellent floral designers who are not at the same level of artistry as is Linda, the new CFD program will still allow them to demonstrate that they are most capable of providing beautiful floral designs to consumers on a daily basis.

 

“The AIFD ‘CFD’ professional designation salutes a florist for his or her artistry and provides consumers with another tool to use for selecting quality professional work,” said Bill McKinley AIFD, Associate Dean at Kishwaukee College in Malta, IL and the chairman of AIFD’s CFD Development Committee.

 

As part of its recognition program, AIFD will assist consumers in locating a CFD qualified florists by listing them on its web site .

 

Florists who achieve the CFD recognition will be required to hone their artistry through continuing education in the field of floral design. “I am constantly looking for new ways to make each wedding unique, “ says Linda, the owner and head designer of One of a Kind Events which specializes in wedding planning and design. With outstanding personal service and creativity, she is sought after by brides from across Indiana and Ohio for her assistance in making their wedding day dreams come true. You can see some of her design work one her website. Congratulations Linda!!

Rose’s Bouquets - A “Weddings-Only” Florist

Rose’s Bouquets is a weddings-only florist that services about 75 weddings per year.  With flexible packages to fit any budget, Rose’s Bouquets caters to your bridal needs and ideas.

 

 

Our personal service guarantees at least two consultations before your special day, assuring your wedding floral arrangements are exactly what you have dreamed.  Rose’s Bouquets uses worldwide suppliers who provide the highest quality flowers.  Delivery and set up is always included for your wedding! 

 

 

Contact us today at 260-602-7311 to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation. Be sure to check out our website for wonderful bridal arrangement ideas.

 

 

 

Covington Plaza is the Place to be for Wedding Knowledge on April 25, 2009

 

Many wedding professionals as well as Wedding Connection members will be on site to help you with your wedding planning at the Covington Plaza Wedding Walk.  Saturday, April 25th from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., the plaza invites brides, grooms, mothers and bridal party members to stroll the plaza to gain ideas for their upcoming nuptials.

 

“The plaza is filled with stores and shops that are filled with bridal items” according to Shelli Young, Property Manager of Covington Plaza.  Many of the shops are holding special events that day to aid with the planning.  Jophiel is holding a Mother of the Bride fashion show at 11:00 a.m. and Mitchell Books will have a book signing at 2:00 p.m. by Michael Essany, author of “Groomology 101: How to avoid Brideszilla”. The Monogram Shoppe is holding a Trunk Show to showcase all of the options for Bridesmaids and Groomsmen’s gifts.

 

While walking the plaza, you will find wonderful ideas for you all aspects of your wedding. Even Senator Lugar’s office has prepared a booklet outlining all the things you need to do after the big day.

 

Many of the shops are offering specials and door prized that day.  Covington Plaza will be drawing for a $100 gift card to be used at any of the participating shops.  Each Bride will receive a card when they register. As you enjoy Covington Plaza, you will get your card stamped at each store and then leave them at the last shop to be entered in the drawing.

 

The Covington Plaza Wedding Walk will also feature some other wedding venders as well. Be sure to check out these Wedding Connection members to get more of your planning questions answered. Ceruti’s Catering, Elegant Cakes by Carolyn, Megasound, and the Wedding Place will be able to help you with your wedding planning stress.

 

It should be a fun day for all brides and grooms. Bring you wedding questions to Covington Plaza and get all of your answers on Saturday, April 25, 2009. See you there.

Ready, Set, Wedding Walk…

Join many of the Wedding Connection members for the “Covington Plaza Wedding Walk” on Saturday, April 25, 2009 10am-3pm at Covington Plaza 6384 West Jefferson Boulevard

 

This is a great opportunity for brides to stroll through Covington Plaza to check out many area wedding professionals. Join us as you visit each unique shop to plan your wedding day. Bring your wedding questions and planning ideas to a relaxed and fun-filled day at the Plaza.

 

For more information for this enjoyable event, call 260-755-2160

To Rent or to Buy?

A Few Pros and Cons to Consider

By Trista Rose Miller of Rose’s Bouquets

 

In our current economy, today’s brides are forced to craft their budgets carefully; looking for ways to save money in every area of their planning.  A common bridal consideration is taking on the responsibility of making a portion of their decorations themselves or with the help of family and friends in order to save money.  Centerpieces are often the first consideration; and visions of Hobby Lobby’s half off sale comes to mind.  You have a few things to consider before making any major decisions.

 

The first step is to get pricing from professionals.  Most vendors will provide free consultations and pricing on designs you are considering.  Before sitting down with a professional, determine ahead of time what you have in mind and what you could reasonably replicate yourself so that the comparison is valid.  Get as many details as possible including sizes of glass wear rented, pricing of candles and décor items, and delivery and set up costs. 

 

 

 

Then it’s time to do some basic pricing for “doing it yourself”.  Remember, time is money, so take care to limit the amount of time you invest in this process, or you will already be tipping the scales in the professional’s favor.  The internet can be a good resource for pricing supplies, as inventories and options are sometimes far greater than the local craft store.  Do your best in completing your cost comparison with designs that are as similar to the professional’s designs as possible.  And don’t forget to include the cost of gas to travel to stores to purchase needed items.

 

So now you have a side by side comparison of the professional’s designs versus your creation.  First of all, do you like your design?  If you aren’t pleased with the outcome, then it’s not worth any amount of savings.  It’s your wedding after all and you want it to be a reflection of your tastes and style.  If your creation passes this test, and savings are significant, then it’s on to the next rounds of consideration: practicality and convenience. 

 

In the practicality area, there are a few things that you will want to consider. 

1. Most craft stores will not provide boxes for their glass ware, so you are left with the time-consuming task of creating a storage unit for your just purchased items.  You may think you don’t need to do this, but it is vital for any potential resale value after the event. 
2. Storing these items until the big day may be a challenge.  Unless you order online, you may have to make several trips to your local store to purchase the quantity needed, or to take advantage of coupons most effectively (keep these trips in mind from our convenience section), requiring you to purchase ahead in preparation.  Does you home provide space for storing your supplies? 
3. What to do with your purchased items after the wedding?  Unless you have younger sisters or friends who likes your tastes, you are most likely not going to want to keep your supplies following the event.  EBay or Craigslist are options for recovering some of your expenses back (your storage boxes come in handy now).  But don’t forget to consider shipping costs and insurance as well as the valuable time you spend in listing/selling the items.

 

Lastly comes convenience.  By now you have spent hours shopping for the exact items you need and made trips to the store to purchase them (or paid shipping costs).  Depending on the style of design you have chose, you may have the advantage of assembly before the big day (don’t forget about transporting them safely).  But most likely you will have to do some composing onsite, and your time will be limited.  Not only by the reception hall that may only allow a two hour window the morning of the event, but also by hair appointments, make up sessions, photography shoots, and most importantly-family time.  I certainly would not want to spend my wedding morning making my centerpieces, and your best resources (family and friends) won’t want to either.  They have better things to do!  Tear down will be your or your family’s responsibility also.  Not a fun job at 1am after a few glasses of champagne. 

 

So it is really worth the time, effort, and stress?  How much is your time worth to you per hour?  Are you going to be pleased with the end result?  Will “doing it yourself” create conflicts among family and friends in the process?  And in the end you might be surprised to learn how little money, if any, you actually save by a do-it-yourself project.

 

Here is a comparison chart to simplify things.

 

The Exciting 2nd Annual Bridal Extravaganza is Right Around the Wedding Planning Corner

The Fort Wayne Wedding Magazine announced that their Bridal Extravaganza boasts over 90 bridal vendors. Many Wedding Connection members will be on site as well next Sunday, February 22, 2009 to assist you with your wedding planning needs and questions. The show will be from noon-4pm at the Grand Wayne Center in downtown Fort Wayne.

Be sure to stop by the Wedding Connection booth to register to win a $50 gift certificate good off any member’s services/products for your wedding. Bring your wedding planning questions to the booth as well and “Ask the Experts.”

Many Wedding Connection members will have their own booths at this exciting bridal event. Be sure that you look for the Wedding Connection logo. Many members are having drawings for free prizes (including gift certificates and even a free pair of bride shoes) so don’t hesitate to register for all of these great offers.

Make your way to center stage at 2:45pm for the ultimate in fashion shows. This runway extravaganza is produced by the Wedding Connection’s own Dawn Quick of the Wedding Place. You will get to see the latest in bridal gowns, bridesmaids dresses, tuxedos and more from some of Fort Wayne’s best wedding appearal shops. The fashion show music selections will be provided by Megasound.

You can get your tickets in advance from Fort Wayne Newspapers (600 W. Main Street) or their on-line site for only $10. You can also get advance tickets at the Wedding Place (4618 Speedway Drive at the Bridal Plaza) and the Monogram Shoppe (6410 W. Jefferson Blvd in Covington Plaza). Tickets are $12 the day of the show.

Each bride will receive a new Fort Wayne Wedding planning binder and the first 250 brides through the door will get a special tote bag.

See you on the 22nd!

Nine Common Wedding Reception Planning Questions Answered

Answers to Reception Planning Made Easy

Wedding Facts to Help Plan Your Reception by Ceruti’s Catering

 

 

 

 

Q: How far in advance do I need to reserve a location for my wedding reception?

 

A: The further in advance you plan, the more options you will have available to you. Typically, you will need to reserve a location at least 12 months in advance of your desired date. The most popular months are May, June, September, and October for most Midwestern climates. If you are not flexible regarding your month or date you may need to start planning 18 months in advance.

 

Q: Are there any months or dates that I can receive a discount?

 

A: Yes and No. February is the slowest month for banquet facilities and caterers therefore demand is weak. Fridays and Sundays are becoming more popular but still have great availability. Some rental items and facilities are negotiable when demand is weak, however other hard costs such as food are less negotiable.

 

Q: Do I need to put down a deposit?

 

A: Yes. Deposit policies will vary from each caterer and location. A deposit benefits both parties involved. Be sure to read closely over the details and fine points of the contract and ask questions on any areas that are unclear.

 

Q: Does the reception location provide decorating services?

 

A: Be sure to ask the banquet facility on which services they offer as a part of their packages. Some provide full service wedding decorating from centerpieces, fresh floral design, bouquets, ceremony decorating, and much more. Make sure to schedule time to work with your venue to help you create the wedding of your dreams.

 

Q: What will it cost for my wedding reception?

 

A: Obviously, the cost of a wedding reception will vary from the location, number of guests, menu selection, beverage selection, and decorating packages. Typically a wedding reception will range from $20 - $60 per guest. Meet with your professional wedding consultant and discuss your needs so they can prepare an itemized written proposal for your review. 

 

Q: Does the reception location supply and take care of china, linens, and skirting?

 

A: Most locations include china, silverware, linen napkins, linen tablecloths, and linen skirting in most of their wedding packages. Ask if they offer a full range of colors and fabrics including chair covers.

 

Q: What questions should you ask concerning alcoholic beverages?

 

A: The location or caterer should be licensed by the State of Indiana to serve alcoholic beverages. Keep this in mind for their facility as well as other off-premise locations. Ask if they offer a wide variety of beer, wine, and mixed drinks. Ask about specific details and their limitations on any signature drinks you might want to include at your reception.

 

Q: Does the caterer provide wedding cakes?

 

A: Most caterers do not provide wedding cake. You may choose your own cake decorator or they would be happy to provide a referral. Most caterers offer free cake cutting service at no additional charge. Always ask about this complimentary service as it will save you money on wasted cake.

 

Q: What happens to any leftover food?

 

A: Ask your caterer about their leftover food policy. Their leftover food policy should take into consideration Board of Health regulations. Be sure to ask for this policy in policy in writing.

Fort Wayne Newspapers Bridal Extravaganza

Sunday, February 22nd

Title: Fort Wayne Newspapers Bridal Extravaganza
Location: Grand Wayne Center Fort Wayne Indiana
Description: Work with Wedding Connection members to make your wedding spectacular

Pulling together every service, product and fashion a bridal couple could want in one location, the 2nd annual Bridal Extravaganza presented by Fort Wayne Weddings magazine is a must-visit destination for everyone planning a wedding or looking forward to planning one. Every bride attending will receive a practical and essential planning notebook, packed with the best advice and tools to help you create the wedding of your dreams, plus the first 250 brides will receive an extra, special gift tote bag, too. Order $10 tickets in advance by filling out the form below, or calling (260) 461-8285. $12 tickets also available at the door the day of the show.

When: Sunday, February 22, 2009 Where: Grand Wayne Center, downtown Fort Wayne Time: Doors open at noon. The show runs to 4 p.m.

Buy tickets online

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