Tip for Selecting Your Wedding Date

Wedding Wisdom in a Nutshell

 Bits and pieces of helpful information for all couples planning their weddings.

Wedding Connection members share their professional wedding tips with brides and grooms.

Check back often for great hints and planning tips, new ideas, and great photos for creating your dream wedding.

 

From Trista Rose Miller of Rose’s Bouquets

 

In order to have your pick of the best venues and vendors in town, plan your wedding to occur in a less popular month, like November or February.  Yellow tulips are beautiful in February!

Wrap Up Your Wedding With Ease (with the Bridal Academy)

Mark Your Calendar for Thursday, March 26, 2009

The Bridal Academy March session will be held at the Wedding Place

Located on 4618 Speedway Drive in Fort Wayne, Indiana

This free planning workshop is a great opportunity for the bride (and her guest) to learn valuable wedding planning ideas, tips, and money-saving hints.

Session 3 of Bridal Academy is about “Wrapping it Up” for Your Wedding

 

 

 

The topics included are:

“How to Store Your Wedding Gown” by Dawn Quick of The Wedding Place

“Making Thank You’s Fun” by Sara Keltsch of The Monogram Shoppe

“Awesome Reception Closers” by June Hoffman of Megasound

Please call The Wedding Place for your free reservations at (260) 482-1250

This is a fun, free planning event. Get to know wedding professionals and bond with other brides. This is great learning in an informal setting!

Light refreshments provided as well as a gift bag for each bride attending!

Reserve your space today!

Be sure to come early at 6:45pm to get registered and a seat.

 

Six Considerations for Your Outdoor Wedding Planning

by Ceruti’s Catering at Summit Park

Outdoor weddings are very romantic and can provide the natural theme that cannot be duplicated indoors.

There are many different types of outdoor weddings. You can have your ceremony outdoors and your reception indoors or both the ceremony and reception can be outdoors on your own property or in a park.

The following are six areas of consideration when you start planning your outdoor wedding:

• CALENDAR: Time of year is essential for the factors considering temperature and humidity.
• LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION: This will determine everything from parking, restroom requirements, changing area, catering requirements, electrical needs, and general logistics.
• EXPENSES: Generally, outdoor wedding receptions are more costly than using a banquet facility which includes amenities that would not have a rental cost. A traditional church ceremony will generally range from $500 - $800. You should budget at least the same or more for an outdoor ceremony if you want amenities such as seating, decorations, aisle runner, sound system, etc.
• HAVE A BACK UP PLAN: The possibility of bad weather always exists, you should have a contingency plan. Whether that means a tent or indoor option such as your reception location, have your plan mapped out prior to your wedding day.
• ACCESSIBILITY: Make sure the location has adequate parking. You may need to provide valet service, especially for senior citizens.

Have your ideas in mind when talking to your wedding vendors and reception venue. Ask a lot of questions and let the experienced professionals assist you in creating your dream outdoor wedding.

Five Questions to Ask Your Florist

By Trista Rose Miller

Owner/Head Designer Rose’s Bouquets

 

Ask your florist questions

 

Brides are confronted with so many decisions during their wedding planning.  Coordinating such an important day can easily became a full time job.  Keeping a detailed “To Do” list and timeline, along with delegating decision making as much as possible is key to keeping some sanity.  But many brides want to be involved of every aspect of their planning, from the style of flat wear used at the reception to the color of their bridesmaids’ nail polish.  An area of especially high stress is flowers.  Tackling the realm of wedding flowers can be a huge burden for the discerning bride.

 So where do you start?  Lots of planning guides will give you a list of questions to use in selecting potential florists.  Many of them can be helpful and extensive, but here are my top five:

 1.                  “How many weddings do you do per year?”

 A vendor that specializes in weddings is going to be an expert in the area that matters most to you.  They will make decisions easier as they can give informed advice on everything from the style of corsages to order the mothers, to the best flowers to use on a cake.  Their experience is invaluable.  A good weddings florist will understand the stresses of a bride and will allow their clients to make even seemingly insignificant decisions. No detail is too small. 

 2.                  “How do you handle delivery and set up?”

 A florist’s job does not end when the flowers leave the shop.  What does it matter if the flowers look great 3 hours before the ceremony, but grandma’s corsage is pinned upside down and red roses stain the bride’s gown because she was not warned of the danger?  If a florist really cares about their clients, they will offer delivery and set up services.  This should include pinning corsages and boutonnieres, and setting up every design on your order.  They should insist on it.  They may charge for this service and make it mandatory.  Don’t fight it.  The last thing you need is the stress of transporting fresh and fragile flowers across town-even if you planned to delegate the task!

 3. “How many events do you book per weekend?”

 This is a quality control issue.  A successful florist will have many bookings and be relatively busy.  A large floral shop could be prepared to handle numerous events per weekend.  But if the vendor you are considering doesn’t seem to have any policies in place for ensuring they have the time to fulfill your order with the highest standard, you should be headed for the door.  Fresh florals are a perishable product and there are only so many hours in the day.  Ask when your designs will be completed.  Flowers that set in a cooler for days before the event will have a much shorter vase life as they adjust to room temperature.  The florist should plan to have time to focus on the details of a wedding order AND have to time to do a quality set up onsite. 

 4. “Can I see a portfolio of your work?”

 There are lots of excuses as to why a florist would not have pictures of their designs.  But if a vendor does take the time to photograph their work, what proof do you have of their abilities to arrange your flowers?  Designs in the shop are only so helpful.  You want to see examples of events they did last month and last year.  Ideally they will have pictures of your ceremony and reception sites, as well as suggestions for designs to fill them with.  Experienced florists will even be able to show you specific examples showcasing your favorite flowers.  If they can only show you books with design ideas or websites of stock FTD bouquets, that isn’t good enough. 

 5. “Do you provide detailed estimates?”

 Don’t trust anything that isn’t in writing.  The floral market changes daily, as does the produce market.  Transportation costs are rising, which has a direct impact on floral costs as flowers are shipped to wholesalers and retailers from around the world.  But an experienced florist should have a good idea of cost trends and pricing on commonly ordered stems (roses, lilies, callas) and be able to give you an estimate.  Look for a florist that offers some type of guarantee on their pricing or estimates, or limit to the difference in estimate totals and actual pricing.  The pricing should be itemized, so you know what you are spending for each floral piece.  Along with pricing, you should receive details on the floral designs.  Specific varieties, colors, and sometimes even number of stems used in the piece should be clearly indicated.  If you don’t have these details, it is impossible to compare pricing with other florists or feel confident you are going to receive the designs you are envisioning.

 Overall, you should develop a rapport with your florist and know that they understand your “vision” for the day.  They should be willing to answer questions and provide direction in making decisions in an area that most people have little to no experience.  Answering voicemails and emails promptly and being punctual are the most basic of customer service skills.  But be discerning to find the florist that treats you more than just any customer.  Because after all, you aren’t just any customer-you are a bride! 

K&S Travel Sandals Event

Title:

K&S Travel Sandals Event
Location: 3009 E. State Blvd Fort Wayne, IN at the Bagel Station
Description: Sandals and Beaches Day!
Get all of your honeymoon questions answered
Start Time: 03:00
Date: 2008-10-25

Please RSVP to this informative event 24 hours in advance.  Join Kim Caudill of K&S Travel and Trish Hartlage from Sandals/Beaches for this exciting event.

Your Wedding Day Emergency Kit Checklist

Compiled by Dawn Quick - The Wedding Place

Here is a list of things we have found that are most forgotten & most needed on your Wedding Day. Keep this list handy for the BIG DAY!

Master contact list names & numbers of all key players
White, black, & color of Bridesmaid’s gowns thread & needles
Baby powder
Antacids
Aspirin & Ibuprofen
Safety pins
Q tips
Breath mints
Deodorant
Tissues
Bobby pins
Dental floss
Toothbrush & paste
Eye drops
Prepackaged hand wipes
I.D. Credit cards, cash
Brush, comb, or hairpick
Nail file & clippers
Nail polish & glue
Extra pair of pantyhose
Waterproof mascara
Lipstick & lip gloss
Extra earring backs
Clear band aids
Hand lotion
Razor & shaving cream
Mouthwash
Bottled water
Clear tape
Non-scented non-aloe baby wipes (good for spots)
Masking tape (lots faster than thread)
Hairspray
Static Guard spray
Duct tape
Sandpaper (to roughen the bottom of new shoes for traction)
Film or photo card
Batteries
First Aid kit
Spot cleaning supplies: a bar of ivory, wash cloth, & hair-dryer
Mirror
Iron or Steamer
Hand sanitizer
Curling iron
Allergy medication
Feminine hygiene products
Scissors
Clear nail polish (for hose runners & jewelry that itches)

Tips on Selecting Your Perfect Wedding Dress

Dawn Quick - The Wedding Place

Congratulations! As a “bride to be” the choices available to you in shopping for your wedding gown probably seem endless. The thought of shopping for the “perfect gown” may seem overwhelming… It doesn’t have to be that way. Shopping for this very important purchase can, and should be a pleasant experience. Before you even set foot in a bridal shop, there is just a bit of homework you can do to have a great experience!

First, you need to know what a full service bridal salon offers you and why it doesn’t need to cost more than a warehouse or a national chain. Many bridal shops say they are full service, but in order to be sure, you need to know what full service is and what it offers you, the bride to be. Full service offers you professional knowledgeable assistance from the day you walk into the salon till the day you walk down the aisle. Bridal consultants are trained to keep abreast of current wedding trends. They are truly the experts. They can help with all your wedding questions and even direct you to other wedding professionals. A true bridal consultant does much more that just sell you a dress.

A full service salon will order you a brand new gown and store it for you for FREE until the day of the wedding. They have the proper environment for the fabrics and lacework, and they are completely insured. While taking your precious gown home the day you purchase it may sound nice, remember, YOU are responsible if anything should happen to it. This isn’t very stress-free for you, the bride!

A full service salon will hand finish and press your gown and veiling for FREE before your pre-bridal portrait and then again for your wedding day. This can cost you as much as $90 at a dry cleaners each time! While gowns that are hanging in a bridal shop look nicely pressed, realize that all of these gowns have been steamed before you even see them. The stock gowns may be wrinkle-free, but you will get yours handed to you un-pressed. Gowns shipped from the manufacturers have wrinkles that need to be professionally removed. This is another FREE service you receive at a real full service bridal salon.

A full service bridal salon will also help you avoid PMS…(pre marital stress)! Sometimes it is nice to talk to someone about your worries. A good full service bridal salon has bridal consultants who can help put your mind at ease and offer you unbiased advice (if you ask for it)! While they can’t promise you’re marrying the right person, a true wedding professional at a full service salon will do everything possible to make your wedding day as perfect for you as you always dreamed it would be!

K&S Travel sponsors Sandals & Beaches Night

You are invited for an evening of food, fun, prizes, and DISCOUNTS!

Join Kim Caudill of K& S Travel and Sandals/Beaches Representative, Trish Hartlage for an fun informative evening. Get all your questions answered by the experts!

Sandals & Beaches Nights for 2008

September 24, 2008

RSVP 24 hours Prior to Event

Doors open at 6:00pm
Presentation begins at 6:30pm
Bagel Station
3009 E. State Blvd
Fort Wayne, Indiana

Read more

Let us introduce KISS…

The “Kiss” ladies are a “total-package” planning company serving Fort Wayne and the surrounding area. They assist their brides with creating a seam-less experience with a stress-free day. Their new website is coming soon so be sure to check back for their link.

Welcome “Kiss Ladies” Suezette Phillips, Shonda Cann, Suezette Ford, Denise Jordan, and Dartanya “Keke” Williamson to the Wedding Connection.