wedding planner 2013

16

Upload: mid-valley

Post on 06-Mar-2016

215 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

DESCRIPTION

Find the perfect place, photographer, cake or dress for your wedding in 2013.

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Wedding Planner 2013
Page 2: Wedding Planner 2013

Online and off,here’s how to find

your dream location

BY ANNA SACHSECTW FEATURES

Before you make an ap-pointment to check out apotential wedding venue,chances are you’ll do a

lot of online reconnais-sance: Read every wordon their website, clickthrough photos andsearch for other couple’sreviews of the space.Here’s what you shouldkeep in mind when doingyour not-in-person firstpass, and the details youcan’t know outside of an

in-person meeting.

Online GoalsA venue’s website or

Facebook page oftengives a taste of the loca-tion’s style and vibe, andit should include a lot ofpractical informationthat can help narrowdown the search.

“It’s very important fora bride to know exactlywhat type of atmosphereand environment shewants for her weddingbefore looking at ven-ues,” says KimberlySchlegel Whitman, aDallas-based party andlifestyle expert and au-thor of “Wedding Inspi-ration: Ideas & Advice forYour Perfect Wedding”(Gibbs Smith, 2012). “It’salso important to knowdetails like how manyguests you’re aiming for,and if you want a venuethat allows outsidecaterers or if you’re

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 20132 Wedding Planner

The Perfect Place

VENUE

Page 3: Wedding Planner 2013

happy with one thattakes care of every ele-ment of the event foryou. These factors help abride know what towatch out for and what toignore.”

The price and avail-ability also are key ele-ments to search for, asthere’s no point in visit-ing if it’s way over yourbudget or you aren’t ableto adjust your weddingdate, says Marsha Heck-man, a San Francisco-based wedding plannerand floral designer, andauthor of “A Bride’s Bookof Lists: Everything YouNeed to Plan the PerfectWedding, Revised andUpdated” (WelcomeBooks, 2013). In addition,Heckman advises seeingwhat they say aboutavailable parking (do youhave to pay a valet serv-ice?), noise restrictions,cleanup and what, if any,furniture, linens, dishes,etc., are included in theprice.

Definitely scan all thephotos on the site andfeel free to ask the venuefor more, Heckman says.It’s extremely helpful toknow what an outdoorspace looks like in the ac-tual month you plan toget married (flowers, fur-nishings, exterior light-ing), she notes, or if anindoor space will haveseasonal decorations thatyou’ll either love or hate.

Independent reviewsites (think Yelp or a localbridal publication) alsomay be helpful, but besure to read the specificsof any complaints, asthey may not apply toyou. Even better, askother wedding vendorsfor their insight, Whit-man says. “Florists and

caterers often know whatworks and what doesn’tat each spot.”

In-PersonParticulars

When a venue seems tomeet your wish list, makean appointment, Heck-man says. It will be obvi-ous right away if it does-n’t look like it did in pic-tures, but you also wantto make sure it’s cleanand well-kept inside andout, that it meets the“sniff” test and that therestrooms are accept-able. And don’t minimizethe importance of thevenue staff and/or in-cluded event coordina-tor’s personality, Whit-

man adds. You’ll likelybe working with thesepeople quite a bitthroughout the planningprocess and during yourwedding, so it’s essentialthat you’re compatibleand that they understandyour vision. You alsocan’t get a true sense ofthe flow of a space untilyou visit it in-person,Whitman says. Walk thepath that your guestswill take so that youknow exactly what theirexperience will be.

At the end of the visit,ask yourself if you canenvision the space as thelocation for your beauti-ful day, Heckman says,but give yourself at leasta day to decide if it is.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013 Wedding Planner 3VENUE

Page 4: Wedding Planner 2013

How to turn yourbeauty inspirationsinto a show-stop-ping wedding look

BY ANNA SACHSECTW FEATURES

From InStyle and Peo-ple to The Knot and Pin-terest, there’s no short-age of websites withphotos to help you for-mulate your idea of big-day beautiful.

Austie Eckley, a Port-land, Ore.-based hairand makeup artist, saysmany of the brides sheworks with find inspira-tion in celebrity imagesbecause starlets typicallyhave top stylists creatingtheir picture-perfectlooks.

The key thing, how-ever, is to know yourself,says Megan Garmers,founder of MG Hair &Makeup, which providesservices nationwide.

Find examples of yourdesired look (as well asones you don’t like), ide-ally on someone wholooks like you.

“We all want to looklike Beyonce,” Garmerssays, “but if your skintone and hair type aremore like Nicole Kidman,only a small fortune anda really good plastic sur-geon can help you.” Ofcourse, you also canpoint out aspects of pic-tures that appeal to you,such as flawless, glowingskin like Beyonce’s,Garmers adds. But if you,say, have short and thinhair, understand that alarge bun would require

extensions.Print photos or store

them on your phone ortablet and bring them toyour consult, Eckleysays. “Or you can email a... link to your stylist tohelp her or him preparefor the trial.”

Garmers also offers aniPhone/iPad app callediLook Beauty Book,which includes numer-ous hair and makeup im-ages that you can filterthrough for specific

beauty profiles, such asred lip, up-do, short hair,hair accessories, etc. Italso links through to theartist/stylist’s website sothat you can ask howthey did the look, getproduct recommenda-tions or inquire if theyprovide bridal services inyour area or know ofsomeone who does.

That said, days or evenmonths of online re-search and photo accu-mulation only go so far.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 20134 Wedding PlannerBEAUTY

Picture-Perfect

Page 5: Wedding Planner 2013

After “Bottoming out” ataround $22,000 a coupleyears ago, the average costof a wedding has settledsomewhere between$25,000 and $26,000, ac-cording to according toThe Wedding Report, theTucson, Ariz.-based wed-

ding market researchcompany.

Yes, that’s a hefty num-ber, but remember thatthat number is an average,not a target. More thanthe number is how cou-ples are behaving withthe. With couples using

savings and on-hand cash– read: not going intodebt! – to pay for theirweddings, they’re beingmore cautious on howthey deploy their dollars.In short, they want ot be

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013 Wedding Planner 5BUDGET

Money ManagementPlanning and paying for a wedding can be daunting, but

couples can take control by budgeting smart

– continuted on page 6

Page 6: Wedding Planner 2013

sure that they and theirguests get the most outof what they spend.

For example, a groommight decide it’s a betterto invest a few hundreddollars in a suit he’ll wearfor years rather thanspend $100 to rent atuxedo he’ll wear for oneday. Couples might de-cide not to overdo it onreception decorationsand instead invest more inthe dinner and drinks

The Basics of theBudget

To establish your magicnumber, look at your des-ignated savings, contribu-tions from parents orother relatives, and whatof your regular incomeyou can devote toward thewedding, without sabo-taging your day-to-daybudget.

When you’ve come upwith your number, plug itin a budget formula to seehow much you have tospend in each area of yourwedding. Follow these es-timates to get started. Re-member, the figures arejust estimates, so adjust asnecessary to fit your

wedding’s needs:

• Reception – 50%• Music – 10%• Flowers – 10%• Wedding Attire – 10%• Photo/Video – 10%• Stationery – 5%• Miscellaneous – 5%

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 20136 Wedding PlannerBUDGET

– continuted from page 5

Page 7: Wedding Planner 2013

Today, your love storylives online. Take the en-gagement, for instance.

Nearly 60 percent ofbrides-to-be share their“we’re getting married”news by posting a pictureof their engagement ringon Facebook (thoughabout one in five of theirfiancees think doing so istacky!), according to aproposal survey from TheKnot and Men’s Healthmagazine.

But on your big day –and every day thereafter– your wedding band willhave equal billing along-side your engagementring, even if it may be lesssparkly. You’ll want tomake sure it is cohesivewith your engagementring and, of course, that itfits your style.

Start with the metal.According to a study ofwedding jewelry by TheKnot, 73 percent of en-gagement rings are whitegold, which also makesup 70 percent of weddingbands. Whether your ringis white or yellow gold orplatinum or somethingelse altogether, you’d bein good company stickingwith the same base metalfor your wedding band.

Also keep in mind de-sign elements. Maybeyour engagement ring is afull or partial eternityband, or maybe it featurespave diamonds or accentgemstones. You can carryon these elements intoyour wedding band.

White gold also is pop-ular for the groom, with

about one-third ofgrooms picking a blancoband. However, alterna-tive metals like tungstenand titanium (think golf

clubs!) have grown inpopularity in recentyears, not just because oftheir unique look, buttheir lower price point.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013 Wedding Planner 7RINGS

Put a Ring On It!

Page 8: Wedding Planner 2013

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 20138 Wedding Planner

But the journey to find what shereally wants may be fraught withdetours. After all, what she sees onthe computer screen — a sinewynumber on a 5-foot, 10-inch su-permodel – may not go over wellon her 5-foot, 4-inch curvyframe. Or, the price of her fa-vorite online gown may not bein the same league as herbudget.

“Pinterest and social mediaare a blessing and a curse forbridal shops,” says TyMcBrayer, owner of TwirlLexington, a bridal boutiquein Lexington, Ky. “Whatthey see may be a $10,000dress, and they have a$1,000 budget. It setsstandards that can’t bemet with certain sub-jects.”

To navigate the roadto her special pur-

chase, bridal expertsoffer ways to keep

the dream in check.Bridal stores know that every-

Coming Up

BY NOLA SARKISIAN-MILLER / CTW FEATURES

Long before she says “I do,” abride has a pretty good idea of

her dream dress. Whethershe’s just Type A or accesses

the wealth of information on Face-

book, Twitter andPinterest boards ga-

lore, she’s prettymuch decided if it’s

Vera Wang or Amsale,strapless or one-shoulder.

GlamorousFASHION

Page 9: Wedding Planner 2013

thing is about research these dayswhen planning a wedding, especiallybecause a typical client is of the so-cial media generation. (One of thefirst wedding blogs out there, StyleMe Pretty, notes that the median ageof its user is 27.) But, at the end ofthe research day, the ideas aresomeone else’s and not yours. Dowhat’s best for you. Picking thecolor purple for your weddingbecause it looks pretty onlinemay not be the best idea if it’snot a color you really like.

“I’ve had brides say that ‘Ihope my real wedding is aspretty as my Pinterestwedding,’” says AnneDavis, co-owner of BlissBride in Del Mar, Calif.“They may find the ul-timate-looking wed-ding online, but itmay not work in re-ality for them.”

By all means,buy your dress inperson. Feelfree to can-vass de-

signerwebsites and socialmedia platforms for dress optionsand to pester them with questions,including that of the gown’s price.Then, gather your ideas on yourPinterest page and email the link tothe local bridal boutique before yourappointment, but don’t buy online.If you want to get a head start on fit-tings, try using an iPhone app likeThe Knot’s Wedding Dress LookBook, which edits the dress-brows-ing process by body type, personal-ity and wedding style.

“We wouldn’t recommend order-

ing gowns from websites becauseyou’re never sure if the quality of thegown is up to par,” says Lynn Anna-

tone, marketing director forModern Trousseau, basedin Woodbridge, Conn.“You want to touch and

feel it. It’s a once in alifetime purchase somake sure you’re get-

ting what you want.“One of the biggestbenefits of the Inter-net informationoverload is that youcan save money.Finding out aboutsample sales used

to be more of ahush-hush af-fair. Now, de-

signers andstore owners

use Face-book and

Twitterto alert

fol-low-

ers

about upcomingevents, including trunk shows,which often involve discounts orextra perks.

That’s how a number of bridesshop for their gowns at KleinfeldBridal in Manhattan, says JeylanYolac, social media marketing man-ager for the store, noting that manyof the store’s online followers givefeedback on gown collections Klein-feld posts.

“Their comments provide us withgreat insight into what they want tosee when they come in,” Yolac says.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013 Wedding Planner 9FASHION

Page 10: Wedding Planner 2013

BY ANNA SACHSECTW FEATURES

The wedding meal andbar typically are your topwedding expenses, andwith never-ending onlinephotos and magazine edi-torials featuring lavish sta-tions, chic small bites andcouture cocktails, it can beeasy to get ahead of your-self and your pocketbook.Here, two wedding-plan-ning experts offer tips tobalance your dream din-ner-and-drinks spreadwith your budget realities.

Step 1: E-xploreNot sure if you’re feeling

macaroni-and-cheese cup-cakes and mugs of spikedcider or a raw bar and sake-tinis? Do a google searchfor different wedding re-ception styles and see whatpops up.

“Online resources puttons of options at your fin-ger tips,” says Wendi Hron-cich, founder of Seattle-based Ethereal Events.“You’re exposed to so muchmore than just what’s in

your area, allowing you topull ideas from expertsaround the world!”

Use the images and ideasyou find to build a dreammenu that you can thenshare with your caterer andbartenders, Hroncich says.“Pinterest is amazing forhelping you clarify your vi-sion.”

Of course, inspirationshots and menu requestsare one thing, but you don’twant to go too far, to thepoint where you are direct-ing your chef on how tocook. “That’s a no-no!”says Andrea Lewis, founderof Memphis-based AndreaLewis Events. But mostcaterers will be open toworking with you to createa special dish or two, or de-sign a menu in the style youwant that also plays uptheir talents.

Need help finding the ac-tual caterer? A googlesearch or wedding websitemay offer leads on caterersin your area. However, the

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 201310 Wedding PlannerFOOD & DRINK

2 Steps to a Stylish Meal

Page 11: Wedding Planner 2013

best companies are typi-cally found via referralsfrom past clients or otherwedding vendors, Lewissays. Put out a request forsuggestions on Facebook orTwitter (ask about foodquality, price and how easythey were to work with)and email a florist or bakeryou love to see who topstheir catering list.

Step 2: EditYourself

Couples can definitelyget carried away trying todo everything they see on-line, Hroncich says. The re-sult can lack cohesion(sushi and fried chickenand a taco bar and sangria...) and get very expensive.

Rein yourself in by de-ciding on your priorities. Ifyour goal is a big party, anample bar will help, Lewissays, but even “ample”doesn’t have to break thebank. She suggests offeringa selection of white and redwines (Riesling toChardonnay and Zinfan-dels to Merlots) and both adomestic and import beer.Kick it up a notch by offer-ing regional products, cavaor prosecco for your bub-bly, and one or two favoritecocktails that you foundduring your online re-search. If you really want itall and don’t mind a little

DIY, make sure you pick avenue that doesn’t chargeyou to bring in your ownliquor, Lewis says. “Thatcan save a few thousanddollars on your bar tab.”

Hroncich advises keepingcosts down by choosingone or two things you trulyfell in love with during yourresearch that also will makea big impact. For example,you could have that gor-geous signature cocktailwith a candied-fruit stir-stick and an elegant desserttable, but skip the 20 cute

appetizers that caught youreye. Or if you’re truly ob-sessed with small bites,focus on options that willsatisfy guests faster.“Cheese and fruit will notfill people up for the night,but risotto balls and meatskewers will,” Hroncichsays. And you can alwaysask your caterer to suggestunique and memorabledishes that are surprisinglybudget-friendly, like gour-met renditions of stews,curries or even a hearty butstunning salad.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013 Wedding Planner 11FOOD & DRINK

Page 12: Wedding Planner 2013

BY MEGAN PATSAVASCTW FEATURES

Gorgeous-looking wedding cakes arealmost ubiquitous – they gracethe pages of glossy magazines,are featured in reality showsand are especially present on-line on wedding blogs and so-cial sites like Pinterest. Butscoring that divine, delec-table cake for your ownwedding might prove a lit-tle more difficult.

Sarah Chancey, ownerof Chancey Charm, awedding planning anddesign company basedin Atlanta, suggeststhat brides-to-bestart thinkingabout their wed-ding cake as soon aspossible. “I recom-mend that they startlooking into cakesas far out as theycan, as far aschoosing a baker and reserving adate, because if they want an ex-ceptional baker, they want tomake sure that they’re ontheir books in plenty of time,”she says.

Erica O’Brien of Erica O’Brien CakeDesign in Hamden, Conn., recommendssecuring your venue first, adding that

the bride also needs to know the ap-proximate number of guests, which“will determine the size of the tiers, the

number of tiers and the cost of thecake.”

The bride’s inspiration is the nextpart of the process. O’Brien, whohas been a professional in the wed-

ding cake industry for seven yearsand does about 75 wedding cakesa year, says that it is helpful forbrides to have some design ideasof cakes they like as a “jumping-

off point.”She estimates thatnearly 85 to 90 percent of thebrides she works with have anidea, if not for their cake, atleast of a general theme or feelfor their wedding.

“When I first started,brides would come in withtheir folder or portfolio,and they clipped photosfrom magazines. Now,

they’ll more than likelycome in with an iPadand just sort of flip

through some pictures,” O’Brien says.The plethora of online inspirationavailable has “expanded bride’s cre-ativity and expectations,” O’Brien

says, and helps “fuel the trends.” Forexample, O’Brien says that last sum-mer, she had many brides ask for cakeswith a chevron pattern on them.

But bringing your baker a photo or

Taking the CakeHow to make the dessert of your dreams a reality

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 201312 Wedding PlannerCAKE

Page 13: Wedding Planner 2013

two of the cake you lovedoesn’t necessarily meanshe can – or will – copy itfor you. “Each artist putstheir own touch on it,”O’Brien says, and bakershave different philoso-phies on whether or notthey will replicate eachother’s cakes.

It’s also important toremember that photos ofcakes you see in maga-zines or online might notbe realistic – for your lo-cation or budget.

“A lot of what you seeonline in photo shootsare often faux cakes, andsometimes those designsare a bit more challeng-ing to execute on a realcake in the middle of Julywith 95 percent humid-ity,” O’Brien says.

If you’re concernedabout the cost of thecake, consider asking thebaker to make a smallerdisplay cake and have asheet cake in the back

(that no one sees) toserve to your guests.

“It’s more economical,”O’Brien says, but shecautions brides to makesure the size of the dis-play cake looks propor-tional to the number ofguests.

“Having a smaller cakeor doing multiple cakesor pies, more of a dessertbar kind of thing, is also agreat option for budgetbrides,” Chancey says.

Last, but definitely notleast important, is the

taste and flavor of thecake.

“You want to get a cakepeople are going to wantto eat,” O’Brien says.

If couples are havingtrouble choosing the fla-vor of the cake, she sug-gests going with a moreclassic choice, such asvanilla, which will appealto more guests.

With the right plan-ning and the help of agreat baker, brides-to-becan have the cake of theirdreams.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013 Wedding Planner 13CAKE

– continuted on page14

Page 14: Wedding Planner 2013

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 201314 Wedding PlannerPHOTOGRAPHY & VIDOGRAPHY

BY TANIESHA ROBINSONCTW FEATURES

Today’s brides are pin-ning, liking, sharing,posting (and still flippingthrough pages of glossymagazines) while on thehunt for inspiration asthey plan for the big day.And not only are theygathering ideas fromphotos on Pinterest,Facebook and other socialmedia sites, they’re eagerto share their own.

According to a recentsurvey conducted by on-line media companiesThe Knot and Mashable, 1in 3 brides update theirrelationship status onFacebook within hours oftheir engagement. And anonline spread of engage-ment photos usually fol-lows.

“I think that people’sstyle has improved andtheir expectations haveheightened because ofPinterest, blogs andFacebook,” says LindseyOrton of the Provo, Utah-based Lindsey OrtonPhotography. She alsosays couples may evenfeel pressure to match oroutdo photos their en-gaged or married friendshave published online.

So what does (anddoesn’t) make for greatengagement and weddingphotos brides will want topin, post, print and shareright away?

“For us, style meansreal, authentic, genuinemoments,” says KristynHogan, a Nashville,Tenn.-based photogra-pher. “The ability to lookat a photograph and re-

UnforgettableMoments

Page 15: Wedding Planner 2013

member what it felt liketo be there, to feel a con-nection with the momentand the memory, that’swhat we always strive forand that’s what ourbrides come to us for.”

Many of today’s bridesare turning to themesand creative story lines intheir engagement andwedding photography tocreate memorable,standout images.

“I think if it relates tothe couple, then it’s a re-ally great thing,” Ortonsays. “But unless it does,it’s kind of unnecessary.And, in twenty yearspeople would look at itand be like, “What’sthat?’”

Hogan loves styledshoots but echos Orton’sprecaution that thetheme should have a pur-pose and connection tothe couple. “If the themeor story connects withthe couple and brings outtheir personalities andunique relationship, Ilove it!” Hogan says.

Hogan’s tips for thebest photos includes hir-ing a professionalmakeup artist.

“[They] understand thedifference between aneveryday look and whatyou’ll want and need onyour wedding day fromlongevity to how it showsin photos,” she writes onher blog. “You’ll havethese photos for the restof your life and you wantto look your absolutebest!’

For photos on the bigday, Hogan tells brides to“get ready somewhereawesome.” If brides wantto capture the prepara-tion before walking downthe aisle, a messy hotelroom or bathroom won’t

provide the best setting.She also says that thedifference betweenpretty reception photos

and breathtaking photosis lighting: candles,chandeliers, dance floorlighting, etc.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013 Wedding Planner 15PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDOGRAPHY

Page 16: Wedding Planner 2013

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 201316 Wedding Planner