Weekday Wedding

Yes, we all know that weddings are typically held on a Saturday or Friday. Yes, we all know that venues and vendors typically charge more on Friday and Saturdays because of this. But what about having a weekday wedding?

For a budget conscious person, such as myself, I personally love the idea of having a fabulous event at an affordable price! This trend of weekday weddings is very slowly reaching the Midwest as it is already very popular in Europe, and is becoming more and more popular along the East Coast, especially NYC.

Now there are many pros and cons to having a weekday wedding... and here are some that I have come up with (feel free to add to them!)

Pros

* Cheaper!!!!!!!!!!! Venues, Vendors, Photographers!!!! On average their prices are a little more than 1/3 rd the price of having a wedding on a Fri. or Sat.

* More availability. They say that you need to plan your wedding 18 months out, but what if you want to get married under a year from your engagement? Or maybe the venue of your dreams is booked on the weekend you want to get married. I bet they have a Wednesday or Thursday open! You'll also be able to keep the day that you really want. Maybe you want to get married on the anniversary of your first date or your when you got engaged. Unfortunately those days do not always end up on a Friday or Saturday.

* More Bang for your Buck. A lot of vendors will throw in extras or be more apt to discount some of their services on these days

* People will most like consume or drink as many alcoholic beverages on weekday than they would on a weekend.

* Traveling is cheaper and you can get better rates on airfare and hotels

* It's easier to find a babysitter for those who have families or those who want to have a wedding sans children

Cons:

* Not everyone will be able to show up...some may not have the vacation time or be able to get out of work.
* Some relatives or those who usually "stick to tradition" may have certain opinions about a weekday wedding. Because of this, you may need to come up with a way to nicely and politely tell them that this is YOUR decision and not theirs.

I think what it basically comes down to if you are thinking of a weekday wedding, is your guests. If you plan on having a wedding on a weekday prepare to get a few more "no's" than "yes's" on your RSVP cards. Many will send their love but will not be able to make it. As long as you can allow yourself to not get offended about this, than I think your in good shape to consider a wedding during the week.

So, is Thursday the new Saturday? Wednesday the new Friday? What do you think?

Wacky Weddings

Sometimes words just can't express it all and only a picture will do.

Here are some crazy wedding pictures, AND I LOVE THEM!

Do I dare try and start a Wacky Wedding Wednesday...

Enjoy!

2010 Wedding Trends

Do you remember when as a child you used to look at pictures of your parents in bell bottom and laugh at them because they were so “lame” and unfashionable, and then you entered high school, or college and all of a sudden found yourself wearing bell bottoms because they were cool. I know I did (Sorry Mom and Dad!). Fashion and trends seem to go in circles. Yes, the 80’s where back for a little while this past year (scary) and it seems to be that the 70’s may never leave some people. This also applies in wedding trends.

I have been doing some research on 2010 wedding trends and have found some great NEW ones but also some that have made their way back in the timeless circle of fashion. From what I have compiled, here is my list of 2010 wedding trends:

Birdcage Veils

I love this! It reminds me of classic Hollywood and the 1940s flare. This vintage look will definitely draw some attention to the already beautiful bride.

Backyard Weddings at Home

Hmmm…was it the movie Steel Magnolias where it started out with a wedding in the back yard? Also, the movie Father of the Bride, hey, didn’t even Hugh Hefner get married in back yard? Despite the last one, it seems that this is a great recession resistant way to have a budget friendly reception, just don’t let your dad shoot the birds in the trees.

Short Wedding Dresses

I am looking forward to seeing more of this in 2010. I'm sure there will be some beautiful shorter wedding dresses to come!

BUTTERCREAM WEDDING CAKES

Excuse my excitement, but I give much respect to those wonderful bakers who spend so much time and detail on fondant decorated cakes, but buttercream is back and my mouth is already watering!

Greenery Décor and Bouquets

Going green is also a HUGE movement in the wedding industry and some are incorporating that and substituting their calla lilies and roses for a bouquet of greenery. Some also do this for centerpieces as well.

Grooms cakes

A tradition that has faded in the past but is coming back is the grooms cake. Usually this is a cake in the form of something that the groom enjoys, i.e. a football, a golf club, PS3, their favorite condiment etc…

Mismatched Brides maids Dresses

This may not be a total new concept or idea, but it is one that will seem to hold steady in the year 2010. I love this idea so that each brides maid can have a dress that is flattering to them.

Wedding Favors

I am personally not the biggest fan of wedding favors because I see a lot of them left behind, however, it seems like this has been something that has been omitted quite a bit in the past couple of years…but 2010 wants to bring it back. So bring on those colored M&M’s!

Thank You!

As I sit here in front of my computer during the beginning of the holiday season and in lieu of Thanksgiving, I think about how thankful I am for the many brides and grooms that have walked through this door, gone down the aisle, and have partied their buns off here at the War Memorial. It was truly a great wedding season and I look forward to many more! Thank you to all who have made me so happy to be doing what I'm doing this year!

Here are some pictures from some fabulous 2009 weddings.

Happy Thanksgiving!

MANgagement Rings

On my way to work this morning I heard on the radio about the up and coming trend of the MANgagement ring. There was much debate on the radio about if men would wear one or not. Given that we are doing a computer software change over and nobody in the office can print or do any real “actual” work I decided to devote my morning to look more into this managaement ring and ask as many people that would stop and take me seriously about it.

First off, this has equality written all over it. One argument could be that, why should women be the only one to have wear a ring and “prove” their engagement. This tradition actually goes way back many years ago when men would “mark” their women with any kind of paraphernalia so that people would know that she has been “taken.” In the last couple of hundred of years this paraphernalia has become a diamond ring. Like so many other things that used to be only for women (i.e. cooking, wearing pink shirts, spas, manicures, etc.) we are now seeing the male equivalent : the MANgagement ring.

When doing my field study on this subject and asking men if they would wear a mangagement ring here were the most popular responses :

“ A Man what????”

“Heck no”

“Why not, I like the bling”

“Only if my fiancé really wanted me to and it made her happy” ß this guy is a smart man

“I‘ve actually thought about it and am considering it”

It isn’t surprising that most people who shut down the mangagment opportunity right away belong to an older generation. They tend to stick to tradition. The generation Xers and those who are younger are much more apt to adding on the bling to their fingers.

Personally I think this is a great evolvement in the world of weddings and engagement. I say for those who can pull it off, “Way to Go.”

What are your thoughts on the Mangagement ring?

Thank you Post Cards

I recieved in the mail yesterday a lovely thank you POSTCARD. It was great! The front on the post card is a picture of a couple that was married here earlier this fall along with a kind note on the other side.

What a great idea for a Thank You note or even a Save the Date invitation!

Here are some great reasons to make your own postcards instead of traditional cards:

* You can put one of your favorite wedding pictures on there to share with your guests
* Post card stamps cost way LESS than regular stamps
* It's always fun to get a postcard in the mail
* It's a more green or eco-friendly choice (less paper involved)

The best website I found for this is 123 Print. This website makes it super easy to design your own post card and is super affordable (100 postcards for $14.99!)

Any other ideas out there for Thank You Notes?


On a very improtant side note... Today is Veterans Day and I would personally like to thank all of the Veterans and activie military for serving this country, and also a thank you to the spouses and families for their immediate support of their loved ones who have been or are in the military. Thank you!

Style Me Proper

The elegant and highly personable Lisa Patterson came into my office today and talked with me about her great new company Style Me Proper.

Lisa started her own company after finding a need for styling and decorating in the wedding scene. Here is the great part...she is SUPER affordable as well!

She says it best on her website:

Style Me Proper provides an exclusive service to those needing event design and decor. We

know your time is valuable and therefore are flexible to fit your needs.
Our services include:

* A free, no obligation consultation.
* Design options to meet any needs- and infinite themes and colors!
* Florist arrangements (as needed).
* Delivery.
* Set up.
*Pick up.

Allow Style Me Proper to save your family and friends time on your wedding day too! No one wants to be in charge of setting up and finalizing the venue on the big day, so let us provide that service for you. It is a guarantee you will be happy you had someone else to do the work!

Hiring a decorator/designer is a great budget friendly alternative to hiring a full out wedding coordinator. Many brides and grooms out there will handle all of the details up to their wedding day, but what happens on the actual "big day?" This is where Lisa would come in and melt all your worries away!

Definitely check out the website and give Lisa a call!