Top 20 Wedding Predictions for 2013

20 top wedding bloggers were asked what they felt would be hot for 2013...I think my favorite are food trucks for an after party! Click HERE to read more and get the links to these bloggers.

Love the food truck idea? Click HERE for information from the knot to make sure you have the scoop on all you need to know about incorporating this idea into your big day!

Happy New Year and Happy Planning!

 

Look Great in Every Photo!

Prevent a fake smile, double chin, red-eye, and more. You don't have to look perfect to take a perfect picture. "The most photogenic people are not necessarily the most attractive," says wedding photographer Denis Reggie. ....check out this article from Real Simple to learn more. Happy Planning!

Three Main Points When Meeting with Your Venue/Caterer

Three great points from Debbie Quain from 'Weddings for a Living' about what to expect from your wedding caterer....

MEETING WITH WEDDING CATERERS

Schedule an initial face-to-face meeting with each wedding caterer and your clients. During this initial meeting, the caterer should:

• Provide information on their services and packages.
• Discuss wedding logistics such as number of guests, venue, etc.
• Go over any dietary restrictions (your initial screening should make sure that selected caterers are able to handle any such requests.)
• Do his/her best to get to know your clients and make a connection
• Be excited, ask lots of questions about your client’s wedding and want the job!

THE WEDDING CATERER PROPOSAL

Following this initial meeting, the caterer should create a personalized but professional proposal for your clients. A winning proposal lets your clients know that the caterer was paying attention to the couple’s needs and should:

* Be well written and describe the wedding reception menu in detail
* Be personalized and include your clients’ name, venue, wedding date and time
* Include any notes regarding special dietary restrictions mentioned during the initial meeting
* Include a line-by-line listing of all the associated costs (labor, equipment, etc.)
* A schedule of payment
* A cover letter telling your clients why this particular caterer is the best company for the job.

WEDDING CATERER TASTINGS

Just as you might expect, a tasting gives your clients an opportunity to sample the food they are considering serving on their wedding reception menu.  Some wedding caterers will only agree to a tasting after a contract is signed.

Others (especially smaller and fledgling companies) may charge for tastings that happen before receiving a deposit (which is totally acceptable–just try and negotiate applying the cost of the tasting to the caterer’s fee if your client selects them).

But many wedding caterers realize the importance of complimentary tastings as an important marketing tool and can’t wait to ‘wow’ your clients and show off their catering skills.

Anemones: Parisian Chic Meets Modern Bride

These anemone prove to be chic and timeless with black buttoned centers and snowy white petals. They also come in a variety of colors, but the black and white prove to be the most striking!  Anemone also mix well with other varieties and various colors....pink, yellow, red and purple....the options are endless. Images curtesy of Russ on Flowers. ~Happy Planning! 

 

     

   

In a Jewish wedding ceremony, the bride and groom as well as their parents, stand under a chuppah, or wedding canopy, while the ceremony is performed. The chuah is generally interpreted as a symbol of the home that the bride and groom are about to create with their marriage; as well as the creative and religious expression of the hope that their new home will be filled with God’s presence. For many, the fact that the chuppah remains open on all four sides symbolizes the welcoming nature of the newlywed’s home to family and friends as Abraham’s tent was to passing strangers as told in the Bible. Thanks to Evantine (http://blog.evantinedesign.com/) for the explanation and beautiful picture!

Think Inside the Box?

Blumebox wants to change the way you think about vases.

What does clear glass say about your personal style? Probably not very much. And, unless every room in your house is the same color, and every party you throw has the same theme, you might want to diversify the way you display flowers and the way you set your table.

During a cleaning rampage, blumebox founders Wade and Whitney Flanagan opened up a cupboard to find enough nondescript glass vases to fill a florist shop. After a dozen trips to the recycling bin to get rid of the dust collectors, they were determined to develop a smart alternative.

The Flanagans (Whitney, a marketing executive, and Wade, an engineer) asked themselves what were the most important aspects when it came to vase design. They determined that a vase should be a beautiful complement to the flowers without competing with them, should reflect the personal style of the person using it, should be environmentally friendly, and low-cost. With this in mind, they set forth to design an innovative container that can be personalized for any event, and easily transported, even when full of flowers. After numerous prototypes and a lot of refining, blumebox was born!

When it comes to design, function and cost, blumebox kicks glass! Its smart design includes streamlined packaging, allowing the blumebox to be shipped and stored flat. It is literally a snap to put together, and just as easy to fold back down to be stored between uses.

The wide array of colors makes it easy to match a blumebox to the color scheme of a flower arrangement or the theme of an entire event.

Be sure to visit them at: http://www.blumebox.com/index.shtml

Washi Tape Guest Book

Friends and family will have fun posting a message in an interactive scrapbook album. Just set out a pair of scissors, a few rolls of tape, and a stack of blank cards trimmed with pinking shears. Then affix a note on the first page to beckon guests to follow suit. (Great for any party!)

Read more at Marthastewartweddings.com: Get Wedding Inspiration – Martha Stewart Weddings

Invitations to Fit Your Style

Wedding invitations has come a long way! Whether you like traditional, formal, whimsical, rustic or bold there is definately something for you and your style! Martha shows us tons of inspiration and ideas for announcing your special day! Click here to see all 50 ideas!

This last image is from Laura Hooper, her stuff is beautiful and her maps unique- check it out....

How about a bowl instead of a pillow?

Paloma’s Nest is home of the original Ring Bearer Bowl™, a small ceramic dish designed to replace the traditional ring bearer pillow in a wedding celebration This beloved piece has quickly become a lasting standard in modern wedding ceremonies around the globe.



The Ring Bearer Bowl™ has two little holes near the top rim, through which they lace a silky cotton cord to hold your rings for your wedding ceremony. This cord can be easily switched out by you for a ribbon that matches your wedding style, if you wish.


After the ceremony, the cord can be tied into a loop or a bow, and the bowl can hold jewelry, mementos or other treasures. The tiny dish can also be hung by the cord, on the wall next to your wedding photo, in a shadow box frame, or on your holiday tree. This piece is intended to become a family heirloom.



Ring Bearer Bowls are available with our selection of original texts and different shapes or with the Custom words of your choice. Names, dates, and meaningful phrases are sure to make this piece one that is passed on for generations.

Check out Paloma's Nest for more!

Wedding Tradition Gone "Green"

Showering the bride and groom with confetti as they exit the ceremony is a twist on a time-honored tradition, but it can create a mess. With biodegradable paper, the problem literally disappears: The confetti disintegrates once it gets wet. These tiny pieces come in all sorts of colors and shapes, including stars, bells, and hearts. Sew them inside glassine packets, and guests can tuck them away, then tear them open later.

Read more at Marthastewartweddings.com: Vanishing Confetti