Blog

It's all about the Location

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 15:38:57 -0500

Location, Location, Location...

When looking for the perfect location for your wedding, there are 7 key aspects to consider.

1. Is it big enough? Can this venue accommodate the number of guests you are expecting? Or, are you going to have to squeeze everyone into the space? If it's borderline, you are already adding stress to yourself, so make sure that the space fits your guest list!
2. Do you love the look and atmosphere? If there are too many aspects that you want to change about the venue because of unsightly carpeting, or dated décor, then this might not be the best choice for your wedding. If you're talking yourself into your venue, it's probably not a good "fit" for your desires.
3. Is there ample parking or transportation options? If the place is perfect otherwise, but your guests cannot easily get into your venue, this could be an absolute nightmare for you! Some venues overcome their potential parking issues by having creative transportation services. Explore these options and ask questions to find out if this works for you and your guests.
4. What are the total charges you should expect? Is everything in black and white, written out on your contract in front of you? Or, do you need to read between the lines? When in doubt, ASK. I would like to know all of the potential charges to expect, or even better...ask for past wedding invoices that reflect similar services that you want. They can "black out" the clients' personal information and just give you the numbers. This will give you a VERY good indication of what to expect.
5. Are they giving you enough time for setup and breakdown for your wedding? If a venue only gives you 5 hours total for your wedding, that's not nearly enough time. Don't just consider the amount of time needed for your party. Also include the amount of time needed for setup (usually 2 hours or more depending on your wishes on either side of the event is needed).
6. Are you allowed to bring in your own caterer, or do they have someone in-house? Is alcohol purchased through the facility and served by their staff, or can you purchase the alcohol and have them serve this? All of these answers will determine the price tag for your wedding, PLUS you want to make sure that you love the in-house company's products and services! Know all of their policies.
7. If you are considering an outdoor ceremony or reception, does this facility offer "Plan B" options? You definitely cannot control the weather leading up to or own your wedding day, so it's imperative to have contingency plans in place. Some facilities do not offer this at all, so it's best to know now than to have a surprise the week of your wedding. Don't assume anything!

Your Fab Bride Assignment:

The more questions you ask, the more prepared you will be. When in doubt, ask, ask, ask, and ask again. As always, it's YOUR wedding AND your responsibility to get the info you need!

© 2008 Soirée! Ltd./Natalie Bradley Events

Want to use this article in your E-zine or website? No problem! But here's what you MUST include:

Wedding and Event Planner Natalie Bradley publishes the "Fabulous Planning" weekly e-zine with 1,200+ subscribers. If you're ready to take your wedding from Mediocre to Fabulous, get your FREE tips now at www.NatalieBradley.com.

Got Music?

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:45:01 -0500

Got Music?

Hiring the right DJ or band or other musical group for your wedding will make or break the reception. A lot of couples simply shrug off certain companies to save some money, and opt instead for the cheapest choice. But, if you've just dropped thousands of dollars on your dress, the venue, your flowers and décor, your photographer, and more, why would you decide to have the cheapest instead of the best choice for your music - your entertainment - for your wedding?

I'm not saying to blow your budget on your music, but you should make sure that you're going with the best choice FOR your budget!

Figure out what's important to you when hiring your entertainment and write this down BEFORE you meet with the companies. Some DJs that are the least expensive are super cheesy or have horrible equipment. I've seen my share of singing DJs (yikes!) and even had one wedding reception in the early years where a friend of the bride deejayed, playing the same 4 songs all night long. After three hours of this, anyone would be ready to go home. Not the idea that you're going for, is it?

If you're selecting a band instead, make sure that
they're willing to do what you want them to do. Play, entertain, possibly emcee a bit, and stay sober (you read this right). I've had to literally pry beer bottles out of some band members' hands and I've also had my encounter with the pre-Madonna groups who think that they're the Rolling Stones or something. You definitely don't want this! Get comfortable asking questions and requesting WHAT YOU WANT! Also make sure that this band plays the music your guests want to hear...whether that's motown, country, rock n roll, rap, R&B, swing, classic standards, and more.

If you're thinking about a more subdued musical
choice, like strings or harp for your reception, make sure that you're comfortable with not having dancing at your wedding. This is lovely, but it's definitely not the "party choice".

If you like a little bit of everything, just plan it
tastefully. For instance, you could have strings or harp for your cocktails, then transition into a band or DJ for the main part of the reception.

Your Fab Bride Assignment:
Make sure that your choices for music are YOUR choices, and not what someone else thinks that you should have. Always keep your budget in mind, but don't let that get in the way and be the only determining factor in planning. Otherwise, you may be not-so-pleasantly surprised at the end of your wedding reception!

© 2008 Soirée! Ltd./Natalie Bradley Events

Want to use this article in your E-zine or website? No problem! But here's what you MUST include:

Wedding and Event Planner Natalie Bradley publishes the "Fabulous Planning" weekly e-zine with 1,200+ subscribers. If you're ready to take your wedding from Mediocre to Fabulous, get your FREE tips now at www.NatalieBradley.com.

Do You Need Help?

Tue, 6 Jan 2009 11:46:25 -0500

Do you need some help?

Everyone needs help when planning the wedding of your dreams, whether that help is big or small. When getting your help, there are a few important things you must know though.

First and foremost, you have to tap into what your heart is telling you. Your intuition will never, ever let you down, I promise! ...So stay tuned into that inner voice that guides you to what you want, need and is in your reach.

Remember that this is your wedding and not someone else's wedding day. You absolutely must do your own research (or know that your wedding planner is) instead of planning based only on rumors. This is so important!! You have to hire the right vendors for your personality, budget and style....match all three of these aspects to make the best decision for your wedding.

The Yellow Pages is your worst nightmare when planning your wedding because there's no heart in it. It's just a list of names and numbers. Find the vendors, get acquainted with them, look at their work, talk to their references, and listen to your heart. This works every single time for our clients. After all, you will be miserable if you have hired a photographer within your budget but you cannot stand him or her, right?!

Your Fab Bride Assignment:

Think about the areas where you need help, whether it's hiring a caterer, finding a floral designer or even if it's utilizing your friend's talents to complement your fantasy wedding. Do the research. Make sure that this is a service that you really need, that it fits into your budget, and that it works fabulously with your personality and style. Remember to go with your 'gut' instinct and not just what the rumor mill is circulating! You don't want to regret your decision later when it can't be undone.

© 2008 Soirée! Ltd./Natalie Bradley Events
photo by Zoomworks (that’s me helping Jennifer Lyons Hadden with her beautiful bouquet)

Want to use this article in your E-zine or website? No problem!
But here's what you MUST include:

Wedding and Event Planner Natalie Bradley publishes the "Fabulous Planning" weekly e-zine with 1,200+ subscribers. If you're ready to take your wedding from Mediocre to Fabulous, get your F*REE tips now at www.NatalieBradley.com.

So, You're Engaged...now what?

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 11:48:51 -0500

So, You're Engaged...Now What?

Before you do ANYTHING else, you absolutely must first get real about your budget and your guest list. These are two vital aspects to properly planning your fabulous wedding. Most brides start spinning soon after their engagement simply because they have no idea what to do FIRST! Well...this is it...GET CLEAR!

Find out how much money is there for your wedding. This doesn't mean taking a stab in the dark. Get serious about figuring out what your dollar figure is and get real with the "fam" and your fiancé. It's not just about the finances though. There are usually a lot of underlying factors with this that you must discuss, or you'll be miserable. People can be really weird about money, but if you don't get this taken care of, you will be a horrible ball of stress.

You absolutely must realize that there's NEVER enough money ... whether you have $2O,OOO or $2,OOO,OOO, you always 'need' more. Detail out a budget planner that works for you instead of what you think is right to use for your wedding planning. A spreadsheet is useless after all if you don't know how to use it.

Get more "Bang for Your Budget" no matter what with areas like your Bar, Venue, Décor, Food and Beverage Selection, Entertainment choices, Other Vendors, and in creating your Guest List.

You MUST have a realistic guest list to have a working budget! No one likes compiling their guest list, so do this right once and you're done! There are ways to reduce your guest list to get what you want. Most people think that they have to invite everyone you know, but you don't and this will drastically lower your budget. Most people bank on the idea that a certain number of guests will not attend, but that is a recipe for disaster. Take a conservative look at your list and guest-imating your attendance.

Your Fab Bride Assignment:
Create a detailed budget planner that includes every thing you want down to the postage on your envelopes and false eyelashes for your beauty accessories. Look to the resources around you to come up with the figures to plug in (not just in wedding magazines). Then, go ahead and compile that guest list and start cutting back now. If you don't do this before you get planning, it will simply spiral out of control from this point forward ... trust me! : )

© 2008 Soirée! Ltd./Natalie Bradley Events
Photo by Scott Thaxton

Want to use this article in your E-zine or website? No problem! But here's what you MUST include:

Wedding and Event Planner Natalie Bradley publishes the "Fabulous Planning" weekly e-zine with 1,300+ subscribers. If you're ready to take your wedding from Mediocre to Fabulous, get your FREE tips now at www.NatalieBradley.com .

Are You Inspired?

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 11:53:21 -0500

Are You Inspired?

In order to get what you want and plan the wedding that you are longing for, you need to first be clear on what it is that you DO want. If you feel wishy-washy, overwhelmed, or think that you may have TOO many good ideas, you need to get inspired and get focused.

Get inspired with a "Tear Out Session" to figure out what it is that you really do want. This will help you determine underlying colors, shapes, lighting, textures, style, and atmosphere that appeals to you. In the past many of my brides have said that seems too simple. And actually, in planning, it's usually the easiest answers that provide the best results.

Your Fab Bride Assignment:

Take a stack of your favorite magazines (including those you already subscribe to). I suggest wedding, lifestyle, design, home, gardening, fashion magazines and more...The more variety, the better!

Go through each and every magazine and tear out every single page that appeals to you, not thinking about what it is or why it appeals to you. Make a stack of your tear-outs, get a good pen and sticky note pad.

Go through each torn page, and place your stickies on the page, noting what it is that you love (colors, flowers, textures, lighting, dresses, and more). You'll find that after you do this, you have a very definite pattern of what you're drawn to and what makes you happy.

These commonalities are exactly what your wedding theme will be...and will show you what you really want. It works EVERY single time!

It's so easy and fun!! Now you can have a grand time getting inspired for your wedding this holiday season.

© 2008 Soirée! Ltd./Natalie Bradley Events
Photo by LaCour

Want to use this article in your E-zine or website? No problem! But here's what you MUST include:

Wedding and Event Planner Natalie Bradley publishes the "Fabulous Planning" weekly e-zine with 1,200+ subscribers. If you're ready to take your wedding from Mediocre to Fabulous, get your FREE tips now at www.NatalieBradley.com.