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Rita's Wedding, Planning & Coaching BlogRita's Wedding Planning & Coaching Blog
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I am presently working with a couple who are facing some very tough financial decisions regarding their wedding. The majority of their family lives in Florida and their wedding is in New Jersey. Approximately 40 people from Florida told the bride that they will not be able to attend the wedding because of their financial situation. Several have lost jobs, another few have their home in foreclosure. The bride was in tears and called me to help her.
The first place we started was at the reception venue. The banquet hall is requiring they guarantee 100 guests at their wedding. And the guest list -- with stretching it -- will have 55 guests coming. So we went together to the banquet hall and asked to renegotiate their contract. The banquet manager, of course, was not happy about this request. Since the wedding is in October of this year, the couple could cancel (lose some money) but find another venue. And the banquet manager would have no booking for that date. The end result was the banquet manager agreed to make the minimum 75 people. Now the couple can go to their backup guest list and invite some friends and co-workers to make up the 75 people, if they wished.
They also canceled the videographer and will only have the photographer. They've reduced the number of musicians from 7 down to 5. And she is being more conservative with her flowers. Instead of having exotic imported flowers, she is having flowers that are in season in October.
If you're faced with difficult decisions planning your wedding, you are not alone. There are several ways to cut your costs. You just have to give up some of the frills. Remember, the main purpose of the wedding is getting married, not the decorations or flowers. |
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Posted by Rita Smircich at
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I'm been negligent on not blogging often enough. Between work, writing, meetings, family, life.....well, enough excuses! I'm back to blogging and hopefully you all will enjoy my entries.
I've created a Wedding Planning Workshop - How To Plan Your Wedding Without A Wedding Planner. It's an intensive 2 1/2 hour seminar that covers everything from creating a mind map (breaking down the wedding into categories) to deciding on your "Must Haves!" for your wedding, to how to create your wedding within your budget. Plus comparision sheets to use when visiting vendors, how to Spluge! or Spend! or Save! at your wedding.
I've also been quoted in 3 recent articles on CNN.com, Emerald Coast Bridal Magazine, and WeightWatchers.com. So I've been busy! Still no excuse for not blogging.
If you've got an interest in attending one of my Wedding Planning Workshops, drop me an email and we'll chat. Rita@ToDoBeforeIDo.com.
Rita |
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Posted by Rita Smircich at
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At a recent wedding in the foothills of South Carolina, a wedding was almost postpond because of the extreme heat. The 150+ year old stone building didn't have air conditioning and the temperature outside was over 100 degrees. Flowers as well as the attendees were wilting. A guest went to a local convenience store and purchased 2 cases of bottled water to give out to the people waiting for the ceremony to start.
At the last minute the Mass that was planned was canceled, as that would have been almost an hour long. Instead a 7 minute ceremony was performed. This experience is a very important lesson to remember when planning your wedding during the summer months or at a very hot destination. Be sure that the venue is air conditioned. If not, have a back up plan for either fans to be brought in, or another location that is air conditioned. The bride was very upset that she could not have the ceremony she had planned. But she and the groom also didn't heed warnings from their wedding planner.
See my entry on a fake cake -- another way to get around extreme heat! |
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Posted by Rita Smircich at
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I recently worked a small wedding in New Hampshire. It was a second marriage for both the bride and the groom. Although the immediate feelings by them both was they've "done this before," they called me for guidance. They referred to my book and phone consultations on planning their intimate gathering. I attended the wedding and during the traditional toasts to friends and family, the bride made a toast to me! I was shocked. Tears were streaming down her face as well as mine. It was one of the greatest compliments I've ever received as a wedding and event planner. She and her husband were not overwhelmed by the many details involved with planning a wedding. They created a mind map and a tickler file and referred to both on a daily basis. And although they've "done this before" there were many things they had not remembered. Also, the wedding coaching section in the beginning of the book helped them tremendously. They had forgotten all the important things they needed to discuss before sharing a life together as husband and wife. Because they followed my book they were able to get through the many details quickly and had time to relax and enjoy the last few days before their wedding. I'm still floating from this experience! |
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Posted by Rita Smircich at
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I've recently been asked to be a Feature Writer for WedNet.com. Check them out! They have a lot of great tips on planning your wedding. I will be publishing some of my War Stories, Heads-Ups!, and Articles with them. So check out their web site and let me know what you think. Rita@ToDoBeforeIDo. com. Happy Labor Day! |
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Posted by Rita Smircich at
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I recently worked with a couple that was having their wedding reception outdoors in California -- in the heat! We needed to find a way to have a wedding cake for 300 people that would not wilt. Solution: We ordered a fake wedding cake!
Some florists and bakers create fake display cakes built on a foam base and frosted with display icing. The display icing is made with a spackle-like compound that looks soft and very real after it dries. A three-tier fake cake will weigh only about two or three pounds. (Important tip: Make sure the display icing does not contain sugar, or you'll attract insects.)
The baker also created a real one-tier cake for the cutting-of-the-cake ceremony. Shortly before the ceremony, the servers removed the fake cake. Then they presented the real cake to the bride and groom. The guests never knew that the single tier the bride and groom were cutting was not from the cake that had been displayed and admired throughout the reception. The guests were served from a sheet cake that had been kept cool in the kitchen.
This fake cake idea can be used for anniversary parties, reunions, large birthday parties, or any special event. And then you can keep the fake cake as a memento of the event!
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Posted by Rita Smircich at
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If you and your new spouse have been living together for a while you might consider the following. Newlyweds, who often have new and attractive under garments, might not relate to these tips.
Pack old underwear when you travel. Everyone has underwear that has elastic that is gone, or a hole or two. Accumulate old underwear during the year and keep them in a separate drawer or box and save them for when you travel. You can also pack old socks or old undershirts if you're going to a cooler climate.
At the end of a day instead of putting your dirty underwear and socks into a laundry bag, throw them out! If you're going to be gone for 2 weeks, that's a minimum of 14 pairs of underpants or 28 pairs for two of you, plus undershirts and socks. That will be a lot of room in your luggage at the end of the trip. More room for souvenirs!!
But don't be surprised if housekeeping removes the clothes from the garbage can and places them on your bed. This has happened to me several times in poorer countries where they would never throw out what looks to be perfectly good clothing.
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Posted by Rita Smircich at
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| Hostile parents? Well, you just have to sit down with them - separately - and tell them that this is your day and not theirs; It would mean the world to you if they would not mess it up. Ask them to be grown-ups and put their differences aside for you. This is not always easy, and often one parent threatens not to come to the wedding. That would be a very sad outcome of their bad behavior. But remember, this is the time in your life when you are breaking off from your parents and starting a new family. I'm not saying you should cut them out of your life, but you must be strong and not let one parent use you as a pawn against the other. |
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Posted by Rita Smircich at
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Wedding ceremonies can be single-ring, in which only the bride is given a wedding band, or double-ring, in which the bride and groom both receive wedding bands. Most ceremonies today are double-ring.
When you buy your ring(s), consider the following:
* The bride will often wear her engagement ring with the wedding band. The two rings should look good together. They may even be bought as a set.
* Wedding bands are usually made from gold, although they can also be made from platinum, silver, or white gold. Try on a few to see which you like best.
* If you are having a double-ring ceremony, it is nice to have the rings match, with the groom's ring a larger version of the bride's.
Many couples like to have their rings engraved. The most common message is the names or initials of the bride and groom, along with the date of the wedding. I had my husband's ring engraved: To Larry from Rita (date). Other messages may include expressions of love, fidelity, constancy, or the eternal nature of their vows. Remember that engraving takes time; make sure to order your rings well ahead of the date of your wedding
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Posted by Rita Smircich at
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Instead of numbering tables, a couple named each table after a destination they had traveled to. Each table had a large sign in a table number holder giving its destination name and a photo album that served as a guest book, as well. For example, one table was 'Rome.' On the front cover of the 5" x 7" photo album was a picture of the couple standing in front of the Coliseum. Inside the album were another four or five photos of them on vacation in Rome. The back pages were blank for the guests at the Rome table to write their greetings to the couple.
If you want to be very creative, you can have a cut-out of a landmark from each destination, instead of the name. The landmarks would have to be instantly recognizable, though, so your guests don't have to play a guessing game. So for France, use the Eiffel Tower; for Italy, the Coliseum; for Greece, the Parthenon, for the United States, the Empire State Building...you get the picture. |
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Posted by Rita Smircich at
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