In less than 3 weeks, Each & Every Detail will host our free info session, The Key to a Successful Wedding – Choosing Your Wedding Planner.  We believe every bride deserves the help and education they need to be successful in planning the wedding of their dreams.  To that end, we want you to know what a professional planner can do for you!  In this info session, we answer these questions:

• What makes a successful wedding?
• What kind of wedding do I want?
• How do I know if I need a wedding planner?
• What does a wedding planner do?
• How much does a wedding planner cost?

Here are the details:

Date:     February 28, 2010 
Time:     2pm-4pm 
Where:     TPC at Craig Ranch, 8000 Collin McKinney Parkway, McKinney, TX (map) 
Cost:     Free!

Seating is limited to 25 participants, so please click here to register today!  We can’t wait to see you there!

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We are excited to announce that Each & Every Detail, LLC has been chosen to receive the Bride’s Choice Awards^™ 2010. This award recognizes the top 5 percent of local wedding professionals from the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service and professionalism.

The Bride’s Choice Awards™ are determined exclusively by recent newlyweds (brides and grooms) through extensive surveys and reviews, which our past clients have spoken on our behalf and selected us to receive this honor.

We are so proud and honored by this award from our past clients.  We have loved working with each of  you and continue to wish you the best in your newly married lives!

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Maybe it’s the fact that I watch way too many wedding related movies, or maybe it’s because I’ve been a bridesmaid um… more times than I want to admit? But nothing strikes terror in my heart like a bride saying, “I’ve found the CUTEST bridesmaid dresses!”

I can remember my first bridesmaid dress. It was my oldest sister’s wedding and bless her heart, but it was teal taffeta {I know} and it had a lace collar {I’m totally serious}.  I was 11 and even I knew it was terrible. But don’t judge too hard, it was the 90’s.

Or how about the bride who put me in a yellow dress, she told me I looked like Belle.  I, however, still believe I looked like a half melted stick of butter.

Remember, your bridesmaids should be important people in your life. They can be your lifesavers, they help you dream up ideas and plan the little details and they put up with irrational emotional outbursts {don’t lie. Everyone has them.}.  Why not make them happy in a dress they love?

Here are my five favorite qualities in a bridesmaid dress:

1) Pockets. I’m not talking jean-like pockets but big enough to give you a place to stash some lip gloss and a camera.

2) Straps. Especially if one of your bridesmaids is blessed with curves, strapless dresses can cause some issues. You don’t want your bridesmaid to be pulling her dress up in every candid photo.

3) Tailoring.  Your bridesmaids will look better and more comfortable with a dress tailored to their bodies.

4) Wearable Fabric. Itchy, stiff or easily wrinkled dresses will leave your bridesmaids counting down the minutes till it’s over when they can ditch the dress and throw on those sweats they have stored away in the hotel suite.

5) Their own input! Yes it is your day, and your bridesmaids will be willing to wear whatever makes you happy but nothing will make her as comfortable in her dress than if she had a say in the final decision. Have them pick out a dress in a certain color, or invite them to come along and select their favorites from a few preselected favorites of yours.  Here are a few of my favorites:

Happy Planning!

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Okay much like everyone else I am a certified blog stalker {I may or may not need a 12 step program?}.  So here are some of my favorite cute and quirky wedding ideas I’ve gathered this week.

Buttons!!! Who else collected buttons when they were younger? {Chirp….Chirp…?} Just kidding I didn’t either. But seriously how cute are these and how funny? You can even customize them to say whatever you want! Does it get any better?

What about using these for destination weddings as part of the welcome gift? You can label your guests as Friend of Groom or Friend of Bride? It’s a great icebreaker and lets people scope out who else is there for your wedding!

Or what about these cute and unique Programs? Great idea for outdoor summer weddings, especially down here in Texas.

Or my personal favorite, the LOL camera. Maybe it’s because I love flashbacks or maybe it’s because I still have a disposable camera or two hidden in my closet but I’m in love with the idea of setting them at each table and seeing what photos your guests take, especially when this camera adds little mustaches and other images to the photos! Just look through the viewfinder to see what will be added to your next photo!

What fun things have you guys seen at weddings or are planning on using at your wedding?

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Now that you are fluent in lighting language we can talk about pricing. {Disclaimer: these are the average lighting costs that we’ve seen from Dallas vendors. Cost does change frequently and varies upon location.}

Gobo: $300.00

Break up pattern: $375.00

Pin spots: $40.00 per pin spot

Up lights: $40.00 per up light

Color Wash: between $275-$350 depending on the size of the area

Most lighting companies require a minimum dollar amount to be spent on lighting to create your “package”.  Also, set up and delivery charges vary, but are usually 10-15% of the lighting bill.  (So if you are spending $1000 on lighting choices, then you will see an additional $100-150 added for set up and delivery.  Always talk to your lighting professional to see what options they offer and you can creatively use lighitng to add that dramatic element without a dramatic bill, if you have less of a buget to work with. Maybe use pinspotting only for your sweetheart and cake tables, while using uplighting to add color.  Or just a gobo without a color wash or break up pattern behind iton the dance floor?  Maybe just add up lights to architectural details of your reception venue.  There are so many options you can choose from when it comes to lighting.

When choosing your lighting vendor, you want to look for a lighting professional, not someone who has lots of twinkling Christmas lights that can hang them nicely. You want a vendor with nice equipment. It doesn’t need to be the newest top of the line equipment; it just needs to look professional and work well.  This can mean the lovely LED lighting that allows you to change colors at your whim, or the less modern “can” lighting that uses gels to tint the color.  Also don’t forget to look for a love match; you need to be comfortable trusting them and paying them.

If lighting is something you decide you want, make it work for you and your budget!

Happy Planning!

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Think lighting your reception means flipping a light switch? Think again. Lighting can be a fabulous way to kick your wedding up a notch, to make it a simply stunning event.

When talking to different lighting companies or lighting designers it can seem like they are speaking a different language. But don’t worry we’ve got you covered, just gather round for today’s Vocab Lesson!

Pin spots: a focused beam of light shining directly onto an object, like a centerpiece or the cake, used as a highlighting effect

Gobo: a projection of a wedding motif, like the wedding date, a monogram or a symbol

Up lights: projects light up to give the wall a dramatic effect or to highlight an area

Color Wash: basically a technique that “washes” an entire area a different color

Break up pattern: a projection of a pattern or an all over design, can be projected under the Gobo or over a color washed wall or over a blank wall, etc

Well now that you’ve learned the language of lighting, let’s chat about what lighting can do for your wedding.

Lighting is a great way change the look or feeling in the room. If you are doing your ceremony and reception in the same room, try color washing the room in a warm, soft amber color and then have the lighting switch to a dramatic color like purple. It can completely change the ambiance and your guests won’t even realize it’s the same room. Color washing the walls can also help set the tone for your guests, for example having a softer color during dinner and pumping up the vibrancy when it’s time to party.

If you don’t want to color wash, think about using up lights between windows or over pillars. You can have a break up pattern by the dance floor and have your monogram or another symbolic symbol as your gobo over the break up pattern. You love your centerpieces, pin spot them so they are more of a focal point. In love with your cake, then pin spot it!

Using lighting is a great way to add a little more drama {the good kind of drama} to your event.

Now that we’ve talked about light terms and what you can do with them, next I’ll post about pricing and different options that you can choose from!

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When planning your wedding, whether by yourself or with the help of a wedding planner, it can be hard to know exactly which vendors to hire.

Here at Each & Every Detail we call it finding a “love match”.

Finding your love match doesn’t mean you and your florist need to be best friends. You don’t need to go to coffee or brunch with your photographer. No need to exchange BFF necklaces with your DJ.

A love match means finding someone you trust to come through on your wedding day. They understand your vision and help you come up with ways to get the desired results and stay within your budget. But most importantly they are someone you feel comfortable with, this person is going to be helping you on one of the most important days of your entire life and you need to feel comfortable to speak your opinion and say if you like something or how you want it changed.

Your budget and vendor pricing are of course a factor in finding your lovematch.  Sometimes you might fall in love with a florist, or another vendor, that is out of your set budget and it can be a hard choice whether to sign a contract with them or not. My advice is to continue to shop around, meet with other florists. You may end up finding a less expensive florist that you click with as there are lots of vendors out there.  However, while the less expensive vendor can help create your vision, you may not find you trust them as much. Sometimes the stress and worry you save yourself from can be worth spending more money than you expected to.  Go with your gut feeling.  It’s a personal decision and it’s a hard decision, but always know you have options.

I wish you all the best in finding your love match and as always Happy Planning!

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We just found out that unfortunately Downtown Dallas’s Empire Room has closed. Any brides out there who need help finding a new venue call us so we can help you!

The Each & Every Detail Team

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It is estimated over one million couples will become engaged over these holidays, from Christmas to New Years.  According to data from the Fairchild Bridal Group, 19% of all engagements happen in December.  If you are one of the lucky couples, congratulations!  I am so happy for you!  Love is wonderful and being engaged is just fabulous.

Many  brides and grooms jump straight into wedding planning, if for no other reason, than everyone starts asking you questions.  When are you getting married?  Where?  Who will be your maid of honor or best man?  I want you to know it’s ok to answer “I don’t know”.  I want you to enjoy this time!  Spend time with your family and friends, show off that ring and enjoy your engagement without the pressure of planning, at least for a little bit. 

Who am I kidding?  I know you found this blog for a reason, because the wedding planning bug has already bit you and you just have to scratch the itch!  Ok, well, let me give you a few tips for getting started then.

1. Do start talking to your fiance (and possibly family) about what you want for your ceremony and reception.  Many a couple comes through my door and they’ve not really even had a conversation about what each of them want.  I encourage you to look at pictures in magazines and online and show each other what you like and what you don’t.  This will set the tone for your planning and make the road much smoother in the long run.  Using pictures helps you to articulate your preferences and can make the conversation much less stressful.  One of my favorite sites for pictures is www.stylemepretty.com.  You’ll find a great variety here and the storyboards give you the overall feel of a wedding, not just particular details.  Whether you want a beach wedding and he wants it on a ranch, this will get the conversation started.
2. Do start talking about your wedding budget.  Start with finding out who will be contributing to the affair.  If you know your parents want to pay for it all, great.  If not, it may be that you (the bride and groom) are paying for the bulk, and parents may just be contributing.  Also start talking amounts.  DON’T start with “What do weddings cost?”.  Ask yourself, what am I prepared to spend?  What are my parents prepared to spend?  This doesn’t have to be finalized yet, but you need a general range to work with before you jump out there.
3. Do start talking guest count.  You can never start on your guest list too early.  Plus, your wedding guest count, or head count, will absolutely dictate how your money is spent.  If you have a of $30,000, and want to invite 200 guests, it will limit your spending choices more than if you had a $20,000 budget and only 50 guests.  It’s time for you and your family to start coming up with those that you absolutely must invite and then make your “B” lists as to who you’d like to have.  The sooner you do this the better. 
4. Don’t start asking your wedding party to do you the honor yet.  While I know you want to immediately run to your close friends and ask them to be your maid of honor and bridesmaids, don’t do it just yet.  Many a times I have seen a bride in tears because their close friends do not turn out to be maid of honor or bridesmaid material.  I’m not saying don’t ask them at all, just take a step back and wait to see what your plans may start out to be before choosing who will be best for these roles. 
5. Do start talking about when you want the wedding to be.  For helpful tips on what dates not to choose, check out my previous post about avoiding the holidays.  Choosing when helps you know how much time you have to plan, which is key!

This list should get you started on your wedding planning, and will actually be quite a bit of homework.  I’ll expand on these four points in the next few blog posts, so keep an eye out for more advice on how to get started.  In the meantime, enjoy it!  Oh, and even better, show off that engagement ring!  We here at Each & Every Detail would love to see them, so send us pictures. Seriously!  Send us a pic and let us know how he proposed, and we’ll put them on the blog!

Congratulations again!

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