One of our absolutely favorite stores, Paper and Chocolate, is now offering calligraphy classes!  Every Thursday night in May, calligrapher Donna Sabolovic will be teaching from 6:30-9:00 p.m. She will teach Beginning Copperplate during this four week class. The class fee is $80 and an addition $20 is required for supplies, which Donna will provide.

You’ll need to sign up soon since there is a limited amount of space.  Contact Vicki at Paper and Chocolate by visiting the store or call at 214 357 2737.  The store is located at 5460 West Lovers Lane, Suite 236 in Dallas, directly behind the Inwood Theater.  I highly recommend going by in person as it is SO worth it.

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I’ve heard the phrase “Imitation is the highest form of flattery” way too many times over the past year.  While I appreciate that someone valued our company name and website enough to copy it, it has always bothered me.  It was hard to express why something like this bothered me so much.  So many of my friends and colleagues have said they understand that it is an ethical issue, but many said not to worry about it and to take it as a compliment.  While I have tried to understand why someone would choose this path to a business, I’m finally able to articulate a little about it and why it should bother not only the possible clients of these businesses, but other professionals who might choose to work with them.

Copying another company to create their own is a shortcut.  What does this mean to their potential client?  It means that this new person/company could not take the time to do the research and brainstorm an idea that was their own.  If they did not put forth any effort to develop their own name, one should question if this new company has taken any other shortcuts.  Have they pursued any education or training for their chosen craft?  Will they take shortcuts and skimp on quality when it comes to their products and services?  How much do they truly value what they are offering?  Or are they simply out for a quick buck?

For wedding professionals, do you want to be associated with someone who is known to take shortcuts?  How will this affect your business?  Can you trust them if a problem arises during the planning process or on the wedding day?

It is very important to me that anyone who is potentially looking to hire Each & Every Detail or associate with us as a wedding professional knows that we hold ourselves to a high ethical standard.  It is very important to us that all transactions, whether personal or business, are above board.  We truly want the best for our clients and colleagues and we strive to educate ourselves to be able to provide high quality services.  Please do research and make sure you are hiring or working with those you can truly trust.

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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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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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Since Christmas is this week, it has me thinking about dates.  (Specifically how little time I have left to prepare, but that’s another story!)  Many, many brides become engaged over this holiday season, from Christmas to New Year’s Day, and one of the first questions they are presented with is “When will you get married?”  Such a simple question, but what thought it requires!  Before finalizing your wedding date, consider some of these calendar dilemmas.

Holidays can give you three day weekends to choose from, which make it much easier to hold a celebration on a Sunday and possibly save a few dollars on your wedding costs.  However, travel and accommodations can be more expensive for you and your wedding guests, plus some wedding vendors will up charge their services to accommodate for time away from their families.  It also might adversely affect your guest list if your guests traditionally spend that weekend on vacation or with family, and choose to stick with their traditions versus attend your wedding.  Some of these holiday weekends include:

• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – Jan 18, 2010 & Jan 17, 2011
• President’s Day – Feb 15, 2010 & Feb 21, 2011
• Memorial Day – May 31, 2010 & May 30, 2011
• Labor Day – Sept 6, 2010 & Sept 5, 2011
• Columbus Day – Oct 11, 2010 & Oct 10, 2010  (Since this date is 10/10/10, some couples may choose it, even though it is a Monday, to make their date more memorable.)

Holidays that are sure to increase your costs would be:

• Valentine’s Day – February 14th (Sunday for 2010 and Monday for 2011) – Floral costs for your wedding will be much higher!
• New Year’s Eve – December 31st (Friday for 2010 and Saturday for 2011) – Wedding venues often charge more for this day.

Religious Holidays will often either dictate restrictions on wedding ceremonies at the appropriate place of worship or may affect your guests availability:

photo by Kate Mefford Photography

• Palm Sunday – March 28, 2010 & April 17, 2011
• Easter Sunday – April 4, 2010 & April 24, 2011
• Passover – March 30, 2010 & April 19, 2011 (begins at sunset the night before)
• Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year)  – Sept 9, 2010 & Sept 29, 2011
• Yom Kippur – Sept 18, 2010 & Oct 8, 2011(begins at sunset the night before)
• Hanukkah – Dec 2, 2010 & Dec 21, 2011 (begins at sunset the night before)
• Christmas – December 25th (Saturday for 2010, Sunday for 2011)
• Kwanzaa – December 26th (Sunday for 2010, Monday for 2011)

Some choose Christmas, or a date close by, to take advantage of the many holiday decorations venues already have to help save money on decor.  Be aware that if you choose a Saturday during December, your costs may be higher due to the holiday season, but weekdays and Sundays will be lower.  Other holidays to be aware of when planning:

• April Fool’s Day – April 1
• Mother’s Day – May 9, 2010 & May 8, 2011
• Father’s Day – June 20, 2010 & June 19, 2011
• Halloween – October 31st
• September 11th
• Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day  – December 7th

Just an FYI, 9/10/11 is going to be very popular, so if you want it, book it as soon as you can!

Finally, keep in mind special sports days and watch for big convention days in your area.  For example, Super Bowl is on Feb 7, 2010, and watch for March Madness dates in 2010 that might affect your big day.  Here in McKinney, we always keep an eye out for local festivals in case a bride’s venue is on the historic square.  Parking becomes very limited and traffic can be a nightmare for guests trying to find your reception.  It is always your choice as to whether you choose a holiday for your wedding, just remember how it affects you and your guests and we’re sure you’ll make the best decision!

Are there any other dates that you have found won’t work as your wedding day for 2010 or 2011?  Which ones and why?

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The past 3 weeks have been a whirlwind!  Ironicaly, a lot of it centered around contracts.  A large part of what a wedding planner does actually revolves around these dry pieces of paper that no one wants to read, but turn out to be SO crucial to their big day.  I had many questions come up from proposals and contracts my brides sent me in the past weeks.  For example, what if you and your photographer just can’t get along?  How much is it truly going to cost you to cancel now, before the big day, and hire a new one?  Before you sign your venue’s contract, how liable are you if your guests do not fill your room quote?  Because of that and my insatiable need for education on anything wedding related, I signed up for a local seminar hosted by MPI titled “Hotel Contract Boot Camp”. 

The topic was presented by a very prestigious event laywer, John S. Foster, Esq., CHME. John was an impressive speaker and while the topic can tend to be dry, he carried it well and I learned invaluable information.  Of course it was kind of funny to find that I was the only wedding planner in a room full of hotel sales directors and corporate event planners.  I think those who knew I was there found it funny as well.  (I’m definitely going to address this with my organizations to see if we can have another seminar for other wedding planners as I really feel they would all benefit from this information.)

Out of the numerous topics we covered, one of the most applicable I felt to any event and venue (not just hotels) was the Force Majeure clause of contracts.  (Also known as the Act of God clause)  Ladies, while this little paragraph can seem like nothing important, it can actually mean quite a bit to your wedding day.  Before this class, I felt this clause covered the facility more than the bride, but now understand this clause really and truly protects the bride.  For example, if you are careful enough to cover hurricanes here and you are having a beach wedding, it could mean the difference between cancelling your wedding and paying their full fees to simply rescheduling or cancelling with no penalty.  Or what if, God forbid, there were a terrorist attack again and commercial travel is restricted?  Do you still have to pay for all those guest rooms in your hotel contract even though your guests simply can’t come?  You might have to, better to check that clause before signing.

As with any contract, you should ALWAYS read everything and fully understand the terms before signing.  Your wedding planner should always be able to assist in navigating contract terms and making sure your terms are what you need for your event before signing.  As John said, if you try to change the terms before signing, it’s called negotiating.  If you try to change the terms after signing, it’s called BEGGING.  Which side do you want to be on?

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I had the pleasure of helping a fellow wedding planner this past weekend with one of her brides.  It was an amazing wedding she had been working on for a year and the family was just darling.  Mom was as sweet as could be and wanted everything to be perfect for her gorgeous daughter.  I was able to see the engagement and bridal portrait photos at the wedding and let me just say WOW!  The photographer did an amazing job and this beautiful girl will probably end up in a magazine!

I was supposed to just attend the rehearsal and then help with the wedding setup, during the wedding and reception, and help with strike.  However, there was so much last minute stuff to be done, I was called in on Friday afternoon to help.  This is why a wedding planner can be crucial.  While the bride greeted guests, hung out with family and friends, attended her rehearsal dinner, etc, we were hard at work finishing up all the last minute stuff.  Here’s a little peek at what all we accomplished:

• Sewed on detached or loose buttons to tuxedo shirts for the guys
• Returned tuxedos to the shop for adjustments to fitting
• Completed an introduction list for the band to read off
• Ordered programs, table cards, escort cards, signage and a few other misc items from a local printer who we delivered paper to and they delivered the finished products to our hotel afterwards (Yes, this was done on Friday)
• Corrected the table cards as some of them came back wrong (this took us over 4 hours, it was a little insane)
• Assembled programs, accepted deliveries from vendors such as photographs to be displayed and a viper convertible
• Got gas for the convertible and performed a test run (we needed to make sure there was turning clearance around the ballroom dance floor, what fun!)
• Placed photos in frames, along with table cards
• Corrected tables that were set out and a few minor setup details
• etc, etc, etc

All in all, I worked a solid 30 hours between Friday & Saturday.  I still say it was a pleasure because I love my job, but I would not wish that work on any bride or her mother.  So, if you are a bit of a last minute personality, please take this list as an idea of what you might be facing on your wedding day if you do not have someone to help.  That’s what we’re here for and I promise it’s worth every penny to be able to sleep at night and enjoy your family and friends during the day.

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The biggest task in planning a wedding is usually finding your venue.  Not only is it the biggest item you’ll spend money on, it completely sets the tone and style for your wedding.  Thus, it takes lots of googling, viewing websites and pictures, emails and phone calls, and then takes up every weekend until you find the perfect one. 

The hardest part of this process seems to be the comparing.  Most want to just compare the venues offerings dollar-for-dollar.  Now, while I understand trying to compare venues to get a good deal, let me first say PLEASE don’t forget to recognize the special features and services each venue offers to you.  Of course price will play a role in the venues you choose, but try to remember that the venue’s worth is not just in the dollar amount you have to pay, but also how much it offers you to make your wedding vision come true.

When comparing pricing between venues, this usually means looking at what each will cost you per person.  (Not the minimum amount required, which is NOT the amount you will end up paying)  In other words, place A will cost you $X per person and place B will cost you $Y per person.  The problem is, place A and B are offering a package deal, so you have to compare what is in each of their packages.  This is where the apples and oranges come in.  Each package can be (and most likely will be) totally different.  One place may include the ceremony and reception spaces, valet parking, sound system, chairs, tables, linens, etc, and the other may not include half that stuff.  Why is it so hard you say?  Simply because venues are trying to offer you everything you want in their packages, not what you need, so that they can make the biggest bang for their buck.  They tell you it is to make it easier, which of course it is, but they don’t really give you any way to determine if their pricing is fair.  (This is of course where a wedding planner comes in very handy.)

If you’re stuck trying to juggle all of this and need to compare places based on price, the best way to handle it is to come up with what you want, not what the package offers.  For example, you want their ceremony space for a half hour, the reception space for 4 hours, no valet parking, bridal suite, champagne toast but no bar, butler passed canapes and the roast beef dinner.  Give this to the coordinator at each space and ask them to come up with a custom package for you based on this.  If you prefer to negotiate, take their package and see what items you can exchange to “customize” the package for yourself.  Do this with each venue coordinator, and you’ll get something much closer to comparing apples and apples.  This will help you narrow down what is the true price you are paying and what you really want for your wedding day.

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1.  Hire a wedding planner and find your venue
If you would like a wedding planner to help you from A to Z, this is obviously the first vendor you’ll find.  Immediately after, you’ll start looking at venue choices.  (If you are not hiring a planner for the entire process, add planner to step 2.)  Your venue is probably the biggest determining factor when deciding on a wedding date.  Plus, it sets the style and tone of your wedding, so it helps to determine what vendors you’ll need.  Venues also have preferred vendors they work with, so you have the opportunity to see who has worked well there before.

2.  Hire those who only work one wedding a day.
The photographer, videographer, officiant, entertainment and specialty transporation (like a horse carriage) usually fall within this category.  Those who only work one wedding a day book fast, so you’ll need to go ahead and place a deposit to make sure you reserve those you truly want to help with your special day.  If you have not hired a wedding planner yet, they also fall into this category.

3.  Work from the biggest budget item down.
Your top budget item will be the food and beverages.  If this is not included with your venue, you’ll need to start shopping for an outside caterer.  The next vendor will depend upon your priorities, but here’s a common order I follow:  florist, rentals (including linens), transportation (such as a limo), bakery (for your cake or other dessert choice).  The reason I do this is to help prevent overspending.  If your love florals and are willing to sacrifice your limo, this is the way to go.  If your cake is first priority, move it up on the list, etc.

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My hubbie adores the fact that the Wii is the #2 most wanted registered for gift on Amazon.  Curious as to what other couples are registering for?  Check it out at Amazon.com.

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