The Blog of a Burlington Wedding & Event Planner
Archive for the ‘Getting Married’ Category
Keeping Your Wedding $$$ Safe from Bankrupt Vendors
Thursday, August 20th, 2009Recently, a new client brought a newspaper article to my attention. It was about a Toronto-based planning and decorating company, Affairs with Flair, who have recently gone bankrupt, leaving many couples with no refund and no promised services. Logically, this made my client nervous.
Today’s crazy economy and the thought of something like this happening to you on your wedding day are enough to make anyone worry. But it got me to thinking – How do couples protect themselves from something like this?
1. First and foremost – Make sure you have a contract. A contact with dates, details, responsibilities, payments, etc. signed by you and your potential wedding planner. Make sure their information – address, web site, GST number, etc., is included on the contract.
2. Make sure they are a real business. Not just doing this as a hobby or a part time basis. They should have a business license, GST number, etc. Are they part of the Chamber of Commerce, Better Business Bureau, etc.? Do they have a real web site? Real businesses have to spend money to make money. Look for clues like how much advertising they are doing, how active they are, etc.
3. Ask for references. And actually contact the references. Ask questions – were they on time? Did they meet all obligations? Would they hire them again? Were there any surprises? You get the idea.
4. Go with your gut. If it feels fishy, it probably is. Listen to your instincts.
5. Ask how long they’ve been doing this. Experience speaks volumes. Those who have gone to school and have learned all about how to hypothetically handle wedding planning may not fair as well financially in the long run as those who have actual experience dealing with the highs and lows of real wedding planning.
I hope this helps. Its a horrible thing to have to worry about, especially on your wedding day!
By the way, I’ve been doing this for more than 10 years, have a GST number and belong to the Oakville Chamber of Commerce, in case you were wondering.
How to Establish Your Wedding Budget
Monday, August 10th, 2009No one likes budget talk. The fun of planning a wedding seems to evapourate pretty quickly when money talk rears its ugly head. But when it comes to a wedding, you have to know the dollars and cents of your planning.
One of the questions I get asked time and time again is “Am I spending too much?”. The answer really depends. Depends on what your overall budget is, what is important to you, how many guests you’re having, etc.
But there are those couples who are ‘foodies’ and MUST have great food at the reception. Or those who are passionate about music, for who a DJ won’t do. Those couple know that they are willing to devote a large chunk of their budget to getting the perfect details to suit their passions.
But many couples feel that yes, the food and music must be good but aren’t sure where to start in the budgeting process. For them, I would recommend the following breakdown by percent of their wedding budget:
Reception (45%)
Planner (12%)
Bride’s Attire (5%)
Photography (5%)
Flowers/Decor (5%)
Entertainment (5%)
Videographer (3%)
Transportation (3%)
Stationary/Invites (3%)
Wedding Rings (3%)
Wedding Gifts (3%)
Ceremony (2%)
Cake (1%)
Hair & Make-up (1%)
Groom’s Attire (1%)
Accessories (1%)
Accommodations (1%)
Miscellaneous (1%)
So for a wedding with a total budget of $25,000 it would look like this:
Reception (45%) – $11,250
Planner (12%) – $ 3,000
Bride’s Attire (5%) – $ 1,250
Photography (5%) – $ 1,250
Flowers/Decor (5%) – $ 1,250
Entertainment (5%) – $ 1,250
Videographer (3%) – $ 750
Transportation (3%) – $ 750
Stationary/Invites (3%) – $ 750
Wedding Rings (3%) – $ 750
Wedding Gifts (3%) – $ 750
Ceremony (2%) – $ 500
Cake (1%) – $ 250
Hair & Make-up (1%) – $ 250
Groom’s Attire (1%) – $ 250
Accessories (1%) – $ 250
Accommodations (1%) – $ 250
Miscellaneous (1%) – $ 250
And if the list above has things that you aren’t including, like a videographer, remove that line item and either add it to another category or put it back in the bank!
Hope this helps!
Wedding Toasts & Speeches – No Decoder Ring Required!
Friday, July 31st, 2009As you could imagine, I’ve been to a lot of weddings and have heard many toasts and speeches, both good and bad.
You can always tell who has done a little legwork in preparing their speech. Those that do use humour, love and plain old common sense.
I think the worst speech I have ever heard was from a groom’s brother, who proceeded to read a list of inside jokes that lasted (and I’m not exaggerating) at least 20 minutes (which is a LOOONNNGGG time when you are sitting ther listening). His list included things like ‘a red sock with a hole in it, chocolate chip cookies, road trip to Ottawa….’ and on and on it went. The only people who knew what heck he was talking about was the groom and maybe a few friends. The other 100+ guest just sat there waiting for the monotonous list to end.
So if I could offer a work of advise, make your speech or toast personal, but not so personal that you need a deocoder ring to understand it!
On that note, here are a few humourous/distinctive/smart quotes you might include in your speech:
“Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward together in the same direction” — Antoine de Saint-Exupery
“Do you, Marge, take Homer, in richness and in poorness” –poorness is underlined — “in impotence and in potence, in quiet solitude or blasting across the alkali flats in a jet-powered, monkey-navigated”… [consults the notecards] … and it goes on like this. — Homer Simpson
“There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved.” — George Sand
“Your looks intoxicate me,
Even though your folks hate me,
There’s no one like you Elenore really,
Elenore gee I think you’re swell,
And you really do me well,
You’re my pride and joy etcetera.”
– The Turtles “Elenore”
“Later that day I got to thinking about relationships. There are those that open you up to something new and exotic, those that are old and familiar, those that bring up lots of questions, those that bring you somewhere unexpected, those that bring you far from where you started, and those that bring you back. But the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you find someone to love the you you love, well, that’s just fabulous.” — Carrie, Sex & The City
“A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.” — Mignon McLaughlin
“When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.” — Billy Crystal
“No, I don’t understand my husband’s theory of relativity, but I know my husband and I know he can be trusted.” — Elsa Einstein
“I love being married. It’s so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.” — Rita Rudner
“When you love someone, all your saved up wishes start coming out.” –Elizabeth Bowen
“You know that when I hate you, it is because I love you to a point of passion that unhinges my soul.” — Julie de Lespinasse
“The idea behind the tuxedo is the woman’s point of view that men are all the same, so we might as well dress them that way. That’s why a wedding is like the joining together of a beautiful, glowing bride and some guy. The tuxedo is a wedding safety device, created by women because they know that men are undependable. So in case the groom chickens out, everybody just takes one step over, and she marries the next guy.” — Jerry Seinfeld
Happy planning!
Part Seven – Seven Things to Cut From Your Wedding & Save Your Budget
Wednesday, July 29th, 2009Here is the last of seven tips of what to cut from your wedding budget that is unnecessary:
7. Saving The Top Layer of Your Wedding Cake for X… – The top layer of they wedding cake has traditionally been saved and not served to your guests. ‘Saved for what?’ you ask – well, it depends who you ask but its usually stuck in the freezer for at least a year. Often saved for your first wedding anniversary, or birth of your first baby, or their baptism. This tradition started a long time ago when cakes were make from fruit cake and had a glimmer of possibly, maybe surviving the long year.
Nowadays, not many people would not even consider fruit cake and often, the year old cake, certainly stale and likely freezer-burned taste pretty gross. So why do it? Why pay for that top layer so you can wrap it up, seal it in 3 ziplock freezer bags and a tupperware container only to throw it out in a year? Heres a better idea. Save the money and when the occasion comes around (first anniversary, first baby’s birth, etc.) make a special trip back to you baker and get a small replica make of your cake that you can enjoy while still fresh?
Hope these tips help! Happy planning!
‘I Do’ – Carrie Bradshaw, Sex in the City
Tuesday, July 14th, 2009His ‘hello’ was the end of her endings.
Her laugh was their first step down the aisle.
His hand would be hers to hold forever.
His forever was as simple as her smile.
He said she was what was missing.
She said instantly she knew.
She was a question to be answered.
And his answer was “I do”.
Sarah Jessica Parker, as Carrie Bradshaw, in Episode 19 of “Sex and the City,” “The Chicken Dance.”
Part Six – Seven Things to Cut From Your Wedding & Save Your Budget
Tuesday, July 14th, 2009Here is the sixth part of the series of budget tips of things to cut from you wedding that no one will notice.
6. Bathroom Guest Baskets – this is something I never really understood. I mean it’s a nice sentiment, but having a basket with mouthwash, extra nylons, tums, a sewing kit is a nice to have, not a need to have. And can be pretty expensive. And besides, if you have a good wedding planner worth his or her salt, that all that kind of stuff will already be on hand in his or her on-site emergency kit.
Happy planning!
Wedding Wishes Released into the Sky
Thursday, July 2nd, 2009Here is an awesome way to end your wedding or special event. Wish Lanterns
Also known as khoom fay, sky lanterns, glo lanterns, chinese lanterns or thai lanterns. How pretty would it be at the end of the night, just before you and your new spouse leave to have all the guests come outside, whisper their wedding wishes inside the lanterns, light them and release them into the dark night’s sky?
These wish lanterns are so pretty and actually look quite large. I’m ordering a sample to see for myself. The have a wick that is lit and then it floats up, up and away into the air like little hot air balloons. The wick burns for about 12-15 minutes, at which point, they will fall back down to the earth. According to their website, they are 100% biodegradable.
The company that sells them, Wishlanterns.com is from Texas and does ship to Canada. Of course, there would be the currency exchange, customs and shipping costs…but they are so pretty! It almost seems a shame to let them float away!
I’ll bet these would look even more amazing in the winter here in Canada. The cold weather would make the lanterns fly even higher.
I’ll let you know once I get one…
Happy planning!
Where To Find Chinese Paper Lanterns
Thursday, July 2nd, 2009
About 2 and a half months ago, I was looking for some colourful Chinese paper lanterns for a client. She wanted to decorate the reception hall ceiling with them. Maybe it was a little to early for most suppliers to start thinking about ‘patio’ type lanterns, (but they never think its too early after Halloween to start dragging out the Christmas stuff!) what with the snow still sorta’ hanging around then.
I looked everywhere, only to find really REALLY expensive ones or ones that looked like their colours have already faded in the sun.
Now that I’m not looking for them, I have found 2 stores that have them – and in great colours too and reasonable prices. The first store was the Fabricland Decor Centre Elite on Fairview in Burlington (which, coincidentally, has tonnes of great decor items at really good prices). I’d been into the Fabricland there tonnes of times, and never really noticed the Decor Centre. Not sure what made me notice it today, but I’m glad I did.
The other store was Jysk (which I learned today is pronounced ‘yi-sk’ – but up until today I seem to always call it ‘jinx-k’). This store is also on Fairview in Burlington. They are offering 8″ lanterns ($4.99) and 14″ lanterns ($9.99) and actaully have battery powered lights in them and and have variety of colours…
I thought I’d shared this in case you were looking for these types of lanterns.
Happy planning!
Part Five – Seven Things to Cut From Your Wedding & Save Your Budget
Tuesday, June 30th, 2009Here’s the fifth installment of things to cut from your wedding budget that noonewill even notice but will save your hard earned money:
5. Wedding Party/Ceremony/Reception Programs – A lot of work AND worry for something that will be glanced at and left behind. ‘But not everyone knows that my bridesmaid is my best friend from college?’ you ask. That may be true, but if you have a good MC at the reception, he or she will inform every one of that fact at the reception. As well, it give people something to talk about while at the cocktail reception or when finding their seats at the reception. ‘So, how do you know …’
Happy planning!
Part Four – Seven Things to Cut From Your Wedding & Save Your Budget
Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009Here is the next idea of what you can cut from your wedding that hardly anyone will notice or care about…
4. Champagne – The fact is it’s expensive and most people don’t really like champagne. You likely already have wine on the tables – cha-ching. Have some sort of bar – cha-ching. And now you want to open and pay for more alcohol for each guest to have a glass to raise to you, shout out ‘cheers’ (substitute here what ever your family traditional uses – ‘prost’, ‘valo’, ‘mazaltof’, etc.) so they can take a sip and thats it? Why not just use the wine already on the table, or the drinks they already have from the bar? Think about it!
Stand by for more ideas to keep your budget in check!
Good luck and happy wedding planning!