The Blog of a Burlington Wedding & Event Planner
Archive for the ‘Wedding Trends’ Category
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!
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!
How to Make your Diamond Look Bigger While Spening Less
Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009When buying a diamond, here are some tips to help you spend a little less of your hard earned dollars and still come away with something that looks like you’ve lost your mind and spent a fortune. The cut, setting and shape are the key. Here are five ways to select diamonds, be it a wedding ring, earrings, or anything else, to make it look like you have more carats then you actually do:
1. Side Stones
A very classic style right now is the three stone engagement ring. The stones are said to represent yesterday, today and tomorrow. Its no coincidence that this setting ranks among the top engagement ring styles. When you have smaller side stones, there are more facets, more light catching angles and more oomph. which is what we all want, right girls?
2. Bezel Setting
When a diamond is completely encircled by a rim, it is called bezel setting. When set in platinum or white gold, the diamonds appear as one unit and look bigger than their individual parts.
3. One Word – Pavé
The pavé setting is so beautiful and it looks like a complete surface of diamonds but in reality, its many, many diamond clustered in tiny holes sitting in and on the band. Think of it as a ring ‘paved’ with diamonds. Although, the diamonds in a pavé setting will cost far less than one big single diamond, it is very labour intensive to set, so keep this in mind when looking.
4. Fancy Diamond Shapes
Cuts like the oval, marquis or the pear are considered fancy shaped diamonds. The shapes cost less and usually look larger than round diamonds of equal weight.
5. Illusion Setting
Mounting the diamond on a mirror-type plate before setting it into the band, is called an illusion setting. The mirror-plate in the back reflects more light and makes the setting appear larger and more brilliant. Many vintage rings have this type of setting. Do keep in mind that repairing this type of setting is more difficult and more costly as a result.
Good luck! Happy wedding!
Wedding Cake Trends – Move Over Fondant, Here Comes Buttercream!
Monday, June 1st, 2009By Sarah Bogle
This year has marked a turning point in wedding cakes — buttercream icing is in, fondant icing is out! Abandoning their dreams of beautiful cakes devoid of taste, brides are choosing wedding cakes that showcase taste as well as style. Bakers have seen the rise in requests for buttercream frosting with a smooth iced finish.
For me, this is a trend long overdue! An avid lover of all types of cakes (and yes, my waistline does show it a bit), I have been disappointed with most wedding cakes in the last few years. I will never forget the excitement I felt while admiring the most beautiful cake I had ever seen. The bride’s cake was a replica of a stunning European cathedral — complete with bell tower, stained glass windows, and baptistery. All the guests circled the cake table in admiration of the meticulously detailed fondant cake. None of the guests could wait to dig in!
But to all our dismay, the fondant was as as crispy and dry as melba toast. The flavorless cake was devoid of taste and lacked moisture. We drank our beverages to add enough liquid to swallow our first bite, then set our plates aside with disappointment. Plate after plate of uneaten wedding cake covered the dining tables. It was then that I realized it wasn’t enough for a cake to beautiful…it had to be edible and tasty too!
Don’t let this happen to you. In these tight economic times, save your money on intricately detailed cakes in favor of one whose taste is impressively delicious. Embrace traditional buttercream icings and preserve fillings. Ask your baker for their top flavor offerings. And, don’t underestimate the love everyone has for a moist white cake with buttercream frosting. After all, who doesn’t love a simple but freshly made cake?
Sarah Bogle is a wedding style expert and published author. After months of searching for unique & personalized wedding favors for her own wedding, she was disappointed by the lackluster options on the market. So with an entrepreneurial spirit, she formed her own artisan soap company to fill the void. Over a decade later, the Artisan Soap Shoppe LLC continues to provide truly custom wedding favors and bridal party gifts at a cost competitive price point.Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_Bogle