Feature Article
by Tracey Baxter
Have you checked out the Internet for inspirational wedding décor? Of course! There are great websites chock full of fun ideas. So who wouldn’t spend hours searching for inspiration and help? Many of the fabulous inspiration sites have an “Ask Us” section where you also can find all the answers for your biggest wedding etiquette questions. But beware – etiquette doesn’t change with the times and trends like the wedding décor ideas that you have found.
Let’s talk invitations! Invitations should be hand addressed for both the outer and inner envelop. So many websites will tell you that it’s OK to print labels or print the invitations. It’s not. It’s really not!! The first impression your guests will have of your wedding is based on the invitation. A printed label screams that you care so little about your guests attending that you can’t spend the time to write their address on the invitation. Ouch! Surely that is not the message you want to send with your jazzy invitation.
Do you have to get a calligrapher? No! Anyone with legible handwriting will do just fine. In fact, my brides often enlist a group of friends for an invitation addressing party. Sometimes its bridesmaids and sometimes other friends who want to help in any way they can. And this wedding planner I know (wink) usually shows up with wine, cheese and other treats! 5 girlfriends + 20 envelopes each = the work is completed fast and fun is had by all. But wait, you say? You’re concerned your half dozen friends all have different handwriting? That’s OK. It doesn’t have to be the same handwriting. It just has to be done with handwriting. Your guests are not going to call each other to compare envelopes. Trust me on this – you want the invitations hand written!
What about the guest? You know the guest - the one you don’t actually know … the one coming with your 3rd cousin twice removed. Oh yeah, that guest. Is it proper to address them ‘and guest’ on the invitation? Let's be honest. It looks awkward because it is. The best thing you can do is call your cousin and ask their guest’s name and address so they can be properly invited. This gesture conveys that not only do you want this cousin to attend; you want their guest to feel truly invited and welcome at your wedding too. The rare times an ‘and guest’ would be necessary, this would not be included on the outer envelope. Rather, you would address the inner envelop Ms. Jane Doe and Guest. If you are not using an inner envelope, including a personal hand written note indicating that they are welcome to bring a guest and request they let you know with the RSVP. Then enclose this note with the invitation.
Etiquette may seem like a lot of extra work. But it’s well worth the effort. The time you take to do these important details will be appreciated by your guests. They will also be freer to enjoy the other special wedding day décor details you have created because they know you didn’t take etiquette short cuts. You only have this one chance to make the best first impression on your guests.
Your Wedding Planning Homework!
Practice your handwriting! Set the date for the invitation addressing party! Invite bridesmaids, friends from the office who want to help or your mom and future mother in law. It's a great way to get make a seemingly big task more manageable and fun!
Want to use this article in your e-Zine, blog or website? You may as long as you include this complete statement:
Wedding Solutions Specialist Tracey Baxter publishes the "Aisle Do" bi-weekly e-zine. Get your Free Report: "5 Fun and Fabulous Reception Ideas for a Reluctant DIY Bride” at www.aisledoweddings.com
Showing posts with label Holden Beach Wedding Planner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Holden Beach Wedding Planner. Show all posts
October 21, 2010
October 14, 2010
Who's Ready for Some Cake?
Feature Article
by Tracey Baxter
Ahhhh -the wedding cake! Few wedding elements are as anticipated! Even those who won’t eat any will still marvel at it! So of course you’re going to look at photos and pick a super design and taste the finest cakes in town right? But do you need to spend a fortune on a cake? No. Here are some ways to make sure you get the most bang for your frosted sugarlicious buck:
Know who is cutting your cake! Of course I am aware that by the time it’s to be cut, you’ll have already paid for your cake, but you don’t want that money wasted. Cake slices are typically 1 inch wide by 2.5 inches long. Bakers will use that as the guide when planning the tier sizes and number of tiers needed. If the person cutting the cake varies greatly from that standard slice, some of your guests may not receive a slice of cake. In effect you just increased your cost per slice. So proper cake cutting is a must! If you don’t have an event-day coordinator, just be sure your caterer does not pass the cake cutting off to an untrained intern! Unfortunately, I have seen this happen at all wedding price points and have had to offer 'on the job training' and have even taken the reins myself when I was just supposed to be a guest!
Don’t plan for extra slices so guests can have seconds. Bakeries charge “by the slice” so definitely use an accurate guest count when you tell them how many guests you’ll serve. Few guests want a second piece of cake and fewer will be bold enough to ask. In fact, some don’t eat cake at all; especially if they have been provided a full meal at the reception. Nor should you think about giving a bigger slice for all guests. Properly cut, a standard 1 x 2.5 inch cake slice is a generous portion at 5 inches tall.
No cake will taste good after a year in the freezer. Not even a cake from the best bakery and covered with industrial foil wrapping will taste good after 12 months in a freezer! So instead of saving it for your anniversary, plan to cut and serve that top tier. 6 inch round cakes serve 12 guests. At $4 per slice or more, you’ve just saved at least $48! A larger top tier would be even bigger savings. To celebrate your anniversary with your wedding cake, order a small cake in the same flavors from your baker in a year. If your baker offers a free top tier, ask if you can have a certificate to be redeemed for a fresh anniversary cake instead. Trust me; you’ll want a fresh anniversary cake in a year!
Fondant is smooth and elegant but always additional per slice. Not to mention it's a rare baker that makes fondant yummy. Most bakers offer butter crème frosting with piped butter crème decoration in their base per slice fee. A professional wedding cake decorator actually can create a smooth butter crème frosting that is almost as flawless as fondant. I know this because I can do it and I’m not even a cake pro! So just ask to see photos of their butter crème covered wedding cakes specifically. That way so you can compare their work to the other decorators’ frosting smoothing capabilities. You’ll probably be surprised at how smooth butter crème really is!
Brides often ask, “What about sheet cakes in the kitchen and a dummy cake just for pictures?” Well, I didn’t want to go here but… there is a reason these things are called ‘dummy cakes’! Dummy cakes are not free. “Dummy” cake forms are made of Styrofoam and still must be decorated. Styrofoam forms are not cheap so to the cake form price, add the decoration costs, the decorator’s time plus the real sheet cakes you still have to purchase; added up dummy cake is not a money saving option. Oh yeah… and then what do you do with the dummy cake? Put it on your mantle? Toss it in the trash? Nope, not such a wise investment after all. I guess if you are enterprising, you could rent it to others. Which leads me to – can you rent a dummy cake? Yes. They are usually around $150 to rent. That’s One Hundred Fifty Dollars…. to rent….a cake…. that isn’t real … that you have to return … because it will be rented to others again. ...just like it was rented to others before it was yours. Yuck. Yes, I’ve seen them cheaper. Yes, they look cheaper too.
Your Wedding Planning Homework!
It's time to taste some cake! Cake tastings in most bakeries are free. Take advantage and schedule one ...or two ...today! Bring pictures but until you've tasted their cake, don't show them. They'll always tell you " Yes, of course we can do that lovely design". The question you need to aske yourself is - do you like the taste of their cake enough that you actually want them to?
Want to use this article in your e-Zine, blog or website? You may as long as you include this complete statement:
Wedding Solutions Specialist Tracey Baxter publishes the "Aisle Do" bi-weekly e-zine. Get your Free Report: "5 Fun and Fabulous Reception Ideas for a Reluctant DIY Bride” at www.aisledoweddings.com
by Tracey Baxter
Ahhhh -the wedding cake! Few wedding elements are as anticipated! Even those who won’t eat any will still marvel at it! So of course you’re going to look at photos and pick a super design and taste the finest cakes in town right? But do you need to spend a fortune on a cake? No. Here are some ways to make sure you get the most bang for your frosted sugarlicious buck:
Know who is cutting your cake! Of course I am aware that by the time it’s to be cut, you’ll have already paid for your cake, but you don’t want that money wasted. Cake slices are typically 1 inch wide by 2.5 inches long. Bakers will use that as the guide when planning the tier sizes and number of tiers needed. If the person cutting the cake varies greatly from that standard slice, some of your guests may not receive a slice of cake. In effect you just increased your cost per slice. So proper cake cutting is a must! If you don’t have an event-day coordinator, just be sure your caterer does not pass the cake cutting off to an untrained intern! Unfortunately, I have seen this happen at all wedding price points and have had to offer 'on the job training' and have even taken the reins myself when I was just supposed to be a guest!
Don’t plan for extra slices so guests can have seconds. Bakeries charge “by the slice” so definitely use an accurate guest count when you tell them how many guests you’ll serve. Few guests want a second piece of cake and fewer will be bold enough to ask. In fact, some don’t eat cake at all; especially if they have been provided a full meal at the reception. Nor should you think about giving a bigger slice for all guests. Properly cut, a standard 1 x 2.5 inch cake slice is a generous portion at 5 inches tall.
No cake will taste good after a year in the freezer. Not even a cake from the best bakery and covered with industrial foil wrapping will taste good after 12 months in a freezer! So instead of saving it for your anniversary, plan to cut and serve that top tier. 6 inch round cakes serve 12 guests. At $4 per slice or more, you’ve just saved at least $48! A larger top tier would be even bigger savings. To celebrate your anniversary with your wedding cake, order a small cake in the same flavors from your baker in a year. If your baker offers a free top tier, ask if you can have a certificate to be redeemed for a fresh anniversary cake instead. Trust me; you’ll want a fresh anniversary cake in a year!
Fondant is smooth and elegant but always additional per slice. Not to mention it's a rare baker that makes fondant yummy. Most bakers offer butter crème frosting with piped butter crème decoration in their base per slice fee. A professional wedding cake decorator actually can create a smooth butter crème frosting that is almost as flawless as fondant. I know this because I can do it and I’m not even a cake pro! So just ask to see photos of their butter crème covered wedding cakes specifically. That way so you can compare their work to the other decorators’ frosting smoothing capabilities. You’ll probably be surprised at how smooth butter crème really is!
Brides often ask, “What about sheet cakes in the kitchen and a dummy cake just for pictures?” Well, I didn’t want to go here but… there is a reason these things are called ‘dummy cakes’! Dummy cakes are not free. “Dummy” cake forms are made of Styrofoam and still must be decorated. Styrofoam forms are not cheap so to the cake form price, add the decoration costs, the decorator’s time plus the real sheet cakes you still have to purchase; added up dummy cake is not a money saving option. Oh yeah… and then what do you do with the dummy cake? Put it on your mantle? Toss it in the trash? Nope, not such a wise investment after all. I guess if you are enterprising, you could rent it to others. Which leads me to – can you rent a dummy cake? Yes. They are usually around $150 to rent. That’s One Hundred Fifty Dollars…. to rent….a cake…. that isn’t real … that you have to return … because it will be rented to others again. ...just like it was rented to others before it was yours. Yuck. Yes, I’ve seen them cheaper. Yes, they look cheaper too.
Your Wedding Planning Homework!
It's time to taste some cake! Cake tastings in most bakeries are free. Take advantage and schedule one ...or two ...today! Bring pictures but until you've tasted their cake, don't show them. They'll always tell you " Yes, of course we can do that lovely design". The question you need to aske yourself is - do you like the taste of their cake enough that you actually want them to?
Want to use this article in your e-Zine, blog or website? You may as long as you include this complete statement:
Wedding Solutions Specialist Tracey Baxter publishes the "Aisle Do" bi-weekly e-zine. Get your Free Report: "5 Fun and Fabulous Reception Ideas for a Reluctant DIY Bride” at www.aisledoweddings.com
October 07, 2010
Will You Even Remember You Got Married?
Feature Article
by Tracey Baxter
At the end of your wedding day, your marriage has already begun but the wedding will already be just a memory. How well, and an in many cases if you remember all the intricate details you created or exactly how uncle Sal looked in his groovy rust colored tux will depend entirely on your photographer. Capturing your event on film –or in modern terms, digitally, your photographer has the ability to keep your memories vibrant and alive. It’s important to know the difference between features and results when choosing a wedding photographer. And features do not necessarily achieve the expected result. For example, the feature would be a state of the art digital camera that only 10 people in the world own. A result would be eliciting the kind of memories you desire. But that state of the art camera may or may not get that result you desire depending on which of the 10 people are using it!
Your wedding photography begins with the results!
Do you long for traditional portraits or your story in a journalistic montage? Or maybe blending these styles is more your goal? Photographers will present you with their best work samples in a consultation so before you scout out photographers to interview; it’s helpful to know your preferences because this is the result you are looking for! Look for photographers who capture the emotion you want to feel when you look at these pictures in three years… 10 years… 25 years and more from now. Some couples want to feel reverent and others glee when reflecting on their wedding photos. Whatever that feeling is you desire, it is critical to pinpoint. Until you know this first, you will not be able to find a photographer that is able produce that result for you.
What features are important to you?
Once you have narrowed down photographers by the style and feeling they can evoke in their photos of you in your price range, it’s time to determine what features are relevant to your needs. Not every photographer offers the same features even if within the same price range. What features you need and what can you do without depends again on your style and personality. There is not necessarily one right feature set for everyone. Here are some features to consider when choosing your photographer:
1. Do they have a second photographer shooting the event?
2. Will there be a time limit or is service for the full event day?
3. Will the photographer(s) travel to locations other than your ceremony and reception sites on your wedding day?
4. Is there a limit to the number of photos they will take? Some photographers still set a limit on the number of shots taken.
5. Do packages in your price range contain more than 2 elements that you don’t want? And if so, can you negotiate trading for something else. For example, if you don’t want a 4x5 album for your parents, can you trade that for additional hours, an engagement shoot or something else?
6. How much does it cost for prints?
7. Who gets the copy rights?? In other words, must you order prints through the photographer?
8. Will you see actual printed proofs or will only online viewing be available?
9. Does the photographer touch up the photos in any way?
10. How long will it take to see proofs and then get finished products?
Your Wedding Planning Homework:
Knowing your style and desires for how you want to reflect on your wedding is the key! No other photo album will be as emotionally charged as your wedding album or scrapbook. Take time to really ponder how you want to feel when you look at your wedding photos in the years to come. .
Want to use this article in your e-Zine, blog or website? You may as long as you include this complete statement:
Wedding Solutions Specialist Tracey Baxter publishes the "Aisle Do" bi-weekly e-zine. Get your Free Report: "5 Fun and Fabulous Reception Ideas for a Reluctant DIY Bride” at www.aisledoweddings.com
by Tracey Baxter
At the end of your wedding day, your marriage has already begun but the wedding will already be just a memory. How well, and an in many cases if you remember all the intricate details you created or exactly how uncle Sal looked in his groovy rust colored tux will depend entirely on your photographer. Capturing your event on film –or in modern terms, digitally, your photographer has the ability to keep your memories vibrant and alive. It’s important to know the difference between features and results when choosing a wedding photographer. And features do not necessarily achieve the expected result. For example, the feature would be a state of the art digital camera that only 10 people in the world own. A result would be eliciting the kind of memories you desire. But that state of the art camera may or may not get that result you desire depending on which of the 10 people are using it!
Your wedding photography begins with the results!
Do you long for traditional portraits or your story in a journalistic montage? Or maybe blending these styles is more your goal? Photographers will present you with their best work samples in a consultation so before you scout out photographers to interview; it’s helpful to know your preferences because this is the result you are looking for! Look for photographers who capture the emotion you want to feel when you look at these pictures in three years… 10 years… 25 years and more from now. Some couples want to feel reverent and others glee when reflecting on their wedding photos. Whatever that feeling is you desire, it is critical to pinpoint. Until you know this first, you will not be able to find a photographer that is able produce that result for you.
What features are important to you?
Once you have narrowed down photographers by the style and feeling they can evoke in their photos of you in your price range, it’s time to determine what features are relevant to your needs. Not every photographer offers the same features even if within the same price range. What features you need and what can you do without depends again on your style and personality. There is not necessarily one right feature set for everyone. Here are some features to consider when choosing your photographer:
1. Do they have a second photographer shooting the event?
2. Will there be a time limit or is service for the full event day?
3. Will the photographer(s) travel to locations other than your ceremony and reception sites on your wedding day?
4. Is there a limit to the number of photos they will take? Some photographers still set a limit on the number of shots taken.
5. Do packages in your price range contain more than 2 elements that you don’t want? And if so, can you negotiate trading for something else. For example, if you don’t want a 4x5 album for your parents, can you trade that for additional hours, an engagement shoot or something else?
6. How much does it cost for prints?
7. Who gets the copy rights?? In other words, must you order prints through the photographer?
8. Will you see actual printed proofs or will only online viewing be available?
9. Does the photographer touch up the photos in any way?
10. How long will it take to see proofs and then get finished products?
Your Wedding Planning Homework:
Knowing your style and desires for how you want to reflect on your wedding is the key! No other photo album will be as emotionally charged as your wedding album or scrapbook. Take time to really ponder how you want to feel when you look at your wedding photos in the years to come. .
Want to use this article in your e-Zine, blog or website? You may as long as you include this complete statement:
Wedding Solutions Specialist Tracey Baxter publishes the "Aisle Do" bi-weekly e-zine. Get your Free Report: "5 Fun and Fabulous Reception Ideas for a Reluctant DIY Bride” at www.aisledoweddings.com
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