Atlanta Brides - Showcase Your OWN Style: 2010

All pictures by Images by N'Neka

Previously I wrote about Lily and Rob Bever's wedding at Callaway Gardens on 10/9/2010. Today I would like to share the professional pictures taken by N'neka Scruggs from Images by N'neka.

While this was my first time working with N'neka, I sure hope we can continue to work on other weddings. She was on time, she was patient, she made everyone comfortable, and she took great pictures.

If you are still looking for a photographer for your wedding, please contact N'neka directly through her website.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Helzberg Diamonds Jewelry Restyle Event

In the mood to change some of your current jewerly collection?

I just got this in my mail box today and I thought I would share with all of you who want to get your old jewelry recreated into something new.

Check out the Helzberg Diamonds Jewelry Restyle Events in the Atlanta Area. Appointments are required and all of the stores only do this for one day starting Oct 26, 2010.

Personally, I had a good experience with my own purchase in the Perimeter Mall location.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

10/9/2010 Callaway Gardens Wedding

Last weekend I had a chance to coordinate Lily and Rob Bever’s wedding at Callaway Gardens.

Lily and Rob chose the Ida Cason Callaway Memorial Chapel as their ceremony site. The chapel is located inside Callaway Gardens tucked away near Falls Creek Lake. It is a magical wedding ceremony location, especially if you are planning an intimate wedding for 50 guests or less.

One feature I like about the chapel is definitely the organ. The guests who are arriving for the wedding will hear the music before they see the chapel itself because the chapel is hidden in the woods. The organist Debbie Chambless was great and I heard she gives regular organ concerts at Callaway Gardens if you want to hear her play in person. As a church pianist myself and a dedicated Elvis Presley’s fan, I had a smile on my face when I heard her played “Can’t Help Falling in Love” (a specific request by the bride) on the organ as part of the prelude music selection.

For the reception, the couple chose Carriage and Horses Restaurant. I set up the handmade guest book by the bride and the favors of coaster set with the Chinese character “love” that was tied with a favor tag that said “thank you” in both English and Chinese. I must say I am so glad to be involved in the coordination of this beautiful inter cultural wedding. As I was explaining things in Chinese to Lily’s parents and then switch to English for the rest of the wedding party, I am reminded once again that love has no boundary of race, language, and culture.

Congratulations to Lily and Rob Bever! Thanks for letting me be a part of your special day.

I hope to feature the professional pictures soon once they are received.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Cake + Truffles = A Match Made in Heaven

Source of Image: KB's Kake Kreations

During the Heeney’s special event two weekends ago, I had a chance to sample the most amazing dessert, courtesy of KB’s Kake Kreations.

KB’s Kake Kreations had given all the attendees at the Heeney’s event a nicely packaged favor box containing their signature kake truffle, a combination of cake and truffle. I was thinking about sharing the kake truffle with my husband but after one bite into it, I decided that I was just going to eat the whole thing myself!!!

And then I realized the store is not in Atlanta, GA so I e-mailed them about shipping because I really want to share this great product with everyone in Atlanta who is looking for an alternative to the traditional truffle as a wedding favor.

Even though KB’s Kake Kreations is based in Gainsville, Florida, they do ship the products within the whole state of Florida and when I e-mailed them, I was told they can ship it to Atlanta as well.

For more information, please check out KB’s Kake Kreations’ website at http://www.kbkakes.com

Monday, September 27, 2010

Lessons from Seminar

Last weekend I went to a seminar by the Heeney Company that showcased three weddings by their designers, a New Year’s Eve Wedding, an Autumn affair, and a Christmas Wedding.

Some of the things I learnt from this event:

1. It is now a trend for couples to get married on New Year Eve’s

I guess this concept is not new in the Chinese cultures as a lot of Chinese people will try to get married before Chinese New Year and during Chinese New Year itself. In America, the Chinese will even get married on Chinese New Year’s Eve since it is not as big a holiday here as it is in Asia (where people reserve this day for family gathering).

My take on New Year’s Eve wedding (as well as other holiday weddings) is that it will be good to give advance notice to your guests so they can plan ahead to attend your wedding. People who really want to be at your wedding will come no matter what time of year it is but do know that holiday air ticket costs tend to be higher so you might want to take that into consideration for your out-of-town guests.

Also, staffing costs will be higher due to the holidays so it can increase your event cost if you choose to get married on New Year’s Eve.

2. Unless you really like your church or venue’s Christmas design, it is not a good idea to get married in December in a pre decorated venue.

I am not sure who came up with the idea that using holiday decoration will save you money so it is good to get married in a church or venue that is already decked out in the Christmas decoration.

I guess this concept is based on the idea that you actually like your church or venue’s Christmas decoration so you do not have to spend money on decoration for your wedding.

The problem is you must like the décor first for this plan to work.

Please know that most churches/venues will not take down their holiday décor for your event. Some of them that do it will charge you an extra fee to have the décor taken down for your event. Therefore, please plan accordingly before booking a date in December.

3. When in doubt, dim the light

Dim the light. It helps to make everything looks more romantic. Seriously check to see how the lighting will work in your venue. The right lighting can make a huge difference to create the atmosphere of your wedding.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Working with Venue Coordinators

Yesterday I got a call from the venue of my client informing me that the venue coordinator whom we had been working with is no longer with the company. The new coordinator sent me the Banquet Event Order with the menu choices of my client for review. One quick glance and I saw that the per person rate was incorrect (and they were much higher!). I called and got the problem resolved before my client even realized there was a mistake.

The incident really got me thinking about one of the reasons why it is important for brides to have their own wedding coordinator or planner instead of relying on the venue coordinator: turnover rate is really high for venue coordinators.

The coordinator with whom you signed the contract with may not be there for your wedding. This is especially true if you book your event a year out at a venue but it can also happen with short engagement. Personally I have seen it happened to brides with 4-7 months engagement period. If you have a long engagement, you may even see a few coordinator changes throughout the length of your engagement.

If the transition is seamless and the previous venue coordinator had kept a good record of the paper work, hopefully your event will not be affected and the new coordinator can just take on your event without problem. Frequently though, things are dropped when there is a change of personnel so you probably have to make sure you have all the paper work to get things straighten out with the new venue coordinator.

Having your own wedding coordinator means that he/she will be dealing with your venue on your behalf. Your own coordinator/planner should also have the planning details from previous meeting with your venue and can easily show the new venue coordinator what was agreed upon.

A venue coordinator is very valuable because he/she can help with your reception floor plan and with his/her experience with the venue, help make suggestions on the flow of the event. He/she is also familiar with the menu choices to be able to make recommendation for the reception menu design if there is an in house caterer with the venue.

However, a venue coordinator works for the venue, is paid by the venue, and thus is most concerned about the interest of the venue. They also do not coordinate the other details of your event that is not related to the venue itself such as creation of the timeline for your event and communication with other vendors not booked through the venue.

Simply put, your own wedding coordinator/planner is your personal advocate and he/she works on your behalf. This is especially true for brides who have planned their own wedding (and want their plans to be carried out a certain way) because the use of their own coordinator will ensure that their planning vision is carried out correctly.

On your wedding day, your personal wedding coordinator will be the one who works with the venue coordinator, as well as your other vendors to ensure that no details are missed.

As far as I am concerned, the only "job" for a bride on her wedding day is to look good and enjoy her time with her new husband and the loved ones!

Monday, September 13, 2010

09/12/2010: 173 Carlyle House Open House

Source of Image: http://www.173carlylehouse.com/

I had a chance to go to the Open House at 173 Carlyle House yesterday.

While I had driven past this event venue in Historic Norcross several times before, this is the first time I was able to check it out.

173 Carlyle House has an elegant ballroom that can accommodate up to 200 people as well as several cozy rooms available for pre reception event. The courtyard space is also available for couples who want to get married outside. For larger events, the courtyard space allows outdoor dining as well.

One thing I like about this venue is definitely the food. Owned by Chef William Janousek (who was actually serving the meat at the chef station yesterday!), I can see that he pays a great deal of attention to the food quality at 173 Carlyle House. We especially love the various canapes! They were yummy and I could see the guests eating a lot of them during cocktail hour!

173 Carlyle House also serves various wedding cake samples that were baked in house yesterday and they were delicious! The pricing for the wedding cake is very reasonable as well. I will highly recommend brides who are getting married here to get the wedding cake in house to save on the cake cutting fee.

I also like the relatively neutral ballroom as it offers a lot of opportunities for brides to choose various color combinations that will work well to personalize their own event. For brides who want to bring in ethnic food to compliment Chef Janousek's tasty creations, I was informed that as long as the minimum on food and beverage has been met, 173 Carlyle House welcomes the couple to bring in some outside dishes that reflect their cultures or to show off that proud family traditional recipe! This is a flexibility that not many venues allow and in my mind, it is definitely a big huge plus!

If you are looking for a historic house to host your event in Atlanta, definitely consider 173 Carlyle House. Besides weddings, they also host other events such as holiday parties and one can choose between the ballroom or the other private rooms depending on the group size.

Have fun planning!

Monday, September 6, 2010

Marriage Couples Retreat

I spent my Labor Day weekend with my husband in North Georgia to attend the Marriage Couples Retreat organized by our church.

We learnt so much from the 3 day retreat. Besides our honeymoon, this was one of the best trips we have taken together. It was a trip filled with laughters, tears, discovery, and understanding. I am so glad we were able to get away from our daily life to spend time with each other and had a great learning experience with the other 9 couples to improve on our communication skills, and to enrich the most important relationship in our lives, the one we have with our spouse and partner for life!

For brides planning weddings everywhere, I just want to say that we should put in as much effort in our marriage. Afterall, the wedding is only the beginning of a marriage. It is the celebration of the beginning of a great journey, one that you and your spouse will take together, through ups and downs, sunshine or thunderstorms, harsh winter or beautiful spring.

I have always want my brides to have a beautiful wedding but I know I want them to have a great marriage even more!

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Windermere Golf Club Bridal Show – 8/31/2010

Source of Image: Angela Wilson Photography

Yesterday I drove up to Cumming, GA for Windermere Golf Club’s bridal show.

I was informed that the ballroom can host up to 170 people but it is actually quite an intimate space (at least to me). One can also set up the cocktail area outside in the covered patio area which overlooks the golf course. Last night, I enjoyed a piece of wedding cake sample from Cake Envy out in the patio during sunset and it was a romantic atmosphere.

As far as the ceremony goes, it can be outdoor or indoor which is definitely a huge plus for those who want an outdoor wedding but also the peace of mind to know that there is a rain location in case of bad weather.

Whenever I go to a site visit, I always try to imagine what kind of couple will like this space. To me, Windermere is a more traditional venue suitable for couples who want a more classic country club wedding. However, I have also seen pictures of the ballroom at Windermere during last night’s show where the use of extra lighting totally transform the space and change the atmosphere.

While the venue is a little out of the way for people in Atlanta, it is not very far if you are in the Alpharetta or Buford area.

One final note: at night it gets really dark around the area so road signs are hard to see. Make sure you have a GPS or be naturally good with direction! I was glad I have a good memory!

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

A Massage Before Your Big Day

If you are feeling stressed with wedding planning, it might be a good idea to schedule a massage or two prior to the big day.

"But there is not enough time to go to the spa!" you claimed.

Well, why not try an in-home massage session?

I met Teresa Sims, owner of TS Massage Studio at Windermere Golf Club's Bridal Show tonight and I found her massage offerings to be very reasonable.

For example, she will travel to your home or hotel suite and the rate is only $39 per massage for the bride and groom.

You can also treat your wedding party to a relaxing massage as four full body massages, excluding bride or groom is only $200.

There is also an additional $25 for travel and setup fee for locations outside the 25 miles radius of the 30519 zip code.

It is worth noting that she also provide special rates for Gwinnett County, City of Lawrenceville and Gwinnett Medical employees.

For appointments, please call Teresa at 404-518-8203.

Friday, August 27, 2010

Atlanta Venue Spotlight: The Defoor Centre

Source of Photos: The Defoor Centre

Yesterday I had a chance to visit the Defoor Centre for their quarterly Open House.

It was my first time at the Defoor Centre so Ms. Michelle Davidson gave me a quick tour of the facility.

The Forum is a unique hexagon-shaped gallery that can accommodate 240 guests with a dance floor or 300 guests without a dance floor. There is a stage where wedding ceremony can be performed. After the ceremony, the guests will go to an adjacent room for cocktails while the staff will flip the room for the reception. Ms. Davidson said that all the tables for the reception will already be set up in a different room and they are simply moving the tables into the room after the ceremony and it generally only takes 30 minutes.

Personally, I really like the cocktail area that is adorned with the orange lanterns. When it comes to décor, it is also worth noting that the Defoor Centre provides 60” round tables dressed with your choice of linen with 20+ color options. In addition, crystal and iron candelabra centerpieces, buffet tables, and tea light candles are included in the rental fee as well. I was also pleasantly surprised when Ms. Davidson informed me that they also provide mahogany chiavari chairs (that most places will have to charge extra for!). Of course, you can go with the chair cover look for $4.00 per chair as well if you wish.

Last night I had a chance to taste some of the food at Defoor Centre as well and they were delicious. I was told that the chef will work with the clients on the menu choices although they do offer standard menus as a guideline.

During the tour, Ms. Davidson showed me where the original farm house kitchen was and the fireplace of the original structure. I find it interesting that an historical building built in the 1800s as a farm house can be transformed into such a modern day gallery with a contemporary feel.

For me, the grand piano on the stage and the chandelier in the middle of the 30 feet ceiling seems to remind me of the Phantom of the Opera! I didn’t see the Phantom anywhere last night though!

As a conclusion, if you are looking for a different venue for your wedding or special events, it is definitely worth it to check out the Defoor Centre!

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

One of a Kind Bridesmaid Gifts

Source of Image: http://www.etsy.com/shop/kazstyle

I believe the ladies whom you chose to stand besides you on your wedding day deserve a special gift.

The beautiful clutches shown above are hand made by Kaz Tateishi Aoto from Atlanta out of vintage kimono or obi fabric. She told me that they can normally be made and shipped within 1-2 weeks. She can also make them from the fabric that you choose.

For pictures on other items that Kaz can create, please visit the link:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kazstyle/sets/72157623192890454/

I am looking to feature more local artists' work on my blog. So feel free to leave a comment if you have someone you want to recommend.

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Source: http://www.etsy.com/shop/beadslounge

The jewerly you choose for yourself and your bridesmaids is an easy way to reflect your personal style in your wedding. You can choose something custom made for you in your color scheme for your bridesmaids as gifts for them. You can of course have something custom made for yourself.

Today I want to highlight the work of the super talented Ms. Yoko Fujiwara (Now. Mrs. Grunberg!) in the Atlanta area. She sells her jewerly through her Etsy shop ( http://www.etsy.com/shop/beadslounge ). You can also meet her in person at various shows in Atlanta area such as the Piedmont Park Green Market ( http://www.piedmontpark.org/programs/green_market.html ) and the upcoming Japan Fest (http://www.japanfest.org/) on Sept 18, 2010-Sept 19, 2010.

Sometimes I do not know how Yoko does it all. She performs Flamenco in the Atlanta area! (which I will write in another blog entry). She made custom jewerly and she also has an aromatheraphy shop! ( http://www.etsy.com/shop/aromarelax )

Stop by at her booth and check it out for yourself!

Friday, August 6, 2010

Accommodating the Out-of-town Guests

Source of Image: http://www.etsy.com/shop/JLDesigns718

If you have a lot of out-of-town guests who are coming to your wedding, it is a good idea to check out the local hotels to get a block of room for a lower rate. Have a budget in mind and most hotels will be willing to work with you to meet your need as long as it is reasonable.

Having everyone stay in the same hotel is also great if you are trying to arrange for shuttle service for your out-of-town guests in between the hotel and your wedding ceremony/reception venue. In talking to the local shuttle companies in Atlanta, I found that most of them are very flexible in their pricing depending on the number of guests one can guarantee per trip. Thus, having your guests stay at one location instead of several different places is definitely the key to keep the cost down.

Most hotels will also place a gift bag for your out-of-town guests for free. While completely optional, it is a great way to say thank you to your out-of-town guests who are traveling hundreds or thousands of miles to be with you for your special day.

Check out some examples by JLDesigns718 featured above. Jennifer told me she is able to provide discount for her out-of-town bags for order larger than 50 bags. She can customize the bags based on your color scheme. She can even design a monogram for you if you do not have one. You can also order a sample from her before placing an order to make sure you like the product.

As for ideas on what to put in the out-of-town guests, you may want to check your local Convention and Visitor Bureau for free brochures and maps for visitors. You can also add a fun snack item that represents your home town or an itinerary for your wedding day.

Since most hotels do not have a storage space for these babies, you might want to make arrangement for someone (other than the bride and groom) to deliver these out-of-town bags to the hotel on the morning of the day that your guests are checking in. This will give the hotel staff enough time to place them in the rooms prior to the afternoon check-in.

I believe your out-of-town guests will thank you for your thoughtfulness when you take the time to plan out the logistics issue (not the sexiest part of event planning but a necessary part) and they will most likely have a smile on their face when they see something special waiting for them when they get to their rooms.

Obviously, if you have any questions on arranging for out-of-town guests accommodations in Atlanta, we will be more than happy to help!

Happy Planning!

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Specials for 2010

We are currently offering 2 specials for 2010:

(1) $600 Wedding Day Management package for all open dates in 2010

If you prefer to plan your own wedding but desire a Day of Wedding Coordination package (DOC), this is the package for you.

The price is applicable if you book by Oct 31, 2010. Travel fees will apply outside of Atlanta area.

(2) 20% off all other event planning and coordination services for all open dates in 2010

If you desire something more than a Day of Coordinator Package, we would be more than happy to customize a package based on your specific needs.

The discount is applicable if you book by Oct 31, 2010. Travel fees will apply outside of Atlanta area.

For more information, please check out our website at http://www.syseventplanning.com

Friday, July 30, 2010

Birthday Celebration

Source of Picture: CocoNeenies from Etsy.com

Yesterday was my friend Amy's birthday so we organized a small group dinner outing for 6 at Agave ( http://www.agaverestaurant.com/ ), one of my favorite restaurants in Atlanta.

If you like Southwestern food, you must give Agave a try. They also have a wonderful Chef's menu for $30 per person if you have at least a group of 6. With this menu, there will be 9 items that will be served family style, including 3 appetizers, 3 entrees, 2 sides, and a dessert platter. I think it can be a great place to host a rehearsal dinner if you prefer something different.

We decided to order off the menu last night and it was just as great. I think the Diablo Crawfish Pasta with a spicy chile cream sauce that my friend Cindy ordered last night was becoming my new favorite (she was nice enough to let me have a taste of her dish) although my Beer Braised Pork Shank was quite tasty too.

After dinner, I brought cupcakes for the group to celebrate with Amy. To make it a special treat, I ordered cupcake picks from http://www.etsy.com/shop/coconeenies

You will see the cupcake picks that I bought from CocoNeenies pictured above. I was able to customize the cupcake picks with Amy's name. I then brought the cupcake picks to the bakery and handpicked each cupcake to match the color of the cupcake picks. Obviously, if you are doing this for a wedding, you can work with your bakery to make sure you have a cake that matches your color scheme and still tastes good!

Corrie who is the owner of CocoNeenies is based in Atlanta and her work was definitely high quality. She also ships her products very fast. If you go to her Etsy site, you will see some other paper goods as well besides cupcake picks. I highly recommend contacting Corrie if you want something custom made for your party!

Friday, July 23, 2010

Home Entertaining Tips

Last night I had two friends over for dinner but I always wanted to do something special for my guests even if it is just a casul get together.

For me, having a nice table setting really creates the atmostphere before the guests even eat their first bite of food. Since we are serving simple home made pizza and fish stew, I tried to set the table to be casual and fun. I also chose a bold color for summer. The flowers were picked up from Kroger and it is their weekly special and I put them in the square vase that I have at home to make the simple centerpiece. I then lighted a few candles around the table right before my friends arrived to complete the look.

In the second picture above, you will notice a few cupcakes which were served as desserts. While my wonderful husband made the delicious pizza and fish stew (all from his own recipe nonetheless!) , neither one of us is really a baker, so I picked up the cupcakes from CEO Custom Cakes, LLC. ( http://www.ceocustomcakes.com/ ) earlier in the day. I simply put the cupcakes on colorful expresso cup saucers to present it and it was a hit!

My philosophy is if you are not the expert and you know someone else is, why spend hours trying to make it happen yourself? Courtney Olivari from CEO Custom Cakes, LLC. did the wonderful work for me on the cupcakes and I just have to present it to my guests.

I am also a big fan of serving something simple but delicious for home parties. If it requires extensive hours in the kitchen, I believe it is easier to entertain outside and let the chefs cook because I do believe as a host, you want to still have energy to talk to your guests when they arrive.

Planning ahead is also a key. My husband actually cut the vegetables the night before so that it can be quickly cooked yesterday. Think of recipes that can be premade or prefreeze but cooked on the day of event and you will be less likely to feel stressed out when the clock is ticking and you are still trying to finish your prep work.

My final tip for home entertainment: be ready before the guests arrive. Take a shower and change your clothes. Sit down on the couch and enjoy the atmosphere that you just created and enjoyed it before your guests come. Close your eyes and smell the food. You are about to have a great party and you know it!

Friday, July 16, 2010

Inspiration from the Farmer's Market

Last weekend I stopped by at the Sandy Springs Farmers Market before lunch. Little did I know there are quite a few vendors who provided inspirations for me in event planning.

(1) http://www.crepemasters.com

Crepe Masters told us that they can prepare their crepes on location. We asked them if they will have a long line because I hate waiting in line for my food at an event. They said depending on the number of guests, they can send more chefs to ensure that the orders can be done fast.

Instead of serving the same old food at your event, why not try something different? Perhaps you can have the crepes as the dessert option instead of a cake?

(2) http://www.emilygs.com

Emily G's Jam of Love caught our attention with its mouth watering samples of all the different jams at their booth. For brides who are looking for something local as favors or to put in the out-of-town bags for their guests, Emily G's put their jams in a 4oz jar and they are definitely very cute (not to mention that they taste great!). I don't know if it is a coincidence that they named it "Jam of Love" but it seems like that only makes it even more appropriate as a wedding favor!

Go check out your local farmer's market. You may be pleasantly surprised!

Friday, July 9, 2010

Food, Glorious Food!

I was in a class this Wednesday when the topic of food came up as it relates to event planning. The instructor asked everyone to share their memorable events and whether food was involved in creating that memory.

Most people shared the horror stories of events that involved food and very few people shared a memorable event that involved good food. If it is so easy for people to remember bad food experience at an event, what can we do to prevent that?

Some suggestions that I thought are helpful for event planning:

(1) Walk the buffet line to make sure it works prior to the event.

Instead of relying on the description of the venue/catering personnel, it is best that you physically walk the buffet line to ensure that it will indeed flow well for the guests.

For example, is it really possible to get the total number of guests through the buffet line in the amount of time you have set aside for the dining portion of your event?

Hungry guests are not going to be happy to wait in line and it takes careful planning to minimize the wait time in the buffet line.

(2) Have a variety of food and drinks available for your guests

Sometimes it is easy for people to forget about the special needs of their guests if they do not have any food allergy problem or diet restriction themselves.

Will the vegetarians in your guest list have a “real” vegetarian option on the menu or just the rabbit food type of salads?

What about those who maybe allergic to nuts? If your menu items have “hidden” nuts that are not visible to your guests, they might get very sick very soon.

If people do not drink alcohol, what options do they have in terms of drinks?

In general, try to have a wide variety of food and drinks available at an event to help most people find what they like.

(3) Do not lie about your headcount to the caterer

Most caterers will prepare more food to account for extra people who show up for your event but please do not lie about your headcount to your caterer in order to save money.

To run out of food before everyone has a chance to eat definitely ranks high among event disasters.

If a lot of unexpected guests do show up and you know the food is not enough, it might be helpful to ask your caterer to serve the food in portions so that the people who are first in lines do not take more than they need.

Do you have other tips that you would like to share?

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Site Visits

Last weekend I did two site visits, one with a couple whom I am working with and the other was for a venue open house.

Site visit is very important because it lets you know first hand how you feel once you are in the venue. No matter what the pictures show, you want to look at it because pictures can be deceiving. Besides, you can talk to the people who will be handling your event and see how they are in person.

The first venue we visited was actually set up for a wedding reception that night. It was definitely very helpful for the couple who was considering hosting their wedding reception there to see how the banquet set up really is at this place. I could tell that they love it from their eyes. Later on, they told me that they both really love the room the minute they entered it.

The second venue was having an open house and I went there just to take a look because of the great packages offered by the venue. I wanted to know if it is a place that could be recommended to brides in the future.

While the food tasting at the open house was quite good, I was not really impressed with the bare room. I felt that it is definitely more suitable for a regular party instead of hosting wedding receptions. I could not really made this decision if I had not been in this venue in person because it was not easy to tell the real atmostphere from the pictures that the venue posted online.

Another reason for site visit is so that you can imagine how your event will flow in the space. While some venues will post their floor plan online, the only way you can access the logistics to host your event there is to look at the space itself. You may even get a few ideas once you take a look.

Personally, I love doing site visits. It gives me ideas on what kind of event can take place in that space so the next time someone asks me for recommendations, it will come very easily.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

The "B" Word

When I talk about the "B" word, I am talking about the budget that nobody really wants to talk about. In fact, there is a Chinese saying that roughly translates to: When you talk about money, you hurt the relationship.

For wedding planning, I hope the couples are going to ignore this Chinese saying and talk about establishing their budget for the wedding as early as possible. Afterall, if you are going to get married, you will have to learn how to talk about money with your partner.

It is important to figure out how much money is available and where the money is going to come from before one rushes out to make any wedding related purchases. Wedding expenses is a list of items that add up to one big chunk of money. Don't let the tiny line item on your Excel spreadsheet fool you. If you are not careful and think this is just one more purchase, you will end up going over your budget in a heart beat.

I believe you can plan a wedding that is within your budget but it takes careful planning. Always keep track of your spending. I like to use Excel spreadsheet but you can do it however you like. There is no point to have a budget if you are not going to keep track of it.

Also, it will be good to figure some extra % of money in your budget for unplanned items as they almost always come up during wedding planning.

As a planner, my job is to make sure the couples allocate the budget to the items that make the most impact for the kind of wedding they want. I work hard to make sure the high priority items are addressed with more money while finding alternative solutions that are more affordable for items that are less important for the couple.

I call it the balancing act. Never easy but we work hard to achieve.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Wedding Venue Search Tips

Without a doubt, venue search is an important step in wedding planning. After determining a workable budget, a couple should spend some time to carefully pick the venue(s) where they want to have their wedding.

I have seen many newly engaged women rushed out to get that dream wedding dress before they even decide where the wedding ceremony/reception is going to be. However, when they finally booked their venue(s), they realized their "dream dress" is not suitable. Maybe it is too casual for that evening affair, maybe it is not suitable for outdoor.....whatever the factors maybe, the girl is left holding a dress that they now don't think is suitable based on their venue choice and has to start the process all over.

Depending on the length of the engagement, you maybe limited in your choice of venues available for the date you want as many venues book months in advance. However, sometimes you can also get a very good deal with a venue if you book your wedding last minute (3 months or less) because it is less likely for the venue to book an event that close to the date.

Sometimes I also see the newly engaged couples starting to look for venues without determining the guest list first. While developing the wedding guest list may not be the most pleasant task, it is important for the couple to at least determine their best estimate of the guest list size before booking any venues. What if you think you will only have 100 guests but end up with 250 but you already book a venue that can only accommodate 150 total guests? Do you really hope that 100 of your invited guests will say no?

Clearly the huge discrepancy in the guest counts will create a huge problem but sometimes even small discrepancy can become a problem. For example, I have been to weddings where the guest list exeeded only 20-30 more than the original estimate but the space booked was so small that it made for a very crowded event. On the other hand, a space that is too huge for your guest list will look very empty (as if half of your guests decide to boycott the wedding!).

In my experience, the venue normally lists the maximum capacity when they put "total capacity" but that maximum capacity may not be the most comfortable level. Therefore, it is very important to ask to take a look at the floor plan to determine how it will work for your guest list size.

It may seem obvious but please go to look at a venue before booking. Do not dismiss a venue or book a venue based on pictures posted online. The overall feel of the venue is something you can only experience when you go to the venue itself to take a look.

With that say, I think it is important to decide on how much you can realistically spend on you venue. Otherwise, you may "fall in love" with a venue that you see but cannot really afford and you may have to start the search process from the beginning.

There are definitely many wonderful wedding venues in Atlanta but it can be overwhelming for engaged couples who just start looking. I hope these few tips will be helpful in your search for the perfect venue for your wedding. Happy planning!!!

Monday, December 13, 2010

Friday, November 26, 2010

Monday, November 8, 2010