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.

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!

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

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!

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!!!