In continuation with my guest blog series, I’m happy to welcome back NJ wedding planner Carina Castro of Luxe Events. Carina’s insight and expertise helps her client’s achieve the wedding of their dreams.

“The Art of Budget Planning: Tips to Get You Started!”

by Carina Castro

The dreaded “B” word. The one part of wedding planning that is no fun – budgeting! Once you’ve decided on what you can spend and whether or not family will be pitching in, you’ll need to work out a budget plan — preferably before meeting any vendors. It’s all too often that brides fall in love with a venue only to find out it is way out of their budget.

Here are some tips to help you as you and your fiance crunch your wedding day numbers:

Knowledge is power. In order for your budgeting to work, it has to be realistic. Find out what local vendors charge for their services. You can’t base your budget on what your parents paid for their photographer 25 years ago or what your friend in the Midwest paid for her entire wedding. You may quickly realize that your original budget is not realistic. Adjust your budget after getting the estimates.

Focus on what matters most. Decide what’s most important for you and your fiance and allocate your resources accordingly. If you are “foodies,” your focus will be on selecting a great caterer and menu that you and your guests will enjoy. If you love to dance (like I do!), then hiring the right DJ and selecting the play list will be one of your top priorities. Listing your top priorities will keep the focus on what matters most to you. You can then find ways to cut back on the remaining list items.

Stay organized. You will quickly realize that staying organized during your wedding planning will make life easier. Download a wedding budget spreadsheet or create your own. If you’re using a template, remember all the items listed are just a guide.

Taxes/Tips. Forgetting to account for tax and tips can throw off your budget. When getting service quotes, make sure to ask if tax is already included and find out what their tipping policies are. These may not be included in your final price, but either way, it will avoid surprises later on.

Don’t count on wedding gifts. Many couples make decisions that ultimately put them over their budget, in hopes that they will make their money back with their wedding gifts. However, it almost never works out that way and at best, you’ll be making half of it back.

Budgeting, like dieting, is never fun. It requires a watchful eye on our spending and usually means we have to make sacrifices along the way. However, there’s more to lose by not paying attention to the numbers. Being clear about what you have to spend and how you will use your resources is empowering and will make it that much easier to ensure you still have money for life after your wedding!

Want to use this article in your e-zine or website? You can as long as you include this complete statement:

Event Planning Entrepreneur Carina Castro publishes the “Luxe Events” bi-weekly e-zine. Get your *FREE report: “How to Plan a Luxe Wedding for Less: 5 Simple Ways to Cut Costs” at www.LuxeEventsNJ.com

About Carina Castro

Carina Castro is an Organizational Psychologist and owner of Luxe Events. She works with busy NJ and NYC brides and keeps them stress-free throughout their wedding planning process and on their wedding day, so they can relax and enjoy the moment.

I photographed Georgia and Socrates wedding over the weekend – here are some pictures that caught my eye as I was going through the images yesterday.

Georgia and Socrates were married at the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church in Brooklyn – the whole interior of the church is truly a work of art, especially its magnificent chandelier hanging in the center of the main aisle. The reception was held at The Bryant Park Grill, one of my favorite locations in Manhattan for elegant wedding celebrations.

Attention friends and family: To be notified when the rest of the images are online, please sign the guestbook here.

Congratulations Georgia & Socrates!

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In continuation with my guest blog series, NYC Bridal Makeup Artist Nicole Lundy shares her top ten tips for hiring a tip top bridal makeup artist.

Top Ten Tips for Hiring a Tip Top Bridal Makeup Artist

by Nicole Lundy

Your Wedding Day is all about you…The Bride!

It’s your day to be radiant and glowing with love for the new chapter in your life. Women include their wedding day as one of the most important events in their lifetime and rightfully so! It is a coming of age into woman-hood.

So, now it’s time to plan.  Where do you start?  You need this vendor and that vendor and the list grows and grows.

What about your makeup?  You think to yourself, “I want to be glowing and flawless!”  So, who do you hire for this important task?  Where do you find this great makeup artist?  How do you know if this makeup artist is perfect for you?

No need to worry.  Use these tips and you will be sure to find the perfect makeup Artist for your big day.

1.  Get Recommendations
Get recommendations from your other wedding vendors as they may have worked with great Bridal Makeup Artists in other weddings.  Photographers, Wedding Planners and Hairstylists are the top 3 vendors that would know great artists.

2.  Use Local Resources
Local resources, such as, bridal magazines, bridal websites and bridal expos are very valuable for finding quality bridal vendors such as a Bridal Makeup Artists.

3.  Ask he/she on how they got started as a Makeup Artist
Makeup artists start in a variety of industries and gain specific skills.  If your makeup artist worked in fashion, then he/she will have a great grasp on how colors work together and will choose colors that blend well with your complexion and also complement each other.  If your makeup artist worked at a makeup counter, then he/she will have extensive hands-on experience working with a myriad of skin types, face shapes, and complexions.  If your makeup artist worked in film, he/she will have an understanding of lighting and chances are your makeup will photograph well.

4.  Ask he/she on what education/training they received for Makeup Artistry
This is very important to find out.  Makeup Artists do not have to be licensed to set up shop, so essentially anybody can call themselves a makeup artist.  Ask probing questions such as, Are you a certified artist? How long have you been providing makeup services for brides? How many brides do you service per year? What other makeup services do you provide?

5.  Book Makeup Artist at least 3 Months before Wedding and Book a Trial
Give yourself time to find the perfect Makeup Artist for you. Browse through websites, social networks and the web to create your top lists of artist to contact.

6.  Show Pictures of Looks that you love at your Bridal Trial
Tear pictures from magazines or print pictures from the web of makeup looks that you love.  Collect them to show your makeup artist at your Bridal Trial.  Your makeup artist should go through each look with you and give his/her recommendations.   The trial should end with you ‘loving’ your new look.  Make sure that your makeup artist has face charts and notes to re-create your look on your wedding day.

7.  Do you like him/her?
Your makeup artist will be playing an important role in one of your most important days.  They will probably be in your room when you are getting ready and will be one of the first people to see you in your dress.  Make sure that you enjoy being in their presence.

8.  Don’t skimp on quality
Professional Makeup Artists use the best quality brands.  The main reason being is that it lasts the entire day.  If you choose to hire a makeup artist then make sure hire one with quality skills and quality products.  It is worth the investment.

9.  Sign a Contract
It is highly recommended for you to sign a contract with your Makeup Artist that you are hiring and have everything in writing such as, price, date, # of people being serviced, location.  Signing a contract may also mean paying a deposit to secure the date and time which of course, is very important.

10.  Get the Timing Right
Schedule your Wedding Day appointment for about 3 hours before the event so that you are not rushed.  You should give your makeup time to be perfected and a chance to settle.

About Nicole

Nicole Lundy is the Senior Makeup Artist at NeLani Skincare & Cosmetics in the NYC Tri-state who is passionate about helping women ‘unleash’ their flawless beauty.  NeLani Skincare & Cosmetics is a Makeup Artistry company, servicing, Celebrities, Fashion Shows, Weddings, Film, Print, Television and many other types of occasions.  Find out more at www.NeLaniCosmetics.com

Here are some of my favorite pictures from Cate and Justin’s engagement photography session. Cate and Justin just happen to be two die hard NY Mets fans and it was no surprise to me that they wanted their session at Citi Field! The great thing about going out to Citi Field is that it’s a short walk to Flushing Meadows Park, where you can also get some great portraits in a park setting.

Cate and Justin’s wedding is not too far away – they will be getting married in mid September at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Montclair New Jersey, with a reception at the Montclair Art Museum ( one of the top 10 museums in NJ for weddings and events )

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Over the weekend, I met with Georgia and Socrates for their pre wedding portrait session at the Brooklyn Bridge Park area. At the very start of the session, Georgia said that she was so nervous. But I think she was brilliant – she looks so happy with Socrates! What do you think?

Georgia and Socrates are getting married next weekend at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church in Brooklyn with a reception at the Bryant Park Grill – I’m looking forward to photographing their wedding!

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