Simply Stated

Keeping the Bar Tab Down

The Blogsmaid — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 21:05:43 -0400

I often get questions from readers who are having tented weddings, or weddings in locations where they can provide their own alcohol. This is a great plus, but, if you aren't careful, it can end up being nearly as costly as having a bar package at a catering hall or restaurant. Here are some great tips for keeping your bar costs down:
1) Taste Test and Budget. Even if you are only serving beer and wine, you can blow all that savings by selecting a pricey vino. Have a night of taste testing where you invite some friends over to bring their favorite bottle of wine that's $10 or less. Do a blind tasting and decide on a winner together.... the next day.
2) Limit the amount of hard liquors you serve. You don't need to offer the same varied selection that one might find at their local pub. Pick a few crowd pleasers: vodka, rum, a whiskey and you should be more than fine with all the right mixers
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3) Consider a location for purchasing the alcohol that allows "buy back". Guests drink an average of 6 drinks at a wedding. That's a lot of liquor. However, most couples are so afraid of running out, that they over purchase. See if you can buy from some place that "busy back", it will make it much easier at the end.
4) Add a signature drink. Consider only offering Beer, Wine and a great signature drink. We did a wedding with a gorgeous limoncello recently and it was served in an awesome glass dispenser. It made a great showpiece and kept the costs down.

Are you offering a full bar? Do you have any cost saving tips to share?

Poll: Traditional Bridesmaids Gowns or No?

The Blogsmaid — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 10:11:41 -0400

I got word about this new blog called Will You Be My Bridesmaid? and have been enjoying it thoroughly ever since. The site traffics the many horrific encounters women have had over the years with hideous bridesmaids' dresses.
It also led me to wonder if brides are moving away from traditional dresses? Among my clients, I've noticed a growing number of mandates to just wear something black or pink or blue, etc., as well as a growing number of J. Crew gowns. So, here's my question: Are you having your bridesmaids wear a traditional bridesmaid gown? If so, from where? If not, what did you ask them to wear?

Paper Trail

The Blogsmaid — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 07:37:44 -0400

I've been posting a lot lately about eco-friendly choices for weddings, from gowns to jewelry. Today, being Earth Day, I thought I'd touch on the paper trail all couples leave during their wedding: the stationary! Happily lots of companies are printing stationary on recycled papers, but Greenfield Paper Company takes it one step further with their Fern Invitation line. The paper is all hand made in the most environmentally friendly way possible AND the paper is plantable. Each sheet is embedded with seeds with instructions on how to make your guests' garden grow!

Stationary doesn't end with the invite, so when it comes to the program, consider printing a tea card program or simple on page card to minimize the paper that you are using. A ribbon adornment can make the world of difference. This is from InviteDesigner, but can easily be created on recycled paper as a DIY project.

Finally, who says you need a paper menu card for each guest? Why not have your servers visit each table with a "Daily Specials" chalk board? Or, like this amazing picture from Connecticut Wedding Blog, how about one oversize menu card as thematic decor?

Are you eliminating paper in any way at your wedding?

Keeping the "Team" Organized

The Blogsmaid — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 07:12:28 -0400

Anyone who has ever been in, or tried to coordinate with, a large wedding party knows the woes the can ensue. In addition to the million emails with women you may or may not know, there are those awkward moments of saying yay or nay to attire and hairstyles. Well, these may all become problems of the past with eWeddingTeam.com

This easy to use website enables you to create a mini-social network with wedding party and family members. Everyone gets their own mini-profile, so not even the long lost bridesmaid from kindergarten class will feel like a total stranger when she meets the other girls. The site not only gives brides and grooms a simple way to keep everyone posted on wedding decisions and important events, but it makes group consensus and scheduling a breeze. eWeddingTeam enables bridesmaids and groomsmen to message one another privately to coordinate showers, bachelor parties and has the ability to conduct polling, both anonymous and non. The polling feature could put an end to those tough conversations about what people can really afford to spend on a bachelor party or what the girls REALLY think of that bridesmaids dress.

Addressing the Issue

The Blogsmaid — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 08:04:51 -0400

This is about the time that summer and fall brides start thinking about getting those wedding invitations out the door (and if it isn't, it should be). You may be wondering exactly HOW you should go about addressing the envelopes. Calligraphy has been a wedding standard, but when watching a budget it's easy to make that the first thing to go and run your envelopes through your at home printer. I typically advise brides NOT to go that route. Wedding invitations are some of the few special pieces that comes through the snail mail, and calligraphy and hand addressing add that extra special touch.

Sometimes, I think Calligraphy can be the silk purse on a sows' ear, in a good way. You can buy a very budget invitation and give it the wiff of elegance that only calligraphy can add. Indeed, with a colored envelope and white ink, or colored ink and a white envelope, it's really artwork. (here, an envelope from Laura Hooper) Don't be afraid to troll craigslist and the net to try and find a calligrapher who might live remotely, that's a great way to get the look for less, especially if you live in a large city like NY or Chicago where the service can get very pricey.

Some brides opt to hand address their own envelopes, or enlist a very neat friend to do so. I really like this touch, because the greatest difference between a wedding invitation and a regular piece of mail is the element of care and special-ness that invitation conveys. Here is a great hand addressed envelope I found on Mitch and Molly's wedding blog.
The final option that I sometimes recommend is digital calligraphy. It's a pretty, and affordable way to get lovely addressed envelopes. It also removes human error from the equation. Often your stationary store can assist you with managing digital calligraphy, but sites like Wedding Works can also offer you this service. Here's a great example of digital calligraphy.

How are you planning on addressing your envelopes?

Sustainable Gowns

The Blogsmaid — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:15:06 -0400

Last week we talked about sustainable rings. Today, it's ecological dresses as, the ethereal and green Alabama Chanin launched her wedding collection called, The Wedding, today. It's all lovely, with tons of handcrafted detail. The pieces I've seen scream lovely, but not necessarily "Wedding", but the gorgeous stitching details are definitely something to make you say wow. Here is some of the celebratory line from Alabama Chanin.

What do you think? Would you wear an eco-friendly gown?

Amazing, DIY Albums

The Blogsmaid — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 12:34:04 -0400

Last night was the NY Magazine Weddings Showcase here in New York, which is always such a great event showcasing some of the latest trends and services in the wedding world. I was blown away by MyPublisher Photobooks and their gorgeous wedding albums that can be just a few clicks away!

More and more photographers shoot weddings digitally and for brides watching their budget, it's not uncommon to receive (or ask for) just the high resolution files as a cost-saving option. A growing number of couples have been taking these digital files and getting prints as they need them, or using Snapfish or Iphoto to create simple albums. Now, MyPublisher takes it one step further by offering you the chance to design gorgeous wedding albums yourself!
Are anyof you making your own albums?

Environmentally Friendly Bands

The Blogsmaid — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 08:00:15 -0400

From soy candles to recyclable centerpieces, making eco-friendly choices for your wedding has become not only more popular, but easier. But what about those items that last beyond the day itself? What about your wedding bands? This may conjure up visions of hand carved wooden rings that fall short of the glam factor, but that needn't be the case.

GreenKarat uses recycled precious metals to cast their jewelry and can even use your old gold to create your rings. Here is their "Gatsby" set. Similarly, you can seek out estate jewelry sets from retailers like Doyle & Doyle. It's a great way to capture vintage style and re-use something gorgeous.

Of course, some couples may want their eco-choices to look, well, a little more eco. Simply Wood Rings creates gorgeous, glamorous WOODEN rings using recycled lumber.

Most of them are simple inlaid wood designs, but others, like this recycled silver with rosewood ring, have a lovely, modern look to them. Just remember, wooden rings require special care and need to avoid water.

Are you making any eco-friendly choices with your wedding?

Baby's Breath: The Comeback Story

The Blogsmaid — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:20:26 -0400

The upside of the current economy is that it's created a lot of creative thinking and open minds, especially when it comes to floral decor at weddings. Brides are doing sweet little arrangements, modern clusters of colorful carnations and yes, even Baby's Breath has been making a comeback. Previously, just an adornment for corsages and valentine's bouquets, baby's breath can be oh so chic when just left alone! And it's a wallet's best friend. Here it is in romantic mounds, a great look for ceremony:

Here, from Real Simple, is a baby's breath bouquet:

And this, from Elizabeth Anne designs, is a totally minimalist, modern way to think about baby's breath. Single stems in petite glass vases (and I love the ceramic birds!)

What do you think of baby's breath?

Running a Rehearsal

The Blogsmaid — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:55:47 -0400

Now that wedding season is upon us, I thought I'd spend the next couple of posts giving some tips to make the day itself run a bit more smoothly. If you aren't working with a DOC you may be wondering "who runs my ceremony and rehearsal?". This is especially true if your ceremony isn't at a house of worship. Here are a few tips to keep things moving right on the track:
1. Designate a Stage Manager. We've all seen those shows where the bride is running herself ragged running her own rehearsal (and trying to run the ceremony). Name a friend or relative to give directions and to stand in the back and say "walk" if no one on your vendor team can do so.
2. Create a Floorplan. Ceremony floorplans look a lot like football play diagrams. In advance, decide what order and in what pairing your attendants will walk down the aisle. Create a diagram of where everyone in the wedding party and immediate family will be the moment the ceremony begins. This will help because when you practice you will.....
3. Start at the end and go backwards. When you are going to start your rehearsal, have your "Stage Manager" get everyone into their "end positions". Once everyone is in place, practice the recessional. This should (unless you've got some crazy configurations going on with your attendants) put everyone more or less in the order they need to be in to practice PROCESSING, the hardest part.
4. Have Someone in the Back to Say "Go". The hardest part of a wedding ceremony is the pacing. Have someone in the back to make sure the bridal party doesn't crowd one another and to say "GO!" (quietly) when it's time for the next 'maid or couple to enter in.
Are you planning on having a rehearsal before your wedding?