Wed With Ease

Do you Intend to Remember your Wedding Day?

noreply@blogger.com (Layla D. Smith) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:45:00 +0000

Hello, Bride to be! I hope that planning your wedding hasn't been too stressful on you. I pray that you have been able to get quality vendor referrals, who will deliver precisely what it is that you are looking for, who will OVER deliver. It is my true desire that your wedding day is as perfect as it can be, as beautiful as it can be, and as stress-free as it can be. I also hope for you and your new hubby, that you are able to commit to memory every last detail of your day.

Many couples are spending $40,000 - $70,000 to have the wedding of their dreams. Now, let me ask you a question. Who in their right mind would spend $70,000 and run the risk of not remembering ever magnificent, perfectly planned detail of their day?

Yes, it is a danger. A very real danger. Think about it, when you go to a holiday party this season, what will you do in the days following it? If it were a particularly well planned and well put together party. There was great music, great food, beautiful table sets, and fantastic friends, you'd be talking about every little detail of this party for days to come, wouldn't you?

You would re-create the fantastic time you had for anyone who would listen. You'd go to lunch with your office mates and tell them all the wonderful details. You'd describe the perfect entertainment, the beautiful decor, the candles that were on the tables, the flowers in the ladies room, the linens used to cover the dinner tables, every little last detail in exquisite completeness. Yes, you do! Admit it. When you go to the PARTY of the year, you are happy to share the wonderful experience with everyone in perfect detail.

Now, let's think about this for a minute....You know that there are limitless details to a well-planned wedding... From flowers to food to fun. So many things to think about. And, so many ways to make your wedding different and special for your guests and unforgettable for you. The transportation, the bridal bouquet, the reception music, the ceremony program, the table linens, the lighting in the room, the smells and the sights, the signature drink welcoming your guests, the menu cards, the so-carefully selected dinner menu, the centerpieces you have slaved over in selecting. All of these details to be put into the biggest party you have ever planned. The biggest party with 150 of your closest friends and family.

Can you envision it? Of course you can! You walk into the Reception Hall and all the linens, flowers, lighting, decor and food are exactly as you planned them. Will you remember every last detail? Will you?

Have you told anyone you're getting married? How many of them said "Oh, the day is going to fly by & you won't remember a thing!" How many? I bet you've heard it at least once and more than likely, you've heard it several times already.

Well, let me make this one recommendation to you. Hire a Professional Bridal Consultant. Not only will they assist you in each detail of your day, but the most important thing that a Professional Bridal Consultant does is allows you to take the time on that day and remember each detail. A bride who has a wedding consultant by her side does not worry or stress on that day. She has time to truly enjoy her own party. Truly enjoy it and commit it to memory. Yes, you'll have photos. When you look back at those photos, I want you to say "yes, that was so much fun when Uncle Dan....."

Yes, I deliver unforgettable. That's my job.

When someone says to you "Your Day will fly by and you won't remember all the details" Ask that person if they had a professional wedding consultant working with them to plan their wedding day. Chances are, they did not.

Which will you be? A bride who remembers every loving, lavish, memorable moment? or, a bride who, 3 days later can't recall if her Aunt Libby was there?

Can I make a recommendation? Hire a professional Wedding Consultant. Hire an ABC wedding consultant. I don't care who you hire. I'd LOVE for you to hire me!! But, if you don't, I won't be offended. Do it for yourself. Hire a consultant to help you achieve your Wedding Day as you envision it AND more importantly, to help you remember every single detail of that so carefully planned wedding day.

until next time.....

HAPPY PLANNING!

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Perfect Venue with a View for your Wedding - Marsh Creek Country Club

noreply@blogger.com (Layla D. Smith) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:25:00 +0000

Are you hunting for a venue to hold your wedding? Well, have I got a recommendation for you~~Marsh Creek Country Club in St. Augustine is an ideal location to hold a country club wedding with a reasonable budget.

A couple weeks ago, I had lunch with Crystal Hill, the Catering Manager at Marsh Creek Country Club. Let me tell you, I was very happy to spend some time with Crystal (what a sweet lady, easy to talk to, professional, well spoken, I could go on & on) and, the Country Club itself is absolutely magnificent!

{{sssshhhh.....make sure you read to the bottom for an added bonus.....}}

I'm going to make this sweet and quick!

Marsh Creek Country Club has a LOT of benefits that I was not aware of and I'd like to outline them here for you.

Some things I think definitely make them stand out, as far as a venue choice for your wedding.

They do not have food and drink minimums. (if you're trying to watch your pennies, this is HUGE)
The current room rental rate is only $950. (another HUGE benefit if you're trying to watch your pennies)
You can get married on the lawn at the Country Club or at the beach, then have your reception there.
They have a beautiful outdoor patio for cocktail hour or you can also do cocktail hour out by the pool.
They have capacity for 150 guests and that is with a dance floor.
And, most importantly, Marsh Creek is beautiful! They have a gorgeous view.

Here are some photos to give you an idea:

ceremony setup on the lawn:

cocktail hour area inside:

dining room space:

marsh view (this view is out the windows in both the dining area & the cocktail hour area or, if you have cocktail hour outside....{{sigh}}simply gorgeous, refreshing, peaceful, can't you tell I love it?!)

BONUS: if you let Crystal know that you found Marsh Creek through the Wed With Ease blog, you will receive a complimentary champagne toast for you guests*** See, it pays to read all the way to the bottom, doesn't it?

Until next time....

EASY WEDDING PLANNING!

Thorny Thursday - Who Walks me Down the Aisle?

noreply@blogger.com (Layla D. Smith) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:37:00 +0000

Sally (name has been changed to protect the frustrated!) approached me the other day with this very common dilemma. And, by common what I mean is that this is a problem that A LOT of bride's today are facing.

You see, Sally's parents divorced when she was young. She was 9 at the time of their divorce. Sally's mom re-married when Sally was 12 and Sally's step-father has fulfilled the role of parental guardian since the time that he came into her life.

Now, on to Sally's problem. Sally said that her biological father wanted to walk her down the aisle. Sally also said that her mother is supporting her father and has said that she agrees with it. So far, so good, right?

But, how does Sally feel?

Sally would like to be walked down the aisle by her step-father. She feels that he has provided her with guidance, love, protection, and has acted as her father more than her biological father has.

Now, please, if you are a "biological" father, please do not take the term as demeaning. It is not. In society today, blended families are commonplace and each person in a family takes on their "role," hence terms such as "step-father" "biological father" All of these terms serve to help us make clear our connections to each other. Our new definitions of how we are forming our ties, our connections to our family. No specific title is any more important than any other title. It is not better to be the step, than the biological or vice versa. Each family has its own dynamics. My job, is to respect them all and to honor that in our celebration of this milestone, this celebration of your daughter's marriage.

We are not trying to separate anyone, rather, we are trying to find a way to include everyone.

My answer to Sally's dilemma? It's easy once you think about it. Sally's biological father walks her down the first half of the aisle, he then allows her step-father to finish walking with her to the altar, where her step-father will allow her new husband to begin his journey at her side.

See, easy!! And, still honors and respects each man's impact on Sally's life.

Until next time......

EASY WEDDING PLANNING!

Please visit our website home page here: Wed With Ease
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And the winner is.....

noreply@blogger.com (Layla D. Smith) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:10:00 +0000

Anna!!

Thank you to everyone for entering my Inaugural Free Friday comment contest.

Just a little story about how I selected the winner. I told my husband to pick a number 1, 2 or 3 & that was how we selected the winner. I'm not sure if we'll continue to do it this way or not...What do you think?

Anna, Please send an email to: Layla at WedWithEase dot com and I'll let you know how to claim your prize.

Thanks again to everyone for entering. Please continue to visit the blog for additional planning information and giveaways!
Also, if you haven't yet, please visit our website to sign up for our newsletter, Ease Down the Aisle.

Until next time....

EASY WEDDING PLANNING!

Inaugural Free Friday Post! - 8/21/09

noreply@blogger.com (Layla D. Smith) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 02:23:00 +0000

So....those of you who have been waiting with baited breath, here it is, our very first Free Friday giveaway post.

Now, in developing my tradition, you can expect our Free Friday posts to hit on Thursday evenings, then, we'll send out reminders on Friday, just so you don't miss it.

For our very first Free Friday, our giveaway is being provided by a very special young lady, Marni Gold, the owner of Creative Custom Cardboxes. You can read all about Marni in my previous vendor spotlight here.

Marni decided to start making custom cardboxes after her wedding, when she realized that what was available was bland! and, NOT creative. Now, what bride doesn't deserve a custom cardbox? Marni's are absolutely stunning & trust me, yours will get a LOT of attention sitting on your gift table. No birdcage, no paper wishing well, a custom designed, based on your theme, one-of-a-kind, gift card box! Who doesn't want that?

Now, for the good stuff. Marni has offered to generously donate to my loyal blog fans a free 1 tier creative custom card box with embellishments in your wedding colors and theme. Now, aren't you glad you've been reading?

To one lucky winner go the goods! Here are a couple of one tier samples of Marni's work:

I'm excited just thinking about it. Now, each person is only allowed to enter just once. And, this isn't just for brides, grooms may participate also. All you need to do is to comment on the blog with an explanation as to why you think you should win the prize. Also, please let me know what your wedding theme and colors are! This is just because we love everything wedding & we're nosey!

So, get chatting, and leave us some love, and please do feel free to spread the joy. Since this is our inaugural Free Friday, there's no reason why we shouldn't have a TON of people interested in winning.

The winner will be personally selected by us, so please be creative!
We'll announce the winner on Monday. ~~ Good Luck!!

Here are some additional samples of Marni's work:
Two tiers:

Three tiers:

Until next time.....

EASY WEDDING PLANNING!

Vendor Spotlight: Creative Custom Cardboxes

noreply@blogger.com (Layla D. Smith) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 04:45:00 +0000

I'd love to introduce you to a fantastic friend of mine, Marni Protovin Gold. Not only is Marni a fantastic lady, but she does great work, too! Marni makes custom card boxes and "wish" boxes for the bridal couple. And, here's a teaser, Creative Custom Cardboxes is providing our giveaway for our first Free Friday!

Please, read on.

Creative Custom Card boxes is a rapidly growing web-based company that provides brides across the nation with secure, handmade, eco-friendly custom card boxes designed according to their exact specifications.

See this beautiful Round Card box:

When planning her own wedding, Marni Gold was searching for a unique and secure way to store gifts and cards at her reception. Frustrated with the gaudy, tacky or just plain expensive options she was repeatedly coming across, she finally created her own custom card box that was simple, elegant, and understated while still corresponding with her theme. Out of this project, Creative Custom Card boxes was born!

Starting at just $40, Creative Custom Card boxes are as affordable as they are beautiful. Each customer can browse a wide variety of designs at www.creativecustomcardboxes.com before specifying the exact colors, number of tiers, and types of embellishments that will make her own card box one-of-a-kind. A true mother-daughter team, Marni and her mom Linda work closely with their clients to bring their exact visions to life.

While there are few limits to how customers’ card boxes can be decorated, Creative Custom Card Boxes has on hand a consistent stock of crystals, pearls, and variations of I DO and WE DO letters.

Here is a sample of her beautiful work in blue and silver:

For more information, visit www.creativecustomcardboxes.com or email info@creativecustomcardboxes.com. You can also follow Marni on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/cardboxdiva

EASY WEDDING PLANNING!

**Introducing Free Fridays!!

noreply@blogger.com (Layla D. Smith) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:08:00 +0000

Wed With Ease is excited to announce Free Fridays.

In our Friday blogs, we will feature a giveaway from a wedding vendor that we particularly admire. In the week leading up to that Friday, we'll also spotlight that vendor, so you can get to know a little bit about them.

In order to win the giveaway, you should leave a comment on the blog, indicating why you want to win the giveaway. That's all there is to it! We'll randomly select a winner from the available entries. You can't win, if you don't play, so play!

Vendors: If you'd like to be in our Vendor Spotlight, and give away a piece of wedding bliss to a very deserving couple, please send me an email to Layla {at} wedwithease {dot} com.

Our first "Free Friday" will be on Friday, August 21st & it will be featuring a giveaway from Creative Custom Cardboxes, Marni Protovin Gold.

Check out her website here: Creative Custom Cardboxes
or follow her on twitter, here: Card Box Diva

Until next time.....

EASY WEDDING PLANNING!

August Promotion

noreply@blogger.com (Layla D. Smith) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 21:49:00 +0000

Calling all brides!!

Hello, ladies, I just wanted to send out a really quick message just to let you know about our "day-of" program special for the month of August.

During the entire month, if you book us as your day of wedding coordinator extraordinaire, you will pay the outrageously valuable price of only $750!!

Yes, only $750. With our day of coordination program, you will receive the following services:

** 4 status meetings (6 weeks, 4 weeks, 2 weeks, 1 week).

Status Meetings #1 - The first status meeting is to discuss your details, your venue, colors, guest list, bridal party, vendors, linens, decor', etc.

Status Meeting #2 - The second status meeting is to discuss in great detail your day, the flow of events, and the time-line for each of your vendors.

Status Meeting #3 - The third meeting will be a detailed itinerary meeting. We will go to your venue, and go through the flow of your day, step-by-glorious-step! We'll cover your room layout & the timing of your day and the events in extensive detail.

Status Meeting #4 - This fourth meeting is where we will tie up all the loose ends. Discuss what has changed, and any final decisions that you have made in regards to your day's details.

And, finally, I will be present at your rehearsal to manage everything and get to meet your bridal party, and then I will be on site to manage your Big Day for you.

Depending on how many guests you have, the details for your setup/decor and how large your bridal party is, you may just need me or I may need an assistant or two with me on the day. We can also decide (based on setup and tear down) how many hours will be necessary on that day. Sometimes, I am only there for the standard 6 hours, but I can evaluate what your needs are so that your day is as easy and enjoyable as possible. I have been known to be on site for 10 hours for a "day-of!"

If you would like, I offer an initial free consultation to determine your needs, then I can provide you with the best program that fits.

Please contact me in any of the following ways:
email: layla@wedwithease.com
cell: (904) 993-0644
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/wedwithease
twitter: http://www.twitter.com/wedwithease

Thank you for trusting me and I look forward to meeting you and working with you!
EASY WEDDING PLANNING!

My trip down the aisle

noreply@blogger.com (The New Mrs. Shanks) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:21:00 +0000

(Disclaimer. Long post so be sure not to miss the photo slide show at the end. )

It has been 10 weeks since my wedding and that is plenty of time for me to have figured out what I coulda, shoulda, woulda done differently at my wedding. When sitting down to write this blog post it was a lot harder than I thought. So here is my best advice. It seems sorta random but there wasn't much that went wrong at my wedding, so I hope that my advice helps you get through the wedding planning process with some of the same tricks that worked for me.

1. Hire a planner. I know the economy is tough right now and the first thing you eliminate from your budget is a wedding planner but I think this is the wrong way to go. I couldn't have made it through my planning sanely with out Layla. If you can't afford to hire one for the entire time just hire one for day of coordination.

Layla and I had accomplished so much by the time it reached the two week out mark. That allowed me to be a stress free bride and really enjoy those last two weeks when everything could've hit the fan. By the time my parents came into town I had nothing for them to help me with. I was able to sit back and relax which was great.

Having a coordinator also gave me a lot of peace of mind. I didn't have to worry about the little details like calling all of the vendors to figure out a time line etc., decorating the event space, or putting out little last minute fires. That is where Layla came in. On the day of my wedding I worried about nothing. I knew everything was in good hands and it would be taken care of for me. That was priceless to me.

2. Browse the internet/message boards. I have to say that I was addicted to The Knot message boards and I'm slowing weaning myself off of them. This was an invaluable resource to me. It was an outlet where I could gather unique ideas and also share my own planning and receive feedback. I don't even want to think about the number of hours I spent on this site. It is probably embarrassingly high but it was worth every minute. All of my great ideas came from the internet and it allowed me to have a spectacular looking wedding day.

3. DIY (Do-It-Yourself) is not always the cheapest route but it does make your wedding day more meaningful. I loved walking into the church and reception space and seeing my hard work come to life. It is also a way for you to get exactly what you want.

Things I DIYed:

- Invitations - They were a labor of love but it came out exactly the way I wanted it. I never found anything I loved online so I pulled different ideas from different invitations and put them together into one. It also felt good when I got compliments and when people were shocked that I made them myself.

- Place cards - The way I wanted to display the cards was with photo clip things. I couldn't find them cheap enough so I made them myself.

- Aisle markers - Here's one where it might not have turned out cheaper but it was fun to make my own. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on aisle decorations and found a great picture of what I wanted to do. I bought the items to recreate the picture but it turned out that the styrofoam I needed and the amount of fake flowers I needed cost more than it might have cost for a florist to make them. At least I enjoyed making them with a good friend.

- Bridesmaid jewelry - Once I saw a picture of the pearl/ribbon necklaces I knew that is what I wanted. i didn't know where to find it so I bought the supplies to do it myself. It also meant a lot more to them than receiving something bought.

I'm sure there is more but that is all that is coming to me at this point and I'm sure you get the idea.

4. Budgeting. Layla introduced me to a way to budget when we first started working together and it really worked for me. She encouraged me to try and only spend 90% of my budget and to allow the leftover 10% for extras and last minute purchases. This really helped because at the last minute I decided to rent a dance floor and table linens. I'm so happy that I had that extra money because those two items really made my reception look great. And if you don't have any last minute stuff to spend money on you can always take the leftovers on your honeymoon.

I think that is about it. Just remember this exciting time for you will be over in a minute so really enjoy it but don't let it consume you or you might have wedding planning withdrawals like I did.

**Thanks goes out to Layla for recommending the personalized Pub Signs for groomsmen's gifts. They were a hit. See a picture above.**

Vendors I used:

Coordinator - Wed with Ease - She coordinated my wedding beautifully.

Church - First United Methodist Church - Beautiful and great Pastor to work with.

Reception Site - RiverFront Cafe - Very unique and modern. Great food. Great Prices

Photographer - LaBranche Photography - Great Price. Great Product. Most of the photos in slide show are his.

Videographer - S&B Weddings - Amazing Price. Well edited video.

Flowers - Anything with Plants and Flowers - Fun to work with. Beautiful work.

DJ - Carlton with McGee Entertainment - Work the money. Kept the dance floor packed.

Hair - Casey Does Hair - So pleased with her work. Great to work with.

Hotel - Omni - Great Service and Price.

Trolleys - Dana's Limousines

Reahearsal dinner space - Garden Club of Jax - Beautiful.

Rehearsal dinner food - d'Vine Cuisine - Great Price. Great Food. Fun to work with.

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it and maybe got something out of it.

Stacy

P.S. See additional information and more pictures in these two blog postings:

Posting Number 1
Posting Number 2

Brides Against Breast Cancer Wedding Gown Sale in Orlando, Florida

noreply@blogger.com (Layla D. Smith) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 12:27:00 +0000

I recently had the opportunity to participate in a very worthwhile event, the Brides Against Breast Cancer Gown Sale in Orlando, Florida. It was held in the Fairwinds Alumni Center on the main campus of the University of Central Florida.

There were many volunteers who gave of themselves that day to contribute to the success of the gown sale. Volunteers took on a number of responsibilities from loading gowns, registering brides, helping brides try on gowns, veils, and discussing their options.

One bride I remember that day (the first customer I assisted!), selected the exact gown she had chosen at a wedding gown shop, and tried it on in a smaller size & found that it fit! She was thrilled. She said to me "And, its for a great cause"

That feeling is wonderful, to help a bride purchase HER gown for less than she would have paid for it elsewhere, and raising funds for a great cause. We were able to make 34 brides very happy! And, we raised over $20,000 that weekend in Orlando.

Brides Against Breast Cancer is an organization that takes gown donations from shops and brides, then the funds are used to grant wishes for breast cancer patients. You can't get any better than that! Here's a shot of a wish that was granted in 2006:

Thanks to Allan Saltman of Allan Jay Images for the shots above. Allan's blog allows viewer's to see things from Allan's Angle.

Thanks again to all of the volunteers and to the brides who came to shop for their gown and contribute to our cause. If you have a gown you would like to donate, please either contact me directly or visit the Brides Against Breast Cancer website for details here: I'd like to donate my gown.

Congratulations to all of the volunteers who helped with the gown sale and to the vendors who participated.

until next time.....

HAPPY WEDDING PLANNING!

Stacy & Danny's Real Wedding

noreply@blogger.com (Layla D. Smith) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 13:32:00 +0000

January 31st 2009 was a beautiful day. The sky was clear, the air was crisp. And, Stacy & Danny united in marriage on that day. It was perfect! I had three ladies assist me with the day, Cassandra Cherneski of Flaire Weddings, Maggie Layton (who was apprenticing with me for the first time) and Lauren Kelly.

Eye See an Easy Day for Stacy!

I'll give you a quick run-down of the vendors involved with the day, but I have a special surprise for my readers. I've asked Stacy to be a guest blogger to give you her experiences and to talk about the details of her day. What she did that she was happy with, what she may have changed, and any thing else she wants to say!

Ceremony/Church: First United Methodist Church, downtown Jacksonville
Reception Venue: Riverfront Cafe'
Flowers: Anything With Plants and Flowers
Photographer: Jim LaBranche
Videographer: S & B Wedding Images
Transportation: Dana's Limo & a wonderful friend of mine who owns classic cars!

Entertainment: Carlton McGee with McGee Entertainment
Linens & Dancefloor: GT Party Rentals
Cake: Publix, located at San Jose (they are the best!)

Here are some additional images from the day (Thanks to Jim LaBranche):

until next time.....

EASY WEDDING PLANNING!

Sneak Peek ~ Stacy & Danny's Real Wedding

noreply@blogger.com (Layla D. Smith) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 19:21:00 +0000

Stacy and Danny hired me 18 months in advance to plan, coordinate and execute their wedding day to be held at the First United Methodist church in downtown Jacksonville, Florida. I assisted them with everything from selecting their ceremony venue, reception venue, and rehearsal dinner venue to managing their budget, selecting their table linens, and all their top notch vendors, as well as coordinating their beautiful wedding day. Now, that it's all done, Stacy, Danny & I have become wonderful friends!

It is with great joy that I bring you a few teaser images from their wedding day.

Thanks to Cassandra Cherneski and Jim Labranch for providing the images. :)

Full blog post to follow on Monday....so stay tuned!

until next time.....

EASY WEDDING PLANNING!

Savannah, Georgia for Destination Weddings

noreply@blogger.com (Layla D. Smith) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 20:32:00 +0000

A week ago, I made a trip to Savannah, Georgia to scout out locations for weddings. I was pleasantly surprised. I visited with a couple of full service venues, quite a few beautiful parks, and also checked into some fine dining and transportation options.

First there was The Gastonian Bed and Breakfast. The Gastonian has 17 beautiful guest rooms. One of these is the carriage house, which is a free standing room with a brick wall interior. While I was in Savannah, I actually stayed in The Gastonian. The staff are extremely helpful, very attentive and they aim to please.

The room that I stayed in is the Jean-Pierre Lafayette. This particular room was a recommendation of Lara's, she's the concierge (ooh!), and, I don't know what I would have done without her. It has huge 12 foot ceilings, and a chandelier overhead.

Lara helped me with everything from transportation, dinner choices, and, of course, where to go to sight-see.

Every evening from 4:30-6:00 pm, they do afternoon tea with hors d'ouevres & wine, then from 8:00-10:00, they have desserts and cordials. And, of course, there is breakfast! It was magnificent. Vanilla cinnamon french toast, orange juice, coffee, scones, muffins, omelets (of your choice), fruit topping, AND, you can either eat in the dining area, or they will deliver it to your room, on a silver platter. It was wonderful. I tried both & am not sure which I preferred. It was nice to meet the other guests, yet sometimes, it's even nicer to stay snug in your very comfy bed!

oh, and, I would be remiss if I didn't let you know that the honeymoon suite has a huge jacuzzi tub in the middle of the bathroom! It's not in a corner, not up against any walls. How very romantic....((sigh)) okay, okay, so I didn't stay in the honeymoon suite, but I was tempted! It was booked already :(

The second meeting I had was with Angela Sheets at The Mansion on Forsyth Park. This place is stunning! They have a beautiful bar area, a fabulous chic outdoor marble garden courtyard/pool area (perfect for cocktail hour) and a magnificent ballroom. When I was there, the room was set for 120 wedding guests with a sweetheart table and a grand piano! The tables were covered, dance floor was in place, it was just gorgeous. Angela is very helpful. She was in the midst of setting up seating cards when I arrived for our appointment.

In addition, The Mansion has a beautiful restaurant known for its eclectic, artsy, yet elegant dining experience. They have a wonderful lounge as well, Casimir's, which has a marble rooftop view of the park.

Angela has offered me special pricing for my clients, so....if you are considering a destination that offers an elegant, southern environment like The Mansion does, let me know and I'll begin negotiations for you!

until next time.....

HAPPY SOUTHERN WEDDING PLANNING!

Selecting a Venue for your Wedding Reception

noreply@blogger.com (Layla D. Smith) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 00:10:00 +0000

Many times when I meet with a potential client, they have not yet determined where they want to celebrate their newly married status~~a/k/a their wedding reception.

To help my clients develop a clear vision of what they want their guests to experience at their wedding reception, I have developed a series of questions. Usually these questions help my clients to develop their vision.

Some couples know the answers immediately and others need time to think about them and turn the options over in their head, but most of the time, when we're finished, I have a clear direction to go, when developing the design for their reception.

It is very important early in your planning stages to develop the parameters of your vision. Where you want, what you want, what you want to see, what you want to hear, what you want to taste & last, but definitely not least, how much money you want to spend.

Here is the first part of my time proven, pretty easy system. Let me know what you think! Also, share with us how you developed the design for your reception.

Important things to know:

1) what is your budget? There are facilities that rent from $750-$3,000 that provide no catering at all, and there are hotels who have menus that range from $40-$80 per person easily and restaurants that can serve anything on their menu, the price is dictated by what you select. Please think about what your budget is.

2) What type of location do you want? Would you prefer:

A traditional location (hotel ballroom/banquet room/country club)

A non-traditional location (Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens, San Sebastian Winery, White Room, the loft over Burrito Gallery)

a neighborhood venue (a garden club or a womens club)

This is just the very beginning, but I hope I have given you some food for thought!!

Until next time.....

EASY WEDDING PLANNING!

Winners Announced!

noreply@blogger.com (Layla D. Smith) — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 04:01:00 +0000

Well, I was going to wait until tomorrow to give you the details of the Jacksonville Magazine's huge wedding giveaway.... BUT I decided to go ahead and let you know tonight.

We had a wonderful evening at the beautiful Serenata Beach Club.

There were four finalist couples.

1) Kathleen Holland and Brian Triggs
2) Monica Mia Hiday and Ryan Ketterman
3) Lauren Brooks and Ryan Imhulse
4) Nita Sinden and Ian Hurley

The four finalists competed in the NearlyWed Game. They answered some tough questions about each other. The deciding question was when the women were asked "How will your fiance' fill in the following sentence?: A good wife is one who _____________" Nita and Ian's answer was "loves" How sweet!

I'll give you more details ~~tomorrow~~ later, but for now........

Our very lucky winners are Nita Sinden & Ian Hurley. I'll be tending to the details leading up to the wedding, so I'll keep you posted on the progress.

until next time.....

EASY WEDDING PLANNING!

Slacker!

noreply@blogger.com (Layla D. Smith) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:21:00 +0000

Okay, Okay, I'm sooooo very sorry for being such a slacker! Thanks to Lisa for letting me know! She asked me when I was going to start keeping up with my blog again....
How embarrasing!

Well, I've attached an article which kinda explains what I've been doing....

I know, it's no excuse. Thank you for calling me on it. To those of you who enjoy receiving my newsletter, I've also kinda slacked on that one too, haven't I? I promise that next week things will return to normal....

Well, maybe. Of course, the Christmas season kinda prevents normal, doesn't it?

I'll write you a quick story later on this week to explain something that happened to me that reminds me of the spirit of this time of year.

until then.....

EASY WEDDING PLANNING!

VOTE, VOTE, VOTE!

noreply@blogger.com (Layla D. Smith) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 21:19:00 +0000

If you're reading this & you haven't voted, SHAME ON YOU! Get out & VOTE! Now! Please? :-)

until next time.....

EASY WEDDING PLANNING!

Bride's Across America

noreply@blogger.com (Layla D. Smith) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 14:02:00 +0000

So...This is a really AMAZING thing. Words can not describe the way a giveaway like this makes you feel.

Bride's Across America is an event where bridal salons across our lovely USA are donating and giving away designer gowns to qualified Military Brides. Yes! Giving them away.

Each store is preparing their particular giveaways, so some will give away 5, some 10, some more than that. Each store is deciding what their contribution will be on an individual basis.

In order to qualify: " You must be engaged, be on active duty in the military, or have a fiance on active duty in either Iraq or Afghanistan. All military brides must show proper ID, copy of deployment papers, orders or other qualifying proof."

Please visit the Brides Across America Website

Important Note, visit each store or call them, each shop is planning their own date of their event. The store in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Patricia South's The Bride's Choice is having their giveaway on Veterans Day, November 11th, so quick, call 954-791-6007 & make your appointment!!!

FIRST COME FIRST SERVED! CALL & MAKE YOUR APPT.

MY PERSONAL HEARTFELT THANKS TO OUR SOLDIERS & THEIR BRIDES TO BE FOR THEIR SACRIFICES SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO LIVE IN FREEDOM! THANK YOU FOR PROTECTING US!

until next time.....

EASY WEDDING PLANNING AND HAPPY GOWN GIVEAWAY!

ParisDailyPhoto: Quiet Please! links

noreply@blogger.com (Layla D. Smith) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:31:00 +0000

I just HAD to link to this post....
In August, 2006, my husband & I went on our first anniversary trip. We spent time in Dublin, Paris & Stratford on Avon. We had the absolute BEST time.... {{sigh}} I only recalled this experience now, because I was looking through some of our old photos, and there are some really fantastic ones in Paris.
Of course, who can't take a fantastic photo in Paris?

Anyway...when I saw Eric's blog entry, it reminded me of our trip. It reminded me of that LOVELY restaurant we ate dinner in, which was FILLED with cigarette smoke! Filled. To The Brim. Anyway, that's why a lot of people ate outside. Well, that reason & because it's just so beautiful there, who wants to be inside?

I'll post some photos from my trip if you are interested, otherwise, enjoy this post of Eric's:

ParisDailyPhoto: Quiet Please!#links

until next time.....

EASY WEDDING PLANNING!

Rachael Ray Saves THE Day!!

noreply@blogger.com (Layla D. Smith) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 01:37:00 +0000

How wonderful of her! Have you seen this article?

Rachael Ray (whom I absolutely! love) is providing a wedding ceremony and reception for more than 50 couples whose weddings were canceled due to Hurricane Ike. Isn't she just grand?

She's using Minute Maid Park, the home of the Houston Astros. The couples are people who lost not only their money (some as much as $20,000), but also their dream/vision of their perfect wedding! Imagine, losing everything you envisioned because of a hurricane...poo! There were two venues who closed their doors citing irreparable financial strain from the damage caused by Ike. I can kinda understand, what do you do? Your building is ruined...That would be tough.

So, how nice of Rachael to step in and save the day!

Here's the article: Rachael Ray saves wedding day for couples!

I'll try to find a more permanent link for the story since this article probably won't be up forever...but, I just had to put it up, since I think she's such a wonderful lady.

until next time.....

EASY WEDDING PLANNING!

Cost Effective Wedding Invitations

noreply@blogger.com (Layla D. Smith) — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 03:13:00 +0000

Have you seen the wedding invitations at V.P. Invitations?

They have some fantastic choices and some unbelievable prices!
Less than $1 per invitation....So, for the frugal bride, these are excellent! Take a look at this one:

Isn't it gorgeous? And, the invitations come with rsvp cards and PRINTED envelopes!! Amazing.

Just thought I would share. Have a wonderful weekend.

until next time.....

EASY WEDDING PLANNING!

Wedding Day Nerves? How about a Reality Show Wedding?

noreply@blogger.com (Layla D. Smith) — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 02:44:00 +0000

TNT will run a reality show next year titled Wedding Day. It stars Steven Holdwick and Holli Munro, who were married at the St. Johns Episcopal Church in Saginaw, Michigan at 4pm today.

The reception was held at Horizons Conference Center. The coolest thing? They WON their wedding from TNT in a contest.

There is no air date set yet. :(
The film shooting has been going on all week in Saginaw.

So, the question is......
are you still nervous about YOUR WEDDING DAY?

until next time.....

EASY WEDDING PLANNING!

I'm so excited!!

noreply@blogger.com (Layla D. Smith) — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 20:36:00 +0000

So....a month or so ago I was made aware of a young lady in need of some help. She has a health problem of some sort, which has become the cause for her needing a transplant. Sorry I don't have more details available, I will make them available as I can. So, we were discussing this at a Poor & Hungry Theater Tavern meeting a couple months ago & I offered to pull together a fund raiser for her. Well, it's been longer than I expected, but today, I had a VENUE step up to the plate and offer their establishment for the fundraiser!! Praise God! I am so excited. I just couldn't wait to post this success. I don't have enough details for it to make sense, but we are sooooo looking forward to pulling this together.

I am working with a few others, who have offered their services. We have someone in charge of getting entertainment and someone else who will handle our PR. And, of course, I'm going to contact caterers, linen providers, florists, etc. to get all of the accoutrements donated! I am so excited and honored. Honored that I have a skill and a network of business associates that can bless someone. Not only that, but I have a good friend, who is married to a news anchor....So, we are hoping to get some FANTASTIC promotions to help us sell tickets.

I think this is going to be a very successful venture. Pray for us. Pray for our success and that the Lord will call people to donate and help where they can.

until next time.....

EASY WEDDING (AND FUNDRAISER!) PLANNING!

Wedding Invitation Postage Costs

noreply@blogger.com (Layla D. Smith) — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 00:35:00 +0000

A client of mine recently received her wedding invitations from cardsandpockets.com, and they are absolutely beautiful!

She took them to the post office to have them hand-canceled (per my suggestion) and when they were weighing them to check the postage cost....(trust me, it's not what you think), the wonderful Post Office employee had a thought. She said “I need to check the width of this” and placed one of the invitations into a three dimensional box. The idea is that the envelope is to slide through the box 100% on its own. Well, guess what? It did not. Now, don't get me wrong, the envelope only needed slight shimmying to slide through. But, it was enough to warrant a parcel post fee! So, my clients invitation postage budget RADICALLY changed from $1.01 ($0.59 invitation + $0.42 rsvp) per envelope to a whopping $1.76 per envelope! Yes, $1.34 for the invitation and $0.42 for the rsvp envelopes.

Now, isn't that crazy? That's almost 200% the cost! Outrageous.

Anyway, the point is, be careful when designing these new pocket style invitations. Try to use paper that isn't overly thick and be aware of any embellishments you add to the invitation. Also, it may help if you stick them under an encyclopedia for a day or two to flatten them!!

until next time.....

EASY WEDDING PLANNING!

Wedding Album - yuck.

noreply@blogger.com (Layla D. Smith) — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:46:00 +0000

I really dislike writing an article like this. But, it has to be done. I'm all about getting information out there.

Once the wedding is over, be certain to get your album done soon. My hubby and I waited...a while....not TOO long...only two years....yes, okay, TOO long. And, now that we've made all our decisions, it's taking our photographer FOREVER to actually build the album.

Or...perhaps, it's just because we spent so long putting it together, that now we're ready to have it!
No, really, I hate to admit it, that's not it. It's taking a while.... And, the really upsetting part about it, is that he hasn't even responded to the last three or four emails we sent him.....

Rotten. I'm sorry. I can't completely blame him, because we did take forever to give him the information regarding what pictures we wanted...and, he does have current clients, of course they would probably take priority over me.....

The one thing I don't understand is...doesn't he know that I can either bring him business or not bring him business, being a wedding coordinator and that this may influence who I refer brides to? {{sigh}} I really do like him. I just hope we get our album soon!!

until next time.....

EASY WEDDING PLANNING!