Is Selecting Linen for Your Reception an Art?

Today's guest blogger is Melanie Stancampiano, Sr. Account Executive from Oliveaire. I am excited for her to share some tips with you on how to select your linen...

There will be a time during the planning of your wedding when the colors in your flowers and table linen will meet. Combining fashion forward colors can result in a beautiful Fairytale Wedding. Or something that goes terribly wrong, as far as the color palette is concerned. As more brides and grooms are choosing bold color schemes for their wedding, selecting linens has truly turned into an art.

If you are looking to “Glamorize” your wedding, a Linen Stylist can help play with color and texture. Satin Lamour can add elegance, while an organza overlay will add a romantic and whimsical effect. Fabrics with prints and sequins can add a designer aspect that will certainly bring a strong sense of style to your reception.

Start by thinking about the overall feeling you want at your wedding, and specifically your décor. Spend a few minutes talking to your designer to let them get a feeling for who you are as a couple. Are you looking for bright fun colors? A room full of romance? Is there a theme to your wedding? Don’t be afraid to talk about what you like, and just as importantly, what you don’t like.

When it comes to color think about more than one color you want to see at your reception and don’t forget to have your florist and linen designer coordinate their efforts. You may envision your best girlfriends all wearing a pale pink bridesmaid dress. Unless you are the Steel Magnolias “Blush and Bashful” (i.e. Pink and Pinker type), you will want to see other colors in your linen, and probably your flowers. You can easily pair pink with black, white or platinum and create different, but really beautiful, looks. An eggplant tablecloth can be a great rich background for a pop of fall color in flowers. Or, a black and white tablecloth can be a great focal point with red floral centerpieces.

Be honest about your budget. It does no good for a designer to put together a look that costs $100 per table if your budget is $25. A good designer will find the best option available within your price range.

Whatever colors you choose, whatever your budget, whatever your needs, linen is a very budget friendly was to personalize your event. It will make the reception space uniquely yours, and leave a lasting impression on your guests.

As you start selecting linens for your big day have fun. Take a sneak peak before you open the doors to your guests and enjoy your stunning vision come to life.

Stay tuned next week for how to enjoy your wedding day as much as possible.

BBFN (Bridal Bliss For Now),
Olivia

Wedding Photography’s Hidden Costs

I am still busy putting together the I Do Rendezvous so Sr. Event Architect Adel Domingo will be sharing some tips on making smart decisions when it comes making decisions on selecting a photographer. Special thanks to Misha Media for the photos they provided to us...


Excuse the pun but I am about to “expose” the hidden costs of wedding photography. When I say “expose,” I don’t mean to sound mysterious, just to make you aware of the extra costs that brides and grooms should inquire about with their photographer.

Your wedding photos should capture the beauty of the big day. It’s not a big surprise that wedding photography is one of the top expenses an engaged couple is willing to add to their budget. The cost is worth it when you see the guests’ smiling faces and, of course, the joyful expressions of the newlyweds!

You should expect your photographer has:
Artistic skills
Experience dealing with a full day of wedding activities
Ability to prioritize the family shots
Grace to handle the family’s demands that the he or she be in two places at once
Pre and post meetings set-up with you

A photographer’s time and skill have a price, like any business. They produce a personal product that will cost you, because you are paying for their professional skills. If you want to save thousands of dollars, just ask a couple of your friends to bring their cameras, or ask everybody for digital copies from your guests. The quality, or even the content, may be questionable, especially after a few cocktails.

It’s not easy to find a good photographer, so when you do, and you find out he or she is available, you are ecstatic! But stop, slow down, inhale, and follow these three assignments to get all of the information you need to make an educated choice.

Your first assignment in finding the hidden costs is to read the large and fine print of your contract. Do you understand the contract?

The second assignment is to ask questions.
• Are your engagement photos included?
• Does your package include the album? (Some packages cost more than others because the album is included.)
• If the album is included, how many pages does it include? How much are the additional pages?
• How many photographers does your package include? Given the size of your wedding, how many does the photographer recommend? (If you have a big bridal party and a huge reception, the photographer may need a second or even third photographer. The extra photographer(s) may cost you extra.)

One very important question:
• How much does it cost to have a photographer stay later than their contracted time?
Imagine, you are running a little behind on your wedding day. Your contract states that your photographer stays until 10:00pm but now you need him to stay an hour later That extra hour might be an extra charge. The photographer may forget to tell you because he is too busy taking photos for that extra hour. And you signed the contract. He will bill you later. So ask, don’t assume!

Finally, your third assignment is to weigh the cost not in dollars but in quality and skill. Do you need to spend an equal amount on your first home and your wedding photographer to have beautiful photos? No. However, I would be leery of any price from a photographer (or any vendor for that matter) that is too good to be true. Ask for recommendations or references from your friends or family. Interview photographers and ask them to show you their own portfolio. Is it worth it to save a few dollars but end up looking at your photos and finding out your photographer forgot to take a photo of your grandmother, that one you specifically asked for?

Are all hidden costs bad? I say no.

For instance, I recommend the extra album cost because, time flies and next thing you know it’s your 10th anniversary and you still have not done your wedding album. Is that extra hour worth the cost of your photographer staying to take more photos? Yes, if he took those priceless, funny photos of everybody dancing to your favorite song of the night. Is that third photographer worth it if you have a large wedding party? Yes, if you can have the best photographer to yourself while the assistant photographers can accommodate your guests.

Most photographers will explain all the costs to you, but with all the excitement, it never hurts to know, and I can’t repeat this enough, to ASK.

Best of luck to you in finding the perfect photographer.

More next week about the big I Do Rendezvous

BBFN (Bridal Bliss For Now),

Olivia

Buffet vs. Family Style and the Winner is ……….

Hello lovely Brides & Grooms, today I am out and about getting things ready for our upcoming “I Do Rendezvous” so Mumtaz Jamal is filling in as our guest blogger.

Mumtaz is the Director of Special Events at Oliveaire, and focuses heavily on our South Asian clientele. She’s got some great advice about selecting a style of service for your wedding reception…

Planning food for your wedding celebration is no small task. Menus for the week long celebrations have to be planned, tastings to be done, caterer to be chosen, and of course, you have to pick the style of service for each event.

When deciding the service style for your Wedding Reception dinner, you want to keep in mind the venue, and number of guests you will have. It is always best to think of the style of service you want before choosing your menu. Buffet or Family Style service keeps the entree selection such that it looks colorful and appetizing.

Buffet style service is what is included in a Wedding package at a majority of the venues we work with, as they already have the serving pieces for this style of service. There is an additional charge for Family Style service from the venue, and you want to make sure the serving pieces are included in that charge, or you will incur an extra charge for renting those pieces as well.

Buffet service gives the guests the liberty to choose what they want, and how much they want, without having to wait. They can go back to the buffet for seconds, and if the food is great even thirds. Buffets give a more casual feel, as guests are up and moving about.

On the other hand, Family Style is no less than a mini buffet on the dinner table. It is a great convenience for the guests, and very elegant.

My recommendation would be… Family Style.

Thanks Mumtaz!

BBFN (Bridal Bliss For Now),
Olivia

Are Wedding Planners Overrated?

They are pushy, overbearing, want to work with only certain vendors and spend extra money. These are some of the fears of hiring a Wedding Planner. Are they overrated?? Absolutely NOT. These days, with a busy lifestyle and overwhelming resources on how to plan your wedding, you need the savvy planner, that can guide you through the production of planning a stunning wedding. Does it take a rocket scientist to plan a wedding? No. But it does require skills and knowledge, and most importantly, resources to bring your wedding vision to a fairytale ending. A bride that has a wedding budget of at least $20,000 must invest in, at the minimum, a Day of Coordinator, so that she, her groom and their families can enjoy their celebration of marriage. For those brides that need a branded event, with each detail reflecting the couple’s personality, a complete planning package is worth its weight in gold.

Ladies, wedding planners are no longer a luxury, but a much needed investment into your wedding celebration. Still curious about those things you have heard about planners? I am going to tackle some of the urban legends about “The Wedding Planner”:

Are planners overbearing and pushy?

Planners keep themselves on the cutting edge of the wedding trends. They want to amaze you with their talent and wow your guests. Not all trends can fit into a couple’s budget. So clearly define your expectation and your budget. Sit back, relax and let your planner showcase all that can fit into your budget. But keep in mind, not all ideas may reflect your wedding vision. For some couples this is the time to express this to the planner, and as necessary reevaluate their wants and needs within the realistic parameters of their budget.

This one I hear all the time, my venue has a wedding coordinator so there really is no need for me to spend additional money hiring a planner.

Catering/Venue Managers are wonderful people and do an excellent job. They know their particular venue inside out. However, they do work for the venue, and work within the job responsibility of the venue. They are a great resource for preferred vendors but are not able to analyze your vision and budget to match you with the right vendors. Depending on the size of the venue, they may be working with multiple brides on the same day. Just as you hired a photographer that is working for you and only taking your perfect wedding pictures, a planner works in your best interest to deliver perfect wedding memories.

It is not possible for just one person to organize and coordinate multiple event team partners for your event. It requires organization and leadership skills to direct and produce a wedding. A good wedding planning company will provide you with event support, skilled assistants and a back up planner for your peace of mind. So make sure to do your research and ask the right questions. Your planner will be your best friend and will cry as she queues you to walk down the aisle.

Until next week
BBFN (Bridal Bliss for Now)

Olivia