A Bride's Recap of her Day!

Mary was an amazing....and I mean amazing...wedding coordinator! She helped me from start to finish and was incredibly fun and friendly throughout the entire process. She helped me assemble my hand-made invitations, met with the event coordinator from my reception hall to ensure everything would run smoothly, made itineraries for everyone in the wedding party, put together baskets for the bathrooms, picked-up flowers at the farmer's market for my wedding ceremony-plus much more...and that was all before the wedding!!!

The wedding reception would not have gone as smoothly without her. Her attentiveness, organizational skills, ability to multi-task, sincerity, and personable personality make her a bride's perfect wedding coordinator! During the reception, she made sure everything was running on time, gathered the wedding party when needed, ensured all of the vendors were paid, worked with the reception hall employees to ensure everything was in order...the list goes on and on! She was truly my wedding lifesaver! I would highly recommend her to any bride looking for a person to help make her wedding an amazing, stress-free day!

Linh Veire

From Andrea the Bride

One of my brides - Andrea - had this to say about her special day!!! Thanks Andrea XOXOX!

Mary was an amazing organizer who helped ensure my wedding day would be as stress-free and beautiful as possible. I don't know what we would've done without her! For the day-of, Mary basically did EVERYTHING with regards to the transporting and setting up escort cards, programs, card box, reception decor, etc. She stayed in it for the long haul and at the end of the night she collected the 25+ vases (some quite large) from all the tables, packed them up AND brought them home for me! When we arrived in the door as newlyweds we were welcomed to the fragrant aroma of all the flowers from our reception! It was truly the greatest surprise EVER! Not only was Mary extremely reliable, but she was also my emotional rock. She took care of distributing tips to the vendors. She supported me during multiple meltdowns and helped me calm down and keep things in perspective. Her arsenal of emergency supplies came in handy as did her tips for photo-taking (ie gesturing for me to roll my shoulders back to stand up straight). I was lucky enough to have her at one of my bridal showers where she put her creative skills to good use, whipping up the prettiest bouquet of ribbons for use at my wedding (and she literally did it in a matter of minutes!). Mary's witty sense of humor, genuine kindness, and congenial, professional demeanor make her a joy to be around. Meanwhile, her efficient, detail-oriented and artistic approach ensures that things get done and done well ... Without the bride having to agonize over details on the most important day of her life. I cannot thank Mary enough for everything! She rocks!

Andrea Vlaminck

Itineraries

The 1-2 days before your wedding will probably be some of the most hectic; There is a way to help! Remember the old saying "if you fail to plan, you plan to fail?" Same thing goes with your wedding day!! It may not need as careful planning as other events [baby] but it can make or break how stressed you are on that day.

I follow this website / blog http://www.bwedd.com/cebride/cebnewsletter_21.asp

She is a great seasoned coordinator that has an eye for detail and how to help alleviate the stress with a itinerary.

There are a few things I would change to her itineraries:

1. Be broad. Let the person know what time they are supposed to be there and tentative times for things.

2. I would allow more time in between especially around pictures. There should be at least 30 - 45 minutes of extra time. You never know how pictures will go.

3. put directions in the packet if you do not have a limo or bus picking you up

4. put in rehearsal items

5. try to get them out before the rehearsal dinner

Wedding Party Gifting Part Deux

Gifting your groomsmen tends to be a little more difficult! There seems to be less that the men need for the day and less that they seem to like! There a
re a few things in that you can do for your men that prove to be both useful and liked. First stop, The Knot:

Every man needs a Handy tool: this multi-tool can help you and your groomsmen in a cinch! it also comes in various styles, you can engrave it, and comes with case! As you progress in life, there is more of a need to become handy and this is just the remedy for starters!

Our Friends will be drinking all the beer!! Well in this case, the liquor. This isn't your typical flask! The round shape and the engraving makes this flask a unique gift to give to your men.

Not so much for drinking or planning a destination wedding? These weekender bags

will help your men arrive in style! These are perfect for the mini getaway and will fit all their essentials for the big day; remind them to put the suit in a hanging bag!

The next set of gifts are for both your men and women as well as some that have a hidden punch to their awesomeness!

Many weddings host beer and wine, so what better than to remember what glass is yours than by having your name engraved? I also love seeing coordinating wear at the head table. Personally, I like to separate them from my guests, as a recognition that these people have helped me through so much that I knew they would give me the love and support we needed for the big day.

More of wine drinkers? Still have you covered with these stemless wine glasses. You don't have to add all the extra to it; Just names in a nice SCRIPT will do!

Lastly, I love gifts that keep giving! Why not give to your wedding party as you make a donation? TOMS shoes is a great example!!! Not only are these shoes comfortable but they keep giving!

For every pair of TOMS you buy, you are giving a pair of shoes to a child in need! They have shoes for men, women, and children! My favorite for the men are the white perforated leather TOMS.

For the ladies I like the Petal Grosgrain Classics, The Ivory Grosgrain Wedges, and if you want to get a little funky, Bridal White Glitter Classics.

Are you planning on having the sun show up? TOMS still has you covered! They also do sight for sight! Buy a pair of their sunglasses and they will give sight to a person in need.

As I said, it is tougher to pick out gifts for the guys. Hence the lack of ideas. So any of you avid readers out there have ideas for me, please let me know and I will add another blog.

XOXOX

Rock Out!

Wedding Party Gifting

** This will be a two part post!**

So many brides and grooms agonize on what to give their wedding party. Ladies and gents, this should not be a stressful situation!

1. The wedding party should feel blessed that out of all the people you know, you wanted them to be by your side.

2. Your gift shouldn't have to be an extravagant gift in order to be deemed special.

For the Ladies:

Here are some timeless gifts that can help you ensure that your brides look the way YOU want them to as well as giving them a gift.

1. Hair - believe it or not, a person's hair can cost quite a bit and is always an gift that is appreciated. My favorite is the timeless chignon that can be used for so many events. It isn't the tight updo circa 1990s, but it isnt too laid back either.

Here are some great chignons:

Classic chignons (from ballerina style to messy)
French Y-braid with chignon

This is my favorite type of chignon. It adds texture and depth to this simple hair do!


2. Jewelry - some people are gold people, some people are silver. What are you? do you want all your bridesmaids to wear silver and diamonds? Silver and sapphire? What fills your fancy?

Choosing jewelry does not have to be expensive, or real! Here's a great site with many different styles of jewelry in a vast array of rainbow colors.

If you find that you really like a certain style at say: Shane Co, Kay, Etc, you can always try to buy in bulk! Most places will give you a discount if you buy a certain number of pieces.

Thinking about being crafty??

My girlfriend Elissa and her Husband DeEll went this route. They are avid Agate pickers and found agates that were all around the same shade. They had them polished up and set into earrings and necklaces for the girls, and cuff links for the guys!


If you like the crafty idea but are sans crafty, Etsy is a great place for both hair accessories and for jewelry!

My favorites:

For Jewelry - Underhercharm has great little charms!! They are reasonably priced but can take up to a week or more to receive.



Personally, I would get a different chain than the ball chain that is presented here. I do love the simplistic style of this piece.

This next designer is AMAZING!!! I worked with her closely for the 10 months before my own wedding designing pieces for my girls and myself. It is the Minnesota made Zoey Catherine! (You can find her on facebook too). A girlfriend of Mine, Brittany Collins, had her bridal piece made by Zoey Catherine and gave me the idea to custom make my own bridal piece; that and upteen hours of searching with no original finds!

If you want a bit more sass to your bridal piece, Zoey can add color and texture! She is also awesome at making french netting bird cages for the vintage girl!



I even had Zoey create a piece for my bachelorette which was similar to this one!

My favorite types of gifts are ones that you can use and reuse. My ladies are big fans of the bags I chose for them. They were purchased from The Knot which is a great all-inclusive website.

inside the bag I put a pink parasol (umbrella) and flip flops for later that evening. There are millions of bags to choose from, but I chose this because I had a beach wedding.

Do you have a bit more to spend on your bridesmaids? Then I suggest getting them all NELLE clutches! They are awesome hand designed purses by a girlfriend of mine, Laura Nelli. She has a variety to chose from and no doubt you will find her work amazing!! Plus, you can't put a price tag on something that ties up your dress perfectly!


The front clutch in the picture is actually the one I have for my wedding. It matched MAGNIFICENTLY!!!


Happy Hunting Ladies!

Girl Put your records on

When nearing the final days prior to wedded bliss, the small things tend to rear their ugly little heads. What you thought was something minuscule, is not at crunch time and you need to make a decision quick to get everything moving.

One of these such "things" is the music your DJ is going to play. Now, any good DJ will play what fits the mood, BUT there are a few that will need some direction.

Many DJs will ask if there is specific tunes that you want to be played. Now, instead of making a CD of what music, they want you to make a list and present it to them and they will play it where they see fit if it is in their playlist.

Now.... what do you play?! when it comes to thinking of the actual songs, it is quite difficult; especially when you have a deadline. Here are a few songs that, I have found, everyone loves dancing to.

Group Dances: Great way to get people out on the dance floor! People especially seem to like when the dance moves are laid out for them and they don't have to worry about looking like a fool!

Cha Cha Slide - Dj Casper
Cupid Shuffle - Cupid
Electric Slide - Neville Livingston
Shout - Isley Brothers
Twist - Chubby Checker
YMCA - Village People

If you have kids there:
Chicken Dance - Lawrence Welk
Hokey Pokey - Richard and Linda Thompson

These songs are only appropriate if you have a special relationship with them or a massive amount of kids.

Songs that people love to dance to in general. Remember to use your best judgement when it comes to what time frame they should be played at. Harder tunes should probably be played after 9:30 or 10:00 when small children and grandparents usually leave. Also some of these songs are just played though they may not be actually sending a happy message about love and marriage:

1, 2, 3, 4 - Plain White Ts
500 miles - The Proclaimers
All I want is you - Barry Louis Polisar
Better Together - Jack Johnson
Bottoms up - Trey Songz Ft. Nicki Minaj
Chemicals Collide - Cloud Cult
Dog Days are Over - Florence and the Machine
Dougie - Cali Swag District
Dreams - Fleetwood Mac
Forever and For always - Shania Twain
Hey Soul Sister - Train
ice ice baby - Vanilla Ice
I'm Yours - Jason Mraz
Just the way you are - Bruno Mars
Landslide - Fleetwood Mac
Love Story - Taylor Swift
Lovin you is easy - Sarah Mclachlan
Lucky - Jason Mraz ft. Colbie Caillat
Mama's Song - Carrie Underwood
Marry Me - Train
Marry You - Bruno Mars
Mine - Taylor Swift
Moment for Life - Nicki Minaj
My humps - Black eyed Peas
Only Hope - Switchfoot
Rhythm of Love - Plain White T's
Say Hey - Michael Franti
The only Exception - Paramore
The way I am - Ingrid Michaelson
Time after time - Quiet Drive
White Sky- Vampire weekend
You Belong with Me - Taylor Swift

There is usually a song cue for the garter toss and the Bouquet toss. Here are some songs that may just fill your fancy!

Bouquet Toss:
Girls Just wanna have fun - Cindy Lauper
Hey Ladies - Beastie Boys
Its Raining Men - The Weather Girls
One way or Another - Blondie
Single Ladies - Beyonce
Talk Dirty to me - Poison
You sexy thing - Hot Chocolate

What a Man - Salt and Peppa
Garter Toss
Another One Bites the Dust - Queen
I'm Too Sexy - Right Said Fred
Hit me with your best shot - Pat Benatar
Hot in Here - Nelly
Wild Thing - the Troggs

These of course are only suggestions. If you have other songs that you just love hearing at a wedding, let me know!

The Cake

Everyone wants their wedding to be classic and unique. There are somethings that you should do and there are things that you should not do, if you are trying to fit into the "classic" roll.

I am going to create a series of blogs that can be taken into consideration for the big day. The first is a Don't.

I cannot seem to get this image out of my mind. I am completely and utterly sorry for the bride that thought this was an excellent idea, but seriously.... nooo... please no!

The item at hand is cake. my cake had a very whimsical theme. My Florida wedding cake was very simple and had my choice wedding topper on it. We chose little figurines, that were our nick names - a bird for myself, and a bear for my husband. We added a tree in the middle that had our names burned into it.

My girlfriend had small cakes on different tiers, I have also seen small cakes on each table that are really cute too!

Whatever you chose for your cake, make sure it is a good representation of who you are. In my case, I am a little goofy a little weird. In My girlfriends case, elegant and simple.

This bride, however... http://blisstree.com/feel/lifesize-wedding-cakes-anyone/ ...I am not sure what she was thinking. I understand that you want it to be like you, but

1. I dont like the thought of cutting into myself
2. this is a good indicator that you are a bit self-centered.
3. what if it didnt come out the way you wanted it to look?



So brides when choosing a cake,remember that many people come for the dessert; Take time to consider how you would like to be remembered!


XOXOXOX

Rock out!

Maid of Honor

One of my lovely friends is getting married this weekend. It seems to be the trend for me. All my friends get pregnant together and get married together. It has been a whirlwind of engagements, showers, bachelor/bachelorettes, and the ultimate event - The Wedding.

So what goes into a wedding?

A lot of stress and decision making, for sure. One of the toughest things to decide is the wedding party. How many people is too many people? Whom do you bestow the honor upon? It may sound cheesy, but it is an honor to be in someone's wedding party.

When it came to my own maid of honor, I had the easiest but hardest time choosing more than one person. Although, ultimately, you are supposed to have one maid of honor, the rest of your bridesmaids should be able to also fulfill that role. Being a bridesmaid is more than just getting to wear a fancy dress and be part of the "elite" few. Much more thought should go into it. My maid of honor, with the help of my amazing sisters, stole the show. They went through the pain of helping me with 2 full wedding ceremonies and 3 receptions can never be thanked enough!

Lets not forget the other people that helped me. My three other maids have known me for varying lengths of time. To quote the new movie Bridesmaids, which i say go see but definitely select the people you go see it with carefully; Mom's this isn't a movie to watch with your daughters if you still view them as your "little girl." Some scenes made me uncomfortable and I am a pretty straight forward person. I was blushing.... uncontrollably!

My dear friend was there helping me the night before and the day of gluing on the nails I didn't have time to get professionally done and trying to keep this tornado in a teacup contained. No I was not a bridezilla, rather very stressed out when the last minute guests were calling in telling me they could no longer come and or adding another person to their entourage. She also came to Florida where my first wedding was with my other bridesmaid to support our union. My Duluth gal pal was there to help with the emotional break down I had from all the stress and calmed me to the point of being able to get my shit together. She helped me go on with the show.

My personal attendants were also wonderful. One traveling to Florida to accompany her hubby in marrying me off to a wonderful man. Taking that time to come with us and make our wedding our own will always have a special place in my heart. I had a different attendant at my Minnesota wedding. I did her wedding two years ago; she always said that when the time came she would was going to return the favor. Boy did she ever! She was running errands for me and helping me with dress changes. She made sure that my head was on straight while my other ladies helped guests.

Although I couldn't have all the people I wanted to in my wedding, lets just say a group of 10-12 females was pushing it, I had a great group to support me in my happily ever after.

So the moral of the story is:

Brides: It may be a hard decision to make, but listen to your gut feeling. It will always make the right decision, even if it is a hard one. Your wedding size can be anything you want it to be. However, getting up to 12 bridesmaids may be pushing it. Select a core group of people that you know you could call at 3 am having a panic attack about finding the right shade of green for their dresses and call it good.

Bridesmaids: If you are chosen to be part of the wedding party, remember it is an honor not a right. Though no one likes a bridezilla, sometimes it happens. Your job is to smile and support her in her crazy hemming and hawing over the right color green and the invitations. You are her entourage and it is a privilege to be called so. It is your duty to make sure that the bride gets what she wants on her wedding day.

Last thing for both brides and Maids:

Brides: Check yourself before you wreck yourself. No one likes a bridezilla. Pick your battles and be open to other suggestions but go with your gut. It sounds difficult but when it comes down to it, it's your day and you usually (I was extremely lucky - wiht the same groom) only get this chance once!

Bridesmaids: Although we all have lives to live, this is your best friend making a big life change. Be supportive and help her carry out her dream of marital bliss. You have the ability to help her make it the best day ever or the worst. Chose to be the person that she always remembers as being the "best" maid of honor / bridesmaid that she could every possibly have.

Figured Out My Blog's Purpose

I have finally figured out my blog's purpose; to help those who are doing first time weddings or that want to make sure that they have remembered all the minor details that will surely be forgotten later.

I will have to figure out what exactly I should start with so that it can be a bit organized, rather than a ramble-potamaus.

stay tuned....

Snow, Night Time Driving, and Parking

Unless you are new to a state where it snows, there are simple things that you should follow.

1. Do not go 30 miles per hour in a 65. Especially if there is no snow on the ground. Yes, you are correct that there might be some black ice, but the likelihood that you will find that patch and careen your car off the road is small. Be engaged in what you are doing and no one will get hurt.

Also, you might cause more accidents going that slow than going at a reasonable speed.

2. Parking. If it has just snowed and you are out and about and need to park, following this.... try to get what is a reasonable space between you and the next car. Don't be the jackhole that takes up two perfectly good parking spots and make it so the others have to circle around until there is an open space. I don't care how sporty and new your damn car is. Most likely if you live in a state with snow, there are about 2 good months to use a car like that. Use your head and buy a car that is good for the weather, not necessarily looks.

3. Night time driving. Put on your head lights. If you live in a snow state, wash the head light covers when you fill up on your gas. If you have your lights off I cant see you.

Plain and simple folks. Live smarter, not harder.