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Receive up to $100 off your wedding gown this weekend. 

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I think it is so easy to get carried away with all of the wedding blogs, magazines and Pintrest boards these days.  As a bride myself I too am feeling torn in a million directions and every time I think I've made a decision I see something else I "might want to try".  

Ladies (and Gentlemen) let's try to stop and remember what the planning is all about. 

Happy Monday and Happy Planning!

XOXO 

Ang

How To Tie A BowTie

1

Right-handeds, pull the right side 2-3 inches longer than the left and then loop it over the left side to tie. Left-handeds, replace the word ‘left’ where it says ‘right’ from here on out.

2

Holding the top piece up to your face, pull the lower piece to the right and fold it across the front so that it forms half of the bow.

3

Bring the top piece down over your half-bow.

4

Fold both ends of the half-bow together in front of you.

5

Notice the loop created behind your half-bow. Pull the dangling piece toward the right, fold it into your other half-bow, and then back it into (and through) the loop.

6

Once through, hold on to both the loops and flat pieces, gently tugging and tightening to finish the look.

Don't you look handsome!

Picking A Wedding Venue Part III

Happy Thursday, loves! It’s finally time for the third and final installment of Picking A Wedding Venue, a hopefully helpful series to guide couples into picking the perfect wedding location (you can find Part I and Part II over here and here). Wedding venue shopping is enough to make anyone wanna eat a whole dozen cupcakes so remember to hold yourself accountable to do extra venue research on anything and everything just to be safe. Covering your bases and asking even the seemingly silliest questions will guarantee everyone can celebrate in a comfortable, fun and memorable environment on your wedding day.

{Think a little outside the box with your venue search} I like to think that these days anything and everything goes when it comes to planning a personalized celebration. Slowly but surely nontraditional spaces like museums, libraries, cottages, breweries, castles, warehouses and even tree houses are becoming commonplace venues for weddings to take place at. Maybe the whole country club thing isn’t quite what you had in mind. But a phone call to the nostalgic old school house where you and your honey met or a visit to a local airport hanger may lead to a deal that will land you the venue of your dreams.

{How exclusive are the events hosted by your venue?} Translation: will your event be the only wedding that day? Or will you be bumping into other brides freshening up in the washroom pre-ceremony? It’s pretty common for an event space to cater to not only other weddings on your big day but to bridal showers, business meetings, family reunions, luncheons, book sales and and even blood drives. Some brides may not want to share their day with others. And some venues with multiple openings on one day for events, may have tight set up time restrictions leaving your vendors extremely crunched for set up time.

{Be sure to read the fine print!} Hidden costs, cancellation policies, a rain backup plan, payment plans, methods of payment, pet policies, sound system requirements and availability, noise restrictions, overtime charges, pick up times, parking reimbursements, coat check options; there’s truly an unlimited amount of important points pertinent to your venue that often don’t get brought up during venue visits or last minute big day prep. Remember it’s always best to be over-prepared and overly cautious of your venue’s policies than to be scrambling around on the big day because something simple was overlooked.

What would you say is the single most important piece of advice you’d have to give relating to wedding venues?

Picking A Wedding Venue Part II

Last week I chatted a bit about what to ask a wedding venue before you sign on the dotted line. Today I have a bit more to spill to all you soon-to-be’s before you make that huge financial investment into the place that’ll be the backdrop for your big day. One of the mistakes many couples make when selecting a venue, is they are way oblivious to all the things they really should have been more proactive about.

Your wedding venue really sets so many other wedding-related decisions in motion, so picking the perfect place should be done with caution and purpose. And a little wine if needed. Yeah, it can get that stressful.

{Find out what your venue can really offer aside from space} Many wedding venues these days bundle their packages together with things like Chiavari chairs, chair covers, linens, plate chargers, a ceremony space or free wedding night accommodations. Knowing upfront what items are available to you, lets you plan accordingly and also allows you to ask if you can receive a credit back should you decide to skip out on something your venue can provide you with, to source out and bring in your own.

{Be careful about exclusive/preferred vendors} It can be great to secure a coveted reception spot that suddenly has your date open, except you come to find out that you can’t use the photographer or florist you’ve already put a deposit down on. Some venues only allow preferred vendors, exclusive to their space, to be on board with their events, meaning vendors previously hired on your part are not welcome. Avoid this sort of mess by asking upfront what your venue’s particular policy is.

{Inquire about the bar recommendations and cost} There seems to be an industry standard that at an event, one bartender is sufficient per 100 guests. Yet, extra bartenders are kind of like an extra set of house keys when you’re locked out on your front porch; it can be wonderfully convenient and practical to have them. While it’s hard to predict what kind of drinks your guests will be ordering (mixed drinks versus say bottles) asking for an extra bartender can keep a nice flow to your bar line up.

Did any of you run into these problems when you were on the hunt for the perfect wedding venue? I have heard such awful stories about brides finding their dream venue only to discover they can’t work with their fave vendors. What are some of your stories?

Picking A Wedding Venue Part I

This past weekend, I had a virtual consult with my newest bride, who happens to be such a total sweetheart. Her wedding decor is going to combine really natural and rustic elements with punches of gold and whimsical little details (this girl works for Google; totally rad right?) Jessica and I have been on the hunt recently for a perfect venue location that won’t break the bank and we may have found a winner on Saturday. In light of our little chat on Saturday, I thought I’d give all you newly engaged (or venue searching brides!) a little three part series on what to ask your venue before you sign on the dotted line. Read on for more of Part I.

{Stay organized from the start} Picking and paying for your wedding venue, can be a hefty emotional and financial investment. So many decisions have to be put on the back burner before you pick a venue and feeling stuck in a corner can be stressful. To start the selection process, pick no more than five venues that are your top picks and from there, narrow in on places that offer more of what you want and less of what you don’t. Rule out venues that don’t have your date available, venues that are completely out of your price range, or venues that aren’t licensed to serve alcohol (believe it or not these kinds of venues exist!)

{Get to know your venue coordinator!} If you haven’t hired a wedding planner, first hurry and go read this here, and then secondly, if you still want to plan sans planner, make sure you really get a feel for your venue coordinator, their responsibilities on the day of, and really just how invested and interested they are in the venue, their job and your big day. A venue coordinator, should you not have hired an outside wedding planner/day of coordinator, really needs to be someone you can trust, that can accommodate your requests (within reason of course) and that will be dependable should a problem arise.

{Be invested and inquisitive of the obvious} Don’t forget to ask about and see for yourself, all the little things that we too often assume are already taken care of with wedding venues. Washroom facilities (how many stalls there are, are the facilities wheelchair accessible, are they kept clean), parking capacity and cost, pet-friendly ceremony spaces, alcohol boundaries (some places with outdoor terraces or decks don’t allow drinks outside); you can assume you know the answers to the above mentioned, but it never hurts to ask so that you can plan your big day details accordingly.

What sort of questions did any of you find valuable to ask your venue about? Stay tuned for more details in next week’s second post on what to ask your venue before signing! Happy Thursday!