Happy Anniversary :: Ericka + Craig

Ericka & Craig

May 31

Ericka + Craig had the most beautiful wedding at a lakeside winery! They had an outdoor ceremony with pink floral accents and a reception inside the winery. Ericka was absolutely stunning, and Craig really cleaned up nice too! :) This couple, bridal party and family were so much fun to work with! Ericka is a talented makeup artist and we are still in touch. Their children are absolutely adorable and I've loved watching their family grow over the years! Congrats on 9 years y'all, and I wish you the best for 99 more!

DIY Bride's Planning Package :: Special!

DIY Brides Planning Package: $250

Schedule your appointment in Sept for $199!

Email info@michellevents.com or call (469) 475-7089 to schedule!

·       Wedding Planning Meeting (2 Hours)

o   We’ll go over the contents of your binder and your box to explain everything and answer your questions.

o   You can prepare a list of questions, too! Feel free to ask away!

o   We’ll assist you with establishing a budget if this hasn’t already been established and share tips on saving money.

o   We’ll provide you with all the details needed to plan your wedding including a full timeline and checklist, and explain everything to get you on your way.

o   We can make suggestions and show photos based on your budget, wants and needs to give you ideas.

·       Wedding Planning Binder

o   Use your binder as a central location for all your wedding planning documents, contracts, ideas, etc…

o   How to Create Your Budget (Document)

o   My Wedding Budget (Spreadsheet)

o   My Wedding Guest List (Spreadsheet)

o   My Wedding Vendors (Spreadsheet)

o   My Wedding To-Do Checklist (Document)

o   Local Vendor & Venue Recommendations (Spreadsheet)

o   List of Emergency Kit Items to Prepare (Document)

o   Wedding Day Itinerary / Timeline (Document)

o   All documents printed in your binder for easy notes and writing access

o   All documents on a thumb drive for easy computer access

·       Wedding Planning Sample Box

o   Hat Box to keep your wedding treasures

o   Sign Samples

o   Edible Favor Samples

o   Menu Card, Place Card, Menu Card Samples

o   Freeze Dried Rose Petal Samples

o   Makeup and Beauty Products

o   20% Off Coupon for Floral Orders and Backdrops

o   Products, samples & information from vendors

BONUS :: If at a later date you decide to book one of our planning packages, your DIY Bride’s Planning Package payment will be applied towards the planning package you select!

Planning Tips :: How to Establish Your Wedding Budget

One in three couples go over budget! Now that I have your attention, let's talk about how to avoid going over budget! For most couples, your wedding will be the biggest and priciest party you’ve ever hosted. The average U.S. wedding costs $26,522 for 135 guests, according to the 2016 Brides American Wedding Study. Just about half of engaged couples will foot the entire bill themselves, while an additional 25 percent pay for at least part of it with parents or others contributing. Make sure you're not one of the over budget couples by establishing a realistic wedding budget from the beginning of your planning process!

Here are some excellent tips from Brides Magazine on setting your budget:

Step 1: Count Your Cash

How much you have to spend on the wedding is directly proportional to three sources of money: you and your fiancé's individual savings; the amount you can set aside from your current income; plus any contributions from parents or loved ones. Here's how to approach each:

Your savings: This isn't as simple as checking your bank account. Ideally, you and your partner each have three months of living expenses set aside in case of a job loss or health setback (separate from retirement funds). Subtract that in-case-of-emergency amount from your total balance in the bank, and that's how much you could put toward wedding costs.

Your monthly income: After you've made payments for existing debts, like student loans, set aside up to 10 percent of your earnings each month. "Establish direct deposits into a separate account for wedding expenses so it isn't just leftovers that get saved," says Erin Lowry, a personal-finance expert and the author of Broke Millennial: Stop Scraping By and Get Your Financial Life Together.

Any contributions from your parents: "Never assume your parents or other loved ones are willing and able to help cover the cost of a wedding," says Lowry. "But it certainly doesn't hurt to ask."

Step 2: Track Your Spending

Create a spreadsheet with three expense columns: Estimated, Modified, and Actual. Amounts under Estimated will be driven by research of costs in your area (check sites like Weddingwire and Thumbtack to find local averages for venues and vendors), proposals from the vendors you choose will go in Modified, and the final amount you pay them will go in Actual.


Adjust your estimates after calling in vendors' costs. Start with the venue because it's the biggest piece of the wedding pie and a major factor in determining guest count. When vendors give you estimates, verify if tax is included. If not, do the math yourself with state and local tax rates to adjust the proposal.


Add a column for the estimated tip. Write "included" if gratuity is factored into the vendor's price. (For example, caterers automatically tack on 15 to 20 percent of the total, which you pay in advance.)

Add a line item called Extras that equals 15 percent of your total budget to cushion for things you'll likely forget (invitation postage, parking valets) or won't anticipate in advance (corkage and plating fees). Never spend this money up front; you'll need it throughout the planning process as incidentals arise. Trust.

Step 3: Prepare for Surprises

Before you sign on the dotted line of vendor contracts or start buying gift bag items, read the fine print, because expenses that seem small early on could add up quickly. If the total of the line item isn't in your overall budget, cut it!


Vendor Transportation: Hiring an out-of-town band or photographer? You might need to pay for a rental van or plane tickets. Double-check the contract to see what exactly is covered.


Set-Up And Breakdown Fees: Cleanup isn't always included, and you may have to pay overtime rates depending on what time your reception ends.


Custom Cocktails: Signature drinks and spirits can add $3,500 to a 200-person wedding, says Calder Clark, a top wedding planner in Charleston, South Carolina.


Digital Access: Some photographers charge as much as $1,200 to view and share your photos online.


Envelope Stuffing: Some stationers charge as much as $7 per invite. To save, call your bridesmaids over, drink some wine, and DIY instead.


Planners: A full-service event designer can charge as much as $25,000 or even 20 percent of the total budget for a Kardashian-scale affair, but a day-of coordinator costs an average of $1,500. Before you enlist a pro, know what you have to spend and factor in that rate.

Step 4: Find Ways to Save

Over-budget? These six ideas will slash your spending in a meaningful way.


Change the venue: Raw spaces like barns and lofts seem like a steal, but you could spend a lot making them wedding-beautiful. "You may have to bring in tables, chairs, china, glassware, silverware, kitchen equipment for the caterer, even restrooms and AC or heat," cautions Sara Fay Egan, a partner at Jackson Durham Floral and Event Design in Dallas. Before you commit, estimate the total price of a wedding at that space versus one that includes all the basics.


Edit the guest list: Each attendee costs far more than his or her meal when you consider the invitation, welcome bag, transportation, slice of cake, and favor. "Never have a B-list, and be ruthless with your A-list," says Clark. For the average 135-person reception, shrinking the guest list by 15 people saves you approximately $1,300.


Go off-peak: Have a winter wedding. Choose a Friday or Sunday. Or celebrate with mimosas over brunch instead of hosting a four-course, wine-paired dinner.


Build in time: To save for the wedding they want, 57 percent of brides said they were willing to prolong their engagement. "Negotiating is a lot more difficult when vendors know you're in a time crunch," says financial expert Farnoosh Torabi, host of the So Money podcast.


Host the ceremony and reception in the same place: Doing so could save as much as $4,000 on transportation for the wedding party and guests.


Forgo a live band: The big-name ones can charge upwards of $30,000, while a DJ will cost a few thousand bucks

Step 5. Charge Responsibly

No matter how tempted you are to boost your cash flow with credit cards, don't go overboard. "Never charge anything that you can't pay off in 30 days," says Torabi. That is, unless you qualify for a card with a zero-percent purchase APR, which lets you skirt interest payments as long as you pay your entire balance within a certain time frame (usually 12 to 15 months). Torabi advises mapping out a plan for how you intend to do that before swiping the plastic. For example, register for cash gifts that you can put toward a portion of the wedding and create a savings plan to cover the rest. If you do use a credit card, choose one with a generous cash-back program. You can use the rewards earned during that zero-percent-APR period toward the honeymoon or to pay off any remaining wedding expenses. But try to avoid signing up for more than one card, which can damage your credit score.

See the full article at Brides.com.

Happy Anniversary :: Marissa + Matt

Marissa + Matt

May 28

6 Powerful Ways to Honor Lost Loved Ones at Your Wedding

When wedding day comes around and you're missing someone you always thought would be there, it's definitely a void that is hard to fill. You'll want to acknowledge them on your wedding day. I always recommend including them as if they're watching and you know they'll be thrilled to see your big day! Here are a few great ways you can honor those loved ones at both your ceremony and reception.

LIGHT A CANDLE
During the ceremony, you can incorporate lighting a candle in memory of your loved one. For the reception, you can have a memorial table with a candle that is lit in honor of each lost loved one.


SAVE THEM A SEAT
Provide a chair for them in the normal place it would be if they were in attendance at your ceremony and reception. You can incorporate a single flower, a bouquet, a letter, a sign, or some other sort of remembrance token on the chair in their honor as well.

DISPLAY A PHOTO
You can have one individual photo displayed at your head table, cake table, escort card table, etc... or, you can have a table dedicated all by itself to remembering lost loved ones. Display photos of everyone you'd like to remember, and you can even post framed named and words so others can see them and read about them.


CEREMONY PROGRAM
Add a note about your lost loved one in your ceremony program. It's always nice to look back on the program and see the family's names...so be sure to include them so you can look back and see them too...

WEAR SOMETHING OF THEIRS
Earrings from Grandma, Bracelet from a Friend, Necklace from an Aunt., Mom's Veil...if someone very important to you gave you something that is very important to you, or you can have access to it from a family member, then you can honor them by wearing that on the most important day of your life...your wedding day.


A TOAST TO THEM
The bride and groom are always allowed to speak a few words or offer toasts at their reception if they want to, so a great way to honor a lost loved one is to raise a glass in their honor and provide a toast.

DIY :: Two Cupcake Mix Favor Jars

This project idea is not only perfect for wedding favors, but it would be a great holiday or anniversary gift as well! Something good to keep in the pantry or cupboard for any happy couple to have on any special day!

These yummy little gifts would make fantastic wedding favors or terrific holiday gifts… so I’m sharing two label options with you. One designed more for weddings and one for the holidays!

SUPPLIES:

Baking:
– Flour
– Sugar
– Baking Soda
– Salt
– Whisk
– Measuring Cups/Spoons
– Mixing Bowl

Crafting:
– 8.5oz Italian Mason Jars
– 8.5″ x 11″ White Cardstock
– 4″ x 6″ Treat Bags
– Cupcake Liners
– Spray Paint
– Scissors
– Twine

Two Cupcake Recipe:

DRY:
– 1/4 Cup Flour
– 2 Heaping Teaspoons Sugar
– 1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
– Pinch of Salt

WET:
– 1 Egg White
– 2 Tablespoons Oil (Canola or Vegetable)
– 1 Tablespoon Milk
– 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla

Combine the dry ingredients. Combine the wet ingredients. Mix together and divide between two cupcake liners. Bake at 350° for 13-15 minutes. That’s all there is to it… and they are delicious even without frosting!

For the favor jars you will only combine and gift the “dry” ingredients, the wet ingredients will be up to the recipient…

In a small mixing bowl mix up individual batches of the recipe above and package in a treat bag.

Paint The Lids
Totally optional, but a great “finishing” touch as these lids have a wild branding design on them. Paint the lids with your favorite color of spray paint.

Make The Tags

Download your choice of tag color at the end of the post and then cut out each one. There are two tags per jar; a gift tag and also a baking instruction tag.


Assemble Your Favor Jars
Cupcake liners first, then instruction tag, then dry mix baggie, upside down, so you don’t see the twist tie, then lid and tag!

Cute + Yummy

Whether you’re here to make yourself a quick and easy batch of only two cupcakes or are making these as your wedding favors, you’ll find that the recipe is easy to follow and will always make two great cakes!


Click here for the Green Favor Tags
Click here for the Khaki Favor Tags

See the full post at Something Turquoise.

Happy Anniversary :: Stefanie & Jim

Stefanie & Jim

May 24

Stefanie + Jim had a quaint little ceremony and reception that was really lovely! We did day-of coordination, floral design and décor rentals for this wedding, and we enjoyed everything about the beautiful pink, black and white color palette. Stefanie looked beautiful, Jim was completely charming, and the wedding was all around beautiful! Happy Anniversary to Stefanie + Jim!