#TuesdayTips :: You're Engaged! Now What?

We're deep in the throes of "engagement season" right now, so I see a lot of questions being posted by local brides about where the heck to get started. It's always such an exciting thing to get engaged, so don't let the planning stress take away from that! Relax, take one thing at a time, and enjoy each thing as you go along.

I've been posting some response tips to the questioning brides, so I thought I'd write a blog post with the important details I keep repeating. I always suggest to start the wedding planning process by checking off these three things - - and from there you'll have a better grasp on what's happening without stressing about what's next!

Photo by EM Event Photography

1. Set Your Budget

Setting your budget first will allow you to make all of your other decisions much quicker and with less hesitation. We use budget worksheets to calculate what should be spent on each category for your wedding, so you know exactly what to spend before you get started. For example, if your budget is $10,000, budget worksheets will break that down into how much should be allocated to each vendor. This gives you a feasible number when you're looking to hire. If they're out of your price range from the get-go, you can save time by concentrating on those you love who are IN (or under) your price range. Research and use budget worksheets, or hire a planner to assist you with establishing and sticking to your budget!


2. Create Your Guest List

One of the first questions most vendors will ask you is "How many guests are you expecting?" so be prepared with a correct answer. I always suggest making three lists - A List, B List, and C List. The A List obviously being people you can't have your wedding without (family, wedding party & their dates, etc)....down to the C List which are acquaintances that you wouldn't mind trimming from the list if needed. Once you have your guest list made, you'll know a number to guest count when vendors ask; your venue, your caterer, your cake baker, your invitation designer, chair rentals, etc...


3. Select Your Date & Venue

Some brides and couples have a specific date in mind from the beginning because it's special to you and your loved one. Some of you don't have that attachment and can select any date you want. If you're on budgetary constraints, check with venues to see if non-Saturday rates are any better for you. Once you have your date set and reserved, and your venue selected and reserved, you can begin contacting other vendors to fill in where needed.

Photo by EM Event Photography

From there, you can begin to look for wedding vendors to fill your needs. I always suggest starting with a planner/coordinator so you can get the most assistance and information along the planning journey!

If you're on the fence about being a DIY (do it yourself) bride, or wondering if you should hire a planner....feel free to attend one of our DIY Brides Planning Workshops! We give a fun and informative crash course on how to get started with your wedding planning and we send you home with all the tools you'll need to do it successfully! Visit our Facebook page or Instagram page to see our upcoming workshops in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

www.facebook.com/michelleventstx
www.instagram.com/bustledbridal


Happy Wedding Planning!

#DIY :: Flip-Flop Baskets

As the warmer weather approaches, flip-flop season begins! I've done several weddings where brides wanted to provide flip-flops for their guests' aching feet. They're always a huge hit and there are rarely leftovers! So easy to do and so appreciated by the ladies with aching dancing feet!

Buy flip-flops in various sizes from 5-11 (most popular is 7-8), and be sure to pick colors that match your wedding! Find a cute large basket to display them in and the guests can help themselves! You can even go as far as to make thank you tags and/or size tags to hang on each pair or a sign to hang on the basket.

Planning Tips :: Creating and Cutting the Guest List

When you begin your journey down the road of wedding planning, the first thing you should begin with is a preliminary guest list. You should have an approximate number so you can establish your budget, know what size venue you need, estimate cost of food & beverage per guest, etc...

My suggestion is always to make an A list, B list and C list. A list of course being family and important people that must be invited to attend, B list being friends and acquaintances that you would love to attend, and C list being people such as co-workers, parent's friends or distant friends who you would like to attend but could be cut if need be without diminishing the day. (You don't need to share this list with folks, just your expected guest count number - just keep your lists in your planning binder or in a spreadsheet on your computer).

If you find yourself over budget, the quickest way to remedy that is to trim down the guest list. Each guest eliminated cuts back on appetizers, meals, beverages, place settings, favors, stationery, cake, desserts, chair cover & sash, or any other items you may have reserved for your day. Cut an entire table and the savings multiply further. If you get into budget trouble, approach the C list and see what kind of cuts you can make to save.

Planning Tips :: 5 Ways to Greet Your Guests in Style

Greet your guests with an unexpected surprise as they arrive at your ceremony or reception. A small special touch will go a long way! You want your guests to feel comfortable, welcomed, and appreciated, so add a special touch that they will remember!

Greet them with a cocktail or mocktail. If you're having an outdoor summer wedding, set up a cute table with mason jars of iced lemonade and straws. If you're having a more elegant indoor affair, greet them with a white gloved server and a silver tray of champagne flutes containing a special champagne cocktail created specifically for your wedding.

 

Photo by Steven Mastroianni

Provide interactive entertainment. Photo and video booths make for great entertainment and give your guests something to do during your cocktail hour. You can incorporate your guest book with the photo booth, so when guests arrive they can take a photo and put in the book as they sign. You can even provide props that go with the theme of your wedding! A caricature artist is always a great form of entertainment. Even those who don't want their own photo drawn enjoy watching the artist draw others. A strolling magician is another great idea to keep guests of all ages entertained. 

 Photo by Boothographers

Have games and icebreakers available. It usually happens that there are guests at the wedding who don't know everyone, so create a fun game of ice breaker questions about your and your groom-to-be that will get your guests talking. It will be an entertaining conversation starter! Games like cornhole and horseshoes are great for outdoor events. You can also provide a few casino games, whether it's renting a roulette table or simply putting dice on the cocktail tables.

Photo from RootWeddings.com

Hire live musicians. Whether you have a harpist or a string trio for your ceremony, or a jazz trio for your cocktail hour, live musicians create a festive ambiance for your wedding. We've had tropical themed weddings with steel drummers, trumpet fanfare as guests arrive, and even bagpipers! Make it different than the normal unnoticeable background music and your guests will be sure to take notice.

Photo by Michell Events

Provide a "sugar rush" to get the party started. Candy stations and buffets are very popular with children and adults alike! The candy buffet can be designed in your wedding colors to add to the decor of the room, and providing take home bags for the guests will create an interactive favor station for everyone to participate in. Provide scoops and tongs, label each different candy with a sign , and get creative with the setup using jars, bowls and vases.....your guests will enjoy the pre-party boost!

Photo by Michell Events

Planning Tips :: 5 Tips for Wedding Invitations

#TuesdayTips
Happy Planning!

1. Don't forget the postage!
I have heard soo many brides say it...."I didn't think about postage!" Postage is an added expense to your budget. Remember these invitations have to be mailed...and the heavier they are, the more expensive that will be. It's also customary to stamp the RSVP envelope for your guests to easily and quickly return the RSVP cards to you.

2. Don't list your registry on your invitation!
It's truthfully not good etiquette to list on your formal wedding invitation where they should buy you a gift. However, it is acceptable to add an enclosure card directing guests to your wedding website (where they will find things like the date and time, photos of you, directions to the wedding, time line for the wedding, bridal party introductions, and oh yes...where you're registered for gifts.)

3. Do number your RSVP cards.
I've seen a lot of RSVP cards over the years, and a lot of times handwriting isn't the best. I've gotten to where I suggest numbering each RSVP card, and keep a list or spreadsheet of what guest is what number. That way, if you receive and RSVP with non-legible scribbles, you can refer to your list to see who the scribbles belong to.

4. Do order a few extra invitations.
Order extra invites just in case...as an insurance policy....for when it dawns on you that you forgot to invite your future groom's Aunt Paula! Be prepared for any oopsies by ordering some extras from the start. 

5. Do order a lot of extra thank you cards.
You'll have showers, bachelor/bachelorette parties, rehearsal dinner, wedding day gifts, mailed gifts, and a time period after the wedding where you'll probably receive gifts. Order more thank you cards than you do invitations because you'll be sending a lot more of those. You should those who helped you and those who sent you gifts (and remember the postage!)

#Hashtag Social Media Fun at Weddings

If you're a Millennial bride, tech savvy or a lover of Instagram, a fun way to entertain and collect memories from your wedding is by creating a #hashtag for your guests to use when they snap and post photos. You can even have a live stream of the photos being taken and posted shown on a screen at your wedding! Wedding Hashtag Wall 

Photo from PopSugar

For your #hashtag, come up with something creative, catchy and personal that they will remember to use! If you can't decide then check out this hashtag generator, answer a few questions and check out the suggestions! Wedding Hashtag Generator


After you've decided on the #hashtag for your event, let everyone know about it at the proper times. Share it on your own social media accounts so your guests will see it from the beginning, include it on your save the date's and invitations, use it at pre-wedding functions and parties, and of course use it on wedding day! Create a graphic to share on social media, then print and frame it to post at pre-wedding parties and the wedding. Instagram Printable Wedding Sign Generator 

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Here are some great hashtag tips from WeddingHashtagWall.com:

3 Characteristics of a Great Hashtag

Keep in mind there’s no registration procedure for creating a (wedding) hashtag. Anyone on Instagram or Twitter can just choose one. That is why you want to make sure your hashtag is the only one for your celebration. Obviously you don’t want your collection of Instagram wedding photos mixed with stranger’s photos. This will mess with the intimate, special memories your Instagram hashtag will collect.

Secondly, you want to give your friends and family a hashtag they can easily remember so they can and will use it. What would be worse than having guests use the wrong hashtag for photos never to be found again or only to be found when your guest wonders why their photo is not in your wedding photo album?

Last but not least, your hashtag must encourage attendees to use it. It’s all about making it fun for your guests to post on Instagram. So, your Wedding Hashtag must be unique, encouraging and easy to remember.

Do’s & Don’ts for your Wedding Hashtag

Do’s:

• Be specific so all your guests know which hashtag to use.
• Make it easy to remember so nobody gets it wrong.
• Make it unique: test search for the #hashtag you use and see if others are using it. Double check right before the wedding.
• Be open for some trial and error. Find out a couple used it before? You might wanna rethink your choice.
• Add a “wedding word” like “hitch”, “love”, “weds”, “happilyever” or “newlyweds” to appeal to your guests.
• Make your hashtag funny or a little bit bizarre, this will add to the appealing factor of your hashtag. Time to get creative!

Don’ts:

• Add symbols, dashes or spaces, this will cut the hashtag. A good hashtag only consists of alphabetic characters (a-z, no special accents) and numbers.
• Just use initials and dates. Weddings tend to have these in common.
• #Useaverylonghashtagwithoutcapitalletterstodescribeyourwholewedding, because… You can see why.
• #WOJAAWSID, would you know what that says? No you don’t… It doesn’t make any sense because it’s the abbreviation of Wedding Of John And Amy Who Say I Do.

For the full article and more about the great idea of using a hashtag at your wedding, see WeddingHashtagWall.com.

Etiquette :: A Few Rules for Wedding Guests

Wedding season is in full effect, and many of you are attending weddings for the first time. Believe it or not, it's really easy to be the annoying wedding guest. If you're new to attending weddings on your own as an adult, or you haven't planned your own wedding to understand what NOT to do, you may not know even you're being the annoying guest! Take a glance at these suggestions of what to do and what NOT to do in order to make yourself a great wedding guest!

Photo by Michéll Events

Do I have to attend?

No. Believe it or not, you can say no. Say it's out of town and the time off work and expenses just aren't feasible, it's perfectly OK to say you can't attend. Be sure to send the RSVP card back indicating you can't attend. Very important!

What's the deal with plus one?
If you're married, it will either say both of your names or "and family" to notate children included. If you're single, your invitation will either say your name only or it will say your name "and guest". If it doesn't say "and guest"...don't bring one. Don't call on the phone and ask if you can bring one. Don't just go ahead and add a plus one on the RSVP card when you send it back in. Guest count plays a major part in a large event like a wedding, and they can only accommodate so many people as far as seating and meals. An extra person is not a happy surprise for the bride and groom.

Do I have to send back the RSVP card?
Yes. Whether or not you get a plus one, whether you can attend or not, no matter what....send back the card either way! They're counting on a firm answer to plan for things like meals and seating charts and they are charged for everyone who attends, so your yes or no answer is a very important thing. Take a few minutes to send back the RSVP card! Not only that...send it in a timely fashion. If you respond late, you may be seated at the extra table where you don't know anyone but that's the only place since they had to cram you in to the seating chart at the last minute.

Photo by Z Media

Do I have to bring a gift?
No. But you should at least give a card. That doesn't necessarily mean you have to look up a registry, go shopping, do gift wrapping, etc... It just means you need to acknowledge the bride & groom are starting a new life together and you're helping them along the way. A card with cash or a check in it is also perfectly accepted as a wedding gift. No set amount established and no shopping required.

If I'm not attending, do I still send a gift?
Per the rules of etiquette, no. Per the rules of friendship, yes. Completely stay within your budget of course.

It's an open bar. Do I tip the bartender?
Yes. While the bride and groom (or other party) are picking up the bar tab, the bartenders are still in a service capacity and still appreciate tips. Please remember to tip your bar staff. If unsure who or where to leave the tip, leave it with the catering or bar manager and they can dole it out appropriately.

Photo by Terra Sol Studio

Dress Code? OMG what's that?
Black Tie: Tuxedoes, long gowns and formal dresses.
Black Tie Optional or Formal: The same as above, but you can swap a tuxedo for a nice, dark suit, and a long dress for a simpler dress with accessories.
Cocktail Attire (Semi-Formal): Dark suits and party dresses for all! (Nice pant suit is acceptable for women as well.) If no dress code is specified, consider this the default.
Dressy Casual: Wear a cool tie, pick some fun, bright accessories; either way, definitely dress like you're ready to party. Casual, but a step up!
Casual: Jeans or khaki's are ok. Be presentable!

Unplugged Weddings :: Why Guests Should Put Down Their Phones

Hey wedding guests, we're sure you mean well with the rampant picture taking during the wedding, and we're sure you fully intend to share your Facebook and Instagram posts with the happy couple, but please allow the professional HIRED photographer to do their job and capture the most beautiful photos they can. These will always, always be better than a bouncing pic from a camera phone and much more important to the bride & groom.

Photo from @belovely_design

Every photographer out there will tell you that guests lingering around with their own phones and cameras make it difficult for a photographer to shoot what they were hired to shoot. Don't get in front of the paid photographer who is there trying to do a good job for the bride & groom, don't stand in the way the entire time snapping pics and making it difficult for all of the other guests to see, and especially don't block the groom's view of the bride during the walk down the aisle...not cool, guests!

Photo from @motionartcinema

What you can do as the Bride & Groom if you don't want camera phones in the way at your ceremony or reception: Post a sign at the ceremony entrance regarding your "Unplugged Ceremony". Guests should respect the fact that you want them present in your ceremony, not present with a phone attached to their hand.

Photo by @garrettnudd

Some weddings promote the use of camera phones to capture the day - - and if the bride and groom say it's ok, then go for it! Sometimes the bride & groom provide a #hashtag to use for the event photos, and this is always an invitation to snap pics and share with everyone! However, still remember to be respectful! Please remember to keep it out of the hired photographer's way and not to bother other guests in the process, even if it's invited to happen by the happy couple themselves.