Gratitude + Kindness = Bridal Happiness

Most brides are stressed. Tap dancing very close to the edge of a little craziness. So, since I am in the business of helping brides-I decided to come up as many ideas as I could to help my brides be "more" happy and "less" worried during the whole planning process. I have compiled quite a few ideas, but this is one I have begun to suggest to every bride I am working with. And the results are good so far. Here it is:
BE THANKFUL AND FULL OF GRATITUDE
When you begin to feel stressed-stop and think about all of the great experiences you have had while planning your wedding. Maybe someone has been especially sweet and helpful to you. Gone out of their way to serve you in some way. Stop and be grateful. Focus on just one very nice consideration you have received.
CONSIDER KINDNESS
Write a thank-you note. Not an email, and not a phone call. A hand written note is a way to appreciate another person that is on a totally different personal level. Plus you have to sit still and think. And you have to use pretty stationery-which by itself will make you feel better. Think of it as a form of meditation.
I promise you will feel better. The person who receives your kind note will feel better. More happiness for everyone.
gwp

Wedding Reception Seating

Figuring out the guest seating arrangements for your wedding reception may be one of the items on your to-do list you have been putting off for a while. Seating is one of the items I almost always must beg my brides to work on with me. It really is not so very hard to figure out what to do. So, to help you get started here is a easy how-to guide on getting it together.
Easy as 1,2,3
1. Draw your floor plan with all of your tables placed in the arrangement you have decided on.
2. Number each table-this helps you group your guests together by table number. And also helps the venue staff set out the appropriate number of place settings at each table. You write in the number of guests at each table for the staff to follow when setting up.
3. Assign each guest a table number based on how many guests can sit at a table, and whom you would like to seat together. Guests pick up their escort card (at the escort card table you have set-up conveniently located right outside of the dinning area). If you are also using place cards-all you have to do is write on a piece of paper each table number and the names of each guest who you have planned to sit at each table. Then simply place the place card for each guest at the table and seat you have assigned.
Piece of Cake!

Selecting a Wedding Professional

There are so many different names that can be used to described how I work with my brides. Day-Of Coordinator, Wedding Planner, Wedding Consultant. It can be a little difficult as a bride to know exactly what type or how much service you really need. And also as difficult to know what kind of person you are looking for to fill this very important role. I'm going to try and help you with this.
First, you are looking for someone to work with who has both ability and professionalism. Ability comes with experience, personal education in the wedding industry, and desire to do a job well done. You can determine a wedding professionals ability pretty fast. Does she return your phone calls or emails promptly? Does she have supporting materials to offer you about the quality of her work? Materials like service listings for you to review, or hand written notes of thanks from previous brides. Does she belong to a professional organization that offers education?
Professionalism shows thru with her manner. Is she kind and courteous? Does she dress appropriately? Does she take the time to talk with you about your needs and what she can do for you? This is a business about helping people. Helping brides have one of the most wonderful and memorable experiences of their lives. A true professional gets that, and considers it a pleasure to work with you and help you plan and execute your perfect wedding.

Next, determining the level of service you need can be a little confusing, so here are some general descriptions:
Wedding Day-Of Coordinator- Should meet with you at least once before your wedding. And the meeting should be held at your venue. All of your planning should be reviewed as well as all of your vendor contracts. You are looking for guidance to get everything wrapped up for your wedding day. Your coordinator should place your vendor follow-up calls for you and prepare your wedding day itinerary. Also a timeline for all of your service providers. On your wedding day your Day-Of Coordinator should be prepared to manage your entire event from start to finish.

Wedding Planner - Will work with you from the beginning of the planning process. Starting with preparing a budget, scheduling and meeting with vendors, putting together a calendar for you to follow, helping you with design and decor for your event, and putting together everything needed to make your wedding day a success. I offer my brides complete wedding planning and partial wedding planning. That way the bride can decide how involved she would like to be in the planning process. Each service has a specific price attached to it, and specific items to be carried out throughout the planning. But the wedding day remains the same for all service levels. And your Wedding Planner should do all of the things mentioned as a Day-Of Coordinator's responsibility. A wedding Planner will also be there the entire day of your wedding to manage your event.

Wedding Consultant-Will meet with you, typically in two hour time frames to offer guidance, suggestions, planning advice and vendor referrals for you to contact. You plan as many meetings as you need-I suggest at least three during the entire planning process. This is perfect for the DIY bride, because it is a great way to save time. And when you save time, you also save money. A wedding Consultant can keep you on track, answer questions, help you solve problems, and generally make planning your wedding much less stressful. It is very helpful to receive guidance from a professional who knows what to expect and what needs to be done. The Consultant does not attend your ceremony or reception on the day of your wedding.
I hope this post helps in some way. If you have any questions, please leave a comment and I will respond with an answer for you.
Regards,
gwp

Wedding & Personal Stationery

Here is a partial view of the stationery display in the studio. I found the black shutters at an antique market. Glued black fabric to the back, and added the glass knobs to make them a bit more frou-frou.

Makes for a nice way to display the stationery I design.

I began working on stationery so I could give my brides a much more personal wedding suite than what we could find at the typical stationery stores in Birmingham. Designing stationery has turned out to be something I love to do-almost as much as designing and planning weddings.

And since I have a shop now, I have expanded to offer party invitations, birth announcements and personal stationery.

gwp

Halloween Fun!

Halloween! One of my favorites! I love to work with Halloween decorations. Here is one of the window displays in the studio. I pulled the twigs out of my compost pile and painted them plack. Placed them in the flower bucket, and hung the cutie-pie favor boxes and cards on the branches. Added the sparkly silver voltives, and the orange glitter stands, and well you can see the rest for yourself.
gwp

Open House

We had so much fun yesterday at our Open House!

We are located in Bluff Park, Alabama. Saturday was the day for the annual Bluff Park Art Show, so we decided this would be the perfect day to hold our Grand Opening. I share the space with an Interior Designer, so we have lots and lots of fabulous home decor and accessory items.

I hope you enjoy the photos!

gwp

Consider a Vineyard for your Wedding & Reception

This past weekend Harry and I took a short trip thru the Alabama Wine Trail. I wanted to get a few new ideas for wedding and reception locations to offer my brides. There are several reasons why vineyards are a good choice for weddings and receptions:
1. Very cost effective. These venues offer a lot of bang for your buck.
2. Beautiful, scenic, rural settings. If you like natural surroundings and prefer an outdoor wedding-these venues are perfect for you.
3. This one is obvious-but, alcohol is permitted. If you hold your wedding at a church location, but want to offer cocktails at your reception-a winery is perfect.
4. They offer a charming, relaxed atmosphere for your special day.

There are 7 vineyards in Alabama that are part of the Wine Trail. We visited 3.
The first stop for us was at Ozan Vineyard & Cellars, located in Calera, Alabama. This vineyard is lovely. With very nice accomodations for a wedding and reception. They have a wine tasting room, and offer a boxed lunch and free wine tastings on Saturdays. This is a great way to preview a site. Everyone was nice and friendly, and they can accomodate about 100 guests comfortably. http://www.ozanwine.com/.
Our second stop was at a much smaller vineyard named Vizzini Farms Winery, located in Calera, Alabama. They also offer free wine tastings-plus tours of the winery. I found the staff there to be pleasant, helpful and knowledgable about events. This venue is a bit smaller than the others, and I would suggest using this winery for parties or very small weddings or receptions. http://www.vizzinifarmswinery.com/.
Our last stop for the day was at Morgan Creek Vineyards, located in Harpersville, Alabama. This winery is the most beautifully landscaped. A bit of a fairytale feeling as you approach. They have thought thru the details-and it shows. We tasted wine, toured the winery, and had a great time. This venue is perfect for a wedding and reception. Everyone there is nice, knowledgable and service oriented. http://www.morgancreekvineyard.com/.

gwp