No Messy Clean-up! – NJ/NY Wedding Planner

Throwing rice at weddings has been a tradition that has been around since the Roman times. Back then, it was used to represent fertility to the newly married couple. Today, the act symbolizes prosperity and luck from guests. However, not all wedding venues are willing to allow this tradition to continue; not without good reason— it is a messy act, and the clean up is long and tedious. So how can you receive luck and success after tying the knot without the unpleasant clean up? Use one of these alternate options:


-Release butterflies: an extraordinary sight with no mess!
-Throw silk rose petals: a much easier clean-up than rice
-Blow bubbles: get personalized bubble made to double as an extra favor to guests
-Release doves: more traditional than butterflies
-Ring bells: not only will you literally hear wedding bells, but there’s no clean up and, again, these can act as a wedding favor
-Release balloons: another cheap, beautiful way to celebrate
-Streamers: have custom streamers made for guests to wave as you walk by

If none of these options flows well with your wedding, use your imagination! Maybe these have inspired you to use something else. Just make sure you check with the venue to see if it works beforehand. Most places are willing to work with you, especially for things that don’t require cleaning. Or, if you’re really stuck on rice, you could always offer to clean it up yourself (or ask the planners!).

Get creative and have fun thinking of new ways to celebrate yourselves as the new Mr. and Mrs.!!



Kaitlyn


Photo Sources:
www.swallowtailfarms.com
www.wirkenblog.com

Pick a Great Wedding Date! – NJ/NY Wedding Planner

No, not the man you’re going to be walking down the aisle with— the calendar date of your wedding ceremony! Choosing a date can be confusing and overwhelming for some people. You don’t just want any date; you want to make it special, right? Here are 2 simple ways you can go about this. Choose the one that works best for you!

Option 1: Pick a date that has some importance to the 2 of you. If it’s really important to you to have a significant wedding date, don’t compromise. Think of key moments in your life and try to remember when they occurred. When was the first time you met? What about your first date? The first time you said “I love you”? Knowing these details can make it easier to choose. Pick one that means the most to you and go with that!

Option 2: Pick a date based on a different aspect of your wedding that’s important to you. Do you really want to have a summer wedding? Pick the season that fits your style and go with it! Are daffodils important to have as your flower décor? Check with your local florist to see when your dream flowers are in season to make sure you get what you want. Has a certain venue already caught your eye? Speak with the owner to see when the availability is and work around that. You get the picture.



All you need to do is figure out what means the most to you and plan around that! It’s all cake from there ;o)

Kaitlyn


Photo sources:
www.bridalmums.com
www.elegancebyie.com
www.daytonaofficiant.com

Sketch your Wedding Gown- NJ/NY Wedding Planner

I came across this great idea on how to hold on to your wedding dress forever besides having it preserved. It's called Dreamlines, and it is a service that will create a beautiful sketch of your wedding dress by easily providing them with a few pictures. I LOVE this idea so much that I am hinting at my husband ;) , this would be such a special first anniversary wedding gift since the traditional gift is paper! This is also a good idea for thank you cards or other personalized stationary. You can also consider having this done for your bridesmaids dresses, the wedding gown and tuxedo, Baby's christening and even your Prom dress! They will also sketch out any other accessories (veil, bouquet, back of dress, etc), gift certificates are also available. Check out their website http://www.mydreamlines.com/ for more information. Enjoy!!



Nadya

Looking Good and Feeling Good!--NJ/NY Wedding Planner

Our advice to you: Don’t ruin your engagement period by stressing out over losing weight for your big day. Your guy proposed to you because he loves you for you who are, and there’s no need to change that. However, we know you want to feel your absolute best in your beautiful dress, and we also know that looking good makes you feel good. So, instead of starving yourself silly, focus on toning up two key dress-wearing areas: your arms and back. Try these exercises we found at Self magazine’s website. They’re easy and definitely effective.


To get your best, jiggle-free arms, forget free weights. All you'll need is a resistance band with handles on each end. Visit spri.com and try their Ultra Toner ($9.95 plus shipping).
(http://www.self.com/fitness/workouts/2007/10/arm-sculpting-slideshow#slide=1)


Toning a sexy back requires different equpiment, but the results will definitely be worth it. You'll need a different type of resistance band: long, with two handles on each end (Try Spri's Original Xertube; $9.95 plus shipping). You'll also need access to a sturdy chair.
(http://www.self.com/fitness/workouts/2009/08/build-a-better-back-slideshow)


Remember: Don't push yourself too hard! You don't want to have trouble carrying your bouquet down the aisle because your arms are too sore! Work slowly and steadily and be confident in the fact that you'll look beautiful no matter what on your big day.

Courtney

Photo Credits: www.self.com

Don't feel guilty about eating anymore.. - NJ/NY Wedding Planner

Eat, drink and be merry — a phrase we all like to live by, no matter what time of year it is. Weddings are an ideal place to do this, and as the hosts, you want to make sure your guests are having as good of a time as you are. I’ve been a guest to many weddings and know first-hand that one of the things people look forward to is the delicious wedding food. Whether it’s the cocktail hour appetizers, buffet style meals, or sit-down dinner portions, there’s just something amazing about it. However, I also know that this area can break the bank for couples; it is one of the priciest aspects of a wedding. I’m going to give you the Top 7 tips I’ve come across of how you, as a wedding couple, can save big money on food without anyone knowing the difference.

1. If you decide on a having a cocktail hour with appetizers, don’t offer a cheese platter. Cheeses are costly and usually the least popular food item at weddings.

2. Try not to repeat items in the main dinner platter that you already served at the cocktail hour. For example, if you’re serving pasta as a dinner dish, don’t have a pasta station for guests beforehand. Not only is this saving you money, but it’s also saving your guests room for different food!

3. There’s always an excess of food at weddings—one reason is because hosts offer so much food before the actual meal and then serve a 5-course dinner. If you have a buffet beforehand, opt for a 2 or 3 course meal. Your budget will notice a difference; your guests won’t.

4. This one is so obvious and easy, but could save you hundreds: ask about pricing! Different meats and seafood are different prices during the year, based on what’s in season and what’s not. Simply ask the chef what the cheapest option will be at the time of your celebration.

5. If you have an open bar, don’t go for the top shelf liquors. Most people usually can’t tell the difference (especially if you’re having a signature drink or an array of mixed drinks), and it will save you big money.

6. Use bite-sized desserts to control portions AND your budget. Most people take a lot just so they can try everything, and end up leaving most of the plate behind. This will allow your guests to sample everything while wasting nothing!


7. My favorite tip for cake-savings, also given by the Cake Boss himself (for those of you who don’t watch TLC, Carlo’s Bake Shop is a family run bakery in Hoboken that has its own reality show). He says instead of going for a 5-tier cake, you can save big by choosing a 3-tier cake and simply having a sheet cake of the same flavor in the back for the chefs to cut up and serve. Your guests will have no clue, but you will when you see how much smaller the bill is.

Hopefully you can use these tips for some big time savings. Now you really CAN eat, drink and be merry.... knowing that you just saved a bundle! =)

-Kaitlyn


Photo sources:
www.stylemepretty.com
www.a-wedding-reception.com