Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Free 1 year subscription to Bridal Guide Magazine

Hello!
Here's your chance to get a FREE 1 YEAR SUBSCRIPTION to Bridal Guide Magazine. Like I say time and time again, I am always looking for ways to please my brides and to pass along any savings. Now I have the opportunity to do the same with my readers!
Click here to receive a FREE 1 Year subscription to Bridal Guide Magazine!
Hey, leave a note and let me know if you took advantage of this great offer!
If you are planning your wedding and would like some tips do not hesitate to contact me at ketty@detaildivaevents.com
TTFN!



Thursday, March 19, 2009

Bridal Jewelry feat. Adorn Me Jewelry

I know how much of an important role jewelry plays for a bride and how hard it is to get just the right one. It's hard to decide among so many different styles, prices and value of each piece(s). Well today I am going to let you on a secret...

special day - bridal and prom, petite

Trinity Necklace, Glimmer and Shine on your special day - bridal and prom, petite

My friend Tina is the owner of an Etsy shop called AdornMe Jewelry. Tina is so creative, very talented and she handcrafts all the jewelry in her shop. I have ordered from her in the past and I am a VERY SATISFIED customer (which reminds me I need to order a necklace to match the last ring I ordered from her.) It's so hard to pick just one thing you may like because everything in this store is awesome. Also, with the economy the way it is we are all cutting down on cost and AdornMe Jewelry has the best prices around even the shipping charges are extremely reasonable. Also, if you see something you like but think that maybe something else can be added you can contact AdornMe Jewelry and Tina will work with you and try to bring what you envision to life, all you have to do is ask.

Well enough chattering... I am here to give you the BIG SECRET! So here it goes...

AdornMe Jewelry is now featuring a Bridal & Special Occasion Line which I am HIGHLY recommending. So please stop by this WONDERFUL STORE and browse all the beautiful jewelry AdornMe has to offer.

AdornMe Jewelry is offering 20% off to all my readers! Yes, 20% OFF!

At check out you will have a chance to send the seller a note. Just type in Detail Diva Events and you will automatically receive 20% off your purchase. As a wedding planner it is ALWAYS my pleasure to pass along all the discounts I can get to my clients and now to all my readers! Isn't that wonderful? It's what I love the most, to put smiles on peoples faces.

Now, don't ever say I never shared a secret you with you!


Penelope Necklace, delicate glamour on  your special day


special day

Penelope Earrings, delicate glamour on your special day

Please visit AdornMe Jewelry you will not regret it!





Friday, March 13, 2009

Disaster On Your Wedding Day

Okay, so I am browsing through the blogs that I follow and I stop at one of my favorites which is from a VERY FAMOUS Wedding Planner in Baltimore, MD.

I REALLY enjoy reading her blogs because she is very straight and to the point and that I LOVE!

The following blog is exactly all the things that may go wrong if you don't hire a planner for your wedding day. This scenario, my dears readers, she couldn't have worded better.

**Please be advised that I did not write the following ALL the credits goes this fabulous planner in Baltimore.

Read on my dear BRIDES AND GROOMS... This is extremely important!!!

This is what she recently wrote on her blog:

Recently a bride called me inquiring about hiring me. I was already booked for her day, but referred her to another planner that I know and trust. Her wedding was 45 days away and she still didn’t have a DJ. Even though I wasn’t her planner I referred a great DJ to her, and she hired him.

Monday after the wedding, I heard from my valued DJ. The bride decided not to hire a planner because she didn’t want to pay the fee, and she was confident that her family members would take care of the details. Unfortunately they didn’t, and her wedding was not all she was wishing for. Here is a list of what went wrong, and how it could have been avoided.

1) The bride was 30 minutes late for her own wedding.
We make a detailed timeline of the entire day, from the time the make-up artist arrives, to the time the limo picks up the bridal party, etc. We even contact your hair and make-up artists to tell them what time they should start and finish, to keep the bride on time.

2) The florist was late and didn’t have an assistant to help him. He was putting down the aisle runner and petals while the guests were seated and watched.
A professional coordinator’s timeline is detailed. Each vendor (including the florist), is called two weeks before the event to discuss the duties and what time they need to start work and finish work. The florist is called again a few days before the wedding to confirm. I always have an assistant, and often times an intern. If a vendor is late and needs help to finish, we all jump in to get it done.

3) Kneeling benches were to be used for the ceremony. The bride’s sister was to pick them up from the rental company and bring them. She didn’t do it! Her own sister didn’t do it.
Prior to every wedding, I’m mentally prepared for every possible problem. I know what rental company is nearby, and could have had my assistant pick them up within ten minutes.

4) Seating cards were to be placed outside of the ballroom. Assigned seating was the order of the day. The bride left this task to her beloved and responsible cousin. Guess what? She forgot them! It was a seating “free for all”. Important family members were relegated to the back of the room, because people who took the seats closest to the couple refused to move.
We require that the seating cards are given to us the night of the rehearsal. We place them and assist guests in being seated.

5) The ceremony was one hour late and the priest threatened to leave because he had another wedding to perform. He instructed the DJ to start the music and send the bride down the aisle immediately or he would leave. The bridal party was running around visiting with friends and would not stay lined up. The brides father couldn’t be found when it was time to start. The Bride had to walk down the aisle alone!
This is absolutely heartbreaking. There are always two of us at every wedding. I stay with the bride and her maids, and my assistant stays with the groom and his men. We keep everyone in line. The latest I’ve ever started a wedding was 10 minutes.

6) Photography is one of the most important aspects of your wedding. You get one opportunity to capture “moments” on film. The photographer at this wedding was eating hors’ doeuvres and sitting down. The DJ caught him sitting down on several occasions, not taking pictures. He had to continually hound him all night to do his job.
It is not the job of the DJ to help with all of these problems. This couple was very lucky that this DJ is very caring and wanted the best for them. A coordinator would have made sure the photographer was doing his job. If necessary, my assistant would shadow him and keep him on his toes. It’s our job to oversee that the important shots are being captured.

7) A video montage was to be played during the reception. The bride assured the DJ that there would be a projector and a screen provided. She forgot to inform the venue. No screen, no projector. Luckily the DJ had a backup projector in his vehicle. He convinced the venue manager to allow them to use their screen (additional fee for the couple).
We do a final walkthrough with the venue to go over the timeline and flow for the day. The mistake would have been indentified and corrected at that time.

In the long run, the couple were married. Isn’t that what really matters? Of course it is. But the bride was especially distressed about everything that went wrong. Most brides are sure that their family will “take care of them that day”. I can attest to the fact that when a family member has been assigned a duty, 8 times out of 10, they don’t deliver. It’s not that they don’t love you, but your wedding is not their priority. We see it happen every day. That’s why I carry in the trunk of my car, an extra sign in book, toasting glasses, garters in every color, place cards and pens.

We are trained floral designers. If the florist forgets grandpa’s boutonniere, I can make one in one minute. My emergency kit contains, florist’s wire, tape and pins. We can put together an amazing cake topper from flowers from your centerpieces in five minutes.

Pardon the sound of anger in this post. I am so heartbroken for this couple. For the cost of hiring an experienced planner, these problems could have been avoided. Let me break it down this way:
Wedding Coordinator- Month Of Package…$1500
Walking down the aisle with your dad….PRICELESS!!!

THE END

Detail Diva Events and most, if not all, wedding planners offer an array of packages all you have to do is ASK and have your planner customize a package to meet your budget.

For example, right now I am offering a "Day Of Wedding Package" for under $900.00.


I meet the couple 2 months before wedding day and work with the vendors that have already been chosen and refer new ones if needed. On wedding day we my staff and I will be at the venue making sure EVERYTHING goes as planned oh... and don't forget, we also bring the EMERGENCY SUITCASE filled with goodies that will take care of any mishaps. Anyway, this is something to think about... In the meantime my dear readers I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR ANY COMMENTS FROM YOU! HECK, EVEN A HELLO WOULD BE NICE!

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Dealing With The Kiddie Complications

Hello!

Here I go again with the difficult topics of planning a wedding. It's all about decision, decisions, decisions...and here's a TOUGH ONE! Read along my brides and tells me what you think. It took me a while to write this post because it's a very touchy subject and I wanted to make sure I said as best as I can.

One of the wonderful things about weddings is that they can bring many generations together under one roof. On the other hand, you may not be delighted to have screaming infants punctuating your vows, or paying for even the most adorable Shirley Temple clone to take up a seat at your reception.

Whether to invite children to your wedding is one of the more-emotional issues you may face during your premarital meanderings. As you may have noticed, people can get positively fierce when it comes to their little darlings. So what are you choices and, after you make your decisions, how do you impart them most graciously? After you have made your decision, be gracious but firm when people call and ask if their child not being included in the invitation was an oversight.

Specifying an age cut-off is difficult. If you have young ladies and gentlemen involved in your ceremony as junior ushers and bridesmaids, they'll undoubtedly be crushed if they aren't invited to the reception. What's more, depending on your families, you may be pressured to invite other relatives of the same age if you are including these kids. And for an evening reception, trying to have any children whisked away at their witching hour without having to bid farewell to their parents is next to impossible. One solution may be to arrange a quiet area adjacent to your reception where this age group can be taken for a nap - under the supervision of a sitter - until their parents are ready to leave.

Banning children at destination weddings is tricky. Many people won't travel without their children, and consequently may refuse your invitation. One way to please everyone is to include children as surrounding events and hire a baby sitter during wedding itself. It's up to you to pick up the tab for this sitter as well as to arrange to have the children in one place, fed, and properly cared for.

Well, like always I ask ALL MY READERS to send a comment and let me know what you think and of course, any questions I will be HAPPY to answer.