Wedding Planners - Atlanta photographer Ben Vigil wrote an excellent post that might give you ideas on how to overcome objections from brides.
You can read his entire post and see his stunning wedding photos on his website. You can’t afford to NOT hire a wedding planner |
This is a post that’s been percolating for a few months and I think the time is right to post it. If you’re a bride and you’re on the fence about hiring a wedding planner, I’m going to give you a bunch of reasons why you should VERY SERIOUSLY consider hiring a planner for your wedding and why “I’m on a budget” is not only a bad excuse 99% of the time, but why it’s one of the best reasons why you SHOULD hire a planner. |
| I’m ultra organized and I can do it all myself |
| You may be right on both accounts. And that there is the problem. Instead of being able to sit back, relax and truly enjoy the emotion and momentous events of one of the most important days of your life, you’ll be endlessly answering questions from a whole plethora of family and friends. |
| My sister/aunt/mother/bff has offered to help me |
| This is the flip-side of the previous objection. You want to celebrate your wedding day with those closest to you, not put them to work. |
There are very, very few venues that can live up to that promise. Or more accurately, what the hotel/dj means by “handle everything” and what the planner means by “handle everything” are two entirely different things. What they really mean is that they will take of everything that pertains to the service they provide. In other words, if the table center pieces at your reception being provided by an outside florist are the wrong color or the wrong flower or just plain wrong, guess what? The venue will wash their hands of it (and they will), because that’s not their job. And you aren’t going to find out about it until you waltz in for your first dance. The planner would have been on top of it when the florals arrived two hours earlier. When the groomsmens’ tuxedos arrive with a missing pair of pants, the planner will take care of it (this actually happened about 3 months ago). When the limo goes to the wrong location (this has happened too many times to count), your planner will be on the cell phone talking directly to the driver making sure they get where they are supposed to go. When plans change at the last minute your planner will be there to let your photographer know so they don’t miss an important moment.
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| I can’t afford to hire a planner |
| This is my favorite. Why? Because it’s so simple to explain. Planners, like all wedding vendors, work with other vendors over and over again. They come to know their policies, how they work and what their preferences are. Moreover, they come to know which vendors, be they photographers or caterers, will serve their brides with spectacular service and quality products. They save you money when they steer you away from vendors who nickel and dime you with hidden charges and fees. They save you money when a venue gives you a preferred rate because they know the event will go smoothly with a planner involved. They save you money by guiding you to vendors who do it right the first time. |
Something goes wrong at every wedding. Without fail. Every vendor makes mistakes. They’re human. But every reputable vendor I know will breathe a sigh of relief when you tell them you are working with a professional planner. The planner is there to make sure everyone is on the same page, that everyone does their best to perform as they have promised and in the end, to take care of all the “little things” so you can enjoy your day. It’s really quite simple from my prospective as a photographer. I deal with emotional intangibles on your wedding day and this is how a planner helps me preserve those moments:
- A good planner = a smooth stress-free day.
- A smooth, stress-free day = a stress-free bride.
- A stress-free bride = a happy bride.
- A happy bride = great photos.
- Great photos = a satisfied bride.
Do you see the relationship between “a good planner” and “great photos”? Read more at www.benvigil.com |
Whether or not you are helping your brides select their wedding dresses, let them know about these regrets other brides have had that you don’t want your them to experience. Biggest wedding dress regrets from Knotties |
| “I now have three dresses and only one that I’ll wear. Do not shop almost two years out!” (©Courtney Dellafiora Photography) |
From the three-dress bride to the bride who accidentally texted the dress photo to her fiance — check out these dress shopping mistakes from brides so that you don’t make the same ones! |
“My sister-in-law couldn’t make it to my first shopping trip, so I texted her a pic of my favorite. I didn’t realize that I’d sent it to the wrong person (MY FIANCE!). It’s hard to be sneaky.” |
“Biggest mistake: expecting my dress shopping experience to go exactly like a 22-minute episode of Say Yes to the Dress complete with crying friends and family and that OMGOMGOMG feeling.” |
“To save money I ordered my dress online, which gave me a better price than the bridal store in town. Big mistake! The dress came in and it’s huge. Now I have to pay a ridiculous price for alterations that are making the gown cost more than it would have in the bridal store.” |
“I have champagne taste on a beer budget. I tried on a Vera Wang for fun and I shouldn’t have. You can imagine that I fell in love with that beauty. Don’t try on wedding dresses that you cannot afford.” |
“I wish I’d waited until 10 to 14 months out to try on dresses for the first time. I ended up trying on over 100 gowns and it was completely overwhelming.” Read more at www.wten.com |
Wedding Planners - An event planner marries a Prince! See more photos on the hello! magazine website. Nikolaos and his princess seal their traditional Greek nuptials with a kiss |
As the sun dipped low over the hills on the picturesque island of Spetses, Prince Nikolaos of Greece, for years one of Europe’s most eligible bachelors, promised to love and honour events planner Tatiana Blatnik in a ceremony that mixed pomp with traditional touches.
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| A cheer went up from the crowd as Nikolaos, 40, the third of King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie’s five children, arrived at the whitewashed monastery of Ayios Nikolaos, flanked by his mother. |
Sweeping up to the monastery in the horse-drawn carriage customary on the island, Tatiana, who works for Diane von Furstenberg, more than lived up to the expectations.
Every inch the princess, Nikolaos’ bride was breathtaking in an ivory Angel Sanchez gown with a chantilly lace overlay, teamed with a matching bolero and full-length veil.
Completing the regal but feminine look was a pair of diamond drop earrings and the antique corsage tiara, lent by her new mother-in-law.
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Once inside the elegant blonde received a wedding band to complement a stunning engagement ring, topped with a sapphire that was given to Nikolaos by his mother, who received it from her own parents, King Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid of Denmark.
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Wedding planners - get inspiration from David’s Bridal and find ways to extend your relationship with brides after the weddings. Alliance Data Signs Multi-Year Agreement With David’s Bridal |
Alliance Data to Provide Private Label Credit Card and Marketing Services for Nation’s Largest Specialty Retailer of Bridal Gowns and Accessories |
DALLAS, Aug. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Alliance Data Systems Corporation (NYSE: ADS), a leading provider of loyalty and marketing solutions derived from transaction-rich data, today announced it has signed a multi-year agreement with David’s Bridal, Inc., the nation’s leading retailer of bridal and special occasion attire. David’s Bridal enables its customers to coordinate all aspects of their wedding or special event at one convenient location, offering exclusive bridal attire collections, as well as accessories, party and special occasion dresses, invitations, gifts and favors. In addition, through its extensive partner network, David’s Bridal also facilitates the coordination of tuxedo rentals, honeymoon planning and photography services. The company offers personalized service to its customers in more than 300 stores nationwide, as well as 24-7 shopping and wedding coordination online at davidsbridal.com. With over a third of the nation’s brides purchasing their gowns at David’s Bridal, it has become a clear leader in the wedding industry – and beyond. |
Under terms of the agreement, Alliance Data will provide private label credit card services for both David’s Bridal and Priscilla of Boston, including account acquisition and activation; receivables funding; card authorization; private label credit card issuance; statement generation; remittance processing; customer service functions; and marketing services. |
As part of this private label credit card program, Alliance Data will provide customized marketing communications in support of the card program that are designed to create long-lasting and more engaging customer relationships. As an example, cardholders will receive targeted messages via monthly billing statements throughout their wedding planning process that include welcome kits, appointment reminders, notices of special promotions, and more. Following the big event, lifestyle marketing could also include communications promoting formal/cocktail attire for other special occasions. Through more relevant and targeted statement communications, the program will support David’s Bridal’s goals to further enhance its customer relationships, making the brand their go-to destination for all special occasion and party dress needs. |
“David’s Bridal is truly a category leader with a rich history of providing their customers with an ideal one-stop shop for creating memorable, meaningful life events,” said Ivan Szeftel, president of Retail Services for Alliance Data. “We’re excited to partner with them, and to support David’s Bridal’s goal of continuing to expand outside bridal, while bringing greater value to every customer. Our robust suite of credit and marketing services will help enhance their marketing and merchandising strategies, as well as allow them to communicate with their existing and prospective customers in ways that move beyond simple transactions to building and strengthening customer loyalty.” Read more at www.prnewswire.com |
Good news for brides who want their bridesmaids in Lhuillier designs. Monique Lhuillier to Design Affordable Bridesmaids, Evening, Cocktail Dresses |
Three of Monique Lhuillier’s bridesmaids dresses. Photos courtesy of Monique Lhuillier |
Now not only can brides wear Monique Lhuillier’s swoon-worthy creations down the aisle, but the whole bridal party — and even the guests — can get in on the action, too.
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| The first two wedding-themed collections — Monique Lhuillier Bridesmaids and ML Monique Lhuillier Bridesmaids — will be devoted to outfitting one’s bridal party. The former collection will retail for $225-$330 and be sold in full-service bridal salons starting in January 2011, while the latter will sell for under $200 exclusively at Nordstrom and Nordstrom.com in September. |
| One strapless bridesmaids stunner comes in iridescent moss green with a bow-cinched waist and delicately pleated neckline, while a chic navy version has a halterneck (á la new bride Anna Paquin’s wedding dress) and beautiful crisscross draping on the bust. |
| Others come in more girly hues, including a pale pink V-neck frock with origami folds. |
Here is some information about the wedding, no photos yet. Exclusive: Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer Get Married! |
True Blood stars Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer wed Saturday evening at a private residence in Malibu, Calif., UsMagazine.com has confirmed. Guests — many of them bearing gifts in purple boxes and with purple bows — included Elijah Wood and True Blood costar Carrie Preston with husband Michael Emerson (Lost). Paquin, 28, and Moyer, 40, exchanged their vows beneath a tent across the street from the beach. |
The couple announced their engagement last August. Connecting over daily breakfasts at a West Hollywood cafe, they began dating a few months after filming first began in 2008 for HBO’s smash vampire series, now in its third season. On the show, Paquin (a 1994 Oscar-winner at age 11 for her role in The Piano) plays Sookie Stackhouse, the psychic, mortal lover to vampire Bill Compton (Moyer); their first kiss occurred onscreen. |
Moyer proposed to Canadian-born, New Zealand-raised Paquin on a Hawaiian beach, presenting her with a ring — a rustic diamond set in an antiqued platinum inset — he helped design with jeweler Kathy Waterman. Why Hawaii? “There was a song in the first season, ‘White Sandy Beach in Hawaii,’ which was kind of funny and ironic,” he told Access Hollywood last year. “[It] all started out as a joke and then we decided to go to Hawaii with my kids,” says the actor, who has a son, Billy, and daughter, Lilac, from two previous relationships. Read more at www.usmagazine.com |
No photos yet but here is news about the wedding. Exclusive: Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer Get Married! |
True Blood stars Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer wed Saturday evening at a private residence in Malibu, Calif., UsMagazine.com has confirmed. Guests — many of them bearing gifts in purple boxes and with purple bows — included Elijah Wood and True Blood costar Carrie Preston with husband Michael Emerson (Lost). Paquin, 28, and Moyer, 40, exchanged their vows beneath a tent across the street from the beach. |
The couple announced their engagement last August. Connecting over daily breakfasts at a West Hollywood cafe, they began dating a few months after filming first began in 2008 for HBO’s smash vampire series, now in its third season. On the show, Paquin (a 1994 Oscar-winner at age 11 for her role in The Piano) plays Sookie Stackhouse, the psychic, mortal lover to vampire Bill Compton (Moyer); their first kiss occurred onscreen. |
Moyer proposed to Canadian-born, New Zealand-raised Paquin on a Hawaiian beach, presenting her with a ring — a rustic diamond set in an antiqued platinum inset — he helped design with jeweler Kathy Waterman. Why Hawaii? “There was a song in the first season, ‘White Sandy Beach in Hawaii,’ which was kind of funny and ironic,” he told Access Hollywood last year. “[It] all started out as a joke and then we decided to go to Hawaii with my kids,” says the actor, who has a son, Billy, and daughter, Lilac, from two previous relationships. Read more at www.usmagazine.com |
Are you prepared if your bride chips a tooth on her wedding day? Read more details in this article, including what she used for “something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.” Her dress was designed by Vera Wang. Hilary Duff chips tooth on wedding day |
 Hilary Duff tied the knot with hockey player Mike Comrie at a beautiful sunset ceremony on Aug. 14, but not everything was so perfect earlier in the day: “I started my day with a chipped tooth!”
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Duff tells OK! Magazine: “My wedding planner snuck me out to the dentist! Thank goodness it was fixed within the hour.” |
And when it came to her vows, the bride went to the Web: “We didn’t write our vows word for word. I researched on the Internet for three days! I read (about) other people’s ceremonies, picking and choosing what I liked. We chose a few poems and a ring blessing. I really feel that it’s our own.” |
-Her special requests for the menu: “Junk food! Totally, because I’ve been so good. I said to my sister (Haylie), ‘After the wedding is over, I’m going to eat 16,000 calories!’ The food was one of the most exciting parts (of planning). The catering company cooked everything for us so we could taste everything they were going to serve. Mike and I have a favorite restaurant, Giorgio Baldi (in Santa Monica, Calif.), so they modeled this delicious truffled corn ravioli from there. We had pigs in a blanket; these really cute heart-shaped, puffed, fried things; sliders with Wagyu beef and Gruyère cheese; pepper-crusted rib-eye steak; and miso-glazed black cod. We did a jalapeño pineapple martini that my mom actually created. And the dessert station had warm, molten chocolate cake and profiterole ice cream sandwiches with hot fudge dipping sauce. I’m drooling just thinking about it!” |
-Her “old, new, borrowed, blue”: “I wore blue underwear and borrowed all of the jewelry (from Van Cleef & Arpels), and the something old was my great-grandmother’s cameo, which I wore on the inside of my dress. The dress itself was new.” |
-How she met Comrie: “Through a mutual friend. Mike went on a trip to Idaho to stay at a friend’s house, and my sister and I were invited as well. Mike and I ended up talking and hanging out the entire weekend. And we didn’t spend a day apart after that. It’s been smooth sailing ever since.” Read more at content.usatoday.com |
Just Jared posted this series of photos from the wedding. Most are blurry but they will give you an idea of the event. OK magazine will publish official photos in their magazine later this week. Hilary Duff: Wedding Pictures with Mike Comrie! |
| The newlyweds tied the knot in front of 100 of the couple’s closest family and friends at a private residence on Saturday night (August 14) in Santa Barbara, Calif. |
No photos yet since the wedding just took place at sunset tonight. The location was San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, California, the same place Gwyneth Paltrow married Chris Martin in 2003 and the late President John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jacqueline, spent their honeymoon in 1953.
OK! Exclusive: Hilary Duff & Mike Comrie Tie the Knot |
 Congratulations to newlyweds Hilary Duff and Mike Comrie!
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A rep for the 22-year-old singer-actress confirms exclusively to OK! that the couple were wed on Saturday in Santa Barbara, California. |
Hilary, in a mermaid gown by Vera Wang, and NHL hockey player Mike Comrie, 29, said their “I do’s” in front of a breathtaking sunset and 100 of their closest family and friends. |
Hilary was escorted down the aisle by her mother Susan Duff, who was dressed in Badgley Mischka. |
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