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Posted on by Olga Pomeransky — 3 Comments

What your wedding planner actually does and 5 things only a planner can do for you

Are you a soon-to-be bride battling with whether you should hire a wedding planner or not? While it is in no way impossible to have your wedding sans a planner, there are definite advantages to hiring a professional for the job. A good wedding planner will make your wedding planning a lot easier as she has valuable experience handling weddings, whereas you don’t. In fact, I think wedding planners deserve more credit than they usually get.

Anyone who has planned a wedding will know that it is no walk in the park. There are hundreds of details to handle, many things to arrange and several people to coordinate. Few couples have the required time, effort, patience or organizational skills to do it perfectly. Wedding planners are the right people to handle all the details of your wedding efficiently, when you can’t or don’t want to handle all these responsibilities yourself.

Although you have to pay a wedding planner for her services, it usually is money well-spent when you consider the stress that goes into wedding planning. This brings us to the question of who needs a wedding planner, and who doesn’t. To make things simple, look at the following list. You definitely need a planner if:

You have no clue about where to begin or how much anything costs
You and your partner have full-time demanding careers that leave you little to no time to plan your wedding details
Your wedding location is far away from where you live, and you cannot continuously monitor everything there
You do not have time or are unable to find inspiration through the internet, magazines or other wedding resources to plan your wedding.
None of your family members or friends are available to help you
You feel burnt out, stressed or panicky when you think of the wedding
You know what you want, but aren’t sure of how feasible it is or how to go about it.

If you don’t fall into any of the groups above, you may be able to handle your wedding all by yourself. Nevertheless, let us take a look at what a wedding planner does, so you can understand why we speak so highly of them.

What does a wedding planner actually do?

It is crucial that every couple work with a wedding planner who they are comfortable with. Read our article here to learn more about how you should go about choosing your wedding planner.

From the minute your wedding planner is assigned responsibility for your wedding, she starts working towards making your wedding a success. It is a service you are paying for, so she has to deliver to your satisfaction. Her duties include, but are not limited to the following

#Planning your wedding checklist and creating a schedule

A wedding planner knows the sequence in which things are to be carried out, so every task is complete and every detail in place, in time for your wedding. She will custom-create your wedding tasks checklist, and give you a specific timeline of what is to be done and when. This will allow you to mark your calendars for wedding tasks, get every job done on time and not miss out on anything that you may need for your big day.

#Vendor selection

You will need to work with wedding vendors for most, if not all your wedding needs. Just the thought of selecting the right person from all the vendors out there, working with and coordinating many people, perhaps even teams, to get everything in place on time can make a bride jittery. Fortunately, your wedding planner is equipped for the task. Once you share your vision for your wedding, and discuss your budget, your wedding planner can come up with a list of vendors who can handle each aspect. They can even carry out interviews, check rates and just leave you to make the final choice, saving you all the trouble.

#Negotiations, discussions and coordination with vendors

There are a number of factors that are to be discussed with each vendor—their availability, rates, overheads, what is included in their bills, extra services that may be needed, etc. Meetings will have to be held, phone calls made, emails shared, payment schedules fixed and contracts drawn. This will have to be done with your catering team, decorating team, florist, photographer, wedding dress vendor, baker—the list goes on. Your wedding planner will make sure all this is done on time and to your satisfaction. All you have to do is make your payments (which again your planner will remind you of, in advance) and leave the rest of the planning to her.

#Planning the finer details

Weddings today are displays of details. Every small and big detail at a wedding is important, and it is impossible to take care of everything if you choose to do it yourself. You must have a wedding design, based on your theme. This will cover everything from how the tables will be set at the reception, the centerpieces, the aisle decorations, your outfit, party favors, wedding cake and even how you photograph. Beautiful weddings are those that have plenty of fine details, but come together cohesively. Your wedding planner can help you decide on the palette, décor and every other detail for your wedding. Her experience will help her assist you with what is practical, and what may not work. The best part is that she can provide you suggestions that work within your budget, so you can plan your dream wedding without breaking the bank.

#Questions, concerns and etiquette

Wedding etiquette may be an alien subject to you. From the way your invitation is worded, to whether you should invite a new associate and whether a dress you choose is appropriate for a wedding-related event, there are so many things that you may not know or not be sure of. Your planner can guide you in the right direction. She will be well-versed in wedding etiquette and can make sure that you do everything the right way. By suggesting what is appropriate for your situation, she can make sure there is minimum chance for disappointment or embarrassment.

#Planning and preparing for the day

It will seem like there is a lot going on, on your wedding day. In fact, the days leading up to it will be filled with activity, that you can easily miss or forget a few details at least. But, this can cost you dearly. The Guardian puts it perfectly in this article, where it says, “Every minor flaw on the wedding day feels like a catastrophe to the bride and groom.” While you may not be able to foresee or plan it to the tee, your wedding planner certainly can.

She will prepare you and all those involved in your wedding, for the actual day by setting everything right during the rehearsal dinner itself. She will make sure that your bridesmaids know when to be where, the venue is decked up just like you had imagined it, everything is where it should be, the guests are comfortably seated, the music is played when it should be, all the vendors deliver on time and everything happens without a hitch. She will also be prepared to handle any last-minute mishaps. Remember how J Lo in the classic movie “The wedding planner” was equipped for every scenario you can possibly imagine; that is pretty much how wedding planners work. Need I say more?

#Take care of all the after-the-wedding details

The duties of your wedding planner aren’t over as soon as you are married. Instead, she will make sure that you have a great day without having to worry about whether the venue is vacated on time, the decorations are taken down, everything is returned to where they belong and the on-site staff are paid for their services. Additionally, she will make sure that your wedding dress is bagged and sent to your house while you set off on your honeymoon, and that your gifts are sent home with the person designated for the task.

In short she ensures that you have a fantastic day, without worrying about what has to be done next or if everything will be where it should be, all because she is in charge.

Now, we have a good idea of all that a wedding planner does, but we aren’t finished. At least a few of you would be thinking that this is all stuff that you can handle, or perhaps your mother or friend can help you to. We agree!

Nevertheless, there are a few things that only a wedding planner can do right. Let us find out what they are.

5 things only your wedding planner can do for your wedding

1.Use their contacts to get you to the right people for the job

Unless you have worked with various vendors before, it will be difficult to find the right vendor for very specific needs within your budget. Plus, you can only find out so much about how reliable they are, from the feedback you receive from your sources. Your wedding planner has worked on several weddings and knows all the right contacts in the industry. This valuable exposure will allow her to put you in touch with the ideal person who will work within your budget, to handle every task for your wedding. This will save you time, effort and stress.

2.Tells you what is possible and what isn’t

Wedding planning can get too exciting, and brides can go over-the-top with certain plans, without really thinking it over entirely. In many cases, they may not recognize the feasibility of their ideas on such a large-scale. Your mother or best friend may also have only so much know-how to tell you what won’t work or suggest what can be done instead. A wedding planner has been there before, and knows what is possible and what isn’t. They will try to make you and your partner happy, but will direct you so you can avoid disappointment later.

3.As a neutral party, can advise you on how to sort out things

Now, here is a person who you can turn to, when you want something sorted out. And trust me, when I say, there are so many occasions when tempers may flare and opinions soar, where wedding planning is concerned. Your wedding planner has only your best interests at heart, and will know how to make sure the plans are made in your best interests. As long as she is in charge, you needn’t worry about how to convince your parents about who sits where at your wedding, or convincing your aunt about why you cannot use her idea at your party.

4.Handle any emergency and come up with Plan B

There are several things that can go wrong on the wedding day, or in the days leading up to it. Your wedding planner is the right person to foresee any such mishaps. She will usually have a Plan B in place for any emergency situation that may arise. Many brides freak out over last minute changes to plan or unexpected problems such as vendors who cancel. With a wedding planner in-charge, it is likely that you will not have to stress over any such issues. She will know what to do, and in most cases may even avert the problem without you even knowing about it.

5. Does her job seriously and you don’t have to feel guilty about her not having fun

Your wedding planner is a professional who you pay to make sure the wedding progresses smoothly. So, you needn’t worry about her not being a part of the fun. If the same task were handled by your family or friends, you would at some point or the other feel guilty that they were so engrossed in handling their responsibilities instead of having fun. With a wedding planner, this thought needn’t cross your mind. This is her job, and she is being compensating for it. So, you can relax and just enjoy your wedding, as you should be doing.

Ultimately, whether you hire a wedding planner or not, the important thing is that you enjoy your wedding and get married the way you always dreamed of it. And to make sure you have everything you have for your big day, whether you plan it with your wedding planner or all by yourself, come visit us at Best for Bride. You will find everything from your wedding dress to dresses for your bridal party, accessories and everything wedding related, with us.

Posted on by Olga Pomeransky — 2 Comments

10 steps to planning the perfect bridal shower

Ashley's Bridal Shower 2012 — Image Credits: ceng design, via Flickr [CC BY 2.0]

Weddings are a big celebration, as it is one of the most important events in a couple’s life. However, it is not a one-day event, where everything starts and ends on the day of the wedding. There are many other occasions that build up the thrill and make the days leading up to the wedding, exciting for the couple and everyone else involved in their lives.

Just as the couple put in a lot of time and effort in planning their wedding, the bridesmaids are expected to do their part in hosting an interesting bridal shower. Nevertheless, it is not an easy task. Although it isn’t as complicated as planning the wedding itself, there is a certain amount of planning, organizing and managing that goes into it. If you haven’t hosted many parties before, or are trying your hand at a bridal shower for the first time, do not worry. This article will guide you through all that you need to know, to plan it like a pro. Let’s begin!

1.Surprise party or planned one

The first step in planning the bridal shower is to decide whether you want it to be a surprise or not. While some brides may be all for the surprise, and will enjoy what you plan, other brides are more conservative with their likes. These brides would appreciate advance notice about what to expect. You know your friend best, so go with what she would prefer. If she has plenty of ideas and has hinted at a theme that she would like, try to plan your party around her likes. After all, it is to celebrate the bride. Ask her who she would like at her party, whether there is a theme she would love and any other inputs. Then plan the bridal shower around these ideas. Nevertheless, don’t tell her everything about what you will be arranging. Instead, just tell her the date, time and venue, and leave her guessing about the rest.

2.When to start planning

The bridal shower is on your priority list of to-do’s as a bridesmaid. So, start preparing for it soon after your friend has asked you to be on her bridesmaids list. Start gathering ideas and making plans at least 3 months before the scheduled date, and set up a bridal shower calendar. Remember that your list of tasks should include the following, in more or less the same order:

fixing the budget for the party
compiling the guest list and collecting addresses
drafting, printing and sending out invitations
booking the venue or making reservations at the chosen location if the crowd is small
Collecting and compiling RSVPs and adjusting the guest list
choosing the menu and arranging food
arranging for decorations
planning bridal shower games, collecting necessary items to play them and buying prizes
pick up all that is needed to entertain the guests on the day
deciding and buying bridal shower favors for the guests
Decorating or overseeing the decorations and setup at the venue

Mark your calendar for when each of these activities are to be held. Since it is likely that you will be sharing these duties with the rest of the bridesmaids, you can split the responsibilities with them. Create a list of errands to be completed by each girl, and make sure you monitor everything is progressing as per plan, once you begin the process.

3.When to hold the bridal shower

The bridal shower should ideally be held at least two weeks before the wedding date, so it doesn’t clash with any other appointments the bride may have. However, you shouldn’t plan it way ahead of the wedding. Anytime in the two months before the wedding is ideal, as the thrill of the wedding will be building up and this is the best time to host it. Nevertheless, consider other factors such as if the guests have to travel from far to attend the bridal shower. In this case, it may be a good idea to hold the shower closer to the wedding date, so it will be convenient for those who come from far. Just make sure you confirm with the bride, and fix the date accordingly.

4.Set the budget and create the guest list

First up, work with the rest of the bridesmaids and fix the budget for the party. You should have a rough idea of how big the party will be, to set a reasonable budget. So, consider this factor first. Now, move on to deciding the venue, planning the theme and budgeting for other party expenses within this amount. It is a good idea to hire the services of a professional photographer for the bridal shower. Figure this into the budget as well. Make sure you miss nobody, by asking the bride if you’ve missed anyone in your list. You cannot however ask the bride, if you have planned a surprise party. In this case, work with the rest of the bridesmaids, or ask her family to make sure you have all the important people on the list. Collect the contact information of all those who are to be invited, and make a separate list of those who have to travel from far or have to be informed early, so they can plan for it.

5.Book the venue and send out invitations

Next, finalize the venue and make the rest of the plans. This is also the time to decide if you will have to make reservations for the venue where the event is to be hosted. If so, finalize the date immediately and make sure to do the bookings on time. Simultaneously draft the bridal shower invitations. It should include all relevant details like the time, date, venue, an RSVP request and theme, if any. Apart from this, you may also like to include the registry information on the bridal shower invite, as it will help the bride get this information out to all the guests easily. You can even DIY the invites if you have the time and the skills to handle it. Send the cards out at least six weeks prior to the shower date.

6.Make food and drink arrangements

Unless you have booked an all-inclusive package at the venue, you will have to decide on the menu for the party. Plan it according to the time, venue and weather. You do not have to offer a complete meal. Light snacks, soups and deserts are the norm for afternoon and evening parties. You may like to add some signature style dishes or innovative arrangements like a s’more bar or hot chocolate station, to make it more interesting. Keep the spread uncluttered, varied and interesting. If there are theme colors, plan food choices in matching colors. Create a schedule for the food stuff that you will be making, and place orders for those that you will be buying. If you will be serving cocktails or drinks, plan when you will go shopping for mixers, garnishes, ice cubes and all that will be necessary if you are hosting it at your home or doing the arrangements yourself.

7.Plan games and activities

Bridal shower games are not just entertainment. They are a must to help the guests break the ice. Check out our posts on fun bridal shower games here and here. Assuming that the guests at the party will belong to different age groups, it is a good idea to have a mix of both traditional games and recently trending ones, so everyone can participate. Also include games that will require the guests to be seated, and those for which the guests will have to be up and active, to keep it varied. Once you have a list of the games and activities that will be held, create another list of all that you need to buy or arrange. Then get down to collecting or creating it. If required, you can even hire an entertainer or an event planner to host the day’s activities, if you don’t want to do so yourself. You should also consider the music you will be playing on the day and have the play list ready in advance.

8.Get the party favors ready

It is customary to send the guests home with a party favor from the event. It is up to you to decide what you would like to gift. It can either be edible favors like cookies, cakes or chocolates or non-edible keepsakes like compact mirrors, purses, key chains or coasters. You can even DIY or arrange for customized party favors that match the theme of the event you hosted. Use your imagination and get creative to make these party favors stand out. Green party favors are a trend that is not only environment-friendly, but practical as well. If you have to shop for the favors or place an order for it online, make sure you do it in time. Delivery of bulk orders can take anywhere from a week to a month or more. Some favors may require further assembly after you receive them, or some of them may have to be gift-wrapped. Figure out all these factors, so you have them ready in time for the party.

8.Get the arrangements in place, and buy the remaining items closer to the date

As the date of the shower approaches, make sure you have all the decorations ready, all the DIY tasks completed and your calendar set for when you will complete the last minute shopping. If you are holding the party at your house or at a location where you have access to before the day of the shower, you can start setting up in advance. The last-minute things to buy or collect will include flowers, food and drinks. The décor items should already be arranged for and collected in advance.

9.Create a special seat for the bride

Make sure that the bride’s seat is specially decorated or customized. You will also have to arrange for extra space to stash all the gifts she receives on the day. It is a good idea to also include a notepad or register to keep track of the gifts each person brought. Since there is a tradition of opening the gifts received at the shower on the day itself, keep a pair of scissors ready, to cut through the wrappers and a large trash can to contain all the gift wrap, once the gifts are opened. Also, don’t forget to buy your gift for the bride. You can collect funds from the entire bridesmaid group and get her a combined gift.

10.Prepare for the day

Depending on how much time you will have on the day, plan your activities so that the area is set up on time. Create a checklist of everything that has to be done on the day, where everything has to be arranged and who is in charge of what. Pick up flowers, grocery and all that is to be collected on the day and set them in place. Dress yourself up for the event, and choose a dress that you will feel comfortable in, but look great in. Check all the equipment at the site before the function starts. Co-ordinate with the guests and make sure everyone remembers the time and where they should be.

With all these steps in place, you are now all set to host the perfect bridal shower, and enjoy it too. Organizing everything on time will help you ensure that everything progresses without any hassles, and you aren’t stressed out over it.

For more tips and wedding planning advice, continue visiting us at Best for Bride. Also, visit our online store to choose the perfect evening dress to wear on the big event you are in-charge of.

Posted on by Olga Pomeransky — 2 Comments

How to hold on to your wedding bouquet by preserving it

You invest a significant amount of money, time and effort in choosing your bridal bouquet. So, don’t you think it is sad that the blooms that played a huge part in transforming you into a bride, can wilt and be lost forever, after the day?

Fortunately, there are ways in which you can prevent this, and in fact save your wedding bouquet as a keepsake for the years to come. Here are the different ways you can do this.

Silica-drying

You can have this done by a professional, or try your hand at it yourself. The technique involves brushing powdered silica gel all over your bouquet (sparing no inch of it), and placing it in an airtight container. The gaps in the container should then be filled with silica gel. It is then left to dry for a week to ten days. Once dried, the color is fixed using a fixing spray, and the bouquet can then be displayed in a glass box or flower vase in your home.

Freeze-drying

This is an expensive method, and one that has to be done by a professional. It can take up to three months to complete. The flowers are treated with starch and then freezer dried in the original bouquet style itself. The benefits of this method are that the bouquet looks pretty similar to how it did originally, but it is perhaps the most expensive of all the other methods.

Preserve it after drying

All you have to do is to hang the flowers upside down in a safe area till they are fully dry. Although the flowers will lose the original look, it will still be a memorable keepsake of your milestone event.

Press and frame

Here, you basically remove the flowers from the bouquet and either save all, or a few. You can flatten the blooms by placing them beneath a heavy book or something similar. If you are good with your hands, you can then arrange them in a frame. The alternative is to have them professionally pressed and framed. Either way, you can transform your wedding flowers into a work of art that can be displayed in your new home.

Apart from these traditional bouquet preservation options, I found many more fantastic ideas at Pinterest. Let us take a look at some of the most brilliant ones.

Create a Christmas ornament

This idea by Wedding Party is ideal for those of you who are short on space and time. Just grab a few flowers from your bouquet, dry them and pack them into a transparent bauble. Close it off with the cork of a wine bottle used at your wedding, and add your wedding date to the glass ornament. You now have an ornament which you can fondly bring out and display on your Christmas tree every year.

Use it in a paperweight

The Flower Preservation Workshop company suggests having your wedding flowers converted into a beautiful paperweight. Take a look at how the end result looks, and I am certain you will fall in love with it. Brilliant!

Now, tell us which of these will you be using? If you haven’t thought about it yet, it may be a good idea to do so now. For more wedding tips, advice and fun ideas like these, keep visiting us at Best for Bride.

Posted on by Olga Pomeransky — 2 Comments

5 questions to ask yourself when planning an outdoor wedding

There is an unmatched thrill associated with an outdoor wedding. Unlike indoor weddings which are mostly predictable, an outdoor wedding keeps the excitement alive as there are many options to make it unique. Nevertheless, it is also equally challenging to plan a successful outdoor wedding, as you have to account for many extra factors when your wedding is to take place in a natural background.

Before you decide that you want an outdoor wedding, here are the questions you should ask yourself to help you understand whether you can pull it off.

Do you have a Plan B?

As romantic as getting married under a cloudless blue sky may sound, remember that Mother Nature may decide to throw up a challenge when you least expect it. You never know when the weather can give you a nasty surprise, and should be prepared for sudden showers in spring, snow in winter and temperatures that soar up or fall. As wedding planner Hariette Rose Kuz mentions on the Huffington Post, always have a backup plan, should this occur. You would have an alternate indoor venue in mind, should you have to move at the last minute.

Have you considered access to the location?

If the location is up a hill or in the middle of a huge open field, consider how your guests can get there. This is even more relevant if there are elderly guests who may find it difficult to walk the long route or drive so far. Consider whether you can arrange alternate transportation to make their commute to the site and back easier. If it is impossible, you may be better off looking elsewhere.

Will you be extra stressed thinking of unexpected weather?

Not all brides are cut out to take what comes with a smile. Are you the type of girl who feels disturbed when plans fail due to unforeseen circumstances? Or do you just take whatever happens in your stride? If you are the latter, an outdoor wedding shouldn’t be too stressful. But, if you are the anxious type, you do not want to spend the days leading up to the wedding poring over weather forecasts and worrying whether you will have to ditch your plans at the last minute.

Have you considered the additional costs?

An outdoor wedding means extra charges for tents, transportation and outdoor toilet rentals. This may add extra thousands to your wedding budget. You should also consider the charges for air-conditioning or fans in tents to keep your guests cool and the flowers from wilting. There may also be extra charges for using the site or permits to be taken. Add all these to the wedding budget when accounting for the cost of venue.

Did you know that not all wedding dresses are good for the outdoors?

Yes, an outdoor wedding isn’t really suitable for a wedding gown with a long train. In fact, you will have to consider light breezy fabrics and shorter hemlines, to be comfortable and for the dress to remain clean. This doesn’t mean you have to compromise on style, as there are plenty of options out there. But, if you always dreamed of wearing an elaborate gown with a heavily layered skirt, you may have to drop the idea of an outdoor wedding.