Read some more of our blogposts.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Exciting! My business is now being featured on Bridal Tweet!

My business is now featured on Bridal Tweet because this week I invited the most people to their site.  It has over 10,000 members and it is a great forum for wedding professionals and brides alike!

Their site is http://www.bridaltweet.com/

Hey, I am having one of those....

Greatest of Days!!

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

So You Just Got Engaged! Feels A Little Surreal?

There's no feeling like it in the world when you realize you are referring to your boyfriend as your fiance'!  It takes a while for it to sink in and every time someone says, "Congratulations!" it hits you!  I'm getting married!!  That is followed by everyone wanting to see your ring, and then question is when is the date?  It's all very exciting and almost surreal.  That smile will not leave your face except for when you experience those tears of joy and those fleeting moments of butterflies in your stomach.

When it comes time to begin preparing to make your wedding and marriage a reality, your feelings will more than likely be all over the place.  Don't be surprised if it seems like there are a few people in your life who seem to be on an emotional roller coaster!  A lot of this is because people tend to not know how to express their emotions.  You might feel better thinking about a quote from Aristotle.  To paraphrase it, "Seldom does anyone get angry at the right person, at the right time, at the right place and to the right extent".  There's always a story behind the story or an emotion behind the emotion.

It helps if you and your fiance' have set some priorities on what you really want for your wedding and have determined what your budget is.   Determine what you have time for and to become educated about those people who will be providing services for your wedding.  So many times people think that they can save money by doing a lot themselves.  This could be true, but it is a risky assumption if not false sometimes.  You really need to take the time to talk to professionals who live, eat and breathe the very thing that you have never planned before.  It's such an important day.  A good vendor will suggest ideas that can save you money, make something have a dual purpose, or tell you the good news along with the bad.  For instance, some flowers are only available at particular times of the year and you might find yourself paying a premium price for others if they are in high demand.  The date you choose might not coincide with availability of product.  It's best to keep an open mind.

Do-it-yourself projects can be fun, but the more you have closer to your wedding day, expect that stress will take on a bigger role than you imagined.  It's crunch time and think about how many things you want to have on your to-do list during that last week or two.

See some opportunities below to help you or your friends who will be getting engaged over the holidays.  Hmm..it might be a really nice engagement present if someone pays for you to take a wedding planning workshop, or you might just want your bridal party to join you in taking the classes.  That much less you have to explain!  I can't help but think that you will have a much smoother road planning your wedding than you would otherwise.  What a beautiful picture that is in my mind.  Less stress = more good memories!

Pricing on the workshops below is $10.00 per class until January 30, 2011 and will then go up to $15.00 per class.

Wishing you the greatest of days during your  engagement!  Enjoy!!




Janis Flagg, Owner

Greatest of Days

Event & Wedding 
Planning and Design
Wedding Officiating
www.greatestofdays.com
27111 167th PL SE, STE 105-242
Covington WA   98042
Phone:   206-604-1908
www.facebook.com/greatestofdays.com
 www.greatestofdaysweddingsandevents.blogspot.com

If you know someone who is planning a wedding, give 
them the gift of information by telling them about 
Bridal 4-1-1 Wedding Workshops beginning in March 2011.
Creating memories to bring a smile to your face for years to come!
Betta Mansions1903 Market Street, 
Tacoma, WA 98042
www.bettamansions.com

Friday, December 10, 2010

Music for Your Wedding Should be Music for Everyone's Ears!

"Yea!  I can save a lot of money on my wedding.  Our best friend is going to use his Ipod for our wedding music!  Whew, that's one thing out of the way!"  Not so fast! 

I would say it can be one thing out of the way, but more than likely it will be the one thing that could get in the way of you having a wedding with the very best of memories.  Here are some of the wonderful things that I love about working with a professional DJ.  They recognize that you will have people of all ages attending your wedding and reception.  I'm sure that in your mind you visualize ALL of your guests having a wonderful time.  A professional, experienced DJ will read the crowd, know just how much to speak, when to speak, be your liaison with your guests and help keep your wedding on schedule.

It's probably safe to assume that Grandma and Grandpa Smith are not going to be having a great time listening or even dancing to anything on the Top 10 chart!  No matter what their age, they are still in their hearts younger than their number of years add up to and they cherish the best times in their lives...when they were your age.  A good DJ will know how to bring that back out of them and they can feel young once again.  Your reward will be seeing the smile on their faces and what is so pure as a hug from Grandma!  A possible side effect might include one of the biggest laughs of the night at your reception as that generation cuts loose to everyone's surprise!

Getting down to brass tacks!  You're saying, "I don't have the budget for a DJ!  I would suggest that you interview several DJ's and you might be surprised at their options.  Sometimes they will have systems set up for you without a DJ being present that will be a wonderful compromise to having an IPod wedding without the glitches.  There really are a lot of options from DJ's that you might not have even thought of that will end up being the icing on your cake rather than melted butter cream all over the place.  Well, you catch my drift!

More on DJ's in future posts.

As always..wishing you the greatest of days!




Janis Flagg, Owner

Greatest of Days

Event & Wedding 
Planning and Design
Wedding Officiating
27111 167th PL SE, STE 105-242
Covington WA   98042
Phone:  (253) 630-1754  Cell:  206-604-1908

If you know someone who is planning a wedding, give 
them the gift of information by telling them about 
Bridal 4-1-1 Wedding Workshops beginning in March 2011.
Creating Memories to Bring a Smile to Your Face for Years to Come!

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Attention: Wedding Vendors

I frequently will have vendors come up to me and say "I really wanted a client of mine to call you.  They really needed someone to help them with their wedding, but they just didn't get it!"

What can we do as Wedding Coordinators to help vendors create a compelling message for their client's benefit?  Would vendors appreciate something that would make this easier for them in the form of a handout, a video?  An invitation for a free consultation?  I'm all ears!

Wishing you the greatest of days!







Janis Flagg, Owner

Greatest of Days

Event & Wedding 
Planning and Design
Wedding Officiating
www.greatestofdays.com
27111 167th PL SE, STE 105-242
Covington WA   98042
 Cell:  206-604-1908
www.facebook.com/greatestofdays.com
 www.greatestofdaysweddingsandevents.blogspot.com

If you know someone who is planning a wedding, give 
them the gift of information by telling them about 
Bridal 4-1-1 Wedding Workshops beginning in March 2011.
Creating Memories to Bring a Smile to Your Face for Years to Come!
Betta Mansions1903 Market Street, 
Tacoma, WA 98042
www.bettamansions.com

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Decorating Tips for Weddings

Here are some of my favorite and simple decorating tips for weddings.

Wedding Decorating Tip # 1. Most venues will not allow the use of tape, tacks, or nails when decorating an event. Look for steel surfaces and use strong magnets. Just remember!! 1) Use something to act as a barrier between the magnet and the surface, i.e., leaf from silk flowers. It's common courtesy to go out of your way not to cause any damage to the venue. 2) Keep magnets out of the reach of children!!

Wedding Decorating Tip #2: Have the bridal and attendants' bouquets do double duty! With either vases or special bouquet holders that attach to a table, you can add a splash of color where ever you might need it. Maybe the guestbook table, cake table or head table. Let your creativity go crazy!

 Wedding Decorating Tip #3: Develop a theme and design for your wedding. This will reduce your costs on decorating as long as you don’t buy everything that has a seashell on it (for example) and have to start your own surplus store. Stick to your design!

Wedding Decorating Tip #4: Not everything has to be "matchy-matchy". Use a variety of tones of the same color. Light will change how a color looks anyway. Think of the walls in your house, same color, totally different look with lighting. In design, wedding colors tend to run in same hues for a year, two or more. Some just stay around longer than others. Sometimes the colors stay the same but the names change!


Wedding Decorating Tip #5 Flower petals, real or artificial--BEWARE. The real ones can stain floors, concrete or just about any kind of surface. Step on those and you have a real mess and possibly a charge from the venue. The artificial petals can be very slippery on many surfaces. I would pick up either one of these off the floor or other surface almost immediately after a ceremony. Check with your venue!


Wedding Decorating Tip #6: Don’t assume that you can just put a sign or other decoration into the ground at a venue or public park. Why do many places not allow this? Three words! Outdoor sprinkler systems! That can be one very expensive decoration and miserable experience after you have paid to repair the sprinkler system.


Wedding Decorating Tip #7: Aisle Runners. I have a love hate relationship with them. They will seldom work as you would want them to.  A Wedding Coordinator can tell you where you can get them made from real fabric for just a few dollars more or make your own from your choice of heavier fabric.  If you want to really have a great one-of-a-kind runner, spend more money and get a custom aisle runner that is made of upholstery grade fabric, check this out!  http://www.originalrunners.com/index.htm



Wedding Decorating Tip #8: If you can decorate the venue the evening before a wedding, everything will go more smoothly. Some venues will let you get in the evening before if they don't have another event taking place. Always ask what their policy is about getting in early to decorate.


Janis Flagg, Owner
Greatest of Days

Event & Wedding 
Planning and Design
Wedding Officiating
www.greatestofdays.com
27111 167th PL SE, STE 105-242
Covington WA   98042
Phone:  (253) 630-1754  Cell:  206-604-1908
www.facebook.com/greatestofdays.com
 www.greatestofdaysweddingsandevents.blogspot.com
If you know someone who is planning a wedding, give 
them the gift of information by telling them about 
Bridal 4-1-1 Wedding Workshops beginning in March 2011.
Creating Memories to Bring a Smile to Your Face for Years to Come!
Betta Mansions1903 Market Street, 
Tacoma, WA 98042
www.bettamansions.com



Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Wedding Decorating Tip #3

Wedding Decorating Tip #3:  Develop a theme and design for your wedding.  This will reduce your costs on decorating as long as you don’t buy everything that has a seashell on it (for example) and have to start your own surplus store!  Stick to your design!


Janis Flagg, Owner
Greatest of Days
Event and Wedding Planning and Design
Wedding Officiating
27111 167th PL SE, STE 105-242 Covington WA   98042
206-604-1908
"Creating Memories to Bring a Smile to Your Face for Years to Come!"
Serving South Seattle, South King County and North Pierce County

If you know someone who is planning a wedding, give them the gift of information by telling them about Bridal 4-1-1 Wedding Workshops beginning in March 2011.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Wedding Decorating Tip # 1

Wedding Decorating Tip # 1.  Most venues will not allow the use of tape, tacks, or nails when decorating an event. Look for steel surfaces and use strong magnets. Just remember to 1) Use something to act as a barrier between the magnet and the surface, i.e., leaf from silk flowers. It's common courtesy to go out of your way not to cause any damage to the venue. 2) Keep magnets out of the reach of children!!









Janis Flagg, Owner
Greatest of Days

Event & Wedding 
Planning and Design
Wedding Officiating
www.greatestofdays.com
27111 167th PL SE, STE 105-242
Covington WA   98042
Phone:  (253) 630-1754  Cell:  206-604-1908
www.facebook.com/greatestofdays.com
 www.greatestofdaysweddingsandevents.blogspot.com
If you know someone who is planning a wedding, give 
them the gift of information by telling them about 
Bridal 4-1-1 Wedding Workshops beginning in March 2011.
Creating Memories to Bring a Smile to Your Face for Years to Come!









Friday, October 29, 2010

Learn how to thrive in the new wedding marketplace on a F R E E call 11/3

My friend Natalie Bradley of www.BrideAttraction.com is hosting a F*R*E*E call for vendors like you and me on the "How to THRIVE Right Now in the New Wedding Marketplace and Create Your OWN Successful Economy". Natalie’s known for giving out a ton of valuable information on these kind of calls and I'm helping to spread the word.

Bride Attraction is helping wedding vendors throughout the world to learn how to thrive instead of just trying to survive right now with marketing and mindset techniques. I've already learned so much from her Bride Attraction System and seen real results in my business ... so here's the link to read the details for the call AND to sign up for the call on November 3rd!  www.brideattraction.com/thrive.html 

See you there!

Janis Flagg


P.S. I am spreading the word first and foremost because I believe in what Natalie’s teaching, and I have seen the results in my own wedding business. Make sure to let Natalie know that I sent you, too! :)

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Wedding Planning is Full of Emotional Decisions

All decisions are made on an emotional level no matter what the situation is.  That is why it is even more important to listen to brides by first making them comfortable to discuss their wedding.  There's no such thing as a stupid question, a weird idea nor a dream that should be given up on before it has had a chance to be heard.  I love to surprise brides with putting in an element they didn't think they could have for their wedding.


Wishing you the greatest of days!



Janis Flagg, Owner
Greatest of Days
Event and Wedding Planning and Design
Wedding Officiating
27111 167th PL SE, STE 105-242 Covington WA   98042
206-604-1908
"Creating Memories to Bring a Smile to Your Face for Years to Come!"
Serving South Seattle, South King County and North Pierce County

If you know someone who is planning a wedding, give them the gift of information by telling them about Bridal 4-1-1 Wedding Workshops beginning in March 2011.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Funny Wedding Show Memories

This weekend I was at a bridal show.  The interested bride was giving me all of the information ranging from name, wedding date, preference for indoors or outdoors, food choices, contact information.  The next question was, "What is your groom's name?"  The response was, "There isn't one!"

I guess the look on my face was priceless and I still think that my jaw is close to the floor.  I will put this in my treasure box of moments to remember!  You just never know!

Wishing you the greatest of days!


www.greatestofdays.com
jan@greatestofdays.com

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Wedding Reception Tip #1

When setting up your reception area, set up the cake table first.  You don't want your cake waiting in a car, being handled by anyone but a pro, and never want to have to move it once it is in place.


Wishing you the Greatest of Days!


 http://www.greatestofdays.com/services.html

Monday, September 27, 2010

Where Weddings are Happening!

Did you know that 53% of weddings do not take place in a church?  It's important to know of all the venues that are available to you.



Janis Flagg, Owner
Greatest of Days

Event & Wedding 
Planning and Design
Wedding Officiating
www.greatestofdays.com
27111 167th PL SE, STE 105-242
Covington WA   98042
Phone:  (253) 630-1754  Cell:  206-604-1908
www.facebook.com/greatestofdays.com
 www.greatestofdaysweddingsandevents.blogspot.com
If you know someone who is planning a wedding, give 
them the gift of information by telling them about 
Bridal 4-1-1 Wedding Workshops beginning in October.
Creating Memories to Bring a Smile to Your Face for Years to Come!
Betta Mansions1903 Market Street, 
Tacoma, WA 98042
www.bettamansions.com

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Janis Flagg - Kent: Bridal 4-1-1 Workshops, Help Brides Plan without Stress! - Biznik

Janis Flagg - Kent: Bridal 4-1-1 Workshops, Help Brides Plan without Stress! - Biznik


Quality vendors have been gathered to help brides through a one-month series of weekly workshops in the Puget Sound region. These vendors are very experienced and friendly. The workshops are extremely affordable, rare and will help decrease a bride's stress level tremendously and well and let her know how she can save money! Classes start on October 5th. So act soon! Only $15.00 a class. This is a very good wedding gift to give.

Register or inquire at http://www.bridal4-1-1workshops.com/

Knowledge is power!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Saturday, September 11, 2010

The Surprises to Crafting a Wedding Ceremony

My husband I both officiate for non-denominational weddings.  It is a true joy to be able craft a ceremony that has special meaning that comes from the depths of a couple's hearts filled with love.  It can reflect their personalities, idiosyncrasies, special moments in their courtship, their hope of building a beautiful future together and so much more.

One thing I can say is that, almost without fail is that when we first ask questions at the initial consultation, they will say something along the lines of "I guess we never thought of that!"  It can pertain to whether or not they want to repeat the vows to each other or just want to say "I do".  Sometimes it's when we bring up what the issue of what they would like us to wear.  We explain that we don't want to clash in the pictures, or appear overdressed or underdressed for the type of wedding they wish to have regardless of whether it is a themed wedding or not.

Here is the big surprise!  The one thing that seems to get the longest pause is when we ask them how they would like to be introduced after they are pronounced husband and wife. They usually look at each other with a puzzled or awkward glance.  Perhaps this is when reality hits them and the bride seems to feel like she has to make a final decision on whether she is keeping her name or not.  We will generally list a few options for introducing them as husband and wife to all of the guests at their wedding.

Just a few examples that might be added after stating, "It is my pleasure to introduce to you for the first time as husband and wife...

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Smith
Michael and Michelle Smith
Michael and Michelle
Michael Smith and Michelle Jones
Michael Smith and Michelle Jones-Smith

The best part is seeing the looks on their faces as I pronounce them as husband and wife.  It's that once in a lifetime moment that gets me every time!  What an honor and privilege it is to be able share this moment.  It brings a smile to my face every time, but then again, I'm smiling all the way to the wedding just thinking about the couple and being so happy for them!  No kidding!

Yes, I must say, I love officiating weddings!  I do, I do!

Wishing you the Greatest of Days!
www.greatestofdays.com