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Sunday, January 30, 2011

Simple and Sentimental Solutions to Wedding Problems

I had a bride who wanted an outdoor ceremony and she did get just that and the weather was beautiful.  This bride hired me very late in the game and I needed to find out as much as possible about her dream wedding and do it very quickly.  I soon learned that they wanted a program placed on all of the chairs.  Are you thinking the same thing that I thought at that moment?  Outdoor wedding, programs on chairs.  Hmmmm.  I saw programs flying all over the place with any gust of wind.

Since I knew that this bride was very much into doing what was "green" for her wedding, I suggested that they put nature into the wedding ceremony to solve the potential problem.  I explained to them some of the ways a rock ceremony can be a part of a wedding.  I was also thinking that rocks could hold those programs securely in the chairs!  This bride was very creative and turned it into a very sentimental part of their ceremony.  Her family had property on a beautiful lake with a type of stones on its shore that were flat.  This lake had special meaning for many family members as you can only imagine all the good times they had together, probably tossing these types of stones into the lake as kids.

After the ceremony, all of the guests who had been instructed to hold the rock and make a good wish for the bride and groom and place the rocks into a special box.  I love the picture of the bride and groom walking through a meadow with the groom carrying the box filled with good wishes.

Greatest of Days
Event & Wedding
Planning and Design
Wedding Officiating


27111 167th PL SE, STE 105-242
Covington WA   98042
Cell:  206-604-1908
http://www.greatestofdays.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!
http://www.bridal4-1-1workshops.com/
http://www.fostergolflinks.com/sites/courses/view.asp?id=305&page=7050
Trendy Events, Home of Betta Mansions
1903 Market Street,
Tacoma, WA 98042

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Wedding Planners Cost Too Much!

Let's dispel some myths here since we're getting into the season where everyone seems to have gotten engaged or is getting engaged.


In two hours of time your assignment is to get 3 of each category of photographers, DJ's, cake designers and floral designers whose work you are familiar with, who you really like as a person because they have your style down to a "T".  On your mark, get set...stop!!  I can hear you say, "How in the world am I supposed to do that in two hours?  That's 12 people and how would I know all of that information about them?"  


This is how it happens.  I would say that most wedding coordinators could do just that after they had a 1-hour consultation with you.  They would also have enough information at that point to suggest other vendors and a selection of venues in a very short period of time.  


There's another exercise to do now.  Let's say that you didn't use the above system to plan your wedding and did all of that research whenever you had some extra time during the evenings and weekends and when you could sneak in a few minutes at work.  You realize after you count the hours during the week or month that you have just taken on a part-time job..planning your wedding.  You may have even had to take a day off, that you really wanted to spend on your honeymoon, but instead you spent that day trying to find just the perfect invitations and still didn't find what you liked.  You feel like you see less of your fiance' than ever.


That is the kind of scenario that really makes me sad.  I catch myself hearing a couple's stories who might be half-way through planning their wedding and it makes me cringe.  I can't help it.  I think to myself or out loud, "I sure wish I'd been able to speak with them sooner!  I could have saved them so much time and money."  


I know what you're probably thinking.  How in the world can a Wedding Planner save you money?  Aren't they only for rich people? They act like snobs in the movies!  Not for me.  No way!  


Reality differs from Hollywood once again.  Wedding Planners can pass on to you the discounts that vendors give to them because they have that "know, like and trust" relationship already established.  Sometimes the discounts are 20% and they add up fast in a good direction! 


Another reality strikes again and you find that you saved or almost saved as much in those discounts to pay for your Wedding Planner.  It doesn't stop there. The rest is gravy.  You also know that you have a liaison with vendors, your venue and sometimes even your family and friends if problems come up.  You also know that your Wedding Planner is going to have her eyes on you and your guests on your wedding day to make sure they are comfortable and not working on your wedding day.  This scenario is especially true with a full planning package where everything has been designed from the beginning to fit together like pieces of a puzzle.


Let's see, where would you rather be 6 months from now.  Still trying on shoes for your wedding or walking on a beach in sandals?



Janis Flagg, Owner

Greatest of Days
Event & Wedding
Planning and Design
Wedding Officiating


27111 167th PL SE, STE 105-242
Covington WA   98042
Cell:  206-604-1908
http://www.greatestofdays.com/
http://www.greatestofdaysweddingsandevents.blogspot.com

If you are a wedding vendor, join the South King County Event and Wedding Vendors through http://www.meetup.com/
A very special guest will be speaking on January 27, 2011.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkKIjSu9dbA
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!
http://www.bridal4-1-1workshops.com/

http://www.fostergolflinks.com/sites/courses/view.asp?id=305&page=7050

Trendy Events and Home of Betta Mansions
1903 Market Street,
Tacoma, WA 98042








Saturday, January 8, 2011

What Does A Wedding Planner Do?

This "Vendor Wheel" isn't meant to frighten anyone, but is illustrates just how many aspects there can be to planning a wedding and even after the wedding.  If you have the help of a Wedding Coordinator who can pass on discounts they receive from many vendors, many times those discounts are equal to or more than what you originally pay for a Coordinator.

There is at least one possible vendor missing here.  Can you guess one?



copyright 2011, Greatest of Days.  You may use this by mentioning this business.

As always, wishing you the greatest of days!

Janis Flagg


Greatest of Days
Event & Wedding
Planning and Design
Wedding Officiating


27111 167th PL SE, STE 105-242
Covington WA   98042
Cell:  206-604-1908
http://www.greatestofdays.com/
http://www.greatestofdaysweddingsandevents.blogspot.com

If you are a wedding vendor, join the South King County Event and Wedding Vendors through http://www.meetup.com/
A very special guest will be speaking on January 27, 2011.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkKIjSu9dbA
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!
http://www.bridal4-1-1workshops.com/
http://www.fostergolflinks.com/sites/courses/view.asp?id=305&page=7050

Betta Mansions
1903 Market Street, 
Tacoma, WA 98042

Monday, January 3, 2011

Wedding Planning and Help for the Mother of the Bride.

Hello to Moms and Brides!

If we are married, we all remember when we were planning our weddings and maybe it felt like Moms did some crazy things.  I often hear from those who are of the age to have children getting married now, that their mothers did everything and they didn't really have any say in what their wedding was like.  That wasn't always the case, but it can have some rather unpleasant results when it's the next generation's turn to get married.  Can you guess what happens sometimes?  Yes, you got it!  The very same thing, intentional or not, pops up out of nowhere all over again, only this time with a lot more struggle.

First of all, I think that the mother-daughter relationship can be one of the most complicated relationships.  Even when they have a wonderful relationship, it can be one of those things that cannot be put into words.  With that said, we tend to only hear about how horrible the mothers of the brides are.  No one is all good or all bad.  Is it just easy to give the mother of the bride a little more bad press because they'll do anything for their kids?  That's not to say there are some really obnoxious mothers out there.  I have a few memories of my own mother being less than kind and words that still sting when I think of them.  We've all heard of the generation gap, but wouldn't it be nice if there was a nice bridge or better yet, a path created through a beautiful meadow of flowers between Mom and daughter?  I think there is!  There's no excuse for rude behavior on either one's part, but it just might happen.

When a parent is primarily paying for a wedding, after I've spoken with the bride and groom, I will offer an additional hour of complimentary consultation with the whomever that parent(s) might be.  If they are primarily paying for a wedding, remember that even a modestly-priced wedding can cost more than one or more of their first cars they bought.  This is a very emotional time for mothers and brides, but if they have the tools to get through the wedding planning process together it can be a completely different experience for all involved.  During these consultations I can help each "side" understand where the other is coming from and relay that from a neutral stand point.  One thing that Wedding Coordinators over the age of 45..ahemm.. benefit from is that we have seen and experienced things through multiple generations.  With this comes wisdom, if we have studied all the nuances of each generation and are open-minded.  We all base our adult lives on what experiences have shaped us and that is going to be different for everyone.

In a nut shell, it helps so much if I can relay to the bride that Mom and Dad may not have every dime in the world even though she might be the princess and has almost always gotten everything she wanted.  On the other hand, if a parent has the purse strings, it is not their wedding and those strings should not strangle and dictate what the wedding is like and end up being a wedding day that the bride and groom really won't hold as a day of pleasant memories.

I would suggest a an investment worth it's weight in gold.  Check out http://www.bridal4-1-1workshops.com/

As always....

Wishing you the greatest of days...and happy planning!

Janis Flagg, Owner

Greatest of Days
Event & Wedding
Planning and Design
Wedding Officiating


27111 167th PL SE, STE 105-242
Covington WA   98042
206-604-1908
http://www.greatestofdays.com/
http://www.greatestofdaysweddingsandevents.blogspot.com

If you are a wedding vendor, join the South King County Event and Wedding Vendors through http://www.meetup.com/
A very special guest will be speaking on January 27, 2011.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkKIjSu9dbA
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!
http://www.bridal4-1-1workshops.com/
http://www.fostergolflinks.com/sites/courses/view.asp?id=305&page=7050

Betta Mansions
1903 Market Street,
Tacoma, WA 98042