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Monday, December 31, 2012

When Should My Wedding Dress Be Ready?


When Should My Wedding Dress Be Ready?

I love it when I hear from a bride who is wanting some answers.  I won't reveal the identity of anyone in my newsletter who asks a question.  A bride contacted me through my website wondering if I could tell her when her dress should be ready.

The best way to answer that is to make sure it is one of the first things you do in conjunction with finding a venue.  You want a dress that you will be comfortable in.  You might ask yourself some basic questions such as:

~  Do I want to walk down 2 flights of stairs in a mermaid-style dress?
~  Ask to look for dresses that are best for the weather conditions that are most likely for your wedding day.
~  Are you going to be outdoors or indoors?  If you are going to be indoors, does it have adequate heating or cooling?
~ What is your major concern when finding a dress?  Is it budget, style, or is it important that you are eco-friendly such as a previously owned or renting a dress.

I've heard some people recommend 9-12 months prior to the wedding to be the best amount of time.  Truth be told, most brides have been picturing their wedding dress for years.  If it has to be ordered you might very well take up all of the 9 months getting the dress made.  On the other end of the calendar you want to give an alterations person plenty of time, especially if they are busy during the peak wedding season. Seamstresses also do other projects such as proms, homecomings, anniversaries.  I always recommend that a bride buys her dress that she plan on getting the dress through the initial alterations pretty soon after buying the dress if the wedding is within a year or less.  Schedule with your alterations person when they would like to see you again.  Expect to have at least one or two check-ins with an alterations person between point A and Point B. I would err on the side of caution and get the dress right away and have a final fitting scheduled ahead of time a month out from your wedding and don't wait to the last minute.  If you have had an increase in your weight, enough to make you change a dress size or make you uncomfortable plus or minus as far as the weight scale is concerned, ASAP comes to my mind!

Some brides strike gold the first time out shopping for a dress, others are either plagued with indecision or too many opinions being thrown at them.  Only take 1-2 people with you shopping for a wedding gown and always remind yourself that IT IS YOUR WEDDING.  That doesn't mean spending tons of money is appropriate if you are considering your's or your parent's budgets.


Wishing You the Greatest of Days!

Greatest of Days was nominated for the 2011 and 2012 Best Wedding Planner in the King 5 Best of Western Washington Contest.  

Click on the following link to receive the Greatest of Days weekly newsletter "Wedding & Event Dialogue"

Helping Brides Plan Weddings Without Stress.: You Might Be A Wedding Planner, If You've Felt Lik...

Helping Brides Plan Weddings Without Stress.: You Might Be A Wedding Planner, If You've Felt Lik...: You Know You're A Wedding Planner, If You've Felt Like All of These! Project Manager General Contractor Artistic/Creative Director ...

You Might Be A Wedding Planner, If You've Felt Like All of These!


You Know You're A Wedding Planner, If You've Felt Like All of These!

  1. Project Manager
  2. General Contractor
  3. Artistic/Creative Director
  4. Interior Designer
  5. Floral Designer
  6. Clothing Designer
  7. Accountant
  8. Taster
  9. Counselor
  10. Musical Director
  11. Mediator
  12. Real Estate Agent
  13. Buyer
  14. Tour Guide
  15. Firefighter 
  16. Troubleshooter
  17. Nurse
  18. Seamstress
  19. Teacher
  20. Rabbit Herder of the people variety
  21. Public Relations
  22. Custodian
  23. Inspector
  24. Babysitter
  25. Petsitter 
  26. A luggage rack
  27. Stevedore
  28. Law Enforcement
  29. Author (blurbs to blogs)
  30. Choreographer


Wishing you the Greatest of Days!


Greatest of Days was nominated in 2011 and 2012 for Best Wedding Planner in the King 5 Best of Western Washington Contest

Sunday, December 30, 2012


A Must-Read if You Are Shopping for A Wedding Dress!

If you are newly engaged and will be shopping for a wedding dress, read this if you read nothing else.

Now and then I'll find an article online that really hits the nail on the head!  One that is straight to the point and packed with good information.  If you haven't read the Greatest of Days' Newsletter, (Wedding & Event Dialogue), you'll find out now and a few more times how strongly I feel about shopping for wedding dresses.  It's a very personal decision that is not like any other decision you will make.  Not to put any pressure on you, but it is the most photographed dress you will ever wear.  That's enough to think about, but please read this article that gives wonderful tips that make the difference of it being a bad experience vs. a good experience when shopping for your wedding dress.  It's from the Huffington Post by Renee Strauss if you want to read the article "The Five Qualities Your Gown Shopping Buddy Must Have". http://www.huffingtonpost.com/renee-strauss/wedding-dress-shopping-buddy_b_2012265.html  The Huffington Post Wedding section in the Lifestyle category often has some very relevant information regarding weddings.





Wishing you the Greatest of Days!


Greatest of Days was nominated in 2011 and 2012 for Best Wedding Planner in the King 5 Best of Western Washington Contest

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Engaged! Now What!

Let Me See Your Ring!  Good job!  Then What?  

The Chicken or the  Egg Syndrome!

There's no denying that this is first phase of being engaged.  What's next?

These are the top 3 things that come next not particularly in this order.


1.  Choosing the date.

2.  Buying a wedding dress.

3.  Finding a venue.


1.  When you should choose the date first?  

In most cases, this is the first thing you want to decide upon.  You won't get far with planning a wedding as you visit vendors if you don't know what the date is if you need their services. 

      When you should not choose the date first? 

If you have your heart set on a popular venue, you might be at the mercy of whatever days they have available for your wedding.

2.  When you should choose your wedding gown first.

If you don't have much time until your wedding, you want to make sure that you get your gown with enough time for it to be designed, ordered or altered.  Until you begin shopping, you might not know which one of these will be your experience.  Sometimes, custom-made gowns cost less than off-the-rack or specially ordered gowns.

      When you should not choose your wedding gown first.

If you aren't sure if you are getting married on the beach, in the winter or the middle of summer, in a large venue or in a living room, you might end up being unnecessarily miserable on the day of your wedding. For example, you probably wouldn't want a cathedral train to drag through the sand.  You would feel like you couldn't even turn around in a small space if you had a dress with a skirt that was 6' in diameter.  If you are getting married on what might be the hottest day of the year, you might want to choose a gown made with fabric that isn't so heavy but made of fabric that breathes or doesn't have as many layers.

3.   When you should choose your venue first.

If you are limited to an area, type of space such as on the beach, by the water or any place that is very popular, you want to beat the crowds!  Weddings usually take place within a short period of time depending upon the climate.  Many people want an outdoor wedding in the summer, but not so if you live in Las Vegas or other extremely hot area.

       When you should not choose your venue first.

If you aren't sure of your wedding date, don't choose what will more than likely be your largest or second largest expense (except perhaps the wedding gown) for your wedding and reception.  Catering and the venue will combine to be about half of you wedding budget or more.

Greatest of Days
Wedding & Event Planning & Design

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Thursday, November 15, 2012

Questions to Ask When Choosing a Wedding Venue


Your Venue Voyage
What you need to know when searching for a venue!


When searching for a venue for your wedding and/or wedding reception, the better prepared you are the smoother everything will go on your wedding day.  You don't want to receive an unexpected "You can't do that!" in the middle of decorating, or realizing that you have more guests than what the fire department has deemed to be safe.  The list goes on from there.

Here is a general outline of what you should know to ask when you look for a venue. I know I'll forget a few, but these are the ones that come right off the top of my head.  One key thing to remember that is in "venue speak" provide does not always mean something automatically comes with rental package.  It may mean that it can be acquired for you usually with an additional rental fee.  

Here is your list of questions!
  1. Who is the contact person that I will need to speak to the most.
  2. Who is the backup person I would speak to in case that person isn't available?
  3. What are your business hours?
  4. Do you have 2 phone numbers (landline & cell) that I can call if I have a question?
  5. When do you not want me to call?
  6. What is you Fax number?
  7. What is your mailing address?  (Is it different than your street address?)
  8. Is your facility handicapped accessible?
  9. Do you have an elevator to get to the reception?
  10. What is included in the price of the rental?
  11. Is AV equipment and or sound system available?  If so how much does it cost?  Is it maintained properly?
  12. Do you know of any other community events taking place on the day of our wedding?
  13. Do you know of any road construction that might be happening around the time of the year we want to have our wedding?
  14. Are there any competing noises such as planes, trains, sporting events, or concerts?
  15. What if you rent some of your space out to a group that might not like being near a wedding reception?
  16. If I get a professional Wedding Coordinator do you give them discounts that they can pass on to me?
 Rental of Venue:
    • How do you determine the cost of the room fee?
      1. Do I need a minimum amount of food ordered?
      2. If I meet the minimums, will there be a banquet room charge?
    • Rehearsal:  Does that cost extra?
      1. What day do you usually schedule rehearsals?
      2. How much time do you allow for a rehearsal?
Catering:

      • Do you allow outside caterers? (food prepared by a caterer not  housed or prepared at the venue)
      • What if I want to bring in my own cultural cuisine?
      • We have our own restaurant, does that make a difference?
      • Is gratuity included in the price?
      • What about feeding my vendors?  What are my options?
      • Do you make cakes or a can you do a dessert bar?
      • Does a dessert bar cost extra?
      • Will you cut the cake?
      • Do you provide the knife and server?
      • Will there be plates there when we cut the cake?  Can we bring our own?
      • Do you have a container that we can put our cake top in?
    • Bartenders:
      • Can I have an open bar?
      • Can I have a closed bar?
      • Can I bring in my own alcohol?
      • What types of alcohol can I bring?
      • Do you have and how much is the corkage fee?
      • What will you do if someone appears to have too much to drink?
      • What about event insurance?  Do I need that?
    • Tables
      • How many and what sizes do you have?
      • Do you have special tables for the gifts, guest book, DJ and other vendors?
      • Will the guest book table and gift table be outside of the room?
    • Tablecloths and Napkins
      • What color?  
      • What size?
      • Black, white or tan only?
      • What if I want another color you don't have?
      • Do you have napkin rings?  Colors, costs, etc.
    • Do you have all of the glassware that we will need?
      • Water glasses
      • Coffee cups
      • Toasting glasses
      • Do any of these have to be rented?
      • Do you provide beverage napkins?
    • Flatware and China/Dishware
      • What does it look like?
      • What if I would rather have another pattern?
      • Can I bring in my own dessert plates?
    • Do you have a dance floor?
      • How big is it?
      • Does it cost extra?
    • Can the DJ be close to it?
Music

  •   When is the cutoff time for the music?
  •   How early can the DJ set up? 
  •   Can we bring in our own music and just use an iPod?  I have to insert an Eeeks! here.
Damage Deposit
  •  What is the amount of the damage deposit?
  •  When is it due?
  •  Will you do a walkthrough with someone to make sure we get the damage deposit back?
  •   Do you just keep a credit card number on file and then charge it in case there is damage?
I hope that these help you or give you some insight on what you can expect.  Again I know that I've probably missed some points, but this will get you ahead of the game.  Assumptions are made on both sides that can cause problems.  Those being the venue and also the client.  Don't be afraid to ask questions.  They love it when you know what to ask.  In this situation when I've been hired as a Wedding Coordinator, I've found that the client loves it when they don't have to ask the questions and just have their Coordinator ask the questions.  Chances are a Coordinator knows a lot about many different venues as far as what they allow and how any particular venue operates.


Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Weddings, Events, Seating Styles and Fire Codes


Wedding Wake up Call! 

There is a really good reason why some venues don't allow balloons or you had better at least hope that one doesn't get away inside the building.  Why?  They, along with smoke can activate the sprinkler systems!  And guess what?  In many venues it's your responsibility to retrieve balloons if they get away.         ....my beautiful balloon!

Another thing you will find in most facilities for events or otherwise is a number inside a room usually near the doorway, but look around anyway!  That number represent the number of people can be in a room...STANDING UP (this is what they call reception style).  You would think reception style would mean that everyone would be seated at tables.  Here are the types of seating styles you should know about before you rent a venue.

Theater style:  Where everyone is seated in rows of chairs

Classroom style:  Where everyone is seated at narrow tables facing one direction with possibly several people at each table.

Reception Style:  Standing up perhaps with a few cafe or bistro tables set up without seating.

Banquet Style:  Where everyone is seated at round tables.  Tables 5' in diameter, maximum seating would be 8 people.  Tables 6' in diameter, maximum would be 10.  Rectangular tables are used less frequently for banquets.  The space requirements and comfort of guests need to be considered if using rectangular shaped tables.

Tip:  When having banquet style seating, take into account the fact that people will either be going through a buffet line or there will be servers.  When people are seated and their food is brought to them, it's referred to as a "Plated Dinner".  Both styles need to allow plenty of room for guests to be going back and forth to the buffet line or for servers to clear the tables.

Jargon: 

Round banquet tables are referred to as "Rounds"

An "8-Top" or "10-Top" refers to the number of people to be seated at a table.  The number can vary at an event to assure that seats are set up to accommodate the number of guests expected and maximizing the space.


Kent International Festival Fund Raising Dinner, 2010.   Example of Banquet Style Seating


Greatest of Days
Event/Wedding Planning and Design
Non-denominational Officiating for Weddings

Click here if you would like to receive the Greatest of Days weekly E-zine "Wedding & Event Dialogue"

As always, wishing you the greatest of days!

Monday, October 15, 2012

Limousines. Make sure that they are operating legally!


Limos for any event!  You must check them out carefully!

I'm approaching this topic as a type of public service announcement!  At this time of the year I get very concerned about kids going to their annual Homecoming Dances and riding in a limousine.  You're saying, "What!?"  Yes, you heard me right!  Your teenage sons and daughters and brides are getting my undivided attention with regards to hiring a limousine!  Next time you see a bunch of police cars at Homecoming festivities, don't assume the kids are doing anything wrong.  I'd take a look first to see if there are tow trucks alongside police cars..towing off limousines!  This is when I would love to see tow trucks, but I feel for the kids and the parents who probably paid good money for the limousine.  You know, the same people who will have to get out of bed to go pick up their son or daughter!  The ones who say to you, "Maaaaw-ummmm!  Huh!" and roll their eyes at the same time.

Greatest of Days can help you find a limousine in the
Puget Sound Area.  Stay safe!
Why do I love to see those tow trucks?  In Washington State, and I'm sure it's the same in many other parts of the country, there are illegal limousine operators out there.  It's a matter of safety as well as unfairness to the legitimate limousine operators who obey the laws and care about their passengers above the almighty dollar.  A limo is not a limo is not a limo!  The people who are going by the rules have to get their vehicles inspected by the State.  After they pass the inspections they get a special sticker that goes near the license plate and you know they are insured.  That's what I really want you to look for!  If you don't see that sticker, it means that that car has not been inspected and will not be insured.  There are older limousines out there that have proven to be death traps due to their designs making it impossible for passengers to get out when broadsided.  People who don't get these vehicles inspected are avoiding it for a reason!  So don't assume that all limos are inspected, insured and so forth.  Be proactive and take a look at the limos and know that your child, sister, brother, niece or nephew are going to be in good hands.  I'd go so far as to say, hire an event planner, hmmm... for $30.00  and I will give you a selection of 3 limousine companies just to make sure you get a good car and driver.  Any vendor category, unless I know specifically what you are looking for, I'll always give clients a selection of 3 to match your style, personality and budget.  There are some top-notch companies out there, I just can't name them here to be fair.  You know who you are and you might be hearing from me soon!

Happy Homecoming, Winter Dances, Proms and any other event that you want to arrive and leave in the greatest of style!

Wishing you the greatest of days!



Thursday, October 4, 2012

Brides, Do You Have 7-1/2 Work Weeks at 40 Hours a Week to Plan Your Wedding?

That is what statistics show as the equivalent amount of time that a bride will spend planning her wedding.

It's no wonder that engagements are so much longer than they used to be.  Planning a wedding is like a part-time job.  A brand new job in a new territory!  It's likely that a bride has never planned a wedding before.  It makes sense that she would go online and try to plan her wedding.  It can reach a point where it feels like a quote from Mark Twain in what he termed "modern inconveniences".  I also call this information overwhelm.  There's no question, the information is out there and lots of it.  At some point, a bride can begin to ask questions.  

One day it might be, "Am I doing this right?"  Later on it might be, "How do I know if it's going to turn out?"  The most desperate question is, "How am I going to get everything done in time?"  There's a missing link that could set her mind at ease.  A professional Wedding Coordinator.  

There's no question that if she had gone to a Wedding Coordinator at the very beginning, she would probably be much more relaxed and not have so many questions like this popping up into her head.  It is my goal to educate brides on how we can be a cost-effective decision for them.  They also don't know that most vendors hope that a bride has a Wedding Coordinator. 

Many wedding vendors say that one of the first questions they ask a bride is if they have a Wedding Coordinator.  Some are changing that question to "Who is your Wedding Coordinator?"  The answer they don't like hearing is, my cousin..., my sister...my Mom.  They might not even want to hear "The venue lady is taking care of everything!"  Venues in general are glad when a bride has a professional Wedding Coordinator, some even require it!

By the time a bride has spent a few hours with Greatest of Days, a bride knows what she wants her wedding to be like, what is most important to her and in general what lies within  her budget.

Please visit Greatest of Days to see there is an option to help you get focused...and shorten your engagement!

Wishing you the greatest of days!

Sunday, September 16, 2012


Dispelling Some Myths about Day-of-Coordinations


What is A Day-of-Coordinator and What Does A Day-of-Coordinator Do? 

When I speak to people outside of the wedding industry, the look on their faces says it all when I ask them if they are familiar with what a Day-of-Coordinator (DOC) is.  It's usually a combination of a blank stare or I see in their eyes that "inquiring minds want to know" expression.

More Wedding Coordinators actually find themselves being hired for DOC's than for the Full-Planning of a weddings.  Every Coordinator is different yet similar in what they offer in this type of package.  It's many a Wedding Coordinator's dream to only do Full-Planning in comparison.  Don't get me wrong!  I do both!

Let's dispel some myths!

Myth #1:  A Day-of-Coordinator is a miracle worker!  According to some!
My mouth about dropped to the floor when I read somewhere that a person should hire a Day-of-Coordinator because they would keep people from getting drunk at a wedding!  Okay!  I'd hate to inform that person that that does not fall within a DOC's responsibility or capability.  Even bartenders can only try their best on this one.  Weddings are so unpredictable when it comes to guests' behavior.   I often say, "Only at weddings and funerals are people so unpredictable!"

Myth #2:  A Day-of-Coordinator only works on the day of the wedding.
Whether it is a request from a lead list or speaking to a bride in person for the first time, the most common misconception is that a Day-of-Coordination (DOC) is only for the day of the wedding.   Usually a bride wants to really make it clear that a Coordinator understands that it is only for the wedding day.  It isn't a case that they wouldn't like to have a Full-Planning package, but it is more of a statement of being afraid of spending the money, but they realize they need some help.  Contrary to the popular opinion, there really is no such thing as a "Day-of" anything for a wedding professional.  For instance, an average of 40-80 hours of work goes into a DOC before the wedding day! 

Myth #3:  A Day-of-Coordinator will find all the vendors you still need.
Seldom is this the case.  This is actually more in line with a Full-Planning option.  For this reason, many Coordinators have a planning package that falls somewhere in between the two options.  It is part of the reason I don't list my price.  No two brides are alike and neither are their weddings.  

Myth #4:  No Coordinator can possibly help a bride within a month of the wedding! 
Wrong!  We can.  The fact is, that we often get requests for DOC's within 3-6 months before a wedding. The closest I've had is about 6 weeks.  It's usually when a bride begins to feel overwhelmed and is honest with herself to realize she needs some help and wants to be able to enjoy her wedding day.  Depending on how deeply she has involved her family to help on the wedding day, many of them can also relax instead of work on the wedding day, too.  Sometimes life situations change and it really is important to hire someone to help.

So What Does A Day-of-Coordinator Do? 

1.  A DOC (from hereon out referred to as a Coordinator) will have a consultation with the bride and groom and really get to know them and their vision of their wedding.

2.  A Coordinator will get all of the contact information for the vendors, professional and non-professional alike and begin communicating with them almost immediately.  A Coordinator cannot do a legal review of vendor or venue contracts but can look for troublespots or see if what the bride and groom want can happen within the parameters of the contract.

3.  A Coordinator will get the contact information of the bridal party so that they can be reached at any time to make sure everyone knows what they will be doing and they know to contact the Coordinator if they have any questions of problems.

4.  A Coordinator will get the contact information of the family members on boths sides.  It is important to know right from the beginning any of the family dynamics such as divorces, step-parents, to prevent any awkward moments later on!  

5.  A Coordinator will almost immediately take a tour of the venue because this is where the biggest surprises can come up.  Assumptions are made that can lead to a lot of trouble.  Also, a layout will be developed for the space as it will be used for the wedding/reception or both.  One instance will stay in my mind forever.  A bride hired me for a DOC and upon visiting the venue, I knew that there wasn't a chair cover on the market at that time that would cover the black chairs at the venue.  Keep in mind that it was culturally undesirable to have black in the wedding.  She had ordered $600 worth of chair covers and sashes to rent.  Fortunately, she got her money back and we found a solution with wooden chairs with seat cushions that matched one of her wedding colors.  The best part is that this solution cost less that the chair covers and sashes.

6.  A Coordinator will create a timeline that will give everyone involved a clear picture of what will be happening and when.  These can vary from one Coordinator to the next as far how detailed they are, but they will allow for cushions of time to help things go according to plan as much as possible.

7.  A Coordinator will be able to handle the disasters and more often than not, in such a way that the bride will not even know that anything happened.  Lets say it depends on the magnitude of the disaster!   A venue I worked at often this summer will not be one that I will work at for a wedding any time soon unless changes are made.  Let's leave it at an electrical fire and 3 weddings with backed up plumbing!  

8.  A Coordinator will pay special attention to guests that she is informed of that might need some extra attention.  It can be as simple as attending to someone who is unable to walk through the buffet line.

9.  A Coordinator will act as the liaison between the client and the venue and any one working the wedding.  They will also be on the lookout for anything that might potentially keep a client from getting their damage deposit back.

10.  A Coordinator will be available first thing in the day to receive all deliveries until the very end.


One more thing to note.  Rehearsals are not always included in DOC packages.  So be sure to ask if that is included or if it will be a separate cost.

So there you have it!  A glimpse into the life of a Day-of-Coordinator! 

Wishing you the greatest of days!



Monday, August 6, 2012

Weddings Traditions Around the World


Cultural Wedding Traditions

History, Tradition or Superstition?

Guess the country!

In this country they used to break thin biscuits over a bride's head to symbolize her wealth.  I'm guessing that brides must have gotten fed up with that!  Then someone got the wise idea to put frosting all over buns and that led to adding cream filling, then stacking them in a pyramid shape...and sometimes it was built around caged doves that were later released!  It's also customary in this country for the guests to bring flowers to the wedding which literally cover all of the tables.  

It is customary in one country that a couple only has one week to get married after they become engaged!  They, with two witnesses, go to the city hall to get married while everyone else stays at the bride's parents' home to prepare the feast. Can you guess which country and culture it is?

Wedding traditions in this country include the bride's female relatives removing her veil, and replacing it with an apron and a scarf and then sing to her.  It's their way of celebrating her new status as a wife.  Which Country is it?  And people STILL get married there!?  Answers in a future post.

Hint:  Mediterranean Countries!

Greatest of Days

Thursday, July 26, 2012

If You Are Planning A Seattle Wedding Or Not, Read This!

Many of you know that I founded and organize a networking group for event and wedding vendors via the Meetup.com platform.  It's called South King County Event and Wedding Vendors.  Iris Dumuk of www.peridotphotography.pro  featured our June 2012 meeting on her blog.  At the meeting she took head shots for everyone and did a great job documenting the event and portraying the venue!  Here is the link to her blog post about the event.  


http://peridotphotographyblog.wordpress.com/2012/07/25/des-moines-beach-park-event-center-mock-wedding-vendor-meetup/


Enjoy!


Wishing you the Greatest of Days!


Janis Flagg
Greatest of Days
Event/Wedding Planning and Design
Wedding Officiating


If you would like to sign up for the Greatest of Days weekly newsletter ("Wedding and Event Dialogue") go to http://www.greatestofdays.com/contactandinfo.html


Thursday, July 5, 2012

Plan Your Wedding at A Paint Store!

Yes.  You might find it helpful to go to a paint store if you are wondering which colors you want for your wedding.  You might be wondering what colors will look well together.

Maybe you would like to hear about trends regarding colors.  Just as in fashion, interior design and even in the colors of cars, colors for weddings are selected up to as much as 6 years in advance of when they actually show up in the stores.  One of my favorite sources for the color palettes is a company called Pantone. They added 175 colors alone in their Spring 2012 collection in addition to their Fall 2011 collection.  Ladies, have you ever thought it was a miracle that you found a pair of shoes that matched your dress perfectly?  Sorry, it's not an accident!  If they were "born" about the same time, things will follow a certain palette for quite a while.   One thing I would never suggest is that you become too matchy-matchy. There are going to be variations in colors just depending upon the texture of any material and lighting. Make a note of what a wall color looks like at different times of the day.  Photographers will know what I'm talking about!  A long time ago I heard that there were over 200 shades of white.  So with that being said, just let go of some things. Things aren't identical and symmetrical in nature.  Our eyes don't even see things exactly the same from person to person.  That is a complete blog/e-zine in itself, but I won't do that to you!

If you're worried about how colors will coordinate, go to a paint store and ask to look at their color key. This is different than the paint chip display racks you're used to seeing in a paint section of a store.  You may have to ask someone at the counter to let you see it.  If you look at the photo here, you'll notice that there are many shades per paint strip.  If you look at a color and go straight across at the same position to any of the other strips, you will always know that those shades will compliment each other.

Happy coloring!

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Friday, May 25, 2012

Where Did That Come From? Untold Wedding Traditions.


"Now Where Did That Come From?" 
I've promised to give tips, trends and tools for weddings and other events.  I've been thinking that maybe I should add to that list, traditions.  Isn't that really where a lot of the conflicts come in when planning a wedding?  I'm not speaking to cultural traditions though those can be huge, but at least you know where they are coming from.  I'm speaking to those traditions or mindsets that people have that show up when a bride is planning a wedding.  Odds are they can't even tell you why they are so insistent on these issues!  Here are a few.
"You should___",
"On our side of the family we do___"
"Why are you doing that?"
"What? You're not doing ____!"
"That's interesting!" (We know that means a thumbs down)
"What would your ____ think!"

These tidbits are just small sampling of the little darts that get tossed toward a bride planning a wedding.  Can you feel the pressure building?  Do you think she's going to eventually react or hold some resentment along with a smile?  More than likely.  Weddings are by far the most emotionally charged occasion considering that they are supposed to be happy.  

I hate to break it to people, but how things go through this process, might be just a glimpse into your future.  So consider it as part of a learning curve.  Chances are things will calm down until the next major step comes along.  In your younger years as you enter marriage, you just have to expect the next round.  Oh, that could be so pleasant, too.
"When are you going to have kids?"
"You're only having one?"
"You've got a ___ when are you going to try for a ___?"
"You're going to have how many?!" 
I would suggest rather than swallowing a bitter pill, go for the best medicine ever made and make sure you get addicted to it!  It is that wonderful medicine called laughter!  Things get better!  No one pressures you that much to retire or break a hip.  So look on the bright side!

Wishing you the greatest of days!



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Featured in: Not My Mother's Wedding, blog for Mothers of the Bride

Founder of South King County Event and Wedding Vendors
The 6th largest Wedding Vendors networking group in the world through Meetup.com.
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