Your Wedding! Are Someone Else's Purse Strings Becoming A Noose?

Money, Money Money!

In today's world of weddings where there is almost no such thing as a simple wedding, money is a major concern to most couples getting married.  I don't see people cutting back very much on the things they really want to have at their wedding, otherwise we would be seeing more weddings where all they had was a wedding cake, punch, coffee, mints and some nuts!  

In a dream world!

Couples will often pay for part or all of their wedding expenses.  However, if someone else is paying for everything, things can likely get very complicated.  If a couple and whomever is paying for their wedding instead of themselves, can have a clear conversation on desires and expectations, everyone will be way ahead of the game and on the road to a wonderful experience.  

When Money Becomes Power!

Now we get into the nasty stuff.  This is what I hear of often in wedding industry circles.  "They're paying for our wedding, but I don't feel like it is really my wedding!"  If you see a bride that seems to have a sadness about her, this could be where it is coming from.  

Usually the problems begin when one or more of the parents are paying for the wedding.  Their vision of a wedding can often be completely different that what today's couples want for their wedding.  This isn't news, but it is repeated generation after generation.  It can lead to one generation after another trying to have their own wedding through their children's weddings.  

The Consequences!

Sometimes it comes in very subtle suggestions.  Other times it comes in the form of an ultimatum.  Nonetheless, each action distances a couple from the wedding they want for one of the most important days of their lives.  

To Your Corners!

This is when each "side" needs to step aside and ask themselves the hard questions. 

The person/persons paying for the wedding needs to ask themselves these questions:

1.  Am I wanting them/they (the couple) to do something that I wish I had done at my wedding?

2.  Am I doing this to impress my friends?

3.  Am I allowing myself to get embarrassed if they do or don't do this or that?

4.  If I think they are making a bad decision, is there a nicer way to communicate that to the couple?

5.  Am I enjoying the control?

6.  Am I resisting the fact that my child is getting married and it is making me well aware of how short life is and how fast time is flying back.

 The couple getting married needs to ask themselves these questions.

1.  Am I expecting them (those paying for the wedding) to pay more than they can afford?

2.  Do you want to do something that is really distasteful in their way of thinking and is it worth doing?

3.  Do I need to find a different way to communicate to them that I really appreciate what they are doing? 

4.  Can I communicate to them that there are some things I've always wanted for my wedding or some things I really don't want in my wedding?  You really don't need to explain why.  You can always say, "It's something I would prefer not to explain".

You might also want to read a blog post that I wrote as a guest blogger at:

http://weddings.gatheringguide.com/ac/wedding-etiquette/too-much-well-meaning-advice-wave-this-wedding-woe-goodbye

As always...

Wishing you the greatest of days!

Greatest of Days
Event/Wedding Planning & Design
Non-Denominational Officiating

To check out our various wedding and event planning options and look for a hidden event planning tip on each page, go to this link.
www.greatestofdays.com

Always Bring A Copy Of Your Wedding Ceremony To Your Wedding!

What if your officiant doesn't show up or call you to say they are on their way?

Here's the scenario.  Everyone is ready.  All of your bridal party is ready to be lined up to proceed down the aisle.  You're getting nervous that you haven't heard from the officiant since the rehearsal.  You've given them 10, 20, 30 minutes and now you're in real freak-out mode!

Well, you waited this long so here's what you can do for another 15 minutes.  Find someone who is comfortable reading and speaking in front of crowds and have them get ordained so that they can perform a wedding ceremony.   You can check on different states' wedding laws and become ordained to perform a ceremony if your state allows this.  Literally in about 10-15 minutes you could have someone to officiate your wedding.  There is no charge to become ordained!

This is the part that you will want as part of your wedding day preparations.  If you have been working with an officiant, you should have been emailing each other to get a final draft of your ceremony.  Do yourself a favor and print it!

You can bring your ceremony with your vows.

Wishing you the greatest of days!

Greatest of Days

Event/Wedding Planning

Wedding Officiating

Planning Weddings with Less Stress: When DIY Morphs into DYI (Do Yourself In)

Planning Weddings and Events with Less Stress: Weddings:  When DIY Morphs into DYI Do-It-Yourself...: Weddings:  When DIY Morphs into DYI Do-It-Yourself projects are a great way to personalize a wedding or any celebration. To rephrase a...

Weddings:  When DIY Morphs into DYI

Do-It-Yourself projects are a great way to personalize a wedding or any celebration. To rephrase a famous quotation. "The path to stress is paved with good intentions!"  I am an obsessed DIY person who hates to relinquish any project that I could just do on my own.  No kidding!  That ranges from painting the house to getting someone to help me with all the things I never can find time to get around to doing in my business and at home.  So I understand the DIY mentality or creativity bug.

DIY sounds so enticing primarily because I hear "ka-ching!" only in the direction of me saving money! That's my first gut feeling anyway!  Are you like me when you are in the middle of a DIY project and you begin to think, "What did I get myself into?"  Sometimes we are better off to just admit defeat!  Get out while you are ahead or stop before going deeper into the hole.

That is the point that DIY becomes DYI.  The acknowledgement of the transition from Do-It-Yourself to "Do-Yourself-In".  It's when you realize you:

~Bit off more than you could chew.

~Went in over your head.

~Didn't say no to one more idea or project.

~Looked at one too many Martha Stewart magazines.

~Pretended once again to be Superwoman!

What is the cure?

I think it is when we truly realize that time is money!  Realize that we have enough stress and we deserve to give ourselves a break from doing all things, being all things to all people and just........           r e l a x!

The same goes for planning a wedding.  As a Wedding Planner I don't offer a product, I offer a feeling or peace of mind!  I hear these statements all the time!

~"I'm so relieved!"

~"I'm so glad you know what to ask!"

~"Thank you for saving me so much time!"

~"Thank you for saving me so much money compared to what you cost!"

~"More people should hire a Wedding Planner!"

~"I didn't worry about anything on the wedding day!"

Greatest of Days has ways to help couples plan their weddings with so many programs you never even thought of!

It boils down to this.  If you are not nice to yourself, who will be? When I first heard that I found it really disturbing.

Give yourself a break.  Only take on what you love to do.  There is such a thing as money well-spent!

Wishing you the greatest of days!

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Hear Ye, Hear Ye! Engaged Couples Love This Weddin...

Planning Weddings and Events with Less Stress: Hear Ye, Hear Ye! Engaged Couples Love This Weddin...: Usually when I participate in wedding shows or open houses, I get that quick sideways glance that means "I don't want to talk to a ...

Hear Ye, Hear Ye! Engaged Couples Love This Wedding Planning Option!

Usually when I participate in wedding shows or open houses, I get that quick sideways glance that means "I don't want to talk to a planner because they cost too much" or "We've got everything in control!" I don't take it personally, but I do often wonder how their wedding  day is really going to turn out if they aren't comfortable enough to speak to someone who knows more about weddings than all their friends and family put together.   I'm not saying you can't have a very nice wedding without a planner, but what they don't know can definitely hurt them.

However, at the last wedding show I participated in, I got a great response to my latest planning option which gives peace of mind for a couple on any budget.  I can't get the word out fast enough because I want to help as many couples as possible!

This planning option is called "The Wedding Day Tour Guide" and is like getting all of the benefits of a day-of coordinator but about half the price because I'm not actually at the wedding.  You have the benefits of having a wedding planner go over everything with a fine-toothed comb (and phone consultations) to make the best attempt to have your wedding day run smoothly.  Maybe the best thing is that the entire wedding is planned by 30 days before the wedding!  All vendors are contacted, all contracts reviewed, bridal party and participating family members receive a 16-hour detailed timeline that is segmented in 15-minute increments.  This planning option works for long-distance couples as well.

To learn more, here is a link to the YouTube video for "The Wedding Day Tour Guide".


Contact Greatest of Days to being working on your "Wedding Day Tour Guide!"

The Truth About Wedding Vendors and Pricing

The first question from couples inquiring about the various aspects to planning their wedding is usually, "How much will it cost?"  Sometimes it is just a question that serves as an ice breaker to get a conversation started.  I would recommend that a couple comes up with something else or they could find themselves placing a vendor in a high-alert, defense mode.  Even a little bit of research about that particular aspect to a wedding will take them a long way.  A couple would be better off to just say, "I have no idea how much anything will cost!"  The most important thing is to develop a comfortable relationship with a vendor so that ideas can flow back and forth between everyone.  Vendors love to suggest ways to save money and accomplish the look and feel of a wedding for less if we think a client could do something a little differently or become aware of a particular product.

The wedding industry is unique in that we are in charge of putting together one of the most personalized days in a person's life.  A cookie cutter approach just won't cut it. Most wedding vendors will have sample packages and a ballpark price, but it really means nothing because no two weddings are alike.  One size does not fit all.  It is inevitable...a conversation needs to be started before there's a discussion on pricing.

At first glance, people (with no help from the media) think that they are being ripped off and that vendors aren't being forthright with them.  It makes no sense that for such a complicated, most detail-filled event, that you would expect a simple answer.  A wedding is a much more complicated event than a birthday party or even some corporate events.  The average wedding employs between 16-20 vendors. Therein lies the real issue!  Weddings feel that they are expensive, but it is usually because a couple is unaware of how many minute details are involved and that each portion costs money!

The wedding industry is like every other business.  We have bills to pay, networking costs, promotional costs as well as equipment and supply costs.  Most independent wedding vendors work at lot more than 8 hour per day and wear many hats.  Yet, even though this should be obvious, there's something about a client and their wedding that comes with a feeling of entitlement simply because it is their wedding.  Guess who get painted as the bad guy?  The vendors.  A good cliche to remember is, "If it was so easy, everyone would be doing it!"

Even after a wedding, some people will begin their Monday morning quarterbacking and start picking apart what they might not think well as planned.  In reality, a couple seldom really knows what is going on behind the scenes on their wedding day even if they aren't intoxicated!  They don't know about the "saves" or "close calls" and that is on purpose.  If anything goes wrong, we want it to appear that nothing went wrong.  It's all about not stressing out a couple on their wedding day.

People in the wedding industry do what they do because they love it.  They are not in it for the glamor because that is almost non-existent compared to the long days, lost weekends, a lot of sweat and very sore feet.

When I come across people who mention that they used to be a wedding planner, 90% of the time they will say they quit because they "got tired of dealing with brides!"  This is sad because it wouldn't have to be this way.  A little bit of education leads to realistic expectations and keeping an open mind lends itself to creative solutions and fabulous conversations.

Wishing you the greatest of days!

P.S.  We would love for you to leave a comment!  What would you like us to answer for you in our upcoming blog posts?  Feel free to contact us!  Serious inquiries and suggestions only, please.  No spam!

Contact Greatest of Days if you are interested in a tele-seminar on wedding planning!  

When Did Weddings and Events Get Married?

Events and weddings must have eloped at some point.  Maybe they both have the same last name now?  Seriously, parties and weddings have a lot more in common than they used to. You might be very surprised if you haven't attended a wedding in the last several years.  It might be worth going to one just to see how they have changed. Just kidding!  No wedding crasher suggestions!  Gone are the days when....well, there's actually a long list of what has changed.  I'll name just a few.

It used to be that weddings were much different than other celebrations. Couples today really like to have a wedding that reflects their personality and tells their story.  More than ever they want their guests to enjoy the wedding and reception and guarantee that they will have a good time. I'm not sure when or if it will return to having a reception like they used to have where the only thing people worried about was having cake, a mixture of nuts, mints and their beverages of choice at a wedding reception.     

Magicians. Photo booths of several varieties. Who would have dreamed of the choreographed dances including the father & daughter dance?  Add to that the amazing grand entrances into the reception by the newly married couple.  I think one of the contributing factors to a lot of these creative endeavors is the mere presence of YouTube.  Ideas wouldn't be spread like wildfire without this medium.  

Magicians are a wonderful ice breaker and bring everyone back around to being a kid again.  I'll put in a plug for Magician, Jeff Evans of Amazement Productions who has the most appropriate name for his company.   Another activity that will keep people laughing is Flipped Out Productions.  Josh Hershfield is great at getting people to act their craziest and go home with a souvenir/favor from the wedding that will bring laughter for years.  Aura Photo Booths are bound to entertain as well, and it might be the first time you didn't feel crowded in a photo booth.  What in the heck am I doing giving out vendor information for free?  Really, it is so nice to be able to know of all the many types of vendors.  That is why Wedding Coordinators ask a zillion questions on our initial consultations.  We want to be able to bring to reality a wedding that has a bride and groom's names written all over it.  It's all about being unique.  

Wishing you the greatest of days!

P.S.  We would love for you to leave a comment!  What would you like us to answer for you in our upcoming blog posts?  Feel free to contact us!  Serious inquiries and suggestions only, please.  No spam!

Wedding Emotions

What?  Sadness around weddings?

Don't be fooled!  Planning weddings are going to bring out numerous emotions.  Probably there are as many emotions as there are people involved in a wedding.  Family, friends and even co-workers can experience hidden emotions that they might not even be aware of or be willing to admit.  But be prepared for surprising emotions after the wedding as well.

Did you ever feel this way when a friend or family member was planning a wedding or after they got married?  Did you feel like either they or you must have left the planet for as often that you see your friend anymore?  

There is an adjustment period for everyone.  A newly married couple needs to focus on their new life together and they're probably going through tug of war just with their families' demands for time.  Holidays will never be the same again and that's just the beginning!  

Especially with family, there can be some jealousy or stubbornness rearing it's ugly head.  A couple might be really trying to cut the apron strings and develop their own set of traditions or ways of doing things, yet a parent might not be wanting to let go.  It's a form of... yes, it's real..grieving!  Unknowns, fear, sense of loss, time passing quickly and getting older.  They can all be scary.  

Newly married couples could feel that there must have been a big sales promotion running for guilt trips and their parents bought every cruise available!  Any relationship cannot be an island.  It's important to keep in contact with old friends, but just on a different level.  Remember them on their special days and holidays and chat with them occasionally to just let them know you still care about them and their lives.  Better yet, just call them out of the blue.

Couples can also feel abandoned by their friends.  Communication is the key.  There comes a time in your life when everyone realizes how important it is to keep old friendships alive that have meant a lot to you in the past.  This doesn't mean you are putting your marriage out of first place!

Wishing you the greatest of  days!


P.S.  We would love for you to leave a comment!  What would you like us to answer for you in our upcoming blog posts?  Feel free to contact us!  Serious inquiries and suggestions only, please.  No spam!


Greatest of Days
Event Planning & Design
Wedding Officiating

What Requires 16 Businesses and is 16 Hours Long?

I'm not even sure if it takes 16 or more businesses to build a house.  Well, maybe if you include all of the government agencies involved.  Most weddings take 16-20 vendors.

Couples going through the process of planning a wedding are often shocked at how many businesses they use to bring their wedding day to fruition and well beyond the wedding day.  Wedding checklists often don't list everyone that will end up being hired in one form or another.  There are so many varieties of just about every vendor category and every year we see different aspects added to weddings.  Couples are definitely in to making their day unique.

Yes, the average wedding takes 16-20 vendors.  Most people think of the venue, cake, photography, food, "the" dress or dresses, just off the top of their head.  Soon they find out that there are a lot of smaller choices to be made.  Often they are the things that take a lot of time leading up to a decision such as invitations.  Who knew they could all be so different?  I've never seen a couple not add on aspects to their wedding day beyond what they originally planned.

The people who don't think they need a DJ are often the most disappointed on their wedding day!  I-Pod weddings shouldn't even be compared to the services of a DJ.  They are the eyes and ears to your entire event.  An I-Pod cannot read a crowd to keep the party going or announce that someone left their lights on or is parked in a fire lane. 

Some of the more obscure vendor categories that people wouldn't have thought of several years ago are commonplace now.  For example, photo booths! And a photo booth is not a photo booth!  They vary quite a bit in the types of services they offer.  It goes beyond props and pics.

There are some categories of vendors that people wouldn't have even thought about such as a Ben and Jerry's ice cream truck or cart.  I can't even tell you what a hit this is on a hot summer day and it appeals to kids of all ages.  At one of the weddings I was hired for, can you guess who made their way to the cart more than any one else? Guys over 50!  Since when does this age and gender category have a good time at a wedding?  I heard a lot of "I tried that flavor in a cup, now I'll try it in a cone!"  There was a lot of foot traffic mostly from people saying, "I tried that flavor now I'm going to try this other flavor".

Weddings might begin with a ring purchase, but postage stamps, on site childcare, a dog-sitter can often be forgotten as services that are part of building a wedding.  

As far as time involved on a wedding day, 16 hours is not uncommon.  Depending up on how many attendants and couple have needing makeup and hair styling, you could very well start out at least by 8:00 AM and it's not long after that that the seating and tables are being put together and decorated.  Photographers document the whole process and the only thing they don't photograph are the guests eating their meals.  DJ's often are the last ones to leave a wedding....unless there's a wedding planner involved.  We're almost always the last to leave as we drive home at night often smelling like we've have alcoholic beverages when we haven't.  How does that happen?  It's because we have the wine soaked linens in the back of the car around midnight or 1:00 AM.

I'm attaching my notorious vendor wheel in which I have purposely left out some crucial vendors that every wedding needs.  Tell me if you can discover who is missing!  OKAY, you don't need Santa Claus, event surveys or incentives.  Hint:  Suffice it to say that a wedding as represented by this wheel would not be happening, and some guys might be a little embarrassed.  Rentals alone can sometimes be more than one vendor.

Wishing you the greatest of days!

"Wedding Day Tour Guide", Greatest of Days Wedding Day Timeline

Here's our video on our "Wedding Day Tour Guide!"

You won't miss any information if you turn the sound off because there isn't any narration, but there is music. 

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Why Should Newly Engaged Couples Hire A Wedding Planner?

Why Should Newly Engaged Couples Hire a Wedding Planner?

1.  Within a month or two, even couples who have resisted hiring a Wedding Planner say it's the best decision they made.

2.  They will generally get back in savings what they pay for a Wedding Planner.

3.  Wedding Planners have many ways to help couples with any budget.

4.  Weddings can be planned from a long distance through a Wedding Planner.

5.  Wedding Planners reduce stress, save relationships and help a couple get the wedding they really want.

6.  Many Wedding Planners have years of experience and have to know about every aspect of a wedding's details.  Beware of venues or vendors who can say they can plan your wedding.  The experience is like comparing apples to oranges!

7.  The most common time that couples and their families wish they had hired a Wedding Planner is just before and just after a wedding.

Wishing you the greatest of days!

Greatest of Days

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If You Can't Afford A Wedding Planner, Try This!

Here Comes "The Wedding Day Tour Guide!"

Most brides often wonder how they're going to keep everything going smoothly for their wedding day. Perhaps they like the planning aspects but are not quite sure how things are actually going to fall into place on the day of their wedding.  Perhaps they don't feel that they can afford a "Day-of" Coordinator.  Greatest of Days is pleased to pull out the stops and introduce "The Wedding Day Tour Guide!"  It's a timeline created for a 16-hour wedding day divided into as little as 15 minute increments.  Vendors, the bridal party, friends and family who have an integral part to play on the wedding day will be able to know exactly what is to take place and when.

And what is the best part??  The entire wedding day is mapped out 30 days before the wedding (we insist) and then our clients can enjoy the month before their wedding. Well a little bit at least. There will be plenty of activities taking place as it is without the unnecessary worries of tying up the loose ends together of the wedding itself.  That's the time to enjoy a bridal shower, greet friends and family members who might be traveling to the wedding, or just to take in a deep breath and put your feet up.

"What does Greatest of Days do for this service?"

1.  We have a 60-90 minute complimentary consultation over the phone to really get a vision of what a couple wants for their wedding.

2.  We take a glance (not a legal review) of contracts to look for trouble spots.

3.  We contact the vendors and determine what they need to do their jobs most effectively.

4.  We create a timeline with all the vendors' contact information and assign a special color for them on a spreadsheet.  Their arrival time, alerts to their upcoming tasks, the tasks themselves and then their tear down and departure times are noted on the spreadsheet at specific points during the day with their specific color.

5.  We contact the people involved in the wedding day well in advance of the 30-day cutoff time (bridal party, parents, etc.) so that they can all be on the same page throughout the wedding day.  There will be plenty of time for them to come up with questions and concerns.  We do not listen to everyone else's opinion about what your wedding should be like.  We design a timeline with what a couple wants for their wedding.  Outside suggestions are not listened to if it seems to go against what a couple has planned for their wedding.  Our couples are notified if there seems to be a problem.

"Why did Greatest of Days even create this planning option?"

We don't mean to be insulting but we rarely if ever saw a couple's wedding day timeline that didn't have a problem or a lack of information.   

"Why is the 'The Wedding Day Tour Guide' loved so much?"

1.  A bride, groom or parents are not constantly being bombarded with questions.  Many other people will know the answers to those questions and will probably clue other people in on what they are supposed to do.  Everything is in black and white.....we actually more than every color in the rainbow!

2.  Vendors love it because they were not hired to coordinate your wedding!  They get to stay with their tasks at hand and serve you in a way that best reflects on their business. 

Here's something I observed about developing a "Tour Guide" for clients!  On their wedding day, I look up at the clock and say to myself, "Now they're having the toasts, now they're cutting the cake!"  That surprised even me, but that is how much your wedding day gets into my head!  

Wishing you the greatest of days!

                                   

Greatest of Days Planning Packages

Here are the Greatest of Days planning packages (geared towards weddings), but they are applicable to many events.  Every event is personalized or focused in such a way to reflect the voice of a couple getting married, someone planning a milestone birthday or special social occasions including Celebration of Life events (uplifting memorials) and last but not least businesses or associations!

Wishing you the greatest of days!

Be sure to look at our website and enjoy finding a different event planning tip on each page.  You might have to search a little on some of the pages!

Handling Guests Who Don't RSVP But They Show Up Anyway!

This will be short and sweet!

First I would say, if you haven't received an RSVP from a guest prior to the week before your event or wedding...don't stress yourself out buy double-checking to see if they are attending.  Your caterer needs to know around this time how many people are going be attending to be able to order and prepare food for your event.

How do you handle those people who are inconsiderate and don't RSVP in any way shape or form....but then show up for your event expecting a seat and to be fed.


Here's my recommendation!  

1.  Set up one more table in the far back corner especially reserved for those who didn't respond with a yea or nay.  Don't bother having a centerpiece for this table!

2.  If you have an emcee, or DJ in the case of a wedding, instruct him or her to release that table last to go through the buffet line.   

3.  If you make it the highest number that is easier to keep track of.  Hmmm....I'm trying really hard not to call it Table #0.

4.   Instruct the people serving anything during the event to serve table last.  Same with the cake and champagne for toasts!

Chances are those unexpected guests won't notice what is happening.  Most importantly, if you take these actions you will make sure that the people who did RSVP will not be the ones scraping the bottom of the chafing dishes.  If anyone has to do that, it should be those who didn't RSVP!  

Wishing you the greatest of days!


Greatest of Days
Event Planning & Design
Officiating
Celebration of Life Events

Destination Weddings? Are They Your Ticket?

When I talk to brides who have gotten married in Las Vegas or at some other destination foreign or domestic, I'm not surprised with their stories.  For one thing, what they thought was going to be the easy way to go, hasn't always ended up being the easiest path to get to that aisle of "I do".  Perhaps in their minds, they were thinking that it was all just magically going to happen much more easily...someplace else.  I detect a little bit of denial that it's all going to be done by someone else. I'm not at all against destination weddings, but I don't think people are prepared for some of the extra challenges they might face with a destination wedding.

Here are 9 basic things that brides should consider when they are planning a destination wedding.

1.  Brides are likely going to be spending a lot of money on phone calls depending on their phone plan. They can also expect a lot of emails, even more so than planning a wedding near their home.

2.  Not only is there often a difference in time zones between countries, sometimes there just isn't the sense of urgency that we are accustomed to which can add to delays.

3.  Laws in other countries can put stipulations on how many days you have to be there before you can have a wedding ceremony and sometimes the hotel/wedding venue can make people wait even longer.  It has changed in Tahiti, but a bride and groom were required until rather recently to be there for the 30 days in advance of their wedding.  

4.  Brides and grooms are quite possibly going to be taking a lot of flack from family or friends, who would normally be within miles of where the wedding is, but are suddenly facing major travel expenses. Members of the bridal party, who are probably not yet as financially established as they would like to be, can really feel the pinch. Their normal investment would only be the standard gift, bridesmaids dress and so forth, and a plane ticket can feel like the cost of a flight to another planet.   Especially with the economy being what it is for the millenials.

5.  A bride would be doing well to be prepared for friends or family who can't afford or feel able to travel, to feel like they are nothing more than a solution to trimming a bride and groom's guest list. It's doubtful that that would be a bride's intention and she would probably feel horrible!  Brides just need to be sensitive to issues that are going to appear more prominently with a destination wedding.

6.  We all know that traveling is more of a challenge than it used to be.  Preparing to travel for a destination wedding is much different than taking a vacation or even for a business trip. It can make packing for any other trip seem like a picnic.  Brides should think seriously about this when purchasing a wedding gown for a number of reasons that I'm sure you can think of in just a few seconds.  It's also much easier to return home to pick up those forgotten items when you are within a short driving distance of your wedding.  If this happens, brides should make sure that they have a trusted someone back home who can arrange to ship items to your destination ASAP.  

7.  Destination weddings are the perfect solution for many brides and grooms and their friends and family.  It's absolutely wonderful when this sounds like a piece of heaven on earth for everyone. Often they are a wonderful vacation and an opportunity to get away to be with so many of their loved ones and get acquainted with their new family and friends especially if everyone has to wait a few days before the wedding.  However, this waiting time has caused some brides to be more stressed out before their wedding.  

8.   I've been to wedding receptions where people showed the video of their destination wedding and I'll tell you that people will often cry as much as if they were actually there.  That's actually good news!  You can try to have a very small intimate destination wedding followed by a reception back home which will make everyone feel included.  It all depends on what your reason is for having a destination wedding.

9.  I've save what I think is the most important for last.   For destination weddings, my biggest suggestion would be to find an independent bona fide travel agent! The ones that give you personal service.  Believe me, an agent like this is worth their weight in gold!  It's a completely different traveling experience when you do this! 

Okay, a little trivia here.  Did you know that 50% of the brides that fly to Hawaii to get married are from the Seattle area?  This is according to a very experienced Wedding Coordinator I know in Hawaii.  I would trust her to any of my clients and would say don't get married in Hawaii unless you speak with her first! Seriously!  

Wishing you the greatest of days!

You May Be Seated But How?

"Welcome!  Are there 150 of you dining this evening?  Would you like reception, plated, classroom, buffet or theatre?  One might be safe for you and one might not."    

You might be thinking, "She's really lost her mind now!"  But this is important information.  What I'm referring to are the different types of seating options for events.  Depending upon the type of event, you will have to decide which one best suits your needs.  I'm really trying to avoid puns here, but we'll see how long I can do that!

Let's say that you're having a wedding reception.  Reception style might be what you would assume, but in this case, you would not find a place to plant it!  Picture in your mind what it looks like when you're waiting for the doors to open for an event.  Everyone is standing around and there might be a few people sipping coffee, others not and you can see a cocktail table or two here and there.  That is what reception style is like.  Standing is the key word.  In fact if you've noticed on the walls a sign that reads "Maximum Capacity  150 people", they are referring to the number of people allowed with the reception style.  You would be disappointed if you were thinking it is perfect because you're inviting 150 people to your wedding reception, banquet, fund raising dinner, etc.  With Reception style seating think of S.R.O.- Standing Room Only. Taken out of context, but I hope you understand what I'm trying to say.

Now, let's go to plated.  More than likely everyone has assigned seating in this situation, but primarily it means that there are complete place settings at a regular table when guests arrive.  Do you see how this changed how many people you can fit into a room?  At most receptions, it takes 100 square feet to seat 8-10 people around a round table with enough room for people to walk between tables, including wait staff.  You would need about the same amount of space for a buffet reception, but you would have to take into account that a buffet line takes up space in a room along with the seating.

Classroom and theatre seating are more common for seminars.  Classroom includes shallow tables to sit at so a person can take notes.  However, sometimes it is an option for a head table where the bridal party sits, or the board members at a meeting. Theatre seating is more like what you would find at a ceremony with one or more aisles separating the seating areas. 

Sorry, but I can't help but think of something we memorized as kids.  It goes like this.  "Ladies and Gentlebeans!  This Thursday which is Good Friday there will be a special fathers meeting for mothers only.  There is no admission, just pay at the door!  Pull up a seat and sit on the floor." Whatever!

Wedding Day Tour Guide.

Hello to all couples getting married within the next 12 months or so!  Yes in Washington State..we are past the one year mark of same-sex marriages being legal.  Time flies!  I want to bring everyone on board to what we offer for services.  

One product has taken a lot of time to develop and we have it included in our wedding planning packages in our "The Inquiring:  Wedding Day Tour Guide"  When I create the "Tour Guide" for a wedding, I always make copies for all of the people who have a role in the wedding.  That would include the venues, vendors, wedding party and participating family members.  Pretty much anyone who is working the wedding or if you think about who is going to be in the pictures taken that day.  The benefit is not having to herd wedding rabbits nearly as much when it is time for toasts, pictures, lining up for the ceremony and so much more.

Due to not wanting other vendors to see exactly what my timeline looks like unless they participate in a wedding I plan, I can't show you what it looks like but I'll do my best to describe it.  The "Wedding Day Tour Guide" provides information on all activities from 8:00 AM - midnight in 15 minute increments or less from setup time to breakdown.  All of the vendors (including those who might not actually be at the wedding) are listed with all of their contact information.  I refer to it as the "Who are ya goin' to call...?" section.  If there are any troubles at all, with one glance you've got all of the information you need.  Each vendor is given a color and the activities that they are involved are shaded with that particular vendor's color in a particular time slot.  It shows how long a vendor is going to be there and also when there's an important moment for them to be aware of.  A bartender wants to know well ahead of time when the toasts are going to take place.  A family member might want to know when he/she needs to be at a particular location for a picture.  I could go on and on.

You might think that you can do this easily enough, but what you don't know can and most probably will hurt you.  We have had years of experience planning weddings, know what needs to be set up first and when a vendor needs to be there so that the cake won't melt by the time the reception is well enough along to start serving cake.  We see trouble spots as we are preparing a timeline.  We even look at contracts to see that what you are expecting is actually in the contract.  

Basically, with the "Wedding Day Tour Guide" you are as close to having a 'Day-of"Coordinator as possible.  If you were to hire a "Day-of" Coordinator for $500.00 you are probably getting someone who is inexperienced.

Our clients are asked to have all of the planning finalized 30 days prior to their wedding day.  If there are changes within the last 30 days, additional charges will be applied.  Each week the "change fees" will be doubled starting at $25.00 per change.  

Here's something that really surprised me when I did my first independent wedding timeline when I was not the actual planner for the wedding.  Every time I looked up at the clock, I found myself thinking, "Now they're cutting the cake" or "Now they're having their first dance!"  That's how much we really get into knowing your wedding day like the back of our hands!  I didn't expect that, but it made me feel good that we had all of the bases covered.

Since I am not actually there on the wedding day, I do have a disclaimer that even with a "Wedding Day Tour Guide", I cannot guarantee how well the wedding day will go.  Everything needs to be executed and I cannot possibly know if there is going to be a power outage or when an unruly little ring bearer is going to send the wedding cake flying!  It is a wedding and you know how they can be sometimes.  They can take on a life of their own!

As always...

Wishing you the greatest of days!

Contact Greatest of Days

Planning Weddings and Events with Less Stress: The Media is Walking Down the Wrong Aisle When it ...

Planning Weddings and Events with Less Stress: The Media is Walking Down the Wrong Aisle When it ...: In a perfect world, there comes a point in time after the news media repeatedly paints an industry with a broad brush (with old dried up pai...

The Media is Walking Down the Wrong Aisle When it Comes to Weddings!

In a perfect world, there comes a point in time after the news media repeatedly paints an industry with a broad brush (with old dried up paint), that one of two things happens.  They either realize it's ineffective and unhelpful or they finally revisit their medium to be able to paint something that ends up as a beautiful or informative piece of work.  I'm talking about the "news" media as in the "reports" from the major networks and those that piggyback on those reports about the wedding industry.  I really don't want to call them reports because they aren't supporting fact!  Their concerns are for creating a story, not stating facts or helping consumers that they are preying upon.  Those consumers happen to be the same people that the wedding industry serves.  The media is doing a great disservice to these consumers.

One major point that the media won't point out, is that when a couple is planning a wedding for hopefully the first and only time, there is going to be a huge revelation that is bigger and it comes before sticker shock.  It's the fact that there are so many more details involved in a wedding than they imagined.  Of course, they wouldn't realize that the typical wedding employs from beginning to end (including after the wedding) a total of 16-20 vendors and sometimes more!  This shock is as big as any shock they'll get but when you add dollars to each of those categories of services, a couple very likely is going to be overwhelmed. However, it needs to be remembered to not blame the messenger.

It's time that the wedding industry was represented in a way that truly would help those seeking their services.  It's not even yesterday's news that the media sensationalizes the cost of weddings without analyzing the costs associated with each wedding vendor's services.  Let's remember that people are not forced to seek vendors for any more services than they want.  Want and need can be different to every couple when they envision their wedding.  Dare I be the one to say that this generation of typical brides and grooms has never been taught the difference between want and need?  They tend to want something as if they were entitled to it whether it fits into their budget or not...after all it is their wedding day!  Shouldn't everyone just want to provide their services below cost so that they can have the type of wedding day they want?  Well, welcome to the real world!  You can't have it both ways.  If you want cheap, you can get cheap, but if you want perfection (which is different for every couple) more attention and/or staffing is necessary.   Yes, for those reporters who can probably afford anything they want, this is the world that we and our clients deal with in reality.  FYI!  Not many wedding vendors are living high off the hog.

It goes against most couples' judgment to hire a Wedding Planner to help them work within their budget and help the couple set their priorities.  I'm talking about professional planners who come closest to knowing the wedding industry like the backs of their hands as much as anyone.  For heaven's sake "Media", don't pretend that you know your stuff when you don't!  Wedding Planners live, eat and breathe weddings and have to know a great deal about ALL of the variants of the many vendor categories.

When the media talks about services for a wedding and reception they don't know the difference between apples from oranges.  We're not talking about a holiday dinner nor a nice dinner out.  There's no comparison in the level of service which is required for a wedding.  Do you have a lengthy consultation with the chef or restaurant owner before you dine at their establishment?  Do you have special linens ordered for a dinner out?  Do you request that the background music be adjusted to only the music that you like.  Do you insist that your table have a centerpiece that only matches your favorite colors?  Do you want a deluxe invitation to inform your guests for your dinner out?  Do you insist on place cards being at everyone's special place at the table?Do you basically want the restaurant to not have any other guests there that you don't know?  Do you ask them to replace the chairs with ones that are more to your liking or ask them to cover them up?  Do you have to have a reservation or not?  Do you have to select from the menu or request everything in the kitchen that day to be just what you want?  Caterers are not operating like a grocery store or a restaurant.  It's neither a la carte style nor is it just ordering what you feel like at that moment from a short order cook.  A caterers worst nightmare is to run out of food, but I'll bet you've heard it more than once at a regular restaurant that they ran out of the special for the day. 

I think instead of the media blasting the wedding industry, they should spend 6 months prior and during the wedding season working alongside a wedding vendor and then find time for marketing and taking care of the financial responsibilities for that vendor to see what keeps them working long after the open signed has been turned around or has been shut off.  And while they're at it, don't make any plans for weekends during the entire summer.  Also don't look puzzled when you ask that particular wedding vendor "Why in the heck do you do this?" and their response is "Because I love it!"

As always...

Wishing you the greatest of Days!

Janis Flagg opened and co-owns Greatest of Days in 2007 when asked by guests at a wedding reception if she planned weddings for a living.  This was after she kept excusing herself from the guests' table to go to the kitchen, speak with the bride and groom or check on the delay of the champagne toasts.  She had done numerous events and weddings for friends and families for over 20 years prior to that day, but a light bulb turned on due to that one question.  Greatest of Days still plans weddings on a case-by-case basis, teaches event planning classes to engaged couples, small businesses and organizations hosting events.  Janis founded and organized a wedding and vendors networking group and also officiates for non-denominational weddings.  Greatest of Days has also expanded to planning Celebration of Life events and finds it most rewarding.  Greatest of Days was one of the first Wedding Planners in Washington State to be interviewed and accepted to be listed as a vendor on the www.EnGaygedweddings.com site.  All submissions have to be approved and can be edited before appearing on this wedding resource for the LGBTQ community.

Next on the list is finishing a book! 

Greatest of Days website

Where you'll find Greatest of Days.