Why Do Wedding Vendors Offer Exclusive Discounts to Wedding Coordinators?

Vendors tell me that they offer discounts to professional coordinators for a number of reasons. When there is a Wedding Coordinator, there will be fewer phone calls to their businesses, they have one person to coordinate with instead of trying to reach a busy bride, or deal with multiple friends and family members.  They know that someone is going to be present for deliveries at a time that is convenient for them and is going to keep a protective eye on their equipment.

At the wedding itself, vendors only have to concentrate on what they were hired to do.  So many times a DJ or a photographer end up adding to their duties things that a coordinator would do but without a picture of the event as it has developed over a longer period of time.  Coordinators can communicate with the vendors to help keep things on a schedule or informing them of changes that are going to have to be made due to key people arriving late and mishaps that are just going to happen because life still happens even if it is a wedding day.  A Wedding Coordinator is there to keep all of them informed of anything that might effect the timeline which has been developed with all of the vendors in mind.  I hear from vendors all the time that their job is made so much easier when a Wedding Coordinator is present.

I don't only work with vendors that give discounts, because many vendors have a great product or talent as well as great pricing.  I enjoy being able to pass on discounts to clients from vendors because it can sometimes make the difference in them getting the wedding they've dreamed of as compared to one they feel they have had to settle for. Clients consistently say that they were reluctant to hire a Wedding Coordinator, but later say hiring a coordinator was one of the best decisions they made.

Wishing you the greatest of days!

Greatest of Days Event and Wedding Planning

Tip #5 for a Stress-Free Wedding. You Gotta Have Friends!

Who you choose to fulfill the role if maid or matron of honor, could have a big effect on how stressful your wedding planning might be.  Choose someone who will support you but be honest with you when they see a big roadblock or problem.  Choose someone who is open to ideas and brainstorming with you but won't plan their wedding through helping you plan your wedding.  Take some time to just be friends and not mention the wedding.  Above all, be kind!


Wishing you the greatest of days!


http://greatestofdays.com/EVENTS.html

Tip # 4 for a Trouble-Free Wedding. Space! The First Frontier!

The sooner you have a "guess-timate" of  the guest count established, the least likely it will be that you waste money on deposits on venues that won't be large enough or even a waste of space.  Your choices are limited finding a venue that will hold more than 200 people.  Most brides and grooms tell me they are expecting 150 people.  You might think you know how many people will show up until you talk to your parents and they start spreading the word!  

In some cultures, there really is no way to know how many people are going to show up, so let your caterer know about this.  So by all means have a lot of space in this situation.  There's nothing worse than having your event shut down due to exceeding capacity!

This is important!!

Speaking of capacity and those numbers that they put on the walls telling you how many people can be in that room, in industry terms, it means reception style.  Reception style is when EVERYONE is standing and there are no tables and chairs.  I know, it sounds like the opposite just like having to obtain a banquet permit which is actually for serving alcohol that you have bought.  The human form takes 2-3 times as much space seated as it does standing.  There's your first visual on that difference.  The human form also needs a minimum of 18 inches to navigate between items of furniture.  You'll be happier with much more than this at a reception.

Horror stories that I've actually seen and heard about:

1.  A bride sent out her invitations before she put down her deposit on the venue.  They fell in love with the venue and got stars in their eyes.  A wedding coordinator who is hired to do a full-planning would have never let that happen or stand back and think, "What?!"

2.  Don't just think that it will be okay!  Be realistic.  Everyone wants to enjoy the festivities and not be craning their necks to see what is going on.

3.  See if your venue has supporting beams that will block your guests' vision.  Those among other things cannot be changed!

4.  Please have all your guests in one reception room!   This is such a downer!  Your guests will feel like 2nd class citizens in a smaller room.  Again a Wedding Coordinator who would be in on the full-planning process from the start, would never suggest this.  

It is because of these and many other situations that many wedding coordinators, truth be told, dread some day-of-coodinations.  We're stuck with decisions that have already been made unadvisedly by a client and there's no turning back.  Wedding Coordinators in some respects have a crystal ball.  Most of the time we know what might be a problem.  It's not always a problem with a bride's decision.  On the other hand, there are some venues, plain and simple think they can just open their doors for weddings like any other event.  Weddings are different.  I'll say this again Weddings are different!  If a vendor or venue does not live, eat and breathe weddings, perhaps they should reconsider weather or not they should provide services for weddings.

One of my next posts will be about choosing a venue.  Warning!  It's going to be a long one!

Wishing you the greatest of days!!

Janis Flagg

Greatest of Days 

Event and Wedding Planning, Design and Officiating

http://greatestofdays.com/services.html

Feel free to leave a comment so that I know what you are wanting to read.  I'm here to help, but I need to hear from you!  I ♥ U!

It's the Little Things That Add Up to Make Weddings Special!

Why be ordinary?  It's the little things that add up.  It's the little things that count.  It's the little things that make the difference.  We have all heard these statements regarding many aspects of life whether it be something good or bad.  I love to hear reactions from clients when I've done something special that they didn't expect.

I just had an idea today.  When I get that thought in my head that there has to be some way to make this more meaningful or special, I know I'm on to something.

I like to pack up a little bit of food from the reception while it is still fresh that can be refrigerated and then sent with a bride and groom as they leave the reception to go to their hotel along with a bottle of wine or favorite beverage.  It's fun to put things in a basket and personalize it.  Of course, I put in plates and silverware and a couple of glasses, napkins, but I started thinking about the plates.  Just plain plates seem too ordinary!  Then I thought, I'm going to get one plate that says Happy 25th Anniversary and Happy 50th Anniversary.  To me, it says "I wish for you a long and happy marriage!"  It's not much of an investment but if it becomes a memory, it's priceless.

If you need inspiration, maybe these few words will help you.

Unexpected.

Surprise!

You shouldn't have!

How did you know?

You remembered!

How time flies!

That's my favorite...

I remember that!!

That's our little secret!

I never would have thought of that!


Anyway, have a great time practicing your uniqueness!  Let's never just do what everyone expects!  It's not much different than a random act of kindness!  Try it and have fun!

Wishing you the greatest of days!


http://greatestofdays.com/Resources.html

Tip #3 for a Trouble-Free Wedding.

When you are setting up your reception, prepare the table for the cake first.  You don't want anyone but a professional cake designer handling the cake.  Also, ask your cake designer to provide a box to put your cake topper in at your reception that you will save for your first anniversary.  Some craft stores have these boxes, too.

Wishing you the greatest of days!

http://greatestofdays.com/services.html

Tip #2 for a Trouble-Free Wedding

Plan in a way that suits your personality.  Do you find it easier to learn by listening, seeing, touching, smelling?  Perhaps you are a person who has to see something to understand it.  Do you prefer organizing with lists or sorting everything by color?  You might find it easier to just create your own system of planning.

http://greatestofdays.com/testimonials.html

Tip #1 for a Trouble-Free Wedding

Tip #1

You and your fiance should each pick three things that you individually consider a priority for your wedding.  From there you should be able to narrow it down to 5 with your combined lists.  Focus spending your money and time on those areas.

Wishing you the greatest of days!


Greatest of Days Event and Wedding Planning and Design,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkKIjSu9dbA

Founder of South King County Event and Wedding Vendors

What Every Entrepreneur Could Learn from a Wedding Professional! - Marketing & Sales

What Every Entrepreneur Could Learn from a Wedding Professional! - Marketing & Sales

DIY Weddings. Everybody's Cooking but Not a Caterer?

This is an introduction at the beginning of each topic in this series.  Look below for the new entry in this series.  We all want to save money whenever we can, but if we end up paying more in the long run or creating a bad experience, what are we really saving?  Everything boils down to what you don't know can hurt you.  Here are just a few things you should know about various aspects of your wedding if you don't use professionals.  This is just the tip of the iceberg!  If you hear yourself say any of these statements, you might want to really stop and take the time to consider the costs in time and money.  Stop and be honest with yourself first to make sure that you aren’t making a decision you will regret weeks or years later.  

“I can do that!”  

“I have a friend who does that!”  

“That looks easy enough to do!”  

“I don’t think that will matter”. 

“I don’t have the money for that”.

“I think that _____ would enjoy doing that!”


Unlike in the past when you weren't expected to feed your guests anything more than cake and beverages, it's common place to be expected to feed your guests a meal in some style.  Here is just a little Catering 101.  The three main styles of serving a meal at a reception are what the industry refers to as plated, family style and buffet. Simply put, the most expensive is a plated meal.  A plated meal is when the food is going to be served by staff to your table.  Family style is when the food is going to be on each table in adequately-sized serving containers to be passed around as you would at the family dinner table.  The last and most common is a buffet style where everyone goes through a line and selects from a choice of food that you and your caterer have determined to be a good combination.


For DIY weddings, your most common option is where a select group of friends to family members cook food to provide in a buffet line.  The second option is to have a potluck.


This post, in a series of DIY wedding posts, is focused on what you might need to know before deciding on having food provided by someone other than a caterer, if your venue is one that allows outside catering.  In this case, outside does not me outdoors!!  Outside means that they allow someone else to come in to provide food other than their own catering facilities, or caterers from a preferred vendor list of people they have probably worked with many times.


Here is a list of things to consider that could pose a greater risk if you are not using a caterer and having a DIY reception.




1.  Food-borne illness is probably the biggest concern.  You've undoubtedly heard the declaration of "Keep Hot Food Hot and Cold Food Cold".  Nothing could be more important.  A caterer is equipped to do that.


2.  Do you know if your guests who are bringing food prepare food in a safe and sanitary way?  
Beware of having Aunt Mary bringing food is everyone complains of getting sick after eating at her house!


3.  Do you know how much food you should prepare without their being a lot of wasted food.  This added cost could have been applied to hiring a caterer and would be one less worry for you.


4.  Back to keeping things hot or cold as necessary.  Bluntly put, let's talk leftovers.  


5.  Do you have containers to give to guests?  


6.  Do you know how long their trip is before they get home? 


7.  Is there an adequate way to refrigerate food where your reception is taking place?  


8.  Do you know how long food can be set out over Sternos?  


9.  Do you have an adequate way to keep the food chilled?  


10.  Do you know how long it takes a guest to arrive to your wedding and how long something might have sat on their counter, in their car and then in a buffet line and has their been adequate refrigeration?


Again this is just the tip of the iceberg as far as considerations when you are not using a professional caterer.  There are a zillion things that would be helpful to know before hiring a cater.  You can also go to my link below to sign up for my newsletter to get a lot of information on a continual basis.


As always, wishing you the greatest of days!

http://www.greatestofdays.com/      Click on the link below to get the free Wedding Vision Questionnaire and other information that will help  brides and grooms plan their wedding.

 Wedding Vision Questionnaire.

DIY Fearless Flower Power? Lucky 13 Tips for You!

This is an introduction at the beginning of each topic in this series.  Look below for the new entry in this series.  We all want to save money whenever we can, but if we end up paying more in the long run or creating a bad experience, what are we really saving?  Everything boils down to what you don't know can hurt you.  Here are just a few things you should know about various aspects of your wedding if you don't use professionals.  This is just the tip of the iceberg!  If you hear yourself say any of these statements, you might want to really stop and take the time to consider the costs in time and money.  Stop and be honest with yourself first to make sure that you aren’t making a decision you will regret weeks or years later.  

“I can do that!”  

“I have a friend who does that!”  

“That looks easy enough to do!”  

“I don’t think that will matter”. 

“I don’t have the money for that”.

“I think that _____ would enjoy doing that!”


Let's pretend that everyone was born with an innate talent for flower arranging.  Perhaps every spring and summer they were the ones picking flowers out of the yard and making arrangements to put those flowers to good use.  Chances are that they would only make a couple of arrangements at a time and it was just for the fun of it.  Fast forward!  You're going to do your own wedding flowers!   Let's start with, "I want this, and that, and of course some of these and wow those flowers are the same that were at that wedding we went to last spring.  Oh, Look!  Those are sooooo cool!"  So far this sounds like a lot of fun!

Here are just a few assumptions that people might make and things people might not be aware of when it comes to doing your own wedding flowers. 

1.  Blue flowers are small in number and are often harder to find except for certain times of the year.  So if you love blue flowers, become informed of what is available and when.  You might consider this when setting your wedding date, but you could still be taking a chance.  There's a complete lesson in botany regarding blue flowers as compared to whites, reds and purples.  Apparently some bugs don't think that blue flowers are all that hot!  Even to bugs, it's all in the eyes of the beholder.  


2.  The flowers you may have always dreamed of might only be available for just a few weeks of the year.


3.  Sometimes the greenery is more expensive than the flowers.


4.  If you get flowers at places where you usually shop for groceries, don't assume that you will be able to get all of the flowers you need in a particular color or the type of flower on the day you want.  You really need to plan ahead.


5.  When you buy the flowers at a store, you will probably either buy more than you will use or not get quite enough which can be a waste of money.


6.  Some flowers will begin to deteriorate very quickly when they aren't in water and chances are that unless you are used to working rapidly with flowers, your bouquets and arrangements will look not look fresh.  


7.  Keep it very simple if you are doing your own corsages, wristlets, boutonnieres, bouquets or centerpieces.  They will probably take you a lot longer than you think.


8.  Remember that mother nature doesn't play favorites with anyone.  The availability of product can be changed due to weather conditions around the world.  If some of the growers have been hit hard, you might also be paying more for your flowers.


9.  Valentine's Day.  I heard more than one type of wedding professional say they would never recommend that a client have their wedding on Valentine's Day.  The cost for flowers is going to be higher and that is one of the busiest days of the year for florists.   You just don't want to set yourself up for a budget breaker.


10.  Practice making one of each of the things you want for your wedding long before you would need to be ordering flowers from a professional and multiply that time by about 3 or 4 


11.  Talk to a florist, before you decide to add flowers to your DIY list.  Calculate the costs from buying flowers from a store vs. having a florist designing and arranging things.  Will you need to buy supplies?  What is your time and labor worth when you are having so many other things going on. To keep your flowers fresh, you might find yourself having to buy sprays to keep you flowers fresh. 


12.  Do you have someone in charge of the DIY floral projects that can patiently explain how things are to be done to your whole crew of volunteers?


13.  If you plan your wedding check out school and community calendars.  You're better off not competing with proms, homecoming, and other such events especially for DIY weddings.  There will be some DIY prom goers as well.  

I would strongly suggest that you take classes from a professional before you decide to go the DIY route for your wedding flowers.  Check out your local community college!   You just might find it to be one of the best investments you'll make.

Wishing you the greatest of days!

Janis Flagg




http://greatestofdays.com
http://www.facebook.com/greatestofdays

DJ's. They Only Play Music, Right? Wrong!

This is an introduction at the beginning of each topic in this series.  Look below for the new entry in this series.

We all want to save money whenever we can, but if we end up paying more in the long run or creating a bad experience, what are we really saving?

Everything boils down to what you don't know can hurt you.  Here are just a few things you should know about various aspects of your wedding if you don't use professionals.  This is just the tip of the iceberg!  If you hear yourself say any of these statements, you might want to really stop and take the time to consider the costs in time and money.  Stop and be honest with yourself first to make sure that you aren’t making a decision you will regret weeks or years later.  

“I can do that!”  

“I have a friend who does that!”  

“That looks easy enough to do!”  

“I don’t think that will matter”. 

“I don’t have the money for that”.

“I think that _____ would enjoy doing that!”

I will be the first to tell you that a good DJ does so many things for a wedding reception that go unnoticed.  If you don't have a good DJ you might very well be looking back on your whole wedding reception in a completely different light.  I will go so far as to say that they can make or break your reception. 

Here are some things you need to consider before you go with someone other than a professional DJ.

A good DJ will read the crowd.  He/She (I'll refer from hereon out as he) will be able see the signs before things could become stagnant or read the crowd to know when the timing is perfect for just the right element you've wanted in your reception.

A good DJ will not just play music that he happens to have and thinks will work with just a few that you might want.  He will talk with you extensively about what you like and how you want your reception to feel and will help you think about how you want to look back on your wedding day.

A good DJ will know when to speak and when not to speak.  He's not there to take over the show, but to give it the flavor you want. He will also make sure that you hear the announcements that need to be made.  (Not like a non-professional that I witnessed who did not even turn the music down when he made the announcements about cake cutting and toasts and was no where in sight when people needed to talk to him!)  What do you think happened?  I'll let you guess.  

If you don't have a Wedding Coordinator, your DJ is likely to be the one that keeps everything on schedule.  A Wedding Coordinator will be able to match you with a DJ that fits your personality, style and budget and will work closely with your DJ to make sure that things go off without a hitch.

Wishing you the greatest of days!

Greatest of Days

DIY Doubts? Tips on Picking a Photographer.

This is an introduction at the beginning of each topic in this series.  Look below for the new entry in this series.

We all want to save money whenever we can, but if we end up paying more in the long run or creating a bad experience, what are we really saving?

Everything boils down to what you don't know can hurt you.  Here are just a few things you should know about various aspects of your wedding if you don't use professionals.  This is just the tip of the iceberg!  If you hear yourself say any of these statements, you might want to really stop and take the time to consider the costs in time and money.  Stop and be honest with yourself first to make sure that you aren’t making a decision you will regret weeks or years later.  

“I can do that!”  

“I have a friend who does that!”  

“That looks easy enough to do!”  

“I don’t think that will matter”. 

“I don’t have the money for that”.

“I think that _____ would enjoy doing that!”

Photography:  Tip of the Iceberg Tips!


Along with your marriage certificate, photos are the longest lasting tangible item you will have to look back on after your wedding day. 


My number one rule is this.  If your photographer does not make you smile when you are discussing all the details of what you want for photographs of your wedding, ask yourself if this person is going to make you smile and relaxed on your wedding day.  Your personalities have to click.


You want someone who belongs to professional organizations and knows all the latest technology and techniques as well as being familiar with the style of photography you like. 


A professional will guide you through the pros and cons of your venue and know what type of lighting is needed. 


A professional will also be alert to the lighting at a particular time of day to get the exceptional shots.  A professional can often create spectacular shots even at an (I hate to say it...) ugly venue.

DIY Weddings. A Little Advice on Invitations!

This is an introduction at the beginning of each topic in this series.  Look below for the new entry in this series.

We all want to save money whenever we can, but if we end up paying more in the long run or creating a bad experience, what are we really saving?

Everything boils down to what you don't know can hurt you.  Here are just a few things you should know about various aspects of your wedding if you don't use professionals.  This is just the tip of the iceberg!  If you hear yourself say any of these statements, you might want to really stop and take the time to consider the costs in time and money.  Stop and be honest with yourself first to make sure that you aren’t making a decision you will regret weeks or years later.  

“I can do that!”  

“I have a friend who does that!”  

“That looks easy enough to do!”  

“I don’t think that will matter”. 

“I don’t have the money for that”.

“I think that _____ would enjoy doing that!”

Invitations:  

1.  If  you want to create and send your own invitations, you should really try making your Save the Date announcements first.  If this seems overwhelming, you owe it to your self to contact a local vendor who creates invitations and favors.  Invitations will be a much more time-consuming and more expensive project especially if you have to buy all the supplies to create them.

2.  If you hire a professional you will only pay for what you need and not have to buy a whole box of invitations or envelopes if you make a mistake on just a few invitations.  

3.  Another thing to consider is quality control and not just for typos.  Sometimes quality control doesn't go over well with your friends and feels like criticism.  Make sure that your friends really enjoy doing this type of project if they are helping you with this project.

4.  A professional will show you many ways to give your invitations the look and feel that you like that you probably never even thought of.

As always, wishing you the greatest of days!

Janis Flagg

http://www.greatestofdays.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkKIjSu9dbA

DIY Weddings! Decisions, Decisions!

This is an introduction to a series of blog entries you will be able to read that will serve as a reality check to make sure that your DIY decisions are really going to save you money or not.  We'll cover one type of vendor at a time.  Also, there will be some alerts on having friends or family take on specific roles that professionals usually do at a wedding.  This isn't to say that they wouldn't have spectacular talent or  that there aren't some things that you've always dreamed of doing on your own for your wedding.  I just want you to look out for your own best interests.  This is not a day you can do over!  Perfection is a lofty goal and perfection is different things to different people and most would admit it is rarely achieved 100% of the time. That is life!  Relax and enjoy!  

Many people will tell you that they can perform particular tasks for your wedding.  You might be surprised at how you can make things so much less stressful by hiring a person who does this for a living and don’t assume anything on their prices.  Most professionals will find something you will be pleased with that will fit your budget.  Here's a tip!  Remember these people have to make a living and showing respect for their profession will make you a lot more points than starting out with trying to get their price down before you even talk to them.  The perfect vendor is not always someone with a storefront.  It might be someone you would never ever know about!  A Wedding Coordinator can give you a selection of vendors to choose from including those you would never know about!  

We all want to save money whenever we can, but if we end up paying more in the long run or creating a bad experience, what are we really saving?  Everything boils down to what you don't know can hurt you. This is just the tip of the iceberg of what you should know about various aspects of your wedding if you don't use professionals. You might want to really stop and take the time to consider the costs in time and money.  Stop... and be honest with yourself first to make sure that you are not making a decision you will regret years later if you hear yourself making any of the following statements.

“I can do that!”  

“I have a friend who does that!”  

“That looks easy enough to do!”  

“I don’t think that will matter”. 

“I don’t have the money for that”.

“I think that _____ would enjoy doing that!”

"My brother has a band".

I look forward to helping you make a decision regarding the option of DIY or non-professionals for your wedding.  We'll talk about invitations, photography, music, flowers, wedding gowns, food, selecting a venue, decor, favors, wedding coordinators, alcohol, bar tending, officiants, cakes and who knows what all else!!  Stay tuned!

You may use this material as long as you include credit and a link to this Greatest of Days Blog and the Greatest of Days website.

Wishing you the greatest of days!

Janis Flagg

Sentimental Touches to Dual-Purpose Items at Your Wedding or Other Event

You are multi-tasking all the time so why not save some money and have elements of your wedding do the same.

Here are just a few easy ideas that I've suggested to or learned from brides.


1.  For an outdoor ceremony and you want to have programs set on each of the chairs for your guests, hold them down with rocks and make a rock ceremony a part of your wedding.  Here's a hint!! Don't use boulders! Just use stones big enough to hold down the program.  Remember that whatever they are collected in should be strong enough and you don't want to have to pack out a container when filled with the stones to weigh a ton!

2.  Trying to get that aisle runner to stay in place?  Use flowering potted plants that you can give away later as favors.  This goes great with a green theme, but will work for almost any wedding theme.

3.  At the head table during your reception, have your bouquet and bridesmaid bouquets serve as table decorations.

4.  Arrange ahead of time to have your floral arrangements taken to an assisted living facility, homeless shelter or perhaps a shelter for battered women and their families.

5.  Do something that will become a gift that keeps on giving.

The following is something I did at my father-in-law's memorial.  (love and miss you, xoxo Dad!)  We of course wanted to reflect his personality and make a tribute to him.  He loved children, volunteered for the fire department, was a teacher and was known for his big bear hugs.  When we were trying to come up with a simple but touching element to encapsulate all of these things that we loved about Dad, I said to everyone just give me 10 minutes in a store, I'll walk a few aisles and an idea will come to me.

The result was having a variety of sizes of teddy bears on each table at the memorials service.  We attached little notes to the bears stating "In honor of Dad who was known for his big bear hugs and his love of children, these bears are going to be donated to the fire department to give to children in times of crisis".  We saved a certain number of these bears back for his children and grandchildren which are still being displayed in various places in each of their houses or cars.  It was a healing moment to deliver those bears to the fire department.  The smiles began with the extremely grateful fire department personnel, and it was so nice to imagine tears being dried up on those Teddy bears when a child most needed something to hug.  We did something else customized for my own Dad's memorial to reflect our love for him that would be comforting to his family.

Consider making your event or wedding one that is filled with love that will spread around your community or the world!

Wishing you the greatest of days!

Janis Flagg

Greatest of Days

Event and Wedding Planning and Design

27111 167th Pl. SE, Suite 105-242

Covington, WA   98042

206-604-1908

http://www.greatestofdays.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkKIjSu9dbA

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

Founder of South King County Event and Wedding Vendors

The 7th largest Wedding Vendors networking group in the world through Meetup.com.