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!

Greatest of Days can help you with so many planning options for every budget!

Click here if you would like to sign up for our weekly newsletter the "Wedding & Event Dialogue"

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!

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!

Visit us at our website!

Contact us with any questions!

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

Wedding and Event Planning

Seattle Wedding Coordinator

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

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!

http://www.greatestofdays.com/

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!

http://www.greatestofdays.com/

www.greatestofdaysweddingsandevents.blogspot.com

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

http://twitter.com/#!/greatestofdays

http://www.facebook.com/greatestofdays

Accepted as Guest Blogger for GatheringGuide.com

To sign up for our weekly E-zine "Wedding & Event Dialogue" click on this link.  http://www.greatestofdays.com/e-zine.html

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.

http://www.meetup.com/South-King-County-Event-and-Wedding-Vendors/

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

Wedding Planning 101, R.S.V.P. Defined

R.S.V.P.  ( répondez s'il vous plaît) or Respond Please!  Why this is so important (and frustrating) for anyone planning a wedding or other event!  Here's some RSVP 101 and my devious ideas! 

  

Does anyone understand the significance of this?  They might not!  That is, until they are the ones planning an event.  It comes down to showing a host the common courtesy of knowing whether you are going to be attending or not.  For a wedding, it can influence the costs tremendously!  Most people think that it's just the cost of the food.  That is the biggest concern, but a lot of people don't think of the extra costs that a bride and groom might incur because they want to make sure that no one goes hungry or doesn't have a place to sit.  Here are some extra expenses you might not even think of in addition to the food.  If a person doesn't have an accurate count it can add to wasted money on tables, chairs, chair covers, chair sashes, tablecloths, napkins, glassware, stemware, centerpieces, cutlery, etc.  These things do not always come automatically with the catering.  (More on that in another newsletter!)  When people don't RSVP by a certain date is causes unprecedented stress on the bride, groom and their families when they least need it!  They already have enough things on their minds and have the extra weight due to other's lack of courtesy.  

If only you could put in the invitation...if you don't RSVP and you show up, you will be sitting on the floor, be the last ones to be called up to the buffet line, wish you had brought a plate, eat the food with your fingers, wipe your mouth on your sleeve, go thirsty...and be roasted, (oops!) toasted during the reception.  Maybe you can just give the name of the town where the wedding will be and not give the location of the wedding until they RSVP.  I've never thought of that before! Hmmm. You could make them get up and dance during the reception, but instead of dancing to Y-M-C-A, you could make them do the same only to the letters R-S-V-P.  It's your party, you can do what you want to!  8)

Wishing you the greatest of days!

 Visit:  Greatest of Days

  Contact  Greatest of Days

  Sign up for the Greatest of Days Newsletter "Wedding & Event Dialogue"

Helping Brides Plan Weddings Without Stress.: Brides: Must Read if You Are Transporting Your We...

Helping Brides Plan Weddings Without Stress.: Brides: Must Read if You Are Transporting Your We...: Brides:  Must Read if You Are Transporting Your Wedding Dress on a Flight! A person in our community who I have the greatest respect f...

You Might Need A Wedding Planner If: - Wedding Forums @BridalTweet

You Might Need A Wedding Planner If: - Wedding Forums @BridalTweet

Helping Brides Plan Weddings Without Stress.: You Might Need a Wedding Planner If: You look bo...

Helping Brides Plan Weddings Without Stress.: You Might Need a Wedding Planner If:   You look bo...: You Might Need a Wedding Planner If :     You look both ways from your office chair before you begin your online search for wedding ve...

You Might Need a Wedding Planner If:   

You look both ways from your office chair before you begin your online search for wedding vendors.

You’ve started seeing your friends wear the same wedding dresses you wanted to wear last year.

Your fiance' begins to look both ways from his desk before surfing the web for wedding chapels in Las Vegas.

You want to scream when one more person gives you the countdown of months until your wedding.

You have heard from every possible human being you’ve ever known telling you what you should do for your wedding.

You’re secretly thinking that you wouldn’t mind just going to Vegas!

You would like to get married before your new puppy starts getting a gray muzzle.

You don’t like the idea of collecting 5 years’ worth of bridal magazines.

You stopped attending wedding shows a long time ago.

All of your friends have gotten married at every venue available within 25 miles of where you live.

You’ve taken your engagement ring in for cleaning often enough that the jeweler thinks you just chose to not have a wedding band.

You decide you might as well plan weddings for a living as the next best thing to having a wedding.  It’s not the same, believe me!

You want a shoulder to cry on and then get back to your life.

You didn’t notice that your fiance' shaved off his beard two weeks ago.  

You feel like a real estate agent doing a comparative market analysis as you are looking at venues.

You’ve inherited 20 weddings worth of decorations.

You didn’t think that planning a wedding would be like a part time job.

Your vacation time is being spent visiting venues and vendors instead of having a honeymoon in the tropics.  

Janis Flagg is the owner of Greatest of Days, Event/Wedding Planning and Design, 

Greatest of Days 

To sign up for our weekly E-zine "Wedding & Event Dialogue" click here.  

Copyright 2012, Greatest of Days