Planning Weddings and Events with Less Stress: Why is Greatest of Days Putting More Emphasis on P...

Planning Weddings and Events with Less Stress: Why is Greatest of Days Putting More Emphasis on P...: That's a fair question since we've primarily been known to plan weddings and small business events.  Many event planners don't w...

Why is Greatest of Days Putting More Emphasis on Planning and Designing Celebration of Life Events?

That's a fair question since we've primarily been known to plan weddings and small business events.  Many event planners don't want to place themselves in planning sad events.  It's not for everyone.  I choose to look at it as one of the nicest things you can do for grieving family or friends of their loved one.  The atmosphere does not lend itself to "bridezilla" behavior which gets old very quickly!

Everything is changing regarding how a person's life is celebrated after they have passed away.  People are even planning their own parties to take the place of a regular funeral for them.  Some people are deciding to not even have a celebration of life event for after they have passed away and making it happen before they pass away.

Funeral directors are being taught how to create a more festive atmosphere for their clients.  Is it just me or is this like mixing oil and water?  You tell me who is more into personalizing events and making them fun.  A funeral director or an event planner?  You know what my answer is going to be.

There are so many logistics to take care of when planning a Celebration of Life Event as with any event.  You need a venue, food and anything else that creates a one-of-a-kind celebration.

There is one thing that I hope never happens.  I hope we never see a competition of people wanting to outdo what other people have done for Celebration of Life Events.  The focus should be about honoring a life.  The best parts of that person's life.

Last but not least!  There's a good possibility that you are thinking the same thing that others have expressed to me about our name Greatest of Days!  Some of said, "You should change your name!"  At first this made me cringe thinking of all that that would entail.  I didn't have to think about it too long before I realized that it really is the perfect name.  The exact thing that Celebrations of Life should be focusing on are the greatest of days in that person's life!  Isn't that why people want this event in the first place?  That's what we intend to do for family and friends who step up and honor their loved one.

Wishing you the greatest of days.


Creating and Remembering the Greatest of Days!

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Greatest of Days plans the following types of events south and east of Seattle, WA.  

Social Events:

Anniversaries

Bar Mitzvahs

Bat Mitzvahs

Graduation

Sweet 16

Retirement

Bon Voyage

Quinceaneras

Welcome Home

Milestone Birthdays

Celebration of Life Events

Weddings (on a case by case basis)

Business Events:

Employee Appreciation

Client Appreciation      

Product Launches

Grand Openings

Re-Branding 

Retirement

Book Signing

Special Promotions

Community Events:

Fundraising Events

Assist in Planning Festivals

People Who Don't RSVP for a Wedding..or Any Event!

These types of people hold a very special place in my heart.  Not the nicest part.  Definitely not from the bottom of my heart!   

Do they have an idea of the agony they cause for someone planning an event.  Not only does a person planning an event have added stress when they least need it, the RSVP count or lack of is costing them money.  Yes, MONEY!  Guessing on a final guest count is costly.  Nothing pains me more than seeing a couple a week away from their wedding looking like volunteers at a call bank for a fund raising for public television.  "We were wondering if we could count on you for your support?"  Well,  kind of like that!

A tip for those planning an event!  Make sure your last table number is for those who might possibly show up but haven't sent in an RSVP!  It's only fair that they not be served in the same manner as everyone else.  They should be the last ones the DJ calls to the buffet line.  Never should anyone who DID send in an RSVP be scraping the bottom of a chafing dish!  

Enjoy Table #0 for the ______.  Trying not to say "Zero's".

Email Greatest of Days

Visit Greatest of Days Website

Greatest of Days plans the following types of events south and east of Seattle, WA.  

Social Events:

Anniversaries

Bar Mitzvahs

Bat Mitzvahs

Graduation

Sweet 16

Retirement

Bon Voyage

Quinceaneras

Welcome Home

Milestone Birthdays

Celebration of Life Events

Weddings (on a case by case basis)

Business Events:

Employee Appreciation

Client Appreciation      

Product Launches

Grand Openings

Re-Branding 

Retirement

Book Signing

Special Promotions

Community Events:

Fundraising Events

Assist in Planning Festivals

Weddings and Money

Money Talk!  Wedding Vendors and Brides and Grooms, All!

 

Sometimes, well...I should say more often than not, money can be a difficult subject to talk about. Often it is considered to be a taboo subject, but when it comes to weddings it is a must-have conversation.  

 

From a wedding vendor's perspective

 

When planning a wedding one of the first questions that couples will often ask is "How much does it cost?"  Many times it is because they don't know of any other place to start a conversation.  So as wedding vendors, sometimes we need to take a chill pill.  My answer is that everything is so customized that an answer can only be developed after I've spoken with a potential client.  

So depending upon how you word it or the tone of voice you use, this is how wedding vendors could interpret that question!  Vendors will feel like this person wants to bleed them dry and don't really care about how much work they would put in to do a good job for them!  They can tend to feel that a couple is just price shopping and is not recognizing how their work could be completely different from another vendor's work.

 

From a wedding couple's perspective

So where does the subject of money become awkward to a potential client?  It probably would be when a wedding vendor is asking, "What is your budget?"  This also is a very important question, but often it is feared by brides and grooms to mean, "They're going to take it all if we tell them!" That's not true.  The budget determines what you can do and will force people to set their priorities.  

 

From both sides now...

 

The wedding industry sometimes gets accused of raising the prices for the "W" word.  I don't see that happening among vendors I know.  It is true that weddings are much more involved and complicated than other types of events, and they definitely have a more emotions involved than other types of events.  I think that in reality, it just feels to couples planning a wedding that everything costs a fortune because they are discovering that there are so many details that need to be taken care of and paid for than they ever imagined.  As in any consumer transaction, if you are respectful and appreciative, you will probably have a much better experience.  Quite possibly they'll throw in some extras.  If you approach a vendor with a defensive or aggressive attitude, they might just tell you to take your business elsewhere.  If they are going to be working with a grumpy client for a year, they would probably just as soon not have your business.

 

The average couple has no idea how much time goes into what professionals do for a wedding. They don't just show up on a wedding day.  How could they and why should they?  They haven't done this before and even if they have, things change constantly.  As with any profession, you are paying for a skill which is preceded by education, investments of time and money and followed by many hours of hard work.  One thing that I say with 90% certainty, wedding vendors are doing what they love to do.  That is priceless!  Also remember that they are running a business and wearing so many hats like any other business owner.  Seldom, does a wedding vendor get rich doing what they do.

 

A good thing to remember is that if everything was easy, always possible, took little time and we could learn everything there is to possibly learn, there wouldn't be any industries out there. The same holds true for the wedding industry.

 

One thing that we must never forget as wedding vendors.  It isn't just another bride, another groom, another mother, sister or friend we are dealing with.  This is a very emotional and probably one of the most anticipated day in their lives so far.  We can't always show our emotions but that doesn't mean that we can't show how much we care.

Wishing you the Greatest of Days!

Contact us if you would like to receive our weekly newsletter the "Wedding & Event Dialogue" 

You've Got Questions?  We've Got Answers!

"What if my venue already has a Wedding Planner?  They said that they would do all of the planning."

We hear this a lot and it's not just venues.  It can also be caterers and sometimes DJ's who will say this. In reality, venue Coordinators/Wedding Planners are responsible for the venue and their staff's responsibilities on your wedding day.  They might even have vendors that they will recommend to you, but their approach to finding vendors for you can be very different. *The difference is really like comparing apples to oranges.  More than likely they would have a preferred vendor list whereas an independent Wedding Planner will search for a vast array of vendors that match your personality, style and budget and will look at your wedding from a much larger picture than just the wedding day. An independent Wedding Planner will help you from the very beginning all the way through to helping you with tasks that you still have in the weeks after the wedding.

An independent Wedding Planner becomes much more familiar with all of the dynamics of your wedding (including your family dynamics which has a huge effect) and an Independent Wedding Planner has by far the most consultations with a couple than any other vendor.  With our Full Planning Options (The Totally Pampered  and The Carefree and part of our Ala Carte options) we accompany our clients on as many consultations as our clients wish for us to be at. Some couples are thrilled with the very first one and others can't explore enough and go well beyond the average.  Only a few of the vendors who are integral to the success of a wedding are actually at the wedding

​

As a rule, venue Coordinators will tell you that they like it when a bride has hired an independent Wedding Planner.  An independent Wedding Planner makes their job easier.  They like it that they will have a contact person who is very familiar with weddings to contact at any time during business hours and they know they won't be receiving as many phone calls because a Wedding Planner knows the ropes if you will.  On your wedding day, we can help concentrate on the needs of the couple and whomever else you would like us to be aware of, i.e., elderly guests and so forth.  We help brides with all aspects of their wedding and not just what is visible on the day of the event.  We can match you with *the average of 16-20 vendor categories that are required for the average wedding usually averaging up to 3 consultations per category or more if necessary.   We try to find a vendor who will compliment your personality, style and budget.  We want our vendors to fall in love with you and you to fall in love with them!

Wishing you the Greatest of Days!

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

When Should My Wedding Dress Be Ready?

When Should My Wedding Dress Be Ready?

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

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

~  Do I want to walk down 2 flights of stairs in a mermaid-style dress?

~  Ask to look for dresses that are best for the weather conditions that are most likely for your wedding day.

~  Are you going to be outdoors or indoors?  If you are going to be indoors, does it have adequate heating or cooling?

~ What is your major concern when finding a dress?  Is it budget, style, or is it important that you are eco-friendly such as a previously owned or renting a dress.

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

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

Wishing You the Greatest of Days!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wishing you the Greatest of Days!

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

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

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

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

Wishing you the Greatest of Days!

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

Engaged! Now What!

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

The Chicken or the  Egg Syndrome!

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

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


1.  Choosing the date.

2.  Buying a wedding dress.

3.  Finding a venue.


1.  When you should choose the date first?  

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

      When you should not choose the date first? 

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

2.  When you should choose your wedding gown first.

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

      When you should not choose your wedding gown first.

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

3.   When you should choose your venue first.

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

       When you should not choose your venue first.

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

Greatest of Days
Wedding & Event Planning & Design

To sign up for the Greatest of Days Newsletter the Wedding & Event Dialogue

Questions to Ask When Choosing a Wedding Venue

Your Venue Voyage

What you need to know when searching for a venue!

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

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

Here is your list of questions!

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

 Rental of Venue:

• How do you determine the cost of the room fee?
1. Do I need a minimum amount of food ordered?
2. If I meet the minimums, will there be a banquet room charge?
• Rehearsal:  Does that cost extra?
1. What day do you usually schedule rehearsals?
2. How much time do you allow for a rehearsal?

Catering:

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

Music

•   When is the cutoff time for the music?

•   How early can the DJ set up? 

•   Can we bring in our own music and just use an iPod?  I have to insert an Eeeks! here.

Damage Deposit

•  What is the amount of the damage deposit?
•  When is it due?
•  Will you do a walkthrough with someone to make sure we get the damage deposit back?
•   Do you just keep a credit card number on file and then charge it in case there is damage?

I hope that these help you or give you some insight on what you can expect.  Again I know that I've probably missed some points, but this will get you ahead of the game.  Assumptions are made on both sides that can cause problems.  Those being the venue and also the client.  Don't be afraid to ask questions.  They love it when you know what to ask.  In this situation when I've been hired as a Wedding Coordinator, I've found that the client loves it when they don't have to ask the questions and just have their Coordinator ask the questions.  Chances are a Coordinator knows a lot about many different venues as far as what they allow and how any particular venue operates.