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1. <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:blogger="http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008" xmlns:gd="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005" xmlns:georss="http://www.georss.org/georss" xmlns:openSearch="http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/" xmlns:thr="http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0"><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644676863749744287</id><updated>2024-11-01T01:15:09.294-07:00</updated><category term="montana wedding planner"/><category term="planning a wedding"/><category term="professional wedding planner"/><category term="wedding planning"/><category term="wedding planning tips"/><category term="events by autumn"/><category term="wedding budget"/><category term="wedding planner"/><category term="Full service wedding planning"/><category term="Wedding budget tip"/><category term="colorado wedding planner"/><category term="colorado 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term="mother of the bride dresses"/><category term="mother of the bride etiquette"/><category term="moving a business"/><category term="new business"/><category term="on site coordinator"/><category term="on site event coordinator"/><category term="on site event planner"/><category term="on site wedding coordinator"/><category term="on site wedding planner"/><category term="opening your own business"/><category term="order of ceremony"/><category term="outdoor wedding"/><category term="painting plastic to look like wood"/><category term="pinterest and wedding planning"/><category term="pinterest wedding"/><category term="planning a wedding ceremony"/><category term="rain barrels"/><category term="rain delay"/><category term="rain plan"/><category term="rainy day wedding"/><category term="running your own business"/><category term="saving money"/><category term="serving wedding cake"/><category term="starting your own business"/><category term="tips for entrepreneuers"/><category term="updating your name"/><category term="using pinterest"/><category term="venue coordinator"/><category term="venue planner"/><category term="wax seal"/><category term="wedding cake"/><category term="wedding cake cutting"/><category term="wedding ceremony"/><category term="wedding clean up"/><category term="wedding costs"/><category term="wedding day checklist"/><category term="wedding day rain"/><category term="wedding day storm"/><category term="wedding day survival kit"/><category term="wedding design"/><category term="wedding designer"/><category term="wedding emergency kit"/><category term="wedding etiquette"/><category term="wedding expenses"/><category term="wedding food"/><category term="wedding get away"/><category term="wedding gifts"/><category term="wedding planner tools"/><category term="wedding planning first step"/><category term="wedding rentals"/><category term="wedding send off"/><category term="wedding set up"/><category term="wedding spending"/><category term="wedding survival kit"/><category term="wedding timeline"/><category term="wedding trash disposal"/><category term="what should a mother of the bride wear"/><category term="who cleans up your wedding"/><category term="who pays for the wedding"/><category term="why hire a wedding planner"/><category term="wine barrel craft"/><category term="wine barrel rain barrels"/><category term="wine barrel wedding"/><category term="wood rain barrels"/><category term="your own business"/><title type="text">Events by Autumn.  The Blog.</title><subtitle type="html">Professional wedding planning tips, trends, what to do, and especially what not to do!</subtitle><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default?redirect=false" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/" rel="alternate" type="text/html"/><link href="http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/" rel="hub"/><author><name>Anonymous</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06607808880955724082</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="16" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif" width="16"/></author><generator uri="http://www.blogger.com" version="7.00">Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>25</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>25</openSearch:itemsPerPage><xhtml:meta content="noindex" name="robots" xmlns:xhtml="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"/><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644676863749744287.post-6054953469689753336</id><published>2016-06-04T14:15:00.001-07:00</published><updated>2016-06-04T14:16:09.342-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="advice from a wedding planner"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="event planning tips"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Organizing a wedding"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="planning a wedding"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding planning tips"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding timeline"/><title type="text">How to organize your wedding - from a wedding planner</title><content type="html">I'm an OCD, type A wedding planner, but I'm here to tell you that organization is the key to enjoying your wedding day. &amp;nbsp;Without it, people will drive you NUTS with asking questions, needing help, wondering where to go and what to do. &amp;nbsp;After you've booked all your vendors, and have a good idea of how you'd like things to be setup, you'll need to organize your information. &amp;nbsp;If you thought that booking your vendors was enough to make a smooth wedding day, you're in for a rough day. &amp;nbsp;You have to set a plan for the wedding day, and communicate the same plan to all the vendors involved! &amp;nbsp;I &amp;nbsp;GUARANTEE what you told one vendor 4 months ago is not the same thing that you communicated to another. &amp;nbsp;It's ok. &amp;nbsp;That happens to everyone. &amp;nbsp;So here are 10 tips to organizing this information and getting vendors on the same page:&lt;br /&gt;
2. <div>
3. <br /></div>
4. <div>
5. 1.  TIMING IS EVERYTHING:</div>
6. <div>
7. Your timeline is more than just "ceremony at 4pm, dinner at 5:30pm."  Your timeline should list the times that each vendor arrives on site for setup, when their contract for the night is over.  It should also list the times that each space needs to be ready for photos, and when YOU need to be dressed and ready for photos.  It should encompass all the food service "ready" times and also all the activities that you have planned:  speeches, cake cutting, garter toss, etc.  Once you have all of these items listed on a timeline, you can visualize how these times either work or don't.  You can see "oh crap, my cake person is coming at 4:00pm, but the florist leaves at 3:00pm. . .so I'd better make arrangements to have someone else put the floral arrangements on top of the cake!"  Once that timeline is down on paper, think about whether it makes sense or not, and then make the necessary adjustments to make it flow.   I will let you in on a little secret - the only time on the timeline that REALLY matters is the dinner time.  Who cares if you start your ceremony 15 minutes late?  As long as hot food is hot and cold food is cold, your guests will never know that you're running behind.  A timeline is helpful for organizing, but on the day of, your vendors will treat your timeline as a flow for the day - using it to formulate the order of events.</div>
8. <div>
9. <br /></div>
10. <div>
11. 2.  WRITE IT DOWN:</div>
12. <div>
13. I create what's called a "Banquet Event Order" for every event I put on.  After working as a Director of Catering in the hospitality industry, it's just something that's ingrained in me.  A "BEO" is like the bible for that day.  It lists setup notes, power needs, timelines, food & beverage orders, contact information, and more.    And it details all that information for each part of the wedding:  Ceremony, Cocktail Hour, Reception, Late Night, etc.  It's all on one document, and is typically about 5 pages long.  I sit down and I think of each part of each event as if I'm in the room, walking around.  Close your eyes and think:  what tables do I need?  What decor is going in there?  Are there any signs I need to put out?  If I'm serving food, which utensils will I need?  And so on, and so forth.  This document contains the written instructions for setting up your wedding day.  I send this out to vendors about 2 weeks before the wedding day, so they can make edits, and typically the edits they make are things can potentially could have caused a stressor on a wedding day.  Therefore, this document is KEY to a wedding's success.  Yeah, taking a few hours to write this all down is a major pain in the butt, but I promise it's worth it!</div>
14. <div>
15. <br /></div>
16. <div>
17. 3.  MAP IT OUT:</div>
18. <div>
19. I create maps for ALL aspects of a wedding day.  I frequently take Google Maps and screenshot the area, and mark where the cocktail hour, ceremony & reception will take place.  This helps make sure vendors drop rental items in the right spot, so you don't have to lug 200 chairs to a completely different location :)  I also make layout maps of the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception spaces.  It's important to make these to scale, so you know that all your tables & chairs will fit in the space!  It also helps you visualize the flow through buffet lines, and avoid bottlenecks in service.</div>
20. <div>
21. <br /></div>
22. <div>
23. 4.  SKETCH IT:</div>
24. <div>
25. I'm a visual person, so I draw out a lot of a wedding's elements.  I sketch how the tables will look with their chairs & linens, what centerpieces will look like, and any silverware or glassware on the tables.  I also sketch out each place setting (how I want the forks, knives, spoons, plates, napkins, glassware set out at each place setting.  That visual image makes sure that what I wrote on the BEO is actually what I want!  Just a "double check" of sorts.</div>
26. <div>
27. <br /></div>
28. <div>
29. 5.  MAKE NOTES OF WHAT HAPPENS DURING TRANSITION TIMES:</div>
30. <div>
31. So there's this time between ceremony & cocktail hour and between cocktail hour & reception where a lot of behind the scenes things take place.  During the first transition period, I'm often carting chairs from the ceremony to the reception tent (if my client didn't want to order a second set of chairs).  And sometimes large floral arrangements get repurposed from ceremony to reception.  And during the reception, it's smart to lock up the gifts.  Sometimes an entire bar needs to be moved from cocktail hour to the reception.  What I'm saying is, think about what happens during these transition periods, and assign people to each task.  That ensures it gets handled quickly, and no one feels like you were ill prepared.  People don't mind helping out at weddings, but it's a lot better if you plan for their help and they're anticipating it.</div>
32. <div>
33. <br /></div>
34. <div>
35. 6.  INVENTORY EVERYTHING:</div>
36. <div>
37. After my BEO is done, I can literally run through it and make a checklist of every single item that needs to be brought to the wedding - from flowers, to signs, to silverware, to clothing.  I make this document just because I'm responsible for every last element of the wedding day, and I don't want to forget anything when I'm on top of a mountain with no cell service!  The inventory should list the item(s) name, a quantity, a purpose (like cake table, or ceremony), and most importantly, WHO is bringing the item!  Once you've made this list, run back through all your rental orders and contracts with vendors, and make sure what you need is what you've put on hold.  Even as a professional event planner, it's this document that has saved my butt time and time again.  It not only tells me what to pack up after a wedding is over, but it helps me to rent the proper quantities of everything I need to pull off that dream event.</div>
38. <div>
39. <br /></div>
40. <div>
41. 7.  COMMUNICATE:</div>
42. <div>
43. If you've asked friends or family to help out on the wedding day, make it clear what their jobs are, and when they need to be ready.  For your bridesmaids, have a clear agenda for the wedding day, like "you're free in the morning until 10am, and that's when we start hair & makeup!  Please bring X items with you, as we'll be leaving directly from here to the ceremony.  And you'll need to be in your dress and ready by 2pm, for photos."  This clear communication keeps bridesmaids (and groomsmen) from wandering off or being late to any festivities.  </div>
44. <div>
45. <br /></div>
46. <div>
47. 8.  MAKE A RAIN PLAN:</div>
48. <div>
49. If you don't make a rain plan, it will rain on your wedding day.  If you DO make a rain plan, make it a strong enough plan that you know what time you'll need to make a decision by, and what that alternate plan is.  No one WANTS to have to use their rain plan, but if you have one, it's far less stressful than if you didn't make one!</div>
50. <div>
51. <br /></div>
52. <div>
53. 9.  SONGS, FESTIVITIES & MORE:</div>
54. <div>
55. Make sure you detail out your ceremony - which songs you want to play, what order people are walking in, how they're standing up at the front, etc.  What activities will you have during the ceremony?  A sand ceremony?  A special prayer or speech?  Don't just wing it - things run much smoother if you can practice a set plan.  Same goes for the reception - if you're having toasts, make sure to list the order in which they'll take place.  And list the songs you want for first dances, etc.   Think of your wedding day as a screenplay.  You need to know whose part is whose, and what they'll be doing.  If you approach things this way, it will run a lot smoother and your guests will appreciate it!</div>
56. <div>
57. <br /></div>
58. <div>
59. 10.  DO NOT FORGET CLEAN UP:</div>
60. <div>
61. At the end of the event, communication is key too.  I also see it time and time again that Uncle Joe decides that it's late (it's 9:30PM), and he's ready to leave.  So he starts cleaning up centerpieces, removing linens, and stacking chairs while all the guests are on the dance floor.  I don't know about you, but when I'm a guest at a wedding, and I come back and my table is cleaned up, without a linen, I feel like the party is over.  I hate that.   As a planner, I stop those folks and explain that clean up is my job!  If you have assigned someone to this task, make sure you don't ask someone who will want to start cleaning up well before the festivities have wound down.   And also make sure that those who clean up know what their jobs are.  If your cousin cleans up the cake table, and just folds cake crumbs and icing in the bag with the linen, YOU are the one who will be penalized for the mold that will surely grow in the next 2 days before the vendor washes them.  And it would be a shame if your  friends threw out all the flowers from the centerpieces, if you'd made alternate arrangements for them.  So always assign responsible people to your cleanup duties.</div>
62. <div>
63. <br /></div>
64. <div>
65. <br /></div>
66. <div>
67. Happy planning!</div>
68. <div>
69. <br /></div>
70. <div>
71. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjvEEGJC9uOaD9yS86O4kynxTpEkB2lCmHLX9GAKbZX-bsnfVciT5yW1J5765Q44O5XIV_hBJUZLJTaZp_x_ucFJuEkY4gmB6Od0cI6pVzq5Ql-h4eHuGDunrGjgvIneafLaKWf6-NaW0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-06-04+at+3.09.55+PM.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjvEEGJC9uOaD9yS86O4kynxTpEkB2lCmHLX9GAKbZX-bsnfVciT5yW1J5765Q44O5XIV_hBJUZLJTaZp_x_ucFJuEkY4gmB6Od0cI6pVzq5Ql-h4eHuGDunrGjgvIneafLaKWf6-NaW0/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-06-04+at+3.09.55+PM.png" width="502" /></a></div>
72. </content><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/feeds/6054953469689753336/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2016/06/how-to-organize-your-wedding-from.html#comment-form" rel="replies" title="2 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/6054953469689753336" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/6054953469689753336" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2016/06/how-to-organize-your-wedding-from.html" rel="alternate" title="How to organize your wedding - from a wedding planner" type="text/html"/><author><name>Anonymous</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06607808880955724082</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="16" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif" width="16"/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjvEEGJC9uOaD9yS86O4kynxTpEkB2lCmHLX9GAKbZX-bsnfVciT5yW1J5765Q44O5XIV_hBJUZLJTaZp_x_ucFJuEkY4gmB6Od0cI6pVzq5Ql-h4eHuGDunrGjgvIneafLaKWf6-NaW0/s72-c/Screen+Shot+2016-06-04+at+3.09.55+PM.png" width="72"/><thr:total>2</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644676863749744287.post-1590776701979745551</id><published>2016-01-28T08:00:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2016-01-28T08:00:13.477-08:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="how event planners use pinterest"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="how to use pinterest to plan your wedding"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Pinterest"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="pinterest and wedding planning"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="pinterest wedding"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="using pinterest"/><title type="text">Using Pinterest for planning your wedding</title><content type="html">&lt;div class="_45m_ _2vxa" data-block="true" data-offset-key="afb3s-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; direction: ltr; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap;"&gt;
73. We LOVE Pinterest.  It's great for visually communicating with our clients what we're suggesting.  But there comes a time when Pinterest isn't helpful to brides.  Here's our thoughts on when Pinterest is helpful and when it's not:</div>
74. <div class="_45m_ _2vxa" data-block="true" data-offset-key="afb3s-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; direction: ltr; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap;">
75. <br /></div>
76. <div class="_45m_ _2vxa" data-block="true" data-offset-key="afb3s-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; direction: ltr; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap;">
77. <b><span style="font-size: large;">HELPFUL:</span></b></div>
78. <div class="_45m_ _2vxa" data-block="true" data-offset-key="afb3s-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; direction: ltr; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap;">
79. <b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
80. <div class="_45m_ _2vxa" data-block="true" data-offset-key="afb3s-0-0" style="background-color: white; direction: ltr; position: relative;">
81. <ul>
82. <li style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>USING IT AS A COMMUNICATION TOOL:</b>  When you pin something on Pinterest, label what you like about the image!  When you let vendors see your pinterest board, if things aren't labeled in the photo, they may mis-interpret what you like.  Use the comment box at the bottom of the image to talk to your vendors about what you like & what you don't like.</li>
83. <li><b style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">NOTIFICATIONS OF UPDATES:</b><span style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">  If vendors have joined your boards, they get notifications every time you add a pin or make a comment.</span></li>
84. <li><b style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">DEFINING YOUR STYLE:</b><span style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">  When you look at your Pinterest board, you should begin to see your wedding come to life.  Every pin reflects your style.  Many wedding vendors are visual people, so Pinterest can really help them visualize what you're looking for!</span></li>
85. <li><b style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">FINDING CREATIVE IDEAS:</b><span style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">  Are you trying to pull off a specific theme for your wedding?  Pinterest has some fun ideas for all types of themes!  Search for creative wedding favors, save the dates, etc.</span></li>
86. </ul>
87. </div>
88. <div class="_45m_ _2vxa" data-block="true" data-offset-key="afb3s-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; direction: ltr; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap;">
89. <br /></div>
90. <div class="_45m_ _2vxa" data-block="true" data-offset-key="afb3s-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; direction: ltr; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap;">
91. <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
92. <div class="_45m_ _2vxa" data-block="true" data-offset-key="afb3s-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; direction: ltr; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap;">
93. <b><span style="font-size: large;">NOT HELPFUL:</span></b></div>
94. <div class="_45m_ _2vxa" data-block="true" data-offset-key="afb3s-0-0" style="background-color: white; direction: ltr; position: relative;">
95. <ul>
96. <li style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>TOO MANY IDEAS:</b>  There are a bajillion ideas on Pinterest when it comes to weddings.  It can be overwhelming.  There's no need to pin every one of them.  Find the idea that best fits your style, and move on to the next.</li>
97. <li><b style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">NOT BEING ORGANIZED: </b><span style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> When you look at our private Pinterest boards, you'll find we start off with reception tablescapes, then we move on to ceiling decor & lighting, then we move onto bouquets/flower arrangements, then onto cakes, etc.. . . we try to pin all of our ideas for one element at a time.  If you're skipping from one idea to the next, it can be hard to go back and easily see the style come to life.  Some brides like to make separate boards for every single element of the wedding.  We find it's most helpful to keep everything all on one board - just make sure you're labeling everything!</span></li>
98. <li><b style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">CONTINUING TO PIN:</b><span style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">  Once you've defined your style and found some creative ideas, stop getting on to Pinterest.  Take those ideas you've already pinned and start running with them!  If you just keep pinning, you just set yourself up for disappointment that there's not enough time to implement every cool idea you've found.</span></li>
99. <li><b style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">NOT MAKING A DECISION:</b><span style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">  Once you've found the basic ideas for what you want your wedding to be, be happy with it, and commit to carrying it through.  If you don't stop pinning, you end up with so many ideas and no way to tie them all together.  Have the restraint to make a decision, and stick to it.  You will be a much happier bride in the long run.</span></li>
100. </ul>
101. </div>
102. <div class="_45m_ _2vxa" data-block="true" data-offset-key="afb3s-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; direction: ltr; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap;">
103. <br /></div>
104. <div class="_45m_ _2vxa" data-block="true" data-offset-key="afb3s-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; direction: ltr; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap;">
105. Happy Pinning everyone!</div>
106. </content><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/feeds/1590776701979745551/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2016/01/using-pinterest-for-planning-your.html#comment-form" rel="replies" title="0 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/1590776701979745551" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/1590776701979745551" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2016/01/using-pinterest-for-planning-your.html" rel="alternate" title="Using Pinterest for planning your wedding" type="text/html"/><author><name>Anonymous</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06607808880955724082</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="16" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif" width="16"/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644676863749744287.post-7448984385452834584</id><published>2015-12-31T08:00:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2015-12-31T08:00:16.434-08:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="budget for a wedding"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="first steps to planning a wedding"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="how to plan a wedding"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="I’m engaged"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="montana wedding planner"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="planning a wedding"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding budget"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Wedding budget tip"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding planning first step"/><title type="text">So you're engaged. . .5 things you need to do right now</title><content type="html">&lt;span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"&gt;Congratulations! &amp;nbsp;You're engaged! &amp;nbsp;First of all, enjoy it! &amp;nbsp;Once you're ready to get started planning, here are the first steps:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
107. <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
108. <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>1.  BUDGET.</b>  If you have an unlimited budget, congratulations.  But most folks don't have that luxury.  You'll want to sit down and pencil out how much you comfortably want to spend, and how much family is giving you (if they are giving you something).  You don't have to know a headcount, and you don't have to know what things cost.  The most important thing is to come up with a budget that is comfortable to you.  No wedding should put you in debt.  EVER.  The average wedding in Montana, for an average number of guests is usually about $250 per person (to help you with your budgeting if you have no idea where to start!)</span><br />
109. <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
110. <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>2.  PINTEREST.</b>  We love Pinterest.  Like A-LOT.  We suggest you get on there and start pinning designs and ideas that exemplify your wedding style and what you think you want.  Type into the notes what you like about each image.  That helps your vendors understand your style.  But beware - we suggest pinning only in the first few months.  If you stay on there, and continue to pin, you'll snowball into adding more and more ideas to your wedding, costing you money.  Use the pinning as a communication tool with your vendors.  That's when it's most effective.</span><br />
111. <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
112. <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>3.  GUEST LIST. </b> Come up with a rough list. . . but don't tell anyone who is on the list!  Sit down with your fiance, and each family, and get separate lists of guests they would like to invite.  Go through all your lists, and THEN decide who you want to invite.  Once you decide how many people you can accommodate, per your budget, you are ok to verbally tell people they'll be receiving an invitation.  But until then, tell your family to keep it under wraps!  A large guest count is the #1 reason for blowing through a budget, and it's easier to just not invite people than it is to go back and tell them they're un-invited!  </span><br />
113. <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
114. <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>4.  HIRE A PLANNER.</b>  Contrary to popular planner policy, I don't change my price based on what people have to spend.  I'm a flat rate, based on the size & scope of your wedding.  That means, I'm able to work with a variety of budgets.  So don't be afraid if your budget is teeny, or if it's huge! You CAN afford a planner no matter what!  And the rumors are true - I end up saving my clients money, which typically more than makes up my fee.  I just love to work with folks who know how many people they'll have, and what they want to spend.  It makes my job easy!  I step in and help finish up the designs, based on your pinterest board, and what your budget is.  And after that, we can start figuring out which vendors are best to accomplish the job for the right price.</span><br />
115. <b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></b>
116. <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>5.  BOOK YOUR VENUE.</b>  This is the biggest mistake I still see clients making.  Only AFTER you've done numbers 1-4 are you ready to book your venue.  We've had lots of clients who do this step first, because they're afraid to lose the space.  It never fails.  They always end up booking a venue that eats up a huge chunk of their budget.  If you don't do this for a living, you don't understand just how much money is needed for all other aspects of the wedding too.  Although your reception is typically 40% - 50% of your budget, the venue is only about 20% of that.  So we recommend taking a few days to figure out 1-4, and then take care of this step.</span><br />
117. <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
118. <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Money is often a senstivite subject in any relationship, whether you have very little or even if you have a lot.  My method of planning makes you talk about the not-so-fun activities right away (such as budget and guest list) to help relieve the stress that money can cause.  Entering into a marriage without debt is always my goal, and I've been very successful using this method.  I hope you find it helpful as well!</span><br />
119. <br />
120. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
121. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJoMPNabMaXNN4Tmv08C-typUoYQ2fBhFwWoNi5BBf9M26VRnds1fgH2E01_TWf4N2fX8xzejLz0DWuls4hnPZi_rHCJN4TL5_C_4ZwNr1ECLyxjQooXOEqOa-6g4pBBx7QrO_zcNwsL0/s1600/Autumn+Kozimer+Favorites-0139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJoMPNabMaXNN4Tmv08C-typUoYQ2fBhFwWoNi5BBf9M26VRnds1fgH2E01_TWf4N2fX8xzejLz0DWuls4hnPZi_rHCJN4TL5_C_4ZwNr1ECLyxjQooXOEqOa-6g4pBBx7QrO_zcNwsL0/s640/Autumn+Kozimer+Favorites-0139.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
122. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Every wedding has a budget.</td></tr>
123. </tbody></table>
124. </content><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/feeds/7448984385452834584/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2015/12/so-youre-engaged-5-things-you-need-to.html#comment-form" rel="replies" title="0 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/7448984385452834584" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/7448984385452834584" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2015/12/so-youre-engaged-5-things-you-need-to.html" rel="alternate" title="So you're engaged. . .5 things you need to do right now" type="text/html"/><author><name>Anonymous</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06607808880955724082</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="16" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif" width="16"/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJoMPNabMaXNN4Tmv08C-typUoYQ2fBhFwWoNi5BBf9M26VRnds1fgH2E01_TWf4N2fX8xzejLz0DWuls4hnPZi_rHCJN4TL5_C_4ZwNr1ECLyxjQooXOEqOa-6g4pBBx7QrO_zcNwsL0/s72-c/Autumn+Kozimer+Favorites-0139.jpg" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644676863749744287.post-6727344378898217221</id><published>2015-07-08T21:15:00.001-07:00</published><updated>2015-07-08T21:16:27.996-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="confetti for weddings"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="creative wedding ideas"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="grand exit"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="New Years Eve ideas"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding get away"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding send off"/><title type="text">Products we love!  The Confetti send off</title><content type="html">&lt;div class="MsoNormal"&gt;
125. I’ve been thinking a lot lately of things a bride can do in
126. lieu of sparklers (since we’re heavy into fire season already).  Grand exits are SO MUCH FUN, and I realized
127. there’s a product out there that I LOVE that I’ve never promoted before!  Check out <a href="http://www.flutterfetti.com/">www.flutterfetti.com</a>.  These are color-customizable confetti
128. sticks!  They’re are easily stored and
129. distributed to your guests, and are pretty idiot-proof.  I’ve used them for many years at New Year’s
130. Eve Celebrations and they’re always a hit! 
131. They’re only a few bucks per stick, and they would leave a lasting
132. impression on any event!  I highly
133. recommend them (they’re also the same company that supplies the confetti for
134. Times Square on NYE, so you can trust they know what they’re doing!)<o:p></o:p></div>
135. <div class="MsoNormal">
136. <br /></div>
137. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
138. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhruq-5ecN5a4KxGCkfs0kswCdhsXLCNcoHVBo-vHUp0s6ZAboe5109mCxEynDVDDzGyEqQarZk949Q9aH17H4bzd-TF8LQFnGiGXDkCr2Z7fjQn4arIlWnR3hexi636x3ECs73gdLarCg/s1600/flutterfetti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhruq-5ecN5a4KxGCkfs0kswCdhsXLCNcoHVBo-vHUp0s6ZAboe5109mCxEynDVDDzGyEqQarZk949Q9aH17H4bzd-TF8LQFnGiGXDkCr2Z7fjQn4arIlWnR3hexi636x3ECs73gdLarCg/s400/flutterfetti.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
139. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flutter fetti confetti sticks in use!</td></tr>
140. </tbody></table>
141. <div class="MsoNormal">
142. <br /></div>
143. </content><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/feeds/6727344378898217221/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2015/07/products-we-love-confetti-send-off.html#comment-form" rel="replies" title="0 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/6727344378898217221" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/6727344378898217221" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2015/07/products-we-love-confetti-send-off.html" rel="alternate" title="Products we love!  The Confetti send off" type="text/html"/><author><name>Anonymous</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06607808880955724082</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="16" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif" width="16"/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhruq-5ecN5a4KxGCkfs0kswCdhsXLCNcoHVBo-vHUp0s6ZAboe5109mCxEynDVDDzGyEqQarZk949Q9aH17H4bzd-TF8LQFnGiGXDkCr2Z7fjQn4arIlWnR3hexi636x3ECs73gdLarCg/s72-c/flutterfetti.jpg" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644676863749744287.post-6610343117416937863</id><published>2015-07-08T21:12:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2015-07-08T21:12:30.778-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="ceremony program"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="order of ceremony"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="planning a wedding"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="planning a wedding ceremony"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding ceremony"/><title type="text">HOW TO:  Plan your wedding ceremony program</title><content type="html">&lt;div class="MsoNormal"&gt;
144. <span style="font-family: inherit;">If you’re getting married in a church, the priest or
145. minister or “church lady” are going to help you form the elements of your
146. wedding ceremony.  This blog is meant for
147. those brides who are having a non-denominational ceremony and really have to
148. build it all themselves.  The easiest way
149. is to think of this whole ceremony as a 20-30 minute script you’re
150. writing.  It’s a choreographed theatrical
151. event.  If you have a Justice of the Peace
152. or hired Officiant run your ceremony, ask them which parts they typically
153. cover.  You can usually incorporate more
154. elements into the ceremony upon request, so don’t be afraid to ask!  Or if you’re having a friend marry you, this
155. is a good list to begin building your ceremony with:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
156. <div class="MsoNormal">
157. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
158. <div class="MsoNormal">
159. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>PRE-CEREMONY:</b>  You’ll
160. want music playing as guests arrive to the venue.  Silence is no Bueno!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
161. <div class="MsoNormal">
162. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
163. <div class="MsoNormal">
164. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>SEATING GUESTS:</b> 
165. Typically, guests aren’t seated until shortly before the ceremony
166. begins.  Ushers are VERY helpful in
167. reserving seats, and ensuring the front rows of your ceremony are filled.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
168. <div class="MsoNormal">
169. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
170. <div class="MsoNormal">
171. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>PROCESSIONAL (WEDDING MARCH):</b>  This takes practice (do this at the rehearsal), but
172. you need to decide how everyone will get to the front of the aisle.  This part is typically slower, controlled,
173. peaceful.  Beautiful, emotional music is great, or even something with personally important lyrics.  This is the order:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
174. <div class="MsoNormal">
175. </div>
176. <ul>
177. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Officiant at the front of the ceremony, escorting the groom
178. and best man, walk in from the side</span></li>
179. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mother & Father of the groom</span></li>
180. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mother of the Bride</span></li>
181. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bridesmaids (and Groomsmen, if escorting the bridesmaids,
182. otherwise the groomsmen can walk in with the groom)</span></li>
183. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ring Bearer & Flower Girl</span></li>
184. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bride & Father of the Bride</span></li>
185. </ul>
186. <br />
187. <div class="MsoNormal">
188. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
189. <div class="MsoNormal">
190. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>BLESSING (GIVE AWAY):</b> 
191. Practice this at the rehearsal too. 
192. The Father of the Bride (or whomever is “giving the bride away” should
193. greet the groom, then literally hand her off to the groom.  This signifies you’re leaving her in good
194. hands and you’re giving you approval! 
195. The officiant will ask who gives the bride away, and the appropriate
196. answer is “her mother and I.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
197. <div class="MsoNormal">
198. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
199. <div class="MsoNormal">
200. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>CONVOCATION (WELCOME):</b>   This is explaining why we’re here today!  Just a quick welcome.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
201. <div class="MsoNormal">
202. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
203. <div class="MsoNormal">
204. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>INVOCATION (OPENING BLESSING)</b>:  A short blessing of the wedding day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
205. <div class="MsoNormal">
206. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
207. <div class="MsoNormal">
208. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>SERMON (ADDRESS):</b> 
209. Often a story, or some words about the couple.  If you’re not going to do this element, this
210. is a great place to substitute some custom elements, like:  Readings, Poems, Stories, Music performances,
211. or custom elements (wine ceremony, sand ceremony, candle lighting)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
212. <div class="MsoNormal">
213. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
214. <div class="MsoNormal">
215. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>CONSECRATION (DEDICATION BLESSING):</b>  This is another small blessing following the
216. sermon, to reiterate the words that were just spoken, and to bless the union.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
217. <div class="MsoNormal">
218. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
219. <div class="MsoNormal">
220. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>DECLARATION OF INTENT:</b> 
221. Legally required!  The “I do” part
222. of the ceremony.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
223. <div class="MsoNormal">
224. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
225. <div class="MsoNormal">
226. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>VOWS:</b>  You can find
227. the standard vows online, or you can write your own!  Have your maid of honor or best man hold
228. these for you – you have enough to remember on your wedding day, and getting
229. put on the spot without your vows could be really stressful!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
230. <div class="MsoNormal">
231. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
232. <div class="MsoNormal">
233. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>RING BLESSING:</b> 
234. Explains the purpose of exchanging rings<o:p></o:p></span></div>
235. <div class="MsoNormal">
236. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
237. <div class="MsoNormal">
238. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>EXCHANGING OF THE RINGS:</b> 
239. The physical exchanging of the rings and the “repeat after me” part of
240. the ceremony.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
241. <div class="MsoNormal">
242. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
243. <div class="MsoNormal">
244. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>PRONOUNCEMENT OF MARRIAGE:</b> 
245. Legally required also!  This is
246. the “I now pronounce you man and wife” section of the ceremony.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
247. <div class="MsoNormal">
248. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
249. <div class="MsoNormal">
250. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>THE KISS: </b> Doesn’t
251. need a definition, but it should be discussed on how you’re going to do this
252. part!  Practice so you’re not awkward and
253. caught off guard, because this moment WILL be photographed!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
254. <div class="MsoNormal">
255. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
256. <div class="MsoNormal">
257. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>BENEDICTION (CLOSING PRAYER):</b>  This prayer sends off the new couple into
258. their future with one another.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
259. <div class="MsoNormal">
260. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
261. <div class="MsoNormal">
262. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>PRESENTATION: </b> The part where they say, "I'd like to introduce Mr. and Mrs. _______”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
263. <div class="MsoNormal">
264. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
265. <div class="MsoNormal">
266. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>RECESSIONAL:</b>  This is
267. the order in which everyone leaves the ceremony.  This is the beginning of the
268. celebration!  Upbeat, fun, exciting!  Frequently, bridesmaids are paired with
269. groomsmen, and follow the bride & groom down the aisle.  Ushers would then help escort guests row by
270. row, starting with the front  row and
271. moving down the aisle, alternating sides.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
272. <br />
273. <div class="MsoNormal">
274. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
275. <div class="MsoNormal">
276. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>COCKTAIL HOUR: </b> We
277. always suggest some sort of a break between the ceremony and the reception, so
278. you can get family pictures together!  If
279. you’re doing a cocktail hour, make sure to inform your officiant, so he can announce
280. where all the guests are to go!  The
281. officiant typically does this after the wedding party has exited the ceremony. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
282. </content><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/feeds/6610343117416937863/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2015/07/how-to-plan-your-wedding-ceremony.html#comment-form" rel="replies" title="0 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/6610343117416937863" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/6610343117416937863" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2015/07/how-to-plan-your-wedding-ceremony.html" rel="alternate" title="HOW TO:  Plan your wedding ceremony program" type="text/html"/><author><name>Anonymous</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06607808880955724082</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="16" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif" width="16"/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644676863749744287.post-8252933491617246818</id><published>2015-06-11T06:00:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2015-06-11T06:00:01.081-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="best man"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="bridesmaids"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="maid of honor"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="maid of honor checklist"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="maid of honor duties"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="maid of honor list"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="maid of honor responsibilities"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="matron of honor"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding day checklist"/><title type="text">So, I'm the maid of honor. . .what am I supposed to do now?</title><content type="html">&lt;div class="MsoNormal"&gt;
283. <span style="font-family: inherit;">The Maid or Matron of honor has a LOT of duties leading up
284. to the wedding day.  Below are the main
285. priorities (note if Events by Autumn is hired for full service coordination, we will manage the items in pink!)</span></div>
286. <div class="MsoNormal">
287. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
288. <div class="MsoNormal">
289. </div>
290. <ul>
291. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lead the bridesmaids. It's the maid/matron of honor's (MOH)
292. job to direct the other maids through their duties. Make sure everyone gets
293. their bridesmaid dresses, go to dress fittings, and find the right jewelry.</span></li>
294. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ensure the bridal party is informed about all pre-wedding
295. parties</span></li>
296. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Help shop for dresses (the bride's and the bridesmaids').
297. And the MOH pays for her own entire wedding outfit (including shoes)</span></li>
298. <li><span style="background-color: white; color: magenta; font-family: inherit;">Offer to help the bride with pre-wedding tasks:  addressing invites, assembling wedding favors
299. & programs, etc.</span></li>
300. <li><span style="background-color: white; color: magenta; font-family: inherit;">Offer to help the bride in selecting a venue, dress, menu, etc.  Give an unbiased, honest opinion – you don’t
301. have to love any of it, but the bride should appreciate you pointing out that
302. an ice cream cake isn’t great for an outdoor wedding, or the heavy, 100lb.
303. beaded dress might get really hot on a July night.  If she still decides to go for it, SUPPORT
304. HER</span></li>
305. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Be knowledgeable about the wedding day plans, so you can be
306. the planners “emergency” contact, instead of the bride</span></li>
307. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Spread the news about where the bride and groom are
308. registered, and even help the bride shop for registry items, if she invites you</span></li>
309. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Help the bride change for her honeymoon and take charge of
310. her gown after the ceremony, by arranging for storage in a safe place until she
311. returns</span></li>
312. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lend an ear. Whether it's about the planning, the marriage,
313. or the registry china patterns, the MOH should assure the bride that she has
314. someone with whom she can share her thoughts. Even if she seems to dwell on the
315. same subjects repeatedly, the MOH keeps listening</span></li>
316. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Host or cohost AND attend a bridal shower for the bride</span></li>
317. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Attend all pre-wedding parties</span></li>
318. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Keep a record of all the gifts received at various parties
319. and showers (or delegate a bridesmaid to handle this)</span></li>
320. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Plan and attend the bachelorette party with the bridesmaids.</span></li>
321. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">See to it that all bridesmaids get to the rehearsal;
322. coordinate transportation and lodging, if necessary</span></li>
323. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Be prepared to help out at the rehearsal dinner where
324. needed.  Volunteer to take duties off the
325. families’ plates</span></li>
326. <li><span style="background-color: white; color: magenta; font-family: inherit;">If you couldn’t drop off décor in advance, or if the bride
327. forgot something, it’s the MOH’s job to get those décor items to the ceremony
328. or reception venue the morning of (whether you do it yourself, or delegate)</span></li>
329. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Make sure that all bridesmaids get their hair and makeup
330. done</span></li>
331. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Keep an eye on the bridal party while getting ready - a little
332. champagne is good, but make sure everyone is also getting plenty of water too</span></li>
333. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Make sure there is breakfast AND snacks available all
334. morning for the bridal party.  Something
335. healthy which is also easy on the stomach, to jump-start a big day</span></li>
336. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Help the bride get dressed. 
337. Make sure you take an inventory of everything you’ll need BEFORE you get
338. on site:  dress, undergarments, jewelry,
339. veil, shoes, etc. (see the checklist below)</span></li>
340. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Be at the bride’s beck and call!  Be there to answer her phone, grab her lipstick,
341. or just calm her nerves</span></li>
342. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ensure bridal party gets to the ceremony on time</span></li>
343. <li><span style="color: magenta; font-family: inherit;">Make sure everyone has the correct bouquets</span></li>
344. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">If the bride wants some privacy before the ceremony, make
345. sure she gets it</span></li>
346. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hold the groom's ring during the ceremony. Safest place to
347. put it?  On your thumb</span></li>
348. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: magenta;">Arrange the bride's train and veil before the ceremony
349. begins</span> and just after she arrives at the altar</span></li>
350. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hold the bride's bouquet while the couple exchanges vows</span></li>
351. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sign the marriage license as a witness, along with the best
352. man</span></li>
353. <li><span style="color: magenta; font-family: inherit;">Bustle the bride’s train for easy dancing at the reception</span></li>
354. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Stand next to the groom in the receiving line (this is
355. optional; the bride may decide to have attendants circulate among the guests
356. instead)</span></li>
357. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Be a gatekeeper.  Was
358. someone invited whom the bride doesn’t get along with very much, but still had
359. to invite?  Help out by politely “rescuing”
360. her from that conversation if she gets trapped</span></li>
361. <li><span style="color: magenta; font-family: inherit;">Play hostess along with the other bridesmaids at frequent
362. points during the reception: show guests where to sit, direct them to
363. restrooms, tell them to where to put presents, invite them to sign the guest
364. book, etc.</span></li>
365. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Clean the bridal suite. 
366. ESPECIALLY if the bridesmaids used it to get ready in.  Don’t let the bride & groom return to a
367. disaster.  It’s the MOH’s job to clean
368. this room up after the bridesmaids are done in there</span></li>
369. <li><span style="color: magenta; font-family: inherit;">Collect any gift envelopes brought to the reception and keep
370. them in a safe place</span></li>
371. <li><span style="color: magenta; font-family: inherit;">Make sure the bride takes a moment to eat something --
372. refresh her drink, get her a plate of food from the buffet table, or instruct
373. the wait staff to keep her entree warm</span></li>
374. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dance with the best man during the formal first-dance
375. sequence and possibly be announced with him at the beginning of the party.  Lead the dancing all night (get people on the
376. dance floor!)</span></li>
377. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Toast the couple
378. after the best man.  And makes sure you
379. jot down notes and don’t wing it. . .</span></li>
380. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">If the dollar dance is performed, you’re in charge of
381. locking up the money</span></li>
382. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Decorate the getaway vehicle (IF the bride wants you to!)</span></li>
383. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Purchase a bottle of champagne and some late night snacks
384. and have them delivered to the bridal suite for when the wedding is over and
385. the bride & groom finally get to retreat for the night!</span></li>
386. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Troubleshoot emotional crises. In most cases, this will
387. require lots of tissues, hugging, and hair-smoothing. The MOH continues to be a
388. trusted friend, a good listener, and a smart advisor</span></li>
389. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Keep the bride laughing. For the stressed-out bride,
390. laughter can be as effective as venting </span></li>
391. </ul>
392. <br />
393. <div class="MsoNormal">
394. <br /></div>
395. <h3>
396. <span style="font-family: inherit;">The Maid of Honor Checklist</span></h3>
397. <div class="MsoNormal">
398. <span style="font-family: inherit;">These are all items that typically a Maid of Honor would be
399. responsible for on the day of the wedding. 
400. That doesn’t mean she needs to buy all these items, but she DOES need to
401. make sure the bride brings them with her, and they’re readily available!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
402. <div class="MsoNormal">
403. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
404. <div class="MsoNormal">
405. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Please note, Events by Autumn brings a “bridal emergency kit”
406. to all weddings, which is stocked with over 300 miscellaneous items, including
407. many of the things listed below.  The
408. bride will want to bring her own items for getting ready, but just know if
409. something is missing when she arrives on site, most likely, Autumn has it in
410. her kit! </span></div>
411. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
412. </div>
413. <ul>
414. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Your Bridesmaid
415. Dress</span></li>
416. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bride’s
417. Wedding Dress</span></li>
418. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bobby Pins</span></li>
419. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Make-up</span></li>
420. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Make Up for
421. Touch-Ups</span></li>
422. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Clear Nail
423. Polish</span></li>
424. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nail Glue</span></li>
425. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hairspray</span></li>
426. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tissue</span></li>
427. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Perfume</span></li>
428. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jewelry for
429. the Bride and yourself</span></li>
430. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Wedding
431. Dress shoes and a casual pair for after</span></li>
432. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Undergarments
433. for the wedding dress</span></li>
434. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Needle,
435. thread (white and color of bridesmaid dresses), and scissors</span></li>
436. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Contact
437. solution/rewetting drops or glasses</span></li>
438. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Breath Mints</span></li>
439. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pantyhose/Nylons
440. (at least 2 pair)</span></li>
441. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Change of
442. clothing for after</span></li>
443. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Phone
444. numbers of all the important vendors</span></li>
445. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Watch</span></li>
446. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Any
447. prescription medication the bride or groom is on</span></li>
448. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Plane
449. tickets and luggage if the newlyweds are going on their honeymoon straight from
450. the wedding</span></li>
451. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Flowers
452. (unless brought by the vendor)</span></li>
453. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Extra money
454. (just in case of emergency)</span></li>
455. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">A friend to
456. stand by for back up in case the car has flat tire or engine problems</span></li>
457. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Your speech</span></li>
458. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Card to give
459. the bride (always a cute friend idea)</span></li>
460. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">2 garters (1
461. to keep and 1 to toss)</span></li>
462. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Grooms Ring</span></li>
463. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tylenol and
464. Tums</span></li>
465. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Deodorant /
466. Antiperspirant</span></li>
467. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Phone
468. Numbers of all Important Family Members in the Wedding, Bridesmaids, Grooms</span></li>
469. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Toothbrush</span></li>
470. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Antacid</span></li>
471. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cash (In
472. small bills for tips)</span></li>
473. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Umbrellas -
474. in case it rains or if it is too hot</span></li>
475. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Q-Tips for
476. touch-ups</span></li>
477. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Toothpicks/Dental
478. Floss</span></li>
479. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Small Face
480. Mirror</span></li>
481. </ul>
482. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
483. </div>
484. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
485. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRu5Cbbw9cELlgQDLe5nBqPwZMFZO3TYjq44BNBg3ULqVbG8DGO0n2HTrzo00kt0ZLFwsrOWdZOFC7A0OB18VPCMbFGbK7fH4ob8P7KsDjysnNIALPtxDzFLBGb07bxQIlAVZxXCxDnU/s1600/Locascio_Spallone_CakeKnife_Photography_IMG9266.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRu5Cbbw9cELlgQDLe5nBqPwZMFZO3TYjq44BNBg3ULqVbG8DGO0n2HTrzo00kt0ZLFwsrOWdZOFC7A0OB18VPCMbFGbK7fH4ob8P7KsDjysnNIALPtxDzFLBGb07bxQIlAVZxXCxDnU/s640/Locascio_Spallone_CakeKnife_Photography_IMG9266.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
486. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The maid of honor and the bridesmaids she's responsible for.  Photo courtesy of CakeKnife Photography,</td></tr>
487. </tbody></table>
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565. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
566. <o:p></o:p></div>
567. </content><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/feeds/8252933491617246818/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2015/06/so-im-maid-of-honor-what-am-i-supposed.html#comment-form" rel="replies" title="0 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/8252933491617246818" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/8252933491617246818" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2015/06/so-im-maid-of-honor-what-am-i-supposed.html" rel="alternate" title="So, I'm the maid of honor. . .what am I supposed to do now?" type="text/html"/><author><name>Anonymous</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06607808880955724082</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="16" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif" width="16"/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRu5Cbbw9cELlgQDLe5nBqPwZMFZO3TYjq44BNBg3ULqVbG8DGO0n2HTrzo00kt0ZLFwsrOWdZOFC7A0OB18VPCMbFGbK7fH4ob8P7KsDjysnNIALPtxDzFLBGb07bxQIlAVZxXCxDnU/s72-c/Locascio_Spallone_CakeKnife_Photography_IMG9266.jpg" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644676863749744287.post-5192271532813244577</id><published>2015-06-04T06:00:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2015-06-04T06:00:00.796-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="change your name"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="change your name forms"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="changing a name after marriage"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="changing your name"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="getting married"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="married name"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Social Security"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="updating your name"/><title type="text">HOW TO:  Change your last name after you're married</title><content type="html">&lt;div class="MsoNormal"&gt;
568. <b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Step 1: Make a Copy of Your Marriage License</span></b></div>
569. <div class="MsoNormal">
570. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
571. <div class="MsoNormal">
572. <span style="font-family: inherit;">You’re going to need this to show
573. proof that you’ve gotten married in order to change your last name.</span></div>
574. <div class="MsoNormal">
575. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
576. <div class="MsoNormal">
577. <br /></div>
578. <div class="MsoNormal">
579. <br /></div>
580. <div class="MsoNormal">
581. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Step 2: Social Security Card</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
582. <div class="MsoNormal">
583. <span style="font-family: inherit;">The first step is to change your name on your
584. social security card, which will help you in changing your name on everything
585. else. Visit the Social Security Administration’s website and fill out an
586. application for a name change. (Read more <a href="https://faq.ssa.gov/link/portal/34011/34019/Article/3749/How-do-I-change-or-correct-my-name-on-my-Social-Security-number-card?" target="_blank">HERE</a>).  You will use your marriage license in
587. combination with the application to prove that you have gotten married.  </span></div>
588. <div class="MsoNormal">
589. </div>
590. <br />
591. <ul>
592. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here is a link to applying for a new Social Security Card: <a href="http://www.socialsecurity.gov/forms/ss-5.pdf">http://www.socialsecurity.gov/forms/ss-5.pdf</a></span></li>
593. </ul>
594. <ul>
595. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here is the link to SSA Marriage Certification Form: </span><a href="http://www.ssa.gov/forms/ssa-3.pdf">http://www.ssa.gov/forms/ssa-3.pdf</a></li>
596. </ul>
597. <br />
598. <br />
599. <div class="MsoNormal">
600. <o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
601. <div class="MsoNormal">
602. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Step 3: Drivers Licenses & IDs</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
603. <div class="MsoNormal">
604. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Once you receive your new social security card, you can take
605. it (along with your marriage license) to the Department of Motor Vehicles and
606. get your name formally changed on your driver’s license or your ID.</span></div>
607. <div class="MsoNormal">
608. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
609. <div class="MsoNormal">
610. <br /></div>
611. <div class="MsoNormal">
612. <br /></div>
613. <div class="MsoNormal">
614. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Step 4: Finances</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
615. <div class="MsoNormal">
616. <span style="font-family: inherit;">You’re going to want to visit your bank pretty quickly after
617. you receive that new identification with your new name. Your name must match on
618. your ID and your bank accounts in order to access your money, so take your new
619. ID or driver’s license, your new social security card and your marriage license
620. to your bank. Ask them about the process of changing your name on your accounts
621. and get that taken care of.</span></div>
622. <div class="MsoNormal">
623. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
624. <div class="MsoNormal">
625. <br /></div>
626. <div class="MsoNormal">
627. <o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
628. <div class="MsoNormal">
629. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Step 5: Changing Your Name Everywhere Else</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
630. <div class="MsoNormal">
631. <span style="font-family: inherit;">After following the first few steps, you will have all the new identification
632. proof you need to change your name everywhere else.  Here's another list of everywhere else you may want to update your name:</span></div>
633. <ul>
634. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Place of Employment</span></li>
635. </ul>
636. <ul>
637. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Local Post Office</span></li>
638. </ul>
639. <ul>
640. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Credit Card Companies</span></li>
641. </ul>
642. <ul>
643. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Utility Companies:  Cable, Phone, Internet, Gas, Water, Electric</span></li>
644. </ul>
645. <ul>
646. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Doctors Offices:  Primary Care, Dentist, Optometrist, Veterinarian, etc.</span></li>
647. </ul>
648. <ul>
649. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Insurance Providers:  Health, Vehicle, Home, Life, etc.</span></li>
650. </ul>
651. <ul>
652. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Schools:  Your alma mater & any kids' schools as well</span></li>
653. </ul>
654. <ul>
655. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Publication subscriptions:  magazines, newsletters, etc.</span></li>
656. </ul>
657. <ul>
658. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Anyone who would bill you for services (professional services)</span></li>
659. </ul>
660. <div class="MsoNormal">
661. <br /></div>
662. <br />
663. <div class="MsoNormal">
664. <span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s that easy – although the process usually takes a few
665. weeks, you can get started on it early by filling out an application through
666. the Social Security Administration before you leave for your honeymoon.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
667. </content><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/feeds/5192271532813244577/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2015/06/how-to-change-your-last-name-after.html#comment-form" rel="replies" title="1 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/5192271532813244577" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/5192271532813244577" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2015/06/how-to-change-your-last-name-after.html" rel="alternate" title="HOW TO:  Change your last name after you're married" type="text/html"/><author><name>Anonymous</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06607808880955724082</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="16" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif" width="16"/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644676863749744287.post-4950728478457977597</id><published>2015-05-28T06:00:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2015-05-28T06:00:00.756-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="budgeting for a wedding"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="how to budget for a wedding"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding budget"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding costs"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding expenses"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding planning"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding spending"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="who pays for the wedding"/><title type="text">Who pays for what at a wedding?  And how to budget that money</title><content type="html">&lt;div class="MsoNormal"&gt;
668. The first question I ask my full service or design clients
669. is “what is your wedding budget?”  And
670. more often than not, I get a blank stare, or an “I have no idea.”  I’m not asking to be nosey; I’m asking so I
671. can pair you with the right vendor for your budget (and style, of course!)    A
672. wedding should not put you in debt.  I
673. work with all types of budgets, so I’m not going to turn you away if you’re “not
674. spending enough.”  I just need to make
675. sure what I’m suggesting is within your means.<o:p></o:p></div>
676. <div class="MsoNormal">
677. <br /></div>
678. <div class="MsoNormal">
679. I frequently feel that “budget” is treated as this dirty
680. word, which no one wants to talk about. 
681. But we NEED to talk about it. 
682. Setting a budget and sticking to it is a healthy way to plan – going into
683. debt by blowing your budget out of the water is stressful and potentially
684. damaging to relationships.  </div>
685. <div class="MsoNormal">
686. <br /></div>
687. <div class="MsoNormal">
688. Bottom line is, you MUST have a budget conversation with your family, so you know who is
689. taking responsibility for which aspects.  Then you can know 100% what your wedding budget will be.<o:p></o:p></div>
690. <div class="MsoNormal">
691. <br /></div>
692. <div class="MsoNormal">
693. There are very traditional roles of how families spend their
694. money at a wedding.  I’ll list these roles
695. below, but note that nothing is set in stone! 
696. In this day and age, some brides & grooms are paying for their
697. weddings on their own.  Sometimes the
698. groom’s family helps out a lot more than traditions state.  It’s all individualized.  But this list is meant to help you ask the
699. right questions, so you can budget for your wedding effectively.<o:p></o:p></div>
700. <div class="MsoNormal">
701. <br /></div>
702. <div class="MsoNormal">
703. Helpful Hint when dealing with “gift” money from family – build
704. in a buffer so you don’t have to ask for more money.  10% is a great estimate to cover unforeseen expenses.  So if your family says they’ll give you $40,000
705. and that’s the ENTIRE AMOUNT you have for your wedding (let’s say you can’t
706. afford another cent), you’ll want to set your wedding budget at about $36,000,
707. so if you see something that you MUST HAVE, you can go over your budget slightly, and your buffer will cover it. <o:p></o:p></div>
708. <div class="MsoNormal">
709.   <o:p></o:p></div>
710. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
711. <b>BRIDE and FAMILY:  </b><o:p></o:p></div>
712. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
713. </div>
714. <ul>
715. <li>Invitations,
716. announcements, and wedding programs</li>
717. <li>Church or synagogue
718. fees</li>
719. <li>Bride's
720. dress, veil, accessories, and trousseau (read: lingerie and honeymoon clothes)</li>
721. <li>Floral arrangements
722. for church (including huppah if a Jewish wedding ceremony) and reception</li>
723. <li>Bouquets and
724. corsages for bridesmaids and flower girls</li>
725. <li>All wedding
726. photos and video</li>
727. <li>All
728. professional services, including food, drink, rentals, decorations, and music
729. at the ceremony and reception</li>
730. <li>Wedding
731. planner/coordinator</li>
732. <li>Wedding
733. transportation of bridal party to and from ceremony and reception</li>
734. <li>Accommodations
735. for all bridesmaids</li>
736. <li>If there is
737. more than one engagement party, bride's family hosts the first one</li>
738. </ul>
739. <o:p></o:p><br />
740. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
741. <o:p></o:p></div>
742. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
743. <o:p></o:p></div>
744. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
745. <o:p></o:p></div>
746. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
747. <o:p></o:p></div>
748. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
749. <o:p></o:p></div>
750. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
751. <o:p></o:p></div>
752. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
753. <o:p></o:p></div>
754. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
755. <o:p></o:p></div>
756. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
757. <o:p></o:p></div>
758. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
759. <o:p></o:p></div>
760. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
761. <br /></div>
762. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
763. <b>GROOM and FAMILY:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
764. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
765. </div>
766. <ul>
767. <li>Marriage
768. license</li>
769. <li>Officiant's
770. fee and travel and accommodations if necessary</li>
771. <li>Groom's
772. outfit</li>
773. <li>Bride's
774. bouquet and going-away corsage, boutonnieres for men, and corsages for mothers
775. and grandmothers</li>
776. <li>Plan and
777. host the rehearsal dinner</li>
778. <li>The entire honeymoon</li>
779. <li>If there is
780. only one engagement party, typically this expense is split between bride &
781. groom’s families</li>
782. <li>Accommodations
783. for all groomsmen and groom’s family</li>
784. <li>Transportation
785. for the groom's family and groomsmen</li>
786. </ul>
787. <o:p></o:p><br />
788. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
789. <o:p></o:p></div>
790. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
791. <o:p></o:p></div>
792. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
793. <o:p></o:p></div>
794. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
795. <o:p></o:p></div>
796. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
797. <o:p></o:p></div>
798. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
799. <o:p></o:p></div>
800. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
801. <o:p></o:p></div>
802. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
803. <o:p></o:p></div>
804. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
805. <br /></div>
806. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
807. <b>BRIDE ONLY:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
808. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
809. </div>
810. <ul>
811. <li>Plan and host bridesmaids' luncheon</li>
812. <li>Groom’s ring
813. (sometimes with help from her family)</li>
814. <li>Bride's
815. gifts to her bridesmaid and groom</li>
816. </ul>
817. <o:p></o:p><br />
818. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
819. <o:p></o:p></div>
820. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
821. <o:p></o:p></div>
822. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
823. <br /></div>
824. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
825. <b>GROOM ONLY:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
826. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
827. </div>
828. <ul>
829. <li>Plan and host bachelor’s dinner</li>
830. <li>Bride's
831. rings (sometimes with help from his family)</li>
832. <li>Gift for
833. groomsmen</li>
834. <li>Attire for
835. groomsmen (only if he wants to)</li>
836. <li>Gift to the
837. bride</li>
838. </ul>
839. <o:p></o:p><br />
840. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
841. <o:p></o:p></div>
842. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
843. <o:p></o:p></div>
844. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
845. <o:p></o:p></div>
846. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
847. <o:p></o:p></div>
848. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
849. <br /></div>
850. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
851. <b>MAID OF
852. HONOR & BRIDESMAIDS:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
853. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
854. </div>
855. <ul>
856. <li>Plan and host shower</li>
857. <li>Their own
858. attire (including shoes)</li>
859. <li>Gift for the couple (multiple gifts if attending the shower and wedding)</li>
860. </ul>
861. <o:p></o:p><br />
862. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
863. <o:p></o:p></div>
864. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
865. <br /></div>
866. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
867. <b>BEST MAN,
868. GROOMSMEN & USHERS:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
869. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
870. </div>
871. <ul>
872. <li>Plan and host bachelor party</li>
873. <li>Their own
874. attire (including shoes)</li>
875. <li>Gift for the couple</li>
876. </ul>
877. <o:p></o:p><br />
878. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
879. <o:p></o:p></div>
880. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
881. <br /></div>
882. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
883. <b>FRIENDS:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
884. <br />
885. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
886. </div>
887. <ul>
888. <li>Additional engagement
889. parties or showers</li>
890. </ul>
891. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
892. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKYcRY5Jwrm_if4bSS0wY3XvApEgmLKUCUaol20Y-lw04pM7We6Z-gkergimHKlrhESFoMdiD4C18c7CeenCQTK0ZrjTiim8Z8Ew17-y9KlkZfCXhR4b_oRRIF1G9nMI8OD7DmJKVpZQc/s1600/Locascio_Spallone_CakeKnife_Photography_IMG9407_low.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKYcRY5Jwrm_if4bSS0wY3XvApEgmLKUCUaol20Y-lw04pM7We6Z-gkergimHKlrhESFoMdiD4C18c7CeenCQTK0ZrjTiim8Z8Ew17-y9KlkZfCXhR4b_oRRIF1G9nMI8OD7DmJKVpZQc/s640/Locascio_Spallone_CakeKnife_Photography_IMG9407_low.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
893. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Cake Knife Photography:   <a href="http://www.cakeknifephotography.com/">www.cakeknifephotography.com</a></td></tr>
894. </tbody></table>
895. <div>
896. <br /></div>
897. &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;</content><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/feeds/4950728478457977597/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2015/05/who-pays-for-what-at-wedding-and-how-to.html#comment-form" rel="replies" title="0 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/4950728478457977597" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/4950728478457977597" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2015/05/who-pays-for-what-at-wedding-and-how-to.html" rel="alternate" title="Who pays for what at a wedding?  And how to budget that money" type="text/html"/><author><name>Anonymous</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06607808880955724082</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="16" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif" width="16"/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKYcRY5Jwrm_if4bSS0wY3XvApEgmLKUCUaol20Y-lw04pM7We6Z-gkergimHKlrhESFoMdiD4C18c7CeenCQTK0ZrjTiim8Z8Ew17-y9KlkZfCXhR4b_oRRIF1G9nMI8OD7DmJKVpZQc/s72-c/Locascio_Spallone_CakeKnife_Photography_IMG9407_low.jpg" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644676863749744287.post-6786081781507608988</id><published>2015-05-21T11:42:00.003-07:00</published><updated>2015-05-21T11:43:40.348-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="gift giving etiquette. wedding gift etiquette"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="how much to spend on a wedding gift"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding etiquette"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding gifts"/><title type="text">What is wedding gift etiquette?</title><content type="html">&lt;div class="MsoNormal"&gt;
898. How do you know how much to spend on a wedding gift?  Is there really an etiquette to it?  We liked this article, so why re-invent the wheel!  You can read the original article <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/14/us-money-weddings-gifts-idUSKBN0NZ16U20150514" target="_blank">HERE</a>.</div>
899. <div class="MsoNormal">
900. <br /></div>
901. <div class="MsoNormal">
902. <br /></div>
903. <div class="MsoNormal">
904. <span style="font-family: inherit;">By Mitch Lipka  <o:p></o:p></span>(The author is a Reuters contributor. The opinions expressed are his own.)</div>
905. <div class="MsoNormal">
906. <br /></div>
907. <div class="MsoNormal">
908. <span style="font-family: inherit;">(Reuters) - When you go to as many weddings as Stephanie
909. Wong does, you need to come up with some guidelines for gift-giving. During the
910. past two years, Wong, 32, who works in marketing for a book publisher in San
911. Francisco, has been to about a half-dozen weddings. She expects to attend three
912. more this year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
913. <div class="MsoNormal">
914. <br /></div>
915. <div class="MsoNormal">
916. <span style="font-family: inherit;">The amount Wong spends is all about her relationship to the
917. people getting married, how fancy the wedding is going to be and whether she
918. brings a date.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
919. <div class="MsoNormal">
920. <br /></div>
921. <div class="MsoNormal">
922. <span style="font-family: inherit;">At a recent wedding of a close friend where she did a
923. reading and went alone, Wong gave the couple $300. At another wedding in her
924. social circle, she skipped the reception and gave $75.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
925. <div class="MsoNormal">
926. <br /></div>
927. <div class="MsoNormal">
928. <span style="font-family: inherit;">As the wedding season gets into full swing, guests from
929. coast to coast are confronted with the same question: How much should you spend
930. and how should you give it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
931. <div class="MsoNormal">
932. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
933. <div class="MsoNormal">
934. <br /></div>
935. <div class="MsoNormal">
936. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>THE ETIQUETTE</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
937. <div class="MsoNormal">
938. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Wedding experts agree on a couple of things: the closer you
939. are to the bride or groom, the more you are expected to give, and do not give
940. more than you can afford just because of the expectations.</span></div>
941. <div class="MsoNormal">
942. <br /></div>
943. <div class="MsoNormal">
944. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Defying the "cost-of-the-meal" school of
945. gift-giving, where guests give a gift roughly equivalent to what it cost to
946. host them, Kristen Maxwell Cooper, deputy editor of the wedding-focused website
947. TheKnot.com, says location and cost of the reception should not be the burden
948. of the guest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
949. <div class="MsoNormal">
950. <br /></div>
951. <div class="MsoNormal">
952. <span style="font-family: inherit;">She offers these guidelines to wedding-goers wherever they
953. might be: A distant relative or co-worker should give $75-$100; a friend or
954. relative, $100-$125; a closer relative, up to $150.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
955. <div class="MsoNormal">
956. <br /></div>
957. <div class="MsoNormal">
958. <span style="font-family: inherit;">If you are wealthy, are you expected to inflate the gift?
959. No, Cooper says. "If they do, it's because they're just generous
960. people."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
961. <div class="MsoNormal">
962. <br /></div>
963. <div class="MsoNormal">
964. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Meghan Ely, who has been in the wedding industry for a dozen
965. years, says it is reasonable to give on the lower end if you had to spend a lot
966. to get there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
967. <div class="MsoNormal">
968. <br /></div>
969. <div class="MsoNormal">
970. <span style="font-family: inherit;">And, she and Cooper agree, buying items off a registry,
971. where there is one, is a good idea.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
972. <div class="MsoNormal">
973. <br /></div>
974. <div class="MsoNormal">
975. <span style="font-family: inherit;">"These days, couples are statistically older and more
976. established in their lives so when they register, they are truly asking for
977. things that they need," Ely says. "It really takes the guesswork out
978. of it for the guests."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
979. <div class="MsoNormal">
980. <br /></div>
981. <div class="MsoNormal">
982. <span style="font-family: inherit;">That's about how it worked out for Melinda Parrish, a
983. 30-year-old model from Washington, D.C. who got married last year in Annapolis,
984. Maryland. Her guests spent an average of $115 off her registry, and most of her
985. friends gave $50-$100. Some who had financial obstacles made gifts or framed
986. photos. One made a charitable donation in their name.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
987. <div class="MsoNormal">
988. <br /></div>
989. <div class="MsoNormal">
990. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Most of all, she was surprised that about 40 of the 200
991. guests who attended gave nothing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
992. <div class="MsoNormal">
993. <br /></div>
994. <div class="MsoNormal">
995. <o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
996. <div class="MsoNormal">
997. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>ALTERNATIVE REGISTRIES</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
998. <div class="MsoNormal">
999. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Some experts note a trend of couples registering for various
1000. elements of their honeymoon, including a night at a hotel, a dinner or an
1001. evening of drinks.</span></div>
1002. <div class="MsoNormal">
1003. <br /></div>
1004. <div class="MsoNormal">
1005. <span style="font-family: inherit;">It's a request that runs afoul of some, including Peggy
1006. Newfield, founder of the American School of Protocol in Atlanta, who recently
1007. attended a wedding where the bride and groom solicited unusual presents.
1008. "You could check whether you wanted your gift to cover champagne on the
1009. plane or in their suite at the hotel, their limo service, dinner in the
1010. evening, or whatever," she says.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
1011. <div class="MsoNormal">
1012. <br /></div>
1013. <div class="MsoNormal">
1014. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Her way of responding to the request: "We sent just a
1015. congratulation card. There is no etiquette today that defines how crass our
1016. society has become."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
1017. <div class="MsoNormal">
1018. <br /></div>
1019. <div class="MsoNormal">
1020. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Cash has even taken a more modern twist - you can send a
1021. monetary gift with your credit card. Websites like Tendr.com facilitate the
1022. process (for a 5 percent cut of each gift).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
1023. <div class="MsoNormal">
1024. <br /></div>
1025. <div class="MsoNormal">
1026. <span style="font-family: inherit;">The 4,000 gifts given in Tendr's just-completed first year
1027. in business averaged $125 nationwide, the company says. Connecticut
1028. wedding-goers were the most generous, with an average cash gift of $230.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
1029. <div class="MsoNormal">
1030. <br /></div>
1031. <br />
1032. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1033. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx8K3UGI-NQtv3dQiK1bQ9vTUKwKZYZ_YUsQA6-8F6TnL6bq4Qv59ZOfsoteKyXOCzTZWQJXdJ9BTPRFs_sQdmBRNaKCwDuqFADgp1XZ1idaqrraM5c0YoI3vYeq_mgaRfDHPrsR7FBY8/s1600/MM-1393.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx8K3UGI-NQtv3dQiK1bQ9vTUKwKZYZ_YUsQA6-8F6TnL6bq4Qv59ZOfsoteKyXOCzTZWQJXdJ9BTPRFs_sQdmBRNaKCwDuqFADgp1XZ1idaqrraM5c0YoI3vYeq_mgaRfDHPrsR7FBY8/s640/MM-1393.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
1034. <div class="MsoNormal">
1035. <span style="font-family: inherit;">(Editing by Lauren Young, Beth Pinsker and Andrew Hay)</span><o:p></o:p></div>
1036. <div class="MsoNormal">
1037. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1038. </content><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/feeds/6786081781507608988/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2015/05/what-is-wedding-gift-etiquette.html#comment-form" rel="replies" title="1 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/6786081781507608988" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/6786081781507608988" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2015/05/what-is-wedding-gift-etiquette.html" rel="alternate" title="What is wedding gift etiquette?" type="text/html"/><author><name>Anonymous</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06607808880955724082</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="16" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif" width="16"/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx8K3UGI-NQtv3dQiK1bQ9vTUKwKZYZ_YUsQA6-8F6TnL6bq4Qv59ZOfsoteKyXOCzTZWQJXdJ9BTPRFs_sQdmBRNaKCwDuqFADgp1XZ1idaqrraM5c0YoI3vYeq_mgaRfDHPrsR7FBY8/s72-c/MM-1393.jpg" width="72"/><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644676863749744287.post-3623542326656422229</id><published>2015-05-07T14:43:00.002-07:00</published><updated>2015-05-09T16:44:30.541-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="fake wood rain barrels"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="faux wood rain barrels"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Painted rain barrels"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="painting plastic to look like wood"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="rain barrels"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wine barrel craft"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wine barrel rain barrels"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wine barrel wedding"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wood rain barrels"/><title type="text">HOW TO:  Make plastic wine barrels look like wood</title><content type="html">You know you're in the right line of work when you still love what you do AFTER hours too! &amp;nbsp;I love crafting, and I do a bunch of crafting for my weddings. &amp;nbsp;But I also love working in my yard! &amp;nbsp;So I combined the two together for this springtime project. &lt;br /&gt;
1039. <br />
1040. These are rain barrels I purchased at Murdoch's ranching supply, and they were an ugly green color, but the plastic is imprinted with woodgrain texture, so I saw potential.  I started off with the following colors of MATTE FINISH (that's important) spray paint:  Nutmeg, Warm Caramel, Fossil, Espresso & Dark Walnut.  Then I also purchased a can of GLOSS FINISH black spray paint and oil rubbed bronze paint as well, in a quart sized can.  Anything that's supposed to look like wood should be with a matte finish paint, and the gloss & oil rubbed bronze is used on the metal looking parts.  I prefer the 2x coverage rustoleum paint, because it's thick, and it seems to adhere to plastic really well.<br />
1041. <br />
1042. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1043. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV75sbV_PyBqA5CVOZMaaE0zUXTFzO9omHrLbJOGYx0uyeGS8iG-TtNYIYQmS2loOWx40tCM7SqVViMmWwLGSb86lG5ZaLt0xOBINQIiM41Y296olmtIpKEzy0aXtr1ejHqRGqweh_reQ/s1600/IMG_2169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV75sbV_PyBqA5CVOZMaaE0zUXTFzO9omHrLbJOGYx0uyeGS8iG-TtNYIYQmS2loOWx40tCM7SqVViMmWwLGSb86lG5ZaLt0xOBINQIiM41Y296olmtIpKEzy0aXtr1ejHqRGqweh_reQ/s1600/IMG_2169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="The paint colors needed to create the final product" border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV75sbV_PyBqA5CVOZMaaE0zUXTFzO9omHrLbJOGYx0uyeGS8iG-TtNYIYQmS2loOWx40tCM7SqVViMmWwLGSb86lG5ZaLt0xOBINQIiM41Y296olmtIpKEzy0aXtr1ejHqRGqweh_reQ/s320/IMG_2169.JPG" title="Painting supplies needed" width="320" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDHWgoBXOuuausFSVQi_t_RU30OqPtMhs-pvyqZY5XGtmvMa_zTpvorPR4fyDY_tCpyMOCL_a_LcJPdKGw6sEEcJNZLCsAUn_bTq_udjj3rVCBbg5QJWB6zLW5zPirrby3mbRzUPQ4aI/s1600/IMG_2157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Stage one of the project - plastic, unpainted rain barrels" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDHWgoBXOuuausFSVQi_t_RU30OqPtMhs-pvyqZY5XGtmvMa_zTpvorPR4fyDY_tCpyMOCL_a_LcJPdKGw6sEEcJNZLCsAUn_bTq_udjj3rVCBbg5QJWB6zLW5zPirrby3mbRzUPQ4aI/s320/IMG_2157.JPG" title="Plastic rain barrels from Murdochs" width="238" /></a></div>
1044. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
1045. Step 1:  Take the nutmeg paint and paint the wood grain in that color.  You want to hide the green plastic with this step.  Don't worry about covering the "metal" parts of the barrel until step 7!</div>
1046. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
1047. <br /></div>
1048. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1049. </div>
1050. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1051. </div>
1052. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1053. </div>
1054. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1055. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtK-iMqapFhlF2-5NGrGuNceYk7JSk878WGG-4UeRTOINOrzCP5eD7Zi3QMUG5e-JFdzNVhsMiI7cEC4YxHrlSj_jf0JUNaGbiMZlx0hpSe_hQdSSi5ittIbu1P076XXYsusnlYNjy0KE/s1600/IMG_2158.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Paint with nutmeg spraypaint" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtK-iMqapFhlF2-5NGrGuNceYk7JSk878WGG-4UeRTOINOrzCP5eD7Zi3QMUG5e-JFdzNVhsMiI7cEC4YxHrlSj_jf0JUNaGbiMZlx0hpSe_hQdSSi5ittIbu1P076XXYsusnlYNjy0KE/s320/IMG_2158.JPG" title="Step one" width="239" /></a><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">Step 2:  Add vertical stripes of the warm caramel paint.  Don't worry about making them straight - just be spontaneous! </span></div>
1056. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5oYBRoMBkX3qYnaIrSDgcORVRIe7vTTauWSB_mjuDQcZhWAizSdwfzimuk6_up1CIGQKvWk8c-vSvWmb4mVytlZGhtDyagcO881fPw_oCTRlRE49DqXfotBYAJaPtKO5Ovbl1EOwxYQ/s1600/IMG_2160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Paint stripes with caramel paint" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5oYBRoMBkX3qYnaIrSDgcORVRIe7vTTauWSB_mjuDQcZhWAizSdwfzimuk6_up1CIGQKvWk8c-vSvWmb4mVytlZGhtDyagcO881fPw_oCTRlRE49DqXfotBYAJaPtKO5Ovbl1EOwxYQ/s320/IMG_2160.JPG" title="Step two" width="239" /></a><br />
1057. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
1058. Step 3:  Repeat the step above with the fossil colored paint.  Be a bit more liberal with your fossil colored stripes - these highlights give the wood a more natural look.</div>
1059. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
1060.   </div>
1061. <br />
1062. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlE9HJwsOi9Q0r5QmR0ItODgZS7PxVoEym6VUFbGworO-dZFVdRqtNd6BVpai0yZR0AobCGPhBS82uu7RWTT2jn-XndoiI0gQmKmM3xEE_oau9-IQf_lXfl9RIA4iMqYaIqiXpAs8U5fU/s1600/IMG_2161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Spray lines with fossil paint" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlE9HJwsOi9Q0r5QmR0ItODgZS7PxVoEym6VUFbGworO-dZFVdRqtNd6BVpai0yZR0AobCGPhBS82uu7RWTT2jn-XndoiI0gQmKmM3xEE_oau9-IQf_lXfl9RIA4iMqYaIqiXpAs8U5fU/s320/IMG_2161.JPG" title="Step three" width="239" /></a><br />
1063. <br />
1064. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
1065. Step 4:  Now add stripes in Espresso!  Liberal coverage here is very good.  And I tended to concentrate it a bit towards the top and bottom .</div>
1066. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
1067. <br /></div>
1068. <br />
1069. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
1070. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFr_VuCNeJ0x5mR2wo59aGdp6Vm1yiUSmUtdmg1OIkyLNfv5OXLIjeIyAJeyohQkO7ZhDCC6FxKIgzRk5R5zGBwVC_7U3uyVec9QMUxTG-X_-kOdPn76YaBfO4UgY0iNUgRgM9xUWJcw8/s1600/IMG_2162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Spray barrels with espresso paint" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFr_VuCNeJ0x5mR2wo59aGdp6Vm1yiUSmUtdmg1OIkyLNfv5OXLIjeIyAJeyohQkO7ZhDCC6FxKIgzRk5R5zGBwVC_7U3uyVec9QMUxTG-X_-kOdPn76YaBfO4UgY0iNUgRgM9xUWJcw8/s320/IMG_2162.JPG" title="Step four" width="239" /></a></div>
1071. <br />
1072. Step 5:  Now it's time to use the dark walnut paint and make it look like wood.  Take your time on this step.  All the other steps were really just quick coverage.  I went back over it a few times, and made sure the stripes of paint from previous steps were visually broken up.   This dark walnut color will be the main concentration of color on the barrel, so be generous with your coverage, but allowing those underlying paint colors to peek through.<br />
1073. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1074. <br /></div>
1075. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1076. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgaKjjmpsnbuL9dVDYr01ZTmHxcKm2wonq40kDkvPscFKjnTkH3YdZeVdA3ZPfmwvdSU-FAdZNNcJeFf0qJjxa2SlxfnDzLGMGOfkwgr6ir9-9NL2lqnAPf2GXKW4ijX4CYaRiChAI-AQ/s1600/IMG_2163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Spray barrels with dark walnut paint" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgaKjjmpsnbuL9dVDYr01ZTmHxcKm2wonq40kDkvPscFKjnTkH3YdZeVdA3ZPfmwvdSU-FAdZNNcJeFf0qJjxa2SlxfnDzLGMGOfkwgr6ir9-9NL2lqnAPf2GXKW4ijX4CYaRiChAI-AQ/s320/IMG_2163.JPG" title="Step five" width="239" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgaKjjmpsnbuL9dVDYr01ZTmHxcKm2wonq40kDkvPscFKjnTkH3YdZeVdA3ZPfmwvdSU-FAdZNNcJeFf0qJjxa2SlxfnDzLGMGOfkwgr6ir9-9NL2lqnAPf2GXKW4ijX4CYaRiChAI-AQ/s1600/IMG_2163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
1077. <div style="text-align: left;">
1078. <br /></div>
1079. <div style="text-align: left;">
1080. Step 7:  My favorite step!  Paint the tops with the black gloss spray paint, and use a smaller brush to add the "metal" ring details with the oil rubbed bronze paint.</div>
1081. <div style="text-align: left;">
1082. <br /></div>
1083. <br />
1084. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1085. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidaCAJcrfvU9HewOSaDKdUls6dV2BYLCut5FRZIKXGb5zTeAdV6znkU6YmzGhanAzeLR87-lSp-0jad-06avzf5Jbaf5Y9h0BYCGjun6bkV3xNF4Q-ZRAfTJjjJusdJgIBQ2wyka6pp3E/s1600/IMG_2164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Add the ring details using black gloss spray paint and oil rubbed bronze paint." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidaCAJcrfvU9HewOSaDKdUls6dV2BYLCut5FRZIKXGb5zTeAdV6znkU6YmzGhanAzeLR87-lSp-0jad-06avzf5Jbaf5Y9h0BYCGjun6bkV3xNF4Q-ZRAfTJjjJusdJgIBQ2wyka6pp3E/s320/IMG_2164.JPG" title="Step seven" width="239" /></a><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">Step 8:  Place the barrel in your yard to start collecting water!  There's no reason to have those ugly rain barrels in your yard when you can buy these for the same price and paint them to look really rustic!  I finished 3 barrels with the paints I pictured above.  </span><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img alt="The finished rain barrels in place" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB3_WA88Wq5UewabbIlz1HQQxXQZ5jM_sGxG8TUe9ikK1oamAzPVkpHP86e0cPKhHoa4ovE5QjS6fhPWeT_3rf8YANOzIIP4CH6Hh4dCv1Aeep1eKvUmLFCdUe-zJHSRSGSVC_ULNcmVg/s320/IMG_2171.JPG" title="The final product" width="239" /></span><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">Happy crafting, everyone!</span></div>
1086. <br />
1087. &lt;br /&gt;</content><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/feeds/3623542326656422229/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2015/05/how-to-make-plastic-wine-barrels-look.html#comment-form" rel="replies" title="2 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/3623542326656422229" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/3623542326656422229" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2015/05/how-to-make-plastic-wine-barrels-look.html" rel="alternate" title="HOW TO:  Make plastic wine barrels look like wood" type="text/html"/><author><name>Anonymous</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06607808880955724082</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="16" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif" width="16"/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV75sbV_PyBqA5CVOZMaaE0zUXTFzO9omHrLbJOGYx0uyeGS8iG-TtNYIYQmS2loOWx40tCM7SqVViMmWwLGSb86lG5ZaLt0xOBINQIiM41Y296olmtIpKEzy0aXtr1ejHqRGqweh_reQ/s72-c/IMG_2169.JPG" width="72"/><thr:total>2</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644676863749744287.post-1104618924363917842</id><published>2015-04-30T20:06:00.001-07:00</published><updated>2015-05-09T16:41:24.179-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="custom invitations"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="custom paper products"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="custom wedding invites"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="graphic design"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="graphic design invitations"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="happy huckleberry studios"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding invitations"/><title type="text">Custom wedding invitations</title><content type="html">&lt;div class="MsoNormal"&gt;
1088. Putting together that perfect combination of details is what
1089. really makes your wedding special to you. 
1090. A large part of that customization comes from details like food &
1091. beverage, décor, and entertainment.  But
1092. there is a large element you shouldn’t overlook because it can have a big
1093. impact AND it doesn’t cost a lot.  And
1094. that’s customizing simple things like: save the dates, invitations, RSVP cards,
1095. table numbers, escort cards, place cards, menus, thank you cards, and
1096. more!  </div>
1097. <div class="MsoNormal">
1098. <br /></div>
1099. <div class="MsoNormal">
1100. Autumn has created a branch of her
1101. business known as “<a href="http://www.happyhuckleberrystudios.com/#!invitations/c1ud6" target="_blank">Happy Huckleberry Studios</a>” where she specializes in graphic
1102. design for customized wedding invites. 
1103. Combining her creative background with her artistic ability, she’s able
1104. to customize the design, and also add those special elements that make your
1105. designs one of a kind!  Not finding
1106. exactly what you want online?  We can
1107. make it for you!  From adding fabric,
1108. ribbons, custom die cuts, letterpress printing, metallic print. . . you name
1109. it, we can do it. <o:p></o:p></div>
1110. <div class="MsoNormal">
1111. <br /></div>
1112. <div class="MsoNormal">
1113. There’s two options for booking us to do your custom
1114. designs:<o:p></o:p></div>
1115. <div class="MsoNormal">
1116. </div>
1117. <ul>
1118. <li>Fill
1119. out an inquiry form <a href="http://media.wix.com/ugd/f51892_f0d32be39416464bb36592bd891b2891.pdf" target="_blank">HERE</a>, and email it to: <a href="mailto:Happyhuckleberrystudios@gmail.com">Happyhuckleberrystudios@gmail.com</a>
1120. to get a custom price quote for your invitation suite!</li>
1121. <li><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Or book Events by Autumn for a <a href="http://www.eventsbyautumn.com/#!services-2/c1lyp" target="_blank">DESIGN</a>
1122. or <a href="http://www.eventsbyautumn.com/#!services-1/cxse" target="_blank">FULL SERVICE PLANNING</a> package – where the labor to design and assemble
1123. invitations is FREE!</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">  </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">You’re only
1124. responsible for the cost of the paper products, materials, and printing.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">  </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">It ends up saving you a bunch of money in the
1125. long run, AND gives you that customized feel you were going for!</span></li>
1126. </ul>
1127. Here are some images from this week’s designs (these are just designs, and aren't printed on the custom paper just yet!):<br />
1128. <div class="MsoNormal">
1129. <o:p></o:p></div>
1130. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1131. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz_trr1g7__BAMY8NnGZrcnAnDeA8AyfUZh_5zOfXbkeSJLnlcl2hXv06_otX1Kf2P0sOzAKtO5IamBLg_J6TjZKPoHRnuwyT8t67gDq-okQs05VK6SMXfVUiFRZWs6sA94mbzY8YiF4E/s1600/Hirase_VanGerpen+Option4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Customized invitation suite created by Happy Huckleberry Studios" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz_trr1g7__BAMY8NnGZrcnAnDeA8AyfUZh_5zOfXbkeSJLnlcl2hXv06_otX1Kf2P0sOzAKtO5IamBLg_J6TjZKPoHRnuwyT8t67gDq-okQs05VK6SMXfVUiFRZWs6sA94mbzY8YiF4E/s1600/Hirase_VanGerpen+Option4.JPG" title="Black and white formal wedding invitations" width="320" /></a></div>
1132. <br />
1133. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1134. </div>
1135. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1136. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhztpIdkKKlt7riGzRe5ilh1b8mTeN1rxd1CJ1d19RKgZPDrcVnpLLA_HEbujm0sho8vmKZOPO5XOgEC19G_484Osy8Vgrh3uyLqYccZLKXs0RT15XgLMB_OWYECK6ndY9xIo0Dfl2apnA/s1600/Save+the+Date_Updated2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Created by Happy Huckleberry Studios" border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhztpIdkKKlt7riGzRe5ilh1b8mTeN1rxd1CJ1d19RKgZPDrcVnpLLA_HEbujm0sho8vmKZOPO5XOgEC19G_484Osy8Vgrh3uyLqYccZLKXs0RT15XgLMB_OWYECK6ndY9xIo0Dfl2apnA/s1600/Save+the+Date_Updated2.jpg" title="Hand Drawn fonts and characatures on custom wedding invitations" width="320" /></a></div>
1137. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1138. <br /></div>
1139. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1140. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmPHwdXaejkUEEzrCUH5OqmSnYKFPC4-lzP1Gn1kf6PvjW2R5LxV3hc9qcqlPyW7GYaXY6BD7IeCTfsAoLiz_klyuyLs_xGlcJWtmH2olml8wqMy1vc3Ow5ZdoAW9LWwsXx6xJp7_nKnk/s1600/IMG_7252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Created and customized by Happy Huckleberry Studios" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmPHwdXaejkUEEzrCUH5OqmSnYKFPC4-lzP1Gn1kf6PvjW2R5LxV3hc9qcqlPyW7GYaXY6BD7IeCTfsAoLiz_klyuyLs_xGlcJWtmH2olml8wqMy1vc3Ow5ZdoAW9LWwsXx6xJp7_nKnk/s1600/IMG_7252.JPG" title="Custom wedding invitations for a running themed wedding" width="320" /></a></div>
1141. <br />
1142. <br />
1143. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1144. </div>
1145. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1146. </div>
1147. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1148. </div>
1149. <div class="MsoNormal">
1150. <br /></div>
1151. </content><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/feeds/1104618924363917842/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2015/04/custom-wedding-invitations.html#comment-form" rel="replies" title="0 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/1104618924363917842" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/1104618924363917842" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2015/04/custom-wedding-invitations.html" rel="alternate" title="Custom wedding invitations" type="text/html"/><author><name>Anonymous</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06607808880955724082</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="16" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif" width="16"/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz_trr1g7__BAMY8NnGZrcnAnDeA8AyfUZh_5zOfXbkeSJLnlcl2hXv06_otX1Kf2P0sOzAKtO5IamBLg_J6TjZKPoHRnuwyT8t67gDq-okQs05VK6SMXfVUiFRZWs6sA94mbzY8YiF4E/s72-c/Hirase_VanGerpen+Option4.JPG" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644676863749744287.post-1670027723143187530</id><published>2015-04-16T11:12:00.001-07:00</published><updated>2015-05-09T16:39:46.177-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="bad weather wedding"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="montana weather"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="montana wedding weather"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="outdoor wedding"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="rain delay"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="rain plan"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="rainy day wedding"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding day rain"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding day storm"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding planning"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding planning tips"/><title type="text">Why do I need a wedding day rain plan?  And what should it consist of?</title><content type="html">&lt;span style="font-family: inherit;"&gt;I can't help it. &amp;nbsp;I'm a little bit superstitious when it comes to weddings. &amp;nbsp;I love incorporating the something borrowed, something blue, something old, something new. &amp;nbsp;I also believe that getting married on the half hour is lucky. &amp;nbsp;But there is one thing I'm INCREDIBLY superstitious about when it comes to outdoor weddings. &amp;nbsp;And that is MAKING A RAIN PLAN.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
1152. <div>
1153. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1154. <div>
1155. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Why would I need to make a rain plan, you might ask?  Well, here are two reasons:</span></div>
1156. <div>
1157. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1158. <div>
1159. <span style="font-family: inherit;">1.  Avoid the rainy day meltdown.  Trust me!  I've seen hundreds of weddings, and all brides are a bag of emotions on their wedding day.  Set yourself up for success by planning in advance.  Just sit down a few months before the wedding and discuss your rain plan with your planner.  You want to check off the list that you know 100% what the plan is, and your planner does too.  The peace of mind from being prepared is a HUGE step in avoiding a wedding day meltdown.  </span></div>
1160. <div>
1161. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1162. <div>
1163. <span style="font-family: inherit;">2.  Because I believe in Murphy's Law, if you don't make a contingency plan, the likelihood of rain will increase by 85% (Ok, so I made that percentage up, but I promise if you don't plan for it, it WILL rain).  Just plan ahead, and communicate your plan.</span></div>
1164. <div>
1165. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1166. <div>
1167. <div>
1168. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1169. <div>
1170. <span style="font-family: inherit;">What should my rain plan consist of?</span></div>
1171. </div>
1172. <div>
1173. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Think of it this way:  You're the bride.  You're off in your ready room, and it starts to pour rain on your guests waiting for you to walk down the aisle.  How you manage this situation if you're not the one giving direction?  Here's my rain plan list:</span></div>
1174. <div>
1175. <ul>
1176. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you're planning an outdoor reception, RENT A TENT.  It is just as useful for shade from the heat as it is against foul weather.  Just do it.  I know it's a big expense, but it's critical.  At times, I even consider refusing to work weddings that don't have some shade for their guests.  It may look cool spread out on the open lawn, but in the middle of summer at 6pm, it's kinda miserable in the sun.  Think about your guests!!!</span></li>
1177. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Where will the ceremony take place when it rains?  Often I make the contingency plan to just sit at the reception tables, and host the ceremony on the open dance floor, so all can see.  But this is completely up to you.</span></li>
1178. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Who will direct the traffic?  Depending on what time you make the "rain call," either myself or my assistant will direct the guests to the proper location.  If you wait too long, and are about ready to walk down the aisle when you decide to move the ceremony, my assistant will guide the guests, and I will stay with you.  You need someone with authority and a loud voice to jump in and give guidance to people who are getting rained on.  Moving wedding guests in a rain storm is like herding cats.  I've done it before.  Too many times.</span></li>
1179. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Therefore, my next tip is to set a deadline for making the weather call.  Look at the forecast.  Be smart about it.  I typically try to make a rain call for an evening ceremony by 2pm.  That gives time to move chairs and be prepared before the first guests arrive.  As I mentioned above, I've had weather calls made by the bride AS she's walking down the aisle, and it makes for a lot of confusion when guests scramble to get into the reception tent.  It's better to just make a call early and stick with it.</span></li>
1180. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Protect rental items.  You will find that some rental companies have strict guidelines on not getting certain items wet.  Your planner will know about this, and you will too (you did read your contract, right?!)  But if you didn't hire a planner, you'll want ushers/friends/family to know what items need to be taken out of the rain immediately.</span></li>
1181. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bring a nice umbrella.  If you're going to have to get from point A to point B, and there's any chance of rain, buy a nice umbrella.  Chances are, you'll be photographed under it. . .You want something that goes with your theme/color scheme!</span></li>
1182. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">LOVE your contingency plan.  OWN it.  Don't be disappointed if the weather doesn't hold up for you.  It's traditionally lucky if it rains on your wedding day anyways!  Making the decision to get married out of the rain was a smart move for you and your guests.  Just enjoy the day.  In fact, rainy day weather makes for some of the most spectacular wedding photos I've ever seen. </span></li>
1183. </ul>
1184. <div>
1185. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Of course, everyone wants perfect weather on their wedding day!  But we don't control the weather and neither do you.  So just be prepared.  All outdoor weddings should make a rain plan.  It relieves your stress and keeps everyone dry!  Happy planning!</span></div>
1186. </div>
1187. <div>
1188. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1189. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
1190. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFicgfXuU7tD_zNUhNaEbkfe6QS97gWQQ8wyIqn98Y5rd0on7eYa4NNnif64IbX9sxCeYdY4jP95Vl_LIvJjN5AM7xCCRZyslXPYjnsXLC4rZs6wALDYu8oDFUVzTPK9HfrrlW7_D_zr4/s1600/Courtley_Dunaway_CakeKnife_Photography_IMG7104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="Guests sitting in the rain, waiting on the bride to walk down the aisle" border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFicgfXuU7tD_zNUhNaEbkfe6QS97gWQQ8wyIqn98Y5rd0on7eYa4NNnif64IbX9sxCeYdY4jP95Vl_LIvJjN5AM7xCCRZyslXPYjnsXLC4rZs6wALDYu8oDFUVzTPK9HfrrlW7_D_zr4/s1600/Courtley_Dunaway_CakeKnife_Photography_IMG7104.jpg" title="Rainy Day Wedding" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
1191. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rainy Day Wedding</span></td></tr>
1192. </tbody></table>
1193. <br />
1194. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
1195. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXX-ZukITaslksLCmakgYjX8UAvmumnqIwmL3uX8hkjpu5W408yCqVkECq7OKNX_TNdlRR0iOV_WIAcwC2jbbazxPyDWIzdV6AhAMMrBqF8LkQSXOlVF06MjosVAgLqbkdmZ0AXSraFM/s1600/Courtley_Dunaway_CakeKnife_Photography_IMG7115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="Guests quickly springing into action and moving chairs under the cover of the reception tent." border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXX-ZukITaslksLCmakgYjX8UAvmumnqIwmL3uX8hkjpu5W408yCqVkECq7OKNX_TNdlRR0iOV_WIAcwC2jbbazxPyDWIzdV6AhAMMrBqF8LkQSXOlVF06MjosVAgLqbkdmZ0AXSraFM/s1600/Courtley_Dunaway_CakeKnife_Photography_IMG7115.jpg" title="Rainy Day wedding" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
1196. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Herding Cats.  There's me, on the right, pink blazer, carrying chairs!</span></td></tr>
1197. </tbody></table>
1198. <br />
1199. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
1200. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR3i8J9JqTJ8W4UCHEgR2CeLGZqS6k8qB8A4dGClxqj0JzEM9Zh1rj__6i_1FveJtyW9TvNhv8bFvnVpO1DV5vQg3kCgPwPRhKcOpS_qN8bKNip4LPIwqZFn6WYmoTW3p3z6pDNOkhMzY/s1600/Courtley_Dunaway_CakeKnife_Photography_IMG7140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="The bride is still walking down the aisle, despite the "rain plan" in effect" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR3i8J9JqTJ8W4UCHEgR2CeLGZqS6k8qB8A4dGClxqj0JzEM9Zh1rj__6i_1FveJtyW9TvNhv8bFvnVpO1DV5vQg3kCgPwPRhKcOpS_qN8bKNip4LPIwqZFn6WYmoTW3p3z6pDNOkhMzY/s1600/Courtley_Dunaway_CakeKnife_Photography_IMG7140.jpg" title="Rainy Day Wedding" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
1201. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This bride was so chill about the weather.  Loved working with her!</span></td></tr>
1202. </tbody></table>
1203. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1204. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1205. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1206. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Photos Courtesy of <a href="http://www.cakeknifephotography.com/">Cake Knife Photography</a></span></div>
1207. <div>
1208. <br /></div>
1209. </content><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/feeds/1670027723143187530/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2015/04/why-do-i-need-wedding-day-rain-plan-and.html#comment-form" rel="replies" title="0 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/1670027723143187530" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/1670027723143187530" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2015/04/why-do-i-need-wedding-day-rain-plan-and.html" rel="alternate" title="Why do I need a wedding day rain plan?  And what should it consist of?" type="text/html"/><author><name>Anonymous</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06607808880955724082</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="16" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif" width="16"/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFicgfXuU7tD_zNUhNaEbkfe6QS97gWQQ8wyIqn98Y5rd0on7eYa4NNnif64IbX9sxCeYdY4jP95Vl_LIvJjN5AM7xCCRZyslXPYjnsXLC4rZs6wALDYu8oDFUVzTPK9HfrrlW7_D_zr4/s72-c/Courtley_Dunaway_CakeKnife_Photography_IMG7104.jpg" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644676863749744287.post-4872742881299514995</id><published>2015-04-09T19:18:00.001-07:00</published><updated>2015-05-09T16:38:23.227-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Buffet"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="buffet art"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="building a buffet"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="decorating with food"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="food display"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="montana wedding designer"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="montana wedding planner"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding design"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding designer"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding food"/><title type="text">HOW TO:  Make your buffet display awesome</title><content type="html">I spent years as a Director of Catering, and I CRINGE when I see a buffet display that's boring. &amp;nbsp;It only takes a small effort to make a buffet amazing, and it DOES make a difference! &amp;nbsp;Think about your wedding. &amp;nbsp;It doesn't matter what your budget might be for the wedding - you always cares about what the food tastes like! &amp;nbsp;And what's your first impression of the food, besides smell? &amp;nbsp;How it looks! &amp;nbsp;There's a saying "you eat with your eyes." &amp;nbsp;I'm here to tell you that it's true! &amp;nbsp;So let me share a few trade secrets to building a killer buffet display. &lt;br /&gt;
1210. <br />
1211. Also, while collecting materials to make your buffet awesome, remember how many buffets you're going to have!  We recommend one double sided buffet per 100 guests.  So make sure to get enough decor to cover them all.  And as always, get 3x the amount of decor you THINK you need.  It's better to have too much than not enough (as usually "enough" for a first timer isn't enough!)<br />
1212. <br />
1213. #1:  The Hidden Height method. <br />
1214. Bring sturdy cardboard boxes, empty milk crates or dish crates.  All of these things can be hidden underneath linens.   Consider cool display "trays" when using this method.  The first image below shows the basic setup, before linens are added, and the second shows the finished product, using granite display trays.<br />
1215. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1216. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgabH5SKDqweQLjWg_Nj0mqXih6aRVIbKDuqoyUjmuBlhnc_FeJkeBhN0Qw7_s2WSChNqvA-1M-i8zKBIn4ltCyTG8xt2cnZut8zsSqy0YcmUFU8XCVLEyF-ldTfNxAotr0v03MRKQ-hrc/s1600/Buffet+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Using dish crates and racks to create height" border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgabH5SKDqweQLjWg_Nj0mqXih6aRVIbKDuqoyUjmuBlhnc_FeJkeBhN0Qw7_s2WSChNqvA-1M-i8zKBIn4ltCyTG8xt2cnZut8zsSqy0YcmUFU8XCVLEyF-ldTfNxAotr0v03MRKQ-hrc/s1600/Buffet+7.jpg" title="Secrets to staggering height on a buffet" width="320" /></a></div>
1217. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1218. <br /></div>
1219. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1220. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVZYK0q2UppKaG6MVe0rwbn811uAYJFpvJYCg-vuA-9xudQE-kHkdUbUclikDb-O103uzIhVj71hRd7vPpe4myj83DeEijQ8Ow7BUHUpQrt9J3Rk4pl-cSlUZJVou05eK5Slrp8TqZvXQ/s1600/Buffet+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Staggering boxes underneath a buffet and adding levels" border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVZYK0q2UppKaG6MVe0rwbn811uAYJFpvJYCg-vuA-9xudQE-kHkdUbUclikDb-O103uzIhVj71hRd7vPpe4myj83DeEijQ8Ow7BUHUpQrt9J3Rk4pl-cSlUZJVou05eK5Slrp8TqZvXQ/s1600/Buffet+2.jpg" title="Creating height on a buffet" width="320" /></a></div>
1221. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1222. <br /></div>
1223. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1224. <br /></div>
1225. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1226. </div>
1227. <div style="text-align: left;">
1228. #2:  The Visible Height Method.</div>
1229. <div style="text-align: left;">
1230. Basically, height and staggering is the basis to building a stunning buffet.  But you don't have to hide the layers.  Consider using crates, or great looking boxes to add that height.  Plates and platters which provide dimension are also great!  Get creative, and use this to carry on your wedding theme!  Vintage?  Use old suitcases.  Rustic?  Use old milk crates, etc.</div>
1231. <div style="text-align: left;">
1232. <br /></div>
1233. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1234. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHte-T8X2TokRlRkp_G68xHb9-gzZBr6wHJ_-GkQIgxjxJXnC64juu53VbTlln16OWAkkO69J5L11Pu-icl70emIY77uDnTLC8Q_hYyyxGPal5CX2UemkFmaBwDD9nDYqH18e83zYxGU/s1600/Buffet+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Using wooden boards to display food" border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHte-T8X2TokRlRkp_G68xHb9-gzZBr6wHJ_-GkQIgxjxJXnC64juu53VbTlln16OWAkkO69J5L11Pu-icl70emIY77uDnTLC8Q_hYyyxGPal5CX2UemkFmaBwDD9nDYqH18e83zYxGU/s1600/Buffet+1.jpg" title="Buffet displays" width="320" /></a></div>
1235. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1236. <br /></div>
1237. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1238. </div>
1239. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1240. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTEMWl2GAy7DW30EIez-xuEbjztf1cuIrBxDfpvlYQ3-sHFTJVzBeuQT8OBvbRTzVrDPgm3B7TBlD7IbGYzZ_CRgFZQT60dmaFPYiwQ7cgnR1GQBaUyPPU2stHMFGwc_AbcfcD3wRkfWY/s1600/2014-12-21+12.17.40-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Using butcher block displays to show food" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTEMWl2GAy7DW30EIez-xuEbjztf1cuIrBxDfpvlYQ3-sHFTJVzBeuQT8OBvbRTzVrDPgm3B7TBlD7IbGYzZ_CRgFZQT60dmaFPYiwQ7cgnR1GQBaUyPPU2stHMFGwc_AbcfcD3wRkfWY/s1600/2014-12-21+12.17.40-1.jpg" title="Buffet displays" width="320" /></a></div>
1241. <br />
1242. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1243. <br /></div>
1244. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1245. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfYdqIt-cpcsg3E7qPeF3ikq34Jydo4CzeR6LEvgQQj2EW32TtEjLB78naqk9H6WIxzalKbWe58EjEoHCSzsSQOGClqUxLgbZypqQkqfc9bJ5R-8oYqS7k4karIyvkGgKcFERHRr9JR4/s1600/Buffet+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Staggering heights on a buffet using fresh produce" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfYdqIt-cpcsg3E7qPeF3ikq34Jydo4CzeR6LEvgQQj2EW32TtEjLB78naqk9H6WIxzalKbWe58EjEoHCSzsSQOGClqUxLgbZypqQkqfc9bJ5R-8oYqS7k4karIyvkGgKcFERHRr9JR4/s1600/Buffet+3.jpg" title="Buffet Display" width="307" /></a></div>
1246. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1247. </div>
1248. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1249. <br /></div>
1250. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1251. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTf_Bq4zDuYowUgkTH51xBejCQ1CAmdn-VMYBhbWROTZJ_cO0KofVYJHQyEgTDPlAGJXTNvVo09-eGYkckET9Blt5MzdIotbvvyl-v0DMqf-9jeiOZ7DWcrvvkrduXLn5xMmecDOAnPck/s1600/Buffet+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Using drawers to create a staggered effect" border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTf_Bq4zDuYowUgkTH51xBejCQ1CAmdn-VMYBhbWROTZJ_cO0KofVYJHQyEgTDPlAGJXTNvVo09-eGYkckET9Blt5MzdIotbvvyl-v0DMqf-9jeiOZ7DWcrvvkrduXLn5xMmecDOAnPck/s1600/Buffet+5.jpg" title="Buffet Display" width="320" /></a></div>
1252. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1253. <br /></div>
1254. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
1255. #3:  Label Your Food!</div>
1256. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
1257. But don't do boring labels.  Paper is CHEAP.  Use it to your advantage, and theme it to match your invitations.  Or use another creative method.  Chalkboards are really popular this year, or make a big sign at the beginning of the buffet!</div>
1258. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
1259. <br /></div>
1260. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1261. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF7iz2Rr0TsdEgx8D2WRW6V1l5KI2vec5gyfukagwI0fiIGhzB2OgVc-Rfv9iS3vA4aIqXFMH09GrV79tuvzhL1RtcZap-YcUWSivbTjhoBIbULXou3fXTrRQIWsVgt3SrxyYHl23FRV8/s1600/Buffet+16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Creating paper labels in the same fonts as your other wedding paper products" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF7iz2Rr0TsdEgx8D2WRW6V1l5KI2vec5gyfukagwI0fiIGhzB2OgVc-Rfv9iS3vA4aIqXFMH09GrV79tuvzhL1RtcZap-YcUWSivbTjhoBIbULXou3fXTrRQIWsVgt3SrxyYHl23FRV8/s1600/Buffet+16.jpg" title="Labeling your food" width="230" /></a></div>
1262. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1263. <br /></div>
1264. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1265. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5RX8r94EufolCnnGfcXodTNt4gGcdi-4uxQ6UTpHFXquBxEVR7wE7HCcY7bK-TKBMU5KT9TUU28sK3rZTmP03FS2JPjxXOQ0fU8VACV0rpQSjlXSxy4johef5BHruh7GDja39J6vrZYc/s1600/2015-01-14+19.26.46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chalkboards as food labels" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5RX8r94EufolCnnGfcXodTNt4gGcdi-4uxQ6UTpHFXquBxEVR7wE7HCcY7bK-TKBMU5KT9TUU28sK3rZTmP03FS2JPjxXOQ0fU8VACV0rpQSjlXSxy4johef5BHruh7GDja39J6vrZYc/s1600/2015-01-14+19.26.46.jpg" title="Buffet labels" width="320" /></a></div>
1266. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1267. <br /></div>
1268. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1269. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvPYRQXIYAYpck6aakEyPeWpVEvuEIiD5hdrmC5CzS5cHXa3pt3dIBA7MJRxHJqwHuv-VNSpoj5OU2n7BfVVWw6P5smhqPksgw-I81s80OQSaHxuK1GZTEImRCA-SNOu1CAQPKKhTYjZ4/s1600/Buffet+14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Using cheese boards or bread cutting boards as food labels on tables" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvPYRQXIYAYpck6aakEyPeWpVEvuEIiD5hdrmC5CzS5cHXa3pt3dIBA7MJRxHJqwHuv-VNSpoj5OU2n7BfVVWw6P5smhqPksgw-I81s80OQSaHxuK1GZTEImRCA-SNOu1CAQPKKhTYjZ4/s1600/Buffet+14.jpg" title="Food labels" width="213" /></a></div>
1270. <br />
1271. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1272. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXxB5OrKSYQitSfh1ZFY9AVg_VF0JHRDnNprGusCRljqg11AO8Mhcq-eWal_25gdC128FLuNnkHYSDV1hQP_T-iKmiZBmt3DdRtk_26C6FyRQGgjnf98pW0DkRjw56kj2sGmKOaRbiPlM/s1600/Buffet+15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Using large wooden boards to create food labels at the end of the buffet" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXxB5OrKSYQitSfh1ZFY9AVg_VF0JHRDnNprGusCRljqg11AO8Mhcq-eWal_25gdC128FLuNnkHYSDV1hQP_T-iKmiZBmt3DdRtk_26C6FyRQGgjnf98pW0DkRjw56kj2sGmKOaRbiPlM/s1600/Buffet+15.jpg" title="Buffet labels" width="213" /></a></div>
1273. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
1274. <br /></div>
1275. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
1276. <br /></div>
1277. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
1278. #4:  Do NOT Set Up a Large Table!</div>
1279. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
1280. The biggest mistake people make is not maximizing the space you have!  That's what staggering does.  You want to make sure all your chaffing dishes fit on the table, but at the same time, you don't want extra space.  If you're going for a minimalistic design, use beautiful, clean chaffers, and make sure they're stacked closely (as in the first picture).  But that can also go terribly wrong if the tables are too long or wide.  The bottom two pictures are what NOT to do:  </div>
1281. <br />
1282. <br />
1283. <br />
1284. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1285. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT7zWqZRoHb19n1WV-9iUx09jNkRL-EcT6P88ji1P6rwCAtlJT6g0T3AhUcRAjbjohbMG4e42_SxoV1LtUfDMFF3mSuv9xM0XkFJk3aYqZpE5CSSU-N-_UqXHWBfnzYlAixomqNAFSmCs/s1600/Buffet+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Keeping chaffing dishes close to maximize the space on a table" border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT7zWqZRoHb19n1WV-9iUx09jNkRL-EcT6P88ji1P6rwCAtlJT6g0T3AhUcRAjbjohbMG4e42_SxoV1LtUfDMFF3mSuv9xM0XkFJk3aYqZpE5CSSU-N-_UqXHWBfnzYlAixomqNAFSmCs/s1600/Buffet+6.jpg" title="Maximizing the space on a buffet" width="320" /></a></div>
1286. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1287. <br /></div>
1288. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1289. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwDesy-GGW8lYBTLXa2zbpTcHRbc36XhBFP29if6m31827vMzY6RoPa5cs_Gczox4Lsh9-uYxwWZzhTfOWiXVl8uipeXVhEX9NTjnUVe43uxKqqqpN_d-XaSJYqo_Lis5vQCdPAyUstA/s1600/Buffet+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Spreads out the display and does not look appealing" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwDesy-GGW8lYBTLXa2zbpTcHRbc36XhBFP29if6m31827vMzY6RoPa5cs_Gczox4Lsh9-uYxwWZzhTfOWiXVl8uipeXVhEX9NTjnUVe43uxKqqqpN_d-XaSJYqo_Lis5vQCdPAyUstA/s1600/Buffet+10.jpg" title="Long tables on a buffet" width="320" /></a></div>
1290. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1291. <br /></div>
1292. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1293. </div>
1294. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1295. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSI3ePmrvpUfr3Eba9xVwON5OTQBGPJ2nFeAicdXF0rdQMyaWCepeHQ9y7XCx7OTmQRpveO2jRpQh7ZdyWwdjrPhGR2TmF2LfHDRvej27zbdtVrFS_ldS-zAkf92Mi2SdJOXfDe5XfNiM/s1600/Buffet+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Again, the space is too stretched out and does not show the food well." border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSI3ePmrvpUfr3Eba9xVwON5OTQBGPJ2nFeAicdXF0rdQMyaWCepeHQ9y7XCx7OTmQRpveO2jRpQh7ZdyWwdjrPhGR2TmF2LfHDRvej27zbdtVrFS_ldS-zAkf92Mi2SdJOXfDe5XfNiM/s1600/Buffet+11.jpg" title="Long tables on a buffet" width="320" /></a></div>
1296. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1297. <br /></div>
1298. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1299. <br /></div>
1300.  #5:  Have an Accent Piece.<br />
1301. One stunning piece of decor makes decorating much simpler!  Consider using a bookshelf with nooks, or a dresser, or a funky display!  Get creative!<br />
1302. <br />
1303. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1304. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2sS4JtaVtCBV0S4aT-96j5-HLAlHFmiNt6h88tsbW1p_k-A_dt6TyQaGk1pE9JpWswRP9baetMKlqXV6jFYkQ3zA_625SCKvya28m2bFloABsJ_cRbg7rsEyh_dsjUL9Qum4RI679JU0/s1600/Buffet+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="This custom made metal ring holds display shelves for food" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2sS4JtaVtCBV0S4aT-96j5-HLAlHFmiNt6h88tsbW1p_k-A_dt6TyQaGk1pE9JpWswRP9baetMKlqXV6jFYkQ3zA_625SCKvya28m2bFloABsJ_cRbg7rsEyh_dsjUL9Qum4RI679JU0/s1600/Buffet+4.jpg" title="Buffet accent pieces" width="273" /></a></div>
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1306. <br /></div>
1307. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1308. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaXy3GhJuhmsEROlXJ9W_v3aA4Hmfrq_NPlv07bhphcVPMeLPYLWOUP-5Zy4UEslS-NRza2P33382cL5XfZ4PSlgU3dAxmYJnsd5mzWBWEbscip-deU5LTqak2nYC5aP4uMGHmCKuTUJY/s1600/2014-12-21+12.17.27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="This bookshelf is perfect for displaying desserts" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaXy3GhJuhmsEROlXJ9W_v3aA4Hmfrq_NPlv07bhphcVPMeLPYLWOUP-5Zy4UEslS-NRza2P33382cL5XfZ4PSlgU3dAxmYJnsd5mzWBWEbscip-deU5LTqak2nYC5aP4uMGHmCKuTUJY/s1600/2014-12-21+12.17.27.jpg" title="Accent pieces on a buffet" width="239" /></a></div>
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1310. <br /></div>
1311. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1312. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW10SXWHZVn4cxlzNmPIDXw_p3URuzm7aOBwkihDy1Ir5ZOiXQGGszQYsWHDdy2RXPbcnoo_eGBkVNjrXqpLEqNA-AVfsqT7YKhuV8SuT1tpesELXS51t-nkt6CKVC4ioxWTNQeqI_5SA/s1600/Buffet+17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The backdrop and the custom cake stand are great accent pieces on this buffet" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW10SXWHZVn4cxlzNmPIDXw_p3URuzm7aOBwkihDy1Ir5ZOiXQGGszQYsWHDdy2RXPbcnoo_eGBkVNjrXqpLEqNA-AVfsqT7YKhuV8SuT1tpesELXS51t-nkt6CKVC4ioxWTNQeqI_5SA/s1600/Buffet+17.jpg" title="Accent pieces on buffet" /></a></div>
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1314. <br /></div>
1315. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1316. <br /></div>
1317. #6:  No Gaps.<br />
1318. If you stagger your display well, and the food platters look stunning, you won't have gaps.  But if this is your first time designing your own buffet, BUY FILLER.  Flowers are not good for filler because of allergens, and most are not edible.  We suggest purchasing produce from a local farmers market to add as filler.  Find produce that will keep, and clean it before using (just in case guests eat it!).  If your wedding is local, you can take it home with you after the wedding and eat it!  Such a simple way to add a "farm fresh" touch to your buffet.  Otherwise, consider adding other decor pieces such as canning jars, baguettes of bread, etc.<br />
1319. <br />
1320. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1321. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVTQ1oPmwDoo17VCSDvqrNKBYY0MzcwKpKnYyGuepYfwDuMT8XhY7tJkVZKn9yBY_acK9qxjbeKKcMkUQ3vL2omJnnzwzM9vCegR-0NerMzWfhGcxMy4Q7RVPZU_hYbaIRUYMQmiOv4xM/s1600/Courtley_Dunaway_CakeKnife_Photography_IMG6900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Use produce as filler on your buffet" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVTQ1oPmwDoo17VCSDvqrNKBYY0MzcwKpKnYyGuepYfwDuMT8XhY7tJkVZKn9yBY_acK9qxjbeKKcMkUQ3vL2omJnnzwzM9vCegR-0NerMzWfhGcxMy4Q7RVPZU_hYbaIRUYMQmiOv4xM/s1600/Courtley_Dunaway_CakeKnife_Photography_IMG6900.jpg" title="No Gaps" width="320" /></a></div>
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1323. <br /></div>
1324. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1325. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpFjjXcVasfxoZe6LEslolvxii21YU9ZdGMfzH9iU9oWh7zYtKVJgiiJ6T1deh8Yc_fBtNx7bAIt7TGXAOsEANe0VYrHgfwcPZ1N_fcqMPvZKPlTpjuCnjr5uZo5T6q4MoLnaSLu2WGY4/s1600/Buffet+18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Again, use produce to fill any visual "holes" in your display" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpFjjXcVasfxoZe6LEslolvxii21YU9ZdGMfzH9iU9oWh7zYtKVJgiiJ6T1deh8Yc_fBtNx7bAIt7TGXAOsEANe0VYrHgfwcPZ1N_fcqMPvZKPlTpjuCnjr5uZo5T6q4MoLnaSLu2WGY4/s1600/Buffet+18.jpg" title="No Gaps" /></a></div>
1326. <br />
1327. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1328. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4a7hOoPTIs1AeDtfEA8kklCkTq5BP67A0b8OjbJVnm2f3mlwTc_HeN8b4aPh-ZZMTyWnkJJ3BzPqiwiCnEVCwTeUdl38zHz_XyH9rKGMwT1vhG5dZONaY3uedy5WlPHskpk4NGTJE6Kc/s1600/Buffet+19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Chef should be able to fill the space ON the displays themselves - you should only be responsible for filling the rest of the table." border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4a7hOoPTIs1AeDtfEA8kklCkTq5BP67A0b8OjbJVnm2f3mlwTc_HeN8b4aPh-ZZMTyWnkJJ3BzPqiwiCnEVCwTeUdl38zHz_XyH9rKGMwT1vhG5dZONaY3uedy5WlPHskpk4NGTJE6Kc/s1600/Buffet+19.jpg" title="No Gaps" width="320" /></a></div>
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1330. <br /></div>
1331. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1332. <br /></div>
1333. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1334. </div>
1335. <br />
1336. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1337. </div>
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1339. <br /></div>
1340. &lt;br /&gt;</content><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/feeds/4872742881299514995/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2015/04/how-to-make-your-buffet-display-awesome.html#comment-form" rel="replies" title="5 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/4872742881299514995" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/4872742881299514995" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2015/04/how-to-make-your-buffet-display-awesome.html" rel="alternate" title="HOW TO:  Make your buffet display awesome" type="text/html"/><author><name>Anonymous</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06607808880955724082</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="16" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif" width="16"/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgabH5SKDqweQLjWg_Nj0mqXih6aRVIbKDuqoyUjmuBlhnc_FeJkeBhN0Qw7_s2WSChNqvA-1M-i8zKBIn4ltCyTG8xt2cnZut8zsSqy0YcmUFU8XCVLEyF-ldTfNxAotr0v03MRKQ-hrc/s72-c/Buffet+7.jpg" width="72"/><thr:total>5</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644676863749744287.post-4979512372148003953</id><published>2015-04-02T15:57:00.001-07:00</published><updated>2015-05-09T17:01:27.603-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Entrepreneuer"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="opening your own business"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="running your own business"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="starting your own business"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="tips for entrepreneuers"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding planner"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="your own business"/><title type="text">8 tips from one insane entreprenuer to another</title><content type="html">&lt;span style="font-family: inherit;"&gt;Well, it's Events by Autumn's second year anniversary! &amp;nbsp;I didn't even realize time had passed that quickly. I'm going to take this week's blog post to reflect on things I learned in my first two years of business. &amp;nbsp;Hopefully, when I look back, I can see how much I've grown, and I also hope this helps other entrepreneuers out there take the leap of faith to living their dream. &amp;nbsp;Here it goes:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
1341. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
1342. <b>1.  Sometimes no "backup plan" is the best plan.</b></span><br />
1343. <span style="font-family: inherit;">In my first year of business, I also had a hefty part time job at the same time as the business was running.  Meaning, I didn't try very hard to get clients because I had a pretty steady income to fall back on.  I had clients, but they reached out to me - I didn't work to find them.  I knew if I wanted my business to be successful, it had to be my ONLY job.  So I moved back to MT with one contract under my belt, and only my own business to fall back on.  I had no "backup plan."  I needed to succeed.  And funny enough, that one contract fell through, and I had NO INCOME.  That really forced me to focus my efforts and do things I would have HATED doing in the past.  That being said, you have to be smart about your savings and honest about the things you can live without when times are tough.</span><br />
1344. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
1345. <b>2.  Network, network, network.</b></span><br />
1346. <span style="font-family: inherit;">I HATE networking.  I'm not good at meeting new people for the first time.  But once that initial dreaded contact is over, I'm fine.  It's just that first awkward "hello" that I really despise.  BUT, you have to do it.  I started this association (<a href="http://www.bitterrootweddingassociation.com/">www.bitterrootweddingassociation.com</a>) in the valley to get wedding related businesses to work together.  I had to meet new people, talk to vendors about joining, and in turn, talk about my business.  When I was in Colorado, I didn't even receive phone calls from clients until May.  And here we are in April, and I've already achieved my goal number of bookings for my first year in business in this local market.  Nearly 100% of my bookings for this coming summer are referrals.  And those referrals sprung from meeting vendors from networking.  So just suck it up and do it.</span><br />
1347. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
1348. <b>3.  You'll find there's a whole lot more time, but you won't get more done.</b></span><br />
1349. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Lately, I've been staying up until 2am to get custom graphic design projects done.  Or to do my website updates.  Or to file my taxes.  Or to do my billing paperwork.  Yeah, I wake up at 8:30am most days (which is FANTASTIC), but once I'm up, I'm focused.  Doing my social media posts, getting planning work done, designs completed, attending vendor meetings in town, etc.  It's a busy day!  Then next thing I know, it's 4pm, and I have to switch "hats" and become the accountant for my business.  (I'm not great at bookkeeping, so that takes a while.)  And then I look at the clock, and it's 10pm.  And I've hit a second wind and feel motivated to tackle another design project.  But all these projects are things I CHOOSE to do, and I LOVE to do, so it's easy to just keep working!  I'm realizing there will never be an end to the stuff you have to do for your business when you're the only one running the business.  So I constantly remind myself to take a break sometimes.  It's ok to take a day off, even if your brain is telling you to keep working.</span><br />
1350. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
1351. <b>4.  Make a freakin' marketing plan.</b></span><br />
1352. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Without a plan, you're going to spend each day wasting time, just like you spent most days in corporate America on Facebook ;)  Just kidding.  We all know you worked hard at your last job.  But when you're on your own, there is so much more you're responsible for!  So make a marketing plan.  A GOOD ONE.  My marketing plan covers my daily social media posts (FB, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Google+, blog posts, etc.), mission statement, financial goals and booking goals for the year, and more.  I made a marketing calendar that shows me what I should be doing every single day for the next year.  You may think that's overboard, but it helps me get into a rythym.  And when you have off days and you fall off the wagon, all you have to do it look at your awesome plan, and get your butt back on board.  Trust me.  Just make the plan.</span><br />
1353. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
1354. <b>5.  Find joy in small achievements</b></span><br />
1355. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Set realistic goals for yourself.  When you achieve them, it will help you keep going when times are tough!   When my parents asked me "how much are you going to make this year?" and I explained that I've beat my booking goal for the year, they panicked when it wasn't nearly enough money to live off of.  But, my business plan was written based on my GOAL bookings and revenue, not on the number of weddings I needed to pay all my bills.  Yes, I still would need to pay bills, but that's what I've worked hard to save for!  You can't set unrealistic expectations year after year, and keep a positive attitude when you keep failing.  Sure, I'd love 20+ weddings in my first year of business, and to make enough money to eat out every day of the week, but that wasn't realistic.  I planned accordingly, so I could survive, and I'm making headway!  So that's something to be proud of.  Don't let others drag you down.  Focus on your small goals and keep moving forward.</span><br />
1356. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
1357. <b>6.  Make time for YOU.</b></span><br />
1358. <span style="font-family: inherit;">I'll admit I'm not good at this.  I'm too focused on making this business a success that I don't get to the gym, or run, or ride horses.  I'm trying hard to set aside one or two days a week to take "off" so I can enjoy Montana!  Make sure through all this hard work, that you make time for YOU!  Typically, I'm putting in a 15 hour day, so taking one or two days off isn't a big deal.  It's NORMAL.  Keep reminding yourself of that.  You really are a lot more efficient when your brain can refresh itself anyways.</span><br />
1359. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
1360. <b>7.  Follow your gut instincts.</b></span><br />
1361. <span style="font-family: inherit;">If you think you shouldn't take that client, and your gut is telling you so, DON'T TAKE THE CLIENT!  If you get a marketing offer and it just seems too good to be true, it might be.  Do your research!  Trust your gut in these first few years, and don't be sad to turn down business if it's not the right fit for you.  The more you make the "right" decisions, the longer you'll love what you're doing!</span><br />
1362. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
1363. <b>8.  Keep a diary.  Or a blog.</b></span><br />
1364. <span style="font-family: inherit;">This year has NOT been easy.  But I wouldn't trade it for anything.  And my dad keeps saying "you'll look back on this and laugh!"  And I know I will.  But in the middle of starting your own business, you're stressed out, you're wondering if you'll ever "make" it, and you hope and pray that your clients will love you SO much that they NEVER stop talking about you.  This blog is my way of sharing these scary feelings with others, and hoping that other entrepreneuers out there can find hidden joy in this terrifying idea of running your own business!  Good luck to you all, and I can't wait to check in next year!</span><br />
1365. <br />
1366. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1367. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwYBvSLb3ANvruO5mjGgvYI9WWI6eKukGGEjV4hvCCSZ00ff8yT1WJaBbP2HXEfMv1NmInk7RRFIMfmbg-gssa8KgO4_iYanMMsCMtERdUMvDNlnyjcy5KH0d4sYQqt292kqyiyZCyIFY/s1600/IMG_6793.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Founder of Events by Autumn, Autumn Kozimer" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwYBvSLb3ANvruO5mjGgvYI9WWI6eKukGGEjV4hvCCSZ00ff8yT1WJaBbP2HXEfMv1NmInk7RRFIMfmbg-gssa8KgO4_iYanMMsCMtERdUMvDNlnyjcy5KH0d4sYQqt292kqyiyZCyIFY/s1600/IMG_6793.jpg" title="Autumn Kozimer portrait" width="213" /></a></div>
1368. &lt;br /&gt;</content><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/feeds/4979512372148003953/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2015/04/8-tips-from-one-insane-entreprenuer-to.html#comment-form" rel="replies" title="3 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/4979512372148003953" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/4979512372148003953" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2015/04/8-tips-from-one-insane-entreprenuer-to.html" rel="alternate" title="8 tips from one insane entreprenuer to another" type="text/html"/><author><name>Anonymous</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06607808880955724082</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="16" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif" width="16"/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwYBvSLb3ANvruO5mjGgvYI9WWI6eKukGGEjV4hvCCSZ00ff8yT1WJaBbP2HXEfMv1NmInk7RRFIMfmbg-gssa8KgO4_iYanMMsCMtERdUMvDNlnyjcy5KH0d4sYQqt292kqyiyZCyIFY/s72-c/IMG_6793.jpg" width="72"/><thr:total>3</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644676863749744287.post-4269396566031810882</id><published>2015-03-26T22:31:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2015-05-09T16:30:06.884-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="destination Montana wedding"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="destination wedding"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="money saving tip"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="montana wedding"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="montana wedding planner"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="saving money"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding budget"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Wedding budget tip"/><title type="text">How booking a Montana destination wedding will save you money</title><content type="html">There's a few reasons why this is true (at least in the Missoula &amp;amp; Bitterroot Valley area)&lt;br /&gt;
1369. <div>
1370. <br /></div>
1371. <div>
1372. 1.  NO SALES TAX!!!!  Did you Montana does not have sales tax?  That means, if most other states have a sales tax of about 6.5% and you were to spend a national average of $25,000 on your wedding, you would save $1625!  So imagine if your wedding budget was more!  But how does this work?</div>
1373. <div>
1374. First of all, any purchases you make IN the state of Montana won't have tax assessed.  You may also want to look into signing up for a bank account in Montana, to get a Montana credit card for purchases!  As your wedding planner & representative, I would suggest putting 100% of your wedding budget into a bank account, and getting 2 credit cards.  Keep one card for yourself, and the second card goes to your professional planner.  Even when you make purchases from out of state, you'll want to use your Montana shipping address (our business), and no sales tax is assessed!  When I make purchases locally for supplies for your wedding, it will come directly out of the account as well.  This ensures you maintain the budget because what's in that account is all there is!</div>
1375. <div>
1376. <br /></div>
1377. <div>
1378. 2.  Lower cost of living.  It definitely costs less to live in Montana, and frequently, vendor prices reflect that.  I've lived in a lot of different places in the US (Texas, Florida, Colorado, Ohio, Montana, North Carolina, Kentucky, etc.) and I can tell you that Montana is a LOT less expensive!  When I moved from Colorado to Montana, I ended up lowering my own prices significantly, to compete with the local market.  If you can save a little bit with each vendor, it ends up saving you a lot at the end!</div>
1379. <div>
1380. <br /></div>
1381. <div>
1382. Keep in mind, a lot of vendors CHOOSE to live in Montana because of its beauty!  That doesn't mean that the QUALITY of your wedding will suffer.  We do a great job here locally and love what we do. If you're considering a destination wedding, don't travel somewhere with hefty sales tax and expensive vendors - bring your wedding to Montana, and let your guests check off this destination from their bucket list!</div>
1383. <div>
1384. <br /></div>
1385. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1386. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDAWIEfsvqit3E5Txcih5QVKKVwJZItZAs6AZkE0phlPxNYfUnzosKUpsc_XwVNULonDZ85-D1p7_j5WrLP9hQKpJN5dQOGgbjpBkXoucgndW_SOc823v8rsT3avsHvWsMiKvVWmHsZhI/s1600/money.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="How booking a montana destination wedding will save you money" border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDAWIEfsvqit3E5Txcih5QVKKVwJZItZAs6AZkE0phlPxNYfUnzosKUpsc_XwVNULonDZ85-D1p7_j5WrLP9hQKpJN5dQOGgbjpBkXoucgndW_SOc823v8rsT3avsHvWsMiKvVWmHsZhI/s1600/money.jpg" title="Roll of money and wedding bands" width="320" /></a></div>
1387. <div>
1388. <br /></div>
1389. </content><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/feeds/4269396566031810882/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2015/03/how-booking-montana-destination-wedding.html#comment-form" rel="replies" title="0 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/4269396566031810882" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/4269396566031810882" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2015/03/how-booking-montana-destination-wedding.html" rel="alternate" title="How booking a Montana destination wedding will save you money" type="text/html"/><author><name>Anonymous</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06607808880955724082</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="16" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif" width="16"/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDAWIEfsvqit3E5Txcih5QVKKVwJZItZAs6AZkE0phlPxNYfUnzosKUpsc_XwVNULonDZ85-D1p7_j5WrLP9hQKpJN5dQOGgbjpBkXoucgndW_SOc823v8rsT3avsHvWsMiKvVWmHsZhI/s72-c/money.jpg" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644676863749744287.post-7806807021096694655</id><published>2015-03-19T09:16:00.002-07:00</published><updated>2015-05-09T16:29:27.123-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="events by autumn"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="full service"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Full service wedding planning"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="montana wedding planner"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="planning a wedding"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="professional wedding planner"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding planner"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding planning"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding planning tips"/><title type="text">So your planner can plan.  But what else can they do you for you?</title><content type="html">&lt;span style="font-family: inherit;"&gt;What do you look for when hiring a wedding coordinator. &amp;nbsp;There should be 3 main things to consider:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
1390. <span style="font-family: inherit;">1. Will I be able to work with this person efficiently (do our personalities mesh)?</span><br />
1391. <span style="font-family: inherit;">2.  Be selfish.  What else can this person do for me?</span><br />
1392. <span style="font-family: inherit;">3.  Is their price reflective of all they are doing for me?</span><br />
1393. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
1394. At Events by Autumn, we're talented artists in addition to planners (we know, the whole right brain, left brain thing).  Autumn is a professional graphic designer and a skilled painter.  But even more importantly, Autumn can build things.  What kinds of things, you might ask?  Well, let me share just some of our portfolio below!  (We made everything you see below - paper flowers, invitations, wood products, painted signs, wooden crates, chalkboard art, painted bottles, large event props, etc.)</span><br />
1395. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
1396. <br />
1397. </span><br />
1398. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1399. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROu6kiFt6r0SY-JqMYorM7hrFbN08ISIThyphenhyphenrbmjL10W6TXiU7OQxdPJlzXCYqIe8chXhWwS_afeObj8VcFhzolqvfNPhCOhrpSDCpeyOOrh9IYzzEyoTqT28DpLgPwwLP9bOylilq7sU/s1600/2015-01-14+19.31.08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="Roses made out of vintage book pages" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROu6kiFt6r0SY-JqMYorM7hrFbN08ISIThyphenhyphenrbmjL10W6TXiU7OQxdPJlzXCYqIe8chXhWwS_afeObj8VcFhzolqvfNPhCOhrpSDCpeyOOrh9IYzzEyoTqT28DpLgPwwLP9bOylilq7sU/s1600/2015-01-14+19.31.08.jpg" title="Vintage Book Roses" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheskTR9D9iI9PKNUgdjAlhr07PwsRVpbHIsHp9sjzPLneO4vu4YEeLL0oWBwshjFU3g1dPOoD0AhjffjwKFdvN55XKcnyJP0PcDx8YDdK7wzqKH3jLAY8mprUKlViVuKoJZMLy1ThqwrM/s1600/IMG_2903.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Custom wedding invitations" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheskTR9D9iI9PKNUgdjAlhr07PwsRVpbHIsHp9sjzPLneO4vu4YEeLL0oWBwshjFU3g1dPOoD0AhjffjwKFdvN55XKcnyJP0PcDx8YDdK7wzqKH3jLAY8mprUKlViVuKoJZMLy1ThqwrM/s1600/IMG_2903.JPG" title="Custom wedding invitations" width="149" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMQUX3F1Z7aaZJ4jrCLOTqeikzVf-YoL8072j0bnz073ZWkNrfGqjC0ihaX0lNMddG40ocbKWT8cwoUtjVPBE86TmdBeGzUBCpwDDfowyK5nFW6i7qlpUhts1tScRQWgwI1B8ae58qMb4/s1600/2015-01-14+19.35.56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="wood working as table decor" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMQUX3F1Z7aaZJ4jrCLOTqeikzVf-YoL8072j0bnz073ZWkNrfGqjC0ihaX0lNMddG40ocbKWT8cwoUtjVPBE86TmdBeGzUBCpwDDfowyK5nFW6i7qlpUhts1tScRQWgwI1B8ae58qMb4/s1600/2015-01-14+19.35.56.jpg" title="Wood working" width="200" /></a></span></div>
1400. <div style="text-align: left;">
1401. </div>
1402. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
1403. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
1404. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
1405. <br />
1406. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1407. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiEI7OukpJND-nmlYAm9NomSfcNEg4tz7AGs-1BS98eMrPZwcE58RdwJnPsdSm-WvCvAbBTJkUrbvYnFlUQ0ffYwX2l2WgBVFHLvyjPS6oIOQU7OpK457QlNmtLe0ml4NkQ9FMh9PDsYk/s1600/2015-01-11+11.51.18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="Props we created for the booth at the wedding fair" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiEI7OukpJND-nmlYAm9NomSfcNEg4tz7AGs-1BS98eMrPZwcE58RdwJnPsdSm-WvCvAbBTJkUrbvYnFlUQ0ffYwX2l2WgBVFHLvyjPS6oIOQU7OpK457QlNmtLe0ml4NkQ9FMh9PDsYk/s1600/2015-01-11+11.51.18.jpg" title="Wedding Fair Booth" width="149" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHD98MUfzAbi4PQH_WDqdwviPr5WYrF6sDulyFqRdeaSISkqPpYg3IpM3AN8nRRsNcJs36v1VgNcVc8YQ6bRv7rPztyfI-wUBFp8H-B5ahRgE5JFViWvy6eCmV0C6v1gk5HgcqFsZEV0w/s1600/2015-01-14+19.26.46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cow ear tags as table numbers and chalkboard art" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHD98MUfzAbi4PQH_WDqdwviPr5WYrF6sDulyFqRdeaSISkqPpYg3IpM3AN8nRRsNcJs36v1VgNcVc8YQ6bRv7rPztyfI-wUBFp8H-B5ahRgE5JFViWvy6eCmV0C6v1gk5HgcqFsZEV0w/s1600/2015-01-14+19.26.46.jpg" title="Farm to Table Design" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3KYlGJGKndT1yx_jYGSbhvGYO-e-sYDTx5JZbuhZWglTUoK22BrG78FfurMoiF2kEPLGI-F5xPHrOTWGbAS9ubv8ub-KcyMVwVKPb8Bgg1-qnvnfYQyBHE9HHTXcV1vu4n2Wsllp9brM/s1600/2015-01-08+13.48.40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Custom signs we made with barnwood" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3KYlGJGKndT1yx_jYGSbhvGYO-e-sYDTx5JZbuhZWglTUoK22BrG78FfurMoiF2kEPLGI-F5xPHrOTWGbAS9ubv8ub-KcyMVwVKPb8Bgg1-qnvnfYQyBHE9HHTXcV1vu4n2Wsllp9brM/s1600/2015-01-08+13.48.40.jpg" title="Wood working and painting" width="149" /></a></span></div>
1408. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1409. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkRNd1CPtYnNCzBdpjAwVwIUfozMhSQNX4b2TVeObQ8j9WSbAFGEf8zewe6qfk0dj8D-rDGhoIfcP4Ac2dI3gqK9FbDC83XYCG-qyGnjQ4Y-ctZ_0YR7gBdyV2mtjgDhZb9ILsEzWJRL8/s1600/IMG_1284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mason jar customized invitations" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkRNd1CPtYnNCzBdpjAwVwIUfozMhSQNX4b2TVeObQ8j9WSbAFGEf8zewe6qfk0dj8D-rDGhoIfcP4Ac2dI3gqK9FbDC83XYCG-qyGnjQ4Y-ctZ_0YR7gBdyV2mtjgDhZb9ILsEzWJRL8/s1600/IMG_1284.JPG" title="Custom invitations" width="149" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmZcXDhwm0wSkNC74tfIYJYX-Z9opWTn_UympE79y_d6ix6JkzZ92umCv-f9gxaHeq_9xBzBpMqhPG9pVtPtagl6nHZVDfl_luZ3xTGOokI902_8COm2QfslBV8ibUW2zJTm3Tncb8L1A/s1600/Locascio_Spallone_CakeKnife_Photography_IMG0514_low.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Free standing signs made specifically for your wedding" border="0" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmZcXDhwm0wSkNC74tfIYJYX-Z9opWTn_UympE79y_d6ix6JkzZ92umCv-f9gxaHeq_9xBzBpMqhPG9pVtPtagl6nHZVDfl_luZ3xTGOokI902_8COm2QfslBV8ibUW2zJTm3Tncb8L1A/s1600/Locascio_Spallone_CakeKnife_Photography_IMG0514_low.jpg" title="Wedding signage" width="200" /></a></span></div>
1410. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
1411. <span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br />
1412. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1413. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzf2PCv1DtyEXYKgersAOmn7jjam3eCNi_kmomZo6kD5-ZULeg6GAJkvw3ZLZGXRCl6g5A8ZI3rtopVEvelnRgORohwBGSyBSMBqTA_rT1EupqObb5Q6omKcfiUWGJK48jun_dOAlDXfc/s1600/Erin_Steve_2014+(110).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="We cut logs to create this cupcake display" border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzf2PCv1DtyEXYKgersAOmn7jjam3eCNi_kmomZo6kD5-ZULeg6GAJkvw3ZLZGXRCl6g5A8ZI3rtopVEvelnRgORohwBGSyBSMBqTA_rT1EupqObb5Q6omKcfiUWGJK48jun_dOAlDXfc/s1600/Erin_Steve_2014+(110).jpg" title="Log cupcake display" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUY8CnfqzYiuNAh-woPS1IX4eYCYoGL8y92y9sPCFfcwoyBxa9rJUcfMr7mIkRgH1J2E5jrmiDaTsYdBAXU0m35x1EMV1jU73XzMffFgnOl4xqiFE0eAo6Q-jKA__PENIj39yT4i9wBQ/s1600/Erin_Steve_2014+(70).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="We can create simple directional signage out of wood" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUY8CnfqzYiuNAh-woPS1IX4eYCYoGL8y92y9sPCFfcwoyBxa9rJUcfMr7mIkRgH1J2E5jrmiDaTsYdBAXU0m35x1EMV1jU73XzMffFgnOl4xqiFE0eAo6Q-jKA__PENIj39yT4i9wBQ/s1600/Erin_Steve_2014+(70).jpg" title="Wood Directional signage" width="133" /></a></span></div>
1414. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
1415. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
1416. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
1417. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
1418. <br />
1419. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1420. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7GJd74sIiVCPSh1EsHCCZ87Ba3YJmO3W8i7F_42xQvaaZAs3Wzl2XCmeOBZjDmw_ZH5IcfU1VftUUniVoZZLi2uxJrFxYQDHIBwn_-pbuPHAHfqWaY1Ml4SeQKCPxhIBqPCl_LjHOKaQ/s1600/IMG_3181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="We can customize photo props for theme parties" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7GJd74sIiVCPSh1EsHCCZ87Ba3YJmO3W8i7F_42xQvaaZAs3Wzl2XCmeOBZjDmw_ZH5IcfU1VftUUniVoZZLi2uxJrFxYQDHIBwn_-pbuPHAHfqWaY1Ml4SeQKCPxhIBqPCl_LjHOKaQ/s1600/IMG_3181.JPG" title="Photo props" width="149" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaPh7ZyAebNdF3kEhAin5fYwKy9yKcknNRWGW5g4r43iFZt8urjJvn0MPmnmg0nJXMwFk5HgRoyEna4eWi9QQseOrV4_N2dxtUR1MoiDDMCLU79LPTn8FhWDsKDh02Vdy5T-GEGgv9bos/s1600/IMG_3197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="We created this ring toss centerpiece using free bottles we collected and then painted to look vintage" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaPh7ZyAebNdF3kEhAin5fYwKy9yKcknNRWGW5g4r43iFZt8urjJvn0MPmnmg0nJXMwFk5HgRoyEna4eWi9QQseOrV4_N2dxtUR1MoiDDMCLU79LPTn8FhWDsKDh02Vdy5T-GEGgv9bos/s1600/IMG_3197.JPG" title="Carnival Centerpieces" width="149" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilB9zl4l1RVRkPu4N1z48WLg9Py2BWuS3I04s5iOYGItCcfpJbceXC9CxyoaFJsuICQf1cZLetDE055I7g8uoyXnSfJ0fBYpeMaKxu0C7TJH50Gf21n-afOYUxsT-4ZQ9QBMhhrCvHsHw/s1600/IMG_3234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Customized background for a carnival themed dessert display" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilB9zl4l1RVRkPu4N1z48WLg9Py2BWuS3I04s5iOYGItCcfpJbceXC9CxyoaFJsuICQf1cZLetDE055I7g8uoyXnSfJ0fBYpeMaKxu0C7TJH50Gf21n-afOYUxsT-4ZQ9QBMhhrCvHsHw/s1600/IMG_3234.JPG" title="Creative Dessert Display" width="149" /></a></span></div>
1421. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1422. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1423. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1424. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZRTv1BYbowIFOEujdL8dtuZHmh0ox1bBBIpzlTsJ9_9CPVhvA4VdyTkoAPCVCme2_CUeIlJ0J-0BG9h9HNFx2ZlUCzfrhrENOpqvXfEGzabKV1hzP5apJI8EC3SIbYymwgaxOzKqQiLY/s1600/IMG_3255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="Customized directional signage" border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZRTv1BYbowIFOEujdL8dtuZHmh0ox1bBBIpzlTsJ9_9CPVhvA4VdyTkoAPCVCme2_CUeIlJ0J-0BG9h9HNFx2ZlUCzfrhrENOpqvXfEGzabKV1hzP5apJI8EC3SIbYymwgaxOzKqQiLY/s1600/IMG_3255.JPG" title="Directional signage" width="200" /></span></a></div>
1425. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
1426. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
1427. <br />
1428. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1429. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUIx0H_oNc32soeR6rUdYqgIJU5UPFzWwaqJ4ncalyehRaeBSg0ywhE6iyxpEw7VvGXSvmeMWXfpuO8la42n6x7fMEAeYz_M2aZiGMtYmiX7bnABelwKjsh78tPgBK9V40LRT-JRyxPTE/s1600/0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="customized directional signage" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUIx0H_oNc32soeR6rUdYqgIJU5UPFzWwaqJ4ncalyehRaeBSg0ywhE6iyxpEw7VvGXSvmeMWXfpuO8la42n6x7fMEAeYz_M2aZiGMtYmiX7bnABelwKjsh78tPgBK9V40LRT-JRyxPTE/s1600/0002.jpg" title="Wooden Directional Signage" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitM23fido0wpIXtny1TJbYz7T-M5rB_jdWW8RXDrqWa-qvIVhEfjIcnAI_3zxGktGnLO23WMzqyJQMQAGsG_ShxoZ1sp-mN4Q6MdwFTTSBmacELP0fPPtaeHbELjlwRyDBK0iXiuetzNs/s1600/0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Creative rustic signs for weddings" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitM23fido0wpIXtny1TJbYz7T-M5rB_jdWW8RXDrqWa-qvIVhEfjIcnAI_3zxGktGnLO23WMzqyJQMQAGsG_ShxoZ1sp-mN4Q6MdwFTTSBmacELP0fPPtaeHbELjlwRyDBK0iXiuetzNs/s1600/0001.jpg" title="Rustic wooden signs" width="133" /></a></span></div>
1430. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
1431. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
1432. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
1433. <br />
1434. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1435. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUCsYt7AaVKY9kg2mnRdlaJfHyFzCMF-6AB-WqTyqevzcTVZmscEUIRT3N82QDWtRZ6dskTJScCtPczZh_21XVKYYqKXZnu-iDpARFm_aZIBCuPe51_QynOguJwa11R0T_dJ1XMWqsCK4/s1600/greendoorphotography_0042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Log slices turned into chargers" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUCsYt7AaVKY9kg2mnRdlaJfHyFzCMF-6AB-WqTyqevzcTVZmscEUIRT3N82QDWtRZ6dskTJScCtPczZh_21XVKYYqKXZnu-iDpARFm_aZIBCuPe51_QynOguJwa11R0T_dJ1XMWqsCK4/s1600/greendoorphotography_0042.jpg" title="Log chargers" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyg61_tTvzBOaC0gXCuc5YgnxcFiDEA-nDd_02ndEtLJsXWfWSHctiLqGdgBraORFPMUIOB2Fluw_rqq3wsA-n0hF6nCBYnMhb7Gd41jsCx6DLmdiA2PbRIoHK5ZN_DXDiEYh9MsNojQA/s1600/0006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="We can customize signs for your wedding needs" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyg61_tTvzBOaC0gXCuc5YgnxcFiDEA-nDd_02ndEtLJsXWfWSHctiLqGdgBraORFPMUIOB2Fluw_rqq3wsA-n0hF6nCBYnMhb7Gd41jsCx6DLmdiA2PbRIoHK5ZN_DXDiEYh9MsNojQA/s1600/0006.jpg" title="Wood parking signage" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPUBX6G02NWLHCaRuJhXL74vKbdREaDVt_BubYYztorNklpj9VDAGxdJ_hAhoVSHuzTEW_ggfWyGdum9j1zNVoLXIoZhk4xuyod6TuiBdiRNVEnYmi_QJG3mvvi2RE7dIe0I6mflaVWaE/s1600/0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Custom wooden welcome signs for weddings" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPUBX6G02NWLHCaRuJhXL74vKbdREaDVt_BubYYztorNklpj9VDAGxdJ_hAhoVSHuzTEW_ggfWyGdum9j1zNVoLXIoZhk4xuyod6TuiBdiRNVEnYmi_QJG3mvvi2RE7dIe0I6mflaVWaE/s1600/0003.jpg" title="Wooden welcome signs" width="133" /></a></span></div>
1436. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
1437. <br />
1438. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1439. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzhxsbYbCKwo6YsNy6Z4acJ9y3Zulvw9WAJkIxmvjRAZQT85hv4OInPP80SVShHzJg5u3YIUwMDMtDrBezYrmR31k_WCluzXqYfP2V48_rK1zHVwheihuWd911Q9YDLZiotko_58yjJf8/s1600/Plaza+Theme+Parties+(105).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="We collect bottles from restaurants and repaint them for centerpieces" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzhxsbYbCKwo6YsNy6Z4acJ9y3Zulvw9WAJkIxmvjRAZQT85hv4OInPP80SVShHzJg5u3YIUwMDMtDrBezYrmR31k_WCluzXqYfP2V48_rK1zHVwheihuWd911Q9YDLZiotko_58yjJf8/s1600/Plaza+Theme+Parties+(105).jpg" title="Bottle Centerpieces" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFRcEL1brGnBykGVxL_iHttzJXpkqhqvdDSbn1L0B4K6MwNFoqcBFN0EqO2bOUEV57A5kp9dDGGH9A18zBtsmQqThiUP5wwjeRMuROS4EXECuhugvPExRpToWFMzprmdSazA_KQIgovWo/s1600/DSC_0928.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="We created a special entrance for our elegant Great Gatsby themed party" border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFRcEL1brGnBykGVxL_iHttzJXpkqhqvdDSbn1L0B4K6MwNFoqcBFN0EqO2bOUEV57A5kp9dDGGH9A18zBtsmQqThiUP5wwjeRMuROS4EXECuhugvPExRpToWFMzprmdSazA_KQIgovWo/s1600/DSC_0928.JPG" title="Grand Entrance" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh01pPeWQ6u8yDyYx-OUV0p1khSAnp1cm6xyJnWApE-uJwdek2h04AfibcAcLWVFbtFWwAWj3l9RyFmNijcL76_zuW-3Cv-Dbk9H7rWocxBWLNrfYdfuoWics-yb2bMWtUbFufdVmUfZvA/s1600/SAM_0029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Customized photo props for theme events" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh01pPeWQ6u8yDyYx-OUV0p1khSAnp1cm6xyJnWApE-uJwdek2h04AfibcAcLWVFbtFWwAWj3l9RyFmNijcL76_zuW-3Cv-Dbk9H7rWocxBWLNrfYdfuoWics-yb2bMWtUbFufdVmUfZvA/s1600/SAM_0029.JPG" title="Photo props" width="150" /></a></span></div>
1440. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
1441. <span style="font-family: inherit;">This brings us to step 3 of hiring a planner - does their price reflect all they can do for you?  With our full service package, the labor for building customized decor and props is completely included.  You only need to pay for the supplies.  And frequently, our brides already have the supplies on hand - they just don't have the time to make what they want.  A TRULY customized wedding, made just for you.</span><br />
1442. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
1443. Keep that in mind when shopping other vendors.  What are they able to do to make your wedding a one-of-a-kind affair, while also providing professional planning?</span><br />
1444. &lt;br /&gt;</content><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/feeds/7806807021096694655/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2015/03/so-your-planner-can-plan-but-what-else.html#comment-form" rel="replies" title="0 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/7806807021096694655" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/7806807021096694655" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2015/03/so-your-planner-can-plan-but-what-else.html" rel="alternate" title="So your planner can plan.  But what else can they do you for you?" type="text/html"/><author><name>Anonymous</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06607808880955724082</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="16" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif" width="16"/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROu6kiFt6r0SY-JqMYorM7hrFbN08ISIThyphenhyphenrbmjL10W6TXiU7OQxdPJlzXCYqIe8chXhWwS_afeObj8VcFhzolqvfNPhCOhrpSDCpeyOOrh9IYzzEyoTqT28DpLgPwwLP9bOylilq7sU/s72-c/2015-01-14+19.31.08.jpg" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644676863749744287.post-7621276236520738932</id><published>2015-03-12T10:33:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2015-05-09T17:01:15.376-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="events by autumn"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="full service"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Full service wedding planning"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="montana wedding planner"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="planning a wedding"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="professional wedding planner"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding planner"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding planning"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding planning tips"/><title type="text">Why hire a full service planner?  Productivity, stress relief, and more.</title><content type="html">&lt;h4&gt;
1445. <span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">This past weekend, I had the privilege of taking a full service client on an array of vendor meetings, and I thought this would be a great opportunity (while it's still fresh in my mind) to talk about this part of my planning services.  It's PERFECT for destination wedding clients, and even some of my local clients prefer for me to set up their vendor meetings for maximum efficiency, and because of my relationships with the vendors!</span></h4>
1446. <h4>
1447. <span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">In this instance, both the bride and groom were from out of state, and so this weekend was the only time they'd be in Montana before the week of the wedding.  So it was vital over this 4 day period to introduce them to as many options as possible, but also give them time to explore, relax, and enjoy their time in Montana.  (We want our clients to still love Montana when they come back for their wedding!)</span></h4>
1448. <h4>
1449. <span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">Over a 4 day time period, we managed to meet multiple caterers, florists, cake bakers, rental companies, and a photographer, DJ, hair dresser, and makeup artist.  We even found time to do site tours of hotels for room blocks, and managed to hit a few breweries to "sample" the potential wedding beverages!  My thoughts were that face to face interactions with these vendors would make the bride and groom much more comfortable with their decisions on whom to hire.</span></h4>
1450. <h4>
1451. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Every hour of every day was filled with activities and meetings, but the couple was relaxed and just enjoyed the days.  It wasn't stressful, because no decisions needed to be made on the spot.  I just want to make this very clear:  </span>PLANNERS DO NOT MAKE DECISIONS FOR YOU<span style="font-weight: normal;">.  They merely offer suggestions as to who might be able to provide the best services for what you want!  At one point in time, I was referred to as a "new member of the family" and that's the kind of relationship I hope for - that my clients trust me, can communicate with me freely, and never be fearful of giving me an honest opinion.  That's how the best weddings become the best!</span></span></h4>
1452. <h4>
1453. <span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">I gave the Bride & Groom the itinerary a week before the trip, so they were able to plan lunches with friends, and take evenings off to explore or unwind.  We started at a reasonable time in the morning, so they could sleep in, eat a big breakfast, and treat their time as a vacation (which is what it was!)  </span></h4>
1454. <h4>
1455. <span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">Keep in mind, all of my vendors are on speed dial, and it allows for the meeting schedule to be flexible if necessary.  Therefore, I was able to make quick adjustments - we even planned a menu tasting with a caterer 3 hours before it happened.  I think the bride & groom would agree with me, that the meetings ran seamlessly, and the vendors I chose to introduce them to were ideal for their style and budget.  </span></h4>
1456. <h4>
1457. <span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">The key to success (I believe), was that prior to the meetings, I had worked with the couple on diagrams for the event space as well as some design boards.  Once I knew what look we were trying to achieve, we had a focused, common idea in mind for all of the meetings.</span></h4>
1458. <h4>
1459. <span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">Setting up vendor meetings is included with my full-service planning packages, and I encourage brides to take me up on it.  Having diagrams and idea boards are great, but bringing your planner along to give suggestions, and ask questions makes your meetings very productive.</span></h4>
1460. <h4>
1461. <span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></h4>
1462. <h4>
1463. <span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">Happy planning!</span></h4>
1464. <div>
1465. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
1466. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Le9rTPRTw_XQPj21rDMqOnhCyVtmfxRMYzqua4UXMxAnZLQ7nUbMAyCpNOcQh0zo1WxmqlGh3WlLHg2ZSha2cPEtuMzEfgFbHXijCRCqFfO3DUXt22NQvGKT74OYyTuMCcVeUkmvBNM/s1600/IMG_6059%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="Whiskey barrel bar setup" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Le9rTPRTw_XQPj21rDMqOnhCyVtmfxRMYzqua4UXMxAnZLQ7nUbMAyCpNOcQh0zo1WxmqlGh3WlLHg2ZSha2cPEtuMzEfgFbHXijCRCqFfO3DUXt22NQvGKT74OYyTuMCcVeUkmvBNM/s1600/IMG_6059%5B1%5D.JPG" title="Oh So Chic Boutique" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
1467. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rental company meeting was a success!  We found this cool bar.</span></td></tr>
1468. </tbody></table>
1469. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
1470. <span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;"></span></div>
1471. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
1472. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR-L4qtMRMcXFQ30BwvJQXFKZXT3z4Bo-c00GNL9iqQL_eJI6XwezWOA6dI4xQO96NO9p4LgzYHppY9P7sK4VFAKNrgS43KZ1e516Crb5QbHbMNtE2qHwPz8fp1xUhvg2oaxkU-4Gufok/s1600/IMG_6052%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="The original building at St. Mary's Mission" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR-L4qtMRMcXFQ30BwvJQXFKZXT3z4Bo-c00GNL9iqQL_eJI6XwezWOA6dI4xQO96NO9p4LgzYHppY9P7sK4VFAKNrgS43KZ1e516Crb5QbHbMNtE2qHwPz8fp1xUhvg2oaxkU-4Gufok/s1600/IMG_6052%5B1%5D.JPG" title="St. Mary's Mission" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr>
1473. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sight seeing at St. Mary's Mission in Stevensville!</span></td></tr>
1474. </tbody></table>
1475. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
1476. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1477. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
1478. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
1479. <br />
1480. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
1481. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXSMJLTaBceej88rHBalOJV6l8Zwq1vPKuyTLugB6d0l6uBHlzqDp0CjPofF5II9jkz3E58qM0HK1D5B20qLqMGZ57bhoTVs_lh09GtrduOZXB2kKUYXkQZh7VEmhA0XfPOBuW9r17z6k/s1600/IMG_6067%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="Wedding cake tasting" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXSMJLTaBceej88rHBalOJV6l8Zwq1vPKuyTLugB6d0l6uBHlzqDp0CjPofF5II9jkz3E58qM0HK1D5B20qLqMGZ57bhoTVs_lh09GtrduOZXB2kKUYXkQZh7VEmhA0XfPOBuW9r17z6k/s1600/IMG_6067%5B1%5D.JPG" title="Black Cat Bakery" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
1482. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tasting cake is one of my favorite things!</span></td></tr>
1483. </tbody></table>
1484. <div>
1485. <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div>
1486. </content><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/feeds/7621276236520738932/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2015/03/why-hire-full-service-planner.html#comment-form" rel="replies" title="0 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/7621276236520738932" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/7621276236520738932" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2015/03/why-hire-full-service-planner.html" rel="alternate" title="Why hire a full service planner?  Productivity, stress relief, and more." type="text/html"/><author><name>Anonymous</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06607808880955724082</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="16" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif" width="16"/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Le9rTPRTw_XQPj21rDMqOnhCyVtmfxRMYzqua4UXMxAnZLQ7nUbMAyCpNOcQh0zo1WxmqlGh3WlLHg2ZSha2cPEtuMzEfgFbHXijCRCqFfO3DUXt22NQvGKT74OYyTuMCcVeUkmvBNM/s72-c/IMG_6059%5B1%5D.JPG" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644676863749744287.post-8800101119297832308</id><published>2014-12-08T08:00:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2015-05-09T21:13:06.982-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="cake cutting"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="cut te wedding cake"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="cut the cake"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="How to cut a wedding cake"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="montana wedding planner"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="serving wedding cake"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding cake"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding cake cutting"/><title type="text">HOW TO:  Cut a Wedding Cake</title><content type="html">&lt;div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;"&gt;
1487. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Let’s set the record straight.  A wedding cake is made from scratch.  It’s not a light and fluffy “box mix” cake – it’s a dense, moist, rich cake.  It’s typically reinforced with small dowel rods inside the cake, to maintain its structure when stacking layers. </span></div>
1488. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1489. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1490. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1491. <span style="font-family: inherit;">I can share horror stories of family members who wanted to bake the wedding cake, and end up making a layered cake out of a box mix.  A box mix is spongy and soft, and is NOT made for stacking.  If your family member wants to do this for your wedding and doesn’t know about specifically making wedding cakes, PLEASE, for your sanity’s sake, do one of the following things:</span></div>
1492. <ul class="font_8" style="font-stretch: normal; margin-left: 0.5em; margin-right: 0px; padding-left: 1.3em; padding-right: 0px;">
1493. <li style="color: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px;">
1494. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Have them make cupcakes!  Much safer than attempting a stacked cake, and you can offer a variety of flavors and styles.</span></div>
1495. </li>
1496. <li style="color: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px;">
1497. <span style="font-family: inherit;">If you’re still going do a cake cutting ceremony, you can get a true patisserie to make a small cake for cutting, or your family member can make a small cake that doesn’t need to stack.</span></div>
1498. </li>
1499. <li style="color: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px;">
1500. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Have them make a single layered groom’s cake.</span></div>
1501. </li>
1502. <li style="color: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px;">
1503. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Or let them make a cake dessert for the rehearsal.</span></div>
1504. </li>
1505. </ul>
1506. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1507. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1508. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1509. <span style="font-family: inherit;">If you don’t hire Events by Autumn, if your caterer doesn’t cut the cake, OR if your caterer charges to cut the cake, the below tips will come in handy!  Ever wonder how a patisserie can say “this size cake will yield this many slices?”  It’s because there is a proper way to cut a wedding cake.  If you don’t follow this plan, a 200 person cake can easily be cut incorrectly and only yield 100 pieces.  As we mentioned above, a wedding cake is incredibly rich and dense, so the serving size is conservative.</span></div>
1510. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1511. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1512. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1513. <span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
1514. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1515. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimV_jFwBUrWQMqrXdmcioJFLJUfZMDlg9994UauhvCrry5MCMVn3VM0Nk8fxE4U2rrgf7QCZgVjQi44j1thL3oE9O3YbuE7EgEBo_lAhEzOHxQyWqH5Onk8pXBjg2DAg-esWYc-1TyiYs/s1600/WEDDING+CAKE+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="Wedding cake slices with chocolate covered strawberries" border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimV_jFwBUrWQMqrXdmcioJFLJUfZMDlg9994UauhvCrry5MCMVn3VM0Nk8fxE4U2rrgf7QCZgVjQi44j1thL3oE9O3YbuE7EgEBo_lAhEzOHxQyWqH5Onk8pXBjg2DAg-esWYc-1TyiYs/s320/WEDDING+CAKE+3.jpg" title="Wedding Cake slices" width="320" /></span></a></div>
1516. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1517. <span style="font-family: inherit;">What you’ll need:</span></div>
1518. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1519. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1520. <span style="font-family: inherit;">6’ Table with no linen</span></div>
1521. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1522. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Cutting board</span></div>
1523. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1524. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Latex kitchen gloves</span></div>
1525. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1526. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Sharp cake knife</span></div>
1527. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1528. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Cake serving utensil</span></div>
1529. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1530. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Pitcher with very hot water</span></div>
1531. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1532. <span style="font-family: inherit;">A half dozen clean hand towels</span></div>
1533. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1534. <span style="font-family: inherit;">A helper or two (Too many is not a good thing!)</span></div>
1535. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1536. <span style="font-family: inherit;">The correct number of cake plates (pre-decorated for speed)</span></div>
1537. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1538. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Cake topper box</span></div>
1539. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1540. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1541. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1542. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1543. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1544. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1545. <b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Start here:</span></b></div>
1546. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1547. <span style="font-family: inherit;">We recommend setting your table behind the scenes, where you can cut the cake outside of guests’ view.  Number one, you don’t want a linen on this table, so you don’t get icing and cake all over it.  It’s a messy job.  And a table without a linen is a no-no in your wedding reception.  I also personally feel bad when you’ve spent a lot of money on a cake – do you really want to watch someone cut it up?  I much prefer to see a beautiful cake, and then miraculously, it becomes delicious served pieces J  Following a cake cutting ceremony, I can cut and serve a cake within 20 minutes, no matter the size of the crowd. But that’s only if I can remove it from the reception room and cut it using my method below:  </span></div>
1548. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1549. <ol>
1550. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">WASH YOUR HANDS and then put on service gloves.</span></li>
1551. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Place the knife blade in the hot water pitcher.</span></li>
1552. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Separate all the layers out on a large table.  The top cake layer goes into a separate box and should be labeled and put directly into a freezer (this is your anniversary cake).  If you’re at a venue that offers food service, make sure to write the bride & groom’s name on the box, and the date – this can EASILY get misplaced in a large commercial kitchen if unlabeled! </span></li>
1553. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Place the first layer you want to cut onto cutting board.</span></li>
1554. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Remove all the dowels from this layer.  You can typically see them poking out from the icing.</span></li>
1555. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Remove the knife from the pitcher and dry it on a hand towel.</span></li>
1556. </ol>
1557. </div>
1558. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1559. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1560. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1561. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1562. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Round Cake Cutting </b> FOLLOW THESE DIRECTIONS:</span></div>
1563. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1564. <span style="font-family: inherit;">      7.  Cut it in half.  Dip your knife in the hot water, and wipe the knife off on the towel.</span></div>
1565. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1566. <span style="font-family: inherit;">      8.  Cut a “rainbow” arch shape, approximately 2” from the outside edge. Dip & wipe the blade again. </span></div>
1567. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1568. <span style="font-family: inherit;">      9.  Now you’ll begin cutting straight lines, and forming your individual pieces.  Most slices should be </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">about 2” tall and 1” thick to get the correct number of slices from your cake.  While you’re cutting your straight</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> lines, if icing starts to stick to the knife, take your time to dip and wipe it!</span></div>
1569. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1570. <span style="font-family: inherit;">     10. As you’re cutting, your helper (with gloved hands and cake serving utensil), will begin grabbing pieces and placing them on plates.  Once you complete one “arch” move on to the opposite side of the cake, so your team can plate </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">efficiently and you aren’t in one-another’s way.</span></div>
1571. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1572. <span style="font-family: inherit;">    11. TRUST US – don’t be tempted to cut the entire half of the round cake at one time. . .the pieces are comparatively</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> heavy, and will start toppling over, especially if you have a filling.</span></div>
1573. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1574. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFHvM5Gkng8YV2nbsZwyln7EGQ43y-3w9KYXZrezZEIlKe9lajRhhQ8sVPZL7T0bcBve5sppHqsDxCtCF0IB3Bfdy36MQ81KZ_sEYd6HLK9919o4ZrEG6OFNKUBKdtfk0cqrHyHGSZ2U/s1600/cake+cutting+diagram+-+round.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="How to cut a round wedding cake" border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFHvM5Gkng8YV2nbsZwyln7EGQ43y-3w9KYXZrezZEIlKe9lajRhhQ8sVPZL7T0bcBve5sppHqsDxCtCF0IB3Bfdy36MQ81KZ_sEYd6HLK9919o4ZrEG6OFNKUBKdtfk0cqrHyHGSZ2U/s640/cake+cutting+diagram+-+round.jpg" title="Directions on how to cut a round cake" width="640" /></a></div>
1575. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1576. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1577. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1578. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1579. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1580. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1581. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1582. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1583. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Square Cake Cutting </b> FOLLOW THESE DIRECTIONS:</span></div>
1584. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1585. <span style="font-family: inherit;">      7.  Make your first cut approximately 2” from the edge of the cake.  Dip your knife in the hot water, and wipe the knife off on the towel.</span></div>
1586. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1587. <span style="font-family: inherit;">      8.  Make your next cut parallel to the first, another 2” into the cake.  Dip & wipe the blade again.  </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Continue making parallel cuts, until you’re halfway into the cake.  Dip & wipe the blade again. </span></div>
1588. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1589. <span style="font-family: inherit;">      9.  Now you’ll begin making individual pieces, by making long cuts in the perpendicular position.  Most slices should be about 2” tall and 1” thick to get the correct number of slices from your cake.  While you’re cutting your straight lines, if icing starts to stick to the knife, take your time to dip and wipe it!</span></div>
1590. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1591. <span style="font-family: inherit;">    10. As you’re cutting, your helper (with gloved hands and cake serving utensil), will begin grabbing pieces and placing</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> them on plates.  Once you complete cutting one side of the cake, move on to the opposite side of the cake, so your </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">team can plate efficiently and you aren’t in one-another’s way.</span></div>
1592. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1593. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb1JucZzRFALDrx7j__7CHkVE9w0tx26sSopdTkwv9n_-JWMkBaIrZo0lO6QyRo1tWsQ9wAKCtOvcQiGCgTshQDceRKjP7W6uhj09KY6v6HtBJ2F-Kc08UViVCwuFIYSEIUZk1E-XkupY/s1600/cake+cutting+diagram+-+square.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Visual instructions on how to cut a square wedding cake" border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb1JucZzRFALDrx7j__7CHkVE9w0tx26sSopdTkwv9n_-JWMkBaIrZo0lO6QyRo1tWsQ9wAKCtOvcQiGCgTshQDceRKjP7W6uhj09KY6v6HtBJ2F-Kc08UViVCwuFIYSEIUZk1E-XkupY/s640/cake+cutting+diagram+-+square.jpg" title="Cutting a square wedding cake" width="640" /></a></div>
1594. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1595. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1596. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1597. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1598. <b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tips:</span></b></div>
1599. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1600. <span style="font-family: inherit;">If your cake layers are a variety of flavors, you may consider cutting half of one cake, and then moving to another layer, so you are able to begin serving all varieties while you’re still cutting.  </span></div>
1601. </div>
1602. </div>
1603. </div>
1604. </div>
1605. </div>
1606. </content><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/feeds/8800101119297832308/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2014/12/how-to-cut-wedding-cake.html#comment-form" rel="replies" title="0 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/8800101119297832308" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/8800101119297832308" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2014/12/how-to-cut-wedding-cake.html" rel="alternate" title="HOW TO:  Cut a Wedding Cake" type="text/html"/><author><name>Anonymous</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06607808880955724082</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="16" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif" width="16"/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimV_jFwBUrWQMqrXdmcioJFLJUfZMDlg9994UauhvCrry5MCMVn3VM0Nk8fxE4U2rrgf7QCZgVjQi44j1thL3oE9O3YbuE7EgEBo_lAhEzOHxQyWqH5Onk8pXBjg2DAg-esWYc-1TyiYs/s72-c/WEDDING+CAKE+3.jpg" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644676863749744287.post-5302818807364852302</id><published>2014-11-18T08:00:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2015-05-09T20:45:48.222-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="montana wedding planner"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Mother of the bride attire"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="mother of the bride dresses"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="mother of the bride etiquette"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="what should a mother of the bride wear"/><title type="text">What not to wear.  Mother of the bride dresses.</title><content type="html">&lt;div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;"&gt;
1607. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1608. <span style="font-family: overlock, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">This question was just posed to me the other day by a friend.  She asked if it was ok if her fiance's mom wore a cream colored lace dress to the wedding.  The bride was wearing a cream colored lace dress.  Ummmm. . .that was an easy question - NO, IT'S NOT OK!</span></span></div>
1609. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1610. <span style="font-family: overlock, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span></div>
1611. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1612. <span style="font-family: overlock, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">I'm going to make this short and sweet and I hope my moms out there aren't offended, but this is how it goes:  If you match the bride, the bride will likely be upset.  You have to admit that's understandable.  And your guests will notice too, and think it's in poor taste.  Here are my tips for picking the perfect outfit for the wedding:</span></span></div>
1613. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1614. <span style="font-family: overlock, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span></div>
1615. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1616. <span style="font-family: overlock, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><b>1.  Pick a color.  </b></span></span></div>
1617. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1618. <span style="font-family: overlock, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Preferably pick a color that doesn't completely clash with the color scheme of the wedding.  And definitely NOT an attention grabbing color like red.  If you're going to wear black, please add a pop of color (like an statement jewelry piece) so you don't appear to be attending a funeral.  Jewel tones are current, and a safe bet!  But if you MUST go with an off white or cream color, please make it in a completely different style from the bride.  (See image below).  If the bride is going with a long white tulle skirt on her dress, you can get away with a short length lacy dress in champagne. . . but that's about as close as I would call "safe" (see #2)!</span></span></div>
1619. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1620. <span style="font-family: overlock, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span></div>
1621. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1622. <span style="font-family: overlock, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1623. <b>2.  Don't match the bride.  </b></div>
1624. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1625. It doesn't matter if you're fully paying for the wedding.  It is still your daughter's/son's wedding, and you're not the guest of honor.  Yes, you'll know more people on the guest list than the bride likely will, but it's still "her" day.  So please don't compete for attention by wearing a dress that matches the bride.  You can have your say in how the money is spent for the wedding, but let her shine on her day in a dress that stands out.  </div>
1626. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1627. <br /></div>
1628. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1629. <b>3.  Pick a dress that makes YOU feel great!</b>  </div>
1630. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1631. After all the planning that goes into the wedding, you deserve to kick up your heels and dance the night away too, so please pick a style you can move in.  You can be absolutely stunning in a dress that doesn't resemble anything bridal, while still showing off your fabulous personal flair!</div>
1632. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1633. <br /></div>
1634. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1635. Here are some great examples of stunning dresses, perfect for a mother of the bride.  We love the ruffled collars, stylish jackets, color options, and flattering fits!</div>
1636. <br />
1637. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1638. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_xzDMuVSFRM5rKRRs2Ux_jVhPWMNBUTJFXsZbvf_4F43d3jAGHqbOKSj_HqO-REXbXpXtSaDeBcVzN7lvlfDA1omXd4gx-b5Qynj6mCNRkdHEgBWewCcEmSxcTNWyJNza0xl3IoKGAQY/s1600/Mother+of+the+Bride+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Flattering fits for a mother of a bride" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_xzDMuVSFRM5rKRRs2Ux_jVhPWMNBUTJFXsZbvf_4F43d3jAGHqbOKSj_HqO-REXbXpXtSaDeBcVzN7lvlfDA1omXd4gx-b5Qynj6mCNRkdHEgBWewCcEmSxcTNWyJNza0xl3IoKGAQY/s320/Mother+of+the+Bride+2.jpg" title="Mother of the Bride dresses" width="320" /></a></div>
1639. <br />
1640. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1641. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDN2xc5Y64FSszIv81bQUbFZ3wuDX6QO9ioEVmvSaG2tg9l4nDD_y-SbbXy06kw_KiIQkFO-mAG7Uh2xCWq0f_ZfwgX2gVGJhGA4hvlLCuWL702b7qNKycC0yK2LmHanWBbCXFuf7o4xU/s1600/Mother+of+the+Bride+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Ruffled collars are super chic for mother of the bride dresses" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDN2xc5Y64FSszIv81bQUbFZ3wuDX6QO9ioEVmvSaG2tg9l4nDD_y-SbbXy06kw_KiIQkFO-mAG7Uh2xCWq0f_ZfwgX2gVGJhGA4hvlLCuWL702b7qNKycC0yK2LmHanWBbCXFuf7o4xU/s1600/Mother+of+the+Bride+1.jpg" title="Mother of the Bride dresses" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyfkI_eyqOHzul7Gqm5GnxTHZ4AAORGboIv4ZJMBXvj1yTmU8mEO_S-9fiKxzkjNWr4ezLNii383TDdaSyKMR4DsKJGufng3Qf1nlGHuJrBMispPqpkOopFTfd5IxHCiDH-etJ1XEJ-Q4/s1600/Mother+of+the+Bride+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sleek fit in a flattering color" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyfkI_eyqOHzul7Gqm5GnxTHZ4AAORGboIv4ZJMBXvj1yTmU8mEO_S-9fiKxzkjNWr4ezLNii383TDdaSyKMR4DsKJGufng3Qf1nlGHuJrBMispPqpkOopFTfd5IxHCiDH-etJ1XEJ-Q4/s1600/Mother+of+the+Bride+3.jpg" title="Mother of the Bride dresses" /></a></div>
1642. <br />
1643. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1644. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPDDcNstf_4Xndz8Wb99fVVIvzHYbSEulz1990a6Dkz6KhrxNwG3hvHMJ1Cx6TxY5DlQJHID7rL9havmQpbmLfNhJPLOqopb1pGuC0t42r8iew_u65KUh1a7HnJ0g0ANo-Oejb8kj13Ms/s1600/Mother+of+the+Bride+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Matching shrug to go with Mother of the bride dresses" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPDDcNstf_4Xndz8Wb99fVVIvzHYbSEulz1990a6Dkz6KhrxNwG3hvHMJ1Cx6TxY5DlQJHID7rL9havmQpbmLfNhJPLOqopb1pGuC0t42r8iew_u65KUh1a7HnJ0g0ANo-Oejb8kj13Ms/s1600/Mother+of+the+Bride+4.jpg" title="Mother of the bride dresses" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAwX88sHStw4o2aZYkuv5fYfY0bm707Q3VSjOL2yHc5TFS6qAAsxVdwXdkL1r7m4ouPZ2LntiRJGPbZK66QCJLIp-E6V3djc5FaPpbKqlRzvGOE-x_sKyvWbQSoDDz9-DZQRWd-Nou7qg/s1600/Mother+of+the+Bride+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Beautiful jacket and skirt combo" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAwX88sHStw4o2aZYkuv5fYfY0bm707Q3VSjOL2yHc5TFS6qAAsxVdwXdkL1r7m4ouPZ2LntiRJGPbZK66QCJLIp-E6V3djc5FaPpbKqlRzvGOE-x_sKyvWbQSoDDz9-DZQRWd-Nou7qg/s1600/Mother+of+the+Bride+5.jpg" title="Mother of the bride dresses" /></a></div>
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1646. <br /></div>
1647. </span></span></div>
1648. </div>
1649. </content><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/feeds/5302818807364852302/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2014/11/what-not-to-wear-mother-of-bride-dresses.html#comment-form" rel="replies" title="0 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/5302818807364852302" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/5302818807364852302" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2014/11/what-not-to-wear-mother-of-bride-dresses.html" rel="alternate" title="What not to wear.  Mother of the bride dresses." type="text/html"/><author><name>Anonymous</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06607808880955724082</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="16" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif" width="16"/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_xzDMuVSFRM5rKRRs2Ux_jVhPWMNBUTJFXsZbvf_4F43d3jAGHqbOKSj_HqO-REXbXpXtSaDeBcVzN7lvlfDA1omXd4gx-b5Qynj6mCNRkdHEgBWewCcEmSxcTNWyJNza0xl3IoKGAQY/s72-c/Mother+of+the+Bride+2.jpg" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644676863749744287.post-8084655495263873002</id><published>2014-11-11T08:00:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2015-05-09T20:33:17.175-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="bridal survival kit"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="montana wedding planner"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="professional wedding planner"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Wedding day emergency kit"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding day survival kit"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding emergency kit"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding planner tools"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding survival kit"/><title type="text">The Wedding Day "Emergency" Kit</title><content type="html">&lt;div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;"&gt;
1650. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1651. <span style="font-family: inherit;">We take our slogan “reduce your stress and not your expectations” very seriously.  We feel strongly that part of reducing stress is helping cope with any emergencies that may arise, by quickly diffusing them, and moving on.  That’s why Events by Autumn provides a bridal “survival kit.”  As a planner, this is part of our responsibility to our clients.   </span></div>
1652. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1653. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1654. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1655. <span style="font-family: inherit;">In all, the contents include over 100 essential items, and over $300 worth of products.  We make sure it’s stocked for every single wedding we work, so you will always have access to a full kit.  It contains things like: a complete first aid kit, stain fighting solutions, hygiene items, tape, pins & glue, beauty products, and even a faux diamond ring!</span></div>
1656. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1657. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1658. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1659. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Still want to make your own kit?  Let us ask a few questions:</span></div>
1660. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1661. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1662. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1663. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1664. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1665. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>How do you know what to pack?</b></span></div>
1666. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1667. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Trust us that there is no one list online which includes the full contents of what you might need in the event of an emergency!  We have created our own kit based on a decade worth of wedding planning experience.  To be honest, we looked online as well, but needed to combine over a dozen “complete” emergency kits to create our version.</span></div>
1668. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1669. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1670. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1671. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1672. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1673. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1674. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1675. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1676. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>What are you going to do with these items after the wedding is over?</b></span></div>
1677. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1678. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Just as an example, we provide all colors of bobby pins in the kit.  Your bridesmaids may need a few pins to repair an up-do at some point during the evening.  Granted, it’s only a few dollars for a bunch of bobby pins, but if you’re a blonde, what are you going to do with 500 black bobby pins after the wedding day?  It does add up quickly when you’re talking about 100+ different items.</span></div>
1679. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1680. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1681. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1682. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1683. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1684. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>What kind of “emergencies” would you prepare for?</b></span></div>
1685. <div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1686. <span style="font-family: inherit;">I’ve seen the best man forget his socks when he packed his tux; so I now include black dress socks.  I’ve seen the groom break his shoelace 20 minutes before ceremony starts; so I now include extra shoelaces.   The kit continues to evolve as I see a need for additional items.  But the real question is - do you really want to buy all these items “just in case?”  Just let us bring the kit and you won’t have to worry about it.</span></div>
1687. <div>
1688. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1689. <div>
1690. <div>
1691. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Does your planner provide this?</b></span></div>
1692. <div>
1693. <span style="font-family: inherit;">When comparing planners, you need to look at ALL the services they offer.  In addition to all the planning we do, we also provide access to over $300 worth of products, and save you the time required to make your own kit.  If your planner doesn’t come prepared to diffuse an “emergency” situation into a “no big deal” situation, what services are they really providing you?  The point of a planner is to make the wedding run smoothly.  Yes, that includes managing vendors, setting up, and running the timeline, but it also includes being prepared AND equipped to handle any unexpected occurrences on the wedding day too.  We are fully prepared and equipped!</span></div>
1694. <div>
1695. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1696. <div>
1697. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1698. <div>
1699. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Why not save that money and spend it on something else?</b></span></div>
1700. <div>
1701. <span style="font-family: inherit;">What would you do with $300 extra dollars towards your wedding?  Why not create baskets of essential items in the restrooms?  Or maybe now you can splurge on moving lights from the DJ company, (which we strongly recommend!).  Or maybe $300 more will allow you to add prime rib to the menu?  There are so many options, but the answer is up to you!</span></div>
1702. <div>
1703. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1704. <div>
1705. <span style="font-family: inherit;">But one thing is for sure – we’ve got a bridal survival kit that’s like no other.  Brides and bridesmaids oogle over it when I show them. . . Even vendors love it.  It’s flattering when a very successful wedding photographer tells you they’ve never seen anything like it before, and proceeds to take pictures of it!  That just means we’re doing something right.  And it’s just another reason why we stand out from the rest.    </span></div>
1706. <div>
1707. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1708. <div>
1709. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Photo credit:  <a href="http://www.cakeknifephotography.com/" target="_blank">Cake Knife Photography </a></span></div>
1710. </div>
1711. <div>
1712. <br /></div>
1713. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1714. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiisnI7F173cOjNWrZlhalxtwd4ou9xaUUg5spoTJbR4pVzq9sIg0FBkP3UolgW-KeoubxzXXSe0pmemVWYHW030zFTR7m3eEANSlxkNDGaMrNM23vn1ERkT6cCCYVO79KeOYsaLR14cF4/s1600/Emergency+Kit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Events by Autumn's wedding day emergency kit" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiisnI7F173cOjNWrZlhalxtwd4ou9xaUUg5spoTJbR4pVzq9sIg0FBkP3UolgW-KeoubxzXXSe0pmemVWYHW030zFTR7m3eEANSlxkNDGaMrNM23vn1ERkT6cCCYVO79KeOYsaLR14cF4/s320/Emergency+Kit.jpg" title="Wedding day emergency kit" width="320" /></a></div>
1715. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1716. </div>
1717. <div>
1718. <span style="font-family: overlock, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 30px;"><br /></span></span></div>
1719. </div>
1720. </div>
1721. </div>
1722. </div>
1723. </content><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/feeds/8084655495263873002/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-wedding-day-emergency-kit.html#comment-form" rel="replies" title="0 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/8084655495263873002" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/8084655495263873002" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-wedding-day-emergency-kit.html" rel="alternate" title="The Wedding Day &quot;Emergency&quot; Kit" type="text/html"/><author><name>Anonymous</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06607808880955724082</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="16" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif" width="16"/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiisnI7F173cOjNWrZlhalxtwd4ou9xaUUg5spoTJbR4pVzq9sIg0FBkP3UolgW-KeoubxzXXSe0pmemVWYHW030zFTR7m3eEANSlxkNDGaMrNM23vn1ERkT6cCCYVO79KeOYsaLR14cF4/s72-c/Emergency+Kit.jpg" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644676863749744287.post-7753447330630885599</id><published>2014-11-03T08:00:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2015-05-09T19:34:45.749-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="hidden wedding fees"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding clean up"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding rentals"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding set up"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Wedding trash"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding trash disposal"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="who cleans up your wedding"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="why hire a planner"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="why hire a wedding planner"/><title type="text">Who will clean up your wedding?</title><content type="html">&lt;span style="font-family: inherit;"&gt;This is one of my favorite topics to talk about. &amp;nbsp;Who is going to clean up after your wedding is over? &amp;nbsp;Either people just don't want to think about this, or they think their family/caterer/friends/venue is going to take care of it. &amp;nbsp;After planning weddings for almost 10 years I've compiled some seriously amusing realities of what happens when you leave your wedding for others to clean up. &amp;nbsp;I'll only list 3 here:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
1724. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
1725. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
1726. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1.  Your Wedding Reception will end early.</b></span><br />
1727. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Here's the scenario:  your older relatives think they're going to be really helpful and clean up for you.  And they're tired at 8:30pm, so they start cleaning up at 8:30pm.  But you've booked your reception space until midnight. </span><br />
1728. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
1729. <span style="font-family: inherit;">I was at a friends' wedding when an uncle literally removed the centerpiece, candles, AND LINEN from the table I was still sitting at.  I was really confused, because it was very early in the evening.  But sure enough, the reception ended very shortly after that, because the room was stripped bare.</span><br />
1730. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
1731. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Or how about the time I left a reception room for 5 minutes to prep sparklers for a sendoff, and in that 5 minutes, an Aunt decided to start packing up the centerpieces.  Thankfully, she started on a few tables in the back of the room before I caught her!  I politely told her I was being paid to do that, and she should just go back to enjoying the party.  The candles she was blowing out was providing the ambient lighting in the room - she was going to make the room completely dark before she realized she shouldn't have done that.</span><br />
1732. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
1733. <span style="font-family: inherit;">If someone strips your reception room of decor while the party is still going on, it will kill the ambiance and end the party early.  I promise.  So be smart and hire a planner to clean up.</span><br />
1734. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
1735. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2.  You will be charged penalties</b></span><br />
1736. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Think about this - you've signed an agreement with a rental company.  Likely, the agreement's fine print states that you WILL NOT put wet or soiled linens into the linen bag.  But if you aren't physically there to clean up, who else knows that fine print on the contract?</span><br />
1737. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
1738. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Think about it - your wedding is likely on a Saturday evening.  If you put those wet or soiled linens in a bag, and the rental company picks up on Monday, I guarantee there's going to be the beginnings of mold in there.  It's gross.  And it happens.  And ALL weddings have wet and soiled linens.  Trust me.  </span><br />
1739. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
1740. <span style="font-family: inherit;">I heard from a rental vendor last week that she had to charge a $250 penalty because someone was helping a bride pick up after the wedding, and a relative literally took the linen off the cake table, with the cake STILL in the middle, and shoved it into a linen bag.  It molded all the linens in the bag, and they couldn't be simply washed clean.  The bride was upset she was being charged the penalty, and her defense was SHE didn't clean it up.</span><br />
1741. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
1742. <span style="font-family: inherit;">But guess what?  When you sign that contract, you ARE responsible.  Hiring a planner who knows your contracts avoids penalties like this.</span><br />
1743. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
1744. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>3.  Who really wants to clean up the next day?!</b></span><br />
1745. <span style="font-family: inherit;">If you're lucky enough to leave decor up until the morning after, great.  But do you REALLY want to clean it up then?  I know the answer is no.  You do too - you just have to admit it.</span><br />
1746. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
1747. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Trust us - there are a million things you would rather be doing than return to the reception room AFTER the party is over.  An event venue after a wild wedding often looks like a tornado ravaged it.  And in the daylight, the disaster area is only more visible.  You don't want to remember your wedding this way.  </span><br />
1748. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
1749. <span style="font-family: inherit;">So you should leave it to the pros to clean it up!  The most overlooked but valuable part of my services is THIS:</span><br />
1750. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
1751. <span style="font-family: inherit;">I remove all decor and package it back into the original containers it came in.  If you or a family member lives nearby, I'll drop off your decor to a house, or leave it ORGANIZED and ready for simple pickup in the room the next morning.</span><br />
1752. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
1753. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
1754. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Actual picture of an actual wedding mess taken on my personal cell phone.  Do you want to clean this up in your wedding dress?  Do you want to leave this mess for your friends or family?</span><br />
1755. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
1756. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1757. </div>
1758. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1759. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-vAungeSjPMCwr89g3p0nS0FI63LyU3mUgGM-DbNlTO6dtmwMSXTH1SmP-Lbf5_b2EHjCmeOf_0jyvlCr5AdNJvHU2sLxGJG9luRBQnWZ9HK5N4t2IsDYnl6NxiY3avgaMTQNDoGVFw0/s1600/Erin+&+Steve+(200).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A cake and cupcakes that were blown off the table by hurricane force winds" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-vAungeSjPMCwr89g3p0nS0FI63LyU3mUgGM-DbNlTO6dtmwMSXTH1SmP-Lbf5_b2EHjCmeOf_0jyvlCr5AdNJvHU2sLxGJG9luRBQnWZ9HK5N4t2IsDYnl6NxiY3avgaMTQNDoGVFw0/s640/Erin+&+Steve+(200).JPG" title="Wedding Cake mess" width="478" /></a></div>
1760. <br />
1761. <br />
1762. &lt;br /&gt;</content><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/feeds/7753447330630885599/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2014/11/who-will-clean-up-your-wedding.html#comment-form" rel="replies" title="0 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/7753447330630885599" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/7753447330630885599" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2014/11/who-will-clean-up-your-wedding.html" rel="alternate" title="Who will clean up your wedding?" type="text/html"/><author><name>Anonymous</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06607808880955724082</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="16" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif" width="16"/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-vAungeSjPMCwr89g3p0nS0FI63LyU3mUgGM-DbNlTO6dtmwMSXTH1SmP-Lbf5_b2EHjCmeOf_0jyvlCr5AdNJvHU2sLxGJG9luRBQnWZ9HK5N4t2IsDYnl6NxiY3avgaMTQNDoGVFw0/s72-c/Erin+&amp;+Steve+(200).JPG" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644676863749744287.post-4144037568826830967</id><published>2014-10-25T08:00:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2015-05-09T19:25:28.894-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="on site coordinator"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="on site event coordinator"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="on site event planner"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="on site wedding coordinator"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="on site wedding planner"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="professional wedding planner"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="venue coordinator"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="venue planner"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="why hire a planner"/><title type="text">Why should I hire a planner if the venue provides one?</title><content type="html">&lt;div style="font-family: overlock, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;"&gt;
1763. This summer, half of my weddings had an on-site coordinator, but still hired me to facilitate their wedding plans.  When these clients initially called me to ask me about my services, there were a few concerns that seemed to form a trend.  So I’ll post them here:</div>
1764. <div style="font-family: overlock, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1765. <br /></div>
1766. <ul class="font_8" style="font-family: overlock, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; margin-left: 0.5em; margin-right: 0px; padding-left: 1.3em; padding-right: 0px;">
1767. <li style="color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px;">
1768. I’m nervous because the on-site coordinator won’t call me back in a timely manner.</div>
1769. </li>
1770. <li style="color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px;">
1771. I don’t feel like the on-site coordinator understands my vision for the wedding.</div>
1772. </li>
1773. <li style="color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px;">
1774. My on-site coordinator hasn’t asked me about anything except the food plans.</div>
1775. </li>
1776. <li style="color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px;">
1777. My on-site coordinator doesn’t set up any of my decorations, or tear them down.</div>
1778. </li>
1779. <li style="color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px;">
1780. I’m just not getting a good vibe from my on-site coordinator – like they don’t have my best interest at heart, only the best interest of the venue.</div>
1781. </li>
1782. <li style="color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px;">
1783. My on-site coordinator shows up later on the wedding day and leaves right after dinner.</div>
1784. </li>
1785. </ul>
1786. <div style="font-family: overlock, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1787. <br /></div>
1788. <div style="font-family: overlock, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1789. I was completely up-front with my clients about their situation.  You CAN save money and just use the on-site planner.  People do it all the time.  But if you’re feeling like the comments above are a reflection of how you’re feeling, you might want to consider bringing in a professional. </div>
1790. <div>
1791. <br /></div>
1792. <div>
1793. <div style="font-family: overlock, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1794. I used to be an on-site planner.  That’s where my experience comes from, so by no means am I knocking the position.  But I strongly believe I was not the same as most.  I worked long hours on the weddings because I wanted to open my own event planning business one day.  I was getting experience with a company which allowed me to make all the rookie mistakes under someone else’s name – that sounds horrible, but it’s true.  A wedding has too many moving parts to leave in the hands of a rookie.  You don’t want your wedding to be a planners first rodeo.  So if your on-site planner doesn’t meet these standards at a minimum, consider hiring a professional wedding planner:</div>
1795. <div style="font-family: overlock, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1796. <br /></div>
1797. <ul class="font_8" style="font-family: overlock, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; margin-left: 0.5em; margin-right: 0px; padding-left: 1.3em; padding-right: 0px;">
1798. <li style="color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px;">
1799. They are available to you “anytime,” meaning they are willing to give you their cell phone number.</div>
1800. </li>
1801. <li style="color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px;">
1802. They have been through a summer of weddings with their specific venue.</div>
1803. </li>
1804. <li style="color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px;">
1805. AND they have been planning weddings for longer than 5 years, OR have worked on a minimum of 50 weddings.</div>
1806. </li>
1807. <li style="color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px;">
1808. Your coordinator can commit to you that they will be in the room all night.  Often, throughout the reception, they’ll leave the room and head back their desk to work on other events (hotel venues are notorious for this).  You want your coordinator available to you at a moment’s notice.</div>
1809. </li>
1810. <li style="color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><div style="font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px;">
1811. They are there for the rehearsal, arrive early on your wedding day to oversee your setup, and stay to oversee the teardown.</div>
1812. </li>
1813. </ul>
1814. <div style="font-family: overlock, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1815. <br /></div>
1816. <div style="font-family: overlock, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1817. So my final suggestion is this:  if you have a lot of working parts to your wedding day – lots of décor, a complicated timeline, lots of details – consider giving me a call, even if your venue provides someone on site.  Sometimes the professional planners are even willing to discount their price if the “on-site coordinator” is strong enough to act in lieu of an assistant. </div>
1818. </div>
1819. </content><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/feeds/4144037568826830967/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2014/10/why-should-i-hire-planner-if-venue.html#comment-form" rel="replies" title="0 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/4144037568826830967" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/4144037568826830967" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2014/10/why-should-i-hire-planner-if-venue.html" rel="alternate" title="Why should I hire a planner if the venue provides one?" type="text/html"/><author><name>Anonymous</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06607808880955724082</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="16" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif" width="16"/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644676863749744287.post-70643893603100956</id><published>2014-10-01T08:00:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2015-05-09T19:18:51.521-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="colorado wedding planner"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="colorado weddings"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Destination wedding planner"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="events by autumn"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="montana wedding designer"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="montana wedding planner"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="montana weddings"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="moving a business"/><title type="text">Events by Autumn makes dreams a reality. . .even our own! </title><content type="html">&lt;div&gt;
1820. <div style="font-family: overlock, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1821. I have been talking about opening my own business for as long as I can remember.  And when I set a goal for myself, there’s no stopping it from happening.  Even if the road to get there gets windy and confusing, I always stay focused on the end result.  </div>
1822. <div style="font-family: overlock, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1823. <br /></div>
1824. <div style="font-family: overlock, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1825. As a kid, I spent every single summer and winter in Montana, skiing, riding, fishing, exploring, just enjoying everything the state had to offer.  When I got the chance to take a job in Missoula, MT at the age of 25, I jumped all over it.  I prefer being outdoors if given a choice, and Montana towns operate at a slower pace than the “big city.”  That combination makes living in Montana my ideal place, along with the fact I bought my dream home there – a log cabin on some acreage, ready for horses.  I’ve owned the house for about 5 years now in Stevensville, MT, located in the BEAUTIFUL Bitterroot Valley.</div>
1826. <div style="font-family: overlock, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1827. <br /></div>
1828. <div style="font-family: overlock, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1829. So when I took the job in Montana, it was with the goal of opening my own business one day.  But the job required more than 70 hours a week on a regular basis, and my salary wasn’t enough to save money.  So I didn’t have enough time, or money, to take the leap and open my own business.  I was good at my job, and was eventually recruited to take a position in Boulder, CO, doing the same thing I was doing previously.  I was hesitant to leave MT, but the pay was literally 3x what it was in Montana.  So, keeping my goal in mind, I took a leap of faith.  I took the job as the Director of Catering, thinking I would work there for 4 years, save some money, and move back to my dream home in Montana, live off the savings, and open my own business.</div>
1830. </div>
1831. <div style="font-family: overlock, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%;">
1832. <br /></div>
1833. <div>
1834. <span style="font-family: overlock, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Well, the plans went awry, like they always do!  The new boss at the hotel was changing a lot of things – employees who had been there for 15+ years and were comfortable with the status quo didn’t like the new direction the hotel was taking, so they left in droves.  (Whole different topic, but change can be GOOD people, especially when the hotel hadn’t been making money for the past 15 years).  The mass exodus of staff alerted the ownership (from a foreign country), that they should take a look at what was happening at the hotel.  So they began to take notice of what we were doing, and the first thing they did was review the bonus structure -The same bonus structure that made my paycheck awesome.  It was cut completely.  So my plans of saving money and moving back in 4 years were up-ended.</span></span></div>
1835. <div>
1836. <span style="font-family: overlock, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span></div>
1837. <div>
1838. <span style="font-family: overlock, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">It was time to re-evaluate my plans of opening my own business and how I was going to still make it happen.  So I took a part time marketing job with another company, and just went ahead and opened Events by Autumn in Colorado.  The past year and a half has been spent creating contracts, websites, marketing materials, and getting myself fully prepared to move back to Montana and hit the ground running.  And I’ve planned quite a few Colorado weddings as well in my first year, and received the kindest, most amazing positive feedback, which just reinforces that I’m on track.  But when you know where your heart belongs, you just feel compelled to follow.</span></span></div>
1839. <div>
1840. <span style="font-family: overlock, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span></div>
1841. <div>
1842. <span style="font-family: overlock, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">In August, my renters moved out of my dream house in Montana, and I now had to be realistic about paying two mortgages.  So my decision was to move back to Montana, rent (or sell) the house in Colorado and get the business rolling where I really wanted it to happen in the first place.  Fall is the perfect time to move back, get re-acquainted with vendors & friends, and promote the business, since most engagements happen over the winter months.</span></span></div>
1843. <div>
1844. <span style="font-family: overlock, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span></div>
1845. <div>
1846. <span style="font-family: overlock, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">I’ve been gone from Montana for 2 and a half years, and had planned on being in Colorado for 4.  I’d say that making a dream happen in about half the time is a pretty good feeling.</span></span></div>
1847. <div>
1848. <span style="font-family: overlock, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span></div>
1849. <div>
1850. <span style="font-family: overlock, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">(A hazy day at the log cabin in Stevi. . .the Bitterroot mountains are barely visible in the background.)</span></div>
1851. <div>
1852. <span style="font-family: overlock, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div>
1853. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1854. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQqdiWHtJoHZSZ_pJDT4HCdVtR1MUZ5s4jOzSgeKCjXo-qlFWGY4-gkKiqoiFzi5VXjBiVe1HXDhum1K_tzWLdcLum4oXRejAOCso933KwxpMZFqk3omliX3LOzKkEJSHHFh94QWxhtKY/s1600/IMG-20120908-00108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The view from the field, up the driveway" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQqdiWHtJoHZSZ_pJDT4HCdVtR1MUZ5s4jOzSgeKCjXo-qlFWGY4-gkKiqoiFzi5VXjBiVe1HXDhum1K_tzWLdcLum4oXRejAOCso933KwxpMZFqk3omliX3LOzKkEJSHHFh94QWxhtKY/s640/IMG-20120908-00108.jpg" title="My Montana home" width="640" /></a></div>
1855. <div>
1856. <span style="font-family: overlock, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div>
1857. </content><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/feeds/70643893603100956/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2014/10/events-by-autumn-makes-dreams-reality.html#comment-form" rel="replies" title="0 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/70643893603100956" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/70643893603100956" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2014/10/events-by-autumn-makes-dreams-reality.html" rel="alternate" title="Events by Autumn makes dreams a reality. . .even our own! " type="text/html"/><author><name>Anonymous</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06607808880955724082</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="16" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif" width="16"/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQqdiWHtJoHZSZ_pJDT4HCdVtR1MUZ5s4jOzSgeKCjXo-qlFWGY4-gkKiqoiFzi5VXjBiVe1HXDhum1K_tzWLdcLum4oXRejAOCso933KwxpMZFqk3omliX3LOzKkEJSHHFh94QWxhtKY/s72-c/IMG-20120908-00108.jpg" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644676863749744287.post-5244601150017299472</id><published>2013-06-22T08:00:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2015-05-09T19:00:40.134-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="custom invitations"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="custom wedding invitations"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="custom wedding invites"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="DIY wedding invitations"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="gatsby party"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wax seal"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="wedding invitations"/><title type="text">How to create your own wax seal</title><content type="html">&lt;h2 style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"&gt;
1858. <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Earlier this week, I wrapped up the event design for a ”Great Gatsby” themed party. Everything from the invitations to the gifts at the end of the evening needed to be themed. So I taught myself how to create a wax seal, to close up the envelopes. Follow the link for step by step instructions on how to make your own!  <span style="color: #272727;">Below is a step by step tutorial on how I created the wax seals for the Gatsby theme party invitations.  </span></span></h2>
1859. <div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #272727; font-stretch: normal; max-width: 99.9000015258789%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
1860. <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Materials your will need:  sculpey, a charm or item to imprint, plenty of wax candles in the color of your choice, access to an oven, dropcloths (this project is kinda messy!) and something with weight to hold your invitations together once the melted wax is in place.</span></span></div>
1861. <div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #272727; font-stretch: normal; max-width: 99.9000015258789%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
1862. <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
1863. <h2 style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-stretch: normal; margin: 0px; max-width: 99.9000015258789%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
1864. <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">1.  CREATE THE SEAL</span></h2>
1865. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1866. </div>
1867. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1868. </div>
1869. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1870. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrNb9DuoYyFmyjWwQiTNOe7Gn07hf7Qjx081OIx1o4XopvxgXqdLJa5E2OaKpr2rAUDmT8r6haEndX_YnfZblFqQ3rrbEO7UZMLakfjaEsenuX4UmiDA2HkfHhGn3YLCXvNCI3z774vig/s1600/013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrNb9DuoYyFmyjWwQiTNOe7Gn07hf7Qjx081OIx1o4XopvxgXqdLJa5E2OaKpr2rAUDmT8r6haEndX_YnfZblFqQ3rrbEO7UZMLakfjaEsenuX4UmiDA2HkfHhGn3YLCXvNCI3z774vig/s200/013.JPG" width="149" /></a></div>
1871. <div>
1872. <span style="font-family: inherit;">You'll need some Sculpey clay (one of my favorite mediums), and some sort of charm to create the impression.  In my case, I purchased a charm letter "g" for "Gatsby."  I molded the Sculpey into the shape of the stamp so it was easy to handle.  The most important part of this is to make your "impression" surface flat and small.  If it's too big of a flat surface, it's going to spread and push the hot wax all over the paper.  A smaller stamp makes a better seal.  Once you've got the Sculpey in the right shape, press your emblem or charm into the flat surface of the Sculpey.  You'll need a pin or something similar to dig out the charm without causing a deformity in your seal.  Now put the Sculpey in the oven, according to the instructions on the package.  You need the seal to be tough when pressing down on the wax.  (P.S., mine is black in the picture because I took this image after making 200 invitations, so it's been burned quite a bit!  Fresh out of the oven, the Sculpey will be the same color as the handle of the stamp.)</span></div>
1873. <div>
1874. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1875. <div>
1876. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2.  HOT WAX</b></span></div>
1877. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1878. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-vP3pTfHY2b_GJdcJ8XlhyphenhyphentjhHtjbGodsNbbC_tseLlu5a5n8WCPTkRjQuOZLIk_KCQjmB_KTsxyMu21fyZU1tG65p4BEQyxGV3nm_YSFdNlZ7364a-OGdxYy4tgyTrM7kCRU8K5uPkQ/s1600/018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-vP3pTfHY2b_GJdcJ8XlhyphenhyphentjhHtjbGodsNbbC_tseLlu5a5n8WCPTkRjQuOZLIk_KCQjmB_KTsxyMu21fyZU1tG65p4BEQyxGV3nm_YSFdNlZ7364a-OGdxYy4tgyTrM7kCRU8K5uPkQ/s200/018.JPG" width="149" /></a></div>
1879. <div>
1880. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Any color candle will do, but tapered candles work best for accurate dripping.  Take a burning candle and turn it on its side and start dripping the melting wax onto the paper surface you want to seal.  I like to put a few drops under the invitation flap to make sure the seal doesn't pop loose later.  About 25-30 droplets of wax makes a good sized wax seal.  Let your wax sit for about a minute (this completely depends on the temperature in the room you're working in!)</span></div>
1881. <div>
1882. <br /></div>
1883. <div>
1884. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1885. <div>
1886. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1887. <div>
1888. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1889. <div>
1890. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1891. <div>
1892. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1893. <div>
1894. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>3. THE IMPRESSION</b></span></div>
1895. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1896. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgItJzSGeavtUaWAKFLuMnQB0ElTfMB3etyTK6gCM8l_zUVIZvYs_JlMydXylZcJORWFNue7QPpInigRTlSZimtEot1JztJI_J3QDEWIN9_LE_31x1ga7KFEbBIKmDg4ATYG-fQdoDcFUE/s1600/019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgItJzSGeavtUaWAKFLuMnQB0ElTfMB3etyTK6gCM8l_zUVIZvYs_JlMydXylZcJORWFNue7QPpInigRTlSZimtEot1JztJI_J3QDEWIN9_LE_31x1ga7KFEbBIKmDg4ATYG-fQdoDcFUE/s200/019.JPG" width="149" /></a></div>
1897. <div>
1898. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Take your "stamp" that you created and gently press down onto the wax blob you've put onto the invitation.  You'll get a feel for how long the wax needs to sit.  If it sits too long, the stamp won't make a dent in the wax.  If it doesn't sit long enough, the melted wax will squish into the crevases of your stamp, and potentially all over the paper.  If you time it just right, then voila!  You have your beautiful wax seal!  If you don't time it just right, just look through the handy dandy tips below on how to fix it.</span></div>
1899. <div>
1900. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1901. <div>
1902. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1903. <div>
1904. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1905. <div>
1906. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1907. <div>
1908. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1909. <div>
1910. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
1911. <div>
1912. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>HANDY DANDY TIPS:</b></span></div>
1913. <div>
1914. <ul>
1915. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you're using letters or numbers as emblems. . .remember that you will need to press the charm into the Sculpey in a mirror image of what you want the impression to look like!</span></li>
1916. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you put your stamp to the wax too soon, and it squishes everywhere, that's ok.  Just use your finger to move any large blobs of wax back into the working area (a non-perfect wax drip makes the invitation look more legit), then use your lighter to melt those blobs back into the original form.  Let it sit, and try again.  If you need to add wax, that's ok -- just drip some more!</span></li>
1917. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you wait too long to stamp the wax, take the lighter to your "stamp" and hold it there for about 30 seconds.  The sculpey will turn black and look charred, but it's ok -- it retains its shape!  Use the hot stamp and press down slowly onto the hard wax.  It should melt some of the wax and leave a small impression.  It's not as impressive of a seal as when you time it perfect, but it still gets the job done, and shows that you did it by hand!</span></li>
1918. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Never. Ever. Ever. EVER. Ever leave the invitations in a warm place.  It's wax, afterall, so it WILL melt.  ALL OVER THE PLACE.  It's a recipe for disaster, especially after you paid money for your paper invitations!</span></li>
1919. <li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Find sturdy objects to place on top of your invitations while you wax seal them.  That way, the flaps of the invitations stay in place, and it makes for a much faster assembly line.  Once you get the hang of this, you can do 100 invitations in an hour!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1920. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN1c9B09DWWJo6VuE1DRkpMQ3ZBy_V65H0KsNzygHcJUo46ZTaBik3jezPKH2Vv44OQyvZ3sbbTVxhGGEG6x5PPziBp2zSIG5uomx-bcMQtUTJLnL6CjqhSHDKKe5FrYyxZXgpuvfFuVY/s1600/012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN1c9B09DWWJo6VuE1DRkpMQ3ZBy_V65H0KsNzygHcJUo46ZTaBik3jezPKH2Vv44OQyvZ3sbbTVxhGGEG6x5PPziBp2zSIG5uomx-bcMQtUTJLnL6CjqhSHDKKe5FrYyxZXgpuvfFuVY/s320/012.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
1921. </span></li>
1922. </ul>
1923. </div>
1924. </content><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/feeds/5244601150017299472/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2013/06/how-to-create-your-own-wax-seal.html#comment-form" rel="replies" title="0 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/5244601150017299472" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/5244601150017299472" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2013/06/how-to-create-your-own-wax-seal.html" rel="alternate" title="How to create your own wax seal" type="text/html"/><author><name>Anonymous</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06607808880955724082</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="16" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif" width="16"/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrNb9DuoYyFmyjWwQiTNOe7Gn07hf7Qjx081OIx1o4XopvxgXqdLJa5E2OaKpr2rAUDmT8r6haEndX_YnfZblFqQ3rrbEO7UZMLakfjaEsenuX4UmiDA2HkfHhGn3YLCXvNCI3z774vig/s72-c/013.JPG" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644676863749744287.post-8636477607265396584</id><published>2013-05-31T08:00:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2015-05-09T18:15:30.213-07:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="colorado wedding planner"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="colorado weddings"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Event planning; Wedding planning"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="montana wedding planner"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="montana weddings"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="new business"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Welcome"/><title type="text">Welcome to Events by Autumn!</title><content type="html">&lt;span style="font-family: overlock, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"&gt;Well . . . I have been talking about opening my own event planning business for YEARS, and I’m so excited to say the time is finally here! I have always been an event planner in one form or another, but anyone in this business knows what that means; working long hours doing extra paperwork and undertaking job responsibilities that have nothing to do with planning events. But event planning has always been where my passion lies. If you’re going to spend extra time, you’d better be doing it on something you love to do!! So for more than 10 years, I’ve been talking about working for myself.If you know me, you know I have always set goals for myself, and I never stop until I reach it. I have to admit, It’s definitely been a little scary taking this leap, but when you’re supported by all your family and friends, failure is not optional!! It was just this April when the timing was perfect, and I finally decided to take the plunge and open my own business after all these years. I can’t tell you how excited I am to be able to take everything I’ve learned along the way and continue planning the successful events for my own clients! I hope you are excited too!&lt;/span&gt;</content><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/feeds/8636477607265396584/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2013/05/welcome-to-events-by-autumn.html#comment-form" rel="replies" title="0 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/8636477607265396584" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2644676863749744287/posts/default/8636477607265396584" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://eventsbyautumn.blogspot.com/2013/05/welcome-to-events-by-autumn.html" rel="alternate" title="Welcome to Events by Autumn!" type="text/html"/><author><name>Anonymous</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06607808880955724082</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="16" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="https://img1.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif" width="16"/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry></feed>

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