Tag Archives: wedding

Wedding itineraries are becoming the new normal

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Planning a wedding where majority of your guests have never been? Want to share your favorite restaurants, points of interest and things to do around the area? The best way to get this information out to your guests is by making an itinerary.

With Destination weddings continuing to increase in popularity year after year, we find that weekend itineraries are a must. Even though wedding websites are standard practice now, especially for destination weddings, I’m seeing that people still want to give their guests a tangible way to experience their wedding plans. One of the most popular requests lately, are accordion-style, tri-folded ‘wedding weekend’ invitations that include a welcome cover page, an invitation page, info page, a custom map on the back, as well as a detachable RSVP card that can be torn off and sent right back in the mail. This allows for plenty of colorful illustration to set the tone for the weekend and build excitement for your special day.

Wedding Flowers with Divine Design by Mandy

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Finding gorgeous flower inspiration is pure joy but actually getting down to business and choosing, designing and coordinating your blooms is a whole other hurdle to jump. How are you supposed to know the difference between a peony Or foxglove? How to maximize your blooms depending on the season—and on a tight budget? That’s where your florist comes in and saves the day and your budget. Not to mention countless hours of second guessing your decisions. Trust your florist, and their expertise.

Many brides will bring photos from magazines and Pinterest to the consultation which is fantastic. However, it’s nearly impossible to re-create an image exactly, so my advice is focus less on replicating a photo and instead be open and comfortable with the fact that all your inspiration is meant to be used as a springboard for a new interpretation and design.

One of the biggest flower mistakes couples make is not being open-minded to color palettes and flower choices. Many times they have a set color palette [and florals] in mind, but don’t know about other cool, rare blooms that happen to be in season at the time of their wedding. The best couple is one who can be loose and flexible with their floral choices, then your florist can find the most beautiful blooms possible to create the perfect bouquet for their wedding day. Your planner will know just the right details to share with your vendors to ensure the overall design concept is complete.

We have asked one of our local florist, Mandy Miller, of Divine Designs by Mandy for some insight. Mandy has been a florist in Oklahoma for over 17 years and brings lots of experience in all things wedding décor to the table.

First look

What ideas can the florist offer to make your wedding flowers unique? “As a floral designer, who specializes in weddings, every piece I design is custom and created for each client’s unique needs. I encourage my clients to think of their wedding flowers as accessories to complement the overall style of the wedding. I try to encourage that my clients make the most of their budget by allowing me to determine the flowers included in the floral collection, based on their color scheme, individual style, and season.”

What is your signature wedding bouquet style? “My design aesthetic is Romantic. I prefer wedding bouquets to be full of gorgeous blooms in shades that either complement the wedding gown or offer a wow factor by using high impact color.”
Mandy 1

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Thank you Mandy for that wonderful advice, and for sharing a few photos of our gorgeous bouquests. Want to schedule an appointment to discuss your wedding day flowers? You can check out her website at Divine Design by Mandy.

 

Designate a “tweeter of honor.”

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Designate a “tweeter of honor.” What’s your thoughts on this Brides??

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For all our extreme tweetaholics…Enjoy your day and stay off your phone while still keeping everyone updated.

Your wedding day will fly by, and if you’re on your phone the whole time, you’ll miss out on what’s important. Focus on the guests who have come to celebrate with you, instead of everyone in your social media circles. You can always designate a “tweeter of honor”—it could be another bridesmaid who isn’t your maid of honor (she’ll have plenty of responsibilities already) or you can even hire someone to keep your social networks updated throughout the day so you won’t have to. Another option is to schedule tweets beforehand, so they’re ready to go without the hassle.

 

Wedding Budget 101

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AF800EA2-232D-4287-8498-F51AD27307C5While there are some wedding etiquette “rules” that may feel outdated (for example, seating guests on opposite sides at the ceremony, depending on their relationship with the couple), there are some tried-and-true wedding etiquette standards that are still around for very good reasons.  The good thing is you have the freedom to pick and choose which traditions are important to you both.
Who pays for the wedding?
Yes, there are the traditional “who pays for what” items but couples nowadays rarely follow these wedding etiquette rules exactly. In fact, half of our couples pay for the majority of their wedding themselves. Parents or other loved ones can contribute in a variety of ways, from paying for the entire wedding to just paying for specific wedding-related products or services to paying for events like the rehearsal dinner to not contributing at all. But here’s the tricky part, remember that anyone who pays for the wedding does get a say in whatever it is they’re paying for. So if your parents are paying for your venue rental fee, you need to make sure they’re happy with the wedding location you choose.

How do I ask my parents/family to contribute to my wedding?
Very politely. Sometimes parents will willingly express their desire to assist with the wedding budget, but you may need to make the first move. Prepare your parents in advance for the conversation (not a topic for Thanksgiving dinner, for example). When asking your parents about this potentially sensitive subject, first ask them if (not how much) they would be able to contribute. If they say say yes, be prepared to discuss how much they would be comfortably be able to spend, or what areas of the wedding they’d like to pay for. It’s a good idea to have some knowledge of what certain wedding-related services cost, so that you can give your parents’ an idea at the initial conversation. Whatever the outcome of the conversation is, be as appreciative and grateful as possible. Once you have a budget established, meet with a wedding planner and determine how to invest your budget so you add value to your wedding and not just dollars.

 

Choosing a wedding cake

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It is one of the sweetest battles you will have to endure when planning the wedding reception. Even when you decide the type of cake you want, you have the selection of flavors and filling to figure out.  From traditonal chocolate and vanilla to light and fruity flavors like strawberry and lemon (my personal fav). The many choices can be overwhelming because there are so many amazing wedding cake ideas out there.

12028720_10206287727486032_5076319698780018651_o(All Things Cake at Skiatook Springs Event Center) All Things Cake  The Springs Event Venue

In fact, one of the most exciting aspects of the day may be the wedding cake. The size, the craftsmanship, and the deliciousness are all things that guests look forward to.Many individuals love going to weddings and seeing the large wedding cake just waiting to be eaten. And to fall in line with tradition of the bride and groom cutting the cake and feeding each other the first bite. (but thats a topic for another blog) Lastly, the cake should represent the theme or vibe of your wedding day. Cheers! cake

Things to consider when ordering your cake….

  1. Number of guests to feed?
  2. Are you serving a heavy lunch or dinner before the cake?
  3. Are you serving alcohol during the reception?
  4. How long is your reception?
  5. Your budget?

Once you answer these questions you are well on your way to schedule a tasing at your favorite bakery.