Part III
It’s Your Vision
Every wedding professional has a specific protocol for conducting their business. That being said, a wedding professional should never tell you “you can’t”. If you have proposed an idea that they are uncomfortable with executing or they have seen fail at other weddings, they will find a constructive way to communicate that to you. Vendors will also suggest other viable solutions to the task or issue at hand. Wedding professionals are there to help you achieve the wedding of your dreams within your budget. They are very flexible people that want to help you improve upon your ideas and assist you with executing them. You wouldn’t have someone you didn’t like at your wedding, so why would you have a vendor there that you don’t like? If things just aren’t working out with your vendor before the big day, don’t be afraid to back out and forfeit your deposit. However, it is important to remember that you have hired them for their field of expertise as well. That being said, you aren’t paying them to tell you what you want to hear. Ask yourself these questions:
Does this vendor have my best interests a heart?
Do they work well with a wide variety of people and personality types?
Selecting a team of wedding professionals for your wedding day can be a monumental task to say the least! What it all comes down to is your personal chemistry with that professional. There is a team of professionals out there for every bride; it’s just a matter of finding the professionals that fit your personality best.
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Part II
Getting to Know your Vendors & Vice Versa
The wedding professional being interviewed will likely conduct the first portion of the interview.
Do you like the way they have approached you?
How do they communicate, is that communication clear and organized?
Will they be at your wedding or will other staff members?
If other staff will be present, what is their related experience?
How involved are they and their staff with the planning process?
Are they part of at least one professional organization?
Wedding professionals should be very personable, they don’t want you to like them; they want you to LOVE them. They should be excited to meet you and give you their best presentation possible. If they are unorganized or otherwise rather grumpy, chances are they aren’t the professional for you. On (and before) your wedding day you will be spending many, many hours of your time with these people; it’s always a good idea to get to know them.
Interview them, then call or email them a few times, find them on Facebook, and read their blog….. Actually read them don’t just drool over the photos! This will give you a good indication of their communication practices and general attitude. At the other end of the social 1spectrum, wedding vendors want your business; they would love to answer your questions, spend some face to face time with you, and share their news in person! Meet them more than once, you will thank yourself later. Start planning far enough from your wedding date so that you don’t feel rushed and you have time to think before booking their services.
Many wedding professionals have a staff conducting business with them. If there will be more than one professional representing them at your event get to know them too! There’s nothing worse than being a week out from your wedding only to find out this person you worked your but off to find, screen, and review isn’t even going to be there for you on your wedding day. If office staff is tending to your event, not to worry! The best wedding professionals will only hire the best staff to support them. Make sure you interview them, see their personal work, and ask what type of experience they have in their position.
Every wedding professional has a different take on how involved they should be throughout the planning process. Some professionals are better suited to help you on the logistical end of their business, while others will want to be involved every step of the way. As much as every wedding professional is different, so is every couple. Make sure that you are comfortable with their level of involvement. You don’t want to end up feeling like your big day is being dictated to you through someone else’s eyes.
Always try to dig a little deeper when researching your vendors online. Check out their Linked In for related experience and more reviews. Serious vendors will often be a member of their local Chamber of Commerce and other professional organizations related to their field of work. Think of these organizations as a little bit of a safety net. Well known organizations will often have membership in the thousands. Why do these organizations matter? First, professionals are typically required to do continuing education through these groups, keeping their skills sharp. Secondly, these organizations can help you handle any complaints you may have about your services. They can also be a great source of information.
Look for part III coming soon!
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With 2011 quickly approaching, many brides are still scrambling to choose that perfect color scheme for the latest trends. As an interior designer and wedding coordinator, I am always keeping current in the world of color. Warm tints, tones, and shades will dominate color schemes throughout 2011. Following the growing trend of destination weddings, tropical colors are in demand. Bright hues will create lively, passionate palettes this Spring and Summer, like hot pinks and oranges, along with vibrant, bronzed metallics. Bold, cool hues will be used sparingly as accent colors, for instance sky blue; while deeper and often faded or muted cools, such as plum and dusty teal, will make a come back towards the Fall of 2011. Neutrals will be subdued in tints and deep shades, such as light grey, khaki, charcoal grey and chocolate brown. Most earthy tones are going to continue to be a big hit as well.
Check out Pantone’s color of the year!
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All the glitz and glamor of holiday parties have you brainstorming about design aspects for your next wedding or event? There are several things to consider while designing for an event. Most important to the entire process is choosing the appropriate venue. This selection can easily make or break your entire event for several reasons. First and foremost, you want to choose a venue that suits your personal taste. You don’t want to book with a venue that has murals of tropical scenery on the walls if you intend to have a winter wonderland soirée. Having some sort of basic idea of the foundation of your theme is helpful for this reason. The event style does not have to be fully ironed out, but basic direction is necessary.
Choosing an interior location that contains emphatic design elements will give the background of your pictures extra personality. Large objects such as columns and chandeliers, as well as the ceiling and floor, will stand out in photographs, even when they are not in focus. Proportion between space and guest count is also very important for choosing an appropriate event space. A space suitable for 300 people will not be pleasing for a party of 60. You and your guests will tend to feel dwarfed by the space. Consider it a MUST to have a rough guest count in mind before you commit to a space. If you do not, it can cost you much more in the long run due to forfeited deposits in addition to the headache of finding a new location often, on a new date.
Booking parties outdoors in northern and upstate New York has a whole different set of concerns. Since these events usually involve a tent, developing the interior of the tent becomes a secondary concern. Collecting the necessary permits to use a tent, have fireworks, serve alcohol, and additional event insurance may be required. Aside from permits and licenses, the next consideration for temporary structures is to secure and verify basic necessities for your event such as electricity, plumbing, furniture, and more.
At Weddings by the Mis’ess in Clifton Park, NY we are committed to working with you and your vision to bring your weddings and events to life through design. Consider hiring a wedding designer because there are so many things to do in so little time!
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A guest estimate is vital in choosing an event space that is comfortable for your wedding and can be very – if not extremely – confusing for any bride. Not to worry! With a little bit of effort, organization, and guess work, you should be able to come to a workable conclusion for a guest count to aide you in choosing a spectacular venue that is the perfect size for your wedding.
The first step is to list everyone that you intend to invite to your wedding, and then separate that list into local guests and out of town guests. Of your closer friends and family, you can assume that 85% to 90% will attend. Out-of-town guests are a whole other estimate; about 50% to 55% of them should be anticipated to attend. If your guests live more than a few hours drive from your Albany, Saratoga Springs, or Adirondack wedding venue, they will likely fall into the out-of-town category.
The secret to getting this kind of turn out is to send out your invites well in advance (about 8 weeks) and to use save the dates if you can (about 6 months prior). If these numbers confuse you, don’t worry about it, here’s a quick breakdown:
Your Guest List: 175 guests
In-Town Guests: 125
Out-of-Town Guests: 50
In-Town Guest List:
125 guests x 85% expected turn out ratio = 107 guests (always round up 1 for decimals)
Out-of-Town Guest List:
50 guests x 50% expected turn out ratio = 25 guests
Your low estimated guest turnout is: 132
If you like you can also use the higher percentages to estimate a higher count, and average the two together to provide yourself with a median. This can be useful if you have a lot of out-of-town relatives that you know like to travel.
Your Guest List: 175 guests
In-Town Guests: 125
Out-of-Town Guests: 50
In-Town Guest List:
125 guests x 90% expected turn out ratio = 113 guests (always round up 1 for decimals)
Out-of-Town Guest List:
50 guests x 55% expected turn out ratio = 28 guests
Your high estimated guest turnout is: 141
Average Guest Count:
132 smaller estimate + 141 larger estimate= 273
273 / 2 = 137
Your total average guest count is: 137
Of course, these numbers will always vary by event and guest type. However, these numbers can be well worth your time if you want to pick the right size of venue. It is also a great way to get a head start on address collection for your invitation list. It’s never too early to hire a wedding planner! Getting a wedding planner involved early on is key to getting your guest list and your wedding plans organized so that both of you can really enjoy your big day!
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