Something old, something new...

It's so tempting to buy wonderful wedding trinkets that are perfect for your Big Day. You may find make signs to direct your guests to the cocktail hour! You may buy string lights that are perfect to hang over the dance floor. You may want elegant paper parasols to shade your guests during the ceremony...

But then you might think, "What am I going to do with 22 turquoise vases and 177 tea lights?!" Well, I've done the research and here are some websites that may help you to recover some (or all) of what you spent and you can pass on your treasures to other brides who can use your unwanted wedding items:

Recycled Bride - http://www.recycledbride.com/

Bravo Bride - http://www.bravobride.com/

Bride to Bride Boutique - http://www.bridetobrideboutique.com/

Wedding Bee - Classifieds

Craigslist - http://craigslist.org

Spiced Hot Toddy

This is just another option for offering hot drink options to your guests (tray-pass them for something extra special)...

•1/2 gallon (8 cups) apple cider
•1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, plus 1 strip zest
•1/2 cup fresh orange juice, plus 1 strip zest
•3 cinnamon sticks
•4 whole cloves
•1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
•Bourbon, rye or whiskey (optional)
•Cinnamon candy sticks, for garnish (optional)

Combine the cider, citrus juices and zest, cinnamon sticks and cloves in a large pot. Simmer over medium heat, about 20 minutes; do not boil.

Ladle the cider into mugs, leaving the zest and spices in the pot, and add about 1/2 teaspoon butter to each mug. Spike the adults’ drinks with a shot of bourbon and garnish with cinnamon candy sticks, if desired.




Thank you to liquor.com for their recipe

Add a little flavor to the entertainment...

I have been fortunate enough to have many brides who have been very creative in demonstrating their culture during their wedding festivities. Live music and cultural rituals are a perfect way to draw attention to the bride and/or groom's cultural heritage or at least their "something special"...

Is your groom Scottish? Maybe have a bagpiper lead the bridal party down the aisle during the procession.


Are you Brazilian? Maybe have colorful Carnival masks (see photo) handed out to your guests to start the dancing hours.


Are you Indian? Have dancers come to perform a Baliwood number to give your guests a break from the dancefloor.


Are you Mexican? Have a mariachi band play at the cocktail hour.


Even hiring a solo guitarist to play some Bob Marley, Jack Johnson, and other mellow, surf music can really set the mood for a beach wedding.

Call or email me for suggested vendors in Santa Barbara!

Family Florals - To Pin or Not to Pin?

It is traditional wedding practice to have florals for honored guests who are not in your wedding party - typically close family. These guests include: fathers, mothers, grandparents, and anyone else who is walking down the aisle. If you're on a REALLY tight budget, family florals are not required. However, the cost to you tends to be nominal and the enjoyment that your granny gets from receiving a corsage is priceless. However, one thing that I have noticed is that women HATE pinning their blouse/dress/jacket and putting a hole in their clothing with the pin. An alternative is a wrist corsage. They do feel a little "sophomore year homecoming" but they are beautiful, practical, and easy to wear - all good things.

TIP: A side note about the GROOM'S boutonniere is that I ALWAYS suggest that the florist makes TWO for him. One for the aisle and one for half-way through the reception when all of the hugs have ruined the first one. And you can always have the second one in case the first one is broken during pinning - yes, that happened to a groom of mine (no, I wasn't pinning his bout).

Busy Couple + Good Vendors = Amazing Wedding

Jennifer Osborne and her now husband, Bill Haley chose the breath-taking Bacara Resort as the backdrop for their destination wedding. She was born and raised in Santa Barbara and is now a high-powered executive in Atlanta. They met and fell in love and wanted to seal the deal, officially. But a big, fluffy wedding was not their style and they both have great careers and families to focus on - not a bunch of fluff and frills. They relied upon the professionalism of their vendors for advice and guidance while they still stuck to what was important to them. Bacara Resort requires an event planner for all events and will allow a month-of planner in special cases - which is where I came in.

The Bacara provided just about everything that the couple needed to complete their rustic, beach-inspired wedding. Shannon of Effloresce created a stunning ceremony scape but brought the beach to the resort with enormous periwinkle blue hydrangeas and white porcelain seashells on the guest tables. Jon with JHS Productions provided all of the music for the day - a bagpiper for the ceremony (VERY cool), a guitarist for the cocktail hour (perfect!) and he spun the music for the rest of the evening himself bringing an amazing energy and freshness to the dance floor. Margie of Iced Tea Photography is a childhood friend of Jennifer's and one of the easiest photographers I've ever worked with! Thanks for the beautiful shots, Margie - see below.

Jennifer & Bill couldn't have chosen a more perfect group of vendors to work hard to make their day so amazing! I cannot wait to work with these vendors again. It was a blast! Thanks, Jennifer & Bill for letting me be a part of your special day - it will not soon forget how much fun it was for everyone!

Kasey & Skye Tie the Knot...

My dear friend's sister, Kasey Kearin, married the love of her life, Skye Sander, on June 18th, 2010. I had the pleasure of working primarily with Kasey's mom, Sharon, during the planning process. Sharon was very organized - leaving me to-do lists with each of the boxes of favors, menus, etc.

The ceremony was held at Montecito Covenant Church and the reception was at the ever-popular Cabrillo Arts Pavillion - overlooking the ocean! Santa Barbara BBQ put out some amazing food while Genevieve Ontiveros provided the florals - she's one of my all-time favorite florists to recommend to brides on a budget. Donna the Cake Lady (as I like to call her) provided the cake - another great budget-minded vendor and their DJ combined live music & singing with a very ROCKIN' dance party. Photographer Brian McGuckin and his second shooter captured the day beautifully - see photos below!

Sharon & Kasey managed to throw an amazing reception that was intimate - despite the 120+ guests - memorable, original, and romantic! An amazing evening... Congratulations you two love birds!

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

A smooth, well-thought-out timeline is crucial for any event to be successful. Without a great timeline, the event will be sloppy and the great details and creative pieces will be overshadowed by chaos and unpredictability. I used to think that all brides had been dreaming about their wedding day since they were 12. I have recently been proven quite wrong. When I started to discuss the teeny-tiny details of the day with two of my brides, I could almost see their eyes glazing over - on the phone!! We started talking about the importance of a solid, yet flexible timeline for the Big Day and I realized that they might need a little more guidance than most... so I sent them a template for a wedding day timeline which also included questions to help each of them determine the individual features of their day that they would have to include in the timeline. I thought that some of you might benefit from as well. Enjoy!

10:30am: Hair appointments for Bridal Party and Mother of the Bride

11:30am: Hair/Makeup for Bride & Bridal Party

2pm: Bride and Groom get ready in separate rooms
Flowers arrive
Photographer and Videographer arrive to start shooting

2:30pm DJ arrives to set up

3:30pm: Guests arrive at ceremony
DJ begins playing

4-4:30pm: Ceremony
Unity ceremony (wine pouring, planting seed, readings by family, pouring sand)

4:30-5:30pm: Cocktail Hour
4:30pm: Bridal Party photos
5:00pm Bridal Party joins cocktail hour

5:30pm: Guests enter into Reception

5:40pm: Grand Entrance:
Grandmothers are announced and wave from their seats.
Parents, Bridal Party, and Bride & Groom are announced and make entrance into ballroom and gather on dance floor

5:50pm Music continues and all guests are invited to Dance

6:15pm: Guests sit / Bride and Groom First Dance

6:20pm: All sit / Best Man Toast

6:25pm: Maid of Honor Toast

6:30pm: Father of Bride welcomes guests

6:35pm: Slideshow (while Dinner 1st course is being served)

6:35-7:35pm: Dinner

7:35pm: Bride & Groom thank guests

7:40pm: Father/Daughter dance

7:45pm: Mother/Son dance

7:50pm: All guests are invited to Dance

8:45pm: Cake cutting & service

8:55pm: Bride presents bouquet to her Grandma

10:30pm: Reception ends

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER FOR YOUR TIMELINE/PLANNING

GENERAL
• Which of your vendors will need payment on the night of the event?
• What, if any, special items (guest book, escort cards, etc.) need to get to the ceremony/reception site(s)?
• How will your special items get to the ceremony and/or reception site?

CEREMONY
• Will you have programs?
• If so, how will they be distributed to guests?
• Will you have a guest book (or something for your guests to sign)?
• Will you have a gift table at the ceremony site?
• Will you have a “unity display” during your ceremony (wine ceremony, candle lighting, sand ceremony, etc.)?
• Will you have special items at your ceremony (parasol umbrellas, fans, bubbles, etc.)?
• Who is breaking down the ceremony site?

RECEPTION
• Will you need escort cards (table assignments) at the reception site?
• If so, how will they be displayed to guests?
• Will you have a gift table at the reception site?
• Will you have other special features at your reception (a photo booth, a candy station, etc.)?
• Who will bring your gifts to you at the end of the night?
• Who will collect all of the special items (guest book, centerpieces, etc.) at the end of the night?
• How will the special items get to you at the end of the night?

Love Letters from your Guests...

The people who attend your wedding are not just ANYONE, right?! These are people who care for you, love you, support you, and are there for you on your best days and on your worst days. You want to hear from them, right? A wonderful way to extend your special day and to always get to enjoy the love from your guests that night is to have them write a love note to you and your loved one. Each guest (hopefully) will write down their peals of wisdom for love and marriage, well wishes for a beautiful life, or warnings about how to handle the curveballs that life throws at you. Then, they fold up the letter, and address the envelope with their name and the date that you should open it. Here are some of the dates that I read as I put them into the mailbox at the end of the night:

"On your first anniversary"

"When you first find out you're pregnant"

"During your first fight"

"On your 10th wedding anniversary"

"Ingredients":

An envelope (can be pre-printed)

A blank piece of paper

A pen

A mailbox

Mailbox options:

You can purchase an actual mailbox and decorate it and then use it at your new home together

You can purchase a cardboard mailbox online (see pics)

You can wrap a cardboard box, wrap it in pretty paper, and cut a slit in the top

Options for display:

You can put the "packet" (envelope, paper, pen) at each one of the guests' seat (tucking it into the pocket-fold napkin, like my bride did)

You can put them out at a special table so it is an "activity" that is away from the food

TIP: Preprint the envelopes - this will avoid the problem of mislabeling, ambiguity, and any other surprises!

Enjoy the view...

Many of you will plan your wedding ceremony at a venue that has a beautiful view - the beach, a mountain top, a river bank, etc. A very traditional wedding feature is an arch - rustic or classic, bursting with flowers or draped with billowing fabrics. This can be lovely and beautiful but can also compete with the natural beauty of the location.

Tip: If you do decide to go with an arch, choose something that is simple & compliments the location - bamboo for somewhere tropical/beachy, rustic & natural for somewhere in the countryside, etc.

Some considerations if you want to go with the arch:

Will there be a lot of wind at the location?

This can lead to a safety hazard for the arch...

Do you want to keep the arch for your home?

If so, this is a good investment.

You can rent the arch - is it worth the $75-$250?

Could this money be spend somewhere else?

What materials would you make it from? Wood? Bamboo? Purchase it pre-constructed?

How will you transport it to and from the ceremony location?

If you choose to go with an arch - here are some beautiful suggestions...





NOTE: NO, NO, NO, NO balloons - No Balloon Arch!! If you plan on having a trailer park wedding or a quineanera, balloons will work. Otherwise, they'll look incredibly childish and cheap - in my humble opinion.

The Smile Booth - Fun pics + small price tag

We've all seen photo booths at carnivals, the mall, or even at the movie theatre but they're now becoming a popular activity at weddings and bigger events. You can capture all of those candid photos when people get to goof off! It makes for some of the most memorable photos of the event.

If you cannot afford the $1000+ price tag, here's a wonderful alternative: A Smile Booth!

All you will need is a 6' x 6' piece of wall at your reception or cocktail party, a piece of colorful fabric or other background and props are optional. You can just hang the backdrop with some push pins (depending on the weight), set out a small table with a few disposable cameras with a sign that says something like "Use yours or use ours but please have some fun!!"

The backdrop can be as simple as a curtain or as elaborate as ribbons & balloons with sparkles and streamers. Make it yours!

The props can range from silly wigs & sunglasses to leis, sombreros & feather boas. Another lovely idea is empty frames for people to use to make their face the piece of art.

The only cost to you is the backdrop, any props & the disposable cameras*.

* NOTE - this is my humble opinion - take it for what it's worth: The disposable cameras on tables at an event almost always end up a waste of money with pictures of people in the bathroom, someone taking a bite of food, etc. Give the cameras a purpose or you will end up with a lot of worthless photos.

Luncheon Wedding... Clever, memorable & frugal

I was just contacted by a bride who has chosen a beautiful, top-notch Santa Barbara venue, the (Fess Parker Double Tree) and has planned her ceremony for 11am - reception to follow.

This is such a wonderful way to have the venue of your dreams without breaking your budget. If you're planning to have a mellow, casual, intimate wedding day, a luncheon wedding is a great way to have all of those things without the huge bar tab, more expensive menu options, and the requisite 2-3-4 hours of nighttime dancing and partying.

You can get very creative with menu choices as well:

Comfort food menu: Sliders with french fries, mac n' cheese, corn dogs, mini sandwiches, for example.



Picnic foods: Croissant sandwiches with gourmet potato chips in cute paper holders, for example.


Playful desserts: lemon bars, an ice cream sundae bar, for example.


If alcohol is a must: you can get away with serving only one signature drink since it's the middle of the day and people won't need/want to have more than one or two drinks. These can be bright & cheerful.


Lovely, light drinks: lemonade, cucumber water, raspberry water... basically, you can float just about any fruit in water and it can seem very fancy without a lot of effort.




TIP: A BIG something to consider if planning a morning/afternoon event is timing for prep. You only have a certain number of "reasonable" hours to get your hair & makeup done, any pre-event photos, setting up the venue/ceremony site, etc. For example: if your ceremony is at 11am, you will probably have to be up at 5 or 6am for a 7am hair appointment... how many hair salons are open at 7am?! Uhm, none! This may lead to you working with a stylist who works out of his/her home or with someone who will come to your hotel room or home... all logistics to figure out ahead of time. It will all work out, but always keep this smaller window of "productive time" in mind when planning.

Some great ideas for activities - since rockin' out to "I like Big Butts" probably isn't gonna happen - for an afternoon wedding are croquet, bocce ball, or you could even go as casual as frisbee or ping pong. You would be surprised at how much fun people have just playing backyard games at a wedding. Plus, the photo ops of Grandma playing bocce ball are priceless.

Pictures worth a thousand words... or $1.50+

Framed photos aren't the first thing that you might think of when imagining your perfect table setting for your event... however, flowers can be expensive and live fish went out of style in 1995. Framed photos are charming, personalized, and can be as elegant or playful as you want.

I recently caught a deal at Target for 8 4x6" frames for $7.00 which is less than a $1.00 per frame. They're simple and black and could be paired with some silver or black candlesticks (for height) or could be painted pink for a baby shower or bachelorette party.

A friend of mine had assigned seating at her wedding and she put a picture of each of the people at the table with her or with her groom. She then gave them away as their party favor. What an intimate way to bring her guests together - to share about where/when the photo was taken, how they met the bride/groom, etc.

As you plan for your event, you can visit thrift stores, garage sales, and craft store blow-outs and start collecting frames at rock-bottom prices. If you're concerned about uniformity, you can always buy a can of four-dollar spray paint in the color of your choice and make them all the same color BUT with different textures, patterns & sizes.

Booze: The best bang for your buck

Planning a party where you are going to serve alcohol? Budget-wise, your best bet is to serve beer & wine only. Hard alcohol is expensive - ranging from $1-5 per drink or more at a restaurant venue - and can lead to embarassing "lamp shade" incidents.

After doing much shopping in town for vino, the best bang for your buck is Trader Joe's (but stay away from 2-buck Chuck, it tastes like cheap wine)... Their wines start at $3/bottle and goes up from there. TJ's has a great selection of wines from around the globe and changes up its selection regularly so it's always new to your pallate (and to your guests). It's also your best choice for budget-priced sparkling white wine (aka champagne).

More soon on glassware and the dangers of plastic - taste-wise, not health-wise. Stay tuned...

Another option is to contact any friends who you might have in the wine/alcohol industry to see if they can "hook you up" with an even better deal.

Beer: A keg is much easier on your wallet (and the environment) than bottled beer. You can put a black table cloth around the keg and have a staff person stand at the keg serving guests wine & beer - it takes some of the "Frat Kegger in IV" feeling out of it. Santa Barbara Ice Company is one of the best deals in town and carries a wide variety of inventory. They can also deliver and provide dispensers and ice for a nominal delivery fee. If you want to do bottled beer, keep an eye on your local grocery store as they often have prices per beer that beat Costco.