Umbrella Your Day

Living in Seattle, there is always a chance of rain on your big day. Lately I have seen a lot of pictures with umbrellas and I have to say I am a fan! They add an element and color to pictures, as well as being practical with sudden weather changes.

Bella Umbrella has many kinds you can rent for your wedding.
Styles include Pagoda, Bridal Parasols, Ruffled, Double layered, Classic Prints, Classic Solids, and Jeweled Handled. They cost about $20 a piece to rent and are absolutely adorable!

You can even use them as part of your decor. They are great for hanging from the ceiling or as a tall centerpiece. They are fun and functional!

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Good Buy: The Best Wedding Reception Ever

So I don't normally promote books about planning weddings or receptions since that I what I do! But, I saw this book and I know there are people out there who need some help and can't afford for a consultant or planner.

For those of you who want to plan from books, I found one that I really like! It's called The Best Wedding Reception...Ever! by Peter Merry
Here are some interesting stats about the book:
26 Chapters 208 Pages Over 75,000 Words 104 Photos9 Couple Profile pages featuring real couples and their unique agendas. 3.5 page Bibliography listing all sources for stats, quotes, and creative ideas. In Part III: "Adding Your Personal Style"You wil find 141 Creative ideas for personalizing your Reception and Ceremony.

You can purchase the book at www.thebestweddingreceptionever.com for $24.95

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Know how to Negotiate with your Vendors?

Even if you're working with the hottest vendor in town, there's always room to negotiate, especially if there's a good reason to reduce costs -- like having the wedding on a less-popular Friday night. Here are some more crucial pointers.

Know the market
Find out what other vendors offer for the same price point, and use this as leverage. Ask about every single thing that's included in your package. Then find out in advance what extras are going to cost -- and whether those costs can be waived.

Stick to your limit
A vendor may be willing to cut you a deal as long as you agree to something additional -- for example, he might consent to give you an extra hour of shooting, but only if you have him take your engagement photos. What you need to ask yourself is whether this will actually cost you more in the end.

Adopt a friendly but firm demeanor
There's no harm in politely asking for a deal. If vendors are excited to work with you, they may be more willing to come up with creative solutions.

Be indifferent
You need the vendor to believe that if he or she won't meet your offer you will walk away. Consider collaborating with your fiance to employ the old good-cop-bad-cop routine.

Practice makes perfect
Try your hand negotiating at a flea market to see what talking style works for you.

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~ Wedding Planning Tips ~

Planning a wedding takes time and creativity. Most brides have an idea of what they want but need some tips in order to pull it all together and understand the scope of what is needed.

When planning take into consideration the formality of the day and making it all run smoothly. A wedding coordinator is great for helping you smooth out your plans, finding vendors , and helping you the day of the wedding.

Here are just a few things to keep in mind...

Create a “day of schedule”
These are a great tool to make sure all involved in your big day know when to be where and lets your planner know what the day looks like as well. Be sure to include what vendors are coming and when with contact information for your planner.

Too many colors…too busy for the eye
Try to keep it to 2 or 3 main colors for your wedding. When you get more than that it can be too visually distracting for guests.

Outdoor weddings
If you are planning an outdoor wedding be sure to take into account all possible weather conditions when planning your centerpieces and decorations.

Saving money on decorations
If you don’t have a huge budget for your wedding, you can cut costs by cutting the amount of flowers you use. There are so many options for centerpieces you just have to be creative!

Select flowers that are in season and locally available.
If you do, you’ll probably find you can save considerably on cost -- especially if you make it clear with your florist that cutting cost is a high priority.

Schedule your wedding “off-season.”
Nearly 70% of all weddings take place May through October of each year.

Save the Date Etiquette
As the world becomes a busier place, more and more couples are helping their friends and family reserve their wedding date with Save-the-Date announcements.

Wedding Party
Decide ahead of time the order in which the wedding party will proceed down the aisle, as well as who will be escorted, and by whom. You don't want your parents to be lost in the shuffle and seated with regular guests, not given front row seats, or left to find their seats on their own.

Payments
Put your payments for the event, and any other payments for that day, in envelopes and we will give them out that day.

For more ideas... CLICK HERE!!

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