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Posted on Thursday, March 01, 2012 9:31 PM
I get a lot of questions about planning the rehearsal dinner. Here is a basic rundown. Rehearsal dinners typically take place after the wedding rehearsal, the day prior to the wedding. The night should be fun and relaxed.
It is traditionally paid for and planned by the grooms family and planned by the mother of the groom, but with the rehearsal dinner nothing is set in stone. If for some reason the grooms family can't do the dinner can be hosted by both sets of parents together, the brides parents or the bride and groom if they like.
The dinner can be a formal dinner at a restaurant or a casual back yard bbq but should never be more formal than the wedding itself. No matter the style of the dinner you should always send invitations to your guests. These are typically sent after you receive your RSVP's. There is no set rule for who is invited to the rehearsal and you can make it as intimate or lavish as you see fit. Your guest list however does have to include all members of the wedding party and their spouses (or dates), parents of the flower girl and ring bearer if you are inviting the little ones (but if they are very little it is acceptable not to invite), parents, step parents and siblings of the bride and groom. Often times the officiant is invited but again that is completely up to the bride and groom.
This is also the perfect time to allow anyone who wishes to make a toast and to thank your family and wedding party. Typically the father of the groom and the best man give a toast, If you are giving them gifts the rehearsal dinner is the appropriate time. You don't want to have to worry about bringing them with you on your wedding morning and honestly there really won't be time for you to sit and watch everyone open them on the wedding day.
The most important thing to remember about the rehearsal is that it is a great time for both families to come together. For the bride and groom to spend time with their families and their wedding party since the wedding day will be spent mingling with many guests.
If this all seems a little overwhelming and you would like help planning your rehearsal dinner send me an email, I would be more than happy to help
Love and Happiness, Morgan morgan@atime4memories.com |
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Posted on Wednesday, December 07, 2011 12:23 PM
Lots of venues offer an on-site coordinator. I have had a lot of brides ask me how that differs from an independent wedding coordinator and if you need to hire a coordinator if your venue offers an on-site coordinator.  An on-site coordinator is employed by the venue. Their first responsibility is to the venue and to make sure nothing goes wrong with the venue or venue staff. Sometimes when you are touring venues it is the on-site coordinator who will show you around and tell you about what is offered. If you have questions about the venue after you have booked this is generally the person you will talk to and you may meet with them one or two times before your wedding. On your wedding day they will be there to open the venue, make sure it is set up properly, and to direct the venue staff. You will not generally see them to much during the wedding day as they are making sure the venue staff is doing what they are supposed to and set up is complete. The on-site coordinator will work with you to set up a time line for the wedding day in regards to the venues roles and responsibilities. They can also be a great resource for vendor referrals as they see first hand how vendors perform during a wedding.  An independent wedding coordinator (or wedding planner) is not employed by a venue, we are employed by the bride and groom. We work closely with the bride and groom during your engagement to make sure all details are taken care of. Like an on-site coordinator a wedding coordinator is a great resource for vendor referrals as we also see how vendors perform during a wedding. A wedding coordinator works with the bride and groom on all aspects of the wedding, not just the location aspect. We will work with the bride and groom to set a time line for all the days events and coordinate this with all your vendors, including the on-site coordinator. We know what time you are having hair and make up done, when your photographer needs to arrive, and what time your cake and flowers are being delivered. A wedding coordinator knows the big picture and all the small details. We know how many tables are supposed to be set up and what the centerpieces look like. We will make sure you look perfect in your dress before you walk down the aisle. We know what your first dance song is, what family members are supposed to be in pictures and who is going to take the gifts home at the end of the evening. Often with out a coordinator as the point of contact all your vendors have separate time lines that may not match up; your DJ has his, your on site coordinator has one, the photographer has their own, the cake baker doesn’t know when to set up, the florist doesn’t know what time to deliver the flowers, etc. With a wedding coordinator involved all vendors go by the same time line that includes all details they need. The making of this time line can be somewhat of collaboration of all your vendors and usually the wedding coordinator will ask for the vendors input ahead of time to make sure they’re successful with the time line provided. If the wedding gets behind, which can happen, the coordinator makes changes and updates all you vendors to make sure we are all successful in our roles. I love working at venues that have an on-site coordinator. They have detailed knowledge of the grounds and facility. They have seen hundreds of weddings done in hundreds of different ways and can offer advise on what works best in the space. Yes there is some overlap as to what an on-site coordinator and wedding coordinator do but as you can see the roles are completely different. An on-site coordinator will help you with on-site catering and venue logistics and a wedding coordinator will help you with your every aspect of your wedding. They can compliment each other nicely and work together to make your wedding day perfect, but one can not and should not replace the other. Love and Happiness, Morgan |
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Posted on Wednesday, August 10, 2011 8:33 PM
I know when I was engaged I wanted to take full advantage of going to every bridal show that was happening. Being in the industry I knew the sites to look at to find out what was going on in this area but still spent hours looking. I am going to start a bi-monthly event list so you will be in the know (and not have to spend days looking) about wedding related events in the Salem/Portland area. The list will also be updated often as new events are added. Multiple venue locations. Shuttle leaves from Newberg 11am-4pm Tickets are $25, purchase 2 or more and get 20% off. 25th- Very Engaging Bridal Event 11am-4pm @ Bridgeport Village. Admission is free, VIP tickets are $20 October Events: 10am-5pm Tickets are $7 Oregon State Fairgrounds Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 11am-4:30pm Tickets $7, at the door they are $9 Left Bank Annex 5pm-8pm Tickets $12, they are $15 at the door Lane Events Center Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 11am-4:30pm Tickets $7, at the door they are $9 The Gardens at Holstein House 10am-6pm Tickets $7 Linn County Fairgrounds 11am-4pm $5 donation for admission or free if you like their facebook page The Benson Hotel 10am-4pm |
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Posted on Wednesday, April 13, 2011 10:29 AM
- Problem: Your venue won't allow candles.
Solution: Battery operated LED candles. They make great ones now that look real so you can still have that romantic feeling of candle light. They make the candles in tea lights, pillars, even taper candles. I can't tell you how many time I have seen table cloths ruined by candle wax!  - Problem: You are using glass vases and your water looks dirty.
Solution: Add a few drops of bleach to clear it up. Be careful not to add to much, a tablespoon for a large vase and only a few drops for a small/medium vase any more and you will harm the flowers. - Problem: Oil stain on your wedding dress.
Solution: Baby powder. Cover the stained area with a generous amount of baby powder, allow the powder to soak up the oil. DO NOT RUB the powder. Once it has had time to soak in carefully shake off excess. - Problem: Sweating or as we will call it glowing :)
 Solution: Toilet seat covers. This may sound a little funny but they work wonderfully as blotters. They are even sold in handy little travel packs now so you can pop it in your purse and take them with you. - Problem: Your veil gets ripped
Solution: Dress tape. Take the veil off, lay it flat and literally tape the ripped area together. Dress tape is clear and will hardly show. The lesson to learn from this blog is to be ready for anything. Pack an emergency kit with the above items or better yet hire a wedding planner who will bring a well stocked emergency kit. My kit grows every time I do a wedding and has hundred of items in it. Its amazing some of the things I have had to use in emergency situations! Better to be prepared than be left wishing you had something to fix that lipstick stain :) Love and Happiness, Morgan |
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Valerie Gill: Posted on Thursday, September 02, 2010 7:18 PM
I always bring an emergency kit to every wedding I am working on. You never know what is going to happen and its best to be prepared for anything! Here is a blog written by my friend Valerie Gill of Happy Tears Weddings.
Emergency kits are those kits that are put together for the bride and groom, and sometimes the bridal party, that contain items that you may need on the day of your wedding. There are many lists out there that give you a break down of the things you will need to put in your emergency kits. Super glue, a sewing kit, baby wipes, and tissue are just a few things that all brides should never be without. Wedding Planners also have kits that they use to help put together your wedding. Although, most planners keep the contents of their kits secret (trade secrets and all). Bridal emergency kits are very important, however, and are not a big secret. You never know when you will lose a button or beading off your dress and need that needle and thread to make a quick fix. How about that one item that you forgot to pack in your overnight bag? If you have your emergency kit carefully constructed and put together before hand, you will be fine. Now days it is quite simple to put together an emergency kit, some companies sell them already together as well. They include things like deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, sewing kits, hand sanitizer, baby wipes (or any type of wet cleaning wipes that are safe for skin), lotion, clear nail polish, etc. You can purchase them online through Amazon.com for around $50 give or take. I always suggest adding a bottle of water and a snack of some sort as well. Most brides are so nervous or excited the morning of, not to mention busy, that they forget to eat. Some kind of food is important to give you a good energy boost to make it through the day, especially if you are having an evening wedding with a dinner reception. Protein bars are a really good snack to have, they are healthy and can give that extra boost when needed. You should also have some aspirin or Tylenol with you. Getting your hair done, especially and updo, can be painful. Band aids for that slip and fall or to cover that blister from the new shoes can also save a bride's day. You never know when one of your bridesmaids will forget something or get a run in her panty hose, that where the clear nail polish comes in. Also, nail polish remover, with acetone, can remove super glue, if someone accidentally glues their fingers together. Needless to say, emergency kits are a must have on your wedding day. Don't be caught without them on your wedding day. Murphy's Law is always in effect, and more than likely, if you have it, you will not need it, but the moment you are not prepared is when you will regret it. It is better to be safe than sorry. Valerie Gill Happy Tear Tears Weddings
www.Happytearsweddings.com Valerie@happytearsweddings.com 850-249-694
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