Monday, January 12, 2009
Monday, January 12, 2009 At Thursday's Enchanted Brides bridal show, I ran into Kristin, a Nashville bride-to-be and owner of Simply Stunning Events. While we email often, it's always great to see a person in person. Of course when she tapped me on my shoulder, I was running my mouth with Amy of Photo Booth Nashville. That's a funny story that I will share in a few weeks. But anyway, it gave me time to catch up with Amy and Kristin. Last month, Kristin shared the first step in wedding planning - selecting a wedding date. If you are newly engaged and haven't selected a date, be sure to read that article first. Now, Kristin has chosen a wedding coordinator to help with her wedding day (exciting!) and is back to share her experience and process in hiring a coordinator for her big day with us. Why does she need a planner when she's a planner? Because Kristin understands what I try to stress to brides - everyone needs a planner. In fact, every bride tells me (after her wedding) that she really wishes that she'd hired a planner vs trying to do everything on her own.
Guest Post: Kristin of Simply Stunning Events is a Nashville, TN-based wedding and event planner who is currently engaged to Brian Kaplan, a Nashville wedding photographer. Once you've picked the date, it's time to get organized! The first vendor you should book is of course your wedding coordinator since she or he can assist you in finding venues, choosing vendors, creating a budget, and much more. Start by checking local wedding websites such as AshleysBrideGuide.com and pick 2-3 coordinators in your budget to sit down with. I highly recommend meeting a planner before you book her/him since you will be working with this person closely for the next year or more and you want to be sure she or he has a great personality and will be a good fit. To help, here is a list of questions you should ask before hiring a wedding coordinator!
1) How long have you been a wedding coordinator?
2) Is this your full-time job or part-time job?
3) What type of formal training have you had?
4) Are you a member of any major bridal or wedding/special event trade associations (ABC, ACPWC, June Wedding, Inc, ISES)?
5) What if you become ill or cannot come to the wedding? Who will stand in for you?
6) Do you accept commissions, kickbacks or professional discounts from any vendors you refer?
7) What is your coordination fee?
8) Will you help design the overall theme, decor and flow of the wedding ceremony & reception?
9) Will you provide me with a detailed budget outline?
10) Are you familiar with the best florists, photographers, caterers, bands, and DJs in my price range?
11) Will you read over the vendor contracts? What are some common traps to look out for?
12) Can you counsel me on etiquette matters and alert me to hot trends on the wedding horizon?
13) Will you create a timeline that tells everyone involved in the planning process what to do and when to do it?
14) For the day of the wedding, will you be willing to oversee the entire event by supervising vendors, troubleshooting emergencies, and soothing nerves? Can you share any anecdotes that required performing above and beyond the call of duty?
Lastly, ask for references, both past clients and other vendors. You want to be sure this isn't someone who decided last week she'd like to try planning weddings since she just planned her own and it was so much fun! (Trust me, planning one's own wedding is very different than running a successful event business).
So are you wondering now whether I hired a coordinator for my own wedding? You bet! Even though I am doing all the planning myself, when it comes to my wedding day I do not want to be worrying whether everything was set up properly, or if the vendors are on time. And it might be tough to cue the processional from the back of the line as the bride. So I hired the wonderful Corinne of Weddings with Reese. I definitely needed someone I could trust to execute my vision, handle any emergencies, keep my-type-A-self from obsessing over all the details. See, even wedding coordinators hire wedding coordinators since we know how valuable they are!
Visit Kristin at Simply Stunning Events Visit Corrine at Weddings with Reese
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Posted by Ashley |
Filed under: Advice & Planning, Real Nashville Brides, Wedding Planners & Coordinators
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Wednesday, December 31, 2008
A special thanks to Kemekia, Tavar for sharing their special day with thousands of Nashville brides! You look so happy and I totally want to eat your cake!
Kemekia and I have shared many of the same wedding vendors so reading about her day reminded me of my own.
We both hired The Bake Shoppe for our cake and got married at Christ Church and The Embassy Suites in Franklin.
Also - thanks to Toni of Celebrations by Design for her assistance in the retelling of their story.
About us:
Bride - Kemekia B., John Overton High School Hometown: Nashville, TN
Groom - Tavar B., Franklin High School Hometown: Franklin, TN
Our wedding details:
Ceremony location Christ Church Old Hickory Blvd, Nashville, TN
Reception location Embassy Suites Hotel - Franklin, TN
Guests 200+
Wedding Style: My wedding style My wedding style was elegant and classic with a modern twist. My colors and why I choose them Chocolate and Ice Blue. Blue is the grooms favorite color and my favorite color is chocolate. The deep chocolate and Ice Blue were a hit. Guest thought the colors complimented each other well. My theme I really did not have a theme for the wedding. Wedding wow factor The guests loved several things: (1) our entrance to the reception (2) the attire especially the brides dress (3) the groom singing as I walked down the aisle (4) the flowers (5) vocalists (6) decor Favors Wedding CDs with our favorite songs and small organza bags with Hershey Nuggets with our pics on them. Personal touches Our wedding monogram was used throughout the day from the aisle runner to the lights on the dance floor. Gift for bridesmaids & groomsmen Jewelry and photo frames for our pictures from the wedding to be displayed in. Maid and Matron received special frame that could house our special day in each other's weddings. Groomsmen received a money clip that also hold photos. Most special moment for me When my parents walked me down the aisle and my future husband got choked up as I walked through the doors. He was singing Wedding Vows by Jamie Foxx. The song's lyrics really symbolized our journey as a couple. The first line was - Well it's been 5 years- can't hold back my tears- I'm just so happy- I'm marrying an angel today.
My Wedding Vendors: - Wedding Planner - Toni Smith, Celebrations by Design she was a gift to me from my cousin and she was the best gift I could have ever received! She was on point with everything! She did my aisle runner as well as my flowers and decorations. She did a fabulous job! - Cake - The Bake Shoppe. Our wedding cakes were beautiful. My cake was inspired by a picture that I had found on the internet. It was a 5 tier square cake with each tier containing strawberry and sour cream almond cake. The cake had white fondant with chocolate and ice blue ribbons alternating on the cake. The center tier also displayed our new last name. - Photography - Roland’s Photography - Roland was great. He is very personable and creative with his photography. From the engagement photos to the finished products, he had been very professional about everything. Great photographer. - Dresses were ordered from The Bridal Shoppe in Murfreesboro, TN. Ms. Judy was wonderful and always made us feel welcome. She also was very patient and helpful with all the questions. - Wedding Rings were purchased from Kay's. The bride's engagement ring features an antique diamond that belonged to her grandmother. The both wedding bands feature a string of princess cut diamonds. - Wedding DJ - Dante Atkinson with Atkinson Entertainment and Events was wonderful. He played a mixture of 90s music as well as the current hits. The floor was packed the entire night. - Custom monogrammed confetti - Designs in Paper
How I found my vendors? Bridal shows, wedding planning guides or websites, my planner, friends/family. I found my vendors a little bit of everywhere. My photographer was used in several of my friends weddings, so I knew who I was going to use before I got engaged. My wedding planner was a gift from one of my cousins. The rest were found at bridal shows or in magazines. My Favorite Vendor Toni, my wedding planner - she was the best gift I could have ever received.her creativity and professionalism were above and beyond.
My Wedding Rewind: What I would do differently if planning again? Nothing! My day was absolutely wonderful! I enjoyed myself and everything worked out the way I wanted it to. The wedding was absolutely beautiful and I received so many compliments as to how everything came together. Best value for the service/product Wedding Planner. She was just too creative and was able to help me add the little touches that made my wedding unique and fabulous! Advice for other Nashville brides? Have your own vision. Its about what you and your husband to be want to be done on your day. I did the things that I wanted to do because there was a style and a particular look that I wanted. I was a thrifty bride, but I also wanted to keep the bargains away from looking cheap. I wanted everything to be elegant and we achieved that. I wanted elegance and class with a modern touch. I incorporated the modern touch with the squares that I used for our champagne flutes, wedding cake, brides jewelry and the grooms cuff links. Most importantly..HAVE FUN!!! Make the day your own. Its your day so live it up like you want. As far as vendors go, make sure you keep everything and never forget that you are paying them, so they need to fulfill your requests. Make sure that you stand your ground, and don't allow others to bully you into doing something that you really do not want.
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Posted by Ashley |
Filed under: Real Nashville Brides, Real Nashville Weddings, Wedding Planners & Coordinators
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Wednesday, December 17, 2008
I am pleased to welcome Weddings By Helen to the ABG family! Weddings by Helen is a full-service wedding planning, coordination, and design company.
As one of Tennessee's premier wedding planners, Helen is dedicated to providing the highest level of personal service, innovative creativity, and sophistication. If you are looking for a seasoned wedding pro to handle your big day, contact Helen!
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Posted by Ashley |
Filed under: Wedding Planners & Coordinators
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Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
As you've noticed, I am trying to catered to grooms to be too. I never want to appear biased.
Last month, Nycole discussed proposal planning...today, Sarah of Music City Events has agreed to help grooms get involved in the bridal festivities.
See - we're groom friendly:).
Guest Post: Sarah of Music City Events, a full service event planning and design firm in Nashville, Tennessee.
Wedding planning and men...doesn't sound quite right, does it? While it doesn't seem to mix well, men are becoming more involved in the wedding process than ever. Many are no longer content to stand aside and just show up on the wedding day and kudos to them! It's every bit their big day as it is a bride's. Let's take a look at how we can help the guys out there who are dying to be involved and maybe pull a few skeptics in along the way! (Cake topper: www.mcphee.com)
Modern parties tend to include the groom and have central themes. It lets your groom in on the festivities, allowing you to celebrate your upcoming nuptials together. Great couple options are cookouts, scavenger hunts, or my personal favorite: Stock the Bar parties (register for bar items and host fabulous cocktail parties after you're married!). This is a wonderful opportunity to gather with all your friends and celebrate. Be sure to clearly specify the theme when creating your invitations to these showers. (Invitation: www.partyinvitations.com)
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Posted by Ashley |
Filed under: Grooms, Wedding Planners & Coordinators
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Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Today, I am excited to introduce a new feature called "When the Planner Plans", by Kristin Carolan of Simply Stunning Events. Kristin got engaged a few months ago and I was so excited to hear all about her wedding plans. So, I was honored when Kristin offered to write a monthly article about her wedding plans - from start to finish. I always wondered if wedding planners practiced what they preached. Would they follow these stupid etiquette rules when they planned? Who would they hire? What neat aspects would they incorporate into their wedding day? Now, we'll find out:). Over the next few month, she will give us the inside scoop on her wedding plans, her planning process, etc.
Congrats on your engagement Kristin and Brian! Thanks for sharing your journey with us.
Guest Post: Kristin of Simply Stunning Events is a Nashville, TN-based wedding and event planner who is currently engaged to Brian Kaplan, a Nashville wedding photographer.
Choosing a Date
When I got the ring on my finger, I was just like any other bride, I was excited...first things first - I needed to choose a date. I had been dreaming of an October wedding and figured with five Saturdays in October 2009, one had to work! Unfortunately, the 31st was out since the children at my wedding would feel gypped out of trick-or-treating. The 10th and 24th were out due to venue availability and I was already attending a wedding out-of-town on the 17th. The 3rd it is!! Yay! On a whim I decided to call my friend Adam at the Hilton downtown to make sure I could block off plenty of rooms. Turns out, the International Bluegrass Music Association (the what?) was holding their annual convention and nothing was available. So much for my October wedding (sigh). I was bummed for a few days then realized that there was nothing wrong with September and in the end it didn't really matter.
As a "bride planner" to fellow Nashville brides to be, remember to cover all your bases and always be flexible! Here are my recommended steps for choosing your date?
1) Consider a season or month you prefer. Spring and fall weddings are obviously the most popular but there are perks to winter or summer weddings as well. For one, you can often get deals from vendors during the off-season (November - March) and summer weddings can be very convenient if you have many children or college age folks invited since they won't be in school.
Inspiration by Season
Winter Inspiration Board from Wedding Bee
Fall Images from Nashville's own, Kate Crafton
Spring/Summer Inspiration Board by Snippet & Ink
2) Check with venues. If you have a preferred venue already, check the availability since the decision could be made for you if they only have one day open.
3) Check with key family and friends. Be sure to run your possible wedding date by those who will be in the wedding as well as immediately family members as to avoid any conflicts. It's always possible that an important person in your wedding party may have a vacation planned or be attending another wedding.
3) Check with hotels. Before you shout your wedding date from the rooftops, double-check the hotels in the area! This is often not thought of until much later in the planning process, but you could be in a lot of trouble if you book everything for your wedding only to find out your guests will have no where to sleep because a large convention has taken up all the hotel space in Nashville.
Yes, it could happen, trust me!
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Posted by Ashley |
Filed under: Inspiration & Trends, Real Nashville Brides, Wedding Planners & Coordinators
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