Congratulations on your engagement!  Being married is an amazing feeling!  My hubby, Jovan, and I will be celebrating our two year anniversary in a few weeks – January 17th to be exact!  This has been the BEST two years of my life!

 

Records show that most guys pop the question between Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day.  This means that we have almost 6 weeks left in engagement season.  If you’re one of the lucky gals who recently said “YES!”, here are a few things that you should be working on:

 

 

 Photo Courtesy of Pinterest

 

1.  CELEBRATE:

You’re preparing to celebrate one of the most important days of your life!  Enjoy your engagement!  Share the news with all of your friends and family.  Gaze at your beautiful ring.  Throw an engagement party!  You’re about to be a MRS!!

 

2.  Hire a planner and set a budget.

I’m not just throwing this one in because I’m a wedding planner.  It’s definitely important to start your planning on the right track.  You don’t want to over spend if you don’t have to.  You want someone dedicated in your corner, cheering you on, and leading you in the right direction.

 

3.  Select a few ideal dates.

Have a discussion with your honey and figure out a time frame of when you’d like to make it official.  Keep in mind that you need to be a little flexible, especially if you have an ideal venue and vendors.  Everyone’s schedule needs to correlate.

 

4.  Start making your guest list.

This can be one of the toughest aspects of planning.  Creating a guest list will help you set your budget and focus on a location.  (Keep in mind that you probably won’t be able to accommodate 300+ people in a trendy, boutique hotel.)

 

5.  What’s your inspiration?

This is YOUR wedding.  What do you want it to look like?  What type of ambiance would you like to create?  Are you modern or vintage?  Classic or trendy?  (The Every Last Detail Wedding Guide  will help you determine the difference between each style.)  You want your wedding to be a reflection of your love and your style!

 

I hope this helps you put the early stages of planning your wedding into perspective!

 

Have a great weekend!  Call me if you get stuck after the first 5 tips!

 

XOXO,

 

Ebony

 

 

If you’ve already checked off that last box on your wedding planning to-do list that you printed off The Knot, kudos to you!!  I’m sure you’re anticipating the arrival of your BIG day!

You ask, “Why should I hire a wedding coordinator now?”  You’ve spent the last year planning all the details for one of the most important days of your life.  Why not hire someone to review all of those contracts and orchestrate the final product?

 

Clipart Courtesy of Google

 

Many wedding planners, including me, offer “Month-Of” coordination.  Each company has its own special name for this package and will begin working with you 4-6 weeks prior to your wedding date.  This package usually  consists of, but not limited to, the following:

PreWedding Day  -

* Initial walk-through of selected ceremony and reception site

* Vendor referrals for those not yet secured

* Review of vendor contracts

* Detailed itinerary for vendors, service providers, and wedding party

* Rehearsal direction and instruction

Actual Wedding Day -

* Receiving deliveries and greeting vendors

* Lining up and cuing wedding party for processional

* Making sure the marriage license is signed by you and the officiant

* Coordinating with music entertainment for grand entrance, cake cutting, etc

* Coordinating with photographer to make sure specific pics are taking

* Assuring that gifts, cake toppers, and personal items are taken to designated location

* And the list goes on…

Lea & Brian

 

Photo Courtesy of Tim Howley

Your wedding day should be a time for you, your family, and friends to enjoy this memorious occasion.  Your mom, sister, and bridesmaids should be there to assist and support you  - not decorate, run around, and sweat!  I’d hate to hear that your mom missed you putting on your gorgeous gown because she was setting up centerpieces or talking to the caterer.

I’m not saying this just because I’m a wedding planner, but I definitely believe that you should have a coordinator there to assist you in the final stages prior to your wedding day.  I’m sure many other brides would agree!  Regardless of what company you choose, it’ll definitely be worth the investment – or budget adjustment, if necessary!

Did you hire a wedding planner?  Would you recommend that other brides hire a planner?  I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Planning!!

Ebony

 

I am still celebrating the launch of my new website.  I feel that it’s important for a website to embody the true personality behind the company brand.  Prior to launching, I needed to get some photos for my new website.  My vision was to bring the elegance of an indoor ballroom to the natural beauty of an outdoor setting.  I contacted a few of my Dallas friends to collaborate for the shoot.  This group of talented event professionals helped me bring my vision to life.  We setup at Davis Park in Highland Park, Texas.  Together, we created an elegant outdoor table setting in addition to a yummy dessert display!

Catie Ronquillo was the photographer for the Outdoor Elegance photo shoot.

 

Kristen Wolchik of Haute Floral created our floral display and added some personal touches to the table setting.

Vanessa Colon of Deceitfully Sweet designed our yummy dessert display.  The cake balls are to die for!

Nikki Morrison Nuckols of Doodle Dog Advertising added the beautifully designed custom table stationery.

I’d like to send a very special THANK YOU to the team who helped bring Outdoor Elegance to life!

 

Photo:  Catie Ronquillo – Catie Ronquillo Photography

Floral:  Kristen Wolchik – Haute Floral

Stationery:  Nikki Morrison Nuckols – Doodle Dog Advertising

Desserts:  Vanessa Color – Deceitfully Sweet

 

I definitely look forward to our next collaboration!

 

~Ebony

Celebrity event planner David Tutera recently came to Dallas for a speaking engagement.  He spoke to a group of event professionals and brides-to-be at the legendary Adolphus Hotel.  There’s only one word that describes this event planner: Fabulous! I was ecstatic to be spending a few hours getting the inside scoop on his famed reality show “My Fair Wedding” and tips on how to plan the perfect wedding.

 

 

Tips from Tutera:

 

-Pictures last a lifetime! Choose your photographer wisely.  Once the honeymoon is over, your wedding pictures will be your lasting memory.

 

-Change is good! If you want to keep your guests engaged, be sure to having something new happening at your reception every 30 minutes.  Keep the party going!

 

-If you want to have a Winter Wonderland Wedding in July, go for it! Don’t get too attached to “seasonal” colors and expectations.

 

-Be realistic with your budget.  Educate yourself on what things cost.  Set a list of priorities.  Know what you want and where you’re willing to cut back if necessary.

 

-Guests don’t want to take home random favors.  Make your favors meaningful (and useful) or cut them out altogether.  You can utilize this money in another area of your budget.

 

-Try something new with the tables at your reception.  X tables are a new trend that’s becoming quite popular.  With this look, tables are set up in the shape of an “X”.  This is a great way to give the room a new look and sense of personal style!

 

Be sure to catch David Tutera the next time he visits your city. I sure will!

 

Watch David Tutera on “My Fair Wedding” Sunday nights on We TV at 9pm|8c.

 

Until next time, tootles!

 

~Ebony~