State of the union

Recently talking to CNN, Hilary Clinton stated that she was in the midst of helping her daughter Chelsea pick out a wedding dress, among other planning. She was asked "Which do you think ... is harder? Middle East peace, or negotiating this wedding?"

Clinton smiled and said, "Well, I'd probably call it a draw about that one."

Obviously she needs a wedding Coordinator!!

Trend of the Day

I am LOVING this idea taken from DogNBird Artful Weddings...what a great way to display flowers and candles together! Gorgeous! And also very cost effective! Plus, the glassware can be reused (or even given as favors!!).

Amazing Ideas

I found this post on a blog from Bliss Events, and it is the coolest! Some very unique ways to "frame" the bride and groom at the altar!

http://www.blisseventgroup.net/blog/2009/12/8/altar-alternatives.html

Cherry Blossoms

I am a sucker for cherry blossoms. If I had my way, I would decorate my house with them. I love the contrast of sweet, delicate pink flower with dark, jagged, strong branch. A perfect symbol of a man and a woman, which is why I love it for weddings! Done tastefully, it doesn't have to look too much like a "theme", but simple touches here and there would certainly be noticed!

Here are a few of my favorite ideas:

A beautiful design by Lani of "Write Occasions"

A simple favor from favorideas.com

I love these little candles, also from favorideas.com. They could be used on tables and in grouped seating areas for a lovely effect.

What Type of Bride are You?

Thursday I attended a luncheon hosted by the Perfect Wedding Guide at The Curtis hotel downtown. We were delighted with gorgeous table settings, flowers, and food, followed by a presentation by planner Susan Southerland! She gave a very entertaining and informative talk about the four different types of brides, and the best way to create a working relationship with them!

I wanted to highlight this talk on my blog for both the benefit of the brides (and grooms) reading it, as well as the vendors! If a bride can determine which category she falls in (or closest to), then she will know more what to ask for from her vendors! Alternatively, a vendor can use the information to better assist their client, so that their vision of a perfect wedding can become a reality!

4 TYPES OF BRIDES:

Are you:

Savvy- very organized and completely in tune with all the details such as guest count, budgeting, and the costs of everything, and also knows exactly what she wants her wedding to look and feel like. *Your planner can help you by allowing you to relieve some of the burden of details on them. This will allow you to enjoy the planning process and your wedding day more!

Functional- very organized and in tune with the numerical details involved in planning, but aren't sure how to turn those details into a beautiful wedding. *Your planner can help you by showing you lots of examples of tables, china, albums, etc., and getting your creative juices flowing with color palates, swatches, and brainstorming! Once you can put visual ideas together with your numerical information, the wedding of your dreams will start to come to life!

Visionary- you have the perfect vision of what you want your wedding to look, feel, and taste like, but you have no idea about where to start, or how much any of it is going to cost. *Your planner can help you by making customized budget sheets and detailed lists of the planning steps. They can help you get an estimated guest count and stay on track of your budget. They can help you narrow down your choices and find options that adhere to the overall look you want, but are within reach of your budget!

Bewildered- don't be afraid if this describes you, because it describes the majority of the brides out there! The idea of starting to plan your wedding completely overwhelms you and you really don't have any ideas about the type of wedding you want, or how much it is going to cost. *Your planner can help you by customizing checklists and budget sheets, but also by giving you a couple options in each category of planning that fall within your budget. As you work together, a vision of what your wedding will look like will slowly start to come together!

Don't be afraid to let your planner or vendors know which type best describes you! In the end, it will create a wonderful working relationship that will end with the wedding of your dreams!

learn more about Susan Southerland and her ideas here.

VOWS Grand Opening

I attended the VOWS launch party last night in downtown Denver!

200 wedding professionals and guests braved the snow and frigid temperatures to celebrate everything "weddings" in a beautiful new space. VOWS is the creation of Kerri Butler, and she has gathered numerous vendors to showcase their businesses, as well as to use as an office space. She also welcomes other wedding professionals to use the space for meetings with brides by appointment, so I hope to take advantage of that with my clients and potential clients this year!

I attended with friend and wedding photographer Sarah Hays (Hays Photography) and we enjoyed a fabulous night of cocktails, appetizers, and networking (aka socializing:)! We were also there to support our friend Paula Thomas, who owns Teacup Bakery, which is one of the vendors represented at VOWS!

Sarah Hays and me

The Knot Best of Weddings 2010

I am proud and thrilled to announce that I was chosen by my past clients as the knot magazine's best of weddings 2010 for event planner! It is exciting and humbling to know that all my hard work and dedication to my brides and grooms shows, and I have them to thank, for they are the reason I do what I do.

I have been privileged to be able to create a company based on my passion for weddings, and to turn that company into a successful business! All of my educational training, networking, researching, and investment is worth it when I see a bride's glowing face walking down the aisle, or when the Mother of the Bride tells me that she truly was able to enjoy her daughter's wedding because I was there to handle the details.

These are the moments that make my job worthwhile.

The accolades are nice (thank you!) but the moments are priceless!

Happy New Year- The Year to Save!

We at A Current Affair Events are looking forward to an exciting 2010!

The recession isn't quite over yet, and more than ever it is important to save money and cut costs wherever possible! We understand that this applies to the planning of a wedding too! That's why we can work with any budget great or small to find ways to maximize your money to create the wedding of your dreams!

For example, during our initial consultation, I will ask, to you, what are the most important aspects of your wedding (the decor, table linens, music, food quality), then we will focus on what other areas we can cut costs! It is a fun and creative process that can really surprise you!

Here are some of our favorite money saving ideas, taken from theknot.com:

Reception

1. Cut the guest list. This will slash your catering costs and save on invitations and even the number of centerpieces.

2. Think off-peak season and save thousands!

3. Hold your ceremony and reception in one spot -- it will cut travel time for vendors you pay by the hour.

4. Skip the Saturday wedding.

5. Have bigger tables so you need fewer centerpieces and tablecloths.

6. Shop the off-season for extra decor -- get modern black vases on sale after Halloween and pretty pink ones after Valentine's Day.

Flowers

7. Use more greenery than flowers.

8. Swap out costly flowers -- did you know peonies can be five times more expensive than roses?

9. Stick to just one or two kinds of flowers.

10. Buy flowers that are in season.

11. Include non-florals, like lanterns.

Food & Drink

12. Serve entree duets.

13. Skip the main course -- apps and drinks are fine too.

14. Offer beer, wine, and a signature cocktail instead of a full bar.

15. Serve comfort foods like barbecue chicken, mac and cheese, and corn. It's fun and often cheaper.

16. Skip the champagne toast.

Cakes

17. Order a small one or two-tiered cake and then supplement cake with a larger sheet cake (hidden back in the kitchen).

18. Keep the add-ons simple.

19. Use fresh flowers, not sugar ones.

20. Reuse ceremony flowers for the cake table.

21. Skip exotic fillings like guava and mango.

Stationery & Favors

22. Get single-page invites to save on postage.

23. Give out one favor per couple.

24. Make your cake the favors.

25. Have favors double as escort cards.

26. Email your save-the-dates.

27. Make your own menu cards, escort cards, and wedding favor packaging.

Video & Music

28. Opt for a smaller band.

29. Hire a band or DJ who can do both the ceremony and the reception.

Let A Current Affair help you put these ideas in motion!!

We Love Our Clients!

This was one of my favorite shots sent to me by photographer John Hudetz, because it shows the behind the scenes, the decision making that goes into every event (that's me on the left:)!

I loved this bride because she was right there with me during part of the set up (along with the groom's wonderful mother)! She wanted to be a part of every last detail, but yet she also trusted me in making important decisions! Our clients are awesome!

Speaking of....we are starting to book 2010 pretty quickly! We'd love to meet with you if you are interested in finding out more about having a wedding coordinator!

Budget Tips

Visit Oprah.com to read an article about ways to save money on a wedding during these tough times. From cutting back on the cake, to choosing to have your reception in between meal times, there are some good ideas for saving your cash! There is also a quote from a wedding planner that says,

"Hire a wedding planner! It sounds counterintuitive, but you'll save money because of the special relationships that the wedding planner has cultivated."

You may think that having a planner will cost you more, but you will save in areas you didn't think possible, plus you will have their priceless assistance on the big day!