The World According to Weddlady

Sad News for Williamsburg Brides

A popular rehearsal dinner site and college favorite, Sal's by Victor on Richmond Road burnt down this morning, accoring to WY Daily.  The article did not indicate how extensive damage to the European Beauty Concepts (EBC), located in close proximity is.

The article implied that Sal's was pretty much destroyed, but that most of the other adjacent businesses only sustained minor damage.  If you are using either of these sites, give them a few days then call to make sure everything in still on track or find out what your options are.

Shayna

Time Management for the Engaged

I've been reading through old posts this morning in preparation for new upcoming series, and found many worth reviving.  On your way to the perfect wedding day, you'll need to prioritize your time and talents - here are some tips to help from our article on Time Management.

Lemon, Tangerine and Raspberry - a Delicious Palette

Tangy lemonheads, strawberry and lemon rock candy, pink pillow mints, cherry sours, grapefruit sours, and a surprise crowd-favorite - orange slices: some of the ingredients of our super-successful "Romance in the Sun" inspired candy buffet at today's Showbride Bridal Showcase hosted at Colonial Heritage Club.  Here are my horrible amateur pics - the candy is pretty enough to compensate for the total lack of photographic talent!

 

The color selection was inspired by a page out of Martha Stewart Magazine.  I liked that it was romantic without being too obvious - the yellow and orange gave it more depth and dynamic, I think, than a plain range of pink would have.  The fruity flavors (and easy ship-ability) made it summer-friendly.  I believe it's one of the best modern uses of the Jordan almond (which for all of the jokes was one of the most popular items).

 

Bridal shows are slightly different from weddings in that you can't fully anticipate the approximate number of "guests", so we kept the containers small and we did, in fact, make the utensils a little harder to use than something like a big spoon.  We also attended the buffet carefully, which I recommend even at weddings, to make sure that the first pass was controlled.  Of course, we also overestimated (another good plan for weddings) so by the end of the day we were encouraging people to take home thirds and fourths!  You won't miss our next candy buffet, will you?

 

The first 75 guests or so received little packets of business cards and candy buffet tips tied with sheer raspberry ribbon (you see them laying around the table in the above fuzzy photo.  We also pre-packed little pillow mints, or after dinner mints, in tiny packages with our logo for those who wanted a quick treat.  See some closeups of those below:

 

We custom printed the logos on label paper and punched them with a Martha Stewart craft punch - something you could easily do for your own wedding or event!

 

We ordered the majority of the candy from one of our favorite supplies, Ohnuts.com.  They ship fast and you can view candy on their site by color.   We've been really pleased with their prices and consistency in the past, so we suggest you look into their services. 

We had a minor disaster on the way to the bridal show with the big center jar, which was originally filled with Strawberry Whoppers.  After some breakage, we were forced to discard that candy and had to do a last-minute Starburst replacement, which you can see went really well.  It does cost a lot more to buy candy retail, though, so plan ahead and purchase your candy in bulk. 

The candy buffet was a huge hit at the bridal show, and is something that can easily be personalized to truly reflect your wedding style.  Choose a color theme or choose candies that are favorites of yours from childhood.  Your guests will certainly enjoy the "Sweet" Surprise!

Happy Planning.

Shayna Walker, Owner

Williamsburg Wedding Design

Bridal Sensitivity Training in a Budget Conscious World

Newsflash: You are Being Watched

Something I wish I could tell all brides and grooms during their vendor selection process: when you have done your homework, and are sitting in an interview with a prospective vendor, you are being watched.   You are, in fact, being interviewed as well...and you may not get the job.

Is following questionable advice worth risking your favorite venue or preferred vendor?  Would you do it differently if you knew that your chances of achieving your vendor and budget goals were infinitely increased if you changed your own approach?

Brides and Vendors Behaving Badly?

I understand intimately how badly certain members of this industry (I will not call them professionals - they don't warrant the title) essentially stink - they are guilty of gouging for the sake of greed and undercutting their competitors to secure business at any cost.  This behavior ranges from intolerable to outright unethical and I'm glad that the internet provides multiple sites that encourage thoughtful reviews so brides and grooms can distinguish between real pros and despicable "cons".

I expect that you are reading those review sites carefully, weighing real-life experience against promotional claims and narrowing your list of vendor interviews down to legitimate businesses worthy of your time.  In other words, I expect you are not CHOOSING to meet with crooks and that you've done the best you can to weed them out of the selection process.

Then I expect you to do YOUR part:

1. interview considerately

2. ask meaningful questions

3. contact references

4. act respectfully 

Your success rate at negotiation and ultimately securing the dream day that you hope for at rates you can live with ultimately rests with how well you execute this process - and not how much dumb advice you follow.

One of my most renowned rants on bad behavior and bad advice is archived here: "The Other Kind of Advice".  The article reviews, among other gems, real pieces of advice that if followed threaten to permanently label the "poor, unsuspecting" engaged couples as undesirable clients. 

Bad advice is easily masked today as budget-saving revelation.  The fact is that you absolutely can successfully negotiate great rates, prioritize even the smallest budget and work WITH your wedding professionals to achieve your dreams.  Set yourself up as an antagonist from appointment one, however, and risk alienating the very people you want to have "your back" on the big day.

I reiterate - really good wedding professionals who want to provide services to happy clients are interviewing you as critically as you are interviewing them.  Step over the line from respectful to condescending when haggling or "negotiating" and they may (and in my opinion should) walk away.

In the article "Questionable Advice Revisited", I concluded with a sentiment even more applicable today amidst increasing access to every level of advice: planning a wedding is not your carte blanche opportunity to check your brain...THINK for yourselves, remember and expect the vendors you interview to act like (and be) professionals.  Approach us with respect, and you should see that we return it 10-fold...

Happy Planning!

Shayna Walker, Owner

Williamsburg Wedding Design

Valerie & Alex, July 11, 2009

A wonderful wedding, a top-ten list of amazing vendors, the nicest family members ever and (you'll have to agree) one of the most adorable couples I've had the privilege of working with.  We were honored to coordinate the wedding day of Valerie and Alex on July 11, 2009 at the Williamsburg Winery.  Click HERE to see photographer Christy B. Anderson's blog and more beautiful photos of the striking couple!  Congratulations Valerie & Alex!

Exclusive New Offering for Destination Wedding Clients

If you're planning a destination wedding anywhere, you have probably experienced what I like to call the "Marathon Wedding Planning Weekend".  You know, the one to two day cramming session, the itinerary for which can take longer to coordinate than the wedding itself?  You manage to set up interviews with five venues, and two of each vendor category hoping to choose everything in one day?

When you arrive for your "relaxing" destination fun, you sprint from appointment to appointment, quickly evaluating each resource, monitoring your phone for calls from the next six vendors because traffic has put you behind, and wondering if that light-headed feeling has more to do with your whirlwind tour of wedding pros or the fact that you maybe forgot to eat since you left home...yesterday!

Oh, luxury and the engaged life of a destination bride!

What if it could all be easier?  What if you could enjoy the same logistical support, professional advice, and pampering that an expert wedding planner delivers, but exclusively for your power planning weekend?

Enter our newest, and perhaps most innovative offering yet: Fully Escorted Private and Semi-Private Destination Wedding Planning Tours!  You'll have your own private wedding planner for a day and a custom itinerary, complete with luxury transportation, refreshments, light lunch, and a more-than-healthy dose of pampering. 

If you're thinking about hiring a wedding planner, you couldn't plan a better in-depth interview without first signing a long-term contract.  Self-planners will get the best possible head-start and unprecedented access to an expert local professional. 

Why spend more of your valuable time, gas and money tracking down venue and vendor candidates to fit your budget and qualifications, juggling meeting schedules and local traffic conditions and experiencing the frustration of inevitable delays and late appointments?  Instead, entrust your personal planner with the logistics and actually enjoy your planning marathon!  You'll accomplish more while saving time and money.

Contact us at 757-592-3365 or shayna{at}williamsburgweddingdesign.com for sample itineraries, pricing and availability.  This is an opportunity you do not want to miss!

Happy Planning!

Shayna Walker, Owner

Williamsburg Wedding Design

New Candy Buffet - See and Taste

If you're a fan of this candy buffet, one of our most popular displays from Kerri and Chico's wedding in October 2008:

 

then you will want to join us at Colonial Heritage Club on Sunday, July 19 at the "Romance in the Sun" bridal show, where we will reveal (and share!) yet another sweet scene, bound to be the newest hit in our repertoire!  See and taste this one in person between 12 and 3:00 PM.  I hope to see you there!

Shayna Walker, Owner

Williamsburg Wedding Design

Blog Love

I am sending blog love to the following coordinators who kept me on their blog rolls while my posting was sparse during the past year as I temporarily scaled back to make the early education of my children possible.  Women who support other women in business deserve a round of applause.  I applaud these fellow professionals out loud (and for the record, alphabetically by first name...).  Please read their blogs and tell your friends to do the same:

Christina Hagan: Christina Hagan Events

Elizabeth Bailey: Elizabeth Bailey Wedding and Event Planning

Isis Petrie: Destination...Soiree

Meredith Tomasulo: Elegant Engagements

Ladies: you are gems.  Mi Blog Casa es Su Blog Casa. 

With a thankful heart,

Shayna Walker, Owner

Williamsburg Wedding Design

Budget Saving Advice You CAN'T Always Bank On

I feel duty-bound to caution couples who are reading some of the recession-busting advice in national articles as it pertains to weddings.  There are many awesome methods of saving money on your wedding, and I'm a big fan of lots of them.  There are others that are regionally problematic, and one popularly-suggested one is (as the Martha Stewart Weddings Summer 2009 edition terms in a great article about budget-saving options): "Initiate an Officiant", or essentially have a friend "ordained" for the day. 

In many regions that is a sound, money-shaving suggestion.  However, it's also almost never going to fly in many localities in Virginia.  I say "almost" because there are exceptions, but depending on where you're holding your Dogwood State nuptials, they can be difficult to come by.  This great Commonwealth is reasonably conservative.  Most jurisdictions consider the act of marrying someone more sacred than an overnight ordination necessarily represents, and "for better or worse" have far stricter requirements that must be met before you can be commissioned to perform a legal ceremony. 

My best advice to Virginia-bound couples who want to have a friend marry them is to hire a civil officiant to legally marry them (they can attend the wedding or not depending on your willingness to be married before or after your wedding date) and have your friend perform the ceremonial duties during the actual event.  Some civil officiants, like those commissioned by the Williamsburg-area courts are extremely inexpensive as they view the commission as a civil service, and others who make a primary career out of performing ceremonies charge more for their time and expertise.  You have to make your choice based on your own priorities.

Bottom line, you need to consult with the clerk of your court before setting your heart on having a friend ordained with the intention of performing your union.  And take everything you read in an advice column with a grain of salt and a healthy skepticism until you can verify the legitimacy of the claim.

Happy and WISE planning!

Shayna Walker, Owner

Williamsburg Wedding Design