The World According to Weddlady

8/29 Ideas Are Blooming Event Postponed

Just a quick note that tomorrow's "Ideas Are Blooming" open house at The Flower Cupboard has been postponed for various, really good reasons.  We will announce a new date soon.  If you'll be in the area and want to schedule a consultation, I still have some slots left for the weekend, so don't hesitate to call!

Thank you!

Shayna Walker, Owner

Williamsburg Wedding Design

Wedding Lessons You Can Learn from My Lunch - With Art

On Sunday, I stared at my lunch for a while before taking a bite. A wave of concern and uncertainty hit me as I gazed at something alarming (Really, it's scary.  Take a look). After the initial shock, I was overtaken with fits of giggles, followed by sudden clarity: there were several things every couple could learn from my lunch!

When you look at this stunning photo of gourmet “greatness”, remember that my lunch may have just saved your wedding!

What you can learn from my lunch:

1. Presentation Matters

Think it’s a given that your caterer will create an artistic presentation worthy of a magazine cover?  Guess again. In some circumstances, it’s not even a given that your food will be served on real plates (plastic anyone?). That’s fine if you’re having a casual barbecue, but upsetting if unexpected and inappropriate. You need to ask your caterer what kind of plates will be used for serving and presentation.

2. Check References and Attend Tastings

I like to call my dish:

“Garden greens with breaded cutlets of chicken breast, topped with a creamy house dressing and presented in an oversized crystalline vessel”

vs. the reality of the thing:

“Cheap lettuce with leftover chicken nuggets and ranch dressing served in the only clean dish I had at the time”.

The lesson: just because a fancy writer says it will taste good, doesn’t mean it’s right for your wedding.  You need to do your research before making a final catering choice.

3. Timing is Everything

At 11:00 AM on Sunday, I was hungry.  I had been up since 5:00 AM and had eaten breakfast very early.  I had paperwork to complete and things to do.  I had no time or patience for my dishwasher, so I resorted to using what I had.  If I’d cared more, I could have hand-washed a salad bowl, but in this case my stomach was rioting – I was ready for lunch.

In my unique circumstance I was willing to sacrifice formality, presentation and frankly decency to compensate for poor planning and bad timing.  What are you willing to sacrifice, and how can you plan with your vendors to prevent it?

4. The Best of Intentions vs. Follow Through

The most frustrating thing about this lunch situation was that I had loaded my dishwasher the night before, but had failed to push the start button.  I could have eaten from a nice, normal bowl and skipped all the drama, but I dropped the ball and didn’t follow through.  The best laid plans are useless if no one is available to ensure that the pros know what is expected and that instructions are respected.  You need to assign this task to someone (I recommend a professional Wedding Day Manager).  Have someone make your final vendor confirmations and empower that person to make last-minute decisions.  Don’t work so hard on your planning just to see your salad served in a mixing bowl.

5. Have a Sense of Humor

I had several normal-person feelings that I could have given into at lunch, including embarrassment, anger and frustration.  Instead, I photographed the salad, published the photo online for the world to see, and wrote a gripping advice article that will be cited in perpetuity for its wittiness and valuable input.

Stuff goes wrong in life and at weddings.  You have to choose to see the humor in catastrophe – it’s a choice that will go miles towards making your wedding day feel magical.  Take that choice to heart.

Happy Planning!

Shayna Walker, Owner

Williamsburg Wedding Design

No Time to Procrastinate - Plan Now

Although there are plenty of people who hate references to the economy as related to the wedding business right now, I think this particular post is bound to at least make engaged couples and their families quite happy.  Right now is one of the best opportunities you will ever have to save on the wedding of your dreams.

Much like opportunities for buyers in the housing markets, renters in the commercial real estate market, and anyone hoping to snag a super-cheap super-cool vehicle, this luxury market is ripe for picking. 

The very best opportunities for savings are available NOW - like this week (like, pick up the phone).  Historically these last couple of weeks of August are rotten for bookings in the wedding industry in many regions.  In the best years, couples are more concerned about their end-of-summer vacations than they are about choosing their caterers, photographers, planners and limos.  They are distracted and complacent, and most plan to put off "real planning" until after Labor Day.

Add to this totally normal phenomenon the still-struggling economy which has left unbooked rooms and banquet spaces through the end of the year, and a lot of wedding professionals would be happy to see any extra income before summer ends.

If you are fortunate (and frankly smart) enough to be reading this before Labor Day, and you are in the process of planning a wedding, you need to run to your nearest phone and start checking out the vendors you are hoping to book for your upcoming event.  While you won't find reduced rates or incentives universal, you will find them much more prominent than usual, including in some categories where such incentives are usually non-existent.

If you have recently become engaged and have even considered a last-minute wedding in 2009, you may find yours are the biggest spoils to be had in certain regions.  This is accurate for Williamsburg, certainly, and there are many similarly stressed destinations around the country.  Take advantage today.

Lots of smart couples are already on the ball - bookings for 2010 in this region look outstanding.  So many prime Saturday slots are booked solid that Friday and Sunday weddings have exploded. 

It's true in many industries - consumers put off major decisions and planning until certain holiday and vacation periods are over.  Labor Day is immediately around the corner - don't be part of the throngs of post-summer planners - start your planning today and reward yourself with the most advantageous wedding industry opportunities that you may ever find.

Happy Planning!

Shayna Walker, Owner

Williamsburg Wedding Design

Something Neat to Tell Your Guests About!

Williamsburg is getting its own trolleys! 

According to an article on today's Williamsburg-Yorktown Daily website, the newest addition to Williamsburg's tourism industry will be both fun and convenient, especially for wedding guests wanting to get around town in the late afternoon and evening!

Photograph taken from the Williamsburg-Yorktown Daily article, which can be viewed in full here: The Williamsburg Trolley is Here!

Random Thoughts

We have some random thoughts thrown together today.

I'm reviving a favorite post of mine from December, 2007: "Do You Love Them Thi$$ Much?".  If you're trying to save on your overall budget and/or have decided to have an enormous wedding party for any reason, read this post first.

Also take a look at our updated 2009-2010 Calendar and Availability Page.  If you've checked it recently you'll notice that we've doubled the number of confirmed bookings on our calendar in the last two weeks.  Coincidence?  Nope.  The summer will ebb and flow with brides alternating periods of rest with frantic periods of planning.  This doesn't only impact your ability to hire the best wedding coordinator in Williamsburg (smile), but any wedding vendor who is sought after.  If you're waiting for a more convenient time to book your wedding pros, stop waiting and start finalizing.  Very soon you'll have the new season's engaged couples to compete with.

If you can't get enough of Williamsburg Wedding Design, join our Fan Page on Facebook or follow @weddlady on Twitter.

Finally, mark your calendars and plan to attend the "Ideas are Blooming" open house at The Flower Cupboard on August 29 from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm.  Details can be found here.

Happy Planning!

Shayna Walker, Owner

Williamsburg Wedding Design

Upcoming Event

Join me, along with Cathy Nester from The Flower Cupboard and Brad Howe of Brad Howe Photography for our "Ideas Are Blooming" bridal open house on August 29, 2009 from 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM.  You'll enjoy floral demos and Q&A with Cathy, free mini-consultations with me, and a chance to pick Brad's brain about wedding photography in Williamsburg.

 

This is the perfect setting in which to launch your wedding plans and wrap up the last-minute details.  Please call me at 757-644-5733 or e-mail me at shayna{at}williamsburgweddingdesign{dot}com if you have any questions at all.  Hope to see you there!

Happy Planning!

Shayna Walker, Owner

Williamsburg Wedding Design

Art of Creative Celebrations: Blog Love

Talk about some serious blog love.  Our super-creative colleague Janel B. Keen of Art of Creative Celebrations surprised me yesterday with a really nice article about the immediate future of Williamsburg Wedding Design and the huge potential in the Williamsburg area to attract even more year-round destination wedding traffic.  You can read the exciting article on her Art of Creative Celebrations blog.  Thank you, Janel, for the article, for the inspiration, for the future amazing designs and for being a catalyst for progress.  We look forward to teaming up with you to create some of the most amazing weddings Williamsburg has seen!

Shayna Walker

Williamsburg Wedding Design

Rehearsal Dinner Fun

A nice thing about rehearsal dinners is that they can give a couple an opportunity to think outside of the box.  There are fewer guidelines dictating formality, style and etiquette for rehearsal dinners, and it's totally fine to just plan a fun party.  Some unusual real-life rehearsal ideas that our current or past clients have enjoyed include:

1. Going casual - we've had clients hold luaus, backyard parties, pig roasts.  You name it!

2. Exploring different cuisine - a popular choice among several of our clients is a local favorite Indian restaurant.  We've seen Mexican fiestas and all-Filipino menus too.  It's a great time to reflect a unique part of your cultural heritage, or simply a favorite style of food that you both love.

3. Choosing something that could be considered silly or impractical on a larger scale - ice cream cakes, ice cream sundaes, fondue restaurants, live chef demos...use your imagination and I'm sure you'll find something that your inner child wants to share.  The rehearsal dinner is a great place to be more daring - as long as you have fun and create a meaningful experience for your closest friends and family.

What other fun rehearsal dinner ideas do you have?  Post them here to share!

Happy planning.

Shayna

On-Site vs. Off-Site Catering

There is a popular "notion" that a sure-fire budget saver is to choose a reception location that allows a couple to bring in an off-site caterer.  While sometimes it is economical to select your own caterer, in other circumstances a couple would benefit from choosing a full-service facility.  There are pros and cons to both options:

Off-Site Catering:

1. often offers flexibility, allowing you to choose your own caterer, either from a list of permitted caterers or from any licensed catering professional; flexibility of choice can help if you are able to choose a budget-friendly company

2. can at times be more expensive, if the facility has a higher rental fee, does not include basics like tables and chairs or requires you to choose from a select list of caterers

3. can be significantly more complicated to set up, decorate and break down as most will not have an on-site staff to help with those tasks (though some do)

On-Site Catering:

1. You are restricted to choosing only the in-house caterer

2. Can actually be less expensive if the facility rental is lower or includes items that would otherwise need to be rented

3. Can offer a significant savings in labor for set-up, decoration and break down

Before you reject a site based on the on and off-site catering question, please consider all of the details and fairly weigh one against the other.  You might be surprised with what fits your vision of the perfect day.

Happy Planning,

Shayna

Williamsburg Wedding Venues: Bring Your Own Caterer

A frequently asked question at Williamsburg Wedding Design is which Williamsburg-area venues permit you to bring your own caterer.  Here are five of our favorites (each has its own rules about which caterers can work on their property, so please pay attention to their policies):

The Alumni House of the College of William & Mary (see restrictions)

The Williamsburg Winery

The Williamsburg Community Building

Legacy Hall (New Town)

Yorktown Freight Shed

The Settlement at Powhatan Creek

What's your favorite BYO-Caterer in the Williamsburg or greater-Williamsburg area?  Post it in the comments or post on our FB fan page.  And look for our upcoming post about On-Site Catering vs. BYO and why neither is automatically the cheaper nor more expensive option - we'll publish later this week!

Happy Planning!

Shayna Walker, Owner

Williamsburg Wedding Design