June 2007 Newsletter
"Don´t go through life, grow through life."Eric Butterworth
JUMPING THE BR
M
| Vol 2, Ed 6 | THE PURPLE MOON NEWSLETTER | June 2007 |
VENDOR SPOTLIGHT
The bouquet, the centerpieces, the flower girls´ baskets and corsages and boutonniéres for special guests means wedding flowers make a big difference. Sue Nairn Smith, an industry veteran with more than ten years experience, of The Romantic Garden offers some helpful advice and trends to look for in the wedding planning process. When it comes to choosing the right florist, Nairn Smith suggests brides pick a florist with whom they have a connection and whose design and style, based on portfolio and references, serves as an inspiration for your wedding. This will insure a proper business relationship as well as create an opening line of communication while planning your wedding, a resource that is invaluable. As for the floral budget, Nairn Smith notes that the industry average is 10% of the wedding budget. She further states that "for our designs, we usually recommend allowing $30 for every guest (a 200 guest event would allow $6000 for floral/decor budget)." For brides on a budget, Nairn Smith suggests the use of elements other than flowers for centerpieces. Candles, lanterns, theme-based props will help to keep the budget low. "Since the centerpieces are the largest part of most budgets, we always recommend starting there to trim costs. For an 18 table party, every $1 saved on a centerpiece saves $18 in the overall budget."
According to Nairn Smith, these centerpiece modifications are in align with current trends. "We find many brides are getting away from the taller, candelabra or stand-based centerpieces and opting for low groupings of items or tall pieces that are based in glass and follow more of a branch-shaped form." Also, the incorporation of hanging crystals and/or candles has become much more prevalent.
When it comes to seasonal blooms, Nairn Smith notes that "'In season' is a very overused and inaccurate way to describe flower choices in the northeast. The season matters more in terms of availability than pricing." If you want peonies in July, you will probably not be able to get them, at least not high quality ones, regardless of the price. So many flowers are now available year round that their pricing has averaged out regardless of the season. And there are very few commercial growers left in NJ to produce an assortment of "in season", inexpensive flowers. Dates to stay away from if you are looking to save money on flowers would be Mothers Day and Valentine's Day, as all flower prices go up then.
For more information, click the link below to view the website or contact the Romantic Garden via telephone or e-mail.
The Romantic Garden
[t] 973-898-7200
[f] 973-898-0007
[w] http://www.romanticgarden.com/
[e] romanticgarden@aol.com
ENGAGING THOUGHTS...
From the editor's desk
Summer is finally here! The barbeques, the blockbusters with all the explosive action and the weddings! Summers are really packed and this is the season to be wed.Many weddings have much in common with the summer blockbuster, big budgets, a beautiful cast and sometimes exotic locations. The key difference is the director. The decision to hire a consultant should consider your budget, schedule and flexibility in planning. As many of you ponder the idea of whether or not to hire a consultant, take a cue from www.theknot.com. Here are some suggestions the site offers in considering a wedding planner.
- Will the consultant commit to your budget and not push you in the direction of things you simply can't afford?
The consultant should have plenty of questions for you too, in an effort to determine your wishes, needs, level of maintenance, budget, scope of imagination, and more. - Will the consultant devise a master plan mapping out all the little details, from announcement to zebra-striped decor? (This will clue you in to organizational prowess and a willingness to keep you in the loop on every matter imaginable.)
- Can the consultant name the best and most original locations in your area (that would be suitable to your wedding size, style, and budget)?
- Is the consultant familiar with the best florists, photographers, caterers, bands, and DJs in your price range? Can he/she explain their strongpoints to you briefly? (Ask yourself: Does the consultant seem both knowledgeable and passionate?)
- Can the consultant score you some discounts with any vendors? (Consultants bring volume to favored vendors; often they'll reciprocate by slashing prices or throwing in extras.)
- Will the consultant read over the vendor contracts for you? What are some common traps to look out for?
- Can the consultant create a timeline that tells everyone involved in the planning process -- vendors, members of the wedding party, bride/groom, and families -- what to do and when to do it? How will she/he make sure that everyone sticks to the schedule?
- Will the consultant handle the invitations, from wording and ordering to the addressing and mailing?
- Can the consultant counsel you on etiquette matters and alert you to hot trends on the wedding horizon?
- Will the consultant coordinate delivery, arrival, and setup times with photographer, florist, musicians, caterer/banquet manager, et al?
- For the day of the wedding, will the consultant be willing to oversee the entire event by supervising vendors, troubleshooting emergencies, and soothing nerves? Can she/he share any anecdotes that required performing above and beyond the call of duty?
- Will the consultant be willing to step in as your advocate, conveying your visions and desires to vendors when you don't feel up to the task?
- Will the consultant help plan and book your honeymoon?
Here's to your future!
LaTasha
If you have any questions you would like to share with other brides, contact us. Please note questions may be edited for length. Due to high volumes we may be unable to respond to all inquires.
Purple Moon Events
143 E. Ridgewood Avenue
PO Box 261
Ridgewood, NJ 07451
info@purplemoonevents.net
Purple Moon Events
143 E. Ridgewood Avenue
PO Box 261
Ridgewood, NJ 07451
info@purplemoonevents.net
POPPING THE QUESTION...
Answers to your most perplexing bridal dilemmasQ: I have a guest list of 50 for my destination wedding in Hawaii. With such a small guest list, there are plenty of people on my B-list that I'd still love to have -- I just need to be sure that I keep the total from going over 50. If some of my initial A-list guests decline my invitation, can I then go ahead and extend an invitation to someone else?
A: You can begin by talking to people in concentric circles of importance, if you will: immediate family members first, then the friends or family you plan on asking to be your attendants, then other family, then other friends, and so on. Barring unforeseen circumstances, you'll be able to get a good idea of your attendance figures right away, which will allow you to better map out your guest list. You can still send invitations to those you would want to be there but whom you know can't attend just so that they know how you feel. You can also extend invitations to your replacements right away, without them having to know that they weren't part of your initial 50. If you find later that your response cards are pouring in with regrets, go ahead and invite some new folks -- just don't wait too long, since they'll need time to make travel arrangements.