Why should I hire a day of wedding coordinator?

So many people see the services of a day of wedding coordinator as just another expense to an already expensive day. I know I thought the same thing BEFORE I got married. When I was planning my wedding I had a great luxury that not everyone has: a quiet job that allowed me to spend hours online, researching, planning, reading tips, making schedules and looking after all the little details. However, on the day of, I was NOT to be disturbed with problems that may have come up. That’s the way it should be on your wedding day. You walk in, looking amazing, say your “I do’s” and party the night away. 

However who will be your buffer? The person who fields the venue manager when dinner is delayed? The person who gets the phone call saying your DJ is stuck in traffic? The person who runs to the drug store to buy you “fast flats” because you forgot yours at the hotel (yes, I have done this for a bride!)? Do you put your Mom in charge? Your new Mother-In-Law? Your close friend, who you’re not 100% sure you can count on? Why enlist someone who should be at your wedding, enjoying themselves & celebrating you and your new husband?

There are so many benefits of hiring someone to coordinate your day. It helps remove the stress from you and your family members, who should be enjoying the fruits of your labours. We set up a scheduled time line of the day, liaison with your vendors and can even help you throughout the planning process if you get stuck. We’re problem solvers, bustle fixers, detail checkers and so much more on your special day. If you spend money on anything for your wedding, spend it on your peace of mind.

~Shae

To Favour or not to Favour...

When wedding expenses grow, how can we cut costs to make the budget more manageable? One place that people look is at the bonbonnieres or wedding favours. They can be an added expense that some people don’t really even remember to take home at the end of the night. 

Some families see this etiquette as a mandatory thing. If this is the case there are some great cost saving ways of still doing your favours but not spending an arm and a leg to do so:

-          Think edible! Chocolates, Jelly Beans, M&Ms and so much more. Michaels Crafts & places such as Creative Packaging in Burnaby have some great little baggies and you can often buy smaller items such as these candies, in bulk and in your colour scheme.

-          Think of cutting down, certain items don’t need one per person, you can do one per couple and almost cut the amount of items you need in half. Those little silver frames, wedding stoppers, photo coasters, etc can all be handed out to each couple rather than each person.

-          Give to charity in lieu of favours. More and more couples are deciding to go this route. Choose your favourite charity (TFD loves organizations such as the Union Gospel Misson) and make donation per person attending your marriage. When you do your place cards or send your invitations, you can leave a small note that says in lieu you donated to your particular charity.

-          Think of things you can make yourself: Jams, cookies, caramel apples, fans, cd’s of your favourite songs. Things that provide a nicer personal touch leave a lasting impression. I loved an idea I saw online, “Make your own S’mores” DIY Favours. This couple filled each bag with 2 graham crackers, a single serving of Hersey’s Chocolate and a large marshmallow.  What a great idea!

There are a lot of things you can do to save some money to fit more into your budget. Think outside of the box and find some fun ways to incorporate your theme.

~Shae

Bridesmaid Dress Shopping

On the weekend I was looking for wedding attire & accessories for my wedding in October.  I came across a GREAT shop for anybody out there who is looking for a cost effective and a bit non-traditional options for dresses for the wedding party, or other wedding festivities.

Queensborough Landing (in New Westminster on the south side of the Queensborough Bridge) has some phenomenal stores and the BCBGMaxAzria Outlet was a surprising find!  Here are some of the observations that I made while browsing:

• if you are not looking for a typical "Bridesmaid Dress" this is a good store for you!
• because it is an outlet store they have lots of variety because they have pooled the dresses from the area
• some of the dresses had amazing discounts, so great prices
• they had long and short dresses so options to match the varying formality of your wedding day
• the colour options varied from vibrant reds and yellows to simple LBD (Little Black Dress)
• their dresses range from funky to traditional...so lots of variety

So, my advise is to check out some outlet stores (this one in particular) for dresses for your wedding.

~Deborah