Have you ever wonder what’s this mystery emergency kit all of us planners carry? I know that many brides wonder because I have been asked many times.  So that is why I have decided to blog that very topic for all those curious minds.  As every planner has a different planning style every planner carries something different in their emergency kit. So I have decided to share what I carry in mine…  Most would think there are only “girlie” things in it like hairspray, lotions, tide sticks, bobby pins, and double stick tape for those bridesmaid gowns that just don’t want to stay in place.  But my emergency case also contains extension cords, duct tape, a wire stripper, a phonebook, a set of screwdrivers/wrenches, and even jumper cables for those rare cases where the limo decides not to start.  It is important that your planner be ready for whatever comes their way to ensure you have a seamless day! So never be afraid to ask any potential planner exactly what they carry so you have the assurance that you are going to be taken care of on your special day.

Cloud 10

Natural Bath & Body

1608 Lincoln Road Suite A

Allegan Michigan 49010

269.978.3131

So a couple of weeks ago I was out and about with my mother – law looking for the perfect little table that I could place in my front half bath.  As usual I was looking within local shops here in Allegan and I came across this little store that I hadn’t known opened.  Cloud 10 is a shop filled with natural bath & body lotions and oils; incenses; and the item that caught my eye, soy candles!  Their 100% soy candles are all hand poured and burn so cleanly that you don’t have the black soot on your candle holder. The other plus with soy candles is that their tealight candles burn for 8 to 10 hours! The only unfortunate thing about soy candles is that they cannot be formed into free standing votives or pillars.  But I found a solution to that problem.  I’m going to give the store the actual votive holders that need to be filled. Cloud 10 also is willing to make custom colors to match your event color scheme.   But the true reason I am blogging about them is because they are so easy to work with. I have an upcoming event in May and I wanted pale yellow candles that are non-scented.  I have priced them out with my many wholesalers and Cloud 10 gave me the best price.  This is a win/win situation.  I’m getting the best priced possible for my bride and I’m buying locally!  The store is just starting out so they don’t have an official website yet, but you can check them out on Merchant Circle: http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/Cloud.10.269-978-3131 This little gem is my best find yet!

H & K Photograghy

With many couples the wedding cake tasting is one of their favorite meetings that they attend during the process of planning their wedding.  And West Michigan is very blessed to have so many great cake designers. And today I would like to highlight one of my personal favorite.  Alisha Giles Cakes is based out of Alisha’s Saugatuck Michigan home. Her cakes are by far one of the best cakes that I have had the pleasure of tasting at the many weddings that I have been a part of.  The cake itself is always moist and her hazelnut frosting is to die for.  I just used her for my first wedding of 2009 season this past January and there was not a cupcake left at the end of the evening!!!  Alisha’s price starts at $2.00 per slice and go up from there.  And her cupcake prices start at $0.50 per cupcake.  She has one of the best pricing in West Michigan especially when you look at the design and taste her exceptional cakes.

From the first phone consult till she delivers the cake to the reception, Alisha has the ability to make her clients feel like there is no cake more important then theirs.  Her warm personality and fun loving nature are projected in every cake that she designs.  If you are interest in learning more about her and her cakes, please see her contact information below. And if you like a personal reference on her designs, please contact me.

Alisha Giles

Office :: 269-751-2360

Email :: stpetersccd@yahoo.com

So I love just jumping online and trying to find some great deals that I can share with my couples.  Well today I found one that we can put a “green” spin on. Overlays and chair covers add a touch of class to any reception venue.  And today I found a site that you can actually buy at a cheaper price verses renting.  But how can we throw a green spin on this.  Well with today’s brides chatting on multiple forums together such as “The Knot”, I suggest that you find two or three other brides with similar color schemes and buy them together.  And then after the weddings, post the items back on the forums to be used by another bride.  All the linens on this website received high praise from other clients.  And they are machine washable.   

http://www.efavormart.com

Amy Carroll Photography

In today’s economic situation, everyone needs to cut back a bit.  It’s a lot harder though when you are planning a wedding. So with that, today I decided that I would talk about budgeting.  I truly believe that every couple needs to set a realist budget for their wedding.  As an event planner when I meet with my couple for the first time we do talk budgeting.  I feel that it’s important for a couple to have ideas of what they can spend well in advance to meeting with me.  One website that many of my brides us is http://www.weddingwire.com/wedding-planning/wedding-budget to help them develop a budget.  But why is it important that a budget tentatively developed before meeting with a planner?  Well the reasoning behind this thought is that way I can recommend vendors in their correct price range.  Also if you have a budget in place you can determine what is truly important to you and what’s not.  Say you love flowers for example but your budget does not allow you to have exactly what you want.  Well if a budget is in place then we can take a look at what areas we can cut back in to get you the flowers that you want.  Also another idea is to work with your vendors.  If you plan your wedding in the “off season” or on a Friday evening, many vendors offer a better package price.  In addition look at renting verses buying.  This will save you money and space!  Many rental vendors offer everything from cool looking vases to candle holders.  Also many brides are sharing cost these days on items that can be used on multiple weddings. 

In the next few days I will be posting other ideas on budget saving ideas!

With the wedding season fast approaching I have been very fortunate to help of many couples design the look and feel of their wedding.  Whether I was hired as their event planner or as their florist, I put forth the same effort in helping them design the perfect ambience for their day.  But I am also very away of budgets and flowers should be able to be used in multiply places.  This wedding season I am working with two particular couples that I love their style. And both weddings have one thing in common…  Pomanders!

Pomanders are one of the many styles that today’s brides have decided to go with.  One of the reasons is because they can easily be used at the ceremony and then reused at the reception venue.  My first wedding that I have the honor of being part of we will be hanging multiple pomanders from an arch and also having the main aisle being lined with them.  We are using many different sizes to give the look more depth.  After the ceremony these will be moved into the reception site to be used as the table centerpieces.  We are taking the pomanders and placing them on various sized cylinder vases with some of them filled with bear grass and the others with Granny Smith Apples…

My second wedding that I get to be part of is with a very modern couple that knows exactly what look they were going for in their design.  They came into their first meeting with clear visions of very large pomanders in a bold purple color.  They are lining their main aisle with basketball sized pomanders on Sheppard hooks with a thick layer of rose petals on the ground.  This ceremony will be stunning!  After the ceremony, we will be transporting these over to the reception venue and they will be placed on very tall cylinder vases that will be have silver and purple twigs submerged in water.  Their reception is going to have a very bold and modern look that will leave their guest talking

 But there are different ways to show off your pomanders then placing them on vases.  I personally love when you take mini pomanders and they are hung from candle holders or large pomanders that are hung on trees.  But also I love when they are placed in a large martini glass and a pomander is made to look like an olive… How awesome is that for a bar! Another really cute idea is having your flower girls carry a pomander instead of a basket.  It just adds another touch of modern elegance to your day.

So I have given you a lot to think about when it comes to pomanders.  I would love to hear your ideas and some new and unique ideas to show off this design.