Lauren & Matt part 3

Today is the third and final installment of Lauren & Matt's wedding. As you'll see in the pictures below, they had such a good time at their reception (and so did their guests I might add). I thought it was the perfect size wedding. Oh and...that cake was even more beautiful in person and tasted even better! : )

The guests also enjoyed a candy buffet that had all of Lauren & Matt's favorites. The personalized M&M's and chocolate truffles were a hit. I still crave a truffle every now and then!

Congratulations Lauren & Matt!

Photos courtesy of Adam Lowe Photography. Cake by Dublin Cake Cottage. Flowers by Flowers on High. Reception at the Columbus Athenaeum. Entertainment provided by Master Mix.

Lauren & Matt part 2

Here's a few more pictures from Lauren & Matt's big day.


I should tell you that Matt is a graphic artist, so the place cards and favor bags you see were all done by him. How lucky is Lauren to have such a great guy to help with DIY projects?

Images courtesy of Adam Lowe Photography

Lauren & Matt part 1

Lauren & Matt were married November 8, 2008 at St Joseph's Cathedral in Downtown Columbus. I loved Lauren's sense of style: a little pretty, a little glam and a little sass all rolled into one. I think you'll see that in the pictures to come. There's more of Lauren & Matt tomorrow in part 2!

A big thank you to Adam Lowe Photography for sharing some of the best pictures from the big day. Also, a big thank you to Abby Rose at Metro Cuisine for introducing me to Lauren & Matt!

Quality & Qualified Wedding Planners Are Not Cheap

This was originally posted on my friend Tracey Kumer-Moore's online Diary (aka her blog). She's the owner of Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge. I thought she hit the nail on the head with this post. Read on and check out why you can't afford not to hire a true professional wedding planner for you wedding and know that cheap is cheap for a reason!


My friend Andy Ebon of The Wedding Marketing Blog, one of my must-reads on my blog list, posted an entry recently about a "Simple Defense Against Price Cutters".
It's a great article but it was this part that made the most impact on me. Andy writes...

"My friend, Robbie Schlosser (Magnolia Jazz Band) reminded me of an old strategy used by barbershops against their price slashing competition. Robbie recalled a barbershop sign-“Haircut $5″, and next door another shop advertised “We fix $5 haircuts”.

And then, "With haircuts, one gets a second chance. With weddings, there is no ‘do-over.’ And with some categories of wedding services, the risk of failure is simply not worth the money ’saved."

Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge can tell you right here, right now, that Wedding Consultants fall into this category! The risk you take when working with a cheap price-cutter IS going to prove to be a "penny wise, pound foolish" experience.

Generally, someone who is "cheap", not "inexpensive" or "affordable" but CHEAP is for a reason. And whether it's because they are sacrificing on either quality of product or service, do you really want to take the chance that it will be your wedding that is sacrificed. No? I didn't think so!

A Wedding Consultant with a quality business is one that, at minimum, has (or works for one that has) a valid business license and liability insurance. They posses and maintain an inventory of the proper tools to plan and direct a wedding (like keeping a stocked wedding emergency kit). In addition to skills in budget planning, logistics, etc., they took some education program to learn and comprehend the procedures and nuances of event planning and current trends and administer that advice to you to help you plan a successful event. They also understand how to direct a smoothly run wedding and handle things calmly and graciously under fire.
All these things require some investment in time and money. And yes, you will pay more for it!

I can't tell you how many times I have read horror stories of brides on various blogs that were the sorry result of choosing a cheap, newly married and sudden "Expert Day of Coordinator" they just "totally bonded with" on the "insert wedding website message board name here." So much money wasted by going for the CHEAP "buddy". Where was that buddy for you when you really needed them? It is heartbreaking to read these and worse, to hear them trying to rationalize their hurt.

If they had researched just a bit more to find the most highly qualified planner in a price range they could afford (even a well trained associate that works for a much more experienced planner) they would have learned ways to get even better value and style in their wedding for their budget, piece of mind that a professional is handling their event and a quality of service experience and you can' get that CHEAP my friends.

Don't be "penny wise and pound foolish". In this economy, your dollars are more precious than ever so ensure that you spend them WISELY with a professional who will get it right the first time!

Gifts for the Bridal Party - I

Bridal party gifts are always a challenge - you want to give them something that say thank you and shows your appreciation for them participating in your wedding but make it cute, stylish and personal. We're going to do a 4 part series on gifts we think are great for your special girls and guys standing up for you at your wedding.

You can never go wrong with Tiffany & Co. This has been a staple in our jewelery box for years.

Here's a few of our favorites for the girls:

And, here's our favorite pick for the guys:

Happy Shopping!

Favor Fun - a mini series I

Party favors are one of the best ways to show your guests that you appreciated them there. However, sometimes it can be hard to find that perfect gift to give. Favors are looked at as just "an added expense" by some couples. Yes, they are an expense but they are also an opportunity to show your creativity and thank your guests at the same time. It is the last impression of your wedding they are walking away with. I believe that most guests attending a wedding are looking forward to the favor they'll receive just for that reason.

A good rule of thumb is to always give something edible. Keep the cheapy frames at home. What is someone going to do with one 2x3 silver frame? Nothing - it's going in the the trash or garage sale the first chance they get. Chances are if it's something they can consume - half will eat/drink it on the spot and the other half will save it for the ride home or next day.

To help with creating the perfect favor for your event, I have a devised a short series on favors.

The first in the series is a gift I found at Beau Coup, called Personalized bridal
tea bags. Tea is the most popular beverage in the world, next to water. This will give a
uniqueness all your own. I loved this idea because the next morning they can enjoy a nice cut of tea and think back on the amazing wedding they attended the night before. You can also include a cup and saucer set, cute sugar cubes with the tea bags as a gift package. I could see this being such a great idea for an adorable favor for those who are doing an afternoon, garden wedding!

So adorable!

Master of Cake: Sylvia Weinstock

I had the privilege of meeting Sylvia back in October and let me tell you she's one of the most fun and unique people I've met in a long time. I got to hear her talk about her cakes, her famous glasses, where in inspiration comes from and how she runs her kitchen operation.

Those of us in attendance were also fortunate enough to receive an early copy of her book Sylvia Weinstock's Sensational Cakes. It's a beautiful that my clients enjoy flipping through when they're at the studio. I was also lucky enough to receive a few of her delicious Godiva Chocolate favors. If you haven't had one, it's worth getting one, or two because they chocolate is sooo yummy!

Here's a peak at a few pages from the book:

Alternative to Cake

Today, wedding cakes are still considered a focal point at a wedding reception. However, there are many couples that either do not like cake or just want to break tradition and do something truly unique to their personalities and style. So, what are the alternatives to the traditional wedding cake? The list is endless but here are a couple ideas to get you started:

• Assorted mini pastry desserts









• Candy buffet


Image courtesy of Erlina Kim (Erin & Justin's May 2008 wedding)





• Chocolate fountain with a variety of dipping foods









• Doughnuts (Mmm, Krispy Kreme...)

• Cinnamon rolls or funnel cakes







• Ice Cream bar (a local favorite is Jeni's Ice Cream)




Image courtesy of Erlina Kim (Erin & Justin's May 2008 Wedding)







• Sorbet (particularly refreshing after a heavy meal and my personal favorite)
  

Think outside the box - and enjoy!

Happy Valentines Day

We wanted to take minute to wish all of our readers a Happy Valentines Day! We wish you a day that filled with love and happiness...and maybe a few cookies too!

Survey Says...

I promise, this will only take a minute of your time! If you wouldn’t mind, please click on the link below and answer 9 quick, easy questions about different design aspects of wedding vendor’s websites.

Wedding Vendor Website Survey

We won’t record anything about you other than what state or country you are from - we don’t even ask for your email address so no spam or anything like that.

You will likely see this link on lots of other blogs and sites - this survey is being shared all over the blog-o-sphere so please take the survey only once.

If you have additional comments on the subject, please feel free to email me with those and I will share them with the other wedding vendors who are participating! We can’t wait to hear what you have to say!

(If you are a wedding vendor and would like to participate, just copy this post to your blog and email the link to emilie {@} emilieduncan {.} com - She will send you the results once we have closed the survey in March)

Favorite Things: The Grapeseed Candle Company

I received this cute little candle in a gift bag and LOVED it! So, of course, I just had to share it with you!

One thing I love about The Grapeseed Candle Company is they they environmentally conscience about each product they produce. The candles are 100% soy with a cotton wick so no polluting the air petroleum byproducts. They also burn 2x longer than regular candles. My favorite scent is the Fresh Cut Herbs. The candles are available in several shapes and sizes as well as unscented if you're going for the decor looks with no scent. They make perfect little gifts or even wedding favors.

In addition to candles they also offer a variety of other products - skin care, lip balms, pet care products and spa accessories.

Cake Toppers

Wedding cake toppers are small models that sit on top of the cake, normally a representation of a bride and groom in formal wedding attire. This custom was dominant in weddings in the 1950's where it represented togetherness. The bride and groom could then save the topper and display it in their home as a nice reminder of their special day. Modern weddings have embraced more variety in design and significance.

Wedding toppers today are often figures that indicate shared hobbies or other passions. If you google "wedding toppers" you will find an endless selection of toppers for every possible style of celebration: traditional, monogrammed, unique/unusual, theme, humorous and even toppers for anniversaries. While the choice seems endless, try to focus on what you and your fiance want to represent to your guests and choosing a cake topper should be easily checked off your list of "to-do's before I do".

Photos courtesy of (1) Michelle Waters and (2) Etsy

Happy Anniversary: Greg & Fefe

I can't believe an entire year has gone by already. It seems like yesterday we were in the freezing cold at beautiful Holy Cross for their multi cultural ceremony and at Ohio State for their very unique reception.

I also thought I'd share a few of my favorite things from their wedding weekend festivities. Thank you to Michelle Waters for providing the images!

Congratulations Greg & Fefe! I wish you many more years of love and happiness!

Special Guest Brutus Buckeye made an appearance at the rehearsal dinner at Ohio Stadium

The guys made a quick top at the 'Shoe on their way to the church for a private photo shoot

Beautiful Holy Cross Catholic Church. We did part of the ceremony in English and part in Portuguese.

Cala lilies were the flower of choice for all of the bouquets, bouts and centerpieces.

The new Mr & Mrs Aler

The wonderful Brazilian petite fours were so delectable. These were served along side the wedding cake.

Our unique reception venue on the The Ohio State University Campus. This image is compliments of Amy from C Studios.

SNEAK PEEK: Erica & Nate

We were in Cleveland this past weekend for Erica & Nate's winter wonderland wedding. And winter it was! We had a balmy 16 degrees on Saturday morning for the wedding. Thankfully it was nice and warm in our beautiful ballroom!

Amy from C Studios was kind enough to send me a couple images to hold me over until the rest are ready. I couldn't resist sharing with you!

A History

Photo credit theknot.com

The history of the wedding cake dates all the way back to the Roman Empire. The tradition of breaking cake over the bride's head symbolized the breaking of the bride's virginal state and dominance of the groom over his new bride. It is not surprising why this tradition faded...and faded fast.

In Medieval England a common custom was to create a pile of sweet buns in front of the new couple. Their success of kissing over the pile would symbolize many children in their future.

A tradition that is still seen today (although seldom) is to place a glass ring and other small trinkets inside the cake attached with ribbons. The single woman who found the ring would be the next to marry.

The history of the color of the wedding cake has changed meaning several times. White was first used because fancy ingredients were expensive and hard to come by. Because icing is made with refined sugar, the whiter the cake, the more affluent the family appeared. Later white symbolized purity (also true with a white wedding gown). In more modern times, the color white only symbolizes a celebration.

Still considered a standard tradition at most wedding receptions today is the cake cutting ceremony where the newlyweds cut the cake together and feed each other the first piece jointly, symbolizing that they will share all aspects of their new life; together.

Shawn & Kasey at their wedding in 2004

Photo from Kasey's private collection

Lastly, saving the top layer of the wedding cake also has changed meaning throughout history. Originally, it was assumed that a christening would soon follow the wedding ceremony. Couples would save the top layer of the lavish cake and serve it at the christening of their first born child. More recent, this period of time has lengthened and a new tradition was born (no pun intended!). Couples now celebrate their first anniversary by eating the top layer of their wedding cake served exactly one year ago.