Wedding: Dick & Elise (a summer affiar)

We had the pleasure of being apart of Dick and Elise's special day in June. It was an Oh so Lovely wedding. Elise was a wonderful bride she had so many fun summer colors. Her ceremony was at the Topiary park downtown and the reception was at the Bluestone. Lang Thomas was there photographer, he was a hoot to work with he had a real southern charm ( he is from Kentucky). Below are a few pictures from the wedding and the link is to the rest of the photos! Happy viewing!






                Photos Courtesy of Lang Thomas


xoxo, Kasey& The Bliss Girls

Casting Call: Randy To The Rescue is coming to Ohio!

Do you dream of walking down the aisle with the help of New York City’s premiere bridal expert but your budget doesn’t include a trip to the big apple? Never fear! It’s Randy to the Rescue!

For the first time ever, TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress fashion expert (and resident “FOB” – friend-of-the-bride) Randy, is heading off the floor ofKleinfeld and behind the wheel of a big rig – to bring his favorite gowns, his unsurpassed dress knowledge, and his signature “head-to-hem” styling approach to you!

If you love TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress and live in Ohio, now is your chance. Email randytotherescue@gmail.com with your name, age, location, and wedding date ASAP.

Randy will be in Cincinnati on March 18th, so don't waste anytime!  Casting will be coming to a close shortly, Best of luck!   

Making Your Wedding Day: The Bouquet

Make the wedding bouquet all your own with a brooch bouquet. Amanda Heer of San Jaun Capistrano California has been putting together these unique bouquet arrangements for over 10 years. Heer’s out of the box concept presents an opportunity for the bride to really make the bouquet hers.



Incorporate family heirlooms, favorite jewelry pieces, or create new memories with your fiancé by searching for brooches together. A green alternative to a real flower bouquet, this bouquet is a one of a kind arrangement that will last forever. Flowers are nice, but it’s brooches that could help make your day yours.


Photos from Amanda Heer's blog

Filene's Basement Running of the Brides

A little birdy left a few tips for success in my inbox today and I thought I'd share them with you just in case you were planning on shopping on Friday!

Happy Shopping!
Kasey


Last Minute Tips for Success

Friday, January 29, 2010 - 8:00am to 9:30pm – Filene’s Basement, Columbus, OH

Thursday night
· Drink lots of water
· Get a good night’s sleep

Friday morning, before you leave the house
· Food is fuel--have a good breakfast
· Dress in a sports bra and bike shorts, leotard or bathing suit
· Leave your handbag behind; you want as little as possible to keep track of
· Don’t wear make-up—it might rub off on the dresses
· No jewelry; last year a bride-to-be lost her engagement ring when it got caught on a lacy dress.

Best time to arrive at the store Friday morning
If you want to be part of the ‘rush to the racks’ then you should be at the store by 6:30am
Otherwise, arrive later (anytime after 11:00am) when things have calmed down and you can peruse the racks at your own pace

At the sale
Be considerate and play fair; please, please, please don’t horde dresses; grab what you can, go through the dresses quickly and give up what you don’t want so other brides can get started;

Filene’s Basement reserves the right to limit the number of gowns you can hold at one time.
Be open-minded --try on whatever comes your way; if you focus to much on a specific style or label, you might just miss the dress of your dreams

Remember, gowns usually run small; don’t even look at size tags. Just eyeball the dress and if it’s close to your size, try it on. There will be experts on alterations and cleaning there to advise you

Take a break if you get tired and cranky; grab some water
Take pictures and have fun! These memories will last a lifetime.

Cash, checks with ID, major credit cards are accepted. One day sale; gowns are not returnable. Visit www.filenesbasement.com/bridal.php for more information, including directions to the store.

NOTE: This event will likely be photographed and taped by local news outlets and by other photographers for possible broadcast or publication. By your entrance into and presence at the sale, you give unqualified consent to record, use and publicize your voice, actions, likeness and appearance in any manner in connection with news coverage and/or publicity. If you do not wish to be photographed or videotaped, please hold your hand up and inform the camera operator of your wishes. All photographers are required to have press credentials or Filene’s Basement authorization tags visible to customers. If you have any questions, please locate a Filene’s Basement manager.

Creative Centerpieces

Trying to find something fun yet creative for your wedding shower. These are adorable little centerpieces. You can also do this with fruit - cranberries (they float fyi), lemons, limes or oranges for a little added punch of color.

In this centerpiece, coffee beans are being used to ground these flowers and candles. Just simply fill your vase with coffee beans and the flowers you choose, add some green palm accents to get a creative and contemporary centerpiece!

Picture courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens

Alternative Wedding Rings

It's true that diamonds are a girl's best friend, but not every girl sees herself as a princess cut. So what's a bride to do when she wants a beautiful but offbeat engagement ring or band? There are tons of alternative wedding rings available that are just as gorgeous as traditional rings. The Cognac Diamond Ring by L Frank is absolutely stunning with twists of gold and pear-shaped cognac diamonds:

photo from www.twistonline.com

Alternative rings aren't just for the bride. Honor your offbeat bridal party with the Amity Ring by Turtle Love Committee. Studded with amethyst, blue topaz, peridot, citrine and two garnets, it's a wonderful way to show your bridesmaids that you appreciate their unique personalities.

photo from www.turtlelovecommittee.com

Win A Vintage Birdcage Veil!

Are you a vintage bride? Do you consider yourself to have a unique bridal style? If so, you could win this beautiful vintage birdcage veil from Razvan Photography. Available in white or ivory, this veil is a fabulous and classy addition to weddings, both vintage and modern. All you have to do to win is go to the Razvan Photography Blog and explain why you deserve the veil.

Good luck!

Custom Dresses

On your wedding day, everything is personalized to the bride and groom, so why not have the dresses personalized as well?

There is a great website that allows you to chose the bodice style, skirt length & shape, and the color of the dress. Not only can you customize all that, but you can also select detail for your dress and choose the color and fabric for that added touch. Once you complete those steps, just choose the size and you are good to go! See if you like what Olivia Luca has to offer and start designing the dress of your dreams today!

Bridal Shower Centerpieces

It's spring and that means summer wedding season is almost here. In addition to summer weddings we'll also see all of our brides having their bridal showers. Bridal showers can be so fun to theme and decorate for. I saw this adorable strawberry wheat grass centerpiece month or so ago and thought it would make for an adorable summer bridal shower centerpiece. I'm sure your local florist could help create something like this with other fruits like lemons, limes or oranges for your perfectly themed shower! Or for you brave DIY brides, you can tackle this on your own by watching and learning how to create your very own.

p.s. They also make great favors for your guests to take home with them!

Adorn Brides

I originally posted about Adorn Brides back in October but thought I'd re-post it with an exciting addition. As of today clients, family & friends of Bliss Weddings & Event can receive 20% off any rental with Adorn Brides. You'll need to use this code: CVULS1JJ when checking out to receive the discount.

Happy Shopping!

I am so excited to share this post with you today! I just LOVE my diamonds and was so happy when I found this lovely little company called Adorn Brides. They rent diamond jewelery for wedding day or special occasion. All of the jewelery is real and very affordable to rent for the day. For example a stunning pair of diamond earrings is only $110 to rent. The matching necklace is $380. I only wish Adorn Brides was around when I got married. I tried to do this and no one would even consider something like this.

Interviewing a Wedding Planner - My Answers

I wanted to share my answers to the questions I posted yesterday. The answers are current and is something that is constantly changing with each wedding season that passes. I would recommend using questions similar to these when interviewing any of your wedding vendors. It will give you a good measure of each vendor without a flashy website or blog to distract you. Of course spend that face to face interview time to make sure the person you are interviewing really gets your vision and your personalities mesh.

Here we go!...

1. Is wedding planning your only job? Yes, this is my full time job.



2. How many clients do you have right now? 11 weddings and special events are currently being planned.



3. How many weddings have you planned and executed in the last 24 months? We had 10 in the last 24 months that we had the privilege of planning start to finish.



4. How many weddings have you coordinated (wedding day coordination)in the last 24 months? We have had 12 weddings in the last 24 months.



5. Who were the last 4 photographers you worked with?

C Studios

Adam Lowe Photography

Aion Arts

Simon Yao Studios



6. What venues have you worked at in the last 6 months?

The Renaissance Cleveland

The Columbus Athenaeum

The Renaissance Columbus

The Athletic Club of Columbus

The Columbus Museum of Art

The Hyatt on Capital Square



7. Can I get a recommendation from one of your last 4 full service clients? Yes, absolutely.



8. Can I get a recommendation from one of your last 4 coordination clients? Yes absolutely.



9. Where can I see samples of your creative or design work? And are all the pictures on your website weddings that you planned? Yes, we have a very diverse portfolio to share with our prospective clients. Our website and blog are the best places to see our current projects.



Yes, all of the images are from weddings we have been a part of. None of the images you see are stock photos that were purchased or "borrowed" from stock photography sites.



10. Are contracts with vendors with my name or yours? Yes, contracts are in your name. The only time this is an exception is when we are purchasing something available to us as a trade professional for your event.



11. Do you only work with select vendors or at select locations? We do have vendors and companies we prefer to work with. They are companies we have experience working alongside of and are true, qualified professionals in their field. However, we do enjoy working with new vendors if the opportunity presents itself.



12. Have you ever worked for the venues you now plan weddings at? No, my past event planning work experience includes The Walt Disney World Co. As well as the fashion retailer -EXPRESS and national cheer & dance company - AmeriCheer Inc.



13. Do you accept any kick-backs or commissions? No.



14. Do you offer invitation etiquette assistance? Yes.



15. Can I order any products from you, such as linens, invitations, and chairs? Yes, we offer a specialized line of invitations that is very fitting for our clientele. We arrange linen and rentals for a majority of our clients.



16. How quickly can I expect replies to phone calls and emails? We strive to return phone calls and emails with in 24 hours.



17. Do you have assistants that will be helping at my wedding day? How many? Yes, there will be a minimum of 2 of us on site for your wedding. That can vary depending on the size and complexity of the decor and logistics of your event.



18. Will you be on site the entire length of my wedding day? Yes we are there before the ceremony and in most cases (depending on what we've been contracted for) stay until everyone has left for the night. This, too, can very depending on the size, complexity of the decor and logistics of the event.



19. Are your rates negotiable? No they are not negotiable. However we are happy to work with you to create a package that best suits your wedding needs.



20. Did you receive any type of training to become a wedding/event planner? Yes, I rely on my past event planning experience with AmeriCheer and EXPRESS as well as the Association of Bridal Consultants Professional Bridal Consultant course. We are also required to maintain our Professional Bridal Consultant status by continuing our education every year.



21. What happens if you are sick and can't be there the day of our wedding? I have another senior wedding planner on staff who can step into my role should something happen to me. I am also a member of the Columbus Bridal Consults and have a network of 16 other qualified professionals I can call on to assist in an emergency.

Interviewing A Wedding Planner: The Questions You Should Be Asking

I thought this was one of the best interview lists I've seen around, so I thought I'd share them with you. These interview questions are from my friend Kelly, who owns Weddings By Socialites in Cape Coral, FL. I also added a couple that I feel are important enough to be included in this list.

There are quite a few people out there today who claim to be "wedding planners" or "wedding coordinators", so interviews like this and face to face are crucial in ensuring the person you are considering is a true professional and can make your wedding wishes and desires a reality on wedding day.



1. Is wedding planning your only job?

2. How many clients do you have right now?

3. How many weddings have you planned and executed in the last 24 months?

4. How many weddings have you coordinated (wedding day coordination)in the last 24 months?

5. Who were the last 4 photographers you worked with?

6. What venues have you worked at in the last 6 months?

7. Can I get a recommendation from one of your last 4 full service clients?

8. Can I get a recommendation from one of your last 4 coordination clients?

9. Where can I see samples of your creative or design work? And are all the pictures on your website weddings that you planned?

10. Are contracts with vendors with my name or yours?

11. Do you only work with select vendors or at select locations?

12. Have you ever worked for the venues you now plan weddings at?

13. Do you accept any kick-backs or commissions?

14. Do you offer invitation etiquette assistance?

15. Can I order any products from you, such as linens, invitations, and chairs?

16. How quickly can I expect replies to phone calls and emails?

17. Do you have assistants that will be helping at my wedding day? How many?

18. Will you be on site the entire length of my wedding day?

19. Are your rates negotiable?

20. Did you receive any type of training to be come a wedding/event planner?

21. What happens if you are sick and/or unable to be there for the wedding?



Tomorrow - you'll see my answers to these questions!

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!

Sentimental...

I thought this was a very cute and unique idea that I've seen more and more lately.

We are either placing or lighting a candle in memory of family members or close friends who have passed away and are not in attendance at the wedding. Usually we'll have a small flower arrangement on the altar, a flower placed on an empty seat or a candle lit during the candle lighting ceremony with the mothers. I'm so in love with these small lockets that you can place a small picture of a loved one(s) tied to the bridal bouquet. I've had several brides in the past week also carry their grandmothers favorite broach or other family heirloom on their bouquet and it looked really gorgeous! Here's one example. Doesn't it look so nice?

Photo courtesy of La Vie Photography.

Photo courtesy of Timary Lee

photo courtesy of evoke photography

Cover Girls

Hey all my Bliss Brides!

I would LOVE to see one of you beautiful ladies on the cover of Modern Bride magazine! There are 2only weeks left in the contest so don't delay. All you have to do is click on the image below and complete the entry form.

Good Luck!

Competing the look...

Veils are something that many of my brides contemplate leaving out of their bridal look. I personally like them because they "balance out" the look. A big white dress on the bottom needs something to tie it all together and the veil works beautifully. The challenge is where do buy a great looking veil without breaking the bank? The VeilShop.com is where!

At the VeilShop.com has a huge selection of veil styles that are custom made just for you. You can choose the color of your veil, the length, how many layers, and any embellishments you would like whether it is rhinestones, pearls or crystals. The best part is that they are super affordable! I've actually seen them in person and will tell you they are beautiful. I wanted to wear one for the day just for fun! They even have those hard to find Bird Cage veils that are coming back in style.

They also offer a selection of tiaras and jewelery. I was very impressed with the various styles and looks of the tiaras. They do not have a physical shop so you can only get them online. They are happy to send samples of materials and beading so you can be sure you are getting exactly what you want.

Final Planning Meetings

I have had two Final Planning Meetings in the past week and in each meeting the Bride felt that they were very organized going into the meeting but then at the end felt totally unprepared and a little overwhelmed. So this prompted this PSA.

The purpose of a Final Planning Meeting is to look at all the elements of your wedding, this includes items like venue, the menu and vendors. We'll also discuss other details like ceremony processional, flower placement, table linens, etc. Overall, just make sure that you and I are on the same page. This meeting is so important because when wedding day arrives, I am an extension of you, handling all the details you loved and wanted - just the way you wanted them. You and FI can relax and just enjoy the day knowing I'm working for you to help create a fantastic day you'll always cherish.

Things to remember to bring with you (this is not a complete list but a few of the bigger items we'll discuss) - all of your vendor contracts, pictures of your wedding inspirations - to refresh my memory if I don't have copies of them, copies of your ceremony order, copies of your readings, etc.

So after the final meeting and you've got a to do list the size of Texas, relax and know we'll get it all done and know my team and I have it all under control!