The Finishing Touch

Christine Terezakis Shares How to Choose Your Wedding Planner

Honestly, not every wedding planner is for every bride.  And, there are a lot of wedding planners out there.  So how do you choose the right one?  It's simple.  You have to pick someone who is the absolute best fit for YOU. 

Your engagement is the start of your partnership in marriage.  So, you should partner with eachother when choosing your wedding planner.  Find someone who you both agree on.  Be sure to do an extensive initial meeting or consultation, in person or by phone or skype, with the planner(s) you're considering.  I always request that the bride and groom both take part in my initial getting acquainted meetings. 

Here's what you should be looking for:

First and foremost, you have to find someone you like and who you are comfortable with.  You are going to be spending a lot of time with them.  And you need to be able to share your honest opinions with them.  A good planner will wear many hats, so be sure yours can wear them well: planner, mediator, designer, negotiator, friend, liason, listener, advisor...the list goes on.

You'll need a planner who has options that work for you, and within your budget.  See who can offer different service packages or programs and, if none of those are a perfect fit for you, customization of the services you need.  If the "look" of your wedding is a priority to you, make sure that your planner has some design background.  Some planners offer planning and coordination only, while others can also handle your wedding decor design.

Look for a planner that works with a variety of vendors instead of the same ones for each event they plan.  A planner with this versatility will match you with vendors who are best suited to your event style and budget.  It also keeps them in touch with current trends and unique vendors that can really personalize your wedding. 

A planner should be a "Double E"---experienced and excited!  Find someone who loves what they do and is dedicated to their field.  Ask if they're a wedding planner full time or if they're a part time planner on the side of another full time job.  Look at photographs of events they've produced.  Show them your ideas and see what ideas they can offer to bring your vision to life.  If someone is passionate about what they do, you'll know.  Trust me, if you want that dream wedding, you'll want a planner who is passionate.

One more thing...don't base your decision so much on price.  In the wedding industry you usually get what you pay for.  This is an important investment in your wedding.  There is a wide range of prices for wedding planners because each one is so different---different levels of experience, different talents, different approaches to service, different ethics, different personalities.  Find someone you really want to work with.  Finding your wedding planner is kind of like finding your wedding dress...when it's the right one, you'll know.

Happy planning!

Christine 

Christine Terezakis is a wedding planner, event designer based in south Florida's Treasure Coast and serving brides throughout Florida and destinations beyond.

Dreamday Celebrations www.dreamdaycelebrations.com  772.220.0373

Christine of Dreamday Celebrations Conducts Power-Planning-Sessions With Destination Wedding Couple: Naomi and Angel

This week I enjoyed another power-planning-session with one of my wonderful destination wedding couples, Naomi and Angel.  The save-the-dates are sent, the venue is selected, the event design is established, the tastings are done, the cake is designed, the photographer and videographers are chosen, the floral concepts are created, the attire is ordered, the crafting details are in progress, and today...the linens and transportation are decided!  This is just a glimpse of all the details that are involved with a wedding, but a destination wedding makes pulling together all of those details (and more!) just a bit more challenging for the bride and groom. 

This couple's destination happens to be here.  Like many of my wedding clients, they are the ones coming in from out of the area, along with many of their guests.  So, most of our work together is being done long distance, with the help of modern technology.  It's always crucial that, when they are planning to come into town, I have a planning gameplan and a day or more available to work with them on their plans.  Believe it or not, scheduling a day like that involves a couple of weeks of planning too!  It means questions to vendors, scheduling appointments that flow one to the next, and a solid plan of what is to be accomplished that day...and if you ask any of my brides, they'll tell you that we accomplish A LOT.

If you're planning a destination wedding outside of the area where you live, whether in another town, another state, or even another country, it's really worth looking into hiring a wedding planner.  Be sure they're experienced with handling destination weddings and destination clients. The logistical needs and the emotional needs of a destination client are very different from those of someone local.  The planner doesn't necessarily have to be located in that destination, but, they definitely need to be qualified to handle the job.  Look at their experience (REAL experience, NOT how long they've lived in the area), inquire about their education and specialty background (Example: Are they mainly a florist, or an officiant, or a DJ who likes to plan weddings, or are they a dedicated wedding planner who is well educated and experienced with every aspect of weddings?), talk to their past destination clients, ask them about their network of vendors across the country and the world.  (For example, I personally have colleagues and vendor acquaintances all over the United States as well as other countries, and connections with resorts and travel through my affiliation and ACTIVE PARTICIPATION with the Association of Bridal Consultants.)  This may all sound like a shameless plug for myself, but truly these are some of the things that set me apart from the rest. 

One more tip about picking a wedding planner for your destination wedding (or any kind of wedding)...Make sure you know, like, and trust them!   The "like" should come easliy once you've talked with them. But, how do you get to know and trust them before you hire them?  Read their blogs, follow them on social networks, subscribe to their E-zines and newsletters.  You can do all of this before you ever meet them. 

If you'd like a free subscription to my Dreamday E-zine of tips and trends for weddings and entertaining, I'd love to have you on my list of fabulous brides!  (It's okay if you're not a bride, the information is fun for anyone who likes weddings and entertaining.)  You'll even receive a free report that I've written about creating dream weddings!  Click here for the direct link to easily sign yourself up.

Happy planning,

Christine

Christine Terezakis is a wedding planner, event designer based in south Florida and serving brides of the Treasure Coast and destinations beyond.

Dreamday Couture Wedding Planning & Event Design

(formerly named: Dreamday Celebrations)

Save Big on Your Wedding Bar Tab

 "The liquor question" is a biggie when making decisions about your wedding reception. Will you serve liquor? Should you have an open bar or cash bar?  What will you offer, and for how long?  These are the questions with answers that will affect the cost of your wedding reception in a big way.

Serving no alcohol.  Unless your whole guest list consists of non-drinkers (or you're hosting your reception in a county with 24/7 dry laws), this is not the most guest-friendly option, even though it is the most cost-saving one.  I suggest that if you choose to save big and not serve liquor, host your reception in the morning or early afternoon, when people are less likely to drink alcohol.

Open bar versus cash bar.  Let's put it this way, you're the host, inviting people to your party (people who will, by the way, be bringing you gifts).  If you were throwing a party at your house, would you ask your guests to pay for the drinks they consume?  Hosting a reception is very much the same thing.  Invited guests at a wedding reception are not expecting to have to pay for their drinks. That's something they expect to do when they're out on the town, partying with their friends. This will be a negative point about your celebration in their minds, no matter how wonderful (and free) everything else is.

Limit the cash bar option. If you want to do a cash bar, consider doing it for the last hour of your reception when wedding cake and coffee will be served, and/or during your cocktail hour when you can offer appetizers and non-alcoholic beverages to keep guests satisfied until dinner.  You could also close the bar just during dinner.  When you're paying for bar service, you're charged by the hour, so think of times that would be reasonable for not offering it, and cut your hourly costs.

Serve beer and wine only.  You can opt to not offer a full bar service and serve only beer and wine as your liquor options.  That way, you're serving alocohol, but won't incur the huge bill you'd have with a variety of hard liquor.  You'll also avoid the need for (and cost of) mixers and garnishes.  And, a bar tender wouldn't be necessary (one less person to pay). Guests can easily self serve from a table of assorted wines, and from coolers iced with beers.  Another idea for wine is to put a bottle of red and white wine on each dining table for your guests to help themselves.

Offer a signature drink.  If you don't want to go the beer and wine route, you can serve a signature drink (or two), for your cocktail hour, or throughout your whole reception.  You could do versions with and without alcohol.  If this is the only alcoholic beverage you'll be serving, try to pick something that will appeal to a lot of people.  Your family's favorite recipe for "rum and rhubarb runners" might not go over so well.

Skip the champagne toast.  Let guests toast with whatever they're drinking.  Champagne often goes to waste because many people don't drink it, or they'll have a sip for the sake of toasting, and throw the rest away.   This advice holds true no matter what you decide to do for your reception's liquor options.  A toast is a toast, no matter what you're drinking.

 

Happy planning!

Christine

Christine Terezakis is a Professional Wedding Planner, Event Designer serving south Florida, the Treasure Coast, and the Palm Beaches.

Dreamday Celebrations Event Planning & Design

www.dreamdaycelebrations.com

 

 

Revealing Yourselves ~ Pre-ceremony Photos

Some of the sweetest moments I've seen at weddings are when the bride and groom do a "reveal."  This is a private moment and photo session of the couple seeing each other for the first time, all dressed up in their wedding attire just before their ceremony.

Sometimes couples are torn between doing the traditional waiting until the ceremony to see each other OR doing the reveal beforehand.  Sometimes it's a matter of their parents not wanting them to break with tradition.  Sometimes it's even a matter of superstition.

There's no right or wrong answer for this, but there are some reasons why you may want to consider doing this special portrait session ahead of time.

Privacey.  This is one of the only times on your wedding day that the two of you will be alone until the reception is over.  You'll be relaxed (instead of nervous from all eyes looking at you) as you see each other for the first time.  And you can talk to each other and hug and kiss, which are things you won't be able to do until after your ceremony.

Great photo op.  The photographer will catch "the moment" that you first see each other in a close intimate setting.  It's harder to get that shot and that feeling when you're at opposite ends of the aisle.  Some of your best wedding photographs will come from this session because they can be done on location in any beautiful setting.

Time savings.  Getting some of your photographs taken care of before the wedding will shave off some of the time you'll spend being photographed after the ceremony.  The sooner those after-ceremony pictures are done, the sooner you can get to your reception and enjoy your celebration.

(Photo courtesy of Jennifer Borrowski Photography)

Happy planning,
Christine

Christine Terezakis is a Professional Wedding Planner serving south and southeast Florida, the Treasure Coast, and the Palm Beaches.

Dreamday Celebrations Event Planning & Design

 

2010 Invitation Trends

Today I'm featuring an article written by one of my fellow Assoc.of Bridal Consultants members.  Sylvia Nikitas is the owner of Paper Dance, a fine stationery store in Ormond Beach, Florida.  I've had the pleasure of talking with Sylvia at several ABC conferences and seminars over the past couple of years.  I hope you'll enjoy her insight to this year's invitation trends.

2010 Invitation Trends

By: Sylvia Nikitas, AWV, Paper Dance, Ormond Beach, FL

BE REGAL

- The ―IT color of the 2010 season is Purple. What an elegant way to lend a majestic overtone and romantic undertone to one’s wedding stationery! Don’t hesitate to accent tints and shades of this palette with oranges, greens, and blue accents. In addition to color, always consider the quality of the paper stock and the printing process, for both greatly influence the overall appearance of the invitation.

BE NATIVE

- The color orange is not only synonymous with the Sunshine State, but with this season’s top colors as well. From bold citrus to fall leaves, this color easily transcends the seasons adding warmth to the rich colors of nature. Think warm thoughts with vibrant reds, sharp peach tones and yellows, avoiding pastelsea.

BE ECO-FRIENDLY

- Look for invitations that are easy on the eyes as well as the earth. Select natural embellishments to enhance your invitation, such as ribbons in cotton or silk. (Raffia is ―out for 2010.) Themes inspired by nature have retained their popularity as have birds and butterflies.

BE TOGETHER

- Monograms remain as popular as ever this year, but kalograms are taking the lead with stylized full names of the bride and groom.

BE ORIGINAL

– Success is in the cards, as a memorable event begins with a well-designed invitation. Custom invitations remain in demand and reflect a couple’s signature style and tone of the wedding day. Opt to be bold this season and celebrate with strong colors and patterns, including floral motifs, geometrics and art deco designs. Gray returning as a strong neutral. The current trend encourages all pieces of a set to reflect continuity by following the same design. Where papers used to be plain in color and isolated from the primary piece, they now offer a unified look. The envelopes should coordinate design traits as well.

Sylvia Nikitas will be presenting:

A Passion for Paper and Personalization at ABC’s 2010 Business of Brides Annual Con-ference along with Elayne Barker and Gayle O’Donnell, ABC’s "Paper Divas."

Happy planning,

Christine Terezakis

Wedding Planner serving south and southeast Florida, the Treasure Coast and the Palm Beaches.

Dreamday Celebrations Event Planning & Design

5 Expert Tips on Meeting with Your Wedding Vendors

Over the years, I've sat in on many vendor appointments with my bridal clients.  So, I'm very familiar with how the whole process goes.  I make sure my brides are always prepared before we walk into those appointments, and of course they have me there to help them through it too.

But, what about the brides who don't have a Wedding Planner to help them out?  Vendors tell me those brides are usually pretty unprepared for their vendor appointments, no matter how well-armed they are with DIY planning books.

So, I'd like to share a few quick pointers that will help you prepare for those appointments, and ultimately help you get exactly what you want.

#1- Get a grip, on your budget that is.  Know what you have budgeted for the vendor you will be talking to.  Don't waste time meeting with vendors who are out of your price range to begin with.  Research your vendors beforehand, then meet only with the ones you're genuinely interested in working with.

#2- Get it together.  Be organized with your ideas.  Make lists, clip photos. Instead of telling a vendor you have no idea what you want, at least be able to tell them (or show them) what you like. 

#3- Get it across.  When going through the vendor selection process, be a good communicator.  Be honest if you don't like an idea, or if you want (or don't want) something they're offering in a package.  Tell them what's important to you and what you're basing your decision on. (Besides the price.)

#4- Get the picture.  Whenever possible, look at real samples, attend a band performance, schedule a tasting, order a floral mock-up, do what you can to see and experience the actual service or product you're considering up close and in person. 

#5- Get it in writing.  Once you've decided who to hire, get everything in writing.  I don't care how nice they are or how long you've known them, the details of your agreement must be put in writing and signed by both parties. This will avoid any confusion on what services or products you'll be receiving, how much you're paying, and when the event date is.  Trust me on this one.

Happy planning!

Christine

Christine Terezakis is a Wedding Planner, Event Designer serving southeast Florida, the Treasure Coast, and the Palm Beaches

Dreamday Celebrations Event Planning & Design

Place Cards: What they are, and how to use them!

There always seems to be this confusion about what a place card is.  It's kind of funny that I find myself explaining this at almost every wedding we do.  People tend to confuse the place card with the escort card, and don't realize that there's a separate purpose and name for each.

The place card is used to let guests know what seat they are sitting in at the reception.  It's placed at their specific spot at their designated table.  It shows them their "place" to sit.  One name is placed on each place card.  Place cards are not always necessary.  Use them only if you want to assign specific seating arrangements.  They are especially useful if guests have pre-selected their entree, because you can specify their selection on the place card so the serve staff will know what to serve each guest without having to ask them.

The escort card is used to let guests know which table they are assigned to.  These are usually placed near the entrance to the reception, along with all of the escort cards for the other guests.  It "escorts" them to the right table.  It's not necessary to have a seperate escort card for each guest, you can combine couple's onto one escort card. 

An alternative to the escort card display is to create a seating chart that displays lists of table numbers with the guests assignment to each table. A diagram of the reception room table placement is very helpful when you have a lot of tables.  This helps point your guests in the right direction of their table.

 
 
 Creative Ideas:  You don't have to use traditional stationery pieces for place cards and escort cards.  They can be made into fun things like: tags tied to boxed favors; notes pinned to mini pumpkins; cards hanging from ribbon streamers; printed sand dollars standing in sand...think about your theme and tie it in! 

Happy planning,

Christine

South Florida Treasure Coast Wedding Planner

Dreamday Celebrations Event Planning & Design

What Weddings Cost

  All too often, couples start out planning a wedding without having any idea of what a wedding costs.  They usually just know what what they want to spend (wedding budget).  But to really plan out your wedding finances, it's important to know what the average cost of things are in each category.  And honestly, that answer is different depending on where your wedding is going to be and where your vendors and services are coming from.

  I recommend doing some research, not only about which vendors you like, but also on what the going rate is for vendors, products, and services in your wedding location.  This is something you should really do first.  You may be surprised (okay, SHOCKED) at what you find. 

So, how do you do this?  Well, don't get out the phone book and start calling every wedding vendor you see.  Most won't talk pricing over the phone.  Once you know what you are going to spend on them, then you can call and make appointments to talk with the ones you're serious about possibly hiring.  

 I came across a couple of web sites that you can start your research with.  The first is www.costofwedding.com   This site offers a handy "wedding cost estimating" tool.  You fill in the blanks about your wedding and it will give you a cost estimate range on what that type of a wedding typically costs in your area. (You enter your zip code.)  What I like about this estimate is that it was based on what brides and grooms have actually spent in that geographic area, and not on the actual vendor pricing.  Very handy.  Just keep in mind that you will be given an average, so don't start arguing with vendors if their prices are different from what your estimate says.  There are a lot of factors that go into pricing services, and everyone's wedding needs are different.  But this tool will certainly give you an idea of whether your wedding is going to cost closer to say $25,000 instead of the $15,000 you'd budgeted for.

Another one I liked was www.costhelper.com This is a resource for seeing what people pay for a multitude of different items, not just wedding items.  I plugged in things like "avg cost of a wedding dress or tuxedo."  All these great articles and references popped up.  I could have done that all day! (Instead, I decided to tell you all about it!)

Research, research, research. It's so important, especially if your budget it tight.  Know what prices to expect before you write that first check.

Happy planning,

Christine

Christine Terezakis- Wedding Planner serving Florida's southeast, Treasure Coast, and the Palm Beaches

Dreamday Celebrations Event Planning & Design

Will the Real Wedding Planner Please Stand Up?

Congratulations to all of you newly engaged couples!

January is such a busy time in our planning office because there are so many engagements that have taken place over the holidays, and brides are calling to find out about our wedding planning services.  I'm really enjoing meeting with all of the couples whose weddings I'll be planning over the next year.

One topic that continues to come up is the role of a Professional Wedding Planner versus the role of someone who is designated as the "Wedding Planner" or "Wedding Coordinator" of the venue where the wedding reception will take place. Many venues are marketing themselves as one-stop-shops for weddings, and will throw in a "Wedding Planner" or "Coordinator" as an additional free service.  But, there is a huge difference between a venue Wedding Planner and a Professional Wedding Planner. 

I'd like to share some comparisons with you that will clarify who the Professional Wedding Planners are, as compared to the ones you'll find at the catering venues and hotels. 

For starters, a Professional Wedding Planner will belong to a professional organization that's dedicated to the wedding industry.  This type of an orgazination will encourage a code ethics and professionalism, and provide ongoing educational opportunities to its members so that they will gain cutting edge knowledge, and remain up to date on wedding industry trends.

A Professional Wedding Planner is typically the business owner and has a personal, vested interest in your business with them, unlike the venue's Wedding Planner who is merely an employee of the company.  Those are two different worlds of attitude that will affect their willingness to spend time on your service needs (and frequent questions) on a regular basis. 

A Professional Wedding Planner will recommend vendors best suited to you and your event needs, they'll attend vendor appointments with you, and they'll help guide you with ideas and suggestions.  A venue's Wedding Planner will give you a list of vendors for you to call yourself. They will not attend appointments with you or give you design input. (They might show you pictures of what's already been done at their venue.)

A Professional Wedding Planner will assist at your ceremony site. A venue's Wedding Planner will assist at the ceremony site only if it is at their venue.

A Professional Wedding Planner is knowledgeable about how to help you with all aspects of your wedding.  A venue's Wedding Planner will coordinate only the reception services provided by their venue.

A Professional Wedding Planner will oversee all of the vendors involved with your wedding.  A venue's Wedding Planner will oversee only the venue's staff.

A Professional Wedding Planner will help you plan a unique celebration.  A venue's Wedding Planner will give you the same choices that the venue offers every bride (AKA: all-inclusive packages).

For these reasons and more, a Professional Wedding Planner will charge you a fee for their services, based on their expertise and level of experience.  A venue's Wedding Planner's services are free.

You really do get what you pay for.

Happy planning!

Christine

Christine Terezakis,   South Florida Treasure Coast Wedding Planner   

Dreamday Celebrations Event Planning & Design

 

 

Bridal Beauty Emergencies

 

One of my favorite wedding movies is "My Big Fat Greek Wedding."  I'm thinking about the scene in the limo where the groom tells his new bride that he got rid of a zit he woke up with that morning by spraying Windex on it. 

The truth is that beauty emergencies really do happen.  Maybe Windex isn't the answer, but there are some quick fixes that can help a bride out in a pinch.

Here are some solutions that might come in handy on your Big Day:

1. If your eyes are puffy, place moist chilled tea bags (with caffeine) on eyelids and relax.
2. To calm skin redness, use a cream product that contains benzoyle peroxide or cortisone. Dab it on and even it out with a small makeup brush. Cover with concealer.
3. To control that wedding day pimple, put antibiotic cream on it instead of acne cream which will dry it out and make it harder to conceal.
4. Worried about sunburn during your outdoor ceremony? Apply a moisturizer with SPF protection instead of a heavy greasy sunscreen.
5. To relieve the pain of sunburn, take ibuprofen.
6. If you don't have concealer and you have dark circles under your eyes, apply base makeup under your eyes in a lighter shade than the makeup you'll use on the rest of your face.
7. In addition to eye drops for tired red eyes, use a navy blue eyeliner at your bottom inner lash line to make eyes look whiter. 
8. If you're crying, don't wipe your eyes before the tears drop. Let them drop to your cheek and then dab them away instead of smearing your eye makeup. Wearing waterproof mascara is really the best way to avoid smudges and streaks.
9. Help reduce bikini line bumps by taking Advil or Tylenol thirty minutes before waxing. (Better yet, have your waxing professionally done one week prior to the wedding.)
10. Drink water to combat a headache, dizziness, hangover, and hunger. Light snacks like crackers, dry cereal, or pretzels will help as well.
11. BONUS TIP: Bring a beauty emergency kit with you. Pack it days before the wedding. Fill it with travel sizes of possible necessities such as extra makeup, medications, hair products, snacks, sewing kit, feminine products, cleaning wipes for hands, clothes, and shoes.

Happy planning,

Christine Terezakis, southeast Florida Treasure Coast Wedding Planner

Dreamday Celebrations Event Planning & Design