Congratulations! Now that you are happily married, why not visit the happiest place on Earth to celebrate your honeymoon? After having spent a semester in Disneyworld as an intern, I have seen the biggest smiles upon newlyweds walking across Disney property. If you think it is solely a place for kids, this is not the case.

A Disney honeymoon can be booked a year in advance and can offer more than you imagine:

• Great photo opportunities around the park of you and your spouse infront of scenic sites
• Make reservations for romantic dinners at the parks, this can include Mickey and his friends if it’s something you are interested in. You can also share delicious dinners at one of the restaurants in the World Showcase at Epcot or make your reservation for one of Disney’s dinner shows.
• Enjoy a relaxing day outside of the parks at one of Disney’s upscale resorts, this can even include spa treatments
• Watch the fireworks from Main Street infront of Cinderella’s castle
• Wear your mouse ears with a veil and a top hat for your husband to let everyone know what you’re celebrating. Not to mention, these would be great pictures to share with others!

Whether you are there to enjoy the attractions, parades, or the beautiful surroundings, a Disney honeymoon can satisty a wide arrange of your newlywed dreams.

During the month of August, SJE will be posting a variety of ideas on where you and your new sweetheart can embark to celebrate your marriage.

Yes, we all know that the economy has largely affected individuals in more ways than one, but there is no reason not to include your honeymoon expenses into your budget. If you are looking for some ways to save, consider going on a cruise. Cruises are becoming more affordable and are still a great way to share a romantic getaway. The earlier you plan, the better the offers that you can find. Other advantages of choosing to go on a cruise are that most expenses are paid for in advance, you are able to visit multiple places, and of course that you’ll spend every moment of it with your spouse.

So don’t forget to pack your swimsuits and take plenty of pictures as newlyweds!

In August, we will be featuring some of our favorite honeymoon locations and the resources you can utilize to the plan the best honeymoon. So grooms, pay attention because the honeymoon is all on you. No pressure.

1.   Cookie display.  You could have small cartons of milk chilling on ice to make the display complete.

2.  Soda Fountain.  How about an old fashioned soda fountain display where guests can make their own floats?

3. Sundae Station.  Allow guests the opportunity to embellish their own ice cream sundaes with all the trimmings!

4. Salty Treats.  Maybe you or your fiancee love trail mix, pretzels, and potato chips.  Let guests pack a snack for later!

I hope you were inspired!  Don’t eat too much this weekend.

This month we have been talking about having Plan B for the rain, the unforeseen natural disaster scenario or the unfortunate case where a vendor has to close up shop.  Today I want to talk with you about being prepared for the little items that can be overlooked on the day of your wedding.  Any wedding planner carries an emergency bag with them, which contains quick fixes for your day.  Just in case you may not have a planner present, these are some items I recommend you getting for your wedding day:

• Rubbing Alcohol:  Just in case you get some lipstick on your dress, you can use rubbing alcohol and gently blot that stain out.
• Baby Powder: Can be used to get last minute stains out of that white dress.
• Sewing Kit: Just in case that hem comes out of place and you need a quick fix or one of the bridesmaid dresses is in need of some repairment.
• Masking Tape:  If you’re not a sewer and a hem becomes loose, then masking tape will be your new best friend.
• Bottle of Super Glue: This is a great quick fix for a broken nail, bead work, or jewelry.
• Clear Tape: After taking all those pictures before the wedding , flowers can get a little wear and tear.  Clear tape is great for fixing flowers.
• Bobby Pins: Even though you have a 100 of these in your hair, trust me you always can use more.  
• Clear Nail Polish:  This can be used for a snag in your stockings, a quick fix for a chipped nail or even for a scratch for leather shoes.
• Breath mints or Gum:  This may not seem like an emergency item at first, but almost every bride ask me for a mint right before they walk down the aisle.
• Eye Lash Glue:  If you are getting fake eyelashes make sure you have some back up glue, just in case you start crying and those lashes start coming off.
• Standard Items: Be sure to have Advil, Acid relief medicine, spray deodorant, hair spray, shout wipes, nail polish remover, lady products, tissues, earring backs, brush, and a lint roller.

If you are feeling a little overwhelmed by gathering all these items, don’t worry you can also now purchase these kits online.  Let us know what would be your must-have item for your emergency day kit.

Photo Courtesy of Shop Daily Wedding Blog

Hello Simply Jubilee bloggers and welcome to another Feature Friday. When planning a wedding it may be simple to overlook some important details that may be a serious problem the day of your wedding, such as unpredictable weather. In order to avoid the possibility of undesirable weather, typically rain in the Houston area, there are some cautionary steps you can take to avoid this from happening. Consider the month that your wedding will take place and figure out what the weather is typically like. If it is a month that usually has inclement weather, you may want to make some changes. Below is a list with the best tips:

Once You Have Settled with your Decision:

1. Discuss the topic with you wedding planner, they are familiar with these types of situations and can always provide advice that will suit your individual wedding best.

2. It is common to also include a tent as a part of your rentals, however this may be too costly for some brides and a tent is usually only good if flooring is also included. Therefore an alternative to this would be to ensure that if your ceremony is going to be held outside, that there is space inside where the reception will be held to accommodate for the ceremony if necessary.

3.  Include umbrellas as part of your wedding design that your guests can use. Choose colors for the umbrellas that would go well with your wedding colors and would look great to photograph. Rainy days have been the cause of very romantic and distinctive photos.

If it turns out that a mist or rain still occurs on your special day, many believe it is actually a sign of good luck and a long lasting marriage.

I know what you may be thinking, “I have to buy insurance too?”  But think of it like this, you pay for coverage for your automobile which costs 25k.  Yet you could spend 50k or more on your wedding day.  Why not protect this investment, too?

• What is wedding insurance?  Generally there are two types of wedding insurance which are: Liability and Cancellation/Postponement Insurance. 

Liability Insurance

Liability insurance is used to cover the Bride and Groom from certain types of claims arising from accidents taking place during the wedding, reception, and rehearsal.  It offers protection for the wedding couple for damage to the facility caused by a guest or vendor, bodily injury to guests, and alcohol-related accidents they are found liable for.

Cancellation/postponement Insurance

Event Cancellation/postponement insurance is designed to safeguard your wedding from unexpected mishaps.  It covers cancellation/postponement and losses such as no-show vendors, bankruptcy of vendors, damage to the wedding attire, theft of gifts, and more.

• How much does it cost?

As with all insurance the cost is dependent on the coverage amounts you choose but I used a coverage calculator from Wedsafe.com.  I requested a quote based upon a 75k wedding and the cost was $511.00 for the liability and cancellation/postponement coverage.

• Does cancellation/postponement Insurance cover weather related disasters?

Yes, it will provide coverage if the weather conditions are extreme enough to prevent the Bride/Groom and/or their immediate families from attending the wedding or reception which renders the event unusable or unsafe.

• Can you give me a recommendation for companies that offer this type of insurance?

Wed Safe 

Protect My Wedding

 NASEP

Now it’s your turn SJE fans!  For our brides-to-be, have you heard of any stories from your married friends where a vendor filed bankruptcy before their big day?  Event planners, do you know of a situation where a venue was damaged in a natural disaster?  Feel free to share!

Happy Friday to all of our SJE blog followers!  I know I say this at the beginning of every month, but I seriously can’t believe how time flies. I am excited to introduce our new Feature Friday blog series. This month we will be focusing in on having that Plan B for your wedding. As much as I would love for every wedding to always go off without a hitch, this is not always the case with Mother Nature. She is unpredictable and often not on our schedule. With the start of hurricane season on June 1^st, I want to share with you today how to start preparing your Plan B:

• Be Proactive. I list this first because don’t ever start preparing for your back-up plan the day of your wedding. If it is raining and you are needing a tent, they can often be completely booked and if a hurricane strikes it’s too late for wedding insurance or any negotiations with vendors.

• Read through every vendor contract and find out about their Natural Disaster policy.You can normally find this under the Force Majeure Clause. Most vendors say they cannot be held responsible for an “Act of God”. Often they can’t give you your money back. For example; a florist has to order your flowers a couple weeks in advance and if a hurricane hits they loose money too.  A venue could be booked straight for the next year and might not be able to have your wedding after a natural disaster. Keep in mind that some businesses might not even recover after a disaster like a hurricane and then there is definitely not an option of getting any money back.

• Ask the Vendor if they will give you any partial reimbursement or vouchers. Some vendors might offer a voucher to use if they are available.  Be sure to always get that placed in the contract.

• Get wedding Insurance. I cannot stress the importance of this item. For the same reason we insure our $10,000 to $100,000 dollar automobiles, we should also insure our wedding. If a hurricane was to hit on the day of your wedding then your $30,000 day is gone, but with wedding insurance you can still recover your money. A wedding is an investment and protecting that investment is crucial.

Now that we have found ways and reasons to get your wedding plan started, check back with us next Friday to learn more about wedding insurance and all the items it can cover.

Photo Courtesy of SLEDD Photography

The first question is, “My wedding is in April 2011, and I wanted my flowers to be all red, what flowers are in season?”

Since your wedding will be in April, you are in luck many flowers have not gone out of season yet! The best options would be using flowers such as, black magic, cherry love, red calla lilies, red cymbidiums, and red dahlias.

The second question is, “I would like to use different hues of purple in my bouquet, what flowers would you suggest for a modern feel?”

Purple is a HOT color this year, and can add the perfect bold look to the modern feel, good choice.  I would suggest using flowers such as black callas, lisianthus, phalaenopsis, dahlias, hydrangea and freesias.

Brides, please let us know if you have any other quesions.

Hope everyone has a safe Memorial Day weekend!

Roses- This is a classic! They are a beautiful and cost effective.

Tulips – This is the perfect flower for the spring, and it doesn’t wither easily.

Orchids - These things can be expensive but they sure have that exotic touch that would stand out just enough to compliment the bride’s radiating beauty on the big day.

Hydrangeas -These can be very colorful, and would go perfect for the your outdoor wedding.

Calla Lilies – I left the best for last, Calla Lilies are gorgeous in every brides bouquet.  They are on the more expensive side, but it never hurt to splurge when it come to your bouquet.