It never hurts to say thank-you, whether it’s in the most simplistic way or a great big thanks!

The importances of saying thank- you after your wedding is something you don’t want to overlook. After all, it did take an army of people to plan, attend, and support this very special day. The following is a list of the people that should receive a warm thanks.

• Wedding attendees
• Vendors
• Anyone who gave you a gift for any occasion: engagement or shower
• Anyone who hosted a celebration in honor of you and your fiance
• Anyone else who lent you a hand when you needed it throughout the planning process

Even after your reception has come to an end, remember your manners and thank your very special guests.

Happy Monday! We hope everyone had a great weekend and was able to catch up on the most popular current events. Needless to say, here at SJE we love weddings, and celebrity weddings are no exception.

Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky tied the knot on July 31, 2010 in New York. And although their 3 million dollar wedding isn’t exactly the budget everyone has in mind, it most certainly is fun and challenging to find alternatives to our favorite items and inspirations that are often a part of celebrity weddings.

Keep reading our blog as we continue to advise all readers with do-it-yourself projects, budget-friendly ideas, and upcoming wedding trends!

Newly engaged wedding couples are always looking for ways to “cut back” on their wedding costs. Even after formulating a budget, every couple will have a list of things that are just “must haves.” Depending on your personal preference, you can eliminate the cost of alcohol altogether if you are looking to have a “dry” wedding. However, there are ways you can still save money by being selective on the what drinks are served on your special day.

• Choose to limit what you serve to beer and wine, excluding mixed drinks which can be more expensive.
• Have only soft drinks and/or wine available during dinner. This will allow your guests to limit their consumption, if this is something you are worried about.
• Serve mocktails that look tasty and colorful. Guests of all ages will be able to enjoy these!

• Want the guests to have a great time: Many clients and/or potential clients want to show their guests a great time. Some wedding couples have guests that travel from all over the country or the world to come share in the celebration, so making it fun and exciting is definitely a priority. Selecting the right entertainment plays a big part in making this happen. Making sure you select the right DJ/Band, or even jazzing it up with a different element of entertainment, can make your wedding truly AMAZING!
• Photography/Videography: A picture is worth 1,000 words, so cutting corners on securing a reputable photographer/videographer is not an option. There are countless photographers and videographers that specialize in weddings, so do your homework – get referrals from friend’s, check references and see who some of your other vendors may recommend.
• Cuisine: When thinking about your menu, you must also consider your venue. Most venues will either have their own on-site catering or only allow pre-determined catering companies on-site to cater your wedding. It’s unfortunate, but most catering companies/venues will not schedule a tasting prior to you booking them. For the ones that do, be prepared to pay for the tasting. It’s only fair as they do not have a guarantee that you will secure them for your wedding. The cost would typically less than or equal to the cost of the menu price you would be paying per guest. Again, I stress that you should do your homework – check references and get referrals.
• Décor: Décor has become a HUGE priority with brides and, in some cases, the grooms too. Wedding couples want to create that “WOW-factor” and take their guests’ breathe away. This does not necessarily mean over-the-top or extrememly expensive, couples have found ways to create this sensation with creativity, understated elegance and an open mind. Lighting, floral, linens and the “details” have an important role when creating an environment that make your guests gasp (in a good way).
• Season / Date: Wedding couples may be partial to a certain time of year or a date may have significant meaning. A couple may have met at a festival; a few years later got engaged at the same festival; then decide to have their wedding during that festival weekend. Others choose their dates based on the bye week of the favorite sports team. Whatever the reason, discuss the significance and make sure it works for you.

Prioritizing your wedding wishes will help you determine where to allocate your budget dollars wisely. Having an idea of the elements you want to incorporate in your wedding and that are important to you will help give you a great starting point when embarking on your wedding planning journey.

Happy Planning!

Click here to Cast your Vote!

Go to http://ctvr.us/simply to Cast your Vote for Simply Jubilee Events as
Click2Houston’s Best Wedding Planner.

Thank you so much for your support!

Welcome to a new week SJE fans!  I hope your weekend was as relaxing as mine.  Today I want to highlight a different take on the bouquet.  Personally I believe there are two ‘objects’ a bride should love on her wedding day despite all the other frills: 1. The dress 2. The bouquet.

Each one of these bouquets are handmade and no two are exactly alike.  The best part of course is that they don’t wither away like flowers. 

Photos courtesy of Letters4Lilly

It’sFriday, SJE Fans!  We hope you stay cool this weekend.  Every Friday this month has been focused on an aspect of food for weddings.  Today I’d like to highlight just a few points about a buffet versus a sit down dinner.

Advantages of the buffet meal:

• If you want your reception to be more casual and laid back, a buffet might be a great choice because guests will probably feel more comfortable.
• Buffets are usually** less expensive than sit down dinners. There’s no wait staff to pay, and the food is often cheaper.
• You can offer your guests a variety of food choices. Aunt Pearl will be satisfied with the meat and potatoes, and your vegetarian cousin Sunny will be happy with the veggie lasagna. People enjoy having a bounty of food to choose from.
• Buffets encourage mingling. They force people to get up from their table, at least once!

Advantages of the sit down meal:

• If you want your reception to be formal and elegant, the sit down meal may be the better choice. Picky guests will be impressed.
• Guests don’t have to work for their food! Elderly guests and people who have small children will benefit from this.
• For guests who have traveled a long distance, it may feel appropriate to feed them with a more formal meal.
• You don’t have to worry about running out of food.
• Guests don’t have to worry as much about making a mess on their nice clothing while they carry their food to their seats.

***Having a buffet is not always less expensive than sit-down service, as you’ll need to order more food than you would otherwise.

Six-month old nonprofit organization Wish Upon a Wedding announced today that it will broaden its scope of services, in order to assist more couples in need. Although its primary focus continues to provide weddings for terminally ill individuals regardless of sexual orientation, the organization will soon help those faced with other personal burdens, such as serious emotional, physical or other debilitating issues.

Due to a significant number of requests, Wish Upon a Wedding will now provide a limited number of weddings to inspirational couples that have experienced these catastrophic life-altering circumstances. 

Beginning July 22, 2010, the nonprofit will grant these wishes on a case-by-case basis. Applicants will undergo a detailed screening process, and will be required to provide medical proof of their situation.  Because the organization is new and still in growth mode, Wish Upon a Wedding will only be able to grant a limited number of wishes per year, at chapter discretion, and only the most compelling cases as determined by chapter boards will be considered. 

“By partnering with Wish Upon a Wedding, Get Married’s goal is to help connect talented, local wedding professionals in order to offer couples in their communities with a dream wedding and turn tragedy into triumph,” said Stacie Francombe, national public relations chair and founder of Get Married Media.  “By opening up new doors to more deserving couples with a variety of life-changing challenges, the wedding industry is sharing their commitment to their profession, to these individuals and to the idea that dreams do come true for any couple in love.”

Until now, the 501(c) 3 nonprofit has provided weddings for individuals diagnosed with less than three years’ prognosis. That stipulation has been adjusted to a five year diagnosis.  The organizationwill also allow couples seeking vow renewal celebrations to apply for wishes.

Wish Upon a Wedding is looking forward to this change and believes this will have a positive impact on hundreds of lives, by providing the opportunity for a celebration of life and love with those most important to them.

Wish Upon a Wedding is now accepting applications from:

• Couples where at least one individual has terminal diagnosis of less than FIVE years to live
• Couples faced with situations that have caused serious emotional, physical or financial stress (approved on case by case basis)
• Married couples seeking vow renewals, who have faced serious life-altering circumstances including but not limited to terminal illness (approved on a case by case basis)
• All applicants must be over the age of 18 and legal U.S. Citizens

Mission Statement:
Wish Upon a Wedding is the world’s first nonprofit wish granting organization, providing weddings and vow renewals for couples facing terminal illness and life altering circumstances, regardless of sexual orientation.

To fill out an application, click this link:
http://www.formstack.com/forms/?982045-mrBk8ziGiK

With 12 active chapters and 2,500 Wish Granters, we are ready to grant wishes today!

Contact Information
Liz Guthrie, Founder cwo@wishuponawedding.org
877-305-WISH 

Hi SJE bloggers, we hope your week is going well thus far. As event planners, we know that planning the details of your wedding may be the most challenging, and centerpieces are no different. When selecting a centerpiece, don’t feel compelled to restrict yourself to only using flowers. While keeping in mind that the centerpieces are an item that your guest’s will be observing all night, you want to make sure it’s appropriate for your wedding. It is always a good idea to have a variation of sizes in vases if you are utilizing them for your tables. You don’t want your guests not being able to speak to one another or to have to miss out on your first dance as a married couple. Be creative and ensure that whatever you end up using for your centerpieces compliments your overall wedding design.