Happy Monday!!!  It seems like we just started the New Year and it’s already the last day of February.  Time sure flies when you’re having fun!  For the month of March we’re going to focus on entertainment.  We love to help our brides think beyond the traditional DJ or wedding band.

Your guests love to be entertained of course!  We enjoy the fine details of entertainment and once we put our heads together with our brides, we have stellar results.  In the past we’ve had a Nigerian dance troupe, an acapella group pose as guests while spontaneously bursting into song, and a Chinese dragon dance; just to name a few.  Think outside the box!

Finally, I’ll quote Courtney whose wedding is featured below,  “I don’t know if this is appropriate to say because it’s my own wedding but, THIS IS THE BEST WEDDING I’VE EVER BEEN TO!”

Set a Date

Ok, this is a no brainer, right? Not exactly rocket science. However remember that you aren’t the only one who just got engaged. Don’t rush into a date, but give it some careful consideration. For example there are some pretty popular dates floating around in 2011. (i.e. 11-11-11 or 09-10-11) You might have to fight the crowds to get the wedding professional of your choice if you pick a “hot” date.

Set a Budget

Yes this seems pretty straight forward as well but it can become tricky. Most couples have a budget in mind but where do you spend the money? A wedding planner can help you determine what’s reasonable to spend on certain items and when to reign you in if you seem to be heading toward blowing your budget. For example, if your total budget only allows for 3 to 5% to be spent on (XYZ super item) but the cost would require 8% of your total budget, then your wedding planner will help you trim in other places to get that item if you can’t live without it.

Determine a Guest Count

You will probably want to invite everyone you ever met, including your first grade teacher. But be realistic about the number of guests that would actually appreciate seeing you tie the knot. You also might be happier with having a super intimate affair at the swankiest place in town, instead of a huge party in a stadium just to accommodate your huge guest count. Do what your heart tells you.

“We want our wedding to be different,” is something that we hear often from the bride and groom as they begin thinking about their wedding day. Every couple wishes their wedding would be different from any other wedding they’ve been to, and there are simple ways to do this, from small detailed items to extravagant displays, we would like to offer some of our favorite ideas.

More popularly, we find that the most common and unique ways to personalize your wedding and truly make it stand out is by incorporating your very own “do it yourself” ideas.

• Making your favorite recipe of cookies to hand out as party favors
• Utilizing other items than a guestbook, for example if you like music, have guests sign an old record
• Change up the candy bar by having a dessert bar with your favorite foods growing up as a child
• Instead of using table numbers, name the tables after places you’ve visited together, your universities. Don’t be afraid to get creative!

If this is something you would really like to incorporate into your wedding, take some time to think about the things that are most important to you and you’re sure to find a way to help it find its place in your wedding.

Today we would like to give you a real example of What A Wedding Planner Would Do.

A couple of weeks ago Team SJE arrived at the church ready to get started on another swoon worthy wedding.  The church was dark and we could hear an alarm going off somewhere in the distance.  We started flipping light switches and nothing.  There was no light.

So we sat down waiting for the florist and photographer to arrive.  As we waited, it started raining in small bursts.  Finally the officiant walked in and said he came to check on the church because he lived nearby.  He didn’t have electricity at his house and let us know that the power had been off in the area for several hours!!!

Yes, you guessed it!  We started scrambling to find candles from all over the church.  The officiant grabbed a flashlight and scurried off to get votives to light the altar.  The ceremony wasn’t scheduled to start for a few hours so we were praying that the electricity would be restored.

Luckily the bride’s changing room had a small window so she was able to get ready in the dim light of the day.  We waited and waited.  In the meantime we designed a beautiful candle altar arrangement.

Finally, the ceremony was about to start in thirty minutes and guests were now arriving to a dark church.  We explained the situation and everyone understood.

Fifteen minutes before the ceremony was about to start, the power magically came back on.  We had light!  Our beautiful bride was able to walk down the aisle and see her groom clearly.  Even if the electricity had not come back on, it would have been a beautiful candlelit ceremony.

Photo Courtesy of Project Wedding

Hello SJE fans! It’s a rainy Monday here in Houston but that won’t stop us! On Saturday Team SJE was at the Houston Museum of Natural Science in the gem exhibit for a ceremony and reception that simply sparkled. Of course the gems surrounding the guests were beautiful but I think the real beauty of this intimate affair was its simplicity. Stay tuned for pictures!

Every Monday we like to highlight wedding etiquette. This Monday’s etiquette piece will address vendors you hired for your big day like your band, d.j., photographer, and event coordinator.

1. Should your vendor expect to be served dinner at your reception?
Your vendor should not EXPECT to be fed at your reception. However, some vendors will have a clause written into their contract stipulating that they’ll receive a meal during your reception. So don’t forget to add them to your guest count. Common courtesy does dictate that you should feed your vendor. Although some vendors bring their own food, you should never assume they will. You wouldn’t want your vendor passing out during your festivities, right?  We recommend that you consider this detail before your big day.

2. Should I tip my vendor?
Well, it depends. Gratuity situations should be approached on a case-by-case basis but you may use these tips as a guide:

*Hair Stylist and Makeup Artist
Protocol: Expected
Standard: 15 to 25 percent

*Delivery and Set-up Staff
Protocol: Expected
Standard: $5 to $10 per person

*Officiant
Protocol: Expected
The standards: Donate $500+ to the church or synagogue or for a nondenominational church, between $50 and $100

*Ceremony Musicians
Protocol: Optional
Standard: $15 to $20 per musician

*Photographer/Videographer
Protocol: Unnecessary, unless the photographer is not the studio owner
Standard: $50 to $200 per vendor

*Reception Staff
Protocol: Expected
Standard: 15-20 percent of the food and drink fee (based on labor not the cost), or $200 to $300 for the maitre’d.

*Reception Attendants
Protocol: Optional based on contract
Standard: $20 – $25 per bartender or waiter; $1 per guest for coat room and parking attendants; $1 per car

*Reception Musicians
Protocol: Optional, yet preferred
Standard: $20 – $25 per musician; $50 – $150 for DJ

*Transportation
Protocol: Expected
The Standard: 15 – 20 percent of the total bill

*Wedding Planner
Protocol: Optional
Standard: Up to $500, or a nice gift

*Information courtesy of the TheKnot.com

Welcome to Friday SJE fans!  We have another busy weekend ahead of us and SJE will descend upon the beach.  We’ll be in Galveston Texas and the residents better watch out because Team SJE really knows how to throw a reception!

This month our Feature Friday spotlight will be April showers.   Hopefully, you’ll be inspired to think outside of the box when planning your bridal shower.  By all means have fun with it!

The photos above show a beach inspired theme with boxed lunches, a retro 50s theme, as well as damask and green inspiration.

Photos Courtesy of Colin Cowie and The Knot

Mother Nature certainly has been smiling on the city of Houston lately. This Friday is another stunning day, and we hope wherever you are that a little sunshine comes your way too!

Today’s D.I.Y. inspiration comes to you from one of my favorite blogs, Etsy Wedding Team.  You may have purchased your wedding day shoes and put them away without giving them a second thought. But pull those shoes out of hiding and take a look at what you can add to them.  Your shoes just might be another swoon worthy element of your day. Choose to embellish them in a way that is unique to you and have fun dancing the night away!

We made it to another beautiful Friday SJE fans! Spring has found its way onto our blog and we hope you like the facelift as much as we do. Don’t be shy; let us know what you think!
For today’s DIY project we bring to you a wedding favor that’s a fortune cookie made out of soap. How cool is that? Please check out www.mydiyweddingday.com for complete instructions.

Happy Friday SJE fans!

This Friday’s DIY project is the wedding guestbook.  If you and your fiancée are sports fans, then try this fun project.  Have your new last name printed on a replica jersey of your favorite team.  Then have guests sign it and place the jersey in a frame to hang on your wall.  This will serve as a cool piece of memorabilia for your special day.

Photo and Inspiration from: Cornerstone Events

Happy Wednesday!  The SJE team is having a fruitful week and excited about the events ahead.  Today we briefly discuss color inspiration for your wedding.  We often encounter brides who have settled on one specific color that they like. This could be because of a piece of fabric or a favorite color. 

However, when deciding on a color palette for your wedding you can use a variety of things for inspiration.  Try using a gemstone, an animal, or a piece of fruit.  Mother Nature has multiple color combinations to choose from that simply ‘fit’ together.

Photo Courtesy of Keisha's Kreations