Happy Monday SJE blog fans!   I hope you enjoyed your Super Bowl weekend.  If your guy proposed, then CONGRATS!!!  Today I’ll be highlighting Venues.  Three things to consider when selecting your reception venue are capacity, location, and cost.

Capacity

How many people can your venue hold comfortably?  Sometimes when you visit a venue, you are given the capacity that the space can hold by the venue manager.  However, if that number gives you a pause, then you might be in for a tight fit.  A wedding planner can plan the space with you down to the exact the floor plan you’ll have on your wedding day.  Sometimes we (wedding planners) can take a look at a space and determine that your dream won’t be fulfilled in your chosen space.

Location

Obviously, if you have guests traveling from out of town you’ll want to skip long treks across the city for your guests.  If your ceremony is at one end of the city and your reception at the other, it can be a pain and an additional expense (for you) to transport your guests comfortably to the final destination.  But if your heart is set on a specific venue that’s far from your ceremony your wedding planner can help you make the transition a smooth one.

Cost

Finally it all boils down to the cost.  You may have booked your venue simply because it was the least expensive option you could find.  Maybe they cut a great deal for you and you couldn’t say no.  A wedding planner can review the contract with you and help you determine what you are more likely to actually spend on that “cheap” venue.

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.

Happy Monday SJE blog fans!  Today I’m going to touch on three 2011 Weddings Trends that you’ll be seeing.  Enjoy!

1.Think Vintage

The past is a major trend for 2011.  Brides will be wearing mom or grandma’s dress with a twist and even incorporating old wedding pictures into the décor.  Some brides will be handing out favors from vintage brands and building a historical theme around this idea.  Of course weaving modern details into these ideas make it fresh.  Have fun!

2. Eco-Chic

Brides are continuing to go green in 2011.  This means using recycled paper invitations and programs, LED lightning, and food from local farms.  The eco-friendly bride is continuing to ask for donations to their favorite charity in lieu of wedding gifts and opting to do the same instead of giving the guests a traditional wedding favor.  

Tiny Prints has a nice collection of eco friendly invitations.

3.D.I.Y.

The economy may have started this trend but I think “do it yourself” details are here to stay.  This trend does save the bride money but also adds that special touch to the big day that everyone will notice.  Couples are showcasing their favorite sports, interests, and vacation destinations.

What are some trends you’re seeing for 2011?  Go ahead and share, don’t be shy!

Image Courtesy of Glamourdotcom

We hope your week is off to a good start! Although it doesn’t quite feel like Christmas, given this Houston weather, the holiday season is in fact upon us. While most of us are busy looking for gifts and planning gatherings with our families, there are some who are tying the knot. To those brides who have considered getting married during this season, there are some advantges and disadvantages to doing so.

Advantages:

• Venues tend to not be booked for weddings around this time of the year. Therefore, the venue you have your heart set on has a higher possibility of being available.
• Not only will your wedding already be romantic, but it is also sure to be a memorable one.
• Churches and ballrooms typically have already beautifully decorated the space, which provides the opportunity of lowering costs.
• If you like to do things differently, winter weddings are unique all on their own.
• Decorated scenery will provide a great background for your wedding pictures.

Disadvantages:

• Your guests may already have scheduled plans to visit family during their time off. Plan your wedding far along in advance in order to avoid having conflicting dates.
• Travel costs are likely to be higher than usual, especially if you are having a destination wedding.
• The weather is always unpredictable, but during this time of the year, you may encounter some snowy days. That is, if you’re anywhere outside of Houston. This could potentially affect transportation, guest attendance, and any outside activities scheduled for the day.

Happy Holidays from all of us at Simply Jubilee Events!

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!

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.

“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.