Good Morning SJE fans!  June has proven to be hot and rainy so far for Houstonians.  But we’ve come to expect the unexpected here.

The team here at SJE considers NOLA to be our second home.  We’ve spent a lot of time in the great city of New Orleans over the years and the vendors have come to know us quite well.  As matter of fact we’ve had 2 weddings in NOLA this year and we have 2 more in October!

One of our favorite vendors in the Big Easy is Fat Cat Flowers.  Our brides love Fat Cat too!   Often we find that brides who reach out to us in the middle of the planning process have already booked Fat Cat Flowers.  This is a testament to the stellar work and reputation of the team at Fat Cat Flowers.

The photo shown here is courtesy of MQ Photography and features a bouquet from the wedding of Melanie and Peter 04-19-2009 in NOLA!

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!

Every Friday this month, we will be featuring local event professionals. Today we would like to introduce you to Collide, a collaboration between Divisi Strings and LG Entertainment. This is a great alternative if you are looking for something different than your regular DJ or wedding band. I had a chance to listen to them in person and they sound awesome!

If you think they’re only appropriate for very formal events, think again! Check out their website for audio clips of classical and contemporary music. Your guests will be pleasantly surprised when they hear Michael Jackson’s Beat It or Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody filling the air.

http://www.divisistrings.com/

Photo Courtesy of The Corinthian Houston

Every Friday this month we are going to be featuring wedding planning tips. Check out last Friday’s feature on the beginning stages of wedding planning. Today we are going to be focusing on choosing the right venue. The following are some tips on picking that right location for your wedding/reception:

• Stay within your budget. If your budget is for $10,000, don’t rent a venue for $8,000. Keep in mind that you still have to pay for food, bar, décor, and entertainment. There are plenty of great options out there in a variety of price ranges.
• Fees. Be sure to ask what is included in the room rental. Read that contract in detail. Some venues charge you extra to cut the cake, or have very specific pricing on their bar. You want to make sure that the low price you’re being offered up front isn’t because a lot of extra fees are added.
• Don’t ever commit to something after just seeing pictures. Go visit the venue or, if you live in a different city, send a family member to look at it. Pictures can be very deceiving.
• When picking your venue make sure it is a fit for your personality and style. If you are a laid back kind of person, then a reception at the St. Regis may not be your best fit. Be sure that you pick a place that you will feel comfortable in.
• Keep in mind the location. If you are having your wedding and reception at separate locations make sure they are within 10 miles of each other. You want the reception to be able to start shortly after the ceremony.
• Size of the room. If the venue says they fit 300 people make sure that they can fit that many without losing too much space for a dance floor and buffet. You don’t want to feel claustrophobic at your own wedding reception.

What happens if it is your wedding day and one of your vendors is a no show? Here are some quick fixes that will save your day.

Where is the pastor?: Have your wedding planner or one of your friends fill in for the ceremony and then after you get back from your honeymoon, go get married at the court house.

Where is the band?: Get your i-pod out and plug it into your venue’s sound system. Have a family member or friend be an onsite DJ.

Where is the florist?: Make a quick run to your local grocery store and buy as many flowers as you can, get ribbon in your wedding color and make simple wedding bouquets. For your reception, run to Hobby Lobby and buy lots of candles.  Candles always make great center pieces.

Where is your photographer?: Have a friend go to the store and buy all the disposable cameras he or she can and put them on the tables at your reception. Let guests capture some great candid shots. Have a friend fill in as photographer during the ceremony.

To avoid these entire problems, make sure you use reputable vendors. Your wedding coordinator should have a list of vendors. You can also use sites like The Knot to find recommended vendors.

Quick Fixes are courtsey of About.com