Archive for February, 2010
Just four of our many wonderful weddings. Enjoy!
Happy planning!
When you are planning a wedding on a really tight budget – every dollar counts. When you spend $50.00 here and $50.00 there, it really adds up. The guest list is very important when planning a wedding in general, but when you have a lower starting amount – a lean guest list is imperative.
Let me give you a practical example.
My clients want to feed their 75 guests hors d’oeuvres al fresco for $20.00 per head (excluding service fees, tip and tax – but we will get to that later) = $1,500.00
Because of what they want – I tell my clients to cut their list by 10 and 20 guests, respectfully.
Now, my clients are going to feed their 65 guests hors d’oeuvres al fresco for $20.00 per head (excluding service fees, tip and tax). = $1,300.00
Now, my clients are going to feed their 55 guests hors d’oeuvres al fresco for $20.00 per head (excluding service fees, tip and tax) = $1,100.00
$400.00 doesn’t seem like a lot of money – but with a 4-5K budget, it’s almost 10% of your wedding costs – just by trimming your list. You have done nothing else. Now, you can afford to hire an inexpensive DJ (instead of using your iPod), get your hair and make up done at the house, treat your guests to another hors d’oeuvre option, or treat yourself to relaxation for a few hours.
Imagine that!
See you next week.
Happy planning!
Persians love to dance. Since this is fun and fabulous Friday – I thought some festive music was in order!
Top Persian Wedding Songs
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- Baba Karam
Mobarak Baad (this is to be played right before the ceremony)
Aroosi Bandari
Aroos O Damad
Khastergari
Aroose Naaz
Shaadoomad
Ghaasem Abaadi
- Baba Karam
Happy Planning!
While an assistant many years ago, I witnessed a handfasting ceremony and it was a beautiful sight to see. The tradition is simply lovely – so I wanted to share it with you.
A handfasting is an old Pagan custom dating back to the ancient Celts. The original handfasting was a trial marriage – where the couple would declare their love for a year and a day. After the year passes, the couple could decide to go their separate ways or enter into marriage.
Today’s Wiccan and Pagan communities have embraced the handfasting ritual.
Handfasting is no different than other wedding ceremonies, in that there are variations. However, what’s common is that after intent has been declared, the hands or writs of the couple are bound together with a cord(s) during or surrounding the vows. The handfasting knot that is tied symbolizes the oneness between the couple.
The length of the cord is determined by the path that is followed by the individal Pagan or Wiccan sect, the Bride and/or Groom, or the High Priest/ess that presides over the ceremony. The numbers 9 and 3 are magical, so traditionally, the cords are 9 feet in length (or 3 meters) and are knotted at both ends.
Generally three cords are used, and each cord is a different color which corresponds to the Wiccan color magic chart. The Bride and Groom choose the colors based on what the colors mean.
White
Always burn at least one white candle to symbolize and reinforce the contact with pure spirit. Elemental spirits, Angels, Gods of wisdom, divination and prophecy. Purification and cleaning on all levels, contact with higher self and spiritual helpers, aura-healing, truth seeking, consecration, spiritual enlightenment, protection against negativity, breaking curses, exorcism, meditation, divination, inpiration, and clairvoyance. White can be a replacement for any other color.
Yellow
Elemental air. Deities for trade, travel, knowledge and magick. Vitality, change, progress, contact, communication, and trade. Confidence, joy, cheerfulness, learning, knowledge, mental clarity, concentration, speaking and writing and visualization.
Gold
Sun-deities, solar energies, and masculine energy. Abundant self confidence, creativity, perfection, financial richess, success in investments, luxury, worldly power, magickal power, overcoming bad habits and addictions.
Orange
Deities of good luck and good fortune. Charm, kindness, encouragement, stimulation, optimism, success, abundance, prosperity, feast and celebration, achieving business goals, investments, success in legal matters.
Copper or Bronze
Love-goddesses, love and passion, positive relationships in love, friendship in business, career promotions, successful negotiations.
Red
Elemental fire, deities of love, passion, sexuality and war. Courage, will-power, determination, speed, assertivity, aggression, masculinity, independence, physical strength, sports, competition, conflicts, health, sexual attraction and potency, love and passion, fertility.
Magenta
Magnetism, the ability to attract or speed up results. Life purpose, life path.
Pink
Love-goddesses, softness and tenderness, romance, caring, nurturing, youth, peace, friendship, femininity, emotional love, emotional healing.
Green
Elemental earth and elemental water. Nature and fertility deities, Mother goddesses. Nature, fertility, growth, rejuvenation, recovery, healing, harvest and abundance, prosperity, harmony, balance, peace, hope, home, plants and animals.
Turquoise
Changes, intellectual and intuitive insights, inventions and originality, renewal, brotherhood, humananity.
Blue
Elemental water and elemental air. Deities of the sea and sky, truth and wisdom. Peace and tranquility, calmness, truth, wisdom, justice, counsel, guidance, understanding and patience, loyalty and honor, sincerity, devotion, healing, femininity, prophetic dreams, protection during sleep, astral projection.
Violet
Elemental spirits, angels, and Gods of divination and prophecy. Psychic abilities, divination, counter-acting negativity and black magick, reversing curses, psychic healing, psychic power, inspiration, meditation, spirituality, spiritual power, astral projection, third eye.
Brown
Elemental earth, stability, grounding, conservation, protection of household, family and pets, healing animals, finding lost objects, buildings, material increase, to make relationships solid, to increase decisiveness and concentration, to attract help in financial crisis.
Gray
Neutralizing negative influences, putting a halt to action.
Silver
Moon-goddesses, female energy, cycles, rebirth, reincarnation, healing of hormonal imbalances, emotional stability, remove or neutralize negativity, intuition, dreams, psychic abilities and psychic workings.
Black
Elemental earth, deities of the Underworld. Repel and banish evil and negativity, protection, breaking free from bad habits and addictions, deep meditation, opens up deep unconscious levels.
This is a beautiful tradition that can be adapted to any ceremony. Lovely!
Thank you to Handfasting.org as well as the Wiccan Color Magick Chart.
Happy planning.
Popular in the US, Sauvignon Blanc may be a great choice for your wedding, as it is food friendly wine. It can be paired with appetizers; such, as artichoke dip, veggie dishes and dips, and garlic and Salads such as, Caesar and Greek. Also, Thai food, fish (all kinds of shellfish), poultry – and the list goes on.
Sauvignon Blanc, an acidic and dry white wine, normally shows an herbal character of bell peppers and freshly grown moss. The dominating flavors range from the sour green fruits of apples and pears through the tropical fruits of melon, mango and blackcurrant – dependent upon where it’s grown. Of French origin, Sauvignon Blanc is often blended with Semillon, which imparts richness and adds figs to the aroma.
Originally grown in the Loire region of France, there are good varieties all over the world. The best way to decided is to do a taste test. Make sure to choose varieties from New Zealand – as they make excellent Sauvignon Blanc wines..
Key producers to try…
Happy planning!
This is cool.
Dresses that are uniquely you! Take a look at all the vintage patterns. Take them to a seamstress – or sew them yourself – and have the unique gown that you’ve always envisioned in the fabric and color of your choice! In many cases, these patterns are uncut and have never been used! Extraordinary!
These are only a few of the patterns. You can get all kinds of vintage dresses – check them out at So Vintage Patterns
Take advantage of this! This is totally awesome! Thanks Judy!
Happy planning.
Let me start by saying that I do not know anything about beer. In fact, I do not even like beer – at all – and have no desire to learn about the different micro brews, etc. However, I do know what you need to look for when you are looking for eco friendly products. Also, beer is a very important libation – people love beer. So, here is an eco friendly post dedicated to all those beer lovers (not loathers), and all the couples who want to make their wedding eco-hip!
There are many ways to make a beer green. You can opt for environmental friendly draughts (made from certified organic products free of pesticides) to solar or wind powered breweries. It’s all good!
A few “green” beer drinking tips
- Buy bottles instead of cans. Recycling glass is easier and more environmentally friendly than aluminum
- Go with beers with paint-on instead of paper labels – as there is less waste
- Go with the local-yokels – if at all possible. Shipping produces fossil fuels
Here is a few brews from all around the country.
New Belgium Brewery – located on the west coast – the New Belgium Brewery has made great strides to be environmentally friendly in all aspects of its operations. They have been powered by wind since 1999 and even though this increased their overall costs, they prevented some 8 million pounds of coal being burned to power their business, which amounted to an astounding 15 million pounds of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere. WOW! They harvest methane out of their waste water (instead of sending it through a treatment plant) which produces even more energy…and it goes on and on and on! Click on the link and take a look of the strides they have taken to help us live on a more healthy planet. Way to go!
Here are some more ideas…
You can find Peak Organic at your local Whole Foods Market
Happy planning!
Finally! Your source for beautiful and affordable letterpress invitations! Check it out!
Happy planning!
I have been hired to help a very nice couple plan their $4,000-$,5000.00 wedding for 75 guests. No, not for just the food, but for the entire event. Luckily, they are open to ideas – as I could not plan the wedding any other way. Still, it’s very difficult – the preconceived notions about what a wedding is supposed to be, the meals, the decor, the venue. Pressure from friends and family members – Pressure from the couple, themselves – it’s overwhelming.
When you are working with this type of budget, all of those preconceived notions of what a wedding should be need to fly out of the window. With a budget of $5,000.00 for 75 people- you are working with $66.00 per guest for the entire wedding. In Washington DC, it’s a huge challenge- especially because everything I do, I do with a very high expectation – and so do my clients. Luckily, I like a challenge!
So, where do you start? What do you do? What do you serve?
Good question!
I imagine there are others with similar situations, so I am going to warm your hearts by bringing you through the exciting process on how you plan a high end wedding for $66.67/guest in Washington DC Metro area!
It’s going to be an amazing ride!
See you next Saturday!
We coordinated a very beautiful wedding at the Omni Shoreham, DC right after the New Year! It was absolutely wonderful! Take a look.
Congratulations Claire and Kevin!
Thanks to Rachel Smith for the wonderful photographs
Happy Planning!
