Tickled Pink Brides - Orlando, Florida's Premier Wedding Planner

How Important Is Your Wedding Gown?

    Even in this economic downturn, many brides are unwilling to skimp on one wedding day aspect that matters so much---the gown!  Smaller budgets are causing more brides to think twice on other priorities, though it seems wedding gown sales are remaining high.  "It's OK if you have a few less flowers -- no one will notice. But you have to have your hair done, makeup done, great shoes and a great dress," says Tatiana Byron, who founded The Wedding Salon bridal expo event. 

    High-end bridal salons are finding that more brides come into the store with budgets, though they have yet to lose customers that find a gown they love--even if it is out of their initial price range.  It's a magical moment to finally be able to visualize yourself walking down the aisle or dancing your first dance, and the gown has everything to do with that vision.  Even brides who think gown prices are steep often come to realize that the wedding is your one (hopefully!) chance to get away with something elaborate, glamorous, and stylish.  Every bride wants to feel like a million dollars as she approaches her man at the altar!

    So what happens when the gown you love has a price tag you don't love?  If it's your priority, you'll have to cut back elsewhere.  To really reduce costs in other areas, have the wedding on a Friday or Sunday; serve heavy hors d'ouevres instead of a full dinner; reduce the bar to wine and beer.  Hey- a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do!

    If you've got a tight budget, what areas are you cutting back on, and what priorities are you unwilling to skimp on? 

Meet Flowers of Winter Park

    Mix a personable, casual demeanor with creative elegance and charm and there you will find Jay Casiano of Flowers of Winter Park.  This Orlando-based florist creates arrangements that can transform a wedding venue and set a theme that will wow you and your guests.  His knowledge and expertise are apparent immediately when you sit down to chat about your vision for your wedding.  A whiz at reading people, Jay is a great listener, taking only a few sentences about a bride's dream day and spinning it into a visible feast of flowers to be sure they're on the same page (they always are!).  Working with Jay has been a pleasure, as I know our shared bridal clients are in good hands.

Create a New Look with Wedding Rentals

    Reception sites are oftentimes bland until they're all dressed up for the big day.  Metal folding chairs at your banquet hall?  Plain wooden school tables to serve dinner on?  I don't think so!  Get creative with your wedding rentals and you'll transform the space entirely.  New looks can be whipped up in no time by adding festive or formal tables, chairs, and linens.  Rentals are an added cost, but making room in the budget for even a few touches here and there will be well appreciated once you see the finished product.  Below are a few reception ideas that have been styled with rentals to fit the theme of the parties.  Think chairs, chair covers, layered linens, even unusual vases.  Consider draped fabric at the cake table, lighting to enhance the mood, and splashes of color where it's least expected.

Etsy Wedding Gowns

    If you've ever been on Etsy, you know how many wonderful finds are available--you could virtually plan your entire wedding on this website.  I came across this 100% silk shantung wedding gown that I would love to have in my closet.  In fact, I would love to attend a wedding where the bride is wearing this gown--think of all the possibilities of wedding style that could revolve around it!  It's Scarlett O'Hara meets flamenco dancer.

Wedding Quote of the Day

    Sometimes we all need a little kick to bring us back down to earth.  How many times have we seen brides striving to have the most unique, most earth-friendly, or most glamorous wedding of all their peers?  Today, A Practical Wedding posted this thought to chew on that I think is so true it often hurts:

"As awesome as our line-item budget skills are, the point isn't coming in 20% below the budget. The point isn't even to make our wedding totally unique and personal. Nope, the point is to plan a wedding that's the best wedding for us. The point is to find a good balance between not going broke and staying sane.

The real point is to end up married. And it's good to remember that we all have the same goal."

Marriage: 10 Tips to Live By

As a current or former bride-to-be, you understand the whirlwind of excitement and activity that goes into planning a wedding.  Your courtship has been full of love and now you're planning for the beginning of your new life together.   It's an exciting time and it always seems to go by too fast.  When the vows are said, however, the real deal starts.  Just as you have overcome any hurdles while dating, the same will need to be done during the marriage, over and over again, to make it last.  You'll have to work side-by-side to make big decisions.  How will you manage finances?  Raise your children?  Which city will you live in?  Will you practice religion? 

Seemingly small choices can make a big impact, too.  How will you spend your weekends?  How often will you see your friends?  Whose job is it to do laundry and dishes?  Because of growth through decisions big and small, many couples lose sight of the core of their marriage and grow apart even during the first few years. 

You've heard that marriage is hard work.  Have you ever really thought about that?  When two people marry, those are two very different individuals with different upbringings, varied lifestyles, and different points-of-view committing to love and support each other eternally.  Of course it will be hard!  A recent blog post covered 10 tips for making a marriage last.  Consider the following and how it applies to your own relationship, before and during your marriage:

1.  Have a vision for your marriage and your family and discuss that with your partner.  This means that you can picture what kind of home life you would like to have; what kind of atmosphere you would like to live in.  Welcome change even when it is the least expected.  Take that as an opportunity to grow together.

2.  Focus on what you can do to enhance or improve the relationship, not on demanding what your spouse needs to do differently.

3.  Overlook imperfection in your spouse if it is not a matter of life or death, physical abuse or substance abuse, immoral or illegal.

4. Learn to communicate healthily and effectively. Avoid being argumentative. Your home is not a courtroom. No one needs to win. You are to work things out as a team.

5.  Compliment your spouse sincerely to build him/her up: Appreciate your spouse the way he/she is.

6.  Show respect to your spouse in front of others - your children, in-laws, friends and strangers; Show respect to your spouse even when no one is watching;  Be on the same page with your spouse in disciplining your children.

7.  Provide timely support to your spouse.  Carve out time to be together intimately.  Make time for each other as husband and wife. Do not take your spouse for granted.

8.  Forgive and move on.  Don’t hold grudges.

9.  Come together to understand each other's form of spirituality.

10.  Bless each other on a daily basis.  Lift your spouse up and remember that he/she is so special that you chose to spend your life with them.

How to Budget Wedding Costs

 

      I've spoken with countless brides about average wedding costs, estimates of their wedding spending, and how much they are allocating to different budget categories.  It seems that no two brides are the same and most do not know what to expect when trying to finance the party of their life.  How much is too much to spend on a wedding gown?  Is $5,000 excessive for flowers?  Why can't you find a DJ for under $1,000?  Don't worry...other brides are asking the same questions and most just want a general rule of thumb when trying to understand how and on what to spend their money.
    To break it down, here's a simple index of wedding spending percentages to show you what is typical no matter your total budget.  Remember, you can always spend more or less on any category--just remember that to stay within your ideal budget, you'll have to modify elsewhere!

Food/Beverage            45%
Photography/Video      15%
Flowers                        8%
Invitations                    6%
Music                           5%
Ceremony                     5%
Attire                           3%
Cake                            2%
Transportation              2%
Wedding rings               2%
Miscellaneous               7%

Wedding Total             100%

Garrett's Down the Aisle Photos

    As promised, here are the photos from Down the Aisle, a national bridal show E-Events produced on July 9 at the Ritz-Carlton, Denver.  Thanks, Garrett Nudd, for the photos!

This is the completed stage and runway for the show--I am always so impressed by all that goes into creating this:

Here, Orlando wedding planner Lisa Konecny welcomes the audience and introduces the show:
 


25 gorgeous couture wedding gowns by designer Austin Scarlett of Kenneth Pool were featured:



Austin escorted the finale model down the runway, with plenty of cheers from the audience.

Ian Prosser and his team from Botanica created bouquets that were carried down the runway by men in tuxedos.  What a creative way to show off creative flowers!



This centerpiece was also created by Botanica.  I had never seen so many edibles put together to create such stunning table decor:



Here's the cake that was created by the Ritz-Carlton chefs just for the show:



Finally, a group shot of the whole team involved.  Thanks to everyone who brought Down the Aisle to life!

Wedding Time Capsule

    This may look like the lazy-blogger's post, but the idea is just so good I wanted to share.  Polka Dot Bride posted an idea for a wedding time capsule to preserve memories of your big day for years to come.  Using a few beautiful boxes, store special things like menus, invitations, guest book, party favors, the garter, etc.  In the years to come, you and your spouse, along with your children and grandchildren, will have such fun looking back in time and reliving your wedding.  Here's the post from Polka Dot Bride:

A fun idea after the wedding is to create a wedding time capsule of sorts. Possibly not something to dig a hole in your backyard for, but using a nice box, a place to hold some special tokens.

Plympton White Leather Boxes from Whiteport

Your wedding ‘time capsule’ could include

• A letter to each other for the future
• Wedding invitation
• Wedding accessories such as napkins, wedding favours and programs
• A menu listing your reception meal
• Newspaper/Entertainment/Sport magazine/television from your wedding day
• Your wedding guest list
• Cork from your champagne toast
• Honeymoon brochures
• Ticket stubs
• Predications and well wishes from wedding guests.

It may be the perfect thing to open on your 10th wedding anniversary with a bottle of Cristal and some pretty good cake in hand (I suggest a brand new cake for this part of course!)

New Garrett Nudd Video

    A few weeks ago, Sam and I were asked to meet up with our friend and photographer, Garrett Nudd, to capture material for a wedding video he was creating.  The photo shoot was plenty of fun--I got to play dress-up in my wedding gown again, have hair and makeup done, and this week Garrett debuted his new video at Down the Aisle.  It was a little embarrassing to have this played over and over at rehearsals and during the show, however I am so pleased to have more fun footage of my gorgeous hubby and I in our wedding attire.  Drumroll, please...