$10,000 Dream Wedding Planning & Design Giveaway!

Three lucky couples will have an opportunity to have their wedding planned and designed by the talented planners and designers at Wedding Panache!
It could be you!
Go to www.weddingpanacheNY.com for further details and click, "10K giveaway".

Wedding Budget Calculators--Not For Everyone!

Every time we log onto a wedding website, we can almost guarantee ourselves that we'll find the infamous "Wedding Budget Calculator". This tool has you type in your estimated wedding budget, and viola! You've got your budget all laid out!

But wait! Before you go booking vendors according to the the allotted budgets given to you by the "magic calculator", I want you to sit down and really think about which elements of your wedding is most important to you. This is usually the first course of action (of course, after establishing their budgets)I take, when I'm meeting with my brides in the initial stages of wedding planning. No one wedding should be alike, so why should we all be working with the same budget allotment? What I'm basically saying is, every bride needs to prioritize all of her wedding elements. Ask yourself, is it more important to have a small wedding with extravagant decor or to have a large wedding with minimal decor? Now, can you see how determining the answer to these kinds of questions effect your budget distribution?

Talk what your finace, see which parts of the wedding are a must and which parts are open for negotiation.

The purpose of the wedding budget calculators is only to give you an idea of how your money should be spent. It isn't the determining factor!

6 Tips When Meeting With Your Caterer

Catering costs a part of the wedding budget can range from 25 to 35 percent of the total budget. It's the largest expense and for your guests, it's one of the most memorable parts of your wedding, so you'll need to be aware of the different aspects of the catering business and know what questions to ask. Here are a few expert tips on meeting with the caterer.

1. Convey your expectations clearly and early on.- Getting your message across so that your caterer fully understands what kind of food and service you expect on your wedding day is crucial. Don't assume that because they're used to cooking for a large number of people they know exactly what you want.
2. Fresh or Frozen?- You'd be surprised how many "caterers" deem themselves chefs because they can dress up a plate with reheated food. Sometimes, it doesn't always taste as good as it looks.
3. Schedule a menu tasting.- After your caterer dazzles you with their knowledge of food, put them to the test. Bring along one or two people whom you trust enough to help you make the decision.
4. Can you customize a menu?- Don't be afraid to ask. Remember, a closed mouth doesn't get fed! Yes, this may cost you a few extra bucks, but going that extra for your guests is sometimes the way to make your wedding the most memorable.
5. Find out who will be overseeing the kitchen and waitstaff during the wedding.- When issues arise you don't want the caterer or waitstaff running to you to resolve the problem. Your wedding day= fun and relaxation!
   

Most catering facilities will be more than helpful to provide you with the information you need. Be up front and honest about your guest count, your budget and your needs.

It isn't a bad idea to inquire with an experienced wedding planner to accompany on your visit to the caterer. He or she from experience, will know what kind of questions to ask the caterer and things to look for in a catering contract. He or she may even offer contractual review service at an hourly rate.

Great News!!

Hello All! Happy belated Earth Day!!

Yesterday, I had this really great Earth Day post planned out but I received some really great news! WPNY was given the green light for a future event we have planned in NYC next year! I'm so excited but promised my team and everyone involved I would keep it under wraps until due time! Please check back for more info!

Honeymoon Jet-setting

Ready. Set. Jet!

For all you couples planning a multi-destination honeymoon, checking out these site will do you great good!

www.flight001.com- your one stop travel shop! Flight 001 has all the essentials for the jet-setting couple. If your the type of traveler who hates waiting around the conveyor belt looking for the same black suitcase as the person next to you , you'll find their eclectic selection of luggage pretty appealing. The also offer "security-friendly" amentity kits for on-board "emergencies".

"Make Seat D, Row 14 your home away from home. Includes lightweight travel socks, lint brush/shoehorn, reusable earplugs, inflatable neck rest, eye mask, mints and a bookmark. All in a reusable water-resistant, slide lock bag." $25.00

www.luggageforward.com- This site you'll love! (I do!) With all the airlines hiking up luggage fees for anything over 5 lbs! (I know, I'm overly exaggerating!) We can all use a service that ships our luggage directly to our hotels. . .and thats exactly what Luggage Forward does! Shipping to over 200 countries, Luggage Forward offers a luggage delivery service guarantee "if the service causes your luggage to be delayed we'll provide a refund and cover upto $500 in incidental expenses". Top that!

Happy Honeymoon!

Nip/Tuck -Tackling the Guest List

Achieving the almost impossible goal of trimming your guest list is an all time bridal accomplishment, worthy of an award. Follow these tips to guide you and your hubby-to-be through creating your wedding guest list.

• One of the most important first steps is to clearly define your parents' involvement in the wedding. Odds are, if they're the ones coughing up most of the cash for your nuptials, then they're going to be eager to invite everyone on their guest list. And its only proper for the two of you to extend that courtesy. If this is the case, you and your fiance should workout some type of formula for your guests and the guests of your parents, like 60/40.

• Know your budget and how many people you can afford to invite.
  

• Grab some alone time together and create a list titled "must" and another titled "maybe". Go through the names of everyone you want to invite and add their names to either list. With my experience, 2 out of 10 guests who were added to the "maybe" list, were. . well, let's say they were "eventually sent a wedding announcement". You know what we're trying to say.

• You and your fiance's guest list should be fairly equal, unless otherwise agreed upon.
  

• Remember to have fun! Try making a sweethearts game out of it! Don't consume or devote your entire weekend together to creating your guest list. It'll only add more stress to an already lengthy planning process.
  

Trimming your guest list won't be such an agonizing wedding task if you set clear cut rules that apply to everyone! ; (i.e. no co-workers, no third cousins, no friends of a friend, etc.) When you begin to make exceptions, the horrible feelings you were once looking to steer clear of, will begin to surface.

Good Luck!

New York Weddings

Every season, New York wedding planners and New York brides-to-be await the arrival of the new issue of New York Weddings Magazine, a highly established bridal magazine by the producers of New York Mag. New York weddings is the A-Z guide for everything weddings in New York! If your thinking of getting married in the Big Apple, come equipped with this magazine and a New York wedding planner who knows her way around and trust me when I say you'll have the time of your life!

Check out how these New York City couples tied the knot! (photos from www.nymag.com/weddings/)