Technology is King

BLUEman: The Male Perspective

In this every changing world of technology, it’s hard to know which product is the best. iPhone or Android? iPad or Galaxy tablet? Whatever your choice may be, tablets give a much bigger viewing area to view websites or apps that you may download, that phones would not.

Say for instance you’re out driving around and doing some shopping for your wedding day: decorations, wedding day outfits, etc. You can download a barcode app that allows you to scan an item and quickly look up more information about it, and even perhaps find a better deal for that same product online.

But how about planning a wedding and having every detail about your budget to vendors at your fingertips? Any contract you sign can be easily scanned to PDF and stored on a custom folder on your tablet so you can bring it up at any time to review deliverables of the vendor, or their contact info if you need to get a hold of them.

In addition, there are apps that allow help you to plan your wedding directly from your phone or tablet. The best of these apps appears to be from WeddingWire, with nearly a four out of five star rating. Both the Android and iPhone/Pad apps have a budget tracker (to track payments made to vendors and to ensure you stay within your budgetary constraints), and a checklist that you can customize to your specific wedding day needs. If you need help finding a vendor, you can even search local vendors in your area as well.

The one thing I like about the Samsung Galaxy tablet, sold at Verizon Wireless, is you can get month to month based service on the 3G network for as little as $20 per month for 1GB of downloads/uploads. That’s plenty, because if you’re in any area that has Wi-Fi connectivity, you can most likely use that network for free. iPads have similar capabilities on the Verizon and AT&T networks as well.

If you’re a technical junkie like me, you’ll love utilizing these new easy to use and easy to carry tablets. It’s helped us a lot more in our day to day wedding planning business, and I know they will help you stay on track to your big day as well.

{Engaged Me} Where to Start

Congratulations! You’ve joined the millions of lucky ladies to get engaged around the holidays. I know that I had 2 close friends get engaged during the Christmas break and New Year’s Eve. It’s a very exciting time to celebrate a time every girl dreams about to share her life with an amazing husband. I know you are picturing a fabulous wedding day as you gaze at this picture. Now it’s time to get moving on your wedding planning and don’t stress…this is just to get your feet wet about what you like and don’t like.

Visit the Bridal Shows

Start easy - You should prepare yourself now because every vendor will be vying for your attention. For many ladies, grab a few girlfriends and/or family and hit the local bridal shows. Bring comfy shoes, address labels (oh you will see why), and an open frame of mind. You’re not booking vendors on this visit but learning who to call back after the show. My good friend and bridal boutique owner, Iris D Bridal has a Groupon to save you money at the Phoenix Bridal Show on January 8-9th. Here’s a link to her blog for more information- click here.

If you can’t catch that show, the Sedona Bridal Fair will be hosted on Saturday, February 26th, the Great Bridal Expo in Phoenix is on Sunday, March 13th, and the East Valley Bridal Show on Wednesday, June 30, 2010. Take your pick ladies of many fabulous events throughout Arizona in preparation of your wedding.

Take Venue Tours

The best way to love your venue is to take a tour. There are several venues throughout the valley who host free venue tours. Below are a few to choose from offering open house tours:

East Valley Open Houses:

• Trilogy Golf Club at Power Ranch - January 11, 2011 || 4 to 7 p.m.
• The Windmill Winery - January 22, 2011 || 4 to 8 p.m.
• Tre Bella - January 26, 2011 || 6 to 8 p.m.
• Secret Garden - Every Wednesday || 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

West Valley Open Houses:

• Boojum Tree - Every Tuesday || 6 to 8 p.m.
• Virginia’s House - January 13, 2011 || 4 to 8 p.m.

Scottsdale Open Houses:

• Sassi Scottsdale - January 16, 2011 || Noon to 3 p.m.
• Troon North - January 28, 2011 || 4:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.