{Back 2 Wedding Basics} Hot Wedding Fashion Trends

The Association of Bridal Consultants holds monthly, annual and national conferences for local planners and vendors. These meetings bring together HOT new ideas and fabulous vendors that my brides love choosing over and over again.

Wedding Gowns

Top priority-always looking amazing in your wedding dress. Pam Hardy, co-owner of Almond Tree Wedding Boutique commented that one strap sleeves "golden age of Hollywood" are filtering their way into bride's hearts. Brides are wanting to keep it simple. Keeping it classic on your wedding day may be a look you are aiming for. Many brides are veering away from the strapless look and adding sleeves or a partial jacket. The hardest part when shopping is finding your size if you're larger than size 12. Do your research on the type of dress you like and call the boutique prior to your visit to check for larger sizes.

Bridemaid Dresses

Keeping it short is how many bridesmaids are wearing their dresses. Sticking with the eco-friendly notion in shopping, girls are still looking for bridesmaid dresses that can be worn again. Not necessarily for the next friends wedding but out-on-the-town. Gorgeous silk fabrics like those found at Twirl Boutique keep many bridesmaids very happy. This includes dressing up the waist area with special belts and broaches.  

                                             

To Veil or Not To Veil

Do you have your something borrowed or something old? Consider a vintage feather hair piece in lieu of a veil if you are looking for a classic look. In some cases, see if you mom or sister (in-law's) have a veil to borrow for your day. The nice part about finding your wedding dress so early (7 months or earlier) is many shops include your veil for free. Check out the deals you can but don't settle on anything that doesn't leave you with a glowing feeling. Try on your hair accessory and dress together with your shoes.

Take it all in. This look will mark the beginning of your new life.

Summer Outdoor Wedding

BLUEman: The Male Perspective

In Arizona, most summer weddings occur indoors. It can just be too hot to have a wedding outdoors. But, some people do still choose to have that outdoor wedding to take advantage of the different surroundings Arizona has to offer.

The good news is June is not as hot as it can be in July and August, plus there are ways to make the weather not as big a role in your wedding.

How are you going to ensure the comfort of your guests?

One of the best ways to do this is to rent a couple evaporative coolers. By simply adding ice, or keeping a constant flow of cold water to the cooler, the fans will generate a nice breeze of cool air to keep your guests feeling comfortable.

Another idea is to find a ceremony setting with plenty of shade. It can often feel 15 degrees cooler in the shade than in the sun.

Some people may even opt to have an early morning wedding, like 9 a.m., followed by a brunch at their reception. The advantage to an early morning, outdoor wedding, is the heat of the day is several hours away.

But if you want your wedding during the evening, you could hold your wedding at 5:30 or 6 p.m. The sunlight is still just right to have that 30 minute ceremony, and then, you and your bride can take advantage of great photo opportunities with the sun setting in the background.

If your wedding is outdoors in the summer, just be sure to take care of your guests with plenty of cold water. At a recent wedding we coordinated, the bride and groom also provided fans for each one of their guests as well. Cold water and fans helped to keep their guest comfortable, and it could work for you as well.

Getting to Know the Planner

Wedding and event planning has always been a passion of Valerie’s. She first got into event planning in the corporate setting five years ago. Since then, Valerie has expanded into her own wedding and event planning business, Blueprint Affairs.

“I wanted to become a wedding planner to help people enjoy their wedding day as much as possible,” Valerie said. “I loved every minute of my wedding, and I work hard to ensure that everyone’s wedding day is just as exciting, relaxing and fun as the experience I had.”

Relationships are the key to anything you do in life. Valerie prides herself on building long-lasting relationships with others, and loves to keep up with her brides even after their wedding day. It is the main reason she loves planning weddings.

“I love to be involved in every detail of their wedding,” Valerie stated. “It’s why I make myself available to talk and/or meet when they need to.”

In order to make their wedding a success, the packages Blueprint Affairs offers really have the bride and groom in mind. Valerie wants to ensure that come their wedding day, they are not scrambling around stressing about every little detail. That’s her job.

Valerie’s strengths in creativity, attention to detail, and follow through allow her to plan the wedding you’ve always imagined, without the stressful wedding day.

A lot of people have the perception that a wedding planner or day of wedding coordinator is only for the wealthy. That’s just not the case.

Blueprint Affairs’ packages start at $875 for day of wedding coordination and $1575 for full wedding planning. More information on the two packages can be found on the Blueprint Affairs website under Package Pricing.

“Everyone deserves to enjoy their wedding day with little to no stress involved,” Valerie remarked. “That is why our packages were priced with every bride and groom in mind.”

In addition, Valerie does not charge for the initial consultation. It’s just as much an opportunity for her to learn more about you as it is for you to learn more about her.

“I love planning weddings,” Valerie said, “I look forward to planning yours as well.”

{Summer Selections} Rocking Out!

Music is synonymous with a rocking reception. There’s nothing better than watching your guests get out on the dance floor enjoying the music the DJ has readily prepared. Planning for a DJ is a definite must and will make the biggest impact on your wedding day. Plan to spend about 10% of your wedding budget on this must-have and my right-hand person. The experienced DJ also works with your planner to keep the flow of your reception throughout the evening.

iPod or bust?

For many couples, the thought of scraping together the budget for a DJ seems like a second thought and most would like to plug in an iPod. However, the iPod only plays music, no experience, no song suggestions, and no personality, says Eric Cheroske, owner of Got You Covered. There is no way of recovering a crowd vying for different jams than preselected on your iPod. Here’s a link that Eric found on why not to use an iPod: http://www.i-newswire.com/the-ipod-wedding-disaster/32343

Get The Party Started

Plan to meet with your DJ for a wrap-up meeting at least two weeks before your wedding. This will help you review some of final song choices and review the flow of your reception. Prepare your DJ with the genre you want and don’t want played at your wedding. Expert DJ’s have the skills to match the music to your preferences and also pick other crowd pleasers you’d be happy to hear. Eric shared that he once saw the grandfather of the groom who was celebrating his 90th birthday on the same day of the wedding. The grandfather managed to “moonwalk” across the floor in front of all the guests right after he had received a birthday surprise. Stories like this should help remind you how important it is to have music to bring out the fun in your party. Every couple wants to have the wedding of the year or century! It takes a great DJ to make those memories happen.

{Summer Selections} Capture Sights and Sounds

Capture your wedding day for many years to come with video. Not everyone thinks they can afford it but many couples wish they did it after the wedding is over. Good quality is not inexpensive but it is affordable if Videography is a priority says Taryn Bills, owner of Serendipity Videography. The nice part about Serendipity besides their catchy name is their sister company, Simply Cinema for the budget minded brides.


Best Features

Taryn loves the couples who will do interviews, encourage guest well wishes during the reception, and allow them to capture every element of the day. Your wedding day is the story untold and Serendipity adds a splash of Videography and music to the final video to make a movie all about you. With great lighting, the romance and essence of your day flows perfectly into a classic storybook wedding.

Final Cut

The emotional and funny parts of your wedding day add character to your wedding movie. Taryn says truly the best stories are told through the view finder of the camera by focusing on the emotion of the couple’s wedding day not by editing effects. One of the effects they use to create emotion that I love is the time lapse watching your ceremony location go from empty to full of guests before the procession begins. Prior to your wedding, Taryn and her team ask who are the important people in your life, special moments you love, and those family members you can’t wait to interview.

Best Video

All couples you talk to know they made the right choice with having video after they see the finished product. You can’t have too many memories of your wedding day. Think of your wedding day as a fast forward button stuck and you race through your day. I love watching my own wedding video and catch special moments that guests had during my wedding that I missed. If you’re leaning on no for video, consider how much you’ll remember when playing back your vows or best man toast. It’s surreal to watch those you love talk about your happiest day of your life.


A taste of video elegance partnered with Blueprint Affairs:

Jason & Daris at Sassi from Serendipity Videography on Vimeo.

{Summer Selections} Wedding Culinary Menus

All social gatherings are better with food. They are the central focal point of the gathering and the reasons why people will linger or leave early says Noelle Salinas, Owner of Fresh from the Kitchen, LLC. Everyone has been to a wedding that hosted a gourmet style menu and one that lacked any flavor. It’s your job as the couple to give your guests and you a menu fancied with beautiful flavors and creative touches. You may be finding yourself lacking the funds for a huge fete but it’s ok to discover a new trend such as appetizer parties. Noelle says that dinner food favorites like Macaroni and Cheese are being passed as hors d’euvres. She loves to jazz it up by serving it with goat cheese and pecorino romano sauce served in a tiny martini glass with a gratin topping. Kids and adults are raving about this fun addition.


Buffet or Plated?

Buffets require less work by the catering company that equates to less cost by you. Choose the menu style that fits your wedding style. A more formal wedding is suited for a plated dinner versus a less formal wedding would be great with a buffet line. Your guests will love having the options in a buffet but be careful of the hearty eaters. In some cases, the buffet can actually cost more if the menu is too elaborate for the style wedding you have in mind.

Info to Know

Good catering isn’t cheap. The best part of your family and friend get togethers is the food. Everyone ‘breaks bread’ together and it should be important to pay close attention to quality. Caterers like Fresh from the Kitchen know how to work with all budgets. Be honest with your caterer and they will think of creative ways to indulge your culinary palette while staying in your budget. Reserve your caterer at least six months in advance. Last minute planning can be stressful. Make your wedding day easier.

A Mom's Role for the Groom

BLUEman: The Male Perspective

Mother’s Day is a chance to thank your mom for all she has done in your life. Growing up, my mom would often make my lunch before she would shuffle each of my brothers and sisters off to school.

She was always that support factor no matter what trouble I was getting into as well.

But did you know that your mom can play an important role in your own wedding? It’s true.

When you hit the dance floor after your wedding, one of the optional dances is the mother-son dance. This is a chance for your mom to dance with you in the spotlight.

But before that, she is escorted down the aisle at the beginning of your ceremony, most likely just before you make your way to the front. And during the ceremony, your mom, along with the mom of your bride, could get involved by helping to light the candles that you and your bride will use to light the unity candle.

But let’s rewind to way before the wedding day.

You’ve just got engaged. Your mom will cheerfully spread the news with all her family and friends. She should also reach out to the bride’s mom to express her happiness.

When it comes time to put together your invite list, your mom can be there to help you narrow down your choices on your side of the family, you’re A and B list for example. She will most likely have all the addresses you need to ensure the invites get to where they need to go.

When it’s time for the bridal shower, your mom should attend and bring a gift as well.

Once you and your bride are registered, your mom will most likely spread the word to your side of the family so that you get what you asked for.

The two moms will typically consult with one another on their wedding day outfits as well.

Traditionally, the rehearsal dinner is the groom’s responsibility. So your mom will most likely be there to make sure the restaurant of choice delivers on their promise so that you have a great party the night before your wedding.

You can see that your mom can play an important part in your wedding, much like she has all your life. Hopefully, you let her know how much she meant to you, yesterday, on Mother’s Day! But if not, make sure you do so now.

See you next Monday!

{Summer Selections} Guest Blog - Rose Ceremony

Discovering unique touches for your wedding should always been top priority. Take this time to reflect on the nice touches to your ceremony that will make it memorable for you and your guests. Read below some great tips by Officiant Larry James on how you could incorporate the Rose Ceremony into your big day.

Guest Blogger: Larry James, Officiant

There are lots of brief add-on ceremonies that you can add to your wedding ceremony. They add a touch of class, makes your ceremony different and keep your guests interested.


The “Rose” ceremony is one of my favorites.

In the rose ceremony, the Bride and Groom give each other a single red rose bud. Two red rose buds are all that is necessary. If you have children involved in the ceremony, you may have a rose for each of them too. The Rose Ceremony is placed near the end of the ceremony just “after” being pronounced wife and husband.

This ceremony is what I call an “add-on” ceremony. It is intended to be added into the wedding or renewal of vows ceremony.

In the old language of flowers, a single red rose has always meant “I love you”. The Rose ceremony gives recognition to the new and most honorable title of “Wife and Husband”.

This ceremony originates in a classic rose ceremony from a lost and elegant age. It was rewritten by the Hon. Mark Ovard and rewritten again by Larry James explaining the true meaning of the ceremony – and in ways that can endure through your married life together – this is a unique and meaningful addition to any marriage ceremony. It will also inspire your guests.

This is also a nice way of involving the mothers in the ceremony.

New twist to this idea
Couples will often stop as they exit and “surprise” the mothers of the bride and groom by handing them each an “I Love You” rose bud. The husband gives his rose to his new mother-in-law and the wife gives her rose to her new mother-in-law, whispering “I love you,” or something nice before proceeding with their exit, knowing that love is not love until you give it away!

You could also say something like, “I’m happy to be a part of the family, etc.” Be sure to tell your photographer that you are giving your “I love you” roses to the mothers so they can get that photo.

NOTE: All roses symbolize Love, but their colors have special meaning. Use the list below to choose the shade that best matches the feeling you want to convey.

Red – Love, passion, respect and courage
Yellow – Joy, friendship and freedom
Pink – Happiness, gratitude, appreciation and admiration
Cream – Thoughtfulness, charm and graciousness
Orange – Admiration, fascination, enthusiasm and desire
White – innocence, purity, secrecy, reverence and to honor those who are deceased

Copyright © 2010  Larry James. This idea is adapted from Larry's Wedding Website. Larry James is a non-denominational minister and performs the most "Romantic" wedding ceremony you will find anywhere! Every wedding ceremony is customized to your complete satisfaction. Call to check availability: 480-998-9411 or 800-725-9223. You will find more than 445 pages of Wedding ideas, tips (95 tips and growing), ceremonies, and more at: http://www.celebrateintimateweddings.com/ . Subscribe to Larry's FREE monthly "LoveNotes for Lovers eZINE. Contact: CelebrateIntimateWeddings.com, P.O. Box 12695, Scottsdale, AZ 85267-2695.

{Summer Selections} Out Style Your Bridesmaids

Wishes are made to come true. This is especially true at a local salon in Scottsdale called the Wish Salon. Owner, Taryn Hitchings found her niche in the heart of downtown Scottsdale. Her job is to bring out the luscious curls and accent the highlights that ladies would love to have. One of my recent brides also found herself getting dolled up in Taryn’s chair on her wedding day. As the wedding coordinator, I like to join my brides to make sure their hair and makeup ladies (and some gentlemen) arrive on time. This was easy as the hair stylist and fellow makeup artist, Shayla, were both on hand at the Wish Salon.

Now that we learned what Taryn can do, let’s learn what’s new and hot!

Brides are finding they love loose waves, fun curls, big body, and fabulous textured updo’s says Taryn. She knows exactly how to bring out your style and perfect wedding day look in every wedding setting. The best thing that I love about her work is her ability to bring out the natural beauty in every girl. Every bride wants to stand out and have each guest stand in awe of how gorgeous she looks. Think about how you want to be remembered on your wedding day. Snip out pictures of your favorite hair styles and note how you want to feel on your wedding day. Depending on the weather, think about updo’s versus halves ‘sies (half up and half down style).

Don’t forget that you need to do a trial run for before your wedding day to see how your hair will look. Take pictures and feel comfortable and confident in the style you chose. There is nothing set in stone after the trial run so make sure to tell your stylist the look you want to create. This is your day to shine and having the right stylist team will get you there.

A Stress Free Wedding Day

Have you thought about your wedding day in full detail? If not, you may want to take a couple minutes to visualize that day.

Close your eyes, and picture yourselves getting ready for the ceremony. All of a sudden, the photographer comes up to you and asks you if you’re ready yet for your pictures. Then, right behind the photographer is the DJ wondering if they have the correct song you’ve picked for the brides walk down the aisle.

The groom’s buddy then tugs on his shoulder and says the caterer wants to know if the ceremony is going to get started on time, and if not, how far should the dinner be pushed back?

The men finally get ready to take pictures, but then realize they don’t have the boutonnière pinned to their jackets yet. And it’s then he realizes he has yet to see the florist, and then scrambles to find her.

So now ask yourself, how is your wedding day going? Is this how you envisioned your wedding day? Do you have a lot more stress than you imagined? Do you really want to be dealing with all these minor details and questions right now?

The Money You’ve Spent

In the Phoenix metropolitan area, on average, a couple is likely to spend $2,000+ on a quality photographer, $1,000+ or on a DJ or musician, $8,000+ on the venue and catering, and $1,500+ on flowers. With all that invested, do you want to a) coordinate the wedding yourself and not really get to enjoy your time with your new bride and deal with the above scenario, or b) hire a day-of-wedding coordinator to handle all the details so that you can enjoy your investment on the one day that you tie the knot with your lovely bride.

A Small Investment to Enjoy Your Day

Based on the above averages, you’ve just spent over $12,000 for the basic items you needed for your wedding day. Consider investing a little bit more so you can relax and have fun on your wedding day.

Now, picture yourself with a day-of-wedding coordinator, not to be confused with a site coordinator. A site coordinator doesn’t do anything to help with the flow of your day. They are there to simply help you find your room to get ready in and/or to make sure their own staff is in place for your ceremony and reception. But, a day-of-wedding coordinator takes all those visualized references above, and takes them off your plate.

With packages starting at $1,550, it’s worth it to you and your bride to consider hiring a day-of-wedding coordinator.

You shouldn’t be bothered with a thousand questions on your wedding day. With the Blueprint Affairs difference, we take on your wedding day coordination needs at least 30 days prior to your wedding and leave no rock unturned. Come your wedding day, you’ll be relaxed and stress free.

Contact Blueprint Affairs today at info@blueprintaffairs.com or 623-215-8657 to schedule your FREE initial consultation and see how we can serve every one of your needs come your wedding day.

See related blog: Destination Love: The Bride’s View

Until next time, happy wedding planning!

Destination Love || The Bride's View

Are you still considering all your options for friends and family to help on your wedding day? I’m sure you just thought your wedding would happen without any issues. Dee, my recent newlywed wanted to shed some light on her wedding planning experience. Dee considers herself very ‘organized’ (yes, she knew exactly how she wanted every detail in her wedding) and wasn’t sure if hiring a wedding planner would be the best with her modest budget.

Dee was the bride who loved searching and reading through all the wedding blogs to find out as much information as possible. Her motivation revolved around, “finding the right venue, the perfect dress, finding pictures of the perfect cake, and more.” As her Day-of-Wedding Coordinator, I worked to bring together all her wedding vendors so as Dee puts it “simply relax on my day”. I love exactly how Dee said this so I included it all for you.

I learned that you can be as involved (or not as involved) as you want when you hire a planner. If a bride doesn't want to put the time and energy into planning, then hiring a planner and opting for a full-service package is the way to go. But, if a bride wants to be involved (like I was!), then checking out the day of package is awesome, because everything on the day of is handled for you. Your planning and preparation is done. So, when it's your day, it's time to just sit back and enjoy. And, you can do that, because the planner troubleshoots, keeps the timeline on track, and works with all your vendors to make sure everything is taken care of and your day comes together smoothly. Your phone won't ring and people won't be coming to you if something goes wrong. Your planner is there and ready for anything to make your day smooth and stress free.

The key to enjoying your day is staying hydrated, eat snacks throughout the day and allow yourself plenty of time to stay calm. Dee recommends enjoying the process, don’t stress, and go with your gut instincts when planning your wedding. Blueprint Affairs works to make your day special and plan for the expected ceremony and reception timelines (and unexpected on your day). Dee enjoyed our attention to her details and listening to exactly how she pictured her wedding day. She enjoyed how passionate we are and may even consider helping other brides in their journey.

Special thanks to the vendors who helped make her wedding perfect!

Photos by Mary Sandy(photography), Sassi (venue), Petals & Pizazz (flowers), Matthew Thornton (guitar), and Reverend Giovanni, Ray the DJ, Wish Salon (hair), and Shayla Mitchell (makeup)

**With Blueprint Affairs, we offer full planning services and Day-of-Wedding Coordination.

Photo by Photos by Mary

Destination Love || Wedding Day Makeup

There comes a point in time when a makeup artist is no longer an option, but a requirement. Your wedding day is not something you want to scrimp on. These shots of your face will be plastered all over your walls and the photo galleries of your family for years to come. Finding the makeup artist that flatters all your fabulous features and hides that one zit you manage to unleash on your wedding day is a necessity. Yes, just like in the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding, you too will find your hormones fighting the stress and excitement of your day.


The things that you should look for in a great makeup artist are simple: flawless and natural style, gentle and soothing nature (you’ll need this when things are feeling tense), polished, and professional. I love working with makeup artists myself because everyone loves being pampered. There’s something intoxicating while sitting there in that chair waiting for those sweet touches to your face. I recently worked with Shayla Mitchell of Makeup by Shayla who delivered perfectly. My bride left her chair looking so natural and yet, stunning in the way that her MAC makeup accented her model-like features. MAC is traditionally known for their high volume color palette but the right application of the wedding day coloring will leave you looking absolutely natural.

Remember to have your initial trial done a month or two before your wedding with any makeup artist. This will help you feel comfortable with the artist’s style and makeup cosmetics. You want to be sure that you take a few pictures of your look post-trial and note your skin’s feeling throughout the day. You can expect your trial and wedding day look to start at $150.

Shayla Mitchell – 310-993-0313 (based in Scottsdale, AZ)  *Sample pictures in blog

Destination Love || Wedding Anniversaries

Planning a wedding takes so much energy, sweat and tears. The pure joy is walking down the aisle to your bridal march music heading up to the man of your dreams. The main idea that most brides forget is the part after the wedding. The many years of learning and growing together through the vow words you spoke on that very wedding day. I recently celebrated a fabulous wedding weekend in the city of quickie weddings and high-roller nights (..also day’s too). The wedding weekend was actually to celebrate the union of my aunt and uncle from April 10, 1960. Yes, it was a 50th Wedding Anniversary in Las Vegas. I didn’t know them when they were married but to know them now you would be so impressed. The romance is seen in the way they look at each other. My Aunt Jeanette understands the dry humor of her hubby Michael as he listens so quietly while we get lost in our chatty talks. Giddiness comes over me when I'm talking with my auntie.

Brian, my hubby and I created a poem/picture frame (goldish frame- tradition says it's the color for 50 years) as a gift to give them. A poem by my favorite writer, the BLUEman (aka Brian) perfectly captured their life together.

I’m in an industry of love but no one really talks about after the wedding day. I think it’s special to celebrate the marriages that started and will last a lifetime…let’s congratulate my friends and family who have beat the odds.

Anniversary Congratulations!

Michael & Jeanette – 50 years

Lew & Sue – 34.5 years

Sherry & hubby – 30 years

Alise & hubby - 24 years

Jo Ann & Grant – 19 years

Tracy & Bill– 16 years (and 11 months)

Jen & Brian– 11 years

Janel & Shawn– 8 years

Laura & hubby - 5 years

Becky & Mark -3 years

Opal & Ed – 2.5 years

Andy & Michelle – 2 years

The Groom’s Duties

BLUEman: The Male Perspective

Congratulations man…you’re engaged! Now ask yourself: what's next?

Today, the modern groom doesn’t just sit back and say to his bride to be “Yes, whatever you want” when it comes to the wedding. You do have some responsibilities that fall on you, more than anyone else, including:

• Choose your best man and groomsmen
• Discuss the style of your wedding with your bride to be and make sure you both know the attire you want to have. Do you want the wedding to have a laid-back feel, or do you want it to be formal?
• Transportation – make sure you assist in arranging this for the bride to get to the ceremony, along with everyone else in your wedding party. If your reception is a drive away from the ceremony location, you’ll need transportation to get your entire wedding party there
• Arrange for accommodations, if needed, for out-of-town guests (ex. Room blocks at a specific hotel)
• Gifts – purchase for both your bride to be and for your groomsmen
• Obtain the marriage license – without it, your wedding is not official
• Plan the rehearsal dinner and prepare to make a toast at the rehearsal dinner thanking everyone for coming out to your wedding

Besides the duties specific to the groom, here are ways you can get involved in the planning process of the wedding with your bride to be:

• Determine your wedding budget and make a plan to stick within the budget. What are the most important things in your wedding to consider, i.e. planner, photographer, flowers, DJ, etc.
• Select a date, time and location for your ceremony and reception
• Create your guest list and make sure to not go over the number of guests you plan to have
• Book an officiant or minister for your wedding
• Work with your planner to hire the vendors for your wedding day

One of the things a groom should work on, and not wait to the last minute to do, is plan the honeymoon. Discuss where it is you both want to share your first week or two as a married couple. And make sure to follow our tips to planning your honeymoon. By booking at least six months out, you’re likely to save a lot more money than booking a month or two out.

Until next time, this is the BLUEman, signing off.

Destination Love || Destination Weddings

U.S. Weddings

Try to pick something close by if you are deciding on a destination wedding to save money. Since I'm based in Arizona, Phoenicians have the bonuses of traveling to the beaches of California for a breath of sea air. Even with a modest budget of $25,000 you and 80 of your closest friends and family can enjoy your beautiful day at a local seaside venue. You can typically plan on 50% of the guests RSVP'ing. Many of your closest friends and family are easily able to pack their cars or hop on a quick plane ride for a 3 day weekend trip. Use BLUEman's tips on Google mapping to help your guests find their way around your wedding locale. Provide as much information to your guests at least 6 to 12 months in advance. Try sending them a Save the Date card to start planning on the best event of the year, YOUR wedding.

International Weddings

Traveling internationally is for those with the travel bug and want to share it (don't worry, it's a good thing!). Planning your wedding in Italy, France, Greece or some destination island sounds amazing, doesn't it? This is a good time to start thinking about more than Save the Date cards but creating your own wedding website to inform your guests about accomodations oversees (10% off for Blueprint Affair brides). Travel Planners like Eva Guibert at Tailored Travel Services would make this easy to set up all your guests with one contact for all their travel plans and restrictions. Travel Planners also know of venue cancellations, alternate accomodations, and provide support in unfamiliar locations. Don't forget that every guest will need a Passport and in some cases a Visa (travels to New Zealand require a Visa). The costs for marrying abroad can be minized with preferred vendors you establish in the states and pay for travel. So, check with your favorite vendors as I know many of us have our passports ready to go! 

Special Requirements

Visa's and Passports are just the start of deciding on traveling abroad. Be sure to coordinate your marriage license with the location of your wedding and the officiant. You will want to find out the requirements for this before you make your plans set in stone. Another thing to consider is health precautions such as vaccinations and immunization records being up to travel standards. This isn't the fun part of getting married but you'll need to know.

If you never thought about a destination wedding, this is best time to sneak in a fun vacation and have all your closest people enjoying it with you. A couple years ago, I went to a wedding in Costa Rica and 80 guests arrived. I was impressed how many people showed up and actually did excursions such as zip lining and surfing throughout the days leading up to the wedding. Zip lining and surfing were a new adventure I learned and made so many amazing memories during that wedding weekend.

Tips To Know || Bridal Dress Fittings

Do you know what to bring to your dress fitting? Whether you’re the bride or bridesmaids, it’s important to come armed with all your wedding day tools and accessories. Choosing the best time to pick your dress is ideal because the time you actually try on your dress will set the wedding 'wow' factor.


Accessories

Be sure to pack your earrings and necklace that you want to wear during your final fitting. This is the best time to match up the bling you bought for your day. For many bridesmaids, the best gift you receive may be the jewelry from your blushing bride. Don’t forget to bring the bra and underwear you want to wear. Too many times I see very sheer dresses with peek-a-boo undies that should stay in the dresser drawer. Choose nude color full or thong underwear. This includes your bra, which may be strapless, stick –on or build it into your dress. (check with your seamstress)

Last but not least, bring your veil and shoes to your fitting. Find an area with great lighting to match up the coloring of your mother’s veil (if you decide on this for ‘something old’) which varies over the years. Fitting your shoes will also give you some experience bending and walking with your wedding shoes. Plan to wear them at least nine hours from start to finish. Be sure to find shoes that coordinate your dress and your comfort!

Best Time

Order your dress at least 6 months before your wedding to have the bridal dress selection of your choice. Keep tabs on your order as bridal shops have many orders coming and going. Double-check the style and color for all of your dresses including your wedding dress. Be proactive not abusive to your wedding powers. Then, arrange your fitting two to three weeks before your wedding to test out the length, fit, and make adjustments as needed.

An Audience for You!

Bringing a group of friends and family can be overwhelming if you are bringing your entire bridal party. Try to schedule your bridal dress fitting outside of the bridesmaids and mother dress fittings. This will alleviate much of your stress and you can take in all the excitement of your wedding.

Expectations are Everything!

Don’t be surprised if you see your dress and forgot what gorgeous gown you picked. You can expect to do two to three fittings until you get the perfect fit. Know that whatever dress you love, your new hubby will be amazed the moment he sees you walking down the aisle in your new gorgeous gown.

Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite

BLUEman: The Male Perspective

Over the past week I heard a post wedding night story from a couple married only a couple months.

The couple said their bridal party snuck into their room prior to the end of the reception and had proceeded to place red rose petals across the bed.

Not an uncommon thing for the bridal party or wedding planner to do. It adds a bit of romance to the end of their night just spent celebrating with many friends and family.

The only problem was this time the rose pedals were picked from around the property, and without any careful checking. The pedals placed on this couples bed had bugs in them, which sometimes can be hard to see when the people making the romantic gesture are caught up in the moment.

So after coming back to their room and clearing the bed of rose pedals, the couple woke up the next morning with bite marks on their bodies. Thankfully the bite marks were not completely all over their bodies.

The lesson to learn here…if you’re in the bridal party and have access to the room while the bride and groom are enjoying their reception, throw around the pedals with caution.

The easiest way to avoid tracking bugs into the room is to gather some of the pedals used at the ceremony. This can be from the flower girl for instance. Or, you might want to pick up some rose pedals from a nearby flower shop. But if you do end up picking some rose pedals from around the property (certainly not advised), make sure to check over them carefully.


See you next Monday...

Tips to Know || Maid of Honor Duties

Just like the best man planning the bachelor party, the maid of honor is responsible for hosting the bachelorette party, in addition to assisting with or even hosting the bridal shower. These parties can range in their design and creativity…that of which I will be blogging about in the future. But for now, let me share with you my thoughts on what a maid of honor should do, at the very least.


Pre-Wedding:
Sometimes, the maid of honor accompanies the bride to be in going to a registering with different places for her wedding gifts, and even attend bridal expos with the bride to be as well. But one of the biggest things a bride most likely will want to share with her maid of honor is the dress shopping and fitting.

Just before the wedding day is the rehearsal. The maid of honor should assist the coordinator in gathering the other bridesmaids to walk through the rehearsal. After the rehearsal, the maid of honor is of course expected to attend the rehearsal dinner.

The Wedding Day:
Come the wedding day, the maid of honor really steps up to the plate and helps with a lot of things, including:

• Helping the bride get dressed
• Assist the florist in distributing the bouquets, boutonnieres and corsages to the wedding party
• Keep all bridesmaids on track and ensure that come the time of the ceremony, they’re ready to go
• The best man holds the rings, the maid of honor holds the bride's bouquet during the ceremony
• Signing the marriage license along with the best man
• Bustles the bride's wedding dress for the reception
• Help the bride in the washroom
• Just like the best man, the maid of honor delivers a toast

These are just some of the more important things a maid of honor is to do come the wedding day. But of course, the maid of honor should be prepared to do anything the bride asks of her to make her day that much easier and that much more enjoyable.

Bride Appreciation
There are a lot of helpful sites out there so that the maid of honor is well prepared. So get on that computer and Google away.

Whatever the maid of honor can lend to the bride in terms of support will of course be much appreciated by the bride and show her why she chose you for the honor.

Tips To Know || Wedding Superstitions

Are you fearful of rain on your wedding day? Does catching the bouquet bring visions of wedding bells to your mind? Many people who have been to a wedding have witnessed rain drenched reception areas and could have potentially caught at least five bouquets with no wedding in sight. In some family superstitions, the girl who catches the bouquet is the next to get married in her family. I first caught my first bouquet when I was 15 but it took many, many years after everyone in my family (so it seemed) married before it was my turn. There are so many tales and some strange things that people say that don’t actually come true – but it may alarm you.




Rain

This is my favorite tale about something that every bride dreads. Months of planning to have drops of precipitation muddy up the aisle, drench the guests, and delay the ceremony in some cases. Some tales say having rain on your wedding day means: that you will have many children, many years of wedded bliss, or shed many tears in your married life.

The Dress

It’s a total no-no for anyone but the bride to wear white on the wedding day. However, some mother’s, mother-in-law’s (think of the movie Monster In Law – funny!) or even guests attend a wedding wearing white. Some tales say: a bride who wears white will be joyful on day, a ripped dress means your marriage ends in death, and making your own dress will bring tears for each stitch sewn.

The Big Toss

Challenging every single guy and girl at your wedding to participate in the bouquet and garter toss becomes more difficult as everyone gets married off. However, the fun still lives in throwing the bouquet and garter. For the garter toss, skill is not needed but attention should be made on how your groom removes the garter from your leg. Some tales say: for every inch a man removes with his teeth is the years of married bliss, the man who catches the garter is the next to be married, and this holds true for the women catching the bouquet.

Superstitions and myths are hard to forget when you’re told about your wedding day. One superstition that most brides hold near and dear to them is about the four “something’s”. You know, something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. This requires you planning to bring one item for each of these things on your wedding day to wear. No matter how great or strange the superstition may be, remember your wedding day is about new beginnings for a life to share with your husband. Don’t get stuck on the tales but live in the moment.

Victory Cigar?

BLUEman: The Male Perspective

The night is winding down on your wedding day festivities. You’ve watched your beautiful bride come down the aisle, you said your vows, and you said “I do.” The reception went off without a hitch. The first dance was just how you both pictured it. And, if you were creative, you followed the lead of TLC’s Rock the Reception. The best man and maid of honor gave their toasts and everyone danced till they could not dance no more.

And then, your father comes up to you, or your father-in-law, and he wants to share in a moment with you by lighting a cigar and kicking one back with him and the rest of the guys. It’s his way of saying “congratulations” and what some guys might call the “Victory Cigar”. So the question is: do you do it?

Here are two things to consider before you light up that cigar:

1. Is the bride to be going to get upset if the groom lights up the cigar? The bride might not want to kiss cigar breath afterward. But you can likely convince her by chewing some gum after the fact.
2. Does your venue allow you to light up inside or outside? Most places in Arizona would not allow that to take place due to current laws in place that prevent restaurants from allowing patrons to smoke inside, but you might be able to outside.

I can honestly say that lighting up that cigar with my dad, brothers and friends near the end of my reception was a great experience for me. I looked forward to my wedding day, and being able to say thank you in the man sort of way to the guys for supporting me every step of the way meant a lot.

Enjoy your wedding my friends, and if you decide to, savor that cigar…

That’s it for now. Be sure to come back next Monday at 3:33 p.m.