{Spring Into Love} Fruit and Vegetable Wedding Bouquets

Gorgeous bouquets are in season for this wedding year. Not your usual bouquets found out there but something a little more unique. Vegetable wedding bouquets are making a splash onto the scene.This may sound a little surprising but take a look below at some unique finds. You'll be pleasantly surprised some local Arizona florists are creating some amazing bouquets. I'm loving these eco-friendly choices of bouquets and I'm sure you will too!



Delicious strawberry,lettuce, and peppers bouquet
via weddingsatwork.com



Rose bouquet adorned with artichokes
Amanda Johnson of Butterfly Petals- AZ Florist
Photo: Ashley Maxwell Photography
Bride: Jasmine Amber - AZ Photographer too!



L: Artichoke, brocccolini,okra,kale and bear grass (& more)

R: Butter lettuce, clementines,coxcomb,brussel sprouts (& more)

Jen Colvin of EverAfter Florals creations- AZ Florist

Photo: Dan Vermillion



Dude, will you be my groomsman?

BLUEman: The Male Perspective




  Ever thought about how you might ask a friend to be one of your groomsmen?  Most guys simply just make a phone call to ask.  But some grooms are worried that asking a friend to be a groomsman rather that a best man can be offensive, especially when you have two really good friends, and a coin toss may determine who you choose as the best man.  Although, each can be viewed as equally important within the scope of the wedding.  However, making sure the best man can ensure the ring is not misplaced before the cermony, or is not fumbled around to the ground during the cermony, should play into your decision.

So how else can you ask your friend to be a groomsman or the best man?  How about mailing out an invite to be one or the other?  The Wedding Chicks came of with this great idea, and they have the templates to download for it.  All you need to do is purchase some A-2 note cards and envelopes, and you can print these from home utilzing the templates they provide.

So, if you're on the border as to who you should choose between best man and groomsman, let the invites do the talking for you...then, after acceptance, go out and buy them a drink and get to figuring out how to best enjoy your last days as a single man with your buddies.

{A New Year} Time for Redesign

Wedding planning is underway for many of my brides planning their 2011 weddings. This past year I talked about pumping up my marketing and now I have done it. With the help of Adam at The Wedding Vendor, we have finally unleashed a fabulous new design of our website that will make our search results more visible to perspective brides. My planning continues to focus on a modern, clean look with a romantic feel. I love starting a new year with great news and by continuing my passion for helping brides in their quest for an amazing wedding day.

Our website is http://www.blueprintaffairs.com/

Something new that you’ll see is that we are now a Sandals Certified Specialist that provides our couples great honeymoon memories. While on our website, visit our contact us page or visit the Sandals link to learn more about how we can help you plan your Sandals Resort honeymoons. Through our affiliation with the Association of Bridal Consultants, our clients receive more one-on-one specialized services while planning their wedding day and honeymoon.

One thing we don’t shy away from is displaying the prices for the packages we provide. That is why on our website you will see the detailed information on our packages along with their corresponding rates.

We hope you will take this time to visit our updated website and look forward to hearing from you so we can start planning your wedding or event.

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.

NEW Styling Engagement Sessions

Blueprint Affairs is proud to announce NEW engagement styling sessions with Shelly Love Photography. Michelle Myers, owner of Shelly Love Photography brings fashion and photojournalism to every shot. Together, we take your ordinary engagement session and meet ahead of time to create a session of your dreams, making photography personalized even before your wedding day. This includes deciding on the perfect session location, time, and prop items to create a unique styling session made for just you.

Fun and Unique
Photos from this unique session are used by most couples to send announcements of their engagement, save the date announcements, wedding day décor, and even holiday greeting cards.

Preparation
In addition to wedding and event planning, this one hour session is here to assist the bride and groom in preparing for their photo engagement session. Many couples are unsure what to wear, bring, or even what to expect on this special photo day with your photographer. We make this day easy and stress-free by getting you prepared for your first official photos with your loved one.

That is why Blueprint Affairs offers this one hour engagement styling session at just $65.00.

However, if you are a client of Shelly Love Photography, we will offer this session at no cost to you.

Get Started
In addition, as a client of Shelly Love Photography, we offer an additional savings of $350 off our full-service wedding planning package, or $200 off our day-of-wedding coordinator package, a total savings of over 15%.

To learn more about booking your engagement styling session, contact Valerie at Blueprint Affairs 623-215-8657. Learn more about Shelly Love Photography by visiting http://www.shellylovephotography.com/

Visit our preferred vendor’s page on http://www.blueprintaffairs.com/

Website Shopping: What’s the Price?

BLUEman: The Male Perspective

Most of the time, when I want to learn about one product or another, I search the website of the company for which it was created by.

I already have an idea into what the products purpose is, so before I read into what it can completely do for me, I search for the price. Sometimes, I have to search a lot harder than I really want to, thus I lose interest in the product all together. Game over.

For example, after we got engaged, Valerie and I started to put together our ideas as to what we wanted are wedding to look like.

The most important thing for us, outside of the venue in San Diego, was the photographer. So our initial web search took us to different photographers throughout the San Diego area. If I was on a photographer’s website, or any wedding vendor website for that matter, and it didn’t have a price sheet, I’d move on to the next one.

It’s no different than shopping for a car. The main company website may have starting prices of the car, but when you really want to find out what the car will cost you, you head to the dealer website. If you’re like me, you’d rather not call to find out, because they will want you to come down and see the car, and then they’ll discuss the price.

It’s important to know what kind of price you might be looking at paying before really finding out if they are worth having at your wedding. At least when you meet with the vendor, both you and the vendor will know you are somewhat serious about having them as a part of your wedding.

But the most common of all the non-priced wedding vendors happens to be the business we are in, wedding planning.

For the reasons expressed above, that is why we at Blueprint Affairs publish our package pricing on our website, along with what it includes. And best yet, you still get a free one hour consultation so that we can see if we are a fit for your wedding.

For additional information or to schedule a free one hour consultation, visit the Blueprint Affairs website or email info@blueprintaffairs.com today.

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.”

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!

The Rehearsal Dinner

BLUEman: The Male Perspective

One of the traditional responsibilities for the groom is the rehearsal dinner. The rehearsal dinner is that meal that takes place after the bridal party has walked through their ceremony procession, which usually takes place the day before the wedding, or two days prior.

Rehearsal dinners can either be just as elaborate as the wedding day, or much more subtle. It all depends on the type of budget you have for this occasion, but it is usually safe to plan for 25 to 35 people depending on the size of your bridal party and family members.

It’s a good rule of thumb to allow the bridal party to bring a guest of their own. And, if you have close family flying in from out of town, like your grandparents, it’s a great idea to include them as well in this occasion.

So what about the venue?

This could be as simple as a great brewery restaurant like Rock Bottom or BJ’s Brewhouse, a nice Southwestern or Mexican restaurant like Jalapeno Inferno, or a more elaborate setting like Maggiano’s Little Italy or Mastro's Oceans Club.

Let’s look at a few options.

Maggiano’s is a great place to do a family style rehearsal dinner. From a wide selection of entrees on the menu, you get to choose two to three appetizers, two to three salads, two to three entrees, two to three pasta dishes, and two to three deserts. There is plenty of food for all to enjoy and with a price range of $29 to $40 per person, it is definitely worth every penny. Plus, if you liked something more than others, you can order as much as your heart desires and the price still remains the same.

Another great place located in North Scottsdale is Jalapeno Inferno. With great margarita tastes like the Creamy Coconut or the Prickly Pear, and flavorful dishes, like The Chimichanga that Ate Nogales, you’re sure to find something for everyone to enjoy. And being in Arizona, this is a great way to treat those out of town family or bridal party members who don’t get to taste the true authentic flavors of the Southwest.

With so many great restaurants to choose from in the Valley of the Sun, you’re sure to find any restaurant to meet your rehearsal dinner needs.

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

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.

Sandals Resorts...An Easy Honeymoon

BLUEman: The Male Perspective

Continuing with the theme of honeymoons, here is one that is sure to alleviate a lot of stress in planning that perfect honeymoon, and allow you to enjoy your first week as a married couple.

I’m talking about Sandals All-inclusive Honeymoons.

You who might think $$$$ when the all-inclusive word is spoken…think again. That $$$$ sign can quickly become $$ for the same vacation many others select.

Take for example some current specials going on right now, including 65% off your weekly room rate.

For a Honeymoon Concierge Grand Luxe Beachfront Walkout Room at the Sandals Regency in St. Lucia, you could get a week stay for $4,760.00, normally priced at $11,900.00.

On top of that, based on that room type, they will throw in a $250 Red Lane Spa Credit so you can indulge in a couples massage.

So whether you select Jamaica, St. Lucia, Antigua, or the Bahamas as your honeymoon destination, you will enjoy every minute of it with the Sandals All-inclusive Honeymoon.

Here is something else you should know. Blueprint Affairs can help you plan your Sandals Honeymoon. Simply email info@blueprintaffairs.com and we can start to help you plan that perfect honeymoon.

Destination Love || Honeymoon Planning

Your wedding plans are near complete. The DJ is lined up, the venue is going to be a hit with your guests, and now you sit back and ask, what’s next?

Have you thought about your honeymoon?

Recently, Blueprint Affairs had the pleasure of sitting down with Tailored Travel Services to find out the top places to honeymoon and some helpful tips.

Honeymoon Destinations

According to Eva Guibert, CEO of Tailored Travel Services, the top three spots for Americans to honeymoon outside of the States is the Almalfi Coast and Venice in Italy, the islands of Maui and Kauai in Hawaii, and Bora Bora in Tahiti.

In addition, Arizona brides tend to look at Los Cabos and Cozumel, Mexico as honeymoon destinations as well.

How About a Travel Agent?

“When you’re going to start planning your honeymoon, consider going with a licensed and industry insured travel agency,” Guilbert stated.

The advantage of booking with a travel agent, especially one that specializes in the area in which you honeymoon, is they have the experience in putting together the kind of package you need to make your honeymoon truly special.

If you book a travel agent, Guilbert said that you should “plan to meet with them if you can, or at least speak on the phone several times or by email.”

Having a travel agent plan your honeymoon may not only save you time, aggravation or stress, but also money. Travel agents are there to put the plans of the honeymoon together for the busy bride and groom.

Going out of the Country?

Nowadays, if you plan to take a honeymoon outside of the States, you need to make sure you have a proper form of ID, i.e. a U.S. Passport.

“Your travel agent should be able to let you know what will be required for travel,” Guilbert remarked. “But you should also look into the consulate of the country you’d like to go to for detailed information.”

If you plan to travel to what might be considered a “questionable country,” make sure you look at the U.S. Government Travel Warnings.



Links:

Almafi Coast: http://www.amalficoast.com/

Venice: http://www.venice-tourism.com/en/visit-venice.html

Maui: http://www.visitmaui.com/

Kauai: http://www.gohawaii.com/kauai

Bora Bora: http://www.tahiti-tourisme.com/islands/borabora/bora-bora.asp

Los Cabos: http://visitloscabos.travel/

Cozumel: http://www.cometocozumel.com/

Passport: http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html

Travel Warnings: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_1764.html

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.

MAPPING Out Your Wedding

BLUEman: The Male Perspective

If you’re having a destination wedding, one of the first things to do is to check around the area. But with budgets a little tight these days, the alternative to flying out a couple weekends throughout the planning process is to use technology that is readily available.

I’m talking about Google Maps.

Simple set your browser to http://www.googlemaps.com/ and begin your visit to the far off destination in no time.

Some helpful tips about Google mapping:

1. In the upper left hand corner is the search feature. If you don’t know the exact address of the venue you selected, or if you’re just beginning your search, you can simply enter the city and state (ex: San Francisco, CA) and press Search Maps.
2. If you want to see the landscape around the area or what the buildings look like, make sure to select the Satellite option in the upper right hand corner of the map image.
3. Create a Google account. This will allow you to use the “My Map” feature where you can save maps related to your wedding location, and even a separate map for your honeymoon and the sites you may wish to see.

Once you do the basics as described above, you can click on the little red bulb with an “A” related to any of your searches to then search nearby hotels, restaurants, etc. You name it, Google map will find it.

One of the features I like about Google Maps is the street view. Zoom in as far as you can next to a restaurant or hotel you may have found, and now you are on the street looking at what everything looks like around it. This is the best way to get familiar with the area before even getting there.

One of the best things to do, is after you plotted your rehearsal dinner location, surrounding hotels, nearest airport, etc, you can share this with your wedding guests using the Send feature.

So, whether you chose to have that destination wedding or not, Google Maps is a great way to get familiar with the area before even stepping foot on the ground, or to best prepare an out of town guest for their trip to your wedding destination.

See you back here next week for the next edition of the BLUEman.

Blissful Blueprint Winner

Blueprint Affairs would like to congratulate Dee and Jason, the winner of the Blissful Blueprint Contest, and the free Day-of-Wedding Coordinator package.

Dee first met her husband to be, Jason, online and their first date was October 9, 2007 (which happened to be her sister's wedding anniversary). After dating for just over two years, Jason and Dee were hanging out the day before Thanksgiving. Dee made her way upstairs after a long day to rest her eyes. It was then that Jason came up to the room and laid down beside her. Jason then told Dee he loved her and asked her to marry him, and of course, she said yes.

Dee and Jason are thrilled to be getting married at Sassi in Scottsdale, Arizona in the spring of 2010.

We are so happy to share their important day with them and make their day a great experience.

Blissfully Yours - Last Day To Enter Contest!!!

BLUEman Special Edition

The contest end date is upon us.  This is your last opportunity to submit for your chance to win a free day-of wedding coordinator package courtesy of Blueprint Affairs.  All you need to do is send an email to contest@blueprintaffairs.com with your name, wedding date, and answers to two questions:

1. Describe your romantic proposal (how did you get engaged)
2. How do you envision your wedding day

That's it, that simple!  And you can win a free day-of wedding coordinator package.

Are you wondering what that includes?  Let me tell you.

Your wedding day coordinator will meet with your at least 30 days prior to your wedding to go over every detail of your day.  From that meeting, the coordinator will put together timelines for your special day to make sure you and your bridal party stay on track.

The coordinator will also review all your current vendor agreements and make contact with each vendor letting them know that the coordinator will be their main point of contact from there on out.  What that means to you is come your wedding day, you are not dealing with all the set-up needs of each and every vendor, your coordinator is.  So you get to enjoy your day with your family and friends and know that everything will be taken care of by your coorindator.

That is just some of what your wedding coordinator will do for you, not to mention peace of mind.  Don't you think it's worth it to give this contest a shot?  I do, so get your entry in today!

Complete contest details at: http://image9.photobiz.com/3084/20100120205231_59396.pdf

Have a great Valentine's Day Weekend!

Love Love || Dresses for the Bride

Gorgeous dresses flowing through the pages of every bride magazine on the shelf. There seems to be so many choices and price points but you’re still not sure if it’s ‘the one’. That’s not decided until you are staring at yourself in the mirror glowing with pure joy. The best part of wedding planning is fussing over the most important accessory of your day – the dress. This isn’t a dress that should be taken lightly or left to the last minute to select. Your wedding dress, whether the flowing ball gown, Grecian goddess, or sparkle wonder is a focal point for all your guests to gaze upon. Finding your venue is the first stop on the wedding planning trip but coordinating your dress is next in line. Complimenting dress styles to match your venue and the colors choices are tough work. Check out your options for this season.

Sparkles Galore

Heavy embellishments and tulle may be the perfect match for you. Many brides find comfort in a sweetheart neckline that delicately accents their beauty. Maggie Sottero and Jasmine Bridal are just a few designers that bring together the beauty that you want on your day. The perfect jewelry will accent this dress perfectly. Make sure to print a picture of your dress and take with you while jewelry shopping. Zoom in on the details to make sure you match beading, crystals, and coloring styles.

In wedding details, knowing the dress color during your shopping trip such as Ivory, White, Off-White, Diamond White, Blue, or Pink are important in finding complimenting accessories. Take your mom or bridesmaids with you to sort out the best look that shines on you.

Oh So Pretty

There’s something magical to be said about the Spanish style dress. The gorgeous ruffles from Allure and rosettes are very hot this year. This includes rouching (a gathering to one side of dress), which adds a flattering look to everyone’s body. I Love Love this look that can be great for a beach or garden wedding. Plus, if you’re thinking of doing without your veil, consider a feather hair accessory. This is a fun trend that will make your head happy without the extra weight of a veil.

Fun Extras

Some things that you may not know are the extras. You can have a detachable dress for easier movement dress during the reception. This is one of the best ways to have your gorgeous flowing ceremony dress and movin’ and shakin’ dress for the reception. Also, a sweetheart neckline is not for every girl, especially those of us bustier ladies, and so you may choose a modified sweetheart. This still shows a delicate edging around your bust line but less dramatic. Another favorite I love is the lace up backing for your dress that tucks away into the back of your dress. You may not love the bowtie of your strings from the corset and this is a great fix.


***Check out your favorite designer truck shows. This is a great time to see all the newest styles at once. Plus, you can request a favorite you saw in their online gallery to be available during the truck show. Make friends with your favorite boutique. Happy brides are happy customers.

Here are a few local Arizona boutiques to check out:

• Brides By Demetrios http://www.demetriosbride.com/

• Iris D Bridal (opening March 27, 2010) http://www.irisdbridal.com/

• I Do I Do Bridal www.idoidobridal.com/  

• Uptown Bridal Boutique www.uptownbrides.com/

• Destiny’s Bride http://www.destinysbride.com/


Be sure to enter for a chance to win a Free Day-of-Wedding Coordinator. Winners chosen Valentine's Day weekend - 4 days left to enter!