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Don’t miss this HUGE Wedding Industry Mixer!
Who Local Wedding Industry Professionals (SLO Co. + N. Santa Barbara Co.)
What Wedding Industry Mixer
When Monday, September 13, 2010, 5:30 – 7:30 pm
Where Studios of Shutterbooth, 508 S. Higuera, downtown SLO (This is near the corner of Marsh & Higuera, exit off the 101 at Marsh)
Why To mix and mingle with your amazing Wedding Industry friends
Wedding Industry Mixer
Our friends in the Wedding Industry have long asked us to host live networking opportunities. So this 9/13/10 Mixer is only the first of many casual, fun and informative Wedding Industry Mixers to come.
What Will These Mixers Be Like?
These will be informal opportunities to visit with old friends and make new ones. We will be providing our area’s famous Social Lubricant…spectacular Local Wine provided by a variety of friends at our local wineries. These Mixers will be stand and mingle parties where you can drop in for ten minutes or two hours. We will hold a Mixer once each month starting on September 13th.
Will There Be Any Structure?
Not a lot of structure. We will not be making long presentations or trying to sell you anything. These are for us all to connect or reconnect. We may make a few quick introductions. These Mixers can morph to meet the needs of the Wedding Industry Professionals.
Who Will Be There?
EVERYONE in the local SLO and N. Santa Barbara Wedding Industry!
OK, How Much Will This Cost Me?
Nada, zip, zilch. Much as we love them, these Mixers will not include expensive time consuming sit down dinners, so the costs to produce the mixers will be minimal. We aim to keep these Mixers free and will do everything we can to keep them free and informal and, hopefully, a valuable addition to your Wedding Industry Networking that you look forward to.
Hmmm. OK, What Will You Try To Sell Me?
This is not a hidden sales opportunity! We will not be selling anything, nor will we let anyone else try to sell you anything while at these Mixers. There is nothing to Join, no Commitments, no Pressure, no Sales Pitches, no Annual Dues, no entrance Fees, no work for you to do. Come once a year or come every month. It’s up to you!
Schedule For Future Mixers
October 12, 2010 – Venue to be confirmed.
November – Date to be confirmed. Venue is Le Vigne Winery at Sylvester Vineyards.
Want to Host a future Mixer at your Venue? Contact Carolayne to discuss. Carolayne@CentralCoastBride.com
Tags: Central Coast Bride, Central Coast Weddings, san luis obispo county weddings, slo weddings, wedding, wedding industry mixers, wedding professionals, wedding pros, weddings
Posted in Wedding Industry News | No Comments »
 Monterey Spring Show I love Bridal Shows. And the first Spring Bridal Show that Central Coast Bride produced in Monterey last Sunday was certainly no exception. It was spectacular. The nearly 70 Wedding Exhibitors designed excellent showcases in their booths, transforming the already beautiful ballroom at the Monterey Hyatt Regency into a truly magical space.
 McCullough Photography Booth
Having a Bridal Show on the Sunday that daylight savings time takes effect was an unintended, but it worked out very well. Brides flowed into the ballroom at a steady pace most of the afternoon. This perfect spacing of Bride traffic made for a relaxing show, even though there were nearly 500 attendees, including the 200 Brides. Plus our new cafe’ seating in front of the stage provided a great place for groups to relax between bouts of interviewing Wedding Caterers, Photographers, DJs and more.
 The Winning Couple
The Bridal Show Exhibitors provided lots of great prizes for the Brides, including a Wedding Photography package, musicians for a Ceremony, a couples retreat package and many more. These prizes were all given away once an hour to delighted Brides! Then came the time for the $1000 cash grand prize giveaway at 4pm. Tension built, couples gathered around the stage, drumroll and then the winning Bride’s name was called. And called. And then called again. We didn’t record that missing Bride’s name, but on the second draw there was no doubt that the winning Bride was present. Dionica Pena and her fiance’ Louie Martinez beamed with excitement as flashbulbs popped.
 Coastside Couture Booth
 Freedom Bakery Booth We at Central Coast Bride are still bustling around preparing for our final Spring Bridal Show, which is in San Luis Obispo next Sunday, March 14th. It is held at the landmark Alex Madonna Expo Center and with 120 Exhibitors, any Bride can complete her wedding planning in one afternoon. We hope to see you there!
Tags: bridal show, central coast bridal show, monterey bridal show, monterey wedding, Wedding Planning
Posted in Bridal Shows, Planning Tools, Wedding Planning | No Comments »
Wedding Vendors are looking for Brides and Brides are looking for Wedding Vendors. One of the ways that Central Coast Bride helps to facilitate the meeting of these Brides and Vendors is through Bridal Shows. We have written a couple of blogs about Bridal Shows before: about it’s usefulness and about how to best use your time at a Bridal Show, both written to help the Bride maximize her Bridal Show experience. Now, we want to show you what goes into putting together a Booth at a Bridal Show. Brides may find this interesting; however, this will be most useful to Bridal Show Exhibitors.
 Fall 2009 SLO Show This week, we will write a series of Blogs about how Exhibitors can make them best use of their investment of time and money in a Bridal Show. This current post is to help newer Exhibitors envision how a Bridal Show booth is built. Here is a series of time-lapse photos of Exhibitors erecting their booths.
10×10 Corner Booth
This is one of four 10×10 booths that stand alone in a small square island. They open out on two sides for Bride access and have two 8-ft tall back walls of black drape. This photographer makes great use of his wall space, color, movement (TV), lighting, and has an open floor plan for his booth with one cocktail table at the outside corner with his marketing materials for Brides to pick up. Run time 3:25 10×10 Corner Booth Set Up
8×10 In-Line Booth
This is an 8×10 booth in line with a number of other 8×10 booths. One thing you see in this video is that they arrived early so the set up of their booth did not interfere with their neighbors and vice versa. This booth is open for Bride access across the 10 foot front of the booth and it has one 8-ft tall black wall of black drape. This Exhibitor created a “Living Room” booth using a wood floor, gray backdrop panels with lighted photo display, chairs, sofa table and end tables. With all this furniture in the booth, there is still plenty of room for Brides to enter plus they have easy access to marketing materials from the sofa table. Open and welcoming booth with good display of their product. Run time 0:26 8×10 In-Line Booth Set Up Here is a second video of this booth setup, with more detailed views if you would like to see the mechanics of their set up. Detailed View
8×10 In-Line Set Up
These folks also set their booth up as a Living Room, though it is has a very different look than the earlier one. Run time 1:53 8×10 In-Line Booth #2
8×10 In-Line Set Up
An edgy booth using corrigated metal back and sides. Includes both set up and break down. Run time 1:09 8×10 In-Line Booth #3
These are just a few examples of booth set ups. And obviously, these Exhibitors have participated in many Bridal Shows as they have a set booth look that they can use at each show. If you are about to participate in your first Bridal Show as an Exhibitor, you will likely not have such a complicated booth.
We highly recommend that you design your booth and set it up at your home, garage or office prior to the show date. Lay out your booth size and place everything as you want it to be at the show. This will show you what parts of your design will work well and where the weaknesses or problems are that you will want to tweak prior to show date. This will also give you an idea of how long it will take you to erect your booth on the day of the show so you can plan your arrival time accordingly.
Posted in Bridal Shows | No Comments »
 Cameron Ingalls, Inc. The objective of the wedding rehearsal is to get familiar with the overall ceremony procedures, have each individual learn any special roles assigned to them, and to identify and work out any kinks in the ceremony plan. Without a proper rehearsal, your ceremony could unfold without a hitch, but the odds are extremely low. As with a theatrical production, practice is the key to a seamless performance.
The Players. Who should be at the rehearsal? At a minimum, everyone in the wedding party, the Officiant, and the parents. If you plan special readings or songs during the ceremony, then these folks should be present. Having your photographer at the rehearsal will likely yield better photos during your ceremony. Your professional or amateur coordinator should be present, directing the rehearsal. As we discussed earlier, if you do not hire a professional coordinator, be sure to have one very good (and organized) friend in charge directing your wedding day. You will likely have many people helping decorate etc, but you will need one person who holds the answers and directs the others.
The Plan. Prior to the rehearsal, it is a very good idea to create a simple written sequence for the ceremony. Include approximate start and end times for each major element of the ceremony. And definitely include all music choices in writing so everyone can remember their cue. If the songs are unfamiliar, it would be a good idea to bring a boom box with CDs of the songs. We have seen many ceremonies get out of sync based on song confusion. Make copies of this written plan for everyone and distribute it at the rehearsal. Give additional copies to your coordinator to bring for distribution and use on the actual wedding day.
The Positions. Begin your rehearsal at the altar with you and the Groom in the center and your Officiant behind you. How will you stand? Facing the Groom or back to the audience? We prefer Bride and Groom facing each other holding hands, which produces better photos and allows the audience to better hear your voices. But the choice is yours. Your attendants are lined up behind you (facing you) and the same goes for the groomsmen. Bridesmaids are holding bouquets, but what are the groomsmen doing with their hands? We prefer hands together behind their backs. The choice is yours, just be sure that they all hold themselves in a similar manner. Do you plan to use a wireless microphone? If so, identify who will bring it and have it at the rehearsal if possible. Where will the flower girl and ring bearer stand? Be sure to have their parents seated close to the front on the aisle for any needed rescue.
The Ceremony. Once your coordinator is satisfied with the positions, let the Officiant lead everyone through the ceremony. If you are lighting a unity candle, practice walking to it with your Groom. Do you have a match? Where is your train for the walk there and back? To which side should the Officiant move to avoid stepping on your train? Can your maid of honor straighten your train when you are back in place while holding both your and her bouquets in one hand? If you are having guests present readings, practice that. How will they approach the altar and where will they stand? If you are having any special songs played or sung during the ceremony, play them at their proper place in the ceremony. Where will the singer stand? Once you are at the end of the ceremony, then what? Will your Officiant introduce you to the audience or will you simply exit? How will you be introduced? Will there be a dove or butterfly release? If so, when and where? Will the Officiant give the guests guidance in what to do next? For example, adjourn to the reception area for refreshments while photographs are taken or meet at the off-site reception location? In the rehearsal, many details will come up that you simply cannot anticipate!
The Recessional. The Bride and Groom generally lead the wedding party out of the ceremony area. Although on one occasion we have seen the flower girl lead the exit, tossing flowers as she went! If directed to do so by your photographer, pause at the appropriate spots for a quick photo. Decide with your coordinator how far down the aisle each couple walks before the next couple leaves the altar (you don’t want to all bunch up together). A well spaced exit can be breathtaking! After the wedding party exits, then the family rows exit followed by a general exit. Now what? Be sure the wedding party knows what they are expected to do next. Generally they will gather with you and your family for a photo session. Afterwards, they will be introduced with you in the grand entrance (or in a receiving line), take their seats at the head table, and remain there through the meal portion of the reception.
The Processional. Now practice the entrance, or processional. Play the appropriate music while seating the parents. Once the Bride’s mother is seated, the Officiant, Groom, best man, and groomsmen enter and take their places at the altar. The wedding party then enters to the appropriate music in the reverse order that they exited. Decide on the appropriate bridesmaids spacing and practice their entry with the appropriate music. Is the song too short? Too long? Were the flower girl and ring bearer able to make it all the way up the aisle? If they won’t do it at the rehearsal then they won’t do it at the actual ceremony. Once all are in place at the altar, your music begins and you make your entrance. Once at the altar, practice the hand-off from father to Groom. Generally, your father kisses your cheek, shakes your Groom’s hand, places your hand into the Groom’s, then takes his seat.
Repeat this sequence until you feel comfortable.
Posted in Ceremony, Ceremony Rehearsal, How-To Articles, Rehearsal Dinner, Wedding Planning | No Comments »
 Mike Steelman Photographers As with the ceremony, there is a fairly standard sequence of events at most receptions. In personalizing your reception, feel free to exclude any of the following reception rituals that do not appeal to you.
As guests enter the reception area, they will sign the guest book and deposit your wedding gift in the designated area. The guests then mingle over appetizers and drinks as the soft music of your DJ or musicians plays in the background. During appetizers, your photographer will take formal photographs of the wedding party and immediate family. Once photographs are completed, your family enters the reception discretely and the master of ceremonies (MC) announces the grand entrance of the wedding party and you take your seats.
The meal is then served by wait staff or each table in turn moves through the buffet line. Once everyone is served, the best man presents a toast, which may be followed by additional toasts. At the planned time, the MC announces the cake cutting. You and your Groom complete the ceremonial cutting of the cake, then the rest of the cake is cut by the caterer. The MC will announce the Bride and Groom’s first dance. This dance may be followed by several additional special dances and then the floor is opened for everyone to dance. The final reception event is the bouquet toss and garter throw.
The Map. Create a site map, identifying where each key element of the reception should take place. Include the receiving line, buffet tables, drink table, bar, wedding cake, groom’s cake, DJ or musicians, head table, immediate family tables, guest tables, guest book table, and the gift table. Discuss logistic options with your Reception Site coordinator. This person has the experience of numerous receptions held at this very location – experience that will be a great help to you. Generally, you will want to locate key elements apart from each other to prevent congestion.
Grand Entrance Your MC will introduce each member of the wedding party as they enter the reception and make their way to the head table. The maid of honor and the best man are introduced just before the Bride and Groom, who are introduced last. Be sure to have a clear path planned between the banquet tables so that you can easily get to your table. Later, take time to walk around the reception visiting each table so you can be sure to greet each of your guests.
Receiving Line. If you plan to have a receiving line, place it at a location where guests enter the room. The gift table should be located before the receiving line so that guests are able to set down their gift prior to greeting the family. The guest book table may be located either before or after the receiving line. The receiving line is formal and time consuming and has therefore lost some popularity in recent years; however, it is a good way to ensure that you greet each of your guests.
Head Table. With the exception of the children, all members of your wedding party will sit at the head table. Most head tables consist of long rectangular tables where the wedding party sits facing all of the guest tables. The Bride sits to the Groom’s right followed by the best man. The maid of honor sits to the Groom’s left and the remaining attendants alternate male/female seating. An alternative to this large head table is the Sweetheart Table, which is a small round table for only the Bride and Groom. This table allows the Bride and Groom a bit of privacy and makes it easier for guests to walk up and visit the couple without the barrier of the large table. It also allows wedding party members to join their spouses who may otherwise be at a table alone with a group of strangers.
Posted in Ceremony, How-To Articles, Music & Entertainment, Reception, Wedding Planning | No Comments »
 April Wise Photography You’ve been to lots of weddings, but now that you are planning your own you may find yourself second guessing what is supposed to happen at the ceremony and in what order. Don’t worry, everyone has these same uncertainties. So here is a quick lesson in the Wedding Ceremony.
Pre-Ceremony Events. Guest are seated to background music; parents are seated to special music with the Bride’s mother being seated last; the Groom enters along with the officiant and groomsmen; the bridesmaids, flower girl and ring bearer enter to special music; and the Bride enters on her father’s arm to special music as all guests stand.
Ceremony Events. The officiant speaks some opening words. Vows are exchanged between the Bride and Groom, the rings are exchanged, and then the Bride and Groom kiss. Additional elements may be added to the ceremony. Many couples choose to light a unity candle or to honor their mothers with presentation of roses. You may have special readings during the ceremony or a full religious service. You may have special songs played or sung at certain parts of the ceremony. You may want certain cultural or religious elements shared at your ceremony. Hawaiians may exchange leis, Christians may have communion, etc. It’s your ceremony so feel free to personalize it as you choose.
Post-Ceremony Events. The officiant may introduce you to your guests as the new Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Then the wedding party exits led by the Bride and Groom. The wedding guests then gather for refreshments and mingling while the wedding party and family take formal photographs. Once complete, the wedding party makes their grand entrance into the reception.
Posted in Ceremony, How-To Articles, Ministers & Officiants, Photography, Planning Tools, Wedding Planning | 4 Comments »
 Bella Castle Photography Before you can book your Caterer, DJ, Florist, etc, you have to have a confirmed wedding date set. You cannot confirm your wedding date until you have booked a wedding location. So the first service you should book for your wedding is your Wedding Location. The main items to consider in selecting your wedding ceremony and reception site (or sites) are any date restrictions, your wedding style and size, site availability, site attributes and cost.
Date Restrictions. Some couples are dead-set on a specific wedding date while other couples have several dates that are possible. If your selected date is an absolute, this will help you to quickly narrow down your group of semi-finalist venues since some of them will already be booked on your selected date.
Wedding Style and Size. Your wedding style will help in narrowing the list of potential sites. Some sites have solely indoor or outdoor facilities, may be formal or casual, at the beach or on a ranch. Check out our Location Table for the Central Coast County in which you want to marry to see a quick summary of Site Attributes of the major Venues in that county. Place the sites that best match your wedding style onto your finalists list. The smaller your number of guests, the more options you will have. Sites that cannot handle the size of your party may be taken off of your finalist list.
Availability, Attributes and Cost. Armed with your semi-finalist list of potential Wedding Venues, conduct some focused research. Visit each of their websites to learn more about their services and to see photos of the site. A quick and easy way to link to the Websites of your Venue finalists is to click on the Local Wedding Vendors Tab, select your County of interest (or multiple Counties), then click on the Locations Tab on the left. This will give you a listing of local Venues with links to each of their websites!
Then call or email your finalists. Do they have your preferred date available? If so, does the site have all of the attributes you want? See our Reception Site Worksheet (Planning Tools Tab >> Worksheet Tab >> Reception Site Worksheet) for a list of potential questions to ask. Make copies of this worksheet for each of the venues you call and record the answers so that you can evaluate your data later.
What is the cost for your size of reception? Because each site has different attributes and different pricing structures, it can seem difficult to compare apples to apples. Some sites include tables and chairs while you would have to rent them at other sites. Some sites include food, plates, and flatware while you would have to hire a caterer at other sites. Some sites are naturally gorgeous so your decoration cost (and labor) will be minimal.
So the best way to evaluate price ‘apples to apples’ is to add up all of the costs associated with having your ceremony or reception at a given site and then divide the total cost by the total number of guests. This will give you the overall cost per person. Although cost is a consideration, your final selection will be based on many factors – including your gut feeling, which should never be disregarded!
Posted in Ceremony, How-To Articles, Locations / Venues, Planning Tools, Reception, Wedding Planning | 4 Comments »
 Floral Booth at a Bridal Show Bridal Shows are a great place to meet, interview and book Wedding Vendors. As long as you have done some research into the wedding services you are planning to use in advance, you can meet, compare and screen all of the wedding professionals who will play a part in your celebration at our Bridal Shows. Most Bridal Fairs run from 12 to 4 and generally have between 60 and 80 vendors, with larger ones having as many as 120 vendors. There are even some giant Bridal Expos in metro areas with several hundred vendors.
Our Spring Central Coast Bride shows are just around the corner in San Luis Obispo and Monterey. At www.CentralCoastBride.com you can get details about these shows, along with a list of the Wedding Vendors who will be there, what Prizes are planned for the Brides, and how to buy tickets online to save time and money and be entered into the stage raffle. Here is an overview of our Spring Bridal Fairs:
Monterey Bridal Show
March 14, 2010
Noon to 4:00 pm
Hyatt Regency Resort and Spa
San Luis Obispo Bridal Show
March 21, 2010
Noon to 4:00 pm
Alex Madonna Expo Center (Madonna Inn)
Our Bridal Expos are full of great energy and fabulous exhibitors. Plan to arrive early since you may want to use all four hours of the bridal fair. Grooms attend at half price ($5), plus at the SLO show we plan to have a Man Cave where he can watch sports on a big screen TV! At the show, talk with as many vendors as you can – they have helped hundreds of brides, so they have lots of knowledge to pass on to you.
Bridal Shows are not restricted to Brides only – anyone may attend. Many Brides opt to bring along grooms, mothers, friends and/or brides maids. Most Bridal Shows charge a small entrance fee, usually around $10. Most shows also offer a price break if you bring your groom or if you register on-line before the show. Our Central Coast Bride shows charge a $10 entrance fee which is discounted to $5 for the groom. Or if you register on-line, the fee is reduced.
Bridal Shows are a terrific planning tool if you use them properly. What are your objectives at a Bridal Show? If your wedding date is quickly approaching, your objectives will be to find and book the few remaining services you need for your wedding. If your wedding date is still a year away, your show objectives may be more to book one or two key services and to help get yourself educated on what products and services are available along with their price ranges so that you can better plan the remaining aspects of your wedding. To make the best use of these events, remember three things: Pre Event Planning, Day Of Event Strategies, and Post Event Organization.
Pre Event Planning. Prepare a written set of questions in order to get as many answered as possible. Know which wedding services you still need and plan to visit those types of booths first. See if the producer’s website has a listing of what vendors will be at the show. If available, you can determine in advance which booths you definitely want to visit even if you don’t have time to visit all of the booths.
Day Of Event Strategies. Remember to bring a notebook and ink pens along with your list of “must see” vendors. If you are short on time, visit your “must see” booths first. Even if you have lots of time, visiting your highest priority booths first ensures that you talk with them early – in case you tire out or if you want to book them before their schedule fills up! Is your selected date available? If not, you will need to continue shopping for that service. Collect business cards or brochures and write notes directly onto them to remind you of specific points about each vendor.
Post Event Organization. While at the show, did you make appointments to meet with any show vendors at a later date? If so, be sure to post these dates and times in your calendar. As soon as possible after the show, review and summarize any important information that you learned. File brochures, flyers and business cards in the appropriate section of your wedding notebook.
The current Bridal Show schedule can be found in Central Coast Bride Magazine or on our website at www.CentralCoastBride.com See you there!
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 When you first get engaged, it can be difficult to know where to begin to get your wedding planning on track. Basically you are now the Chief Coordinator for the largest most upscale party you will ever host. Below are your initial 6 Quick Steps to do to quickly get your wedding planning on track.
1) Get educated
2) Get organized
3) Get your Wedding Toolbox stocked
4) Set your wedding date, style and size
5) Set your wedding budget
6) Generate your wedding timeline
1) Get Educated. You need to get up to speed quickly. Should you buy a 2-inch thick planning guide at the bookstore? Not if you already have a busy life. Those big books are full of lots of fluff that will take days to read and that you simply don’t need. To get educated quickly, grab a Central Coast Bride Magazine for your area (about ¼ inch thick!) and read through the wedding planning articles without the fluffy filler. You can also read these same articles plus view planning tools on our website at www.CentralCoastBride.com. You can still browse through fun wedding style magazines, but to quickly learn what a wedding involves and how to plan one, read our no nonsense guides first.
2) Get Organized. The best way to sanely plan your wedding is to get and stay organized. Buy a 3-ring binder that is 2 to 3 inches thick. Buy clear plastic sleeves into which you can slip brochures, flyers and business cards. Buy index page dividers with the little tabs and create sections for the ceremony site, reception site, photographer and so on. At the front of each section, keep a copy of your contract related to that category. At the front of the binder, keep a summary sheet of names and numbers of all of your contracted wedding vendors plus a calendar where you will enter your milestone dates. That’s it! Now you are organized.
3) Get Your Wedding Toolbox Stocked. We have three Major Tools in helping to plan your wedding: Magazines, Bridal Shows, Website.
- Website. Go to www.CentralCoastBride.com and click on Planning Tools. There you will find a variety of helpful tools like Wedding Worksheets, Checklists and Timelines. You can also search for Local Wedding Vendors in any or all of the five counties in the Central Coast. Or you can request One Click Referrals to find available wedding services. Future posts will give more detailed Website Tool information, but feel free to browse the tools on your own.
- Magazines. Pick up a copy of our wedding planning Magazine and keep it in your Wedding Binder or in your purse. It contains tons of information about wedding planning, including a listing of Wedding Venues by Area & City, a table of Wedding Venue details (like capacity, features, phone numbers) and an index with contact information for local wedding professionals. Each of our Magazines may be viewed online at the What’s Hot Tab, which is under the Planning Tools Tab.
- Bridal Shows. Bridal Shows are fun and extremely useful – more on them in a blog next week. In the meantime, you can read about how to best use a bridal show on our website at the Articles Tab (under the Planning Tools Tab).
4) Set Your Wedding Date, Style and Size. Although Friday evening and Sunday afternoons are options for your wedding day, most weddings are held on Saturdays. And though weddings are held year round, the peak wedding season is the summer months. However, the weather is so fabulous in the Central Coast that our peak wedding season extends from May through October. There are 5 things to think about in picking your date.
- Determine the year for your wedding
- Consider if there a date that has some special significance to you that you want to use? Like your first date, your engagement anniversary, your parent’s wedding anniversary, etc.
- If not, determine the time of year for your wedding
- Within that timeframe, find three dates that works well with you and your groom’s schedules
- See which of those 3 dates work best with the schedules of key friends and family
Once you are set on the date, get your wedding and reception locations reserved as early as possible. These sites can book up to a year in advance. More on booking your Wedding Venue a blog next week.
Wedding Style. Your personal style may be formal or casual, traditional or contemporary, intimate or huge, or somewhere in between these ends of the spectrum. You may want your wedding style to match your personal style, or you may want to go against your personal style. Considering these questions will help you to quickly figure out your wedding style, which will help you to narrow down your potential wedding venues.
Wedding Size. The size of your guest list will depend on the size and closeness of your family, your groom’s family, your friends and your budget. Unless you can find a workable way around it, big families equal large weddings. And the larger your wedding, the more it will cost since many wedding services are based on the number of guests (venue, food, cake, flowers, invitations and rentals). Spend an evening with your groom specifically to come up with an estimate of your wedding size. You will fine-tune this number later, but get an estimate for now. Each of you make a list of family and friends that should be invited to the wedding. List them all – it is much easier to remove names from the list than to add them later. What is the total number of your combined lists? Is it in the ballpark of the size of wedding you would like or can afford? If so, great. If not, start lining-out names that can be cut until you get to a size that seems right for you. Then share your draft list to your parents to see if there is some family that must be added.
5) Set Your Wedding Budget. Determine the total amount you want or are able to spend on your wedding. Then determine the amount of your total budget to allot to each of the elements of the wedding (i.e., Catering, DJ, Photography, etc). There are no absolute rules for this division; however, the traditional percentages are presented in our website’s worksheets.
6) Generate Your Wedding Timeline In the calendar in the front of your 3-ring binder, post your wedding milestone dates starting with your wedding date, then work backwards from that date to today. See the example timeline under the Planning Tools on our website. This timeline will help you to identify milestones that are appropriate for you. As each wedding decision is made, be sure to update your calendar.
Posted in Bridal Shows, Ideas, Planning Tools, Wedding Guests, Wedding Planning | 2 Comments »
 Central Coast Bride Welcome to Central Coast Bride’s new Wedding Planning Blog. We will be posting periodic entries about a variety of topics having to do with your wedding planning. Some of you are on a short timeline, so we will quickly post the key information you will need to easily and sanely get all of your wedding planning completed.
We are all about good Time Management and we understand the value of your time. So we will keep these planning entries short and to the point, so that you don’t have to read through unnecessary filler. You may want to sign up to automatically receive our blog entries. Once you are married, you can simply unsubscribe.
Our Upcoming Blogs for Planning Your Wedding are:
- How To Get Started
- The Power of Bridal Shows
- How To Book Your Wedding Venue
Until they are posted, you can find plenty of California Central Coast wedding planning information on our website at www.CentralCoastBride.com, including Wedding Worksheets, Wedding Checklists, Referrals to Local Wedding Vendors, How-To Articles, and more.
One Click Request. To quickly identify which Wedding Professionals are available on your wedding date, try our One Click Request service (link below). Enter basic information about your wedding and what services you still need. Then available Wedding Caterers, DJs, Venues, etc. will email over information about their services. It’s a huge time-saver. http://www.centralcoastbride.com/one_click.php.
Feel free to comment on our blog entries and to suggest additional topics. And remember, Wedding Planning doesn’t have to be difficult…. not when you have the right tools!
Tags: central coast bridal show, central coast wedding locations, central coast wedding planning, Central Coast Weddings, how to plan a wedding, wedding planning tools
Posted in Bridal Shows, Ceremony, Locations / Venues, Reception, Wedding Planning | No Comments »
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