Make It Your Own

I love that each wedding I do these days has so many unique, personal touches. Freedom of expression has almost no boundaries as long as it is in good taste and creates a memorable event.

Some couples have music that is very special to them. If this is the case, use that music, whether as part of your ceremony or at the reception.

Most flowers have a significant meaning. Red roses signify passion, white roses show purity, pink ones, friendship. Sunflowers mean adoration, and apple blossoms stand for promise (www.aboutflowers.com/​flower-a-plant-information-and-photos/ ​meanings-of-flowers.html) Choose your flowers based on their meaning. Share the reason you chose them by printing the list with the meaning of each one in your program. Guests will be admiring each and every flower during the ceremony and reception.

Let your bridesmaids choose their own dress colors, based on your décor. Limit the colors, of course, because too many colors in your wedding photos will detract from you and your dress. Or, you may want to use the same color and let each maid choose the style that flatters her body type. You will be very popular among your friends for this.

Use some element that was part of your parents' wedding. A song, a reading, or vows that they used will mean much to them. You may want to print this special tribute beside that element in your program. There are many ways you can show tribute to parents during the evening.

Making it your own is what makes it special for everyone. We love helping our brides achieve this goal.

Wedding Ring Facts

From Shane McMurray of The Wedding Report come these interesting 2011 stats about wedding rings. Being in the wedding industry, I found them quite fascinating.

* In 2010, brides and grooms spent $9.64 billion on engagement rings and wedding bands
* Just over $1 billion of the $9.64 billion was spent online
* Most couples purchase their engagement and wedding rings from large local (national chain) jewelers
* Other or Local (independent) jewelers make up the majority of the total market
* Diamond use for groom wedding bands saw the biggest increase in demand
* Engagement ring average carat weight is 1.18
* The diamond shape “Round” makes up more than half of what consumers want
* When it comes to diamond clarity many brides and grooms simply don’t know what it is
* White gold continues to be the most popular metal choice
* 26.3% of couples said they personalize or customize their engagement ring and wedding bands
* When it comes to engagement rings and wedding bands, brides and grooms say that durability, design and style are most important
* The bride and groom pay for more than 95% of the cost of the engagement ring and wedding bands
* The prime timeframe appears to be at least 6 months plus for both researching and paying for the engagement ring and wedding bands
* By far, most couples use Internet search engines to research their engagement ring and wedding bands

Our December Wedding

December was an exciting month for us. We had corporate parties, private parties, and a wonderful, fun wedding at American Village in Montevallo, AL.

Kristie Schavey and Adam Gentry had already booked their venue before I was hired to be their coordinator. Since I had never worked an event at American Village, I was somewhat apprehensive and concerned. Those worries were immediately put to rest when I met the staff there and saw the beautiful new ballroom and the chapel, both designed to coincide with the revolutionary period of the entire Village. The grounds are amazing, as you can see from the photographs, providing wonderful photo opps and memories for this special couple.

Kristie was a bride who said from the beginning that she did not want a "Christmas" wedding. But, as their day got close, there was no way around having decor that reflected the season. The chapel and ballroom were both decorated with wreaths and garlands as is traditional at the Village. But, there were no red poinsettias, holly or Christmas trees. The gold, bronze and copper were amazing with Kristie's favorite color -- pink. It was an exquisite blend of the season and the bride's personality.

Take a look at the pictures that follow, which were shot by Brendan Pinola. The decor was designed by Carol Riley of Lily's Florals, and catering was by Kathy G's. Danny Brewer from Feel The Beat provided entertainment for the evening. The happy couple left in one of Ron Marko's amazing vintage cars for their first evening together as husband and wife at the historic Tutwiler Hotel.

The Bridal Show ---- A Bride's One-Stop Shopping Mall

If you got engaged during the holidays or are about to become engaged, you need to check out all the upcoming bridal shows in your area. Late January and February have become the "bridal show season" because of Christmas and Valentine's Day engagements. These shows provide great opportunities for brides and grooms to explore the wedding industry in their cities and towns.

Attending a large bridal show can be a daunting, intimidating and frustrating experience if you don't have a plan going in. Do your homework! Start out researching local vendors and venues on the www. They are not hard to find! Talk to friends and family members who have planned weddings in the past. Be prepared with a list of any vendors whose work appeals to you on their websites. If the bridal show has a map or printed program, pick one up when you enter the show. Check to see if those vendors are at the show. These are the ones you don't want to miss.

Either go alone or take only one other person with you. This is not a social time to visit with sorority sisters or Aunt Susie. You have a mission, and that mission is to gather as much information as possible.

By all means, stop at as many booths and talk to as many vendors as possible. If this is a large show, you won't have much time, however, to get acquainted. Introduce yourself if you can, pick up brochures, business cards or any other information you can get; fill out that vendor's information sheet if you are interested, but don't expect a lot of time from that vendor. You can take home all this information, sort through it and pull out the ones you liked. If you have time, make a personal notation on the vendors' cards whether you are interested or not when leaving the booth.

Taking a camera is not unheard of. Check the show rules before you start snapping, though. There will be signs posted or printed in the program if this is not allowed. If you have a camera phone, use it. Make shots of vendor spaces, any arrangements, cakes, dresses and decor that appeal to you; or even the vendor if you want to remember what he or she looks like. This will be enough to jog your memory when you get back home.

For the smaller shows, your one-on-one time will become a time to get acquainted with that vendor and check availability for your wedding date. You might even be able to set up an appointment if your interest is piqued. Don't be shy. Get all the free "stuff" and try all the sample foods and cakes that you like. This is why you are there -- this is why all those professionals are there. The want to meet you, hear about your plans and take a few minutes to show you their work and explain how they can assist you. They have put a lot of time and effort into making their booths attractive and being able to provide the most information they can in the small amount of time they have. Take advantage of the opportunity to meet many professionals in one place at one time.

Just remember, you should not plan to make decisions or commitments at a bridal show; this a place to gather all the information you need to get started making decisions.Take this information, make a list of the vendors you would like to interview, and start making appointments. A prepared, informed bride is usually a happy bride when that wedding day arrives.

SAFE DRIVING

Starting the wedding planning process is like starting a journey down an untraveled path. You probably have never been there before and will find that there are a lot of bends and obstacles in the road as you go. Drive carefully!!

Congratulations if you are about to be married! You have an exciting path ahead. If you have already started your engine and are heading down that road of hiring vendors, making decisions and ordering, good for you. If you are just into the thinking stage, you have a long road ahead. Either way, you might consider one major decision that could impact your entire planning process and determine how your special day actually comes together. Your new best friend should be an experienced, knowledgeable, cutting-edge wedding planner and coordinator.

There are many obvious reasons to hire a wedding planner: less stress, guidance, decision making, organization, knowledge of the industry, budgeting, design, protocol; the list is never-ending. But, when that day arrives and things get so hectic, someone needs to be in charge. And, that someone can’t be the bride, her mother, a friend or the venue coordinator. Family and friends want to be with the bride, and the venue coordinator has the venue to be concerned about, not the bride, the flowers, the linens, the transportation vehicles, not the place cards.

If you ask any vendor, venue coordinator included, they will answer you quickly – the day runs much more smoothly when there is a coordinator, someone who is in charge, who knows how everything is supposed to look, knows the timeline, who will handle any emergencies that pop up. The florist can’t take the time to lace up the dress, put the flower in your hair, or direct the processional. The photographer is there to catch shots, not run around finding the missing members of the wedding party. The videographer has no time to answer questions about the venue rules, adjust ties or cummerbunds, or sew on missing buttons. The DJ may be the MC for your reception, but he can’t get everyone in place for the grand entrance, or tell the wait staff that it is time to cut the cake. The venue coordinator’s job is not to find the missing groomsman’s vest or the one boutonnière that was not with the delivered flowers.

No wedding day has all these mishaps or oversights, of course, but they do happen with the best-laid plans. YOU should not be the one to deal with them. Again, your wedding planner will become your best friend and advocate throughout your travels down this unknown, variable path of planning your wedding. A wedding planner will be the best investment you will make for this once-in-a-lifetime, special day of yours. Once the day ends, you want to look back and say, “It was the most wonderful day of our lives.”

Happy New Year

Just thought I'd dedicate my last blog post of the year to all my clients and couples from the past year. I certainly want to thank them for the privilege of being a part of their events and hopefully exceeding all expectations. Also, I'm looking forward to each event and wedding that I've booked already for next year. It is going to be an exciting time for Rowell Events! I have the best job ever. Here are some photos from some of my wonderful weddings and events.

Let's Address Stress and Weddings -- Finding the Right Venue

In my previous posts, I have discussed two of the five elements that I consider the most stressful when planning your wedding -- your budget and selecting your bridesmaids. Today I will cover number three - finding the right venue -- and how to get it booked without stressing.

To find the perfect venue, you must start thinking early; a year out is not too early. This is the first and foremost item on your list of purchases; especially if you are wanting a church AND a separate reception venue. This can get pretty tricky. Always have an alternate date in mind. Try for your first choice, but always have a second, third and even fourth in mind if you have your heart set on one particular place. Getting the dates coordinated may require several phone calls, but persistence and planning will make it happen.

Keep in mind the size of your guest list, whether you want to have a sit-down meal or buffet, if you want a dance floor and band or dj. You and your guests must be able to move around freely, and you want to be able to speak to everyone who has come.

Also, remember logistics: keep the reception venue as close as possible to the ceremony location. If traveling from ceremony to reception is a long distance, you may lost some of your guests in the process. If your budget allows, providing transportation is one solution.

Do your research or contact someone who is well informed about the venues in your area and how each one will fit into your plans. A wedding planner is always the best source; as he/she will provide you with unbiased information and consider all your needs. Once you have your list of priorities regarding your venue in place, you'll find that the list is pretty limited. Timing is everything.

We are well on our way to making your wedding planning as stress free as possible. My next post will cover the fourth stressful element -- finding your perfect dress.