No wedding is absolutely perfect. When we asked newlyweds and… the less newly wed to share their biggest wedding day woes with us, a few common threads started to emerge. Here’s what we learned:

1. Get It On Film
So many brides told us they wished they’d sprung for a videographer, or given their wedding photographer more specific directions. Your wedding will be RIFE with special moments – make sure you capture as many as possible!

“My husband and I really regret not recording the speeches. They were so loving and beautiful, we were moved to tears again and again! It’s one of the best memories I have of that day and I wish we had a better record of all the kind things our family and friends had to say. A few gave us their typed notes but most strayed and added in some great anecdotes. Nothing about hair/makeup/venue or cakes mattered to me once I realized there were so many people there who loved us so much!” – Isabella

2. Beauty Accidents Happen
Wind, rain, and acts of God can seriously undo your updo. When you’re contemplating your wedding hairstyle, consider the locale, temp, and time of year. ALSO – the week of/day of your wedding is not an awesome time to try exciting new beauty treatments for the first time.

“My biggest mistake? Thinking my hair would actually cooperate and not require 3.5 hours to do so, effectively ruining photo happy time.” – Christen

“My wedding was on the beach. It was gorgeous but there were strong winds so my Kardashian curls turned to a frizzy, curl-less disaster AND my veil flew out. Luckily the ceremony was over when it happened…. But you can see my hair get progressively worse in the pix!” – Jessica

3. Budget Your Time
Three words, ladies. HAIR AND MAKEUP. Too many wedding timelines get derailed when brides don’t budget enough time for wedding prep. Don’t let the primping get the best of your special day!

“I honestly think the one and only thing I would change would be starting hair/make-up for the ladies earlier, so we could have done more bride+bridesmaids photos. That said, I love the few we did get, and that is the *ONLY* thing I would change!” – Sean

4. Don’t Succumb To Peer Pressure
So many brides felt their wedding suffered because they’d been duped into letting friends or friends of friends handle important wedding services. “Friendors” can be fab…but they can also be a big flop.

“I’d have written contracts for services provided. Just because they’re your friends doesn’t mean you don’t need one. I’m still waiting for the dvd of our ceremony 13 mos later with no way of getting my money or the video footage.” – Jennifer

So there you have it brides – wedding wisdom from real brides who have been to the altar and back (and lived to tell about it). If you’ve recently wed, tell us – what would you have tweaked about your wedding?

-courtesy OneWed.com

courtesy of Bob Brichmann, DJ / Emcee at Artistic Productions

The adage that the right DJ can make or break your event is completely accurate. DJs come with so many skill levels, levels of experience and do so many different things. Yes, they play music, but there’s an art to mixing your tastes with those of your friends & families coupled with timing (not to mention dealing with spontaneous requests). The emcee aspect, including introductions & announcements are all key tasks for the modern DJ. DJs monitor and manage the flow of events as the evening unfolds. They mini-crisis manage. They interact with the other professionals to make sure all are on the same page.

DJs also help with ceremony music & microphones. DJs are production specialists these days, too. They can do multiple sets both on-property and at two different locations and even set remote speakers for outdoor patio areas. Various A/V aspects are often a part of their repertoire, including DVD/slide show projection, monograms, uplighting, pin-spotting and various lighting décor.

Brides & grooms should look 1^st for someone that does weddings. They are different than high school dances, bars/clubs, bar mitzvahs, karaoke parties and backyard BBQ’s. Find the personality you “click” with. Discuss your dream and seek their advice. You’ve probably never been married. Many of the good DJs do upwards of 100 weddings a year. That says something for experience. It’ll give you peace of mind, but, more importantly, it’ll lead to a stress free, memorable wedding experience.

Once seen as just an option on the wedding/engagement must-do menu, engagement photographs are fast becoming an essential piece of the action. Brides and grooms like to use these photos in their save-the-dates, on their wedding websites, or for hometown-newspaper wedding announcements. In fact, engagement shots are so popular nowadays, many wedding photographers will include engagement shots in their wedding photography packages. The shots, often taken in natural settings like parks, beaches, or backyards– ah, the magic of natural lighting!– can be a great way to announce your upcoming wedding. Some couples like to get cute and don matching or coordinating outfits. As more candid, journalistic-style photography grows in popularity, some couples will have a photographer take action photos of them doing things they enjoy, like running side-by-side, walking on the beach, having coffee, or riding bicycles. Some hopeful and confident grooms are even clever enough to hire a photographer to shoot the proposal. (Fellas, just be pretty sure she’s gonna say “yes.”)

After the engagement session is over, you can put you pictures to many uses! Many couples decide to enlarge their favorite image into canvas and prominently display it in their home. Some couples decide to have a guest sign-in book, using all of the session images, at the wedding. You can also publish engagement photographs in your local newspaper, use them for save-the-date cards, magnets, table setting centerpieces, and wedding invitations.

Don’t forget to smile and more importantly HAVE FUN with it!

They have put together a few essential tips to help you begin planning:

· Don’t delay: You should confirm your trip at least 6-8 months prior to departing. In most cases deposits can be a minimum of only $200 per person to secure your trip. This will ensure the best availability for your accommodations (the most popular room categories sell out first!) if you book early you will also be eligible for early booking discounts and special promotions.

· Discuss a budget for your trip beforehand: Just like you will need to budget for the wedding details and vendors, you will also need to factor in the cost of your honeymoon INTO your overall budget. Honeymoons are a trip of a lifetime and a trip you will remember for the rest of your life! So make sure you indulge in the amenities’ that are the most important to you.

· Travel Dates: be sure to sync both of your calendars and check with your employers to ensure you have the same vacation dates guaranteed off. How much time you can be away from the real world highly determines where you should or could go.
·
· Activities: What do you see yourself doing on your trip? Besides the obvious, romance, would you like to try out scuba diving, maybe go hiking, horseback riding, golfing, or simply relax on the beach while your personal butler serves you cocktails? Or are you adventurous and want to go explore a rain forest or Mayan ruins?
·
· Consult a specialist: Not every travel agent has seen the world, so ask to speak with someone that has been to the destination you are thinking of going to. The internet has a lot of information and tons pretty pictures of different resorts but remember there is no perfect place. As experienced consultants, we are very particular as to where we send our clients. A true specialist will tell you the good, the bad and the beautiful.

· Do your research early: It’s important that you check out your top 3 destination choices to familiarize yourself with what the different locations have to offer you. The internet is the most valuable source of information at your fingertips. However, don’t book online. Your computer can’t VIP you as honeymooners or upgrade you for free. We are here to make sure you know what you are paying for as well as doing our best to make your dreams come true!

· Dream Big…anything is possible! Are you considering an “over water bungalow in Tahiti?” Or perhaps a “One-bedroom Villa with your very own private plunge pool in St Lucia”? Maybe you want to go yachting in the South of France or explore the Ancient villages of Italy?

It’s all possible when you register through their HONEYMOON GIFT REGISTRY. The honeymoon gift registry enables your family and friends to help pay for your honeymoon as a wedding gift!

So dare to dream big and reach for the stars….Romantic Honeymoons will be there for you every step of the way.

With the economic downturn, 2009 was the year of the small wedding and I have to say that I have come to really like them. The majority of my brides, this past year, have planned weddings in the 50-100 person range. I have definitely coordinated some that were larger and even had one that was smaller, but the norm hovered around that number.

You get a bigger bang for your buck with a smaller wedding for sure. I have seen my clients invest more money into food, florals, linens, and fun extras like photo booths, cigar stations, espresso bars, and even an on-site mini-donut vendor because they felt like they could spend a little extra when they didn’t need as much of any one item (50 people = 5 table linens v. 20 for a 200 person wedding).
I think 50 people is really the critical mass needed to have dancing at a wedding. With that number, you can fill the dance floor and feel the energy of a crowd.

Small weddings can definitely go “big.”

Steal this idea:
Over Thanksgiving weekend, I coordinated a wedding for only 40 people and it was a wonderful, very intimate affair. The bridal couple, Kathryn & Michel, wanted to spend time with each of their guests and therefore decided to sit with a different table for each course. They had their reception staff set (5) tables with (10) chairs each but only assaigned (8) guests per table. Kathryn & Michel opted for a drawn out 5-course meal and shifted to the empty seats at each table each time a new course was served. I thought the idea was brilliant! Only with a group of their size, could such a idea be possible. And their guests felt incredibly honored by it!

Find your critical mass: Figure out how many people you need to have in attendance to feel as if your wedding is an “event.” For some brides, 20 people are enough, but others need 50 or 60 to feel like they have created a party. Find that number you need and then, to account for negative responses, invite 20 percent more than that number.

Invite your essentials: Come up with a list of the people who mean the most to you. This, in itself, will create intimacy.

Find a distinctive venue: With a smaller group, you can select an untraditional space. Consider using your favorite restaurant or the quaint inn you and your spouse-to-be love.

Find a venue that fits the size of your group perfectly: Try not to have the room be too small or too large. If the room is a bit large, use more tables and seat fewer guests at each table.

Do more than just the standard toasts: Have childhood friends or your college roommate tell stories. Just make sure these are all prepared speeches and not inebriated ramblings!

Personalize your wedding: Because only your closest friends and family will be in attendance, include photos or mementos that truly showcase your personalities.

Specialize your menu: Consider polling your guests for their favorite kind of food or upgrading the alcohol to reflect their preferences.

Be grand! Small weddings don’t need to be small events. Feel free to create large, dramatic centerpieces, display a magnificent cake and have a full band.

Upgrade the item that is most important to you: Because smaller weddings are generally less expensive, spend the money you are saving on that item you really want. Whether it’s the perfect dress, a specific photographer or gorgeous linens, upgrade on whatever it is that you’ll remember most.

written by the union tribune http://sports.uniontrib.com/uniontrib/20080120/news_1c20wedtipm.html

It’s important to remember that it’s your wedding. It’s your florist’s job to enhance your personal style by translating it into the floral designs that will become your bouquets, ceremony decorations, and reception centerpieces, among other details.

The more you know about yourself and what you are hoping to see, the better your florist will be able to guide you and make recommendations that are perfectly suited to your tastes! It’s true that couples often come in the door with partial ideas and leave with a much clearer vision for their wedding day, simply because the flowers tie everything together. From the dresses to the favors – your wedding design develops through your planning with your florist.

With this in mind, these are the key things to do before appearing at your florist’s door:

1) Know your colors.
Even if the shades change from dark to light or earthy to spring fresh, the general color scheme is a major force of guidance.

2) Know your budget.
Your florist can help you maximize the amount you prefer to spend if he/she knows from the start how much there is to work with.

3) Explore your options!
Look online at all the many, many blogs/magazines/websites with pictures of real weddings to help inspire you and show you the creative options available to personalize your day.

written by Paula Anderson of Rae Florae

1. Start planning as early as possible. Places and service providers are booked earlier and earlier each year. So to ensure that you get exactly what you want, start early. It also gives you plenty of time to find and investigate other options if your first choice does not work out.

2. Know your service providers. The reputation of the service providers you choose is of the utmost importance. Avoid unpleasant surprises on the day of your wedding by selecting service providers with impeccable records.

3. Put everything in writing. When you book your service providers, anything that you discuss, including special arrangements or deals that you want included in your package for the quoted price, make certain is written in the contract. People can’t remember promises they made to you a year ago verbally, so make sure all the details are written in the signed contract.

4. Be organized. In order to avoid feeling overwhelmed by the number of tasks ahead of you, stay organized. Make an action plan (by week) of what you are going to do, and keep track of progress. This will help you to keep your thoughts and plans in order.

5. Pursue proper etiquette. Following proper etiquette has two advantages. Firstly, you will avoid embarrassing social blunders that can ruin your special day. Secondly, weddings are an emotional event for everyone involved, not just the bride and groom. It is important to keep all relevant parties happy and excited. By following the proper rules of etiquette, you can never go wrong.

6. Invite people to participate in your wedding party because they care about you, not out of obligation. I can’t tell you how often a bride asks someone to be in her wedding out of obligation, and is only frustrated by that individual’s lack of interest and participation. This is one of the most important days of your life. Only involve people who genuinely share in your happiness and love. If they don’t, there is no way they can behave the way you might expect them to. It is impossible.

7. Watch your budget. It is very easy to get drawn into spending more on your wedding than you planned or may be able to. There are so many wonderful choices available to brides that you should not have to put yourself in debt to have the wedding you want. If you start out with a budget, stick to it and find alternatives that allow you to do that. You do not want to start your new life with your partner paying off wedding bills for years to come!

8. Compromise. Knowing how to compromise will save a lot of stress through the planning process. You, your groom, and families all should enjoy the wedding and be proud of it. The bride and groom should do what makes them happy, but also be open to suggestions and sensitive to the feelings of those around you.

9. Confirm and follow-up. Make sure as the date gets closer, about 2 months before, that you follow-up with your service providers such as the band or DJ, limos, photographer, florist, and videographer to confirm your arrangements and provide any last minute instructions. It will make you feel secure and will ensure that they understand your expectations. This is also a task a good wedding coordinator can assist with.

10. Relax and enjoy! It is a fun, happy, beautiful time, especially in San Diego! Do not let the planning process mask that for you. Take moments to step back and enjoy what is happening, especially the day of your wedding. Just enjoy it. You have done all you can and it is in the hands of the trustworthy people you have hired.

That was their first wake-up call.

“I was never going to touch that. It was obscene,” said Hendren, 32, a finance manager for Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Developmental in La Jolla. “With the economy the way it is, you can’t afford to take on that kind of debt. You just can’t.”

An average wedding in America cost nearly $30,000 last year, according to a survey conducted by The Knot Wedding Network. The survey of 18,000 couples married in 2008 also indicated 40 percent of couples marrying this year will curb their wedding budgets by about 16 percent because of the recession.

Through the process of planning their April 25 wedding, Hendren and Kiesling, like many engaged couples, had to find ways to scale back their dreams without sacrificing on the celebration. Every step they made was with an eye fixed squarely on the down economy and shaky job market.

After researching dozens of venues, they chose St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral for the ceremony and the Museum of San Diego History in Balboa Park for their reception. The couple was able to rent the museum for $3,000 for the entire day, a $4,000 savings from the least expensive hotel they found.

The Rivini gown Hendren kept gravitating toward in bridal magazines cost $5,800. She ultimately chose an off-the-rack number on sale for $1,600.

The couple’s dream of having a vintage Rolls Royce ferry them about on their special day was quickly nixed when they learned of the Rolls’ $700-an-hour price tag. Their pie-in-the-sky wish of a 16-piece band and gobo lighting at the reception was abandoned altogether.

Hardest of all was having to ruthlessly hone their desired guest list from 200 to 70.

Wedding coordinator Cynthia Zatkin of Cynthia Zatkin Events, who provided Hendren with “day of” services, said having a smaller wedding is the single most effective way a couple can reduce expenses. Guest lists of 50 to 100 are the norm this year, she said, compared to the 300-guest weddings of the past.

“You save so much money in every way,” Zatkin said. “Less food, less tables, fewer centerpieces, fewer linens. I see a lot of clients who still want a lovely event that is gorgeous, but on a smaller budget.”

Zatkin said she is also seeing some couples bypass 2009 in favor of 2010 and beyond.

“People are hoping the stock market will go back up and their portfolios will get bigger,” she said. “By the time they are paying for their wedding, they will have the money to do it.”

Zatkin tells the vendors she works with that business may be down this year and next, but to set their sights on 2011.

“We know it’s coming back,” Zatkin said. “The economy is not in the tank forever.”

Betsy Winsett, co-owner of the Encinitas-based Bridal Bazaar, which produces bridal shows in Southern California, is seeing brides trim their sails in a number of ways. While some brides are delaying their nuptials, she says most want to get started on their new life now and are willing to economize in ways they might not have considered when they first got engaged.

For example, flowers adorning the ceremony now often do double duty at the reception site, Winsett said. To cut expenses, some couples go the D.I.Y. route, making their own favors, place cards and programs, and many opt to marry on a Friday or Sunday rather than the ever-popular Saturday.

Couples are also being more selective in what they pay for, such as hiring a photographer for fewer hours or choosing a smaller tiered cake for reception photos and serving guests less expensive sheet cakes, Winsett said. And brides are getting savvy about asking vendors those seven important words, “Is that the best you can do?”

“The smart vendors recognize during a down economy that they do have to make accommodations,” Winsett said. “Happy brides today tell their friends who are getting married tomorrow and that is part of a vendor’s customer base. The smart vendors are looking at that as an opportunity.”

“Vendors are bending over backwards,” agreed Sharon Cole, a member of the Association of Bridal Consultants and owner of A Dream Wedding By Sharon. “In reality, I think brides are getting the best value for their money this year.”

Nearly every vendor Hendren chose – from her wedding coordinator, an essential expenditure considering her 60-hour work weeks – to the photographer, caterer and Internet chocolatier willing to sell her truffles at 55 cents a piece as opposed to the typical $3 a piece, slashed their prices 15 percent to 40 percent. Even Hendren’s church defrayed the cost of the flowers for the ceremony for a $100 donation and the couple’s promise to leave behind the arrangements for the regular congregation.

“It’s an all-around hurt issue, not just for brides and grooms, but for the vendors and everyone else,” Hendren said just weeks before her wedding. “I’ve been honest with people, saying ‘This is what I’ve got to spend. What is the best package I can get?’

“We had to work so much harder for what we wanted,” Hendren added. “As a financial professional, looking at my spreadsheets, I had no idea in my wildest dreams that it would be this expensive. We easily could have spent double.”

Written by Caroline Dipping for the San Diego UNION-TRIBUNE

Having the right dress and the right hairstyle are just part of the equation. Having the right makeup application is also critical on your wedding day.
San Diego weddings require no unique preparation for bridal make up than anywhere else. Of course, you should be aware of weather conditions if you have a beach wedding, boat wedding, or use any outdoor wedding location.
A face primer is ideal to neutralize skin imperfections, diminish the appearance of fine lines and increase makeup wearability. Apply over moisturizer or use alone.
Using an eye primer neutralizes discolorations from the brow bone down to the eye lid, thus giving the eye area a perfect canvas for true color as well as hours of long-lasting eye shadow wearability without fading or creasing. Be sure to apply a foundation or concealer and powder to the eyelids.
Foundation should look and feel like a second skin. The more natural looking, the better. Oil-free mineral foundations with long wearing properties are great to use.
When using an illuminating powder on the face, only apply to the areas that you want to highlight and enhance. If applied all over the face, you will look unnatural and your face will look shiny and oily in pictures.
To enhance the eyes, use a soft shimmering eyeshadow on the lid and use a sheer matte finish eyeshadow in crease of eye and under brow. If the eyeshadows are too pearlized under the brow, the area will reflect the light creating a bright spot above the eyes in photographs. To make the eyes look larger and stand out, curl the lashes with an eyelash curler before mascara application. Try a natural style of false lash. Pick a soft pair and cut in half. Apply to the outer half of lash line for a full, yet natural look. Be sure to choose a mascara that’s waterproof; it’ll last longer and withstand tears.
For longer lasting color, line lips as well as entire mouth. Apply lipstick in the same color family. Blot the lips, apply a light dusting of powder, and apply lipstick again. Or try a long-lasting lipstick that’s formulated to stay on ’till the wee hours of the morning.

Lastly – be sure to create a great skin regimen that you’ll stick to, get lots of sleep, drink plenty of water, and exercise to prepare for your big day!