We're Engaged! And then the panic sets in, what do I do?

Congratulations to all of you newly engaged couples. What an exciting chapter of your life that you are about to begin! Now it's time for magazines, bridal shows, websites, etc., so before you put yourself into wedding overload, let's start very simple so that you can have the wedding of your dreams.

First, be realistic about your budget. Who will be paying or contributing to the wedding? Although an awkward conversation to have with your parents, both the brides and grooms, it is one that you must know going in because you may think they are paying for it all when they have another plan. Why is it a budget important? For planners, it is a good starting point and discussion for us to have with you, so we know which venues and vendors to point you to.

Second, how many people will you invite. Again a conversation piece for both families, again, the number of people that are going to attend your wedding will determine what venues will work best for you.

My last piece of advice is this, bridal shows can be completely overwhelming, and some vendors offer great deals to book on the spot. Make sure before you sign on the dotted line that you connect with your vendors and that they are the best fit for your wedding. Sometimes the best price does not mean the best quality. Make address labels with your name and address on them so you can give them to vendors rather writing your name to enter raffles, get more information, etc.

Happy Engagement!

Gift Certificates

Don't know what to get the bride to be this year? Or really want a gift that you don't have to stand in a long line to return? Purchase a Planned to Perfection gift certificate this season. Gift certificates can be purchased in $50 denominations and can be used for any of our services. Give us a call or send an email.

Fall Special

We are offering 20% off any of our packages if you book by December 31st. Mention code "fall" when emailing or calling!

Grace Ormonde Wedding Style

It has been a busy wedding season, and the blogs have suffered! I am so excited to announce that Planned to Perfection's tabletop design will be featured in the Spring/Summer issue of Grace Ormonde Wedding Style. We had a great photo shoot at the picturesque Ocean House in Watch Hill and help from many of our wonderful vendor friends, The Perfect Setting at Felicia's, Conceptual Image Designs, and Rentals Unlimited. I can't wait for the magazine and for you all to see it!

Be sure to check out the Grace Ormonde website for the exact release date. www.weddingstylenewengland.com

Ashley and Tom's Wedding

What a beautiful day and what a beautful couple! I have been working with Ashley and Tom for the past year planning an intimate wedding at Regatta Place in Newport. They had a lovely ceremony in Jamestown and then headed with Erica Mancini from Adeline and Grace Photography and Mike Henriques from Artistic Wedding Video Group to Beavertail where they captured some gorgeous photos and many laughs. While they were taking photos, their guests enjoyed a steel drum player during cocktail hour and delicious hors d'oeuvres from Regatta Place. The floral arranagements of blues, greens and ivory, which were provided by Conceptual Image Design popped in the tent and uplighting from Luke's DJ created the perfect ambiance once the sun went down. Guests enjoyed a special treat near the end of the evening with a slider bar that included fries, onion rings and milkshakes. Congratulations and best wishes to Ashley and Tom!

August Weddings

This past week we worked at two great weddings! We were at Keri and Mike's wedding on Thursday at the Glen Manor House in Portsmouth. They had a green wedding and it was great to be a part of that. Keri and Mike were also featured in the Providence Journal so please check out the article on green weddings.

http://www.projo.com/lifebeat/content/lb-green_wedding_08-11-09_EPEN13V_v31.2936fe8.html

Their guests ate local and organic foods provided by Blackstone Catering as well had gorgeous locally grown flowers and herbs from Conceptual Image Designs. Sin Desserts created an organic cake that was absolutely amazing.. In lieu of favors, a donation was made to Amnesty International and guests arrived in style in a trolley from Rockstar Limo that reduced the amount of cars on the road and also is eco-friendly. Congrats to Keri and Mike!

On Saturday, we headed over to Beavertail for the ceremony of Laura and Juan. The day was absolutely gorgeous for this ocean side ceremony. We only had about 10 minutes to set up the ceremony and we were off and running. Rev. Michael Egan performed the ceremony which even included a large cruise ship sailing off into the distance! After the ceremony we headed off to the Johnson and Wales Inn, for the reception. Laura had chosen chocolate brown and red as her colors, she put together all of the centerpieces herself and in conjunction with the gorgeous linens and chiavari chairs from Rentals Unlimited, her tables looked spectacular. Jason Citrone provided uplighting for the room and the monogram that was displayed the entire evening. Luke's Disc Jockey Service did an outstanding job keeping everyone on the dance floor the entire evening and we even got to see a traditional Laotian dance. Congrats to Laura and Juan!

Working hard to get it all done!!

Wedding South Beach Style and Big Move!

Welcome to Wedding Season 2009!! There will be much more blogging this season about our weddings so keep checking out the site! Our most exciting news is that we have moved to Newport! Our office is located at 129 Bellevue Avenue, so if you are in the area please drop by and visit.

On to the weddings...

We had the honour of being a part of Jen and Craig's wedding this past weekend at Astor's Beechwood. They brought South Beach to the old style mansion, which looked fabulous!

Broadway Florist did an outstanding job with creating a lounge in the ballroom and the lighting from Bentley Meeker was absolutely incredible. Congrats to Jen and Craig!

I am coming around to this blogging thing.

I always mean to write a blog, and then the wedding season takes off and now it is August. This has been a wonderful wedding season thus far. I have been a part of some fun weddings, having a dog as a ring bearer and sneaking him on the property. And by the way he did a wonderful job, better than some 3 year olds I have seen. A bride and her bridesmaids choreographed some outstanding moves to Dancing Queen, it was quite impressive. I am excited for the remaining weddings that I have this year and am so excited to announce that I will be the wedding planner for the NBC 10 wedding that will air in February. Be on the lookout and make sure to vote for your favorite wedding items this fall on their website. We are also offering brides and not just the ones that hire us the opportunity to have a Pampered Chef bridal registry. You don't even have to leave the house to register, and you get amazing products. I promise, I will get better at this blogging thing and update with more great weddings.