Hope is not cancelled...

     It is August, I have not done a wedding since October 2019.  This is the longest I have gone without a wedding in 15 years.  In this time, I feel like a part of me is missing. I love what I do, I am passionate about my work, I truly love the connection with my clients and I have established such wonderful and meaningful relationships with vendors over the years, not seeing them has been difficult.  But we have to hold on top hope, that we will get past this difficult time and watch the joy on couples faces as they say their vows.  We have to embrace the micro weddings, because for the time being, they are what is possible. In an uncertain time, we have to have hope that the love of couples about to be married will prevail and they will embrace the changes that the wedding will now have. In the end, what really matters is the love between two people, looking to share a lifetime together. For now, we have hope, we have to hold on to that with all we can.  I miss you all and can't wait to share in your memories soon. 

Alyssa and Kyle-The Graduate

     Alyssa and Kyle were college sweethearts from Providence College, where Kyle still works and had their ceremony at the chapel on campus. Which included pictures of the wedding party, with the Friars mascot! After a morning of some raindrops, the weather cleared for a beautiful ceremony and pictures on the grounds of the campus taken by my good friend Jennifer Neves from Jennifer Neves Photography.  After photos the couple headed to the Graduate to enjoy their cocktail hour with family and friends. 
     There were many personal touches by the couple, who had a great number of crafty friends that were able to make their dreams a reality! A gorgeous mirror painted for the ceremony and a fun donut display, that just about every guest enjoyed. This group was a huge dancing crowd and were on their feet until the end of the night. Such a fun wedding for a great couple! Congrats to Alyssa and Kyle!

Shannon and Chris Wedding at the Roger Williams Park Casino

 

 

Saturday, February 15th was the wedding of Shannon and Christopher, it was also a snowstorm! Shannon and Chris were married at the chapel at Lasalle Academy in Providence.  Shannon and her bridesmaids arrived in style in a trolley provided by Rockstar Limo.  Shannon and Chris had many of their talented friends take part in their wedding. They had friends perform the ceremony music, the cocktail music and also the band DeerTick was close friends of Chris. Shannon's friend provided the photography and Decadent Catering provided  the family style meal that was served at the Roger Williams Park Casino. Guests braved the storm to witness the love that this couple had for each other. 

Why hire a wedding planner?

I feel that this question is asked by brides, grooms and parents many times because you already have a catering contact person or venue contact person and why would you need someone else? Your wedding is one of the most important days of your life, so why take a chance with it?  We manage all of your vendors and your guests, so that you can enjoy your wedding and essentially be a guest. I saw an article on the Top 10 reasons to Hire a Wedding Planner by Coastal Events and I thought I would share...

Top 10 Reasons to Hire a Wedding Planner

10. Saves time – Planning wedding takes enormous amount of time. In fact, the average couple spends well over 200 hours planning their special day. A good wedding planner will save you time and energy by researching vendors, taking care of the many, many details, and coming up with various creative ideas to make your wedding amazing!


9. Saves money – Weddings can be extremely expensive.  However, by hiring a wedding planner, couples can save a great deal of money.  Because wedding planners provide so much business to vendors, they are often able to negotiate discounts for their clients.  Wedding planners are also well-versed at helping couples set budgets and sticking to them.


8. Saves relationships – Weddings are very stressful.  This stress often results in many arguments for couples as well as with family members and friends.  Wedding planners have been there time and time again and know how to avoid such problems before they begin as well as act as a buffer when there are conflicts. Wedding planners are also able to take on the responsibilities often assigned to loved ones so that everyone is able to enjoy the wedding.  Remember, you still want a relationship with your mother well after your wedding!


 7. Ensures dreams are made realities – Most have been dreaming of their wedding day their entire life.  Wedding planners work for the couple and ensure that all desires are met (and often surpassed)!


6.  Offers advice – Wedding planners have planned countless weddings and know exactly what works and what doesn’t.  They are also knowledgeable on wedding etiquette.  Furthermore, wedding planners are able to recommend competent vendors, based on personal experience.


5. Acts as the “go to person” – The average wedding has at least 22 different vendors.  Combine that with the entire wedding party and all of the guests and that is a lot of people with questions and concerns!  By hiring a wedding planner, couples can simply tell others “talk to the wedding planner!”


4. Creates schedules – There are so many events leading up to the big day!  Couple that with the many things that happen during the wedding and who can keep track?  The wedding planner can!  Wedding planners are well-versed at making detailed itineraries for all involved (including other vendors) and making sure that everything happens on time!


3. Handles crisis – Whether we like it or not, most big events involve crisis.  Who really wants to deal on their wedding day with the bakery not delivering the cake on time or the flower girl throwing a tantrum?  No one!  Wedding planners know how to handle all unforeseen circumstances.


2. Orchestrates from rehearsal through the end of reception – Do you want to be responsible for organizing rehearsal or making sure the bridal party is properly lined up?  How about making sure that the guest who had a little too much to drink departs safely?  Wedding planners orchestrate from rehearsal through the end of the reception, ensuring everything goes off without a hitch!


1. Minimizes stress and maximizes fun! – Hiring a wedding planner ensures that you will have a worry-free and stress-free day, thus, allowing you to enjoy your day like your guests!

Jody and Shawn, Blithewold Mansion

  On September 7^th, 2012, Jody and Shawn held a truly classic affair at the Blithewold Mansion.  The couple truly embodied the essence of classicism and traditionalism.

            In this century, weddings have become much than the traditional “I Do.”  Today we find that most brides are looking for that “wow” factor and a more interactive experience for the guests.  Jody and Shawn’s wedding had all of these factors but most importantly they remembered that this day was about them. 

    The bride’s gorgeous lace gown all the way to the lovely white floral arrangement this wedding was the definition of beautiful.  The centerpieces, actually arranged by a friend of the bride, were set in mason jars with a simple white ribbon for decoration.  The table was also set with cards asking each guest questions about the bride and groom and also for some advice for the newlyweds. As an added bonus there were flip-flops for all of the ladies who attended so they could “kick off their heels and dance,” as the poster read.

The wedding was, as it should be, very tailored around the bride and groom.  When guests entered to get their escort cards they could see photographs of both the bride and grooms family on their wedding days.  There were photos of their parents and well as their grandparents.  These photos added a very personal touch to the wedding.  The picture theme continued on the other side of the table where the guest’s escort cards were located.  Jody came up with an amazing idea for the escort cards.  There was a picture of every single guest hung up on the twine supported in rustic wood frames.  On the back of the guests photograph there was their table number as well as their meal choice.  Most of the photographs were of couples on their wedding day or of the couples together, a great special touch. 

Between the great food provided by Blackstone Catering, beautiful venue, and special details, Jody and Shawn had an amazing wedding that I’m sure their guests, along with themselves, will never forget. 

Venues that Change Your Event into an Experience

Venues that Change Your Event into an Experience

            Imagine, it’s the day of the wedding and you take your seat at your reception table.  Looking around you see all of the major components of wedding.  There is of course a bride and groom, floral arrangements, a beautiful cake, a band, and a tank full of sharks.  Wait, a tank full of sharks?  Since when has that become a part of a wedding? 

Planned to Perfection has noticed a great trend popping up in the event planning realm.  We found that a lot of clients are looking to take their event from ordinary to extraordinary by hosting them at exotic and entertaining venues.  Some venues that we have noticed to fit into this category of extraordinary venues are the Mystic Aquarium located in Mystic, Connecticut, the New Bedford Whaling Museum located in New Bedford, Massachusetts, the Roger Williams Park Botanical Gardens located in Cranston, RI, Jonathon Edwards Winery & Vineyard located in North Stonington, Connecticut, and lastly Sakonnet Vineyards located in Little Compton, RI.

The Mystic Aquarium has truly transformed from one of the finest aquariums in New England into a full functioning event space.  Imagine getting married with thousand gallon fish tanks a your backdrop, a naturally beautiful landscape for any event or wedding.  The Mystic Aquarium takes pride in working with Ocean Blue Catering to provide an excellent meal that correlates to the amazing surroundings of the aquarium itself.  The most unique characteristic this venue has is the amazing sea creatures that always try to make an appearance at your event.

Moving onto another extraordinary venue we have the New Bedford Whaling Museum.  This museum has eight different galleries and rooms to choose to hold your event in.  Each of the rooms represents a different part of whaling history.  You could sit below the skeleton of a whale or be surrounded by various whaling artifacts, either way this venue definitely provides guests with much more than an ordinary reception.

Another venue that does just that is the Roger Williams Botanical Gardens, Jonathon Edwards Vineyards, and Sakonnet Vineyards.  These three venues don’t necessarily have rich history or sea creatures but they still fall in the extraordinary venue category for one main reason, which is landscape and atmosphere.  These venues are equipped with gorgeous floral landscapes and lush vineyards that would make the backdrop for any event go from average to amazing.  Guests have the opportunity to educate themselves on wine and grape growing as well as educate themselves on different flower species in the botanical gardens.

One common characteristic that all of these venues have is the “Wow” factor.  Each one of these places takes an event and transforms it into an experience that you, as the guest, are sure not to forget.

So, when you’re planning your next function keep in mind these unique venues and how they can change your event from ordinary to extraordinary.     

Megan and Seth

Seth and Megan

   On Friday June 29^th, 2012 Planned to Perfection found itself finally at the day of Megan and Seth’s wedding.  The morning started out with some light showers but as the day progressed and the ceremony time drew closer, mother nature couldn’t have conjured up a more beautiful summer day for the couple to get married on.

            Seth and Megan were married at the gorgeous lighthouse at the Newport Hyatt.  Megan and Seth were married under a gorgeous chuppah decorated with an array of white and pink floral details provided by Golden Gate Studios.  The lighthouse was a backdrop the whole scene and can be seen in the following photo.  The ceremony was short and sweet with a few friends of the couple participating in four readings.  The ceremony itself was a personal one due to the fact that a friend of the family, who is a judge, conducted the ceremony himself.  The couple even had their dog take a walk down the aisle.

            As the night drew on and we now had a happy pair of newlyweds it was time for the reception.  The entire cocktail hour and reception were decked out from head to toe in white and pink accents.  The floral arrangements used for this special day all were of different heights and sizes.  The arrangements ranged from a tall centerpiece that had extending branches with chandelier type accessories on them to a simple table floral piece.  The cocktail tables all went along with the couple’s rustic theme and had floral arrangements inside of little medal pales.  

            One of the most unique features of this wedding was one of the bride’s favorite items at her wedding.  There was a pink lemonade bar that was available right after the ceremony at cocktail hour.  The guest enjoyed refreshing pink lemonade out of monogramed mason jars.  These mason jars were also used as wedding favors to the attending guests.

            Another great feature at this wedding was the candy bar that was brought to the wedding by Sweet Indulgences.  It was all pink and monogrammed to match the overall theme of the wedding.  Between the various jars of sweets and cake pops guests found them selves in a sugar wonderland.

            Megan and Seth’s wedding ended with a lot of dancing to the sounds of Nancy Paolino and the Black Tie Band and good times with their friends and family.  They even enjoyed some pictures with the gorgeous sunset that fell just beyond the Newport Bridge.

Thanks to Steven James at the Newport Hyatt, Sweet Indulgence, Nancy Paolino and the Black Tie Band, John Lovgren Photography, Artistic Wedding Video Group, and Rockstar Limo.

Newport Bridal Show

Come visit Planned to Perfection at the Newport Bridal Show, Saturday February 18th from 11-4. We will be located at Oceancliff and have great giveaways for all that stop by! Please click on link to pre register for some great prizes.

http://newportweddingexpo.com/

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.

City Bride 2011

Planned to Perfection is so excited to once again be a part of City Bride. There will be a fantastic runway show, amazing vendors, great music and more. We are offering some great specials for Fall 2011 and 2012 so come by and check us out. We hope to see you there. For more information and details: www.foxprovidence.com/dpp/wildcard_7/wildcard_70/city-bride-2011

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!!

The Rhode Show!

On June 22, there was a segment on the Rhode Show regarding wedding etiquette, and I had the pleasure of being a part of it!
http://www.foxprovidence.com/dpp/wildcard_7/wildcard_70/rhode_show_the_buzz_20090622

One of the topics covered was whether or not the bride has the right to ask her bridesmaids to change their appearance and the extent to which they can do so. Other topics included how to handle the “plus one” situation, mow much a guest should give, and how to handle those guests that do not answer well to RSVPs. There are also many other aspects and situations that may call for use of proper wedding etiquette.

As far as the bride’s relationship with her bridesmaids goes, there should be a mutual understanding on how much too much is to ask of each other. The bridesmaids are expected to understand that it isn’t their special day, but the bride’s. The bride should also keep in mind that the women she chose to be her bridesmaids are either family or close friends. Because of this, she should refrain from asking her bridesmaids to make drastic changes such as losing weight, changing their hair color or covering up tattoos. She should be accepting of her bridesmaids’ individuality.

Aside from situations concerning the brides and bridesmaids, there are always questions coming from the guests’ point of view. The “plus one” is a popular question. It is a given that a person invited can bring their spouse, fiancé, or even a long running significant other. However, for those who are single, should they find a date or go stag? There usually is no problem with going stag. The majority of the time, the party attending will know the family or friends so it will not be as if they are lonely the entire time. Every person and situation is different so if unsure ask the bride or somebody else who will be attending for a second opinion. Ideally, one should bring the cost of the plate which can usually be estimated around fifty dollars. Is bringing a guest worth that amount of money?

A common occurrence in planning a wedding can be acquiring a guest count. From those “plus one” ambiguities to those who seem to never RSVP. The RSVP is very important and timely. There are vendor deadlines that must be met. When there is a guest who seemingly forgot to RSVP, it is alright to call or email them to check up on their decision. Always be friendly about it. One never knows if there is a legitimate reason or if the guest simply forgot. There is still a slight possibility that they never even received the invite.

Have a great week!!!