March 30, 2009
Hi There, I came across this site and thought I would share it with you. These are color trends for Spring pertaining to general fashion, NOT BRIDAL Fashion. Enjoy.
http://www.pantone.com/downloads/articles/pdfs/PANTONE-FCR-sp2009.pdf
March 23, 2009
Hi There, I had two small weddings this past Saturday and BLUE was a key color for both. I made a blue iris bridal bouquet that was pretty and inexpensive. There was only one Maid of Honor and she carried a bouquet of blue iris in the center surrounded by white iris.
This was supposed to have been an outdoor wedding at Wilson Vineyards in Clarksburg, Ca. However, the weather turned very cold and wet and caused this wedding to be moved inside. It is always a good idea to have a plan B when planning outdoor events!
March 11, 2009
There is a website called, www.theweddingreport.com. You must be a member to see a lot of the information; but some of the information is available to anyone who logs into the site. The site tracks wedding statistics. So here are the predictions for 2009 trends in the United States. BTW, the spending trends for 2008 were off by 24%. The recession hit anad couples had to cut back on their spending. The 2009 figures below also reflect the cut backs expected due to the recession.
1) There will be approximately 2,215,714 weddings
2) Couples will spend an average $20,398 (this number is DOWN from 2008. I’m sure that is not a surprise to you!)
3) Couples will be down sizing their guest lists; only the closest family and friends will be invited.
4) Couples will be having their receptions at different hours, in order to save money. An early wedding on a Saturday is less expensive than an evening wedding on a Saturday.
5) Couples are changing the day of the week for their weddings. A Friday or Sunday is MUCH less expensive than a Saturday at ANY facility.
6) Many couples will opt for destination weddings. In the long run it is much less expensive because typically the guest list is parred down tremendously. Also, many destination facilities throw in a lot of extras to intice you to opt for a destination wedding.
7) Many brides will be learning how to be a DIY (Do it Yourself) bride. DIY flowers, invitations, music, cake, food and photography are all avenues that brides will be exploring.
More couples will rely on family and friends to help plan, pay and provide services for the wedding.
I would like to WARN you about some of these DIY ideas.
1) DIY FLowers: It takes TIME and PRACTICE to get this right. Do NOT wait until the night before your wedding to figure this out. You should practice months in advance of your wedding day. Order your flowers 3 weeks before your wedding day. Have the flowers delivered or picked up 3 days before your wedding. Plan on “processing” your flowers when you get them. Let them sit overnight. Two days before your wedding, gather your friends, family, bridesmaids and start the assembly of your wedding flowers. Refrigerate everything for the next 2 days.
2) DIY Invitations: This is a pretty easy one to DIY. There are many websites that will offer you the templates and invitation designs online. You pick your design, fill in the blanks and you are done. The printed invitations are mailed to you. Because of the economy and “green” movement, many brides are opting to email their invitations!
3) DIY Music: While this one may seem like a “no-brainer” to many of you, there are some considerations to think about before you just plan on bringing your iPod to the reception. First of all, a DJ is also a Master of Ceremonies. The DJ comes prepared to wire you and your fiance for sound. Do you want your guests to hear your vow exchange? Without a DJ, do you have the capability to wire yourselves for sound? A DJ will announce the wedding party as they enter the reception, announce the first dance, announce the cake cutting, announce when tables can be released to the buffet line, etc., etc. An iPod is okay as long as you realize you will need someone to be your MC and take care of having someone assigned to that task.
4) DIY Cake: I have only seen this done a couple of times. Both were near disasters, in my opinion. The first cake was extremely damaged in the delivery and I had to try to hide the disaster with flowers. The second just looked bad. The ribbon band was not attached properly, the cake was lopsided and the frosting color was just ugly. I’m sure it tasted fine, but your cake is normally a focal point at the reception.
5) DIY Food: this is probably the easiest of all things to DIY. Really, YOU would not be making all the food yourself, instead, you will have family and friends make the food for you. Chances are if you are making your own food, you are also using someone’s home, backyard or rental facility that does not provide food (a Lion’s Club House or Rotary Club House)….my advise to you is to make it look as professional as possible and be aware of things like mayonnaise laden salads in the heat. You don’t want to make your guests sick!
March 4, 2009
Hi There, I was invited to appear on the FOX40 Morning News show last week, 2/26/09. I just got a copy of the segment. Here it is, if you didn’t catch it live.
FOX40 LIVE: Wedding Flowers
Hope you don’t get dizzy. The live show kept the camera still; it looks like this was shot from a side angle with a hand-held camera. The poor camera man was trying to keep up with me!
