After "YES," Before "I DO" and Everything In Between

I recently came across an adorable wedding invitation infographic from Val Marie Paper via Every Last Detail that so very sweetly sums up everything you need to know about preparing wedding invitations.  You'll want to save, pin , tweet and print this one.   And be sure to keep it handy for non-wedding events as well.   Always remember, the invitation is 100% reflective of the celebration to come ... attention must/should be paid. - - - - - - - - - - by Rash a na Anderson Founder & Managing Director, THE BRIDAL PARTY LLC

Awesome News Everyone!! Due to popular demand, I'll be teaching the Wedding Planning Certificate course again at Union County College this Fall, and I couldn't be more excited!  If you're interested in entering the wedding industry as a planner / consultant or if you already have lots of experience but would like to add certification to your list of qualifications, this is the class for you. Register today and/or share this opportunity with any family-member or friend who has a passion for wedding planning.  Visit the Union County College Continuing Education Department or simply call (908) 709-7600 option 3 to sign up.    HURRY, classes begin on September 18th ! - - - - - - - - - - by Rashana Anderson Founder & Managing Director, THE BRIDAL PARTY LLC

We announced earlier this week that an LWPI certified wedding- and event-planner course is starting soon at Union County College and the instructor is our Founder & Managing Director, Rashana Anderson.  So many of our friends, family and supporters have congratulated Rashana on this spectacular opportunity, but it's also a wonderful opportunity for all of you out there in New Jersey who dream of entering the wedding/event planning business yourselves.   The hands-on program covers everything a wedding and event planner needs to know, including contracts, etiquette, flowers, music, day of services, marketing, industry business practices and application.   The program will provide students with all of the tools necessary to become a professional wedding and event planner. Students will also have the opportunity to participate at real local weddings and events for additional hands-on experience and graduates will receive an internationally recognized ce...

Awesome news New Jersey!  An LWPI certified wedding- and event-planner course is starting soon at Union County College and the instructor is none other than our own Rashana Anderson, Founder & Managing Director of THE BRIDAL PARTY LLC . We couldn't be more thrilled!! As many of our readers and clients know, Rashana (a Professional Bridal Consultant™) is a wedding singer-turned-wedding planner with over 11 years of experience in the wedding industry as well as in marketing, film/television and project management.  She built and established her business from the ground up in 2007 and has been successfully helping brides, grooms and their families create tremendously memorable events ever since.  Now, in partnering with The Wedding Planning Institute, a division of Lovegevity founded with the sole purpose of providing aspiring wedding planners with the best possible education, Rashana will share her experiences and knowledge with aspiring wedding/event plan...

Dear Rashana, I just got engaged and I am super excited!  I want to do this right, so I know hiring a wedding planner is important from the start.  I want a 'David Tutera wedding' and I'm confident you can help us achieve this.  Our budget is $11k.  That's doable, right? - Engaged & Excited *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Dear Engaged & Excited and the thousands of other newly engaged out there, First, thank you for your confidence in THE BRIDAL PARTY to pull off a 'David Tutera wedding.'  What a compliment!  And yes, it is definitely doable to have a beautifully memorable wedding within a budget of $11k.  HOWEVER, your "My Fair Wedding" dreams may need to be ... let's say ... tweaked. Just as brides and grooms have different tastes when it comes to venues, flowers and entertainment, there are also many levels of spending that fluctuate from couple to couple.  One of the most common of que...

Virginia wedding planner, Shayna Walker Weddle of Williamsburg Wedding Design is a colleague and mentor in my head (as radio and TV personality Wendy Williams would say).  I follow and admire her blog.  And recently, to my surprise and delight, she posted an awesomely honest article concerning how/why wedding planners determine prices for their services using herself as an example.  This information has long been considered taboo, which is why I love Shayna's article so much and felt compelled to share with you, my readers.  For some strange reason, many brides and grooms actually assume and expect that a wedding planner should only run them $500 for A-to-Z coverage.  Can you say "highway robbery?"  I've even had a few prospective clients tell me about the woman at their church who only charges $300 .  Now, I could easily write several paragraphs about why paying these such prices for wedding planning are big red-flags and that a bride-to-be shoul...

- - - - - - - - - - by Rashana Anderson Founder & Managing Director, THE BRIDAL PARTY

Wedding pictures hold some of the happiest memories of a lifetime, so be sure you consider all the angles when preparing to be photographed on the big day. I N THE WEEKS/MONTHS LEADING UP TO THE WEDDING: Plan your procedures ahead - it’s easy to get caught up in the craziness of tastings, fittings and appointments and forget to schedule facial treatments until the last minute. Don’t be tempted to get cosmetic lasering or chemical peels within 10 days to a month of the event, depending on the exact type of laser or peel. Even something as simple as a facial should be given a solid week for skin to normalize, especially if any extractions will be performed. Call well ahead of time and discuss this with the technician. Practice good skin health - stay hydrated and eat healthfully leading up to the event. Don’t try new skincare products, or anything that may irritate your skin. Anticipate your skin’s history, and treat it accordingly depending on changes your skin may experience in...

Hey there New Jersey brides ... the WeTV Wedding Mall Tour is making a stop in the Garden State, so be sure to clear your schedules! On July 11th, Bridgewater Commons will host the 2010 WeTV Wedding Mall Tour featuring David Tutera , wedding planner to the stars and host of the hit WeTV wedding show, My Fair Wedding . As part of this exciting event, David will host a live, interactive, 60-minute wedding presentation and a 30-minute meet-and-greet at the Lord & Taylor court (which will be transformed into a luxurious wedding ceremony experience). Alongside the WeTV Wedding Mall Tour , Bridgewater Commons will host a local wedding expo featuring best in class vendors in New Jersey (such as photographers, florists, caterers, cake designers, entertainment specialists, etc).  This is sure to be an awesome wedding experience! And if by chance you'll be traveling, check out the WeTV Wedding Mall Tour's schedule for other stops, like Maryland, Ohio, California, Texas and...

I just read the cutest, yet informative, little article over at TheKnot .  Each question is 100% valid and should be paid attention to (especially #4).  Definitely worth the read, so I thought I'd share: After a few months of wedding planning, you start to feel like a pro. You've already memorized all the in-season flowers, can name the top 20 wedding dress designers alphabetically and are on a first-name basis with every single member on staff at your reception venue. Still, there's bound to be a couple of questions that you forgot to ask. Let us help fill it in for you. 1. When should I take off my veil after the ceremony? Everyone loves to talk about the veil, but nobody tells you exactly when to ditch it. While it's perfectly okay to wear the veil for the entire reception, there are two optimal times to take it off. The first is after the ceremony (have your hairstylist show a bridesmaid how to do this without messing up your 'do), and the second is...

(photo courtesy of Martha Stewart Weddings ) Pinning groom and groomsmen boutonnières may sound like an easy task, but trust me, it's not as easy as it looks (unless you know what you're doing). So, I've put together a brief step-by-step guide along with a little eye-candy . After all, the last thing anyone wants to see is a groom taking his vows with a lopsided boutonnière that's just seconds from falling off. Thus, the task of pinning should certainly be taken seriously. So, without any further ado ... brides, grooms and members of my staff (wink @ Jocelyn), take note: Step 1* Hold the boutonnière by its stem with the front facing you. Step 2* Place the boutonnière 4 inches below the tip of the gentleman's shoulder, onto the left lapel. Step 3* Take a step back to confirm placement of the boutonnière before attempting to pin. Step 4* In an upward motion, pierce the fabric from behind the lapel, with a sturdy straight pin, through the bottom of ...

Several years ago I discovered an ongoing scam targeting wedding industry vendors (where an "overseas couple" reaches out to U.S. based photographers, videographers and wedding planners to help execute a wedding on their behalf, they mail an international cashier's check exceeding the agreed upon cost and ask the vendor to send back the difference, but after the check is cashed and found to be fraudulent the vendor has actually ended up sending their own money to the scammers).  Sad to say, I am still contacted by these international couples every now and then.  However, scams are also targeting brides more and more now.  Here's an article (courtesy of The Huffington Post) and video on a recent case being investigated by the FBI concerning a fraudulant bridal show. Brides, be careful and always do your research no matter what. BOSTON — Scammers set up a Web site advertising a fake bridal show billed as the "biggest and most extravagant" and used it to s...

If you're free this coming Monday, head on over to Ralph Lauren's daughter's famous candy store, Dylan's Candy Bar, and discover the latest tips & trends to help you plan your wedding! This educational seminar will feature the best vendors from the weddings industry, so let the experts teach you how to avoid hidden costs and save. Get step by step details, loopholes and "tricks of the trade."  Learn proper etiquette for the ceremony, rehearsal dinners, engagement parties, showers, and bachelorette parties.  Enjoy cake tastings, cocktails, gift bags, AND enjoy complimentary mini-makeup consultations from Bobbi Brown The Studio . Sign Up Now ! The Wedding Bootcamp - New York, NY Show date: Monday February 22, 2010 Show hours: 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM Venue: Dylan's Candy Bar Address: 1011 Third Ave, New York, NY 10021 Dylan's Candy Bar is an experience in of itself, so if you haven't had the pleasure of visiting, here's an advance video t...

It's time for Crate and Barrel's Wedding Parties! Be a queen for a day, the store's yours. Great food, good music, fabulous drinks and loads of advice on putting together the perfect gift registry. RSVP today and have fun! - - - - - - - - - - by Rashana Anderson Founder & Managing Director, THE BRIDAL PARTY

I just read an awesome post over at Sparkliatti that I could not help but share with my readers. Sparkliatti is a blog headed up by San Francisco based celebrity event planner Sasha Souza, and she recently shared some inside info that many of us planners are all too familiar with: new/up-and-coming planners using sneaky tactics to uncover and copy established planners' business models/plans/prices. These newbies actually "shop" you and it can really get out of hand. Here's Sasha's article (which deserves a big "AMEN" at the end): Over the past few weeks, I've been shopped by other planners no less than twice - and those are the planners that I actually caught doing it. I have my suspicions on three other info requests as well which we are handling with kid gloves. Let me give you a bit of advice regarding pricing both yourself and figuring out who is charging what... It Does Not Matter What I Charge : Why? Because YOU are not ME. Your...

Dear Rashana, As I begin planning my wedding, I'm most concerned about who's going to pay for what.  Many of my friends paid for their weddings themselves, with little to no help from their families.  However, our parents have offered to help with our wedding.  I know a lot has changed over the years where weddings are concerned, but traditionally what does the bride's family usually take care of and where does the groom's family come in? - Toward Tradition * * * * * * * * * * Dear Toward Tradition , You're right...who pays for the wedding has changed over the years.  But traditionally, the following should provide you with some guidelines: THE BRIDE &  THE BRIDE'S FAMILY Engagement Party Reception (including caterer, food, wedding cake, beverages, entertainment, decor, etc) Church (officiant, musicians, decor, etc) Flowers (for bridesmaids, flower girl, church, reception) Groom's wedding ring Invitations Photography Videography Transp...

One of the biggest misconceptions about weddings is HOW MUCH THEY REALLY COST. You'd be surprised at how clueless unmarried folks are. Krystal Wynn of BridePop.com posted an awesome article yesterday revealing and illustrating the cost of weddings across the country.  According to Krystal, "The wedding industry brings in over $71,795,327,100 annually….yes, that’s $71 billion! (And if you've) ever wondered how that breaks down and where you fall...we’ve gone ahead and crunched the numbers to see exactly how it all plays out." (click below to enlarge illustration) - - - - - - - - - - by Rashana Anderson Founder & Managing Director, THE BRIDAL PARTY

These classes are sure to be loads of fun for both newlyweds and soon-to-be's. Take advantage of this opportunity to learn about cuisines from around the world, courtesy of Williams-Sonoma's talented chefs. Where: Williams-Sonoma 400 Commons Way Bridgewater, NJ 08807 (908) 707-9222 Time: 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM Cost: $55 per class (unless noted otherwise), which includes a 10% discount on in-store purchases Fall Celebration - Monday, October 12 Whether you're celebrating Halloween or simply welcoming the autumn season, this sophisticated menu fits the bill perfectly. These recipes from our new Comfort Food cookbook are sure to be crowd-pleasers. On the menu: Poached Pear Salad with Arugula, Prosciutto, and Parmesan, Garlic Cheese Bread, Steak and Mushroom Stroganoff and Real Butterscotch Pudding: Presented by: Chef Michael A. J. Greene Cooking for Friends: Casual Fall Dinner - Saturday, October 24 From our Cooking for Friends cookbook, this dinner menu is just right for a casu...

Your After "Yes," Before "I Do" & Everything In Between archive reminder has arrived! Take a look back at what we were discussing around this time, one year ago. * License to be Married (how to apply for a marriage license in New Jersey) * Shirley & James: Fairy Tale Flutter (a look back at one of our June 2008 weddings) * FlAVOR of the Month: September 2008 (2 awesome favor ideas) - - - - - - - - - - by Rashana Anderson Founder & Managing Director, THE BRIDAL PARTY

Okay, let's all take a deep breath. Inhale and exhale slowly. For those of you not familiar with the popular acronym "MIL," it's used by brides and brides-to-be across the country particularly on message boards and blogs when referring to a mother-in-law.  And needless to say, this is a very sensitive subject but also extremely relevant. No matter your circumstance, along with your husband will likely come his mother and getting along well with his mother will ultimately be best for your marriage. Renting Jane Fonda and Jennifer Lopez's hit film, "Monster-In-Law," may not be enough (even though we love, love, love that movie). Some may have wonderful relationships with their mother-in-laws and simply want to maintain them.  Others may have a "safe" camaraderie with MIL but sense trouble approaching.  And finally, a few may be drowning in progenitor quick-sand and need to learn how to remain calm, shed excess weight and pull themselves o...