Post Wedding Tips | Type A Bride

10 Wedding Tips

Boo to stress and wasted energy. 10 tips to save you from both for your wedding:

1. Have at Least 1 Wedding Day Coordinator: If you’re not going to hire one, ask for a Type A friend to coordinate for you. This is a MUST have in order to actually enjoy and just relax on your special day. A professional though will know how to handle many a complex situation that arises on such a big day.

2. Make Your Wedding Entertaining!: A wedding isn’t all about just how beautiful it is but also on how it can be enjoyable for your guests. This really helps make the wedding not only memorable for you but for them as well! A book we highly recommend is The Best Wedding Reception Ever by Peter Merry.

3. Delegate: It’s amazing how much relief this brings by the time of the wedding! It gets crazy as you get closer and other people’s opinions get louder.

4. Be flexible: People will be early. People will be late. Some will get sick, stuck at work or school, and won’t show up. The weather will not always be your friend. Be flexible and enjoy.

5. Take the Week of Your Wedding Off: I hadn’t planned to originally do this for my wedding but this SERIOUSLY helped! You’re moving and packing. Family is flying into town. Last minute things like bad weather conditions can come up and it’ll help you relax in getting it done. IN FACT: Make sure to take plenty of time off during your whole engagement to just enjoy being with your fiancé. It really matters. All work and no play = no fun and probably not a good way to start your marriage.

6. Rent Don’t Buy: This I can tell is totally a matter of preference but I recommend renting. It’s cheaper and you don’t have to deal with the storage and cleaning of anything. Plus, will you realistically ever use any of it again? Wouldn’t you rather spend that money elsewhere?

7. For Non-Priority Elements, Find Up & Coming Vendors: Try to rank which elements of your wedding are most important to you and prioritize. For parts that aren’t at the top, go for the up and coming vendors. These vendors are eager to prove themselves and you can usually negotiate a better deal.

8. Verify RSVPs Closer to the Event: By sending out e-mails closer to the wedding, we received cancellations and surprise invites from 10% of the guests. I don’t know if we would’ve been notified of them if we hadn’t asked. However, this helped us fill in seats or rearrange them accordingly.

9. Prepare for No-Shows: Research shows that the average wedding has 5-10% of people who say yes in their RSVP still not show up. My personal experience from weddings I’ve attended are 10-20%. At our wedding, about 6% did not show up. This may not sound like a lot but it is a lot of money when you multiply the headcount with the prepaid cost you already gave to the caterer/venue. What solutions can there be? Perhaps, overinvite. Have a back-up list of guests. Don’t have seating arrangements so people can easily be added in without moving others around.

10. Register at Bed, Bath & Beyond: This tip works for events other than weddings too: i.e. baby showers, graduations, house warming, etc. Why might you ask?

• CASH Exchange: Return gifts AND gift cards for cash!

• Discounts: Get 10% off any items not purchased on the registry. Granted: their stuff on its own is expensive.

• Easy for Guests: $100+ items have free shipping. This store has the easiest registry to use in navigating in-store that I’ve experienced. 20% off coupons are found everywhere to help your guests save money. Free gift-wrapping is always offered.

• Registry Incentives: PRO: Get free stuff for registering and for completed items. It does make your registry look absurd as you can register for 12 sets of forks, 3 sets of pans, 8 sets of glassware. BUT you get lots of neat free stuff just by registering. By mere registering and a few completions, we’re got some these free items: Pfaltzgraff set of 4 Circumference shooters, All-Clad Stainless Measuring Cups, Yamazaki Salad Serving Spoon, Cuisinat 10” Heart-Shaped Pie Baker, Cuisinart $25 off coupon, Cuisinart CD & Recipe Set, Calphalon Stir Fry Wok Set, Santoku Cutlery Knife, J.A. Henckels 4” TWIN Grip Parer, Yamazaki Tablespoon, Analon Advanced 5” Santoku Knife and Royal Doulton “Precious” Tea Light. CON: The only pain is filling out these forms and getting them all from Bed, Bath & Beyond. Blah. It’ll take a few hours to go through all of them.

Note: These tips are only for your wedding. Please please please make sure you spend plenty of time building your marriage during your engagement period as well. We’ll discuss that later. _________________________________________

For the brides and grooms who have already crossed that finish line and gotten married, what do you recommend to reduce the headaches in planning a wedding?

Composedly Yours,

Drexelle

The Type A Bride

Interview with East West Event Productions | Type A Bride

Shana is a talented up and coming event planner of East West Event Productions. With her currently being voted the 3rd best wedding planner by MyFOX Los Angeles Hot List, I got 30 minutes from her to get some hot tips to help plan your wedding.

You started this event planning company, East West Event Productions. What do you do and how’d you get that name?
Since just November 2008, we have been a full service event planning company that supports corporate and non-profit event, social parties, and weddings!

Throughout my life, I’ve had a pattern of moving from east to west. I was born and raised in Taiwan. I moved to the US and lived in Ohio when I was 7. I lived in the Midwest until after college, and moved to CA six years ago. These 2 occurences of moving from East to the West really made me who I am and I wanted to incorporate that into my business as well.

What makes you different from other wedding planners out there?
My motto is that I provide quality event planning services at an affordable price. Not all event planners are as affordable as I am because I’m not out there just to make money. My desire is to help the couple. I understand how hard it is to fund the wedding. The average wedding now is $30,000 so I don’t want to add more stress by charging a ridiculous amount to offer my service. I tell my couples that if there is a budget that they need to work with, I am flexible to meet it.

What is included in the “full service” event planning for a bride?
For weddings, I have 3 packages:

1. Efficiency Package (Basic Day of Coordination): I provide 3 in-person planning meetings that start about 3 months prior to the wedding date. These couples have most of their vendors locked down so I could jump in during that process, understand who their vendors are, and what has already been planned. I guide them through the next 1-3 months. A majority of my time would be spent creating the wedding day timeline and running the show on the wedding day. I am available for up to 12 hours on the wedding day to coordinate.

2. Essentials Package: I include 6 in-person planning meetings that start 3-6 months before the wedding day. I would help in more of the planning process in terms of giving vendor recommendations and going with the couples to their appointments.

3. Everything Package: This is for the couple who just does not have the time or desire to do any planning for the wedding. In that case, I would manage EVERYTHING from the RSVPs to the theme so, in the end, I’d be their personal assistant for anything related to their wedding.

With all 3 packages, I’m available for UNLIMITED phone calls and e-mails so that the couple can always get a hold of me.

How do you help a bride find her style/look for the wedding?
I never dictate a style. But if a couple is clueless on where to begin, we check out certain websites:
· Here Comes the Guide: Great resource to find venues
· Wedding Bee: This site is awesome for DIY projects. It’s also one of my favorites because it is a community of real brides from all over the nation who share their best practices and ideas. It’s not filled with glamorous celebrity weddings to which people can’t really relate. They’re real life couples.
· Utterly Engaged: Great e-magazine
· Serendipity: This is a new bridal magazine targeting specifically Asian brides. I am going to be writing in the Summer 2010 issues. Since Asians don’t really have a lot of wedding resources targeting us, it’s a new media that provides Asian make-up tips, traditions, cultures, etc.

From your experience, what are typical issues Asian brides have in their weddings?
There are many multi-cultural weddings nowadays, like yours and David’s. I really love doing them. I think often times couples want to do something cultural but they don’t know what can be done and want guidance. Also, another challenge they usually face is that Asian families REALLY like to be included in the decision-making. But you can’t satisfy everyone so sometimes I need to talk to the families to do what will make the couple happy for the wedding.

Planning a wedding is stressful. What advice do you give brides who stress out about every detail?
It's important to have a wedding planner, not because I’m biased, but I honestly think it’s very helpful for the bride to have an extra set of eyes, ears, and hands. A wedding planner is really the best advocate they will have.

Could they just have a friend be their wedding planner?
An event planner, an experienced one, would have connections and know the best vendors out there. For example, photographers will post only their best work online. A wedding planner would have already seen what they really do and would be able to tell you.

Also, a professional would have the experience to figure out emergency situations, whereas a friend might not. You won’t need to worry about having your friend come up to you during your wedding and ask you what to do with the vendors. I would be the liaison.

How accurate is the job as it was depicted in The Wedding Planner? Do you really have a toolkit of emergency items?
I actually have a plastic box where I carry all the emergency items: scissors, tape, paper towels, antibacterial, trash bags to name a few, on top of my binder, cell phone, and pens. Recently for Christmas, my boyfriend gave me a fanny pack so I will use that!

What would you recommend on how to cut the cost of their wedding without making it ugly?
Focus on 3 top priorities. Spend more time and money on those than the others.
· Photography vs. Videography: I think photography is a higher priority than videography. Couples may not need both so they can just cut one out.
· DIY (do it yourself): There are favors and decorations that you can very easily do just DIY. There are lots of images and directions on how to do that online.
· DJ vs. iPod: If a DJ is not important to you, just make a playlist on your iPod.

What do you see as the biggest factors on what makes a great wedding?
· Venue
· Food: Not every couple thinks the food is important but, trust me, the guests do.
· Photographer: You’re not going to remember every memory of your wedding.

What makes a wedding entertaining?
Guests don’t usually like cookie cutter weddings. They like ones with personal touches that showcase the couple’s personalities. In one wedding I did, the couple was really into movies. They had a movie themed wedding just like you two did (click to see our movie themed wedding posters). The couple had movie posters in the receptions & the place cards were movie tickets. They REALLY incorporated their passion and interest into the wedding.

How much work would a typical wedding actually take you? It’s more than just on the day of the wedding, isn’t it?
Definitely! It’s a common misconception that I just show up on the day of the wedding. Each of the in-person planning meetings take 2-3 hours at a time. I also do a site visit to make sure I know the ceremony/reception site before the day of the wedding. Developing a timeline is the biggest part! I spend 5-10 hours to make my timeline very detailed so that we don’t miss a step. Of course, there’s also the 12 hours of support on the day of the wedding. For the most basic package, I do at least 30 hours of work!

What are the typical mistakes brides/grooms make on their wedding timeline?
They do not allot enough time for:
· Pictures
· Traveling from one site to another
· Table Greetings: Asian weddings love doing table greetings but almost never allow enough time for it!

What precautions would you give a bride/groom before picking a wedding planner?
· Meet the planner in person: It’s very important that the planner and couple be comfortable in talking with each other.
· Make sure the planner is responsive: You shouldn't need to wait more than 24 hours.
· Use word of mouth: You’ll get the best providers when you ask people who’ve gotten married and who have seen these planners at work.
· Don’t use Craigslist: These planners usually offer really low prices but have no experience. Can you really sacrifice the quality for this kind of service? Planners can make or break your day.

Congratulations on your recent award! Can you tell our readers about it?
So far I’ve been voted 3rd out of 38 organizations that were nominated under the Wedding Planner category for the myfoxla’s HOTLIST. I’m against really tough competition! I’m always amazed at how couples have heard of me. There are a lot of different vendors or past couples referring them to me. I feel very fortunate.
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To hear more about what Shana is up to, check her out at http://www.eastwesteventproductions.com/.

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Meticulously Yours,



Drexelle
The Type A Bride

The Love Lab | Type A Bride

In our premarital counseling classes and even in business school, we were introduced to a very interesting study called the Love Lab. Through the study, the researchers were able to predict up to a 90% accuracy as to whether a couple would get divorced. Below is a summary of the findings:

Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work
By John M. Gottman, Ph. D., and Nan Silver

The First Sign: Harsh Startup
You can predict up to a 96% accuracy as to whether a marital discussion will resolve a conflict after the first three minutes of the discussion. A harsh startup is when a discussion starts with criticism and/or sarcasm.

The Second Sign: The Four Horsemen
There are four types of negative interactions during a discussion:

• Horseman 1: Criticism – A complaint will focus on a specific behavior but a criticism will include blame and general character assassination.

• Horseman 2: Contempt – Shown in sarcasm, cynicism, name-calling, eye-rolling, hostile humor, etc.

• Horseman 3: Defensiveness – This is really a way of blaming your partner.

• Horseman 4: Stonewalling – This usually arrives later in marriage. This happens after the first three horsemen become overwhelming enough where stonewalling becomes an out.

The Third Sign: Flooding
After a spouse’s negativity becomes so overwhelming and sudden, the other becomes shell-shocked, developing stonewalling.

The Fourth Sign: Body Language
Physical reactions occur during tense discussions: heart speeds up, hormonal changes, blood pressure mounts, sweating, etc., making it almost impossible to have a productive, problem-solving discussion.

The Fifth Sign: Failed Repair Attempts
Couples make an effort for repair attempts to decrease tension during a touchy discussion.
The presence of the four horsemen alone predicts divorce with only an 82% accuracy. But when you add the failure of repair attempts, the accuracy rate reaches into the 90s. But, note, 84% of newlyweds who struggled highly with the four horsemen but could repair effectively had stable, happy marriages 6 years later.

The Sixth Sign: Bad Memories
Couples tend to rewrite their history with their spouse when they have developed a deeply negative view of their spouse. History gets rewritten for the worse.

When the End is Near
There are four final stages that signal the death knell of a relationship:

(1) You see your marital problems as severe.

(2) Talking things over seems useless.

(3) You start leading parallel lives.

(4) Loneliness sets in.

When this occurs, one or both partners may have an affair. This is usually a symptom of a dying marriage, not the cause. The end can be predicted much earlier to the affair.

But It’s Not Too Late!!
Despite all these findings, the Love Lab doctors share that even marriages that hit rock bottom can still be revived! It’s not too late. They found that the secret for making a marriage work is not in researching what destroys it but in what really makes it work. The conclusion of the study:

“The key to reviving or divorce-proofing a relationship is not in how you handle disagreements but in how you are with each other when you’re not fighting…Strengthen the friendship is the heart of any marriage.”


Composedly Yours,
Drexelle
The Type A Bride

Happily Engaged | Starring Heather & Jeremy

THE STARS: Heather & Jeremy

THE SET: Irvine Park @ Orange, CA

When you spend an afternoon photographing an engaged couple, you learn so much about the type of couple they are. Heather & Jeremy are the intense romantics who so adorably get lost in each other's eyes.

It had poured pretty hard with rain the few days before the photoshoot. They were so amazing and had an awesome attitude as we all trudged along in the muddy grass. But the weather was gorgeous.

I loved Heather's stylin' stockings!

We took the shot just in time for the bird to fly by.

They totally had us cracking up!

Oh my goodness, the sunset...

We cannot wait to photograph their wedding!

Expensive Camera vs. Professional Photographer | The Difference Part 1

What's the difference between friends with their expensive cameras and a professional photographer?

Plenty.

If beautiful photographs that really get the beauty and emotion of your wedding day matters, just having a friend with an expensive camera photograph is frankly...frightening.

There are many factors why a professional is worth their price. But for the 1st part in this series, let's start with something basic: retouching. How 'bout some real examples to see the difference?

Original Digital Negative (Uncle who is good with his fancy camera)

Individually Edited Digital Negative (Corrected for color, temperature, tone and exposure). This is also called color corrected.

Artistically Retouched Digital Negative (Make the eyes sparkle, remove blemishes/acne/scars and make a WOW impact)

Another example, just for the fun of it:

Original:

Individually Edited:

Artistically Retouched:

So if you find someone wrestling with having any friend take the photos or some beginning Craigslist photographer, you know how to talk to them about the difference.

If you're on a really really really tight budget, go professional. Just ask for original digital negatives for now. You can always come back later when you can afford for the artistically retouched gorgeous photos. After all, your wedding day only comes once.

How to Not Have a Boring Wedding | Type A Bride

Please please please do not have a boring wedding!

I know that there are a MILLION things to plan and think about, but don't let entertainment be left out. It's not as hard as you think! Give your guests an incredible time so that they are celebrating your love as much as you are!!

Okay, how can we avoid having a boring wedding?

Laugh: Seriously, relax and let yourselves laugh. Do funny faces. Pretend to stab the cake instead of just cut it. Play the celebrities on the red carpet card because, seriously, the spotlight is on you. Laugh! Trust me. You'll feel better.

Food: We all know the power of cranky hungry people. Remember, "Let them have cake?" While you're having your family or romantic photos taken, give them food! ...and drinks wouldn't hurt.

Share Your Love Story!: You're in love so show it off! It'll bring your guests that much more into the emotion and joy of the moment. They can party away and shed some tears as they learn of how you both fell in love and the groom finally popped the question.

Hire an EXCELLENT DJ/MC: This role is key. They can fill your dance floor or clear the reception. Really, you paid that much to have the night so get someone who really knows how it's done. See if they've got YouTube clips up of them giving the grand entrance and leading a dance! Make sure they play a variety of songs for your special guests.

Keep 'em Busy!: Give your guests plenty of fun to do during the ceremony or reception.

• Fun & Games: Have Special Themed Programs with Word Games, Crossword Puzzles, etc. Make them bring the groom through a maze to find the bride


• For the Kids: Place Coloring Books & Little Toys for the kids


• Party to Your Seat for the Grand Entrance: This is your time under the spotlight without needing to be so serious! Run around, dance, skip down together, put on funny costumes! It'll set the mood to party.


• Make Some Noise: Use noisemakers or clappers to cheer you on throughout the night and make you kiss



• Photobooth!!: This is LOADS of fun for guests and gives them a chance to be photographed with their loved ones while they're all dolled up.


• Love Story Movie/Slideshow: Share your love story with a themed video montage or slideshow. Make it funny. Make sure it tells a story. Oh, and please...keep it short. Don't make people sit through 15 minutes of slow songs & repetitive photos.
  
  
  

Be DIFFERENT: Whatever makes you two different from everyone else's love story, celebrate it. Let your guests know that you love story is really one in a million.

A Good Resource
An EXCELLENT book to read is The Best Wedding Reception...EVER! by Peter Merry. You can find it in a local bookstore or on his website. It's got very practical tips that I don't want to bore you by going over here. But a worthy read! Hint hint also an excellent engagement gift!

'Til next time!


Methodically Yours,

Drexelle
The Type A Bride

Sneak Peek Starring Heather & Jeremy

The Stars: Heather & Jeremy

The Set: Irvine Park @ Orange, CA

Sneak peek of a breathtaking photoshoot with a couple who knows how to turn up the romantic heat:

The Griffith Observatory | Strike a Pose

Location: The Griffith Observatory @ Los Angeles, CA

The observatory is an icon of L.A. and a hot spot for great photography. We reunited with our SR Crew in LA to photograph these lovely models.

Climbing up flights of steps and hiking the trails was quite a feat, especially for the ladies in heels. This would be an awesome spot if you're looking for a tranquil engagement shoot or serene family portrait.

An Interview with Floral Sense | Type A Bride

I took a stroll around Old Towne Orange with the fabulously stylin' floral designer, Joanna Park, of Floral Sense, LLC. Wasting no time, I tried to get as many tips as possible for you brides & grooms on picking and learning about floral design for your wedding. Thank you, Joanna, for ALL the fun and great advice!

What do you do at Floral Sense?
I do event and floral design for weddings, corporate parties, and other special events. I also provide floral design consultations for homes and corporate lobbies so that Floral Sense can deck out their space with fabulous florals on a regular basis.

How did you get into floral design?
10 years ago, I did my very 1st wedding as a favor for a friend. It was HARD. But it was so amazing to see all the flowers help create such a beautiful event, I was HOOKED!

What makes you different from other floral designers?
My style is very ultra modern with very clean architectural lines. But I love to design what my clients want and mix in other products you normally wouldn’t think about. I try different ingredients and put them together in a way that they have various textures. I have actually used mushrooms, green cauliflower and even mini purple eggplants. For my clients who want something different, we change the shape, the style, and materials. Clients come to me knowing that I will design something in a way that will funk it up!

How do you help your brides create the design for their wedding?
Some brides want a little direction so we start off with picking the basic colors and a list of their favorite flowers. Then, we sit through a lot of photos: photos of my past work, photos from magazines, and any photos that inspire our brides. Once we see the pictures together, we find a common theme and figure out exactly what the bride wants. From there, we can pick the general ambiance we want and create the design.

Some of us aren’t aware of the amount of work you do as a floral designer. What is the typical process for you when you design a wedding?
It starts WAY before the actual wedding day at the initial consultation with my clients:

1. Initial Consultation: We brainstorm on just the kind of look they want.
   
2. Prepare the Wedding Design: We create an extensive floral proposal, counting to make sure every flower and stem is accounted for in the entire event. That takes a lot of time.


3. Order the Florals & Materials: We research the best material and florals and order them to create the perfect look. This includes flowers, glassware, mechanics and tools. Unfortunately, there’s not just one warehouse where we can find everything.


4. Pick Up Time: We pick up the flowers and material a few days before the event. If the wedding is on Saturday, we pick up and start preparing the flowers early on Wednesday.


5. Floral Processing and Designing: We process and treat each individual flower before the designing even begins. Then, we spend the next several days prepping containers and actually designing the arrangements.
6. Set Up: On the day of the wedding, we come early to set up and make sure everything is flawless before we leave.

What do you do when you process a flower?
It depends on the flower but let’s use roses as an example. Roses usually come in quantities of 2 dozen, which is called a bunch. They’re tightly packed by our growers so we open them up. Then, we strip down any excess leaves, thorns, or unhealthy petals. Afterwards, we cut the stem at about an inch off the bottom and soak each flower in water that’s been treated with floral food.

Do you get a lot of cuts from the thorns?
Oh yeah! You’ll know if I just finished an event because of all the cuts and band aids on my hands. Flowers are pretty but it’s not a pretty process!

What do you say when a bride asks, “How much do you cost?”
That is hard to answer! It really depends on what you need: how many pieces, what type of flowers, what is the design, etc. Really, everything is custom made.

Some people will measure the fair cost of a vendor by the national average. What are your thoughts on that?
It’s the nation’s average. That’s the problem. The cost of living is very expensive out here especially in Southern California. Just keep the average cost of a house here versus another place in the US. You’ve got to plan your budget for the area where you’re getting married. In the OC, the cost of living is more than the national average. Thus, your venues, vendors, and weddings will just cost more. Another thing to keep in mind is that your cost of flowers will rise or drop depending on how many and the kind of floral pieces you are wanting. Keeping a realistic expectation will help immensely in your budgeting.

It is so common for brides to be overwhelmed at the cost of their wedding. How do you work with your brides who want to cut costs?
Cost is always an issue when planning a wedding. Here are ways to cut your costs:

1. Prioritize where to put the flowers in your event: Pick and choose where you want your flowers to be. I’ve had several brides where their ceremony was not a big deal. I remember a particular wedding where all the floral design was dedicated to the reception. The guests were just WOWed by the design and it definitely set the mood that this was where the party is.


2. Stick to the flowers that are in season: If they’re out of season, they will cost more. Spring and Summer seem to be the best time for flowers since you have the greatest selection and pricing.


3. Vary the height of your centerpieces: Mix high centerpieces with low ones. It gives a different feel but you will still get the impact you want.


4. Don’t have your wedding near a holiday: The cost for our wholesalers really go up as well during Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day. It drives everyone else’s costs up.


5. Trust your designer: Be open to something different. Keep the big picture in mind of the overall effect you want for your event. The overall effect of your florals will depend on the textures and shape you use. You can actually use cheaper flowers to get a very cool feel. Your designer should be able to work with you to make sure you don’t spend money on the wrong places.

There are many that consider just making their wedding florals themselves. What are your thoughts on that?
Don’t do it! There is SO much involved on your wedding day. You need to enjoy this special day for you. Flowers are really so much work! Just imagine, we start working on the florals for an event about 3 days prior where put ALL our time and energy.

I’ve known people who start to put flowers in their own refrigerator to preserve them. If there are other fruits and vegetables in there, those items will emit a gas that will decay your flowers. Also, the temperature itself is usually too cold for the flowers and will freeze them. Trust me, I made the same mistakes over ten years ago. It’s important to use equipment like a floral fridge set at a specific temperature and without harmful gases to properly preserve your florals for the day of your wedding.

What would you say to people who say flowers at a wedding don’t matter?
If it’s not a priority for the bride and groom, their budget should obviously go to something else. It all depends on the couple and I encourage them to put their money on whatever is more important.

What are the best flowers for each season?

1. Spring: Tulips, Daffodils, Peonies, Ranunculus, Sweet Pea, Lilac, Anemone, Hyacinth, Delphinium


2. Summer: Peonies, Gerber Daisies, Iris, Larkspur, Lisianthus, Sunflowers, Tuberose, Hydrangeas, Zinnias


3. Fall: Dahlias, Marigolds, Chrysanthemums, Asters


4. Winter: Amaryllis, Snowberries, Star of Bethlehem, Holly

There are lots of staple flowers that are available year around like roses, lilies and orchids.

Be flexible too! Mother nature is mother nature. You may order something but not be able to get it because of a bad season.

What advice would you give a bride & groom before they pick a florist?

1. Check their track record: That’s really key. Experience will say a lot about how your flowers will be treated. Anyone can promise anything up front. But can they deliver? Make sure that what they say is what they actually will do. You don’t want a florist who will show up late or not even at all on the day of your wedding! Nor do you want flowers that are in bad shape.


2. Check their design work: Can this person confidently produce the design that you want?
   
3. Ask for referrals: Speak to their past clients and ask how their experience really was. Aside from great design, you will need to have great and reliable service. What if you need your flowers at 1PM for your pre-ceremony shots and they don’t show up on time? Your wedding is one day and you do not get it back.

Do you enjoy what you do?
There’s something so exciting about creating a design after all that work and brainstorming! At the wedding you are able to step back and say, “Wow, we did this.” It is amazing.
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To hear more about what Joanna is up to, check her out at www.floral-sense.com.
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'Til next time, let me know if you'd like to hear any other topics or vendors!

Methodically Yours,
Drexelle
Type A Bride