Often my non-summer brides ask me what they should wear over their dresses in case it is chilly on wedding day.  I usually suggest a wrap, bolero or a shrug of some kind.  Because I am so often asked for suggestions, I am always on the hunt for pretty options for my brides so when I saw MaryandAngelika’s Etsy shop, I was excited to see the different options!

Mary and Angelika are a mother/daughter team who make beautiful bolero jackets and shrugs for weddings and special occasions.  They have different styles, sleeve lengths and fabrics as well as colors to pick from – I saw a gorgeous purple, black, yellow, couple of shades of blue, silver and of course, white and ivory!  Love the splash of color these would add to a bridal ensemble!

Pricing varies based on fabric and design but to give you an idea, the long sleeve satin jacket on the left is $70 and the silver silk dupioni design on the right is $85.  Each piece is custom made to your measurements so make sure you plan accordingly with regard to time before the wedding!

Mothers of the Bride pay attention – if you have your eye on a gorgeous strapless gown but want to cover up your arms (VERY common request from my moms), these would be perfect for you as well!

When a couple gets married there are new birthdays from the other side of the family to be remembered and celebrated which is why when I saw this wonderful guest book idea from Devon and Dan’s Real Wedding on Martha Stewart Weddings via Pinterest, I thought it was brilliant! Guests sign their birthday – you could ask for wedding anniversaries as well – and you have a perfect record of everyone’s birthdays so you can make sure to send those cards on time!

You could either grab a calendar that fits your theme or you could make one with your engagement pictures!  Shutterfly lets you start the calendar any month and year you would like so you could create one beginning with your wedding month!

Once upon a time, brides and grooms would buy disposable cameras for each table at their wedding with a list of suggested shots to capture or just let guests have some fun with them.  After the wedding, the couple would spend a pretty large chunk of change developing the film to get lots of lots of badly exposed, low res, badly lit pictures.  Some would turn out great but some…well, how many pictures do you need of your friend’s boyfriend that she broke up with 2 weeks after the wedding anyway?

Nowadays, we don’t see disposable cameras much because pretty much every guest at a wedding has a camera on their phone.  Those cameras produce MUCH better pictures than those throw away cameras but it can be a chore to get those pictures from guests after the wedding.

Flickr makes it easy to give your guests the chance to upload pictures to your Flickr on the fly!  Simply set up a Flickr account and go to this page to get your upload by email link: http://www.flickr.com/account/uploadbyemail/.  Print out signs to place around the reception with that email address on them so guests can upload pictures during the reception or distribute small cards to send home with guests to they can upload pictures after the fact.

Extra pictures at no cost to you and your wedding budget?  Perfect!

Real Bride: Ann F.
Wedding Date: June 18
Ceremony and Reception Location: Zanesville Country Club

How different was your original wedding vision from your actual wedding?
Surprisingly, not much different! I wanted my wedding to be a celebration and that it was! Luckily, I had a great wedding planner to help me make my ideas a reality!

What surprised you most about the planning process?
What surprised me most about the planning process was how many little things you don’t think of until the week of your wedding! I feel like that week flew by the fastest and I wish I would’ve been a little more organized with what I needed to do.

What was your favorite part of the planning process?
I loved EVERYTHING! I had such a great time planning my wedding. Yes, there were stressful times but overall, it was great!

What surprised you the most about the wedding day?
How fast time flies by! Everyone told me that it would go soo fast and I kind of just blew them off. Let me tell me you—stop and take a few deep breaths and look around! Cherish every moment and have fun!

What was your favorite moment of the wedding day?
Seeing everyone at the reception having a blast! I wanted my reception to be like a big party and it was!

Finally, what is your best tip for future brides?
Make sure you know what pictures you want taken. Although the photographer asked, he did not get all the pictures I wanted. I would ask your planner to have a list and mark them off as they are being taken. Your wedding day is only one day and your pictures are so important!!!!!!

Thank you Ann for sharing – xoxo!

Real Bride: Megan S.
Wedding Date: May 15
Ceremony and Reception Location: Darby House

How different was your original wedding vision from your actual wedding?
I honestly didn’t have the picture of what my wedding would be. I grew up picturing life with a family, but I never had the “down the aisle fantasy” or a specific vision for my wedding. When we began planning, I had random ideas of what I wanted, but still no set idea. The end result was infinitely better – a combination of everything and everyone I love in one space.

What surprised you most about the planning process?
How many details are involved! I truly didn’t realize how many decisions you have to make (and trust me, I hate decisions!). Throughout the process, Emilie would remind me of things I needed to consider that I never thought would come into play.

What was your favorite part of the planning process?
My favorite part of the planning process was the cake tasting – not going to lie!

What surprised you the most about the wedding day?
I didn’t stress out very much the week of the wedding, so that morning I woke up worried about how things would flow, especially since rain forced us out of the original outdoor site. But, everything flowed so smoothly and went so quickly. Everyone will tell you that your wedding day flies, but it truly moves faster than you could ever imagine.

What was your favorite moment of the wedding day?
I had two favorite moments. Michael and I chose to do a “first look” before the ceremony. I am very traditional, so I was pretty hesitant to do this. However, I am also a huge bawler! I wanted to get any crying out of the way before walking down the aisle, so that I could actually get my vows out. Having the few minutes with him to get pictures out of the way and spend time with my soon-to-be husband before the ceremony is something I wouldn’t take back. It was so nice to see the look on his face and be able to share that moment alone before everything got into full swing.

What would you do differently?
I think, looking back, I would have started out with a planner before going to pick a venue. We started looking before we were engaged, and it was a bit overwhelming. We didn’t know what to ask and were a bit lost. Having someone that knew the ropes would have been so helpful.

Finally, what is your best tip for future brides?
My best tip is to form a team approach at the beginning. In getting our planner, my fiance, and our families onto the same team, things flowed so much more smoothly than I think they otherwise would. Emilie was knowledgeable as to what vendors had good reputations and produced high quality work, and that took a lot of stress away from us throughout the process. Do not try to take everything on yourself. Otherwise, you take away some of the fun of the actual process. Learn to TRUST other people to help make everything a reality.

Thank you Megan for sharing – xoxo!

{Warning: this isn’t so much of a happy, upbeat post but it has been on my mind and heart for a while and it seemed like a good time to post it}

My mother in law passed away on Friday, July 15, 2011.  That is her, my husband and Abby at my Abby’s 1st birthday party last year.

It wasn’t completely unexpected (she had been battling kidney cancer for nearly 2 years) but the end was very fast and very sudden.  We scrambled to get things together in Columbus so we could go to Cincy and say our goodbyes.  It was a hectic and very emotional time in my family, as I am sure you can imagine.

I sent an email to all my existing couples letting them know I would be out of town and out of touch for a while.  I also put an out of the office message on my email that stated very plainly that due to a death in the family, we would be closed until the following Wednesday.  When I checked my email on Sunday I was overwhelmed with the kind words and true concern that my clients showed to my family.  It was a wonderful validation that I have built an incredible client family.

I also had in inquiry from a bride getting married in 2012 that was sent late Friday night – note this was well after I put on the out of office message.  I responded to her, asking her for some information about her wedding.  She emailed me back the next day (Monday) telling me that I had “taken too long” and was unprofessional for not getting back to her immediately and that it was “my loss” for not being more attentive to someone as “important” as her.

Give that a minute to sink in.

Someone who hadn’t hired me, someone I had never spoken to, someone who was told via an automated email message that I was dealing with a death in the family told me that my response time of 2 days over the weekend wasn’t fast enough.  I wish I were kidding.

Needless to say, I did NOT respond to that email and I frankly pity the poor vendors who wound up working with her.

Why am I sharing this story?  Because sometimes the world needs to be reminded that wedding vendors are humans too.  We LOVE what we do but we often work weird hours (many wedding vendors take Mondays off since we work so many Saturdays) and we have non-wedding related lives that we have to tend to as well.  If a photographer doesn’t respond to your Friday afternoon email until the following Tuesday or a venue doesn’t call you back for a day or two or a baker takes a while to get back to you…cut them some slack.   You never know what might be going on in their lives – their mother in law might have passed away, they might be ill themselves, or they might have just rushed their spouse to the hospital.

After all, wedding vendors are humans too.

I saw this picture on Pinterest and loved it!  It speaks to a problem that I see so many couples struggle with – they see things differently and sometimes it even speak a different language!

To brides: if your groom tells you that he doesn’t have an opinion on a color or flower or tells you that he just wants you to be happy, believe him!!!  He probably doesn’t have an opinion on whether your accent color should be plum or eggplant and would be happy with whatever you decide.  Also, don’t get frustrated with him – remember, to some guys, purple is just purple.

To grooms: if your bride asks you whether you like plum or eggplant and you have an actual opinion, go ahead and share it but don’t be afraid to tell her that you would prefer she make that choice.  Also, don’t get frustrated with her if she pushes for an answer – she just wants to know you care.

Happy planning and good luck picking those colors!

I like to spend the last day of the year reflecting on the prior year and looking forward to the year to come.  Here are some of our favorite highlights from a very busy year:

*We welcomed our first intern class in January – Laura and Becky were with us all year and did a fantastic job!  Nowadays, Becky is in her senior year at OSU and Laura is now the venue coordinator at Station 67 in Columbus.  I was very lucky to have them working with me and they set the bar really high for all future intern classes!

(Photo: Grogan Studios)

*We celebrated Abby’s 1st birthday at the end of February with a big party with friends and family.

(Photo: Grogan Studios)

*The 2nd Annual Cakes for a Cause took place on March 1 and we raised enough to feed 16 people every meal for a year.  Every. Single. Meal.  It still makes me smile from ear to ear!  We nearly doubled our 2010 result and we shattered our original goal!  It was an incredible evening with delicious food and wine, lots of sweet treats up for auction and tons of cake and ice cream.  We are so excited for the 3rd Annual event taking place on April 5, 2012 – make sure to save the date!

(Photo: Karen Evans Pictures)

*We kicked off wedding season in May with Megan and Michael’s Southern inspired wedding at the Darby House in Galloway – even though our planned outdoor ceremony wound up being an indoor ceremony, it was a gorgeous day!

(Photo: Cassidy Dawn)

*We were back at Darby House the following weekend with Lindsay and Kevin – this time the weather cooperated and we had a beautiful outdoor ceremony overlooking the river!

(Photo: Kimberly Potterf)

*In June we traveled around Central Ohio a bit!  First we headed out to Zanesville for Ann and Kyle’s wedding!  The longest bridal party table I have ever done (seating for 20 in one loooooong table) plus there was square dancing. It was a heck of a party!

(Photo: Lotz Studios)

*The following weekend we headed down to Lancaster for Nancy and Doug‘s wedding at Nancy’s childhood home.  A ceremony under a very old tree followed by dinner and swimming, snow cones and s’mores all on a gorgeous summer day!

(Photo: Karen Evans Pictures)

*We spent the very warm July 4th weekend up in Delaware with Mollie and Kevin.  The wedding was at an 18th century barn that houses an auction house – incredibly unique location!  We love those!

(Photo: Jennifer Otchy Photography)

*We closed out July at Northbank Park with Rachel and Travis for their lovely little love story wedding!  Loved their sweet ceremony overlooking the Columbus skyline and that they spent the evening on the dance floor!

(Photo: Kelly Maughan Photography)

*Had a little break in August and September so we took a trip down to Disney World in Florida to celebrate Ellie’s 4th birthday!  Love those teacups!  And yes, they are dressed alike – they are 1 and 4, I can still do that once in a while. 

*We kicked off October helping Kelsey and Ryan get married at the Columbus Art Museum!  This was as close to a repeat client as I get – Kelsey is the sister of one of my 2006 brides, Meredith and Meredith was referred to me by Megan, another 2006 bride!  Loved catching up with everyone.  We’ll post pictures from Maer Studios soon!

*The next weekend we were with Valeri and Bill at the Athletic Club of Columbus with a vintage, mixed metallic wedding.  Love all the carousel horse touches we incorporated.

(Photo: Nicole Dixon Photography)

*In the middle of October, we took a road trip to Cincinnati with Kasey from Bliss to help another planner get married! Alison from Aviva Events asked us to coordinate her wedding for her – she did all the planning and we just stepped in at the end to run the day.  ONLY for another planner would we do that!

(Photo: Kortnee Kate)

*We closed out our year with Rebecca and Gavin’s gorgeous wedding at Franklin Park Conservatory and The Westin.  Loved the Grater’s sundae bar that was a nod to where the met!  We will share pictures from Red Gallery as soon as we get them.

We loved each and every one of our clients and their friends and families – we truly have the best clients in the world!  2012 is shaping up to be just as amazing and we can’t wait!  We still have a few more spots open for next year – send us an email or give us a call {614.678.6320} to set up a meeting to talk about how we can help you have an incredible wedding!

If you are reading this with a shiny new ring on your finger – welcome and CONGRATULATIONS!!!!  You must be so excited and for good reason – you have found the one you will spend the rest of your life with and now you get to plan your wedding!

The next months will be filled with a million and one decisions and few basic facts to keep in mind:

*The average wedding in the Columbus, Ohio area costs about $28,000 and has around 150 guests.  Depending on the choices and your priorities, you can spend less and you can very easily spend more.  Emilie Duncan Event Planning works with all budgets – we’ve planned weddings with budgets from everywhere from $10,000 up to $150,000 but our couple’s average wedding budgets seem to be between $40,000 and $80,000.

*Bridal gowns take an average of 6 to 9 months to be made and delivered.  Bridesmaid gowns take an average of 3 to 6 months to be made and delivered.  Plan accordingly.

*Not all wedding vendors accept credit cards so don’t count on putting everything on plastic for the wedding.

*If you have no idea where to start, hire a planner!   Even if full service planning isn’t in your budget, consider hiring a planner for a couple of hours.  Most planners offer hourly assistance for just a little bit of help and can get your planning process headed in the right direction.

This is a series I did a few years ago with the first things you should be thinking about as you get the planning process started:

A is for Attendants
B is for Budget
C is for Contracts
D is for Date
E is for Eating
F is for Formality
G is for Gowns
H is for Hair
I is for Inspiration
J is for Jewelry
K is for Keepsakes
L is for License
M is for Mailing List
N is for NCAA, NBA, NFL, NHL and MBA
O is for Old
P is for Priorities
Q is for Questions
R is for Relatives
S is for Size
T is for Theme
U is for Unfortunate Monograms
V is for Vendors
W is for Wedding Planner
X is for eXercise
Y is for You
Z is for Zzzzzzzzs

And if you aren’t in the mood to open 26 different pages, you can browse the whole category here: First Things First.

Good luck with the planning and remember to have fun and enjoy this time – yes it is stressful but the result really does make all the work worth it in the end.

Thanks to all the lovely ladies from some of my favorite bridal shops around town! If you wind up visiting, tell them I said hi!

A few more tips for bridal gown shopping:

• Figure out your budget and let the shop know what that budget is – you DO NOT want to fall in love with a gown that is way out of your price range because every gown after that will pale in comparison.  Just like with every other vendor – being honest and up front is the way to go!
• If you can go shopping on a weekday, do!  Yes, it might mean that your best friend, second cousin, Aunt Carol and others won’t be able to join you but once you narrow it down, you can always take them back.  Weekdays are much less busy for shops and you’ll get more one on one attention.
• Be open to suggestions from the bridal shop as to styles – they see a lot of bodies and dresses and are usually quite good at matching up the perfect gown to each bride!  Also, just because you love a mermaid style doesn’t mean it will look good on you – be open to all the different possibilities and you might wind up loving a surprise!

Good luck shopping and I hope you find the perfect gown!