Wowsa, this is a fun one – Crate and Barrel and Daily Candy are giving away the ultimate wedding to one lucky couple worth $100,000!  Click on the picture above for all the details on how to enter and what you’ll win – you can also check out your competition!  You have until March 31 to enter so get moving!

And if you do enter, be sure to comment here so people can vote for you!

I got a phone call from Heather from Bloomtastic a while ago asking me if I wanted to be part of the “What to do before you say I do” seminar.  I was thrilled to say the least and jumped on the chance!  Heather and I, along with Alice’s Piece of Cake, Cameron Mitchell Catering, So Inviting Designs, Team DJ, The Venue at Smith Brothers and DK Photographic will all on hand giving tips on how to choose the best vendor, what to look for when hiring a wedding pro and tips to make your planning process as smooth as possible!

February 7th at
The Loft at Smith Brothers
12-3pm

To get more information or to RSVP, send an email to RSVP

Please share this with anyone you know how may benefit from event planning assistance. It isn’t just about brides… Bar & Bat Mitzvahs, Graduation parties, anniversary parties… the list goes on and on. For so many events in life, this information will be incredibly helpful! Hope you will join us and if you do, please make sure to say hello!

If you aren’t familiar with Groupon.com it is a really cool website that offers daily deals on local restaurants, salons, activities, events, etc.  They offer a new one every day and as long as a certain number of people buy it, the deal is good!  I have seen 75% off photo sessions, super cheap pizza and I was really excited when I caught 50% off for the salon I happen to already go to!  Today’s deal is great for all your brides and grooms or maybe brides and dads:

Today – January 19, 2010 ONLY – they are offering a super deal on dance lessons at the Columbus Dance Centre.  For just $25, you get four group classes (normally $15 per class), entry into four practice dance parties (free with group classes), and one private lesson ($89 value) at Columbus Dance Centre, a $149 total value.

Use the 4 group lessons to get the basics and the private lesson to nail down your own spectacular first dance routine – your guests will be wowed!  You’ll need to buy two – one for you and one for your dance partner but it is still a crazy good deal!

Click here for all the details and to snag the deal!

Looking for a rehearsal dinner location or just need a break from wedding planning?  Take your husband or wife to be on a date this week and support a great cause at the same time!  You’ll enjoy a 3 course menu from $15 to $35 at some of the area’s best restaurants:

Under $20:
Bel Lago Bistro
Columbus Brewing Company
Columbus Fish Market
Figlio Wood Fired Pizza
Level
Luce Enoteca
Matt The Miller’s Tavern
The Lost Shepherd
Tucci’s Wood Fired Bistro

$20 – $30:
Bexley Monk
Cameron’s American Bistro
Cimi’s Bistro
Haiku
Hyde Park
Kogen’s
Mezzo Italian Kitchen & Wine
Mia Cucina
Moretti’s of Arlington
Polaris Grill
Shish Kebab Mediterranean Grill
Spagio
Sushi Rock
Trattoria Roma
Vino Vino Restaurant & Winebar
Vittoria Ristorante

$30 and up:
Barcelona
Black Creek Bistro
G. Michael’s Bistro & Bar
Lindey’s
M a Cameron Mitchell Restaurant
Melting Pot
Mitchell’s Steakhouse
Refectory Restaurant & Bistro
Ruth’s Chris Steak House
Sage American Bistro
Smith & Wollensky
The Top Steak House

Visit the Restaurant Week Website to see all the menus and enjoy!

I know, I know, I disappeared for a while!  I am sorry but I have a really good excuse – I have been working on a secret project with my friend Kasey.  I am thrilled to say it isn’t secret anymore!

Who: Columbus area event professionals and their invited guests (if you are seeing this website, consider yourself cordially invited!)

What: An evening of fun and networking benefiting the Mid Ohio Food Bank and Operation Feed including live and silent cake auctions and raffles – there will be something to satisfy every sweet tooth!

Where: The Mid Ohio Food Bank’s brand new facility, 3960 Brookham Drive, Grove City, Ohio, 43123

When: March 23, 2010 from 6 to 9 pm

Why: Because there are too many hungry people in the Central Ohio area and this is a fun and simple way to help!

Advance ticket purchase: $21 which will provide one person’s meals for 2 weeks.

The price of your admission and any money spent on the auctions or raffles is 100% tax deductible.

Click here to visit our website and learn more about the event
or
click here to buy tickets and join us for an evening of fun, food and something for your sweet tooth!

We would love to have you join us in supporting this great cause!

(Penny and Shannon at their 2004 New Year’s Eve wedding, photo by Steve Mastroianni)

I think it is safe to say that 2009 was a tough year all around – from people we lost too early to the recession, everyone was affected in some way or another.  There were, as always, pockets of light and joy and I think that speaks to the true human spirit and our ability to still find ways to celebrate the things in life that matter including love and commitment.

In 2009, we were lucky enough to work with some amazing couples, families and vendors.  2010 is shaping up to be another great year full of happy couples, gorgeous weddings and lots of love and laughter.  We have so many wonderful things on the horizon and I can’t wait to share them with you throughout the coming year!

To all my clients, past, present and future – thank you for being part of my life and allowing me to be a part of yours as well as continuing to bring me daily doses of friendship, laughter, challenges, fun and joy.

To the other vendors who are lucky enough to call the wedding and event industry home – thank you for being my ‘co-workers’ and making me a better planner.  And thank you for helping me take such great care of our clients.

Happy New Year and may 2010 be the best year ever!

The official numbers say that nearly 40% of engagements take place between Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day – that is a lot of yeses, happy tears, puppies with rings around their necks and diamonds!  Congratulations to all the newly engaged couples and welcome to the wonderful world of wedding planning!

If you are like most newly minted brides and grooms to be, you are probably feeling at least a touch overwhelmed and unsure of what to do first.  Don’t panic, that is completely normal and beyond common.  So besides the obvious first step -  calling (614.678.6320) or emailing (emilie {at} emilieduncan {dot} com) me – there are some definite do’s and do not’s when it comes to the first steps.  This is actually a collection of posts from this past summer called First Things First:

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, here is the whole category in just one: First Things First.

Good luck and congratulations again – I look forward to hearing from you and helping you get started!

On a separate note, a very special congratulations to my lovely friend Michele and her groom to be, Billy, who just got engaged on Thursday night. Love you guys!

The Story (of the PIRATE wedding!)

Maggie was a fan of David’s work before she fell in love with David himself – she will be the first to admit that she was a ‘fan girl.’  David writes an online comic strip and Maggie started reading it when she was still living in California.  They met in person and the rest is history: they had their first official date on a September 19, Maggie moved across the country to Columbus, David proposed to Maggie on September 19, 2008 and they were married on September 19, 2009.  Why is September 19 such an important date to note for this couple?  Because it is International Talk Like a Pirate Day!

Maggie worked for Pixar when she lived in Cali and David is obviously a pretty creative guy as well.  When Maggie and I first met and she showed me all the different details for their Pirate themed wedding, I was blown away.  So much thought went into every single detail and nuance that I was thrilled to be involved.  I am not usually a theme wedding person but this one promised to be a ton of fun and it certainly was!

The guests got their first inkling that Maggie and David were not doing a traditional wedding from the invitations – Maggie created scrolls written in pirate-ease, burned the edges and spritzed them with olive oil to resemble old documents – seriously time consuming and the result was pretty darn cool!  These were mailed to the guests in bottles and asked the guests to “Arrrr”SVP.  A great way to clue in guests to the theme of the wedding.

Maggie and David had their first glimpse at the Statehouse before the wedding.  The bride’s gown was white with gold accents and she wore a tri-corner hat while her girls wore black corsets and burgundy skirts.  The groom wore a waist coat, tri-corner hat and sword as did his groomsmen.  Yes, the groom and all his guys wore real swords!  Shockingly the state troopers at the Statehouse never even questioned the swords even when the bridal party was walking around inside – the only time they got upset with the bridal party was when they climbed on top of the canons at the corners of the Statehouse for pictures.  Guess they weren’t worried about 5 pirates taking over state government.

The ceremony was held on the Santa Maria – a working 15th century ship docked at Batelle Park in downtown Columbus.  Being that the wedding was held on Talk like a Pirate Day, there was a pirate troop that took over the ship for the weekend.  While most of them went off to plunder the city (okay, they really just headed to R bar to drink) several of them joined us for the wedding – one actually objected to the union but was quickly dispensed with (shot) and dragged away by the others.  The wedding itself was performed mainly in pirate speak by the bride’s uncle and the union was capped off by actual canon fire from the pirate troop as well.  David created the ceremony program in comic strip style introducing each of the bridal party members.  It was incredibly unique and really cool – how many programs have you seen that were hand drawn by the groom?

From the Santa Maria, the wedding moved to The Claddaugh in Powell.  This particular location has a room with stone walls, wrought iron chandeliers and stained glass windows – it really gives off a gothic vibe and fit the pirate theme perfectly!  The staff of the Claddaugh even dressed up in pirate garb as did almost all the wedding guests!  The tables were dressed with simple arrangements of treasure chests and pewter goblets along with lanterns and rum barrels.  Maggie and David’s ‘Captain’s Table’ was dressed with a ship’s wheel with garlands underneath a pirate flag.  The TVs in the area all had old black and white pirate movies playing on them to help set the mood.  Maggie and David were led into the reception by a bagpiper who actually just happened to be hanging out in the bar area of the restaurant – excellent timing!

One of my favorite parts of the wedding was the Maid of Honor’s toast – she said that she loved David because he made Maggie smile quite often and as anyone who knows her knows, her smile is one of the greatest things in the world.  I think that face is quite evident from the pictures.  The couple and their guests danced the night away (to non-pirate music) and a jolly time was had by all.

It was a truly unique wedding and one that I had a lot of fun being part of – thanks to Maggie and David for allowing me to be part of their fleet for the day!

The Elements
Planner:  Emilie Duncan Event Planning
Photographer: Fenstermacher Photography
Florist: Manor House Flowers
Ceremony Site: The Santa Maria
Reception Site: The Claddaugh
Cake: Alice’s Piece of Cake
Reception Music: Team DJ

The Pictures
Click here to see lots of pirate pictures!

Sorry for the last week of silence here on the blog!  My web host decided to migrate servers and blocked everyone from making any changes on their sites.  It took about a whole week and it drove me crazy!

I have some fun posts coming up including recap and pictures from Maggie and David’s pirate wedding plus recaps from Aimee and Ryan’s and Jennifer and Kurt’s weddings and some holiday related posts as well.  Thanks for your patience and watch for new posts from me this week!

Here it is – the last post in the series.  Not to say that I won’t revisit the topic in the future with other types of vendors like bridal shops or rental companies, but for now here is our last installment – Things your Planner wishes you knew:

Small disclaimer – Please be aware that these points are not all from me! I got input for this post from other planners in Columbus as well as literally all over the country and globe.  In fact, I don’t necessarily agree 100% with all of them but I thought it was worthwhile to share them.

*Please be aware that when we meet for the first time, we are interviewing you as much as you are interviewing us.  If you tell me that you are meeting with 10 other planners or we may have to hire extra staff just to deal with your ‘difficult’ mother or you sometimes have emotional problems, I am probably not going to take you on as a client.  Yes, planners can and will decline to work with certain people.  And yes, someone once told me that they like to yell at people and have emotional problems that they tend to take out on ‘the help.’  Needless to say, I declined the chance to work with her.

*There is a planner out there for every bride but not every planner is going to be a good fit for you – look around and find one who fits you.  We aren’t going to be insulted if you decide to work with someone else, there is a good chance we didn’t feel the connection either.  If I am not your planner, that is perfectly fine just please let me know you have decided to go a different direction.

*Someone who just planned their own wedding and now thinks it would be SO MUCH FUN to plan someone else’s is not a professional wedding planner.  They have absolutely no idea how to plan a wedding for someone else and no sense of what actually goes into running a wedding day.  Think about it – if they have only ever planned their own wedding, how do they know what goes on behind the scenes?  The last time they were invovled in a wedding, they were the bride!

*In the same vein, Craigslist or the Knot chat boards are not good sources to find someone to plan and/or manage your wedding day.  You spent a lot of money on this day and now you are going to trust that to someone who has no experience?   We all started somewhere but the ones who are serious will work to get educated and get hands on experience under another planner or in a related field.   If you want to risk the thousands and thousands of dollars that you just spent on someone who has decided to play at wedding planner, go right ahead but don’t say I didn’t warn you.

*I cannot and will not just show up on the rehearsal day without meeting with you and going over all the details of your event as well as contacting your vendors myself – no professional planner would do that.  It is akin to a doctor doing surgery without seeing the chart first or a lawyer trying a case without a case file.  It does not matter how organized you are or how on top of things – it is a recipe for disaster.  Anyone who tells you that they will show up on the wedding day without doing any kind of pre meeting is an unprofessional HACK.  End of story.

*My price is my price – you’re paying for my experience, creativity, my network and connections and my ability to craft a unique event. I charge exactly what I am worth and I am worth every penny.  Sure, you can get a day-of coordinator for a third of what I charge but you get what you pay for.

*Please be honest with us about your budget so we can be honest with you about your options.  We need to be able to tell you whether what you want is realistic with your budget.  Your expectations need to match your reality.  Tell us what you have to spend and we will help you spend it wisely.  Even if you don’t have an exact number, you have some idea – give us at least a realistic starting point.

*Your wedding planner isn’t going to judge you if you have a small budget.  In fact, most wedding planners offer hourly consultations for those who might not be able to fit full service planning in their budget.  You can generally use those hours for help with budgeting to assistance creating a realistic timeline to vendor recommendations – all things that even – especially – the smallest budget will greatly benefit from.

*It’s going to cost what it’s going cost. If you have a 400 person guest list and want a 4 course sit down dinner with a top shelf open bar, you cannot do it for $5000.  I don’t care that your cousin says she did hers for $5000 – she is a big old liar.

*Please trust us.  We know what we’re doing. If we suggest something for you, it’s because we know it’s a good idea for you. I absolutely hate it when I suggest something to a client, they balk at it and go out to do their own research and three months down the road they come back and do exactly what I suggested in the first place. Let us do our job, that’s why you hired us!

*Please trust your vendors.  Micromanaging them and breathing down their necks to make sure they’re doing what they’re supposed to won’t make them do their jobs better.  In fact, the more you trust your vendors, the more they are going to bend over backwards and go above and beyond to help make your wedding day spectacular.

*You know how teachers aren’t supposed to have favorite students?  But they always do?  Same thing with wedding planners and other wedding vendors.  We have favorites and will do just about anything for them.   This is not to say that we still won’t do an outstanding job for those who aren’t necessarily our favorites but I am always more willing to bend over backwards when I know it is being appreciated and valued.

*No matter how talented and professional you feel your chosen vendors are, please keep me in the loop on the details you’ve arranged.  Even if we’re just the day of coordinator, we need to know every single detail you have arranged.  If we don’t, how can we ensure that things go exactly as you planned them?

*Just because you are paying us doesn’t mean you are excused from basic courtesy.  It is extremely rude to not return your planner’s calls for three days, and then think when you are ready at 10:30pm on a Friday night to discuss the matter that we should drop everything.  I work WITH you, I am not your indentured servant.

*Bridezillas is staged and edited for TV.  Yell at me and act the fool like those spoiled little children and I will walk out the door.  And the contract that you signed says I can do just that if you behave that way.  Again, wedding planner, not servant.

*Vendor’s fees are not their salary. I had a bride say “well, with the cost of the band, even split among them, they are walking away with great pay at the end of the night.”  I think people who receive a paycheck from a corporate entity don’t see/know how much was taken out of the total before that check was cut to them.

*On your wedding day, don’t watch the clock and be a slave to time! Just because the schedule says to cut the cake at 6:00 doesn’t mean that we’re running late because it’s 6:01 and everyone is still enjoying dinner and socializing.  Weddings have a life and flow of their own and your vendors will make sure we are on the right schedule even if it isn’t quite the original schedule.

*Things may go wrong on the wedding day but I will do everything in my power to fix them – just relax, enjoy the day and remember, as long as the day ends with you being married, it will be perfect!

Thanks to all my planner friends who contributed!

I hope you enjoyed the series and learned some things along the way.  As a side note, any vendors who feel that I missed anything, please send me an email and I will do an update post down the road.