Cut Down Your Guest List!

When you are planning a wedding on a budget, the very first thing you should look at is your guest list. Keep in mind that there is more to a per-guest price than just food. Even adding one or two guests can throw off the balance of an entire room. You'll need more tables, additional centerpieces, favors, invitations, menu cards, programs, and place cards. Suddenly, what looked like a quick add just made your overall budget jump. Weddings are no longer a race to see who can fill the largest church. Couples are looking for small, intimate time with the people most important to them. Try to keep your list to people that you know well. If you think you'll look back on your wedding photographs in ten years and not know who the people are nor think you'll still be in touch with them, this budget cut should be an easy decision.

Lemonade Bar

One of my upcoming weddings is featuring a Lemonade Bar during their cocktail hour. It's something that your guests will love to drink and it looks beautiful too! Here are some lemonade variations that you could include in a lemonade bar or as your signature drink:

Purple Basil Lemonade

In this recipe, basil is crushed with sugar to release the oils. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, process the basil, sugar, and about 1/4 cup of the water in a food processor or blender.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

4 cups water - 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice - 1/2 cup loosely packed purple basil leaves (about 1/4 ounce) - 6 tablespoons sugar - 4 cups ice - 4 purple basil sprigs

Preparation:

Combine 4 cups water and juice in a large bowl. Place 1/2 cup basil and sugar in a mortar; pound with pestle until a paste forms. Add sugar mixture to juice mixture; stir until sugar dissolves. Strain mixture through a sieve over a bowl; discard solids. Place 1 cup ice in each of 4 glasses. Pour about 1 cup lemonade into each glass; garnish each serving with 1 basil sprig.

(recipe courtesy of Cooking Light)

Vodka Thyme Lemonade

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar - 12 sprigs fresh thyme, plus more for garnish -4 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice, about 24 lemons -2 cups vodka

Preparation:

1. In a small saucepan, combine 2 cups water with the sugar and thyme; bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat; let cool to room temperature.
2. Pour mixture through a fine sieve into a large glass measuring cup; discard thyme. You should have 2 cups syrup. Cover with plastic; chill.
3. In a large serving pitcher, stir together lemon juice, vodka, and chilled syrup; garnish with thyme. Divide evenly among eight tumblers filled with ice; serve immediately.

(recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart)

This is a simple and relatively inexpensive way to make your event look elegant. Slice lemons, limes, and oranges into your lemonade and be sure to include large sprigs of the herbs you are incorporating to give it a punch of color.

Whichever recipe you choose, always make sure that the alcoholic versions are clearly marked and that there are non-alcoholic versions available.

Fill My Fall!

This weekend will mark the end of my "wedding season." My spring season began on March 28 and it's been a steady stream of weekend weddings ever since. It has been As You Wish Wedding & Event Design's busiest season yet - and I cannot even begin to thank those couples who made it possible. I am so lucky to be a part of a season full of memories for some amazing couples.

What I learned from this busy season is that there is nothing in the world I would rather be doing than planning weddings. It's been a crazy few months, but I have learned so much and can't even call what I do work because I enjoy it so much. I really look forward to many more spring and summer seasons to come! But, it was so great, that I don't want to wait until next spring. I want you to Fill My Fall!

My goal is to fill up every weekend for myself and my consultants from September through December. We love what we do, and we want to do more of it. Times are tough and we want to help out as many people as we can, so we are slashing our Day-Of Coordination rates by HALF!

Aside from all of the great reasons to hire a Day-Of Coordinator (article to follow next week - check back!), we want to give you an extra incentive. If you book with us, a portion of that fee will be donated to The Neuropathy Association and the Make-A-Wish Foundation in your name. I can't think of a better way to celebrate the end of 2009 than helping some incredible charities!

Consultations are always complimentary - we'd love to hear from you! Help to Fill Our Fall!

30 Day Shred!

A big part of Wellness Wednesdays will be exercising and living a healthy lifestyle. I will be the first to say that when my life gets busy and hectic, exercise becomes a low priority for me. One of my goals for this summer was to change that. A good friend recommended Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred DVD to me for workouts on rainy days. I love to hate it. It's a a tough workout but it really gets the job done in a short amount of time. Each of the three workouts on the DVD are made of up quick circuits of Strength Training, Cardio, and Abs. Each workout lasts only 20 minutes, but it's non-stop. There are no breaks.

Whatever your workout routine, make sure that it is a priority! Happy Wellness Wednesday!

Frugal Flowers!

Wedding magazines are every girl's guilty pleasure. One drawback to them is that they often showcase flowers that are exotic and very expensive. All too often I have clients who have their hearts set on the exact centerpiece or bouquet that they see on one of those colorful, glossy pages. When they hear that the bloom in the photo is a rare orchid from New Zealand that is only available three weeks out of the year and that it costs $250 a stem, it changes everything. Have a firm floral budget worked out before you meet with your florist. Work with your florist to see what flowers are readily available within your price range during your time of the year. Always bring the photos that you fell in love with. Chances are, your florist will know of similar blooms and arrangements to make your floral dreams come true for much less!

Best Bridesmaids Dresses!

This past year has been the first year of my friends getting married in full force. I have personally come into contact with many bridesmaids dresses - the good, the bad, and the ugly. I won't get into which is which, but I have to gush about the dress I wore last week. It was comfortable, beautiful, and we got SO many compliments on it. Two Birds Bridesmaids dresses are a bridesmaid's dream. It's one dress, but convertible. You can tie it ten different ways (although we came across way more than ten if you get a little creative!) and it's one size fits all. I had a tough time believing that one size fits all, but it really is true.

I love this dress so that much that I already have my eye on this gorgeous champagne color!

There are so many colors available. They also offer two lengths: long and short. A pregnancy size is now available as well as a bandeau top to make bigger busted girls more comfortable.

This is the "Caroline" style - the way I chose to wear my dress for the wedding.

I love the bow tied around the neck in this photo. Next time I wear the dress, I am going to tie it that way!

We purchased our dresses from Bella Bridesmaid in Madison NJ. They were great to work with and we got the dresses earlier than expected.

If you like that idea but not this specific dress or price tag, you can find similar alternatives at Butter by Nadia and Victoria's Secret!

CNN.com Article!

CNN.com just posted an article about marriage and one of my June couples, Alana & Brian, are mentioned! Check it out!

Summer Book Recco's

The summer is the perfect time to pick up a good book to lose yourself in. Here are a few books I have read recently and recommend!

Become Your Own Matchmaker: 8 Easy Steps For Attracting Your Perfect Mate by Patti Stanger- All of you brides may be past the point of using this book, but if you're a fan of Millionaire Matchmaker, you'll love it! Patti Stanger narrates and personality just shines through. Take her advice with a grain of salt if you aren't focused on snagging a millionaire, but overall a very easy and fun read.

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski - I am not usually the type to run out and buy whatever book Oprah recommends, but this was a fantastic book. It's a little heavier, but a great read if you're looking to really get involved and attached to the characters. It's a very long book but worth reading every page.

My Horizontal Life by Chelsea Handler - Chelsea Handler is a comedic goddess. I saw her live earlier in the year and she blew me away. Her two books are super easy reads - I read them each in a day. My Horizontal Life was my favorite - I laughed outloud the whole time.

Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler - Another great comedy by Chelsea Handler. I have to admit that I got this on audiotape and would listen to it as I ran. I eventually had to stop because I would get in a zone and just laugh out loud. Downright embarassing. Listen at your own risk in the comfort of your own home.
The Beach House by Jane Green - I just finished this one today and it's incredible. The story takes place in Nantucket. Jane Green's descriptions of Nantucket make you want to pack up immediately and move there. I absolutely loved this book and have already ordered a few of Jane's other books to read over the rest of the summer!

And now...drumroll please...my favorite book of all time...

Straight Up And Dirty by Stephanie Klein - Hands down the best book I have ever read. So good that my copy has circulated through every one of my friends and colleagues and they all have the exact same reaction. The book is so honest and so real - you can really feel and relate to everything that Stephanie has gone through. Her writing is incredible. And the best part is that Stephanie is an incredible blogger so the story doesn't end when the book does. You can continue to read her story and read about her life every day. She is the first post I'll read through on my Google Reader and everyday I look forward to her tweets! If you are a woman in your 20's or 30's and you are going to read one book, it MUST be this one.

My Best Friends Wedding

Congratulations to Jannet & Rob!


This weekend, my best friend got married. It is such a different experience to be personally involved in a wedding rather than be coordinating it. It's a very emotional experience when your best friend gets married. This was especially evident in the amount of tears I shed throughout the day! As the Maid of Honor, it was a relatively stress free day for me, as Jannet used many of the wedding professionals that I use on a weekly basis. She used the best of the best and it was a flawless, well-executed day.

Cast of Characters:

Rehearsal Dinner: McLoone's Pier House
Ceremony & Reception: Ocean Place Resort & Spa
Flowers: A New Leaf Florist
Photography: Tania Lezak Photography
Hair & Makeup: Michelle Lo Conte
DJ: Infinity Entertainment


We just narrowly missed a storm but it wound up being a gorgeous afternoon! If you look closely there are starfish all along the aisle and awesome nautical rope ties with starfish on the aisle seats.

Jannet wore a Paloma Blanca Dress, style 3854 from Bijou Bridal.

She had these adorable fan programs that were a big hit in the July sun.


This photo brings tears to my eyes every time I see it! Her parents are some of the loveliest people I have ever met in my life.

First time as Mr. & Mrs.!

A few nautical details. The life preserver from Pottery Barn Kids was used as the guest book. Each guest signed with a silver paint pen.

I love the starfish in the sandbox!



The cake was red velvet (the bride's absolute favorite) and cannoli.

The bridesmaids all wore Two Birds Bridesmaids Dresses. I can't even begin to tell you how comfortable they were. We didn't want to take them off. We got so many compliments and I can legitimately say that I can (and can't wait to) wear it again!



Congratulations to Jannet & Rob! I can't thank you enough for allowing me to be a part of your special day. I love you both an insane amount and cannot wait for you to get home from your honeymoon! xoxo

Lower Your Wedding Costs

When you begin to plan your wedding, there are a few things to consider when choosing your wedding date if you want to save money. If you have the ability to be flexible, take a look at the month and day of the week that you can have your event. The biggest way to save is to have your wedding in the off-season. Try to avoid high season months like May, June, September, and October. This is prime-time for weddings and most professionals know they will book up so may be less likely to negotiate. You can save not only on your banquet hall, but most vendors will be much more flexible in their negotiating during those off months. Once you choose your month, consider a time other than Saturday night. Most people want that prime time slot. But, if you choose a Friday night, Saturday morning, or Sunday wedding, you will be looking at another large savings.