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I love learning about who is who on a national level in the wedding industry. Tara Guerard is someone who I very much admire, and recently I had the opportunity to get her on the phone for a few minutes for a quick interview!

How did you get into wedding planning? Fifteen years ago, I was in the food & beverage industry. I used my knowledge of caterers and venues to get started, but I truly loved design! I started doing floral for my events to have more creative control. Today, we are two companies in one: Kate is the main event planner, while I focus on design and decor.

Have you always wanted to write books? I have always loved books (so much that I considered owning a book store!). I knew that in wanting to grow, being published is a huge step toward legitimacy in the industry. I love teaching others, promoting the industry and encouraging strong etiquette. The second book was much harder than the first - my son was born 4 weeks prior to the due date!

How do you make sure to stay balanced? I spend mornings with my family, and evenings are all about being at home. That way I can be either 100% at home or 100% at the office.

What is something you have not accomplished yet in your business that you would like to? I want to be more heavily focused on design; the flow of an event or a space is very important to me. I would like to design something more permanent, such as a hotel or restaurant.

Where do you draw inspiration from? Everywhere! I get to know the bride’s style, sensibility, who she is  - I like the psychology of it all! That is why studio shots (such as those seen on Style Me Pretty and other blogs) are so difficult - they are not real couples!

What do you see as the most important aspect of your job? There are so many little things that add up to something so major. The experience and knowledge of knowing what works and what doesn’t, and the abililty to avoid wasting my clients’ time and money. You only have 4-5 hours to make it perfect!

What is the most challenging? Vendors! Bands, transportation people, the logistics of it all… A lot of drivers especially come in from out of town and don’t know their way around which makes everything much more complicated!

Where can we hear more about you and your business? I will be speaking at Engage!, The Special Event, Studio Wed and 360 Wedding.

Thank you Tara!

After having coordinated Cathy & Eric’s ceremony which incorporated many Quaker traditions, I wanted to follow up with a post about Quaker weddings.

According to Wikipedia, “when a couple decide to get married they declare their intentions to marry to the meeting (either in writing or in person). The meeting then appoints a clearness committee to talk with the couple and make sure that they have properly prepared themselves for marriage. If the committee is clear that this couple is ready, they recommend that the monthly meeting should take this wedding under their care and appoint a committee to ensure the couple makes all the needed arrangements for the wedding ceremony”.

The attendees gather for silent worship. Out of the silence, the couple will exchange promises or declarations with each other. The promises are short, simple, and egalitarian, and can vary between different regions and meetings.

Since traditionally Friends have no clergy, there is no one person to “marry” them. Instead they believe that they are married by God, and declare their intentions before God and those gathered.

Usually, there are no bridesmaids or other special roles in the wedding other than that of bride and groom.

The couple then signs the Quaker wedding certificate. At the close of worship all those present at the meeting are asked to sign the wedding certificate as witnesses. Often the certificate is hung prominently in the home of the couple as a reminder of the declarations they made, and of the people with whom they shared that moment of their lives.

Of all the most beautiful places on earth, only Sandals Grande Antigua has earned the title of “The World’s Most Romantic Resort.”

Sandals Antigua is the resort I am most looking forward to visiting - it looks just amazing!

Another resort with recent renovations, don’t you just want to live in this bathroom?!

The resort features 9 restaurants serving food from around the world, and 10 bars - you will never go hungry or thirsty!

“Filled with the authentic charm of the islands in its lush garden oasis known as The Caribbean Village… and resplendent with European grandeur amidst its palatial retreat known as The Mediterranean Village, this spectacular resort offers the best of two worlds on one idyllic island where balmy breezes still whisper tales of yore when British Admiral Lord Nelson sailed these famous shores.” Sandals Website

One of the nice things about Sandals is the “Luxury Included” nature of the place. You do not need money for anything except spa treatments (most bookings include $250 worth to start), and you are not allowed to tip. After spending so much money on your wedding, it is so nice to take a week off from even seeing green!

Not a beach person? They have amazing pools too, with swim-up bars and private cabanas!

Check out the Sandals website to see all the resorts!

My good friend and industry colleague Jonas Pascua recently entered into the bridal salon market. He partnered with Alexis Williamson to re-open Le Salon, a Troy-based bridal salon with a twist. Below, Jonas answers a few of my questions - and I strongly encourage anyone in the market for their gown to check out Le Salon!

Where can I find Le Salon? We’re on the South Side of 11 Mile Rd, East side of Main in Royal Oak by the intersection of Gainsborough & 11 Mile.

How long have you been in business? Two years.

What sets you apart from other bridal salons? The 1-to-1 feel is important to us. Appointments are strongly suggested because when you come into the store, it’s yours for your time.

• We help you in and out of the dresses - they’re big! We help!
• We allow pictures to be taken in the store
• We have lines no one else has in the nation. No seriously, pick up Grace Ormonde!
• We don’t put you in a dress you can’t afford - but help! Be honest…
• We don’t quote you one price and turn around and tell you another when we ring you up.
• Family out of town? We can skype & use web cams
• Preview parties when our brides’ dress arrives & the couture fashion shoot experience (ask us for details)

Do you work with brides on various budgets? Yes! We have couture at every price point. We’re very good at honing in on the needs of our brides and balancing quality of fabric, style, construction, & the designer’s name to find the perfect blend elements that factors into their budget. And don’t worry we won’t put you in a dress you can’t afford - but be honest with us, and let us know what the budget is so we can help you.

• Our most popular price point is $2000 - $5000
• We have collections around $1000 and less. Even creative options at $250 - $500
  
• We also have collections $15,000 - $20,000+ with Karl Lagerfeld & Vivienne Westwood

What is your so-co initiative about? It’s to promote the socially-conscious bride and her responsibilities to the community as a young woman. As she starts her life she can make a positive contribution to it. It’s a philosophy of our store and something we hope our couture clients embrace.

What’s your #1 piece of advice to brides looking for the perfect dress? Be honest to yourself about what you like. Don’t be afraid to like your own style and how you want to express it. It’s YOUR wedding dress. We’ll help you figure out the details.

What designers do you carry? Rosa Clara, Jenny Packham, Jesus del Pozo, Karl Lagerfeld, Vivienne Westwood, Two by Rosa, Aire Collection, Allure, Bari Jay, David Tutera by Faviana, Watters

What is something Le Salon does that would surprise people? Customizations - cleaning it up, adding bling, personalizing it so that it’s a true reflection of the bride is something we like to do and CAN do.

How do I start the process, do I just drop in? If you get lucky, we would love to see you if we’re not in an appointment.

But the best way to start is to pick up a magazine, pick the designers, elements you like and don’t like, and figure out your budget.

Try stuff at other boutiques. Yes we’re confident about what we have and what we know. It helps having an appreciation when you come in.

Then call us and we can help you narrow down your vision. Our expertise will help cut through any confusion you may have. At the end of the day, we want to give our clients educated options. We don’t sell you the dress, we help guide you find the dress you’re looking for.

The following passage was written in Jen and John’s ceremony program. I love symbolism in wedding ceremonies, and wanted to pass this along to those who share in that sentiment!

“Jen and John have chosen to enhance their marriage ceremony with select Filipino-Catholic traditions. In Filipino-Catholic weddings, the bride and groom choose family and friends to act as godparents of their marriage. The choice of these principal sponsors reflect Jen and John’s respect for the sponsors’ roles in their past and honor the sponsor’s commitment to provide marital guidance.

Before the wedding ceremony, the bride places a flower as an offering to the Virgin Mary as a sign of respect and honor for Mary’s role as a wife and mother. Ceremonial candles are lit to symbolize a call for enlightenment in times of happiness and darkness throughout the marriage.

A ceremonial veil is placed over the groom’s shoulders and bride’s head, reflecting the unity of their two families into one; it is also a prayer for health and protection during their married life.

The ceremonial cord (or yugal) in the shape of a figure-eight is placed loosely over the couple’s heads and onto their shoulders, symbolizing the infinity of the bond of marriage, a union that lasts a lifetime.

Lastly the groom presents the bride with thirteen coins known as the arrhae (from the Spanish word “arras” meaning “earnest money”) to signify their mutual hope for prosperity and security as they build their new life together.”

The information below was posted on the Great Places Directory blog by Lori Hill, and I think the information is worth sharing again here. So many couples want to be more eco-friendly in their planning efforts, and knowing what to look for when researching appropriate venues is a great first step!

Event and meeting professionals are making great strides in greening up our events through catering, decor, printed materials, transportation and of course, the venue selection. When choosing a green venue, the easiest and most logical choice is a building with a LEED (Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design) designation of either Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum. The LEED designation is bestowed by the U.S. Green Building Council and indicates that a building meets the highest green building and performance measures with respect to:

• Lower operating costs
• Reduced waste sent to landfills
• Conservation of energy and water
• A healthier and safer environment for occupants
• Reduction in harmful greenhouse gas emissions
• Demonstration of the owner’s commitment to environmental stewardship and social responsibility

If a building has a LEED designation, its management undoubtedly cares about the environment. More and more venues are seeking out this designation, but in the meantime, venues can still engage in environmentally friendly initiatives without having the LEED designation.

If you work at a venue, be sure to talk up your green initiatives. Eco conscious planners want to give our business to venues that care about the impact they are making on the Earth.

To find an environmentally friendly venue, or to list your environmentally friendly venue, here are some helpful web sites:

• Environmentally Friendly Hotels

• Green Hotels Association

Spring is here, and one of my favorite parts of Spring are the beautiful tulips in bloom! We have a huge patch of purple tulips outside our house that blooms pretty late (they are shaded), and every year I promise myself to plant some new colors for next year. Tulips look great in arrangements and bouquets for weddings, it’s just too bad their season doesn’t last very long! I would love to plan an April wedding around tulips…

Tulips can seem redundant if you do the same thing over and over again throughout the room. From Blooming Design, add some interest to the bottom of the centerpiece with fruit! You can mix it up and use lemons, limes, and oranges, or different elements such as colored marbles, rocks, grasses etc.

From Martha Stewart, the table above just screams Spring! Pastel colors are not everyone’s favorite, but they do look fantastic next to a bolder color or two such as the orange and hot pink above.

My very favorite are the parrot tulips; I think they look like works of art!

A lot of planning goes into a wedding day! That is especially true for tented events, which involve many more wedding professionals as well as backup plans in case of weather and other mishaps. Kristyn from Castle Video Productions caught us in action during Danielle & Bobby’s wedding in August last year, and I thought I would share this video of some of the detail involved! TwoFoot Creative was there throughout the planning of this wedding, and since then we have had the opportunity to be involved in many more tented events - so stay tuned for the 2010 wedding season!

Kristyn of Castle Video Productions is one of my favorites in the industry. She is offering a phenomenal package for 2011 brides that book with her before May 1st of this year - so if you still need a videographer, give her a call!

Price: $900.00

Package Includes (Please see “Package One & “Package Two” on website for segment details):

• Eight hours MAXIMUM coverage with two cameras (one operator). You may customize this package to include either the bride preparation or more dancefloor footage, depending on the timing of your day or to fit into the 8 hours of coverage. If time allows, you will receive the following:
  • Bride Preparation Music Segment
  • Pre-Ceremony Music Segment
  • Ceremony with TWO cameras (In full)
  • Pictures After Ceremony
  • Pre-Reception Music Segment
  • Reception (not to exceed 8 hours of total film time)
• (Music Segments to be the same as included in “Package One and “Package Two”). Structure of this package will be the same as Package One and Package Two, including chapter markers, etc.
• ONE completed, edited copy will be provided to you as well as the raw footage. You may make as many copies of your DVD as you would like.
• Also, all “A la Carte” options can be added on to this package if you so desire.

A few weeks back, I attended an event put on by Blumz in Ferndale, MI. They showcased the various wedding and decor trends that have been forecast for this year and next, discussed how to use the trends to identify your client’s style, as well as what they can do as florists to make the decor experience a memorable one.

The first trend discussed was “PatchWorld”, which you can see pictured first in this post. The concept here is a blending of multi-ethnic and multicultural expression to represent the “American” demographic. The key is to mix tradition elements with more exotic ones to create a tension and eclectic blending.

“ECOnomics” was the second trend discussed in their presentation, in which you might think of agriculture and economics in an urban setting. Tabletop gardens, leaf-covered containers, and compacted uptown bouquets in structural vessels reflect sleek lines of the city.

In the trend titled “CURIOsities”, shabby chic and global of previous years combine with collections of oddities such as more vintage, romanticized relics. Sun bleached colors, casually mixed romantic garden flowers, and salvaged treasures dominate this trend.

Finally, “TechnoGlam” rounds out the coming trends. This is a sexy, intense, sophisticated and modern play on bold colors against a neutral background of white or gray. Arrangements might be monofloral, highly stylized, and consist of more exotics and tropicals used in a non-traditional style.