Archive of ‘Wedding Vendors’ category

Budget Friendly linen and decor ideas for your wedding – San Antonio Coordinator

Last week I got a little off track when I talked about my wedding and also gave you easy ideas for creating a “Royal Inspired” wedding. I guess I had to brag a little about my wedding because of course, every bride thinks their wedding was the absolute best and I DO share my wedding day with Prince William and Princess Kate. Ok, ok, lets get back on topic with my latest blogs….how to plan the perfect wedding. I have already discussed the venue, catering, photography, and flowers. Now I want to tell you about some great ideas on the look you are trying to achieve but maybe on a tight budget.

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For many brides, the most important part of the planning process is the linens and decor. It can be fun going to a rental or linen company and mix and match color combinations with the main linen, table runner, and overlays. As a planner, I carry around a color wheel from a paint store so we can “play” with colors. I have worked with all kinds of brides…those that know exactly what they want the room to look like to those that really have no clue and look to me for ideas and suggestions. I consider myself creative and have seen a lot so I’ll use my expertise to ask important questions and from there make recommendations. Let’s go over some budget friendly ideas you can use for your reception.

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Rio Cibolo Ranch Boot Centerpiece

101_5543Olympia Hills Golf & Event Center Linen/Rental Package

Some venues include white, ivory or black linens. Definitely take advantage of this and use theirs. That can be a big savings. Some venues even offer in-house center pieces that are included as well. They might look a little worn but maybe consider jazzing it up a little with a few fresh flowers, bling, branches, etc. At Rio Cibolo Ranch they offer boot centerpieces with fake flowers inside them. Maybe add a bandana, a small rope or fresh flowers and you’ll get a new look! If you do have to purchase the linens from the venue they will probably be at a cheaper rate than you might find elsewhere. Olympia Hills Golf & Event Center does just this.

If you do need to rent your linens then normally, polyester will be cheaper than other fabrics. You can use that kind to help save a little there. Another idea is to purchase the linens wholesale and then sell all of them after the wedding to recoop maybe half of your cost. I have had several past brides do this.

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Forgo on the overlays and runners. If you really had your hearts desire on something creative on the table you can use fruit or party favors for each place setting. Or how about votives, framed pictures of the two of you, petals, antique items you find from garage sales, grandma’s doilies, cheap fabric you find on clearance as runners. The ideas are endless! If you are going for a rustic look why not cut a tree up and use the trunk and limbs for center pieces, table number holders and candle holders. The ever popular mason jars and painted and twined wine bottles are a winner too.

Craigslist and Ebay are great ways of finding good deals from other brides that are trying to sell their wedding items. Look on there regularly. Postings can pop up at any time.

Shop around for rentals such as vases, candelabras, candle holders, or other unique pieces. You never know who might be having a special. If you go to a bridal show, that might be a good opportunity to get a good deal on something you may need.

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For my couples, I offer rental items that I know they would need such as cake stands, easels, table numbers, chalkboards, baskets, birdcages, etc. As an incentive for using my coordinating services I offer 2 items for free and the rest 50% off for my day of services and 4 free with my full planning. My couples love this! See if coordinators in your area might offer something like this too.

If you need help with planning your San Antonio wedding please contact me. I would love to help you. Trudy Scott, Royalty Events Planning, 210-595-9263, trudy@royaltyeventsplanning.com.

Royalty Themed Wedding Tips – San Antonio Weddings

001_1Today is my 15th wedding anniversary so I thought it was only fitting to write this blog about Royalty Weddings. Of course, I am going to relive mine a little in this blog…it’s a sentimental day! Since a little girl, I had a vision in my head as to what kind of dress I wanted for my wedding. It changed a little when I asked my soon-to-be husband what HE would love to see me in (and not see me in). He said anything but a lot of sequins, bling and crystals. I asked him if a little was ok and he said, “Yes.” So, that meant I would be paring down my look a little because that is what I had envisioned. I was ok with that. the tulle, fluffy dress was a must, though! The second change I made was the theme. Instead of it being just a traditional wedding my mom REALLY wanted me to use the Cinderella themed invitations. It wasn’t my top choice but I went with it, especially since she was paying for it and I saw the excitement in her with them. I truly do feel that God was showing me a glimpse into my future when I literally became Cinderella in my children’s party planning business. It was fate!

So, now for some tips for Royal touches you can incorporate into your own wedding without paying like Royalty. I was on a super tight budget and I made it work plus I have seen other couples with the same theme on a typical wedding budget as well.

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Jenny & Zach’s wedding at Spinelli’s in Comfort, TX

1. The tiara! Every princess must have one. This past weekend my bride really surprised me when she wore a stunning gown and large tiara – she really did look like royalty!

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2. Jewelry. No matter what your dress looks like you can always make a statement with gorgeous jewels (fakes are ok, too). The latest trend is the brooch bouquet.

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Both photos from my wedding at Victoria’s Black Swan Inn, San Antonio, TX

3. The colors. In my wedding, I only used gold and ivory as my main colors with touches of color in the bridal bouquets. There were touches of Cinderella blue from figurines that family members had given me but that was it. Deep purple is a royal color and even red. Try one of those colors!

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Castle-like venue at The Lambermont, San Antonio, TX.

SAMSUNGRoyalty head table at The Koehler House, San Antonio, TX

4. The venue. I had my wedding at Victoria’s Black Swan Inn. When I saw it for the first time I knew this was the place I had to have! I spent most of my budget on the venue so I sacrificed in other areas such as the centerpieces and linens. I used what the venue offered and because it was such a beautiful place it didn’t matter. Everything was so elegant and she had so many beautiful furniture and décor already that it made up for it.

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The Yellow Rose Carriage Company offers beautiful carriages.

021_21This carriage was from my own wedding.

5. Horse and Carriage. I had to have one for my royal theme! It was a lot of fun and you can rent them for an hour and let the guests take carriage rides as well.

View More: http://limelightsa.pass.us/sonterra

View More: http://limelightsa.pass.us/sonterraEvents By Reese can turn your wedding into royalty with their rentals.

View More: http://limelightsa.pass.us/sonterraThere are so many royal-like invitations with my invitation services.

6. If you have it in the budget then some other ideas for a royal look would be the red carpet entering the venue, gold chargers with china, tall centerpieces that make a statement, gloves for the guys and girls, ice sculptures, uplighting, quartet for the ceremony, cocktail hour and possibly the dinner, upscale invitations with brooches, chiavari chairs, rented furniture for creating spaces, cigar bar, luxury vehicle for the send off, fireworks, etc. The ideas are endless!

If you would like to contact me to discuss your royal wedding ideas I would love to hear them! Trudy Scott, Royalty Events Planning, 210-595-9263, Trudy@RoyaltyEventsPlanning.com. San Antonio wedding coordinator.

Questions and tips for the wedding florist – San Antonio Weddings

What’s the next step in planning a wedding? Let’s review from my past several blogs….

  1. Get organized before you start the planning process
  2. Decide on your color and style
  3. Choose a venue
  4. Look at your catering options (buffet, sit down, food stations, etc.) and decide on the caterer and food style (to get an estimate on cost). You can figure out the specifics later on.
  5. Choose a photographer

So, what is next? As I mentioned in a previous blog it is important to list in order the most important items you want to include and spend more money on to the least important (and could even take out to keep within your budget). Many brides have florals and décor at the top of their list. They are so excited to collect pictures for me and the florist to show us all these grand centerpiece & design elements they just LOVE. I always tell the brides to show me their Pinterest boards (usually in the initial consultation) so I get a feeling of what their expectations are before meeting with the florist. I truly get a sense of their style, expectations and budget based on what they show me.

Bridal Styles:

  • The classic/traditional bride
  • The modern bride
  • The country/rustic bride
  • The sophisticated/dramatic bride

IMG_3603!cid_image8DD9FC6D-A541-44A9-8069-33CCEDC28435I’ve worked with all these types so I really understand their vision and I work with the florist, rental companies and venue to ensure every element of the design works with their style.

Tips

Flowers really do make a powerful and beautiful statement. They can also eat up your budget easily too. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

  • If you choose a venue that has a lot of character, charm, or in-house centerpieces – go with it! This will save you a lot of money if you are on a tight budget because it will mean less flowers you’ll have to purchase. The space is already beautiful, right?
  • Have a winter wedding and choose a venue that decorates accordingly. That means less you’ll have to buy.
  • Be sure to buy flowers in season. This will trim your expense. Also, maybe go with a less expensive flower in the same color family. go to ww.blissezine.com to learn about different flower types, their colors and what season they are available.

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  • Depending on the size of your wedding, have 2 or 3 different centerpieces on the guest tables. The design of the room just looks better this way! I always recommend a tall centerpiece (taller than the eye level of a guest so it isn’t in their view), a low centerpiece and maybe another design element like a candlescape, wine bottles, crystal candle holders or a crystal tall centerpieces. The options are endless. I have a couple that is going with a vintage feel at their wedding coming up and they got old books, doillies and vintage gloves. They are using silver teapots for their flower arrangements.

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  • Use the bridal bouquets for the head table or guest tables. This will save you from having to buy a centerpiece for those tables. I would say that most of my weddings, this is what the bride chooses to do.

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  • Repurpose the flowers from the ceremony to the reception. If you’re getting married at a church, more than likely you will donate the altar flowers to the church (their policy) but if you are getting married at the same location as the reception many times I will have a couple that will move the altar or aisle flowers to the reception area. They might use an arrangement at the sign in table, on the guest tables or near the sweetheart table.

At the appointment show the florist all your ideas. You will also discuss your bouquet and boutonnieres/corsages at that time too so come prepared with a list of who will need one of those. Don’t forget about the flower girl and ring bearer too.

Questions To Ask

  1. Can you work within my budget?
  2. Can I see some of your work?
  3. Do you do more than 1 wedding a day? (a professional florist will never overbook, he knows what he can handle in one day)
  4. What is your deposit?
  5. When is payment due?
  6. Will I receive a mockup of the centerpiece? There are florists out there that will not charge you for this. One in San Antonio that I use a lot even will get the color of your linen for you so you can see how it will look on your wedding day.
  7. What is your delivery and set up fee?
  8. How early will you arrive to set up?
  9. Do I get to keep the flowers at the end of the night? What about the vase? Most vases are theirs and they will want them back. You can order vases that you can give to the guests too. You’ll need to discuss that with the florist.

shellie21The budget for your flowers really can be high or low. It just depends on the extravagance you are wanting. Go to a couple of florist to comparison shop and see what they have to offer. Most florists specialize in a certain style and offer something different. Do your research ahead of time and visit their websites. You’ll get a great sense of who they are from pictures of past weddings they have done.

Be sure to read past blog posts about how to plan your wedding with great tips and questions to ask. If you need help with planning your wedding in San Antonio and the surrounding area, please contact me. I would love to help! Trudy Scott, Royalty Events Planning, 210-595-9263 or Trudy@RoyaltyEventsPlanning.com.

How to choose the perfect San Antonio wedding photographer

I hope you are keeping up with my blogs. I am going to walk you through the process of planning your wedding. I know how planning a wedding can be overwhelming and you don’t know what questions to ask, tips to save money and which vendors to choose. As an experienced wedding consultant I can guide you to planning the PERFECT wedding you have always dreamed of. In my last 2 blogs I talked about choosing your venue and catering options. I hope you have checked that off your list of “To Do’s.”

The first thing I always tell a couple when planning their wedding is to make a list of the most important to the least important items they want to include in their wedding. I use this as a guide in choosing vendors, especially when the budget is very tight. By seeing it in writing it helps the couple realistically look at every aspect of the wedding and when they just don’t have anymore money left for the last item on the list, they are ok with that. They see all the other great items on the list that they did get. It is also important to keep track of your budget. Weddingwire.com offers a great tool for keeping track of your budget. Here’s the link. As a planner I can do that for my couples.

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So, lets say that photography is the next most important aspect of the wedding they listed after the venue and catering. The questions I always ask a couple is, “What is your style you are trying to show with your wedding?” There are modern weddings, rustic/country, vintage, Victorian, themed, traditional, simple, romantic, beachy (photo above by David Keith Photography), etc. Once I know their style then I can narrow down the search for photographers. If the couples have a certain budget they want to stay within I’ll find that out as well. If photography is at the top of the list I can pretty much figure they are ok with spending anywhere up to $4000 for a great photographer. Don’t worry, though. There are many photographers out there that are just as good and have lower pricing (maybe they aren’t as experienced or offer smaller packages).

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For some photographers, they are photojournalists. They have gone to school for photography and they are very creative in the way they take pictures. Their pictures are edited a little more than others and they might have added elements to the pictures that add a dramatic flair. I absolutely love this kind of photographer!

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Some photographers are a little more laid back in their work but still offer exceptional quality. Their pictures are very casual, less formal, candid shots. The glow of the sun or the tones and colors of the images might show a more elegant feel to the pictures too. Here are a couple of samples from 2 different photographers. The 2nd photo is from Mint Photography.

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Another style I have seen in photographers is the crisp, modern feel of the pictures. The images are sharp and give a more traditional feel to the photograph.

After viewing some samples of their work you’ll want to review their packages. Here are some questions you’ll want to ask a photographer when trying to decide on the perfect photographer for your wedding:

  •  Does the package include 2 photographers (or an assistant)?
  • How many hours will I have the photographer(s)?
  • Will each photographer be at different locations for the “getting ready” time – one with the bride and the other with the groom?
  • Are the photos edited? If so, how are they edited and how many will be edited?
  • How long does it take to get back my pictures?
  • Will I have the print rights of the photos to do what I like afterwards with them?
  • Will the photos be on a disc for me or only online? Will my guests have to pay for prints if they want them?
  • Does the package include an engagement and/or bridal portrait session? Will I receive a print with that?
  • If I need the photographer longer than the package includes how much extra will it be?
  • Will the photos be stored in a safe place if I loose them in the future? How will they be stored?
  • What is the deposit and when is payment due?
  • Do you offer videography with your package (sometimes you can get a discounted rate with both services)?
  • Are there any travel fees or other costs I need to know about?
  • If I don’t need something included in your package can I take it off and the price be lowered? (ex. an album, prints, cd)

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Some of my couples can’t decide which package is best for them. If you can’t afford the unlimited hours package then you can choose a lower package with limited hours and either have them start when the ceremony begins to save some time at the beginning or have them leave after all the important moments are done (usually after the garter/bouquet toss). Some photographers will do a “fake” send off so the couple still gets pictures from what would have happened at the end. Here is an example of a picture a couple took doing just that.

If you need help planning your wedding I can help. Please contact Trudy Scott at 210-595-WAND (9263) or email at Trudy@RoyaltyEventsPlanning.com. You can find out more about my services on my website, http://www.RoyaltyEventsPlanning.com. I would love to talk you more about your wedding!

Tips for finding a wedding dress for less

bridalShhhhhh…can you keep a secret? I never told anyone how much I spent on my wedding dress (15 years ago) because I didn’t want them to think I was super cheap (even though I was). I had a very low budget to plan the wedding of my dreams and had to think creatively. With alterations, I only spent about $400 (not including accessories or shoes). How did I do it? Well, I went to a dress shop, known for budget dresses, and then scoured their clearance rack. I had asked my hubby what kind of dress he would like me in and he said nothing with a lot of rhinestones and bling. So, simple it was. My theme was literally Cinderella, so I knew I wanted a fluffy tulle dress with gloves. I actually found it on the clearance rack for around $300. It wasn’t until later that I realized it wasn’t a bridal gown at all but a fancy bridesmaid dress, go figure. It worked for me and I loved it!

brides against breast cancer

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One organization that I support is Brides Against Breast Cancer. I have volunteered a couple of times when they have done a show here in San Antonio. The way it works is past brides donate their dress to this organization and then they travel across the nation and sell these dresses to other brides at a fraction of the cost through shows at mostly hotels. The best part is most of the proceeds go back to breast cancer research. A close friend of mine that was in my wedding, and I in hers, just won her battle with breast cancer and is in remission. I am a strong supporter of this organization.

wedding_dressSo, now that the internet is in full force there are a lot more choices than there was 15 years ago for searching for your bridal gown. PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com  is a great website where past brides post their gown on their website and actually earn a commission if the dress sells. There are over 19,000 gowns from more than 350 different designers and nearly 30% of their listings are for new, unaltered, unworn gowns. They stated that typically a used wedding dress that’s 2.5 year or younger will sell for 50% of the retail. They also have listings for bridesmaid dresses, mother of the bride dresses, flower girl dresses and accessories.

100_3238Some other tips for purchasing an inexpensive dress are:

  • Purchase a simple dress and add accessories to it (i.e. sash, brooch, stand out jewelry, tiara, gloves, a wrap, etc.) to personalize it to your liking.
  • At any bridal shop go to the clearance rack for discontinued dresses or those dresses that have been tried on numerous times. Look for makeup marks are rips (the salesclerk might even make a better deal than what the sticker says).
  • Ask the sales clerk if they carry sample gowns at reduced prices. This might be your opportunity to actually get the exact dress you wanted from the bridal magazines.
  • Ask to see the slightly damaged dresses or the dresses that have been purchased by other brides and returned to the shop. They might agree to sell to you instead of avoiding the expense of returning it to the supplier.
  • Other locations to try – consignment shops, bridal outlet stores and even department stores (the formalwear and prom sections).
  • If worse comes to worse, think about borrowing a dress or renting it from a friend.

One last thing I want to mention is to please be careful when purchasing your dress online. There are a lot of fraud sites out there. Only buy from a reputable company. But, do keep in mind that you are purchasing a dress that you haven’t tried on and it could completely fit and look different on than in the picture.

bridal connectionThe Bridal Connection, a bridal shop currently located in Rolling Oaks Mall in San Antonio, Texas, will be moving to the Stone Oak area soon and I am super excited! They offer a lot of beautiful, high quality dresses and will work within your budget. Be looking for their grand opening.

If you need any other recommendations for your bridal gown purchase please call or email me at 210-595-9263 or info@royaltyeventparties.com. I am a professional wedding consulting/invitation company in San Antonio. I am here to help with your wedding planning! Please go to my website for more information about my services and be sure to “like” my Facebook page to keep up with what is going on with Royalty Event Parties.

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