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Personalizing ideas for your wedding

December 19, 2014

As a professional wedding coordinator, I have seen today’s couple really want to incorporate special & unique touches throughout their wedding that really gives off a “WOW” factor to their guests. For some it starts with the save the dates or even how they tell everyone, “We’re getting married.” Eighteen years ago when I got engaged I did it the old fashion way, I called everyone. Now couples might take a cute picture with a caption “I said yes!” (Photograph from Brit+Co) and share on Instagram or Facebook.

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Save the dates can be really creative too. Carlson Craft carries hundreds of choices. Some of the most unique I found were puzzle save the dates, save the dates made out of wood and a streamer save the dates. Too cute!

Another way couples can show their personalities, have some fun & be creative, keep organized, and inform guests about wedding news is with their wedding website. Many of the wedding websites such as The Knot, mywedding.com and weddingwire.com offer wedding websites for their couples to create and have fun.

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For the ceremony, I have seen many brides incorporate special brooches, charms, candles, and pictures of loved ones that have passed away. This past bride of mine added a charm to her bouquet with a picture of her grandmother. This was so special to her. She was very emotional the first time she saw it. Programs are another idea to really say whatever you like and thank those that helped with the wedding planning (or in life). Why not turn your program into a bookmark, that way your guests will save it and use it over and over again. Carlson Craft offers lots of great program ideas as well. (top photo provided by Mint Photography)

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What about the reception? Where do I even begin. There are so many personalized touches you can do throughout the reception. Since I have a marketing degree and love to design, I’ve personalized candy labels for candy bars, water station personalized signs, Mr. and Mrs. signature drink signs, table numbers, place cards, invitations, etc. for my couples. Most of the time I didn’t even charge them. I just love doing it! Here are some other great ideas to personalize your reception:

Create your own monogram and display it through a gobo (a large lighted image on the wall or ground)
Use a special picture that is meaningful to you for your gobo (I recently had a bride use stars for the ceiling of her tent to symbolize the stars in the sky on a family ranch where she had the reception)
Instead of just using numbers for the tables incorporate words, phrases, food, etc. that is meaningful to the both of you. One of my past couple’s used cities that they have traveled together to as their table designation.
Party favors have become very personalized these days with koozies, coasters, favor boxes, candy labels, cookies, ribbon, tags & seals used for bags, etc. With every wedding I coordinate I always see so many different and create ideas. Here are a few from my past brides.

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With a little creativity, a special memory you want to share with others, and websites like Pinterest, you can easily personalize your wedding in extraordinary ways. It is endless! You can go to my Pinterest boards to see lots of great ideas there too! If you need help planning your wedding please contact me. I am very creative and we could work together in creating special personalization throughout every aspect of your wedding. Trudy Scott, Royalty Event Parties, 210-595-9263, http://www.RoyaltyEventParties.com

Save the dates for your wedding – San Antonio Wedding Invitations

October 21, 2014

Congratulations! You’re getting married and you now want everyone to know about it, right? Save the dates are the perfect opportunity to do this and let your guests know well in advance about your wedding date so they can start planning accordingly. My invitation online stores through Royalty Event Parties, carry a huge selection of save the dates and is the perfect starting point in your stationery wedding needs. Click here to see more!

Here are some pointers about save the dates:

They should be fun! Show your personality and style with the look you choose. Even if you are having a formal wedding you don’t have to show so much formality in your save the dates! Magnets, chalkboard designs, fold out notes, etc. are really popular!
Send them out six to eight months prior to your wedding. There should be no excuses for those guests to not plan on coming! This will give the out of town guests time to plan for destination wedding & holiday travel.
It is ok to select a style different than what will be on your invitation. Most of the time you won’t have your invitation picked out 8 months prior so go with maybe a style that incorporates the same colors of your wedding or image (rustic, traditional, modern, etc.).
Do I need to put the venue location on them? No. The important information is your names, the fact that you’re getting married, the date and city in which your wedding will take place and that there will be a formal invitation to follow.
You need to make sure that whoever you send a save the date to will also receive an invitation. That would be kinda rude if you didn’t. How awkward for the next time you saw them too.
There is an advantage to sending out save the dates…you will get a feel for the turnout of who will and won’t be able to attend. However, even if your guest says they will not be able to attend you must send them an invitation.
DO NOT send Evites as save the dates! Yes, this might be a cheap way of doing it but I feel that the proper & formal way is the traditional way, through the mail. Your guests will appreciate it more too.
Don’t forget to mail save the dates out to everyone including your wedding party and parents. You’ll also need to decide on which of your guests can bring a plus 1 if they don’t have a significant other before mailing them so you address the envelope the proper way.

I hope these tips about save the dates has helped you with your wedding planning. If you would like to order save the dates or if you have any other questions for me please do not hesitate to contact me. Remember, you’ll receive 10% off orders and 15% off orders if you are using me for my consulting services as well. The code for Printswell is 10%OFFSPECIAL (Carlson Craft automatically takes 10% off). 210-595-9263, info@royaltyeventparties.com, http://www.RoyaltyEventParties.com.

How to save money on your wedding invitations

October 7, 2014

The first and most important way to save money on your invitations is to purchase them through me, Royalty Event Parties (in person or through my online storefronts). I am currently offering 10% off all printing orders (except Disney), which includes invitations (engagement, bachelorette, showers, wedding, birthdays, graduations, etc.), save the dates, programs, menu cards, place cards, stickers, note cards, napkins, coasters & more! If you use my coordinating services you will receive 15% off!

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Other Money Saving Tips

1. For a casual or semi-formal event you can put the reception information on the invitation instead of using a separate reception card. If it is a formal event then of course, you would want to purchase a separate reception card.

2. A popular and less expensive way of printing is thermography. Thermography will give you a raised look and feel for much less money. Carlson Craft offers raised printing as a standard option on most invitations.

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3. The paper, artwork, size of invitation, added pictures or monograms, type of printing (i.e. letterpress, foil, flat, thermography), & added embellishments all add to the cost of the invitation. The simpler your design, the cheaper it will be. Carlson Craft offers a fantastic all-in-one invitation/response card postcard that is their most affordable style. I have had many budget brides, who thought they couldn’t afford Carlson Craft, pleasantly surprised when I showed them this option!

4. Don’t over purchase! Be sure to count your A & B list carefully and instead of creating a separate B list response card have the RSVP date a little earlier so you have time to mail out to the B list as you receive regrets. Be sure to stay on top of this and send out to the B list right away. Also, don’t send out extra invitations to the same household (family members).

4. Something that you may forget to think about is the postage. If you have several layers to your invitation including double lined envelopes, the response card with envelope, tissue paper, reception card, hotel/website card, &/or map card, it can get pretty pricey. You need to think about the size too. Large square invitations cost more to mail out. Use non-lined envelopes since the weight of the lining can increase the price too. One tip I also recommend is sending out postcard response cards, you can save up to 12 cents each on the stamp.

101_5509 I am here to help with any kind of wedding, on a tight budget or not. I can show you a wide variety of styles and options. Please contact me today to schedule an in-person, one-on-one appointment. I’m an established wedding consulting company in San Antonio, Texas. You can also visit my online storefronts to get ideas there as well. 210-595-9263, info@royaltyeventparties.com.

Checklist and Timeline for Wedding Invitations

September 14, 2014

carlson_craft_invitations_san_antonio Here is a general invitation guideline to make sure you stay on schedule as you plan your wedding. The entire process from start to finish can take six to eight months so please don’t wait until the last minute to order your invitations. Use this guide while planning!

For a limited time I am offering 10% off all invitation orders!

1 Year – Your engaged! Set a wedding date and then start to gather your list of potential guests you would like to invite (the “A & B” list). This is important so you know the size of the venue you need to book. You would hate to book a venue for only 150 guests and then at the last minute you forgot to add guests and then the venue becomes too small. Plan ahead!
9 Months – Start searching websites, Pinterest and magazines for invitation style ideas and start narrowing down the style/look/feel you are wanting. Depending on the formality of the wedding you will want to start thinking about all the enclosures you intend on including as well. Think about hotel accommodation cards, direction cards, reception cards, etc.
7 to 8 Months – Decide on how you want to create your invitations. If you decide upon creating a custom invitation from a stationer this is the time to collect your ideas for it. You’ll want to order your save the date cards (from “A List”). Be sure you’ve gathered all your guest’s addresses!
6 Months – If creating your own invitation you’ll want to meet with the stationer and start the process. Be sure to mail the save the date cards by now!
5 Months – If ordering your invitation by templates this is the time you’ll want to meet with a stationer and decide on your invitation. You can view invitations through online storefronts or in-person so you can actually see them. You’ll finalize the wording and enclosures as well. A stationer can recommend calligraphers as well at this time. You’ll want to call them and make sure they know you’ll be using them to address the envelopes.
4 Months – Invitations should be ordered and received during this month. Be sure to always request a proof for your invitation, this is a tip I always recommend! Also, order extra invitations for the “B List” and/or envelopes for accidental mess ups. Once invitations come in you’ll want to get the envelopes to the calligrapher to address or you’ll need to address yourself at this time. Be sure to have a typed out list of guest’s names/addresses so mistakes aren’t made for not being able to read someone’s handwriting.
3 Months – Address the envelopes (allow 3-4 weeks). Go to the post office and weigh everything and purchase the postage needed.
10-8 Weeks – Assemble and seal invitations, apply postage. Request hand-cancelling at the post office so the invitations do not go through their machines and mail. Be sure to mail out from the “B List” as regrets start coming in. Place your rehearsal dinner invitation order.
4 Weeks – Last chance to mail out the “B List”. Mail out the rehearsal dinner invitations (or inform responsible party) and post wedding brunch invitations if applicable.
2 Weeks – Contact guests that have not rsvp’d. Normally, caterers need 10 business days prior to the wedding for the final count so get that to them as well. If you are using a seating chart be sure to get this to your wedding coordinator and caterer as well.
THE BIG DAY – Try and relax and have a great time!!

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Please use this as a guide as you plan your wedding. If you have any further questions please contact Trudy Scott, Professional Wedding Consultant, and I will be more than happy to help you. You can also contact me to make a personal one-on-one appointment to view invitations in person. I also can help you with bridal shower, save the dates, rehearsal dinner, bachelorette, thank you cards, programs, menu cards and more! 210-595-9263, info@royaltyeventparties.com.

Should I hire a wedding coordinator?

August 13, 2014

austin_wedding_expo_2014 Recently, I attended the Austin Wedding Expo and heard many great speakers talk about goal setting, marketing ideas, SEO tips, etc. One of the most interesting comments I heard there was by one of the speakers who stated, “Based on case studies, brides wish they would have hired a wedding planner (after the fact).” Hearing that is so frustrating as a wedding consultant in San Antonio, Texas. I went up to the speaker after the presentation and asked, “Well, how do you convince the bride BEFORE the wedding just how important planners are?” That’s a hard question to answer! Some brides will never get it but there is that small percentage that DO (thank you!). Here is a list of reasons to consider using a wedding planner & if hiring a wedding coordinator is the way to go – maybe I can convince those other brides.

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Have you planned a wedding before? There is a lot that goes into it…someone experienced can guide you and save you a lot of time trying to figure it all out. Have you thought about your plan B if it rains or who is going to move all those chairs from the ceremony to the reception? I have! How much time goes into planning a typical wedding (10 months prior)? “Say I spend 5 hours a week thinking about, researching for and crafting the wedding – which is probably a conservative estimate. At 5 hours a week, 40 weeks of planning = 200 hours,” blog from Wedding Bee, Time Well Spent. http://www.weddingbee.com/2008/11/06/time-well-spent/#ixzz3AIcX5ktk. Do you have this much time to plan? Wedding coordinators can cut that time in half!

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If you opt to hire a wedding planner, you can focus on the fun details of planning the wedding while your wedding planner takes care of the technicalities. Do you really want to spend time on the phone with transportation companies and hotels?

I understand that planning your dream wedding is not cheap and you want a good deal on everything or you just don’t budget for it at all – like coordinators. However, couples need to keep in mind that this is one of the biggest days of their lives. I’ve been married for over 14 years and I still think back on all the details and the things I should have done for my wedding…I have regrets! I don’t want you to have regrets too! We really are essential for ensuring a smooth and stress-free day! Trust me, we are worth every penny!

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Do you think that your family, friends and wedding party really want to be given tasks to do for your wedding? They may say they would love to help but is it really fair to ask them to do all this manual labor work? Wouldn’t you much rather have them around you relaxing and enjoying one another’s company as they come together to celebrate this very special day with you? Think about those memories!! A coordinator’s job is to make sure all these tasks are done so others can relax too.

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So, going back to my question…how do I convince bride’s that consultants really are essential to have BEFORE their wedding? Here’s some reasons…vendor recommendations, give advice, review contracts (it seems like I always catch something), create timelines (I give one to the DJ, caterer & bride), do the leg work (calling vendors), attend rehearsal (make sure everyone knows what to do), pin boutonnieres & pass out flowers, ensure vendors arrive & set up, manage the entire event from start to finish, take care of problems (At one wedding I coordinated the toilet was overflowing in the bathroom….there I was with a plunger and cleaning up the floor so others wouldn’t slip – the bride never knew this!), load up cars with gifts and couple’s items, make sure vendors clean up (I want you to get your deposit back) plus so much more.

Consultants put in hours and hours of their time for each and every wedding they assist with. We love what we do and are passionate about it! I hope you will consider hiring an expert. I hope this blog has helped convince brides-to-be. If you need consulting or invitation services please contact Trudy Scott, 210-595-9263 or info@royaltyeventparties.com. I service the San Antonio, Texas area.

Follow Up: I posted this blog on a Linked In Wedding Group and here are some comments I received. Pretty interesting….https://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=86275&type=member&item=5906130834867372036&commentID=5906532529652912128&report%2Esuccess=8ULbKyXO6NDvmoK7o030UNOYGZKrvdhBhypZ_w8EpQrrQI-BBjkmxwkEOwBjLE28YyDIxcyEO7_TA_giuRN#commentID_5906532529652912128

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