san Antonio wedding planner Archives - Royalty Planning and Travel, LLC

Posts Tagged ‘san Antonio wedding planner’

Vintage Wedding Decor Ideas – San Antonio Wedding Consultant

September 15, 2015

View More: http://elegantbeautyphoto.pass.us/laura-and-tim-sawicki-wedding In San Antonio, the vintage look is still in when it comes to weddings. I don’t think it will ever go out of style for some couples. The most important part in having your vintage-inspired wedding look perfect is the location. Either having it in an old historic building with antiques, wood floors & intricate details or outside with beautiful surroundings of trees and flowers is essential for everything to tie together. Here are some ideas in San Antonio and the surrounding area for a great venue to accomplish the vintage look.

View More: http://elegantbeautyphoto.pass.us/laura-and-tim-sawicki-wedding

card hold vintage luggage birdcage_gift_table

The next step is to purchase or rent vintage furniture and décor. I have had several brides go to thrift stores and antique stores and make some great finds! Antique vases, books, trinkets, jewelry, luggage, containers, etc. are perfect for adding to the charm and ambiance of the venue space. A past couple of mine got lots of old library books and tied them together with ribbon and had them on each table for part of the centerpiece. They added in old gloves, lace, tea pots and trinkets to really give the table a vintage feel.

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Here is another example from a past couple of mine where she had shopped around for vintage vases and then added beautiful creams and shades of pink colored flowers. The bride actually made the exquisite birdcages hanging from the ceiling to incorporate a vintage yet glamorous look to them.

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If you really want to have your guests feel they have gone back into time, it’s all about how you design your tables with the vintage items, the flowers you choose, the furniture style used and even the dress attire of the wedding party. All the small details will be noticed, I promise you, so have fun with it! Here are some furniture rental companies in the San Antonio area:

If you need help planning your vintage-styled wedding please contact Trudy Scott of Royalty Events Planning at 210-595-9263 or Trudy@RoyaltyEventsPlanning.com.

Engagement Picture Locations & Ideas In San Antonio

September 2, 2015

San Antonio Engagement Picture Locations &

Ideas For Your Save The Dates

As a wedding consultant in San Antonio who also offers invitation services, I have worked with all types of couples in ordering their save the dates. This is one of the hottest trends today and most couples are sending them out. Save the dates are normally sent out anywhere from 1 year to 6 months prior to the actual wedding date. Couples want to give their guests plenty of time to plan and prepare, especially those that will be traveling. View More: http://limelightsa.pass.us/sonterra save_the_date_chalkboard I must confess that I enjoy looking at the couple’s pictures for the save the dates the most. They are so creative and beautiful. Nothing like what it used to be when you went to a studio and got a posed picture taken…SO BORING! I get asked a lot from my couples where they should take their pictures and I always mention the traditional places of San Antonio, the Riverwalk, downtown San Antonio, The San Antonio Missions, the McNay Art Museum, and the San Antonio Botanical Gardens but I usually tell them to refer to their photographer for more unique locations. Most of the venues will allow their couples to have their engagement pictures taken there at no additional charge. Some couples choose this option too. I always remind my couples that they are going to get so many pictures there on the day of their wedding that it might be better to choose another location for a different look.

save the date

An actual Save The Date ordered through Royalty Events Planning

Local photographers know the special and unique places, the hidden gems of San Antonio and the surrounding area! Based on what their theme is, style or interests of the couple, the photographer will use that to make recommendations of where they could go to take the pictures.

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Pictures taken by Ardore Photography

And then the fun begins! Normally, couples will take a change of clothes and have 2 different looks for their pictures…a casual and more formal look. Some will incorporate their pets or something that is special to the both of them or even just one. I have seen many a time the fiancé getting his car, motorcycle or other special “toy” in the picture. So funny! Their cars are like a child to them, they have to include them, right!

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Daniel W. Torres Photography

The way the picture is taken and edited is also important to the couple. I have seen many photojournalist photographers create beautiful images with bold color, using black and white with a touch of color, tilting the camera, using unique angles, using props, etc.

candice_exon Daniel W. Torres Photography

save the date_courtney Here’s a list of great engagement photo locations in the San Antonio/Hill Country (not listed from above):

Favorites of Ara Photography

(click on the name to see engagement pictures)

Bracken Village

Adkins, Texas

South Town and Blue Star

Vista West Ranch

Other Ideas

A field of bluebonnets

A ranch

Lambermont

Westin (large staircase)

Landa Library

Gruene (Gruene Mansion Inn and Gruene Hall)

Sunset Station

Pearl Brewery

Canyon Springs (waterfall)

La Escondida Celebration Center

I hope some of these locations give you a starting place on where you can have your engagement pictures taken. Ask your photographer, too. If you need help planning your wedding please contact me. I am here for you! Trudy Scott, Royalty Events Planning, 210-595-9263 or Trudy@RoyaltyEventsPlanning.com

How To Start Your Own Children’s Party Planning Business

August 7, 2015

My inspiration, my princess…my daughter, Meredith

I’m going to talk a little off topic of wedding planning because I am so proud to have launched my very first e-book just this week! The Secrets To Starting a Profitable and Successful Children’s Party Planning Business was a logic choice for me when I originally decided on the topic of this e-book. The number one question customers and friends always asked was, “How did you start this business?” Back in 2006, I was renting space in a children’s boutique in the Texas hill country where I sold baby items and dancewear for kids. I was a stay-at-home mom, but I have always had that entrepreneurial spirit all my life. After my daughter was born and there were complications at birth, I eventually quit my full-time job so I could spend more time with her doing therapies, teaching her, taking her to doctor visits, music classes, gym time, and whatever else I could do for her. I had to learn everything I could in the special needs field and become her advocate. I bought a monogramming machine and started making baby items which led me into that boutique.

One day, I noticed there was an empty space in the boutique and I asked the owner what she was going to do with that space. She told me that she was thinking of having girls come into the store and have tea parties and celebrate birthdays there. That is what gave me the idea initially, but my idea was to go to the customer’s party location and host parties there myself. I started searching online and found a company in California that was selling their business and I ended up purchasing it from them. It didn’t have everything I needed but a nice portion. I did learn that I needed so much more and started researching extensively trying to find the best deals at the highest quality. I wanted to set myself apart from the competition and have my parties very detailed and upscale, but at an affordable price to the customer.

This way of thinking along with my excellent customer service were essential for the success of my business year after year. I became the top provider for princess parties in my area and as my business grew my party options did as well. I first launched the princess party theme, which has always been my number one party option. Shortly after, I added glamour parties, spa parties, fairy parties, stuff-a-bear parties, Girl Scout program parties, Mops’ teas, baby showers, and lastly, the Glam-To-Go Mobile party option.

It was so rewarding to see all these girls so excited to meet a princess and when they said to their mom, “Can I have a party just like his?” It put a smile on my face. I truly loved my job!

You won’t believe this, but I actually hosted the parties all by myself when I first started. That entailed packing for the party, setting it up, hosting it, cleaning it up and then cleaning it more when I got home. When I finally did hire an assistant I told myself, “Why didn’t I do this long ago!” You need help! Trust me.

So, getting back to my daughter. This job was perfect for my needs at the time. I was with her working from home during the week and then went to the parties on the weekends while my husband was home. It started off as a great part-time job. As she got older and most everything I could do for her was in place, I had more time that I could spend in the business so I expanded. I hired more employees and I had enough party items where I could do two parties at one time. Doing the princess visits worked well, too. I just had to purchase more costumes. I was doing anywhere from 3-5 parties a weekend then. This job really is what you put into it. At the end, I had hosted over 850 parties!

You can make a lot of money and in my e-book I go into detail about all my secrets that I learned as I started and grew my business. All the hardwork is done for you and I tell you step-by-step what you need to do with the minimal amount of money to start and run this business. I give you money making ideas that I implemented and also ideas for your marketing plan. I knew exactly where I needed to advertise for the least amount of money to get the leads you want.

If you have been thinking of starting your own children’s party planning business this is the e-book for you. I focused on general business practices you need to know and then went into detail on my princess party option. In my next e-book I will go into detail on my other party options I had. I am working on it right now and can’t wait to share it with you.

If you would like to purchase this e-book please go to my e-book page on my website and click on the buy button. If you need a one-on-one consultation about your business please feel free to contact me for more information. I would love to help you! Trudy Scott, 210-595-9263 or Trudy@RoyaltyEventsPlanning.com.

Planning Tips For A Stress-Free Wedding – San Antonio Wedding Consultant

July 30, 2015

inspiration board_kim As a wedding consultant, I have worked with all types of brides when it comes to planning their wedding. At that initial consultation, I really get a sense of what they are like by how organized they seem to be, how much they have already planned before even meeting with me, how many Pinterest photos they have on their phone to show me, and how much they talk while I listen. The #1 reason why they have contacted me and considered hiring a wedding consultant is TO BE STRESS-FREE ON THEIR WEDDING DAY! They are the ones that get it and I LOVE IT!

inspiration board_raquel

I’m going to walk you through tips on how to stay calm during the wedding planning process.

1. Make lists and keep organized

Make lists of what you need to do and keep organized by having a large binder where you can keep all your photos, contracts, notes, and receipts. Just be sure to not forget it when going to vendor appointments. I have seen this happen all too many times. As far as the lists…make them small, maybe a list of 4-5 items at a time so you do feel so overwhelmed. Also, feel free to delegate tasks to family members and friends. They would probably love to help you, just ask! The great thing about the internet, magazines and PLANNERS is that they all can provide you with a detailed monthly to-do-list during the wedding planning process. It will keep you on track on where you should be at which month and in what order you should plan everything. If you would like this list please contact me and I would be more than happy to email you one!

2. Hire great vendors

Attend bridal shows, open houses, ask friends that have already gotten married and read reviews on the internet to find great wedding vendors. Also, be sure to interview vendors before choosing one. In some of my past blogs I included lots of questions to ask different type of vendors. Please go back and read some of those blogs to get those questions. By choosing established vendors with good reputations you are in a win-win situation and you ensure a stress-free wedding day.

3. Take a break

If you are planning everything yourself you need to take some time off to get your mind off of it, occasionally. Please do this! Just relax for a weekend enjoying other things with your fiancé or friends. You will feel refreshed after a relaxing weekend with them. I have found that more often couples are planning their weddings more than 1 year in advance – you have plenty of time! There is no reason to rush through it all. After you have locked in the venue, the most important piece to the wedding, then just relax for a bit and get refreshed before tackling the to-do-lists.

4. Wedding issues can be resolved

If something doesn’t feel right or doesn’t quite go your way then step back from the situation and discuss it calmly with your fiancé or parents first and then with the vendors. A solution can happen. Most vendors will go over and beyond to ensure the couple is happy and will help to resolve the issue in any way. If they don’t, then maybe they aren’t the right fit for you. Hopefully, they will return your deposit and you can move on to another vendor that is a better fit.

5. Don’t sweat the small stuff

This is where I have seen brides across all spectrums…the laid back, easy going, happy about anything bride to the very detailed, organized, uptight bride that can’t relax on her wedding day. I feel so sorry for those 2nd type of brides. My job as a planner is to ensure a stress-free day for the bride but sometimes there is nothing I can say or do to change this. I work so hard behind the scenes to make sure everything is set up, vendors have arrived, the wedding party has what they need, and so much more. The bride has to trust me that I will take care of everything so she CAN relax. If something does go wrong (ex. starting late, someone in the wedding party doesn’t show, a vendor messes up in some way, etc.) please, please, please just try and brush it off and don’t worry about. Most of the time no one even knows what went wrong. Think about all the great things that went right that day…you’re getting married!

Wedding-planner

6. Hire a wedding coordinator

I have mentioned several times in this blog just how valuable a wedding coordinator can be to having a stress-free day. I hope you seriously think about the advantages to having one! Not only can we help for the day of but we can help throughout the entire process. We can recommend vendors that are trust-worthy, help with décor ideas, tell you ways to save money, guide you in when/what you should be planning, help with hotel blocks, create timelines, ceremony lineup sheets, diagrams of the venue, assist at the rehearsal, and so much more! We can make your life and WEDDING…STRESS-FREE!

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If you are interested in hiring a wedding coordinator for the San Antonio area please contact me. I offer a FREE consultation and would love to hear all about your wedding and what your needs are. I also offer invitation and honeymoon services. Please learn more about my services at my website. Trudy Scott, http://www.royaltyeventsplanning.com, 210-595-9263 or Trudy@RoyaltyEventsPlanning.com

Ideas for Glamorous, Bling Weddings – San Antonio Wedding Consultant

July 22, 2015

I must say, that I like many kinds of styles of weddings but I think I am most drawn to the glamorous, sophisticated style that is sparkly and glitzy. This means using simple colors like cream/white with silver or gold accents, in my opinion. It looks so celebrity-like, right? I recently coordinated a wedding (for day of) and the bride really had this style for her vision. I think it turned out pretty good, what do you think?

The first tip, is to make sure you are in a venue that really has the glamour already there. The St. Anthony Hotel in downtown San Antonio was built in 1909 and recently went through a renovation where they restored the hotel to the look and feel that it was of the 1920’s. It is an exquisite hotel and every detail has been carefully thought of. Since the ballroom was mostly white with grey tones it only made sense to have the colors also be white with silver accents for her wedding. The historic Sunset Station is another great venue in downtown San Antonio with an exquisite look. It was the original train depot of San Antonio from 1902. The Depot, also known as, “The Building of 1,000 Lights” and “The Crown Jewel”, is adorned with ornate vaulted ceilings, stained glass windows and a grand staircase.

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Picture provided by Ara Photography

Next, the flowers. You need to create a statement with height. Especially, if the room has high ceilings. Look how gorgeous the head table looks with the tall vases and small lighted blinged vases too. Hydrangeas were the main flower which is great for price because it gives you a lot of fullness without having to spend a fortune on the flowers. Simple but elegant!

The sequined table clothes also gave the space a glamorous feel. They are a little more than your poly or satin linens but look how great it looks! It is worth it if your décor is very important to you. She saved money by only putting the sequined linens downstairs and leaving the hotel white linens on the upstair tables. Bisli did a magnificent job with the flowers and décor.

Your sign in table, picture table, place card table or candy bar can look glamorous too with sparkly picture frames, tall vases and beautiful linens as well. Here are examples of various tables from past weddings I coordinated.

sign_in_table candy table 101_6641

How about the gold look. Ok! Here’s a wedding I coordinated where she used a lot of gold with champagne color for her linens. I think champagne is my favorite color for a sophisticated, elegant wedding. What do you think? She used gold vases to hold the bridal bouquets for her bridesmaids and guess what…they were plastic, super cheap! You can’t even tell.

wedding reception table mcnay

Other décor that can really add to the ambiance is the cake stand. A large cake stand or blinged one can add to the look you are going for. Think about using small blinged frames for the table numbers. A fully set table also adds to the upscale look. Use china and glass, no plastic or paper!!! Use linen napkins and fold them a unique way or go simple with the waterfall which hangs down the side of the table, I love that one!

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Photo provided by Daniel W. Torres Photography

Consider other rentals such as uplighting, gobo, chandeliers, candlesticks, chargers and more to really add to the glamour! If you are the crafty bride, you can even buy bling in bulk and cut it and wrap around vases, make a cake stand glitzy, create napkin rings, etc. Don’t forget to glitz up your invitations and your bridesmaids dresses too!

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