Posts Tagged ‘san Antonio wedding planner’

Planning an outdoor ranch-style wedding in the Texas Hill Country

IMG_3022Recently, I just finished coordinating a beautiful fall outdoor ranch wedding outside of San Antonio, Texas. The planning had taken over a year by the bride and I was hired about 3 months out to coordinate the day of. The ranch she had her reception at was originally owned by her grandfather who had passed away. He had wished for one of his grandchildren to have their reception there and his wish came true! It was a really special day for the entire family.

_0407My bride was very DIY when it came to décor. She had a vision in her head and knew to make it just the way she wanted she needed to create it herself. If you are crafty I say, “Go for it!” You can save a lot of money and get exactly what you want by making it yourself. But, please give yourself extra time to do this. Even with all her planning, well in advance, she was still scrambling for help the night and morning of trying to complete her projects. Who wants to stress that close to their wedding? You can also hire a wedding coordinator to assist you in these tasks at hand.

IMG_3009Be sure to book your vendors well in advance (6-8 months) and be sure to follow up at least 1 month prior to ensure your order is correct. Two weeks before the wedding, we learned that the bathroom company didn’t have her order on file for some reason and we were frantically trying to ensure having a bathroom even up to 2 days prior to the reception. There are so many items to figure in when having a wedding on a ranch with nothing but land. Here are several points to remember:

1. Tent – does it need flaps, heat or fans for the weather expected? Will it be big enough to hold all your guests, dance floor, DJ & band, other vendors (caterer, bartenders, etc.)? Having a CAD drawing is crucial.

2. Bathrooms – Do you want a comfort bathroom with 2-4 stalls?

3. Electricity – Do you need to rent generators?

4. Water – Do you have a water source?

5. Tables, chairs, bars, dance floor, linens, china

6. Parking area – Do you have some of the land cleared for parking?

7. Decor

8. Large cleared out grassy area with no weeds for tent (need to maintain this space up until the wedding) and prepare for bugs (spray the area)

Nov 15 CAD _0362There’s a lot to consider, isn’t there? Don’t forget to prepare for the weather and have heaters/fans/additional tents on standby so they are available to you if needed. If you wait until the last minute they will be rented out and then what will you do?

Lastly, you need to think about your budget when planning a wedding of this caliber. It will probably cost you more than a typical reception at a venue for all the items you need to consider for. The venues already have all those items in place.

If you need help with planning your wedding and where to get the items needed for an outdoor wedding please contact Trudy Scott with Royalty Event Parties, 210-595-9263 or info@royaltyeventparties.com. I’m here to help with coordinating, planning your honeymoon and ordering invitations/stationery.

The 2nd and last photos were provided by The Wedding Shoppe.

Sandals Destination Wedding Testimonial

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Recently, through the Association of Bridal Consultants, I attended the Sandals Weddingmoons specialist training in Nassau, Bahamas. While I relaxed in a whirlpool after a long day of training, I met this wonderful couple, Cindi and Jack, who talked about their Sandals destination wedding as if it had just happened. Actually, they got married on May 29, 2010, at Sandals Montego Bay with 20 of their closest friends and family. Even before their wedding, they have come back year after year to Sandals for their vacation. They were so excited to talk about how amazing Sandals was I had to ask for a testimonial. They were THRILLED to share their answers to my questions…

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1. Why did you decide on Sandals to have your wedding?

     “We decided to get married at Sandals because we wanted a destination wedding that would be no stress for us or our families.  We both work and just didn’t have time to dedicate to all the extreme planning that goes into a wedding.  We had been to many Sandals before and loved watching people get married on the beach.  Every wedding we watched was picturesque. There is nothing more beautiful than a white sand beach, blue water and a beautiful sunset in your wedding pictures.”

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2. What did you like about the planning process with them?

      “It literally took 20 minutes to plan our whole wedding!  We arrived at Sandals, had a drink on the beach and then met with our wedding coordinator.  She brought us champagne and we got to sample three different types of cake and we picked our favorite.  Then she had us pick our favorite flower package.  It was one of the easiest things I’ve ever done in my whole life.  I know so many brides that spend an insane amount of time planning and prepping for their wedding.  I spent about 20 minutes planning/prepping and then got to spend the rest of my day sipping drinks with my future husband on a beautiful beach.  It just doesn’t get much better than that!”

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3. What was the most memorable part about your wedding at Sandals?

     “The beauty of everything!  Our flowers were gorgeous, the set up was beautiful and the beach/sunset was beyond gorgeous!!  Our wedding looked like something out of a magazine!  I still LOVE looking at our pictures!  We also loved the fact that we got to spend our wedding day on the beach and swimming in the water with our families.  We enjoyed getting to spend time with our 20 guests that came to watch us get married. The wedding coordinator came to get us to start getting ready about an hour and a half before the wedding.  The day was so relaxed and so much fun instead of being stressful and spending the whole day inside getting ready.” 

 4. Why have you come back to Sandals each year?

     “We come back to Sandals every year because we love it so much.  We love having a large variety of amazing food, love that all drinks are included and no tipping is a huge plus.  It is so nice to lock up your wallet once you get there and know that you never have to pull it out again until you leave.  The staff is always so friendly and fun!  We always make at least two or three sets of friends each time we have gone to Sandals. We have yet to have a bad experience at a Sandals.”

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5. What location has been your favorite and why?

“We have two favorites.  If we are going to be alone and want a quiet romantic getaway, then our favorite is Negril.  Sandals Negril is so quaint and the beach is very beautiful!  This is definitely the resort to go to if you are more into spending time with one another and not so much with other people.   If we are going to have fun, meet some people or bring friends with us, then our favorite is Sandals Royal Bahamian.  The private island is beyond beautiful and made the trip over the top. We also love having the option of a quiet pool and a party pool.  There are so many amazing restaurants and things to do at this resort.”

6. What value do you see with Sandals?

     “We love that Sandals is truly is all inclusive!  There is no hidden fees or anything they don’t tell you about.  There is always food and drinks available to you and everything is so good.  The resorts are always clean and there is always someone to help you with whatever you need to make your vacation amazing.” 

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Royalty Event Parties, an established wedding consulting company in San Antonio, is a Sandals Certified Specialist and Weddingmoons Specialist. I’m here to make sure you feel the same way as Cindi and Jack do about your honeymoon or destination wedding! Please contact me to find out more information about Sandals, Beaches and Grand Pineapple. 210-595-9263, info@royaltyeventparties.com.

Save the dates for your wedding – San Antonio Wedding Invitations

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! save_the_date_chalkboard

Here are some pointers about save the dates:

  1. 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!
  2. 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.
  3.  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.).NYSS-Booth_20x36_4-2014.indd
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.101_5520

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

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_5509I 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


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 NYSS-Booth_20x36_4-2014.inddideas 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.NYSS-Booth_20x20_4-2014.indd
  • 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.

 

 

 

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