Questions to Ask a Wedding Planner

Congratulations, you’re engaged! It is time to start planning your big day. Although family members are very helpful during this time, you may want services from a professional. Interviewing wedding planners can be a bit overwhelming. Here are some questions you should ask when looking for your perfect wedding planner, especially one with Indian/South Asian experience.

1. How long have you been a wedding planner? How many Indian/South Asian weddings have you done?

2. What professional organization do you belong to and do you have a diploma? What is your education and professional background?

3. Can we have at least 10 references for you and can we call them? We prefer non friends and non family members to call.

4. Are you a registered business?

5. How do you charge (hourly, flat fee, percentage)?

6. How much will you charge for us for the services we need?

7. Do you collect commission from vendors, what is your policy on this?

8. Are you computer literate? How do you communicate with your brides?

9. Do you have a backup in case of an emergency and can’t make our wedding? Who are they?

10. How will you and your team be dressed?

11. Can you help plan a wedding within our budget?

12. How many brides do you work with within a year? Will you have more than my wedding on the same day?

13. Have you worked at our venue before?

14. What is included with your services and are there any extra fees, i.e. phone calls, emails, taxi receipts, car rental charges?

15. Do you have a preferred vendor list? What is the criterion for someone being on that list?

16. Are you involved with our rehearsal, directing and organizing? Is this included?

17. Can you handle any last minute changes or emergencies?

18. How many meetings will we have and how long will they last?

19. What is the deposit requirement? What is your cancellation policy, will we get any portion or all of the deposit returned if we cancel?

20. Will you meet our vendors and review their contracts?

21. What time to you arrive and leave the day of the wedding?

22. Will there be someone with me, the bride, exclusively? How many other staff members will you bring on the day of?

23. What is your policy on vendor and budget confidentiality? Can you put this in writing?

Keep Your Guests Cool

With most of our recent events, the weather has been very warm. We advise all our brides to have a water station set up next to where the event is taking place. This is especially true for outside events such as a Baraat or outdoor Ceremony. Some venues even offer cold washcloth towels. We recommend adding a rose scent, which is a great touch. Also, you can set up three water stations with different fruit (we just did strawberries, pineapple, and cucumbers). All your guest will stay cool and enjoy the outdoor event.

Sheila and Nitin

The Mandarin Hotel was a spectacular venue that hosted the joining of Sheila and Nitin. Guests were entertained with the photo booth and provided lasting memories the couple can enjoy for a lifetime. Atlas was the decorator and created a space that was absolutely gorgeous. We would love to give a special thanks to James at the Mandarin, we could not have done this without you. The pictures, above, are worth a thousand words and we could not be more proud of this event. Our couple was glowing and the event was just what we envisioned. Thank you to Stak Photographer Duo for sharing these beautiful photos.

Writing Escort Cards

Organizing seating arrangements and trying to decide where guests should sit and with whom can be overwhelming for any couple. Escort cards are very helpful to both you and your guests. They help organize your tables and direct guests where to sit during the reception. If you are unfamiliar with escort card etiquette, it may seem a bit confusing. Here are some things to keep in mind when filling out your escort cards:

- Create an alpha guest list by last name, then first and include how many people in the party and what table they are seated at. This will help organize the guest list and you can check your escort cards against this list.

- Begin working on the escort cards at least two weeks before the event so you are not rushed and overwhelmed with other wedding details.

-Keep families and guests together. Do not list guests individually on separate escort cards, unless they are seated at different tables.

For Example:

Mr. & Mrs. John & Jane Smith (& Family)

Table _____

Not:

Mr. John Smith

Table_____

Mrs. Jane Smith

Table_____

-Do not fill in the table numbers right away. We suggest you do this closer to the event in case there are any last minute table changes.

- When you are done filling out the escort cards, check to make sure they are in alphabetical order and hand them over to your event planner. Just be sure to inform her of any changes.

Sujata and Priyesh: Turks and Caicos

The pristine beach and rolling waves in Turks and Caicos served to be a beautiful setting for the marriage of Sujata and Priyesh. We have grown accustomed to working with 100+ guests, with this event it was refreshing to have 35 guests and served to be an intimate event. The Seven Stars Resort was not only accommodating but a perfect venue for pictures. We would like to give a special thanks to DJ Manan, he kept the crowd excited and is wonderful to work with. Congratulations you two, the event was beautiful.

Sweet Thank You

Here is a sweet thank you card from one of our favorite couples, Aarti and Nandu. We are so happy that we could make your day so special!!

Keep Cool

With the summer already in full swing, outdoor weddings are very popular right now. However with sunny days also comes lots of heat. If you are saying your “I do’s” outside, you need to make sure your guests are hydrated and comfortable.

Here are a few suggestions on how to keep your guests cool:


Mister Fans
These are great for those steamy summer days. Make sure to work with your decorator to come up with an idea on how to hide them as they are not that appealing to the eye.


Parasoles
Parasoles are always a fun addition. They can add a pop of color and guests always love to keep them as a little memento from the big day.


Fan Programs
Double your programs as fans; this is a simple way to keep your guests cool.


Water
It is very important to stay hydrated when outside for long periods of time. Have a water station or pass around personalized water bottles.


Cold Towels
The last thing you want is to have your guests sweating in their fancy outfits. Keep cold towels around so they can keep refreshing themselves throughout the event.



Parfaits
If you are having a long ceremony, it’s nice to give your guests a little treat. This way they won’t be starving and thinking about their next meal. Consider offering parfaits, and display them in fun champagne glasses.


Canopies
Shading is one of the most important things when having an outside wedding. If there is nothing to shield your guests from the sun, they will end up leaving! Work with your decorator to come up with a nice idea that will work with your décor. Canopies made of sheer fabric are always a great option and very clean and crisp.

Transportation

At one of our most recent weddings, the bride’s family decided to provide transportation for all their guests who had traveled from far and wide. Everyone loved the convenience and couldn’t stop raving about how easy and reliable the transportation was. But behind the scenes was a different story. It was very difficult to coordinate transportation for each and every flight. Below are some of the pluses and minuses to providing transportation for all your guests.

Pluses

-Great way to make sure all your guests have arrived and see if anyone cancelled

-Saves money on transportation for your guests

-Guests don’t have to worry about transportation for their entire stay

Minuses

-Very costly

-Difficult to receive everyone’s transportation information then make sure it is received by the car service

-Can become difficult if flights are delayed

June 11th, 2011 Miami Wedding: A Happy Ending

Exceptional venue, wonderful guests, amazing food, and a gorgeous bride proved to be an event we will never forget. June 8-11 was an array of events that were fun-filled and a destination wedding in Miami the 350 guests will always remember.

The Eden Roc hotel was extremely accommodating and their staff could not have been more helpful. The mehendi, garba, ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception took place in different ballrooms and spaces of the hotel. By far, the most impressive space used was the upper pool area. The ceremony set up was on a plexiglass covering over the pool. Behind the mandap guests could see the beach, rolling waves, and brilliant, blue sky. The pictures are priceless. Moghul Caterers came all the way from NJ and provided delicious dishes that impressed guests for every meal. Finally, the bride,groom and their families were incredible clients that looked amazing at each event. It so helps when the bride is really on top of things herself. This was by far one of our most challenging weddings in terms of destination management, logisitics and weather, but we are very proud to say the event was a huge success...

We wanted to thank everyone that brought the client’s dreams to a reality and for working so diligently to help make this event run smoothly. We will never forget the incredible wedding at the Eden Roc hotel. We want to thank Bill, Mary Jo, Payal, Kamal, Michael and Marc, and all the other vendors who were on time and made our planning so much easier.

Last Dance Song

Many couples are choosing to play one of their favorite songs to close out their reception celebration. It’s a great way to top off a perfect evening. While you can leave it up to your DJ or band or choose a song, it is a lot more fun to play a personal favorite that you and your guests will love to close the night with. The song can be upbeat or romantic, classic or contemporary; really anything you and your guests will enjoy…

Here are some of our favorites:

“Don’t Stop Believing”- Journey

“Kiss” - Prince

“Ain't No Mountain High Enough” - Diana Ross and The Supremes

“Waiting For Tonight” - Jennifer Lopez

“(I've Had) the Time of My Life”- Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes

“Save the Last Dance for Me” – Michael Buble

“Time of My life” - Black Eyed Peas

“Firework”- Katy Perry

“Just Can’t Get Enough” – Black Eyed Peas

“1234”- Plain White Tees

“I Like It” - Enrique Iglesias

“Forever”- Chris Brown

Miami Wedding this Week!

Three hundred plus guests + The Eden Roc hotel + A beautiful bride =

A VERY EXCITED SJS TEAM.

We have been planning for over a year and now this wedding is finally here. The location and venue are very exciting and will take this event to the next level. The Eden Roc Miami will not only be a beautiful, beach venue but will be a priceless backdrop for all of the wedding photos.

Congratulations Pooja and Mitu! We are looking forward to a truly spectacular event this weekend......

Emergency Items Every Bride Should Pack

With weddings anything could happen and there are always what if’s, but you, as the bride, can do your best to be prepared as much possible. Below is a list of emergency items every bride should carry on her wedding day:

§ Concealer makeup pens: you might not have had the little, annoying zit at 7:00 a.m. but you never know what could happen at 2:00 p.m. that afternoon.

§ Powder: Clinique sells this great makeup compact that you can use to freshen up your face as well as eliminate that oily, shiny forehead or nose look.

§ Tic-tac’s/ Breath mints: do NOT carry gum, there are so many dangerous scenarios that can come from gum as well as the fact that a bride chewing gum in pictures looks dreadful. You can always see a wad of neon green gum at the corner of a smile, not attractive. Breath mints are compact and perfect to keep your breath fresh when speaking to all of your guests.

§ Extra tube of lipstick: better to be safe than sorry. Also, it’s great to touch up for pictures!

§ Tide-to go pen: you never know what could spill on you or your bridesmaids. You want the pictures to look fabulous and for everyone to feel confident with what they are wearing, without the stains.

§ Little packages of tissues: this is your wedding day, and tears of happiness are expected.

§ Evian Spraying Bottle: if your wedding is taking place during the summer expect to feel a tad bit warm. The Evian spray will leave you feeling refreshed and ready to take on the rest of the day.

§ Extras: bobby pins, bindis, and whatever else you might need that day. Always pack extras of the essentials.

For all of these products, count on your mom or maid of honor to have a classy looking clutch containing all of your emergency items. It’s your day, enjoy it, and be prepared for anything!

Playing with Sand

If you are having a destination wedding or getting married at a beach, a sand sculpture is a great way to add a little pizazz to your event.

Sand sculptures are an unexpected touch that will leave your guests in awe. There are many different types of sand sculptures you can create. Here are a few suggestions:

Having your centerpieces made out of sand will surely shock your guests. It brings the beach theme from the beautiful outdoor surroundings inside. You can be creative and do different sculptures at each table or even incorporate table numbers or names into the sculpture.

Instead of a gobo, why not make your logo into a sand sculpture! This works great for an outside cocktail hour.

If you are looking for a ‘piece de resistance’ when your guests enter the ceremony space, go with the most classic sand sculpture of all, a castle!!! Add your names and wedding date and this is sure to be a sight your guests will remember forever.

Donation Favors

Providing favors to your guests is a must have at most weddings. Many couples have difficulty coming up with something that is both meaningful to them and pleasing for their guests. There are certainly many options to choose from but one which really stands out today is donation favors.

Donation favors have become widely popular in the past few years. The couple chooses their favorite charity or organization, and in honor of their guests, makes a donation. You can let your guests know of your donation on their behalf in several ways. You can prepare an elegant card giving the details of your donation and either place it in a picture frame next to your guest book so guests see it when they sign the book or at guests’ tables so they see the card when they sit for dinner. Some couples may simply choose to notify their guests by mentioning it in their ‘thank-you speech’ at the reception.

At a recent wedding, the couple chose to donate to “Doctors without Borders”, www.doctorswithoutborders.org , an organization that was very near and dear to them. “Doctors without Borders” is independently funded and is committed to bringing quality medical care to people in crises regardless of their race, religion, or political affiliation.



Other popular organizations you can choose to donate to include:

*American Cancer Society
*American Red Cross
*Your local SPCA
*National Arbor Day Foundation
*UNICEF
*Make a Wish Foundation

You can give to larger organizations or to some local charities in your community. Whichever you choose, it should have meaning to both you and your spouse.