Tactfully answering wedding questions

I, as a planner, so often get asked by wedding guests how much the couple spend on this or that. My standard answer is, "I am really not sure" or "I am very sorry, but I am not at liberty to discuss". I have over the years learned to be comfortable answerng such uncomfortable questions.

Recently, when speaking with a bride, she asked me the same thing and wanted to know how to tactfully avoid or answer questions about her photographer, or the cost of her dress or how much did she pay for the venue.

I feel, as a professional , that your wedding information is not to be shared. It is all very very personal and involves only you, your fiance and your family. It is really tacky to ask the questions in the first place but here are some suggestions on what to say to answer that age old question, HOW MUCH DID YOU PAY FOR THAT??:

1. Tell them you really don't remember
2. Tell them your parent's took care of it and you don't know what the final price was
3. Tell them what matters to you is that you got a great ____ and the price was not that important
4. Tell them your planner worked out all the details and was able to get you a great deal.
5. Tell them you have so many things on your mind you will need to get back to them.


Remember, you don't want your wedding to be labeled with a dollar amount. Eventually, if people know right from left, they will figure it out. It is really something you don't want others to focus on. You want them to come to the events and have a wonderful time. Ultimately, you want your guests at the dinner table to talk about how great the food is and not how much the centerpieces cost.

Why Security Is So Helpful

In the past few months I have come to realize more and more how having security on the premises of your wedding can be so helpful. Below are a few reason why you might want to hire a security guard for your big day.

1. Big Baraat

If you are having a big Baraat in a public space a security guard can help control the crowds. Especially in NYC when tourists see a big horse and a dancing crowd around it, they all want to be a part of it. The security guard can make sure that everyone keeps distance and doesn't disturb the event. They can also come in handy if there are people in the streets and blocking moving cars. Its important to not only keep the safety of the guests, but the horse as well.

2. Wedding Crashers

Surprising as it may be weddings can have their fare amount of crashers. There is great dancing, fabulous food and most all all free drinks. This can be a major attraction for uninvited people, especially if you are at a hotel. The security guard can make sure the guest list is strictly followed and if there is anyone that needs to be escorted out they will make sure to do so without creating a scene.

3. Unruly Guests

Like I mentioned before free drinks is a major part of all wedding celebrations and at times guest can get out of hand. A fight between friends can be a great spoiler on an otherwise great event. Security always makes sure to keep an eye out on guests and control any roudy guests.

How to get an Airline Discount

Weddings can be a great expense for both the bride and her guests. At times, it can be difficult keeping the cost down when airfare is a must-have added expense. Recently, we have seen an increase in destination weddings. When having to travel for a wedding, many ask, “How can I get an airline discount?”. There are a few easy tips such as:

Try to buy your tickets at least three months in advance.
Book your own tickets online. Travel agents make commission from every ticket sold and this can increase the price.
Order your tickets during on a weekday oppose to the weekend.
It may be a bit more of an inconvenience, but order a connecting flight ticket. Taking a direct flight will cost you more money.

There are also other airline programs offered to wedding guests and these programs can help keep ticket prices down. Many airlines offer wedding registries. Every airline offers different benefits and has different requirements, but they can be an additional help when saving money.

· American Airlines have implemented a Wedding Event Travel Program. They offer 5% off to a group of 10 or more. Wedding guests are given a time period of when they must travel in order to receive the discount. Brides can call the airlines about their upcoming wedding and American Airlines will provide complimentary wedding invitation inserts to be included with the wedding invitation informing guests of the discount.
· Delta requires all guests to be on the same flight in order to qualify for the group discount rate.
· United Airway requires a minimum of 25 people to qualify for a group rate.

The best way to find out about an airline discount is to call each airline directly and ask about their requirements. Remember to ask about travel restrictions applying to the discount rate and how many people are required in order to qualify. The airline will provide guests with a discount code and this code will be used when purchasing discounts online or over the phone.

New NYC Hotels

New York City is a fantastic location to host your wedding and is considered one the trendiest cities in the world. Many brides come to NYC to have their dream-wedding day. There are many new hotels that have recently opened here in the city and would be great venues for your wedding.

Trump Soho is a new hotel located in Lower Manhattan. They offer three ballrooms of different square-footage to accommodate different size weddings. Depending on the ballroom, you can chose a room with floor to ceiling windows, allowing your guests to view the skyline of lower Manhattan. This hotel would be an excellent choice if you want your guests to enjoy different views of the city.

Eventi Hotel recently opened and they offer a beautiful view of the NYC skyline, as well. They can offer cocktail receptions for up to 350 guests and s sit down dinner for up to 250 guests. They have special wedding packages for prospective brides. You and your guests will also be within walking distance to Madison Square Garden, Macy’s, and the Empire State Building. This hotel will be an excellent choice if you want your guests to enjoy your wedding, as well as some of NYC’s most famous landmarks. Your guests can explore what the city has to offer.

The Setai Fifth Avenue Hotel is located in midtown Manhattan and guests will have a wonderful view of the famous Fifth Avenue. They have four different ballrooms of different square footage. This hotel is extremely luxurious with their vintage wine cellars, restaurant, spa, and custom architectural designs. This hotel can even help you plan your big day. They can assist you with planning a wide range of wedding details, such as choosing your menus or designing your floral décor. They will even help you plan your honeymoon! This hotel can be your one stop choice to planning your wedding day.

New York City is an ever-changing city and will be an excellent choice for your big day. With a wide range of new and old hotels, famous landmarks, and amazing skyline, there is a perfect venue waiting for you. In this city, you will find exactly what you are looking for when planning your dream wedding.

Great Wedding Invitations

One important question that many brides ask is "Where can I get great invitations without having to travel all the way to India?" There are many places that can provide brides with one-on-one service, unique designs, and create excellent invitations. Here are some stateside invitation shops that can provide brides with great invitations:

Zoya Couture: http://www.zoyadc.com
Saima Says Design: http://www.saimasaysdesign.com
Alpine Creative Group: http://www.aplinecreativegroup.com
Patel Printing Plus: http://www.patelprintingplus.com

Searching For A Good Cause

All brides know that wedding planning requires a lot of research. You have to research venues, bands, invitations, limousine rentals, airline flights, hotels, and sometimes even simple wedding etiquette. There’s a great way to research for your wedding, as well as help others in the process.

GoodSearch.com is a Yahoo-powered search engine. They make donations to 90,000 participating members, you choose your cause and they will donate one penny to your nonprofit of choice.

The creators of this website have also created GoodShop.com. By purchasing items from participating merchants, a percentage will be donated to a cause. Since JJ Ramberg and her brother Ken created GoodSearch.com in 2005, they have raised $34,000 for the ASPCA which helps animals in need, $14,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and $12,000 for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. You can use your wedding as a way to help those in need. When shopping for all of items related to your wedding, why not help others?

So, instead of searching for wedding photographers on Google or Bing , if you go to goodsearch.com, they will donate a penny for every search.

Effective Decision Making

Effective decision-making is very important when it comes to planning your wedding. There are a few things every bride must remember when she is having difficulties deciding…. what invitations to choose, whether I should have a live band oppose to a dj, should I include different dress styles for each bridesmaid, or should I have a flower girl? When trying to decide, here are some of the important things to remember:

·  It's important to not procrastinate when it comes to making a decision. You should set a deadline for completely each task and stick to those dates when trying to make a decision. The longer you wait to make a decision, the more likely it is for your favorite vendor to be booked.

·  When having difficulties making the decision, try to remember your overall goal. It’s very easy to lose sight of your original wedding ideas once you start reviewing all of your options and getting the advice of others. Don’t get distracted with all of the options.

·  If you still find yourself unable to make a choice, try to weigh the benefits and disadvantages for each of your options. For example, creating a pros and cons list is even helpful. Sometimes seeing your options and ideas on paper can help you see things clearly. Visually seeing the pros of choosing one vendor oppose to another helps you make your decision faster. Efficiency is key!

·  It's fine to ask the advice of friends and family, but be very selective in who you ask. Sometimes asking too many people for their opinions can lead to more indecisiveness. Try to only take the recommendations of close family members and friends who know your personal style. We all know that when planning a wedding, everyone loves to share their ideas! Remember how you first envisioned your wedding and try to stick to those original ideas, because it’s very easy to get sidetracked.

Just remember, every bride feels overwhelmed at one point or another, but take it one vendor at a time and things will begin to fall into place. The sooner you start making decisions, the closer you are to accomplishing your dream wedding.

Importance of Wedding Insurance

Most couples are too busy planning for the big day and don’t think about things such as insuring the wedding. I’ve done many weddings over the years and most have moved forward without a glitch, but there is always a small chance that something could happen. There are many reasons you should insure your event…for example if you are getting married in Florida and a hurricane hits on the day of?  Other examples are cancellation to wedding, vendor no-show or unexpected postponement due to an illness.  There are many companies that can help insure your wedding day.  A couple of websites which offer wedding insurance are www.insuremywedding.com and www.wedsafe.com.  Wedsafe offers two different insurance packages, as well as additional products to insure your wedding.   Coverage costs will depend on the level of coverage you require and your budget. 

Before moving forward with planning for the big day, remember to purchase wedding insurance.  You never know if you will need it, but why take a chance.   

Seasons for Weddings

As you may know, there is a season for weddings.  In each area of the country the season is different.  For example on the East coast, the peak wedding season is during the summer months May through September.  Whereas on the West coast, the wedding season is January through April during the winter when it’s cooler.  Can you image an outdoor wedding in Texas during the summer? 

Since there are different peak wedding timings around the country, you can use that to your advantage. You can hire vendors from different areas of the country for your wedding.  A photographer in New York during the summer will not only be difficult to find but also expensive.  Why not hire a photographer from Arizona or Texas during a summer wedding New York?  They will be more willing to negotiate on pricing since it’s off season for them.  Just remember to factor in travel expense for the vendors when you are negotiating with them since you will be covering their costs.

Hope this helps you with your budget when you’re planning your big day.       

Family Photo Dilemma

Weddings are such an emotional time for everyone involved. There are always are few difficult decisions that brides and grooms have to make.  For example, should boyfriends and girlfriends of your siblings be a part of the wedding photos?  I’ve had many brides come to me with this dilemma.  It a very sensitive subject and you don’t want to offend anyone.  I think the best approach is to have one photo with and one without the boyfriends and girlfriends. Then it’s up to you to choose which photo you want in your albums.  You never know what’s going to happen with the relationship, so this way you’ll be cover no matter what and no one gets insulted.

Hope this helps you when you are planning your wedding photo list.