This is the time of year that feels even more crazy for me than the middle of Summer. This is when loose ends are being tied up, or being left a little longer than I'd like. It's when details are halfway finalized, when projects are getting underway and when I stay up thinking about whether crochet or lace overlays would look best.
And it's not just me. Brides that were cheerful and full of ideas in January look tired and overwhelmed. As much as I'd love to take every stress away - family troubles, final design decisions, vendor logistics...I can't do that. And as much as brides agree with me that the most important thing is marrying the love of their life...the details of the wedding can be tedious and frustrating.
And so, I urge you brides to climb out from under the mountain of DIY, close your wedding binder, ignore your email and go out. Go on a date, out with your friends, or go do something you enjoy by yourself. Don't think about the wedding, don't talk about the wedding, just for a day. Then, when you feel rested, go back to the planning...but don't do it all yourself. Delegate jobs to your wedding party, family and fiance. Let go of a bit of the control, and you will let go of a lot of the stress. You don't need to hand address 100 invitations by yourself, run around picking everything up, or make all your centrepieces.
The busy season always passes. In another month or two it gets replaced by final details, watching everything come together, and the beginning of the celebration...for me and for you.
Enjoy.
Jess
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Weddings in Winnipeg!
A huge thank you to Weddings in Winnipeg for including one of our weddings in their latest issue! Paige and Kevin's apple green and lilac wedding was fresh and beautiful, and they are a fantastic couple - we loved working with them.
Here's a link to the article.
And our complete blog post about their wedding is here.
Here's a link to the article.
And our complete blog post about their wedding is here.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Springfield Tent Rentals
I have a bit of a plug today for a friend who I worked with at my previous job before With a Flourish. Her husband has started a tent rental business, and if you have ever planned an outdoor event in Manitoba, you know we are in need of more modern tents.
If you're planning an outdoor wedding or event and looking for a tent, there is a great new company to check out. Springfield Tent Rentals just launched to provide events with tents that are brand-new and beautiful. Besides regular square and rectangle tents, Springfield Tent Rentals also rents round and oval tents for something a bit different. Pricing starts at $195 ($600 for a 72-person tent), and includes installation and take-down. Delivery is free delivery in the RM of Springfield, there is a $0.75/km charge (all four ways) for other locations.
Check out their website by clicking here!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
You Shoot Films
Whenever I recommend a videography company, A Moving Picture Studios is at the top of my list. Sean is fantastic to work with, couples give great reviews and his videos are really unique.
Sean has been a leader in his field since he started the company a couple of years ago, and now he is once again offering a brand new and exciting service.
You Shoot Films allows the bride and groom to pick one or more people to shoot video during the wedding. Sean will give the videographers a tutorial in how to use the equipment and get great footage, and then he will compile the footage afterwards into one professionally edited video.
Prices start at $399 for 3 video cameras. This is a great alternative if videography is out of your price range, or you have some talented friends that would be great at capturing your wedding day on video.
Check out the website here for more information!
Sean has been a leader in his field since he started the company a couple of years ago, and now he is once again offering a brand new and exciting service.
You Shoot Films allows the bride and groom to pick one or more people to shoot video during the wedding. Sean will give the videographers a tutorial in how to use the equipment and get great footage, and then he will compile the footage afterwards into one professionally edited video.
Prices start at $399 for 3 video cameras. This is a great alternative if videography is out of your price range, or you have some talented friends that would be great at capturing your wedding day on video.
Check out the website here for more information!
Monday, January 24, 2011
Money Monday - Wedding Budgets (reposted)
With wedding planning really kicking off this month, I thought I'd repost this article on budgets that I wrote in 2009:
One of the first things you should decide on when planning your wedding is the budget. You don't want to sign any contracts before you know how much you plan to spend and where the money is coming from (savings account, parents, etc.).
Here's a very basic idea of what you can expect to spend on each part of your wedding:
Stationery - 3-5%
Attire - 6-10%
Cake - 2-5%
Flowers - 7-10%
Rental Items (linens, chair covers, decor) - 3-5%
Photography & Videography - 7-15%
Music - 5 - 10%
Ceremony Site - 2%
Reception (site fee, catering, beverages) - 40-50%
Transportation - 2%
Wedding Coordinator - 5-15%
Gifts, tips, favours, extras - 5-10%
Remember that it's ok to be on the high end for some items, as long as you are on the low end of other items. As you sign contracts, keep track of which items you go over budget on, and which you are under on. The worst thing you can do is tell yourself that you will cut back later. Couples almost never cut back unless they have a plan from the beginning and a method of keeping track of finances.
Here's an example of a breakdown of a $20,000 budget:
Stationery - $600 (3%)
Attire - $1600 (8%)
Cake - $400 (2%)
Flowers - $1400 (7%)
Rental Items - $800 (4%)
Photography & Video - $2400 (12%)
Music - $1000 (5%)
Ceremony site - $400 (2%)
Reception - $8,000 (40%)
Transportation - $400 (2%)
Wedding Coordinator - $2000 (10%)
Gifts, tips, favours & extras - $1000 (5%)
One of the first things you should decide on when planning your wedding is the budget. You don't want to sign any contracts before you know how much you plan to spend and where the money is coming from (savings account, parents, etc.).
Here's a very basic idea of what you can expect to spend on each part of your wedding:
Stationery - 3-5%
Attire - 6-10%
Cake - 2-5%
Flowers - 7-10%
Rental Items (linens, chair covers, decor) - 3-5%
Photography & Videography - 7-15%
Music - 5 - 10%
Ceremony Site - 2%
Reception (site fee, catering, beverages) - 40-50%
Transportation - 2%
Wedding Coordinator - 5-15%
Gifts, tips, favours, extras - 5-10%
Remember that it's ok to be on the high end for some items, as long as you are on the low end of other items. As you sign contracts, keep track of which items you go over budget on, and which you are under on. The worst thing you can do is tell yourself that you will cut back later. Couples almost never cut back unless they have a plan from the beginning and a method of keeping track of finances.
Here's an example of a breakdown of a $20,000 budget:
Stationery - $600 (3%)
Attire - $1600 (8%)
Cake - $400 (2%)
Flowers - $1400 (7%)
Rental Items - $800 (4%)
Photography & Video - $2400 (12%)
Music - $1000 (5%)
Ceremony site - $400 (2%)
Reception - $8,000 (40%)
Transportation - $400 (2%)
Wedding Coordinator - $2000 (10%)
Gifts, tips, favours & extras - $1000 (5%)
Friday, January 7, 2011
Vacation, Sort Of!
I'll be away for two weeks in Kansas City, starting tomorrow. It's Orientation for our trip to Bolivia, which I blogged about a while ago. I know that it's going to be work (we'll be in class from 8:30-4:30 every day), and it will be challenging and character building, but I am very excited to go. My husband and I are resident managers at our apartment building and one other, and these past couple weeks have been stressful. There are so many little disturbances every day, and so much multitasking that my brain hurts...I'm very glad that I'm not in the midst of wedding season right now, or life would be totally crazy! So I am looking forward to concentrating on one thing all day, every day for two weeks. That said, any With a Flourish emails will still be responded to by me or my delightful partner-in-style, Adrienne.
Continuing on a personal note, I started this business a couple of years ago because I thought I would be good at it. I knew I wanted to help people plan events, do project management, and create a beautiful and stress-free atmosphere where family and friends could enjoy events. I knew event management was my thing, but I didn't quite know why.
For Orientation (where I'll be for two weeks), I had to do an online assessment of my strengths. Before the assessment, I didn't know how to put into words what my strengths were. Now, I know. My strengths are: Restorative, Developer, Strategic, Input, and Connectedness. According to the assessment, I'm good at taking unfinished projects and finishing them, developing ideas and potential, thinking of what will happen next and choosing the best path, collecting information and things, and I think that everyone is connected. These are all traits that I use in business, and the connectedness strength is why I specialize in eco-friendly and fair-trade events (I believe we're connected to the people who make our products - it's a chain that we're all part of).
I don't want to sound conceited - afterall, nobody starts a business doing something that they think they'll be bad at, and I didn't even know how the assessment would pick five strengths before I started it! I feel refocused and energized, and the assessment confirmed that I'm in the right job! I just love planning events, solving problems, creating timelines and punching in numbers. I love the feeling at the end of a successful event, when the adrenaline wears off and my body hurts, but I'm so happy. I love the diverse organizations, people, and cultures that I get to work with, and I'm thankful for all of it. I hope you don't mind this personal blog, but I started the blog as a personal journey through my business.
I hope everyone has a great two weeks, and blogging will be sporadic while I'm away. Oh, who am I kidding? Blogging has been sporadic for months now. :) See you!
Continuing on a personal note, I started this business a couple of years ago because I thought I would be good at it. I knew I wanted to help people plan events, do project management, and create a beautiful and stress-free atmosphere where family and friends could enjoy events. I knew event management was my thing, but I didn't quite know why.
For Orientation (where I'll be for two weeks), I had to do an online assessment of my strengths. Before the assessment, I didn't know how to put into words what my strengths were. Now, I know. My strengths are: Restorative, Developer, Strategic, Input, and Connectedness. According to the assessment, I'm good at taking unfinished projects and finishing them, developing ideas and potential, thinking of what will happen next and choosing the best path, collecting information and things, and I think that everyone is connected. These are all traits that I use in business, and the connectedness strength is why I specialize in eco-friendly and fair-trade events (I believe we're connected to the people who make our products - it's a chain that we're all part of).
I don't want to sound conceited - afterall, nobody starts a business doing something that they think they'll be bad at, and I didn't even know how the assessment would pick five strengths before I started it! I feel refocused and energized, and the assessment confirmed that I'm in the right job! I just love planning events, solving problems, creating timelines and punching in numbers. I love the feeling at the end of a successful event, when the adrenaline wears off and my body hurts, but I'm so happy. I love the diverse organizations, people, and cultures that I get to work with, and I'm thankful for all of it. I hope you don't mind this personal blog, but I started the blog as a personal journey through my business.
I hope everyone has a great two weeks, and blogging will be sporadic while I'm away. Oh, who am I kidding? Blogging has been sporadic for months now. :) See you!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Colours of 2011
Trendy brides, take note: Pantone, the authority on colour, have chosen the colour of 2011 - Honeysuckle pink! Cheerful and girly, this shade of pink will be showing up in fashion, home decor, and of course, weddings. Other colours include coral rose, peapod, beeswax, regatta, and blue curacao.
I have to say, I really love some of these colours - beeswax, blue curacao and regatta would make a great colour combo, and honeysuckle, silver peony and russet would incorporate the pink without being too girly...
What do you think? Will you be using any of these colours in your upcoming wedding?
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