Showing posts with label Cost. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cost. Show all posts

Sunday, July 15, 2012

10 Things To Do Once You Are Engaged


First, a Congratulations is in order! This is not only a special and unique time in one’s life; it is also a somewhat hectic and whirlwind process. However, do not worry! The lovely interns here at Paisley Events are here to help you so that even in the moments after you say yes and the ring is slipped on to your finger it can be as stress-free as possible. You should be able to just relax and enjoy this special time and not worry about all the planning and let that to-do list get out of control.

Therefore here is a list of the top 10 things you should do as soon as you get engaged.

1. Get A Manicure
You have this new sparking, absolutely stunning accessory adorning your left hand now, and its guaranteed to attract a lot of attention here in the near future. Whether it is from the attention of all of those around (“Oh, let me see that ring!”) or the numerous pictures to be taken in the near future, it is important that your hand looks just as nice. You would not want to embarrass yourself with chipped, and unpolished nails. Therefore you should get a manicure, regardless if it is from a professional or an at-home polish, to make sure that your hands and nails are in tip-top shape.


2. Settle On A Budget
You need to decide upon a budget and rather early on. Whether it’s you, your fiancé, his parents or yours, it needs to not only be discussed, but finalized to the last cent in order to maintain positive relations with everyone. No one wants to feel pressured or uneasy with all the planning, and having a clear, set budget is one way of decreasing potential tension that is sure to ensue.



3. Sign Up For Sale Alerts
There are so many details that go in to a wedding, from the accessories to the honeymoon packages. However it is important to keep in mind that all things go on sale! So make sure that you sign up for any alerts that might be of use so that you can save as much money as possible.


4. Insure Your Ring
Make Sure You Do This! God forbid anything ever happen to that now precious accessory, but accidents do happen and because of that this is a necessity! If your fiancé has not done it already, make sure this is done immediately. The jeweler where it was purchased should refer you to certified insurers. Also, make sure to ask the jeweler for an appraisal slip because this will be used to determine its value. Your fiancé spent a lot of time and money picking out the perfect ring; therefore you shouldn’t risk any potential damages or loosing it. I cannot stress this enough, make sure you get your ring insured!



5. Sign Up For Pinterest
As you can probably tell from most of the other posts, Pinterest is a huge source of inspiration! It has pictures and ideas from everything from food and fitness to wedding and décor. It is by far the biggest resource for wedding ideas. Everything from your dream dress, to DIY favors, to mouth-watering cakes and everything in between can be found. It is by far a great tool and can be considered a brides best friend!



6. Have ‘The Money Talk’ With Your Fiancé
The wedding budget conversation is not the only money centered conversation necessary. You are creating a family now and you two will also need to hash out all the logistics that come along with merging bank accounts. The saying “what’s yours is mine” is not as simple as it sounds.



7. Sign Up For Trunk Show Alerts
Everyone dreams up their perfect dress for their wedding day. Whether it’s princess-like ball gown or a sleek and elegant evening gown, your checkbook will thank you for signing up for local trunk shows. By following your local bridal boutique on Facebook and referring to a regional bridal magazine for a list of the designer trunk shows in your area, you will be able to go, see and touch all the most recent designer gowns – straight off the runway.



8. Choose A Diet Plan & Start It
It is common for brides to want to look their absolute best on their wedding day. Not only do they want to look great in all the pictures that will forever be timeless reminders of the day that they said “I do”, they also want to feel their absolute best. To do this however, many plan to lose weight. Keep in mind; the worst thing to do is to wait until the last minute and crash diet. Therefore you should start as soon as possible. If you plan on dieting you need to pick an appropriate and well-fitting plan and make sure to stick with it! This is the best way to not only achieve your ultimate goal, but to look and feel your best.



9. Pick A Location
The location – city and venue – is the most important decision you will make in the wedding planning process. Everyone will have an opinion about where you should get married and where the reception should be held. Therefore it is important to get this discussion started as soon as possible.



10. Hire A Planner
It does not matter how great of a planner you are or that you are extremely Type-A and organized. The wedding planning process is hectic and a job in itself. Very few people have the time and patience necessary for such a grueling process. Which is why you should leave it to the professionals, like those here at Paisley Events! J You want your wedding day to be relaxing and stress-free. Without a planner you are almost guaranteed to be stressed and worried about all the details on your big day instead of focusing on the more important things at hand. Hiring a professional who does this for a living, allows them to worry about the details not only throughout the planning process, but on the day of as well. Trust me, it will be money well spent!



I hope this helps and makes the beginning stages of the engagement and wedding planning process as easy as possible! Once again, Congratulations! This is a very special time so make sure you stop and enjoy the moment!

xox Lauren

Thursday, February 2, 2012

The Ultimate Face Off: Wedding Cake vs. Cupcakes


Due to my anxiety and excitement about this coming weekend's wedding related activities (I am meeting up with my June couple and their parents as well as meeting my summer intern!), I took out all the pent-up energy on a batch of Superbowl inspired cupcakes. While attempting to scrape blue food coloring off of my fingers, I began to think about cupcakes and their recent high society take-back. I'm not sure if you are aware, fellow bloggers, but cupcakes have made a return to the "trendy must-haves" list for weddings and other events. They have been popping up again and again as a trendy cute way to save or add a fun twist to the dessert portion of your wedding. 

So keeping that in mind, I plan on using this post to scout out the truth. Are cupcakes the ultimate alternative? Taking a cue from a recent wedding article, I will be casting my vote in the wedding cake vs. cupcake face-off, based on the categories of cost, style, and tradition.

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COST: Unfortunately, in this economy, cost is often the main factor for a choice. When wedding cupcakes first entered the spotlight, they instantly became a big money saver.  Who wouldn't want to spent 1-2 dollars for a single cupcake as opposed to 6-10 dollars for 1 slice of cake?!

The thing here is that wedding cupcakes are just as much work if not more than a traditional 3+ tier wedding cake. If you think about it, each individual cupcake needs to be baked, iced, and decorated identically…. That takes some serious dedication to detail on the baker's part. In the end, it all comes down to choices.
Winner: A tie! When it comes down to the choice, you can do cupcakes more inexpensively than you can buy a wedding cake, but in the end, a beautiful wedding cake provides valuable memories.  And it's probably cheaper to have a memorable wedding cake than to decorate each individual cupcake... especially if you do it yourself!

STYLEAs a fellow blogger said to me, “There's something so whimsically childlike about unwrapping a cupcake.” Ironically, that is the most divisive aspect of these sweet treats!  As much fun as they are, do cupcakes really scream sophistication? If you are leaning towards a traditional formal wedding, you may want to steer away from the pint-size morsels and stay true to the grand formal wedding cake. If your wedding guests are traditional people, they might think that cupcakes are too casual, or worse, cheap. 

On the other hand, if your reception is relaxed and fun is your primary goal, tell everyone to be a kid again and grab a cupcake! Once they're up and having fun on the dance floor, they won't have to sit again for dessert. They'll just grab a cupcake and keep on groovin'. 

Winner: Cupcakes! There's just a bit more punch to a cupcake. You can dress them up or down, but they'll always be fun. 

TRADITION: Lets face it, wedding cakes have been the standard for over 100 years. There are traditions linked to the cake, such as the cake cutting, and cake toppers, that go hand in hand with them. Cupcakes leave no room for a cake topper, or at least not a normal sized one, and a cake cutting on a cupcake is just a little silly (though much easier to clean up if you're in the mood to stuff cake in your new spouse's face!). 
On the other hand, couples have found ways to have the best of both worlds. They can order a small round to sit on top of the cupcake tower and use it for the cake cutting, as well as a perch for everyone favorite wax figurines. 
Winner: Wedding Cake! There is no arguing it, cupcakes will never be as elegantly traditional as wedding cake. 

Overall, it's a tie!  With these pros and cons, and the help of a few tips I've mentioned, you can figure out which is best for your wedding.


Keep an eye out for the next Ultimate Face Off!

Stay Sweet!

xoxo
Katherine