Seven Scary Things That Could Happen on Your Wedding Day

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7 Scary Things That Could Happen on Your Wedding Day: 


#1. Your officiant shows up an hour late because they couldn't find the venue!


#2. The caterer runs out of buffet food before all your tables have been served! 


#3. Your drunk friend spills red wine on your white dress right before crashing into your wedding cake! 


#4. The airline loses your luggage with your dress inside on the way to your wedding destination!


#5. It starts to pour right before you walk down the aisle and you don't have a back-up ceremony site! 


#6. You requested a pale pink and ivory bouquet but the florist shows up with a red, white and blue one! 


#7. You forgot to get your marriage license so the whole thing isn't legal! 


These are just a few of the scary things that can happen at your wedding without proper planning and appropriate checklists! But don't worry; all of these can be avoided or corrected if you hire a competent wedding planner. 


A wedding planner will make sure the caterer has calculated the right amount of food for your wedding day and has a back up supply just in case your guests consume more than expected. They will also make sure that tables that might eat lighter, such as those with your grandparents, go first instead of your fiancés' college buddies who might overfill their plates before others reach the line.


Additionally, a competent wedding planner will always advise you to carry your wedding dress on the plane with you no matter how inconvenient it might be because you just can't run the risk of losing it in the airline shuffle. 

When you have to travel with your dress, helps to
choose a gown that is fabulous without being too bulky!
Photo:www.bhldn.com

 A good wedding planner will also keep an eye out for any guests that seem overly intoxicated or unruly and are starting to get out of hand. They can tactfully but assertively steer the guest back to their table and offer them a glass of water. 


They will also always advise you to have a back up rain location. Even if it hardly ever rains in your area, it is always good to have a "Plan B" and with weddings, it is always better to be safe rather than sorry! 


 Finally, a wedding planner will double check all the details with your vendors, such as the florist, to ensure that the details and colors are correct. When possible, they may even visit the floral shop the day before the wedding to see that the flowers are just what you asked for. 

The pale pink and ivory bouquet you wanted!
Photo: www.weddingwire.com

Protect yourself from these and other scary things that could happen on your wedding day by hiring a competent wedding planner! You will be happy you did! 


Aloha, 
Rachael 


www.vintageandlace.com

Halloween Wedding Inspirations for a Spook-tacular Wedding Day!

Happy Halloween all you Boo-tiful Brides and Grooms out there! Here are some inspiring Fall Wedding ideas we found that would be perfect for planning a Halloween Wedding with a touch of vintage. From warm oranges and bright greens to all black and white, the possibilities for a Halloween Wedding look are plentiful and really can be quite tasteful. Just don't overdo it or take the theme to literally and your wedding will be a fun and timeless reflection of you. The photos below are proof that a Halloween Wedding doesn't mean you have to incorporate skeletons and witches!

Afteryesweddings.com

In the above inspiration board, they used warm browns, ivory, and caramels as their wedding color palette. We love the mix of wedding party attire above that looks very put together without being too "matchy". We also like the favor idea with the mini-apples in little burlap bags! 

halloween wedding ideas

You could also use the classic black and white combo for your Halloween Wedding theme. Mixed with rustic prints and patterns and statement flowers like the anemone, the classic black and white look can be made vintage, casual, and filled with fun for your Fall Wedding. We love their interpretation of the candy apple and the printed silhouettes strung from the bushes and used as photo props. 

But who says you have to use orange or black at all? Especially if you want a vintage look, you can paint your wedding pumpkins, white, sage green, light pink, or whatever color you'd like (it is your wedding day after all!). You can also carve a non-traditional pumpkin by making a lace pattern or writing a wedding message. Or, use several pumpkins lined up to spell out your names. You could even write "Thank You" on a pumpkin and take photos with it to send as part of your Thank You cards when the wedding is all over. 

masterpiecepumpkins.com

And of course,  if you love pumpkin or cinnamon flavors, Fall is a culinary delight! You can add a touch of the season to your menu with mini-cinnamon buns, pumpkin bread, and Fall inspired beverages.  

modernwedding.org

So, let your creativity run wild and think outside the box for your Fall inspired wedding. Happy Halloween and Happy Wedding Planning from Vintage&Lace!

For more information on planning tasteful theme and vintage weddings, contact us today!

Aloha,
Rachael

info@vintageandlace.com

Summer Wedding? Have you...

Are you planning a Summer 2012 Wedding? First of all, congratulations! Hopefully you have already started planning, as we are about 8 months out from June, the beginning of traditional wedding season. Have you...

• solidified your budget?
• set a wedding date?
• started to create a guest list?
• reserved venues? a caterer?
• booked a photographer (a very essential element!)?
• selected and asked the members of your wedding party?
• picked a honeymoon or mini-moon location (contact us to learn more about mini-moons!)?
• sent out save-the-dates?
• tried on bridal gowns and ordered one?
• hired your wedding coordinator?

  and so much more.. 

Contact us now at info@vintageandlace.com to get a customized wedding timeline and checklist!

"I'm Engaged! Now what?" ~Wedding Planning Tips to Get You Started

Did he propose? Are you newly engaged? Congratulations! Take a moment to enjoy!  It is truly a special occasion when two individuals recognize their love for one another and choose to wed! 

Toby Hoogs Photography www.tobyhoogs.com

Start by telling your closest friends and family and be prepared to share all the wedding proposal details. You may even want to write them down so they stay fresh in your mind. If you love to write, it can be the first chapter or entry in a special wedding journal that documents the process for your children and grandchildren someday! 

But, after you bask in the bliss of your love, what do you do next?  

Planning a wedding can be a daunting experience, especially when you don't know where to start or you haven't been around a lot of weddings. I would personally recommend finding a professional wedding planner to walk you through the process  (wink, wink!). Search for wedding planners in your area and find one that matches your personality as a couple, your budget, and your style. Give them a call and set up a meeting if possible. Even if you don't decide to go with that planner, I am sure you will get some beneficial information out of the meeting. 

While wedding planners do require an additional cost, they can save you tons of time, money, and stress by making the wedding process much more enjoyable for you and your family and friends who otherwise might be over-worked to make your wedding day happen. Wedding planners know all the best vendors and venues and where to get the best prices and quality. They have important wedding day checklists, wedding timelines and budgets, and have an emergency kit for your wedding day that will ensure that any major mishaps are avoided. So, if you can squeeze it in to your budget, hiring a wedding planner or wedding day coordinator is well worth it! 

 However, if you want to get started on planning your own wedding RIGHT AWAY, begin with your own general timeline and budget.  These two things will get the ball rolling on all the other important decisions you must make.

A Wedding Timeline will help you decide when to reserve a venue, find a dress, hire a photographer, caterer, florist, etc.  If you and your fiance are planning a wedding during a popular season or at a venue that is in high-demand, be prepared to start early because venues can be booked up to a year in advance! 

The time of the year you choose is also important in determining whether you will choose an indoor or outdoor wedding venue. If you plan on doing a summer wedding in a warm climate, pick a time of day for your ceremony that won't be too hot and won't put your guests in direct sunlight. Or, plan on providing cold beverages and fans or parasols to help beat the heat. 

 If you want to do engagement annoucements, save the dates, and printed invitations, you will need to know your wedding date before you can get started on those. So, it is very important to start talking with your fiance, closest family and friends and determine a wedding timeline and finalize a wedding date as soon as you can. 

from etsy

The next place to start when planning your wedding is with a Wedding Budget. The budget really sets the stage for everything and helps you to determine what you or the responsible party is comfortable spending on your wedding day.  So much of  your  wedding planning process is based on the overall budget and how you allocate funds to different vendors. 

 Find out if family or a special friend plans to contribute and talk with your fiance about how much you as a couple will contribute. Open communication is always the best way to approach this topic; don't assume that someone will contribute a certain amount until you have specifically talked with them about this. 

The big cost items on your wedding budget list will more than likely be the photographer, venue, and food and beverage items.  You also have to calculate in all the flowers, attire, officiant fees, decor, honeymoon, etc. Know your limits with each and stick to them! Weddings can get expensive fast if you loose track of your goals; be smart and use a budget tool or hire a planner to help keep things under control.

from etsy

The wedding planning process should be fun!  Having a clear wedding timeline and wedding  budget will help you know your goals and limits and keep you focused on what is really important for your wedding. 

If you need direction or tangible wedding planning checklists, timelines, or budget tools to help you through this time, contact Heather or Rachael! info@vintageandlace.com  Or, visit our website: www.vintageandlace.com

Congratulations on your engagement! Let the fun begin! 


Love, 
Rachael and Heather

Where to Say I Do?

Lakeside Gardens

The venue is one of the most important and earliest decisions you have to make when planning your wedding ceremony and reception. We would recommend reserving your venue(s) at least 9 months prior to the wedding; if you are planning your wedding date during the busy wedding season, June through September, then you want to book it even earlier.

Here are the basic five questions you should ask when selecting a location: 

 

The DeSoto Rooftop Terrace



1. Can they accommodate your guest count? seated? parking?
 



The Resort at the Mountain


2. Do they have an in-house caterer? do you have to hire them or can you bring in an outside vendor? is there a minimum fee for food (remember to also ask about gratuity)?
  



West End Ballroom


3. Fees? What is included in the quoted price and what will be extra (bar tender(s), parking, corkage for food/drinks, chair covers, rentals, cake cutting, set-up/clean-up)? When are fees due? deposit?
 
4. Times of operation? Do you have to be out by a certain time? What do they charge for additional hours? When are you able to set-up?

5. Do they provide accommodations for guests at a discounted rate? If the venue doesn't offer rooms in house, do they work with any specific hotels or B&B's near by?



When you narrow down your search and select your favorite location to host your wedding, make sure to review and negotiate the contract to match your needs.

Columbia Edgewater

For help finding your dream venue and/or setting the terms, contact:

Heather for Oregon weddings:

 heather@vintageandlace.com



Rachael for Big Island Hawaii Weddings:

 rachael@vintageandlace.com

Congratulations on your engagement!









Ladies Night Out: Bachelorette Party Ideas

Bachelorette parties can take on many forms from a night out on the town to a spa day and everything in between.  As you celebrate being you with your best girlfriends and/or family, remember to enjoy the moments!  Whoever is planning your Bachelorette events, consider the bride's interests, price, location, and time frame to the wedding.

A group of friend's at our co-owner Rachael's spa-inspired Bachelorette Party at the beautiful
Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Spa and Resort in Northern New Mexico. They just
slathered themselves with the natural and nourishing mineral mud at the Ojo Mud Pool. 

The Bride and one of her bridesmaids at Ojo Caliente. 

The Bachelorette group enjoying food, drinks and gifts at the Ojo Caliente Pavilion. 

It is important to remember to plan something the bride enjoys.  Does she like to find adventure, escape to the great outdoors, sit back with a glass of champagne while getting her nails painted, or have cocktails on the dance floor?  Think about the bride on her own, not as a couple because this is her celebration;  Celebrate who she is and all the things that make her great and special.

The price can dictate whether you take a wine tour in Napa Valley or visit a local winery for dinner/picnic and tastings.  Consider all the members of the party the bride would want to be with her.  If some party members can't afford to fly to a desired location, try to bring that location to where you are.

Location, location, location.  Is the bride having a destination wedding?  Does she have friends and family in different states?  Sometimes the location of the bride, the friends, and the wedding must take a toll on the where and when of the activities.  Don't be afraid to do multiple parties if the bride has a diverse group of friends, just remember to find places the bride would enjoy being herself whether it is taking pole dance lessons or doing a classic black-and-white movie night while drinking champagne cocktails.

When is the event taking place?  Are you gathering together a week, 2 weeks, before the wedding, or the week of?  This also needs to be taken into consideration when planning a bachelorette party.  If you are waiting for friends/family to fly in for everyone to be in the same place at the same time, then make sure the bride can still make it to all her appointments that week without a hangover.  The week before the wedding can be a crazy busy week for any bride (unless she has an amazing planner!), so try to take her schedule and preference into account.  Maybe she will need a spa day to relax and get a massage, or she could need to release some nervous energy by taking a bar crawl complete with a scavenger hunt.

Remember most of all, the bachelorette party is for the bride!  What does she want to do?

Contact us at info@vintageandlace.com for more ideas, especially for Hawaii destination weddings or local Oregon brides!