And we’re back with the Friday Faves!

1. I am not ashamed to admit how much I enjoy my weekly dose of The Bachelor… and relish I Love the Bachelor’s weekly recap!!

2. This sweet, girly pink birthday party featured on Sweet Designs kinda made me want a little girl so that I can throw her a party like this one day!

3. One of the most hilarious recaps of Golden Globes fashion by the (chloe) conspiracy.

4. I LOVE seeing closet renovations, and this one by Made by Girl is to die for!! I showed it to the husband and asked if we could do that to our closet… unfortunately the answer was a big fat No. *sad face*

Via Made by Girl

Any awesome blog posts that you want to share with us? Feel free to post your own

As a bride, you often interview a number of wedding vendors in each category, from planner/coordinator to caterer, photographer to DJ, and so on. You’ve spoken to them on the phone, emailed back and forth regarding packages and pricing, and chances are, you’ve even met with them face to face. After all, you want to make sure you are doing business with someone you like!

Lets say you’ve met with photographers A, B, and C. They’ve sent you their proposals, you’ve weighed your various options and you’ve decided to hire photographer B… Contract and deposit are signed, sealed and delivered, yay! But what about photographers A and C? Please be polite and don’t leave them hanging! Many times as a consumer, you assume that if you don’t bother to respond, they’ll get the hint. But you will be much appreciated if you simply write them a brief follow up email. Here’s a sample decline email; feel free to use it as a template:

"Hi photographer (planner/caterer/DJ/florist…)

Thanks again,
Bride & Groom"

That’s it! It doesn’t need to be long or remotely apologetic. As vendors, we realize that our services are not one-size-fits-all. But if we’ve invested time and effort in communicating, meeting with you in person, and drafting a proposal, we just want to know that you’ve moved on so we can close out your inquiry… no hard feelings!

Did you have a hard time declining vendors? How did you handle it?

Hope everyone had a fabulous Halloween weekend! This holiday always makes me a bit nostalgic for my childhood – my friends and I always made a big deal out of dressing up and trick-or-treating. As an adult, my husband and I DREAD the “mandatory costume” parties… But this year I had a flash of inspiration and was SUPER excited about my costume.

Say hello to… Snooki! (For those of you who don’t know what she looks like, here’s a pic) I already owned everything except for the sunglasses, which I purchased for $10. My hair was my Pièce de résistance… there was no bump-it or extensions, just a lot of teasing and hairspray! The dress is actually knee length, but I used some safety pins and temporarily took it up at the waist, which was then disguised by the chunky belt. Nor did I own any big silver hoop earrings (my ears are super sensitive so I can’t wear cheap-o fun earrings from Claire’s or Forever21), so I used about 20 silver twist-ties and formed them into two large hoops, and then inserted them into my existing tiny hoop earrings. Voila! (Too bad I’ve never seen a single episode of Jersey Shore, haha)

Here’s my and the husband, Snooki & Charlie Brown! <3 I created the stripes on his shirt with some carefully applied electrical tape.

 
How was your Halloween?! Did you dress up?

Brrrrrr… the temps have dropped significantly in Chicago, so I hope you’re staying warm! I’m at Starbucks nursing my cup of Pumpkin Spice Latte… It’s time to recap some of the blog posts that caught my eye this week!

…I’ve seen post after post about New York Bridal Market Week, but this post on Junebug Weddings was the first one that really made me stop and stare. The Kenneth Pool Spring 2011 collection featured an abundance of gorgeous trumpet and mermaid silhouettes (my fave!) and feminine embellishments. What do you get when you combine ruffles + ruching + crystals? Hello gorgeous…

… Go behind the scenes for a peak at how the cakes featured in Martha Stewart Weddings mag are created, starting with… Styrofoam dummy cakes!

… I’m in love with this Tennessee wedding with a stunning “open air country cathedral”, shot by The Collection.

… This post about Specialized Savings Accounts really made me pause and think… the husband and I have talked about setting aside a special “pet fund” for our Gia versus purchasing pet insurance.

… I have this bizarre interest in birthing stories, so I was enraptured with my friend Jenny’s (aka Geek in Heels) account, see parts 1, 2 and 3. Spoiler: She pushed for a mere 5 minutes!

Let me repeat that: Catering Manager ≠ Wedding Coordinator

I’ve heard this many times, “Oh, my Catering Manager said I don’t need a coordinator. He/She can handle everything!” And here are my Top 5 reasons as to why this could backfire. Of course all of these do not apply in every situation, but they are definitely valid points to consider when planning your wedding! Please note: I know many Catering Managers who are just awesome and go above and beyond for their clients (and me!). But like I said in point 2, let them do their job. They will love you for it!  

1) Your catering manager works for the venue/catering company, and thus their first loyalty is to their employer and employer’s bottom line. Not Yours.

2) Depending on how much event space is at your venue, your catering manager could potentially be handling multiple weddings/events on your wedding day. There is a good chance they are also overseeing set-up for someone else, so let them do their job: manage the food, beverage and sales. By the way, they inwardly groan when they have to arrange your escort cards and may not have time to set up that 30 piece candy buffet or the meticulous tablescape you planned out with your parents’ wedding photos and faux birds and butterflies!

3) In the event industry, the turnover rate is extremely high, especially when it comes to catering managers, whether it be at a hotel, venue, or catering company. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve called a venue to speak to the catering manager (who I have developed a relationship with!) only to find out that he/she is no longer there, and has moved on to a different hotel/company/etc. So that awesome catering manager who you signed your contract with (and who was a big selling point!)… may not be there in 9 months! And they may have been replaced with someone who you just don’t click with.

4) If you are having an on-site ceremony at the venue (versus a church), who’s going to run your ceremony rehearsal? Probably not your catering manager! If you’ve ever been to a ceremony rehearsal where there wasn’t a designated person in charge and who knew what they were doing, it can be a complete. MESS.

5) The catering manager is not obligated to answer your wedding-related questions about  etiquette, invitations, color schemes, flowers, decor, music, transportation, and all the other 973,298,156 nitty gritty details you may have questions about.