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5. Get involved in family drama

Weddings can get stressful and sometimes result in tension among family members, but that is where it should stay. You’re not being unreasonable when you say you don’t want to wear the bright orange clip on earrings that belonged to your husband’s great aunt, you are being unreasonable when you want your coordinator to deliver that news to your future mother-in-law. Your coordinator is there to make sure your wedding goes smoothly, not smooth over disagreements within your family.

4. Hold the baby or watch the kids

Your coordinator has enough on her plate the day of your wedding. She is overseeing everything from the vendor set up to your grand entrance, and throwing a kid in her arms doesn’t make any of that easier. It’s difficult to say no to the baby hand off so she will likely oblige when asked to do so, but for the sake of her sanity and your wedding, please make sure your family, friends and wedding party have someone standing by for baby duty when they’re taking pictures, and more importantly, walking down the aisle.

3. Take shots with the wedding party

Weddings are a time to celebrate and hopefully your wedding planner has been so amazing that you want her to celebrate right along side you! However, the coordinator should never be asked to do shots with the wedding party no matter how much fun everyone is having. The goal still remains to have a flawless event, so please don’t ever put pressure on the coordinator to do a round of shots with the group. Not to mention, it’s very unprofessional!

2. Try on wedding dresses while shopping for one

Your planner may join you in your search for the perfect wedding dress to help with decision making, but she’s not there to act as a fit model. We know that taking those dresses on and off gets exhausting but chances are your body type does not match that of your coordinators and the dress would look entirely different on her anyway, not to mention it’s an uncomfortable request to begin with. You may think this is a crazy thing to have on our list but it made it on here for a reason…it’s been done before.

1. Help you pee

It’s great if you and your coordinator have gotten along so well that this doesn’t seem like an odd thing to ask – but it is. Again, this is a situation in which she will likely oblige, being that she wants to cater to even your craziest requests, but please don’t make this one of them. You asked your best girlfriends to be in your wedding for a reason, give them this opportunity to shine.

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We had the lovely pleasure of recently working at the newly renovated Hotel Bel Air in Los Angeles.

While they kept the classic beauty of the historic exterior – lush greenery and swan lake – they successfully transformed the interior of the hotel into a sleek and sexy new design.  We’ve always loved this venue and were anxiously awaiting the reopening, so when Tamara and Andrew called us, we were beyond ecstatic to help them turn their dream wedding into a reality.

The garden gazebo was drenched with lush greenery, flowering dogwood and white dendrobiums creating a romantic natural setting.  The aisle was adorned with candlelit lanterns, bouquets of hydrangeas and a bed of petals.

After the beautiful ceremony guests made their way over to the reception. The abundance of florals carried over into the ballroom where centerpieces were filled with tulips, French lilac and hydrangea in mercury glass vases. Candles added a romantic glow creating a perfect ambiance.

Once the guests were done with the spectacular dining experience they were ready for an evening full of celebration. The room was transformed with purple and pink lighting to get the party started and with the help of an amazing West Coast Music band, J.B Project, guests were invited to dance into the night.

If you’re looking for a natural, garden setting with a touch of classic LA, Hotel Bel Air should definitely be at the top of your list.

Florals: Brad Austin

http://www.bradaustin.com

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So I probably get asked this question…by EVERY client…WHO and HOW much do I have to tip at my wedding?

First, let me start off by saying…tipping is 100% optional & 100% unexpected!
My advice is to think about who has really gone that extra mile for you? Here are a couple helpful questions to ask yourself when thinking about who to tip:

1. Was this vendor available to you each time you had a question or concern?

2. Did this vendor perform additional services or add extras for you?

3. Did this vendor have your best interest in mind throughout the planning?

4. In regards to entertainment- did the Dj or band really listen to your requests and/or feel the energy of your guests and entertain accordingly?

5. Was the service provided impeccable?

If you answered yes to most of these for a particular vendor, then you’ve got your answer! Now the big one…HOW much should I tip them?

In my opinion, 10% of their total service price is quite generous. If you’ve paid your Dj $2,000, then I would suggest $200. If you’ve paid $10,000 for your band- that would be $1,000 which would be split amongst all the band members by the band leader.

I also highly recommend considering a gratuity for your catering manager & banquet captain. These two people play a huge role prior to and on your wedding day. The banquet captain works very closely to your planner ensuring set up is as planned, food comes out on time & most importantly that service is exceptional to you and your guests. Anywhere from $150 and up up and up…are always appreciated by them and in my opinion, well worth all their hard work. A gift for the catering manager is also nice if you’d rather make it more personable.

I hope you find my advice helpful!

Happy Weddings,
Maryam

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So this is the FIRST time I am blogging and quite excited for many more fun blogs about the weddings I am working on! I thought I’d start off with the MOST FUN LOVING couple- these two could not have been more perfect for one another. The bride had a gorgeous smile and the most contagious laughter and the groom quite simply had all the charm in the world! The wedding took place at Tiato in Santa Monica. It was such a darling garden cafe with indoor and outdoor space. The colors were blush, creams/ivory, pink and a touch of green. The theme was Vintage Hollywood and by the looks of these photos by David Michael Photography , I’m sure you can see where the glamour came in! They really wanted each guest to feel special, so as each guest arrived…we had a red carpet rolled out with 6 paparazzi photographers and an interviewer all captured on camera! I can’t even begin to explain the excitement of the guests. Each table was named after their favorite movie or a movie which had significant meaning to the bride and groom. The overall feel was intimate and romantic! We had larger tables set to seat 14-16 guests so it just felt like it was one big family party! Oh and did I mention the lovely florals were arranged by Carol withEspecially For You Designs. Her team did such a fantastic job on this wedding. They were on top of their details and an absolute pleasure to work with!

The evening was filled with lots of Belizean music in addition to some classic hits! The crowd danced all night and partied like it was 1999!!! Even I was tempted to get on the dance floor…but of course, that’s a no no! I hope you enjoyed  the pictures from this sweet wedding! 2011 has been a great year so far with some amazing clients and I look forward to sharing the joys of my work with you!

Happy Weddings,

Maryam