It is not uncommon to have some changes in wedding colors  and/or type of flowers used after bridal dresses are decided upon or needing to scale back due to budget restrictions.

It is unusual, however, to have a complete “re-design” of a wedding after 7-9 months of design concepts, purchasing decor elements around the original concept and changing only 2-4 months before the wedding date.

So what happens now?     First of all it depends on when it happens on whether it may be done.

It usually may be done, but additional expenses will be incurred to start from scratch.   Keep in mind that anywhere from 12-20 hours were already spent on floral design concepts based on your initial theme between your florist and wedding planner.

The florist only provides a total of four revisions and all additional time charged (reference the cost of revisions)  http://hawaiiweddingsandevents.com/weddingplannerblog/2012/04/the-cost-of-revisions/

Several years ago, we had one client that changed from a very vintage antique type theme to elegant with Swarovski crystals.   This was unfortunately done only 2 months prior to the wedding date which created alot of stress for everyone as we were now in the peak of wedding season with very limited time to schedule the florist, venue, linen vendor, ourselves and the couple who also had a busy schedule.  In the end, we were able to make the changes, but they ended up paying for additional design, additional consulting/meeting time with vendors as well as a second mock centerpiece.

What can you do to help avoid these additional fees?

1.   Create a visions board or use Pinterest to gather your ideas.

2.  Before working on floral design, decor elements and special linens relook at your visions and ensure that this is still what you are looking for your special day.

3.  If you’re still not quite certain, consult with your wedding planner about getting a florist locked in for your wedding date so you have someone, but don’t start working on the design until closer to the wedding date.     We often tell our clients that there is “toggle time” and then there is “decision time.”   Toggle time is when you gather your inspirations and keep going back and forth with your ideas.  Decision time is when we need a definitive answer so we my proceed full speed in getting everything accomplished for your wedding day.

4.  Understand that if you do end up completely changing your theme, you are going to incur additional costs.   Pretty much anything may be done, but there will be fees associated in making the changes.

Airlines implemented “change fees” many years ago to force travelers to really think about their travel plans and to ensure their dates, times, location, etc. were all correct before booking.     Similarly, more and more vendors are starting to implement a change fee after the 2nd, 3rd or 4th revision of a video edit, flower order, menu change, timeline modification, etc.

Why are they suddently charging for revisions?   The reason why these fees are starting to be implemented is due to an overwhelming increase in clients who constantly send changes” little by little” versus carefully reviewing all details and giving vendors one consolidated list of changes.

“Time is money” so the intention of this new practice is so that clients slow down and take the time to really think about what they want and thoroughly review all details.    The alternative to charging revision fees would be for vendors to increase their pricing to compensate for all of the extra hours they are putting in which in turn would penalize those that are considerate of their time.

Why only the first two?

Due to the amount of time that we devote to serving the client in this package, we limit the number of full service packages to only two per month/per Hawaii Weddings and Events coordinator.

Why would you offer another $500 savings off a package that already is super-value added?

1. We would like to reward couples that reserve their wedding date early.

2. From experience, we know we can be of better service to you if we are assisting from “beginning to end” as we can help avoid costly mistakes, ensure what you envision may be done within the set-up time allotted time and keep your stress level down during the planning process so you may enjoy your engagement.

Through the planning process we are able to get to know more about you and incorporate “special touches” into your wedding day that bring out your unique personalities.

3. We love to assist clients with their event design!

What are the applicable dates of this promotion?

We will starting reserving “First Two” packages on May 1, 2012 for weddings that are between January 2013 to August 2013.  We may also book September-December 2013 weddings, but we do not start working on files until 15 months in advance of wedding date.

What are the restrictions of this package?

The “For Sanity’s Sake” package is limited to two bookings within a given month, so please contact us directly to check current availability.

How many weddings do you do in a month?

It depends on the scope of services that we are providing, Hawaii Weddings and Events believes in quality, not quantity, as we want every bride to experience a beautiful Hawaii wedding.

We offer beach weddings, day-of wedding management, partnership planning and also consulting services such as budget review and event design.

Photo courtesy of Jose Roces (please note that some picture were taken before reception was completely set-up which is why one table does not have flowers yet as they were transferred from ceremony)

Our newest couple just booked us for May 2012 (yes, just two months away), and as their wedding date drew closer they found that things were not getting done and the coordinator who was a “friend of a friend” also had a new full time job.    Unfortunately, this has caused the couple a great deal of stress, they lost their non-refundable deposit with their old coordinator and we will be picking up the pieces and putting together all the pieces of their “wedding puzzle” to ensure everything is taken care of and they can sleep at night.

We’ve had this situation happen a few other times, so we want to share some tips with you so that the same thing does not happen to you.

1.   USEFUL INFORMATION:    Is the business licensed?  Do they have a certificate of insurance (many venues are now requiring this from all vendors?    Are there reviews from past brides (ie: Wedding Wire, Yelp, The Knot, etc.) that can give you insight on their experience level and how they helped the couple?

2.  SOUND REASONING:    Are they able to be your “voice of reason” to ensure you are making the best decisions?      Do you feel comfortable with them?    Is every answer “no problem?”     A professional will let you know if there are any challenges, what may or may not be done, alternative options or what the costs may be to achieve the goal.

3.  COMMITMENT TO FOLLOW THROUGH:   How many events do they take in a month?  How long will it take to follow up on requests?     Do they keep you posted on progress?

4.  HELPFUL FRAME:    Do they simply answer your questions, or do they help you with additional suggestions or recommendations you may not have thought of?    How do they help you keep on track with your planning?

5.  CLEAR VALUES:    What is their company core values?     Our core principle is service excellence and providing fair and reasonable pricing in consideration of the level of experience and the number of hours we devote to your special day.      We have also given back to our community by participating in “Wedding of a Lifetime” for three years and give our time to teach future event planners about our industry through our non-paid internship program.

6.  CREATIVE ALTERNATIVES:     Have they given you other ideas you may not have considered or alternative venues that may be better suited for your vision or budget?     Did they give you the option to customize a package that may be more suited for you?

Each couple has different personalities, needs and desires which is why there are a variety of vendors to choose from.   Our goal is to ensure that you are working with reputable and professional vendors so that you may have an Amazing, Fun and Stress-Free wedding day.

A big misconception is “I do not need a planner because I already hired all of my vendors.”    Yes, getting your vendors is a big checkmark, but it is just a small part of the total wedding planning process.

Did you get the RIGHT vendors in place?

Are your vendors going to be looking at ways to save you costs and maximize your dollar?

Are your vendors selling you more than you need?     Think of it this way, you don’t want to pay for a BMW when you only need a Toyota.

Is your caterer too busy to make sure that updates are made to your rental order in a timely manner so that you are not paying for anything more than you actually need on your wedding day?

Allow us to give you one simple example of wasted money:     Client contracted a caterer/florist that is supposed to be full service and take care of food, staffing, rentals and all flowers as well as their cake.

As the rental company that the caterer contracted requires all final changes two weeks prior to the event and does not own a special table size that was sold in their floral design, the client is now ”overpaying” almost $650 because of extra china, flatware, chairs, glasses, plus an additional $80 delivery fee for the subrented tables.   The caterer also does not own basic catering equipment (water pitchers, tongs, chafers, etc.) which is also added to their invoice.

If we were involved in their pre-planning process, we would have made arrangements through a different rental company.    This would have not only saved the additional $80 delivery fee as they do have the special table size they need, but we would have been able to make adjustments based on their lower guest up to three days prior to the event so they are not paying for items that are just going to sit there unused.

Are you REALLY saving money by NOT hiring a Hawaii wedding planner?

January is always the month that everyone sets New Years’ resolutions, which more often than not last a couple of weeks and then they are forgotten. 

In lieu of making resolutions that fail as you did not create a plan of action to achieve them, develop a SMART plan which may be used for your personal goals, business and may even for your wedding planning.

Specific -Be precise about what you expect to achieve.

Measurable – Include amounts, times, days and other milestones for gauging success

Achievable – Be reasonable; is your plan attainable given what is presently happening in your life?

Relevant – Be sure your plan is meaningful/important to you.

Trackable – Record your progress regularly to measure your achievements.

So how do you keep your life in balance when you have so much going on?     As a professional event planner, small business owner, mother, wife, daughter, friend and mentor, these are some of tips I would like to share with you.

1)   Make time to plan out your week’s schedule.    Think about how many errands that you may run in a week (ie: bank, groceries, gas station, farmer’s market, etc.) and then think about how much travel time you waste when you do these errands individually and/or during peak traffic or busy times.      We designate two days a week and map out our errands so that we are traveling from point A to B to C to D, etc. and then back home.   By doing this, we are taking the shortest route, combining errands with other appointments, saving time, gas, etc.

2)  Focus on your three MITs (Most Important Tasks).  All of us have deadlines that have to be met, and some of those are in conjunction with someone else helping us gather information or providing a quote.    Take  20 minutes a day to map out your next day’s schedule to ensure that your three most important tasks are taken care of first, then  proceed on with the rest of your list.

3)  Shop Online.  Do you really have to drive 35 minutes to an office supply store?      That 35 minute drive is actually 70 minutes roundtrip (without traffic) plus the cost of gas.   Considering the value of your time and the cost of gas, shopping on-line often can save you money.

4)  Rather than picking up dinner on the way home, create your menu for the week.    By looking at on-line ads, you may determine what items will be on sale and plan your meals around it.   Many grocery stores even have it set-up where you can just click on your item and it will create your shopping list for you, all you have to do is print it out.     On Oahu, Safeway actually has a “deal match” program where you sign up and will get the best price available so you don’t have to go three different grocery stores to try and save money.

5)  Just say “no thank you.”    How many times have you been invited to an event that you really didn’t want to go to but did because you didn’t want to offend someone?   Think about a Saturday night potluck party with your friends.   First, this was the day you planned to catch up on some of your sleep and “to do list” and now, instead of catching up, you not only lost the time you will be away for the potluck, but you’ve also lost the time to worry about what you’re going to make, the time to shop for the item, the prep time for the item and if you enjoyed too much wine that evening, may even sacrifice the next morning with a hangover.

6)  Create a pie chart and split out your projects.   Many get overwhelmed with wedding planning becauses they are looking at all of the things that needs to be done between now and the wedding day.  What we do is take the big pie and break it down into pieces, identifying what you need to do first, and then tackle each section a little at a time.   You’ll find that if you continually do a little at a time, you will feel more in control.

7)  Remember that life happens…….sometimes we get sick, have technical difficulties with our computers, have a new work or school project that is taking more time than we thought, etc.      Just do your best and communicate with others that it may affect, get through the challenging period and then start back at #1 and #2.

8)  Make time for gratitude daily…..be thankful for your blessings and remember that challenges always makes us stronger.

Place Cards

Typically individual cards that are either set alphabetically at the reception table for your guests to find their own seating assignment, or they may be preset on the guest dining table.  If its sole purpose is only to provide a table assignment, then you can manage with one per couple,  versus one per person.

How you create your placecards may be dependent on several factors:

1)  Do you have an outdoor or indoor wedding reception?   If it is outdoors the wind may blow away your cards unless they are secured to something heavy.

2)  If you are pre-assigning seats at a guest dining table, then place cards would be preset at the dining table in the position you envision it.  We have templates that we send our clients to complete with seating assignments so we may ensure cards are exactly where you want them.  The reason for this, is that if placecards are just placed inside a bag, they may shuffle and get out of order.

3)  Are you having a “choice of entree” menu in which you need to have some type of entree indicator for the waitstaff to know what your guests are eating?     We normally suggest presetting cards on the guest dining table to ensure they are in a position the waitstaff may see.   When guests pick up cards at the reception table and bring it to the table it often a disarray or sometimes has been tucked into their purse.  The same chart we use for table assignments will also list the meal selection to assist the servers.

Are placecards required?       The answer is yes and no.  Yes, if you are assigning specific seats at a table or have a choice of entree meal.  Alternatively, for smaller events, we have used pictures of the guest tables to provide their seating assignment, or have also used the “seating chart with names/entree selection” but it is better to have the placecard in order to cross-check that guests stayed in the seat they were supposed to be in (yes, they do sometimes switch on their own).

No, if placecards are strictly being used to give guests their table assignments, then we may manage with an alphabetical list at the reception table.

Escort Cards:

Often confused with placecards, escort cards can be one simple card that has your name, date or simply your wedding motif and table #____ on it.  When guests check in at the reception table, the reception table worker will write in the table # on the card and hand it to the guest for them to remind them of their table assignment.

Are escort cards required?   No, guests may simply be advised of their table assignment and if they do happen to forget, they may come back to the reception table (which rarely happens).

Table Tents:

Table tents are a list of all the guests that are seated at that particular table.    Some will print this information on a table tent type card or set inside a frame.    This list is so that guests at the table know who else is seated with them.   Word of wisdom, print these at the last minute as you undoubtedly will have last minute seating changes.

Do you need table tent cards or frames?  No, it is not required, but a nice “special touch” if time and/or budget permits it.

The most important thing to have is one consolidated guest that has first and last names, table assignment and meal selection (if applicable).  Keep in mind that while you know everyone on the list your reception table workers usually don’t.

We also follow industry blogs such as “Style Me Pretty” and television shows such as “My Fair Weddings” and follow the work of celebrity planner Mindy Weiss, just to name a few.

Our inspiration sources?

- Nature
- Architecture
- Art
- Home furnishing stores
- Our couples personalities

When designing events for our clients, one of the first things we ask them to do is to complete a floral worksheet that gives their color palettes, likes, don’t likes, and their inspirations. We also talk to them to learn about their ideas, concerns and of course budget goals.

Some clients have a keen sense of what they are looking for, and others will tell us that they don’t have a creative bone in their body. The majority have alot of ideas, but need someone to take their ideas and help pull it all together, and weed out the items that may not really compliment their design or event goals.

We also love to include the couple’s personalities, whether it be things that are symbolic to their relationship, favorite foods or places, cultural elements and engage their guests which is truly what makes your wedding memorable.

An example of a special touch was using pictures of places the couple have traveled to as their table names in lieu of table numbers. Throughout their courtship they had traveled extensively and the places all had a special meaning and fond memories. What made it more special, was that the couple had pictures of the family or guests that they spent time with at each of these places.

In lieu of printed placecards with the guests name, they printed pictures (13 cent prints) and placed on card stock paper. These cards were then placed at each place setting for the guests to find their seats and on the back of the card was a personal thank you note to that individual.

Do you remember how excited you were with the new wonders of technology?

Do you remember the last time your e-mail inbox was empty?

We truly appreciate e-mail for it allows us to plan destination weddings from all over the world and we even use e-mail for our busy local couples. The ability to communicate at any time of day and sharing pictures of inspirations and ideas simply by typing and clicking send is nothing short of amazing.

We do, however, want to give you some tips on how to reduce e-mail clutter in both your personal or business lives.

1. Create a separate “wedding” e-mail account so that all of your wedding planning is one location.

2. Create a separate “shopping” e-mail account so that your Groupon, Amazon, Snapfish, etc. orders are all separate from your personal account and most importantly, your business account.

3. Create labels so that you may file away your e-mails. Did you know we actually save each and every e-mail from our clients? We actually have two files for you, one that has your date/name and a second one that is date/name and DONE. When we receive an e-mail we review/answer and then place it in your date/name file. Then, when we have finished placing all notes into your timeline or set-up notes, or taken care of vendor requests, it is moved to the DONE file.

4. Create filters for your e-mails. Spam filters are obvious, but did you know you can also create rules to have your e-mails automatically labeled or forwarded to someone else?

5. Lastly, rather than writing several small e-mails, gather your thoughts throughout the day and save your e-mail as a “draft.” You may continue to update your “draft” e-mail and then at the end of the day send a comprehensive list. You can also make notes in the subject line (for example: Flowers-Minister-Musician) so that you can keep track of your e-mails.