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.

1)    Most start thinking about their timeline when they get closer to the wedding day, but actually your timeline starts being developed from the time you book your venue.   Be sure to verify the time you have access to your venue.   Most clients assume that they are the only event that day, but truth is that most venues (especially hotels) do have more than one event a day in their banquet space.   Unless you have “bought out” the morning space, you typically do not have access until after 3pm or sometimes even later which may impact your décor ideas.

2)    Know what time you need to be ready by for your pictures.    The answer to this question is dependent upon whether you are doing “getting ready” pictures or video and whether you plan to see each other prior to the wedding, as well as whether you are already on-site or traveling to another venue for your wedding.   This will also help you determine how long you will need to hire your photographer and/or videographer.

3)    Ensure that you let your hair and make-up stylist know exactly how many attendants or family members that you have when you make your appointment.   Most hair and make-up stylists may do two or three weddings on a busy day, so they schedule your time slot based on what time you need to be ready and the number of attendants you have.  If you decide to add on people later you may find that they are not able to accommodate your request due to other obligations.

4)    Let your vendors know what time they have access to the space when you do your consultations to ensure that you do not breach your end of the contract.     For example: I’ve seen clients sign a contract with their florist that guarantees them a minimum of 2 ½ hours of set-up time for the ceremony décor they have ordered only to find out they only have 1 or 1 ½ hours for set-up which ultimately results in scaling back on décor, adding more staff or the event starting late.

5)    Do not scale back on staffing during set-up.  When we are hired to manage events the first priority is ensuring that your event is able to be set-up within the time allotted which means that your rental company, caterer, florist, linen company, lighting, and musicians may be simultaneously setting up while your coordinator is ensuring everyone is on-site as scheduled, on track with their set-up, ensuring bridal party has their flowers, setting up reception table, favors, trouble shooting, etc.    Set-up fees do add-up, but there is a reason why the labor is added, and that is to make sure everything is completely set prior to your guests arrival.

6)    Understand the staffing levels of your event, especially for off-premise events. We recently were hired for an off-premise wedding that was going to be a buffet for 140 guests.  The client received a great quote, however, the caterer only had scheduled 2 servers along with the on-site manager which is not sufficient to provide quality service to that number of guests.   In the end, they ended up adding on two more staff which still wasn’t the best ratio and was an added cost they hadn’t budgeted for, but it certainly was better than what they had and was worth every penny.  Remember, service, or lack-of, is one of the things that guests always remember.

7)    Ensure that your program does not interfere with the quality of your food (especially for plated meals).   We normally recommend toasts after the entrée is served as speeches as you don’t want your food to be sitting in a warmer getting overcooked as a result of someone speaking longer than anticipated.   It is possible to “merge” in some activities during the course of the meal, but it has to be done by carefully coordinating with all concerned throughout the evening and does come with experience knowing how long it takes to serve, eat and clear dishes before the next course.

8)    Don’t schedule every second of the day.  Give yourself some time to have a moment for yourselves before the reception and some time at the end of your event to visit with your family and friends that have come to celebrate with you.

9)    Start the day on time.  This is the most important item that is communicated during our wedding rehearsals.  The stress of the wedding day starts when people are running late or stuck in traffic and can snowball from there.   If you’re on-time or better yet, a little early, you are in a relaxed state of mind and are better able enjoy the day.

10) End the day on time.  Ending your event late can result in costly overtime charges.

We understand all of the above can be overwhelming, which is why Hawaii Weddings and Events creates your timeline and also manages it on the wedding day.   The timeline is a “road map” to your wedding day, but we all know sometimes detours are made due to unforeseen circumstances (weather, accidents, late arrivals), which is where experience on how to navigate these changes without impacting your event and effectively communicating with your vendors comes into play.

More often, than not, couples start their planning and then as they are influenced by family, bridal party, wedding blogs, wedding forums and continually looking at bridal magazines even after they decided on their theme, they start questioning  themselves on whether they are doing the right thing.

Whose wedding is it anyways?    It’s not your mothers’, your bridesmaids, your co-workers or even your wedding planners’, IT IS YOURS!     We are here to guide and give you recommendations and other ideas you may not have thought about, but ultimately we want your wedding to reflect your personalities and bring your ideas to life.

So the next time you second guess yourself, ask yourself this question “am I trying to meet what I think everyone else expects, or is this what I really want?”

As a professional planner, I sometimes wear the hat of an event designer, which goes “hand in hand” with the overall event goals, but I know that my main role is to take care of the client and ensure everything is on track, not just the flowers and decor.     With experience, I know that it takes many hands to simultaneously set-up linens, flowers, lighting, decor, etc while I am ensuring that the couple has everything that they need and I’m available to trouble shoot or pitch in where needed to make things happen.

If your photographer is trying to sell you an uplighting package, how are they going to be able to focus on your pre-wedding photos when the lights need to be installed in the ballroom at the exact same time due to a short turnover time?    If your photographer finishes at 9pm, are they going to wait until 11pm to remove the uplights at the end of the night?

Is your caterer’s coordinator really going to answer all of your questions that come up in the pre-planning phase and refer you vendors that are most appropriate for you, or just giving you one of their vendors for the sake of convenience?     Are they going to double check your flower order to ensure you ordered the leis for the presentation or added another centerpiece for your additional table?   Are they helping you to create a realistic budget for your wedding and be your “voice of reason” when you are about to exceed your goal?

If you have a full-service DJ that is helping to create your reception timeline, are they creating a pre-wedding timeline that has all of your vendor payment due dates, information on where to get your dress pressed, information on where and and how to get your marriage license and ensuring the Department of Health isn’t closed for Furlough Fridays on the day you plan to get your marriage license?     Are they helping to create your photography schedule for the day and ensuring the hair flowers are delivered while your stylist is still on site?

If you have a florist/coordinator, how can they be setting up your ceremony site and taking care of your reception when you are getting ready to walk down the aisle?

These are  just but a few examples of how some vendors are trying to do more than their specialty and be the “one stop shop.”     While I understand many do it for the sake of trying to make more money, in the long run, they will lose business as they will sacrifice quality or service in one area or another.

Our philosophy is that you “do it right, or you don’t do it at all.”     We respect the talents of all of the vendors we work with, which is why we don’t get on ladders to do lighting, we want to hire a professional DJ versus an Ipod as we know there is a distinct difference in quality, we are not your master of ceremonies or minister and we hire professional photographers and videographers to capture your most precious moments.  On occasion, we do very simple centerpieces to meet a clients’  budget, but we still use our florists to secure flowers and make it clear to our clients that we are not floral designers, so we will order the bouquets from the professionals.

We hope that instead of trying to be all things, to all people, that vendors will spend more time focusing on their core business and create a working team of talented professionals that respect each others’ area of expertise.

For many, it is also a day that they are deciding whether or not to honor the memory of parents, grandparents or other close relatives who have passed away.    Contrary to some couple’s beliefs that it may damper the mood, from experiencing thousands of weddings, we’ve found that honoring their memory actually has had a very uplifting effect as they felt their “presence” during their special day.

There are many different ways of honoring their memory and keeping them close to your heart on your wedding day, these are just but a few ideas:

• A locket with your loved ones picture may be attached to your bouquet.
• Cuff links with pictures may be worn by the groom.
• Memory candles with their names may be displayed along with a personal note such as “Keeping you in our thoughts on our wedding day, until we meet again…..”
• Reserving a seat (or seats) at the ceremony and placing  a lei.   This may be preset in advance, or may also be incorporated into your ceremony by either having the groom place on the chairs right after walking in or having the spouse or son/daughter of the loved one carry in the lei and place on the chair after they walk down the aisle.
• Ringing a bell during the ceremony and taking a moment of silence to recognize the loved one and give all those in attendance a moment to also remember one of their loved ones.
• Placing photos of those to be honored in a visible place in the ceremony is another way to recognize those who are no longer with you
• Including their names in your wedding program
• Another sweet way to remember your family is to use something that has been used for generations or has been handed down to you.  Perhaps you can wear your grandmother’s string of pearls or use your mother’s wedding cake topper, or mother-in-law’s sterling cake cutter for the cake cutting ceremony