The Carolina Inn Wedding Show

An Elegant Affair participated in the prestigious Carolina Inn Wedding Show last Sunday, February 7th.  It was a wonderful event.  We received many compliments on our booth.  We will post photos from the show on the website very soon.

It is always fun to be able to meet with brides, their friends and moms to discuss there plans.  It is such a happy time in their lives.  I love all the enthusiasm and fun they bring to the show.  After all, that is what keeps us all going ~ the wonderful response of the brides.

Our booth was a contemporary look with vibrant colors and minimalistic flowers. It was a clean look and more importantly, it is something that any bride could achieve without having a huge budget.  Many times at the wedding shows, brides see such over the top and extravagant displays, it is hard for them to visualize how they can have such an event with a more limited budget. An Elegant Affair’s approach is to provide a display that is clean, contemporary and totally something that brides can achieve.  We have many brides taking photos of our booth which is such a compliment.

Please call us for a consultation ~ we would love to help you plan your special day!

Planning Tips

We all know how difficult the last couple of years have been.  Although couples are still getting married, they are looking more closely at where they want to spend their money. 

One suggestion I have is to prioritize what is most important to least important when looking at your overall budget.  For example, are the photos the most important thing to you?  The band? The flowers? The decor? the invitations? your gown?  When you are going through this process, remember that when all is said and done, the memories you have of the day will be recorded for you by the photographer.  He/she will document the day for you so you can look back on it for years to come.  Don’t under-estimate the importance of hiring a professional, seasoned photographer.  With the advent of digital cameras, there is an entire new generation of wedding photographers cropping up. But like, inexperienced wedding planners, they often do not know what they are doing and end up making the day a complete mess. When interviewing photographers see lots of albums and ask lots of questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for references from recent brides they have worked with but remember we all have a different benchmark for what constitutes a good photographer, so when talking with the bride, have key questions you want answers to.   And remember a picture is worth a thousand words!

Ask the Experts Seminar

This seminar provides a unique opportunity for you to talk directly to the “best of the best” wedding professionals in North Carolina.  Kristine Dittmer of Kristine Dittmer Photographers~ featuring a dynamic triple cocktail of authentic moments, poetic vision, and gorgeous portraiture ~ national award-winning photographers Kristine Dittmer and Mel Nathanson photography only 25 exclusive weddings a year for clients seeking show-stopping beauty from their wedding day photography.  Their photography work has been featured in many prestigious publications, including Town & Country, National Geographic, The New York Times, The Knot and Weddings Unveiled.  They will discuss what to look for when choosing a photographer for your wedding.  Bring your questions!

Stay tuned for a blog about other participating experts.

Wedding by the Sea

Ask the Experts

An Elegant Affair is conducting a seminar called “Ask the Experts” on Wednesday, March 24, 2010 from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM at the beautiful Umstead Hotel & Spa.  The first such seminar was so well received we have decided to do it again but this time we are adding more information than ever before. Further details will be coming soon so keep checking back to my blog.

Wedding Wire Honor

An Elegant Affair is pleased to announce that they have been awarded the Bride’s Choice Awards(tm) 2010 by Wedding Wire.  Wedding Wire researched and asked brides who they think is the best in the area. An Elegant Affair was among the top 5%.  We are very excited to have this recognition.  We will continue to work very hard for our brides ~ providing them with the the wedding they envision.  Visit Wedding Wire at: www.weddingwire.com

Leap Year

I just went to the movies to see “Leap Year” with Amy Adams.  Cute story about a girl whose Dad tells her that there is an old Irish custom saying that a girl can propose marriage to a guy on February 29th (Leap Year).  She follows her boyfriend to Dublin where he is attending a medical conference with the idea of proposing marriage.

She has many misadventures along the way.  She ends up meeting a charming Irish “lad” who offers to drive her to Dublin when her plane is averted to a different airport. Along the way she learns about herself and what is actually important in life vs. what she thinks is important i.e., marrying the “doctor” and having the board of a prestigious building in Boston, accept their application for ownership.

She discovers what is really important to her and of course the happy ending predictably follows when she marries the Irishman although he has none of the attributes that drew her to her first love. I loved this movie and it points out clearly that when making the biggest decision of your  life it is important to really define what it is you are looking for and what, in the long run, will make you happy.  The person who looks good on paper may not be the best match for you after all.

To all the brides waiting until leap year to propose, you have lots of time to think it through before taking the “leap”.

Good-bye to 2009!

Although An Elegant Affair had a great 2009, I know many small businesses did not fair so well.  Having said that, I too am glad that 2009 is officially over.  I am, however, looking forward with optimism to 2010.  There is always something great about the start of a new year, a chance to wipe the slate clean and start anew.  Its almost like being re-born.  I love to get organized for the new year and I am always filled with great, new ideas for my business and for my brides.

Couples are still planning weddings and while they may need to find more creative ways to stretch a dollar, they are enthusiastic about planning.  I think it gives a couple even more reason to think of ways to personalize their weddings that reflect their style and interests without breaking the bank.

A few well-placed “special” items can lend a unique quality to the event such as the photo shown here of two of the bride’s favorite pets replicated in flowers.  Yes, this is an expensive item but what a wow! impact it had on the guests.  Doing something like this and placing it where the guests can see it as they arrive for cocktails infused the event with a hint of playfulness that set the tone for the rest of the reception.  It also served as a great conversation piece and ice breaker, getting guests to laugh and chat with each other about the “flower” dogs on the way into the cocktail hour.  Even if the rest of the flowers are more modest, one or two impact pieces are important. 

As we look forward to a new year, lets put our thinking caps on and come up with new, unique ways to plan one of the most important events in your life.

Wedding Etiquette

I am often asked etiquette questions and there are some that keep coming up again and again.  One of these is, “What do I do if guests don’t RSVP? 

As a wedding planner, one of the services I offer is calling guests who have not RSVP’d by the requested date.  It is perfectly acceptable to call those guests who have not responded.  After all, you may be charged for meals that no one is there to eat!  When I call I say something along the lines of:  Mary & Tom are hoping that you will be able to join them for their wedding.  Please call and let me know as soon as possible. I have found most people are very apologetic, explaining that “yes” the are planning to come but misplaced the RSVP card etc, etc.  We lead such busy lives, it is understandable that some people forget to RSVP.

If you don’t have a wedding planner, enlist the help of your family & bridal party to call.

Wedding Etiquette Seminar

Last week’s Emily Post Wedding Etiquette Seminar at The Umstead Hotel & Spa was a huge success.  We had 14 people participate.  There was lively discussion and lots of good questions.  My sincere thanks to all who attended. Because of its success, I am planning to offer another seminar probably in March 2010.  Stay tuned for more information.