Blissful Bay Weddings

A number of people have asked me about “Save the Date” wedding invitations.  What are they?  When should we send them?  Do they replace a normal wedding invitation?  And what should be included in a “Save the Date” wedding invitation?

Since this is such a common inquiry, AND I happen to be creating one right now for one of my wedding clients, I thought I’d take 5 minutes to shed some light on the wedding “Save the Date”.

Save the Date!

Simply, a “Save the Date” wedding invitation just lets your guests know your wedding date in advance; actual wedding invitations follow later and are sent closer to the wedding date.  They are also usually less formal than the wedding invitation.

“Save the Dates” are fantastic for out-of-town guests as it allows them advance preparation should they need to plan and travel to your wedding.  “Save the Dates” can be sent out about 3-5 months before the wedding day, however, many choose to send out their “Save the Dates” as soon as they know when their wedding date will be.

There are a number of “Save the Date” ideas:

• Postcards
• Electronic Calendar Appointments; for example, Outlook or Google Calendars
• Paper copies
• Magnets or Stickers -  Vistaprint is a great website that allows you to create and design your own prints on magnets & postcards – check them out – I have used them myself & they are totally affordable!
• Photos
• Online invitations such Facebook Events; You Tube; Smilebox; & Evite – I totally appreciate the convinence of using FREE online media as they are instant to recipients and great for recording RSVP’s of your guests.  I have used all of the above to create event invitations and they are very successful!
• Stay on Theme – where possible.  If you know where you are getting married and what colours or themes you plan on executing for your wedding day, it is a great idea to stick with that for your “Save the Date” invites, as they are usually the first visual aid to your preparations that will be distributed.  Examples I have heard of for themed weddings are: Invitations written on Jandels for Beach Weddings; Printed CD cover invitations that are sent with a music CD of the couples favourite songs … ideas are endless & what a fun & unique way to let people know you are getting married.

What information should be included in your Save the Date invitations?  Remembering that you will still be sending out official Wedding invites, there is no need to include more than what you may know at the time you send them out.  Many people do not know for sure where their wedding venue will be at this time, so adding the location is impossible.  Feel free to add as much information as you like – but below are the usual basics you would include:

• Couples names
• Wedding Date
• Location (if known)
• Link to your Wedding Website – if you have one.  A wedding website is a fantastic idea as you can keep updating it with your wedding details.  Guests that use the internet can also be kept informed of all your preparations and the finer details of your wedding by referring to your website.  The Knot has free wedding websites available if you become a member (also free) – go on, check them out!
• Any other details that you would like to include that you feel apply to your wedding day; however, DO NOT include a Gift Registry with your Save the Date invite as it is not really appropriate considering bringing a gift is usually not compulsary.

So there you have it!  Your “Save the Date” wedding invitation!  Easy peasy!

Jacqui

Well, what to say? 

There has certainly been a lot going on of late including one particularly interesting wee project that was inspired via THE KNOT – 10k Wedding Budget Challenge.  This is a great idea to provide couples with relevant costs & information of their local wedding vendors.  So, I too, have jumped on this ‘band wagon’ to make available to couples in my area what the Bay of Plenty wedding industry has to offer.  Consider also how significant it is for many couples to monitor their wedding budgets, and being able to provide a means that enables couples to ‘tweak’ expenses to suit their wedding logistics & budget.  I hope to post my first ‘Under 10k Wedding Budget’ within the next 7 days.  So keep an eye out for it.

Other blog ideas I have been working on are real life “how were you proposed to” stories.  I hope to add a new story each month.  If you have a particularly interesting wedding proposal story that you would like to share with me to post on this website, I would be very keen to hear from you.

So on top of working on my website & business, there is still the usual routine of work & family; and then there is of course Social Media Networking via Twitter & Facebook.   Due to the holidays, admittedly I haven’t indulged myself to a more beneficial capacity as of late, though I still continue to enjoy networking with the many innovative and interesting people within these online communities & have recognised what a significant tool Social Media Networking is.

And there it is!  My ‘excuses’ for failing to post blogs more regularly … I hope you will forgive me.

Hey y’all

My biggest apologies for not putting up any new blog posts for some time!!  But wait – 2010 is just around the corner & there will be a heap of new interesting wedding content to keep you busy reading, including a variety of wedding ideas with budgets under 10K from our Bay of Plenty vendors.

Hope all your wedding plans are all coming together well … & all the very best for a new decade ahead to all you Brides & Grooms to Be!

See you next year!!

Of Course the Bay of Plenty is a perfect to place to get married!!

The Bay of Plenty is well known for its beautiful beaches, gorgeous weather, spectacular scenery; & boasts a number of beachside & lakeside townships with great shopping boutiques, cafes, restaurants & entertainment.

The Bay of Plenty also boasts numerous Wedding Professionals & Services, from Romantic & ExclusiveVenues, Exotic & NativeFloral Designers & Talented Entertainers to Award-winning Cake Designers, Interesting & Enthusiastic Celebrants & Dedicated Wedding Planners - with all that and more in between.  There is nothing that cannot be supplied to you located right here in the Bay of Plenty to make your Wedding Day truly memorable.

Last year, the Bay of Plenty Region was the 5th most popular region in New Zealand with 1309 Registered Weddings.  In fact, in analysis of New Zealand Statistics, a ratio of 1:59 Weddings per population aged 20 – 44yrs occurred in the Bay of Plenty last year – so, big Up’s to the Bay of Plenty for being a popular & beautiful place to marry.

So come on people, there is so much to offer here in the Beautiful Bay of Plenty & one things for sure, you will fall in love with this awesome region & will be so pleased you chose to Wed here … you wont want to leave.

Be sure to keep an eye on this Website, a page is soon to be added with Wedding Pics had here in the truly Beautiful Bay of Plenty.

So after considerable research & analysis, it seems my endeavours of becoming a busy Wedding Planner is not all in Vain!

Typically, the Kiwi culture of being DIY’ers, & planning your own dream wedding was almost as exciting as the Big Day itself. Wedding Planners were typically recognised as being available to cater to only the wealthy & elite, however, this misconception is now very unfashionable. The reality is, Wedding Planners can save you a lot of money and time & ensure that your Wedding Day runs blissfully; how so?

1. Vendor Savings: Wedding Planners establish relationships with Wedding Vendors that often lead to discounts or Special offers that the Planner can make available to prospective Brides & Grooms;
2. Budgeting: Wedding Planners work with the couples to establish & stay within the parameters of a budget. The Wedding Planner is aware of all expenses that need to be taken into consideration so wedding couples are not left unawares about any unexpected expenses; the Wedding Planner will provide comprehensive check lists & Expense Reports to keep the budget on track;
   
3. One Stop Shop: Rather than having to “shop” around for suitable vendors & information regarding the Services they provide, your Wedding Planner will already have a comprehensive list & information on hand for you to view straight away; So you can browse before making a number of unnecessary trips to visit vendors that may not be to your preference.
4. Time Savers: Almost as precious as your finances is your time. The time that is needed to prepare for your Big Day can be overwhelmingly consuming. Visiting vendors, co-ordinating your bridal party & yourselves, as well as Of-the-Day Schedules & post-wedding priorities can & do take their toll on many couples. Imagine the amount of stress that is alleviated when a Wedding Planner takes over these daunting tasks leaving you & your partner the joy of only having to choose what you want for your Day & also allowing you to continue your usual routine without undue disruptions to your day-to-day living arrangements for the months leading up to your Wedding. Let’s face it, life is only getting busier & to have an experienced person take over the reins a bit is more of a ‘God-send’ rather than a financial liability. Do we not utilise the services of Housecleaners, Childcare givers, Mid-wives, Hairdressers & Beauty Therapists, not because we NEED them, but because they provide us with an invaluable service that we cherish & depend on? So too today with the trusty Wedding Planner.
5. Damage Control: Most people are non-confrontational, & let’s be honest, weddings can be an Abyss for brewing potential Family Disturbances, and certainly not what the Bridal couple care to have to deal with. Well meaning family members are inclined to want to have a say on how the Wedding deliberations should take place although it may not be what the Couple want. This is the perfect opportunity to mention you have a Wedding Planner and that all wedding processions need to go through go through them – a great scapegoat for any couple.
6. Wedding Etiquette: These days, almost anything goes, however, there are still some Wedding Rules that should still be applied, such as: Who knows how late is fashionably late for the Bride to arrive, speech sequences, what time is appropriate for the Bride & Groom to leave, Seating Arrangements, Who pays for what & Guest Mingling – amongst some. Your Wedding Planner will advise you of all these To Do’s and more.

So, taking all of the above into consideration, it’s no wonder the need for a Wedding Planner has become Top of the List to prospective Wedding Couples – they are most definitely a worth-while investment, but let’s not leave that to my Word, the Stats are out & this is how YOU all felt about the need to have a Wedding Planner.

Please note: These Stats were compiled by way of a Poll I had running on this Blog, Facebook Polls, Vizu Polls & a Survey that was distributed to Newly Weds & couples currently planning their wedding. Total Poll Stats totalled over 100 participants. So here we have it:

72%    - Yes, you would use a Wedding Planner

28%    - No, I would prefer to plan my own Wedding

Of the above Stats, the 72% that would use a planner, 45% assume that a Wedding Planner might be too expensive & have therefore not considered, although they would love a Wedding Planner. Perhaps considering the above, you have already ascertained that a Wedding Planner is a good example of funds well spent, or perhaps it may prompt you to seek further information on how much a Wedding Planner actually charges, it is likely far less than you think.

The 28% that would prefer to plan their own wedding, 72% would like to see a Website that offers services & Wedding Planning tips to help them with their Wedding Preparations. I am pleased to inform you that I am currently working on the design of such a Website that will provide a One-Stop Shop to all your wedding needs & I have catered to the feedback I received from you. I hope to have the Website running by November after I have meet with all my Vendors. Fingers crossed this continues to run to plan, it has been no easy feat to initiate but thanks to your support & the invaluable feedback I have received from you all, things are still moving forward.

Thank you all who participated in the Survey, I have also received a significant amount of Feedback on what prospective couples require in order to aid them on their Wedding Day. If you are planning on getting married, or know someone who is getting married, please feel free to contact me on my Contacts Form to inquire further on what I charge & very Special Offers I have available that is very affordable.

All the very best to you for all your Wedding Preparations!!

Arohanui, Jacqui