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

Last month I had the pleasure of attending a mid-week After 5’s Mini Wedding Expo event hosted by Salon One – The Cove in Tauranga.

This ‘cutting-edge’ Salon boasts a team of 9 super-friendly, experienced Hair & Beauty Therapists.

Their services cater beautifully to the modern bride, groom & bridal party; with Salon One being a one-stop shop for all you wedding beauty needs.  You will be amazed at the services & packages that can be tailor-made to your budget & requirements of your special day.  Their services include:

• Hair removal
• Eye Treatments
• Make-up
• Spray Tanning
• Paraffin
• Hands
• Eye Lash Extensions
• GO30 nails
• Feet
• Massage
• Facials
• Cosmetic Tattooing
• IPL
• Teeth Whitening

What I thought was particularly cool is that, your bridal experience with Salon One can begin as early as your Hen’s night.  You can get your girls together to enjoy a fun evening of wedding hair & make-up trials whilst sipping on wine, enjoying a few nibbles & having a few laughs with the Salon One Team.

After 5’s mini-wedding expo

The evening started at 5.30pm and I was greeted by the lovely Ang, Salon One’s Owner who kindly showed me to an office where I could relieve myself of hauling my monstrous handbag/bag of tricks.  She continued to show me around the surprisingly large premises of the Salon.  I was then introduced to Salon One’s wonderful new manager Chris Hamilton.  Chris spoke to me of her experience, which is not short of extensive; her 30 years in Hair & Beauty included time catering to the beauty needs of brides & grooms on the romantic Destinations Wedding Island of Vanuatu.  She also shared with me her desire to cater more to clients planning a wedding in the Bay of Plenty & Salon One plans on organising another Mini Wedding Expo later in the year to offer prospective brides & grooms the opportunity to see for themselves the extensive range of services & packages the salon has to offer.

While perusing the Salon & donning a glass of white wine offered to me on my arrival, I was impressed with the Space the Salon utilises.  Salon One is large enough to host a Hair-dressing Salon, adjoining Make-up Salon & additional rooms for massage & treatments known as the Beauty Rooms.  The Beauty rooms have adjoining doors that can be opened up to create one large room; very handy for a bridal party wanting to indulge simultaneously for a massage. 

The clean & modern internal surroundings of the Salon are aesthetically pleasing, with its high mono-pitched ceiling; black, white & chrome coloured furniture & fittings; and plentiful glass windows & doors.  This corner Salon situated at right end of Fraser Cove, Tauranga is definately a touch of class while maintaining a welcoming atmosphere at the same time.  I imagined the laughs and fun times that can be had here with a bustling crowd.  True to my estimations, once the crowds arrived for the mini-wedding expo, I was not left disappointed.

The crowds easily reached up to about 30 people including staff at any one time comfortably.  Guests got to enjoy the evening activities with wine & nibbles (catered by Lemongrass Catering Company); and availing themselves of a pampering by hair & beauty technicians.  As I walked through the Salon, I watched on intently as professional hair technicians busied themselves with ‘hair-ups’ & styling, whipping up stunning hair designs for both long & short hair in a matter of minutes.  Make-up artist Sam transformed guests with the range of Jane Iredale make-up cosmetics sold at the Salon.  Lucky guests also received massages & treatments in the Beauty Room.   And, if you are one that prefers to watch your technician mix hair colours, then you will be most pleased that this Salon hosts a large ‘kitchen’ area viewable for these preparations.

Check out the evening out for yourself:

 But this is certainly not where it ends.  The delicious nibbles made available to the punters that evening were provided by personal chef & caterer Belinda Lombard of Lemongrass Catering Company limited.  Specialising as a personal chef & caterer for corporate functions, weddings, themed events, cake decorating & adult & children’s parties; Belinda provided an array of truly tasty & delicious finger food to tantalise our tongues.  Belinda has spent 18 years as a Chef, with 15 years of experience overseas & 5 years in New Zealand.  And although she is a busy mum of 2 pre-school children, she still runs her business successfully & ensures she cooks great dishes for the family.

 Belinda provided delectable morsels for our tasting pleasure which was a superb introduction to what remarkable menu’s she could provide for your wedding reception. 

Lemongrass Catering Company Picture Board:

1. King Prawn & Chorizo Skewers with Paprika and Lime Aioli
2. B.L.T Pesto Stacks
3. Belinda Lombard
4. Whitebait & Prawn Fritters with Tartar Dressing & Pink Peppercorns
5. Thai Pork San Choy in Cucumber Cups
6. Belinda cooks!
7. Haloumi Cheese with Tomato Chutney on Sour Dough Crosini
8. Lemongrass Catering Promo Info

In summary – the food catered by Lemongrass Catering Company was delicious, timely & well presented.  It was such a pleasure meeting with Belinda & I can guarantee that she will leave you & your guests very happy customers.

 I also had the pleasure of meeting a few of our lovely local Wedding Industry Vendors

Left to right: Debbie Maguigan ‘Brides on Devonport’ – 2 years experience in Bridal Wear Design; Aaron Lang ‘Aaron Lang Photography’ – 10 years photography experience;  Christine Grant – Registered Marriage Celebrant with 9 years experience. 

 And last but not least, were the fantastic wee goodie bags packed with a variety of hair, face & nail products; chocolates & discount vouchers – kindly provided by Salon One that we all got to take home with us at the end of the evening – Who doesn’t love taking home some wee freebies that we can play around with at home?

So if you haven’t yet shortlisted your Hair & Makeup specialists & are still considering a Caterer; I tell you now, you will not go wrong leaving these aspects of your Wedding Day to Salon One & Lemongrass Catering Company.

Sometimes I feel like the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland – so much to do, so little time – and perhaps I am chasing my own tail.  Granted, I have a number of projects on the go & it can get a little daunting. 

The problem with me is that due to being a little impatient at times, I have had the tendancy to set tight timeframes to a task at hand & end up feeling very unsatisfied at the quality of my work when I have not allocated enough time to get it done in … so, I have decided not to set such tight constraints for myself.  The psychology involved around this train-of-thought has been astounding!  Once I took the pressure off myself, I was actually managing to complete my tasks to a high enough standard that keeps me & those around me happy.

In all fairness though, I have been swamped & I am hoping that the numerous tasks I have started will be complete soon before the next run of tasks are put in front of me.  Particularly my ‘Under 10k Wedding Budgets’ … which are still in limbo awaiting some tweaked prices from some of my vendors.  For those wonderful vendors that have submitted their costs, 3 claps for you, you are wonderful.

So what have I been doing with my time?

Let’s see:

• I run & own Blissful Bay Weddings from home – which entails a lot of networking with vendors in the wedding industry, setting up contacts, pricing & planning for wedding couples, regular social media networking etc; I’m sure those of you that have their own businesses will know what this entails.  Current projects on the go: Under 10k Wedding Budgets; Wedding Proposal Blogs; Wedding Expo & Industry write-ups for vendors in the Bay of Plenty;
• I work 2-3 days per week for Environment Bay of Plenty;
• My hubby & I have a small cattle business on our property, granted, I do not do any of the physical stuff, I just take care of the paperwork, again, this too can be time-consuming, especially at tax time;
• We have 4 children: 16yrs, 12yrs, 10yrs & 21mths, all very active & enjoy sports – enough said (perhaps this should have gone on the top of the list as my largest task);
• I am the Secretary for the 2012 Jamieson Family Reunion & on the following Sub-committees for the reunion: ICT; Events; Finance & Registrations.  This includes me setting up & maintaining our Website & FB Fan Page – check it out if you like : Jamieson Family Reunion ;
• I am the Treasurer of the Pyes Pa School Whanau Group & within this group I usually have a number of tasks allocated to me post Group meetings, every 6 weeks, over & above maintaining the groups Finances;
• Then there is of course our spiritual needs to consider – VIP;
• House Reno & Housework: our 140yr old villa that we relocated 2 years ago from Waiuku is Work In Progress.  If I were to have one ‘superficial’ wish, it would be to win a Landscaper.  Bar the vege garden & a couple of decorative gardens around the house, our house still looks like a ‘house in the middle of a paddock’.  We have a new kitchen & bathroom installed; all new plumbing & wiring; the bedrooms carpeted &  the remaining Kauri floors re-sanded & polyurethaned – so that is huge task complete.  But the whole interior was also re-gibed and still needs to be plastered & painted – we have about 75% to complete, & will have to install the new light fittings after that.  Not to mention the sash windows that still to be sanded & oiled & a couple of doors to replace & paint.  We also need a new driveway, garage with sleep out/office (so I can relocate from my 2m x 4m office space).  These things take time I know, but did I mention that I have a wee problem with patience … 
• And, I come from a large extended family.  It seems that I am the advocate for all things Events, which usually means I am often the one organising everything from family dinners/potlucks to Whanau Days, Sports Days & Family Reunions.  My sister-in-law & my mother have a frequently used saying: “If you want something done, give it to a busy person … give it to Jacqui” …

It is no wonder that I have 3 diaries with comprehensive lists: A work diary; an at home task & business diary; and a spiritual & family diary.  This might sound rather full-on, but it works for me.  But, like a budget, it’s not going to work unless you stick to it.

But amongst all this busyness, we still need to take time for our family & friends individually; whether it is to take time out to visit & have a cup of tea with mum & mum-in-law; popping out for coffee or lunch with sisters, family & in-laws; a few drinks & nibbles out with the girlfriends; family days or movie nights; & of course, some strategically set aside time for ‘date nights’ with the hubby.  These people are the ones we do ALL of the above for.  If our schedule becomes so busy that it chokes out this all important time with our loved ones, what was the point? 

I hope you have a little more insight on what I get up to.  We require different ‘hats’ for different tasks, & the ‘hat’ I love wearing is my Wedding ‘veil’ so to speak – it is a passion & I have enjoyed the ride so far.  So please be sure to continue following along my Blog – & I hope I can share with you some valuable if not, helpful information.

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.

There are very few people that do not love Candles for one reason or another.  They are such a versatile product that can be used for a variety of different purposes.

I have a preference for scented, natural Soy based candles over paraffin based candles & will explain shortly why.  The following is a wee list as to why we love candles & what purpose they are most commonly used:

• Ambiance: candle light can set scenes that can invoke a variety of different moods depending on the person, usually intimacy or romance, relaxation, health & even energy.
• Scent: If you use scented or essential oil candles, they can be lit to emit pleasant smells into the atmosphere, which may also invoke our senses in a positive way
• Relaxation: a lot of people light candles in the bath, the bedroom or any other room they are working in to stimulate or relax the mind.  I even enjoy lighting them in my office while I am working, sometimes when I look at the flames it calms my thoughts, which can stimulate & motivate my mind for added innovation
• Decoration: there is no doubt about it, when you walk into a room full of lit candles, there is no need for any other decorations – especially when candles are held in interesting & suitably specific candle holders. 

Considering the above, it is no wonder why candles are a popular wedding or formal decoration.

And, as they are enjoyed by so many people, they also make great Wedding Favours.

Last year I had the privilege of hosting a Soy Candle Party with The Soy Candle Company and was blown away by the huge range of Scents & Essential Oil based candles available to stimulate our senses.

Another interesting fact about Soy Candles, is that burning natural Soy Candles is a much healthier option over normal paraffin based candles; and Soy Candles burns at a much lower temperature (due to the lack of Petroleum based oils) and the melted scented Soy wax can easily be rubbed into your skin without burning you & leaves the most amazing scent & feel on your skin.

If you are interested in purchasing these wonderful candles for either a wedding, formal occasion or your own personal use, please feel free to contact me.  Or you may contact Sam Miles from The Soy Candle Company (formerly known as White Lites).

I can guarantee that after you have used Soy Candles, you’ll be reluctant to ever go back to using an non Soy based candle again.

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!!

Original by Etta James

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