Invitations in Motion is a brand new concept to hit the Oregon wedding market. Created by Bigler Productions, Invitations in Motion is a fun, creative way of spicing up your wedding invites or save the dates. Each DVD comes with a custom introduction, filmed at your choice of location, of you and your fiancé(e) inviting your guests to attend your wedding. Customize your DVD to include a photo montage, your engagement story, or even get the wedding party on camera for a group interview. The best part is that your guests will still get the paper invitation, it will just be ten times more exciting with your custom DVD. To truly grasp this amazing idea you need to see it for your self. . . www.invitationsinmotion.com

BOOK EARLY! Whether booking the David Cooley Band or another reception band, I suggest as soon as you  make your decision, book it! Certain dates fill up faster than others and it can be somewhat random from year to year. When you receive your contract, review, sign off, and return with deposit ASAP. Don’t lose the band you really want for your wedding day.

AS SOON AS YOU BOOK, start thinking about your first dance and father/daughter dance tune selections. If your father will not be attending, consider a stand-in (uncle, brother, best man). If you have other special requests, submit them as soon as possible after you book. Don’t leave these details ’til the last minute or you may not get what you desire. That said, it’s your wedding. You don’t have to do any special dances, bouquet toss, etc. Make yourself comfortable with the celebration.

APPOINT A DESIGNATED HELPER – someone who will be a liaison between you and the band. Even if you’ve hired a professional coordinator or your reception venue provides one with their fee, pick a friend or someone from your bridal party to check in with and to keep things organized between you and the band, caterer, coordinator, etc. Remember – your bridal party (especially the bridesmaid and best man) are there to serve you on your special day. Don’t be shy about asking them to “take care of biz” so you can relax and enjoy yourself – that’s a big part of their “job” as attendants to the bride and groom. You might even call on them to help with a few details during the planning stages to lighten your load.

QUESTIONS? ASK, ASK, ASK – consult your band leader! David Cooley is available to answer questions, address concerns, and make suggestions from the time you book until you climb into the limo at the end of the reception.

DON’T WORRY ABOUT BAND BREAKS. At weddings, the timing of all the incidentals (cake cutting, speeches, etc.) make playing times and break times a bit irregular. If there’s a long break because of non-music activities, the band will make it up by playing an extra long set. Rest assured – you’ll get your money’s worth from the David Cooley Band.

DON’T BE APOLOGETIC in asking for what you want, when you want it. The David Cooley Band is at your reception to provide a service to you and your family. We’re there for you – feel free to let us know exactly what you desire.

HAVE FUN with it! Enjoy the entire process. This will make your reception even more terrific!

Tips from the David Cooley Band

Are you looking for something to make your wedding reception memorable? Here is an idea for something everyone will love and be talking about for weeks! Instead of the traditional candy favors at your guests place settings, create a “Candy Bar” for your guests to enjoy. Use your wedding colors to help choose the candy for your display.

Fun Candy Ideas:
Old fashion candy sticks
Whirly pops (lolli pops)
Gum Balls
Jelly Beans
M&Ms
Pixie Sticks

Place the candy in glass jars. Use various sized jars to create a fabulous focal point at your reception. Provide clear plastic bags to invite your guests to take the candy with them. You can keep your “candy bar” simple or jazz it with the ideas listed below.

Fabulous Additions:
Create candy labels for the glass jars
Add silver candy scoops for your guests to easily scoop up the candy
Use ribbon and crystals to decorate the table or jars

To see a picture of the “candy bar” I had on display at the Bravo! Spring Affair, visit: www.sorellaevents.com

(Photos courtesy of Sorella Events)

Looking for the latest color schemes for your Spring or Summer wedding? Look no further! Below are the top three color schemes to help you plan your wedding.

Budget conscience brides are always looking for ways to save money while still ensuring their wedding day is beautiful and memorable. A savvy bridal consultant will offer these couples tips to stretch their dollar so they stay within their budget while still experiencing the wedding of their dreams.

The most expensive portion of the wedding tends to be the reception. Rather than a formal evening affair, why not consider a Sunday morning or afternoon ceremony followed by a brunch. Not only will couples save on food cost, but alcohol consumption will be considerably less during the day than in the evening. Perhaps just offer champagne during your toast and then your guests can have Mimosas during brunch. This while save a lot over a fully stocked open bar.

Another cost-saving tip for couples to consider are their flowers. When consulting with your florist talk about which bouquets and arrangements can be used at both the ceremony and reception. For example, rather than leaving the alter arrangements at the church or other ceremony site, bring them to the reception and have your consultant place them on the head table or buffet tables as decor. Have the bridesmaids place their bouquets on the gift and guest book tables rather than ordering additional arrangements. Finally, talk to the florist about what flowers are in season and can be found locally as this can save you a tremendous amount of money if flowers don’t have to be flown in.

Courtesy of:

Blush Bridal
1000 SW Broadway, Suite 1640
Portland, Oregon 97205
503.970.3361
www.blushbridalevents.com

One of the biggest – if not THE biggest — challenges in planning a wedding is figuring out how to design an event that is memorable for your guests – an event unlike anything they have ever experienced.

There are hundreds of new and exciting ways to add some pizzazz to your wedding and make it uniquely your own instead of a cookie-cutter event that your guests have seen before. First and foremost we need to talk etiquette. The “Miss Manners” era is over and for today’s bride almost anything goes. There are tons of old traditions and rules that are made to be broken and the first of them is “the traditional wedding party.” Is one of your best friends a man? Make him a Bridesman! Does your groom have a cherished girl-friend? Make her a Groomsgirl or the Best Woman! I see more and more couples incorporating both genders on either side of the couple and I love it! It makes the ceremony and reception personal, unique and genuinely inclusive of the people that matter to you most. Consider also that you are not required to have an equal number of bridesmaids and groomsmen on each side. Do not feel like you have to restrict yourself or add someone to the bridal party that you are not particularly close to. This event is all about you as a couple so follow your hearts and do what feels right. Next up? Favors. Do you have a drawer full of old trinkets that you have collected over the years from weddings? I know I certainly do and I also know that they will eventually get thrown away. For this reason, I often encourage my clients to think about an edible favor. This is something that can be appreciated right then and there and actually gets used and enjoyed rather than tossed. My favorite favor is a candy buffet, and it’s easy to pull together. Simply arrange several different shaped large vases and fill them with your favorite candies. Include scoopers and bags or boxes for your guests to fill with your treats and carry home. You can incorporate your colors or theme into the candy selection, which will also tie things together very nicely. Other fun options for favors are a donation to a charity, a single flower bud at each place setting, or even a scratch-it lottery ticket. Have you thought about incorporating a theme into your wedding? Some of my most memorable events have incorporated a theme to pull everything together and the concept is becoming increasingly popular. Your theme can be applied to all aspects of the wedding including the invitations, table settings, music, and the food. The hard part is brainstorming your perfect theme. Try thinking of an aspect of your relationship that can serve as the foundation, such as the location of your first kiss, the engagement, or a characteristic of your first date. Did you meet at a sporting event, a bar, or another special place? Do you have favorite colors or share an initial? A specific object or shape is another great idea that can be easily incorporated throughout your day. For a “round” wedding, order a circular dance floor, circular tables, cylindrical centerpiece vases, round candles, spherical bridal and bridesmaid bouquets with bear-grass twisted in a circle, hang globular pomanders, and so on. The possibilities are endless, but planning with a theme in mind can make the event unforgettable for guests and more fun for you. Keep in mind that for your theme to be recognized and enjoyed, it needs to be prominent. Use it before and throughout the day in your invitations, programs, menus, favors, décor, and so on to avoid all of your thoughtfulness hard work going unnoticed. Lastly, two aspects of your wedding that guests will certainly pay attention to are your food and drink choices. I love it when couples serve a signature drink with creative names such as “The Marriage Martini” or “Lisa’s Lemon Drop.” This is something that can be tied into your color scheme or theme that may even give your guests the opportunity to try something that they have never sipped before. Food is another perfect venue to try serving new things. Have you considered a sushi bar, or serving sorbet between courses to cleanse the palate? You can even mix things up by featuring different buffet stations around the room. This not only gets your guests moving and mingling, but it provides them with several different options as well. Remember, your wedding is all about you and your fiancé celebrating the beginning of your happy future together. Add a little personality to your day and don’t be afraid to spice things up. The most memorable weddings are those that are distinctive, fun and uniquely your own! Congratulations and happy planning!

Courtesy of:
Bridal Bliss
17050 SW Pilkington Road, Suite #210
Lake Oswego, Oregon 97035
(cell) 503.804.4901
(office) 503.636.1694
(fax) 503.636.1694
www.bridalbliss.com

These titles can be confusing since they are often used interchangeably. Adding to the confusion are the venues who give their on site venue coordinators similar titles. The good news is that most experienced independent wedding consultants are qualified and prepared to wear all four hats as they provide service to you.
Hiring your own independent wedding consultant means you will have their expertise available to you throughout the wedding planning process. Being able to draw upon their years of expertise will prove invaluable. Your consultant is also a professional planner who can advise and assist you with all of the intricacies involved in the planning process, helping you to avoid costly mistakes as well as to make sound budgetary decisions. Your wedding consultant can also assist you with event design including event flow and space design. Her or his vast knowledge of available creative rental décor elements will also serve to enhance your wedding design options.

Finally your consultant will be at your rehearsal, ceremony and reception to coordinate all of the details and transitions to insure that your wedding day unfolds seamlessly.
So hiring by hiring a wedding consultant you receive four different types of important services for one reasonable service fee!

Courtesy of Susan Adkins from Class Act Event Coordinators

Choosing the right photographer with the right style for your big day – not to mention the right budget – can be a difficult task. A recent pool of UK newlyweds found that poor wedding photographs were one of the biggest source of disappointment after the occasion.
Here are some tips that should help you to make your choice.
Style File The style you are after is a major factor in determining which photographer to choose. There are traditional, contemporary and reportage styles, however, many photographers’ images represent a mixture of several different styles. Ask for the album with the images from the same wedding, and imagine your wedding photographs looking similar. Ask yourself if you really like them.
Feeling Comfortable It is important to speak with the photographer who’ll be covering your wedding in person, rather than just a salesperson or representative. That way you can make sure you feel totally comfortable around your wedding photographer; you will spend your Big day constantly communicating with that person. An Engagement session is an excellent rehearsal for the wedding photography.
It’s also important to find someone who’s excited about photographing your wedding, who has a great attitude and experienced enough to deal with any tricky family situations. A good photographer will treat your wedding day as a special event rather than just another job.
Right Price In average, couples spend up to 10% of their total wedding budget for photographs. The price generally depends on three main factors: how long the photographer spends at your wedding, whether there is going to be a second photographer or assistant and the type of album. Think about what you want to have as a final product: sometimes paying a little extra means you get to keep all the negatives, or if a well-designed album is important to you, choose a photographer who is skilled in this area.
The most important advice I want to give: listen to your heart. Feel comfortable with your choice. Your wedding photographs will keep bring you back to the day when your life changed forever; they will be inherited by you children and generations to come.

Sincerely yours, Nataliya Sostin

{All photos were taken
by Nataliya Sostin}

When looking for a wedding cake here are some things to consider:

There are a few details that can make things go more smoothly: Before scheduling a tasting & consultation I always ask people where and when their wedding will be. The couple need to have their wedding day picked out, and their venue secured (the wedding date is often determined by when the venue is available) before moving on to cake tastings, etc. We can then see if we are available on that day. If we are then we can go ahead and schedule a tasting.

Consider your budget:
I think a budget is always a good idea when it comes to your cake. And
staying within the budget is a way to get creative and still find ways
to make something amazing and special for the couple.

The cost is in the details. The more complex and time consuming the
decoration, the more it’s going to cost. Any decoration that is hand cut, hand formed, hand painted, etc, is going to be more time consuming and therefor more costly.

Give as much advanced notice as possible:
If you are getting married during the height of wedding season (May-October, with the busiest months being July and August)it’s best to make appointments for tastings/consultations at least 6 months in advance. This is not because we need that much time, but because you have the best chance of getting the vendor you want. We start getting booked up for weddings and can only take on so many per weekend as we are a small bakery. On the other hand during December, when less people are getting married we’ve done wedding cakes for a few people with only 10 – 14 days notice.

Consider the time of year (and the weather) your wedding is going to be in:
Will your wedding be in the summer and outdoors? Will you have access to air conditioning for your cake? A few times we have had to disappoint a bride when we told her that her daytime summer garden wedding can’t have her beautiful cake on display outside during the wedding and ceremony or it will melt (we don’t use stabilizers). I think people don’t always realize that scenarios that are photographed in magazines aren’t always possible in reality.

Come with questions and as many ideas and inspirations as you have regarding your wedding and cake:
Couples come to their consultation at different stages in the process of planning their wedding. Some know exactly what they want, have done research, and come ready to order their cake and talk about the details such as flavors and decoration. Others come without really knowing these answers yet and we try to use our meeting with them to answer their questions, inform them of the process, give them ideas and get a general idea of what they are looking for. I don’t think a couple has to know what they want when they come for their tasting. It is a good idea to come with questions. Use your vendors to educate you. I let couples know what things will help them get to the place where they can decide what they want in a cake: Colors, shapes, motif or design, such as may be used in an invitation, general look and feel and theme of the event (ie, cocktail party, garden bar-b-q). It can be helpful to bring in magazine pages with pictures of cakes to use as a guideline for color or shape and to give us an idea of what they like, but not so we can copy the cake exactly. We generally don’t want to copy someone else’s work, rather create something unique for the couple

{Cakes are from Bakery Bar}