Sunday, January 20, 2013

ABC's 20/20 Speical Wedding Confidential

1 Elegant Event's blog post are usually full of great pictures, but in light of the airing of the Wedding Confidential special that aired January 18, 2013 on 20/20  that pictured wedding professionals as untrustworthy, price gouging, people out to con more money out of engaged couples we decided to do a blog rebuttal. Don't worry it is very nice and very informative.


Rebuttal in italics written by: Cossie Crosswhite
National Event Speicalist and Owner of 1 Elegant Event Wedding & Event Planning Based in Mobile, AL
I wrote a rebuttal to this ABC special not to offend, but to set a few misconceptions straight.
To find out more about 1 Elegant Event Wedding & Event Planning Visit www.1elegantevent.com

The average wedding costs around $27,000, according to theknot.com. In Los Angeles, it's $37,000, and $65,000 in New York City. It's no wonder the wedding industry is a $30 billion behemoth.
It's common sense that such a special occasion -- involving venues, food, beverages and flowers -- wouldn't come cheap, but there are ways to realize your dreams at a price that works for you.
Watch the full story on "20/20: Wedding Confidential" Friday at 10 p.m. ET
(This aired Friday January 18, 2013)

 

1. Strive for Fun, Not Perfection

"The industry sort of tries to encourage you to have the 'perfect' wedding," said Denise Fields, the co-author of "Bridal Bargains." "Instead, we try to tell people, you need to have a fun wedding, because perfection just doesn't exist. In that striving for perfection, there's this tendency to think that money will get you exactly what you want."

Yes we do believe that couples should strive for fun and nothing is ever perfect but if you hire an experienced wedding planner who is entrenched in there field and knows many professional experienced wedding professional to fit into the budget parameters you set at the beginning of your process, you can have a fun, near perfect dream wedding that you are wanting. Having your cake and eating it too!

2. Pick Your Season

The most expensive time to get married is summer. "If you get married in April, that's the off-season, and you can save 20, 30 percent," said Alan Fields, co-author of "Bridal Bargains." In addition, flower prices fluctuate widely. Roses are outrageous in February; tulips can be pricey in their off-season, which is summer. To stay on budget, stick to in-season blooms.

We also tell couples, to pick wedding colors and not wedding flowers! Many of the floral designs pro-traded in platiumplatinum wedding photo's can and have been recreated with less costly flowers without the look of the design suffering. This can cut 100's of dollars off per centerpiece!

3. Avoid "Wedding" Shops

"Don't shop at stores that have 'wedding' [or 'bride,' etc.] in their name," Alan Fields said. "You can find lots of wedding-related products at other places. I mean, even Costco sells engagement rings."
"White shoes are white shoes," added Denise Fields. "Why do you have to buy them at a bridal shop? You can buy them at PayLess."

This is true when trying to save. Know one knows wear your ring was bought, maybe not even you. Cosco offers a great selection and high grade of wedding rings and bands at phenomenal prices! The only thing you should really purchase from a wedding specific store is your Bridal Gown. By buying your gown in a bridal store and looking for deals check out the sample sale gown area which has gowns at great percentages off. Almost every bridal store has one (even Kleinfields).

4. Don't Succumb to the Mercedes Syndrome
Don't drive your fancy car and wear your designer clothes to your vendor appointments. "We've actually spoken to florists, for example, who say that the price of flowers that they quote to a bride can change depending on what the bride drives up in," said Denise Fields. "Take the bus!"

While this may be true for some wedding vendors, we at 1 Elegant Event pride ourself as an upstanding wedding planning service who keeps a track on the prices of the vendors in our area. We make our clients appointments for them and sit with them at the appointments acting as their advocate and sometimes negotiator of prices to make sure our clients get the best possible price available for the things they are wanting. We keep our vendors records updated regularly and are able to do this because of the relationships we have built with our wedding community.

5. Check Your Emotions at the Door

"Any time you throw emotion into the mix, things can go wrong," said Alan Fields. Realize you are vulnerable and don't let a salesperson convince you to spend more than you can actually afford.

As wedding planners, many feel very uneasy able how up front we are about getting clients to tell us their budget parameter. We can not be your advocate and negotiate to get you your ideal wedding if we do not know up front if the dreams you have can anyway be brought to life in the budget you have. Creating a realistic budget for your wedding from the beginning and hiring a planner that will keep you in that budget while being upfront with you on what you can afford and what may need to be modified will keep you from being vulnerable to up-selling by other wedding vendors.

6. Nix the Engraving

According to "Bridal Bargains," it costs $700 or more for engraved invitations. Thermographed ones are 50 to 70 percent cheaper and look just as elegant.

Shop around period for invitations. You can even buy invitations from department stores that I have seen in the invitation catalogs and have your local copy center print them for you. Also if you have a great printer at home or (at work, but you did not hear this from me) you can print them yourself.

7. Do Lunch

According to "Bridal Bargains," you can save 30 percent or more on your reception by serving lunch or brunch instead of dinner. Save even more money by having an afternoon reception with cake and light hors d'oeuvres.

While that may seem like a good idea, a full meal is actually cheaper than several different hors d'oeuvres. Caterers will charge you $4 - $12 per person (and this is on the low end) for each type of appetizer you may want and many want at least 5 or 6. For that $24 - $70+ per person you can have at the least a basic 1 meat, 2 veggie, 1 starch, house salad, bread, fruit and cheese tray and veggie tray without looking as though you are having cocktail hour without dinner or lunch.

8. Park It

According to "Bridal Bargains," many cities and towns rent out parks and other civic-owned sites for wedding receptions at affordable rates. A city park clubhouse might rent for $125, while a comparable private site would be $750.

This is true, also your parks department may also own Historical homes and rent them for that price and nice community centers have big , blank open spaces to rent with table and chairs included, and they usually have nice kitchens for caters to use.

9. Deal to Die For

The Fieldses suggest you check out funeral homes for the best deals on limousines. Many have limos that sit idle on weekends, available to rent out at good prices.

While this may seem like a good idea, if they get a last minute rush on funeral (because they cannot predict how many people will die that week) they will cancel you maybe a day or a week before your wedding leaving you stuck without transportation. I know this, because a client couple tried this and our company had to pull a in a few favors to reserve a limousine 4 hours away.

10. D.J. Over Band

Instead of a live band, hire a disc jockey. Denise and Alan Fields say bands can cost $1,000 to $2,000, while a D.J. can cost as little as $400 for four hours, can play a wide variety of music -- Sinatra for the Father-Bride dance, James Brown for when the party really gets going -- and doesn't take breaks.

Dj's are great, and a very inexpensive option for wedding entertainment. I would not recommend the cheapest DJ at $400 unless you had seen them in action at another event. While many can just play music, and good professional will play the right music that you suggested to them in your play list given to them weeks in advance to insure that they have what you are wanting. Also a great DJ will have your first dance and other special music queued up so when its time, it is available and have ways to get the crowd up when the dance floor is clear.

11. Be Nice

"Be nice" is the main suggestion from "The B-----less Bride," a wedding planner who provides incognito etiquette advice to brides-to-be on her website. "[For amiable clients] I've been known to throw in top-shelf booze, upgrade the wine...get special linens," she said. "We just want to go the extra mile for the people that treat us with respect."

Being nice does get you far , we have been known to go the extra mile when we can and get things for our couples items or upgrades they really wanted and could not afford, so we pull some strings and surprised them at the wedding. Also being a mean girl may keep many wedding vendors from wanting to do business with you at all. Your local wedding industry is in essence a very small community of professionals and word does get around quickly.

12. Ask Away

"You have to ask the right questions," suggests The B-----less Bride. "You have to ask at the venue, 'Is this inclusive or exclusive of tax and gratuity?' Because if you don't ask that question, you're tacking on between 27 and 30 percent."

When going to venue meeting tours or signing the contract for venues, the venue coordinator as policy reads with you the contract you are about to sign and discusses the fees, taxes and gratuity and then asks you if you have any other questions before said contract is finalized and signed. You should not have any confusion of venue pricing and fees unless you are cold calling for quotes over the phone.

13. Negotiate

"You absolutely should negotiate," said The B-----less Bride. The venue is the most negotiable expense, she said. But "you have to know when to stop," she added. "You can't expect to pay medium prices for a high-end product."

Many venues will not negotiate the price of their venue but will negotiate on the extras like rentals if offered, bar pricing, catering etc. If the venue does offers catering, bars and etc owned by them that the couple has to use as part of the rental, they may wave the room cost when a certain budget level of the other items are meet.

14. Get It in Writing

Chris Evans, the founder of Evans Sales Solutions, trains wedding professionals to grow their business. "You want to get everything in writing," he said. "I mean, every single thing. And anybody who won't put it in writing, run."

This is true. Make sure you have copies of everything and make any and all changes in writing or if you have hired a wedding planner they will have copies of all of your receipts and contracts on hand for you to view at anytime in your wedding planning process.

15. Get References

"And don't just take the ones they give out," said Evans. "If you're looking at images in a [photographer's] book, you say, 'What's her name and what's her phone number, I'm going to call her.'"
This may seem like a good idea, while wedding professionals keep a list of number of references to call they keep these because many do not have any other services to refer to the past clients to keep up with changed contact information. A great idea is to call other random wedding professionals in that area not in their field to see what they say or heard about that vendor. (If they are a photographer call a florist or wedding planner about them or if they are a wedding planner call caters or photographers to ask about them and so forth.) Other wedding-related vendor tend to be honest about who they refer and do not refer because they do not want anyone's with a bad reputation staining their image.

16. Less Is More

Don't be afraid to edit down your jewelry, for instance. Julie Sabatino is the owner of The Stylish Bride and The Stylish Dresser, a bridal fashion styling company. "Earrings highlight your face more than a necklace," she said. "Pick one piece and make it your statement." Consider skipping the handbag as well. "Some of my brides like having a handbag," said Sabatino, "but others find they don't even use it."

Less is more , even when you look at the celebrates on the red carpet many opt out of necklaces. Do concentrate on a great pair of accent earrings and you only need a purse to hold touch up face power and lipstick unless you hired a make-up stylist to be with you all night. Even though your dress may be long people will and do see your shoes. So if you like splurge on them or at the very least make sure they are very cute while being comfortable.

17. Rent A Dress

Julie Sabatino specializes in helping brides select their dream designer dress. If you are determined to have a designer dress on a tight budget, she says one idea is to rent a wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses. "It saves your wedding party some money," said Sabatino.

While renting may be an option, going to a sample sale, tag sale, upscale consignment stores, on-line and at Discount Luxury Designer wedding gown outlet stores like “Vows”, you can purchase your luxury gown for the price it may cost to rent. Then you can sell it a week after the wedding to the next cost saving bride. Also with bridesmaids gowns, try your local Upscale department stores like Macy's, Dillard's, Von Maur. They sell formals all year in many sizes, carry the same product all over the US for your out of state maids to find, and offer incredible sales and coupons!

18. Build Up a Plain Dress

"A great way to save money is to buy a more plain dress and then accessories it," suggested Sabatino. "With a simple nice blank canvas, you can add your spin and style -- adding belts, accessories, a really cool hairpiece."
Adding a great bridal belt, a cool hair piece, adding applicate or brooches to plain wedding gowns styles will upgrade your dresses look if that is what you are wanting, but just because you picked or see a plain dress does not mean the tag on it will be cheap. Also make sure you look at the tag of the bridal belt or other accessory because while it may look like a perfectly innocent belt or brooch it could cost you well into the $1000+ for each!

19. Cheaper May Cost You

Don't buy a wedding dress just because the price is attractive. "There are people who buy something wrong for them for the price," said Sabatino. "Then they hate it and have to get another." Even if you keep it, that inexpensive dress might require pricey alterations.

This a a very true statement and should not only be for wedding attire but this policy should carry over into your own wardrobe. Just because it is cheap you do not need to buy it if its going to sit in your closet unworn or if it looks really bad on you! Aways try it on first, because these super sale items are usually non refundable items!

20. Quality Not Quantity

If you can't afford a top photographer for your entire wedding day, hire one for less time. Jason and JoAnne Marino, destination-wedding photographers for imaginephotoaz.com, said it's important to hire a photographer you trust and whose company you enjoy -- even if it's for less time than you wanted.
"Maybe we can't get the early-morning wedding photographs or the drunken antics after the reception," said Jason Marino. "But we'll get the meat of what is going on."
I so totally agree with this! Never ever skimp on the photographer the holder of all of your wedding memories. Hire the best photographer you can possibly afford and just cut down the time they will be there. Then to get all of the “ early-morning wedding photographs or the drunken antics after the reception” as Jason Marino stated, get everyone to download one of the many free or low cost phone apps that consolidate all of you guest pictures into one big wedding album to print or view for years to come.

Monday, January 14, 2013

Venue Coordinator verses an Independant Coodinator. Do I need both?

Many articles have been written about the differences between a venue coordinator and an independent wedding planner/coordinator. Simple stated, a venue coordinator is the sole advocate for the venue they work for or own and do things based on the venues best interests. Whereas an independent planner/coordinator is the advocate for their client’s, you, (the bride and groom) and what is best for you and creating your dream event.


Couples say all the time that their venue provides a wedding planner or a wedding coordinator so I don’t need to hire one… this drives me crazy.  Venue coordinators should stop to think about how much assistance they’ll receive from the bride and grooms independent planner, realize it’s a mutually beneficial relationship and that the wedding would run smoother for the venue and the so-to-be married couple.


Independent professional planners oversee the big picture items such as room set and design aspects, helping you find the right vendors to give you  your dream day in your budget parameter. Venue coordinators may have a vendor list, but they many be out of your budget range or do not provide they style of service you want. Your independent planner also will handle vendor deliveries, schedules, problems and changes that happen throughout the planning and on the wedding day, as well as little details such as guest seating arrangements and place cards, favor ordering and placement, gifts, guest book, hotel reservations and guest arrival among many other things that a venue coordinator will not do.

Running and overseeing weddings is a big job, sometimes with complex logistics so why wouldn't the venue coordinator want to work side-by-side with the independent planner whose been working closely with the couple and knows all the fine details of the whole event? It can’t hurt can it? Besides, is the venue coordinator going to help pick out stationery, wedding cakes, linens, floral, centerpieces, decor, manage the  budget and guest list, run a rehearsal, oversee the ceremony and provide discounts and complimentary upgrades? 



Blog written by National Event Planner, Cossie Crosswhite
Visit our website at: www.1elegantevent.com
Browsing wedding venues visit: www.alabamaweddingvenues.webs.com

Friday, January 11, 2013

Top 7 Mistakes Brides Make When Planning Their Wedding

After much debate and conversations with newly married couples of 2012 1 Elegant Event has comprised out Top 7 Mistakes Brides/ Couples make when planning their wedding! We hope buy learning from others, this helps you in your planning process. Here we go, feel free to share!




  1. Spending more than you can afford.
    I am a luxury wedding planner and enjoy all the details that go into making such weddings happen, but many brides tend to overspend in a big way. I have witnessed wedding budgets double even triple over the course of a long engagement and that is a strain on even some of my wealthiest clients. Don't start your marriage in “the red”. Plan ahead, in these times of real estate mayhem make sure you won’t need the money a for home down payment, a car, or to pay your bills before it's spent.
 
  1. Ordering your wedding gown too small and buying expensive uncomfortable shoes!
    Unfortunately ladies too many brides buy dresses that are a size too small and instead of buying a designer shoe that is kinda comfy, we go just on how it looks! In most situations wedding dresses tend to run small because the European cut is a smaller than the American cut, so if you wear an 8, you might need a 10. I know that it would boost your confidence to squeeze into a smaller size, but just remember only you will know what size it is anyway. Also with shoes, get to know your feet shape and buy a shoe that won't squeeze all 4-8 hours. That is a long time to suffer and you don't want to run around an elegant ballroom barefoot all night. So ladies 1st buy the right size gown, if you loose weight (not too much) they can take it in and buy the RIGHT shoe! You want to be able to dance the night away with your new hubby an not have in the back of you mind all night how uncomfortable you are.




  1. Inviting way too many guest!
    Many Brides tend to go crazy inviting too many guest or having too many people in the bridal party which is a bad idea for several reasons. Let's began with postage. When you invite people you know have no intention of coming or when your mother or future in-laws invite people who really don't know you that is 50 cents or more wasted per person not to mention the cost of the invite itself. That little amount may seem very trivial at first, but is all adds up in the end. Secondly, you are paying for a plate of food for each person you invite which can be $30 - $200+ each, plus extra chair covers. more linens and the list goes on and on hence the adding up. Third, you don’t want to waste an hour of your reception (especially if you are limited on time) greeting people whose names you don’t even remember!




  1. Trying to save money by cutting the cocktail hour.
    Planning Couples tend to forget about that time between the I do and when they arrive at the reception because they and their bridal party have things they are doing like photo's, second line's, and maybe a bridal tailgate. After the ceremony guest arrive at the reception location waiting patiently for your arrival, many are a little hungry, thirsty or just need something to do while they wait so they won't constantly be watch checking or tweeting about how long they are waiting. Many couples at all price points and some point look for something to cut, but the cocktail hour is not it even if your are having a dry event. You can limit what you serve. Have a signature drink, a limited bar, simple appetizers. Think out of the box, you may want to hire some entertainment like the dueling pianos, dancers or a harpist. This will give your guest something to do and will make for a better experience your guest will truly appreciate and will make your wedding stand out from the others! 




  2. Stressing to make a perfect wedding and not enjoying the wedding planning or wedding day!
    Most couples tend to put a lot of pressure on themselves and everyone involved, when planning their special day because they are wanting it to be absolutely perfect. Remember, even though your wedding is one of the most important days of your life, it’s just ONE day. Make it an important point to experience fully and enjoy all the days leading up to your wedding as well. Your engagement is a very special time. Don’t spend it stressed out and anxious! Enjoy the experience with your family and and friends. In the end, it will make for a even better wedding day!




  1. Not hiring a wedding planner.
    I'm sure you are thinking, we'll of course you would say that, you are a planner! While that is true, your wedding is one of the most important memorable days of your life, even if you have done it a couple of times, with so many elements to it, why are so many going at it without an experienced professional? I hear over and over, “I can save by doing it with friends and family.” Unfortunately that is not a true statement at all! Professional wedding planners work with you to get you the wedding you want in your budget realm and know the prices for the best vendors your range and can negotiate for you to make things happen for you that would have had to been cut. They may not be about to make magic happen like David Tutera (because the network pays for those weddings), but great wedding planners have an abundance of tricks up their sleeve to give you the best wedding of dreams in the parameters given to them by their clients. Usually in most cases, what you saved by hiring a planner covers more than was charge by the service! Feel free to ask planners at your consultation how they can bring more to your wedding than you can by yourself, and they should be very proud to tell you and give you past examples!





  2. Last minute ceremony preparation!
    Getting married is the main reason for the wedding, but time and time again brides-to-be wait until a month before to write vows, find wedding ceremony music, and even to find an officiant!
    Many who plan on their own at this point are exhausted and pick whoever is available or says I'll do it and that is how you got so many bad versions of Luther Vandross and Ave Maria. Choose these elements early, even hold auditions or have them send you a sample if you haven't heard them before. The ceremony should be a focal point and not an after thought. It is the reason for the entire day! 

      Congratulations, wishing you many blessing and wedded bliss! 



    visit our website:  www.1elegantevent.com
    blog written by: National Event Specialist Cossie Crosswhite 
    Owner of 1 Elegant Event Wedding & Event Planning