Love Wedding Planning

Congratulations to all the couples who got engaged over the holidays! We’re so happy for you! Being engaged is such an exciting time. But planning a wedding can be overwhelming. Where do you begin? Well, before you head out to the bridal shop to find your dream dress, there are a few important steps you should do first to avoid headaches later. We recommend the following 5 steps to starting your wedding planning, so you stay on track and keep moving in the right direction. (more…)

For many brides the most exciting part of being engaged is the process of finding “the perfect wedding dress”.  At one time it was a process shrouded in mystery.  Now thanks to the many TV shows devoted to gown selection, brides have some ideas about how to go about this wonderful experience.  Some principles have stood brides in good stead for decades.

Here are 6 tips for today’s brides to consider before they begin to look for that perfect wedding dress. (more…)

It’s “Engagement Season”. It’s the magical time of year (from Thanksgiving to Valentine’s Day) when most couples get engaged. And according to legend, if you want to get a little “bling” for your finger this engagement season, then you need to start cooking “Engagement chicken”!

What is engagement chicken? It’s a roast chicken recipe that promises to make your boyfriend propose marriage. (more…)

The early end to the Kardashian/Humphries nuptials has focused unfortunate attention on wedding gift etiquette if the marriage fails.  After only 72 days of marriage, most people in the Western Hemisphere know that Kim Kardashian Humphries filed for divorce.  While various groups have various views on why it happened, what many celebrity watchers are wondering is “What happens to the gifts?” (more…)

Our brides sometimes ask us about requesting cash gifts for their wedding. There are a number of web sites and blogs that have – in effect – approved the request for a cash gift as a “discreet mention” on the wedding invitation.  We can hardly believe that someone who claims to be a wedding professional is offering that kind of advice to brides.  Some do acknowledge that it is difficult to ask for money and that some guests may take offence.  Hello!!!

Every professional wedding planner or consultant should acknowledge the first rule stated beautifully by Emily Post.  “Some traditions never go out of style.  A few that hold true:  No mention of gifts, even “no gifts, please” is made on a wedding invitation.”  This holds doubly true for cash.  “Sharing information on a wedding website is fine, and that site may offer registry information.”  The guideline is:  Don’t include registry or gift information with your invitation.  It is in poor taste to include a list of places where the bride and groom are registered or a checklist of the things they do and don’t want.  And this guide certainly applies to cash. (more…)

Couples coming to us for ideas on how to save money without giving up on their wedding dreams find wonderful and practical ideas.

We help our brides to either bring costs down or keep them in check.  Done in the right places, there are many ways to save on costs and take nothing away from the wedding they’ve planned.

Because it’s the most costly aspect of most wedding plans, major savings can be realized through wedding reception adjustments.  We recommend that our brides consider these ideas. (more…)

Brides frequently ask us about wedding centerpieces for their reception.

The list of options is long and varied but these are some of the most often used by brides.

If your florist is providing centerpieces for your reception, work closely with him/her to be sure that the theme or color you have chosen for your wedding continues to the reception area.  We have seen weddings where one theme dominates the ceremony and another is chosen for the reception.  If the two are complimentary, it is soothing.   If the choices are worlds apart, it can be jarring to move from one to another.  Complimentary themes are comfortable.

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We know that many if not most men prefer casual clothing styles.  And when it comes to choosing their wedding attire, an amazing number of men spend some time “grousing” about getting “dressed up”.  But once in their tuxedos they seem to relax and notice how good they really look. While traditional rules are used as guidelines, we feel there are many options to accommodate personal preference in the area of men’s wedding attire.

One of the most noticeable influences is the increase in color as an accent. Today’s couples are getting married in a classic, yet contemporary style.  Choosing colored cummerbunds, ties and pocket squares to complement bridesmaid dresses provides a unique flair to the entire wedding party.

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Are you a big fan of Halloween? Would you consider Halloween for your wedding? If so, then you’re going to love this inspiration board!

And what better place to consider having it than Salem, Massachusetts. Salem is particularly popular during October, with month-long Halloween celebrations featuring tours of haunted houses, a narrated stroll through Salem’s oldest graveyard, séances, costume balls and street fairs.

Click here for the Haunted Happenings Guide

You might want to consider having your wedding at The House of Seven Gables, located in Salem, Ma. It’s the oldest surviving 17th century wooden mansion in New England, and was the inspiration for Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The House of the Seven Gables.” The mansion’s Seaside Lawn is a beautiful site for a wedding, wedding reception or both, and can accommodate 200 guests seated for dinner, including a dance floor.

Or how about the Salem Waterfront Hotel?

The Salem Waterfront Hotel & Marina is Salem’s newest boutique hotel with a nautical, contemporary decor.

They’re Wicked Night on the Wharf is an annual sell-out Halloween Costume Ball. This year, it will be on Saturday October 29.  Click here for more info.

No place in the world celebrates Halloween like Salem, Ma.!

Before Kim K. few ever used the words “disinvited wedding guests”. The news said that she had to cut 50 of the previously invited wedding guests due to “space issues”. How is this possible? How awkward is this! But it’s happened to brides before, but it doesn’t usually happen that close to the event day. Kim K’s solution seems to have been to cut from her stepfather’s extended family and to review those now famous “plus ones”. (“Plus ones” refer to single guests who have been given the approval to bring a guest of choice unknown to the bride or groom.)

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