From Jennifer

Wedding Advice ~ this is so much fun to try to translate

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

I found this online and have had such a fun time translating it. The words, when you think of the alternate meanings (i.e. ~ “penniless” = “broke”) make sense… they’re just not right.

LADIES WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD TO THIS LIST OF DONT DO AT AT WEDDING?

The day dual people sell vows competence not be your special day, but it’s someone’s special day, so be on your many appropriate function — all the approach from the I -do’s to the requisite Gloria Gaynor dance marathon…

Don’t Be Fashionably Late As the strain says, get to the church on time! Allow sufficient time to get to there fifteen mins early or some-more no have a difference what weather, traffic, or alternative acts of boundless involvement cocktail up. Print out directions to both the rite and the accepting (if it’s at a opposite location). Many a marriage has been hampered by guest who got lost and showed up an hour late.

Don’t Produce Sound Effects While at a marriage and reception, spin off your Blackberries and cell phones, put them on vibrate, or improved yet, do not even take them!

Don’t Talk Trash It competence receptive to advice obvious, but it happens all the time. No have a difference how big or how shrill a marriage is, things get overheard. So, be on your many appropriate and many respectful behavior. No report about any of the alternative guests. No angry out shrill about anything — possibly it’s the food or the prolonged line at the ladies’ room. And no comparisons to alternative weddings! As far as the bride and husband have been concerned, this is a undiluted day, and so it should be!

Don’t Come Bearing Gifts Whether you’re formulation on gifting the happy integrate a Cuisinart or cold tough cash, do them a outrageous preference and do not move it on the marriage day. If you do, they have to keep lane of it and transport it home at the finish of the night. Send the present forward of time, or after the tangible rite — at a time when they can unequivocally relax and suffer it.

Don’t Dress Down Whatever you select to wear, have the bid to demeanour your many appropriate for the bride and groom. They’ll conclude which you got dolled or duded up for the occasion. If the call in doesn’t mention skirt code, put in a accessible email or call to the bride, groom, their parents, or attendants to get some-more info. Black Tie equates to you’ve got to dirt off which prolonged silk skirt or rent a tux. If it’s an outside affair, there competence be some-more leeway, but get sum on the location, so you can come rebuilt (because it’s isn’t fun to be traipsing around in the silt in your stilettos!).

Don’t Bring Mr. or Ms. Random If you’re single, select your date carefully. If it’s someone you’ve usually been out with once, it competence not be the many appropriate suspicion (could be ungainly for you, your date, and the newlyweds). Same if it’s someone you not long ago “sort of” pennyless up with. Weddings have been insinuate affairs and bringing in a foreigner should be finished with thought. Let the bride or husband know if you confirm to come alone so they can chair you with alternative fun “ones!” And as most as you competence love your kiddos, do not take them if young kids aren’t invited.

Don’t Steal the Show Wedding ceremonies take all forms — from eremite to poetic, musical, or humorous. Whatever the vibe, let the bride and husband set the tinge and follow their lead. If you’re routinely a loud, life-of-the-party type, move it down a nick and let the marriage integrate mount out. If you’re a weeper, move tissues and lay where you can moan but unfortunate the I Do’s. If the rite includes eremite rituals, find out what you should do (or not do) forward of time.

Don’t Pig Out If food is serve-yourself, equivocate the smorgasboard line bolt and wait for until the throng dies down. Also, equivocate going behind for thirds. Take a mangle and save room for cake! Seconds competence be okay, once you’ve seen which everybody has eaten. If the food is served sit-down, eat what is served but requesting substitutions or omissions, unless you have a food allergy. Otherwise, collect smoothly or food down, but do not dispute which you “don’t similar to fish.” Worse comes to worst, you can strike Burger King on the approach home!

Don’t Drag Out Skeletons If the bride blushes, it should be from pride, joy, or perfect love. Not since someone only stood up and told a degrading story about the crook she antiquated in high school! Ingratiate yourself to the woman and her husband by avoiding any potentially annoying or youthful function — no ribald jokes, no tales about their dating day to day or exploits, no overdrinking, and no overly voluptuous dancing. Have fun, but do not have it at any one else’s expense.

Don’t Stockpile Party Favors At the finish of the night, as you’re observant your thank-yous and farewells, equivocate the urge to sow all the super-cool (or yummy) celebration favors! You do not need to take a little for people who weren’t means to attend. You do not need extras. Take one for yourself, unless someone in the marriage celebration urges you to do otherwise.

I similar to to supplement if your partial of the spousal celebration greatfully be on time and dont protest about anything!

Oh yes you have been right dont Get dipsomaniac prior to or during the marriage and have a dope od your self is a big one!

I can go possibly approach on the present thing depends I think where and when your carrying it! I know all to well about the dipsomaniac thing (MIL, SIL, FIL all were dipsomaniac prior to the marriage and during it)

*Blogger note ~ I just can’t believe I didn’t know what a ‘dipsomaniac’ was before this. It is now going to be on my personal vocab list. 

Why??

Monday, February 1st, 2010

Pier sobas

As a wedding planner, I know it sounds dumb to say that I have a hard time with centerpieces. I know they are necessary, I know they look nice and add to/complete the feel of the party — but I see so much stress taken when creating them and getting them, so much worry in creating the right ones and so much time taken setting them up. Let’s face it, unless they’re so elaborate and miraculous you can’t believe, most people don’t even remember what your centerpiece was. Sorry.

HOWEVER! You can still create your awesome centerpiece and not spend a ton of money. HOW? I have so many ways! First of all, look at websites like eBay. People spend a lot of money on wedding items, and don’t use them, or use them gently. So when the bills start rolling in, they think “what am I going to do with these 15 vases?” Sell them on eBay! It’s an amazing resource.

**Since I first wrote this article back in 2007, I have found 3 new wedding websites that is specifically geared for ‘used’ bridal items ~ www.bravobride.com, www.recycledbride.com and www.myweddingisover.com . I won’t say I sparked but the idea for a new trend, but… ;-) These websites are full of wedding items that others bought and are leftovers or gently used. You can even find bridesmaids dresses, jewelry, centerpieces… and it’s full of real-life practical ideas and pictures from real, non-Martha photographed weddings.

(There’s also a great website http://www.exboyfriendjewelry.com/ that you can buy and sell your old jewelry on ~ it’s awesome).

Seriously, I call it ‘wedding brain’ ~ it’s amazing how ‘white fairy lights’ at $15 for a 5′ strand seem so reasonable while shopping for your wedding, but in reality you can buy the same thing after Christmas for $.50 a box at TargetMart. It might not ‘feel’ the same to only spend a few dollars on something that doesn’t say ‘wedding’ on it, but in the long run, you can use your money elsewhere. And remember these sites for when your wedding hormones have simmered down ~ you might want to recoup a few bucks.

I also always tell people to have the necessarily unnecessary pieces be functional, too ~ take a look at the picture above. The bright napkins add a wonderful splash of color, the starfish were great ‘favors’ and the candles added light. Simple, pretty, colorful and functional. I also suggest for programs on the beach to make them fans ~ put the ‘fun’ into ‘functional’!

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Another great resource is thrift stores. Whenever I am at a thrift store, I always look at the vases and glasses and silk flowers. You’d be really amazed and surprised at what you find. Yesterday, I popped into Good Will and I found no less than 12 of the same urn-shaped vases. That would have cost some lucky soul about 13 guilt-free dollars to have some lovely vases for their reception.

Consignment stores- these are also an amazing resource for bridal gowns, purses, shoes, jewelry, hairpieces; bridesmaids dresses, etc.

Craigslist.org – I find wedding stuff on Craigslist all the time. Don’t know what Craigslist is? It’s an online free community resource for people to post… everything. We have one in Savannah and it incorporates the whole area. I log on regularly just to see what’s out there (and to post things myself) – you’d be amazed.

Hand-me-downs – is your favorite sister/cousin/friend getting married and you love her centerpieces? Ask her to keep them or go in halvsies! You can save a lot of money. If she’s getting unique vases, you can just switch out the flowers for your own day – trust me, no one will know. What else are they going to do with 15 vases and 125 votive candles?

So, I’m not saying don’t make your wedding your own and use someone else’s ideas or to be cheap. But I am saying be open, be willing, and be creative. You might even just find someone else had your idea, and is auctioning it off on eBay.

Good luck!!

A few other ideas:

* The ‘in’ thing to do right now is to use beans for your centerpiece filler – esp. in clear glass. You get black or white beans and use them to put your candles or flowers in. In place of marbles or other things. (picture is fishbowl, black beans, silver charger and red sash, white candle).

TTKOT IV SCB 1-011

* Tall plastic vases with ostrich or peacock feathers. Simple, and lovely.

* Rent wine coolers and use them for your individual table centerpieces. Each table will have its own bottle of white (and don’t forget red) and it’s functional, too.

* Use local flora and fauna. We live at the beach, so we often go around a day or two before weddings and get palm fronds. We use these for all sorts of things – to lay on tables, using the individual fronds as filler in vases. You don’t have to buy it to make it spectacular.

* A lot of brides use items that have one function and use it for another ~ I did a wedding 2 weeks ago where the bride used rolls of planting wire for her table runners ~ it was elegant and functional. Each guest got a packet of flower seeds to take home.

* Get your vases out, put some seashells, beans, beads, jewels on the bottom, and then put you and your bridesmaids flowers in the vases. Voila! Pretty!

* Fruit. Very popular. Cut up some lemons, limes, oranges and put them in the bottom of the vase for a pretty, smart looking centerpiece.


* Use family heirlooms ~ at this same wedding, they did a mixed flower theme. They went to the store the night before and picked up all the spring flowers they could find and mixed them in old family crystal vases, teapots, and bowls. It looked wonderfully collage-y, and each centerpiece meant something. And Grandma’s favorite china got used.

5/10/08 ~ update ~ Yesterday I did a reception for 75, and they did an outdoor picnic theme. They used Great Grandma’s blue Mason canning jars for the flowers ~ now how awesome is that??

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Fun and unique things to do for your Tybee Island wedding!

Monday, February 1st, 2010

While you’re planning your wedding, you will be thinking of centerpieces and colors, flowers and hairstyles, food and locations, when you get a few minutes, think of other things for you and your out-of-town guests to do. Rehearsal dinners, dolphin cruises, ghost tours… these are some typical Tybee things to do, but here’s a fun list of other things to do for your special, once in a lifetime day ~

Savannah Fun Tours ~ think about what you’d like to do in Savannah or Tybee (or call them and let them help you think) and let Cayce and the Gang put together a unique, one-of-a-kind night for you. Scavenger hunts, bachelor/bachelorette tours (they have a party bus WITH a bar!), family ghost tours… you name it!

Personalized beer or soda bottles ~ have your engagement photos handy? A favorite picture of the two of you? Have them put on a beer, water or soda bottle! Jones Sodas will put your picture and wedding information on their awesome sodas and send them in time for your wedding. You can brew and bottle your own beer and put your pictures on them. Serve them as drinks or give them as ‘thank yous’.

Caricatures of you and your guests ~ Or have a wedding artist come to your wedding and make art of you and your guests.

Shag lessons ~if you’re not from the South, ’shagging’ might have a whole different meaning to you. But down here on the beach it’s a type of dance. It’s kind of a ’swing meets the South’ type dance… “The Soul has a beat – put it on the floor.” Shag Lessons are available for Beginners & Advanced.  Don’t be bored or sit on the sidelines, there is something for everyone; basics, turns, spins, and lots of steps.  Shag Instructor, Pat Folds, is an accomplished National Shag Competitor and can be contacted at 912-272-1762.

Wedding emergency bag ~ perfect for destination weddings

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

OK, so you’re coming to Tybee from ‘away’ and you’re trying to pack all your essentials. You have to think about sun, beach, wedding, wedding ‘emergencies’, maybe even packing for that additional honeymoon… what do you bring? Do you raid the travel size section in Target (but not get the high end items you usually use)? Do you put all your special creams in small containers? Do you hit every mall and spend hundreds of dollars just to get their small travel sized items? Let Mojuba Wedding with their awesome Bridal Survival kits take the worry out this planning. They thought of everything you probably wouldn’t ~ from Advil for headaches and Pepcid for butterflies, to straws and clear gloss, mini scissors to tissues for tears of joy … there’s nothing in this kit you wouldn’t use. It comes in a really, really cute handy bag, AND it’s so affordable. There’s also a Mojuba for the Groom to be

In some African cultures, Mojuba refers to a bag of magical items  that bring joy and happiness, and a prayer of praise and tribute. 

Wedding 9-1-1

Tuesday, April 14th, 2009

Yes, it’s true. As supportive as family and friends can be while planning your wedding, they can also drive you CRAZY. Maybe there’s the sister who’s a little jealous because you’re getting the attention, a BFF/Maid of Honor who is sad she’s ‘losing’ her best friend, the Mom who wants your wedding to be perfect because hers wasn’t, the future mother-in-law who is fretting about losing her baby son… the list can go on and on, and that’s the one thing I get queried about constantly ~ “My family is driving me crazy. What do I do?”

Well, here’s some suggestions. And it’s going to mean giving up some of your control, but some of the happiest brides I’ve seen (and that’s been almost 1000!!) are the ones who have given up little parts of their special day to make someone else happy. They get to show up at their wedding and go “Look! It’s a party and it’s for ME (and the groom, of course)”. And the best part is that while you’re ‘giving up’, these people are feeling special, AND they’re doing something to make YOU happy, and they’re doing it with love

I kind of equate it to the emergency/CPR training I’ve had ~ if someone passes out, you’re not supposed to just yell at the crowd that’s gathered around, “Someone call 9-1-1!”~ you’re supposed to grab one person, look them in the eye and say “YOU! ~ call 9-1-1!!”. 

So, here’s some of my “My family’s driving me crazy” 9-1-1: 

Before the wedding: 

♥ Give the people driving you the most crazy with suggestions or just simply willingness to help something specific to do. Grab them and say “YOU! are completely in charge of my bridal shower” or “YOU! are in charge of my flowers”. You can give them big jobs and little jobs, but be specific. And once you give it over, you can’t interfere. Don’t overwhelm any one person with too many tasks. You’ll find a lot of people want to help, and that they will if you give them something to feel special. 
To-be-Mom-in-Law pouting because her baby’s getting married and she’s feeling left out? Ask her to host your bridal shower. Or ask her to help the groom and groomsmen get their outfits for the big day. Ask your best friend to give you a blow out bachelorette party. Ask your sister to help you pick out the bridesmaids dresses in your colors. Ask your Mom to be in charge of the flowers. Now, again, you’re going to be giving up some control, but the best part is that while the flowers might not be exactly what YOU would have picked, it’s something Mom picked FOR you from her heart. And you might get something a little more extravagant than if you were just giving Mom the bill. ;)  

♥ Bridesmaids dresses or groomsmen outfits ~ Now, while you most likely want to be a part of this, I’ve also had brides give this over to someone they trust (sister, BFF, mother-in-law-to-be) by being only specific enough to say “It’s David’s Bridal ‘pool’”. The bridesmaids go shopping, get the dresses they like, and the bride has the knowledge that they’ve gotten something they may actually wear again, and she will not be responsible for another hideous bridesmaid dress. I’ve also had brides say “A summer dress in any shade of blue”, and gave the bridesmaids matching jewelry as their gifts … these have turned out very cute, too. Groomsmen are a little trickier ~ you can’t trust every ‘guy’ to turn up in the correct ‘white shirt/khaki pants’ combo … it’s nice to have someone go shopping with them. 

♥ Give someone the task of helping with the little tchotckes that go on tables ~ you might not be a wedding belle, but maybe your best friend/sister/cousin/mom-in-law is. EVERYONE has a hard time with favors ~ if you put someone in charge of your “coral and ecru themed beach wedding” favors, they might come up with something surprisingly unique and fun for you and your guests. While you’re overwhelmed with hundreds of little details, they get to focus on and research for one item, and they’re going to make sure it’s the best. 

Day of: 
♥ I had a bride not too long ago show up at the reception hall with a gaggle of female family and friends all wanting to help. She pulled out two big boxes of centerpiece items she’d collected, pointed to the 10 tables and gave each person a table and a sign saying “This table lovingly decorated for Justin and Sally by ______”, went and got ready, and let everyone create their own tables for the bride and groom. Not only did it get a lot accomplished, but everyone felt special and like they had contributed, and they all wanted to make theirs the best. And the bride NEVER walked into the room and looked at the centerpieces and thought “The blue candles are supposed to be next to the white ones, not the coral ones” or fretted over how it was ’supposed’ to look. She was just happy with everyone’s unique interpretation, and they were happy being creative for her. 

♥ I also often see a lot of friends and family show up to help on the special day … and the bride taking over and not allotting jobs, so there’s a bunch of people standing around not knowing what to do. IT’S OK TO ASK FOR HELP AND TELL PEOPLE WHAT TO DO. Create a list of specific jobs, so when someone asks, you can look at the list and say “Yes, will you please …”. 
While you’ve been thinking about your wedding 24/7 for the past 6 months or more, they’ve been … well, not. And Cousin Rebecca who showed up because Aunt Rachel made her isn’t going to know what to do when you just say “Help”. Tell her “Please put the tablecloths on the tables”, or “The little pink buckets need to be lined up on the tables with everyone’s name tag set in the sand”. Work with people’s known strengths. If Aunt Bessie is creative, have her make the bows or decorate the gift table. If Cousin Monica is artistic, have her make signs for the wedding and reception. You’ll get so much more done if *you’re* organized first, and can organize and distribute tasks during the last minute push. Again, they have one or two tasks, while you have many more, and they’re going to make sure theirs are done to perfection. 

So, in summary, it’s OK to ask for help, and to be specific. Start practicing letting go NOW ~ “What can I do to help?” is much better responded to with “You can put the candles in the holders” than “Oh, I got it” or “Help with the decorating”. Remember, when calling out for 9-1-1, look them in the eye. 

Here are some ‘job’ ideas to give to people:
♥ Flowers
♥ Bridal shower
♥ Bachelorette party
♥ Centerpieces 
♥ Groom/groomsmen shopping
♥ Bridesmaid dresses (in your colors, of course)
♥ Favors 
♥ Decorating