Wedding DJ- Vending Guide
Spotlight on Fl. Panhandle DJ's from:
Whispers Productions
This very well known DJ company, started by David Kerr, has been in business almost 10 years. With clients such as:
Govenor Jeb Bush
ESPN
Lee Sulivan
Courtney Cox
Just to name a few. With their years of extensive entertaining they come highly recommended as a trusted bay county DJ service.
"There is a vibe about us. We are able to draw guest out of their chairs and onto the dance floor to help join in your wedding celebration!"
If you are now wondering the importance of entertainment on your wedding day check out these statistics as quoted from Whispers Productions web site:
Did you know that 72% of all brides say they would have spent more time choosing their wedding reception entertainment.
Almost 100% say the would have spent more of their budget on the entertainment. During wedding planning, Brides say their highest priority is their attire, followed by the reception site and caterer – Reception entertainment is among the least of their priorities.
Within one week after their reception, 78% of Brides say they would have made entertainment their highest priority. When asked, 81% of wedding guests say the thing they remember the most about the wedding is the entertainment.
Do remember the reception is a party… Have Fun!
Save the Date "Savvy" with Leslie & Jordan
Why did you decide to send out
Save the Dates?
I decided to send out save the dates because a lot of my family is in Colorado (the wedding is in CA). I do have a wedding website, which I think is a great way to spread the word, but I was concerned that less tech-savvy guests might miss out. Also, I think they are very classy and get people excited about the wedding well in advance.
When will be you sending out your
Save the Dates? What made you choose that date?
I am going to send out my Save the Dates in December, about 7 months before the wedding. I chose that date because I wanted out of town guests to take advantage of cheaper airfare, and because there are so many weddings during the summer, I wanted to get mine on everyone’s calendar as soon as possible!
Will your Save the Dates have to match your invitations? Why?
My Save the Dates will match my invitation, because I think the event comes off as more successful and organized if it has a central theme. I think whether they do it consciously or subconsciously, guests will recognize and appreciate that everything is coordinated in terms of color and style.
What info did you choose to put on your Save the Dates and why?
I put our names, the date, the location, and our wedding website on our Save the Date. I’ve read that it’s improper etiquette to put your registries on your invitation or save the date, but you CAN list your wedding website, which will link guests to your registry. Maybe it is sneaky, but it’s one way to direct guests to those oh-so-important registry gifts!
Will you be
including a
monogram?
If so will you use your monogram on other stationary?
I will be including a monogram, and I’d love to put it on stationary! Great idea.
Will you put “and guest” on the envelope of your save the dates?
Yes; I would like to let guests know as soon as possible that they will be allowed to bring a date, so there isn’t confusion.
What are some tips to "wedding" out your guest list?
My fiancé and I both created out lists, and then we paired it down together. There was definitely some negotiating that went on. I don’t think it’s ever easy, but there are just some people that you have to cut.
It is important to remember that it’s your wedding – choose who you want to spend time with on one of the most special days of your life. Don’t make your wedding into a time to “catch up” with people. You should be able to enjoy the day with people you know and care about.
Was there anything particularly stressful about this process?
I love planning, and since this is my big event, obviously I have a lot personally invested in the process! I don’t think it should be stressful. Wedding planning should always be fun. I just try to stay organized. Planning tips on wedding websites such as theknot.com are great resources. Also, keeping a budget and sticking to it helps you stay on track.
Do you have any tips to share concerning save the dates/wedding stationary?
I would say use wedding websites to look up proper wording for invitations; that really helped. Also, I am getting two sample options made so my family can help choose which one should go out to guests. It is a small gesture, but helps everyone feel involved. Buying samples is a must!
Real Bride Guide- Ashley & Maureen
From the minute Ashley and I started planning our wedding, we knew that we wanted a personal touch to come through in many of our wedding elements. The problem... neither of us is crafty. Not even a little bit. Enter stage right..... amazing Etsy seller, Sarah. I immediately fell in love with her shop on Etsy and knew our invitations had to come from her. After a few emails back and forth regarding our theme and colors, I received a gorgeous sample invitation and just knew This. Was. It.
Sarah worked diligently to get our invitations turned around in a very short time frame. I dropped the ball on deadlines, but she didn't miss a beat. The compliments on our invitations have been rolling in since we mailed them out. Sarah captured everything we wanted to convey about our Big Day: romance, elegance and love. Our experience was more than we ever expected - thank you, Sarah! We'll be back, that's for sure!
~ Mr. & and (almost) Mrs. Garry
Ashley & Maureen's Final Design
"Bridal Bliss" Contest Winners
Destination Wedding Invitations
All the reasons you chose to
commence and celebrate your marriage
outdoors
can now be incorporated in your
Save the Dates, Invitations and Announcements.
The bold colors, bright atmosphere and shear bliss of your
destination wedding
can get started before you or your guests step foot on a plane or a gas pedal.
Give your guests a firsthand taste of the careful thought behind every detail gone into making
this day do “one of a kind.”
A few destination categories to work within,
but now limited to:
1. Mexico
2. Tropical
3. Vineyard
4. New England
5. Europe
6. Las Vegas
7. Cruise
For your destination wedding allow my personal, creative,
services to bring a whole new dimension to your invitation
conception.
First Up-Save the Dates
Save the Date Cards are announcements that inform your guests of your future wedding in order to keep your special day free.
1. If many of your guests are traveling to your wedding
2. your wedding takes place on or around a holiday
3. you are planning a faraway destination wedding
4. Your wedding will take place in a seasonally busy or tourist locale, where the flights and hotels perhaps book up early.
Use your imagination, Save the Date Cards are not meant to be formal. There are many design options available. You can have them match your wedding invitations, magnets, brochure style, post card size, multiple layers, booklet style; you can add a picture of you and your fiancé, or embellishments to add a personal touch.
Here are some guidelines on what your cards should state, your names, date of wedding, city or town and state of where wedding will take place.
If you need to keep your guest list to a minimum, make a list of close family and friends whom you want to make sure will be able to attend and mail them a Save the Date Card, you do not need to send Save the Date Cards to everyone you are inviting but, every guest that receives a Save the Date Card must also receive an invitation.
You could also use this time to recommend to your guests additional information to help facilitate their planning such as airline, car rental, hotel, information on things to see and do in the area and surrounding areas, special events, theatrical shows etc.
Wedding Signs- Sweet Considerations
Often times a wedding consists of shifting guests from one place to another in order to culminate this day of celebration. If you are a thoughtful bride looking to make these transitions as easy as possible I would like to introduce you to a wooden sign maker experienced in the customization of such a dilemma.
Many signs for weddings that you see are flimsy paper signs. Not the case with her artistic flair and touches of old world innocence. Hers are, made to order, wooden signs that come in a wide variety of designs and colors. They add to the overall decor of a wedding with tasteful elegance and are sure to last you many years as a token from this momentous day.
She can make it possible for you to display your wedding sign in any way you may need to.
Whether you need it staked to mark a turn off, ribbon to hang, or even propped in a key location; she is able to make these delightful signs into quite resourceful additions to helping your day run smooth.
With special care always taken in the upmost consideration of each, individual, customer.
“I answer emails and convos within 24 hours (usually right away!) and like to communicate often if necessary with my customers so I know exactly what they want.”To reassure you of what you have placed an order for photos of the finished product are taken before it is shipped out so the customer can see it and there won't be any surprises.
“I offer full customization. You can match the color of a sign to a bridal party's colors. “
Want something a bit more detailed?
She is able to add special touches such as attaching mirror hooks to the backs so a bride can add ribbon to coordinate with her colors and use it for easy hanging.
Also able to paint the backs as well as the fronts of all of my wedding signs because you never know where they will be displayed and I like to cover all bases. It's nice to have the backs have a finished look as well as the fronts.
“I recently made a sign for a bride who is getting married in Hawaii and wanted a tropical look. I added a starfish to one end of the sign for her and we kept the tropical beach theme going for her wedding."
As anything customized from a store can often be a bit unfriendly on a budget this is not the case with her. Prices are reasonable and very fair! To include reasonable shipping prices.
"Most signs I ship using FedEx which I find to be very and I've never had a problem with then.”
A tip If I May:
Thread ribbon through the hooks I provide on the backs of the sign for easy hanging. Coordinate the ribbon with the bridal party's colors. Signs can be hung on hooks, trees or sit elegantly on either a short or tall easel. For a staked sign add a big bow just under the sign where the stake and sign meet. It looks gorgeous!
Guestbooks that- WOW
Let's face it, getting your guests to sign a wedding guest book can be difficult. Waiting in line, trying to decide what to say . . . it's an outdated tradition!
However, Savvy brides are finding new ways to spice up the old custom by making it fun and creative for guests.
Below you will find some elegant ideas with a modern twist to help you hold onto those sentiments you wish to never forget.
Find a container that will hold your wedding wishes. In this example, an antique birdcage is used, but there are many other options that will fit your wedding style. Large craft stores carry many things that could work for this. They usually have a large selection of different shaped glass vases and containers. Use some creativity. For a garden themed wedding, a tin watering can would look great. For a more modern approach, a colored glass cube vase would fit the theme. The possibilities are endless.
Step1
Make a small decorative sign to put by your "guest book" that will explain it to guests. Your guests may be used to the more traditional guest book so they might not immediately know what to do. Write it yourself if you are skilled in photography. If not, print it on a high quality thicker piece of card stock in a decorative font. It should be short and simple. Something like "Make a wish for the happy couple!" works great.
Step2
Cut up pieces of decorative paper into small rectangles. 3" x 4" is a good size and can be easily cut from a 12" x 12" sheet of quality scrapbook paper. This paper can be purchased at specialty scrapbook stores as well as discount craft stores. Set them out next to your container with a few nice pens. Use different colored ink to spice it up. If having an outdoor wedding don’t forget some sort of paper weight to place on top of each stack like a rock or glass figurine.
Step3
After the wedding, reading the little personalized notes from your friends and family is a wonderful experience. These little scraps of paper can be used in a variety of ways. You can arrange them into a collage on mat board and have it framed. Another idea is to use them throughout a wedding scrapbook.
4. For Wine Lovers: A Wine Bottle Guest Book! How cool is this for those wine lovers out there, this is a great way to memorialize those guests at your wedding. I could see the bottle sitting in an elegant bookcase 40 years from the day of your wedding. A felt tip “skinny” marker should do the trick. Be sure to practice first with different tip styles.
Tips from brides:
After the wedding, and the purchase of a quilting hoop, we will sew the squares along with smaller ivory and gold squares together in a quilt pattern and make a quilt with a black border and backing.
“WE are doing the photo book as well. But instead of everyone taking their own pictures with a Polaroid we are going to designate two people to take pictures of the guest as the arrive at the reception. I will then have my guestbook already laid out with a spot for comments and then save room for the picture that I will insert at a later date. I hope this helps!”
Gorgeous Gowns
