Why hire a wedding consultant?

You've seen it done on television and you wonder if it's something worthwhile that you can afford? The choice to hire a wedding consultant is one that should be a part of your planning process from day one. In this article, I'll explain the benefits and things you should consider when choosing to hire someone to help you on your dream day.

There are so many out there, how do you choose the right one? Wedding consultants are special people with a love for the romance and intimacy of the celebration of one of the biggest days in someones life. They sometimes hold special certifications and memberships through organizations such as the Association of Bridal Consultants (ABC), that require a certain level of proficiency. Most will offer complimentary consultations to learn more about you and to tell you about their company and their services. You should meet with a few consultants and pick the one you felt the greatest bond with.

Wedding Consultants spend a great deal of time networking and establishing strong relationships with quality vendors in your area. By doing this, they can attest to the finished products and ensure you not only great work but at a great price. Some consultants have special pricing worked out with vendors and pass the savings onto you.

Consultants help you in meeting with vendors, establishing a budget, creating timelines and schedules, payment of vendors, choosing a location, handling out of town guests, reviewing contracts, and most importantly they are there with you on your special day.

Some girls can handle most of the details themselves but are looking for someone to take control on the day of their wedding. This is often called day-of management. Most consultants will offer this service and may include it in a package. This is cost effective for the bride who needs minimal help. For brides needing help throughout the entire process, full coordination services is the best way to go. Full coordinating can cost you anywhere between 10%-15% of your total budget.

In short, it's best to leave the planning up to the professionals. What happens if your photographer quits the day before the wedding? Trust me, I've seen it happen. What if your cake gets demolished during delivery? All these things a consultant will know how to handle without causing you extra stress and worry on your big day.

Check the web for local bridal professional organizations that will refer you to qualified consultants. It helps to also stop into a bridal shop, cake baker, photographer, etc. to find out if they have reccommendations as well. Often times these vendors have worked with these consultants and can tell you first-hand just how they are.

Good luck and happy planning!
-WedChick-

The Best Wedding Reception Ever!

For those of you looking to make your reception a memorable party (who isn't?), I have a fantastic book for you! It's called The Best Wedding Reception Ever written by Merry Weddings, Inc. It has amazing ratings on Amazon.com and is written by a first class DJ/Entertainment company based out of California. The author Peter Merry, has been featured on many state morning tv shows and is a highly respected entertainer.

Sometimes brides can get so caught up in the perfect flowers, delicious meals, and scrumptious cake without thinking about the importance of the reception. Your reception should be a party, a grand celebration in honor of your new life with your new husband! This book gives you excellent ideas on how to get the party started with game ideas and more. It's really a must have for every bride. For more information on The Best Wedding Reception Ever, please visit their website at:
http://www.thebestweddingreceptionever.com/ Don't forget to check out their super fun blog as well. To purchase the book through Amazon, click below.

Wedding Webbies: Party Supplies & Furniture Rentals

Hi everyone! For this weeks edition of the Wedding Webbies we feature three websites chosen by party planner guru David Tutera. We have two websites carrying an outstanding selection of party supplies for every occasion including prom, mardi gras, baby showers, and more. If you have chosen a theme for your wedding, this is a great place to garner some ideas or make a few purchases to get you going. The other site offers modern furniture rentals. Let's get started!

#1 Mod Prop
Modprop.com offers a super fun selection of entertaining and interesting furniture rentals. They are located on Madison Avenue in New York and feature pieces such as chaise lounges, rugs, bars, and much more. They even have a section featuring classic cars!

#2 Shindigz
This is your one stop shop for your upcoming bash or special event. These guys have everything covered. They have over 38,000 supplies ranging from balloons, curtains, wall graphics, cardboard cutouts, arches, photo stand ins, and more. There isn't anything they don't have!

#3 Bulk Party Supplies
This site offers up to a 70% discount on items in their store. Their wedding collection includes aisle runners, buttons, koozies, and more. You do have to buy in bulk which can save you if you're purchasing an item being used for your bridal party or your entire guest list.

Many thanks to David Tutera who you can visit at http://www.davidtutera.com/

Wedding Webbies #3 - Music -

For this edition of Wedding Webbies we'll focus on music for your ceremony & reception.

#1 The O'Neill Brothers
A personal favorite of mine and just about the only artist I recommend to my brides. They have amazingly beautiful piano music and their site allows you to preview each and every track. They currently have three wedding CD's that consist of two traditional CD's as well as a CD specifically for beach weddings! The track listing consists of traditional hymns, famous concertos, and popular music. Their site allows you to download individual tracks for just 99 cents each, download the CD online, or purchase it and have it shipped to you. Be sure to sign up for their e-mail list as they frequently do amazing offers like buy one, get one free and more!
http://www.pianobrothers.com/cart/shopaff.asp?affid=507

#2 Wedding Music Central
This is a really great site that simply lays out each aspect of your wedding you'll need music for and which tracks are commonly used.
http://www.weddingmusiccentral.com/advice_tour.php

#3 Giving You the Rest of My Life
A CD full of Christian artists singing beautiful songs for your ceremony. Certain Churches do not allow secular music to be played, this CD is a great option for those who fall into that category.