In the latest issue of Martha Stewart Weddings (Travel 2010 issue), they give us some helpful tips on how to produce a killer welcome bag for your guests.
Here are the seven simple steps to creating a successful welcome bag.
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tips + advice
I got an email a couple of weeks ago telling me to check out My Wedding Workbook, so I did. One of the co-owners of My Wedding Workbook is Jeff, who happens to be the groom behind Groomasaurus, a wedding blog from the groom's point of view. There are a number of benefits to using My Wedding Workbook in helping you organize your big day {as well as the other events involved with your wedding}. It's easy, uncomplicated, and has a great help section in case you get lost.
It truly helps you organize every detail of your wedding, incorporates every wedding event, and automatically integrates the budgets, calendar/timeline, RSVPs, etc for each event. If you don't plan weddings or events for a living, organizing the details can become a bit overwhelming, so I think My Wedding Workbook serves its purpose of helping people organize those details within this online {safe & secure} software. Talk about convenience!
Now is the question of whether My Wedding Workbook is actually worth it. How does it differ from Martha Stewart Weddings' Planning Tools or Brides.com's Planning Tools or even The Knot's Wedding Tools? They each have their own versions of budgeting, RSVP tracking, seating, checklists, timelines, and so on, which I have to admit are the meat & potatoes of your day. These three sites also have one thing that differ from My Wedding Workbook.
The one distinction between My Wedding Workbook and these other sites is the mass of inspiring eye candy and listed vendors. Is that good, or is that bad? As a planner myself, I honestly have no preference. Sure, I get inspiration from Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides.com, and The Knot {really, who doesn't?}, but there are plenty of online wedding sources out there that are just as inspiring, so it's not like My Wedding Workbook is missing out by not having them. In fact, I commend My Wedding Workbook even more for not having paid vendors listed on their site, because that means their priority is not to sell you anything. My Wedding Workbook doesn't have a publication to back them, so I feel their motives are strictly to help.
So, should you use My Wedding Workbook or not? I say "YES, why not?". You have nothing to lose, something to gain, and there's nothing complicated about it.
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I got the wonderful opportunity to correspond with Heather Sharpe, the Senior Editor of the Premiere Online Wedding Guide, Style Unveiled. They currently have the sites for Seattle and Portland up + running, with Los Angeles to launch APRIL 1st! That's right, my friends… no April fooling it! Mark your calendars! Their current blog called "the Lounge" in LA is already gaining full steam. I cannot wait to see what's in store for Los Angeles! See Heather's responses to my curiosity below!
What motivated the launch of Style Unveiled? What are your goals/mission?
As the Senior Editor of Style Unveiled, my goal is to bring a fresh face to the wedding industry by creating an inspiring virtual space for people from all facets of the industry, from veteran insiders to the first-time bride. I believe that building lasting relationships and helping others to facilitate connections are the bread and butter of what we all do in this field. One way that Style Unveiled achieves this is through locally-based blogs called The Lounge (Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles) that specifically target businesses and individuals within each city, helping people to connect with their local community. I love to celebrate the achievements of others, which is why I love being the Editor of a national chain of blogs. I am deeply passionate about this industry and work hard every day to come up with better and more creative ways to connect people. At the moment, Style Unveiled has a presence in a few West Coast cities, and it is our goal to make this an international venture.
Who conceptualized Style Unveiled?
Style Unveiled was founded by myself and a Seattle-based photographer.
Was Style Unveiled established out of necessity or passion?
Definitely passion! I couldn't imagine writing 30 different blog entries for 3 different blogs per month otherwise 
Building up this industry is what drives me. I feel that with Style Unveiled, we can help create a synergy with other local wedding professionals in each of the cities we open in.
Who is behind LA Style Unveiled? Seattle? Portland?
We have a team of 3 owners, 2 graphic designers, 2 SEO experts, and 2 photographers – and then I double as the Senior Editor and the blogger for Portland and LA. We all work together to run Style Unveiled which right now consists of all 3 cities. The other two owners and myself also work very hard at networking. Kimberly is our Seattle blogger and she does an amazing job at making sure our presence is known up north. Seattle was our first site and it is doing quite well
What can readers expect from LA Style Unveiled? What's in store for the readers?
Readers can expect to read about LA wedding information. Not once will you go on our site or our blog, The Lounge, and hear about another city or see a wedding that didn't happen in the LA area. We feel that this will give LA brides a place to call home while planning their wedding and that they can get excited about everything on our blog and our site, because it is something that is easily within their reach. Especially in this economy, it isn't always an option to fly a photographer in from New York for your wedding … we showcase the best LA photographers, LA coordinators, and Los Angeles resources so our brides can feel safe to plan like crazy with what we share. Our site is also very user friendly … everything is linked within the site. For instance, if we are talking about flowers on our blog, we'll link the word flowers to our vendor category 'blooms' so that brides can shop for a local florist right then and there. This makes planning less stressful.
How do you think LA will differ from the Seattle + Portland sites?
Simple The content, advice, trends, wedding professionals will all be LA based.
How do you think Style Unveiled differs from any other wedding resource site or blog (like Style Me Pretty, Bridal Bar, etc.)?
All fabulous blogs!! We are huge fans of Style Me Pretty, Junebug Weddings, etc … the main difference is that we stay local. I feel that although the national blogs are incredibly inspiring, sometimes it's hard for a bride to pinpoint what will work for her wedding. If an LA bride is looking for LA content, LA Style Unveiled is a guarantee for her. We hope to work closely with the national blogs, they are truly an inspiration to us and we are HUGE fans of Harmony Walton of the Bridal Bar … we feel that what she's doing is so amazing. In fact, she was a guest blogger on our site not long ago Another difference is that we are striving to be as eco-chic as possible. We have a page dedicated to cutting down on your carbon 'stiletto-print' which lists 101 ways to green your wedding. We also donate a portion of the profits to Conservation International.
What are you favorite wedding/style/inspiration websites/blogs?
Oh, where to begin? I love Style Me Pretty (who doesn't?) and I love Kiss The Groom, Elizabeth Messina's new blog. I also feel that you can never go wrong by visiting Martha Stewart Weddings site … always amazing advice there. I also love Green Wedding Shoes.
Do you plan on expanding? Or launching any other locations?
Definitely Our next city is San Francisco and beyond that our goal is to have a presence in each state.
What do you love the most about what you do? What do you think will draw people to Style Unveiled?
I have always loved to write … I feel incredibly lucky and fortunate to reach out to brides and wedding professionals on a national level. I also
love that I'm learning so much about these incredible cities! Researching the best honeymoon spots and what Vera Wang's new collection looks like is so much fun and very rewarding. I also love that I am helping brides on a broader level then when I was a Seattle-based wedding coordinator. I love to celebrate the achievements of others, and this online wedding style magazine allows me to do that every day It's a wonderful feeling.
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This appears to be a great month… my last post kicked off my "Week In Review" {and I have to say, "with a twist" since it's not the typical WIR}, and now I'm starting my regular "subscription review", since I seriously subscribe to way too many magazines. I guess these reviews are just proof that I actually read them. Plus, I don't feel so bad, knowing that someone else may benefit from my obsession. Think back to high school or college, and consider it a form of Cliffs' Notes, but for magazines! I loved them back in school, so I'm sure YOU will love these!
This review is for the Real Simple (February 2009) issue. So we begin:
- p. 6: The Simple List – According to a study done at the University of Missouri at Columbia, we can only remember four things at the same time.
- p. 29: Solutions – Get your average tennis ball + cut it in half with an xacto knife, and you know what you have? You have your very own "jar opener"… can you believe it? I will try it myself + post a photo, but apparently the inside rubber portion of the ball grips the jar lid. Genius!
- p. 30: Solutions – Do you have a hard time keeping your kids' (or even your) shoes tied? I personally hate the look of double-knots, so I really enjoyed this solution. Put chapstick on your laces… it's apparently the trick to keeping your laces tied tight.
- p. 34: Who doesn't {heart} grilled cheese sandwiches? I love them, so does my son, but I never feel like taking the time to make them {and I know, they don't take that long}… Anyway, this nifty featured product called the Toastabag {from firebox.com} is a reusable + dishwasher-safe bag that allows you to put your grilled cheese sandwich in the toaster oven without it ruining your appliance! So forget having to grease your frying pan with butter, and guess what, it saves you time too! {and extra calories, which gives it extra kudos from me!}
- p. 46: Quiz: How well do you know your Valentine?
- p. 93: Love Rules – I thought this was rather interesting, so versus spoiling the entire article for you, I am listing the 13 points they had a series of "relationship" experts share their views on, plus the one I added just for fun {#14}. You decide where you stand… True or false:
- {one} : Say "I Love You Everyday".
- {two} : Play hard to get.
- {three} : Your spouse shouldn't be your best friend.
- {four} : Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
- {five} : You can learn to love someone.
- {six} : Never go to bed angry.
- {seven} : Having kids will bring you closer.
- {eight} : There is such a thing as love at first sight.
- {nine} : Always keep him guessing.
- {ten} : You can never be too close.
- {eleven} : Love conquers all.
- {twelve} : Everyone experiences the seven-year-itch. {that doesn't sound too pleasant to me…}
- {thirteen} : The way to a man's stomach is through his heart.
- {fourteen} : All is fair in love and war. {That's not mine really, but I thought it'd be cute because in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Andie Anderson {played by Kate Hudson} asks Ben {played by Matthew McConaughey} this very question. Love that movie!
- {one} : Say "I Love You Everyday".
- 20-minute meal : Lemony Shrimp with White Beans
- Slow-cooker meal : Pulled-pork tacos {definitely going to try this one}
- Vegetarian meal : Orecchiette with roasted broccoli + walnuts
- Hearth-healty meal : Chicken with roasted sweet potato salad
- One-pot meal : Steak with sauteed fennel + olives
If you'd like to the recipes, please feel free to email me… so you can make it tonight!
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So, your event is planned, and it's your big day… Do you have a purse to match your dress? Does everyone you may run into accept debit or credit Will you have time to stop at an ATM?
Your solution is having a sufficient amount of cash on your big day to avoid those last-minute, super-aggrevating stops to the ATM. It will save you (1) time; (2) money (as if the ridiculous surcharges at a typical ATM aren't enough, try one at a casino and hotel); (3) stress… and you know exactly the type of frustration I'm referring to.
The following should be considered when trying to figure out how much cash to lug around with you:
- parking
- cab fare :: for your party-hearty friends who can't drive home
- extra supplies
- delivery fees
- TIPS
- Emergency
- baby sitters
- room services
- gratuity
As a coordinator, I also acknowledge that cash is a necessity for me, just in case the bride or hostess doesn't have it on her. The most common cash-needed issues I have noticed & dealt with involved: parking, deliveries, emergency goods, bell hops, & extra favors from the vendors. The bell hop doesn't mind lugging your stuff around on a cart, as long as you show them how much you really do appreciate them.
Event TIP: Know your contracts, or have your coordinator review your contracts. Sometimes delivery & set up are included. I like to tip service people early on, so I know I can call on them throughout the day to do favors for me. =)
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