Do I really need a Wedding Planner??

YES!!!  Well ok… I suppose I  am a little bias!

The truth is many weddings are produced beautifully by the bride and her entourage of family and friends.

Does it come without stress, financial woes, and many sleepless nights?  Not a chance.

There are so many great reasons to hire a

wedding planner…but still many do not.  Why?

Well, the number one reason why many brides

do without is because they think it will never fit

into their budget!

What many brides sometimes fail to realize is the

investment of a wedding planner can actually help to save them money in the long run!

Personally, Sara Marie Events is extremely proud to be able to offer real life budget friendly pricing ~

The most competitive pricing around!

That being said, here is a list I compiled of the Top Ten Reasons Why YOU Need a Wedding Planner…..

10.   Clients of wedding planners often get special treatment from vendors.

Vendors want us to keep referring couples to them…it’s no secret most try a little harder to keep our clients happy!

9.      The average wedding uses 22 different vendors!

That’s a lot of phone calls, meetings, and contracts to handle!

8.      We are an impartial voice of reason.

When your sister, best friend, and mother-in-law all decide…and decide differently…

what is best for your dream wedding, we are here to give you an unbiased professional point of view!

7.      We are here to help with creative ideas and fine details.

We keep up with the latest trends, typically have a background in or an eye for design

and know how to create details to reflect who you are.

6.      We will help with your budget and keeping costs down.

Managing the budget is usually the most stressful part of any planning.  Wedding Planners

excel at prioritizing, organizing, and getting the most possible out of the least given!

We have lists of the best vendors for your specific needs and budgets.

5.      We are time savers!

On average your wedding will take about 200 hours to plan…enough said.

4.      Be a guest at your own wedding!

Your wedding is a time to celebrate with friends and family and not stress about what has to happen next.

3.      We are built to solve emergencies, big or small!

Sit down with a Wedding Planner for an hour…or maybe not…you might be horrified to

hear of some of the obstacles they have had to overcome when ‘real life’ roars its ugly head

and interrupts their beautiful event!  Good wedding planners are natural born problem solvers!

2.      Peace of mind!

You can stop stressing if the DJ will be late or if grandma will be catered to, we got it!

 AND THE NUMBER ONE REASON WHY YOU NEED A WEDDING PLANNER????

1.     You are engaged, remember?  Enjoy it!!!   

This is an amazing and special time in your life, be able to capture every moment of it!

*Photos courteous of ~ sheknows.com and depositphotos.com

Thanksgiving Table Setting on a Budget!

Whether you are having just a couple people over this Thanksgiving or the whole clan,

your table can be warm, welcoming, and beautiful without breaking the bank! 

In fact, I set out to create my Thanksgiving table this year for under $20…

excluding the feast of course!

First things first…the table cloth.  I came across a fabric table cloth in The Christmas Tree Shop

just my table’s size on clearance for $4.99!!!  I wasn’t looking for an autumn harvest color,

but I couldn’t pass up the deal and knew I could make it work.

Next thing I had to decide on was my centerpiece.  I wanted something a little different this

year rather than typical flowers (which by the way has always been the bulk of my budget in

the past even when I arrange them myself).  So I decided to go to my local farmer’s market

(that was practically cleared out from all the Halloween pumpkin festivities that just ended)

and see if I could get a great deal on some dried grasses or wheat bundles!  Luckily they

had dried grasses in a pot and they cut them for me and I brought them home for $10!

I bundled them together and tied them with some string, then proceeded to trim away! 

Tip….do this outside! What a mess!

I wanted some candles on the table too of course and I had seen this idea to make mini

pumpkins into tea light candle holders.  I went on search for white mini pumpkins but after

being told there’s no such thing and many crazy looks at the store, I decided to take

measures into my own hands and look for some old white spray paint in the basement. 

I bought 4 mini (orange pumpkins) for $1 and simply spayed them white!

Next, I carved out the pumpkins and

cleaned them out with a teaspoon.  Just

before I cut out the lid, I traced the size

of a tea light (bought a package of 10 for

$1 at the Dollar store) so I knew approximately how large to make the opening.  

Tip…

Make the hole smaller than you believe it should be then simply scrape the rest until just the

right size.  Also, I had to add another coat of spray paint after I carved.  It would have been

smarter to carve first and spray paint second

I had invested in cloth napkins a few years ago, but they are all silver and Christmas -y.   I

decided they will do just fine on the table as long as I can include a little harvest color

with them somehow…so that’s where the place cards come in to play!

I wandered around my backyard a few days ago and picked out enough leaves for every

guest.  I put them all in pages of a thick book and flattened them over night.  Next, I

simply took a silver paint pen that I had in my drawer and wrote a little message on each

leaf while acknowledging the name of each guest so they will not only feel welcome but

know just where they fit at the table!  I do not own any napkin holders, so I simply took

some silver ribbon I had in my wrapping paper container, tied a mini bow around each

napkin, and finished it off with my festive place cards!

We are having only one little angel, named Chelsea, at our table this year so I wanted to

add something a little extra to her table setting.  She is 4 years old and already eager for

Santa to come, so I found a little container of 

“Reindeer Food” in the Dollar Store.  It comes

complete with a set of directions to spread the magical

food in her yard on Christmas Eve then go straight to

bed so Santa doesn’t miss the house and the reindeer can

enjoy their magical food! 

So in gathering up all my budget friendly crafts,

 I tallied up my grand total……

$20

(Including some wide silver ribbon I picked up to tie around my dried grass centerpiece)

Here are some pics of my completed table setting for this year! 

This table setting was super easy to create and very friendly to my wallet!  Do not be afraid

to mix colors and to add homemade touches!  Keeping it simple does not mean you have to

lack elegance and beauty!

Good luck and Happy Thanksgiving!!!

“No Children Please….” Entertaining Children at Weddings and Events

Ok, so you love children. 

You love their free-spirit, you love their curiousity, and you definitely love to hear their laughter echoing through a room.  But….just not at your wedding please.

This is a problem many brides are faced with, especially those who come from large families, or have many friends who have already tied the knot and started a family of their own.  You do not want to tell anyone that they can not bring their children…but if they ruin your wedding, you swear you’ll…..!!!  Haha sound familiar?

So what do you do??

Don’t panic! You do have a few options! 

 Option 1:

You can state on the invitation gracefully, that you do not want children attending.  Try…

“Adults only please” or “Due to limited venue space, Adults only please”

(These phrases tend to sit better with mom and dad, rather than ‘no children please’)

Do not feel bad about your decision either, adults are more than allowed to throw ‘adult parties.’  Now, with this decision, you have to be understanding that your guest list might be shortened.  Some families may not be able to book a babysitter, or have the financial backing to do so. 

Option 2:

If you still do not want to have children at your wedding/reception, you can state this in your invitation but add that you will be providing a babysitter(s) at a local hotel (or even easier if your wedding is held at a hotel).  Most parents will be more than happy to leave their little nuggets with a trusted sitter, especially since there will no doubt be other children they will probably know or have met previously.  It’s basicaly a separate party just for the kids ~ no grownups allowed! 

Option 3:

Be open to children at your wedding/reception but keep them busy with their own private table complete with a designated babysitter(s)! 

I have to add that this is my personal favorite choice.   It not only pleases the parents and keeps the bride’s nerves at bay but the kiddy table is oh so much fun to put together!  Here are a few ideas if you think this might be a good solution for your big event! 

If you want to get real creative, take a look at these fun centerpiece ideas for the kid’s table!

And for the table….make sure you have No-mess AND No-noise items!

The last thing you need is finger painting on the fine walls of your very pricey venue or Dora the Explorer yelling out during the thoughtful toast that your maid of honor surely spent hours preparing!

Here are a few items and ideas to stock the table with…perhaps in a decorative pail or bag personally made for each child!

Make your own veil/bow tie

Make tissue paper flowers

Stickers with included ‘scenery paper’ to create a picture

Crayons/coloring book

Dollar store finds! (Mad Lib Books, Word Finds, Mini Puzzles, etc.)

Add healthy and minimal mess sealed snacks to each child’s personal pail or bag (check for allergies always!!!)

And finally don’t forget….A Guest Book for the children only to sign!  Have them draw a picture of the bride and groom and sign their name and have babysitter sign for the youngest ones.     SO CUTE!!!!

Eco-Friendly Weddings & Events!

Happy Earth Day! 

Sara Marie Events loves to learn and teach about all the ways we can throw a great party and still love our Earth!

I have blogged about other great green products in the past and how you can include them in all your events but today I’ve decided to write about throwing a green inspired wedding or event.  There are so many ways to keep an event eco-friendly without breaking the bank or adding any extra stress or complications to your planning.  

Here is a list I have compiled with some simple ideas that may be possible for you to include in your planning:

(Some you may have heard time and time again but some might be surprising and just unique enough for you to want to include in your event!)….

1.  Location!

      ~ Minimize your guests’ travels by having a wedding closest to the bulk of your guests. 

      ~ Have your wedding and reception at the same location.

2.  Support your local farmers and greenhouses for your decor and catering.

      ~ This will cut down on more traveling and shipping costs and of course emissions into

          our environment.

      ~ Use organic farmers and greenhouses if possible as well!

3.  Buy eco-friendly or better yet (in my opinion) vintage attire!

      ~ There are many available fabrics, dresses, and formal wear that are being made with

          organically grown materials that, yes, are attractive and comfortable

          (no burlap bags, I swear!)

      ~ Vintage can be stunning!  I’m not talking bad 80′s prom though lol..

           think Audrey Hepburn, think Marilyn Monroe style!

4.  Your invitations!

      ~ Be unique and modern while informing your guests of everything they need to know

         through your own wedding website and email invitations.   

      ~ If you’re not feeling that modern…at least use recycled paper invites or how about

          invitations embedded with flowering seeds that can be planted after read!     

5.  Unique favors that everyone can feel good about!

       ~ Donations in your guests’ honor to a great charity that everyone can relate to…

           Giving back is being the ultimate eco!

      ~ Give seeds or a plant to each of your guests.

6.  If using candles in your decor or as favors, try using beeswax or soy based ones. 

      ~ Most candles are made with paraffin which is a petroleum by-product.

7.  Finally, my favorite idea….have a candlelight only reception in the dusk! 

      Love this idea for creating such a romantic ambiance and  keeping up with your

      eco-friendly plans at the same time

Here are some great website resources for planning and supplying a great eco-friendly event :

http://www.ecowedding.org/

http://www.sustyparty.com/

New And Unique Photo Booths For Your Next Event!