Honestly, it's NOT about the details

Often times, I sense and hear clients' frustrations when planning their weddings. They get bogged down with the little details - what colors, fonts, patterns, etc. etc. If things aren't exactly the way they want it, they freak out. Some do so more than others. I totally get it - wedding planning is very stressful if you let the details get to you. (Technically, you don't have to - if you have an AWESOME coordinator who will figure out the details for you.)

With all the wedding sites and blogs I subscribe to, I see tedious DIY projects like personal tissue holders or hand stamped invitations, and I think to myself, "WOW, how do people have time and the will to do that?" But I know everyone's priorities differ, some things people will put more effort into, others people won't.

Honestly, it's NOT about the wedding, or the details, what's most important is the MARRIAGE. Yes, you are having a wedding to show your loved ones your lifelong commitment to your significant other. But that's just it, it's a show, simply a one day event. The marriage is for life.

I'm learning this more and more as I start thinking about my own wedding. What are my priorities? Who are my closest family and friends? This period has been very contemplative for me. (Oh yeah, for those of you who haven't heard - the wedding planner is finally engaged! Yup, I got engaged a month ago! No more "always a planner, never a bride" )

Note to self and readers: Make sure to have your priorities straight, to have fun, and remember that you're celebrating the joyous occasion with your loved ones.

Cost Saving Tips for Weddings

My dear friends Judy and Zak Zajac launched their new podcast today - Zajacs at Large. From their own words - "The audiocast features a range of interesting topics… some things will make you feel angry, happy, relief, or impartial. The main idea is that we get everyone talking and speaking their minds!"

Guess what the topic of their first episode is? - WEDDINGS! Yes, weddings - almost my favorite topic. (Although I enjoy planning and talking about weddings, I wouldn't say that is my top interest in the event world. I actually enjoy planning fundraisers and benefit parties even more because everyone is united by a similar cause.)

Anyways, in the podcast, Judy and Zak share how costly weddings really are (average wedding in the U.S. costs $28,000) - which turned them away from having a traditional wedding. They opted to do a Vegas wedding instead, which only cost them $4,000.


There are definitely ways to cut costs on your wedding, and it really just depends on where your priorities lie. Spend more on those non-negotiables and maybe cut things out that are frivolous.


Here are some cost-saving tips (in no particular order):

• Destination Wedding! It's nice to extend invitations to family and friends for your destination wedding, in let's say, Hawaii. But not very many will be able to go, which can be good since it would substantially cut down the RSVP list as well as costs! Which brings me to my next point....
  
• Smaller Guest List: If you don't want to spend a lot on your wedding, cut down your guest list! 60% of wedding costs are from the venue and food & beverage expenses. Less people means less money spent on catering costs!


• Stay away from Saturdays: The most expensive days for weddings are Saturdays. Most venues offer discounted rental fees or packages for Fridays and Sundays - even more so on Monday - Thursdays! The best idea I've heard was a recent bride who chose to have her wedding on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. That probably saved her thousands on the venue! Genius!
  
• Ask Friends: I'm sure we all have talented friends in various fields. Why not ask them to help out? Whether it be your cousin who is a hair stylist or a family friend who enjoys creating invitations or a coworker who puts together amazing slideshows, these people would probably be more than happy to help you in your wedding planning. It is definitely nice to offer compensation and at the very least, offer to pay for all materials. But if they don't accept or this is completely out of your budget, let them know that they can use their services as their wedding gift to you. Be sure to thank them and emphasize your appreciation! Note: One thing that I would not skimp on is photography. You can read my earlier post on that HERE.


• Rentals: Instead of spending tons of money on a designer wedding dress you'll wear for 1 day and then leave in your closet forever, why not rent a wedding dress instead? You can rent a designer dress for 1/3 of the cost and never have to worry about it again! Sure, you knew about dress rentals, but I bet you didn't know about cake rentals! Shippable faux cakes that look like cakes from Ace of Cakes and extravagant cake competitions on the Food Network start at $175 on http://www.cakerental.com/. There's even an edible cake portion placed in a hidden compartment in the back of the bottom layer of the cake - for photography and cake cutting ceremony purposes. Guests can't eat the faux cake since it's made out of styrofoam, but you can buy sheet cakes at Costco for $16 a sheet (feeds 50) to serve guests. Just exchange the faux cake with cut up sheet cake and guests will never know the difference!


• Cut Videography: This is really a personal opinion since I don't value videography as much as photography. For me, I wouldn't even hire a videographer for my wedding. As much as I would think I'd like to reminisce about my wedding day, I don't think I would take the time to sit down and watch hours of footage. However, when I get nostalgic, I can just flip through the photo albums. I actually saw a wedding video that was just a recording of everyone taking photos (with the family and table photos) - that was pretty lame. A slideshow of the photos is sufficient unless of course if there was a cool dance involved at the wedding that must be recorded.


• Seating Chart: Instead of having escort cards, create a fun seating chart instead and post up right outside of the reception site. You can even give printed copies of your guest/table list to your ushers and ask them to help escort or point guests to their tables. Here are some samples:
  
  

Stay tuned for upcoming posts on "Cost Saving Tips" for other types of events!

Side note: If you enjoyed the Zajacs at Large podcast, check out Judy and Zak's company website: Verudia, LLC for more.

Surprise!

Just read this post on 100 Layer Cake and had to share:

http://100layercake.com/blog/archives/1345

A surprise wedding for their guests put together in 7 days! How amazing is that!

So brides, no fret - if this couple can do it in 7 days, your 7 months is plenty of time!

P.S. - For those of you reading on Facebook, I know some of you are confused - why is she always talking about weddings??!!! This is actually a direct feed from my event planning blog located here: http://eastwesteventproductions.blogspot.com/

P.P.S. - I like postscripts.

It is not cheap...

...to be a wedding guest.

Allow me to explain. Although I do love attending weddings and feel honored for being included in a couple's momentous occasion, it is not friendly to the wallet.

For females, you have the bridal shower, then the bachelorette party, then the wedding (and for some, not too long after - the baby shower). How much do these really add up?

Check out the following post on Weddingbee in which one blogger details her expenses:
http://www.weddingbee.com/2009/08/26/the-cost-of-being-a-wedding-guest/

Shower:
Gift: $50 (made stationery)
Travel: $35 for rental car that day (I was in town anyway, but required a rental car that day to get from where I was staying to the shower)

Bachelorette Party:
Travel to (Oakland to Las Vegas flight): $260
Cab/Shuttle fares (various throughout the weekend): $100
Lodging/gift chip in/cabana chip in/bottle service at club chip in: $275
Food (including chip in for bride’s meals) 4 meals: $100

Wedding:
Gift: $125
Travel (gas to drive round trip to Southern California): $80
Lodging (2 nights): $250
Food for 2 people (Mr. Peng and me): $120

TOTAL: $1395

Wow that is a hefty number!

As much as the hosts of the weddings complain about how costly the functions are, the guests have it pretty rough too.

P.S. - For the wedding guest newbies - it's good ettiquette to give at least $100 (or close to) as a wedding gift. You're pretty much paying for your attendance and meal at the event. I've had someone say to me that he thought you didn't need to bring gifts to weddings. That weddings were a free event. Uh...wrong! I assure you that if you show up empty handed or with a cheapo gift, the couple is NOT going to be happy with you.

P.P.S. - Don't get me wrong. This is NOT a knock on weddings nor the engaged couples hosting them at all. I LOVE LOVE LOVE participating in weddings and find much joy in that weddings are a place where people are reconnected. Weddings are truly celebrations. Many THANKS to the couples who have allowed me to partake as a guest in their wedding festivities.

Just wanted to share from a guest's perspective.

Left my heart in San Francisco...

or was it my stomach? Anyways, I heart SF! Especially all the yummy food!

This past weekend took an amazing trip with the boyfriend to see some friends in San Francisco. And lightbulbs in my head popped up everywhere we went!

San Francisco is such an eclectic city full of surprises in every corner. Inspirations for wedding/event decor and food can be found in so many places!

How about an engagement photo shoot with a SF cable car?

Photo courtesy of Geoff White Photography. You can see the complete engagement photo session on their blog. Fabulous!

OR

Desserts you found at a farmer's market?

Kingdom Cakes at the Island Farmers Market in the Metreon. With yummy and unique cupcake flavors like "Pancakes n Bacon", "Basil Lemon Blueberry" (pictured above), "Strawberries & Champagne" - how can you resist?

OR

Favor ideas from the many chocolatiers in the city?



This is a cute gift box from Teuscher in Union Square. You can find various whimsical candy boxes on their website.

If you're native to SF, I would suggest exploring the city even more for inspiration for your event or wedding - you never know where you'll see something creative and awe-inspiring! And for the non-SF folks, it doesn't hurt to make a trip up there! You'll fall in love with SF just like I did!

Umbrella - ella - ella!

One of my clients is having an outdoor ceremony in October with 350 guests. It's an open, grassy field so we can pretty much do whatever we'd like with the space. One caveat is that there's almost NO trees for shade - and as the SoCal folks know, the afternoon sun can get hot! But the wedding is in the middle of Fall, so I'm not too worried.

The bride is concerned about the lack of shade because her side of the family and friends do not like being out in the direct sun. I quickly called around for some estimates on a large canopy, which will fit 350 guests underneath (Ceremony rows only, no tables - reception will be indoors).

Canopies do not come cheap, especially for a 40' x 80' one! Average price quoted was around $1200. Yikes!

So I got to thinking...how about sun umbrellas (aka parasols) instead? They would become part of the ceremony decor - and add color to an otherwise empty grassy field. I would imagine that it would look pretty nice in photos. As guests come in, ushers can hand out the parasols to the female guests or those who wish to use them. There can even be a pretty basket to hold the parasols.





This site has an excellent selection of parasols in various colors, styles, and sizes: http://www.lunabazaar.com/

If one buys in bulk, each parasol is $5.50. In my clients' case, let's say half will use parasols. I'm thinking the men will be fine without one. That would be $962.50. They will be saving close to $300 and guests can take the parasols home as wedding mementos. One vendor even suggested that if we were to rent a canopy of that size, to rent portable fans as well, since it may be stuffy with so many people. There you have it, with this idea, no fans are needed either!

Alright, now I'm going to pitch this idea to my client. Wish me luck!

Sneak Peeks: Jisun & Dan's Wedding and T1M Film Festival

I am the WORST blogger EVER. I am so sorry for the incredibly long lagtime between posts. EWEP has been quite busy these last few months!

I've been working with one of the most amazing couples the last couple of months - Jisun & Dan. They were mucho organized and detail oriented, which made my job so much easier! Their wedding was at the end of May at the Grand Events Center in Long Beach. It turned out fabulous! I will post up a event summary and photos soon.

Another event I've been working on was the 4th Annual Talent 1 Media Film Festival that took place just this past weekend at the Aratani Theatre in Little Tokyo. Being the Reception and Marketing Coordinator, there were a lot of moving parts involved. But with the help of an awesome planning team and 40 volunteers, the event pulled off effortlessly! Photos and summary to come shortly!

Ta-ta for now!

Happy 2009!

Hello readers! Happy 2009!

I'm hopeful that it will be another great year - but 2008 is a little hard to beat for me, considering it was such an eventful year! Promotion, new relationship, moving, starting East West Event Productions, what more could a girl ask for??!!

Updates:

• T-2 days until OneHeart OC! THANK YOU to all the artists, photographers, performers, speakers, partner organizations, supporters, volunteers, etc. Everyone has been so supportive and pleasant to work with! This event could not be possible without each and every one of you! Looking forward to an awesome event on Friday!
• Booked 2 weddings - one in May and one in November - very exciting! I really love helping couples make their dream wedding a reality. Thanks to those of you spreading the word about my new business. Referrals are so powerful!
• Found out I will be attending a couple weddings as a guest this year. Weddings are so much fun - especially seeing people I haven't seen in ages! 2008 was the year of engagements, 2009 is the year of weddings and babies!
• Going to sit on the advisory board of a very dear friend of mine's non profit medical organization. He's trying to develop a children's hospital in rural China. Very cool!
• The East West Event Productions website is still underway. Website creation and design is not an easy task!

Jeanie Wang + Sherwin Yen Wedding in Dallas, TX

This weekend I had the privilege of attending and coordinating one of my close childhood friends' wedding in Dallas, TX. Jeanie and I have known each other since elementary school and when she asked me to be her wedding coordinator, I was ecstatic! It is really a great pleasure to take part of the preparation of someone's big day, especially someone I know and love so dearly.

The wedding was amazing and I really didn't have do to too much - Jeanie and Sherwin pretty much planned and lined up everything for me. All I really had to do was show up. Annabelle Mansion was a beautiful site - a breathtaking, very Gone with the Wind kind of feel.

To see photos from the wedding, please visit: http://www.table4photography.com/jeanie+sherwin

As you'll see, Table 4 photographers Jason and Andrew did an excellent job! Their work is truly amazing! Props to Andrew for doing the table greetings with me - visiting 15 tables in a tight space was difficult, but we were able to get the pictures done without a hitch.


Some advice and lessons learned from coordinating this wedding:

• Even though weddings are stressful, you are only as stressed as you allow yourself to be. As a wedding coordinator, always present yourself as composed and unwavering. You want to provide the best service possible.
• It is best not to bother the bride and groom if you encounter any hiccups with logistics on the day of. If you can resolve it yourself, go ahead and do so, then inform the bride and groom on the situation and resolution. You don't want to stress the bride and groom out if you don't have to.
• Just as long as the bride and groom enjoy themselves, then you know you have done a good job.
• It is important to remind the bride and groom to provide food for their vendors - photographers, videographer, DJ, catering staff, band, etc. They work hard to make the wedding day a success.
• Picking a venue and staff that understands the bride and groom's cultural or social customs is essential. Just because the venue/staff does not understand those customs, does not mean they can just throw it out the window. Make sure the couple is happy with what the venue can provide to satisfy the bride and groom's cultural wishes.
• Having more than 3 coordinators/assistants (venue coordinators AND wedding coordinators) can get chaotic for a medium sized wedding (150 guests) at times. To avoid chaos and confusion, make sure all coordinators/assistants know all the details and time schedules for the wedding day.

Congratulations Jeanie and Sherwin! You two are a perfect pair!