Wedding Defined

Officiants

An officiant is the most important part of your wedding, he/she is the one that actually makes you Husband and Wife.  That's why it is so important to find an officiant that is responsible and professional. It's also important to find one that matches your personalities and one you are comfortable speaking with. I have been to many wedding were the bride and groom didn't research their officiant and later regretted it. For those of you who have no idea who will marry you start researching early and meet with them in person and ask as many questions as you like. Research vows and other things you want to do in your ceremony like unity candle etc. before hand so you can talk about that. Also if you have any religious ceremony's you want to do make sure the officiant is familiar with it.
A great way to start off you research is with weddingwire.com
Another great resource is your friends and family ask around and you 'll probably get some great info.

Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Coleck

Kali and Jake were a joy to work with and are a beautiful couple. I'm so happy for you and best wishes.

I'll have professional photos of this wedding soon to post with details of the day and planning  :)

Marriage License Information

Here are some helpful hints you will be happy you know before you apply for a marriage license. 

1) You can apply for a license at your local city clerk's office, if you make an appointment it will go a lot faster.
2)  Make sure you take your Drivers License and you know your Social Security Number (both the bride and groom need to be present)
3)There will be a fee which varies depending on state
4)Don't wait to apply, I suggest applying the beginning of the month that you'll be married
5) Make sure you bring the license to the ceremony and have a responsible person be in charge of it. You'll sign it after the ceremony with your officiant and a witness.
5) The marriage officiant, e.g., clergy person or authorized individual, who performs the marriage ceremony is required by law to complete the marriage license and return it to the County Recorder’s Office within 10 days of the event for registration.

Just remember this is the form that actually makes you married to keep it in a safe place and don't leave it until the last minute.

Catering in SLO

For a lot of Brides Catering is a hard vendor to chose, it's usually what takes up most of your budget and there can be a lot of questions when booking. So here are a few tips when choosing a caterer.

1) Start looking ASAP caterers can book sometimes a year in advance.
2) Make sure when you are looking at the catering total you are adding in taxes, gratuity, and any add ons you've made to the menu
3) If you have a venue that does not provide flatware make sure you ask if your caterer if they provide flatware, if not ask if they will rent it and how much they charge for that service.
4) Always Taste the food
5) Don't forget about the cake cutting and serving, make sure you ask if that is an extra charge.
6) Don't forget to mention any food allergies or Dietary Preferences that you or your guests might have
7) Last but not least make sure you like the caterer and you can openly talk to them and ask questions and express any concerns you might have, after all you want to be comfortable and get what you want.

Some Great Caterers in the SLO area are GCR Catering and the Hitching Host

gcrcatering.com/

www.hitchingpost1.com/

Fireworks!!!!!!!!!!

Since the holiday is coming up soon I thought I would mention one way to incorporate The Fourth of July into your wedding.

We all remember sparklers as a kid and how much fun they were and still are so why not have that same fun at your wedding.

Leave your reception with a sparkling exit! Give all or some of your guests sparklers to send you to your honeymoon with a bang and not to mention some great photo opportunities. 

This is another shot you can do with just the bride and groom. Ask your photographer prior to the wedding if they can and are willing to do this shot then just make sure to pack some sparklers and have a blast shooting.

WARNING: make sure your venue allows fireworks before the big day. You don't want to get charged for any damage or bad behavior and getting removed from your own wedding would not be a fun story to tell your future kids ;)

Seating Charts

If you are assigning seats at your reception you have a couple of options on how to organize a seating chart.


One way is to get post it strips and a bulletin board like the example below. This is a great visual and can easily be changed as you plan if needed. 

If you are a little more high tech and want to have the info on your computer there is a great website that helps organize seating charts guests info and a lot more.


http://www.weddingwire.com/wedding-planning/wedding-seating-tables.html



This website even has a mobile app for your phone for easy and convenient planning. 


Whatever you do please DO NOT wait until the last minute to do this step! Depending on the size of your wedding this task can be frustrating and time consuming so please don't wait. 

Let them eat Cake....?

Wedding Cakes are a beautiful and yummy wedding tradition but not everyone loves cake or has the budget for it. One idea that is very popular is the candy buffet.

Candy buffets are great because you can buy the candy in bulk and you can match the colors of the wedding. It can also serve as your wedding favors by putting to go bags on the table for the guests to take home.



Another option is cupcakes. They are less expensive and you have a lot more options now regarding look and taste.

There are a few SLO local vendors that have great options if you want cupcakes at your wedding.

Last but not least you can ask family members for help with the wedding dessert.

My cousin did this and I thought it was a GREAT idea.

 She asked all of her grandmas, aunts etc. to make their best dessert and bring it to the reception. There was apple pie, lemon bars, cupcakes and much more. She got  mix match display stands and had an entire table full of different desserts. This is a very creative and budget friendly idea that can be easily executed.

DIY Flowers

When your planning your wedding and have a small budget one way to save a ton of money is by making your own flower centerpieces. With the right supplies and a little help it can be easy and fun to create a one of a kind arrangement. Start early and buy flowers that you are drawn to and experiment with what you like and what goes well together. Once you've found what you like order flowers in bulk online and get some friends to help putting them together. Farmers market vendors will also do special orders and you'll cut your cost in half. 

This is a great example of a DIY centerpiece :)

Go to this link to find some great tips and tricks on how to arrange flowers and make them last.
http://www.thegardener.btinternet.co.uk/tips.html

On a Budget Invitations

Invitations don't have to break the bank. You can buy affordable kits like this and print them at home. This set came from annsbridalbargains.com. They have a variety of styles and colors and they are able to be personalized and are half the cost of other invitations. 

Tip of the Week

Getting Organized

Getting Organized is one of the most important things to do when you're planing a wedding. Make sure you keep all contracts, receipts, and contact info in separate files that are labeled so they're easy to find and store like in the picture above. 

 Another way to organize is with a binder so everything is portable and you can take it with you to appointments. 

You can buy a binder like the one above from several places like Amazon or Barnes and Noble or if your crafty you can easily make one your self that fits your specific needs. 

Wedding Day Emergency Kit

This is just part of the Emergency Kit I will have on hand the day of your wedding