Location Sweet Location...

I know what you are doing now that you have that shiny new ring! I know that you are researching those venues! You're trying to select a menu and with all of those options - none of it makes sense. So you contact the venue to get clarification. It's sounds good and you set an appointment for a tour. You and your fiance drive out, take the tour, ask a lot of questions and leave with a beautiful packet. Multiply that times 16 and here you are, on The Rare Affair website. It's OK!! I've been there with lots of brides on those tours and I know it can be overwhelming. I bet you are wishing you could take the view from one place, take the menu from another, pricing from another, convenience from this one or that one. I promise you, this IS the worst part of planning your wedding. It truly is like searching for a house. The investment is probably close to a down payment as it is! The best way to decide - take your top three, pretend they were all exact in price - now, which would you choose? Take that favorite and make a call to the salesperson that took you on your tour and negotiate. Start with your budget and tell them that the package price they create for you must include all taxes and services fees for X number of guests. See what they come up with. The package is for their convenience - not yours and I know my clients have NEVER fit into those boxes. Do you have to cut your guest list to make budget - maybe. Do you have to forgo specialty linens - maybe. But if the location is right for you and your budget, there are always minor sacrifices. Be flexible and you will not regret your decision.

Foxy Fifties!

While watching Good Morning America's Bridal segment this morning I couldn't help but notice the style of this years wedding gowns. We are going back to the 50's. Could it be that the Mad Men hit is creeping to our everyday style to include weddings. YES!! I love this style. I have been saying for about a year now, that we are reverting back to basics. The local butcher is coming back, farmers markets are huge and stay at home moms are making casseroles instead of ordering take-out. The trend in weddings lately has been the destination wedding - it really does save money. But, there is also the cocktail reception allowing brides to thumb their nose at gala events. I loved to see the cocktail length wedding dress and it brought back memories of when war brides would go into city hall to take their vows. They would be decked out in these fantastic suits, grand corsages and netted pillbox hats. What a classic look! I also noticed that the ballgowns were very similar to those coverlets your grandmother had on her bed. When I was a child, I would follow those soft zig-zag lines with my finger until I drifted off to sleep. While I am sure you don't want to look like you're wearing the old blanket from the hall closet - it really did look soft and gave great texture to the look. Are the 50's coming back, maybe. Am I worried? Absolutely not - that was the era where a woman looked like a woman - curvacious, feminine and delicious! Classic Femme - is there any other way to be on your wedding day?

A Beautiful Day!

Today I was honored to attend the wedding of Pamela & Linda in Marblehead. What made this wedding fabulous was there were no photographers, no caterers, no linens, cake or even guests. Just the one most important feature - love. I have always said - there is nothing that you can purchase to make a wedding special, rather, it is the people that are getting married that make it special. From that moment on, they will be the only two working through sickness and health, richness and poorness, good times and bad - together. They will be the ones who matter to each other for the many years to come. They will lean on each other and overcome any obstacle that comes before them because of that love. That love, joined together, is what gives them the strength to overcome and enjoy. For this reason, I was honored to be a part of their day. Love is why I do what I do. Everyone has love to give and the capacity to accept it. But, it is rare to see it live.

Head of The State Room

Last night, I was one of the priviledged to be invited to The State Room in Boston to open the holiday season. Let me tell you, if you want a view of the city - this is where you need to be. Every section of this room has unbelievable views - without having to look down! The food stations - there were too many to choose from - but I did anyway! I sampled selections from the ocean and earth, starting with my favorite crab cakes and yummy garlic mussels and ending with a decadent chocolate display. In between, I ate some french fries in these adorable little brown bags, salmon bites and yummy sheeps milk Hors d'oeurves. The State Rooms' presentation was flawless as usual and the room decor was gorgeous! I had so much fun seeing my old friends and making new ones - it really was a fun group! I can't wait to work with them in the new year and had a fabulous time! If you would like a tour of The State Room - call my friend Elaine Twombley. She will show you the world - literally!

WEDDING INSURANCE!!!!

What a nightmare!! About a week ago there was a huge clammor amongst wedding industry friends of mine about the sudden closure of The Georgetown Club in Georgetown, MA. They locked their doors and filed for bankruptcy protection. Employees suddenly have no job, creditors are not paid and the worst part - brides getting married that weekend and in the very near future - have no place to hold their reception. What I really hoped was that some of those brides invested in wedding insurance. In the past, this type of insurance was thought of as an unneccesary expense. In many cases it was due to their confidence that their venue is a landmark or otherwise well known facility in seeimingly good financial health. Wedding planners usually hear via the underground when some vendors or even venues are on shaky financial ground. We like to keep others in the know if they do decide to go with that vendor and make their own decisions. But, with the recent closing of the Georgetown Club, what about your florist? How about the limo company. Protection is there for couples to make sure they recoup their financials but what happens a week before your wedding and the venue closes? If you have a planner - there is always a plan B. We have the resources, we make the calls, we can negotiate a better deal and make sure you have all the information needed to make fast decisions. Get all the information you can about insurance and make a decision that is best for you. There are lots of companies to choose from and if you own your own home - check with your homeowners insurance to see if you can get a binder from them. It is reasonably priced and based on deposits, gift theft, jewelry loss, etc.. Anything can happen at a wedding - just don't let it happen to you.

Lookit those eyes!

Hey girls! Listen, I had to tell you because I thought I was going crazy. I noticed in pictures that my eyes look gi-normous and could'nt help but think - wow, look at my eye's - they are so pretty!! I am one of those people whose eyes change colors - from slate blue to green to amber-ish. I can always tell it's gonna be a good day when they're green honey!! So, anyway, today I was putting on my mascara and noticed another thing - I have way more lashes than I used to. I used to have three big patches and then a few little baby lashes in between. I was never happy with them and even contemplated buying falsies to make them more uniform but, you know, I didn't want to look like a glam goddess while shopping at the grocery store! Just being honest. Here's what I figured out - it's my new masccara! Now, I bought it because it was on sale - and I had a coupon - so there's a bonus. It's that Covergirl Exact Eyelights. I bought it in Target in the shade of Black Gold. I prefer a darker lash and this is made for my specific eye shade. I knew they would pick up the color highlights in the mascara but grow my lashes too?? Who'd have thought that was a benefit. Now, I cannot say that was the case but, honestly, I don't care. I love this stuff and my lashes look fab. Covergirl - you've done it!! And, NO, I don't get any free Covergirl stuff, nor am I a paid endorser but Hey, Covergirl - LOVE IT!

Make Money, Money!

Hey girls, here is another tip that you can use TODAY!! If you are one of those brides who has to wait to save some more cash before you can start planning your wedding - this one is for you! Did you ever think about putting your money in a short term CD? There are many levels of short term ranging from months to years as well as different levels of interest rates. But, regardless of the term, in many cases, you come out with a little more money than what you put in. Some banks will also allow you to add money to that same CD so you will be able to stay on track with your saving. Also, some have deposit caps but it is definitely worth looking into. Even if there is a cap and you have saved some more money - open another CD for a shorter term. Keep the CD's SAFE by making sure the bank is FDIC insured and lock those little bank books in a safe. Plus, the best part - you can't easily touch that cash like a regular savings account. Just in case you decide you hafta to have those awesome new _______.