The Finishing Touch — Weddings, Events, Design, Paperie

Recently we shared some unique wedding guest book ideas with (the newly engaged) Laura Adams from (201) Bride. Check out some of the ways you can incorporate a unique guest book on your big day!

Hang It Up: Beautiful branch arrangements are always eye catching so creating a guest book out of one is sure to grab your guests’ attention! Work with your planner to coordinate a branch arrangement that is complementary of your wedding decor. Using ribbon tags, the written well wishes will hang from the branches and will “blossom” with kind words by the end of the night.

Piece It Together: A puzzle guest book can be custom designed and cut just for your wedding day. By customizing the shape and design to be something significant to you and your fiancé such as hobbies or activities makes it even more memorable. Your guests will love to write notes and sign their very own piece of the puzzle. This is a great alternative because it’s a fun activity for your wedding guests and a piece of art you can frame to enjoy everyday.

Mail it Out: In place of a book, have your guests fill out custom-designed postcards where they can write their well wishes. The postcards can feature images that are special to you, such as photos of you and your fiancé, places that you have traveled, your custom monogram – the options are endless! Have guests place the postcards into an actual mailbox set nearby that you could even use for your new home.

Read more about unique guest book ideas on (201) Bride’s Exclusive only on Bergen.com!

Selecting the perfect location for your wedding can certainly take some time as there are SO many amazing venues to choose from.

Some lucky couples know right from the start where they want to exchange their vows and share their celebration. Whether it is a location with special meaning or the venue they always dreamed of, these couples are off to a great start. Other times, couples may have to start from scratch! Finding a location that suits you both can be a bit tricky but here are a few tips to consider when narrowing down your perfect venue.

- Budget - You certainly need to have an idea of the overall budget for your wedding before securing your venue. A good way of generating an estimate of the amount you will spend on the venue is by splitting your budget in half. Having this number will help you eliminate the venues that may be out of your price range and will allow you to focus on those that fit your budget accordingly. Working with your planner to find the location of your dreams and stay within budget is always key!

-Date/Time - Have you always dreamed of a wedding on the beach? Exchanging your vows atop of a mountain? Whether inside, outside or somewhere in between, the date and time of your wedding definitely plays a factor. When booking a venue, know that prime wedding season is April-June and September-November. Pricing is generally higher during peak season and these dates tend to book quicker. If you are working with a tighter budget and are flexible with your date, consider asking the venue if they offer any value dates. These may be limited dates they have not booked in the coming months and may be able to offer a discount.

-Location- If you are planning to have your ceremony other than at your reception venue, be sure to keep in mind that travel will be involved. This may help eliminate venues on your list that are a bit too far for traveling in a large group. If you have a lot of out of town guests, be sure to allow enough time for travel before and after the ceremony.

Narrow down your options by discussing how you both envision your day – and collaborate! Share your vision with your planner and allow them to offer you some recommendations. Working with your planner to find the best location is a plus as they have experience working with many venues and can recommend locations based upon what you want.

When it came to selecting our venue, Greg and I were flexible with date and time but wanted something a little out of the ordinary- so we opted for a winter wedding! We knew that we wanted the ceremony in our town at the Catholic church we had both attended in our younger years so that was an easy check off the list.

Next was selecting the venue for our reception which also came pretty easily to us. Being in the industry, I have had experience at many venues and could pretty much narrow down locations based on our style and budget. Though I had my favorite location in mind, it was very important for me that Greg loved it just as much. We set up a meeting with our good friend Christina at Maritime Parc in Jersey City for a walk thru. The minute we arrived, I could tell he was just as excited as I was. Known for their amazing cuisine and unbeatable views of NYC, Maritime Parc is a new, modern space located in Liberty State Park. With panoramic views of the Hudson River, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and the Manhattan skyline, it was an easy decision. Working with our planner, Candice, we were able to secure our top choice and we were beyond thrilled. The thought of a new fallen snow on the morning of our wedding day sounds awesome -hopefully not too much! But no matter the weather, we will both be excited to finally say ‘I Do’ on January 12, 2013 at Maritime Parc!

“Should we create a wedding website for our guests?”

We often hear that question from our clients asking if it is necessary to create a site for the big day. Wedding websites are a definite ‘to do’ for couples as it provides a way for your family and friends to keep up to date with all of your wedding plans. Though it is not absolutely necessary, it certainly is the easiest way to keep everyone informed of all the latest happenings – and it can be super fun to create! Here are some tips on creating your perfect ‘I do-dotcom.’

Choose Your Host ~ Find the best web hosting site available to share your wedding details. Our top pick? Wedding Window! This site give you a ton of design options including custom colors, fonts and layouts! Wedding Window allows you to truly personalize your site and make it your own. Check out a demo from Wedding Window here!

WeddingWire also offers free wedding website templates from Vera Wang, Martha Stewart and more – check out some of their designs!

Share Your Story ~ You two are madly in love and crazy about each other…but we want to know how it happened! Tell the whole world your love story. Be sure to include how you met, when you fell in love and of course all of the proposal details!

Talk About Your Peeps ~ These are the people that have been standing next to you your whole life and will be standing next to you as you recite your vows. Create a section where you can talk about each member of your bridal party and how each of them have affected your life. This is a nice way to let them know how special they are to you and also an opportunity to introduce them to your guests.

Map it Out ~ List the accommodations available for your Out of Town guests as well as some fun things to do. Look into special discounts that may be available at local malls, museums or landmarks. You can also share places that are special to you and your fiance. Have your guests dine at your favorite restaurant or where you got engaged!

Asking a family member or friend to be in your wedding party is an important decision and is quite an honor! This is a great time to express just how special they are to you in their own way – so why not get a little creative? (201) Bride recently posted some of our creative ideas on Bergen.com that will be sure to have your bridal party saying, ‘I do!’.

Wine and Dine Em!:

Invite your girls out for dinner and drinks to catch up and fill them in on your latest wedding plans. During the meal, raise a toast and say a few kind words about each of them before asking the ultimate question. Coordinate with the restaurant to bring out a round of celebratory champagne – and dessert of course.

Video Proposal:

Create a video or slideshow featuring stories, pictures and other memories explaining how and why each of your bridesmaids are special to you. Include a little proposal at the end asking them to be a part of your big day – and be sure to have tissues on hand! Check out this video proposal from Absolute Media Productions, where our very own bride-to-be Stephanie chose a Sex and the City theme to ‘pop the question’ to her bridesmaids. It is Fab-u-lous!

Will You Be My Bridesmaids? from Damon Dietz on Vimeo.

Mail It:

What girl doesn’t love a good greeting card? Mail out a beautiful note or custom greeting card to your bridal party to request their presence on your big day. Be sure to include a sentimental note to express how important they are to you and why you want them there. Add a little extra twist by sending an RSVP card inside with a ‘Check Yes or No’ option – but we can pretty much guarantee they will all be yeses!

For the Guys:

Most men tend to not be as emotional or sentimental when it comes to inviting their half of the bridal party – but that doesn’t mean it’s not important! If your guy is looking for a unique way to ask his groomsmen, why not suggest holding a poker night or having a guy’s night out. Guys love humor so sending out a funny card to invite their groomsmen is always a great way to go.

Check out some of our other creative ways to invite your bridal party by reading the full article on Bergen.com!

Celebrating Valentine’s Day as an engaged couple is very special as it may be the last time spending it together before saying ‘I Do’. Here are some fun and creative ways to spend the day together without breaking the bank – since after all you are saving up for a wedding!

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Enjoy A Night In

Staying in can be just as fabulous as going out on Valentine’s Day! Get dolled up and make a reservation for two at your own dining room table.  Make the night even more memorable by taking the time to cook something new together that may be a little more challenging. If you are not so kitchen saavy, why not order in? Nothing beats a large pizza and two glasses of wine!

Dance the Night Away

Create a dance floor in your own living room or kitchen and hook up your iPod with some romantic tunes. Have you chosen your first dance for your wedding day? If not, use this time to go through songs that might have a special meaning to you and practice for your big day. You may end up finding the perfect one that evening. Don’t forget to practice your wedding day kiss too.

Book It!

Spend some time with your honey by going through photos and creating a scrapbook. Sorting through pictures, ticket stubs, souvenirs and other odds and ends together is always a blast as it brings up wonderful memories. This is a great project to work on together and updating it each year can become a tradition. This could also be a sweet addition to your rehearsal dinner or wedding day for guests to look through. Don’t forget to leave a few pages for some wedding day photos!

Write A Love Letter to One Another

Nothing says romance better than an old fashioned love letter. Writing a genuine note expressing your love to your fiance is memorable in so many ways. It’s great to reflect on all of the reasons why you fell in love and provides a precious memento to keep forever. This is also the perfect way to begin thinking about your wedding vows.

A Little Something Extra

Looking to surprise them with a little something? Think of some small necessities you both may need on your wedding day. Maybe she is still in need of her something blue or he needs a nice pair of wedding day socks. Have a little money to spend? Why not indulge on a wedding day accessory like a watch or a necklace that can be worn on the big day.

One of the latest trends for Spring and Summer weddings is posing with some picture perfect parasols! These beautiful pieces can create unique and memorable photo ops at any location. Not only do they provide fabulous photos, but can be a great addition to offer to your guests. If you are having an outdoor affair where the sun may be a factor, consider having one available for each  guest to use -these make for a great favor or keepsake!

Looking for an eye catching color to provide some contrast with your bridal party? Talk with your planner about coordinating your parasol selections so they will be sure to complement your color scheme. For 2012, some of the hottest colors are pastels such as lilac and celedon as well as bright and vivid hues like electric pink and of course, Pantone’s color of the year tangerine tango. Check out some of our favorite shades that can be found on Cultural Intrigue.

We love the addition of parasols at weddings and events as they certainly add a very special touch! This great shot was taken by our good friends at The Studio Photographers at Mallard Island Yacht Club – how much fun is that?!

The Finishing Touch was recently featured in a (201) Bride Web Exclusive on Bergen.com where we discussed custom invitations and stationery! In this article, we share some things that you should consider when working with a custom designer. Check out how having custom created invitations for your wedding or event can help truly reflect your personal style! Click here to read more!

The Finishing Touch is currently featured in (201) Bride’s Web Exclusive on Bergen.com!

In this special online article, check out some tips on how you can find your perfect gown.

Check out this ‘Cinderella Story’ here!

One of the easiest ‘to-do’s’ to check off our list was inviting our bridal party. Since our engagement, Greg and I had no doubt in our minds who we would invite to stand beside us on our big day. The big question was, how would I ask them? I wanted to do something special to let each of them know just how important they are to me and how they have impacted my life. After some brainstorming, I decided to create a video that featured some photos and memories and incorporate a ‘proposal’ to my bridesmaids!

With a little help (ok a LOT of help!) from our good friend Damon of Absolute Media Productions, we decided to create a fun six minute video that would build some laughs and bring a few tears to my gals eyes. Damon wanted to incorporate my personality and style throughout the video as I discussed each bridesmaid, so we decided to go with a ‘Sex and the City‘ theme and drew up a storyboard. In just one day, we shot all of the scenes, recorded all audio and in what was sure the fastest turnaround time ever, by the next day Damon had created an amazing film that I couldn’t wait to share with my ladies!

I invited the girls over for dinner on a Sunday afternoon and prepared some hors d’oeuvres and martinis (of course!) for them to enjoy while I prepared our main dish. Once seated for dinner, and yes there were placecards, we all enjoyed catching up and chatting over some homemade risotto.

As the girls finished up, I snuck out to set up the movie and invited them to watch a special presentation. They had no idea what to expect and their reaction was priceless. There were many, many laughs and way more tears than I expected and when the big question was asked they all said yes! Check out the video here:

Back in the dining room, I reset the table with little cards at each setting asking ‘Will You be my Bridesmaid?’ along with a small info sheet sharing some of the wedding details we have so far. Since I now had six beautiful bridesmaids, we had to celebrate by having some dessert! A big thank you to Paula from Cake Fiction who created beautiful (and delicious!) custom mini-cakes for each of the girls that had their initial along with two rings on top.

It was such an amazing night and it meant so much to have all of my girls together for one special evening. I am so lucky to have them along for the journey and to have them by my side on our big day on January 12, 2013!

 A Huge THANK YOU again to the fabulous Damon Dietz of Absolute Media Productions and Paula Tosonotti of Cake Fiction!

If you are one of the lucky new ladies to become engaged over the holidays ~ CONGRATULATIONS!!  This is such an exciting time for you, your Fiancé (don’t you love to say that??), your families and your friends.  Now that you have made all your calls and most certainly updated your Facebook status your thoughts turn to all the details, details details!

So where do you start?  We thought we would give you a few quick pointers:

1.  Make a stop at your favorite Salon and make sure your nails look great – after all, over the coming weeks it will be all about looking at the Ring!  Try out one of Winter’s hot colors, dark blue or deep purple.

2.  Agree on your Budget & Prioritize what is really important to you.   This is the most important first step to take with your Fiancé and your parents.  Once you have a general number, think about the three areas that are most important to you, whether it be the food, the music, the photography, and note it.  This will be critical information as you start to divvy up the funds.

3.  Contact us!! In all seriousness, once you have determined the budget for your wedding you should reach out to an experienced Wedding Consultant who can help you put a detailed budget and plan in place to start you on the right path.  So many times we see couples who have spent a large majority of their budget on their venue and it makes it that much harder to have all the other things they desire.  Working with a professional will help you avoid these pitfalls.  We can also point you in the direction of some of the most qualified wedding professionals who will fit your style and your budget.  If you are looking to make your wedding design truly your own, working with a Wedding Consultant will help you think outside the box.  Not sure what you want the look to be?  We can help you develop an overall design – from the invitation to the lighting to the table number – that reflects you both.  For your free consultation give us a call at 973-525-5884 or email at info@thefinishingtouchevents.com

4.  Start a  website or wedding blog that will allow you to continue to talk about your engagement and share the details of your planning with friends and family.  It is also a great way to make it easier to share details on travel, lodging and local attractions if you have guests coming in from out of town.  Be sure to post a lot of pictures and share your Engagement story and how you fell in love.

5.  Lastly and MOST importantly, take time to enjoy Your Honey. One of the most important things to remember when planning your Wedding is that it can sometimes be a stressful time, so be sure to enjoy moments with your Fiancé along the way and remember why you making all of these plans.  Spend evenings enjoying dinner together or even schedule a couple’s massage.  Whatever you do, take the time to let each other know how much you appreciate one another and how excited you are to get married.

Just a quick point on the things you don’t have to think about right away – and don’t want to find yourself stuck thinking about so early in the process:

1.  Your first dance song – you have plenty of time to let this one come to you.  And don’t worry – it will.

2.  All the specific details of your menu – remember it should change based on season and you may not know that much yet!

3.  Picking your wedding colors – wait until you know your venue and time of year and this may help drive your decisions.

Congratulations again and we can’t wait to hear from you!!

The TFT Gals