1 Million Dollars! Really!?

I received this from Costco in my email today...

REALLY Costco!? In today's economy you offer this?

Here is something very similar to my wedding/engagement ring. It is simple and elegant, and it did NOT break the bank. Well, maybe at the time of purchase (13 years ago, maybe it was!).

So I had to put it out there...

What is your budget when it comes to rings and what is completely ridiculous??

*hugs*
Denice

Weddings by Costco?!

In today's economy everyone is looking to save a few bucks, and when it comes to your wedding why not! I was doing some recent shopping at Costco and in the checkout line came across the recent Costco Connection titled, Weddings by Costco. Wait....What?! Yup! Duh...what a great idea!!

Think about it, according to the Association for Wedding Professionals, a couple in the US will spend roughly $19,581.00 (between $14,686 and $24,476) not including the cost of the honeymoon or engagement ring.  WOW! That's a lot of dough!

So why not save where you can...right?! Well here is a list of what's available for your big day from Costco:

- Wedding Dress (article on the dresses from the Costco Connection)
- Diet and Weight loss
- Flowers (Centerpieces, Bouquets, Boutonnieres, Corsages, DIY Centerpiece kits, Etc.)
- Invitations (Save the Date, Invites and Thank you cards)
- Rings
- Gifts
- Food (bakery/reception)
- Honeymoon

I can personally vouch for their flowers.  For my sister in laws wedding last May, we pre ordered pink and white roses.  We picked them up the night before and they were BEAUTIFUL!!!  Flawless flowers, and it was so easy and half the cost of a florist. Here is what they looked like. We did arrange them ourselves in our own glassware:

So, give your local Costco a call and save yourself a few bucks!

*hugs*

Denice

Photo Credit: Costco Connection and Me!

Book Review: The Everything Wedding Etiquette Book by Holly Lefevre

I want to introduce you to one of my new bloggy friends, her name is Holly Lefevre.  I met this fabulous woman through two of her blogs, Hip Weddings, and 504 Main.  I fell in love with her posts, they were always full of such great ideas and information.  After reading her blogs for a while, I learned that she is the author of a great book called The Everything Wedding Etiquette Book.  I am a HUGE fan of etiquette (my other favorite bloggy friends is Etiquette with Miss Janice), so I was immediately intrigued!

Holly was nice enough to send me her book.  I read it cover to cover in one night, it is a very easy read, and FULL of great information.  Etiquette is something that people do not spend enough time on these days, so Holly is making it VERY easy for you to stay in line.  She was even gracious enough to answer a few questions for me.  So, without further ado...

Why did you decide to write an etiquette book?

It actually found me. I was working on another wedding project, when this opportunity came along. The other project was not moving along as quickly as I liked so I jumped at the chance to write something for the Everything series. There is a lot of wedding information out there, but I truly enjoy being able to provide advice that is real and honest - weddings are amazing but not always fun and "hearts and flowers" - there is real emotion and problems involved too. I had also been a speaker at bridal shows for years, covering planning design, and etiquette, so this was a natural progression.

How long did it take you to write the book?

If I recall the whole process was only about 3-4 months. Since this book is part of the Everything Series, there had been previous editions. I was not starting from scratch, but rather updating and rearranging a previous edition, which in some ways is a lot easier than starting from scratch, and other ways not. While I had the basic premise and a lot of viable information already, it was up to me to update the book with new etiquette questions and standards, to make the book my own, and to make it fit withe the series of books.

 

What is your favorite section of the book?

Tough one - they are all my favorites in different ways and for different reasons. I think I like The Business of Being A Bride. So many brides do not realize what it takes to pull a wedding - as they envisions weddings to be - off. I strive to be realistic in my advice and answers. I want them to understand this is a business for the vendors and for them, for two reasons...I do not believe in negotiating anyone to death or manipulating anyone into a price or service they cannot afford...this is both for the vendors and the brides. I want brides to realize help is out there in the form of a wedding planner or by involving your groom or family members. As much as I wish everyone would hire a wedding planner, I know this is not going to happen, so I really want to educate brides.

Which etiquette standard is ignored the most by brides, or grooms?

The one etiquette standard I see brides wanting to wiggle on all the time is not having the guests pay for anything. Too many times, to save money they want to have a cash bar or have the guests pay for their own valet parking. No, no, no! If you cannot afford it do not do it. Plan a wedding within your means.

I once worked with a couple who married at a major luxury hotel. They thought food was of the utmost importance (which it is to a degree). They had 10 different hor d'oeuvres and paid over $10,000 for their cocktail hour and then refused to pick up the valet parking (the only parking available without having to walk a number of blocks) bill of $10.00 per car. The hotel was even advising against this amount of hors d'oeuvres and they refused to listen. As a planner you can only do so much. Couples should also learn to trust the experts they hire and are working with.

Overall I say being gracious goes a long way. I was fortunate to work with mainly wonderful, kind brides, but I have also worked with my share of diva brides. The guests are paying the bride and groom an honor by coming to the wedding, as the bride/groom is honoring them with the invitation. This extends from beginning the ceremony on time and not making the guests wait for an unreasonable amount of time to planning your timeline so that guests are not left waiting for 2 hours for dinner to begin after the ceremony to playing appropriate music at the appropriate times of the reception.

 

Some of my Favorite Holly posts:
~ A Gracious Bride Knows
~ What's A Mother To Do?
~ True or False...The Mom's Must Match?

THANK YOU Holly for writing this book. I hope future brides realize how important it is, and read it! If you are interested in buying Holly's book, check out Amazon.
 
*hugs*
Denice
 
Photo Credit: http://hipweddings.blogspot.com/

Fantastic Finds!

Today's fantastic finds is all about them MEN!!! Yup, we searched the Internet for the happening sites dedicated to MEN and their event needs. So pass along to your favorite guy. Happy reading!


Bachelor party
~ ©FireFly Group Events, Inc.: Providing bachelor party services in the San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, and Las Vegas areas for any size group. It's simple and easy to put together a last night out. Your friends pay direct so the Best Man doesn't have to collect money.

Grooms Needs (learning about the bridal necessities)
~ In an industry that is wholly focused on the bride, The Plunge addresses the needs of the other half of the equation. With advice written for men by men.

~ GroomGroove.com the web's best road map for a groom's trip down the aisle.

~ Grooms Online’s offerings include knowledgeable advice and tips, bachelor party information, wedding day checklists, honeymoon planning tools, groom’s apparel suggestions, music selections and more.

~ Guy Code is the unwritten and written code that all guys must follow in order to be a man. We are a group of men dedicated to preserving masculinity in a society trying to be pimped by feminism and we are winning triumphantly. Check out this article on 50 Ways to be the Perfect Man.

Getting Gifts
~ TheManRegistry.com is an online resource for grooms and is the Internet leader in grooms wedding tips and wedding advice for grooms. The website features a specialized wedding gift registry featuring hundreds of wedding gifts tailored toward grooms

The growing trend of GROOMS CAKES!! Yup you heard me...a cake especially for the groom. These cakes are mostly seen at the Bachelor party, the Engagement Party and on occasion, as a gift from the Bride to her Groom on their wedding day. Here are some fun designs:

Coors Cake

We hope you enjoyed these Groom Tips! If you know of any we missed, please share. =)

*hugs*
Denice

Photo Credits:
- Groom Group: My Wedding! Photographer Stephanie Kano
- Coors Cake: GroomsAdvice.com
- XBOX 360: Pink Cake Box
- Groom Beer: Pink Cake Box

[Blogging]
[Grooms]

Save the Date!

It seems as the years fly by...literally, people are more busy than ever. I don't remember people being this busy when I was a kid. Things seemed to happen slowly, not as fast as they do today. I mean, I can't believe Cooper is going to be a year old in 7 weeks! Where does the time go?

Well, as people get busy, and time moves faster, it is a good idea to notify them in advance of upcoming events (wedding, parties, etc). I like receiving an advanced notice that there is an upcoming wedding. It makes it much easier to plan, you know...get the sitter and the hubby gets the time off!

Several of my friends have sent out "Save The Date (STD)" notices. They are usually a nice card accompanied by a refrigerator magnet that includes the event details and a nice photo of the couple. My friend Nicole designed and created her own Save the Date Magnet:

This one is from my friend Jody:

I did a little browsing and research on the Internet and found some really CUTE and CREATIVE ides:
1) Create a CD with all the Save The Date info on the front with a cute pic of the couple. When the CD is played it can have photos of the couple (birth to engagement).
2) Create a CD with all the Save The Date info on the front with a cute pic of the couple. When the CD is played it can have songs the couple likes.
3) Create a bookmark with the STD info and some photos
4) Lotto style(Party 411): This is fun for those who are hooked on lotto tickets, or those who might be having a destination event in Las Vegas!

5) Photo Booth (Young House Love): This is SO Cute! It really brings out a couples personalities. Here is another booth idea from a site with LOTS of Save the Date ides: JuneBug Weddings

6) Ticket Style (Party 411): This is just fun for so many reasons. Great for those who love sports, theater, movies etc.

Just remember, it's your event, if you can think it up, you can do it! Get creative, and have your Save The Date notice reflect you as a couple.

Here are a few pointers on sending these out:
1) Save The Date notice's are a MUST if you are having a destination wedding or event
2) Send them out 5-6 months in advance
3) If the wedding or event is during the holidays, a Save The Date notice is a MUST
4) A Save The Date notice is a MUST if the wedding encompasses the weekend (full of fun events)

Good Luck, and if you have used (or seen) a creative Save The Date notice, please share it with us!

*hugs*
Denice

Photo Credits:
Lotto: Party 411
Photo Booth 1: YoungHouseLove.com
Photo Booth 2: Junebug Weddings
Ticket: Party 411

Brides turns 75

Brides magazine is celebrating 75 years of helping you plan your big day. The Today Show looks at the past 7 decades of bridal bliss. From engagements to the lavish ceremonies, Brides Magazine has covered it all.

Check out the full story at the Today Show on NBC.

Have a fabulous day!

*hugs*
Denice

Ease Some Stress

I found this fun site for random quizzes from Beth (My Chic Things) and Elaine (Girly Up The Web) ~ Thanks Divas! Just a little fun mid week to ease some of our stress.

Even though I am already married, I thought this went along with the blogs premise...So have fun, and let me know what your Ideal Proposal is!

Your Ideal Marriage Proposal Is

Spontaneous, on a tropical vacation, when he realizes he can't be without you.

What's Your Ideal Marriage Proposal?

[engagement]
[quiz]

2008...What are your goals?

So it is officially 2008...HAPPY NEW YEAR!

With the beginning of the new year comes the promise of new resolutions. So this year I have vowed to NOT make the standard resolution of "I would like to lose weight" or "I vow to work out more".

NOT THIS YEAR!!! I decided to make a resolution that I could actually strive for and work towards without feeling like a broken record. So, my 2008 New Years Resolution is to become successful in my own venture...KDC Events. I am not saying I want it to be uber successful this year, but my goal is to successfully plan and execute at least one major event.

So, now that I have committed it to writing, I better get cracking on finding a client! If you know of anyone seeking an event planner, Hit us up!

Let us know what your 2008 Resolutions are!!

[business]

And so it BEGINS...KDC Events!

So I have decided to embark on this journey of starting my own business...KDC Events.

I have dreamed about becoming an event planner since my sorority days. I think I am pretty good at it, I am well organized and have a knack for keeping things moving!

I am not doing this alone, no. I have the great pleasure to be doing this with my two BEST friends, Katie and Cindy...Hence KDC Events.

With Katie's keen sense of creativity and Cindy's hard work ethic, I think we have a great team.

So here we go...off on our journey.

CALL us, let us plan your event. Whether it be a small intimate gathering, or a HUGE family event such as a wedding, we've got you covered!

Thanks! And check back often!