Finding the Perfect Wedding Vendors

You have the perfect fiance, your inspiration boards, wedding planning books and theme all set. Now it’s time to find the right wedding professionals to execute the plans for your dream wedding. A great place to start is recommendations from friends and family (Click here to the see what brides have to say about us). Once you have recommendations from friends, here’s a few ways to learn more about wedding vendors.

Get Social. Facebook and Twitter make it easy to ask for referrals and opinions through your social network. You can also “like” or “follow” a wedding vendors’ social media page. This is a great way to learn how involved they are in weddings and the wedding community. Do they regularly update their social presence? Do they post relevant, engaging content? Are they knowledgable about wedding trends? If their social presence is built entirely upon selling their service, that may indicate what your dealings with them will be like. A company’s social presence is a good insight into their business practices, passion for their work, and knowledge of their craft. (Visit our Facebook page for wedding tips, articles and fun discussions.)

Professional Referrals: Once you have selected your wedding reception venue, they can be an excellent source for referrals for your wedding day, as they see DJs, photographers, videographers, florists and more each week. They want your wedding to be a successful event and can recommend a professional to make that happen. While experience at a venue can be a great thing, make sure any vendor doesn’t have a predetermined idea of how it “must” be a venue X. If a wedding professional isn’t open to your unique ideas, the day is about them not you. They should offer advice based upon experience without dismissing your perspective.

Portfolio: Viewing a wedding vendors work can help you to decide if you like their style, but are you looking at their style or their clients? A portfolio that shows a range of work shows that a company has multiple offerings and is willing to diversify their products to meet your expectations. If the work that you see is consistently similar, it is likely that you are seeing what the wedding vendor considers to be their standard of work. Neither approach is wrong, but is something to consider. Either way, the work should show the same level of detail and quality.

And The Award Goes To…If a company consistently wins awards from wedding industry leaders, it’s a good indication of the professionalism and expertise of the wedding vendor. If those awards are voted on by actual brides, it’s even better.

Website. A website is an online business card. It shows a business presence and tells you something about the vendor, their services and business philosophy. Is the website informational? Does it have a professional design? Is it easy to navigate? The level of care the wedding vendor takes in presenting their work is indicative of the level of service you can expect.

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Email us or call (248) 689-0777

Pets and Weddings

Doves and butterflies have long been part of weddings, but what about dogs? More couples are opting to include their furry friends in their special day. Before you grab the diamond collar for your pooch, here are some things to consider:

No Dogs Allowed. Check with your ceremony and reception venues for approval early in the planning process. Fido might be allowed for an outdoor ceremony, but not in the sanctuary of your church. The venue may require proof of shots prior to the event date. You may have to pay an additional fee for cleaning or security deposits as well.

Pet temperament. Your wedding day is a flurry of activity. If you dog is skittish, your wedding may not be his best place; you don’t want barking from your pet during your vows. Your dog should be well-trained and friendly to take part in your wedding day.

Pet Handler. While it’s great to have your dog with you, you don’t want to spend your day dealing with what Scooby will “do”. Ask a trusted friend to assist you with keeping your dog watered, fed and cleaned up after. Make sure it is someone who is familiar with your dog and knows the commands he responds to.

Pets and Petals. If you plan to involve your dog in your wedding day, be sure to let your florist know. Some petals can be potentially harmful to your pet.

Man’s bestman? Dogs are doing more than watching their owners exchange vows; some are part of the bridal party! Dogs can also act as the ring bearer by attaching rings to their collar. If you choose to do so, make sure someone is minding the rings and they don’t accidentally get ingested. You can purchase pet specific ring pillows that Velcro to his collar.

Ready for their closeups. If your dog will be part of your wedding day, a trip to the groomers may be in order. Loose hairs and long nails can wreak havoc on your wedding dress.

PUParazzi. Many couples elect to have their dog join them on their wedding day for photos, before or after the ceremony, and then return home. A nice dog treat keeps them happy at home. Do remember to make arrangements to let them out for “nature breaks”.

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Email us or call (248) 689-0777

Will your dog be a part of your wedding day? Leave a comment below.

The Last Wedding Song

You’ve had a beautiful wedding and a great party, but the night is almost over. It’s time for the last song, another key moment of your wedding reception. Here’s some ideas to help you pick the perfect song. (Click here to read more about ending your wedding reception on the right note.)

End With Romance. If you are expecting a lot of couples at your reception, they might appreciate a final chance for a slow dance. You can choose something that will be recognized by multiple generations or a song that is particularly meaningful to you.

Some songs to consider:

Time Of Your Life - Green Day

I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing - Aerosmith

Time Of Your Life - Dirty Dancing Soundtrack

Wonderful Tonight – Eric Clapton

What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong

Home – Michael Buble

Singalongs. It’s always fun to end your night with a guest participation for your grand finale. If you think your guests would be up to it, invite them to the floor for a singalong.

Consider these singalong songs everyone is sure to know:

Sweet Caroline – Neil Diamond

Hey Jude – Beatles

Piano Man – Billy Joel

Don’t Stop Believing – Journey

Semi Charmed Life – Third Eye Blind

Livin’ On a Prayer – Bon Jovi

Easy Picks. Do you appreciate the literal nature of song titles? If so, here are some easy picks:

Save the Last Dance – Michael Buble

Last Dance – Donna Sumer

You Shook Me All Night Long – AC/DC

Just Dance – Lady Gaga

Closing Time – Green Day

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Email us or call (248) 689-0777