We all know who they are… “those people” who try to take over your limelight. Wedding pros call them wedding hijackers - and trust… they’re just as annoying to us! Here’s some really great advice that can help your anxiety level. Written by The Knot.

1. The Testy Bridesmaid
The Problem: “I love my maid of honor, but getting her in a dress that wasn’t black or covered every inch of her was a task. If we found a color or a print, she would tell me that she didn’t want to take attention away from the bride.”
Our Advice: If one of your bridesmaids is a little nervous about showing some skin or wearing a bold color, it’s better to find her an alternate option than to force her into something she’s not comfortable with. For a modest maid of honor, make a strapless dress more conservative by incorporating a wrap, a fun cardigan, or a vintage bolero jacket in a complementing shade. Or play up your color palette in a subtler way with jewelry or hair fascinators. And look at the bright side — compromising now will give you a little leverage when you serve as a maid in her wedding.

2. The Wedding Know-It-All
The Problem: “My future sister-in-law is telling me I shouldn’t wear a white dress because it would be too harsh with my skin tone, wants to register for gifts with me (as well as tell me what to register for), and is suggesting where we honeymoon!”
Our Advice: When wedding suggestions cross the line from helpful to aggravating, it’s time to redirect that input so that you don’t end up arguing over something that might not seem so significant a few years down the line. Assign specific tasks to keep her busy but still involved, like helping you confirm orders with vendors or assembling favors.

3. The Doesn’t-Know-Her-Place Wedding Guest
The Problem: “One of our guests keeps insisting that we invite everyone on her ‘party guest list’ to our destination wedding — I even found an open invite on her MySpace page!”
Our Advice: Some wedding guests take it upon themselves to suggest a few invitees. And then some guests invite everyone on the Internet. Unless you want Tom from MySpace raising a glass to toast your union, make sure it’s clear that there’s only one guest list for your wedding. Luckily, rationalizing a small guest list is a lot easier when you have a destination wedding — just explain that you’re having an intimate wedding with close friends and family only (she should feel honored that she’s one of them!).

4. The Over-Eager Wedding Guest
The Problem: “A woman my mother works with wants to do my ceremony music, and a customer of my mother’s always volunteers to help and acts like she is family. I hardly know her!”
Our Advice: You know that expression about too many cooks in the kitchen? Meet its wedding equivalent. Having a lot of people offer to help you plan sounds like a blessing, but when assistance comes from left field, it can feel like more of a hindrance. If you feel like someone’s eagerness is a bit more than you need, let her know how grateful you are for the offer, but that you’re in great shape, planning-wise, and that if anything comes up that she could help with, you’ll be sure to call.

5. The Children-Or-Bust Wedding Guest
The Problem: “My husband-to-be has a niece and nephew (both under five), and his sister, her husband, and his parents said they would refuse to come if the children aren’t allowed.”
Our Advice: A lot of couples choose not to invite kids to their wedding, but if you risk a boycott by some VIPs, find a way soothe the situation. Offer to hire a babysitter and set up a private area with games, coloring books, and a few comfy pillows for little ones to crash on if the reception runs past their bedtimes. Your relatives might even offer to chip in once they see how accommodating you’re being, but if they don’t, the extra expense will be worth bypassing the drama of a fight with your new family.

Had to share this since this is one of things that makes me very sad. Please take heed people. Not just because my favorite daughter is a photographer, either. It’s just that pictures will be here well after Perfect Settings is a wonderful memory for you!!
Well written by my friend Mark Kingsdorf of Queen of Hearts Weddings

http://www.qohweddings.com/2012/04/24/the-worst-wedding-photos-ever/

Kim from Parisian Party tagged me for a blog post hoping to get me out of a blogging rut. When you’ve been blogging for 6+ years it feels like everything event related has been covered. It used to help me not to read my fellow coordinator’s blogs but even that hasn’t motivated me. I see their posts and think “yeah, I’ve covered that.” Sooooo, here’s a big shout out to Kim for calling me out on blast that I haven’t blogged in 3 months… Thanks my friend.
Rules:

1. You must post these rules.
2. Each person must post 11 things about themselves on their blog.
3. Answer the questions the “tagger” listed for you in her post, and create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
4. You must choose 11 people to tag and link to them in the post.
5. Go to each blogger’s page and mention that you have tagged them.

Kim asked me these questions:
1) The best gift you’ve ever received?
When I was 13 my older sister gifted me a bright yellow hob-nob lamp that I simply adored. Somehow, unfortunately, it got lost in one of my moves.

2) Something that everyone seems to love, but you don’t (i.e; a film, book, actor/actress, food or beverage, etc.)
Ice cream. I hate to even say it having been married to a dairy guy for a quarter of a century.

3) Number one on your bucket list?
See Europe.

4) Name your Junior High School crush?
Let bygones be bygones…

5) Why did you start blogging?
It was a way for me to connect with my clients before we even met. Is blogging a thing of the past? - I’ve been wondering that for quite some time now.

6) Cupcakes or Macarons?
Definitely, cupcakes!

7) Your daily source of inspiration?
Pinterest. I’m sorry to say since it’s saturated right now.

8 ) What’s your family nickname (what do your parents/siblings/relatives call you)?
Dase.

9) Paris, Vegas or Paris, France?
Are you kidding me? Definitely Paris, France!!

10) Who’s the most famous person that you follow on Twitter?
Good ol’ Martha!

11) What do you hope to be doing (professionally or personally) this time next year?
Not being laid up because I fell 8 1/2 feet and hurt both of my legs. That’s personally. Professionally I’d like to be a name well sought out after.

Dear Kim,
I hope you’re happy.
Dase

Here are my questions:

1) Vanilla or Chocolate?

2) Better to give or to receive?

3) Truth: Have you ever danced at an event that you were working?

4) Where is your #1 vacation spot?

5) Outdoors or indoors kind of gal?

6) Movie at home or in the theater?

7) It’s Friday night… what are your ideal plans?

When I die I want to be remembered as _______________?

9) If you could cure one social injustice what would it be?

10) What’s your favorite part of owning your own business? Your least favorite?

11) The first thing you’d do when you find out that you’re holding the winning lotto ticket? (”call Daisy” should be right after that!)

Ok… I’m tagging:

Leslie Weeks of Leslie-Manning Events

Isis Petrie Williams of Posh Events

Jeannie Ward of Wedding Jeannie

Randi Hayes Martin of Always Fabulous Events

Linnyette Richardson-Hall of Premiere Events

Elizabeth Bailey of Elizabeth Bailey Weddings

And not least of all

Mark Kingsdorf of Queen of Hearts Weddings

My list never changes from year to year… here it is:
No more lives torn apart,
and wars would never start,
and time would heal all hearts.
Ev’ry one would have a friend,
that right would always win,
and love would never end:
This is my grown-up Christmas list. Amy Grant

Have a very Merry Christmas!

We’ve been super busy with weddings and have only have had 2 weekends off this whole wedding year. We’re in the middle of the second wedding season and it’s been a whirlwind. But in the middle of all of this busyness I MUST take a moment to share this in hopes that you don’t fall prey to the humiliation of this…
Several weeks ago there was a wedding here. The Bride and Groom decided on a sweetheart table. Would you believe a couple came in and planted themselves there right before the introductions? What the Bride and Groom had decided was to go straight to the table and get ready for the toast. So instead they walked past the table and came to the bar. It was pretty awkward for everyone. I thought about telling the guests to move but the bride thought the guests would be mortified (as they should have been!) so they sat there all night. The champagne toasting flutes were on the table and it was pretty obvious to everyone else that they were at the wrong table but them. When they were leaving the guest came over with her husband and said; “Daisy, what a lovely space you have… and that tiny little table was so quaint, we loved it.” So my peeps, if the room is set up with large tables of 8 or 10 and there’s one little table set up for 2, please know that this table was NOT set up for you. It was a detail that was important to the bride and groom and they’re hoping they can get a minute during dinner to actually enjoy each others company.

“Basic Summer Makeup Tips for Every Woman”

By Nicole Lundy

Summer is probably the most fun and enjoyable season for a lot of people because this is the time when they can do a lot of outdoor activities like swimming, hiking, picnicking, sailing, and so on. You do not want to be cooped up inside your house when the sun outside is shining brightly and the temperature is too hot. And since you are always outside your home, you should always try to look beautiful by wearing summer makeup.

The kind of makeup that you wear in summer is a lot different than the makeup you wear in other seasons like winter, spring, or fall. This is because in summer, you have to consider the hot temperature and the dryness or humidity, depending on where you live. However, it is important to always look your best especially in summer season because this is the time when you are invited to a lot of parties and activities.

It is important to apply primer before you wear makeup and after using moisturizer on your face. Wearing primer holds your makeup in place even after wearing it for several hours. People who are active in the summer like volunteers or camp counselors are advised to wear primer to keep their makeup intact all throughout the day.

When summer comes, you have to switch to light makeup. You do not want to wear tons of gunk on your face that will make you look like a clown and will be too hot and heavy for the weather. Keep it light, just like what you do with your clothes. Moreover, keeping it light will prevent your makeup from becoming cakey because of the heat and humidity.

Applying bronzer is also the way to go when summer comes. You do not want to look pale and sickly while everyone else look tanned and healthy. Make sure that you add color to your face. It does not only make you look more attractive and healthy. It also gives you that fun and sexy look, which is popular in summertime.

So this one made me tear up a bit…

photo courtesy of DIY Wedding Blog

Recently I asked fans of my Facebook and Twitter page what they preferred; DIY or store-bought invites. There was a resounding response to DIY. There is so much you can do with a do-it-yourself invite that can express who you are and what your event is going to entail. That’s what I loved about this DIY Wedding Blog. It not only gives you step by step instructions, there are awesome pictures that follow.
Check it out for yourself… then call me and tell me how wonderful your invites are!

Hello all,
Over the last week I’ve been trying to transition to a new IP server. Can I tell you how painful this has been? The transition didn’t go as planned. After having lost, gained, lost again and regained my web service (and telephone service!!), I’m back. Unfortunately, I think I may have lost - forever - any emails within the last week. They’ve been floating in the abyss while I was told that I could reach out and pull them in… it didn’t happen. Soooooo, my apologies. Even after taking all the safety precautions as a business owner things still went painfully wrong. Please resend any emails, inquiries, questions and ideas to Daisy@PerfectSettings.net

5 points to keep in mind when catering is that deciding factor.

1) Research Your Venue’s Preferred Vendor List: There’s a reason caterers make a preferred vendor list but that doesn’t mean all the homework is done for you. Take the time to research each company, talk with their catering department and brides that have used their services. Get a feel for who fits your style, personality and budget best. Make sure you check that their company is licensed and insured. This means they will have a business license, be licensed with the health department, have a health department approved production facility and be insured against any unforeseen damages that might occur during an event or production.

2) Space: When checking out possible venues remember that you’ll need space for both your guests and for your caterer to work. You don’t want to try and squeeze 300 people into a venue made for a max capacity of 150 and you also don’t want your caterer to be serving food from a broom closet. That being said, most caterers will not need an on-site kitchen to work in; however they will need adequate room to move around in, plate food, set up/break down etc and good lighting.

3) Service Style: You’ll also want to tie in the venue with the style of food service you desire and the formality of the event itself. Will your venue be large enough for a plated dinner or will passed hors d’oeuvres work best? This definitely ties back in with the space issue. If you’re having a lot of guests in a smaller venue, a reception where they can mingle and move around would work better for both the guests and the service staff than one in which they are seated for the majority of the time. Different food items will also change the look and feel of a venue (think passed sliders vs. plated salmon). If you keep this in mind when checking out venues, putting a menu together for your reception will be super simple!

4) Site Visit: Make sure your caterer will do a site visit to your venue before the event or has previously catered events there and knows the layout of the venue. A good caterer or one who is part of a preferred vendor list will already have done this, but it doesn’t hurt to double check!

5) Bar: Ask your venue manager whether or not they will allow you to bring in your own alcohol or if you have to use their in-house services. If you can bring in your own beverages, talk with your caterer about organizing the bar setup for you. An experienced caterer will help you coordinate everything from providing certified bartenders to bringing mixers, ice and glassware.

By Ashley’s Bride Guide