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”
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.
This post was right on. I kept cheering while reading. I hope you find some value in this too. Take a few minutes to see the pearls of wisdom in this by Lauren Grove of Every Last Detail.
After writing last week’s Thursday Tips post about why weddings cost “so much“, it brought something to my attention- that there are a few myths that continue to be perpetuated about wedding costs. When I say “wedding costs”, in a nutshell I mean budget and/or pricing. And now I would like to attempt to dispel these myths. Why? It’s what I do. 
And I want you all to know the truth- because I didn’t know when I was planning my wedding!
So what exactly ARE these myths that have to do with budget/pricing?
Wedding cost myth #1: You should barter and/or ask wedding vendors for discounts.
I’ve SEEN this said on blogs and forums before. The only way that a barter miiiiight work is if you own a company that the vendor could SERIOUSLY benefit from. (Like if you’re a floral wholesaler and you barter with a florist, or if you own a camera company and you barter with your photographer.) My question for you is this: do you straight-up ask your server at a restaurant or your doctor for a discount? Or tell them you’ll give them (insert-your-product/job/hobby/whatever-here) in exchange for food or a blood test?
[Personal wedding experience side note: The funny thing about this is that in looking back on planning my own wedding, I seriously asked my dad (who is a dentist) if he would barter veneers with my event decor company. The event decor company of course said no, because nice teeth don’t translate into anything beneficial for flowers or rentals. OMG, so embarrassed. I totally forgot about this!]
Wedding cost myth #2: Things are marked up just because they have the word “wedding” in them.
Ah, I was a believer in this one. Wedding dress, bridesmaid dresses, wedding cake, etc etc etc. And I also have seen this one- plus a viral video or two- perpetuated among brides. The truth is, it is what it is- and it’s also what you’re asking for. A venue is perhaps cheaper to rent for a meeting because that meeting is occurring on a Wednesday, not on a Friday or Saturday. And that said meeting isn’t consuming as much food and beverages as a wedding does. Or a wedding cake- it might not be the same price as the cake on the shelf at a bakery, but that’s because that cake is literally just cake and icing and a single sheet. Chances are that wedding cake you’re wanting is probably a few tiers, has all sorts of designs, and requires hours of work. I could go on and on with this one… perhaps I need to just do a whole separate post just for this myth?
Wedding cost myth #3: It’s cheaper if you do it all yourself.
Okay, SOME things are cheaper- but keep in mind that you’re also paying someone to do it FOR you, thus paying them for your time. That’s why it’s cheaper to do it yourself. Just ask yourself how much of your own time you actually want to take up doing things yourself to save a few bucks. (Note: I’m not hating on DIY, just stating something.)
[Personal wedding experience side note: I wanted to make my own menus. Because I was clueless and ordered run-of-the-mill invitations from a big giant book and didn’t have someone custom design paper products for me. And I did make my own menus- until about 3 am the night before my wedding. When I had to wake up at 7 am to start getting ready. Missing out on those hours of sleep during my 18 hour wedding day? Um totally would have PAID someone to do them.]
And here are a few more myths that fellow wedding professionals shared with me via my lovely friend Twitter… (names have been withheld juuuuust in case…)
“That you can save a ton of money by having Uncle Charlie photograph the wedding with his new Canon 7D!”
“Spectacular weddings for 150 or more being $5000. Total.”
“You need to spend tons of money on the venue! If you are creative & stick to your wedding style you can have a gorgeous wedding in a reasonably priced venue!”
“(MYTH) Catering over $50/person is a rip off – I can go to Outback for $50/person!”
“You can get a good wedding videographer for $500″
“That invitations should be $1 (myth) yet you pay $4 for a crap card from Hallmark.”
“Rent a linen for $50? I can buy one for that!”
“That beautiful flowers for ceremony and reception are only $1500 ….”
These are all myths, being spread wrongly by inexperienced people. Don’t believe them! They could be true in some cases, but that chance is very slim. Slim meaning that if we’re talking percentage, it’s a single digit. And I will have you know that I myself thought of and/or said every SINGLE one of these things when I was planning my wedding. Now you know, and it’ll save you a lot of heartache, pain, blood, sweat, tears, hemming, hawing, etc etc! If you have any other things that you’ve heard that you might think are myths, put it in the comments! I’ll let you know! 
Just in time for St. Patty’s day. My friend and colleague from across the wide pond, Kim Petyt, is the contributing writer in this month’s eco-beautiful weddings magazine. Kim owns and operates Parisian Events in Paris - I’m so jealous. She contributed ideas for a “Green” wedding…. which is another kind of green but green in any event. Here’s where you can find the article in the oh-so-beautiful magazine. Eco-Beautifulweddings. You can find her info on page 22.
Here’s some great advice by Suzanne Rose
How to find an inexpensive but good reception hall for your wedding
Even if you do not have a big budget, you still deserve a great reception hall for your wedding. The following are some strategies to find the perfect setting to your fairy tale.
Ask for recommendations
One of the best ways to find an inexpensive but good reception hall is to get a recommendation. If you know someone who has been married in recent years, then you can ask them about the details about their hall. Also, if you have attended any weddings at a reception hall, then you can find out how much they charge.
Compile a list of other possible locations
You will want to come up with a list of possible reception halls for your wedding. There are many places where you can find potential halls. A lot of times they have local wedding guides, where people advertise their reception halls. You can look at an online source such as www.theknot.com. You can look at the phone book. There are many places that offer space for a wedding such as hotels.
In addition to the typical places, think of other places that might be a good place for a wedding but less money. For instance, a lot of parks have reception halls that you can rent. These are beautiful and surrounded by nature, and are often much cheaper than their counterparts at swanky hotels. Also, there are often government places that might be much cheaper. For instance, the city might have a room that you can rent. You can look at community centers as well.
Visit the locations that meet your budget
The best way to ascertain the quality of a reception hall is to actually visit the reception hall. You should go and get a feel for what the room is actually like in person. You might be able to take a peek in when an event is actually going on or see one that is at least decorated for an event. You will also want to go in armed with a list of questions. Find out details such as what is allowed and what is not allowed such as candles, decorations, etc.
A reception hall can play a big part in your entire wedding. With enough time and effort, you should find one to give you the wedding of your dreams, even if on a budget. Consider the above tips to help you achieve this.
I just love how realistic this advice is. Happy searching and remember; most venues are booked 12-18 months in advance. Make sure you reserve your date early!
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