Arranging Your Church Processional

Quite often, many brides consult us to assist them with establishing their ceremony order, meaning, who walks with who, should bridesmaids & groomsmen walk as pairs, the proper way to seat guests upon arrival, etc. To ease the confusion, we've established a list of tips to ensure that you and your betrothed get "hitched" without a "hitch" (we know that was corny!):

Church Ceremonies:

• Prior to the bridal party processional, mothers of the bride & groom are escorted down the aisle with an usher:
• The mother of the groom is first, followed by the mother of the bride
• The father of the groom may also walk directly behind the mother of the groom and her escort

• Bridesmaids should then proceed down the aisle UNESCORTED. The beginning of the bridal party processional is usually signaled by a change in the musical selection.
• The Maid of Honor is the last person to proceed down the aisle before the flower girl(s).
• The flower girl(s) is the last person to proceed down the aisle before the bride.
• The bride is escorted down the aisle by her father, on his left hand side; the bride's entrance is usually signaled by a change in the musical selection.

Groomsmen/Usher Etiquette:

• The groomsman should ask the guest their relation to the couple to determine which side of the church the guest should be seated.
• The groomsman should then offer his left arm to the female guest and she should walk on his left side; the guest's male companion (if attending) should follow immediately behind the groomsman/usher as he escorts her to her seat.

The Recessional Order:

• Bride & Groom
• Maid of Honor & Best Man
• One bridesmaid with one groomsman
• Parents of the Bride
• Parents of the Groom

In many cases, there are variables specific to each wedding that can affect the ceremony order. Some couples have more bridesmaids than groomsmen, two Best Men of Maids of Honor or familial circumstances that would prevent them from following the aforementioned ceremony order, so sometimes you just have to do what feels right.

I am officially "Wedding Wire" Rated!

Exquisite Events is now WeddingWire Rated for 2010!!

Roslyn, NY - September 29th, 2010 - WeddingWire, the nation's leading site for wedding reviews, just announced that Exquisite Events is WeddingWire Rated 2010 for Wedding Planning. WeddingWire Rated is an annual award program for wedding professionals based on hundreds of thousands of recent wedding reviews.

WeddingWire Rated, the industry's first formalized review program, is the most recognized and trusted brand among engaged couples looking to locate wedding businesses. The award program recognizes wedding professionals across the country, like Exquisite Events, that have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to service.

Exquisite Events has received several reviews on WeddingWire. These reviews have been written by past clients of Exquisite Events, and include detailed ratings and insightful descriptions of the newlyweds' experience. From quality of service to overall level of professionalism, these reviews showcase the high level of service newly engaged couples can expect from Exquisite Events.

"We are excited to unveil WeddingWire Rated, now in its fourth year, as a way to recognize wedding professionals for their commitment to service," said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire's CEO. "WeddingWire Rated allows wedding businesses to clearly differentiate themselves in their market, while providing engaged couples an easy way to find the best services for their wedding."

Exquisite Events would like to thank their past clients for sharing reviews of their weddings on WeddingWire. Reviews for Exquisite Events can be found across the entire WeddingWire Network, which includes WeddingWire, Martha Stewart Weddings, Project Wedding and Weddingbee.

For more information, please visit Exquisite Events on WeddingWire at http://www.weddingwire.com/biz/exquisite-events-stationery-roslyn/c8681cb15b1a242b.html, or visit the company's website at www.exquisiteevents.com

About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire, the nation's leading technology company serving the $70 billion wedding industry, is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding professionals. For engaged couples, WeddingWire offers the ability to search, compare and book over 100,000 local wedding vendors, from wedding venues to wedding photographers to wedding cakes. WeddingWire also offers an online community and a suite of cutting-edge planning tools for weddings, including wedding websites, all at no charge. For wedding professionals, WeddingWire provides free online management tools creating the only market opportunity that gives local businesses control over their clients, reviews, leads and performance. Businesses that join the WeddingWire Network appear on WeddingWire.com and other leading sites, including MarthaStewartWeddings.com, ProjectWedding.com and Weddingbee.com (both part of eHarmony), and Celebrations.com (part of the 1-800-Flowers family of brands).

Vintage Inspriations

Although the wedding I am managing later on this evening is a modern, cocktail-style reception with a nightclub vibe, I felt compelled to pay homage to weddings of yore. While I can't wear lace myself, I know there are many brides out there who love the 'vintage-romance' aesthetic and would look fabulous...I do especially love the flowers shown in the inspiration board below....so enjoy!

A Tangerine & Blue Inspired Wedding

The combination of orange & blue has always been a favorite pairing of mine and a perfect palette for the bride & groom who really want to put their bold personalities on display. Don't believe me when I say these colors really do work??? See for yourself!

Tips for a Successful Wedding After-Party

Don't want the wedding to be over quite yet??? For those couples who want to keep the party going, having an 'after-party' following the main dinner reception is a great idea; it allows the blissful couple to spend just a little more time with friends and unwind with a cocktail after the formalities of the day.

Here are some tips & tricks to ensure you have just as much (or maybe even more) fun at your after-party than you did at your wedding reception:

• Location: In an ideal situation, your wedding reception venue has the perfect intimate space for an after-party; it keeps people together and allows the couple to keep things more organized, especially if the couple is paying for the additional expense. If this isn't an option, then contact a nearby hotel where some of your out-of town guests are staying; quite often, guests who travel to the Metro New York area for a wedding don't have their own transportation--if you have a large out-of town contingency, then this is the perfect solution. Neither of these work? Then opt for a nearby bar or lounge that has the ability to allocate a separate space for your after-party so that your guests don't have to mingle with strangers who have been drinking for the past 'how-many' hours.
• Food & Beverage: With an after-party usually comes more alcohol. And don't forget that guests have imbibed over the past 4-5 hours, so try to ensure that there's some comfort food available such as mini-pizzas, hot dogs and/or pretzels for guests to nibble on.
• Cost: If a couple has paid for their own wedding, and sufficient funds aren't available to cover the entire cost of food & drink, not to worry! Your guests realize they've been eating & drinking on your dime all evening and will likely have no problem covering the cost of their own drinks--especially in NYC where a good martini can run about $15!!! If the couple is not comfortable with allowing their guests to pay for EVERYTHING at the after-party, one option would be to set up a pre-determined bar tab, say $500, with the establishment and when the cost of drinks hits that limit, then guests are on their own after that.
• Who's Coming?:There's no point in going through all of the trouble of hosting an after-party if none of your guests know about it! How to get the word out??? The bride & groom should take it upon themselves to grab the mike and announce the after-party themselves! A good time to do this would be during the cake cutting ceremony, while you have the attention of everyone in the room--no one likes to miss cake! You could also spread the word in the weeks prior to the wedding at bachelor/bachelorette parties and at the rehearsal dinner. Many couples now extend separate invitations to those they couldn't invite to the wedding reception--these days, we all have friends via social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter and wedding-relates sites such as WeddingWire & WeddingBee; the after-party is a great way to include fellow wedding bloggers in your day!
• Bride & Groom Responsibilities: Don't linger at your reception! The main point of having an after-party is to spend time with people you may not get to see very often. Assign end-of-evening responsibilities (such as collecting your champagne flutes, guest book, etc.) to your wedding coordinator or to a trusted family member. If your guests see you heading out to the party, they'll be sure to follow!

ALWAYS REMEMBER---SAFETY FIRST! Allow the after-party venue the discretion to close the bar if guests are getting too inebriated. If you're having the party at a club or a lounge and your guests aren't staying at a location within walking distance, ensure that there are cabs readily available so everyone can get home safely!

Enjoy the party!

It's done, it's done!!!!

Yes, I know...the usual deal, it's been a while...but I have a good reason this time...my wedding & party favor online store is DONE AND UP AND LIVE.

Establishing Exquisite Wedding Favors had been a project in the works for months, in between managing bridal clients and their respective weddings. There's still some tweaking to do here and there, but for the most part, everything is up and functioning.

There are so many adorable things to choose from, and I keep adding more. One of my favorites is Personalized Hershey's Kisses--a perfect treat for any event! Oh and there's the Murano Glass items--so unique. I think the hardest part is picking some favorites and adding them to the favorites page (that's why it's still not done yet!!)

For your amusement, here are a few photos:




And just wait until I post new invitation designs!!!!

Wedding Monogram Etiquette Revealed!

I think we all remember the days when we were in grade school and we were totally crushing on someone (probably us girls crushing on the boys...since girls were 'icky'), and we would spend the better part of the day writing out what our new name might be, how our initials looked together, adding little doo-hickies like hearts and happy faces...ah, wasn't life easy back then???

Maybe it was these little games we played as kids that has brought us to today, where it has become acceptable to use a married monogram prior to the wedding ceremony. I think everyone knows what I'm talking about...maybe we'll get a Save-the-Date for the couple's upcoming wedding or maybe the wedding invitation itself will have an exquisite gold-foiled monogram at the very top...while stunning, in reality it is an etiquette no-no, as a married monogram should be used only after the wedding ceremony has taken place.

"What?!?!?", you exclaim. "But I've already printed my ceremony programs and have a custom aisle runner ready to go!!!". While the etiquette rule I mention above is technically correct, modern monogramming etiquette accepts that couples may use their new married monogram for such things on the wedding day, so you're in the clear.

Now that you have this useful tidbit of information, tell all of your friends before they send out their invitations!!!

The National Stationery Show (aka "Oh My God, what do I buy???")

This past week was such a blur, starting on Sunday, where I arrived bright and early at the National Stationery Show which took place at the Javitz Center. I eagerly await this event every year, and as always, this year did not disappoint.

I took a slightly different approach this year, in that I established relationships with several printing houses with whom I absolutely knew I wanted to partner with prior to the show, and spent my time on Sunday looking for the best things to complement my current offering. There was much less "snap" decision-making to be made, as I had most of the things I wanted prior to the show, so I was waaaay less stressed.

Some notable NEW relationships:
-Emily Post Weddings: such cute designs and REALLY affordable.
-Little Lamb Designs: coordinating invitations and programs (I was looking for really nice programs)
-BT Elements: Okay, I was so tempted to buy EVERYTHING they had, but fortunately, my companion held me back (thanks Lorie!!!)

I promise to post pics of all of these new things ASAP. In the meantime, indulge yourself in this spectacular invitation suite from Gwyneth Paige Couture Letterpress:

The most ADORABLE cookies!!!

I can't think of a better thing to do than a blog post on this dreary Saturday morning. Exquisite Events has been working very hard at building exquisiteweddingfavors.com, a premier wedding & party favor eCommerce store and I just had to share the cutest new product that will be added to the store:

Save the Date Cookies!!!
An incredibly unique way to announce your wedding and completely personalized with the most adorable caricatures to represent the bride & groom (the client gets to pick their own heads & body styles!).

Here's a sneak peek:


Part of my role as wedding planner is to assist my clients with incorporating their personal style into their weddings and I can't think of a more fun or personal way to build the anticipation for the BIG DAY. Although, there is a pretty good chance the guests will eat the save-the-date, so maybe couples should send 2, just in case...

Since the store isn't functioning yet (can we say "sleep deprived"), phone and email orders will be accepted. Building an online store is no joke and I give credit to the webmasters have had to deal with me over the last few months, but it is going to be fabulous!!!

Of course, I will post a link to 'THE BIG REVEAL'!!!!

Congrats to Spark Letterpress & Marsupial Papers...

...for being nominated for "The Trendy Award", an award given to innovators in stationery design & office supplies. I am proud to say I represent both companies and I can only vote for ONE!!! Which one would you choose??? Help me out!

Spark Letterpress:














Marsupial Pouches & Paper:
I am always seeking the newest and most interesting styles for wedding invitations...why have exactly what the store down the block has??? Sometimes, it's difficult to choose what to products you should offer your customer; when I find out that products I represent are bestowed such an honor, I guess it validates my decision to make the investment.

Good luck to you both!!!

Fresh Stationery Ideas

It would have seemed that spring had sprung a few days ago, but winter is still hanging on...couples who were married the weekend on March 20th & 21st were truly blessed!! It couldn't have been more perfect weather for a wedding!

As some of you may be aware if you have been following me on Twitter, I recently began representing a beautiful line of Wedding Stationery created by Spark Letterpress. I am always looking for new and innovative designs to carry and Spark definitely fit the bill. I am truly excited to be a part of their dealer network and to show off these fabulous invitation suites!! The pictures do not do them justice!!!

A beautiful passport style invitation booklet:






Stunning Save the Date:


And word cannot describe the intricate letterpress process on this Invitation:




I cannot wait for the stationery show in May to meet the Spark Letterpress in person!

Finally...a gorgeous day!!!

I am sure many of you were aware of the insanity Mother Nature confronted us with this past weekend here in the New York Metro area. While I was concerned about where my trash cans went flying off too, several of my friends who live on the South Shore of Long Island, experienced power outages of close to 2 days, while another lost the dock attached to her house. Guess that will teach me to stop thinking of myself...

Anyway, as some of you may know, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE fine stationery and papers, and ensure that I carry products that demonstrate my passion for the art of printing. So when I cam across this video via YouTube via Twitter, I just had to share it with you. This is a fabulous collection of images from Twig & Fig, one of the finest lines I represent. It is a relatively small company based in California, whose commitment and dedication to producing absolutely stunning and unique letterpress invitations is unsurpassed. For those of you who don't know of Twig & Fig, I hope you enjoy the show!

Growing...day by day

Although Mother Nature dampened out spirits with torrential downpours and power outages this weekend, it was a great opportunity to buckle down and attend to some of those things I've been neglecting (all of that back-end office administration...blah, blah, blah--the stuff you hate to do).

And while I was extremely disappointed to miss Ultimate Engagement at Gotham Hall on Sunday due to the crazy weather, it was an incredibly productive day.  I actually responded and retweeted a bunch of different things (I finally get the whole "@" symbol and how to use it), spent some time redesigning some web pages and answered a TON of non-essential email.

So before I get back to work, I wanted to share a new addition to the Exquisite Events line of stationery products--these beautiful favor boxes, that can be personalized with labels, tags or personalized ribbon.  So adorable and SO CHIC!  Each box retails for between $1.20 & $1.60 and the minimum order is only 25 pieces.  Enjoy!!!

I forgot how fun networking can be!!!

So for those of you who follow me on Twitter, I went to the Eat, Drink, Be Married event at the Astor Wine Center at 399 Lafayette Thursday evening. First, who even knew that the center was available for private events?? Perfect for a small wedding with full kitchen amenities. Several of my favorite caterers were there, showing off some of their culinary wizardry, including Thomas Preti,(a special shout out to Scott Parrish, who was kind enough to extend the invitation to my group of aspiring wedding planners) and The Cleaver Co. And if that weren't enough, the desserts were to DIE FOR, especially the most awesome cupcakes offered by Eleni's Bakery in the city (they do custom cupcakes too!!!) Let's just say I was stuffed when I left.

Although I shouldn't work backwards, on Tuesday I went ot another phenomenal showcase at Angel Orensanz Foundation. Just check out what this place can look like!!!




I must thank In Thyme Caterers for the invitation, as well as allowing me to make it a class field trip. Amy at In Thyme was so gracious and spent some time with the class discussing the complexities and benefits of off-premise catering. I can't wait to work with her!!!

I wish everyone a HAPPY WEDDING this weekend!

The most fabulous Bar Mitzvah

In a previous post, I alluded to the fact that I was recuperating from being up for 3 days straight, managing the final details for a Bar Mitzvah that took place last Saturday, for which I was given only 6 WEEKS TO PLAN!!!. It was actually more than just the evening party! There were temple services in the morning, followed by a huge luncheon and then the dinner reception later on in the evening, so it was like planning for 3 events in one day.

Of course, the massive snowstorm that started on Thursday didn't make things any easier, needless to say. Fortunately, I have great vendors and all of my trucks arrived on time to handle the Friday set-up.

I have to say, depsite my exhaustion and that I was pretty much ready to pass out on Sunday at 4 AM, it was totally worth it. The client and the Bar Mitzvah boy had such a wonderful time and could not stop expressing their gratitude for my help; that makes me feel SOOO good. Just a few fabulous shots, courtesy of JoVon Photography:

Maybe I'll stay more up to date with my Blog now that I can send updates through my phone???

Ok, so I've been busy...

Yes, it's been a while since I posted to the blog....so many things happening.

I was joking with a friend of mine the other day that I need to hire a "VP of Social Networking" to handle the following:

• Facebook business page (still a work in progress)
• Twitter (I just keep writing stuff that I hope people are interested in)
• WeddingWire.com (I just set up a page with WeddingWire and so far so good)
• WedSpace.com (don't even start me on this one, I've done NOTHING YET, except put my name up there)
• MY OWN BLOG!!!
• The LIWEDDINGS.COM blog (you mean I have to do this twice!!!)
• BridalTweet.com (was an active participant until I got swamped by all of these other website obligations)
• Blogging for Lovegevity.com (I am the NY instructor for their Wedding Planning Certification Course)

So when am I supposed to see clients???