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15 Wedding Planner Secrets

by Tammy Waterman on 06-28-2012 06:24AM in Wedding Tips

Submitted by our friends at Special Moments -
Remember What’s Important
Your fiance, family, and friends. Focus on why you’re getting married. You’ve found the love of your life and the wedding is a celebration of you both. That being said, you want it to reflect your fabulous style and taste, so the next tips are for you.

Set a Budget -
Budgeting isn’t romantic, but you want to start your marriage off on the right foot — not buried in credit card debt. Create a realistic budget, then find that one item you want to splurge on — flowers, photography, or some Hi-Def Videography.

Think Outside the Box, but Be Practical -
Out-of-the-ordinary locations can be undiscovered jewels. Just remember some of the hidden planning that can be involved. For example, with an outdoor venue what happens if it rains? Is there power available? What are the noise restrictions?

Be a Girl Scout -
Their adorable motto holds true to weddings: BE PREPARED! Make a little box of the necessities you will need on the wedding day: fashion tape, a needle and thread, deodorant, safety pins, bobby pins (all colors), a pen and paper, flip flops, and extra cash and checks — just in case.

Put Pen to Paper -
Just like any other bill, all of your vendor contracts should have due dates with the amount due. Write them on your calendar and mail them a couple of days early. Many contracts become void if payment is not received on time. You signed the contract, so it is your responsibility to make sure they receive it in a timely manner.

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Affogato, anyone?

by Diana Tamayo on 06-11-2012 09:57AM in Wedding Tips

Coffee lovers rejoice! Dessert lovers, too! You’re in for a wonderful treat… Affogato is an Italian coffee dessert made up of a scoop of gelato – any flavor – with a shot of espresso poured over it. Top it with whipped cream and it’s a gastric delight! So simple, yet so good.

Café Ala Carte is the premier espresso, latte and cappuccino bar – and when you combine services with The Gelato Carte, you and your guests can enjoy authentic Affogato desserts with a variety of gelato flavors. These are best made with fresh espresso and true artisan gelato. “Nitrogen” gelato or ice cream won’t have the texture and flavor that true Italian gelato naturally possesses.

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Elise and Vinnie are getting married! {Tampa Engagement Photography}

by Kimberly Romano on 06-06-2012 03:14PM in Local Weddings

It truly is a blessing that I am able to do what I love as a career. One thing that makes it even more amazing is when an entire family falls in love with what you do. I’ve had the honor of capturing Vinnie’s brothers and sisters wedding over the years, and now it’s his turn for the big day. I’m so excited to continue to be a part of this family year after year. Elise and Vinnie met at USF in the education building, so it was important to them to have some of their engagement session done here. Not a problem for me…such a beautiful campus! We also escaped to a field I had found literally a week before near USF off of 41.

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Stephanie and Matt’s Destination Wedding {St Petersburg Beach Wedding Photography}

by Kimberly Romano on 05-27-2012 08:48PM in Local Weddings

This wedding was so special for me to be a part of. Back in the day before I was blessed to start my photography company I used to work for the State Attorney’s Office which is where I met Stephanie. She…was my supervisor, and an great one at that. After leaving the SAO, I lost touch with Stephanie until we found each other on facebook. Yay! It was great to catch up with her…then one day she told me she was engaged! I was so excited and what was even more exciting was she asked me to capture it for her! I was so honored and couldn’t wait for the wedding day….and to meet this Matt fellow. (He turned out to be a good guy btw) Since they are living in Alabama, they were planning a small wedding with only their closest family and friends here in sunny Florida on our beautiful beaches. So, the big day finally arrives and there is rain in the forecast. Really? I arrive to the Bilmar Beach Resort, only to find that not only is it raining…but there is a huge event right behind the hotel, directly on the beach, which was literally turned into a parking lot. In my 19 years of living here…I had never seen anything like it.

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Communicate, communicate, communicate...

by Melissa Brown on 05-25-2012 08:38AM in Wedding Tips

Brides, imagine this scenario: your event is still several months away, you've made your checklist, and you are reaching out to vendors you have either researched online or who have been recommended to you through word-of-mouth referrals. You wait and wait, and they don't call you back or answer your emails. Sound familiar?
All too often, vendors do not communicate with their clients, and we all know that this leaves a bad taste in people's mouths.

Vendors, even if you are busy, it is essential that you make contact with potential clients right away. Here are a couple of reasons why:

1) Service matters. The first impression of the service that you provide is the initial contact, not the quality of your work. The outcome of your work may be stellar, but if you fail to get back to people in a timely way, they will write you off and move on. People are on deadlines and no one wants to work with someone who is flighty, because that sends the message that you aren't trustworthy.

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