Howerton+Wooten Events Blog. The musings of a Maryland Wedding and Event Planner

Monday Morning Thoughts: "How Much for Just One Rib!?!"

A couple of years ago, I got a pricing inquiry from a bride.

Her money was tight, so she wanted to know how much it would cost for me to show up at her wedding reception for a couple of hours on her wedding day.

"Wha?!?"

 

This request reminded me of the scene in the 1980's parody of blaxploitation movies, "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka!"

"How much for just one rib?!?"  

 

Now, I'm not trying to poke fun at this bride.

 

 

 

I just want you to see how challenging it is to extract a tiny portion of a wedding planner's service and successfully experience the planner's full value.

 

Before a wedding planner can fully execute your wedding day, we typically need to know and understand the details that you have created, the wedding day stakeholders (i.e, your mama, your fiance/fiancee), the players and most of all, your wedding day expectations.

And, we can't do that by just "showing up."

 

If anyone tells you that they can, you should run away as quick as you can.

Love and Soul Always, Kay

 

Howerton Handbook: What is a Banquet Check?

What is a Banquet Check?

A Banquet Check is a standard document provided by the hotel's banquet department or the caterer.

This document breaks down the banquet charges for an event or function.

The charges typically includes --

* Food

* Beverages

* Labor Fees

* Service Charges

* If the banquet check comes from a hotel, it could include rental and audiovisual charges.

* And, of course taxes

 

When you are presented with a banquet check, make sure that you check it thoroughly before you sign it.

This is basically your preliminary invoice for your food and beverage charges.

Love and Soul Always, Kay

Planning Your Year While Planning Your Wedding

It's the new year and you just got engaged.

I bet you are eager to get started with your wedding planning, right?

Not so fast.

Before you get too deep in your wedding planning, consider taking care of some of your "real life" tasks first.

* Medical: Schedule your annual appointments with your primary care physician, your eye doctor, dentist and dermatologist.  Your appointments don't have to take place in January, but you should make sure that they are in your calendar.

* Money: Plan your monthly spending budget now.  I do this myself because it allows me to be financially prepared for each upcoming month.  This will not only give you a sense of your upcoming expenses, it will help you figure out what money you have available for your wedding.

* Work: Let your boss and your HR department know about your wedding date, and your planned honeymoon.  Use this time to make sure that your projects are completed and/or covered.  Your proactive actions will make you look like a super star

* Birthdays:  Purchase birthday, anniversary, and "thinking of you" cards now.  Some web sites allow you to order gifts ahead with a scheduled delivery.  Your loved ones will  be amazed that you had time to think of them in the midst of your wedding planning.l

* Beauty: Stress has been known to take its toll on our skin and hair.  Take some time now to book your weekly, monthly and quarterly salon and spa appointments.

* Home and Auto:  Schedule your home and auto repair and maintenance appointments now.  Many vendors get busy in the spring -- So, you will have a better chance of getting the appointment you want if you book it now.

* Pets:  I have seen more than my share of brides struggle with the care management plan for their pet(s) during the days prior to their wedding day.  Use this month to schedule grooming appointments, appointments with the vet, and your wedding day and honeymoon pet care.

* Your Fiance, Friends and Family:  Schedule some nights out with your friends, dinner with family, and dates with your fiance.  When all of your wedding planning is said and done, you will be a much happier person if you schedule some breaks every now and then.

Love and Soul Always, Kay

When It Comes to Weddings -- Time Really is Money

 
 
Oh believe me.  I get it.  The bride wants to make an entrance.

But understand that your "entrance" can cost you.

When it comes to a wedding, time truly is money.

Here are some scenarios --

Kathleen is 30 minutes late to her floral appointment.  Unfortunately, the florist could no longer meet with Kathleen because she had another appointment scheduled in 30 minutes.  As a result Kathleen will have to take another afternoon off from work to attend her make-up florist appointment -- not to mention the fact that she wasted gas money. As a result, Kathleen lost almost $300 because she was only 30 minutes late.

The Miller/Cox wedding is running 90 minutes late.  As a result, four couples must leave the reception before the wedding cake is served to avoid paying extra fees to their baby sitter.  The wedding cake costs the bride and groom approximately $9 a slice.  Therefore, the couple lost $72 plus tax and delivery fees because they were only 90 minutes late.

Sandy and Bill only had four hours for their afternoon wedding reception.  Unfortunately, Sandy was more than 60 minutes late because she lost track of time.  Sandy and Bill felt as if they barely had a reception, so they decided to extend their reception by one hour.  This required them to pay for that additional hour to the catering staff, the DJ, the photographer, the wedding planner and the venue.  Sandy and Bill paid an additional $2,500 in overtime fees because they were only 60 minutes late.

The bridal party for the Bradley/Smith wedding were already running 30 minutes late, when they realized they left the marriage license at the hotel.  The priest refused to start the ceremony until someone returned with this important document.  As a result the wedding ceremony was delayed almost two hours.  The church had another wedding taking place that day, so the priest had to condense the full mass ceremony into a simple wedding ceremony.  This change in plans cut out the hired soloist's performances. Therefore, the couple lost $250 in fees (plus parking) because they were less than 2 hours late.

The Williams/Good wedding started almost 45 minutes late.  As a result, the bride and groom couldn't take their post-ceremony pictures at the lake located across town.  Why?  The limousine company had another job to attend to, and they wouldn't get there in time if they remained with the couple for another 45 minutes.  This would not have been an issue if the couple was on time.  The couple made up for their lakeside pictures by booking a "rock the dress" session with their photographer the following week.  This new photo session wasn't included in their photography package so they had to pay for the photographer's new time and services.  They also needed to pay for the services of a new make-up artist and the fees for a hair stylist.  As a result, the couple paid almost $1,500 in new fees because they were 45 minutes late on their wedding day.

So, do you get the picture?  When it comes to a wedding day, time truly is money. 

Pad your timeline.  Be punctual.  And, enjoy every moment of your wedding day.

Love and Soul Always, Kay

 

(Photo: Start Up Breaks)

Little Wedding Expenses That Can Wreak Havoc On Your Budget

When we think of our wedding budget, we think of the usual items -- catering, cake and wedding gowns.

But, there are few wedding expenses that are typically forgotten when determining a budget.  And unfortunately, forgetting these little expenses can have a  big impact on your overall wedding budget.  Here are a few --

1. Taxes -- We know that we have to pay taxes on clothing and food at the store.  But, we tend to forget that we have to pay it when it comes to a wedding.  When you wedding caterer tells you that your wedding dinner is going to cost you $125, add your current state sales tax to that (it's 6% in Maryland).  Ouch!  It hurts, doesn't it?  Imagine how much that will hurt if you don't budget for it!

2. Losing Weight -- There is nothing more exciting than losing weight right before your wedding day!  Well, it's exciting until you share that information to your wedding gown shop.  Why?  Because you now have to pay a couple hundred bucks for new alterations.  If you plan to lose weight, do it early so that you can get the correct dress size long before the week prior to your wedding.

3. Beauty Vendors -- So often, I work with couples who think their wedding day beauty doesn't need to be included in the budget.  That is, until they realize that they may pay almost $200 for make-up, and another $100 for hair, and another $50 for waxing, and another $100 for teeth cleaning, and another $50-$75 for a mani/pedi.

4. Gratuities -- Your total amount of wedding vendor gratuities can cost you almost 10% of your wedding budget.  If you wait until right before your wedding to determine your gratuity budget, you might find yourself without cash on your honeymoon.

5. Post-Wedding Day Vendors -- Are you thinking of preserving your wedding gown?  How about your preserving your bouquet?  If so, you should build these wedding-related expenses into your budget beforehand to ensure that the money hase been set aside for them.

6. Non-Wedding (But Wedding-Related) Expenses -- It's easy not to think of utilizing the services of a kennel or a house sitter during your honeymoon as a non-wedding expense.  But, you might as well include these expenses -- You are going to be paying them around the same time you pay for your DJ, right?

So, here is the deal.  When creating your wedding budget, include EVERYTHING related to your wedding.  You will be amazed how much your wedding TRULY costs you in the long run.

Love and Soul Always, Kay

White Girls Can't Jump? (the reprise)

In the spirit of Inclusivity, I wanted to reprise this blog post.

When it comes to bringing different cultures together, the United Nations has nothing on Weddings.

As a wedding planner, I am privy to the highs and lows of bringing two families together.  It can be quite a ride.  But wedding planning becomes even more interesting when the two families come from different cultures or races.

Last year, this subject came to my attention when a bride (who happened to be Caucasian) asked me if it was okay for her to Jump the Broom.

Here was my response.  I received a lot of feedback (both public and private) from this post -- some positive and some negative.  But, that's okay.  I wouldn't change a single word from the original post.

Love and Soul Always, Kay

What Is the Difference Between A Service Charge and a Gratuity?

A service charge is a mandatory and automatic (pre-determined) fee that is typically added to your hotel or caterer or audiovisual (lighting, microphones, etc.) invoice for the service personnel.  Here is an example -- Most hotels in the Washington DC area charge a service charge (typically 20 - 24%) on their F&B invoice and their audiovisual invoice.

A gratuity is a voluntary amount of money given in exchange for a service performed.  A gratuity is also known as a tip.  Example -- We typically tip our waitress or our hair stylist for great service.

So, what's the difference -- A service charge is mandatory and it is pre-determined by the hotel or vendor.  The gratuity is at the discretion of the bride or groom.

One more thing.  Most service charges are taxed, so a 24% charge could be as high as 34% when it is all said and done. (ouch!)  So, I recommend reviewing this charge with your vendors beforehand to ensure that you plan your wedding budget accordingly.

Love and Soul Always, Kay

Financial Resolution Boot Camp

According to a survey conducted by Citibank, a husband and wife's disputes over money is one of the top causes of divorce in the United States.

So, consider getting ahead of the game.  While you are planning for your wedding, consider planning for your finances too.

 

Easier said than done, right?

Well, you can get a jump start today.

LearnVest is offering a Financial Resolution Boot Camp, where you can receive free daily e-mail messages for a month.

 

This program will give you recommendations for building a household budget that works for you, understanding the ins and outs of your credit score, and establishing a healthy savings plan.

 

So, don’t wait too long to decide.  This on-line program starts today and ends on January 29, 2010.

 

Love & Soul Always, Kay

 

 

(Picture: More.com)

 

Wedding Insurance

To some, wedding insurance sounds like a financial investment you should make if you have money left over in your wedding budget.

 

Here’s my take.

Wedding insurance is a small financial investment you can make to protect a much bigger investment – Your wedding day.

While a large percentage of wedding days are free of incidents, there is a small percentage that is affected by theft, sudden illness, vendor closings, or a natural disaster.  And, believe me.  If you experience one of these issues during your wedding or wedding planning, you will definitely wish you had insurance.

Does wedding insurance still feel like overkill?  Here are some true scenarios from our little world of wedding planning –

1. A bride has custom linen (in various colors) flown in from India.  Her wedding is carried out perfectly.  At the end of the night, the wedding planner is packing up the linen when she realizes that she is missing linen.  In fact, she is missing one of each color.  So, she and the banquet captain search the entire venue but they cannot find them.  They come to the conclusion that the linen was stolen.  This theft left the bride and groom, $2,000 in the hole.

2. A wedding guest was a little too, shall we say exuberant, on the dance floor.  So, he slips and falls while doing the “cha cha slide.”

3. A groom gets deployed to Iraq five weeks before the wedding date.  The bride and groom are able to get most of their money back from the wedding vendors.  Unfortunately, their lovely wedding invitations were already printed, assembled and stamped.  This resulted in a $1,200 loss for the bride and groom.

4. As a result of the failing economy, a florist closes shop three weeks prior to a wedding (taking the flowers and the deposits with them).  The bride just made her final payment on her $4,500 order.

As you can see, there are a number of things that can happen.  But wedding insurance gives you peace of mind that you are financially protected if something crazy should occur.

And, don't forget to insure your wedding rings!  For your reading pleasure, here is a post on Engagement Ring insurance.

Love & Soul Always, Kay

Monday Morning Thoughts: Sometimes What is Cheap is Expensive

"Cheap is expensive in the long run. Why buy twice when you can buy once? Commit to quality and it commits to you." - C&D’s Manifesto of Style

Every now and then, I hear stories about planners receiving panic phone calls from brides because the bride's current planner just isn’t up to par.

You see, the planner the bride initially hired was a lot less expensive than the planner the bride called in a panic.  She figured she could go with a less expensive planner and have extra money for the other wedding items she wanted to purchase.

Unfortunately, she ended up severing her agreement with the initial planner and starting an agreement with the new planner less than two months prior to her wedding.

As a result, she spent almost twice the amount planned because she paid for the services of a wedding planner twice.  In other words, this young lady went for short-term savings and increased her long-term costs.

When you are in the market for a professional wedding planner (or any other wedding vendor for that matter), price is important.  But you should also consider the following points –

· Number of Years in the Business

· Experience as a Wedding Planner

· Experience with Your Preferred Venue

· Wedding Portfolio/Examples of Past Work

· Business Practices (licenses, insurance)

· Chemistry (do you feel comfortable with this vendor)

· Referrals from Recent Brides and Grooms

· The Planner’s Ability to Carry Out Your Wedding Needs

Like the C&D Manifesto of Style says, “ . . . It’s better to have fewer quality things, than low grade quantity.”

And take it from me, you don’t want low grade quantity on your wedding day.

Love & Soul Always, Kay