Thursday, July 28, 2016

Why We Focus On The Love Story Behind Our Weddings | Timeless Wedding Designs | South Florida Wedding Planner


Photo by RJ Hill Photography.

I am sure that you can imagine that we have truly seen it all as wedding planners. For sure I thought that I had seen it all until I meet with some of my fellow Certified Wedding Planners and they tell me the crazy stories of events they have coordinated; there is no doubt that no two events will ever be alike.

Then I see TV shows like Bridezillas and Four Weddings and I wonder how we ever got to this. Weddings are supposed to be a celebration of love and devotion, but have somehow turned into a show of wealth and entertainment, like most things have in our modern world. The typical bride is nothing like the brides portrayed on Bridezillas, and I would love to meet the guest who sits and judges another person's wedding like the brides in Four Weddings. Sure, these are television shows and are meant to be dramatic and entertaining, but they have truly changed the way many of us feel about weddings.

When I started Timeless Wedding Designs, I can't help but think that I probably felt the same way. I was more interested in the show, the way the venue looked, and whether or not every bride was looking for the type of wedding I was interested in planning. What made me a great wedding designer and planner is also what made me want out of this industry about a year ago, although I am so glad that I did not leave it all behind. Instead, I chose to change the brand of my company to embody my own beliefs and morals, and I knew that those who felt the same way would eventually find me as well.

Although I am not married, I have an enormous network of married friends and past clients who tell me every day how wonderful it is; the pitfalls match the high points and the wonder of being with your soulmate every day is unmatched by anything this whole world could ever offer them. After the wedding comes your marriage, and I wanted to make sure that the clients I was taking on fully understood that their wedding is the beginning of their marriage and not a one day event, and I wanted them to know that I fully understand that as well. We started doing the Love Is Timeless campaign to reflect that and so far I feel it has been a great success. Every day I receive more and more emails from couples wanting to share their love story with us and it truly makes my heart so full to see how many people have found their soulmates in this crazy world.

Find out why wedding day coordination is a must have!


Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Why Wedding Day Coordination Is A Must-Have | Timeless Wedding Designs | West Palm Beach and Wilmington Wedding Planner



When you were a child, did you ever pretend to get married? What did your wedding day look like to you?

I know I envisioned every single person I loved watching me walk down the aisle with a big, beautiful bouquet of flowers in my hands, on my way to spending the rest of my life with the one person that I knew I would love forever. The setting was always very natural, probably somewhere outdoors, on a brisk day sometime in the Spring where not a single cloud dotted a perfect blue sky. I always saw myself being as calm as ever, smiling the entire time along with all of our guests.

If I am being honest, the child part of me probably didn't come up with that vision as much as the adult part of me did, but that is all part of my job as a wedding coordinator. It is what I want for my own wedding some day as much as it is what I want for all of my clients' weddings.

Unfortunately, though, we are sometimes presented with obstacles that turn our seemingly perfect wedding day sour. What if it had rained on my dream wedding day and I didn't order a tent? What if the florist never showed up (Heaven forbid!)? What if my family and I had just spent the entire morning of the best day of my life setting up my wedding day and we were ready to simply crash? These are all things that I deal with as your wedding coordinator so that you and your loved ones don't have to, and I wouldn't have your wedding day any other way.


W H A T   D O E S   A   W E D D I N G   C O O R D I N A T O R   D O ?

The great thing, in my opinion, about having a wedding coordinator is that your wedding day can truly be the best day of your life without all of the added stress of hosting a large event. I have heard all different kinds of things from brides about this idea, but the one that stands out the most to me is this: why would it not still be the best day of my life if I don't hire you? The truth is, your wedding day should be the best day ever no matter what because you are joining your partner in a vow to love one another forever. Whether or not you have a wedding coordinator, no one and no event can take that away from you. However, with a wedding coordinator, you have someone who will set up and clean up your wedding, someone who will do all of the stressing for you if they need to, someone to manage everyone who you've hired already, and someone to take a final deep breath with you before they send you on down the aisle. You get a best friend who you do not have to feel guilty about giving a job to on your wedding day, and that's the best thing ever.

Let me put it this way - suppose you start a business and you are preparing for your grand opening where there are going to be some very important people coming. You hire six employees to do various tasks and you decorate the store beautifully; you are fully prepared to greet the important people as they arrive and mingle and network. As the time comes and your guests are arriving, you find that you are very busy managing your employees and keeping the shop clean, and are missing out on the opportunity to network and grow your business. If you had hired a manager to do these things while you were busy, the manager could have taken care of these things for you.

Day-Of Wedding Coordinators are those managers. And we are more than happy to make your wedding the very best version of your wedding possible.


M Y   D J   /   V E N U E   I S   P R O V I D I N G   A   C O O R D I N A T OR

The first thing you need to understand is that your vendors are there to advocate for themselves and the companies they work for, not you. (I'm not saying they don't care about your wedding - they've spent a ton of time with you and they probably love you!) What I am saying is that you can't expect your DJ to show up to your venue and start setting up your final details, or your venue coordinator to call your limo driver when they don't show up on time. They are there to do a job that is not about managing the entire wedding, but managing their own smaller aspect of a bigger picture. Can your DJ or venue coordinator create a timeline for your wedding day or try to que the bridal party to go down the aisle at the correct time? Sure! However, don't expect it to be the same as if you hired a wedding coordinator.

On another note, lets say something goes wrong with the venue. The venue coordinator has to go deal with the issue and can't manage the rest of the wedding day because they are not there for you, they are there for the venue. That's why they are called venue coordinators. In addition, venues are known for having high turnover rates, so the likelihood that the person you booked with at the venue and the person that coordinates your wedding day will be the same person is pretty slim.


W H A T   I S   T H E   I N V E S T M E N T   F O R   A   W E D D I N G   C O O R D I N A T O R ?

There is no one answer for this question because every wedding coordinator charges something different, but you can expect to pay somewhere between $900.00 and $1,500.00 for Day-Of Coordination. Like most things, you get what you pay for, so be weary of wedding coordinators who charge significantly less than that.

So now you might be thinking, "Wow, I really see the value in hiring a wedding coordinator but why do you charge so much?" Think about all of the planning and all of the hours you have put into your wedding day... There are a ton of moving pieces and last-minute adjustments that have to be made, right? We take care of all of that, but we have to start at least 30 days before your big day so that we are sure we know every single piece of what you have created! This means hours upon hours of contacting your vendors (and possibly sitting down for a meeting with them), setting up your timeline, making checklists and contact sheets, getting to know your bridal party, getting to know you and your vision, and then coordinating your rehearsal and your wedding day (which by itself could be more than eight hours of work). We do a lot! You can read here about a great emergency kit that my clients get to use on their wedding as well, which is also built into a wedding coordinator's cost!


I S   T H E R E  A N Y T H I N G   T H A T   A   C O O R D I N A T O R   W O N ' T   D O ?

Again, every coordinator is different so make sure you really get to know your coordinator before you hire them. Your coordinator should have their responsibilities outlined in their contract with a little excerpt about what they will not include in your package. If you hire them and you still have some major pieces missing from your planning that you want your coordinator to help you with, you should expect an extra charge for the planning!

E: Mandy@TimelessWeddingDesigns.com

Monday, July 18, 2016

Love Is Timeless | Michele & Casey | Timeless Wedding Designs | Port St Lucie Wedding Planner

"Casey and I met at a friend's house a little over five years ago. There was something about him that intrigued me. His crystal blue eyes had this way of holding my attention, but I honestly don't remember if we ever actually spoke to each other during that encounter. Lucky for me, he and I met again at the same house for a going away party. We (finally) started talking and he informed me that he had recently ended his relationship. "Yes! I have a chance!" I thought.
Casey and I spent almost every waking moment together for the following two weeks. Unsure of what was going to happen when I went back to school in the fall, we decided to give us a shot and make it "Facebook official." I can't believe that was 5 years ago!



Thinking back, I'm pretty sure I knew Casey was the man I was going to marry from the minute I laid eyes in him. I guess being a hopeless romantic who grew up watching Disney's classic princess movies will do that to you. Casey has always been my biggest fan and my biggest hero. He always supports me in everything I do and is there to pick me up, brush me off, and put me back on the right path. The first time I experienced that, I think everything changed.


The night Casey proposed to me is a night I will never forget. Casey picked me up and brought me to the Jensen Beach Causeway so I could sit and watch the full moon dance on the water. While I was relaxing and taking in all of the elements of the night, Casey started walking around. He seemed like he was on a bit of a mission, but I didn't think anything of it and went back to my stargazing. After a while, I noticed Casey was still walking around looking for something. I started looking around the bench, wondering what he could be looking for, and found a pebble. I showed Casey what I found and he immediately took it from me and said "I need that!" That was when I knew something was up. He had never acted like this before. He sat down next to me and asked me to tell him (for the millionth time) why I call him Penguin. After I explained my love for Penguins and how they choose their mate and present her with a pebble, he told me I had to stand up. At this point, I was just getting annoyed. What in the world was he doing? I stood up and as I did, he slid off of the bench and down onto one knee.
I immediately started crying.
I would love to be able to repeat every word he said to me while down on one knee but through all of my tears, all I can remember is him presenting me with the pebble, just like a penguin would, and asking me to spend the rest of my life with him. I don't even think I was able to speak. With a giant smile on my face and tears running down my cheeks, I nodded yes. I was crying and shaking. I couldn't believe it had actually happened. The love of my life had just proposed to me!
Since it was a spur of the moment decision to propose at that moment, I didn't get my ring, which we had picked out in February of that year, until we got back to his apartment. Even with all of the strangeness, I wouldn't change a single thing about that night.


There is so much I love about marriage. I love waking up next to my best friend and our 3 fur babies. I love that I have someone to grow old with, while being able to act like children when the time calls for it. But I would have to say that my favorite part of marriage is having a forever partner in crime; the forever yin to my yang."


If you are interested in sharing your love story with us, please email Mandy at Mandy@TimelessWeddingDesigns.com with the subject, "Love Is Timeless."

Find out why wedding day coordination is a must have!

Monday, July 11, 2016

Unique Ideas For Flower Girls And Ring Bearers | Timeless Wedding Designs | West Palm Beach and Wilmington Wedding Planners

Rick & Jeff served as ushers at Karyn & Bryan's wedding back in February at The Mansion at Tuckahoe in Jensen Beach, but Sebo & Kona (Karyn & Bryan's dogs) served as the ring bearers! Photo by RJ Hill Photography.

With wedding industry trends constantly growing and changing, brides and grooms can go crazy trying to find new and unique ways to make their wedding their own. A recent trend that I have seen is a big change in who gets to be the ring bearer or the flower girl - if couples choose to have them at all.

As I was perusing Pinterest yesterday (okay, every day) I noticed a wedding photo where the flower girls were actually the bride's grandmothers! I thought that this was such a beautiful way to honor the bride's grandmothers; they looked so whimsical and young, like it was also one of the happiest days of their lives. It also came to me that this would be a great way for couples who are choosing not to have children in their wedding ceremony to still have flower girls and ring bearers.

Back in February I had the pleasure of coordinating a wedding at the Mansion at Tuckahoe in Jensen Beach, Florida, that involved a little twist on the traditional ring bearer. Karyn and Bryan have two dogs, Sebo and Kona, that they wanted to involve in their wedding ceremony, so they dressed them up all super cute and made them into ring bearers. The ushers held the dogs at the back of the ceremony until the officiant, the bride's grandmother, said, "Who presents the rings?" At that time, the groom whistled for the dogs and they took off down the aisle to sit next to the bride and groom for the remainder of the ceremony.

Photo by Maryel Rivera Photography.
 If you are a little less than traditional but still want to have a flower girl, consider having her throw something other than flower petals. If you are getting married near the ocean, your flower girl may sprinkle sand or drop starfish on the edges of your aisle, although I do not recommend this for very young flower girls as you will probably be stepping on starfish all the way down the aisle. If you are having an indoor ceremony with a Winter Wonderland theme, consider having the flower girl toss paper snowflakes in the air!

Your wedding is a celebration of love and families coming together as one. Nothing is out-of-bounds at your wedding, so you can keep it as unique or traditional as you like. If you have more ideas for a new twist on the traditional flower girl or ring bearer, feel free to drop them in the comments below! I would love to hear about them.

Want some cute ideas for entertaining children during your wedding? Check them out here!

Friday, July 1, 2016

Love Is Timeless | Megan & Dylan | Timeless Wedding Designs | Stuart Wedding Planner

"Dylan and I grew up in the same neighborhood, literally just streets apart. It wasn't until we were out of school that fate finally lined up, however. We had many mutual friends, and one day I saw his profile online and sent him a message. We texted non-stop for a few days and finally agreed to meet at a local beach. Walking up to this tall, tan, handsome man instantly gave me butterflies and I thought this was way too good to be true. We walked the beach and talked for an hour or two when he pulls out this whole sand dollar from his pocket. It was bigger than my hand! He says, "I found this before you got here and thought you'd like it since you mentioned that you love the ocean and aren't really a flower kind of girl." We started to walk back toward our cars; he opened the door for me and gave me the sweetest kiss! That day was absolutely perfect. The following weekend we were dating and the rest is history! To this day that sand dollar sits on top of sand from that beach in a shadow box on display in our home.


On Christmas Day (my favorite holiday, by the way), we were celebrating the festivities with our families at his grandparents' house. Talk was going on of a fishing tournament and who could catch the biggest fish, so we all gathered along the canal in the backyard to start a little friendly competition. Dylan came out last with the only fishing pole and asked me to bait his hook. My natural response was, "Bait your own hook!" Haha! When I reached out for the line, I realized a beautiful halo diamond engagement ring was knotted to the end in place of the hook. Dylan got down on one knee and said, "You're my best friend; you've been my best friend for a long time. I love you with all my heart and I want to be with you for the rest of my life. Will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?" With excitement and tears I declared, "Yes!" and he swept me up and put his fist in the air and said, "I got the best catch!" The whole family was in on the surprise and there wasn't a single dry eye left. I'm so very excited to always remember Christmas as our perfect proposal and the start of a beautiful engagement.


Is there a way to put it into words? I don't really know... I don't want to say he was made for me or he is perfect because both are not true. He is charming in that any woman could have fallen for him and it's his flaws that really speak to my heart. It's the fact that we both enjoy the same adventures and appreciate one another's strengths while supporting one another's weaknesses. We don't complete each other, we complement one another. We learn from each other. We respect and appreciate each other. I never knew a love like I know with Dylan because he empowers me as a woman while protecting me as his partner. He is my teammate, my best friend, and my lover. He is the first person I call whether it's a tragic situation or good news. He was an amazing boyfriend, is an amazing fiance, and I know he is going to be an amazing husband.

  
We will be getting married on April 28th, 2017, which is the three year anniversary of our first date. The wedding ceremony will be held at Dollman Beach, the beach where we first met. I'm not kidding when I say that's all the planning we have done BUT our honeymoon is completely planned and about to be booked! Dylan and I are going to celebrate our new life as newlyweds in beautiful Costa Rica (tropical places are paradise to us) for five days in the first week of May. Dylan and I have been focusing on a movement called Staying I Do and it's a part of beating the 50% divorce rate. We know that marriage isn't always going to be all puppies and rainbows but we also know that we love each other more than what our pride is worth. We're looking forward to all Timeless Wedding Designs has in store for us during the planning process!"


Photos by Laura Helmke Photography.


If you are interested in sharing your love story with us, please send me an email to Mandy@TimelessWeddingDesigns.com with the subject, "Love Is Timeless."  

Find out why wedding day coordination is a must have!