Wedding Elements- The Flowers

Flowers are one of my favorite elements to a wedding and I love devising new ways to use them. Sure, they may be an added expense, but they can easily and beautifully transform a space in minutes. Here are some questions to ask when you are meeting with a florist:

· What packages does the vendor offer?

· Can they work with your budget?

· Do they understand your wedding style?

· Do they deliver the flowers? Is there a charge?

· Do they offer other rentals (linens, candles, chair covers, chairs)? What are the fees associated with these?

· Do they set-up the flowers at the ceremony and reception sites?

· If needed, can they move the ceremony flowers to the reception site?

· Can they provide flowers for the cake?

· What do they require to book a date?

· What is their cancellation policy?

Wedding Elements-The Invitation

In the next month, I will be examining several elements of the wedding planning process. This week, the focus will be on selecting the right invitation.

An invitation will not only set the tone, but will be your guest’s first glimpse into your dream day. Here are a few factors to think about when selecting the perfect invitation:

· What is your wedding theme?

· What colors are you incorporating into the wedding?

· What time of year will your wedding take place?

· What do you want the invitation to say about your wedding?

· What will the text say on the invitation? Will it say black tie preferred?

· What is your budget?

· How many invitations will you need?

· What is the lead time on the invitations?

· Do you want to custom invitations

Lauren & Wes Herrin's Wedding-Flowers (Breath of Spring), Invitation (Lee's Specialty)

Troy Community Center & Merritt Rosenthal Weddings & Events Partner Up

It is an exciting time in the event planning world as The Troy Community Center and Merritt Rosenthal Weddings & Events have aligned to offer special event planning services starting now. A group may select from 2 unique packages and/or hourly assistance to create the perfectly planned shower, graduation, anniversary party, birthday party, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, and more. Take a look at the marketing piece on my website or call 248-524-1835 for more information.

Petoskey Tasting

This past weekend, I traveled to Petoskey for a tasting/logistics meeting for one of the weddings I am coordinating this fall and had a wonderful time. While I will not reveal the lovely details of the wedding, I will say it is going to be beautiful. The venue, staff, and vendors we are working with are fantastic and I truly look forward to the wedding day. Here are just a few pictures of the venue itself including indoor and outdoor shots.

Maria's Bridal Couture-Styeline Magazine

Last Thursday, I participated as one of the featured vendors at the Grand Opening of Maria’s Bridal Couture in West Bloomfield. Maria’s Bridal Couture offers an amazing array of wonderful designers and collections including Vera Wang, Katerina Bocci and more all in a grand and upscale atmosphere. The Open House itself took place from 4pm-8pm and offered brides a chance to view featured gowns on models as well as to check out various local wedding vendors. I do wish Maria’s Bridal Couture so much future success! Thank you for letting me be a part of your special day.

Check out the article/photos on Stylelinemag.com or facebook.

Venue Locations

I have had quite a few requests lately for “different” venue locations. With the trend of personalized weddings, I am finding that more and more brides want a venue that is truly unique to the wedding couples personality (which I think is terrific). I love the challenge of finding that hidden gem for a bride and groom and seeing their face light up when they see it for the first time. I also enjoy the fact that couples are really celebrating their unique style and tastes. Just a few hints when thinking about such venues….

1.) Consider whether or not the venue offers rentals (tables, chairs, dishware) or if you will need to take care of that on your own.

2.) If the venue has not held a large event before, I highly recommend hiring a coordinator to assist you with the logistics.

3.) If the venue is outside, be sure to ask about a rain option.

Feel free to e-mail me at mrosenthal@merrittrosenthal.com, if you have held your wedding at an unknown place in Michigan.

Inspiration

Recently, I had a friend inquire about creating her overall wedding vision. She was in the initial stages of planning her wedding, but needed to develop a more concise theme and just did not know where to turn to for ideas (other than her wedding planner pal, of course). I suggested looking for inspiration in magazines and books. Actually, I told her she could look in anything from an architecture based magazine to gardening or fashion. Really, anything that evokes a wish, a feeling, a desire can and should be used when designing a dream wedding. She immediately went to her local bookstore and bought a handful of magazines and started tearing out pages and pages of ideas. Within minutes, she was inspired by a home design magazine showcasing a modern loft in NYC. The loft was filled with vibrant reds, oranges and yellows and clean lines. Then and there, she knew exactly what she wanted for her wedding (after, of course checking, with her soon to be hubbie), a modern art museum inspired event. Good job, Jen!

If you have any thoughts on inspiration, please feel free to e-mail me. Thanks.