I often hear the statement, “I have no idea of where to start planning my wedding!” And then comes the question, “Where should I start?”

Well, don’t stress! I’d love to share some great first steps in the wedding and event planning process.

First, create an idea portfolio. Get a cute scrapbook or even a simple notebook and start compiling ideas by cutting out pictures from magazines or printing them from online. Magazines are a great way to get inspiration! My favorite mags are Martha Stewart Weddings and Wedding Flowers. After a couple pages in your portfolio, you’ll start to see a pattern develop of colors and themes that are your favorites!

Secondly, start on your preliminary guest list and estimated guest count. The number of guests will shape everything from the budget to the location. It seems like an obvious point, but remember, the more guests, the more your budget will need to increase. An increased guest count increases the costs for invitations, flowers, food, drink, size of location, etc.

Next, decide the formality of your wedding or event. Would you prefer an evening affair or morning brunch? An afternoon tea or entire weekend event? Think about these questions when deciding your event style. Then comes the decision on the general location and time of year. Are you looking for a “Falling in Love” fall theme or a “Winter Wonderland” theme? What about a destination wedding at some exotic location?

Also, start thinking of registries. One great new idea is the Honeymoon Registry, where you can actually register for portions of your dream honeymoon trip! Click here for more info: Honeymoon Registry

Finally, hire a wedding/event planner. Planning a wedding can be stressful, time-consuming and expensive! So to make sure your wedding or event is as successful as your hopes and dreams, hire a professional to plan and execute your plans to ensure success and eliminate stress!

Remember our motto, “Relax. It’ll be FABULOUS!”

Happy wedding planning!

We have been invited to be a Preferred Vendor at North Carolina’s premier Bed and Breakfast and Wedding Venue – La Grande Maison. This fabulous new venue will be hosting their first annual fall Bride and Vendor Mixer. You can tour the grounds and have the opportunity to meet with all of their Preferred Vendors. Prizes will also awarded! The date is this coming Sunday, October 5, 2008 from 1 pm – 5 pm.
We will be displaying our award-winning Candy Buffet. It promises to be a fabulous event. Come on out and see us! We look forward to meeting you.
Click here for more info: La Grande Maison

Fall is here! The weather is turning cooler and I can’t wait to start seeing the orange, red, and yellow hues of the leaves.

Fall is one of my favorite times of year. So it’s no wonder that I love fall weddings.
Here are a few tips and trends for planning a fall wedding:

1) Color Scheme – Great fall colors are chocolate brown, burnt orange, deep reds, amethyst, and olive green. The warm colors just bestow a warm cozy feeling!

2) Decor/Stationery – Using a common theme across the all of your printed products and decor is a very trendy way to really make your wedding stand out! Take the “Falling in Love” fall wedding theme. You could start with fall leaves printed on the save-the-date, then move on to your invitations, announcements, place cards, custom table numbers/names, menu cards, napkins etc. I had a wedding last fall where we also sprinkled “fall leaves” on the table to add to the decor. The caution here though is to not go overboard.

3) Favors – Chocolate is always a great hit! To continue with the “Falling in Love” theme, I’ve seen chocolates molded in the shape of a fall leaf that are personalized with the name and date of the happy couple. I’ve also seen personalized coffee or hot chocolate favor packages printed with “Falling In Love” and your names/dates. And of course, one of my favorite “sweet” favor ideas is the candy buffet. Imagine glass apothecary jars and decanters full of a variety of colors and flavors of chocolate, delightfully displayed on a fall themed tablescape decorated with warm colors. It would be the hit of the evening! You could also include orange, red, and yellow colored candies as well.

Well, I hope these few tips have been an inspiration for your fall wedding. Of course, we would love to be of assistance to you in making sure these ideas come to life. Call us today for a free consultation! Happy wedding planning!

Our fall semester at Wake Technical Community College has just begun! We have our largest class to date with 23 students! Our past students have said how much they have enjoyed the class and that it was a great learning experience.
This class is designed for inspiring wedding planners and consultants and even includes a class project that will allow each student to plan a wedding from start to finish!
Our decision to teach this class was in response to the overwhelming request for Wedding Planning Training and Education.
The title of the course is “Start Your Own Wedding Consultant Business.”
Call us for more info!

Cherished Moments Event Planning, LLC won “Best of Show” in the Vendor’s Choice Award at a recent bridal show held at the Durham Marriott Civic Center. The booth display featured a hot pink and lime green Candy Buffet!

Candy buffets are a “sweet” new trend for wedding favors and a new product offering from Cherished Moments Event Planning, LLC.

Enjoy the strolling picture slide show @ http://www.cherishedmomentsnc.com/bridalShow.html

And call us today to have this “sweet” favor idea at your next event!

We finally found ourselves into the world of blogging! We hope that this blog will be a source of fun information, wedding planning tips, exciting news and much more! Stay tuned for more info!
Tamera Davis
919.696-5711
www.cherishedmomentsnc.com
Wedding/Event Consultant and Designer
Wedding Planning Instructor – Wake Technical Community College
Cherished Moments Event Planning, LLC