you're engaged! now what??

you're engaged! congratulations! i'm sure you're very excited... you've told your parents, siblings and friends. maybe you've let your co-workers in on your excitement. now what??

most websites will advise you to begin by setting your budget and selecting your venues. while that's a great start... we advise our clients to take a very important step in between - determining your guest list.

as excited as you may be to start checking tasks off of your to-do list, you should first take some time to focus solely on your guest list. the number of people you plan to invite plays a major part in almost every aspect of your wedding - or any event for that matter. from decorations (number of centerpieces can increase with each table added), to stationery (invitations, programs, favor tags, etc.), to more obvious costs such as food and drink.

dedicate some time to compiling your guest list and comparing it to the budget you've set. decide how much you'd like to spend, and determine how many you can accommodate with that amount. it may be easier to contract with an event planner who is experienced with determining the price per person costs of an event.

many times hostesses (brides, honorees, etc.) are frustrated after an event because of the additional, and often last minute, costs added. sometimes last minute guests are added because the bride (groom, or family members) forgot a few folks. sometimes last minute guests are added because of an attempt to fill anticipated empty seats due to the responses.

to avoid the former, spend the suggested time mentioned earlier on your guest list, then do your best to stick to it. to avoid the latter, when you contract with your venue(s) book a lower guest count. let me explain...

if you invite 200 guests to your wedding, don't book the reception hall for 200 guests. but do make sure they have seating capacity should all 200 guests respond affirmatively. book your venue for 150 guests, and increase as necessary based on the r.s.v.p.'s received.

we'd be happy to assist you in preparing for your event and determining your price per person costs. contact us today for a complimentary consultation.

#RoyalWedding deals and discounts

just over a day away.... the carriage has been polished, the china is set, and Kate won't promise to "obey" in her vows to Prince William. the entire globe is in an uproar of excitement about the pending nuptials of the eldest son of the late Princess Diana.

Westminster Abbey has secured the facility beyond actual security, but has added "jammers" which will block its expected 1,900 guests, which includes royals, celebrities, politicians, and some citizens, from being able to tweet! it is not clear whether or not guests will be blocked from all cellular and wireless access, or just the twitter.com site. additionally, as guests are expected to arrive as much as two hours early, there will be no restroom facilities available. guests were advised to make their own arrangements in advance. (ouch!)

well, we're excited and admittedly caught up in the media blitz! join us online at www.twitter.com/jmarieassociate where we'll not only tweet about the #RoyalWedding, but also sneak in a few deals and discounts. we'd love to help you create your own royal experience or custom stationery! visit our website for more information about our services and products.

why we're not "inexpensive"

there's an entrepreneurial spirit that's living strong in our country - that's part of what makes America so wonderful. howevever, many often jump into new careers prematurely. in the day and age where many brides, after enjoying their own wedding day, determine they are indeed fit to become an event planner for others. while some are actually skilled, many may not have what it takes to really be an asset to the event planning community and the clients it serves. believe it or not, it takes more than "being a bride" to know what you're doing...

so with event planners popping up every five minutes, you're sure to come across several that are willing to offer full planning event services for $300-$500. now, we all have to start somewhere. and thankfully, i'm still employed full-time, so i was able to work for low prices as i started out to gain experience and enjoy my passion. we no longer can offer packages at such low rates, because we've now have over 9 years of experience! not only do clients benefit from our vendor and venue database, but from our proven tips and tricks, experiences and know-how.

our full service packages can entail a minimum of 40 hours... even at $500, that's only $12.50 per hour. even if we worked an equivalent of 40 hours for 52 weeks, that's $26,500 per year. our clients make more than that! we've got to charge more because we've got expenses to carry... website, printing, marketing, etc. in addition, to being paid for our experience and time.

many brides try to cut corners. and for that, we understand and applaud them. we believe the marriage is indeed more important than the wedding. we'd rather have couples who remain happy (and happy partly because they're not arguing about how broke the wedding has made them!). we have a number of ways to help you keep your wedding day within your budget. however, some vendors - you want quality! remember, the same holds true with event planners: you get what you pay for.