It is Wish Upon a Wedding’s Awareness Week. How can you help? As a bride you can make a donation in your guests’ names to Wish Upon a Wedding in lieu of  wedding favors. There is nothing better than spreading the love.

I’ve been looking all over the place for some useful wedding apps for iphones and it looks like there are a handful of them but only a select number of good ones. There is definitely lots of room for improvement when it comes to wedding centered apps for smartphones.

Here are my top two:

A. iWedding Deluxe Truly it seems like one of the most powerful apps for wedding planning out there. It has a way to track the wedding party, the guest list, the budget, it also has a generic wedding planning calendar and much much more. It’s a little on the high $$$ end as far as apps go but it has a ton of useful bells and whistles.

B. Bride Guide This app has a wedding countdown, which can be a lifesaver or a stressful reminder of how much needs to get done! It is well designed with different sections such as ceremony, reception, stationery, flowers,etc and tips that are quite useful while planning a wedding. I really like their budget feature with a comparison between estimated vs. actual.

What are your thoughts… will you use an app to plan your wedding? Any other good ones out there that you would like to share?

Realistic Weddings Budgets ~ Let’s talk Cash

I’ve talked to a lot of couples about their budgets and it seems like they are all over the place as to how they allocate their monies to certain items in their budget. The way they allocate their dollars make sense for the most part and then there are other times… I don’t know how in the world they arrived at these numbers. And that’s okay because they don’t plan a wedding all time time. So let’s talk cash, working with a $40,000 budget, 150 guests, a wedding party of 4 bridesmaids and 4 groomsmen lets focus on a wedding in downtown Chicago (we will leave suburbia behind this time around) and talk about it at a different time because it’s definitely another ball game.

• Wedding Bands (3.5%) ~ $1,500
• Wedding Dress, Alterations and Veil (5%) ~ $2,000
• Reception (Site and Catering) (49%) ~ $19,900
• Photographer (8%) ~ $3,200
• DJ / Entertainment (4%) ~ $1,600
• Invitations/Stationery (2%) ~ $800
• Flowers (8%) ~ $3,200
• Cake (3%) ~ $1,200
• Parents and Wedding Party Gifts (2%) ~ $800
• Rehearsal Dinner for 40 guests (5%) ~ $2,000
• Officiant/Ceremony Fees (1.5%) ~ $600
• Wedding Party Limo/Car (2%) ~ $800
• Groom’s Tuxedo Rental (0.0075%) ~ $300
• Bride’s Hair and Makeup (1.5%) ~ $500
• Month of Wedding Planning (4%) ~ $1,600

Things vary a little here and there in cost based on the selections of the couple, so these numbers will fluctuate. Tomorrow I’ll talk about what is included as part of these costs.

Yesterday I talked about setting realistic budgets for a wedding in Chicago based on a $40,000 budget, 150 guests and a wedding party of 4 bridesmaids and 4 groomsmen. So let’s go thru the rundown of what $40K gets you for your money. And for anyone asking if $40K is a lot of money…. it is.

• Wedding Bands (3.5%) ~ $1,500 This number is based on a simple wedding band for the groom with no bling and a modest wedding band for the bride with a few small diamonds. Nothing over the top but quite nice.
• Wedding Dress, Alterations and Veil (5%) ~ $2,000 This includes a reasonably priced gown for the bride, alterations, shoes, jewelry and a veil.
• Reception (Site and Catering) (49%) ~ $19,900 The biggest vendor in the wedding budget and rightfully so as it includes a full open bar for four hours, wine with dinner (they close the bar during this time), hor d’oeuvres during cocktail hour and a three course meal. This also includes taxes and gratuity which in Chicago will take up 30% of your catering budget. There are some great reception venues in Chicago that can fit this budget and do it quite nicely.
• Photographer (8%) ~ $3,200 This includes six to eight hours of wedding photography by a local freelance photographer, an album, an engagement session and depending on the photographer a copy of the high resolution files. Don’t skimp on a photographer. After the last dance has played, after the toasts have been heard, the flowers wilted and the last slice of cake eaten all you have is pictures, so think of this as an investment.
• DJ / Entertainment (4%) ~ $1,600 A Disc Jockey for six hours during the reception. If you want to make an investment in a band (and I have to add.. I love bands!) then you may want to cut the amount of guests as most bands will start at $3,800 and go up from there based on the amount of musicians and time they will play.
• Invitations/Stationery (2%) ~ $800 This includes save the dates and invitations for your guests. Remember one per couple or family. Don’t forget to include the postage for both the save the dates, invitations and reply card.
• Flowers (8%) ~ $3,200 Includes personal flowers for the entire wedding party and parents, tall altar arrangements that can be reused for the escort card table and gift table along with low and lush centerpieces at each table. In addition to delivery, setup and taxes.
• Cake (3%) ~ $1,200 I’m a sucker for good cake. If this is your only dessert you may want to make it a good one. A cake not only has to look good but also taste great. This includes a slice of cake for every guest in the wedding along with taxes and delivery.
• Parents and Wedding Party Gifts (2%) ~ $800 This cost can certainly vary on the type of gift that you want to give the wedding party and your parents. It’s an average of $60 to $65 per person.
• Rehearsal Dinner for 40 guests (5%) ~ $2,000 Go for a casual setting and avoid serving the same meal two nights in a row. Most rehearsal dinners last three hours, this cost includes a meal for 40 guests along with light libations and a casual meal such as Spanish Tapas, Mexican night or lots of italian food.
• Officiant/Ceremony Fees (1.5%) ~ $600 An officiant to perform the ceremony, sign the marriage license and file it with the county clerk.
• Wedding Party Limo/Car (2%) ~ $800 A limo to drive the wedding party along with the newlyweds before and after the ceremony for four hours.
• Groom’s Tuxedo Rental (0.0075%) ~ $300 Rental of a groom’s tuxedo. A lot of locations offer a discount on the groom’s tux if the groomsmen and the parents order their tux from the same location. Definitely something to consider.
• Bride’s Hair and Makeup (1.5%) ~ $500 Hair and makeup by an experienced professional makeup artist for the bride who will meet the bride on site. This also includes a trail run for both hair and makeup prior to the wedding. It certainly is an item were there are cost savings but keep in mind good makeup makes you feel good and will certainly show in your pictures.
• Month of Wedding Planning (4%) ~ $1,600 After you’ve made an investment on your wedding why leave it to Aunt Sally to run the show when what she really wants is to relax, spend time with the family and join in on the celebration. Let an experience coordinator direct the vendors, be the go to person, troubleshoot on the day of the wedding, keep you sane and on schedule.

These numbers are estimates of what I’ve seen in the past, things change based on selections, time of the year and availability. A good planner can maximize your budget by negotiating (remember we tend to use the same trustworthy pool of vendors. Therefore, we have more leverage when it comes to negotiating) I want to finish with this. Everyone has a budget, it may be large, medium or small. Don’t be ashamed to let the vendor know what it is so they can maximize the rate of return and let you know what are your options.

If you haven’t told your loved one how you truly feel about them, today is a good day to put all your cards on the table and tell that person how much you love them and how special they are to you.

We were very happy to have one of your 2009 weddings featured on Clover and Bee

Please visit their website’s Real Weddings for part one and two of Venu and Sendhil’s beautiful Hindu wedding last summer.

Photo Credit: Orange 2 Photo

As Valentine’s Day rolls around the corner I wanted to let everyone know about a wonderful organization called Wish Upon a Wedding. Wish Upon a Wedding produces weddings and civil union ceremonies across the United States for individuals facing terminal illness. I’m happy to be part of the Chicago Chapter team who will be helping a couple make their wish come true. I chose the Friday prior to Valentine’s Day because on Sunday,February 14th, Wish Upon a Wedding will start accepting applications. Please visit their website to learn more about the organization and how to apply.

If you are a vendor and would like to become part of the Wish Granters team please submit an application. You do not need to be part of the wedding industry to contribute or make a donation. For more information on becoming a wish granter please visit the website.

I will continue to update everyone on upcoming events for the Chicago Wish Upon a Wedding Chapter and our launch event in March. Follow the chapter on twitter at WUWChicago or become a Fan on Facebook

Dreams do come true.

How many guests can be seated at a 60″ round table? With lots of room 6, comfortably 8…. maximum and I mean very maximum is 10 guests.

What about a 72″ round table? Do not seat any less than 8 guests at this table or it will look empty and your guests feeling like second class citizens. Comfortably seat 10 guests at this table, busting at the seams it’s 12 guests but still fits. Any more than 12 guests and you will get mean looks from the catering captain finished with a big “no” as it’s physically impossible to accommodate another person or place setting (aka. dishes, glassware, etc).

Photo Credit: Gerber & Scarpelli

If you are not hosting your wedding reception at a hotel and have a good amount of out of town guests attending the wedding, then it is a good idea to set up a hotel room block. Most hotels offer a room block for weddings but others don’t. Demystifying the hotel room block can get tricky at times because some properties will make you liable (as in big $$$) for any rooms that go unused and others will not. Start by calling hotels near the reception site that have openings for your wedding. Second, ask what is the maximum amount of rooms the hotel can provide per night without making you liable for any rooms that go unused. That number usually ranges between ten to fifteen rooms. Finish by asking for the room block rate which usually tends to be $20 to $30 off their rack rate. If you feel this is a good rate for your guests then make sure you ask the sales person to provide you with a contract stating the phone number guests can call to make their reservations, name the room block is under usually it’s the couple’s last names, what is the cut off date for guests to make their reservations and how many rooms are included in the block. Make sure you ask your sales person what happens if you fill up your room block but still need to add more rooms . Chances are the hotel might be able to accommodate you at the same rate but it all depends on availability.

Most photographers offer an engagement session as part of their wedding photography package. Couples ask me all the time if they really need to spend the money on an engagement session when they have this great picture of themselves from their vacation they can use as a substitute for an engagement picture. You can certainly do that. However, an engagement session is a good way for the couple and the photographer to get comfortable with each other. Believe it or not, it takes some people (myself included) a little time to get comfortable having someone take their picture. You can have the best photographer in the world but if you are having a hard time letting loose, smiling or enjoying yourself the pictures will show. Use the engagement session as a practice to the wedding day, so when the big day arrives you can carry on as usual and not be daunted by the person behind the lens.

Here is a new concept for 2010 courtesy of The Special Events Show. A wedding afterparty at the food truck. Afterparties are great for the young crowd that is ready to keep livin’ it up til the wee hours of the morning. If you want to kickoff the afterparty from the moment your guests leave the reception how about having a local food delivery truck greet them at the exit.

You can treat those late night party animals with lots of water (and you know they will need it), pizza, Chicago style hot dogs or chocolate cupcakes.

Sprinkles Cupcakes Food Truck perfect for an afterparty greeting