Wedding Trends: Go Bold, Go Green

As the warm weather rolls in, it seems only natural that the hottest color of the season is bright yellow. Whether you choose to incorporate it in your flowers, your linens, your bridesmaid’s dresses, or even sashed across your own wedding dress, yellow screams summer, energy, and freshness. Bold colors are very in, with jewel tones ranging from shocking pink to vibrant green. Many wedding couples are now focusing on green, not in the sense of the color itself, but rather for the natural, organic connotation it suggests.

It seems that many often brides confuse the idea of a “green” wedding with something too informal, too nontraditional, and maybe even “too hippie” for them, but in fact, there are many ways to interpret the concept of “green” weddings. Most obviously, choosing a natural setting will help set the tone; however, as with many of the organic ideas that I will discuss in this blog, making “green” choices often means spending more “green.” Unlike hotels, country clubs, or restaurants, outdoor venues often require you to outsource all tables, chairs, linens, stemware, plates and glasses, flooring and draping for tents, and most significantly, heating or air conditioning units and power generators, which are anything but conservatory. Thus, in making the decision to use an outdoor venue, it is hugely important to emphasize to your vendors that they minimize their use of energy and waste so that you maximize your green concept and make any extra expenditures worth your dollar.

Continue to “go-green” by choosing organic food and wine, and stay in tune with the trends by serving miniature portions. Offer organic vegetables, artisan cheeses, and soup shooters for hors d’oeuvres, and choose a sustainable fish, such as halibut, for your main course. Start your guests off with an amuse bouche of hummus, olives, and olive oil served in a three-compartment plate, and follow this with an intermezzo of refreshing and colorful sorbet. Fusion cuisine is also very in, so provide your guests with small portions of exotic tastes presented on square plates, and expose them to three fabulous new trends at once!

Be inspired by the bold colors that are so in style, and add energy to your event by transitioning from color to color throughout the wedding. Move from one color to another from the ceremony to the cocktail hour to the reception. Realize that you do not have to travel to an exotic destination or serve a traditional five course meal on formal china to have a fabulous, successful wedding. What will really get your guests excited in 2008 is being bold with color and concept, creating energy without wasting it, and most importantly, allowing your personality to shine brightly through all of the items that you select for your special day.

The author of this blog is Jaime Greenwald, President of Gala Events, Inc.

Running Bridezillas Galore!

On the morning of April 4th, Claudia, Meredith and I went to the “Running of the Brides” at the brand new Filene’s Basement store in Tysons Corner, Virginia. I'm sure you have seen it on television before or at least heard about it - hundreds of women rushing to dozens of racks full of designer wedding gowns and trying them on in the aisles. In fact, it was even referenced on a "Friends" episode back when Monica was planning her wedding to Chandler. Remember?

News reports often compare this one-day-only bridal event to the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain, which is why the event is officially called the “Running of the Brides.” All of the brides running around grabbing dresses off the racks. It’s truly an experience. After standing in line all morning, hundreds of brides with close friends and family race to find the perfect dress. It takes a matter of seconds for the racks to be stripped bare. Women, and even men, just grab and run. And who wouldn’t when you can find the perfect designer gown for a steal?

Call us crazy but we thought this sounded like too much fun to miss. So, we got up bright and early to join the line, handing out baby blue garters to all of the brides-to-be, their “something new, something blue.”

When we arrived at 7:00am, hundreds of women were already lined up outside of the main entrance to the Filene's store. The line wrapped around three sides of the building. Most of the teams we asked said they started arriving at 6:00am, but a few women started camping out the day before. In fact, the first team in line – decked out in pink antenna headbands and matching shirts – arrived at 8:30pm the night before after casing the store, scoping out mirror locations and getting a sneak preview of some of the dresses! They said, “if we were going to do this, we were going to do it right.”



At 7:55am chaos broke out. What was once a line became a mass of women, pushing to be the first through the doors. We watched from slits in the window as store employees held onto the racks for dear life in preparation for the bulls, I mean brides.

As soon as those doors opened, the girls were off and running. We watched as nearly 2,000 dresses flew off the racks in less than a minute. After the wedding gown frenzy slowed down, the damage was assessed. It appeared that all were safe and only the main doors were broken, and maintenance was already busy trying to fix them.

We then decided to venture inside, gaining a first row seat to the madness. Women were carrying around as many gowns as they could hold. Some women wore sports bras and shorts, while others wore the lingerie they planned to wear on the big day. I even saw one woman wearing a bikini – a great idea. To help with locating “the” dress, teammates carried signs that indicated what sizes they were looking for - another good idea!

So, how great of a deal is this? Basement buyers accumulate gowns from a variety of sources including manufacturer's samples, overstocks, canceled orders, excess merchandise, etc. Originally priced anywhere from $900 to $9,000 or more, the dresses are drastically marked down and the new prices are set at $249, $499 or $699. The gowns are not returnable, so it isn’t uncommon to hear of a bride buying two.

As if the groups of anxious women aren’t enough, there were also news camera crews. I watched a news report a couple hours into the event and was very excited to see two of the brides I had spoken to earlier that morning showing off their newly purchased gowns.

Tips for Success
Since this may be something new to you and for those of you planning on heading to Towson’s or DC’s event this summer, the following are some tips for success:

1. Get there early or get there late. There may be a better selection first thing in the morning, but only a fraction of the dresses are actually purchased. It’s true, according to a Filene’s Exec. So, if you go later, you avoid the frenzy and still have a great shot of finding the perfect dress.
   
2. Bring help! Some tips advise you to leave men at home. We saw plenty of guys in line ready to take down anyone who dare steal a dress. Think about it, it’s the perfect “dress guard.”


3. Identify your team. The Filene's Web site suggests you and your "team" wear matching colors, hats, etc. to help you find each other in a crowd. Have fun, be creative.


4. Ready to wear. Be-Cool Come prepared to strip down in the middle of the store. Leotard or sports bra and bike shorts are a great way to slip the dresses on quickly.


5. Leave your handbags at home. Carry your belongings in a fanny pack or, better yet, have a friend carry them.
   
6. Think creatively. Since these dresses are so inexpensive, it may be worth the cost of alterations if the gown you love doesn't fit perfectly.


7. Be open-minded. Certain dresses look best on certain bodies. Don't pass up a dress just because it isn't what you had in mind - it may look awesome on you!


8. Be courteous. This is just common sense. Everyone is there for the same thing - to find the perfect dress. If you are nice and help someone out, they will be nice and help you - hopefully!
   
9. Be fair. Again, everyone is there for the same thing. So give up your dresses as quickly as possible so that other brides have a chance to try them on.


10. Have fun! Hopefully you will find the dress of your dreams but if not, you will cherish the memories and have a great story to tell your friends.

The author of this blog is Kristie Pichler, Event Planner at Gala Events, inc.

Honoring the Earth with your Eco-Chic Wedding

Personalizing your wedding is very important to making your wedding a special celebration that reflects you and your Groom. Hosting a “Green” Wedding is a great way to make the celebration unique and meaningful. Here are some tips for an Eco-Chic Wedding:

Location, location, location
The location of your wedding sets the tone for the event – and can account for a big chunk of your budget.

• When selecting a venue, consider choosing a setting that’s convenient for most of the guests, minimizing travel impacts. The less your guests have to travel, the less oil consumed. Also consider having the ceremony and reception at the same place.
• An outdoor setting will infuse the whole event with a natural sensibility – and require less decorating too! I chose to have my wedding on a beach. There was a good deal of luck involved weather-wise; but I can't think of a much more beautiful setting than one provided by nature.
• If you decide to hold the event indoors, try and select a venue that makes the best use of natural light. Or pick a unique local spot that supports a cause you believe in – like an art gallery, nonprofit space, organic restaurant or farm, green hotel, botanical garden, or green-roofed building.

Save the date and a tree
Your invitation is the first impression guests will get of your eco-friendly wedding.

• Use recycled paper wherever possible; most companies offer this option now. You may also want to consider treeless paper made from bamboo, hemp or kenaf.
• Even the type of ink used for the invitation should be taken into account as some inks can be toxic. Try to have your invitations printed with vegetable- or soy-based inks.
• Jump at the opportunity to go paperless. Weddings can generate a huge amount of paper consumption, so give careful thought to items that can be reduced. Instead of multi-enveloped notes, I sent a postcard for my save-the-date. This was both cost-effective and cut down on paper. My wedding website was constructed to keep guests informed of wedding-related parties such as the rehearsal dinner. We eliminated the R.S.V.P. card and encouraged guests to reply online.

Be sure to let guests know about the eco-friendly hotel and transportation options in your area, from hybrid rental cars, to directions to the ceremony using public transportation. And don't forget to pick up some extra green paper products for your guest book, place cards, and thank-you notes.

From décor to flowers and beyond
Add beauty and style to your wedding décor, naturally.

• Flowers used at weddings and receptions have a tendency to be out of season and as a result are imported. Transportation and care of these flowers requires extra resources. Try to use locally sourced flowers. Think organic.
• Think outside of the box and have your bridesmaid showcase something other than flowers. For instance, I had my bridesmaids carry bamboo fans and matching purses instead of cut flowers.
• Reuse, hire or borrow room décor. A great way to help the planet, choose vendors who are committed to recycling, such as Gala Inc. Forego the traditional centerpiece and instead decorate with branches, potted plants or candles. Use beeswax or soy-based candles over its romantic and energy efficient. They are cleaner and longer burning than regular candles.
• Use leaves or other natural objects as place cards. At my wedding, I chose sand dollars as escort cards. Guests loved them and even took them home as keepsakes.
• If you must have fresh cut flowers, consider recycling them. For instance, alter arrangements at the ceremony can double as a centerpiece. Or, donate the flowers to a hospital or rest home at the end of the day.

'Tis better to give...

Give away favors that give back...to the earth!

• Show your guests that you care about the plant’s species, habitat and humanity – give Endangered Species Chocolate. These chocolates support charitable organizations.
• Go green! Give your guests a small plant, personalized eco-friendly wildflower seed packets, or tuck bulbs in an attractively burlap bag.
• Dress up your basic mason jar and fill it with organic jams, jellies or honey from the local farmer’s market. Handmade, natural soaps or candles are a nice touch as well.
• Reusable cloth tote bags are a great idea.
• Brighten your guests’ home with a compact fluorescent light bulb.
• Use place cards made of seeded paper that can be planted at home. Better yet, give guests a small plant to take home.
• Or, my favorite, give a charitable donation to a cause that is special to you.

A special touch, consider planting a tree at the end of your ceremony instead of releasing butterflies, which can disrupt wild butterflies’ migration and spread disease or parasites.


Going green doesn’t mean you have to compromise on your big day, though. By taking a look at the bigger picture, you can move beyond the usual decadence and consumption to create a truly personal, moving, and sustainable celebration that people will remember for years. You may even open a few eyes in the process.

The author of this blog is Kristie Pichler, Event Planner at Gala Events, inc.

Do you need a Wedding Planner?

It's engagement season! Congratulations to all of those newly engaged couples. One of the very first steps in the wedding planning process is to decide if you need a wedding planner.

This is a question that often comes up. There tends to be a misconception that a bride thinks she can handle everything on her own or with the help of family. And, maybe she can. Tons of weddings take place everyday without a planner.

Ask yourself some questions.
Do you have a lot of wedding details that need full attention?
Do you want to enjoy your day and truly feel like the guest-of-honor at your own party?
Will you be able to enjoy yourself while managing vendors, wondering if the cake has arrived, does the photographer have the correct timeline, does your DJ have your first dance song ready to go, and does your caterer have a special plate prepared for you and the Groom?

If you have answered yes to any of these questions, then maybe you need to consider hiring a wedding planner.

I want to be able to enjoy planning the wedding of my dreams.
Many brides are afraid that they won’t get to finally plan the wedding of their dreams if they let a planner take control. There are a lot of details leading up to your wedding day that need attention, so maybe wedding consultation and a "day of" package are what you need?

The biggest reason why you need a wedding planner – whether it is “day of coordinating” or “full planning” – is to be able to just let go of the worries of getting things done and trust that a professional has "your back" and is your advocate. You simply cannot be worrying about the reception layout while you are getting ready for the biggest day of your future.

My girlfriend is going to handle the planning on my wedding day.
In theory, this may be a great idea and you may even think that this is going to save you a lot of money. But, there is one thing to consider: your girlfriend may have never planned a wedding before in her life. Plus, she also wants to have fun at your wedding too.

Hiring a wedding planning is going to cost too much.
This is a very common myth that needs to be addressed. In fact, it’s not expensive, it's priceless. This is a day in your life that only happens once! You want it to be perfect, trust the professionals that specialize in perfect. Furthermore, the professionals should be able to help you with your budget and give you insider tips on where to save.

The most important thing for you to remember: allow yourself to fully enjoy your wedding. Consider giving up some responsibility on your wedding weekend to the professionals that you trust will allow you to fully enjoy yourself, your Groom and your wedding!

The author of this blog is Kristie Pichler, Event Planner at Gala Events, inc.