Be kind to your vendors, you know they deserve it!

I want to talk with you about your vendors and your reception. That is, the vendors that would be there for the duration of your reception, and sometimes long before it starts. We're talking about your photographer(s), videographer(s), and DJ. These folks spend a large portion of your day with you. We feel that they should get some dinner when that time rolls around.

Ok, so I hear you saying "But Denna, we are already buying dinner for 200 guests! Why do we have to feed these folks too? Can't they pack a brown bag for Pete sake?"

Of course they could, but we think that they deserve a nice meal, and that's why we do the following:
At every wedding reception there are a few people who told you that they would come, and then don't show up. You've already paid for their dinner, and then they stiff you. Obviously, this is really mean, and unless they have a REALLY good reason, they should be spanked for doing it. You have already paid your final bill, and you end up paying for them even though they don't come.
So here at Aberdeen we allow up to 4 vendors that you don't pay for on your final bill (if every single person of your count shows up, we'll just worry about those meals later, it's very rare, believe me!) Usually this is your photographer and assistant, the videographer, and the DJ.
Now, here's the kicker, YOU NEED TO ASSIGN THEM A SEAT, EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE NOT PAYING FOR THEM!
Why? Well a lot of vendors are very reluctant to sit down in a seat that they think may be someone who isn't coming, just because that person may show up at the last minute, and then they are sitting in their seat--can you say AWKWARD?
PLEASE! Don't forget to assign seats for your vendors! These can be all at one table, or they can fill in the spots where you have odd numbers, where ever it works out the best. They don't mind. They usually are there long enough to have a bite to eat, and then they are off doing their jobs. But they really appreciate knowing that this is THEIR SPOT and no one will come in and kick them out in the middle of their salad!
If you are offering your guests a choice of dinners, it isn't critical to get a choice from the vendors, they usually are happy with whatever we have for them.
It's very helpful to us to have the location of your vendors marked on the room diagram. This way we know where to look for them if we need to talk to them. And it also lets us know where they are if they don't have placecards and we need to seat them (sometimes if the placecards are a favor/placecard combination, the couple will just tell us where the vendors are seated on their diagram rather than having to have more favors).
So, when you give us your final numbers, you would have the number of paid guests and then the number of vendors. Your paid guests might be broken down to number of kids, vegetarians, etc. but be sure to let us know how many vendors you will have and make sure you give them a seat.
Colin Cowie,the bridal consultant to the stars, says that "Style" is taking care of your guests; planning everything to do with your wedding with the comfort and delight of your guests in mind. Taking care of your vendors, while they are not officially guests, is part of that too. We help you do that, hopefully you can help us too by giving them an assigned seat.
Let me know if you have any questions! I would be happy to explain further if any of this doesn't make sense.

Note to Kelli

Just a quick one as we are in the midst of a wedding reception, but I don't want to let this go any longer than I have to. I received a comment today on a post from last spring, and I don't know of any other way to respond other than this since I don't have her email address. So here goes. The rest of you can just go on with whatever you were doing. :)
Kelli, I don't know where you got the impression that you don't need to book any more than seven or eight months out. That may be the case for a Friday or a Sunday, but if you want to book a Saturday evening wedding, you had best get that done as soon as possible. We have already booked May 22 and 28 of 2010 as well as June 5. Our Saturdays book up a year or more in advance. If a Friday or Sunday works for you then you can wait. If you want further info or have other questions, feel free to email me at dfyock@affairsinc.com and I will see what I can do. And by the way, thank you for reading my blog! It's nice to know that someone is actually looking at it and getting some good ideas! :)

Our January Palette!!

Here it is! Our first "Palette of the Month"! Keeping in mind that this palette is something designed for July or August--we chose Tiffany blue and black with white and silver accents. Yum!!!


This is a very elegant combination. Particularly with black gowns, and classic black tuxedos. Nothing is more elegant than black and white (or ivory) and those little robin's egg blue boxes with the white satin ribbon--well girls, need I say more? Who wouldn't want to receive one of those!!!!!!!

The bride I picture in this palette is a young lady who is very fashion forward, and very sophisticated. She knows what style is and uses it to her best advantage. She realizes that "less is more" and that sometimes the minimalist is the classiest.
This gal would choose a menu worthy of Tru, and she would probably want a case of Vouve Cliquot champagne with bright red raspberries in the flutes. She might choose to serve a special dessert--white and dark chocolate marbled boxes filled with chocolate mousse and accented with a mint leaf and a fanned strawberry. The wedding cake would be a vision of smooth white fondant with a very simple and classic gum paste bow on the top and gum paste pearls around each layer.
Like this one at Dianes Cakes and More (but our Linda could make this one, we've seen her do it!)


This palette would be lovely with very neutral white flowers, (since, as you know, there are SOOOOO many flowers to choose from in the Tiffany blue and black! haha)
White orchids and roses come to mind immediately. White Casablanca lilies would be beautiful too. Sprays of white dendrobium orchids shooting out of tall vases on some tables with miles and miles of strung pearls draped around the vase, and maybe silver julep cups filled with white roses on other tables. A lily floating in a bubble bowl with pearls as a third design. Our black bichon tablecloths would be dynamite! Little Tiffany blue boxes with white ribbons, filled with a chocolate truffle for favors. Menu cards would be an elegant touch--black backing with Tiffany blue layered in between and white menu on top--maybe a little half pearl glued into a motif to accent it.

Gowns strike me in the Vera Wang style; sleek, classic, unadorned and simple but with amazing lines.



Maids could wear either black gowns, or if you wanted to do something a little more edgy, maybe the Tiffany blue in a cocktail length strapless flirty little dress. The moms would look striking in sleek black evening gowns.
Accessories? Pearls of course. 3 strand pearl necklaces with pearl earrings for the maids, and for the bride? A multi strand pearl necklace with pearl earrings that have just a little dangling pearl, and a pearl bracelet over opera length gloves (if she's into gloves). Her bouquet could have pearls wired into it as well, either shooting up from the bouquet or in strands that dangle below.






This couple will probably spend their honeymoon in the "Big Apple" dining at wonderful restaurants and taking in the Broadway shows.

So what does this palette say to YOU? What ideas do you have for our couple?