Ride in Style – Transportation Tips for the Couple & Your Guests 11/09/2009

With all the decisions you as a bride will tackle, one that tends to get little attention is transportation. Some logistics may be required.

Begin thinking about the number and proximity of locations that you, your bridal party, the groom, the groomsmen, immediate family and guests need to navigate (i.e., hotels, homes, ceremony & reception)

Some thought starters to decide what transportation option is best for you and your wedding day…

Is your wedding in NYC where taxi’s and public transportation are the convenient? Or do you have to travel from one town to the next where many people need to drive? Is your location off the beaten track…meaning it’s better to have one point to pick up your guests (to ensure your wedding doesn’t start late!).

Are you after a stylish getaway?

The limo is a classic but what about a vintage car such as a Rolls Royce or Bentley? A horse drawn carriage and rickshaw are whimsical choices.  Rent a 1950’s taxi  for retro look in a suburban area. Or go green and rent bikes for a barn yard wedding weather permitting! Having a Mardi Gra wedding in New Orleans? Walk the streets with the band and bask in the glory with the town on your new nuptials!

Creative budget options…
- Clean out and decorate your own car or borrow a car from a friend or relative.  You can ask your friend to chauffeur as a wedding present.
- Choose a standard limo rather than a stretch.
- Rent a luxury sedan and negotiate a day-of wash and wax.
- If your dress allows, zoom out on a motorcycle or ride that tandem bike your parents have in their garage.

What about your guests?

There are many options for transporting guests and it pays to shop around!  Fun ideas are trolleys and luxury coaches depending on the theme of your wedding.  You can transport large amounts of guests with a double-decker bus or mini-buses for a more intimate affair.  Be sure to preview inside the buses or better yet – get a trusted referral!  Some hotels offer shuttle service when you book a certain amount of rooms.  Again – shop around!

Give yourself enough time to work around any limitations you may encounter, especially if your wedding is in the city.  Private Receptions is happy to assist with transportation ideas and information to select your way to ride in style.

Manic Mondays by Jessica Ozrek

A Vintage Vehicle for the Couple 11/07/2009

Thinking about a vintage vehicle for you and your fiance? A few things to consider about this option:

1. Does it tie in with the wedding theme (classic, romantic, traditional, elegant)?

2. Cost in the Tri-State area will range anywhere from $600-$3500 depending on the car & the company for 4 hrs. Note there is a standard  3 hr min. when renting, tax is typically included as well as a 15% service fee, gratuity is extra.

3. Best month to negotiate rates is February (Winter Specials)

4. Rolls Royce can hold from 2-4 people. But note that the 4 person is typically a bench seat. Older classics only set 2.

The Importance of Hair & Make-up On Your Wedding Day! 11/05/2009

Blog by: Erica Whelan (Professional Make-up Artist)

Erica Whelan(left) & Bride (right)

The Dress! The Dress! The wedding dress may be the star of the event, but its supporting players, hair & make-up, are an integral part of making “the dress” the showstopper it was meant to be.

Determining what to do about your hair & make-up on your wedding day is often one of the last steps in the planning process. At this point most or your entire wedding budget has been spent and you are looking to save money wherever you can. I am here to advise you that you should not skimp when it comes to having your hair and make-up professionally done. We live in a celebrity-obsessed culture where TV shows such as The Rachel Zoe Project or magazines such as US Weekly teach us about red carpet style. From these resources we have learned that it takes a village to put together an overall look. There is no difference between a red carpet event and your wedding day. The goal is the same – to show everyone the best possible version of you!

What a Great Make-up Artist and Hairstylist Can Provide on the Wedding Day…

Most of us who work in the bridal industry also freelance in the editorial world. We spend a lot of time working on photo shoots. We have seen firsthand how hair and make-up can hold up under all types of weather conditions and lighting environments. As make-up artists and hairstylists we understand the difference between what you see with your eyes versus what the camera captures.  For example, you may cringe at the thought of having your hair teased, but without the added height your hair will appear flat and lifeless on camera.

In addition to our roles as artists, we are usually the ones keeping everything on time and everyone focused on what they should be doing. When you sit in our chair, we give you a safe place away from all the craziness that is going on around you. We are your therapists when you need to vent and we protect you from family members and bridesmaids when they become too pushy. Hey – we got your back!!!

Your wedding day is one of the happiest days of your life, but it is also one of the most expensive. You worked hard to buy the dream dress and pay for the pricey photographer to photograph it. Investing in professional hair and make-up on your wedding day will ensure that you will look as great as you feel. The wedding may last one day but those pictures will last a lifetime!

Erica Whelan
(917) 584-4318
www.dripbook.com/ericawhelan

Engaged Volunteers Needed 11/04/2009

Volunteers needed for a study of attitudes towards marriage and parenthood among engaged couples.  The study consists of a 25-30 minute online survey. To qualify for the study, you must be 20-35 years old, live in the U.S., and plan to marry or have a commitment ceremony within the next 365 days. You and your romantic partner must not have children, and this must be the first marriage for both of you.

Why Your Voice matters:
-Help a doctoral candidate
-Increase the pool of scientific knowledge
-Support research on marriage and families
-Spend some time thinking about your relationship

Cristina Reitz-Krueger is a doctoral student working with Dr. Charlotte J. Patterson, a Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia.  This study has been approved by the University of Virginia Institutional Review Board #2009025800. If you and/or your romantic partner are interested in participating or want further information, please email me at survey.couples@gmail.com She will send you a link that you can use to access the study

Contact Info:
Cristina Reitz-Krueger
Doctoral Student
University of Virginia
(434) 243-8558
survey.couples@gmail.com

Get married in Outer Space!!!??!! 11/03/2009

It’s possible that you or someone you know will be able to get married or even honeymoon in outer space.

To check out article click here

To check out Hotel concept click here

Tie the Knot with Facebook Apps 11/02/2009

MANIC MONDAYS by Jessica Ozrek

FACEBOOK BRIDES

If you’re a huge fan of Facebook like I am, you probably frequent the site to reconnect with old friends and know who else is preparing to tie the knot.  Now you can play with wedding planning tools while you share what’s on your mind!  Facebook applications have taken off and wedding experts are joining the craze.  Here are some Wedding Facebook applications that you should know about:

Wedding Book

• Meet other brides and grooms
• Share your wedding details
• Create a wedding registry
• Plan your wedding
• View your friend’s Weddingbook

Wedding Wire

• Wedding Blog
• Wedding Party
• Search for Vendors

Connected Wedding

• Free Personal Wedding Website
• Seating chart that uses your Facebook Friend List!
• To-do list with over 150 of predefined tasks
• Gowns, tips, articles and more!

Let your friends join in the fun by counting down to your big day with you – add a wedding ticker to your Facebook profile with Daisypath wedding and anniversary ticker!

and of course…DON’T Forget to be a Fan on Private Receptions™ Facebook Page!

Manic Mondays 10/30/2009

Jessica Ozrek - Staff BLOG Writer

Jessica Ozrek, a Private Receptions™ blog writer, fell under the wedding spell the moment she cracked her first wedding magazine in July of 2008.  Jessica enjoyed the planning process  so much – she continues to keep the bridal experience close to her heart by reporting the latest tips, tools, and resources. You can now follow Jessica EVERY Monday in her new column “Manic Mondays”.

From one bride to another, find tips and resources that will help defuse the mania of planning your wedding and enhance your “bride-to-be” experience!

EAT CAKE BE MERRY! 10/29/2009

The cake tasting and consultation is probably on of the most enjoyable aspects of wedding planning.  You get to taste an array of delicious cake and envision the beautiful centerpiece of your reception.

2 important tips to help create a great cake…

A. When building the flavor profile for your cake, stay simple.  Some brides request a combination of 5-6 different flavors of cake, filling, and frosting to be all in one tier of their cake.  Although it may be difficult to limit yourself if they are all delicious, too many flavors in one bite can end up disastrous. Either split up the flavors into different tiers or try to stay simple all around so you can really taste the distinct ingredients in the cake and filling.

B. When choosing a design for your cake, be creative. Cakes have greatly evolved from plain tiers with flowers to sculptures and works of art.  Custom cakes are designed to reflect the bride and groom’s personality and uniqueness. So feel free to express yourself through the colors, patterns, tier shapes, and toppers.  Another popular idea is to design the cake so it is consistent with the graphics on your invitations.  Therefore, when going in to meet your baker, bring invitation samples, color palettes, themes, or photos that will help you create a perfect cake for your special day.

Blog post compliments of  Liz Shim at Eat Cake Be Merry

1940’s Glamour Favors 10/27/2009

Having a 1940’s Glamour Wedding? Try these fun favors as a gift idea… individual personalized cigars with wedding logo on them for the guys and pashmina’s rolled up and tied with a satin ribbon & hang tag with your wedding date!

For 50 men & 50 women your looking at $5/per person all in! Fun themed idea that your guests with enjoy. Source online in Google. Want to know out vendors? Give us a call at 646.726.4403 or email us at info@privatereceptions.com we’ll be happy to share our secrets

Deal or No Deal? 10/26/2009

With the economic down turn, brides can expect to get deals from vendors.  But not all vendors are created equally.  Should you expect to land a deal when booking your wedding venue space?  We went out to some of the top venues in NYC and DC.  Here’s what we found.

Foundry, Queens NY

Allison Du Val, Managing Director of The Foundry in Queens, NYC, has seen rentals go down slightly this year from previous years.  With weddings being the prime source for renting their 19^th century industrial space, rather than having every Friday, Saturday and Sunday booked from March through October as was the case in other years, many Fridays are open.  She is seeing that brides do expect a deal and has made her rates more competitive for the current market place.  Although costs have decreased, she hasn’t seen it as tough as other types of vendors.

“Not as hard up as florist and bands,” Du Val remarked, “you have to have a roof over your head.”  Brides looking to cut costs may go without decorations or flowers but choosing a wedding venue is a must.

Prince George Ballroom, NYC

Jonathan Rives, Venue Manager of The Prince George Ballroom in New York, hasn’t noticed a change with their space rentals.  They’ve been open since 2005 and 20% of their rentals are for weddings.  For the cost conscious bride, they do offer special rates for non-peak times in the months of January, February, July and August.

“We’re a turn of the century ballroom,” Riles commented about the Common Ground’s event space. Common Ground is a not-for-profit and 100% of their profits from The Prince George Ballroom goes towards helping out the homeless.

Four Seasons Hotel, Washington DC

In Washington DC, venue managers haven’t seen a change – the event business is still doing well.  The Four Seasons expects to have the same amount of bookings for next year as this year and years in the past.  As usual, Hotels tend to be more flexible with brides during days and months that are less in demand.

Dumbarton House, Washington DC

“We are not offering any specials at this time,” added Missy Groppel, Marketing & Events Manager of the Dumbarton House, “we do offer discounted rates for weekday and weekday evening events, and we have seen an increase in the number of weekday weddings!”  At the Dumbarton House, 80% of their events are wedding related.

Vendors are open to working with brides to the best of their ability.  Wedding venue space might not be the optimal place to get a deal, but by understanding the game, you can make the right decisions to decide deal or no deal.  What’s most important to you?

“If it’s been a tough year, [bride’s think] let’s throw a great party and celebrate,” Du Val exclaimed.