Celebrating February With The Things We Love

February is the month of love and for such a special month, I decided we would do a little something different to celebrate. All this month, I’m going to talk about things I love (that are wedding related of course). I thought I would start with an interview of a vendor I know you will love.

I know there are a lot of blogs out there with interviews of all types of wedding vendors, everyone from Preston Bailey to Vera Wang. If you want to read some really great ones check out fellow wedding planner Liene’s interviews at Blue Orchid Designs. But, I thought we would do things a little different here at the Willrich Planners Blog and interview “local” wedding experts.

These are local vendors that can actually make your wedding something spectacular, because let’s face it as wonderful as Preston Bailey is, the chance that you’re going to hire him for your wedding is slim at best. So let’s talk to what I consider the cream of the crop in this area and get to know them a little better.

Life of the Party DJ's. Robert is 2nd on top row

First up is Robert Batson owner of Life of the Party DJ. Robert has provided DJ entertainment to upstate South Carolina for over 20 years. Life of the Party now has 8 DJ’s that provide everything from recorded music to live vocals for your wedding and reception. You have probably heard one of his DJ’s, Sam, singing at the bridal shows. Robert and I have worked together a lot and I love working with him. I wanted to ask him a few questions, so you the new bride and groom, can get to know him better too.

Tell me Robert, what makes Life of the Party special?

Robert: Our guarantee of no time limit and one flat fee for a reception. A bride has enough to worry about on her wedding day and should not have to worry about paying overtime for music entertainment or having extra charges to pay.

How did you get started in the business?

Robert: I majored in radio & TV technology in school and we were encouraged to let our personalities and creativity come out. I have always been tied to music through instruments and popular music. I did not start DJing full time until 2000.

What do you like best about your job?

Robert: I enjoy making people dance and have fun. I really feed off the excitement of the crowd and the compliments I get after an event.

Tell us about your favorite wedding or event.

Robert: I don’t have a particular one that stands out. I believe the one we did for the Miss South Carolina Gala is right up there. 800 people and I did the dance music that night with a full dance floor. People said some really nice things to us and we were asked back next year before the event was even finished. That was fun.

What are the questions a bride should ask when choosing a vendor in your field?

Robert: I believe you should always check references. Not just brides’ references but wedding industry references. Venues that refer you usually have a good gauge on who has a good reputation. If a DJ company calls you back, can they meet with you and answer all of your concerns?

What’s the hardest thing about your job?

Robert: The hardest thing is missing family events on Saturdays when I am working 98% of the time. Missing the boys sporting event or a birthday or family visit.

Any words of advice for our couples?

Robert: My advice to all of my brides and grooms is it’s your big day so enjoy and plan what you want to do for your satisfaction and fun.

Thanks Robert, it was great talking with you and we will be working with you soon!

Inspiration Boards

Most brides come to Willrich Bridal with a pretty exact idea of what they want for their wedding, but when a bride comes to us and needs help with ideas for her wedding, we turn to something called Inspiration Boards.

We start with discussing what she and the groom like. What are their favorite colors? If they are not sure we discuss what colors are hanging in their closet. What are their favorite movies, favorite foods, vacation spots, countries? All of this helps me put together ideas that will make their wedding their own.

From there we can create the Inspiration Board. These are pictures of ideas that together create not only the look for the wedding but also the feeling. It’s a jumping off point to work from. A visual for the bride and vendors.

These ideas are usually the dream version of the wedding and maybe budget won’t allow it to be copied exactly, but we can always come up with a scaled down and affordable option.

Above is an inspiration board for a bride that is wanting the new trend in metallic and sparkle.

Photos are from Bride and Bloom Magazine, Alabama Weddings Magazine and Photography by Dennis and Yvette

Confetti

If you are as crazy about all things wedding as I am, then Confetti is a movie you should see. Maybe as a wedding planner I may enjoy it a little more than you, but it is really a fun little movie. I happened to order it from Netflix after a friend told me I needed to see it.

The movie is an English “mockumentray” about a group of contestants trying to win the title of “Most Original Wedding of the Year.” Along for the crazy ride are two put upon wedding planners. At stake is a dream home for the winning couple.

Next time you are looking for something, crazy, sweet and heartwarming check it out. I will warn you that it does contain some nudity.

The DIY Bride by Kris Cochran

Ok, I am just not a DIY’er. By no stretch of the imagination am I crafty. It is not something I do for fun. When I do find myself tackling projects, it is out of necessity, as in “I can’t afford those invitations; let’s see if I can come up with a way to make them”. So, when I started reading The DIY Bride by Khris Cochran sent to me by it’s publishers for a possible review on my blog (yes, believe it or not that does happen occasionally), I did not expect to be excited by it. But this book is off the hook good. I love it because it is written in an "ok girlfriend let me explain how this works" kind of tone, not the over technical tones of a lot of manuals and her projects are soooooo wedding perfect. What better way to put your own special stamp on your wedding.

Khris is the founder of DIY Bride Com. If you are a bride and a self proclaimed DIY’er and you haven’t checked out this site, shame on you. But back to the book, she starts off with a list of tools you will need to complete these projects. Not only the list, but explains what each item is and what it does. Perfect for the DIY challenged like me. Then she breaks the projects down into whether you can handle them on your own, with your groom to be or do you need to plan a party to get them done. Talk about being able to plan ahead.

The projects themselves do not have that homemade look. They are very professional. And speaking of professional Khris even compares your cost of doing it yourself to the cost of purchasing from a professional. It feels good to see how much money you can save and still have a beautiful item like the one below at your wedding.

I mean how cute is this? Now the question is can I do it. I think with Khris’ help and instructions I just might be able to and that is saying a lot.

Look for this book at Amazon.com or at your local book store.

2nd Annual Trash Your Wedding Dress Event

Ok, here’s a little secret I’m going to share with my readers. It’s getting close to time for the 2nd Annual Trash Your Wedding Dress event for the Awareness of Breast Cancer. If you remember last year, we had an absolute ball doing it. This year will be even more fun. If you would like to participate this year, all you need to do it go to http://www.idoinsc.com/ to sign up.

You must be a recent bride and have a desire to raise awareness for the need of early detection of cancer in young women. For participating, you will receive a free video of the shoot and a free cd of pictures taken.

Our plan this year is to start out at the Hyatt. The brides will get dressed there; have refreshments and then head out to the trolley for a ride through downtown. We will stop off at Falls Park for some pictures and then move on to…….are you ready for this…..the Greenville Drive Ball Park. You will have your “trash the dress” pictures made at the ball park during a game. Imagine the photo opportunities, throwing out the first pitch, with the mascot, on the field, in the stands, eating hotdogs, anything that leads to a beautiful picture and at the same time calling attention to our mission to remind people of the need for early detection.

There will be a table set up at the ballfield that the brides will man (between shoots) handing out information and collecting donations.

This is your chance to get those edgy photos you dreamed of and doing a really good thing at the same time.

Here are a few pictures from last year. Don’t wait to sign up, since there are only a limited number of slots available.

Bella Bridesmaid Grand Opening

Yesterday, I was invited to the Grand Opening of a Bella Bridesmaid franchise at Lewis Plaza in Greenville. Actually, I had visited the store earlier and met the very sweet owner Kristy Young while on the search for a mother of the bride dress.

Kristy carries dresses for mothers, flower girls, bridesmaids and even brides along with all the accessories. If you would like to check it out just call and set up an appointment.

Just some of the different lines they carry.

Kristy Young at the Grand Opening

A Hot Ticket - Or How to Get Your Groom to the Wedding Show

Here’s a little special for my blog readers. The Elegant Wedding Showcase has offered to let my readers, which plan to attend the Greenville show at the Marriott on February 17th, 2008, purchase one ticket and receive one ticket for free. You can use this ticket to bring along your groom to be, Mom or any guest of your choosing. You just need to mention that you saw this offer on the Willrich Bridal Blog when purchasing your ticket to receive the second ticket free. Click here Elegant Wedding Showcase to purchase your tickets before the show for a reduced price.

Now your fiancé has no excuse for not attending the show with you. Besides there will be champagne and chocolate covered strawberries to tempt him with. What more could he want.

Remember this is the show that is sponsoring the free dream wedding giveaway along with B93.7. Yours truly is the wedding planner for the lucky winning bride. Pick up your entry form at the show or visit the website at Elegant Wedding Showcase .

Willrich Bridal at Work - Part 7

Below are pictures showing just a few of the things Willrich Bridal will handle at your reception.

Willrich team members are there to greet you and your bridal party as they arrive and get everyone in place for your grand entrance.

We make sure you have everything you need during dinner. We have a person stationed close at hand to make sure you get a chance to relax and eat.

We help bustle your dress

And we help repair your bustle once it breaks. (They always do.)
When it is time to cut your cake, have your first dance, any of your big moments, we are right there to make sure it runs smoothly.
Not only are you important to Willrich Bridal, but so is your mother. We make sure all her needs are taken care of.
We will decorate the bridal suite.
After the wedding Willrich will pack your wedding gifts.
We've even been known to do a little baby sitting.

Elegant Wedding Showcase in Spartanburg

Willrich Bridal was a vendor this past Sunday at the Spartanburg Elegant Wedding Showcase at the Marriott. We had a great time and met a lot of excited brides and professional vendors. Some of my favorites were there. The Castle was there participating in the strolling fashion show with so many beautiful dresses. As you can see from the pictures below Richard really enjoyed that. I love the girls at The Castle. Robin is great.

For me these smaller shows are a lot of fun to work and attend, as vendors we have the time to talk to everyone and as brides you have time to relax and really enjoy the show.

The models from the strolling fashion show. This staircase at the Marriott is beyond beautiful. Just imagine having your bridal portrait taken there. You can see Erin Knight the harpist at the top of the picture. We have used her many times.

One of the displays in the grand ballroom. Event Rentals had a beautiful setup.
Crowd enjoying the show.



Richard talking to brides in our booth.



Entrance way before the show started.



Richard's favorite model from The Castle.

Our booth. We had a really great spot at the end of the staircase.
We met so many great brides and my phone has been ringing off the hook today, so all in all it was a wonderful show.

Willrich Bridal at Work - Part 6

The ceremony is over and everyone agrees it was the most beautiful ceremony they have ever attended. Now is the time to get everyone back down the aisle and ready for pictures.

Willrich people are in place at the doors to send your ushers or groomsmens back down the aisle to escort out your mother and grandmother. You and your groom are led away to a side room for a little one on one time and your bridal party is safely hidden away as guests begin to leave the church. Once everyone is out of the church we bring you back out and begin pictures. Some of our team stays to help with pictures and pack up at the ceremony site. The rest return to the reception site to get the party started.

Getting the bride in place for pictures.

Moving the bridal party in for pictures.

Helping with touchups before pictures.

Making sure everything is ready at the reception site

Willrich Bridal at Work - Part 5

Now all the details are set, guests have arrived and it's time for the ceremony to begin. This is when the real excitment begins. We have event specialists stationed at the doors making sure all the guests have been properly seated. Once all your guests are in place we bring your grandparents and parents out and place them in line for the processional. The music ques are given and the grandparents start down the aisle. Following them we line up your bridal party. Once they are proceeding down the aisle I come and get you and your father and put you in place for your entrance. Imagine the doors to the church closing following your flower girl's decent down the aisle. The bridal music begins, we silently open both doors and your guests turn to watch you and your father float down the aisle. The moment you will always remember.

Waiting to go down the aisle. We will make sure your dress is spread out and perfect as you head down the aisle.

One of our event specialist makes sure your processional goes perfectly down the aisle.

One of the specialists stays with the groom and bestman, making sure their entrance is perfect.

We que the music for everything to run smoothly.

Champagne and Tuxedos - What More Could You Want

Sunday we will be a vendor at the Elegant Wedding Showcase at the Marriott in Spartanburg, SC. This is the first show Willrich Bridal has done in Spartanburg but we are really looking forward to it. The Elegant Wedding Shows are so “elegant”. I just don’t know what other word to use for them. They are smaller more upscale shows than the normal bridal shows. Brides are greeted by handsome men in tuxedos and carrying champagne (what more could you want). You actually have time to spend with the vendors, talking and understanding what they have to offer. And these vendors are all your upscale, well known, experts in their fields.

If you are planning to attend, please stop by and say hello.

Willrich Bridal at Work - Part 4

Now that all the vendors are accounted for and everything is moving ahead like clockwork, we begin overseeing and placing all the details that make your wedding unique. We make sure all the items like programs, guest books, and favors that you have given us earlier are placed in the correct spot. You don't have to worry that these items are being taken care of. You can do what brides are meant to do; just relax and enjoy your wedding day.

Placing aisle markers and checking on family seating.

Putting programs in the seats of people in the processional.

Keeping an eye on timelines and vendors.

Reviewing timelines with vendors.

Setting out favors.

Checking on set up.

Making sure all the details are perfect.