A Mountain Wedding Venue Close to Greenville, SC

We went this weekend to check out a new wedding and reception venue, at least it was new to me. We were invited to tour Cherokee Valley Golf Club and see just what they had to offer our brides.

Located just 25 miles from Greenville, just above Travelers Rest, the club has some absolutely breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains. Picture your wedding ceremony set up on the edge of the golf course in front of a beautiful waterfall or at a spot with beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. Maybe you prefer to be on the clubhouse deck under the beautiful wooden gazebo. Whatever spot you pick the views are spectacular.

If your headcount is under 200, you can hold your reception at the clubhouse. If the headcount is higher, you can have a tent put up behind the clubhouse. There is also the beautiful pool area available for receptions.

One thing I found very impressive is the cottages that are available for rent. They could be used by the bride for getting ready or for guests to stay in. Each cottage has four bedrooms with a central living area and kitchen. There are also large downstairs areas perfect for rehearsal dinners. Cottage rental packages include all the clubs amenities, so your groomsmen could even play golf during your wedding weekend and your ladies could lay by the pool.

If this sounds like something you would be interested in for your wedding, give Willrich Bridal a call and we’ll start working on it today.

Bustling Your Wedding Dress

Today, I’m going to a fitting with one of my brides. We’re going to not only see the dress (I can’t wait) but more importantly learn how to bustle the dress.

Knowing how to correctly bustle the dress is so important. If you don’t have a planner make sure someone goes with you to your fitting and learns how to bustle your dress. Bustles go from the very simple “one hook over bustle” to the much more complicated “under bustles” with up to twenty ties that must be matched under the dress. Someone needs to know how to tie up the bustle on the wedding day.

Now for a word of advice, make sure this person is not your mother, she will be excited, nervous and probably not even with you when the dress needs to be bustled. Also, bustling your dress involves someone being on their knees up under your dress, probably not what your mother wants to do in her wedding finery.

Lots of brides chose a bridesmaid to learn how to bustle the dress. Again, this might not be your best plan. I’ve seen so many bridesmaids get nervous and forget everything they have learned about bustling the dress. Also, many times the bridesmaids will have gone on ahead to the cocktail hour and are not available when bride and groom pictures are finished and the dress needs to be bustled. Pick someone that is calm, reliable and will be there when needed for this job.

One more thing, while at this final fitting ask for any material that was cut from your dress for hemming. Give this piece to your florist so any ribbons he uses on your bouquet can be matched to the exact color of your dress.

Just What Is a Bridesmaids' Tea

Photo by Better Tie Productions

The other day someone asked me just what a bridal tea is and do we need to have one. A bridal tea, also called the bridal luncheon or bridesmaid’s luncheon is a thank you party given by the bride for her bridesmaids and any close family or friends that have helped with the wedding planning.

Normally, this luncheon is given a day or two before the wedding or occasionally on the wedding day. The bride and her mom normally are the ones giving this luncheon. It may be held at a restaurant or at home. It usually consists of light foods, such as salads or fruits and is followed up with a traditional bridesmaids cake. It is almost always a small intimate gathering. Most of the time the colors of the luncheon or the tea reflect the colors of the upcoming wedding, but this is not a requirement.

This is the one party where the bride does not receive gifts. Instead she gives gifts, thanking those attending for all their help, time and expenses invested in making her dream wedding day possible.

Now This is Why I Love Being a Wedding Planner!

When my team and I can help make a bride's day be what she has dreamed about since she was little, I know I'm doing the job I was born to do.

Attention Upstate Brides: Here's a Chance to Answer All Your Wedding Questions And it's Free!

Our table at last year's show

Free! Now that is a word that you rarely ever hear connected to wedding planning. But you can attend “How To I Do” put on by the Greenville Library at the Augusta Road Library for just that, free! Here is your chance to meet Greenville area wedding vendors, listen to them speak about their specialties and get your burning questions answered.

This is not a hard sell session, trying to get you to hire these vendors. It’s just a chance for you to learn what you need to know to have a wonderful wedding. And did I mention that it is all for Free!

Why would you not do this?

How To

I Do

Join local bridal professionals for an intimate bridal show and a morning of one on one tips and advice

so you can learn

How To I Do!

Saturday, September 25, 2010 from 10 to 12

Location: Ramsey Family Augusta Road Branch Library

100 Lydia Street, Greenville

For more information or to register for this free program call 277-0161

or email HowToIDo@Gmail.com

Learn more on facebook
 
Here's a video sample from last year's event

Tips For the Layout of Your Wedding Reception

Photo by Jacob Dean

Here are some things you should know when planning the layout of your reception.


1) Never have your bars near the entrance. If your bars are set up near the entrance of your event, you end up with a bottleneck of guests trying to get a drink and the guests behind them can not even get into the room. We solve this problem by having servers at the doors as guests enter offering them a choice of drinks on trays and have them “butler” drinks throughout the room along with bar service. This way guests can get a drink from a server as he passes and not even have to stand in line. Also, don’t scrimp on bartenders. You need at least one for every 50 guests.

Photo by Jacob Dean

2) Pretty much the same idea goes for food, especially during your cocktail hour. Do not set your food stations by the entrance to your reception area. Again, if you do, you have guests lining up for food and blocking the entrance for other guests needing to enter or leave. Place food stations away from the entrance and spaced throughout the room. Having servers butler hot hors d’oeuvers is an elegant way to solve the bottleneck problem and a good way to save money. If your more expensive appetizers are butler passed your guests will consume less leaving you with a savings on your food bill.

3) Cake placement – This is my big pet peeve. Do not place your cake by the doors as your guests enter. Again, this causes a bottleneck as guests stop to look at the cake. There is also the danger of the cake being bumped in the rush of people coming in the doors. That many people passing by your cake, breathing on it and little kids putting their fingers on it, is just yuck. Place it toward the rear of the room where everyone can see it but won’t be crowded around it. I like it either near the sweetheart table so it shows in your pictures or at the back of the dance floor so it’s in the pictures of your first dance.

Hanging, Casading or Dripping is the Look For 2011 Weddings

Inside Wedding Magazine - Summer 2010

I think the wedding above is probably the most beautiful one I’ve ever seen. In fact, I’m pretty sure heaven looks just like this. (You can see more in Summer 2010 Inside Weddings Magazine). Of course that may be because these are the colors I love, but what I really want you to notice are the hanging vines on the gazebo.

Inside Weddings- Summer 2010

This is the year of “hanging, cascading, dripping" or whatever other terms you would like to use. You see it everywhere. Dripping vines, cascading crystals, spilling ribbons, even (and I knew you wouldn’t believe me so I have a picture), hanging bartenders.

So how can you take this over the top look and make it your own? Ribbons are a good place to start. You can hang ribbons from trees, arches and even the back of chairs. Crystal curtains can be purchased and hung from arches; smaller crystals can be hung from arrangements on your tables. Even your bouquet or flower arrangements can be dripping with ivy or green amaranthus.

This is a great look you can easily make your own, even if you can’t afford bartenders hanging from the ceiling.

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