Inspiration Board - Purple

It's all about the purple this season. Love this inspiration board. Courtesy of StyleMePretty.com.
Sources:
Domino Magazine
HickeyFreeman Lavender Wide Striped Silk Tie
MarthaStewart Chrysanthemum Meringue Cake
TufiDuek Lavender Satin Adriana High Neck Dress
J. CrewLucinda Gown
SundancePhoebe Ring
GreenBouquet

Temperley London Sample Sale - NYC

If any of you ladies are in NYC from Jan 30 to Feb 1, check out this sample sale:

You are invited to

Temperley London's Sample Sale

Enjoy up to 80% off past collections (RTW and accessories)

Friday, January 30th: 8AM - 7PM

Saturday, January 31st: 11AM - 7PM

Sunday, February 1st: 12PM - 7PM

453 Broome Street, 2nd floor loft

between Mercer & Greene St.

T: 212-219-2929

All major credit cards and cash accepted.

No personal checks.

www.temperleylondon.com

Free Wedding Dress Contest at PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com

Since 2004, PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com has been connecting buyers and sellers of pre-owned designer wedding dresses. They can help you find the dress of your dreams for less. Or help you give your beautiful gown a second big day with another happy bride.

PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com is a listing service designed to connect buyers and sellers of new, sample and used designer wedding dresses. This website is a wedding dress gold mine! A must website visit for every bride. Some fabulous finds include dresses by Carolina Herrara, Vera Wang, Melissa Sweet, Amsale, Lazaro and many more.

Why not potentially save thousands of dollars on your wedding dress? And, if you've already worn your dream dress, share it with another happy bride and use the money for something practical like more honeymoon souvenirs!

To enter their "Win a Dress" contest now! Simply click here: Win a Free Wedding Dress!

PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com has been featured in In Style Weddings, Cosmopolitan, Los Angeles Times, Daily Candy and more.

The Art of Negotiating, Part 2

In the first part of the series, I talked about how attitude will affect your negotiation process. For both sides of the negotiation table a positive attitude and willingness to listen to each other will go a long way in coming up with a mutually satisfying agreement.


Today I’ll be discussing expectations in negotiation. This, above else, is where most people trip up the process. Many couples go into a negotiation with unrealistic expectations of the outcome and come out (often bitterly) disappointed that they didn’t get what they wanted.


A quick example of unrealistic expectations: A seamstress colleague of mine was asked to create a Reem Acra-inspired gown for a bride. The seamstress quoted a price and the bride came back with a counter-offer almost 1/2 less than the quote. The seamstress declined. The bride was very upset and couldn’t understand why the seamstress wouldn’t work with her. Afterall, she heard having a seamstress make a dress was cheaper than buying from a salon. It wasn’t like this seamstress was Reem Acra herself!


The problem here is that the bride expected couture-quality design at a discount mart price. From the seamstress’ point of view, the counter-offer wouldn’t have covered her expenses. There was no way she was going to work for free - nor should she be expected to. Had the bride suggested 5% less, the seamstress may have been able to accommodate her with slight adjustments to the gown’s design/materials. That the client automatically assumed she’d work at half price killed the deal completely.


So, how do you set realistic expectations with wedding vendors?
Have a budget in place before you speak to any vendor. Knowing how much you actually have in hand to spend on any service or object is an absolute must before you negotiations can begin. The vendor doesn’t need to know this amount but YOU do.


Pick your vendors wisely. Most unrealistic expectations start with the notion that all vendors can work with people of all budgets. That’s not true. Know what you can afford before you pick your vendors and pick your vendors according to their standard fees. Expecting a $20/slice Silvia Weinstock cake when you have a $3/slice budget isn’t going to happen, no matter how charming you are during negotiation.


Don’t expect deep discounts on custom-designed services or products. There’s this weird notion that handcrafted or a la carte services are worth less than pre-packaged, off-the-shelf solutions. Not true, not true, not true.


Know that you’ll likely have to give up something in the negotation process to make it worth the vendor’s time/efforts. If you’re looking to get a lower price on, say, your catering quote, you’ll have to start deducting items from the menu or choose less-expensive alternatives to the things you want to serve. Remember: negotiation will only work if it’s a win-win situation for both parties.


Understand that vendors are under no obligation to alter their prices or services for you at all. I touched on this in Part 1 and it needs to be said again and again. Automatically expecting them to wheel ‘n’ deal isn’t realistic or fair. When they do so, consider it a personal favor and, please, don’t try to bully them into it. I hear a lot of stories from vendors about couples throwing tantrums, threatening to write bad reviews, and all sorts of dirtbag behaviour to try to coerce vendors into giving discounts. You don’t waltz into Bloomingdale’s or Wal-Mart or and demand a discount just for being you. You’ll get laughed out of the store. Same with wedding vendors.

In the next installment we’ll talk about positive negotiating tactics and how being flexible with the outcome of any negotiation will better help get you close to your negotiation goals.


Article courtesy of DIY Bride.

The Art of Negotiating, Part 1

Few things cause as much agony in the bridalsphere, from both couples and vendors, as negotiation. In my behind-the-scenes dealings with my wedding industry colleagues and with my interactions with you I’m privvy to both sides of the negotation table. What I see is a lot of misunderstanding and oftentimes bad advice (on both sides) about how to negotiate.

To start off, let’s look at what the worst missteps I see couples making in the negotiation process are:

Lack of courtesy and respect for the vendor and the her time, talent, and product/service.
Unrealistic expectations of the outcome of the negotiation.
Inflexible about the terms of the negotiation.

These 3 points almost always kill the negotiation process and any chance you may have of getting a better deal for yourself. Why? Simply put: they’re all ego-based actions and offer the vendor no incentive to do you a favor. (And, yes, anytime a vendor alters her standard product, services, or prices to accommodate your needs it is an act of benevolence on their part. You’re not automatically entitled to those things.)

Over the next few days, we’ll take a look at the negotiation killers and ways to have drama-free, positive negotiations with your vendors.

The first one I want to talk about is lack of courtesy and respect for the vendor and the her time, talent, and product/service.

Most vendors work exceedingly hard to create their products or deliver their services. They rightfully expect to be fairly compensated for their time, supplies, expertise, and business expenses. They set their prices to ensure they cover their expenses and make a reasonable profit otherwise their business can’t survive. That’s business 101, right?

When couples approach a vendor with an attitude of entitlement or a mindset that they’re going into battle, it pretty much shuts down the negotiation process before it begins. Many vendors in the industry expect (and even welcome) some negotiation. All of them expect to be treated with respect and dignity during the process as much as you do.

An appreciation and understanding of their work/efforts/talents goes a long way. For example, while a wedding cake may look like just flour, sugar, eggs and frosting why should you pay $5.00 a slice for that? — so much more goes into creating one: like tens of hours of decorating, baking, training, product testing, recipe developing, high priced equipment, and a bunch other stuff just to get a cake to your reception. All of these things cost time and money to produce for you. Looking at it from that standpoint may help you understand why Chrissy Cakebaker can’t offer you an “Ace of Cakes” inspired creation for $1/slice.

It’s important to keep in mind that most small, independent wedding pros aren’t independently wealthy and are likely barely making a living off of their businesses. I mention this because demanding extras or reduced pricing seriously affects every businesses’ bottom line and their ability to sustain themselves. Some businesses by virtue of their business model or the economic conditions in their area cannot afford to negotiate on price at all. While this is ultimately not your problem, your budget restrictions are not their problem either. The whole point of negotiation is to come to an agreement that suits both parties. You know - a win/win situation.

Approach your vendors with an attitude of kindness, understanding, and collaboration. It’s your best bet for a positive outcome.

This article courtesy of DIY Bride.

How to Handle Wedding Planning Stress

'Twas the season to become engaged.' Well, according to bridal industry statistics, the holidays are the time of year when a large number of couples get engaged. Congratulations to all the newly engaged couples out there. A word of advice to all you brides-to-be, don't let the wedding planning process take over your life. You may be asking yourself, "What do you mean?"

I recently dealt with a bride who spent two years planning her wedding. Every night she would come home from work, eat dinner and retire to her computer where she would spend at least five hours researching for her wedding. This young bride had a robust budget and was scouring the network for wedding bargains, ideas, style, trends. She wanted 'the best of the best' after all the wedding day is the most important day in a girl's life. Hmmmm.

Don't live your life obsessed with your wedding and the details. Don't get me wrong, a healthy dose of detail scrutiny is fine but two years planning the perfect day? First, there is no such thing as the perfect wedding day. Something will happen that isn't planned and hopefully you will have hired a professional wedding planner to take care of any unforeseen fiascos on wedding day.

The point here is that your wedding day is an important day but it is not the only day in your life and should be put into prospective with the rest of your life and your husband-to-be. Don't become the monster brides that the media so loves to poke fun at. Worse still, brides who obsess over their weddings tend to experience post wedding depression. I've had brides contact me after their wedding to ask if their strange sense of a wedding void is normal. It is but it can be avoided.

Here are five tips on how to keep a healthy lifestyle balance while planning your wedding and, in turn, help avoid becoming a stress-zilla, bridezilla and prevent post wedding depression.


1. Bridezilla be gone! - You're engaged to the man of your dreams! It's supposed to be the happiest time of your life. Structure your time by allotting specific times slots to wedding planning. You should aim to only address wedding planning issues within the allotted time slots. This will ensure that you have focused time with your family, fiance, friends and those that matter most to you. It will also prevent you from getting overwhelmed by unnecessary stress and pressure to create the 'perfect day.'

2. Everyone's got advice, only you never asked! - Ladies be prepared. Friends, mothers, mother-in-laws, not all but enough of them, tend to see a wedding as an opportunity to fulfill their unfulfilled wedding dreams. Mom wants the wedding she never had. Your girl friend wishes it were her getting married. Throw in some insensitive, meddling family members and you might be blown off the wedding planning track. Ladies, stay focused. Get clear about the wedding you want. If need be, clarify your wedding wishes to those that need clarification. Finally, focus on your husband to be and your relationship together, after all isn't that what the wedding is about.

3. Marital evolution - Ladies you need to realize that you'll be evolving on an emotional level with your groom to be. It may seem to be about the wedding planning details but more important issues that need to be addressed include emotions about family and parents. In laws do not disappear after the reception is over. Fear not, be tactful and don't sweep any issues under the rug.

4. Wedding planning, the ugly monster has reared its head. - Don't get fixated on the external details. If you're fighting with everyone around you on an almost daily basis about what your wedding is going to be then you need to step away from the planning process. Are you breaking into a cold sweat at the thought of taking a break from the planning process? Take a deep breath and focus on the person your are going to marry. Visualize life after the wedding.

5. The perfect wedding does not make the perfect marriage. First, I'd like to make it clear that there is no such thing as a perfect wedding. Something unforeseen will always happen on wedding day. Ladies while the wedding day is an important event in your life, it is not the only and most important event in your life. It is only one of many beautiful memories you will create with your new husband. During the months leading up to your wedding, dedicate time to building your relationship with your fiance. Don't speak about the wedding, just be together and enjoy each other!

Robin & Richie

Robin & Richie were my NYC Loft wedding couple featured on Whose Wedding is it Anyway? Here are some of their awesome wedding pictures by David Robbins. Their wedding took place at Penthouse 15, NYC.
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Interested in Wedding Planning as a Career? UPDATE

Wedding Planner Course with Style Network's celebrity wedding planners Stella Inserra and Samantha Goldberg.

Have you been told that you should be a wedding planner? Want to learn from some of the best? Then this is the class for you. Credited courses are good, but do not give you the hands on experience that you will need after the class is completed. Many classes do not even allow contact except through email once you have completed the accreditation. Do you want to learn how to get into the industry the right way? Are you a bride who just got married and now consider yourself a professional planner? While this may be the best choice for you, one needs to have a strong foundation before they start!

Let us teach you the right way to get started. Don't try to mimic what you see on TV or online, you need to work with your own ideas. Let us help you!

Check this blog for upcoming updates.

Specifics about the class
Date: February 7th 2009 9:30am-3:30pm
Location: Summit, New Jersey
Fee: $900

1. The class will entail how to get into the business, personality profiling, role playing, staying organized, how to market yourself, networking and how to find your special niche.
2. We will cover how to close each client and make your programs stand out! Role playing plays a VERY important part of this.
3. We will supply you with the proper tools to get started. What tools you ask? Timelines, ceremony lineups, venue timelines, budgeting spreadsheets, client information page and much more.
4. The class will be a one day seminar and will include lunch.
5. The course will be approximately 6 hours. You will receive a certificate upon completion.
Completion means after you have completed your day of coordination with assigned bride.

***You will be assigned a bride to work with as this becomes available. Your work with this couple will be done (pro-bono). This will be for day of coordination only.

This course can also be a great tool for brides who want to plan there own wedding but just need to get organized. If you have a group of "just" brides who want planning advice for their own
wedding, we can make this course a special day you won't forget! This is also the least expensive way to plan your wedding with professionals who know what works! We will also give you several vendors that will work within your budget.

Please note, we try our best to separate planners from our brides.

The fee includes all materials such as questionnaires, copy of contracts, vendor lists, budget spreadsheets, time lines and much more! You will also have the opportunity to work at an event where you will be able to work with Samantha or Stella hands on in the field.
This is OPTIONAL/SEASONAL and is already included in the fee.

If this is of interest to you and you would like more information, please contact Stella Inserra at info@simplydazzlingevents.com or call (212) 727-0600.

Cash, Personal Check and Money accepted. Payment via Paypal is available (there may be a small 1-3% fee per Pay Pal.) Payment plans are decided based on current financial situations.

Due to the high demand of internships we will only be able to work with 12 students per class. As of today there are only 8 slots available for this workshop.

We hope to see you!