Wedding Registries 101

Before stepping up to the altar and saying "I do," here's one other vow to consider: Promise to avoid the financial traps when signing up at bridal gift registries. Read the fine print, avoid unnecessary credit card offers, and ask about extra fees, charges and return policies before registering online or at the store.

This is a busy time of the year for wedding planning, and with so many details to consider, it's no wonder that setting up the gift registry and researching choices is frequently done haphazardly.

Here are some tips that could help the bride and groom avoid financial headaches before tying the knot.

Register online as well as at traditional stores. Register with two or three merchants, so your friends and family members will have more options on gifts and prices. Keep in mind that Aunt Mary's not Web-savvy and would prefer shopping at the store.

Some multipurpose online sites offer reasonably priced wedding reception decorations and gifts for the bridesmaids and groomsmen. TheKnot.com, links to two companion sites; The Nest and The Bump.

Be wary of plastic pitches. Nothing looks as good on wedding registries as big discounts on china, cooking utensils and other gifts that you purchase or that you get as gifts. But take a closer look. Sometimes those discounts, or rewards point, are available only if you use the merchant's credit card.

Macy's online bridal registry, for example, offers rewards points and a $100 wedding gift - but the fine print explains that you must have a Macy's credit card to take advantage of its Registry Star Rewards program.

Ask yourself: Do you really need the credit card?

Check on fees and extra charges. Know what you're signing up for. What are the charges for wrapping and shipping? This may help protect the person who's buying the gift from getting slapped with a hefty service charge.

Does the retailer offer "completion" deals? Some merchants will toss you a generous discount on unpurchased registry items, according to Bankrate.com, a personal finance website.

Ask for gift certificates. This way you can buy what you want when the items go on sale.

Get it in writing. Is the bride offered a discount on the price of the china? Were you quoted a price for ordering a minimum number of place settings?

"Don't be stuck with empty, very verbal promises," wrote Jeff Ostroff, who operates the consumer website bridaltips.com.

What's the return policy? Is there a generous time frame for returning duplicate gifts or the wine goblet that has a chip in the base?

On the other hand, consider keeping some extras, they might come in handy after you accidentally drop the butter knife down the disposal.

Fresh Ideas & Wedding News

http://www.examiner.com/x-72190-Modesto-Wedding-Planning-Examiner

Lodi Wine Country Wedding Faire ~ October 24, 2010

Don't miss out on the Lodi Wedding Faire on Sunday, October 24, 2010. This event is sure to be a hit, featuring numerous vendors from throughout the wine country. This wedding faire is being held from 11am - 4pm at the Hutchins Street Square, 125 South Hutchins Street in Lodi.

To step up the whole experience a notch consider taking part in the Wine & Weddings - "Stay & Play" Wine Tour. Limited to only 10 couples, book now so you won't miss out!

All-inclusive Package - $149 (+tax) per couple:

• Exclusive VIP wine tour
• Quality overnight accommodations
• Hot breakfast
• Wine & Weddings bridal show – VIP admission
• American Red Cross benefit bridal fashion show – VIP seating
• PLUS...more features coming soon!

Enjoy an overnight stay at Lodi’s newly renovated and popular Best Western Royal Host Inn on Saturday, October 23^rd and sample some of Lodi’s fine wines and wedding venues. For further information visit the show's website. 

VOW Awards

I am so fantastically excited to be a nominee for the 2010 VOW Awards in 2 categories - Wedding Coordinator and Synergy awards! I can hardly wait for the awards dinner November 5th; whether I win or not I am honored to have been nominated and voted for! Thank you to all my clients and networking partners/vendors/associates!

Home-Sweet-Home Reception

If you're lucky and you, or someone you know has a house and yard big enough to accommodate your reception, you could be in luck! A place that's filled with memories is fabulous when filled with friends and family on your wedding day.

If you and your groom aren't much for fluff and fuss, a backyard reception might be a safe bet, because these receptions are much less formal. They can also be much less expensive - you won't be tied down with including typical wedding trimmings or adhering to a formal dress code.

Just be clear: Home reception does not equal backyard barbecue. The last thing you want to do is make your parents and other family members sweat in the kitchen all week long before your wedding, preparing food for the reception.. If you're having more than fifty guests, hire a professional caterer.

Want to learn more about this?  Send me an email at Erica@ElegantAffairEvents.net

Maggie Sottero Sale in Modesto Oct. 8-14!

Local brides: Wedding Center USA will be holding an in-store Maggie Sottero sale on October 8th through the 14th, giving a beautiful 10% off all gowns purchased. If you're not familiar with the Maggie Sottero collection I implore you to go check it out. Wedding Center USA is thrilled to have this opportunity to offer this fabulous collection along with a 10% savings! The Maggie Sottero Bride Collection, Sottero and Midgley and the Limited Edition are all included in this exclusive event.

While at the Wedding Center USA don't stop at just the gowns ~ treat yourself to their wide array of bridal must-haves! The store has a beautiful selection of tiaras, headpieces and veils, shoes, bridesmaids and flower girl dresses and just too much more to mention. Men can find their tux's here and they even provide an in-house invitation and announcement print shop. Now, what's not to love?!

The Wedding Center USA is located at 1209 McHenry Avenue in Modesto (between Orangeburg and Roseburg). Now ~ get out there and save ladies!

Happy Thursday!

Modesto's McHenry Mansion - Classic Elegance

Built in 1883, by Robert McHenry, this stunning mansion is full of classic elegance to host your Modesto wedding and reception. Decorated in pieces true to it's heritage, the photo opportunities are simply stunning!

 While an indoor wedding at the McHenry Mansion will only comfortably sit up to 50 guests, the outdoor garden area can sit up to 200 guests. The basement is a fantastic area to either hold the entire reception if you have a small wedding or can be a great area to set up food stations, the cake stand or any other number of items best suited for the indoors. The basement is very bare bones - a stark contrast to the rest of the mansion. But, it dresses up fabulously with a little imagination. 

No food prep is allowed on site, so catering is a must. Check the City of Modesto's website to find all the facts and info on how to book this jewel for your upcoming event!

Some Trends That Need to Hit the Door??

If you’re a bride-to-be who’s anything like me, you’ve more than likely been guilty of (or perhaps a better term: fallen victim to) the inevitable, internet OVER-search.  With the World Wide Web access being so readily available and containing such a vast threshold of all the latest and greatest, it’s soooo easy to get sucked into the “Hottest Trends for 2010″ or “Wedding Etiquette 101″ or “What 2 Do 2 Cure the Monster-in-Law Blues” or… you get the drift.  And with all this pre-wedding curiosity bursting at the seams, wedding searches just may be the biggest version of unnoticed overload ever.
 
Because there are so many options for brides to choose from, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed when it comes to planning your wedding.  So, why not try to sort through things by the process of elimination?  If your interest is to have an event that your guests will love as much as you do, why not look to see what other people or even you, yourself, are constantly complaining about and delete them off the list!?

Recently, lemondrop.com – a self proclaimed sweet, tasty and tart blog – published an article on wedding trends they hope will disappear titled, I Now Pronounce You Annoying — Wedding Trends That Need to Go.  Written in a sarcastically humorous tone, the author introduces the “Debbie Downer” trends by stating:

The older you get and the more weddings you attend, the more they stop being fun and start sucking the life force out of you. (lemondrop.com)

And while the sentiment being expressed is over exaggerated, its underlying message is not. Here are lemondrop.com‘s Picks 2 Nix, but what I want to know is if you agree:

1. “Half-a-Dozen Parties Before the Actual Wedding.”  Stating annoyance in the fact that a wedding is not just a wedding, but an Engagement Dinner, Bridal Shower, Bachelor / Bachelorette Party, Rehearsal Dinner, Ceremony and Reception… are weddings becoming too costly – and, in turn, too annoying – for guests to remain excited for when the actual day arrives?
2. “The Long, Intensely Religious Religious Ceremony.”  Because not everyone on a couple’s guest list will necessarily be of the same religious denomination, is it too much to ask for everyone to participate in a ceremony that may or may not last over an hour when they don’t actually practice the faith? 
3. “The Bouquet Toss.”  While a time-honored tradition – no doubt – is the bouquet toss becoming more of a necessary evil, filled with self-conscious single ladies battling for a bouquet or is it still a fun and essential part of the reception’s routine?
4. “Stupid Toasts.”  Laying reference to the excess length (and inevitably, the excess amount of undisclosed information) a wedding speech can emit, do you think it’s more important to keep things moving along or let your best man recall the ultra embarrassing time you blankety-blanked the blank, down to the very last, nitty gritty - painfully discomforting – detail? 
5. “DJs Who Demand You DANCE!”  In lieu of the fact that in due time, all the beer drinking patrons will eventually make it to the dance floor, is it necessary for DJ Jazzy (fill in name here) to constantly announce for everyone to “get up off of that thang!” or simply just let them “dance when they feel better?”
6. “Video Testimonials.”  Stating that only the most “obnoxious, drunk and unstable guests take the opportunity” to divulge in such a awkward process, are video testimonials becoming the TMI portion of a bride and groom’s happy day?

Now, more importantly than this list, is your opinion of it ORRRR even better yet, other things you’d like to add!

For wedding planning help and tips, contact Erica Spitulski, owner of An Elegant Affair Events, at Erica@ElegantAffairEvents.net

Pink, Pink, Pink - and More Pink!

You just have to love it (well, maybe you don't but I do) when the NFL steps up and supports the pink craze with their support as well.

With this, there really is not too much of a good thing!

NFL Goes Pink

October - So Pink!!

Are you throwing a Pink Party during the month of October for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month? Why not host a Pink Party at your home for your family and friends? We will be featuring Pink Party ideas for the next few weeks.
Here are some fabulous pink cocktail recipes from Hostess With the Mostess...

Chambord Pink-Tini 
Ingredients
1 oz Chambord
1 oz honey vodka
1 oz lime juice
3-4 raspberries
Directions
Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass or crushed ice-filled rocks glass. Top with more crushed ice. Garnish with raspberries.

Raspberry Mojito
Ingredients
2 oz rum
5 oz Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur
6-8 fresh mint leaves
2 lime wedges
1/2 tsp sugar
Club soda
Directions
Add sugar, mint leaves, lime wedges and a splash of club soda to a tall glass. Muddle until sugar is dissolved. Add ice to glass. Add rum and Chambord. Stir to mix. Top with a splash of soda.

Pink Martini 
Ingredients
2 oz gin
1/2 oz guava nectar
1/2 oz fresh orange juice
orange twist (for garnish)
Directions
Shake the liquid ingredients vigorously with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Run the orange peel around the rim, twist it over the drink, and drop.

Pink Lady Martini 
Ingredients
1 1/2 oz gin
1 tsp Grenadine
1 tsp light cream
1 whole egg white
Directions
Shake well with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 


Pink Russian 
Ingredients
1 oz Tequila Rose
1 oz Kahlua
1/2 oz vodka
1 oz milk or cream (to taste)
Directions
Pour liquor in a short cocktail glass filled with ice. Add milk or cream. 


Enjoy!

Say What??

Wedding traditions differ from culture to culture, nation to nation. Some of traditions are actually quite hard to explain. Here are just few examples of such traditions.

Let's start with Korea. After the wedding ceremony, friends of the groom take off his socks, tie a rope around the ankles, and start beating soles of his feet with dried yellow corvina. Yellow corvina is kind of fish! It is done so to make the groom stronger before the first wedding night.

Koreans believe that if the groom is smiling a lot at the wedding his first child is going to be a daughter. After the wedding groom's parents throw some nuts and plums to the bride. If the bride takes some nuts she'll get many sons.

There is also a tradition where guest at the wedding throw some other objects at the happy couple. These objects are chestnuts (symbolizing respect) and jujubes ("daechu") or dried red dates (symbolizing diligence).
"San-san-kudo no Sakazuki" or just "sakazuki-goto" is the name of the ceremony held at Japanese wedding. In Japanese San-san-kudo means "three, three, nine times". The bride and groom take three sips of sake from each of three cups. The cup used in the ceremony is called "sakazuki". Three cups used differ in size. First three sips are from the smallest one.

Number three was chosen on purpose. It is an indivisible number and Buddhist believe that it is sacred. For them nine means triple happiness.

The sake drank during this ceremony is not always delicious. It is the same with life. All kind of troubles will appear. But the bride and groom will have to overcome them with spirit of unity present in the ceremony.

Sassy Ware for You to Wear!

Shower Sanity

If you can, make all of your hosts aware of other showers being planned, so they don't accidentally overlap. Knowing you're having more than one shower, they may want to gear each party in a different direction. Your friends could host a lingerie shower; your coworkers could throw a pantry-stocking party, and your family might plan a domestics/housewares party.