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by Tara Bard, Contributing Writer
Have you ever attended a wedding or event that just thrilled you because of the details? Theme-based details are an excellent way to make your South Jersey wedding memorable. If budget is a concern, beach or nautical-themed details can add a thoughtful yet inexpensive touch to your event.
Here are some ideas to make your beach wedding enchanting with the details: Photos in the sand. On a table near the guest book, place a wooden rectangular box filled halfway with sand (you can paint or finish a plain craft store box to match your colors and theme). Place a Polaroid camera and extra film nearby along with instructions. Allow guests to take pictures and leave them for you in the sand after they dry! You can even include a pen for guests to sign the photo. Later, you can include the photos in a scrapbook album. Postcards as table cards. Interested in trying something different to label your tables? Try using postcards for your beach destination. For each table, purchase two matching postcards. Glue the blank sides together. Place a large table number on each photo side. You can arrange the numbers to the left or right depending on the picture. This adds a great local flair to your beach wedding! Shell centerpieces. If you're adding some DIY adventure to your beach wedding, consider making your own shell centerpieces. Instead of an awkward floral arrangement, consider a flat circular or rectangular design. Incorporate tea light candles to add a warm glow if your reception is at night. Salt water taffy favors. Most shore-goers associate salt water taffy with the Jersey shore. Consider purchasing salt water taffy in bulk and dividing the taffy into favor bags for your guests. Guests often appreciate edible favors. Regardless of budget, you should certainly consider the theme of your wedding in the decor whether you're using colors or the natural elements of the Jersey shore. This article was originally published on Examiner.com
by Tara Bard, Contributing Writer
This is an opportune time to plan a wedding at an Atlantic City casino. It is a known fact that many casinos are suffering (along with the rest of us) in a poor economy--and that means some wedding packages have become more affordable.
Aside from the now-affordable nature of casino weddings, they are practical, offering wedding, reception, dining and lodging venues all in one location. This is particularly convenient a couple hosting many out-of-town guests at their South Jersey wedding. Casinos and inclusive venues also typically come with a coordinator to help establish and see to your needs in conjunction with what the venue can provide. If you're working with a wedding planner or have already selected outside vendors, they can possibly work together to provide a comprehensive experience. Here are some primary Atlantic City casinos offering wedding packages and pricing. As with any other venue or vendor selection, it's always acceptable to price shop. When you initially contact the casinos, ask about:
You can easily create and track your comparisons using widely-available bridal planning books or by making your own sheet in Microsoft Excel. Best of luck! This post was originally published on Examiner.com
by Tara Bard, Contributing Writer
South Jersey is a popular area for local and destination weddings. Atlantic City in particular is becoming known as an affordable location for destination weddings for couples on the East Coast as an alternative to Las Vegas.
With all of the emphasis on weddings in New Jersey, it's possible to plan a wedding and forget a few key details. Here are some mistakes that some couples, parents and even wedding planners make when putting together a wedding in the area: Forgetting the block hotel rate. This is especially important for Atlantic City casino weddings and weddings during peak season. If you don't secure a block rate for your wedding guests, the accommodations can become completely unaffordable or scarce as the date approaches. Most hotels are very helpful when it comes to blocking rooms; typically, if rooms aren't blocked by a certain date, they are released and you are not responsible for their cost. During peak season, guests can pay up to twice as much if they book last minute. To avoid this problem, secure a block of rooms and post the information clearly on your wedding Web site. Include the final reservation deadline for blocked rooms. Failing to secure appropriate use and photo permissions. Do you know that you require special licenses and permits to hold ceremonies on certain places in New Jersey? The same also applies to photo rights. Make sure to do some research when you set up your ceremony site. In the past, brides have expected to find an off-season public beach available for use, for example, only to find it occupied by another event. Solution: Create a budget for usage and photo rights, do your research with the local government and venues and enlist your photographer's help concerning photo permissions. Providing too little or inaccurate local information. Guests from afar might not know what to expect of a wedding in Atlantic City. They might feel like AC and South Jersey are exactly like Las Vegas or the "Jersey Shore" show, neither of which are accurate assumptions. Instead, provide some background information about your wedding destination on your wedding Web site. Be clear about the weather, how crowded the area will be at the time, parking and the costs of certain amenities in the area. If you're local to the area, think about your chosen wedding location from a guest's standpoint. How will guests navigate and know where to go? If your South Jersey wedding is a destination wedding for you, try to visit the location off-season and ahead of time with these questions in mind. This post was originally published on Examiner.com.
by Tara Bard, Contributing Writer
Even though Atlantic City weddings are increasingly popular among local couples and those planning destination weddings, the wedding vendor business is relatively competitive. If you're a South Jersey wedding vendor, what do you do to make your business stand out?
Night and Weekend Availability Unless the happy couple is using the services of a wedding planner, they'll be doing a great deal of the wedding planning themselves. In the age of the Internet, many couples (especially the twenty-somethings) are accustomed to instant gratification when it comes to purchasing products and services. If you have night and weekend availability, you're opening yourself up to more business and providing a big relief for brides who only have so much time off to take from work. This is especially true for bridal shops. Convenience for Out-of-Town Guests and Attendants Since Atlantic City has become known as an affordable wedding destination and a promising alternative to Vegas, the amount of out-of-town couples and guests attending weddings in South Jersey is on the rise. If you as a vendor cannot make your accommodations or products convenient and affordable to guests, you may lose business. The bride and groom want out-of-towners to be as comfortable as possible--ensure them that this will happen and you'll increase your chances of earning their business. Instant Gratification We live in a world of click-and-ship. While wedding planning needs to be a more personal process, wedding planners (both professional and amateur) appreciate convenience. This means that you should have a Web site detailing product information and cost as well as an answering machine and e-mail address that you check frequently--even on nights and weekends if possible. Web sites like Etsy allow sellers to promote and sell customizable wedding items by allowing the customer to purchase and provide instructions or customization information (by filling in the quantity and the names of the bride and groom, for example). Web-savvy brides want to complete a transaction quickly and with confidence. If your storefront isn't at least partially online, how can you compete with other sites offering personalization? Visual Appeal The appeal of Atlantic City is in part the location. If you aren't using the latest general and hyperlocal trends to your advantage, you're losing out to the competition. Couples hosting their weddings in Atlantic City have chosen the location for a reason--they might want to incorporate casino glitz or beach front hospitality into their ceremonies and receptions. If you can deliver on that, include it in your promotional materials. What's the point of owning a business in such a beautiful location if you fail to take advantage of its real appeal? These customer-focused tips are often greatly appreciated by those planning weddings. Brides and professional wedding planners are extremely busy and circumstances force them to become detail-oriented. If you can suggest comprehensive solutions and pledge availability, your attention can earn you business--and word-of-mouth recognition and recommendation.
by Tara Bard, Contributing Writer
What do brides and businesses have in common? They like to save money, especially when times are tough. If you haven't considered bartering, you should start to evaluate your own assets. Your own talents and skills can help you score good deals. Best of all, vendors are more likely to work with you since you're dealing with them business-to-business--locally--in the South Jersey region. Here's how to do it:
Make a list. Time to play Santa. You need to make a list and check it twice. List all of the things you have to offer. Include everything from job skills to extra furniture you're looking to unload. Don't forget to include the assets of others involved in wedding planning including your husband-to-be and your parents (if they are assisting financially). Highlight marketable assets. Just as you would before heading out to a job interview, review your marketable assets and think about how the things you have could benefit your vendors. If any of your wedding planning group includes a business owner, think practically about what they might offer. For example, if your father's company sells paper, perhaps you could strike a deal with your invitation designer by bartering for the invitations using your father's supplies--which he will have purchased or produced at cost. If daddy's paying for the wedding, he's just saved some money. Don't forget advertising. For single items such as cakes or tiaras, consider trading some ad space. That's right--advertising. You can barter for ad space on the back of your wedding programs or even on your wedding Web site. Let the vendor know how many guests you're inviting to accurately describe the advertising range. You can find local businesses on the South Jersey Craigslist page. Small businesses advertising here may be more open to ad exchange and bartering for free or discounted items. Don't forget to check Central Jersey, Delaware and Philadelphia Craigslist pages for other businesses located in the Atlantic City region.
by Tara Bard, Contributing Writer
Planning a wedding takes a great deal of time, and many shortcuts can lead to disaster if you're doing the planning yourself. Have you ever wished there was a way to magically find exactly what you're looking for? No worries--there is such a thing, and you're probably already using it--Twitter.
Twitter's gotten smarter. Instead of simply friending people you already know, it looks at your friends' locations and hobbies and suggests more Twitter users for you to follow. If you're tweeting a lot about weddings and you already have friends and contacts in Atlantic City (or any South Jersey region), pay attention! Twitter will suggest some helpful local wedding contacts. Some local wedding pages are really overwhelming. Even the most organized sites offer a multitude of options. If you're limited on time, consider sending your question out into the Twitterverse. This can help with anything from I-do-venues to white wedding shoes. For example, you could tweet the following questions:
There are tons of vendors and wedding specialists out there just hoping for a tweet like yours. Even New Jersey's geekiest meteorologist will smile at the sight of your weather question. Tweeting is great because:
If you're active on Twitter, keep your eyes open on Wednesday. Wednesday is #ww or #weddingwednesday, meaning Twitter's all aglow with info from wedding specialists. Specifically, New Jersey area wedding professionals participate in Wedding Wednesday--and they'd love to help you. Try following @njwedding for important Wedding Wednesday updates!
by Tara Bard, Contributing Writer
Whether South Jersey couples plan their own weddings or hire a professional wedding planner to do it for them, many fall into common themes, traps and tropes that make their ceremonies trendy and impersonal. Fortunately, South Jersey offers plenty of natural and manufactured inspiration to help you personalize your wedding--and make it memorable for you and your guests.
It doesn't matter if you're DIY or have an unlimited budget. A wedding that isn't personal simply is not fun. Here's how you can take your cues from your environment to transform your wedding into something reflective of your relationship. Favorite Places Make a list of your favorite places--as a couple. When you and your spouse-to-be were younger, what were your favorite places around South Jersey or elsewhere? Where do you like to hang out with friends now? Places have meaning because of the people there. Favorite Things What are your favorite things about South Jersey? If you like to swim, surf or tan at the beach, think about how you could include the ocean or your favorite beach activities in your wedding. Get Specific What means the most to you and your future spouse? Your princess canopy from your childhood bed could be the fabric for a stunning DIY veil. Such sentimental inclusions will make the event memorable for you and your family. To further personalize your ceremony and reception, you can ask your parents or future in-laws for advice on the details. This can make your family feel welcome since you are actively seeking their input--and it's particularly important if they've already disagreed with you on anything concerning the wedding. Ideas include:
To make your wedding truly South Jersey, incorporate nostalgia or local items like post cards. You can attach them to your wedding favors or paste them in your wedding guest book. This article was originally published on Examiner.com
by Tara Bard, Contributing Writer
Stress-free wedding dress shopping might seem like a dream, but it is possible to enjoy the experience of shopping for your wedding dress in South Jersey. You can achieve this through planning, patience and maintaining an assertive attitude when necessary.
Map It Out Some areas have many bridal boutiques in one location. If you’re planning on making the trip to multiple destinations in South Jersey, it’s best to plan out the day and map out the locations. If you want to stick to one town at a time, try: · Atlantic City · Cape May · Haddonfield · Cherry Hill and Moorestown · Berlin If you’re meeting friends at various bridal salons, provide them with a list of addresses to stay on track. Organize a car pool and ensure that everyone has a GPS or knows how to get to the locations. Follow the Rules Each bridal salon has its own rules. Frequent rules include: supervise children, no food or drink and no photos allowed of dresses. Always follow the rules and don’t invite anyone along that may break these rules. Bridal salon consultants vary, just like salon rules. If you feel uncomfortable, mistreated or misdirected, you’re the customer—and you’re allowed to leave if you don’t feel you’re being treated with respect. Make Appointments To cut down on stress and make best use of your time, call ahead to make appointments. It is kind to let the salon know how many will come with you and what types of dresses you are looking for. You may also wish to mention if you or anyone in your bridal party wears a plus size. Prepare everyone for the fact that bridal sizes are much different than actual sizes and that a ‘regular’ size 12 might have difficulty fitting into any sample sizes. Tip: Holding down a full-time job while planning a wedding is tough. Instead of cramming this important decision into a lunch hour, explain your situation to the salon consultant and mention a particular dress you’d like to try on that isn’t available elsewhere. Most likely, they’ll squeeze you in. Party Sizes Limit your party size. If possible, limit to the number of people that can fit in one vehicle, especially if you are making multiple trips. Make concessions for older relatives and children who may not be able to make more than a few stops in one day. It’s best to pick a driver who knows South Jersey well. You’re the bride—let someone else handle the GPS navigation! Do you have any favorite South Jersey bridal salons or dress shopping experiences? Please share them in the comments! This post was originally published on Examiner.com.
by Tara Bard, Contributing Writer
The secret's out: Kate Middleton's wedding dress was designed by Sarah Burton in the Alexander McQueen tradition. South Jersey brides wishing to emulate the fashionable, critic-favored design have several options for a Kate-inspired dress.
While dresses with long sleeves aren't the norm, here's a bridal fashion secret: boutiques and tailors can adapt most sleeveless dresses to include light sleeves. Some religious institutions require a bride to wear a modest wedding gown, so this request is not as uncommon as you may think. However, the Duchess of Cambridge has created a trend--so expect to see more dresses with lace sleeves and other embellishments in stock soon. Did you enjoy the elegant train on Kate's dress? Brides planning an Atlantic City beach wedding should take note of Kate's sister, Pippa. Pippa dutifully performed her maid of honor obligations by minding the train of her sister's dress. While wedding dresses are cleaned before they are preserved, the maid of honor can prevent dirt and sand from clinging to the bride's dress in excess--especially during a beach wedding--by assisting the bride with her train when she moves. Are you ready to emulate Kate's look? The following local boutiques can help! Search for a boutique local to you at NJWedding.com. This post was originally published on Examiner.com |
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