Wedding Cafe Workshop Series

Mark your calendars! The semi-annual series of educational wedding-related workshops put on by The Wedding Cafe (TWC) in Honolulu starts next Wednesday, January 26, 2011, and is certainly worth attending if planning a wedding. Each workshop takes place on a Wednesday, commencing at 6:30pm in the conference rooms on the second floor of Ward Warehouse. The workshops cover a variety of topics, such as attire, entertainment, catering trends, decor, and more! At each workshop, vendor experts provide valuable tips and attendees get the chance to meet several vendors at once, and sometimes, even get to sample food. I'll be speaking at the February 9th workshop, "Budget, Planning and Timeline," so stop by if interested in gaining insight into this particular area of weddings.

For a link to TWC's Spring 2011 series, go to: http://theweddingcafe.net/calendar.html. Be sure to visit the website, as some of the workshops take place elsewhere, and are free unless otherwise noted. As proven in the photos, these workshops consistently draw a large crowd of brides, grooms, friends, and family, so don't forget to RSVP in advance! For those planning from afar, fear not, as TWC posts a link to recent workshops on their website. Happy Planning!

Wedding Planning Tip: Selecting the Right Vendors for Your Wedding

Photo by Kris Labang

With so many qualified, talented, and reputable vendors available, many brides and grooms find themselves overwhelmed, not knowing which hair and make-up artist, photographer, cake maker, floral designer, etc. best suits them. As seasoned wedding planners, we tailor our vendor recommendations to each of our clients' unique set of needs, thereby streamlining the process for them. Here are some tips regarding vendor selection that I shared with brides and grooms who attended this last Wednesday's workshop held by The Wedding Cafe, to help them better understand vendor selection:

Things to consider:

• Budget - calculate how much you would ideally like to spend on each vendor type.
• Style - learn about the different vendors' styles, and assess whether their style matches your own for your wedding.
• Priorities - determine as a couple what your priorities are, as these are the areas where you may want to splurge, and cut back on those areas that fall lower on the priority list.

Suggested Process:

• Narrow down list of possible vendors.
• Schedule appointments to meet or speak with vendors under consideration.
• Meet with your prospective vendors and ask lots of questions to gain a clear understanding of what they provide. (Remember, vendors and venues may or may not be holding your date while you weigh your choices, so make decisions in a timely manner to ensure the greatest likelihood of booking your first choice in vendor.)
• Book the vendors that make the most sense for your wedding.