Do Your Homework!

I recently booked a very sweet couple from Georgia planning a destination wedding at Jacksonville Beach. Their story is so sad and we are still sorting out the mess. They booked their Destination Wedding through a local company that advertises as a “one-stop” shop. They were quoted a very unrealistic price to include planning and coordination services, flowers, cake and photography. They paid their deposit and have never heard from this company again. After many unanswered emails and unreturned phone calls they started checking out this company to find the company had many complaints with the Better Business Bureau for the same type of behavior.

I cannot stress it enough!! Make sure your wedding vendor, no matter what they do, is licensed and insured. Check their references. But most importantly, be smart. If the price they are quoting you is unrealistic for all the services they are providing, there probably is a good chance it is not an upfront deal!

Too many people are opening up these one stop shops. Beware!! One person cannot do everything and do it well!!  I am not talking about groups or companies that employ other vendors for package deals. Most of these are reputable groups and the companies are each independent of each other. They are just providing a package deal as a group to make your choices a little easier.

 But again, do your homework and check out your vendors before you send them any money or sign any contract!  It will save you a lot of heartache, stress and money in the end!

“Becoming a Wedding-ista, 1 Wedding down, a lifetime to go”

As I explained earlier, part of the intern process is writing a blog of their first experience with Southern Charm Wedding & Events, so now I would like to introduce to you another of our interns, Kristen Thomas:

“This is a lot harder than it looks”; that was my first thought as I looked at the agenda on

the afternoon of my first wedding with Southern Charm Events. I had NO idea there were

so many intricate details involved. My hats go off to all wedding coordinators across the

board, especially Tanya with Southern Charm Weddings and Events because she doesn’t

miss a detail! A good Wedding Coordinator knows what is happening every minute

of the day on that Wedding Day from the time the vendors will arrive to the time the

bridesmaids will bustle the bride’s dress. If any of those details are missing, it can make

for pure chaos. Thank God, my first wedding went off with out a hitch.

Myself and the other intern for the day had our work cut out for us. We set up the escort

card table, which by the way, definitely made me sharpen up on my alphabetical ordering

skills which I’m glad I paid attention in grammar school. Lol. We set up the center

pieces, put the decal on the dance floor and the doors, set out the favors, brought drinks to

the bridal party, pinned the corsages and boutonnieres on the bridal party, etc. Anything

you can think of, we did. I can honestly admit, I broke a sweat!!!

Once the wedding ceremony began and the beautiful bride walked down the aisle, certain

calmness came over me. It almost felt like I was part of the family because I was so

excited to see her walk down the aisle. I quickly snapped out of it when the ceremony

was over because now it was time to get the guests to the cocktail hour area and bridal

party to the location for pictures. Again, things ran pretty smoothly and the guests along

with the bridal were ready to party!



During the reception, on a few different occasions, some of the guests stopped me to

ask more about Southern Charm Events and to shower us with compliments about a job

well done. I even got a few, “Hey Kristen, High Five!” That definitely gave a sense of

fulfillment, and ultimately, that’s what it’s all about. You cannot and I repeat CANNOT

be a successful Wedding Coordinator unless your main goal is to please the client and

make their vision and dream come to fruition.

I think the universe cut me some slack for my first time around because everything went

really smoothly. I’m sure that my initiation will occur really soon and I will be subjected

to the wrath of Bridezilla. Either way, I’m excited and looking forward to my new life

that I like to call “Becoming a Wedding-ista”!

Why Hire a Wedding Planner? - From Someone Who Didn’t

As each of my interns start working weddings, I like to ask them to write a blog post about their experiences.  One of our newest interns, Tara Close, is also a recent bride.  After the last wedding, she and I were talking about all the behind the scene's work and would she had hired a wedding planner if she had it to all over again.  Here is Tara's take:

Ten months ago I was knee deep in all of the wedding planning stresses that often grace the doorstep of each “do-it-yourself” bride. My mother and I were taking on all of the odds and ends that make up a wedding ceremony and reception, tackling each hurdle as it came, hoping things would go smoothly on the big day. From picking vendors, ordering decorations, sending out invitations, and dealing with various venues, the list of things to do and my stress level just kept growing and growing. By the time the big day came around, the last thing either of us wanted to do was worry about the details that may fall through the cracks, but when you “do it yourself,” you just take that risk. Although no major problems happened that night, having someone there to relieve the small jobs my mom was in charge of throughout the day would have been a great relief. Your loved ones, especially the ones who play a huge part in your big day, shouldn’t have to “work” at your wedding. Not only were my parents hosting the biggest day of my life, but they were also busy making sure everything turned out the way we planned.




Hiring a wedding planner is something that many people don’t find necessary, because they simply think they can handle it all themselves. Why add to the growing list of expenses? But wedding planning should be at the top of your list when it comes to preparing for your big day. The reassurance that you have a team of people working to make your wedding the best day of your life, should be reason enough to put it into your plans. Who wouldn’t want someone to take some of the burden of planning such a huge event off of their shoulders. Why wouldn’t you want to have that great feeling of knowing that someone is working just as hard as you are on your wedding, and that they do this for a living. That’s right! The wedding planning company that you pick is a professional! Attention to detail, flawless execution, and multitasking are their specialties.



Most wedding’s don’t go off without a hitch, and I think that is a concept most brides don’t understand because we are all focused on the fact that our day will be “perfect,” whatever perfect is to that individual. Often times, the flowers and cake are late, it’s to windy outside making setup of an outdoor wedding a nightmare, the caterers aren’t ready to serve dinner on time, or you forgot the unity candle you are using in your ceremony, and realize just moments before you walk down the aisle. That’s when you need a team there who is looking out for you and your guests. Ensuring that your vendors are there on time, that you have all of the elements you need in your ceremony on sight and ready to go at a moments notice, and most importantly handling the problems that will always come up so that you don’t have to stress and worry, and work on your wedding day.



So the big question is, if I could go back and do it all again…. would I hire a wedding planner? Absolutely! If peace of mind is all a wedding planner could give me on my big day, it would be more than enough. Just to know that someone is paying attention to the details, working behind the scenes, and ensuring that my friends and family don’t have to lift a finger on my big day is reason enough!

ONE Perfect Couple Can Make For ONE Perfect Wedding

On November 12 2010 I had the pleasure of witnessing Andrea Lamberto become Mrs. David Kohen. People that know this couple can instantly see how perfect these two are for each other. Andrea and David picked a very classy venue and décor. You could easily see the couple’s good taste upon entering the reception site at Palm Valley Gardens. A top the tables sat a gorgeous array of hydrangeas adorned with baby pink and cream roses in tall cylinder vases. Curly willow branches filled the bottom of the vases. Shorter arrangements were placed to compliment on in between tables. The area breathed the feel of simple elegance.

After a few hours of setting up and perfecting everything, like we here at Southern Charm like to do, it was time for the long awaited walk down the aisle. The Bride, escorted by her father, walked down the brick path to a stunning wedding party and a gorgeous ceremony site under a giant old tree. Branches billowing in the wind, beautiful bridesmaids shinning in their platinum grey and blush dresses, and handsome groomsmen grinning from ear to ear awaited her arrival. It was hard to not smile while watching such a stunning Bride walk down to her perfect Groom.

After a wonderful ceremony the guest socialized and enjoyed a lovely cocktail hour. A delicious and taste filled spread was put on by Chef’s Garden and devoured almost instantly.
THEN THE PARTY BEGAN! Which to be perfectly honest, between the high energy, crowd pleasing DJ Kris Parnell from Footloose and David and Andrea’s “ready to get down” guest it was not hard getting this party started. You could tell these people were having the time of their life. I am quit sure it was the best wedding they had ever attended. After dancing the night away the Bride and Groom ran through a tunnel of brilliant sparklers to an awaiting Jaguar, provided by Bella Limo. The perfect end to a perfect day.

Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. David Kohen
Southern Charm wishes you a life of love and laughter and a happily ever after!

Through the Eyes of an Intern

I recently asked one of my interns, Kristi Riley, to write me an article about the last wedding she worked with us through her eyes.  This is how Kristi saw the day:

The last wedding that I interned with Southern Charm Events was anything but dull.  The wedding and reception took place at Palm Valley Gardens in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.  It was elegant and absolutely beautiful with deep red and silver colors in keeping with the Christmas theme.  There was rain in the forecast, however, it turned out to be a sunny and beautiful, warm winter day.  From the first moment we arrived on the wedding site we were hopping.  

The first hurdle of the day was the bride’s father.  He had fallen the night before the wedding and was taken to the emergency room with a very large gash in his leg.  Nobody was sure he would be able to walk his daughter down the aisle.  Luckily, he was able to pull it off….thank God for prescription drugs!

One of the groomsmen had lost weight since the last time he had tried on his tux.  We had to pin him up to prevent any accidents.  The grooms vest was too big….luckily Tanya has a HUGE emergency kit.  This kit has everything imaginable! It has Pepto, antacids, safety pins, panty hose, make up remover and everything you can think of.  About 10 minutes before the bride was to walk down the aisle, one of the bridesmaids ripped her dress.  Of course, Tanya had a sewing kit and was able to sew her in her dress (which stayed in one piece all night.) 

After the groomsmen and the bridesmaids walked out, it was time for the flower girl.  The little 4 year old girl had a very long walk from the house to the garden by herself.  Once she realized that everyone was looking at her she got embarrassed and decided that it would be best to cover her eyes.  With her eyes covered, she could not see the pond beside her that she fell right in to.  Other than being wet, she was fine.  The wedding went on and was a success.  

During the reception, the bartender came up to Tanya and told her we were running out of beer.  With an open bar and a drinking crowd, this did not make the bride’s dad happy.  I made a run to the liquor store and stocked up just in time.  Nobody even knew that there was almost a bar disaster.  

As the band started up and everyone danced and greeted the bride and groom, we helped the catering staff clear tables; we loaded gifts in the appropriate cars, passed out bubbles and cookies, and stayed BUSY! I heard so many people tell Tanya what an amazing job she did.  It was so much fun and so much work at the same time.

I Got a Ring – Now What Do I Do?

Congratulations! So you got the ring and are now engaged? What do you do first? Where do you start? How much does a wedding cost? Do I have to pick my date first? These are some of the most common questions of newly engaged couples.


The very first thing you should do is sit down and create a budget. This is a very easily done task that many folks skip or wait until later to do. By doing it first you know exactly what you can spend and where you can spend it. Once you have a budget in place it is a lot easier to find your venue and start working on an available date.

Many people are afraid of doing a budget but in reality you will save money by preparing a budget and sticking to it. A Professional Wedding Planner can assist you with preparing a budget that is both realistic and workable. We have many years of experience knowing what wedding items cost and where you can get the most “bang for your buck.” If you are unsure of the amounts to allow for items or where to place the most emphasis, contact a local Wedding Planner and ask if they do budget preparation. Our company offers a budget preparation meeting wherein we allow up to 2 hours of our time for $100.00. We provide the budget forms and assist the newly engaged couple with this daunting task. If the couple decides to hire us to plan their wedding they receive a $100.00 credit toward any package. How can you go wrong?

You should always have a little extra built into your budget for unforeseen events or items. The cost of items can vary depending on many factors such as the costs of gasoline. Vendors will charge more if gasoline is at a premium price, while venues may give you a break on their minimums if the economy has been bad for them. In addition to relieving a lot of stress down the line a budget will make both you and your family happy in the long run. There are always factors to look at when preparing a Wedding Budget, therefore getting some professional help in preparing it is your best option. But whether you seek out a Professional Wedding Planner or DIY, prepare a budget before you start looking at dresses, venues, or anything wedding. You will be much better prepared for the adventure you are about to undertake.

Seating Charts, Escort Cards and Placecards, oh my!

Everyone’s heard the saying, “Opposites attract,” When it comes to couples that’s often true; however when it comes to wedding guests, that’ not necessarily so.

Choosing the seating arrangements at a reception can be one of the more frustrating aspects of planning a wedding. Both the Bride and Groom want their friends to mingle at the wedding, but they also want to ensure their friends and family get to spend some quality time with the people they already know and whom they might not have seen in awhile. When assigning seats for your guests, follow these tips to help lessen some of the stress:

1. Keep age and interests in mind. Couples should try to keep people of similar ages and interests seated together. For example, your parents’ elderly neighbors should not be seated at the same table as your former college roommates. Instead, consider what guests might have in common and seat them accordingly. If there are people who simply do not get along from a family riff, do seat them far apart.

2. Consider location when seating elderly guests. Elderly guests should be seated away from the stage or the DJ’s speakers, and preferable in close proximity to the restrooms. Be careful not to seat elderly guest next to an air conditioning vent or the door. Try to make things as weasy6 as possible for them.

3. Seat coworkers together. If you inviting coworkers to the wedding, seat them together. Chances are your coworkers do not know many of your family and would be more comfortable with their other coworkers. So seat them with people they know so they’ll have a better time.

4. Seat children with their parents. If your guests are going to be bringing their children, seat them with their mother or father, especially if they are very young. There is a little wiggle room here though, if there will be a larger number of children in attendance, you can set up a children’s table where they can all sit together. Provide activities such as crayons, coloring books and special age appropriate favors for them. They’ll probably have more fun at such a table.

Maile and Kris | September 25, 2010

Maile and Kris were married on the River Terrace at Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront on Saturday, September 25, 2010. Mother Nature was a doll and cooperated wonderfully. This couple has been absolutely amazing to work with and such a wedding planner’s joy. The Bride has been extremely organized and precise in all her details and planning. She made my job a dream!

 

The ceremony was held overlooking the Main Street Bridge and the view was breathtaking. The Hyatt was their normal Regal self and performed their duties with expertise.

The Bride was beautiful and the Groom stunning. They held their cocktail hour on the River Terrace overlooking the river and the Main Street Bridge. The guests were treated to wonderful hors d’oeuvres while enjoying the warm breeze.

Dinner was a plated service and was done with all the right touches. The chef at the Hyatt made the dining experience something of awe. After dinner the guests were treated to a coffee bar and mini desserts.





The cake was a sample of the amazing Chef Paul of Signature Cakes by Paul and was accented by Monet broaches as well as Swarovski crystal monogram cake topper. The flowers were by Kelley’s Bloom Room and were just the right touch to the Bride’s décor.



The Bride chose one of the most phenomenal photographers for her big day. Star Bradshaw is truly a professional in every sense of the word. She was very organized and new exactly what she needed to do to execute the photos and stay within the Bride’s tight timeline. She was a wonderful team member to work with and as you can see from the sneak peak photos she does amazing work.

     

Congratulations Maile and Kris! Enjoy your honeymoon and we wish you the best!



The DJ Did Not Follow My Timeline!!!

One of the biggest mistakes Brides and Grooms make in hiring a DJ is not doing their homework.  Anyone can play music, but it takes a professional to be able to have the music organized, know exactly when to play the music, when to make the introductions, work with a wedding planner and watch for the planner’s cues, know how to correctly pronounce names as well as dress and act appropriately at a wedding.   Your DJ can make or break your wedding reception!  They are both the number one complaint and number one applause at weddings. So be very careful when selecting a DJ for your big day.  

DJ’s can be very charismatic and on first meeting one you are taken in by their charm and enthusiasm.  They have so much energy you want to hire them on the spot!  Buyer beware!    

Before you select a DJ for your wedding, make sure they have done more than one wedding in the past. Ask if they have worked with a wedding planner. I find there are a lot of DJ’s that have never worked with a planner and just wing it, so when they are presented with a detailed timeline they don’t want to be told what and when to do things. A lot of these DJ’s seem to not want any direction ahead of time from anyone and only want the Bride and Groom to provide them with a list of songs and then allow them [the DJ] to “run the show.” It does absolutely no good for a Bride to hire a wedding planner and go through all the hours of putting together a timeline for the DJ to just ignore it.

www.delandentertainment.com

Paul Deland of D’Land Entertainment says, “A good DJ needs to be a team player. The DJ is essentially a servant to the party.” He explained, “All DJ’s have egos; that’s what makes them standout in this business.” However, they need to channel these egos into serving the party and the Bride and Groom.

http://footlooseentertainment.com/

Kris Parnell of Footloose Entertainment says, “Ask them if they carry insurance. “ By the way; all of your wedding vendors should answer yes to this question. Ask them what professional training they have had. Ask them to what professional networks and organizations do they belong. Ask them what area of experience do they have. Have they primarily played for parties, clubs, etc.? Then ask and listen to your wedding planner or other vendors, specifically ask your venue.


It may seem like a huge difference in price when interviewing DJ’s, but be educated on what a wedding DJ needs to be able to do and make sure the one you hire will be able to perform! You may spend a little more in the beginning but in the long run, you will be much better off with an established and professional wedding DJ.

"I do not want children at MY Wedding!"

This is a sentiment that I am hearing more and more from my brides lately. While for some this is not a big deal, for others it is tremendous. I am told there are family members or friends that will feel their children are exempt from this preference and will ignore the wishes of the Bride and Groom. The Bride and Groom and not left with too many options to let the guests know their wishes but primarily guests should follow etiquette the same as the Bride and Groom. The invitation is addressed to only those invited. If your children’s names are not on the invitation there is probably a reason. If you are unsure, call the Bride or the Mother of the Bride for clarification, but do not get your feelings hurt when you are told they were not invited and please do not just “show up” with your uninvited children.

I am often asked, “What the best way to handle this situation.” Let me first say that that it is NEVER proper to indicate “No Children” anywhere on or in your invitations. Usually, my first suggestion to the couple is to create a wedding website that can be used by all guests to obtain Hotel Information, Timeline Information, Registry Information and little tidbits such as No Children. My second suggestion would be to send out a separate newsletter to your guests with all this information included. Do not send it with your invitations! I know this is twice the postage but it is simply not appropriate etiquette. Lastly, and I believe the die- hard- etiquette experts will disagree with me, I would suggest having “Adult Reception to Follow” placed on the invitation.

More and more weddings and receptions are taking place in very “Adult” settings and in the later evening hours. While these precious little ones make adorable ring bearers and flower girls, if the reception is being held at an adult club and alcohol is being served, it is simply not the place for a child. The adults with the children are not able to enjoy the evening and dance and party and the children are usually tired and grumpy as well. They are better off at home with a sitter.

As a very last resort, I tell my Bride and Groom, you may want to hire someone to act as a babysitter during the reception and to make arrangements for a separate room where the children can go into during

the reception. There are wonderful services that will entertain and take care of the kids for a modest fee.

The most important thing is to remember it is your day (and night) and if you prefer no children, make sure it is communicated (properly) to your guests.

Price vs. Quality

I recently asked my followers for suggestions of things they would like to hear about in my blogs and one of my followers asked me to please explain the importance of price vs. quality. So here goes… when looking for ANY wedding vendor, you should never go with the cheapest! I know budgets are tight and we are all looking for a bargain, but while you may find someone cheaper they are not always your best bargain. I have worked numerous weddings where the Bride and Groom hired a DJ and were so proud they only spent $250.00 or had a “friend” DJ for them. In the end, they only got about 1/3 of the DJ they would have had they hired a true Professional Wedding DJ. They were mortified when he did not have the music they asked for a month in advance, his system shorted out three times, not to mention he looked like he just came from a “gig” at a party club. One local photographer showed up to the wedding on so much medication or maybe alcohol he could barely stand. Once the wedding was over the Bride tried for 6 months to get her photographs. I finally had to get involved and all we were able to salvage at that point was 4 unedited cd’s of pictures. Not a very reliable vendor. These are just examples and the issue runs across the board for all vendors, including wedding planners.

When you are looking for your wedding vendors, do your homework! Do not hire them because their website is flashy and their prices are low! Ask questions such as are you licensed, are you insured, who is your back up in the event you become ill, how many wedding have you worked. These are all very important things you should know before hiring any professional. Ask for references, and call them! There is usually a reason someone’s prices are so cheap. They may be just starting out and do not have the experience, they may be working under the table which is highly illegal not to mention unethical or they just might be a scam artist.

Ask the vendor do they belong to any professional organizations. Southern Charm is an active and proud member of the Association of Bridal Consultants. The Association of Bridal Consultants has been the professional organization for the wedding industry since 1955 and has over 4,000 members in 26 countries on six continents. This association is a membership service organization, designed to increase awareness of the wedding business and improve the professionalism of members. We are held to a standard of conduct and expected to maintain our training each year. These are very important factors when hiring a professional vendor.

Every professional vendor should at the very least carry general liability insurance. This is a short cut many vendors try to cut and in the end can be very costly to both themselves as well as the client.

One way to make sure you are getting the most for your money is to ask a wedding planner. Many wedding planners include this service in their packages but they may also offer it as an a la carte item. It is well worth the cost of a consult to obtain a list of professionals that have proven they can provide the Bride and Groom excellent service on their special day.

What Does a Wedding Planner/Coordinator Do? Part 2 - Day of Coordination

When I first meet with a bride, I ask her to tell me what she is looking for in a planner/coordinator. Many brides already have a vision of what they want for their wedding and have already begun the planning process. They just need some guidance and someone to pull it all together. A lot of these brides are looking for a “Day of Coordinator” which is an oxymoron if I ever heard one. While many of us have “Day of Packages”, there is truly no such thing as only a day of coordinator, unless you are wanting someone to come in and do nothing but line up your bridal party and send them down the aisle. I would not be doing my job if I showed up on the day of a wedding and acted like I knew what was going on. I need to do my homework for every wedding, no matter how big or how small.

For Brides that purchase my “Day of” package the work begins at least 30 days out. I like to have a power meeting at the 30 day mark and sit down with all the decision makers. That means, the Bride, Groom, Mother of the Bride and anyone else that will be making decisions on how the big day comes together. We go over timelines, the processional, the vendors, what is expected from each vendor plus a lot more in depth information such as what the tables will look like, what are the special concerns, what is most important to the Bride or how they would like tough situations handled. At this point, I hope my bride has enough confidence in me as the expert to allow me to make suggestions on etiquette and procedural matters that may have been overlooked. Once we complete this meeting, my work really kicks in. I start contacting all the vendors and letting them know I am on board and ask them to keep me posted with their progress. We go over each vendor’s responsibilities for the big day so there are no misunderstandings. A first draft of a timeline is usually sent to the bride based upon the initial input from the vendors and our planning meeting. It is very rare for a timeline to make it the first go around. There are usually 5 to 6 drafts before it is in final form. By the time the big day arrives, it is not uncommon to have already put in over 20 hours of time for a “Day of Package.” On the day of the wedding we usually are on site about 3 hours before the ceremony to coordinate all the vendors' deliveries and set up.  We remain onsite throught the entire event to assist with any mishaps and to make sure the timeline is adhered to.  Once the party is over, we are gathering up the Bride's personal belongings, loading their gifts and collecting any rental items that need to be returned.  So the next time you are shopping for a planner/coordinator and ask for their “Day of Package”. Make sure you are not just getting someone to show up and direct your wedding ceremony then leave. There is a HUGE difference!

What does a Wedding Planner/Coordinator Do? (Part I)

I have been asked the question many times, what exactly do you do. So I decided to try to explain to the many of you who are confused about what a wedding planner/coordinator does. I plan on covering this over several different blog posts and thought I would start with a general over view of just what we do.

Let me first begin with a short definition I found a couple of years ago that for me sums it right up. The African Wedding Guide says: "...the role of the wedding consultant is that of a

• facilitator,
• mediator,
• money manager,
• artisan and
• constructor of dreams."

In addition to these things, if you've ever been a involved with a wedding, you also know the kind of stress involved with planning a wedding. Add to the above description,

• therapist,

• sounding board and
• even punching bag, figuratively of course,
when frazzled nerves come into play.

I think the most important thing I do is relieve stress. Brides need to understand, a Wedding planner does not come in and take over your wedding nor does a wedding planner have to cost a lot of money. Most wedding planners are very reasonably priced and are well worth their weight in gold. Think of it as a type of insurance for your wedding day.

Another one of the most important things a wedding planner/coordinator does is negotiate and just what the title says coordinate. There are many times when contracts are either misunderstood or a situation is unclear. The wedding planner is usually the one the vendors and the clients come to for clarification. On the day of the wedding the planner is the one person that is the “leader of the orchestra” so to speak. Think of all the workers coming and going with no one person there to orchestrate and direct. What kind of chaos would there be? What happens if the flowers are not there on time, what happens if the cake is not delivered at all? This is not the time for the mother of the bride or any family member to have to try to organize all the vendors and make sure all the things are in place for such a momentous event.

The wedding planner/coordinator is trained to stay calm and take these situations in stride. We all should have a backup plan and know exactly how to execute it if need be. No wedding is perfect and there are always little snafus that happen. Having a wedding planner/coordinator there makes these snafus go away and most of the time the guests and Bride and Groom never know they even happened.

There is a lot of work and money that go into the planning of a wedding. You want professional vendors so why not leave the most stressful time to a professional trained to handle it and enjoy your day.

Brides Against Breast Cancer

"Photography Courtesy of Kathryn Brown Photography"

Last January I received a phone call from a sister wedding planner asking me if I would be willing to help coordinate the Brides Against Breast Cancer Gown Tour in Jacksonville. Little did I know then, but I was embarking on an adventure that would impact my life. Over the past six months, we have searched for a venue, begged for donations, spoke at rallies, posted flyers, posted on Facebook and Twitter daily, answered emails, scoured the city for free advertising and asked for volunteers to pull the Gown Tour together for the weekend of July 23-25, 2010. On Friday morning the 23rd, it all came to realty when I met Allison Caudle and Barbara Raskin with Making Memories at the Channel 4 News Station. I watched as our models displayed a sample of dresses and listened to Allison explain the purpose of the gown sale. Allison explained that she was the one that actually got to grant the wishes and this organization had not turned any down so far. She went on to explain that the Making Memories Foundation has an extremely high grossing percentage that actually makes it to the “wish” fund. Most of their work is done by volunteers and the overhead is kept to a minimum amount. A little unknown fact about these dresses is that they are not all used. Many of the gowns are couture that have been donated by the designer or manufacturer and still have the original price tags on them. I knew the profits from the gowns went to Stage IV breast cancer patients, but I did not realize the impact this charity had on individuals.

"Photography Courtesy of Kathryn Brown Photography"



As the morning progressed we met up with the owner of a local gown shop (Park Avenue Bridal Mandarin) who donated 30 brand new gowns to the cause. Then shortly before noon volunteers started arriving and the truck pulled in with THE DRESSES. Immediately the “crew” (again, all volunteers) from South Carolina started unloading the truck and to my amazement ran the operation like a fine tuned instrument. It was obvious they had done this many times before. Within no time the empty ballroom, donated by our co-host, the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront, transformed into a bridal gown shop complete with veils, tiaras and shoes. All we needed now were the brides.

"Photography Courtesy of Kathryn Brown Photography"


Our VIP Night began with registration and a very unique raffle. The brides and their guests were able to purchase raffle tickets for $10.00. The catch being they were given as many tickets as they could wrap around their breasts for the $10.00. Everyone was getting into the spirit of the measuring and having fun. We had approximately 53 people show up for our first VIP Night in Jacksonville with 18 of those being brides. The Hyatt treated us all to a signature “pink” cocktail and hors d’oeuvres while our other co-host, David Hanscom with Y? Entertainment kept the crowd entertained with door prizes and raffle drawings. The brides gathered around to receive excellent advice from our professional volunteers who served as an Expert Panel. Then it was time to unveil the dresses!

"Photography Courtesy of Kathryn Brown Photography"



As we moved into the ballroom, the ooohs and ahhhhs were heard everywhere. It was so exciting seeing these girls trying on dresses and coming out to show their mothers and bridesmaids. Our local professional volunteers got in to the spirit by providing free make-up and hair advice. Some even gave complete make-overs. The photographers added to the fun by setting up a dummy runway and taking pictures of the brides in their dream dresses. In addition to the make-up, hair and photos, we had several local florists donate exquisite bouquets for the brides to sample with their dresses. We closed our VIP Night selling 9 dresses and making just over $6,900.00

"Photography Courtesy of Mel Roby Photography"



Throughout the rest of the weekend, we shared stories with many brides coming in to either donate a dress or buy a dress and telling us of someone in their family who was stricken by this awful disease. It was a very touching and rewarding time for all us. I urge each and every one of you that has not had the opportunity to work at one of the BABC gown sales to volunteer! It is an amazing experience that you will treasure. It touches the heart and soul of so many people, in the giving of the dresses, the buying of the dresses and the wishes that are granted by the Foundation. All in all, we feel our gown sale was a success. I had set a personal goal of $15,000.00. At 6:30 p.m. on Sunday evening, we sold our 21st gown and made just over $17,510.00. This event has brought many of us in the wedding industry closer together and we are already working on another sale for next year. Please keep posted for an update on our progress and the date of the next sale.

"Photography Courtesy of Kathryn Brown Photography"



A special shout out and thank you to these Professional Volunteers who helped make this weekend a success:

Alina Castillo - alinacastillo@mac.com
Bethany Walter - www.madyjoe.com
Casey Powell - www.caseydoeshair.com
Cheryl Raby - www.avowtwokeep.com
Chris Kennelly - www.kenneticproductions.com
Christy Whitehead - www.christywhiteheadphotography.com
Dan Harris - www.danharrisphotoart.com
David Hanscom - www.youreventanswer.com - Y? Entertainment – Co-Host
David Weast - weastd@live.com
Elizabeth Cohn - www.jacksonville.hyatt.com -
Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront - Co-Host
Hope Dempsey - www.d-vinecuisine.com
Jason Christley - www.kategardinerphoto.com
Judy Brown-Scott - www.judys-cakes.com
Kate Gardiner - www.kategardinerphoto.com
Kathryn Brown - www.kathrynbrownphotography.com
Kimtasha Armstrong - www.kimtasha.com
Lauren Atwaters - www.ten23designs.com
Linda Gail Rowe - lindarowe@marykay.com
Lisa Burnett - www.elegantweddingsbylisa.com
Lori Robinson - www.caydenlanephotography.com
Mel Roby - www.melrobyphotography.com
Paulina Perez - www.paulinaperez.com
Shawnee Doster - www.Shawnee.AllAboutHoneymoons.com
Sonia Garza - soniagarza1225@yahoo.com
Tania Phillips - www.clearskiesphotography.com
Tanya Hendricks - www.southerncharmevents.org - Southern Charm Events – Co-Host
Wanda Hanscom www.youreventanswer.com - Y? Entertainment – Co-Host

"Photography Courtesy of Kathryn Brown Photography"


Our lovely bouquets were provided by:

A Fantasy in Flowers | www.fantasynflowers.com | 904-268-7022
Blossoms and Accents, Inc. | www.blossomsandaccents.com | 904-993-7677
Rose of Sharon | www.roseofsharonflorist.net | 904-737-8655
Kelley's Bloom Room | www.kelleysbloomroom.com |904-387-4474
From the Heart Flowers & Gifts | www.fromtheheartflowersandgifts.com|904-531-9450

Plan B

What is your "Plan B"? This is a question every Bride and Groom needs to ask? While your Wedding Planner surely has a back-up plan, you should also have a one for yourself. Many things can happen on your day, including illness of one of your vendors or key players. Talk with your vendors and make sure they have a back-up plan in the event of an emergency and/or illness. Also have a back-up usher who can step in at the last minute. Discuss your back-up plan with your Wedding Planner so you and she are aware of who can step in at the last minute if need be. This small detail will save a lot of stress on you and your family in the unfortunate event of an emergency or illness. Your Wedding Day is not a day you should be worrying about what if... So why not have a back-up plan in place and relax and enjoy your day.