Category Archives: Featured

From the Expert: What’s the Difference Between a Wedding Planner and a Catering Manager?

Posted on November 27, 2012 by Alison in Featured, Planning

Today, a real wedding expert is here to explain the difference between a Catering Manager at your venue and a Wedding Planner that you hire separately. So often, their jobs and duties get mixed up, but the owner of By Kerri Hatter has the scoop to make it easy to understand. Take it away, Kerri!

So often, we are told by brides that they don’t think they need our services because their
venue provides a coordinator. While that is true (the venue does provide a coordinator), the
responsibilities of a venue or catering manager are very different from a professional Wedding
Planner. Below are things you can expect from each one:

Catering Manager
The Catering Manager is your main contact, and usually your first through a tour, at the venue.
They are responsible for the sales of events. Once you have decided on their venue, they
produce your contract involving all the terms and financial commitments to the resort as well as
balancing out your final bill following your special day.

Your Catering Manager will host a menu tasting, assist you with food and beverage selections,
and educate you on how to reach the minimums required per your contract. They develop your
BEO (Banquet Event Order), which outlines your menu, rentals and anything else the venue
will be providing. They are also responsible for making sure that the Banquet Manager, who
manages all of the food & beverage and staff at the reception, is aware of all of your requests
regarding any venue service.

Catering Managers are responsible for the set up of all hotel related items on the day of the
event. Then they will oversee the ceremony and reception set ups to make sure all venue
contracted items are being delivered as promised.

At hotels, your Catering Manager introduces you to the reservations manager if you need
to book room blocks and oversees the details of the bride and grooms suite the night of the
wedding.

Finally, as the Catering Manager is in charge of the responsibilities solely related to the venue,
they can work closely with a professional Wedding Planner to ensure a successful event.

Wedding Planner
The Wedding Planner is responsible for coordinating and executing all of the wedding elements
not involving the venue and serves as an advisor/educator and mediator throughout the
planning. As an expert in the wedding industry, the Planner helps with etiquette specifically
related to weddings. He or she handles all of the time-consuming details and communication
involved with planning the wedding. The Wedding Planner is also the biggest resource because
they have many contacts in the industry and will be able to match each client with the right
professionals. Some services provided by Wedding Planners are:

Acts as a liaison between family, bridal party, the vendors, and the venue staff leading up
to and on the day of the wedding
Attends the final meeting with the Catering Manager at the venue
Coordinates with the Catering Manager on the BEOs
Develops a timeline for the entire wedding day
Confirms all vendors and coordinates timelines and details with them to ensure all
parties know what to expect on the wedding day
Conducts the rehearsal and reviews the itinerary with all family and bridal party
Sets up all wedding elements – guest books, place cards, favors, programs, table
numbers, and any other items the bride and groom want displayed
Double checks all venue set ups to make sure they coordinate with the BEOs (seating
charts, napkin folds, ceremony set up, linen colors, etc.)
Coordinates timing of ceremony and reception including grand entrances, first dances,
speeches, and cake cutting
Collects all gifts and décor, and delivers to the appropriate location at the end of the
night

Kerri advises a bride and groom about the cake cutting.

Kerri gives a push down the aisle to a young member of the wedding party.

Here is a great real situation from a recent wedding differentiating the two roles:
About 2 hours before the ceremony, I received a frantic call that the groom’s dad did not have
his tie for the wedding. He thought the hotel maids might have cleaned up the room and
thrown it away by accident! The Catering Manager has to stay on property at all times, so I sent
one of my assistants to the closest tie shop to buy a tie as close to the color of the rest of the
groomsmen. Crisis averted!

**************

Kerri started her career in event planning over 20 years ago, but found her true passion for planning when she got married in 2004. Having been a bride herself, she understands everything the bride and groom are feeling and knows how difficult it can be to handle all the details and keep everyone happy at the same time! Kerri’s easy going personality immediately puts her clients at east and her almost obsession with organization keeps them on track. Her innovative thinking and passion to help everyone she meets prompted Kerri to create The Wedding Workshop.

The Wedding Yentas on BlogTalkRadio!

Posted on November 21, 2012 by Alison in Featured, Inside Scoop

Today’s the day! Yes, it’s the day before Thanksgiving, but it’s also when The Wedding Yentas goes live on the air with David Rothstein on his program, The Wedding 101 Radio Show on BlogTalkRadio!

So step away from your box of cornbread mix (oh wait, that’s just me) and give your ears a present they’ll be thankful for — an Internet schmooze-fest!

At this point, I have no idea what we’ll be chatting about, but I know there will be lots of great questions and answers devoted to planning Jewish weddings.

I’m very thankful for this opportunity, and as always, very thankful for YOU! Brides, grooms, mothers, MOHs, wedding pros — you are all so fabulous and it’s an honor to create for you every day!

Details for today’s radio broadcast:

I’ll be live at 1:00 PST/3:00 CST/4:00 EST with encore listens whenever you’d like when you visit The Wedding 101 Radio Show.

To access the show, click here!

Press the play button and tune in. I hope you enjoy it! And if not, well, I’m glad you can’t throw tomatoes through the computer.

Happy Thanksgiving, Yenta-friends! Enjoy your yummies and your favorite people!

Custom Color Your Ketubah

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Alison in Featured, Jewish Traditions, Planning

Has this happened to you? You find a ketubah that you both agree on, the wording meets your marriage ideals, the price is right, you know exactly where you want to hang it and… oh wait. The colors don’t match the room.

Womp womp womp.

Buzzkill ketubahs are everywhere. And it’s no surprise. With ketubah art being such a personal thing, it’s not a shocker that your choices are narrow when you look at all the specs. So many ketubah shops and independent artists offer a wide variety of ketubah pieces, but once you consider the style of art, your choices get smaller. Then your price range. Slimmer options. Then your ability to customize your text or not. Narrow. And what you’re left with is a handful of “well, we don’t hate ’em” ketubah possibilities. And of those, what if the colors are not your cup of tea?

More and more ketubah art is becoming customizable and I think that’s great. Here’s something so personal and so unique to a couple’s marriage, they should have the ability to be tailored for the newlyweds.

I’m currently loving New World Ketubah by Rachel Deitsch‘s custom concept that stays true to her own artistic style, while accommodating her couples’ wall paint or furniture. Or, even, just taste.

The piece itself is called “Branches” and it’s the perfect blend of modern and traditional. With clean and simple detail, and without blatant Jewish symbols or landscapes, this ketubah could fit the style range of an interfaith couple to a super traditional couple.

Consequently, the simplicity lends itself to all kinds of color combinations so the couple can really direct the mood of the artwork. When it comes to choosing a color, deciding what sort of “mood” you’d like to express should come first. Do you want to reflect the season the wedding takes place, for instance, or a time of year that is special to you as a couple?

The best bet for color-matching would be getting the PMS Process Color (CMYK) formula from your invitation printer if you are trying to match the invitations. Be aware that color can shift from printer to printer and even from paper to paper, but Pantone colors are the best way to get your closest match. You can also send a paint chip, matte finish. Once the two color formulas are in place, Rachel will email you an image before printing.

There are a lot of ways to play with this, so be open minded! For example, Rachel personally likes a seasonal reference, so her initial collection of four color themes are nods to winter (gray and a pop of red), summer (sky blue) spring (lavender) and fall (orangey yellow). The best part is that there’s no wrong answer and the fun is seeing what couples can come up with!

Unlike other custom ketubah collaborations, Rachel’s is currently no extra cost. It’s just the price of the ketubah. Save your gelt for Chanukah, friends!

Oh, and P.S., Rachel also creates invitations! The fun just never ends!

Follow New World Ketubah on Facebook to keep up with the news and updates!

Pingback: New ketubah design with custom color option | New World Ketubah | Custom Ketubahs | Ketubah Designs | Modern Ketubah

Bow Tying The Knot

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Alison in Featured, Inside Scoop, Planning, Same Sex Love

We devote so much time to bridal fashions. From heels to lace to hair, so much of our girl squealing is about what the bride wears on her wedding day. But, what about the groom? Or, as in the case of last week’s adorable engagement shoot, the grooms?

The groom’s options are rarely as bountiful as the bride’s. Variations on tuxedos are slim compared to the many choices a bride has in dress styles, materials, cuts, adornments, and colors. Sure, there are different lapels or threads for suits and tuxedos, but to the naked eye, a tux is a tux. One way to really spice up the groom’s look is with the tie around his neck. Bow ties, especially, provide timeless and classy style, but why go with a plain black or ivory bow tie when there are stylish and colorful options available?

The Tie Bar has been endorsed by GQ Magazine and — here’s one more for the count — The Wedding Yentas! — as a style guide for men’s fashions. The Tie Bar has furnished accessories for some pretty dreamy celebs, too, including Ryan Gosling (hel-lo?! ‘Nuff said!), Paul Rudd (my personal favorite as he is #1 on The List. Yes, Husband Yenta knows), and John Hamm (going mad for that man?). While all these men are prominent in Hollywood, there’s one guy who knows how to pair fashion and activism and that is Jesse Tyler Ferguson.

I’ve actually met him a couple times and I’m a total fan girl. Not only am I a supreme wedding junkie, but I’m a total theatre nerd, and I’ve seen him on stage in a Broadway show and even in the audience at my local community theater where we have cheered on mutual friends. So, needless to say, I give Jesse Tyler Ferguson a big thumbs up on his work and his fashion. We’ve seen him rock the bow tie several times as himself and as the beloved “Mitchell” on TV’s Modern Family, but he rocks for another reason.

Ferguson and his fiance, attorney Justin Mikita, have partnered with The Tie Bar for a fundraiser that beats any corner lemonade stand or high school car wash. They’re goin’ big! They’ve created Tie The Knot, a cause that, in association with The Tie Bar, creates stylish bow ties with all proceeds from the sale going directly to various organizations across the country, currently in the trenches fighting for civil rights.

According to the Facebook page of Tie the Knot, the goal is clear: “to achieve marriage equality throughout the United States and to look damn good while doing it.”

Tie the Knot releases seasonal bow tie collections through The Tie Bar that are inspired by art, pop culture, and fashion. Unlike boring bow ties, each carefully created design will only be available for a limited amount of time to promote uniqueness and individuality.

Ferguson and Mikita even created an adorable video with information about the cause and the bow ties. You can check it out on the Tie the Knot web site or view it here! It’s short and sweet. Very sweet!

A groom who wants to look good while getting married or support the ability for everyone who’s in love to get married should consider Tie the Knot‘s creations while searching for the final touch on his formal ensemble. Bow ties don’t have to be just for weddings, though! Dapper fellas can bow tie it up for engagement photo shoots, rehearsal dinners, and even the bachelor party. Don’t forget the honeymoon and other fun events that come with newlywed bliss.

Bowties will be hitting The Tie Bar starting November 15, so stay tuned for updates about designs and purchasing by following the Tie The Knot Facebook page. It’s going to be fun to watch what Tie the Knot rolls out because they’ll be created with such care, just like the cause. Just like bubbie makes kugel.

The Wedding Yentas believes in equality for all. And looking swell while supporting, well, that’s a perfect package tied up in a bow!

Send in photos of your dashing beau in a JTF bow tie once they’re available! It would be with great nachus to curate a fabulous gallery of style and support for equality!

Wedding Planning and Including Your In-Laws

Posted on October 31, 2012 by Alison in Featured, Inside Scoop, Planning

So, we’re going to assume a few things here first before we get down and dirty on the topic of weddings and in-laws.

1. Your spouse’s parents are still alive.
2. Your spouse has a good (enough) relationship with his parents.
3. Your spouse’s parents are going to be part of the wedding day in any capacity.

That said, you may be wondering how you can include your in-laws in your wedding planning if you and your spouse have a desire to do so. The laws of, oh I don’t know, nature, sometimes dictate that the groom’s parents may pay for a few things here and there — or nothing at all — and just show up to the wedding. But in an effort to maintain a healthy relationship with your in-laws, it might be nice to include them in some aspects of your wedding planning, which may serve as an investment for your future positive relationship with them.

Assuming there’s already a drama-free relationship in place, I think in-laws tend to feel like they want to be included without overstepping bounds. They’re kvelling for the pending nuptials and are just as excited as your parents might be, but aren’t sure how much involvement they should have. So, if you have a nice relationship with them and would like to include them in the wedding planning experience, you can still invite them to share the ride with you while keeping other aspects intimate and special. And scoring extra points never hurt anyone either!

If one or both of your in-laws has a hobby, interest, or trade they’re passionate about, loop them into a similar wedding element. If your mother-in-law spends her weekends out in her garden, she’d probably love to join you at your consultation with your florist. Or if your spouse’s parents love to cook or travel the world trying new delicacies, they would probably be thrilled to attend the food tasting with your caterer if you’re allowed to bring guests. Choose some meetings with your vendors that you think would pique their interest. It’ll be fun and they might have something to bring to the table, too.

Host a dinner at your place for your in-laws and spend the night relaxing and having fun together. You can talk about wedding details over dinner and break out into some in-law bonding discussion. This might also be a good time to weigh in on their table seating opinions. They know their family best and can tell you that Uncle Ira and Aunt Esther are still not on speaking terms from The Great Chanukah Fiasco of 1993 when Uncle Ira took the last big chocolate gelt from the netting bag, and, therefore, should not be seated at the same table. The in-laws can also help you in deciding on some of the music your DJ or band should play that would satisfy their generation’s preferences (I know, the Boomers don’t always love Nicki Minaj unless, of course, the little English girls from YouTube are coming to your wedding). And if you really want to be sleuthy, find out their favorite slow dance song and ask your DJ or band to play it for them at the wedding; it’s a nice touch and they’ll plotz.

You’ve probably heard a dozen times that it’s not a good idea to have a whole entourage attend your dress shopping escapades or fittings. Too many opinions make for a stressed out bride. However, including your spouse’s mother at a wedding dress appointment may be a great way to make her feel loved and part of your inner circle. You know her best, though. If you think she’s going to complain or critique your dream dress, leave the broad at home. On the other hand, if she really just wants to share in the joy of seeing you glow in that three-way mirror with hefty chip clips holding you in, it might make for a fun ladies’ day out. This really depends on your overall relationship with her because, as you know, traditionally your dress is sacred and only your most favorite gals get to be a part of this most bridal experience. You be the judge.

Bottomline, you want to bridge the gap between the sets of parents and try to make everyone feel included based on your comfort level. None of this is required. These are simply ideas for fostering already in-tact relationships. Your friendly neighborhood Wedding Yenta is certainly not a family therapist, but these are tactics that have worked for other brides that may also work for you.

At the end of the night, when the high heels are tossed in the corner and the flowers are being disassembled, you’ll have a new set of official family members and wouldn’t it be nice if your in-laws were also your in-loves?