Category Archives: Planning

Fancy Shmancy Cakes

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Alison in Planning

Let them eat cake? Sure, okay!

Let them eat vintage cake! Well, vintage in looks, not in actual age because that would be gross.

But vintage-looking cakes are all the rage. Lacy tiers of confection-y goodness make for a beautiful centerpiece on its own little table at your wedding reception. When dreaming up your vintage wedding cake, think about frostings in whites, creams, and pastels. Details like dots, scrolling, and floral motifs should fill up your cake. And your cake stand can complement your vintage dessert if its an ornate metallic piece like gold or silver. If you go for a cake topper, consider birds, scripted monogram initials, or an old fashioned bride and groom figures (this is where you can actually be vintage; borrow your mom’s or grandma’s!)

The fillings and cake flavor can be your choice. It’s the outside the counts. Of course, that’s not what you say about your groom-to-be, but in the world of cakes, it’s all about looks!

fancy-shmancy-cakes

Inspired By Debbie Friedman

Posted on February 16, 2011 by Alison in Jewish Traditions, Planning

It’s with a heavy, but inspired heart that we bring to you some ideas of incorporating Debbie Friedman’s music into your wedding day.

Why heavy? Debbie Friedman, an American Jewish song writer and performer passed away just a few weeks ago on January 9th. She had been in an Orange County, California hospital suffering complications from pneumonia, and even though Jews around the world held prayer services and song sessions in her honor and desire for recovery, Friedman lost her battle and momentarily, Jews lost their source of music.

But not for long, because Friedman’s soulful chants and uplifting melodies had been known to bring peace and comfort while she was alive, and it was no different after she died. With the news of her passing, her songs surged the Internet giving new life to those who’d never heard them and reassurance to long-standing fans. For many young Jewish Americans, Friedman’s music was heavily incorporated at Jewish summer camp or Hebrew school programs. I can remember song leaders at Camp Alonim in Brandeis, California connecting me to my heritage at Shabbat services through Friedman’s song book. And fifteen years ago, I could go to several different friends’ bar or bat mitzvah services at different synagogues and still hear the same familiar tunes accompanying a 13-year-old’s very special day of becoming a Jewish adult. At holidays, her music erupts with ruach (spirit) and joy, reminding us why we celebrate year after year.

So, why not take some of Friedman’s songs that speak to the hearts of Jews everywhere and incorporate them in your wedding day? What a great way to keep Friedman’s memory alive and tie in your day to a special and inspiring Jewish American woman.

debbie-friedman

For processional music or during your ceremony with a beautiful melody and meaning:
L’chi Lach (And You Shall Be A Blessing)
Listen to the song. Read the lyrics.

To remember a loved one who is no longer living to be at your wedding:
Mi Shebeirach
Listen to the song. Read the lyrics.

For uplifting, celebratory recessional music as you being your lives together as husband and wife:
The Journey Song
Listen to the song. Read the lyrics.

For a first dance song or a performance from a friend or relative on the wedding day:
Wedding Song
Listen to the song.

OMG! BHLDN!!

Posted on February 7, 2011 by Alison in Inside Scoop, Planning

Oh.
My.
Gefilte Fish.

If you like the people who bring you this:

omg!-bhldn!

Then you’re going to adore/love/gush/obsess the people who bring you this:

omg!-bhldn!

BHLDN, or Beholden, is a new bridal line from Anthropologie. Get ready for the prettiest wedding wear ever. We are sure that BHLDN will bring you the same wispy, flowy, and ultra feminine styles in bridal threads that you’ve enjoyed in Anthropologie stores. This high-end home, accessories, and clothing store has made women feel connected and beautiful since 1992. Anthropologie continues to inspire women to seek for the details, fine textiles, and intricate design in their personal purchases, and we are sure that BHLDN will not let you down!

BHLDN launches on a day we love — February 14th! — so make sure to check out what they have to offer for your beautiful bridal needs.

Thankful for A Thank You Note Guide

Posted on February 3, 2011 by Alison in Featured, Friday Favorites, Planning

Dear Distant Relative I Don’t Know Who My Mom Insisted We Invite,
Thank you for the ugly vase we did not register for and will never be able to use in our house. As a young newlywed couple, it would have been great if you could have gifted something from our registry that we pre-selected or just written a check (preferably with at least two zeroes at the end). I’m sure I’ll never see you again, but I guess my husband and I hope to see you soon???
Love, but only because we can’t write “Sincerely,”
Bride and Groom

How many times have you wanted to write a thank you note that reads like that one? Have you ever felt this way when receiving a gift, whether it was wedding-related or not? Perhaps your engagement party or shower included guests you’d never even heard of and you’re stuck about how to make your note of appreciation sound sincere. Maybe you got a really ugly gift and you’re not sure how to respond. Or maybe — a better problem — you got a very generous check and you don’t know how to adequately and appropriately thank Uncle Moneybags.

These are all normal traces of anxiety while scribing away at thank you notes. Most women see them as a chore, and don’t even get started on trying to get your other half involved. Most guys want nothing to do with them. But the fact is, thank you notes are necessary. It’s just plain rude not to write them. So avoiding them altogether does not help your cause. Different sources of etiquette offer different due dates for sending thank you notes. We strongly believe that you have three months from after your wedding to send a note of gratitude. Keep in mind, though, that wedding gifts might trickle in prior to your wedding date. That’s okay — send out your thank you notes as you receive the gifts! This helps you cut down on the work to be done after your wedding. The three months do not apply to events like engagement parties or showers because, most likely, your guest list will be smaller so you’ll have fewer notes to write. Try to shoot for a month after the event.

But what to say without sounding like a broken record? That’s where our new favorite guide to thank you notes comes in! Stacey Agin Murray, owner of Organized Artistry and author of Monday’s guest piece, has written and published a tool you should hold very close to your heart… and writing desk!

Stacey created a 7-step organized system for writing thank you notes, saving her and her husband from constantly wondering, “What should I write?!” She was able to use this system to write notes that sounded personable, sincere, and appreciative. We’ve reviewed the system she developed — now published for you to use! — and we agree that it’s helpful and goal oriented. With sample letters and a guide that includes thank you note writing 101, you’ll feel good about sending your guests a personalized note that thanks them for their gift, time, and thoughtfulness. Stacey even includes ideas about what to say other than just “thank you.” She encourages you to write about a favorite memory with the individual at the party/shower/wedding or to reference an upcoming get together. And if you receive your 17th seder plate, well, you’ve got to keep it fresh for each recipient. This allows you to sound like a real human instead of a thank you note-writing factory. In fact, Stacey even received thank you notes… for her thank you notes! There’s no reason you can’t receive the same since, after all, thank you notes are much more fun to open up than, say, bills, bills, bills!

Stacey’s book, 7 Steps to an Organized Wedding Thank You Note, can be all yours if you enter to win this week’s thrilling giveaway! You will feel the cloud of stress disappear from your sky when you flip through the book and realize that writing thank you notes doesn’t have to be the end of your wedding honeymoon phase. In fact, think of thank you notes as an opportunity to extend your bridal experience as you revisit some of your favorite people and their generous gifts. And for the gifts you feel a little “meh” about, well, Stacey offers you sample letters to guide you through those tricky ones.

thankful-for-a-thank-you-note-guide

So, now it’s time for you to win it!

Leave a comment below and tell us your biggest thank you note trick or pet peeve. We all have ’em! The giveaway starts Thursday, February 3rd and runs through Sunday night, February 6th at 11:59 PST. You do not have to be Jewish or a current bride in order to win as the sweepstakes is open to all eligible people in the United States. Winner will be announced on Monday!

Organizing Your Wedding Details

Posted on January 31, 2011 by Alison in Planning

Today we’re so honored to host Stacey Agin Murray, a professional organizer who owns Organized Artistry. With the flood of thoughts and to-do lists gushing through your idea factory, it’s difficult to keep your brain organized and orderly. Don’t let your trains of thought collide tracks!! Read on for information that the Yentas are happy to bring you so you can rest easy during your wedding planning days!

You’ve had friends to your home for dinner. Maybe you’ve hosted a Super Bowl party or two. But have you ever planned and coordinated an event for 50-300 guests?

If you haven’t, then welcome to the world of wedding planning.

Caterers, florists, and other wedding-related companies will be banging down your door to get your business. Friends and relatives will offer advice, phone numbers, and web sites for you to check out. How will you juggle the multitudes of research and information from those who want your day to be special? The key to smooth and stress-reducing wedding planning is…

Being Organized
Being organized is the art of having the things you need when you need them whether it is a brochure, a phone number, or a picture of your ultimate bridal bouquet. And no one recognizes the need to be organized more than someone who is planning a wedding. A few organizing techniques you can use to help you plan your wedding are the consistent use of a calendar/PDA and making to-do lists. But what about all of those wedding-related papers you’ve accumulated? Estimates from caterers, song sheets from bands, and all of those pictures you tore out of magazines — how are you supposed to keep them all organized?

The Wedding Binder
The top tool for organized wedding planning is a Wedding Binder. Besides your future spouse, your Wedding Binder will be the closest thing to a best friend you’ll have during your engagement period. The wedding binder is essentially a homefor all wedding-related information. Each topic will have a specific area in the binder allowing for quick referencing and retrieval.

How should you build your wedding binder to work best for you?
The size of your wedding and how many extras you incorporate into your wedding day (ex. ice sculptures, doves) will determine the size of your binder. If you are having a small, simple gathering or you’re not doing much research, you may not need more than a 1″ spine. Large gatherings with many bells and whistles will probably require a binder with upwards of a 3″ spine.

Besides the binder itself, you will need:
• three hole punched, two-sided pocket folders

• extra wide dividers or self adhesive divider tabs for the pocket folders

• three hole punched, zippered pocket for pen/pencils/paper clips (optional)

One, two-sided pocket folder is usually enough room for the paperwork of one vendor. One side of the pocket folder is for ideas and research and the other side is for estimates and contracts. Keeping these different types of information separate will allow you to locate them and retrieve at a moment’s notice.

Examples of some categories for your pocket folders are:
• Catering

• Photography

• Bridal Gown

• Transportation

• Ceremony/Officiant(s)

• Honeymoon

Assemble the pocket folders in order of importance to you. If you are constantly making calls to your caterer, place that folder towards the front of the binder. Already know what favors you want to give out? Place that folder towards the back.

What other information can be stored in your wedding binder?
• Guest lists/gift lists

• E-mail/phone list of bridal party members

• Seating charts

• A print-out of your registry

Benefits to using a wedding binder
• Money-saving benefit: You’re always prepared when a vendor wants to talk about price. If someone quotes you a price in writing and you can’t produce the paper it’s written on, they could try to charge you more money for their services.

• Time-saving benefit: Since all of your information has a home, you won’t be wasting your time printing duplicate information off the internet or repeatedly asking for the addresses of your guests.

• Sanity-saving benefit: All of your wedding information is in one place. No need to take apart your living room looking for what you need.

Tips for keeping an organized wedding binder:
• Label the pocket folders clearly

• Place new papers/information in the correct pocket of your binder as soon as you receive them.

• Sort and purge your binder once a month. Toss any information that is no longer relevant in the trash or in a folder for a friend or relative who may need it in the future.

Always bring your wedding binder with you when meeting with your vendors. You’ll have all the information you need to compare prices and make educated decisions. You will be organized, prepared and in control of your special day.

Stacey Agin Murray, owner of Organized Artistry, LLC is a Professional Organizer in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. Stacey offers residential organizing services from attic to basement and every space in between. She is the author of 7 Steps to an Organized Wedding Thank You Note, a quick-reference guide for the overwhelmed bride. To learn more about getting organized go to www.organizedartistry.com. Visit Stacey’s blog or Facebook Fan Page. Stacey is a member of National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), Golden Circle Member of NAPO, active in the NAPO-Northern New Jersey Chapter, and a member of New Jersey Association of Women’s Business Owners (NJAWBO) – Bergen County Chapter