Your Wedding Advice - StrictlyWeddings.com Blog

Stay in touch with your friends this holiday with custom cards

It seems that the special touches of letters and cards are going away now that everything is more “instant” and interactive. Yet, how many of us enjoy the excitement of getting a card in the mail? This year, think about touching those you care about with custom holiday cards – maybe a special wedding or honeymoon picture of the two of you? One of our partners, Rebecca Hackl Events, creates luxurious holiday cards. Planning a holiday party? They can custom design your invitation. Visit their web site to learn more or contact them at 972.355.6556.

Rules of Engagement for the Holiday Season

LIKE “white Christmas,” “happy holidays” and “guaranteed delivery before Dec. 25,” the phrase, “Will you marry me?” is a familiar refrain this time of year.

December, traditionally a slow month for weddings, is by far the most popular month for engagements. It actually surpasses February, when marriage proposals are often tied to Valentine’s Day.

The harmony of jingle bells, wedding bells and the insistent jangle of change in one’s pocket rings clearly. Engagement ploys often have an over-the-top quality to them. And many would-be bridegrooms view the already crammed holiday season as a ready-made opportunity to stage a memorable event with plenty of witnesses. The parties are already planned, and the Christmas tree and a blazing fire provide the perfect setting for a proposal.

Whether you’re traveling to a special place or in familiar surroundings, the holidays lend itself to the romance of creating a “lifetime” memory. (Mine came on a bouquet of purple irises with a beautiful poem – the last one I got!)

Visit one of our partners to help you choose your engagement ring.

Finding the Perfect Caterer

Ask for Recommendations

Many caterers say that most of their business comes from word of mouth. Ask your florist, wedding planner or coordinators at your reception site whom they like to work with.

Do a Background Check

You can see whether the caterer has any complaints filed against him with the Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org), but if so, don’t cross him off your list yet, since you won’t know his side of the story. Calling references is your best bet. Contact three or four past clients and ask: Was the caterer pleasant and accommodating? Was the service efficient and unintrusive? Was the food delicious, and did it arrive hot?

Meet and Eat

When you’ve narrowed the list to a couple of caterers, you and your fiancé, and maybe even a food-savvy third party, should be able to sample some of the chefs’ signature dishes (note that there may be a fee involved). You can expect the food to look precisely the way it will at your reception. So if the salad is meant to be garnished with flowers, you should have them for the tasting, and they should look fresh. That said, seasonal items you plan to serve may not be available at the time of the tasting, so you’ll have to imagine how those dishes will ultimately look and taste. Though you shouldn’t expect a total overhaul of a recipe, don’t hesitate to make suggestions or to ask the chef if spices or subtle elements can be modified to suit your taste.

Wine While You Dine

Let caterers know before tastings that you’d like to sample the wines that will be served with the wedding meal. If you don’t like the way the cabernet sauvignon goes with your food, ask to taste-test another wine. Don’t get hung up on which wine should go with what food, however‹the best choices are those you, your fiancé and your guests will enjoy drinking.

Put It on Paper

You’ll need a written contract‹not just a verbal agreement‹spelling out the date, time, fees and specific menu items. Both you and the vendor must sign this to make it binding. Remember: The number of guests may change at the last minute, so be sure to agree on a deadline for your final count.

Get It to Go

Ironically, after all the time and energy you’ve put into planning the meal, you may not even have a spare second to eat during the reception. Ask your caterer to pack a basket for you and your new hubby so that you can devour it later, back in the hotel room. You deserve to enjoy the meal, too!

Let StrictlyWeddings.com suggest one of our fine caterers.

Carolina Herrera Fall 2009 Trunk Show

The Fall 2009 Carolina Herrera Bridal collection will be available for viewing November 6th through November 8th 2008. Brides who place orders at the trunk show receive 10% off their gown. By appointment at 214-219-6060.

Wondering What to Budget for What?

The cost of weddings can generate its own type of stress. Knowing how to budget on average may help you (and those paying) some understanding on how best to budget. The first thing you need to do when planning your wedding is to put things into perspective and prioritize the most important things.

Some aspects of the wedding may largely be forgotten as soon as it’s over, but others may be with you or shared with others for decades to come. Knowing what is most important to you can help you focus on where it pays to save. This is personal to you, so we recommend that you sit down with your fiancée and establish 1-2 things that are most important – the photography? The reception? – everyone is different. It’s what will make your wedding a special memory in the years to come.

Typical Budget Breakdown

• 40% on food, cake, and alcohol
• 3% on the facilities for the reception
• 8% on flowers
• 10% on entertainment
• 14% on clothing
• 7% on a photographer
• 4% on invitations and other printed supplies
• 4% on gifts
• 2% on transportation
• 8% on miscellaneous items

Talk About Financial Management BEFORE the Wedding

We’ve offered many topics about the wedding and all the “fun” stuff that goes with it. Occasionally, it’s important to address those “less attractive” topics, such as marriage and finances.

We budget our wedding – personalize wedding favors, purchase bridesmaid and groomsmen gifts, budget for bridal apparel and the honeymoon – yet rarely does the couple address the day to day finances after the marriage.

Conflicts over money are the number one problem reported by married couples.

Choose Who Will Manage the Finances
Decide which partner should handle the day-to-day financial affairs. It is common for one spouse to have a good aptitude for money management and organization, while the other spouse does not. It is important to recognize which one has the better skills, and let them keep track of the finances on a daily basis. This would include paying the bills, reconciling the bank statements, and working within a budget or spending plan.

There should always be open communication between both spouses on all financial matters. This is a key point that many couples miss and actually one of the most difficult. To admit that you’re not good at managing your money can be a major hurtle – for both – yet the beginning of a healthy marriage.

Share Accounts
Putting your money in joint accounts is the best arrangement in most cases, and by having joint accounts with the right of survivorship, there are other benefits as well. In the event of a death of one spouse, the ownership will pass directly to the surviving spouse, without having to go through probate and the cost, time, and public record required for probate. So, it is a good idea to have a joint owner or beneficiary on every account.

Work Up a Budget
Working up a budget, or a spending plan, is a very necessary part of financial management. Too many of us have no idea how much we spend each month, compared to how much we earn in income each month. Remember, we’re now paying for additional groceries, dry cleaning and other incidentals.

The trouble begins when we run up credit card debt, and other debts that our income cannot pay for. By using a budget or spending plan, this will help make sure that you are not going to spend more than you make, and will help you achieve financial success, and create the ability to save for things you want in the future.

Couples must work together in managing their finances in an open, committed relationship so that the two become one.