Ooh La La Events

Tip 10 - Plan

What is it you envision when proposing? Are you taking a stroll through the park? May be you’re dining in her favorite restaurant, engagement ring in your pocket. When planning to propose you need to plan out the 5 W’s: who, what, when, where, and why. Take into account what fits both of your personalities and your relationship. Does a private or public setting suit you best? The most important thing to keep in mind is to make the moment memorable. But keep in mind, making the moment too complex makes it more difficult to pull off.

Tip 9 - The Ring

You have two options when it comes to choosing the perfect ring. The first is to buy her the ring you know she loves. May be she’s pointed it out to you before as you strolled past the jewelry store or out of an ad in the paper. Your second option is to go with something basic. After she has said yes you can make a trip to the jewelry store and let her pick out the setting and band she’s had her eye on. This is a great way to ensure that she gets what she really wants.

Tip 8 - Asking her Father for Permission

Depending on the circumstances, you need to decide whether or not you’ll be asking her Father for permission to have her hand in marriage. This can be done either alone or with your significant other. If asking isn’t right for you, then announce your engagement to her family after your proposal. Remember to be respectful of her family’s culture and traditions.

Tip 7 - Make a Date

Don’t forget to schedule the date with her. Make sure she has no other plans for the big day and is sure she can make it.

Tip 6 - Dress to Impress

Proposing is a special moment, so why wouldn’t you dress for it? Make sure you’re clean and polished the day of the proposal.

Tip 5 - “Are those for me?”

Get her flowers. Lots of flowers. Traditionally, red roses is the flower of choice, but go with what she prefers. And remember, even if she says flowers don’t matter, they do!

Tip 4 - Food

One hint: Don’t cook. When it comes to the day to propose, you want all of your attention on her. If you’re constantly checking on the food, it spoils the one-on-one attention. If you want to propose in a private setting simply pickup the food from a restaurant. If you choose to go the restaurant route, make sure you request a quiet table to keep the setting intimate.

Tip 3 - Wine

Champagne anyone? The occasion calls for celebrating. After she’s said yes order a bottle to share together.

Tip 2 - Practice

You don’t want to stumble your way through the proposal. Make sure to practice ahead of time. Think about what you want to say to her. Also, this would be a good time to decide if you’re going to get down on one knee.

Tip 1- The Big Day

The most important thing is not to forget the ring. Get prepared ahead of time so you can make sure you’ve covered all of your bases. When you’re talking with her look her in the eye and speak from your heart.

So how can you be the perfect wedding guest? It’s actually quite simple. By following four simple rules you can be the dream wedding guest of any Bride.

First, RSVP immediately. The sooner you RSVP the better. This allows the couple to give the final count of guests to the caterer.

Secondly, obey your invitation. Do not bring a date or your children if the invitation doesn’t invite them. Weddings are expensive and each additional guest takes a chunk out of the couples budget. Your invitation should read “Mr. Smith & Guest” if you are allowed to bring a date. And don’t forget, it’s rude to ask to bring someone along.

Thirdly, send a wedding gift. If you are attending the ceremony or reception you should send the couple a gift. Some couples set up a wedding website that has their registry posted. This usually includes detailed information of how the couples gifts should be handled (like where to mail them and if the couple will be receiving gifts at the reception). If the registry site does not state when gifts should be given then you can contact the family of the couple to ask. In most cases gifts are given to the couple in advance. The couple may prefer guests to make a charitable donation in place of a gift. If so, respect their wishes. You are not obligated to get the couple a gift if you are sent an announcement after the wedding has taken place. A simple card or note is sufficient enough.

Lastly, be courteous. This means being on time, dressed appropriately, and respectful during both the ceremony and reception.

Follow these four tips and enjoy yourself as you watch the intimate moment when two people join together in marriage!

• After getting engaged the first thing to do is to tell your family. Your parents and any children you or your partner may have should be the first to learn the exciting news. Next to tell is relatives and close friends. The key is to personally tell everyone important to you and your spouse (either in person or over the phone) to avoid offending anyone. Others may be hurt by hearing the news second hand.
• You want to meet with your future in-laws after the engagement is announced. You’re going to be a part of the family now and it is never to soon to start building upon that foundation. But keep in mind that not only are you meeting your future in-laws, your parents will be meeting them too.
• Your next job is to make a guest list and determine your budget. Remember that the more guests the more expensive a wedding.
• You need to talk with your fiance about the time of year you want to get married and set a date. The most popular months for weddings are May, June, July, August, September, and October. Because of this, it is important to set your date and secure your venue as soon as possible. Not only that, but it will also give your guests enough notice in advance to keep their calendars open for your special date.
• The most important thing to remember is to communicate with each other. How you handle situations now will reflect the rest of your marriage. Planning a wedding can be stressful, but if you communicate with one another and remember to have fun then you are in for a relationship filled with joy.

Invitations can be a paper tiger. All it takes to avoid issues with guests down the road is to plan several months in advance and address important considerations on the front end. Here’s a few that may have slipped your mind.

Do I invite children? That’s up to you. Just remember that it is inappropriate to print “No Children” on an invitation. Simply communicate your wishes by including only the parents’ names on the inner and outer envelopes, and by word of mouth.

Do I invite partners? Yes. This includes couples who are married, engaged or living together. Send one envelope with each name included, unless they’re engaged and live at separate addresses.

What about dates? Allowing your guests to bring a date is thoughtful, but not required, as it will ultimately increase the wedding cost. It is impolite for a guest to ask if they can bring a date, but it is not impolite for you to refuse. Explain that there is limited seating and that you aren’t able to accommodate additional guests.

Do I invite those who can’t possibly come? Many people simply send a wedding announcement and not an invitation to those friends who live far away and couldn’t possibly make the trip. This way there is no gift obligation. However, it is safer to send an invitation regardless so your friends won’t feel left out.

 Maid of Honor: Continued

The MOH leads the bridesmaid troupe. She’ll make sure that every lady in your lineup has transportation and accommodations. (Keep in mind that Ooh La La Events is well-equipped to handle any of these tasks as well!) When the countdown comes, she’ll be the one to help keep you calm and remind you of how special the day is. During the ceremony, she holds the groom’s ring, and remind her that the safest place to keep it is on her thumb. If the wedding certificate is signed on sight, your MOH will be your witness. Now for the party. She’ll be in charge of keeping gift cards in a safe spot and will help serve as a hostess alongside you. Furthermore, she needs to remind you to eat, or to inform the wait-staff to keep your entree warm until you’re ready. After the best man gives a toast, she’ll have the option of toasting to you as a couple, which is a nice touch. She dances with the best man when the wedding party takes the floor for the first formal dance.

You’ll need her help changing out of your dress for the honeymoon, and she’ll be in charge of finding a safe place to keep it until you return. When you get back, she’ll be the one that helps bring you down to earth. She’ll have all of your gift cards and a compiled list of who to thank for which gifts. You’ll owe her a big thank you as she’ll have been your troubleshooter armed with tissues, hugs and good advice. She’ll have kept you laughing, because for a tense bride, laughter is often even better than venting.

 Being asked to be the maid of honor is, well, an honor. However, when choosing your maid or matron of honor (MOH) it’s important for you to inform them of what the job entails. That way they can weigh their circumstances and either hop on board or gracefully bow out. After all, they’re your supporter before and after your big day – they don’t simply make an appearance. Here’s what you’ll need from them throughout the wedding process. A lot of these tasks can be taken care of by your wedding coordinator; it’s simply up to you to delegate certain jobs.

The MOH will be your go-to girl on shopping advice. That means she’ll help pick wedding colors, jewelry, bridesmaid dresses and possibly even your dress if you need help choosing. She needs to be aware that she’ll be paying for her own outfit, shoes included. As for gifts, she’ll help spread the word about where you’re registered, will help put together your bachelorette party and will host or co-host your shower. She’ll be in attendance at all of your pre-wedding functions and events. Basically your shadow. Maybe the most important thing she’ll do throughout all of your planning is be your sounding board and the one you’ll go to when you need a stress-relieving laugh.

More MOH tidbits to come…

It’s a simple calculation: more guests equals a higher wedding cost. That’s not to say that inviting loved ones to one of the best days of your life is less important than sticking to a budget, however the simplest way to minimize expenses is to go easy on the guest list. Early on, having a conservative mindset when considering invitations will make your wedding plans simpler as it gets closer to your big day. Here are a few good things to keep in mind as you sit down to create your list…

Make Categories

The top tier of a wedding cake is the most important, your guest list should be the same. Create tiers of importance for you and your fiancé. That way you’ll know your minimum and maximum numbers, and can work from there. First tier, people that you couldn’t imagine getting married without, like your grandparents. Second tier, close relatives. Remember the importance of family. Third tier, closest friends and extended relatives. Fourth tier, college friends, high school friends and new friends. Final tier, you and your family’s colleagues. Of course, sometimes these categories cross over depending on your relationships. Your best friend may be more important than an estranged uncle, but keeping a structure such as this will help. Remember, this has to be done for the groom’s side as well, so if your budget is 100 people, don’t be surprised when guests add up quickly.

Final Tips

Before making any tough decisions, do yourself a favor and align your mind, emotions and expectations so that you’re in sync with the parameters of your budget. Keep in mind that a wedding is not the time to reciprocate every social obligation weighing on you. It’s also not the time for your parents to accommodate their social obligations. They may be contributing financially, but this type of stress with detract from the point, which is witnessing a union. One final reminder: A wedding is not for the purpose of impressing anyone. Enjoy yourself, your planning a celebration!