Tipping Etiquette

Many of my clients ask me about tipping etiquette for their wedding celebration.  If you have never planned a wedding before, how would you know??  Lucky for you, I am have shared some tipping advice for your wedding.

Vendor	Amount of Tip	% of Time Tipped
Banquet Captain (The person who oversees the servers and makes sure your guests’ food and beverage needs are taken care of)	$50-$200	99.90%
Catering Manager/Director of Food and Beverage/Director of Catering (Whomever oversees the Banquet Captain on the day of your wedding , depending if you liked the service)	$50-$200	50%
Bellman (When he take the gifts from the ceremony sight to the guest room or car)	$5-$10 each	100%
Any Musicians/DJ	$20-$50 each	50%
Photographer(s)	$50-$200 each	40%
Videographer(s)	$40-$100 each	40%
Hair and Make Up	10%-20%	90%
Officiant (Depending on: If they are independent , then it is less.  If they are with a church/parish/synagogue, then it is more)	$0-$100	50%
Florist (Depending on how you like the flowers and if set-up went on time)	$50-$200	70%
Wedding Coordinator Team (Normally 5-10% of total service fee or a note of thanks for services rendered can serve to be priceless)	$50+	80%

In Honor of Lauren Rosen & Scott Moffat

I was so excited when Lauren contacted me about coordinating her wedding at The Fairmont in Newport Beach.  She and I went to high school together!  It's funny because people would sometimes tell us we look alike...it must be the long brown hair....and I'll take that comparison any day!  Such a gorgeous girl with a million dollar smile!

Lauren and Scott met at Northwester University and had to incorporate the purple and white school colors into their wedding...oh, and Northwester won their football game the day of the wedding...what a priceless present.  It was such a fun wedding to be apart of...it's always such a pleasure to see people you are friends tie the knot, it makes it that much more special.  Not to mention I ran into several old friends from high school!!  

I was also fortunate to work with awesome vendors that made my job so easy.  Check out some images below snapped by Leslie Cunningham from Click Chicks Photography. :)

The Team: {Location: The Fairmont, Newport Beach} - {Photography: Click Chicks Photography} - {Flowers: Commerce Flowers} - {Favors: The Fry Girl, Inc.} - {Videography: The Digital Current} - {Chiavari Chairs: Chiavari Chair Rentals} - {Linens: Signature Party Rentals} - {Entertainment: Ceremony Music: Naples Chamber Music, Reception: {Undercover Entertainment}  - {Hair and Make up: Design Visage} - {Officiant: Reverend Gary Tucker}

  

Alyssa and Ben's Engagement Shoot

So Janel from Focus Photography, Inc. called me today to tell me she finished the pictures from Alyssa and Ben's engagement shoot in NYC...little did she know I would yak off her ear for the next 30 minutes about life. Ha...I know she loves it.

Anyways, Alyssa and Ben are getting married next July at the Waterfront Hilton in Huntington Beach and we literally did our consultation over Skype!  It was so fun...and they didn't even know I was wearing sweats, haha.  I told the New York couple about Janel because I knew she was a perfect fit for their style, and since she works out in NYC, they could do their engagement shoot around their city.  These pictures make me want to move to NYC, and also makes me jealous that Janel got to meet them in person before I did.  I can't wait for their wedding!

And on a random side note, Ben has the cutest English accent. Ever.

Formspring: Ask Me Anything!

Ok, so does anyone know what this Formspring thing is?  Basically, it allows you to ask someone anything you want, and you can either post your name or ask anonymously.  The user then logs in, reviews the question and decides whether or not to answer it and post it on their profile.  I had a brief run in with Formspring about a year ago when a bunch of girls at my sister's high school started sending mean things to other people using the anonymous option....umm, talk about an open forum for cyber bullying!!  I heard through the grapevine most of the girls canceled their accounts...thank goodness.

However, but then I thought about how awesome it would be to be able ask a wedding expert, more a specifically a wedding planner, ahem, me, questions about the planning process!  And actually turn this into a mature, and I'm sure intended use of the site.

So if you have any questions about the wedding industry, how I got involved, advice for planning, or are just a little nosy about me, just Formspring me!  I'll be happy to answer any and all questions! :)

My user name is SimplySweetWedd!

  

In Honor of Kimberly White & George Edelman

Kim and George are the coolest most laid back people ever!  I was really excited and flattered that Danny from Epic Imagery referred them to me.  I knew Kim, George and I were going to be a perfect fit at our first meeting when I showed up and George had a Lakers hat on, and they had the cutest dog ever, Spock (yes, from Star Trek!) tied to the patio table outside of the cute little cafe in Santa Monica.

This wedding from this past April took place at the gorgeous La Quinta Resort and Spa...it's honestly like a vacation to work there!  The weather was absolutely amazing.  All of Kim's vintage glassware used to hold candles on the guest tables were awesome, and the mini cupcakes were some of the best I've ever had!!  Not to mention, every time I see Kim's old Hollywood glamour look, I can't help but fall in love with her more!

Check out some of my favorite pictures below....I promise it will either convince you to get married here, or plan a vacation very soon.  Perhaps you can use Coachella as an excuse to stay at the resort!

The Team: Location: {La Quinta Resort and Spa} - {Cupcakes: Over the Rainbow Cakes} - {Entertainment: David Burrows Entertainment} - {Photography: Epic Imagery} - {Florist: Arrangements Floral and Party Design}

Tips to Sweeten the Deal for your Wedding Cake

People are always looking for ways to save money without sacrificing style and quality when it comes to their wedding.  Let's be honest, weddings are expensive and budgets can easily get out of control.  I see it all the time.  This being said, I wanted to share some great tips on how to save money on your wedding cake that I found in Bridal Guide....

-One idea is to create a "faux" cake where only one small piece is actually real, the part you will cut and eat in front of your friends and family for pictures.  Your guests are then served sheet cake from the back which is far more inexpensive.

Photo Credit: Left Photos- TheKnot; Top Right Photo- Photos by Johanna; Bottom Right- Troy Grover Photography

-The simpler the decoration, the lower the price!  Things that are more labor-intensive like hand-crafted sugar flowers, fondant and detailed piping cost more.  Opt for a simple design and use fresh flowers to jazz things up.

-Square cakes yield more slices than round cakes!

Photo Credit: Top Right and Bottom Left- Focus Photography, Inc.; Top Left- Scott Nelson Photography; Bottom Right- MarthaStewartWeddings

-Not every single person will eat your cake...you can usually get away by ordering enough for 75% of your guests.

-Rich flavors like chocolate make people fuller faster!  This way you can cut thinner slices to satisfy their sweet tooths.  Also, things like pound cake and cheesecake also allow for cutting back since they are heavy.

Photo Credit: Top Left- Harvard Photography; Bottom Right- Huey Bui Photography; Top Right- TheKnot; Bottom Left- MarthaStewartWeddings

-Fresh fruit is more expensive than cream fillings, so serve sliced seasonal fruit on the plate beside the slice of cake.

-Perhaps you can have your cake cut into small pieces and tray passed around to guests during dancing.

Photo Credit: Top Left- Focus Photography; Top Right- MarthaStewarWeddings; Bottom Photos- Epic Imagery

-Lastly, avoid cake cutting fees by using the venue's in house pastry chef, the bakeries they include in the wedding package or a cupcake tower or a dessert display.

Be sure to share us your thoughts!

Villa Rockledge, Laguna Beach

Last week Maria and I had the pleasure of joining OC Wedding Pros in a breakfast and tour of Villa Rockledge, a venue relatively new to weddings and events.  This is a gorgeous home with a ton of history, not to mention a one of the best ocean views I have ever seen.  The pictures that Joe Broccardo took are awesome, but you really have to be there to absorb the whole atmosphere.  Even better, since they have a private beach you can get married on the sand without the hassle of the permit!  However, this beautiful estate will cost you a pretty penny...be willing to invest $8,500 for a site fee, but if you actually toured the house, you would understand why.

It is always fun to see other wedding professionals at a non-wedding setting so we can catch up!  Anders Catering was also wonderful enough to provide the delicious breakfast you see below.

In Honor of Kathryn Green and Tim Tawakol

I can't even begin to describe how much fun it was to be a part of Kathryn and Tim's wedding...for several reasons.  First, Kathryn, Tim and I all went to Loyola Marymount University together. Second, Kathryn and I were roommates sophomore year and Tim was our neighbor.  Third, it was the cliche sorority (Alpha Phi) and fraternity (Sigma Chi) love story.  And lastly, I love to selfishly take credit for bringing them together at a Sigma Chi date party.  So throw that all together with Kathryn's handmade decor (with the help of her sisters and mom) paired with a team of fabulous vendors, it was a recipe for an amazingly fun, flawless wedding!  Plus, I had a great time running into old friends from college and do a little bit of catching up.

The Team: {Location: The Hyatt Regency, Long Beach} - {Photography: Focus Photography, Inc.} - {Florist: Paradise Delight} - {Videography: Alumiq Productions} -  {Linens: BBJ Linens} - {Chiavari Chairs: Chiavari Chair Rentals} - {Ceremony Arch: Exquisite Event Resources}

In Honor of Jessica Lindsey & Logan Mulvey

Ok, where do I even begin?  Now that my blog is up, I have the opportunity to share our weddings with a personal insight to the big day, but I have to admit I have been dreading blogging the gorgeous nuptials of Jessica and Logan.  Dreading it because there is no way I will even come close to doing justice for how beautiful the ceremony was, how much fun the reception was, and how close Jessica and I became during the planning.  To the point, my good friend Courtnay (an LMU alum) referred Jessica (another LMU alum) when she got engaged to Logan (yes another LMU alum).  Jessica and I got along so well, she literally booked me over the phone and the rest is history.  I've never met such an amazing girl, equally gorgeous inside and out, smart, motivated...all the things parents want in a daughter, and all the things a guy wants in a wife...lucky Logan!

Anyways, another aspect of dreading this post is trying to narrow it down to the best images...they are ALL amazing...unedited...I hate them for that, but luckily Aimee (Troy Grover Photography) already blogged it so I just stole some of their ideas.  We had the dream team of vendors to work with, which really made our job so easy, and gave us plenty of time to eat mini donuts.  So please check out the pictures below and leave your comments.  You can also see Aimee and Troy's post here.

And the last reason I was dreading this post...is I don't want it to be over!  Now I don't have anymore excuses to obsess over how much I love them!!

The Team: {Location: The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe} - {Photography: Troy Grover} - {Videography: Isabel Gonzalez Videotique} - {Florist: Blush Botanicals} - {Church: St Therese of Carmel} - {Mini Donuts: The Fry Girl, Inc.} - {Rentals: Elegant Designs and Chiavari Chair Rentals} - {Entertainment: John Storie (Cocktail Musician) and David Heyerman (DJ)}