Bring your wedding venue to life with these tips to help it turn from drab to fab!

Weddings tend to be very expensive – so if you are planning your own Big Day, you will want to save as much money as possible. Your venue is probably one of the most expensive items to book for the wedding day and choosing a less expensive one can definitely save you a lot of money. The good news is that even a simple, inexpensive venue can look fabulous. How to do this? Here are some great tips:

• Table and chair linens. Renting the table linens can save you a lot of money – and the best part about it is that there’s a huge variety to choose from. Beautiful linens will instantly change the appeal of your venue and they can turn it into the most elegant wedding location. For instance, you could go for simple, white table linens with lace embellishments for a spring wedding.

• Flower centerpieces. Pair your centerpieces with the table linens to add grace and liveliness to every table. If you want to, you can incorporate non-floral elements into your centerpieces as well. For example, if you plan on having a beach wedding, you could incorporate seashells into your centerpieces (or you can even go for an all-seashell centerpiece as well). Your creativity is the only limit you have!

• Lighting. If you want your venue to look absolutely special, make sure you choose the right lighting system. It doesn't have to be very expensive – even classic strings of lights can turn your entire venue into a whimsical, romantic place!

Need more tips on how to plan the perfect wedding according to your budget and desires? A professional wedding planner can help! Wedding Planner 808 provides couples with exquisite planning services to fit their wishes the most beautiful ways – so make sure to give us a call when planning the Big Day!

Photo source: flickr.com/The Eggplant

Rehearsal Dinners are an important part of the wedding, here are some tips you should know for yours:

We all know that planning a wedding can be an exhausting thing to do – especially when you want everything to turn out perfectly. Having a rehearsal dinner before the Big Day can help you get things organized from multiple points of view so it is definitely an option you should consider. Here are some tips you might want to keep in mind for your rehearsal and rehearsal dinner: 

• Not all of the wedding guests have to be invited to this dinner. However, you should absolutely invite all attendees of your wedding party and your parents to the rehearsal dinner.  Your bridesmaids and your groomsmen should all be invited to the dinner.  You can invite the ring bearer and the flower girl as well, but if they are very young, you should invite their parents as well. Also, you should invite the out-of-town guests as well – after all, they have come a very long way to be here for you and this would be a wonderful way to thank them. 

• Rehearsal dinners are a great way to rehearse the receiving line and the more “complicated” parts of the wedding reception timeline. Also, you can rehearse the toasts as well. Your guests do not have to actually spell out the toasts they have prepared, but you can simply mark the moment they should give their toast so that they remember it for the Big Day. 

• You do not have to have your rehearsal dinner at the same venue as your wedding reception. Also, you don’t have to serve the same food either. As for the level of formality, it usually depends on how formal you want the actual reception to be too (and the rehearsal should be less formal than that). For instance, some couples choose to have their rehearsal over barbecue at their house – and that’s a very good idea if your reception is rather informal/semi-formal too. 

Wedding Planner 808 can help with more ideas for your wedding day and we can help you plan it in a way that will ensure you everything runs smoothly too. Our experience and attention to detail will definitely come in handy! Come check out our packages and choose the one that suits your needs the best! 

Photo source: flickr.com/ BrianKhoury

It is possible to have your dream wedding at a good price, here are some ways how:

In general, weddings tend to cost a lot of money – but not everybody can afford to pay a fortune for one day, no matter how special it is. The good news is that you can have your dream wedding even if you are running on a tighter budget and that there are a lot of ways you can do this. Here are some of the most important tips you should keep in mind if you want your wedding to be both unforgettable and affordable too!

• Inexpensive flowers. Believe it or not, inexpensive flowers can look just as stunning as those off-season peonies and they can decorate your ceremony and reception in spectacular ways, especially if you get creative about it. For instance, baby breaths are an excellent choice and there are a lot of things you can do with them for a wedding.

• A friend in need is a friend indeed. If you have friends that can bake delicious cakes or if you have friends who shoot amazing photos, ask them to use their skill instead of offer you a wedding gift. Not only will you save more money this way, but you will also add a bit of personality to your wedding too.

• Go for low-cost wedding venues. Again, you might not believe this, but there are plenty of absolutely stunning venues that don’t cost a fortune.  You might want to consider a golf course, a restaurant, backyard or at a friend’s estate.

• Be wise about your snacks / appetizers, drinks and favors. You can save a lot of money by replacing expensive snacks with treats everyone loves (caramel popcorn or cotton candy for example). You can save money on appetizers if you do it yourself.  Also, you can save a lot  by choosing to work with a liquor store that allows you to return unopened bottles as well or beer kegs. In addition, you may want to provide favors that you can do it yourself

Of course, these are just some of the tips that can help you save money on your dream wedding. For more advice on how to create a budget-friendly wedding that looks torn out of fairy tales, come and check out Wedding Planner 808’s packages. We guarantee our advice will be more than worth it!

Photo source: flickr.com/porschelinn

Choosing colors for your wedding is almost an impossible choice as there are so many options! Here are some color palette ideas for you:

Of all the tasks a bride has to run, choosing the colors for her wedding is by far one of the most daunting ones. There’s almost a limitless number of colors to choose from – and yet, your time is limited. How do you do it, then? How do you pick your wedding colors and make sure that you will never regret having made your choice? Here are some tips to help you out:

• Decide on the kind of atmosphere you want to create around your wedding. If you want a gentle, feminine and calm wedding, choose pastels as the main group of colors to look further into. If you want your wedding to be bold, youthful, passionate and daring, choose bright colors. If you want your wedding to be elegant and toned-down, look into black, various shades of white and grays too.

• Your wedding season and theme can help you a lot. For example, if you plan on having a fall wedding, inspiring yourself from the colors outside is  a great idea. Furthermore, keep in mind that there are certain themes that will almost always “ask” for certain colors. For instance, a rustic-themed wedding will always look great with nudes, browns and creams that are paired with other colors.

• Trends can be a great source of inspiration, but always make sure you don’t pick a particular color just because fashion “dictates” it. Years from now, you want to look at your wedding album and not regret having chosen that bright fuchsia just because it was fashionable back when you got married.

• To make sure your colors go well together, take a 12-color palette and look at it. Any 3 colors that come one after the other are considered to be “analogous” (and they go great with a lot of types of weddings). If you want a toned-down, classy wedding, choose monochromatic colors (shades of the same color). Also, if you want your wedding to make a real statement, choose colors that are complementary (they can be found as opposites on your color palette).

For more helpful tips on how to plan the ideal wedding, contact Wedding Planner 808. Our expertise and our passion for the world of weddings will definitely come in more than useful!

Photo source: flickr.com/Corey Ann

Getting married a second time is just as important! Take a look at some ideas for planning yours:

Just because you went through this before it doesn't mean that your second wedding is not important – on the contrary, it should be equally important. If you want everything to turn out perfectly, don’t forget to check out with the following list of etiquette tips for brides who are remarrying because it might come in handy.

• Wear what you feel most comfortable in. Seriously, the days of “no white for a second wedding” are long gone and today you are more than allowed to wear whatever you want: a beautiful white ballgown, a suit or a dress in any other color you like. The only “rule” is to choose something you feel “at home” in and that complements your beautiful body.

• Pay attention to how you share the news. The first ones to find out are always the children (if you have any). The second ones are the Ex's (regardless of whether or not you get along with them). The third ones are the family and the close friends. Once you deal with all these people, you can let everyone else know of the big news too.

• Attendants are more than acceptable. You can even have the same attendants as you did for the first marriage as well. However, try to be considerate of their finances and choose bridesmaids’ dresses that are affordable (and, preferably, that can be worn again to other occasions too).

• Gift registries are acceptable too. You might not actually want gifts, but do expect to be asked about this. The easiest way for everyone is to create a gift registry and to direct anyone who asks towards it. Make sure you don’t mention gifts in the wedding invitations, though (not in any way, not even to mention that you want none) – that’s a major faux pas you should definitely avoid.

Even though you might have went through this before, keep in mind that planning for a (second) wedding can still be stressful. Wedding Planner 808 can help you create a stress-free wedding that will be unforgettable for everyone. Give us a call and let’s have a talk about your Big Day and how you would like it to be – we are more than positive we can help!

Photo source: flickr.com/ Rachel Elaine