The New Issue is Out! March -April 2009

Posted by Angie VanDaele in Advertisers, ideas, The Wedding Chronicle

5 comments

Is it cheap to talk about cost savings?
I attended a great bridal show last Sunday and had the good fortune to speak with many brides and grooms. Two of my favorite bits of advice I often share with couples can be considered budget savers as well just great ways to do things.

First, is the issue of the cake. I had a chance a few years ago to share a cup of coffee with the Grand Dam of Cake, Sylvia Weinstock of New York. She convinced me that there is nothing sadder than seeing dozens of pieces of orphaned wedding cake drying on semi-empty tables throughout the reception site in the late evening. Makes you want to cry doesn’t it? To avoid this, Sylvia encourages her couples to taste the cake immediately so that while your guests are eating, the cake can be removed, cut and served immediately after the last course. It’s called dessert. No need to serve up other sweets. All that time you spent fretting over the Pistachio Viennese Meringue vs. the Chocolate Expresso Butter Crème will really be important because your guests will actually get to taste the cake. Budget Saver = No extra dessert.

Second, is the tradition of not seeing the bride before the ceremony. I will come back to how it can save your budget, but did you know in Medieval times, all marriages were arranged by family members and village elders. Just to make sure the groom didn’t run for the border before the whole deal was finished, they put a veil over her head and plopped a bouquet of fragrant flowers in front of her so she wouldn’t smell. Then as soon as the I Do’s were done, the groom could see what he had just signed up for. Is that a tradition you want to respect? Also if you have the pictures of the two of you taken before the wedding, your make-up is perfect. You haven’t cried yet. You get some special time to remember why you are doing all this and the pictures are always better, free of distraction. You then won’t take as long doing family pictures after the ceremony. Budget Saver = Your guests won’t be able to drink or eat as much during the cocktail hour.

As you meet the vendors that will help transform your vision, be very frank. Ask them for ideas to help you save your budget. The quality vendors that advertise in The Wedding Chronicle will delight you. You see, they are not only savvy and sophisticated. They are very smart too.

How Not to Create A Shrine

Posted by Angie VanDaele in florals

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What to do with the Beautiful, Expensive Bridal Bouquet? I am not a big fan of the glass mausoleum enshrining your wedding bouquet. In fact, I often wonder why brides always get a throw away from the florist for the bridal toss. You see in all the years I have been aware of these things, I have never seen the picture hanging on the wall or the bell jar on the table. Maybe after the first year all of these freeze dried mementos are relegated to a storage closet. So why not have something created you will like to have around?

This I saw this website. Missy Cannon is the artist. The original idea was to combine flower preservation with the fine art of painting. After many years of success with the idea, Flowers Into Paintings® is now a thriving nationwide company.

With the growing success, Missy is proud to announce the expansion of her business into a Fine Art Gallery featuring many talented artists. It is located in Lafayette, La. and is known nationwide.

An Amazing Cake!

Posted by Angie VanDaele in advertising, Cake, music

2 comments

As many of you know, my sister Judy is the editor of The Wedding Chronicle. As such, she does a lot of writing. For her birthday, I asked Barbara Gardner of Let Them Eat Cake to copy Earnest Hemmingway's Royal Typewriter found in his Key West home. She did a magnificent job don't you think? And it tasted as good as it looked.

Curtis Whipple, Amy Vandervort and families joined us at the Old Town Tortilla Factory, where Curtis serenaded Judy with a lively rendition of the Beatles "When I'm 64." I think she had a good time.

Old Town Tortilla Factory, you were amazing too! Thanks all for a great night for my sis!

You Must Pay Attention to What Congress is Doing!

Posted by Angie VanDaele in EVENTS, Government, weddings

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Senator John Kerry (D-MA) is proposing legislation that would ban all 421 firms including the nation's largest banks that received money from the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) from hosting, sponsoring or paying for conferences, holiday parties and entertainment events.

I am copying an email directly from the ISES Newsletter

ISES Advocacy – Your Voice Matters!

As you are no doubt aware, our industry has recently been splashed all over the mainstream media. From the government's proposed regulations for the disposition of the second half of the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP), to corporate America's cutbacks on meetings, travel, conference participation and special events for both customers and employees, our industry has been unfairly maligned as extraneous, frivolous, and unnecessary as a core business strategy during recessionary times. ISES leaders have been working behind the scenes with our fellow industry associations to thoughtfully respond to each of these assertions. Now, we need your help to reinforce these responses in your local communities and to your elected officials. Go to the ISES Industry Advocacy page to see what you can do to help carry our industry's message forward.

The actually proposed legislation is found at this link.

You may say what does this have to do with weddings? Everything! Who do you think makes the money from these meetings? Think about all the people involved with meetings and events? Airline staff ; baggage handlers; sky caps; taxi drivers; servers; bell men; housekeeping staffs; meeting planners; bartenders, rental companies, hotels, rental car agencies, florists, musicians, etc. THEY ARE THE SAME PROFESSIONALS THAT CREATE YOUR WEDDINGS. Tell Mr. Kerry, that money would go back to the taxpayers, stimulating the economy as it was supposed to do! Write your legislators call your senators! Failure to act will hurt this industry more than you know.

DancIn'spiration 2009

Posted by Angie VanDaele in Charity, event

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What are you doing Sunday Night? May I suggest DancIn'spiration 2009?

I have placed info about the event below, but I know you will have a great time, in a beautiful setting for $15.00 I have tickets or you can get them at the door. The benefits are going to help my beloved charity, Arizona Helping Hands. Can I entice any of my friends to join me?

March 8, 2009 - 7:00pm


Orpheum Theatre
203 W. Adams St.
Phoenix, AZ 85003
(602) 534-5600

In 2002, DanceMotion Artistic Directors Kevin and Meri Bender were inspired to look for a new way to support our community through dance and that is how DancIn'spiration came to be.
Each year DanceMotion contacts elite dance companies throughout Arizona to stage this benefit show. Each participating dance company brings three numbers of varying genres: jazz, lyrical, tap, character, contemporary, and more. Besides DanceMotion, two other dance companies have been participating in DancIn'spiration since its inception, and all others have participated for at least two years. The waiting list of dance companies that want to get involved is long!

It's an exciting one-day event with the performers arriving early in the day to rehearse and stage the show and learn the 200 participant-wide closing number. The dancers have dinner in the theater and then get dressed and ready to hit the stage.

DancIn'spiration has raised $40,000 for local children's charities to date. Previous beneficiaries include the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Caitlin Robb Foundation which provided funds for children's cancer care and research, and Arizona Helping Hands a local charity that sponsors a "Christmas for the Homeless" and "Feed the Children" events.