Bridal News

Event planner Myrna Grossman, owner of For All Occasions, is a fountain of knowledge and a frequent contributor to the Bridal News Blog. It is always a pleasure to share her tips and words of wisdom with my readers:

What about Wedding Insurance?

Lately, many couples have asked me about this topic. Wedding insurance, in these economic times, is perhaps one expense best incurred. Unfortunately, wedding vendors can go out of business and into bankruptcy - or simply not show up for an event. Wedding insurance is worth the peace of mind to have financial coverage - just in case.

Insurance will cover the following in most policies, but of course each company is different. So make sure your coverage is well defined. Bankrupt vendors, unforseen terrible weather conditions, sudden death, accidents at the venue, gifts that get damaged are just a few areas of coverage. Typically, the policy will have a deductible and some will be quite high, so check carefully to avoid these policies. One area of coverage I feel is well worth including is liquor liability.

Plan carefully, and cover all aspects to ensure - and insure - a wonderful wedding day.

Myrna offers full service, partial planning and day of coordination. To learn more about her services, call 703.222.5912.

One of my regular blog contributors and a favorite wedding friend is event planner Myrna Grossman, owner of For All Occasions in Fairfax. Myrna is busy planning her own wedding to be held this month in Nashville, TN, but she had a few minutes and wanted me to pass along these words of wisdom ….

“I was at a resort this past weekend as a guest at a wedding, when lo and behold, another bride was walking with her photographer through the lobby with her mother holding up her gown and practically tripping so she could keep up with them!!! I was so upset for this poor mom.”

“Ladies and Gents, please, please - if nothing else, have a day of coordinator! Let an expert in the field help with the “chores” of the day. These are not to be done by your moms or any other family member. Every family member should be a guest at the wedding and be able to enjoy themselves. I am sure it was this mom’s pleasure to be holding up the daughter’s gown, but believe me - you don’t want to put your mother in that position!”

Good advice Myrna - isn’t it enough that she raised you? Moms are special guests - not ladies in waiting. To learn more about Myrna and her day of coordinating services, call 703.222.5912.

Best wishes to you, Myrna, and your groom Paul for a fabulous wedding and a long, happy marriage!

Cindie

You probably have a million questions when it comes to wedding planning and etiquette. One of my favorite blog contributors, Myrna Grossman, owner of For All Occasions, a Fairfax-based wedding and event planning company, has put together some frequently asked Q & A’s:

Beginning with invitations: When should they be ordered and mailed?

Invitations should be ordered when all the pertinent information for the ceremony and reception has been confirmed. Order them at least 3 months before the wedding and mail them six to eight weeks before the ceremony. Remember, the invitation sets the tone of the wedding. It’s the first glimpse into what your wedding will be like.

May guests be invited to a reception and not the wedding itself?

If the wedding ceremony is only for relatives and close friends, then yes, others may be invited only to the reception.

The Ceremony: What if the church has two center aisles?

You can use one of the aisles for the processional and one for the recessional; you do not have to use just one aisle for the entire wedding unless it’s church policy.

How many ushers and bridesmaids are needed?

It certainly depends on the size of the wedding, but normally there would be one usher for every 50 guests. The average wedding party for a formal or semi-formal wedding is typically four to six bridesmaids and groomsmen.

At the reception, on which side of the groom does the bride sit?

The bride is always seated on the groom’s right.

Who proposes the first toast?

The Best Man proposes the first toast to the bride and groom. He must remember that it is a toast, not a roast.  This is different from a welcome by the bride’s parents.

As always, thanks for the great info, Myrna. You can find this column, along with other insights, on our Myrna’s Memos page.

If you have any questions about your wedding, email Myrna at mg@fao-events.com. She’ll be happy to get the answer for you. And be sure to mention that you saw her on our Bridal News Blog.

Happy Planning,

Cindie

My client and good friend Myrna Grossman, event planner and owner of For All Occasions in Fairfax, is a regular contributor to the Bridal News Blog as well as our planning guide, Brides & Weddings of Northern Virginia. In fact, she even has her own page on the blog - Myrna’s Memos (you can see all her posts if you click on the page link on the right).

Myrna is back from the Special Event Conference in New Orleans and has some new and exciting ideas for your upcoming wedding:

According to the trend setters in New York and California:

Turquoise is the Pantone color for the year.

Tangerine and cobalt will be seen as another new color palette this wedding season.

Regaining popularity is the all white wedding party which gives an “upscale estate” style and looks simply elegant in photos.

Bright, colorful shoes are peeking out under wedding gowns - reds and blues take the lead.

Vegetable centerpieces – tomatoes too – are gracing tables.

Small, multiple wedding cakes are being placed a variety of cute cake stands.

And last, but not least, the retro birdcage veil is back, allowing for an unobstructed view of the gown’s neckline and back.

These are but a few new ideas for this 2010 wedding season .. happy planning until next time!

Thanks Myrna!

Cindie

My client Myrna Grossman, event planner and owner of For All Occasions told me recently that according to a survey, 20% of brides would rather lose their wallets than their notebooks!

One of the first places a bride goes is to the local office supply store to purchase a 3-ring binder. As much as we all love the Internet, there’s something about putting that notebook together. It’s a scrapbook of wedding planning memories, says my client Terry Jones of Cruises Inc.

Terry and I had a little chat about those notebooks the other day and she told me this story. I thought I would pass it along …

“I was with a group of friends just a few weeks ago – now we are all old married women - and we got onto the subject of one woman’s re-commitment ceremony celebrating her 30^th wedding anniversary. And what to my surprise did she show us? Her wedding notebook, or her ‘wedding bible’ as she referred to it, from 30 years ago!”

“She’d kept the book all these years as memorabilia, but she went and dug it out of her Hope Chest (yes, many of us had, and still have, these). She got excited because she was using her book to plan her 30^th wedding anniversary ceremony. She looked over what she did right, what she liked, what she wanted to recreate.”

“We all had a good chuckle as we looked over her wedding notebook at the things we thought were so wonderful then … and now looked really bad! Many of my friends admitted to keeping their books with each and every scrap of paper. It’s a testimonial to keeping our memories alive and well. Some had even created beautiful scrapbooks that showed the planning and the final version”

“Now I feel guilty that I don’t have all that stuff. I see what a great keepsake a notebook could be for any bride – no matter when you get married. One woman who remarried went back to her book and used some ideas she couldn’t with her first marriage due to cost. She implemented them into her second wedding ceremony.”

“And a mother can share her notebook with her daughter and create one as she is growing up … what a wonderful way to bond. And you know, it’s never too early to start planning your perfect wedding!”

Thanks for sharing, Terry,

Cindie

Event planning pro and owner of For All Occasions Myrna Grossman (www.fao-events.com) and I had the pleasure of participating in the recent Bridal Registry event at Bloomingdales, along with several other Brides & Weddings clients. (For a complete rundown on who was there and links to their sites, see my post from 10/31).

Jorge Perez of Waterford was on hand to give us the latest news on table tops and bridal registry. It was a great opportunity for the brides who attended to have a chance to speak with such a seasoned and enthusiastic wedding industry professional. I look forward to interviewing Jorge for the upcoming edition of Brides & Weddings of Northern Virginia.

Myrna was so inspired by the evening, she wrote a column about bridal registry for her page Myrna’s Memos. Just click on the link to the right for her page.  And be sure to check out her other helpful hints for planning a great wedding.

Cindie

I hope you will have the opportunity to join me and some of my favorite clients at the Tyson’s Corner Bloomingdale’s “Pre-Wedding” Wedding Party, 6-8:30pm, on Wednesday, November 4th. Jorge Perez of Waterford will be on hand to give us great ideas on table settings and how to entertain with style.

There will be some great wedding pros available to answer your planning questions. MK Catering will be serving delicious treats (www.mkcatering.com) This Hyattsville catering company is a one-stop wedding shop when it comes to designing your event. Devers Design Group will be showcasing their fabulous florals (www.deversdesign.com). Need a wedding planner (who doesn’t)? Chat with Myrna Grossman of For All Occasions (www.fao-events.com). Take a look at the goregous wedding photography from Robert Holley (www.robholley.net). Enjoy the music of Miles Stiebel (www.mseproductions.com). Looking for the dress of your dreams? Chat with the folks from Blush Bridal Boutique (www.blushbridalboutique.com). See the wide assortment of invitations available from Seasons Cards & Gifts (www.seasonscardsandgifts.com). Helle Hamilton from Travel Leaders (www.tvlnet.com) can help you plan that trip of a lifetime. Chariots for Hire will be there to give you the scoop on transportation (www.chariotsforhire.com). And wedding specialists from the Ritz Carlton Tysons Corner will assist with your reception (www.ritzcarlton.com).

To register for this wonderful event, call 703.556.4640. See you there!

Cindie

Myrna and her happy clients

Check out Myrna’s Grossman’s page, “Myrna’s Memos” on my Blog. Myrna is an awesome event planner and each month she gives me some great advice to pass along to you. You can click on her page with the link to the right.

Myrna is the owner of For All Occasions, based out of Fairfax. To schedule a consultation, call 703.222.5912 or email mg@fao-events.com. And visit her website, www.fao-events.com.

Cindie

Got an email recently from event planning pro Myrna Grossman, owner of For All Occasions (www.fao-events.com) in Fairfax with some great wedding planing tips. Myrna is a regular contributor to Bridal News. To see her helpful hints, click on Myrna’s Memos under the Page Categories.

Cindie