Who to tip! Wedding Vendor Gratuity

...there more like guidelines (insert your favorite Pirate of the Caribbean accent here).

That line has been running through my head all morning as I've been typing up my gratuity information for an article in Martha Stewart Weddings.  We won't get credited, but the editor is gathering up information from various people across the country for a December issue on gratuities and we were excited to contribute.  I'm sure many of you are wondering about tips...so read on for a few thoughts....

I have a very defined list of gratuity guidelines that I send to my clients.  It's a good idea to account for them in the budget right from the start.  Gratuities should never be expected, but be aware that many vendors will outright ask for them. Unless it's written in your contract (often times that's the case with limos) never feel pressured to give a gratuity, a tip is given for service that is efficient and above expectations.

The one that's always a surprise to couples is that the service charge from the caterer is not a gratuity.  If you are ever questioning if gratuity is already included be sure to ask. 

The one that drives me crazy is the tip jar at the bar.  If you are hosting the bar, there should not be a tip jar set out, and your bartenders should not accept money from the guests either.  You'll have to discuss this with the catering staff ahead of time so that the bartender knows how to address it when it comes up.

Besides the normal ones you would think about, DJ, caterer, hair and makeup.  It's also nice to think about some of the other vendors who've worked so hard for you, like your photographer, videographer, florist, wedding planner, etc. 

Many of these vendors are smaller companies, and honestly sometimes a lovely thank you note that they can show to potential clients, fabulous reviews you can post online, and of course telling all your friends and family how wonderful they were is better than any gratuity!

See Why Having a Wedding Video is Important!

Couples always tell me they don't think they want a video for their wedding, and I always reply the same way.  Why don't you look at one, so you know what you aren't getting. Just about every time they change their minds.
Video is so different from photography (no matter how fabulous the photographer), it's capturing everything that happens between the clicks of the camera. Once you experience that, then you'll see why it's so important to have both mediums.

Here's what I mean.....

Here's part of the first look moment from Sarah and Anthony's wedding in a great shot (among many others) from www.jason-gina.com

Here's the video trailer from Rising Moon...you can feel his nervous excitement to see her!

Sarah + Anthony Trailer from Rising Moon on Vimeo.

Both so different, both beautiful, and I believe both necessary!   Be sure to save a little room in your budget for videography...not having a video is the one regret most couples have, don't be one of those couples! You'll be so happy to relive your day again and again.

Blissful Wishes Ball Comes to Denver!

Anyone in the mood for a gala?

On November 11, 2010, Wish Upon a Wedding will bring their nationwide gala, the Blissful Wishes Ball, to Mile High Station in Denver. The ball promises to be an evening filled with great food and even better entertainment... all benefiting the world's first nonprofit wedding wish granting organization!

Starting this September, engaged couples can rest easy knowing that the money they're spending on their wedding is going directly to a great cause. Bid Your Wish for Wedded Bliss is an online auction presented by Wish Upon a Wedding. 

Throughout September, couples can go online to browse auction items. Bidding fun begins during October and November, and anyone can bid on hundreds of items from the industry’s top professionals. All proceeds raised will help grant wedding wishes for couples facing terminal illness and other serious life-altering circumstances.

Then, in November, attend the Blissful Wishes Ball to view available online auctions, take part in the silent auction, and enjoy a fabulous evening with your friends and loved ones, knowing that your contribution will help make someone's wedding dreams come true. 

We'll be updating you about the evening's specifics soon, but don't wait! Get your name on some Blissful Wishes Ball tickets tonight!

Register here & dance the night away!

Inspiration: Catering on Wheels

Exhale...I told you we'd be back with three ideas of how you can incorporate throwback vehicles and catering on wheels into your special day, and here we are. Delivering as promised. Denver is full of opportunity, and here are tres of them to inspire you.

Steuben's : Steuben's Food Truck

Okay, you may be having a casual park wedding, or a high-end downtown wedding, but let's face it, at the end of the day, everyone likes burgers... and Steuben's for that matter. In June, Steuben's gassed up it's first ever food truck and let it loose on Denver. From Veggie Burgers to Green Chili Cheeseburgers, the Steuben's Food Truck looks good, smells, good and iiiis good.

Still in it's budding youth, we are sure to expect so many more amazing things from this truck. Stay tuned...

Denver Biscuit Company : Biscuit Bus

"Real Southern, Real Good" is the Denver Biscuit Company's motto. A wonderful fit for a rustic wedding's cocktail hour, the Biscuit Bus serves gourmet biscuit sandwiches on fresh-baked buttermilk biscuits that are made from scratch every day. And, speaking of made from scratch...well... everything is made from scratch! From the apple butter to the sausage. No joke!

Let's talk about the Ellsworth - buttermilk fried chicken with honey, stone-ground mustard, and homemade pickles - or the Jack Lee - bacon with grape jelly. These unique little sandwiches are perfect to satisfy southern tongues and munchie madness.

Cake Crumbs Bakery : The Denver Cupcake Truck

In April 2010, the Cake Crumbs Bakery rolled out their Cupcake Truck. "I've just always had a vision of cupcakes being vended from an old time delivery truck," said Denon Moore, owner of Cake Crumbs when interviewed by Westword. Piloted by her husband, Sean, the Cupcake Truck cruises around Denver, gracing streets with robins egg blue.

The cupcakes themselves, made from scratch, include flavors such as Mile-Hi Mocha (mocha cake, frosted with espresso butter cream, dipped into bits of heath bar), the Denver Snowball (almond cake, chocolate frosting, and dipped into coconut), and the Rockin' Red Velvet (red velvet cake, cream cheese frosting, dipped in sugar and silver dragees).

And, now I'm full. Time to roll me outta here!

Also, check out Comida for a pretty pink Boulder flair on roooolling food!

Real Wedding Wednesday - Sarah & Justin

When Brides Against Breast Cancer rolled through town earlier this year, we were given the privilege to meet a wonderful couple. As part of the event, Sarah & Justin won wedding consulting services, and when their original wedding planner was unable to help, Classic Creations came to the rescue!

Sarah & Justin tied the knot on July 10, 2010 at the Augustine Grill in Castle Rock, Colorado. A romantic outdoor ceremony in the venue's flower garden was followed by an incredibly fun ceremony catered by the venue and DJ'd by the bride's brothers! Personal and quaint, Sarah & Justin's wedding was a perfect compliment to the couple's personality and an absolute pleasure to work on.

Here's what Sarah had to say about her big day.

I wanted a relaxed, classy and outdoor feel to my wedding. I love being from Colorado and love the mountains. We picked a mountain venue first, but it started to get logistically complicated and expensive, so we changed it to Augustine Grill in Castle Rock, since we're both small town people and it's home. It gave us the outdoors, aspen trees and pine trees, and it was simple. The gardens and fountains made it beautiful and peaceful.

What was your favorite part of the day? Wow... the WHOLE day! But the highlights were getting pampered with manicures/pedicures with my girlfriends in the morning, seeing Justin for pictures before the wedding because he got tears in his eyes and he was the nervous one, not me! We had such a special private moment and had glasses of champagne and drove over to the ceremony yelling, we're getting married!! The second best thing was walking down the aisle and seeing everyone I love the most.

What advice would you give to someone planning a wedding now? Keep things as simple as you can, because it really is about you and your husband... not all the wedding magazines, websites, to do lists. Make it personal. Make it you. Justin and I set a simple goal of writing just three lines for wedding vows. We finished them a DAY before the wedding, and it made it so personal and special and let people know more about our relationship and what we've been through.

Classic Creations helped make my day special in so many ways. Julie asked me questions about what was important to me. Little design details like pinecones on the tables, the unity candle lighting with our mothers involved and helping with microphones and sound... it made it so everyone could really enjoy the whole event and it all went so smoothly. I just got to enjoy it!

We're so happy for Sarah & Justin and thrilled we were able to help them enjoy their wedding day. We wish them the best in their marriage and their life together! Congrats guys!

Real Wedding - Katie & John's Mexico Wedding

At Classic Creations we're gearing up for a September jam-packed with some fantastic destination weddings. We're so excited to share some of these upcoming, inspiring weddings with you, but you'll have to wait!

While we're hard at work hammering out the final details for these brides-and-grooms-to-be, we bestow upon you some stunning photos from a wedding Classic Creations worked on all the way back in May! You may remember the photos from Katie & John's pre-wedding rehearsal, cocktail hour and pool party. If you thought those photos were impressive, we have some seriously good stuff for you today (you can click on the images for larger views). 

Katie & John held their ceremony in a beautiful church in a tiny town in Mexico, where outside, chickens ran around on the streets. After the knot was tied, guests returned to the elegant Playa Rosa where the couple held an outdoor reception. Signature cocktails greeted each guest, as did a heart shaped bottle of local tequila - which helped this celebration lasted until the wee hours...


Cheers!

Incredible, no? Katie & John make an absolutely gorgeous couple, and had a gorgeous wedding to match. A huge thanks to the talents of Fer Juaristi, Mexico Wedding Photographer, for capturing these incredibly special moments.

If you are looking to create a special destination wedding event like Katie & John's, Classic Creations can help! Give us a shout - don't hesitate to e-mail us for a free consultation. Let's get married in Mexico!

I'm back! ....with Ideas for Remembrances at Your Wedding

I'm back at last!

Ideas for Remembering Those You've Lost at Your Wedding


I'm sure some of you were wondering where I've been? It's been a hard few months as I've been coping with the sudden loss of my mother. What a challenging time it's been as I literally, within just a couple weeks, lived the movie title Four Weddings and a Funeral. I reflect on the great times with my mom, those that she'll miss, and how proud she was of me, my family and all my accomplishments (including a thriving wedding consulting business). She loved hearing about all of your wedding plans, questioned some of my brides choices (until she saw the photos of the end results), and loved the stories about each of my clients.

As I've been working on plans for next season clients, I'm reminded of my own wedding and how lucky I am that I was able to have all my parents there. I've had several clients who have parents and family members that have passed away, and they often ask what's the best way to memorialize them without it feeling too depressing or more of a memorial service than a grand celebration.


So here's a few ideas to help you out:

• Candles set to the side of the ceremony or reception area, sometimes with a picture. You can choose to light it during the ceremony or privately prior to the start of the ceremony. I had one client whose father loved golf, so to honor him we created this golf ball filled vase, they lit the candle in quiet family moment prior to guests arriving.

• Brides can carry photos in charm frames on their bouquet or pinned in lockets. Make sure your photographer gets a few close shots of this. You can get these at most craft or scrapbooking stores. Here's one from Bridal Bling on Etsy.

• We often will leave an empty seat in the front row to honor parents they've lost, with a small bunch of flowers.

• Couples often choose to include a note of explanation in the program. I love this poem!

In memory of loved ones past………submitted by Lori Liebetrau

Although death has separated us physically, faith and love have bound us eternally.

Though we cannot see you, we know you are here.

Though we cannot touch you, we feel the warmth of your smile,

as we begin a new chapter in our lives.

Today we pause to reflect upon those who have shaped our character,

molded our spirits and touched our hearts.

May the lighting of this candle be a reminder of the memories we have shared,

a representation of the everlasting impact you have made upon our lives.

In honor of my fabulously stylish, loving, quick witted, proper, Australian mom here's a bouquet in her favorite color and flower. I love and miss you! Yet I know you are keeping an eye on all that goes on...including those interesting wedding choices, I know you'll love them in the end!

Photo from The Knot

Photo of the Week- The Big Bustle!

Photo of the Week- The Big Bustle

It's that interesting part of the evening...let's lift up the gown and see what we got? It's the hustle to tie the bustle!

(Not a professional photo, just one we snapped on my phone...but there were 3 of us working on the 32 bustles of this gown!)

I always think bustling is so funny...you have 2-3 people under your gown tying you up...don't know why I think it's amusing?

Every wedding gown is different (usually easy to figure out when you've done a few like me), and it always take a bit of time to get your gown bustled so plan a few minutes girls. Just have one of your gals bring you a white wine to enjoy while you wait!

Photo of the Week- Something Old, Something New...

Photo of the Week
Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue
Weddings are all about traditions...and one of my favorite is the "something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue". I always ask my clients what they have for each of these items...people get VERY creative. Of all wedding traditions, I think this one is still one that brides love.

The tradition dates back centuries, according to the tradition each of these items is supposed to bring the couple good luck.

Something Old - This symbolizes continuity with the bride's family and the past.

• have a locket with a picture of your grandmother on her wedding day
• handkerchief
• your family heirloom pearls

Something New - Symbolizing hope for the bride's new life ahead. That you and your husband are creating a new union that will endure forever

• piece of jewelry (we always need more don't we?)
• your gown
• your engagement picture in a silver locket tied to your bouquet
• key to your new house tied to the inside of your dress

Something Borrowed - Borrow an item from a happily married friend or family member, so that their good fortune in marriage will carry over to you.

• your mother’s wedding ring on your wedding day
• your best friend’s fave piece of jewelry

Something Blue - In ancient times, brides wore blue to symbolize love, modesty, and fidelity. Your blue symbolizes fidelity to each other.

• a necklace with a blue stone
• blue garter under your wedding dress (just be sure to wear a white and a blue garter - tell your groom to remove the white one so that he is not tossing away your symbol of faithfulness)
• paint your toes blue!
• blue shoes

The last and not always common part of this saying is ......."and a silver sixpence in her shoe". This represents wealth and financial security.

• A sixpence is a coin that was minted in Britain. You can purchase keepsake ones online.
• Here in the US we often change this out to a "penny in her shoe" although some use a dime. Note for the best luck it should be in your left shoe.

Tipsy Thursday- Etiquette for Wedding Showers

It's Tipsy Thursday and time for more Wedding Etiquette.

April Showers.....bring Bridal Showers.

This may be the first of many celebrations in your honor. A wedding shower is a gathering of your friends, family and bridal party where they "shower" you with gifts....what fun!!!!

So here's some wedding shower basics every bride should know:

-Showers can be held anywhere from a few weeks prior to the wedding to a couple months. Just try not to schedule it too close to the wedding day as you'll have a few other things on your mind!

-Who's the Hostess? One long standing rule is that it's condisered rude and greedy for your immediate family to host the shower. This would include your mother, grandmother, siblings, mother-in-laws. This is the general rule, and in certain circumstances it is becoming more common for anyone to host the shower.

-Your fabulous guests- Usually this is made up of only close friends and family...you after all asking them to bring you a gift so your guests should be people you know! Anyone invited to the shower should also be invited to the wedding. Nowadays this gets in to a problem with you work friends- if your office chooses to host an office shower that is the one exception as nobody expects you to invite all your coworkers. If you are having multiple showers were you may have some overlap on the guests, you should only invite them to one or two of the showers. Your bridal party, if invited to all showers, needs to be told they should only bring a gift to one of the showers...or they may want to do a joint gift at the showers to keep the cost down. This last word on guests is very imporatant.......the hostess decides how many people to invite afterall she is paying for it and you should be considerate to her checkbook.

-Invitations- the hostess can be issued in person, by phone, or typically in an actual inviation (many are available that are preprinted andyou can just fill in the pertinent information) It is acceptable to include registry information in the invite.


-Opening the gifts- this is the highlight and often the entertainment of the shower and usually happens after the refreshments are served. Have one of your attendants sit next to you so they can write down what you received and who it's from. You shoud thank each gift giver. Keep in mind you still will need to send a thank you note for the gift later. Often brides will keep the bows from their shower to put on a plate and make a "practice bouquet" to use for the rehearsal.

-Decor, theme, refreshments-this can get pretty creative! There's no real rule here except that it should be appropriate to the time of day (brunch, afternoon tea, cocktails, dessert). the hostess may want to have alovely arrangment on the table where drinks and snacks are being served. Often the hostess will select a theme for the shower...Round the Clock (guests are assigned a time and bring a gift appropriate to that hour)...Couples Shower (the grom and his friends attend- usually gifts are geared more towards the couple than just the bride)...Pantry Showers..Stock the Bar Showers...Recipe Showers. In some parts of the country there is the tradition to play some games, but many are steeering away from this and just using it as a time to get to know those closest to the couple and celebrate their upciming marriage.

-How many can I have? Typically two is really the limit with different guests invited to each one. You don't want to put a strain on your guests pocketbooks!

-Be sure to send a thank you note to the hostess, and even a little gift would be appreciated for all their hard work on your fabulous shower.

Enjoy these celebrations in your honor, just remember that it's not the loot that's important, it's the intimate celebration with your closest friends and family!

Photo of the Week- Wedding Favors

Photo of the Week - Ideas about Wedding Favors



(local jam and a CD of the couple's fave music...they are big in to music)


Most of my clients know that I'm not big on wedding favors...or at least unless they have something to do with your wedding theme and/or your personality. I just don't think you should be spending hundreds of dollars on cutesy knick-knacks with your name engraved on it that probably won't be used by your guests. BUT...I know you love them, and it's your day, so as I tell my clients let's pick something that will work.

So here's our thoughts on favors.....


- pick something edible and you probably won't have a ton leftover....and if you do I'm sure you'll enjoy the leftovers as you nibble away and reminisce about your day.
-only order enough for about 75% of your guests. Typically couples will only take one.




My favorite favors are the late night snacks (like the one above), CD's the couple have personalized with their favorite music, and donations to local charities. The hot one for my couples this year are the donations to charities. Couples getting married in the mountains are donating to the forestry service to help with the pine beetle devastation.
You can pick fun favors just be sure it reflects you as a couple and wedding style style!

Wedding Etiquette - Place cards vs. Escort cards

Tipsy Thursday...time for more wedding etiquette!
So what's the difference between Place cards and Escort cards?

I know many people who use the names Place card and Escort card interchangeably, but these are actually two totally different things. So here's the ins and outs of Escort card vs. Place cards.

There's a fine art to deciding who sits where at your reception...sometimes this needs to be discussed over a bottle of wine. It requires that you consider the feelings of your guests, use some diplomacy when discussing it with your family, and a sense of fun. Now this can actually take some time to decide on so I always suggest you start this early. Get a diagram of the table layouts and start assigning! Once you have tables assigned you'll need to consider if you'll be using both Escort Cards and Place cards?

Escort Cards

Escort cards are what most of my clients will do.....these are little cards your guests pick up during the cocktail hour or as they enter the reception room. The cards are arranged in alphabetical order so they are easy for your guests to find. The Escort card simply assigns your guests to sit at a specific table. The Escort cards have your guests' name on it and their table number/name. The name on the escort card should match the formality of your event......Mr. and Mrs. Bob Smith if it's formal (similar to how you addressed the invitation).....Mary and Bob Smith if it's less formal (yes, we usually put the ladies name first).

If you've had guests select their entree and you're not doing place cards, you would need to find some way to designate their food choice on the escort card and ask the guests to set them out at their seat where the catering staff can see them.

(Below, ribbon color designates food choice)

You can get pretty creative with these, the design should fit the level of formality and/or theme of your event.

(Winter theme- sock ornaments filled with candies doubled as favors)

(Old Hollywood Theme)

(Rock place cards for more natural theme)

(Matted escort table assignments)

Place cards

We typically see Place cards used at more formal events. These are cards that do exactly what they say... they tell your guests their "place" at their table. It will have their name on it and if you've had them select a specific entree will usually have some way to designate their entree choice (color, ribbon, etc).

For the actual names on the place card, again for a formal setting the name would be Mr. Smith (if you have two people with the same names then you can list the first name as well, i.e. Mr. Bobby Smith.). If it's more informal you can go without the title, i.e. Bobby Smith. Each of your guests will have their own place card...that goes for couples and well as your " and guest" people. So for those people bringing a date it will be necessary to find out the mystery "and guests" name, just put in a quick call to your friend.

Again, the style of the place card should fit the theme and formality of your event.

(Rock place cards)

(Combo menu card and place card)

(Couple's place card)

(Fall themed place cards)

Julie's Advice

We almost always suggest that you do escort cards, it keeps your guests from having that uncomfortable feeling of having to hurry in and get a seat or save a seat/table, & having to ask "is this seat open". It may be a little work for you, but will make your guests more comfortable on the wedding day.