Shoe Inspiration

Now I don't know a girl who doesn't love shoes!! I saw this posted on a very chic and whimsical facebook page that always post all things pretty (Calligraphy by Jennifer) and she had this album of amazing shoes!! I just couldn't pass the opportunity up to share with all of you. A bride’s style is present in every single detail of her look hair and makeup, to the accessories, including fabulous shoes! While the wedding dress may remain in classical light and pure shades, the shoes can add a dash of color and character to the entire look! I love shoes that is in line with a wedding color scheme.

While looking at these shoes I was immediately inspired to start looking at wedding gowns then to 2nd wedding gowns that would look wonderfully paired off as you dance the night away. I started thinking how some would be good for bridesmaids and picturing their dresses. Then to the flowers, lighting and decor...Its amazing how one thing can set the spark and give you inspiration to visualize a whole event!

Happy Planning (and now day dreaming about Jimmy Choo's and Valentino's thanks to me!!)



Milestone Events by Kristy!
800-903-5713
info@milestoneeventsbykristy.com

A New Spin on Flower Girls

Now with all the hype of the Royal Wedding over everyone is looking for new inspiration and added twists for their own wedding. It seems like these days more brides are looking for unique ways to show off their bridal party and instead of the traditional bouquet flowers have some added accessories from clutches, parasols, to fans to hold walking down the aisle!

Check out this new idea for Flower Girls... Would definitely make for a great photo opt!

The Wedding Salon

Milestone Events by Kristy participated in our first ever bridal show and we are pleased to have joined the Wedding Salon's network. The show was this past April 27th, 2011 at the Manhattan Center in NYC. It was a packed show with approx. 3,000 brides that showed up ready to meet some of the extraordinary vendors who participated.

The month leading up to the show was crunch time for our team!! Meeting with vendors, doing research, creating marketing materials and making sure our brand imaging was done properly. We took this time to really showcase our work and the work of our vendors so that potential clients can see the total package that they would receive when hiring Milestone Events by Kristy for their next event. We put together a great marketing kit for brides to take home and read through the materials and the benefits of hiring a wedding planner. We offered some great discounts and some lucky brides went home with a $1,000 gift certificate off a full planning package!!! In addition, everyone who stopped by got to go home with some goodies and delicious cookies!!

The day started off well with only a few errands to run in the morning. When arriving to the Manhattan Center the Wedding Salon team organized unloading and registration seamlessly. As we awaited the start of the show the line of brides begin to form furiously around the block as they anxiously awaited to get started with the show. Once 4pm came and the doors open it was an influx of very excited brides who were interested in speaking to us about our services. I met many lovely ladies who loved our showcase and left us with many wonderful comments. The evening continued on with a steady pace of people and questions. I was pleasantly surprised on how well the evening went. At about 8pm it started to slow down a bit and I was able to now make my way through the show and see and network with some of the other vendors. There were a few who really stood out to me and I look forward to making some new partnerships with. One company that I can see a bright future for and one that will truly become a big trend in the near future is Newly Wish. NewlyWish is a wedding gift registry service designed to provide to-be-weds, their friends and family, with the choice, convenience, and personalization they desire in such an important and personal time in their lives.

Some other vendors that stood out to me were amazing "Cakes by Nicole", fabulous jewelry of "Designs by Febe". There were also some great new photographers some with exceptional modern day photojournalist books a specific mention to "Keylite Studio". Lastly, great music companies such as "NYC Wedding Music" which can offer large 12 and 14 piece bands. If you are looking for a smaller piece musicians there was "Karly Jurgensen" duets to quartets perfect for ceremony music. I was impressed by some new rental companies that were perfect for the modern and trendy brides looking for a sleek new look for their wedding. Lastly, a very fun company called "Before the Knot" for all your bachelorette parties and needs

If you are interested in learning more please feel free to call or email us.

1-800-903-5713

or

info@milestoneeventsbykristy.com

Why to hire a Wedding Planner?

1) Why do I need to hire a wedding planner?

A wedding planner was once thought to only be a luxury but over the course of this past decade wedding planners have gained popularity. A planner will bring expertise in negotiating contracts with caterers, florists, photographers, and other suppliers, they will save valuable time and money. A planner can offer discounts from their preferred vendors that are reliable to making a successful event.

2) When should I book a wedding planner?

Now that you are engaged and have shared the fabulous news with your family begin to set a date and start immediately interviewing planners. A planner is best to have from the start because they can guide you with what to expect through the planning process as well as help design your wedding concept and recommend vendors. In addition, they will help you set a budget and allocate the proper amounts to each line item.

3) How long does it take to plan a wedding?

It was quoted that it takes 250 hours to plan a wedding. Typically weddings are planned within one year of your big day. If you have your mind set on specific venue they can book up pretty far in advance. Also, certain photographers, bands and caterers require 8-10 months to be available for your date.

4) What can I expect from a wedding planner?

Wedding planners are not their to make the decisions for your big day but instead provide options and suggestions based on their experience and knowledge. With today's hectic lifestyles they are there to relive much of the stress that comes along with planning a wedding. A planner who will be working with you for the entire wedding will be sure to keep you on track with your budget and come up with creative ideas to get you the most for your money. A full time planner will also serve in areas that are least expected, such as, a mediator with opinionated family members, problem slover to a brides best friend. When working with a bride for an entire year it is only logically that you will form a close relationship.

5) What is the difference between a wedding planner and a wedding coordinator?

A wedding planner is hired for full or partial planning and assists the couple with all tasks that need to be completed from start to finish. A wedding coordinator is a less expensive option to a planner. It is best for the bride who has done the majority of the planning and just needs a coordinator to help tie up the loose ends during the final month before the wedding.

6) What is the typical pricing for a wedding planner and wedding coordinator?

A wedding planner typically cost 10% - 15% of the overall budget based on amount of wedding (location and size of the wedding would impact the cost)

Hiring a coordinator for day of services is a flat rate between $1000 -$2,000. This will normally include coordination starting the final month of your wedding.

There are also planners who charge hourly for al la carte services. This could be, venue scouting, favor assembly, welcome bag delivery, RSVP management, etc. These services can range any where from $50 to $200 per hour.

7) How do I choose the right planner?

Personally, I believe this is all about compatibility. During the first meeting you essentially know if you will work well together. In addition to this check the planners background, credentials and past referrals. A planner should show you their past work and give you specific examples on how they contributed to the wedding. Lastly, does the planners proposal reflect what your are looking for and how did they follow up with you.

Hope this was a helpful article. Please feel free to contact me for more details

Milestone Events by Kristy

646-248-2102

milestoneevents@verizon.net

Working with Davi Weddings and Crown Jewel Events

This past May I got to work with James Tramondo of Davi weddings. This was a triple threat wedding as there were three event planners at the wedding! For vendors one is usually more then enough...LOL We performed day of coordination for a fellow planner and friend, Carmella Dellaporte of Crown Jewel Events. Over this past year she has worked to plan a multi heritage wedding to incorporate both Italian and Scottish traditions Carmella was so precise on every last detail of the planning and design. Carmella even worked with her florist brought in from Chicago on all the centerpieces. All of the little details such as table names from there favorite NY neighborhoods to favors and programs made this wedding perfect. I felt the it had beautiful fashion. I thought the kilted armor from groomsmen was so eclectic and looked fabulous for pictures. The ladies were just as fashionable color coordinating with the of the groomsmen.

The ceremony was beautiful and I got to learn more about Scottish traditions. One in particular that I really took note of was the ceremonial draping of the wedding sash. This is a sash made from the family's specific tartan and is draped over the bride signifying the acceptance from the family and the desire of the bride to be part of the clan.

Another interesting part of the ceremony was the "Throwing of the Coins" It is a Celtic tradition for the bride and groom to throw coins to wedding guests as they exit the ceremony site so that the couple can be blessed with good luck and prosperity.

The day was filled with fun and entertainment. The family was one of the best I have worked with. It was really great to be able help a fellow planner on her big day.

Best to Carmella and Scott!

Top 10 trends of 2010 wedding planners notice

1. Aisle: Brides are realizing that they dont want any of their guests to have a bad seat. Instead of using your traditional liner aisle, brides are choosing circular or u shaped aisle. When having your ceremony outside or not in the traditional church having an a circular shaped seating allows everyone to have a great view of the bride. Not to mention good photo opt.

2. Comfort foods: With the average couple getting married at the age of 26 years old they are apart of the new generation who wants to enjoy their youth. More couples are choosing upscale presentation of comfort foods such as mini sliders, truffle mac and cheese, chicken pot pie. I have seen these choices more from NYC caterers when preparing cocktail like receptions vs your traditional sit down dinner.. Which leads me to # THREE

3. Venue: During 2010 I think you will see the change from traditional ball room style venues to the loft wedding cocktail style receptions. Couples getting married today are sophisticated and have many friends that they want to share their special day with. I think today's bride is less interested in crystal chandeliers and more interested in seeing amazing views of the city skyline. They are looking a venue with that is hip and modern where they can create their vision exactly as they want.

4. Invitations: Top bridal designer Monique Lhuillier shares inspirations and details from her various collections: “A lot of fabric details from the dresses translate into the invitations. We use techniques of embossing to mimic textures and incorporate the same colors from the gowns into the invitations.” Look for details you would see on the runway on your wedding invitations.

5. Old, new, borrowed and cobalt blue: From hints of blue in bridal fashion to saturated color throughout the wedding décor, “blues will be the most requested color in 2010,” according to Shane Murray of The Wedding Report. Bright cobalt blue is a hot hue for 2010, offering fresh, bold and atmospheric twist on the bluesy tradition.

6. Wear-again bridesmaid dresses: The old ruffled bridesmaid dress is out and now we are seeing bridesmaid dresses that look more like cocktail dresses which can be used to wear at another party. I have had brides who had ordered their dresses from j Crew and even Macy's

7. Three-dimensional save-the-dates: Inform your friends and family of your wedding day with a twist. Three-dimensional elements on the save-the-dates, like a paper umbrella (signifying a destination wedding), adds character, humor and relevance.

8. Old Hollywood glam, for men!: A return to Cary Grant’s sense of style is making a comeback this year for grooms, looking charming and dapper in a white tuxedo with black-rimmed lapels. This cool old-school look brings back the sharp-looking vest and nostalgic pocket watch.

9. Blogger brides abound: Brides enjoy sharing snippets of surprises, ideas and images throughout their wedding planning experience. Personal blogs offer a space for brides to share, gather inspirations and explore.

10 Personalized plus: From the décor designs and inspirational invites to a great gifts and super-fab favors.