After you've contacted me requesting more information, our first step is to set up an initial consultation. I've had many people ask me what they should expect during this meeting and I hope by giving you a glimpse of what it will look like, you are set at ease as you look forward to our first few minutes together.

For starters, I usually encourage our time to be at a coffeeshop or another place you are comfortable. Plan on our meeting taking about 30 minutes, I recognize that this is a very busy time for you and I do my best to keep things short and sweet.

I will be bringing a simple engagement gift for you that involves polka dots on the gift wrap, so when you arrive I'm easy to spot.

One of my goals during our meeting is that you feel completely comfortable and unpressed to make the decision of who will be your primary support person on your big day as well as help you plan your wedding. That's why my initial consultation is completely free. There are never any strings attached and it's simply my joy to spend time with you and get to know you better.

As we're getting to know each other, I will ask you several questions about your wedding planning thus far and get your ideas and creative thoughts for your big day. It's a good idea for you to bring me a simple visual of the theme or style of your wedding. An invitation, a picture from a magazine, or even something as simple as a napkin that has all of your colors on it is great. During this time I'm trying to get a thorough understanding of who you are and which of my packages will best meet your needs. I'll also make sure and answer any preliminary questions you have about who I am as well.

We will then talk, in detail, about my packages and I will share with you a little bit about how I approach the wedding planning process. Throughout our discussion feel to interject and offer thoughts about how I might serve you best during your wedding planning.

As we conclude our time together it's my goal to leave you with a basic idea of which package is best for you as well as all the costs associated with my service. It's very important to me that you understand clearly and completely who I am and what I offer. As we part ways I always leave the ball in your court for the next mode of communication with me, if you so choose. I want you to take your time and really weigh all your options as you decide on a wedding planner.

I hope this helps you understand how I approach my initial consultation and the first few days of contact with me. My goal is that you find your time with me to be genuine, relaxing, informative, and most of all fun!

Labels: Colorado Springs Wedding Planning

With wedding season just around the corner I am often asked by those invited: "What should I wear?" Here is a quick guide to wedding guest attire during spring and summer weddings.

In some cases the dress code may be listed at the bottom of the invitation. If this is the case these are usually the distinctions:

-Black Tie or Formal
Guys wear tuxedos and ladies wear a formal long cocktail dress or dressy evening separates.

-Black Tie Optional
In this case guys have the option of wearing a tuxedo or a full suit and ladies still dress formally in a long cocktail dress or dressy evening separates.

-Semi-Formal
Tuxes and long dresses are not required. If the wedding is after 5 p.m. dark suits and short cocktail dresses are appropriate. If the wedding is before 5 p.m. the colors can be a little lighter and it means a suit for him and a short nice dress for her.

-Informal
This is usually translated as casual but it's actually the same as semi-formal and when a wedding celebration or festive invite-only event calls for this attire it's best to assume the semi-formal dress code.

-Dressy Casual
This means dressed up versions of casual looks. It could mean slacks and a sports coat for him and a nice sundress for her.

-Casual
The best rule of thumb for this is to wear something you'd wear on a first date.

But what if there is no dress code distinction? I usually look to see what time the wedding will be taking place as well as the location when deciding on the attire.

Generally speaking if the wedding is:

-In the Morning
Dressy casual is the standard, I even step it up a bit from that. A great visual description is traditional summer church clothes.

-In the Afternoon
A before 5 semi-formal attire selection is the rule of thumb.

-In the Evening
Stick with semi-formal.

-A few last minute tips
Let the location be your guide. If you are on the fence about whether you should really dress up that black cocktail dress or keep it more casual think about the location. An evening wedding on the beach during sunset and an evening wedding at a ballroom in a five star hotel call for completely different attire. Think about where you'll be located and how traditional the ceremony will be when deciding on your wardrobe.

Remember even though dancing may be involved at some point during the event you're not going to a club. A wedding guest-list will include great grandparents as well as toddlers and in most cases you will be in some kind of 'house of worship' for a portion of the event so remember to keep your attire classy.

As far as color selection goes, ladies, always steer clear of white or anything that resembles white especially if your dress is a solid color, you don't want to distract from the bride. White, ivory, champagne and anything else close to those colors should be reserved for the lady of honor.

Whew! Who would have ever thought that dressing for a wedding could be so complicated! Well it certainly doesn't have to be, follow this simple guide and I'm sure you will have a blast at all those spring and summer wedding while being immaculately dressed!

Labels: Wedding Planning Tips, Wedding Style