All about the BAR
How much Alcohol should I buy for my Wedding???
A fellow wedding planner from Massachusetts, Tanya Costigan Events, came up with the following formula! With her permission, I’m sharing it with all of you wonderful Brides/Grooms-to-be.
How much of each type of Beverage?
To this I say, you know your guests best. If you’re family primarily sticks to wine, stock up on that. If you live in San Diego, our Craft Brew scene has exploded, and if you are part of the following- make sure to have more than your typical amount of Stone and Ballast Point on hand for you and your buddies to share!
Typically though:
If it is a full bar (beer, wine, and hard liquor): 50% should be wine servings, 20% should be beer servings, and 30% should be hard liquor
If it is only Beer and Wine: 60% should be wine servings, 40% should be beer servings
You know your guests best though! So if their mostly beer drinkers at parties, adjust accordingly!
If you are having “signature drinks” in addition to the above: estimate that each guest will have just one. Very rarely to people go back to order a second sig. cocktail. And not everyone will be as adventurous to try even one. But don’t stock up on the fixings, because unless it is pre-mixed, it will just turn into shots later in the evening.
At the end of the day, people will drink whatever is behind the bar because it’s free (to them at least)! In my personal opinion, having been to SO many weddings, Beer and Wine bars get everybody happy and almost nobody sloshy! It is a very easy way to keep your guests tamed and have the elegance of your wedding last until the very end of the night! Full bars are, of course, FUN! But there is always at least one person who is a little too ambitious with the amount they consume and they become a burden on the other guests/vendors.
Free Printable!!!!!
For a fun way to help your guests remember to finish their drinks from earlier, and help conserve some of your rented glassware, use these handy little cards!
I print these on colored card stock to match the color scheme of the wedding, usually 4 per 8.5×11 page, then cut. Cut 1 per guest, and place one at each place setting under one of the glasses or at the bar in a stack by the napkins!
Happy Planning!!!
Find this helpful??? Please leave a comment so I know that what I do isn’t unnoticed 😉
Photo Credit: Aaron and Samantha Wedding Photography
I knew the groom by his actual first name, David. But on the wedding day, surrounded by so many family members and friends, I soon realized that he doesn’t go by that name at all! Instead, they call him Wave. So this photo, just seams so fitting! I think he’s looking up on his phone how to fold a pocket square. I’m pretty sure I get asked from every groom and groomsman how to do this at every wedding I do! haha!
The Ceremony took place at Fletcher Cove community center in Solana Beach, CA. Not only did the couple used to live just up the street, but the beach was popular site for many of their dates from the beginning stages of their relationship! And Wave, the groom, let me know that he surfs at a spot just around the corner! For their families and childhood friends coming to see them for the first time in San Diego, this was the perfect wedding to show them all their favorite spots and give their guests a glimpse of their fun local life that they’ve built together!
It was a challenge to get the petals to stay on the ground because of the wind, but we did it! The Bride and Groom got to stand in the heart to seal their love to each other!
These homemade Limoncello Favors were a #1 hit with all the guests! So easy and so fun!
Dinner and the reception continued at the couple’s favorite local restaurant/bar, Wine Steals in Cardiff. They got to share all the best things about their life together with the 65 guests who came to their wedding. By the end of the evening, I knew everything about the couple, from what beach they surf at to the bar they go to, and their favorite deserts.
The best part, is that the bar has a reward card, and applied every dollar that they spent on their food/beverages for their wedding guests toward reward points that the couple now gets to use on their weekly outings to Wine Steals for trivia nights! They practically get to eat and drink for free for a good long while!
And I’ll never forget the awesome Karaoke that Allison and Wave did to kick off the super fun evening: Drunk in Love by Beyoncé and Jay-Z! It was down right epic!
Overall, mostly everything they incorporated was DIY’d. The bouquets were made by the Bride and bridesmaids. They signs they made themselves as well. The centerpieces and ceremony flowers were given to me that morning, and I quickly put them together. Since there were only 6 tables and super simple elements, I didn’t mind at all! However, a site note to DIY’ers, Baby’s breath is not as easy as just throwing it into a vase or jar! If you want the big rounded look that you see on most blogs, there is a technique to it, so do a few test runs and give yourself plenty of time to get it done! Since baby’s breath comes in so many layers and heights all in one bunch, if you just shove it into the jar, it will look funny.
Happy Planning!
Juliette
I’m here to break it down for you today, 2016 in San Diego, CA! I’ve seen a lot of vendors pricing, some higher than others, some astronomically lower than others. But the vendors that I’ve found to be the best to work with, have all jumbled together in the middle. They don’t under value their work, they know that what they do is great. But they also aren’t overly self obsessed, or think that they don’t need to try because you’re already so lucky just to be working with them. So hooray for averaged priced vendors!!! They want your business and are grateful for your trust, and they are confident that they can deliver an amazing experience for you and your guests!
So what will all that cost? Well, the average wedding in San Diego (for the normal couples) is between 18-25,000 dollars. Obviously, some are lower, some are higher, but that range pretty much sums up the normal average cost of a wedding. Anything more than 25k means that you probably wont need to pick and choose what’s most important to you, or make sacrifices when it comes to vendor list or guest list. But anything lower means that you will probably be asking a friend or family member to do something for you, or need to choose between a fancy photographer or fancy caterer, and to that I advise that you analyze your priorities!
So that’s the overall budget. But here is the breakdown of each vendor category:
Officiant: $300-500
Ceremony Venue/space: $1000
Flowers: $2300 (obviously, this depends highly on how many arrangements you need, and what kind of flowers you prefer. Wild flowers/herbs will cost less, the garden look will cost you more, and tropical flowers also have a large range of costs. But the average bill for the simple but elegant weddings that I see often, is around $1800-$2300)
Full Planner: $2800
Day-of Coordinator: $1000
Reception Venue w/food, tables/chairs/etc: $15,000
Reception Venue (private space rental): $4,000
Full Service Catering: $40-70 per person ($8000-10,000)
Rentals (for empty space): $1200
DJ: $1200-1500
Invitations: $2-3 per invite
Cake: $600
Photographer: $2500-4000
Videographer: $2000-3000
There it is folks! Again, obviously you don’t have to be spending this much to have a wonderful day. And you can certainly spend more if your budget and preferences allow. But if you look at the middle, this is about what it takes to have an all professionally done wedding in San Diego, if you are planning and booking during 2016. If you need more assistance, just email me! I’m always happy to help! And if you want to know more about how to organize your spending, read this article about Wedding Budgets.
Happy Planning!
– Juliette
Who doesn’t love a good wedding video?! This one is sure to make you tear up a little! Of course, knowing this couple makes it all so much more special, and I am so lucky that I was able to play a role in their wedding day as their Month of Coordinator! Because I’m also the venue manager for The Bradford Ranch, I got to meet Jenny and Jake very early in their engagement! I quickly fell in love with this couple and how madly in love they were with each other! I was ecstatic when they chose me to be their day of coordinator, for the shear reason I would get to spend more time around their magnetic happiness. Thank you for letting me help with your wedding, it was such a joy from start to finish! And thank you Like a Letter, for capturing every important moment of their special day in such a magical way!
Venue: The Bradford Ranch
Awesome video skills: Like a Letter
Month of Coordination: Me!
Flowers: 96 Flowers and 13 Stems
Rentals/DJ: Bwatt Entertainment
Photography: Jessica Fairchild Photography
I’m so excited today, I just had to share!!! I was recently interviewed by Wedding Lovely, a popular wedding blog that I read daily and am a Certified Vendor on! Today they have it up on their fount page!!!
So grateful for this opportunity!
Read the article full here: http://weddinglovely.com/blog/meet-a-wedding-planner-in-san-diego-ca-simply-elegant-weddings/
It’s no secret that each new stage of your relationship brings new experiences, new levels of love, and changes in yourself and your partner. Mostly these new things are exciting and fun. Sometimes they are challenges that can be overcome together and can bring you closer together. The goal in finding the one to marry is being able to change and adapt with your partner, work together through the hard times, enjoy the good times, and ultimately find someone who you want to grow with! “Through good times and bad, for Richer or Poorer” right?!
Being Engaged is probably one of the best stages of a relationship. It holds so much anticipation, excitement, and growth! Planning the wedding together is not always easy. There are definitely some difficult conversations that need to be had in order to bring two families together in celebration! So to balance those “tough” conversations, you need to go on some epically amazing dates that will allow you to connect on a deeper level! This will help you to balance the good times and bad, and will help to teach your relationship that balance is the key to making everything work! Work some (on the wedding), and Play some too! So here are my top 5 date ideas for Engaged couples in San Diego!
5. Museum Hopping!
photo credit: Trip Advisor
We have some seriously amazing Museums in San Diego. Not just in Balboa either! Take a day, and go to 2 or 3 different museums. Checking out new exhibits and learning new things together will help you to connect past wedding details. Plus, who doesn’t love staring at a painting sideways next to their sweetheart! I think that’s happened in a movie or two!
4. Take your time at your catering tastings
photo credit: Michelle Lillywhite Caterer: Buckboard Catering
Do you feel like you don’t have any time to waste when it comes to wedding planning! I feel you! Schedule a tasting with a perspective caterer, and enjoy the fact that you pretty much have a chef cooking just for the two of you! Don’t invite your sister, friend, or planner to this one! Just you and your honey eating great food and making decisions! Take the long way walking back to your car, to discuss what you just experienced. What you liked and didn’t like!
3. Get on the water
Photo Credit: Groupon
My husband and I have done this before, and it is SO much fun!!! San Diego Speed Boat Adventures is a great company that allows you to drive your own speed boat around San Diego Bay and Harbor as part of a tour. You’ll learn things about the city, no matter if your a native or transplant. Plus you get to drive a freaking speed boat! They usually have a groupon deal you can find that will make it a little more “everyday affordable” but even full price from their website, it’s so worth it.
4. The couple that laughs together, stays together!
Photo credit: Yelp!
Go out and and have a good laugh together. Break up some of the tension of an upcoming hard conversation with plans to visit one of our local improve or comedy theaters! My favorites are National Comedy Theatre in Mission Hills and Finest City Improv in North Park. Both have really funny improv nights that are sure to get you and your date crying from laughing too hard!
5. Super romantic Pop Up picnics
Photo: LaurenSharon.com
Did you know there is actually an awesome company that will set up vintage furniture and a cute little picnic lunch or dinner in one of San Diego’s most amazing locations for you! So all you need to do is show up with your date, and have an amazingly intimate meal together in a completely out of the box way! Pop Up Picnic will create the perfect little date night just for you! These are especially incredible for engagements (wink, wink, gentlemen) or just super fun nights out to celebrate the fact that you guys are engaged! Maybe a grand gesture for your final “engaged” date the week before the wedding?! That’s right! The week before your wedding should also contain a date for just the two of you to reconnect and refocus your priorities away from the Details of the Event, and get the priority back to the Meaning of the Wedding!
As always, no company mentioned in this post has paid or even knows that they are being written about right now! No one campaigned for their spot on this list! I keep it real! These are just super awesome things that I’ve found out about, that I think will benefit you, my clients and others!
Happy Planning <3
-Juliette
Simply Elegant Weddings – San Diego
Why would someone want to hire a wedding planner, when they already know what they want and how it should look on Pinterest?
There is so much more to planning an event than just picking out the right color swatches and DIYing all your own decor. There are vendors to hire, money to organize, etiquette to follow (or not follow), and more opinions from your friends/family than you ever thought possible. So here are just some of the things that we will help you with!
Get you Started:
Beginning to plan a wedding is like trying to clean up a disaster zone. You can stare at the pile for hours before you even know where to start. That’s why looking to someone who has done it before can be so helpful! When you look to an experienced wedding planner, you gain the benefit of our knowledge and past experiences. A good Planner can tell you what you need to know when interviewing other vendors. We can even go with you on those meetings to help screen out the good, from the just okay. An educated planner can look over your contracts with other vendors to make sure you are not paying for things you do not need or fees that were not agreed upon. Most planners have a preferred list of vendors that they have worked with in the past. We know that those vendors are worthy of your money! Planners have also worked with vendors that are not so good (unfortunately)! We remember what happened in the past, the mishaps that they (the planner) had to make right. We can warn you to stay away from these troubled vendors, something that Yelp reviews may not always be able to do.
Save Time:
Time is money, and when there is a deadline, it is a stressor! There is no need to spend 24/7 researching how to’s or stressing over what flowers would make your bouquet pop against your white dress! A planner can do that for you. Save your beauty sleep, and schedule a meeting with your planner. We will research anything that you have a question about! Then we will present you with a few options based on your vision and all you have to do is say “I want this one.”
Rescue your Relationships:
When you are engaged there can be a lot of family input, from both sides. Being a patient and kind bride will help to start your relationship with your in laws on the right foot. It is important not to step on anyone’s toes and not hurt any feelings. Part of a planners job is to act as a buffer, between the couple and their relatives. A planner can help smooth over any differences that you may have with your immediate or your future family. Also, We can help to prevent a case of “Crazy Bride Syndrome” from occurring a week before the big day. Our goal is to keep you as calm and as relaxed as possible, because the last thing anyone wants to deal with is a case of “The Freaked Out Groom”! Grooms: yes, your bride has a lot of things to deal with at the moment. no, they are not going to stay this way once you are married! Weddings do have a tendency to cause temporary insanity. Spare yourself and let the planner be the one to go through it.
Save you Money:
Although it seems counter productive to spend money on someone who can save you money, it really isn’t, I promise. Wedding Planners are expert bargain hunters. Even working with the most outrageous of budgets, a wedding planner is still faced with the obstacle that our clients don’t want to spend more than they have to. It is our job to find the best price possible. San Diego is consistently ranked one of the most expensive cities in the country to host a wedding. In 2014, the average budget in San Diego was $32,941! That’s a lot of pressure for a bride on a tight budget. Wedding Planners have the knowledge of the city and we can give you pointers on where to shop for the best prices! Working with a planner can help you find reputable vendors in the price point that you are looking to spend. Vendors on a planners preferred list will often either give a discount to the couple or will give the planner a kick back for setting them up with the job. **At Simply Elegant Weddings, we ALWAYS pass this on to the client in the form of a discount from the vendor, or a discount on our services to make up the difference! And we never choose vendors just for this reason, they have to be good at their job for us to want to work with them!
Be Happy on your Wedding Day!
Make your day about You:
Wedding Planners are trained to notice (and fix) the details. You want your guests to be focused on you and your partner, not on the boxes behind you that someone forgot to move out of sight. But if you are getting dressed and having your hair and makeup done, who is going to look after these last minute details. This is the job of the Day-of Wedding Coordinator. We are there to make sure that every wrinkle gets unwrinkled, that every stray thread gets plucked, that every piece of glass is fingerprint free! Day of Coordinating is the most affordable form of wedding planning, and in my opinion is the most important. You can not be everywhere on the day of your wedding, it’s impossible. You will be getting hair and makeup done at the same time that vendors will be arriving to the venue to set up. You need to be focused on what is important, the major fact that you are getting married to the love of your life in a few short hours! It is a Wedding Planners job to make sure that the vendors arrive on time and that everything looks the way that you envisioned it would.
Many major wedding venues (like hotels and catering halls) come with the service of an ‘Events Manager’ or ‘Venue Coordinator’. These guys are great, but they are not your personal wedding coordinator. The role of an events manager or venue coordinator is to take care of what the venue is in charge of (tables, chairs, linens, place settings) and to make sure that your event stays within the rules of the venue. Often times, that is where the service stops. They do not coordinate activities during the event and they do not set up (or clean up) any personal decor that you have to incorporate in your wedding or reception.
Fix what needs Fixin’:
JLo had an utility belt. I have a Mary Poppins bag full of last minute emergency fixes. I am sure that I haven’t seen it All, but I have seen a lot! Everything from blood on the wedding dress to broken boutonnieres, suit coat buttons that are missing to wipes for your face after a good cake smash. I’ve got you and your guests covered, all day long. Think of me as hands-on insurance! But we don’t just fix things on the wedding day, If you have a tiff with your future mother in law and you need to be reassured at 2am that going through with the wedding is the right thing to do, I’ll answer your call! If your DJ makes you angry by playing a song that you hate, I’ll take care of that too! My job is to make sure that you enjoy getting married and that you celebrate it with no stress attached!
Wedding Planners are a necessity for weddings. Maybe I am biased, but I really do think that hiring someone to take care of plans and logistics is essential to being able to relax and enjoy your special day. I think that the idea of hiring a planner or even a Day of Coordinator has become associated with being a Luxury expense when it comes to your wedding budget. However, when you factor in what a planner can save you, through connections with other vendors and shopping for the best deals, it can pretty much even out the price of their services. Plus, you get all of the other perks of having a planner, an extra set of hands, and the knowledge from their previous experiences.
So are you are still on the fence about whether to brave the process yourself or hire a planner? If so, I encourage you to schedule a FREE start up consultation! This is not a commitment ceremony, it’s Just a meeting. There is no charge, and it will help get you organized and focused! We will go over the different services that we can offer you and different ways that we can help that will fit into your specific budget. It’s not just a sales pitch though! We will also give you checklists and worksheets that will help you throughout your planning process, whether you decide to hire us or not!
Happy Planning!
-Juliette
So last week I showed you part one of Beth and Andrew’s beauty and the beast inspired wedding. So here is part two!
The Bride had a great vision for her bouquet! She wanted to carry it in a basket, just like Bell in the beginning of Disney cartoon. I love this look, it’s beautiful, simple, yet so unexpected! And this wasn’t the only great idea that she had for her bouquet. She wanted to be able to share it with the very special women in her life. So this basket actually held 6 different mini bouquets, one for each of the women in attendance whom she treasured. Since it was such a small and intimate affair, she opted out of a bouquet toss, and instead took the time to share a piece of her bouquet with them and acknowledge her gratitude for their support and love throughout her life. The flowers were created by the oh, so, talented San Diego Floral Design
Keeping with the Beauty and the Beast essence, Red Roses were a must. The Bride DIY’d this amazing floating rose for their sweethearts table.
Not only was it important to have red roses, she also wanted flowers that looked like they were picked straight from the french countryside to decorate the tables. Knowing that I had to marry the two looks together (pardon the pun), I picked up a bundle of red roses on my way to the venue, brought some mini but vases from home, and added tiny pops of red to the tables. This tied everything together, and the outcome was exactly what the bride didn’t even know that she wanted!
Splitting one large room in half can be tricky, especially when you still need the whole space after the ceremony is over. We came up with the idea to add pipe and drape directly in the middle of the space. We couldn’t break it down during the short cocktail hour, when the guests would be outside, so instead we split it in the middle and created a pulled curtain look allowing the guests to see into the “ceremony” half where the dancing would take place later that evening. This mimicked the arch that the couple built together to use as their ceremony arch. (you can see the photos here: https://simplyelegantweddingplanning.com/beauty-and-the-beast-wedding_part1/)
Vendors Credits:
Photography: Brittany Dorner Photography
Flowers: San Diego Floral Design
Invitations: DIY by the couple
Design/Planning: Simply Elegant Weddings
Linens/Catering: Ranch Events
Venue: Chula Vista Women’s Club
Uplighting/DJ: HVK Entertainment
Happy Planning!
-Juliette
I remember the very first email I ever received from Beth! Her bubbly voice shined though the computer, and I knew this was going to be an amazingly fun couple to work with. However, I was definitely hesitant when I kept reading and realized she wanted a Disney inspired, totally princess-ed out wedding! If you know me well enough, you know that this is pretty much the opposite of my personality, and even though I can appreciate a good cry from a rom-com marathon, and I always get sappy during toasts and first dances during weddings, the Disney fairytale has just never hooked my heart. At least not the same way that it had with Beth! But I reserved judgement, and went to meet her with an open mind! Thank goodness I did! She made me a believer. And once she told me that she wanted it to be inspired by Disney, and not a literal Disney take over, I knew I had to help her and Andrew pull it off!
Complete with the most b-dazzled cinderella shoes I’ve ever seen! Enjoy scrolling through these beautiful images by Brittany Dorner Photography. There is lots of wedding inspiration to be had, and most of the decor was DIY’d by the adorable Bride and Groom.
Oren, the couple’s fur baby was involved in nearly the whole day! He had to the high responsibility of being their doggy ring bearer. And even got a special dance with his mommy later in the evening before his bed time! My team did not mind playing babysitter to this adorable little guy! #thatface
#hiddenmickey
Staying true to what Bell would do, Beth thought to have her bouquet in basket. As if it were all picked fresh from her french country garden! The thing weighed a ton, but goodness it was stunning! She even had the bouquet tied as several smaller bouquets, and instead of doing the traditional bouquet toss, she took the smaller tied bouquets and gave them to the important women in her life! Everyone was so surprised, and it was such a touching moment to see the bride recognize each of the women whom she looks up to and admires! The flowers were done by San Diego Floral Design, with some added touches by Simply Elegant Weddings to help the whole look tie together. We make a great team!
And even though they went with a Disney inspired theme, they still remembered to make it personal! They lined the aisle with photographs of them as children, young adults, and eventually their engagement photos, as a symbolic reference to the journey that had got them to this point in their lives together.
In a couple days, I’ll reveal the second part of the wedding! So stay tuned to the blog to see the rest of the fun (and design!)
We’ll be off for the next few weeks… of course! But here are a few beautiful photos to get you through the holidays till we can get back from to our computers!
Oh, and a very Merry Christmas to everyone!!! My Christmas wish is that everyone remain peaceful and enjoy this special time of year with the people that you love 🙂
