There has been so much talk around the interweb about Jason and Molly's TV wedding, and how the rain really affected their day.



There should have been a Plan B - a rain plan.



Really.



How do you plan for a Plan B... well first there needs to be a drop dead time to implement the Plan B... so let's say, by noon. So by noon you'll need to decide inside or outside. Even if the weather looks iffy... go for the Plan B. You never know.



And have a Plan B... know that you'll need to have your reception under a tent, or in the banquet hall, or in the house... where ever it is.. go over with your Wedding Planner, the in's and out's of what you thinking. You don't want to be surprised or disappointed.



And plus, it makes for some pretty amazing pictures!



Photo: Luster Studios

Everyone is busy, everyone has a crazy life, a crazy calendar, so as if picking your wedding date isn't hard enough -- you have events to schedule around.



Football Schedules

Art Festivals

Large Conferences

Family Events

And More....



Some things to consider, especially when planning a wedding in Gainesville in the fall is Football Season. There are very few away games and bye weeks. But there are also Graduations and Art Festivals.



All of those events will affect hotel rooms and banquet halls.



BUT, it can also affect the availability and price of hotel rooms. All of these things need to be considered when planning your wedding or party.





Photo Source

Don't judge a book by it's cover - it's a commonly used saying. Bascially, some of the most unique finds are found in the most unlikely and sometimes plain- of places. Or if you are expecting one thing from "it's cover" you maybe be suprised.

Well, this weekend - I was cutting into a fruit that I've cut into gazillions of times... a Honeydew Melon...

Your typical HoneyDew... the palest of greens on the outside, the thump was perfect, we were ready for the super sweet suculent fruit on the inside.

Well, when I cut it open, this is what I found.

Huh? A HoneyDew on the outside, and Catelope like on the inside?!?!? Is this a new thing, maybe a Honeylope, or a Cantedew?



But, {I promise!} I do have a point, don't judge a book by it's cover, don't think you've found the perfect wedding planner, because you see an advertisment that says they are "the premier planner" that planning company dubbed themselves that... or fall in love with a photographer because they have a nifty website, or a super chic blog... get to know who you are hiring. It's your wedding... learn about your vendors.



In other words...



Read the fine print!

Celebrate with Style is a fantastic resource for brides! It offers tons of advice from amazing wedding vendors like Colin Cowie (who I adore), and Me (Gainesville's Best Wedding Planner)! (Never thought I'd ever have my name and Colin's in the same sentence!)



You can check us out here - and you can see many other amazing event designers, planners, musicians, all offering great fantastic, and useful tips to help make your wedding fabulous, after all, that's our goal!

Written by Ashley, the intern at MasterPiece Weddings:

Are you all familiar with the wonderful website Get Married? Get Married is a “multi channeled wedding resource” that is launching a brand new bridal magazine. Get Married already features a popular television show on Lifetime with host Colin Cowie and has an online website and blog.

The addition of the magazine will allow brides to “watch, surf and read” all mediums of wedding planning. The first issue of the magazine will be published in October and we couldn’t be more excited!

Email magazine@getmarried.com to request a free copy!

One of my favorite blogs has posted Ten Tips from 10 Wedding Planners, and I feel honored to have been chosen as one of the 10!!!

Take a peek and get some fantastical advice from some of the best in the business! And thank you to Terrica for including us!

DO have your makeup done by a professional (if not, at the very least get a consultation and have them instruct you on how to achieve the look yourself)

DO wear waterproof eye makeup (it's going to be an emotional day!)

DO highlight your cheeks with light blush and bronzer, even if it's not part of your daily routine. It will provide a nice glow to your complexion.

DO curl your eyelashes. This will make you look more bright-eyed and awake. (Fake eyelashes may be used, but make sure they are properly applied. You wouldn't want them to rotate or peel off during the ceremony!)

DON'T wear heavy foundation! It will show in photos and is more likely to smear and get on your clothes.

DON'T wear dark lipstick. Stick with light natural colors that are similar to that of your blush.

DON'T wait till the day of your wedding to try out your makeup looks. Practice before hand to avoid a stressful situation.



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What happens if the weather gets in the way of your ceremony, and everyone is running late!



Don't worry, it's totally fine! I know you only have your DJ or Band for a certain amount of hours, and your photographer is going to leave in 6 hours. Don't stress, there are ways to fix your timeline in the midst of crisis.



Your ceremony is only going to take between 20 and 30 minutes. You don't want to rush the ceremony - this is the time you are actually getting married. But there are ways to move along your reception without seeming like you are forcing your family and friends out. And not make it feel as if you are rushing things along.



When you first arrive before dinner or  your meal, go ahead and do your first dance. Then eat for a bit, after you {the bride and groom} are done eating, mingle, greet your guests at their tables.



About 45 minutes later, go ahead and do the Father/Daughter Dances, and the Mother/Son dance. Open the dance floor for a bit, have some fun. Once your dancing slows, do the toasts, cake cutting and garter/bouquet... get all of the logistics out of the way, so that you can spend the rest of the night dancing and having a great time with your family and friends!



Photo Source

Over at Elizabeth Ann Designs, Sara has some great advice today! Here's a snipit (I'm going to post a wee bit of what she did, check out EAD for the whole kit-and-kitboodle):

• Start with the Big Picture, Not the Details


• Distinguish Between Wants and Needs


• Don’t Let Your Wedding Overshadow Your Relationship


• Build Relationships with Vendors


• Don’t Forget the Ceremony


• Just Breathe

And my favorite bit of advice:



"When you become too irrational, read the newspaper and remind yourself that the world has much bigger problems."



Thanks Sara for posting some fantasical advice!

Recently, I was talking with my new twin, Monica. We could have talked for hours, actually we did. We could have talked for days, seriously, days!



She is amazing! If you don't read her blog, you should, and if you do, you are doing a good thing! Her wit and hilarity is, most of the time, exactly what I want to say, but just don't. But I am getting away from my point.



She mentioned a situation that happened recently at a wedding, and I just thought it was unfathomable. And the way she handled it was with grace and elegance. With a sense of professionalism that we would all be proud of!



And, recently, I received a phone call – my band canceled our event is this weekend, can you help me! The panic in this person’s voice was heart-wrenching, I just wanted to reach through the phone and hug them and make it better.



I made some phone calls and found a band in 20 minutes. I just felt like it was my job to make their wedding all better. But in this instance it wasn’t – they weren’t my client. Just some random Jane Doe that called, because she needed help. Should I have done it… well that’s the question…



What would you do? What would you as a bride expect me to do? What would you as a consultant do?