Bridal Open House

       Are you planning a wedding or an upcoming event? 

The Attic and the Hansen Place will be hosting their second Bridal Open House on May 2nd noon to 4pm.  Come tour two distinctly unique venues, sample food and meet with over 20 wedding professionals in a beautiful yet, relaxed setting.

The Attic: 1003 Main St, Sumner, WA

The Hansen Place, 823 Main St, Sumner, WA

Come meet the following members of the Puget Sound Wedding Professionals:

The Hansen Place, The Attic, Simply Celebrations, Gen X Pro DJ Services, Angie D Photography, Top Hat Formal Wear, Betta Mansions, Elyse Juarez Make Up & Hair, Greatest of Days, Pastor Pat, Susan Haas - Harpist, and Family Affair Photography.  Several other vendors will also be participating in the Open House.

This open house has been organized by Nancy Skipton of Simply Celebrations.

White Dress, Green Wedding?

It is very cool and chic to be earth friendly these days particularly in the Northwest. What most people do not know is that it can also be very budget-wise to be “green”. Even if “fair trade”, “sustainability” and “carbon neutral” are not in your daily vocabulary, you can benefit from incorporating some of these eco-friendly tips to reuse, renew, and recycle:

· Use rental (reusable) items instead of buying new. There are many local rental companies to supply you with table décor, linens, place card holders, etc. Or if you do buy items for your wedding that can be reused by someone else, there are websites you can list your items on to be bought and used again by another bride. Try Bravo Bride for this.

· Consider asking your floral vendor about which flowers are in season locally at the time of your wedding. Not only will it save you money but you will support local growers and reduce the carbon emissions caused by shipping flowers long distances. Use your altar arrangements twice - once at your ceremony and then have them moved to your reception and use them at your head table or on your buffet. This will save you money and reuse your arrangements. Bridesmaids’ bouquets can be placed in vases along the head table at the reception instead of doing more centerpieces.

· If you are not attached to saving, cleaning and preserving your wedding dress, consider selling it on Bravo Bride. Your bridesmaids can donate their dresses to Cinderella’s Closet which benefits young ladies who cannot afford to buy a new prom or homecoming dress. Brides Against Breast Cancer will also take “like new” wedding dress donations.

· Try to use local vendors whenever possible to reduce your carbon footprint caused by shipping items long distance. Supporting local businesses is great for your local economy and almost always costs you less to buy local and in season.

• Reuse a family member’s items from their wedding. A grandmother’s embroidered handkerchief can be used to dry your tears of joy and your grandma will love you for using it. If your mother’s wedding dress was a classic timeless dress and close to your clothing size, you can have it altered to fit you. This is a lot less money than buying a dress new. This can be your something old or something borrowed!

• Here is a very simple cost effective tip you can utilize at the beginning of your planning. Find a venue that can hold both your ceremony and your reception. You save by paying for only one location for your wedding. Your guests save time and gas (emissions) by not having to drive from the ceremony to the reception. All your flowers can easily be moved from ceremony to reception.

• Give favors that are appealing and can serve a dual purpose. A program printed and made into a paper fan for a late summer outdoor wedding can be the program and a favor all in one and keep your guests cooler. Consider a plant-able favor  like a tree seedling in a mini terra cotta pot that makes your guest tables look great and can be planted later and green your guests’ yards.

So walk down the aisle in your white wedding gown but think “green” while you plan. 

Contributed by Puget Sound Wedding Professional Member: Nancy Skipton of Simply Celebrations & Events LLC.

Dos and Don’ts of Visiting a Venue

Do make an appointment.  You want to ensure that you will be able to see the space and have the undivided attention of the venue’s onsite representative.   You wouldn’t want your wedding day interrupted with a stranger checking out the party, so we extend the same courtesy to them on their special day.

Don’t be shy about asking questions.  We would love to make sure everyone is on the same page earlier rather than later.  Good questions to ask include parking options, how long you have the venue for, what the venue’s expectations are for setup and cleanup, how much the deposit is and what, if any, is refundable, etc.

Do ask about preferred or required vendors.  Often we recommend vendors that we know do a great job, and they are familiar with our venue and the ins and outs.  While some venues do not require you to use the vendors on the list, some do, and it’s good to know in advance.

Do ask about what’s included with the venue space.  Is there a bride’s room?  A groom’s room?  If you are only using the location for the reception, keep in mind that you may not need this space if you are coming straight from the ceremony location.

Do ask about restrooms.  Are they indoor?  Are they close by?  How many are available for your guests?  Sometimes venues do not have enough stalls available for the number of guests expected and this can cause frustration for your guests.

Don’t assume the caterer at a venue automatically includes rentals.  We’ve heard of brides that make all of the arrangements with the caterer only to find out there’s no silverware on their wedding day – the bride assumed the caterer would bring it and the caterer assumed the bride rented it.  Most venues with onsite food and beverage provide serveware, glassware, china, silverware, etc., but it’s always best to ask and make sure there’s not an additional rental.  Conversely, off-premise caterers typically can rent these items to you or arrange for the rental if they don’t stock them, but you don’t want to be surprised (by lack or cost of items) on the big day by not asking about them before hand.

Do ask if outside catering is allowed.  Some venues have an exclusive onsite caterer or in-house food and beverage.  Ask if the culinary staff in the venue’s restaurant is the same for banquets – if it is, the restaurant’s meals can give you a good idea of the banquet food!  For venues that allow outside catering, be sure to ask about preferred vendors, or if there is a required list.  Often there are preferred caterers as they know the venue and rules, and the venue knows the quality of the product and service staff to maintain a professional image.

Don’t ignore Mother Nature.  If you have an outdoor wedding or reception planned, ask the venue about options for tents in case of rain (especially if in the Pacific Northwest!).  As a courtesy to your guests, you may want to have sunscreen (or umbrellas), bug repellant, and/or tissues available.  Some guests may have allergies aggravated by an outdoor location, so let your guests know the venue is outdoors so they can prepare.  Garden or outdoor weddings can be gorgeous and provide for wonderful pictures.  A little bit of advance planning can make everything smooth.  If you have an indoor venue but the forecast looks like rain, consider having large golf umbrellas available and put the ushers/groomsmen to work at the end of the reception to escort guests to cars.  This little touch will be remembered for a long time.

Do ask about exclusive use of the venue.  Does the venue reserve the right to sell space in the morning before your wedding?  How much time are you given for access?  If you are at a venue that offers other services, such as a restaurant or golf course, what is the flow of wedding guests vs. patrons?  Will there be other events going on at the same time as your wedding?  By asking in advance, you won’t be surprised by Aunt Gertrude’s 90^th birthday party down the hall.  (This also goes back to the restrooms!)

Contributed by Puget Sound Wedding Professional Members:

Kati Wright, Catering and Sales Coordinator, The INN at Gig Harbor & Trista Shinnick, Food and Beverage Manager, Trophy Lake Golf and Casting