New Look and Blog Coming Soon!

For over a year now I have wanted to update the design of this blog and *really* begin blogging. I have a list several pages long of topics that I would love to share with the wedding community (brides and fellow professionals alike!), but somehow life keeps getting in the way and it gets pushed further down the "to do" list.

While I work on this blog and updates to the website, I will continue to post new wedding photos and status updates to our Facebook fan page here. You might notice the prefix of {a} or {r} on a status update and that is to indicate whether it is myself or my lead consultant in Madison, Rachel Tatge, that is posting.

Please become a fan on Facebook to be notified of all the exciting press and awards Top Shelf Weddings & Events has won recently. I promise to get to work on the blog.

Love, from Texas,

Angela

Planning keeping you up at night?

Do you wake up at night in a cold sweat, fretting about all the details of your wedding day? Do you get the feeling that you’ve missed or forgotten something, or simply worry that all of your planning is going to fall apart at the last minute?

After coordinating weddings for the past four years and myriad other events for the past 12, I often get asked how a wedding gets put together without someone like me and the truth is that there is no ONE person that will do that for you. Your friends and family may offer up their help enthusiastically, but can you honestly trust an assortment of people to handle everything for you AND hope they still have a good time at your wedding?

Weddings have a lot of moving pieces that need to line up seamlessly for the day to go perfectly. That’s a lot of stress to put on yourself, especially if it’s YOUR big day! There are typically around 10-12 different vendors, many of whom never meet or speak with each other prior to the wedding day. They each may have had different conversations with the bride and gotten different impressions about what the day is supposed to be like. Without a single source of information and organization available (i.e. the wedding coordinator), lines are sure to be confused and chaos can ensue!

Here’s how a wedding coordinator works on your wedding day:

- We get the details in one place by gathering the pertinent information from all of your vendor contracts, conversations, and notes. Then, we create one comprehensive itinerary for the week of the wedding to share with everyone involved. Your vendors will feel like they are on the same page and included in the process. This helps make an overall happier vendor team, therefore allowing them to provide a better service to you.

- We become the main contact. With up to a dozen or more vendors needing to be directed, it can get overwhelming connecting with each one to finalize logistical details. We handle all of that for you and then on the week of your wedding, if there are still any questions unanswered, you’ll only be hearing from us.

- We attend the rehearsal. The rehearsal is not just to practice the ceremony and how to stand, but we can use it to get your family and bridal party comfortable with their roles and how the rest of the day will go (toast times, special dances, etc). At the rehearsal is also when we take everything off your hands (guest book, decorations, place cards, etc) so you can enjoy your rehearsal dinner and your whole wedding day without worrying about any of those small details.

- Finally, the wedding day! I could go into pages of detail on all the things we handle on the wedding day, but it suits us to say that we’re everywhere at once. We’re decorating the reception and ceremony sites, making emergency alterations or removing stains on dresses, cuing the string quartet for your magical walk down the aisle to your groom, and so much more. With emergency kit in tow, we are the conductors of your wedding day, orchestrating every detail according to the itinerary and solving any crises along the way. We are often hard at work for an average of 13 hours straight, which makes for an exhausting day. It’s a good thing we love what we do, because nothing is more satisfying than seeing our happy and relaxed couples at the end of the most memorable day in their lives (at least up to that point!).

After reading all the tasks above, would you really want to put that kind of stress on yourself or a friend who is also invited to the wedding as a guest? Keep in mind also that a coordinator provided by the ceremony and/or reception facility is not going to do all these things for you either. Many are extremely accommodating and will take care of you very well, but their first priority is the facility and probably also the food. With our experience, we are going to be invested in ensuring your wedding day goes off without a hitch.

Finally, I’d like to leave you with a few notes on how to keep your sanity on your wedding day!

1. Make sure everyone is on the same page. Your vendors should all have a single itinerary that tells them what is happening when. This is the best tool I provide my brides and their vendors.
2. How is it all going to come together? If you don’t have a wedding coordinator to handle everything, you will need a detailed plan for getting all the work done and your “plan B’s” in order for emergencies.
3. Your friends, family and guests need to be “in the know” as well. Make sure guests know when and where to go, especially if you’re providing transportation. Your bridal party should be aware of your expectations on their roles, what to wear, when their appointments are, and what to do on the wedding day.
4. Don’t wait until the last minute! For the really important things, like your vows and speeches, give it some time to breathe. You want to feel really confidant in those things and that may take some re-writing and practicing…so start early!
5. Preserve your sanity. What makes you happy? A trip to the beach, a spa day, or time with friends? Make sure you get some of that leading up to your wedding day so you won’t be a stress ball when the big day finally does arrive. With proper planning, you can enjoy your last few weeks as a fiancé before becoming a wife.

Dreaming of warmer weather

I'm sure you've been waiting to hear all about my fabulous trip to the Bahamas. First, let me say that I had the best luck with travel. I had an odd situation, but it all worked out for the best. My flight was out of O'Hare at 7:30 am on Monday the 12th. I hitched a ride on the Van Galder bus from UW Memorial Union at 2:30 am to the airport. Yes, I did stay up and no, I did not get any sleep (at least anything qualifying as tangible) on the bus ride down. However, it worked out very well. Layover in Charlotte, and was on the resort grounds by 2 pm...beach by 3 pm.

Realizing I needed some sleep, lest I be a walking zombie, I took a quick nap before the welcome reception. For those of you who know me, I am NEVER able to take naps...there's always too much running through my mind. However, I was in the Bahamas, had just spent some time on the beach, so my mind was completely calm enough (and deprived enough) to get in a nap.

The team at Sandals set up some beautiful table schemes for us at the four course dinner they served. See below...





By the way, let me say a special "thank you" to the catering team at Sandals Royal Bahamian because when I indicated that I was vegetarian, they accommodated me with deliciously prepared tofu on my main course! I later found out that if you meet with your concierge upon your arrival and notify them of special allergies or dietary restrictions, they can make accommodations for your entire trip. Sure, it might take some extra planning (go to certain restaurants on certain days), but at least you still get to try their delicious food - prepared especially for you!

So, here's the gist - we learned that Sandals resorts have become more than just your average "all inclusive" resorts. To stay competitive, they have created an all new focus called "Luxury Included." This difference means:
- a wide range of land and watersports
- suite concierge service
- gourmet dining
- golf and other fitness privileges
- Essentially, it just means you get MORE! More quality, quantity, consistency, choice, luxury and pampering!

And I know this for a fact, because I experienced it. Most of the staff didn't know I wasn't there on my own dime (though I'm sure sitting with a group of ladies gave it away, rather than being with my husband).

We also learned a lot about their Weddingmoons packages. This is where you and your family would have your wedding celebration at one of their resorts, then start your honeymoon right away! Celebrity designer Preston Bailey has partnered with Sandals to create magical themes for "weddingmoon-ers" to choose from when designing the look and feel of their beach wedding. Here are some more images of this property in the Bahamas and their wedding facilities. Enjoy!










If you're stressing about your traditional, local wedding, contact me about a Sandals or Beaches Weddingmoon. I can also help you learn more about the different resorts for your honeymoon or even just a vacation. Here's to dreaming of warmer weather, Wisconsinites!

Look out Bahamas, here I come!

It's going to be the coldest it's been this season next week here in Wisconsin and I'm fed up. I'm leaving. No, don't try to convince me to stay...the Bahamas are calling my name! So, literally, I'm heading out to the Bahamas on Monday to visit the Sandals Grand Bahamanian Resort. Sandals and the Association of Bridal Consultants have a relationship and they invited 25 of us to come out and view the resort so we can tell all our beautiful wedding couples about it's glory.

Many of you may not have known of this special relationship, but you should! If you decided that a Sandals honeymoon (or heck, even just a vacation!) was for you, you can book through me and receive special perks! For example, a current special running at the Sandals Grande Ocho Rios (see inset picture) in Jamaica is a savings of 60%, one free night, and a $250 spa package to use when you get there! How awesome is that?

After I return from the Bahamas, I'll give you the low down on that fabulous resort. No matter if you're a current client, a friend, or anyone else who happened upon this blog, let me know if you're interested in a vacation or honeymoon at Sandals Resorts and I'll get you the deals that you can't get on your own.

Stay warm, Wisconsin!

Top Shelf Favors is open for business!

I've finally entered the age of e-commerce! There never was a product out there that impressed me so much that I had to sell it myself, until I found Kate Aspen. If you are looking for something unique, please take a look at my online store. Anyone can order from my store, so please forward it onto your friends or family who may be looking for wedding, birthday, shower, or other special event party favors. Kate Aspen is purely a wholesaler, so you can't get these favors anywhere else online.

I'm so excited about this line of party favors, and I know you will love them, too. Click here to get started: www.topshelf.kateaspenshops.com

2008 ABC Conference

At the Association of Bridal Consultants conference year, there are always tons of creative and inspiring ideas. I'll attach some here for your enjoyment...

First, the cakes -



I love this dress-inspired creation -

These fashionable, frilly chair covers were all the rage, very romantic!


Soft whisper pink and black were a dashing combination - I foresee it in my future!






One final idea - lighting up an outdoor bar with rows of floating candles!

Happy Thanksgiving!

The last time I wrote here was just as my summer was winding down. I still had many fabulous fall weddings that I will hopefully eventually mention here in this blog, but the biggest bit of news I have is the amazing ideas and topics that were covered at the recent Association of Bridal Consultants conference in Newport Beach, CA.

We heard from leading wedding designers Barbara Wallace and Colin Cowie (that's me with him on the right). Both were amazing and inspiring. I started this blog after last year's conference because I was so inspired to share my ideas and thoughts. Blogging seems to come so easy to some people that it's actually become a cliche. It's not as easy as it might think, especially for a busy solo business woman. I hereby give thanks for the readers who have come back every now and then looking for new blogs and vow to give you more content. I'm always brimming with ideas, but never get a free moment to write them down. Another purpose of this blog is to give you insight into the busy life of a wedding consultant. Please keep checking back for more.

Happy Thanksgiving! I'll be attempting to cook a Tofurkey for the weekend visit to my husband's aunt's house. Wish me luck!