Q. I just moved to Winston-Salem and my fiance and I are planning on getting married here. I would like to hire a wedding planner to help with the process, but don’t know where to begin to look for one. If you have any suggestions I would be very appreciative!! Right now we are looking into having the wedding at Reynolda Gardens and the reception at Forsyth Country Club – any other suggestions would be great as well!!! Thank you SO much for your time and help.
A. A wedding planner is valuable resource for every bride, but especially a bride in a new town. You have already found one good source, this web site, www.wxii12.com, is a good place to begin. Click the link on Planning to find many options. I am listed as Weddings By Design, 765-6331, and am available, along with others who will give you good advice. If you have any questions about any wedding service provider, be sure to check with the Better Business Bureau for cautions about recent problems. A smart bride plans, organizes, and communicates. You are off to a good start with definite plans for the ceremony and reception. A word of caution, be sure to have a Plan B in case of rain for the ceremony. Best Wishes.
Gloria Griffin
Wedding By Design Instructor, “Planning My Wedding” at Forsyth Technical Community College
Categorized in Uncategorized
Q. I have a budget of $5000, how can I give my soon to be wife, a somewhat lavish wedding?
A. To have a wedding budget of $5000 will require some major planning, friends who can and are willing to help, and most of all, remembering it is the marriage that is most important. First, you must set priorities and expect to make some changes to them during your planning. An hour or two spent with a wedding planner may be your best first investment. Planners can help identify vendors and make suggestions that you may not have considered. Are the rings included in this budget? What about the wedding dress for the bride? Some brides spend more than your budget on the dress alone. Having limited knowledge on where you are with plans, this is as far as I should go at this time. Give me a call, and I’ll be happy to guide you in the planning of your special day. Good luck.
Gloria Griffin
Wedding By Design Instructor, “Planning My Wedding” at Forysth Technical Community College
Categorized in Uncategorized
Q. A friend is the wedding director, what is the appropriate fee that we should pay? How much to you pay the officiator of the wedding?
A. Someone once said, “You get what you pay for.” There is no easy answer to this question. How much time is your friend spending on planning, are they using their car to run errands for you, how much time will they spend helping you on the wedding day, will they needing lodging, is this part of their business? Without answers to these and other questions, my best advice is to consider the total amount of time they are “giving to you”, attach an amount to each hour, write a check to them for that amount and a note offering your most sincere appreciation for their help. My personal experience is to make sure I don’t come up short in this kind of situation. Be generous, you may need their help again. Begin with $100. If they have given marriage counseling, you will want to include an additional amount for their time and expertise. Counselors receive from $50 to $100 per hour. If they must travel more than a reasonable distance for the wedding rehearsal and service, you should include an amount for gas. Best wishes.
Gloria Griffin
Wedding By Design Instructor, “Planning My Wedding”
at Forsyth Technical Community College
Categorized in Uncategorized
Q. My daughter is getting married in an evening wedding in September of 2009. Her colors are black, white and purple. What color should I wear? I am the Mother of the Bride.
A. You could certainly wear any shade in the purple family. You would want to avoid white as that is reserved for the bride.
Tonya Hart
Occasions of the Hart
A. Mary, fall weddings speak of rich, jeweled toned colors. Your first option is to consult your own color pallet to choose a color that fits you. If you have trouble finding which one, look in your closet and see what colors jump out at you, that’s a good clue. Also, what colors do you wear that bring compliments from friends. With black, white, and purple as the wedding colors, you may find that mauve, raspberry, or sapphire blue might be options to consider. Congratulations on an upcoming special event.
Gloria Griffin
Wedding By Design
Instructor, “Planning My Wedding” at Forsyth Technical Community College
Categorized in Uncategorized
Q. Where are some nice wedding ceremony and reception sites for under $1000.00 around lexington, NC?
A. I wish I had a good list for you, but not living in the Lexington area makes it difficult for me to have a current list of venues and their current price list. I would suggest contacting the local Chamber of Commerce for some ideas of where to begin to look. Depending on the time of year, you may find an outdoor site that would be less expensive. Public parks may offer choices, but be alert to how private the site may be for the wedding ceremony. If you plan for something outdoors, be sure to have a backup plan in case of rainy weather. Churches in the area may be your best choice. Be sure to check their requirements and rules before you get too involved. Best wishes.
Gloria Griffin
Wedding By Design Instructor
“Planning My Wedding” at Forsyth Technical Community College
Categorized in Uncategorized
Q. There is a local Winston Salem salon that promised to put extentions in my daughters hair for her wedding. They were disastrous and now the salon is refusing to make it right. How can I get this story out to the public so that other brides will not be ripped off by this salon.
A. I would suggest you contact the Better Business Bureau and register your experience with them. The BBB is an excellent place to check out vendors that offer services to bridal couples. Many times they can help eliminate problems in advance and offer some solutions when things go wrong. Your experience, regardless of the final outcome, will be noted for future patrons. Good luck.
Gloria Griffin
Wedding By Design Instructor
“Planning My Wedding” at Forsyth Technical Community College
Categorized in Uncategorized
Q. Where does one find wholesale flowers for ale in the Triad? We want to arrange the flowers ourselves but don’t want to pay florist prices for cut flowers.
A. Try Lihmils in Kernersville. They have a great selection and are great to work with when you need something quickly or that may not be readily available.
Tonya Hart,
Occassions of the Hart
A. A good selection of flowers is available from big box stores like Sams and Costco. As long as you select in-season flowers, you should have no trouble in ordering what you need. Check in advance for delivery dates and when orders should be placed. Go prepared with buckets of water to place the flowers in as you leave the store. Cut stems at a sharp angle when you get home and place flowers in fresh water to which you have added aspirin. This will help condition the flowers and keep then fresher longer. Best wishes for your special occasion.
Gloria Griffin
Wedding By Design Instructor
“Planning My Wedding” at Forsyth Technical Community College
Categorized in Uncategorized
Q. Due to the economy we have decised not to hire a cater and do finger foods. My head is spinning on how to pull this off; any advice?
A. I understand your concern about hiring a caterer. However, planning to do “finger foods” will require lots of work and you may not be willing to spend so much time in the kitchen. If you are able to enlist the help of friends and their kitchens, you are in luck. You will need to consider the menu, food shopping, storage of food before and AFTER it is ready to serve, how it will be served, and who will serve and clean up after the event. It’s easy to see how simple it is for a caterer to do the work. Individual servings require lots of time in preparation, depending on when this is to be served, you may consider a simple meal as an alternative. There are also many prepared, ready-to-serve platters available from Sams, Costco, and other wholesale stores as well as grocery stores. There is much to be considered, so sit down with pen and paper and see how it adds up. Best wishes for a tasty event.
Gloria Griffin
Wedding By Design Instructor
“Planning My Wedding” at Forsyth Technical Community College
Categorized in Uncategorized
Q: I am getting married in September and I am trying to find a make up artist who will travel to my home on the day. If you have any information on where to find one please share! Thank you!
A. First, remember that it is your wedding, not a costume party or prom, so the make up should reflect you on your special day. Large department stores carry many cosmetic lines, some may offer “at home” services. National “buy at home” cosmetic consultants may also be an option. Check the Yellow Pages. Whatever you decide, don’t wait until the wedding day to have the first appointment. You could be more than disappointed. Schedule several sessions, they don’t have to be at home, to see what options may be available. Remember, the time of day for the wedding can make a difference in how the finished applications will look. You might also try a “make up party” for you and your bridesmaids for a fun and relaxing evening. In the end, the more natural, enhanced look, the better. Best wishes.
Gloria Griffin
Wedding By Design
Instructor, ”Planning My Wedding” at Forsyth Technical Community College
Categorized in Uncategorized
Q.I am trying to find some places to see about having a reception in Winston-Salem, NC or around that area. If you could please leave me some information so that I can look at some options. Thank you very much!
A.There are several places that you could host a lovely reception for you wedding! Brookstown Inn near Old Salem , The Embassy Suites, The Old Salem Visitors Center, Tanglewood, Twin City Club, and The Sawtooth Building just to name a few. All of these spaces suit varies needs and without knowing all of the requirements and budget for your event, I just threw out some options. Good luck with your reception selection!
Tonya Hart
Occasions of the Hart
A.We have a listing on our WXII12.com “Weddings Page” under the planning section.
You can find “Receptions” and all the business listings are there for several places for wedding receptions. Good Luck!
Melissa Pena
wxii12.com
A.Indoors/outdoors, public/private, formal/informal, 10/1000 guests, the list of reception locations could be endless. This site, WXII 12, can offer some ideas. There, you will find are many links to various locations. Narrowing your search by considering some of the issues noted at the beginning of this reply will get you on your way. Check the Yellow Pages for additional ideas. Use your imagination and match the location to the personalities of the bride and groom. You can’t miss with that approach. Good luck.
Gloria Griffin
Wedding By Design
Instructor, “Planning My Wedding” at Forsyth Technical Community College
Categorized in Uncategorized
