Essence of Events, LLC

Such a pleasure to be to have Consumer Reports Magazine feature my suggestions in 2 separate articles on different ways of saving on weddings!  

Featured in Consumer Reports Magazine's Article: "5 Ways to Save on Your Wedding" - by Tobie Stanger

4. You Could Pay For a Higher Guest Count

You can always add guests later, but it may be harder to reduce your guest list, says wedding planner Michelle Culp, of Essence of Events in Seattle. "If you prepay for 100 guests and only 80 accept, you could still be charged for a guest count of 100," she says. The solution: Give the caterer a guest count estimate that's on lower end of your expectation.

More on 5 Ways to Save on Your Wedding

Featured in Consumer Reports Magazine's Article "Cheap Wedding: 31 Ways to Save on Festivities"- by Tobie Stanger

Venue

3. Get a catering estimate for the minimum guest count. You can add guests later, but late in the game it may be hard to subtract, notes wedding planner Michelle Culp, owner of Essence of Events in Seattle. “If you prepay for 100 and then you’re only at 80, you could get charged for a guest count of 100,” she says.

Food and Catering

16. Shed the tiers. Order a small, decorated “cutting cake” for photos, then serve sheet cake to guests, advises wedding planner Culp. Other delicious but less costly options include cookies, cupcakes, or donuts.

Alcohol

18. Stick with the caterer’s or venue’s house spirits. And don’t spring for premium brands. “Nobody cares or really knows,” Culp says.

Everything Else

28. Understand the contract before signing. Check for buried fees and requirements. “A venue can put in that you have to pay for two cases of their alcohol,” Culp notes. “Or a photographer can say that he can bring in an extra photographer if he wants to, at an additional cost.”

29. Negotiate. Be brave. “All the vendor can do is say no,” Culp says.

More on Cheap Wedding: 31 Ways to Save on the Festivities

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Blog post by: Michelle Culp

Such an incredible time at the January 2017 Bridesclub Wedding Expo! 

From the moment you walk into the expo, you are bound to meet the industries local vendors, catch great deals and grab some yummy samples. Most first time Brides and their wedding parties and family scouring looking for the best of the best and hoping to mark off a few vendors off their list. It was so great to meet so many couples willing to take time to chat a bit about their wedding, their needs and themselves. Some of which stories were told of those battling with cancer, but still going on with planning their wedding. Those newly engaged and needing a little guidance and direction. Some couples traveling all the way from California to ensure family and friends can enjoy their special day here in Washington State.

Vendors also look forward to this occasion as an opportunity to talk one on one with potential clients, offer pricing and service information and also to network with other vendors. Showcasing their many talents and having the chance to make bookings with couples and make connections in the industry make for an exciting and memorable expo.

This time of year is filled with new beginnings and possibilities. Essence of Events, LLC looks forward to being as much a part of these whether you are a couple or vendor. Here's to making 2017 a very good year!

View photos from the photobooth: https://truong.smugmug.com/Photobooth/Gallery/n-rZRK44

For some the idea of a going to a wedding expo is overwhelming. But if gone about in the right way a wedding expo can be a great opportunity to help you with your wedding planning process. Take your time, set aside a morning or afternoon and commit to looking at all the vendors, you never know who might surprise you or be tucked away at the end of an aisle. Most vendors are offering show prices or specials just for those who attend the show. What a great chance to save some money! Bring someone with you, whether it be your maid of honor, fiancé or mother, it’s always good to have a second pair of eyes and voice of reason. Most importantly, get to know your vendors; they are there to talk to you! They enjoy hearing about your wedding and what ideas you might have. I’m not saying stop and have a 20 minute conversation with every vendor, but those who you do choose to book or use, take the time to get to know why it is they do what they do. This can only further your trust with your vendors and help you feel at ease with your decision. Go to more than one show, very few brides feel content just going to one show, no two shows or vendors,at the shows,are the same. We hope that you will get a chance to check out some of the great shows this wedding season. We look forward to seeing you there!

With the excitement of being engaged you purchase your tickets, weeks later you walk through the doors of the convention center. Maid of honor on your right side and your mother on the left, notepad in hand. Before you, a sea of anticipation, floral arrangements, place settings and grooms who are there for the single most important thing of all….Food and CAKE!! Before you know it you’re swept away down the aisle, mom and MOH are playing tug-o-war with your arms, while your stomach is telling you to head straight for the caterers. Once you’ve managed to regain control of reality…and your arms, you set out on your first wedding expo adventure.

By this time MOH and mom are fading and fast, you still need to enter for a chance to win your dream honeymoon. So on your way to look for a wedding photographer you drop them off at the fashion show with samples of cake pops and a glass of champagne, best to divide and conquer anyway. After what seems like mere minutes but ends up being mere hours you find your mom and MOH dancing at the nearest DJ booth. They’ve really lost it now. With your phone nearing the end of its battery life and your fiancé wondering if you’re alive, you decided it’s time to say good bye. As you near the exit you turn back and think to yourself, “Parting is such sweet sorrow, but until the next show , I bid you goodbye.”

 Lantern available for rental through Essence of Events

From venues, to entertainment expos have it all! You can even find those lanterns for your centerpieces you’ve been obsessing about on Pinterest. You can book a tux fitting for the fiancé, set up appointments for cake tasting and even spot what could be thee dress. You may even realize something is missing. Or should I say someone. The person who can help bring it all together, someone who has professional vendor connections, discounts, master décorator and can help you stay within your already growing budget. Its at this moment that you can find yourself standing in front of Essence of Events LLC. Be sure to take your chance to talk with one of the lovely planners at their booth and even book your first free intitial consult with them!

                    Michelle and Nichole                                     Essence of Events at the 2014 Tacoma wedding Expo                       Michelle and Olivia

 Written by Nichole Martin

You’ve planned and planned away; you have the best team of vendors, honorable maid of honor, an onsite day-of coordinator, and everything is planned to a T. But no matter how prepared you are, there is no guarentees for a no-mistake, error-free wedding. Unfortuently something always goes wrong.

Even the most prepared brides have a plan B, C, D (you get the idea!) but how do you guarantee your wedding to be a success without having to stress out over every detail? By hiring an expert wedding planner, like one from Essence of Events, LLC, it’s almost like having great wedding insurance. They are visionaries, budget mavens, master negotiators, contract stipulators, and much more. But best of all we are the ones who have the David Copperfield-like tricks up our sleeves to fix, well, almost anything.

Read on for some of our best tips and tricks for the biggest “what-if’s” for your big day.

What if there is a big “whoops!” in the day-of timeline?

For starters, you need to have a wedding day timeline planner. Get one for free here. We have a timeline not just for the day’s events in general but very specifically for each event that occurs in the day, starting with the vendor arrival and ending when everyone packs up after the guests are long gone.

Your day-of schedule needs to have some built-in flexibility for circumstances beyond your control. Weddings literally live and breathe, so make sure to incorporate some extra time so no one panics when something goes awry. If something unexpected does occur, your planner will look at the schedule and figure out where to cut back and how to catch up without you, let alone any of your guests, even noticing.

What if the ceremony gets rained out?

Any wedding planner will tell you that sunny and a rainy day plan is a must. Love your plan either way so you won’t be disappointed when Mother Nature has her say. Too many brides fret that if their scenic outdoor wedding is brought indoors, it will be less remarkable, less memorable, but it will be equally beautiful indoors or out. You do not want your guests’ stilettos sinking into the grass. You don’t want them toting umbrellas just for the sake of having your wedding outside. The easiest way to get your wedding topping the best-ever charts is to make sure your guests are comfortable, relaxed, happy. (And dry.)

What if there’s a stain on your gown?

First of all, of course we sympathize with you. Second, where’s that darn wedding-day Emergency Kit? Depending on the stain, use white chalk, Tide Stick, Alcohol with water, or club soda. Whatever you do, don’t rub, dab only. And at the end of the day, remember that you are (most likely) wearing a white gown; it’s just screaming for a stain. Try to avoid red wine and chocolate and skip that one must-take shot if it means lifting your 50 pound gown over a pool of mud. But the best thing you can do to prepare for this mishap is ask your dress designer which stain removers are best for your fabric and then stock your emergency kit with some of those.

What if the cake is late on arrival?

Don’t worry; the cake doesn’t need a grand entrance until you’re ready to cut it. But what if you really wanted to show-off your cake for the whole reception? We know you did! But ce la vie, worst things could happen, you’re cake designer is making sure every sugary detail is perfection! Make sure the photographer has a few shots of the cake before it is wheeled out for your guests, and if it is really late arriving, ask the caterer or chef for boxes and send guests home with slices of cake. Cake for breakfast!

What if the sound system stops working?

It has been known to happen. Have a “power plan” laid out in advance. Will you need to bring in a generator? Are there outlets only in certain places of the venue? (Does this task sound annoying? Then, voila! Wedding planner, take it away, please.) Often wedding planners will work with the venue director and schedule a meeting with the musician’s onsite ahead of the wedding day to assess power issues and sketch out a backup plan, but if the power does go out, have your band do a couple songs acoustic and have a good time with it. If your wedding is in a home, have an electrician on call so that if something blows, you already have them on your payroll to come turn it all back on!

What if your heel breaks?

Is this like good luck or something? Break a leg, break a heel, close enough, right? If your heel breaks you could um…break the other heel (I know it sounds sacrilegious to me too but it’s that or ditch the shoes altogether). Really, the best plan is to have a backup pair of shoes. You might want these anyway as the night ticks on and your feet are feeling tired and swollen. Choose something comfortable (a sandal, Converse, ballet flats) but make sure you love the look with your gown (just in case pair #1 is down for the count before the wedding even starts). If all else fails, find a bridesmaid who has your shoe size. It’s her call of duty, right?!

What if your friend shows up with an uninvited date?

This happens more often than brides would like to think. So let’s just skip right over the “if” and say when this happens, don’t panic! But do let your wedding planner know immediately. Be gracious and forgiving of their gaffe, and simply have your planner find a way to squeeze them in. On the flip side, last-minute cancellations happen too; same rules apply. Tell your wedding planner immediately so she can shuffle things around with the help of the catering director. No need to stress the seating chart. If you have a table of 8 instead of 10, it’s really no big deal.

What if your officiant is late?

Of all the vendors, the officiant should arrive extra early to get day off to a good start, then there will be ample time for any last-minute day-of rehearsals and preparation. But to avoid any ceremony start time snafus, all brides should be putting the time on their invitations for at least one half hour before the start to the actual ceremony. This allows a little cushion for guests to arrive. Have waiters pass around (non-alcoholic) drinks. Have your quartet playing while guests meet-and-greet. If everyone is mingling and having a good time and not feeling pushed through a tight schedule, it creates a welcoming and refreshing environment. Worried all this pre-wedding socializing will throw off your timeline? Re-read point #1.

What if your makeup artist is a no-show?

Stock your bridal bag with your favorite streak-free, waterproof mascara, a concealer, and lip gloss. Don’t be afraid to apply your own makeup but stick to some basic rules; stay away from shimmer, and don’t apply too dark of a lipstick as it could cause your lips to look black in black-and-white photographs. Once you have applied your makeup, call in your photographer to do a test shot (she may already be in the room snapping all your gorgeous getting-ready photos). A few test images will allow you to see if you’ve applied just the right amount to really stand out and look lovely.

What if your florist sends the wrong flowers?

Florists are human and although it may sometimes seem like it, they’re not magicians. They can’t make a wilted bloom spring back to life nor rescue a flower that got stuck in customs. They’re amazing innovators though and will know just how to resolve almost any problem. So don’t freak out if the shade of your bridesmaid bouquets is slightly off (we’re sure they’re still stunning). Or if your centerpieces have less peonies, more ranunculus than you agreed to. No one’s out to get you. No one’s trying to pull any wool over your eyes. It’s just a simple case of must-improvise. You can always ask to see a few photos in the days before the wedding of the work in progress, then plan your flower delivery on the day-of with enough time to fix a small mistake before guests arrive. Have someone on site to ‘check them in’ (if it’s not a planner, send a trustworthy friend). In less than a minute, your confidant can message you a few photos to confirm you got what you paid for.

What if an unexpected toaster toasts you?

Ugh. Or should we say UGH with a capital U-G-H! Of course with alcohol flowing, spontaneous toasting may happen, so if you’re planning on curtailing toasts and having a well-edited list of toasters, make sure you give this list to your wedding planner. Your planner will ensure the MC (whether that’s the DJ, band leader, or venue director) guards the microphone. With their dear life, we might gently add.

For more red-alert plans, and if you now think you desperately need a planner for your big day, make sure to contact Essence of Events to set up your free, initial consultation today. Call 253.292.1482 or email us at contact@essenceofevents.com

Written by Samantha Macrae