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Fairy Tale Wedding Hero: Beauty And The Beast’s Lumiere

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Lumiere is my hero.  Yep- the singing candlestick. Lumiere’s big number is “Be Our Guest,” an ode to making guests comfortable.

English: Belle, Cogsworth, Chip, and Lumiere
English: Belle, Cogsworth, Chip, and Lumiere (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A wedding is, at heart, for the guests– a fact lost on some brides who want to fulfill their own desires, and assume everyone will go with the flow. The truth is, if the only two people having fun are the bride and groom, that’s a sad state of affairs. You want people to be happy for you, and have a great time! Step number one is keeping them happy, so keep your guests in mind when you are planning. Two easy things to consider:

Where

The number one way to irritate your wedding guests is by getting married at an inconvenient location. Now, a destination wedding is one thing. But if you’re staying local, and asking 250 people to join you at the Chapel of Saint Wilhemina of Small Parking Lots  in the Middle of Nowhere National Park, you’re going to have a few cranky customers. A good litmus test: if it’s going to take most guests longer to drive to your ceremony site than to experience the ceremony itself, you might want to look for a different location.

When

Of course your wedding date has to work for you and your family.  But perhaps your Maid of Honor is Jewish – if the date you’re considering falls on Passover, you may want to call and check if that’s a problem.  Also look out for other big family events – if your Aunt and Uncle’s 50th Wedding Anniversary falls close to your date, it’s polite to check if they have something planned.  Last, look out for other weddings, friends or family.  There are enough dates to go around, no need to step on cousin MacKenzie’s special day.

If you consider these things at the outset, you’ll have a happier crowd in the end.  That Lumiere, he really sheds light on how to treat guests! If your tea-pot starts talking, listen up.

Be well, and love well.

Dinah

The Bakery We Loved That Didn’t Make Our Wedding Cake.

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As a vendor, there’s always that bride who comes in for a meeting and you instantly feel connected. You’re sure she’ll call within days to put in a deposit, but no word comes. You may think she’s forgotten you and your business entirely, but with the right level of customer engagement, you are 100% wrong.

When my husband and I started planning our wedding, it was going to be in Connecticut.  We traveled East, to meet with vendors there, accompanied by my indefatigable and saintly Mother.

The appointment we still talk about was at Palmer’s Bakery (inside Palmer’s Market) in Darien, CT, where we met with charming Executive Pastry Chef Megan Palmer Dean. And when I say, “met with” I really ought to say “fell in love with.” The cakes were heavenly, but more importantly, she was kind and patient and funny.  When it became clear that our celebration would have to be in California (we ended up in Palm Springs – lucky us!), I wrote Megan to tell her that, although we wished she could make our cake, it was not meant to be.  Since then we have not forgotten her, and are still on the Palmer’s mailing list.

 

An email arrived this week from Megan. She’s started a blog about sourcing gourmet foods for the market – starting with a trip to Italy September 8th.  You go Megan!  Welcome to adventures in blogging, I look forward to reading along.  And to stopping by to buy a cake for the family next time we are back East.

So don’t think you’re forgotten by any particular bride.  The take-away here: everyone you meet is an ambassador for your business. And it never hurts to serve a little cake.

*A side note this was late July – Gregory Goodman at Palm Springs florist My Little Flower Shop, took us on and produced a gorgeous wedding on October 2.  A 2 month planning period for a gorgeous full scale wedding for 100 people! Wow!).

 

My Little Flower Shop. A boutique florist in Palm Springs.

We can be your little flower shop too!

Don’t Blame It On The Rain! Have A Plan For Bad Weather On Your Wedding Day.

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As Hurricane Isaac heads towards Tampa, site of the Republican National Convention, I feel a little empathy for the event planners in charge of the countless parties in the works for next week. There’s no way of knowing what the conditions will be – a little sprinkling? Gale force winds? Regardless, they have to have a plan. Rental companies from all over the South must be sending tents that direction.

Although your wedding may be a bit smaller in scale than a national political party convention, you’ve got to think ahead. A rain plan is a must. No matter what time of year it is, you just can’t tell when the skies are going to open up.  The weather has gotten bizarre all over the country (the Republicans won’t admit it, but people who believe in things like evolution have done studies and it has to do with global warming).

English: Hurricane Isaac
English: Hurricane Isaac (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Even here in Palm Springs with our  notoriously perfect weather, I was relieved to have options on our wedding day when – guess what? It started to rain.  The universe smiled on us, and we had a perfect evening by the time the ceremony rolled around, but if we had to move indoors, the Hotel Zoso was prepared.

So when deciding on a venue, ask about a rain option.  If they shrug their shoulders, shrug yours and move along.  Risking it is just that – a risk.  If you take that chance and everyone gets soaked, you can’t blame it on the rain.

Be well, and love well.

Dinah

FL readers, stay safe, and dry!  Good luck to any planners involved with the convention!