flower shop

When A Wedding Vendor’s Reputation Precedes Them

by

Our fearless leaders Greg and Alan were in LA recently, and stayed at the Biltmore, a legendary and elegant hotel in the heart of downtown.  The Biltmore is a popular wedding venue, and has beautiful ballrooms that, should you visit them, would probably look familiar due to the number of films and television shows that have been shot there.

The service Greg and Al received was, to say the least, sub-par.  Thankfully, they’d gotten an internet deal and weren’t paying the normal rate of between $300-600 a night.  But, it proves a point.  You can check in to a world famous hotel, and get well below world-class service.

The wide aisles at the LA Flower Mart

Don’t hire vendors, or choose a venue because of their “legendary” reputation, or because they did a certain celebrity’s wedding.  In fact, if someone is billing themselves with a list of celebrity clients, you should ask for three non-celebrity references to make sure they received the same level of service.  Appearances (and sales people) can be deceiving, so make sure you’re getting service that lives up to your expectations.

Did I mention why the boys were at the Biltmore? So they could be close to the LA Flower Mart when they woke up at 1:00am to source peonies (out of season) for a bride who loved them.  They need to watch it with the super-attentive, every-bride-is-special thing.  They’re going to develop a reputation.

Flowers - beautiful even just arranged by accident in buckets at the Flower Mart!
Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta

Big Fat Greek Wedding Traditions. Opaaaaa! Ouzo for Everyone!

by

Greece is suffering some economically terrible times.  However, people are always getting married, and so there are parties going on in the midst of the austerity.  They may not be quite as big and fat as in years past, but a Greek wedding is never anything but a joyous celebration.

Most Greek weddings take place under the aegis of the Greek Orthodox Church, which has some lovely wedding rituals, including the bride and groom wearing ceremonial crowns that are tied together with ribbon to signify the bond between them.  The bride and groom hold lighted candles, and make three circles around the altar to represent their journey through life.

Chris & Alethia's Wedding: Courtesy of TheBrideAndGroom.com

At the reception, the party gets underway.  Live music is de rigeur, Plates are broken for good luck, and money is traditionally thrown at the musicians.  Traditional foods such as spanakopita and baklava are served, and are easy ways to bring a little bit of Athens to any wedding.  Toasts are raised with ouzo, a strong licorice flavored spirit.

One last tradition to be very careful with, should you choose to adopt it, is that of breaking open a pomegranate on the ground representing fertility, and good luck.  As an event planner, this makes me apoplectic.  My bride is wearing white, and you’re stomping on pomegranates?  Where’s the ouzo? Opaaaa!

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta

Living La Vie En Rose: French Wedding Traditions. (Retail, Romantic and Rousing)!

by

Oh the French. We all know about the wine, the cheese, and the persistently seductive skunks (who doesn’t love Pepe Le Pew?) But wedding traditions abound! And I’ll highlight three: One Retail, One Romantic, and one Rousing. Let’s dive in.

Retail: The concept of the “bridal trousseau,” the collection of clothes and a bride assembled, was originally a French one, coming from the word “trousse” meaning “bundle.” In Victorian times it became a status symbol to have an elaborate wardrobe prepared for the wedding celebrations, and the honeymoon. Women and society have changed, but outfit-shopping for the honeymoon is a fun way to relieve planning stress. Take your guy with you – you can “bundle” up together.

Romantic: We love this one – guess why? French wedding bouquets are usually quite fragrant (if you have allergies, skip this part) and include flowers that hold special meaning for the bride and groom. Did he pick daisies outside your house before your first date? Sneak one in there. No flower in mind? Use the language of flowers, and whisper it in his ear.

Rousing: This one’s kind of nutty, and more likely to appeal to bridesmaids reading than brides, but I couldn’t resist. Apparently friends turn up outside the happy couple’s room in the night banging pots and pans, singing, and otherwise behaving badly, loudly. And, the groom is, by tradition, supposed to invite everyone in for a nosh.

So there you have it, three ways to make your (or your friend’s/sister’s/daughter’s) wedding more French. One last note: my guess is that in any culture, a rag-tag bunch of guests at the honeymoon suite door would be about as welcome as a relative of Pepe Le Pew.

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta