Health Insurance – Something To Think About

You’re getting married – do you need to share everything? Including your health insurance? A recent article in Modern Bride suggests the following tips before joining your fiance’s plan:

• What Are You Getting For Your Money? A good plan should cover “well” visits, cancer screenings and maternity/post-natal care. Also, find out the amount of your annual deductible.
• What Would You Save By Joining Together? Ask your plan manager how much would be deducted from your paycheck each month if you added a spouse.
• How Long Will You Be At Your Job? If one of your anticipate leaving your position soon, it doesn’t make sense for both of you to get health coverage thru that employer. The paperwork alone would be overwhelming!
• What’s The Size Of Your Company? Larger company… larger policy and less common to be required to go through health tests to qualify for coverage.
• If You Do Switch, Can You Keep Your Doctors? Check if they are part of the new plan – this may a problem if you have a great relationship

Yeah! Our new website!

After MONTHS of planning… many countless hours of adding, revising, looking at pictures, writing the newest trends and tips – we’ve come up with the “new and improved” BravoWedding.com!!

Check us out for amazing ideas to plan your wedding and/or reception in the Pacific Northwest!  There are client virtual tours (videos),  calendar of upcoming wedding events, “Bravo Bride” specials and so much more!

Let us know what you think!

Wilf’s at Union Station

I was just at Wilf’s at Union Station this morning and forgot how beautiful it is. Not only is the restaurant available for events, but there is an outdoor garden, rooftop terrace, and the Train Station itself! Wonderful venue for any type of event!

Flower Arrangement Ideas for Creating “Zen”

from Modern Bride – here are the best flower arrangements for creating the party mood you’re after for your wedding.

• Richly Romantic – roses or alstroemerias in burgundy or red (colors that represent passion) or pink or peach (which inspire love and kindness). A round-shaped vase suggests never-ending love.
• Hip & High Energy – roses, calla lilies, Asiatic lilies, snapdragons or hypericum in red (promoting motivation or power) or orange or fushia (both of which suggest enthusiasm or exuberance). Mirrors boost positive energies, so choose tall, mirrored or shiny metal vessels. An upshooting spray of flowers encourages guests to “reach for the stars” and live life to the fullest.
• Intimate & Low Key – hydrangeas, delphiniums or lisianthus in shades of blue, violet or lavender, which evoke nature and serenity. Violet and lavender also represent spirituality and can be helpful in removing stress, so choose glass vases in these hues containing loosely arranged blooms to ensure an easy going celebration.

check out our picks for florists by clicking here. Picture from Bravo Wedding Affair.

Misty Bay & Gypsyana Special

MistyBay Photography and Gypsyana Make-up & Hair are both offering Bravo Brides a couple “spring special”  good now through April 30th, 2009. Wedding clients will receive $100 off Any wedding photo package booked by the end of April. Also Gypsyana is offering 15% off, on site wedding day make-up & hair for entire bridal party, when booked with a photography package from Misty Bay. Please take a minute to view the portfolio at www.gypsyana.com and contact Tammy Brant at gyspy1makeup@cs.com or call 503.810.8035 to take advantage of these special offers.

Planning Your Reception Music

If you’re starting to think about bands and deejays for your reception – remember that music sets the tone for any event, and especially for weddings.  Do you remember “the Chicken Dance” or “Who Let The Dogs Out” at the last wedding you attended… and the empty dancefloor?  Set yourself apart from the crowd by planning your music with a couple of things in mind:

• First your budget.  A ten-piece dance band will obviously cost WAY more than a two piece instrumental group.  Deejays charge a lot less and a top-notch one may be a better choice than a “so-so” band, but there’s something about hearing live renditions of favorite tunes that can be hard to pass up.
• If you’d rather your reception music was unique, consider budgeting for musicians – or make your budget go farther by hiring a band for the dining hour and a deejay for dancing, or play recorded music during the meal, then kick off the dancing with a live band.
• Ask around and get samples of music first.  Utilize a consultant, such as Sterling Talent or  Northwest Artist Management, that represent everything from string quartets to International Music groups to deejays.  They can assist you in providing complete and complimentary promotional materials, demo CD’s, references and sometimes, if possible, live performance observation possibilities.
• Whichever you choose, read the fine print;  including hidden charges, such additional costs for staging, number and length of scheduled breaks and what will be playing when they’re on those breaks.
• What happens if the party is still rocking after the end of the scheduled time?  Is there an allowance to extend beyond the timeframe?  Overtime pricing?
• Do they assist as “master of ceremonies” announcing when the cake will be cut, toasts, first dance and buffet is open?
• Can they work with the photographer to showcase pictures from the day on a large screen behind the head table?

Last, but not least, don’t be afraid to ask about tailoring the playlist to the evening, but remember that while coming up with a range of music is one thing, scheduling every minute of the band’s performance is something else.  Bottom line?  Provide the band with as much information as possible to increase the likelihood that they’ll give you what you want.  Click here to see our list of preferred musicians.

It’s As Easy As ABC!

I attended the ABC (Association of Bridal Consultants) Monthly Meeting last night.  The evening began with drinks and entertainment on the Sternwheeler and then the group walked over to the Portland Spirit for dinner and meeting.  It was wonderful connecting with many Bravo! clients for a fun evening and meeting many new people as well.  It’s been awhile since being on the Portland Spirit, it was a enchanting evening ride up the Willamette- we really do live in a beautiful city!

I learned about the “Y generation” and enjoyed a fabulous dinner.  Jacqueline Mandell- Wedding Officiant, was one of the featured guests and had wonderful things to say about Bravo!  Mark Lopez from Crave Catering was fun to hang with, and Cherie Ronning- Uncommon Invites has done an incredible job for the ABC Association.

Pictured above is Mark Lopez, Christine Richards, Lila and Buddy from Premiere Bride.

Mary Lou Burton

Cool! DVD Invitations…

Why send the same ole invites that everyone else does?  Make your wedding stand out by offering your guests something new and fresh… Custom DVD Invites from Bigler Productions.  What a cool idea!

DVD Invites are a brand new concept to hit the Pacific Northwest. With each DVD Invite or Save the Date you will get a custom made DVD that you insert into your paper invitation. Each DVD starts with a 60 second intro of you and your fiancée personally inviting your guests to attend your wedding. After the intro your guests are taken to your DVD invite menu where they can choose to either watch your engagement story, your photo montage or find out more information on your upcoming wedding.

You have the freedom to create as elaborate a DVD as you would like. You can even get your Wedding Party involved by inviting them to the film session and make a separate section of the DVD just about them. The possibilities are limitlessly fun!

This is so cool – check out samples here.

Bay 13 Restaurant

Looking for a great place to unwind with beautiful ambiance and enjoy some delicious cocktails and food? Check out Bay 13 Restaurant in the Pearl! I stopped by last night with my girlfriends and had a wonderful experience. The knowledgeable staff was prompt and helpful and the food was amazing! I highly recommend Bay 13 Restaurant for your rehearsal dinner, wedding or event. The space is contemporary with expansive seating, high exposed ceilings and an open kitchen. You could decorate this place any way you wanted – or keep it simple and clean. Check them out!

Divine Designs Introduces Bridal Gown Spring Collection

Divine Designs is showcasing the 2009 spring bridal collection from REEM ACRA next week! Join them Friday or Saturday, March 13-14, 10am – 6pm. There will be representative present from REEM ACRA to assist you. “Reem Acra’s gowns appeal to women who are looking for glamour and sophistication on the most important day of their life”.

By appointment only – please call 503-827-0667 to reserve your space.