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!

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.

Wedding Favors & Other Great Ideas

Favors:

• Double Duty – Use photo frames as place cards or potted plants as centerpieces, and let your guests take them home at the end of the night. See the freshest ideas from the “Art of the Table” Tablescapes from the 6th Annual Wedding Affair by Clicking Here! Thanks to Dave Bigler for putting it together for us!
  

• Something Useful – Give your guests something they can enjoy for years to come. A small bag of seeds to plant will remind them of your big day every time they smell the flowers or a really cool idea is a handcrafted flower from Paper Posy! They make handcrafted flowers that can complement your wedding palette with gorgeous papers and ribbons.

• Something Edible -As if a five-course meal wasn’t enough, send your guests home at the end of the night with an extra treat of your favorite candies or special hometown delicacies.

Stationery Ideas:

• Ethnicity – If your heritage is important for you to represent on your big day, do some research and find a stationer who offers multi-cultural invitations and announcements.

• Creative Touch - For more intimate, casual gatherings, request the honor of yo ur guests’ presence in an innovative and entertaining way. Here’s an idea – have your invite printed on a balloon so guests have to blow them up to receive the message.

• Programs - Do something a little different with your wedding programs by including personal photos or by printing them on something that serves a dual purpose – like a fan.

• Storybook - Get the most bang for your program buck by including stories of how the two of you met, who introduced you, and your relationship to everyone in the bridal party. Think of all the time you’ll save by not havin g to explain all of this to your husband’s childhood neighbor during the reception!

• Donations – With a high emphasis on karma these days, give something back and make a donation to your favorite cause in lieu of knickknacks. Your guests will appreciate the altruistic gesture (check last week’s blog for more ideas on this)
  

  

photo courtesy of Holland Studios

More “Entertain the Kids” Ideas:

• Arrange A Talent Act – Bring in an entertainer appropriate for the age group, such as a magician, clown, balloon artist , henna or face painter, such as Magic George, A Touch of Magic, Alexander – “Master of Marvels” or Magic Zone. Click here for info!

• Children’s Lounge – Set up a kids’ area with beanbags, toys and popular children’s movie in a separate room. Hire Creative Childcare Services to oversee the function (and keep the parents happy dancing at your reception longer).

• Playful Surprise – when the little ones sit down to eat, have a babysitter pass out aprons embroidered with their names with colored pencils and decorative flash cards tucked into the pockets. Not only will this encourage activity (use wide rolls of paper to cover tables or small notepads)and interaction, the aprons will double as smocks protecting their fancy clothes!

Environmentally Friendly Weddings

According to the latest issue of Vows Magazine – “going green is one of the hottest new wedding trends”. Some common ways to make your special day more eco-friendly is:

• Using paper products, like invitations, made of recycled materials.
• Offer group transportation, preferably in a hybrid vehicle to your guests.
• Serve locally grown produce and organic foods at your reception.
• Donate leftover food and materials rather than throwing them out.
• Use flowers that haven’t been treated with pesticides or herbicides.
• Recycle family jewelry and/or wedding attire.
• Select local vendors and/or those stores committed to green business practices.*

*Bravo! is helping you by listing our “green” clients with green sidebars, these are certified or award winners, in our 2009 Wedding Resource Guide. If you don’t have your copy yet – click here for a list of locations.

Be sure and ask questions of all the vendors you are working with. Questions such as “how green is your business/store currently?” or “what do you do to make your company eco-friendly”.

Remember you can recycle your wedding gown too – there are several organizations that resell donated bridal gowns to support charitable efforts, such as Brides Against Breast Cancer (next show is Mar. 27-29 in Seattle at the Quest Field Event Center) and the I Do Foundation, which allows you to make a donation (instead of party favors) in their honor or you can create a “charitable registry” in addition to your standard registry giving your guests the option to donate to your favorite charity.