Many Brides to be have dreamed about their wedding day ever since they were a little girl. From the perfect wedding dress, to the wedding colors to the venue, so it is no wonder that once engaged, the wedding planning quickly commences!

The wedding planning process can at times be overwhelming and to some Grooms, the details can be a little tedious.  It is very important though to keep the communication open about all of the wedding plans, so that you are both involved in the decision making process.

To help make the decision process fair, divide wedding related tasks between the both of you. For instance, maybe the Groom can research DJ’s and Caterers and set up meetings etc., while the Bride researches Wedding Cakes and Favors. This way you are both involved! Also, don’t forget to take time out to have some “you time!” Schedule a date night once in a while where “wedding talk” is off limits and you can enjoy some quality time together. Always remember that communication is the key to any relationship!!

Happy New Year!

We hope that you have your calendars marked for one of the first Bridal Show Events of the Season!

We look forward to meeting you at the Ultimate Bridal Fantasy Show, on Sunday January 15th 2012, from 1PM – 5PM. This event will be held at the Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort and Spa. We can’t wait to start discussing your ideas for your big event!

Re-posted from the First Coast Weddings and Events blog -

Congratulations! He popped the question, and you said yes. (Maybe the ring is a pretty sapphire stunner inspired by this year’s royal wedding!) Your head is probably swirling with a million ideas. We’ve put together a list of the top five things you should do BEFORE anything else – even before picking out a dress or looking at venues!

1. Let Your Families Know. Start with your parents, and set up a time for them to meet each other if they haven’t already. Next, share the news with siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. And of course your best friends! Once you’ve made these personal announcements, you can make it “Facebook official” and let everyone else in the world know.
2. Get Your Ring Insured. This is a step most brides and grooms don’t think about. If you have homeowners’ or renters’ insurance, talk to your agent about adding the ring to your policy. You’ll probably need an appraisal, and the original purchase receipt.
3. Talk About Dates. Even if you don’t have “the” date picked out, you should discuss a general time of year, and whether you will be willing to have a Friday or Sunday wedding. Talk about dates with your families, and also with your officiant or house of worship to make sure you avoid any religious holidays.
4. Make a Guest List. You’ll need input from your families here too! Ask each set of parents to make their own guest list, and combine them with yours. From this wish list, you can scale down if necessary. It’s important to have a ballpark idea of how many guests will be invited before you start looking at venues, and of course for budgeting purposes.
5. Come Up With A Budget. If your families will be contributing financially, talk to them about the amounts they are comfortable with. Make a list of your priorities (drop-dead photography, incredible food, over-the-top florals) and then start breaking down your budget based on those priorities. You may want to use an online calculator like the one on WeddingWire.com to help you get started.

The crisp air, twinkling lights, and warm glow of the log fire set a very romantic back drop for a marriage proposal.

The Holiday Season brings so much joy, and a marriage proposal can only add to the happiness! If you are planning to propose, or maybe even planning on being proposed to, check out this article from www.theknot.com! They have provided some creative ways to propose during this Holiday Season. Our favorite proposal would be the “Take the Cake” proposal. Which one is your favorite?

Well it is December 1^st already! Where did this year go? To get you into the Holiday spirit,  ( just in case you have not made it there yet), below are some fun Holiday Facts!

• The world’s largest Christmas present was the Statue of Liberty. The French gave it to the US in 1886. It is 46.5 meters high and weights 225 tons! (Venere.com)

• Bing Crosby ‘s ‘White Christmas’ was released in 1942 and is considered to be the best-selling Christmas song of all time! (Venere.com)

• In 1836, Alabama is the first state in the USA to declare Christmas a legal holiday. (Santas.net)

• Forego throwing out your Christmas tree and make it lunch. The Evergreen is actually edible, well most parts of it anyway. In addition, it is nutrient enriched, so if you take the advice stated previously you’d be getting a good source of Vitamin C and roughage. Don’t mind that you will be eating a tree; it’s just one step away from any other vegetable. (Christmasfacts.net)

• Warning: Christmas shopping may be hazardous to your health. If you are an avid Christmas shopper statistics have concluded that you will be elbowed at least three times while shopping. Ouch! (Christmasfacts.net)

Now you have some fun facts to share with others. We hope that you enjoy this Holiday Season!

As Thanksgiving is only days away, are you starting to reflect on this year’s past events and focus on the things that you have been thankful for this year?

Some of us at The Wedding Party wanted to share with you, some of things that we are Thankful for:

1) Paul DeLand from D’Land Entertainment: “Thankful that I get to work every day with some of the best people in this business.”

2) Heather Canada from First Coast Weddings and Events: “I’m thankful for the camaraderie with my fellow wedding professionals.”

3) Tara Marotta from In Motion Video Productions: “Thankful to be a part of a place where you can discover Jacksonville’s most distinctive wedding professionals under one roof!”

4) Darrin Franz from D’Land Entertainment: “I am thankful to be able to work in a place with other professionals who are very good at what they do!”
The Wedding Party is so thankful to have such amazing clients, who also read our blogs!!

During this holiday season, we hope that you take time to appreciate all of the good things in life. Happy Thanksgiving!

You are engaged! Congratulations! Now you have the fun task of selecting your wedding day vendors who will help to make your dream wedding come true!

Before you start to make your vendor selection, start thinking about what you want out of your vendors, that way when you meet with them you can provide that information. At The Wedding Party we hear a lot of Bride and Groom’s To Be, that their Aunt / Cousin/ Uncle/ Sister or Brother is a Photographer / DJ / Make Up Artist etc. We always advise our clients to hire professional wedding vendors who work in the wedding industry and have the credentials to back up their work. Not to say that your family members would not do an amazing job, but for peace of mind it is always better to work with vendors who have experience in the wedding and events field.

When you meet with your vendors, make sure to ask them for references. At The Wedding Party, we try to make your experience as easy as possible. We will schedule all of your meetings with our vendors, in one day, under one roof! How easy does that sound?!

The Wedding Party was designed to make your event planning process easier and more efficient.  With over a dozen vendors under one roof- from different industries, you do not have to look anywhere else to plan your perfect event.  Today we wanted to share some expert tips with you, at no charge!! Please enjoy!

Heather Canada – First Coast Weddings and Events: My advice is to create a budget before booking ANYTHING – not just a total dollar amount, but how much you’d like to spend in each area. Each couple
has different priorities, so there are no “right” or “wrong” answers!

Darrin Franz – D’Land Entertainment: When discussing music with your DJ, make sure your DO NOT play list is just as important as your DO play list.

Cami Franklin – Calligraphy by Cami : Please don’t assume that just because someone says, “Oh – I can do Calligraphy!” Or  “I took a class on that, I can address them for you.” that they actually can do it to your liking.   Calligraphy is an art and it takes years of practice to be good at it.

Tammie Sybelnik – The Wedding & Portrait Photographers: Do not sign any contracts until you are sure of your budget.

Thomas Lester, owner of  Thomas Lester Photography and one of The Wedding Party’s resident photographers, has been very busy lately!

Thomas, along with Jeff Woods from D’Land Entertainment, were part of  Dawn and Joshua’s Wedding Day that took place at Club Continental in Orange Park. To view a sneak peak of some of the amazing photographs click here! Thank you to “Done Brilliantly” for featuring some of Thomas’ photographs on their blog!

Thomas also photographed the wedding of Tim and Christy in Jacksonville Beach. He really captured all of their special moments!