Tuesday Tip | Volume 23 | Your Vermont Wedding Planner

Our whole family seems to have settled into 2019 nicely. The girls are busy with volleyball, basketball, tennis and piano, as usual. Mid-terms are over for our highschooler :) And thank God for that because she had 5 days off in a row due to exam scheduling. The new year boom for our business is slowing down and we are on-boarding 3 new couples. So excited about that! Personally, I am working on eating healthier by cutting out sugar and processed food. Why do I ever let those items creep back in? I feel so focused and on top of everything without them. Now, if the snow would just melt a little I would be out walking each day too. Thankfully my bike fits on a trainer in my office. I can feel Spring coming. I know it will be here by, oh May, I hope. As we close in on spring and wedding season it’s also a time when a lot of our clients are working on invitation design and with that the question always comes up….

When Should I Send Out My Wedding Invitations

Invitation design by Christa Alexandra Designs

I’m going to start with a similar first line to the one I used in last weeks blog when we discussed your RSVP date. Our full planning brides do not have to ask when they need to send their invitations because it’s always added into their planning checklist but it is something we often discuss. I was just chatting with one of my brides about this topic the other day. I picked the send date for her that seems appropriate for me and her invitation designer had a slightly different one. This happens all the time and that is OK. It gives us the chance to chat about the pros and cons and which date works best. One of the first things I try to avoid when suggesting a send date are holidays and big vacation weeks such as the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas or the week of July 4th. Most invitation designers suggest that you send your invites out about 8 weeks before the wedding. This would be considered proper etiquette in many circles. I like to suggest 10-12 weeks before the wedding. The reason for my send date suggestion is that we like you to have an earlier RSVP date than your invitation designer suggests. And it all comes back around to when your vendors need their numbers by and how many guests you might have to track down when they forget to respond. Also, don’t forget that a lot of your hotel blocks pull the discounted rooms about 60 days before your wedding so if you send them 8 weeks out and your guests haven’t booked a room yet, they may lose their discount. While there is no perfect answer I always suggest that we compromise and fall somewhere in the middle of 8-12 weeks period before your wedding day. The earlier your invitations go out, the earlier you have your RSVP’s and the less stress on you as we get closer to the big day.

Let’s start planning your wedding today! Reach out to me through the button below or feel free to email me directly at randi@silvertoad.com

Summertime in Vermont has come and gone | Your Vermont Wedding Planner

Wow! It’s been 6 months since I last blogged. Summer came roaring in and our official wedding season was off an running. It’s been the best summer!

We worked with a handful of select couples and their families to bring their Vermont wedding to life. It was a true honor to work along side these amazing couples. We made our way all over the state from Burlington to Woodstock to Warren to Stowe and all they way up to South Albany. We were blessed to work with many families at their private residences each a unique and beautiful setting in the heart of Vermont. We also worked with several extra special, unique venues including the Stowehof, Trapp Family Lodge, Strawberry Hill and the UVM Alumni House.

Personally, Peter and I had time to spend with our girls, Madelyn and Mirabelle, pictured above. We made it to some of our favorite vacations spots this summer Scituate, MA and Ogunquit, ME. These images featured above were a special gift from one of our dear friend Amanda Herzberger of Orchard Cove Photography. She not only does killer family photos but is always available to capture the special moments of your wedding day. She is truly awesome! Peter was not able to make this shoot but I swear, he is real. And if you work with us you will get to know him. He’s a big part of our weddings. More on that later. One of the highlights of our summer was the Patterson Family reunion in New York. It was a weekend filled with love and laughter and about 50 members of my crazy family, who I love dearly, especially Auntie June, she’s everyone’s favorite :) They came in from all over with my brothers family coming all the way from the Philippines.

Now that summer is over I find myself back at my desk full time working with new couples for next year. It’s also a time that I get to reflect on all the weddings from 2018 as the images come pouring in from our photographers. I’ll be sharing them all very soon.

Time moves so fast these days. I just can’t believe 2018 is coming to an end… but not before Christmas!! :) I’m thankful for the families that came into my life this past season and I’m excited for what is ahead of us as the 2019 wedding season gets closer. We will be blogging this winter about each of our weddings and getting back to our Tuesday Tips.

More from me next week…

Randi

Tuesday Tips | Volume 16 | Your Vermont Wedding Planner

The Wedding Dress Code

A black tie optional wedding at Hildene.  Photo by Daria Bishop Photography.

The Wedding Dress Code.  Black Tie Optional or maybe it's Festive Cocktail Attire. Those little words on the bottom of the invitation that hold so much weight. What do they mean?  Which one should you choose for your wedding?  Do you need one at all?  Assigning a dress code to your day is definitely not mandatory but it does help your guests to know what is expected of them.  Let's break it down below.

White Tie

White Tie is the most formal and I'm betting we won't see many of these at Vermont weddings.  White tie is mostly reserved for royal weddings, (Still waiting on my invite for May 19th) and diplomatic galas. We would see the ladies in formal full length ball gowns and the gentlemen in tailcoats with a white waist coat and white bow tie.

Black Tie

Black Tie means this wedding is a formal affair.  Black Tie is not as strict as White Tie but does have a few rules.  The gentlemen would be wearing a black tux, style of their choosing and the ladies would be in a formal full length gown or very fancy cocktail dress.

Black Tie Optional

Here in Vermont we often see Black Tie Optional weddings.  If you find this dress code on your next wedding invitation you should choose formal attire.  The wedding party will most definitely be in full length gowns and tuxedos.  Gentlemen would have the option to wear a nice suit, preferably dark in color, or a tuxedo and the ladies would again, be in a full length gown or cocktail dress.

Cocktail Attire | Festive Attire | Semi-Formal

All three of these codes mean very similar things.  Your bride and groom are hoping you join them in festive attire that is not black tie.  We would suggest a nice suit, in any color, for the gentleman with a neck tie or bow tie of your choice and a cocktail dress for the ladies.  

Casual

We don't see many Casual Dress options for our weddings in Vermont but if you do, feel free to wear anything at all, within reason.  Ladies may want to wear a causal dress or maybe a sundress while the gentlemen could be in a button down shirt, with no tie, jacket optional.  

If you choose to apply a dress code to your wedding make sure to chat with your invitation designer so this little detail does not get missed.  I look forward to hearing which one you choose.  Reach out today so we can talk more about the dress code options and how they may apply to your day.  Click the button below to start the conversation.

Tuesday Tips | Volume 15 | Your Vermont Wedding Planner

Greeting from a STILL cold and snowy Vermont.  Are you wondering if I wrote this a few months ago?  Nope, it's March 20th.  But don't you worry, Spring will be here, soon, maybe, I hope.   Sometimes winter likes to hold on here for the skiers but I do hope the daffodils are popping up very soon.  Last week we chatted about the Groom's attire.  Without a doubt, I feel like this subject is just as important as what our bride is wearing.  So let's continue on the topic of Groom's attire.

Wearing A Tuxedo On Your Wedding Day

Photo by Jennifer Mardus Photography

Last week we chatted about wearing a suit to your wedding.  This week we will focus on the tuxedo. The tuxedo is the formal brother of the suit. When deciding to wear a tuxedo on your wedding day you should consider the location of the wedding and what the bride is wearing.  Typically the only difference between a suit and a tuxedo is the presence of silk satin lapels and stripe down the side of the trousers.  So, should you wear a tuxedo? There are no hard fast rules anymore but usually tuxedos are worn on very special days.  Your wedding day is that very special day.  There is nothing quite as sharp as a custom made tuxedo like the ones you see on Alexander and his brothers, in the above image.  Once you decide to have a tuxedo custom made, you will need to work with a designer on the stye that you like best.  But don't worry, they will walk you right through the process and the fittings. You will also need a few accessories to complete the look. You will need to decide on the type of jacket lining you like best to really personalize the look along with a formal collared shirt; the most common options being the the wing tip or spread collar. You'll also need to decide on the cuff style, sock and tie options.  For cuffs, I personally think the french look very sharp.  As for ties, while there is no rule you must wear a bow tie with a tux, you should.  A bow tie just looks great. It's a statement piece to pull the tux together.  Traditionally you would go black or white but these days patterns are very popular too.  And from here you can talk to your tuxedo designer about suspenders, shoe options and pocket square among other things.  Consider the tuxedo an investment, just like a wedding dress but with a big perk.  With a tux there is a good chance you will wear it again, like at your next black tie affair, where as wedding dresses are often cleaned and tucked away for safe keeping and future generations.  Of course, renting a tuxedo is always an option.  If you decide to rent, reach out to a local tuxedo rental shop in your area for help with the process.  

That last statement brings me to our topic for next week...  Dress Code.  

One of our recent grooms highly recommended 9Tailors in Boston for custom tuxedos.

Tuesday Tips | Volume 13 | Your Vermont Wedding Planner

Hello from Vermont! This week our hearts are with our friends in Scituate who were pummeled by the high surf from the Nor'easter over the weekend. I hope everyone has time to secure their homes before the next storm moves in tomorrow. OK, let's talk about something near and dear to my heart... flowers, more importantly, a bridal bouquet.  During my floral design years, making the bridal bouquet was always the highlight of my week.  It was the icing on the cake for sure. This week let's chat about how to hold your bouquet so it looks great on video or in pictures.  

How To Hold Your Bridal Bouquet

Photo by Kelsey Regan Photography

How to hold your bridal bouquet.  Seems like such an easy thing to do, doesn't it?  It is, but with a little guidance we can make sure you have it positioned in your pictures so it doesn't cut off your dress or draw attention to an area you would rather not.  I've always felt it was so much easier to explain this technique in person when handing off a bouquet to a bride.  You should loosely hold the bouquet with two hands close to the flowers, high up on the stems. You should relax your arms and let your elbows point out slightly while your arms were bent just a bit more than 90 degrees.  When we were in the bouquet making business we always placed a pearl pin in the back as a guide so that you would know you had the back facing you.  If your thumb was on that pin then the best side was always facing forward.  Like I said, it's so much easier to show you how to do this in person.  Thankfully for us one of Vermont's premiere floral designers Sarah Jo Willey of Creative Muse Floral Design has a video about this very topic.  Sarah Jo truly is an expert in this field and she has valuable insight.  Pay close attention as we hit the 2:30 mark.

Special thanks to SJ  for sharing her video with me.

Tuesday Tips | Volume 12 | Your Vermont Wedding Planner

Good Morning!  My name is Randi Nonni and I am addicted to talking about Vermont weather.  Just ask my husband.  If you think it's bad in the winter, well, you have no idea how obsessive I become during wedding season.  There is not a weather app or weather man who is safe from me.  I look at my phone easily every 10 minutes leading up to a ceremony just in case trouble is on the horizon...   But today has nothing to do with weather.  Although, since I know you're probably dying to hear... it's warmish, OK warm may be a stretch, it's not freezing, and the sun is out and the sky is a glorious shade of blue.  I saw a few robins in my front yard too!  We all know what the return of the robin means;  it's means wedding season is fast approaching!  Alright, so back to the topic at hand; who can marry you and what will we do with that license that we talked about last week in How to Make Your Marriage Legal in Vermont

How To Make Your Marriage Legal In Vermont, Continued

Photo by Jennifer Mardus Photography

There are many people that can legally marry you in the state of Vermont.  You can be married by a justice of the peace or an ordained or licensed member of the clergy, a supreme court justice, a superior court judge, a district judge or an assistant judge.  The ordained clergy member must reside in Vermont or in an a adjoining state if the church, temple mosque or other religious organization lies wholly or partly in Vermont.  In addition to all that we have listed, any person who is at least 18 years of age may register with the Vermont Secretary of State to become a temporary officiant for the day.  There is a fee of $100 associated with becoming a temporary officiant in Vermont.  You will send your fee in along with the necessary application.  Vermont law does not require you have a 'witness' but some religions may so let's talk more about this later.

After the ceremony is over, what do you we do with the license?  Well, for starters, give the license to your officiant before the ceremony.  They must have the license before the ceremony can be performed.  After the ceremony your officiant will fill in all of the needed information and sign the license.  At this point your license becomes a marriage certificate. Your officiant will return the certificate to the town clerk's office where it was issued within 10 days after the wedding.  The town clerk will officially register the marriage.  If your officiant had to register with the Secretary of State as a temporary officiant, a copy of the certificate of authority issued by that office, should be attached to the signed license and returned to the clerk's office.  The certificate is not a legal document until it has been officially recorded by the town clerk's office where it was purchased.  

Does this sound like a lot of detail to keep straight?  Just reach out to me today and I will walk you through it.  Also, it helps to have an experienced, well versed and knowledgable officiant from the state of Vermont to help, such as Annie Alexander-Kramer. She's been performing ceremonies for over 18 years and is a wealth of information.  She's seen it all and I'm positive she would be an asset to your day. 

Let's talk more about your ceremony soon.  Click below to chat with me.

Tuesday Tips | Volume 10 | Your Vermont Wedding Planner

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day!  It's like the holy grail of holidays in my world... well, other than Christmas because we all know how important that is to me but I digress.  I hope your Valentine's is full of love no matter where you are or who you spend it with.  I was thinking about that last sentence over the weekend... 'who you spend it with' and it brought me to our very simple but important tip for this week.

Take It All In 

                                                                                                             Image by Birke Weddings

One of the best pieces of advice I can give you for your wedding day is something that seems so small.  Take a moment with your spouse during the reception, once everyone is seated, to look around and really take in everyone in the room.  Feel the love.  These are your people.  This may be the only time you ever have every single one of these people in a room, or tent, together again.  And once you're done taking it all in... well, it might be a nice time to grab the microphone and truly thank each and everyone of your guests for their love and support and most importantly, for being part of your day.  There's always time to share a little love even if it means we stray off track, for a few minutes, from the official timeline. :)

Click the button below to talk more about all the special people in your life and how we can honor them on your wedding day.  Happy Valentine's Day!  

Tuesday Tips | Volume 8 | Your Vermont Wedding Planner

Greetings from Vermont!  The days are growing longer here, thankfully!  We are still right in the middle of Engagement Season.  I've been talking to so many newly engaged couples the last few weeks and the subject often turns to 'How can we clearly communicate the weekend agenda?' Well of course we can have one of our fab invitation designers help us with an adorable weekend booklet to be added to the invitation suite or a welcome bag but that doesn't come until closer to the wedding day.  So for now the best way to let them your guests know what is going on is to design a wedding website.  This is our Tuesday Tip for January 30th...  

Do you like the idea of a Wedding Website?

Please check: Yes [ ] or No [ ]

I strongly suggest that you design a wedding website.  It really is easy once you get started.  There are so many sweet templates too.  I'm sure you will find one that truly reflects who you are as a couple.  Nowadays, there are a lot of places to make your wedding website such as The Knot, Minted or Joy but I think my favorite is Riley & Grey.  I realize that some of you may not want your details public thankfully most sites can be password protected.  So if a private site is important you be sure to look for this feature.  OK, so why have a site at all?  Well, it's an easy way to get all the pertinent information out to your guests months before the wedding.  You can add information on lodging, travel, registries, the dress code plus all of the wedding weekend activities.  You even will find a spot to share photos and your story, if you choose.  Another sweet feature that most sites offer is a place to share your wedding party attendants.  You can also add information to make your guests weekend more comfortable such as your favorite places to shop and dine or get an amazing cup of coffee.  And if you really, really like your guests we could add links to cool activities like great hiking spots, the best kayaking places, museums and cool local "must see" sites in the area of the wedding.  A lot of websites now offer ways to rsvp too and/or collect all the personal contact information needed for invitations.  If the thought of putting all your information out there on the web makes you shudder that's OK too.  Just make sure the save the dates go out early and are full of information to help your guests navigate their planning of your wedding weekend.  

Reach out today to tell me more about your wedding plans here in Vermont.  I would love to be on your team!

Tuesday Tips | Volume 7 | Your Vermont Wedding Planner

Happy Tuesday!  I can feel the 2018 wedding season getting closer and closer.  It's very similar to that feeling I get post-wedding season as we inch closer and closer to Christmas.  It's pure joy!  Todays tip is something that can easily be overlooked and I don't ever want that to happen.  So, let's get right to it...

Document the Small Details 

Some of my favorite shots from a wedding are the very small details, your accessories.  I love images of your rings, your necklace, your shoes, your ties or cuff links or maybe it's your veil and sash.  There's just something about a gorgeously lit image of the smallest details from your day that takes my breath away each and every time.  Jennifer Mardus Photography has a unique and beautiful way of capturing these images.  All the images above were shot by Jen this past summer.  No matter who your photographer is let's make sure these images are not missed.  I will gather all your accessories and put them in a special place on wedding day so the photographer can swoop in while you're busy and capture amazing shots like these.  Vermont is blessed with some of the most amazing photographers, they all have unique and special qualities.  Let's talk about who would be a good fit for your wedding.  I can't wait to see all of the images from your wedding day and know that I'll be on the look out for those gorgeous small detail shots.   

Tuesday Tips | Volume 5 | Your Vermont Wedding Planner

Greeting from Vermont! We are FINALLY out of the deep freeze. Today the sky is blue and it kind of feels like Spring, if you close your eyes and ignore the snow. Ahhh, life in Vermont! Last week we started a conversation about prioritizing your budget so it seems to me the logical next step to take is to talk about your guest list. Your list opens up a whole new can of worms so let's break it down. Today I will address the age old question...

Should We Invite Children To Our Wedding?

                                                        Photography by Kelsey Regan Photography at Topnotch Resort

Your guest list is always a delicate matter but whether or not to invite kids might be the hardest decision of all.  I have had couples agonize over this decision.  This decision is yours and yours alone.  I can't make it for you but I can give some advice around the decision.  Make the decision early and stick with it... no wavering.  If the answer is "Yes, we love children and want them to attend".  Great!  Let's talk about a kids table and maybe an activity or two to help when they get bored.  If the answer is "No way".  Again, Great.  That was easy.  If the answer is "We obviously want our flower and ring bearer who are 2 and 5 but no one else under the age of 12" well, this is where is gets a bit tricky.  Having perimeters around age and who is allowed to bring their children is a decision, it's just one that comes with some explaining. We can talk about how to work that conversation in early before there are any hard feelings. It might be best to just pick up the phone and speak directly with anyone who you feel might take issue with your decision.  I think feelings get hurt when guests 'hear it through the grapevine'.  Invitations are a great way to help clarify the guest list too.  When addressing the invitations we need to make sure it is crystal clear who is invited for the wedding festivities. We can also add a message on your save the dates and your wedding website. If your wedding is a destination wedding and you feel that your friends and family may not want to leave their children for an extended period of time you can consider offering a Nanny Service.  We have some great ones here in Vermont. 

At the end of the day, this is a decision for the couple. Talk it over early; stick with your decision; make everyone aware of the choice you make and the reasons behind it.  And lastly, be happy that this decision is behind you and you are officially one step closer to your wedding day.  If you want to chat more about your guest list and all of your wedding planning reach out by clicking the button below.