Weddings small but important details

Colorado Weddings with Jennifer Lane A Memory Lane Event

Bustling a gown – always takes a few min’s even when you have a professional with 19 years experience and has done hundreds doing it.  You want the bustle to stay so your gown doesn’t become ruined while your dancing that night.  Be patient even with 2-3 people assisting, it will take a good few minutes.  Relax with a glass of Champagne or white wine while we get you ready for your party.

It's best to have a professional assist with this however we all know that bridesmaids love to do it.  A Professional like A Memory Lane Event, is on hand to sew the bustle in place, should it fall to reduce the wear & tear on your dress.

Bridal bags.  It's important to have items on hand that you think you'll never need, such as band-aids, deodorant, clear nail polish & lotion.  You'd be surprised how many of these items are needed in the bridal party through out the night.  Another must have.  Tide's stain stick.  There's many more items that you need in the all important bridal bag.  Hire a professional  such as A Memory Lane Event & Wedding to have the best stocked bridal bag.

Out door events, wedding ceremony or receptions

Summer weddings with  Jennifer Lane, A Memory Lane Event

Justin and Reliegh

Spring & summer has its snow and rain showers and fall has its early blizzards and more rain thus providing Coloradoans with unpredictable and sometimes severe weather.  Combine that with our occasional flooding and you never know what surprises the weather will have in store for your special day. Be flexible and hire a professional planner and coordinator such as A Memory Lane Event & Wedding who will prep you for alternatives and be prepared in the off chance that there is a change in the weather. Don’t risk your wedding day memories. When planning an outside wedding ceremony &.or reception have a back up plan. We’ve had couples who have wanted an outside sunset wedding in spring, summer or fall without a back up plan a particular couple we worked with last fall would have been getting married at the lake in 31 degree weather & snow.  Two days before and two days later we had 50-60 degree days and it would have worked great.  We’ve had other couples who have wanted to have an out side ceremony in a beautifully landscaped garden area.  It was easy to see how tempting it was to have a wedding there, just stunning. 20 minutes before the ceremony the heavens opened up and began to flood the area where the ceremony was set to take place.  If we hadn’t arranged a back up plan it would have been disastrous. Our staff of 16 quickly ran out in the down pour and moved all of the chairs, reset the second indoor area and dried all of the chairs.  The wedding was still able to take place on time.  The rain finally stopped just after dinner service was over. Pre-ceremony photos had to be taken after the wedding which did delay the reception somewhat.  Remember that even with the best measures taken, if the bride is outside at any point the hem will get dirty.  This is usually true for perfect weather days as well.  The couples and their families were all in good spirits despite the storm and the extra hassles that always accompany bad weather. Just be mindful of outside weddings.  Weather is never predictable, especially in Colorado so make sure you discuss backup plans, that will provide adequate room for all of your guests with your professional planner/ coordinator.  Call A Memory Lane Event & Wedding  today for your free consult.  303-513-2364

Decoding the Dress Code for your guests

Weddings by A Memory Lane Event, Jennifer Lane

Before you can tell your guests what to or not to wear to an event, you need to understand each dress code directive.  These can sometimes can become confusing since most non-celebrity people do not attend many formal type events on a regular basis.  We'd like to take the confusion out of it for you.

White Tie:  Unless you pal around with royalty, you'll need to rent your attire.  White tie attire is a black tail coat that sits at the waist.  Matching black pants.  White bow tie, white pique shirt and a white vest.  Women would wear floor length ball gowns.

Black Tie:  Men wear tuxedo's; women wear floor length gowns or cocktail dresses that go beyond the "little black dress" such as ruffles, sequins or other embellishments.

Black Tie Optional:  Tuxedos and suits are equally appropriate for male guests.  Women can waer either a cocktail dress or a straight floor length gown, but not a ball gown.

Cocktail attire:  Men wear suits; women arrive in knee length dresses or dressy pants paired with silk, chiffon or otherwise evening appropriate blouse.

Festive attire:  Although somewhat frustratingly vague, this allows guests to have fun with their attire.  The fashion forward and daring will take it as a license to wear whatever they please, and others will probably stick to cocktail looks.

No dress code:  Guests will take their cues from the time of day, season and location of the wedding. 

Weddings by A Memory Lane Event

In Denver Colorado, no dress code can mean that people will arrive in blue jeans.  If you're wanting people to arrive more dressed up you should include in your invites a dress code.  For more assistance contact Jennifer at A Memory Lane Event today for your complimentary phone consult.  http://www.amemorylaneevent.com/

Eye Candy to have or not have

Rock Candy Centerpieces

Besides great food at a party, it's always wonderful to have some hot servers to accompany the hot food. Okay, I know you're thinking this may seem trivial or superficial, but let's think about this: The devil is in the details. If you're going to oversee all the other crucial details of your event, why not ensure that there's some great eye candy to go along with the main entree? Remember your guests. One woman's eye candy may not be eye candy to another. It's also fun to have interactive servers or moving centerpieces at your cocktail hour. Dancers are great entertainment during the cocktail hour or having “statutes” hold the cocktail hour appetizers for your guests, occasionally moving positions and locations

On a semi-related, but semi-not side note enough to not add this thought--I really dislike when waiters are asked to wear tuxes at a black tie affair. It's confusing to distinguish the servers from the guests and can cause some awkward moments. I can't tell you how many times I've been at a formal event as a guest and I've had other guests come up to me to ask for a drink or where bar or restroom is. (talk about profiling).

More Ways to cut Costs

What $500 gets you for decor

Event & Wedding Budgets. How do you cut some cost?

If you plan on feeding your guests in any kind of manner the food and liquor will without a doubt will be your biggest expense. If your having a wedding with a budget of $20,000 or less, this will probably be at least half your budget. Typically, if you invite 100 people, your looking at $10,000 minimum. That is for the food, minimal liquor, tables, chairs, forks, knives, linens, food and serving. Obviously there are exceptions i.e. have a park wedding where you grill the meal yourself or the despised potluck type meal. Restaurants are less expensive in some ways.

Compared to $15,000 in decor costs

The biggest and most significant way to save money is to cut your guest list. In some cases it can save you hundreds of dollars a person. But things like cake, food, reception space, ceremony space, transportation, diy projects, and more all add up very quickly per person. The guest list is in most cases the hardest to come up with especially if your parents or a significant person in your life is contributing money. So coming up with a guest list(just the two of you) and then talking to others in the family about it is the best course of action.

Some services are not affected by the amount of people like photography or music, though if your guest count is close to 200 people or more it starts affecting everything).

Cutting guests from the guest list

Easy people to cut:
Do not say “And Guest” on the RSVP card. The rule is if you have been living with or are in a committed relationship of more than 6 months(and I have met said person) I specifically added their name to their invitation. No confusion.

Children. We all love children, but you should be aware that allowing your guests to bring their children does count towards your guest count. In some cases adding 20 or more people to our guest list. The best way to deal with this is to specifically invite a handful of children we were close to.

Flash mobs by A Memory Lane Event

Hard people to cut:

Family friends. If your trying to have a wedding with 50 or less people, most likely, your going to have to severally limit your parents friends. Talking with your parents about this and previously having a stated guest list of 50 or less is helpful when you hear “But Aunt Betty knitted you a baby blanket and we have worked together for 11 years!” You can easily bring up the budgeted for guest list. Let the people swapping on the guest list begin.

Extended family. Why are we inviting people that you or your finance have never met! When wanting a small wedding, sometimes family dynamics are beyond your control particularly if you dont want tons of drama. You should consult with parents, sibs, etc. about who they are worried about. Cutting extended family can be really hard and can hurt some people. You must also remain strong when parents, siblings and close extended family push the line on the “people who should be invited” list.

Friends. Family seems to take up 80-90% of guest lists. So you have very limited space for friends. Childhood friends and current friends can be tricky

What to expect in pricing from vendors

Florist price ranges can be anywhere between $600-the sky is the limit based upon your floral choices and delivery

Professional Photographers can be anywhere between $600-$6,000 depending on your package choices & desires for the day.

Cakes. Most bakeries for a wedding cake begin at $1.25 per slice. Yes it is per slice. This price depending upon your flavor and filling choices can go up as high as $6 per slice.

Planner & Coordinators. At the least you should consider Day of services to assist you with the envitable that can occur on the day of. In Denver planner and coordinator fees range between $500 for an inexperienced and $1500 for a Luxury Coordinator.

DJ's and Band prices can range between $700 to $3,000 for a 4 hour window
Locations: Pricing all depends upon what you can not live with out and what your vision for the day is. Little cottages start at $1000 for a 6 hour time slot where if you're looking at renting a location like a Cathedral starting rental is $1500 for a two hour window. Some locations will charge a smaller venue rental fee when you use them for food and liquor services.

Event & Wedding Dresses

You can look on E-Bay for great deals on clothes. Be sure to check your measurements before you purchase to be sure that the clothes you purchase will fit. We also have partnerships with a couple bridal salons that have amazing pricing and amazing service. Order your dresses at least 4 months in advance so any last minute alternations can be made. Remember that wedding dresses actually run small compared to department stores. Depending upon the type of dress that you are looking for expect to spend between $500-$10,000.

More Cost savings
Some of the best cost savings is when you have multiple uses for the same design element. Such as you can have your centerpiece double as your favor for your guests. I.e. cake “lollipops can be placed in a vase with tissue paper. When you cut the cake your guests can either have their cake from the table at that time or can take it home with them as a favor.” You can have the floral from the church also be used at the reception hall. The bridal table(s) instead of centerpieces can be the bridesmaids bouquets combined on the table in what looks like one arrangement.

We can assist you with any of the above and several of the vendors that we work with will do price breaks for our clients. Call us now for more ways to cut costs & still have a great, amazing Event & Weddings. www.amemorylaneevent.com Jennifer 303-513-2364

Professional Event & Wedding Planners have the Time, Industry Knowledge & Connections that you don’t.

A MEMORY LANE EVENT & WEDDING COORDINATING is God’s gift to those of you who don’t want to spend your entire planning process for an event or your entire engagement thinking about the ins and outs of the perfect affair. Especially for those who do not have the time to think about proper etiquette, when invites should be sent, at what time do I need to order my dress and the panic of not being able to find the perfect and make-up artist for your day. A MEMORY LANE EVENT’s team is not only trained and certified, but are well versed in every aspect of the event & wedding business, from locations to the latest-hottest décor trends, vendors, flowers & favors. While it might take you four hours to find locations of interest and another four to set up appointments. We as a professional and experienced event & wedding planner team can easily work with our connections to get you in the door of several great places after sending a few emails and making just one or two phone calls. If & when a crisis incurs, we handle it. While you’re off enjoying life or a nice date with your fiancé, we can deal with your event or weddings’ confusing vendor contracts and initiation orders, tying little bows on your favors. Would you rather spend your time at dinner and a movie with your sweetie or chasing down a photographer for digital samples and photo packages? Call us today for you complimentary 30-minute initial phone consultation. 303-513-2364

That’s nice you say. But event & wedding planners/coordinators are expensive. Extra cash is not exactly being left under the pillow while you sleep by the extra cash fairy. Let’s talk about cost. A MEMORY LANE EVENT & WEDDING COORDINATING has pre-assembled packages for every budget. We also allow you to custom build your own package and a package that charges a flat fee that ranges between 10-15% of your total wedding budget. We have the same type of packages for events. Fees are based upon the location(s), budget, total guest count and logistics of your personalized event or wedding. For example, if your wedding budget is $30,000, you may find yourself forking over as much as $4,500 for our services, if you only want to make decisions and not be overly involved in the planning and preparing time. Although this is understandably expensive it is well worth every penny and your piece of mind. A MEMORY LANE EVENT & WEDDING COORDINATORS have an extensive vendor and location pool that we trust to do the best possible work for our clients and in most cases are willing to offer discounts when you book them through us. We do not on bring anyone that we haven’t used several times for a variety of occasions. Why spend hours, days, and weeks to try to cobble together your own team of professionals and the location(s), when we can do it for you in a fraction of the time and the cost? In actuality A MEMORY LANE EVENT & WEDDING COORDINATING saves you from frustration, spending your personal time running around and costly mistakes because you do not know the industry, who is trustworthy and who not to deal with. You get the photographer you want with the most bang for your bucks. You’ve got a wedding planner and coordinating team, who’ll deal with all of the nonsense, act as a mediator for you, to fill out and check over all of the paperwork to get you the best deals and handle the details so you shine like a diamond on the day of. You as our client make all of the final decisions, as you are the boss.

For your elegant and enjoyable wedding, Jennifer will make sure that everything goes off without a hitch! Call now to see if we're available for your dazzling diamond quality life changing event. 303-513-2364 www.amemorylaneevent.com