Wedding – AVPEvents Blog

The Top 15 Wedding Abbreviations for Brides

Published on July 9, 2018July 6, 2018 by AVPEventsLeave a comment

As a soon-to-be bride new to the wedding industry hoopla, you may find yourself lost in a whirlwind of “wedding jargon” and struggling to understand! It’s one of my favorite aspects of planning because it’s like a completely different language that we planners and wedding vendors speak.

Here are 15 abbreviations that all brides should become familiar with:

AI All-inclusive

BM Bridesmaid/Best Man

GM Groomsmen

DW Destination Wedding

EP Engagement Party

DOC Day of Coordinator

FH Future Husband

FW Future Wife

FI Fiancé/Fiancée

FOB Father of the Bride

MOB Mother of the Bride

MOG Mother of the Groom

FOG Father of the Groom

MOH Maid/Matron of Honor

BP Bridal Party

Black History: Wedding Traditions

Published on February 23, 2018February 23, 2018 by AVPEventsLeave a comment

In line with the celebration of culture, uniqueness and love, we decided to share some of the wedding traditions in the African American culture that are still celebrated today. Most of these are still practiced today but couples have the ability to put their own personal touch on some of them to make it more special on their big day!

Kola Nuts

Used for it’s medicinal and healing properties, this nut is important to West African weddings since it represents the families and couples willingness to heal. In some African countries this nut is shared amongst the couple and their family and that is what completes the ceremony.

Tying the Knot

A common phrase we use today when referring to a couple getting married but in African culture- it’s literally tying a knot! Some African tribes have a close friend, family member or officiant ties braided grass or piece of material around the wrists of the couple. This then symbolizes their unity and commitment to one another.

Jumping the Broom

A widely known African wedding tradition that originated in the days of slavery when slaves were forbidden to marry or live together. The broom represented all past problems that have been swept away and jumping over it symbolized publicly and formally their marital union. Today, these brooms are beautifully decorated and often displayed in the home!

Broom

Crossing Sticks

Not as well known as jumping the broom is the crossing of tall sticks between the couple. This wedding tradition also dates back as early as the slavery era. Representing the life force as well as power within the trees, when they are crossed the couple conveys their hopes for a formidable and grounded beginning.

Money Spray

Popular on the West coast of Africa but not limited to a few other cultures, the money spray is the tradition of tossing money at the bride while she dances. This is gift from the guests that help the new couple get their lives started….make it rain! (Couldn’t help it…)

Money spray

Tasting the 4 Elements

This is a ritual that originated in Yoruba that has the couple taste 4 flavors that symbolize 4 emotions in their marriage, typically bitter, hot, sour and sweet. These flavors emulate the good and the bad that may accompany marriage but ending in sweet if you endure the others.

Knock, knock

In Ghana, the groom comes bearing gifts and knocks at the door of his soon-to-be in laws since much emphasis is put on “permissions” or getting the “blessings” of the families that are being joined. If his knock is accepted, the celebration and planning for both family begins!

Designer Spotlight: Galia Lahav

Published on August 17, 2017August 16, 2017 by AVPEventsLeave a comment

“My favorite part about designing for a bride is bringing her childhood fantasy of her wedding to life. Every girl I work with shares how she has dreamed about this day her entire life, and it’s my absolute pleasure to make that dream come true.”- Galia Lahav

If there is any wedding dress designer who’s work I drool over and dream of and essentially need in my life, it’s Galia Lahav.

Her attention to intricate details and who custom designs her gowns to fit every inch of the body, every gown is one of a kind and created with the bride’s individual preferences in mind. (We were not trying to rhyme but hey…).

Born into a Russian family of seamstresses, she began not in designing but making custom lace appliques. It eventually evolved as brides started to reach out with requests for dresses with her custom laces and 2 years later, here she is.

Now creating her exceptional designs in Israel, here are a few of my absolute favorite gowns from each of her collections. I suggest you sit down, this is going to get intense!

La Dolce Vita Collection (Veneto & Florentina gowns)

Les Reves Bohemians (Blossum & Belle gowns; Tiger Lily gown; Crystal gown)

Le Secret Royal (Lily rose gown; Guerlain gown; The New Suzanne gown; Gia gown)

My final and absolute favorite collection…Victorian Affinity

(Charlie gown; Lia gown; Lizzy gown; Rayne gown; Sterling Cape; & my love Thelma)

Images via www.galialahav.com

Wedding Planners: What we really do (Part 2) Partial Planning/Day of Coordination

Published on June 15, 2017June 8, 2017 by AVPEventsLeave a comment

A service becoming more popular these days due the fact that it’s millennial’s who are getting hitched is partial planning. Why? Well, simply put, they like to be involved! They don’t necessarily want someone to do everything they prefer to be able to really infuse their own couple style into aspects of their wedding day. Couples who are looking for a planner to do a full coordination should read the article I posted last week discussing full coordination. Partial planning can also include the benefits of hiring for Day of Coordination and other planners have it just as its own service.

When you hire a planner for a partial planning, you sit down together and discuss anywhere from 4 to possibly 6 areas you would like your planner to assist in. Once you’ve decided which areas they will manage, everyone gets to work. Different planners will go about this service differently so it’s good to have clear communication and ensure they understand exactly what it is you expect of them.

Creating/organizing a wedding budget
Coordinate meetings
Venue outsourcing
Vendor visits
Vendor recommendations
Email reminders per month to keep couple on track
Décor and rentals

These are just a few areas that couples may opt to have their planner manage for a partial planning.

Day of Coordination doesn’t entail your planner handling anything besides what is directly related to the day of the wedding- as the service suggests! Couples who want to leave all the stress and hiccups on the day of the wedding but want to plan the entire thing themselves will choose this option. 1-2 months before your wedding day is typically when your planner would step in to tie up loose ends, follow up with vendors and then execute your wedding day so you can completely enjoy it and not have to look after anything.

Whether you choose partial planning or day of coordination, be sure that the service you have selected best suits your needs as a couple. Take into consideration factors like your jobs, family and other obligations you have and when in doubt, ask your planner during the consultation for their insight and opinion.

2017 Wedding Trend: Agate

Published on March 7, 2017 by AVPEventsLeave a comment

So in case you didn’t already know this is a trend…trend alert! For all my gorgeous couples who don’t know what the agate trend is, let us educate you!

Primarily a volcanic rock, agate is known for its mesmerizing, entwining layers of color. Chalcedony stones typically have a sort of waxy luster, and in most cases are semitransparent or translucent. The best part is that can assume a wide range of colors. Dessert makers, artists, stylists in the wedding industry have taken advantage of how lovely this looks in a nature-scape or boho themed wedding. Everything from invitations, cakes and desserts and jewellery have enveloped this agate look. Here some ways to incorporate this new trend into your wedding!

Wedding cake design

Place card holders via Brit & Co.

Drink coasters via weddingomania.com

Garlands via Brit & Co.

Mr. & Mrs. Memoirs via ruffledblog.com

Ring display for engagement shoot

Main image photo credit: Sara-Lynn Photography

Classic Love Songs: Our Top Picks

Published on January 25, 2017 by AVPEventsLeave a comment

Struggling to find a first dance song? These might be oldies but they are goodies in so many ways! Here are our top 10 classic love song picks of all time!

Unchained Melody

One of our absolute favorites and always will be.

Your Song– Elton John

We won’t lie, this makes us relive Moulin Rouge all over again!

I Will Always Love You

Yes Whitney YES!

Endless Love– Diana Ross and Lionel Richie

A few renditions of this song have been done (thank you Luther and Mariah) but this one…

I Knew I Loved You– Savage Garden

We recall circa ’99 when this super sappy song was released…it’s still makes the top 10.

I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing

Okay, okay so maybe I bawled like a third-grade sissy during the movie Armageddon…can you blame me?! Shout out to my child hood friend John Hamlin, this is our grade 7 throw back tribute! (Gets teary eyed)

My Heart Will Go On

“I jump, you jump, right?” Yep.

(Everything I Do) I Do It for You– Bryan Adams

Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song (Robin Hood) This song was a heart twinging tear jerker in the early 90’s.

Take My Breath Away– Berlin

Ahh yes, Top Gun: Tom Cruise…Nicole Kidman’s amazing hair- Berlin took our breath away!

I Just Can’t Stop Loving You

Michael Jackson debut this song in ’87 and we won’t stop loving MJ either.

Bridesmaid takeover or takedown?

Published on February 9, 2015February 9, 2015 by AVPEventsLeave a comment

As a wedding planner you deal with many different personalities and a TON of women…and as a woman, you know what women are like. Aside from potentially having a “bridezilla” or a “mother of the bridezilla”, you can end up with bridesmaids who think they run the show on the wedding day.

Now of course, it’s natural a bridesmaid wants her bestie to have a perfect wedding, who wouldn’t want everything to run perfectly? Here is the thing- it never does. Not even the best of the best planners can prevent the best man from getting food poisoning the night before. There are things we just cannot control and as difficult as it is- we have to accept it.

That being said, having a bossy bridesmaid can be an added stress to any planner or bride, though it’s wise to anticipate it. The tricky part is handling it in a professional manner that will not backfire. The last thing a planner wants is to have to talk with her and then have the bride return to you with a different story. At the end of the day, planners are there to make things run smoothly so everyone enjoys themselves as much as possible. But what to do when a bridesmaid attempts to take over on the day of the wedding?

Prepare in advance, and have something for her to be in charge of and for only her to do. This way you are killing several birds with one stone. By giving her a task (and make sure it’s a lengthy one or an ongoing one) it will keep her occupied, while making her feel helpful and minimizing your stress all at once. Yes, you will have a team there who is more than capable of looking after everything but no one needs a bridesmaid coming into the kitchen and barking at the catering staff while you are dealing with a wardrobe malfunction with the bride.

On the more “preventive” side of things, have a chat with the entire bridal party at the rehearsal dinner. This way you can voice your expectations of them and let them know that unless their assistance is solicited by you, all they need to do is enjoy themselves. Reassure them that you have plenty of experience and you have everything covered so they can help by making memories with the bride and groom.