Meet Our 2017 Wedding Show Sponsor: Alexander Party Rentals

Photographer: DanYelle McNeely

On January 29^th, future brides and their entourage will have the opportunity to meet with and be inspired by the team behind Alexander Party Rentals- a family-owned and operated event rentals company! They are the go-to suppliers for everything you can possibly need for your Big Day and they are great at meeting your needs!

When I (Beri) got married in 2012, I had a wedding guest count of 1,500 and our venue did not have enough chairs for our guests! We rented additional chairs, including chiavari chairs for our wedding party, and they made our planning so easy by being detailed, punctual and efficient!

Come and say hello and check out their inspirational set-up! P.S. don't forget to stay for the fashion show where our beautiful models will grace the stage sponsored by Alexander Party Rentals!

Her Big Day: We actually didn’t know that Alexander Party Rentals was a family-owned and operated business until recently! Tell us a little about your family and how they came to start this company.

Alexander Party Rentals: We started out as a small tool rental company in the 80’s, and started to notice the need for party rentals. In 1991, Alexander Party Rentals began providing the Puget Sound Region with quality & affordable event rental equipment. Recently in our second generation of ownership, we are proud to be one of the fastest growing companies in the industry, sporting some of the youngest equipment and newest products.

HBD: We love your beautiful white tents! What’s the largest tent you’ve set up and was it for a wedding?

Alexander Party Rentals: We have rented tents in excess of 10,000 square feet! The largest wedding tent we’ve provided was a 50x120 foot tent. Our tents come in not just white, but clear, and, on our unique tidewater tents, a semi-translucent material.

HBD: We have to ask about your chiavari chairs because they seem to be an essential for the Big Day. What are the different types and colors you carry in stock at your store?

Alexander Party Rentals: Our Chiavari chairs are definitely one of the most popular wedding must-haves right now. We carry them in Gold, Silver, Black, Mahogany, and White. Also, all of the cushions are interchangeable…so they can be easily coordinated with décor. We are offering special wedding pricing on Chiavari chairs right now, too!

HBD: Here at Her Big Day, we connect cultural brides with vendors who can service their unique wedding needs. What are some items or equipment you carry that are unique to some cultural weddings?

Alexander Party Rentals: When we first discuss our client’s needs with them, we do our best to help them in creating their wedding vision. Our tents for example, can be customized for the bride that wants clear skylights to dance underneath the stars, or transformed with an elegant tent lining and lavish chandelier. We also have linens in many vibrant colors, china in various styles, and dramatic two-tone iridescent fabric overlays called Dazzles.

HBD: What’s the best way for a bride to find out if you carry something in your store? Do you do special orders for items you may not carry?

Alexander Party Rentals: Our website lists all of our current rental items; however, we are constantly ordering new equipment to increase our inventory. If you don’t see something you are looking for, we suggest calling us and asking, as a new item may well be on the way. You might be the call we were waiting for to procure a new item.

HBD: And last, what can we expect to see at your booth during the wedding show? Can we have a hint! J

Alexander Party Rentals: We want to show brides how lovely it can be to mix the newest industry looks with their unique cultural décor. You can expect lots of vibrant colors, a culturally rich vibe, and the hottest wedding trends. Our booth will also have special wedding show pricing offers, too…some of which are 40% off regular pricing!

Photographer: DanYelle McNeely

Connect with Alexander Party Rentals further here:

Website: alexanderpartyrentals.com
Phone number: 206-282-1987
Facebook: Facebook.com/alexanderpartyrentals

Tickets to the wedding show can be found at: bit.ly/herbigday2017

Meet Wedding Planner Jessy Jule

Image source: Weddings with Love

As our Wedding Planning workshop is just around the corner, we wanted to reach out to wedding and events planner Jessy Jule and pick her brains on her role as a wedding planner and what tips she would offer the bride embarking on the wedding planning journey! Jessy Jule's business is located in Milton Keynes and London and she has been in the events industry for four years now. A year and a half ago she decided to focus on and develop her skills further within the weddings industry. Here's what she had to say about wedding planning for the cultural bride:

Her Big Day: What do you love most about working with brides on their big day?

Jessy Jules: Personally, I love the satisfaction and that proud moment at the end of the wedding knowing that the Bride (and her groom) are happy and pleased with your services. Despite the reality of how challenging and stressful it can be, it feels great to be trusted on such a significant special day and how you not only end up with a successful wedding but also a great relationship with the bride that can extend beyond the wedding.

HBD: For cultural brides and weddings, what would you say tends to be the hardest part about planning?

JJ: When it comes to cultural/traditional weddings, I believe the most challenging part is having to plan under the influence and input of family members. This is due to the fact that the ceremonies are very much family based (you may hear of the saying that the traditional wedding is for the family and not necessarily the couple) so family members tend to have a lot to say during the planning stage. For example, the location, the setting, the timing, guests etc.

This can cause some issues when some decisions need to be made from a more logical and professional perspective.

HBD: What is the role of a wedding/event planner and how do they work with the bride and/or family?

JJ: A wedding planner’s role is to stand as the professional, organised and neutral person who takes on the responsibility of planning the wedding. The list of tasks they must handle tend to always vary due to what their client requires. Generally, they would need to research into venues, vendors, manage the budget, arrange and attend meetings with the bride (and family)… the list goes on!

HBD: How important would you say it is to have a wedding/event planner for your big day? Do you have any stories of how having one or not having one made an impact on a bride? 

JJ: I personally think that it is very important to have a wedding planner for your wedding day. Mainly because this day will only come once and it is one of the biggest and most special days of your life so you do not want to take any risks or end up as a stressful, dissatisfied bride on your big day.

It is also important to budget and manage your set budget during the planning process. After the day is over, you have till death do us part to live! So it is imperative to ensure that you have someone that can support you and advise you on how best to spend your money during the course of planning.

I have come across many brides who didn't have a wedding planner and the common end result is seeing her stressed out about one thing or the other on the night before the wedding! I remember a bride who hadn’t given her DJ the song list for her entrances and she was absolutely devastated to the point where she just wanted to abruptly walk in. However, if the bride is someone who is organized and has the ability to balance being the planner and the bride all in one, then it can also work out perfectly.

HBD: How soon should a bride start searching for a wedding/event planner?

JJ: From the moment the bride and groom have saved enough money and are happy to begin planning, that is when they should start searching for their planner.

   

HBD: Is there anything the bride should know or consider when searching for a wedding/event planner?

JJ: I would recommend every bride-to-be to consider their budget and what their requirements of the planner would be. They should also consider how much experience and knowledge the planner has within weddings as it’ll give you some insight as to whether they would do a good job or be a good fit for you.

HBD: Any priority or pressing questions the bride should ask the planner before booking?

JJ: Do they have a portfolio/testimonials of past weddings they have worked on? What packages and services do they offer/provide? How much do they charge? Do they have any experience with cultural weddings?

HBD: Any advice for the bride who has yet to begin the wedding planning process?

JJ: My advice would be to make sure you have a good, realistic idea of what you want for your wedding that fits within your budget to avoid any disappointments when you reach the planning process. So attend wedding shows, read wedding magazines and blogs, check out wedding platforms on social media, etc. in order to gain some inspiration, and tips along the way. 

Also, ensure that you set enough time for the wedding planning. The last thing you want is to be stressed out and disappointed at the fact that the venue you want is unavailable on your date. Lastly, remember to also include your husband-to-be in your decision making and researching. After all it is his wedding as much as it is yours!

HBD: Thank you so much, Jessy for taking the time to share with our brides to be! xoxo

Bellas, if you're in the Seattle area, join us at our wedding planning workshop on June 26th, we would LOVE to see you all there! Check out more details on our Facebook event page here! 

Also, don't forget to connect with Jessy Jule and her wedding planning endeavors on Instagram here!

Jessy Jule Weddings | T: 07984 99006 |E: jessyjule@hotmail.com

Bright & Co Events - 2016 Her Big Day Wedding Show Vendor

Planning a multiple day wedding is even harder than planning a one day wedding! Lucky for you, one of our vendors for Her Big Day: A Cultural Wedding Affair can supply you with all the help you need to plan your big day. Meet, Bright & Co Events!

Bright & Co. Events offers a wide variety of services from full design and planning packages, day of coordination, and even a la carte offerings based on what you specifically need help with!

Get to know Owner, Kiara Bright-Hancock below and get excited to mingle with her and hear how she can help you plan the wedding of your dreams at our wedding show in January {buy your tickets here}!

Her Big Day (HBD): Tell us about your business! What do you specialize in and what makes you unique?

Kiara: Hello, I'm Kiara, Owner and Lead Planner at Bright & Co. Events, one of the new kids on the block in the event planning business. While my business may be new, I have years of experience in planning events of all sizes. My 10+ years as an administrative professional for some of the Northwest's top companies has afforded me the opportunity to use my organizational skills, planning ability, and creativeness to plan multiple corporate parties and events. When I got engaged and planned my own wedding in 2014, I was able to combine my love of celebrations with my knack for organizing and Bright & Co. Events began to take shape.

Her Big Day (HBD): What can brides (and grooms) expect when working with you?

Kiara: When you work with Bright & Co. Events we become a resource to help you bring your vision to life. Your celebration should be authentic to who you are as a person, couple, or company. I always encourage clients to be true to who they are; fight for the things they want on their special day; dream big; be courageous and to trust their gut and I am here to support you. As your planner, I pride myself on delivering ideas and designs that are tailored to your vision.

HBD: Your long tenure in the event planning world is commendable--we understand your love for party planning as we love that too! Why are you participating in Her Big Day: A Cultural Wedding Affair? 

Kiara: This is my first year participating in Her Big Day and I couldn't be more excited. Her Big Day is going to be an exciting event that brings together people of different cultural backgrounds. The wedding industry is a diverse business and to be part of a show that celebrates that diversity is exciting! I look forward to meeting a variety of clients and other vendors that I may not have met otherwise and expanding my own business into new and exciting areas.

HBD: What do you find clients always say they love about working with you?

Kiara: I love and work for my clients like they are family and I think that comes through in my work. I find that clients often are complimentary of my organization and the variety of creative ideas I bring to the table. I am a great listener and my clients always tell me that I absorb their vision and take their events to levels that they did not even expect.

HBD: We love how passionate you are about your work! That passion definitely makes a difference. Have you won any awards or have been recognized for your work?
Kiara: Bright & Co. Events was recently featured on the the NW Wedding Magazine blog "Northwed". I was also recently awarded a scholarship to Sinclair & Moore's upcoming workshop, "The Elements of Event Design". I am looking forward to learning from some of the best and collaborating with other event vendors.

HBD: Is there anything else brides (and grooms) should know about your business?
Kiara: Whenever I look at my own wedding photos I feel such tremendous joy. My wedding day was unimaginably perfect and full of complete elation and my business is meant to capture that same spirit. It inspires me to create a day and environment for my own clients that give them the same opportunity to hand things over to me and live in the moment of their special day. Simply put, I aspire to be there for you so you can enjoy the celebration and put away your worry. Days like these truly do fly by.

I look forward to working with you on a bold, confident, and vibrant design for your event and I am excited to embark on this new venture and hope you will join us!

Get social with Bright & Co Events!

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Email

Guest Blogger | Amanda Taylor of Mend Our Marriage

Introducing our Guest blogger: Amanda Taylor, Co-founder of Mend Our Marriage; a new platform and great resource dedicated to 'strengthening, uniting and restoring marriages!' Here at Her Big Day, we are all about wedding inspiration and wedding planning as we spotlight everything that goes into the beginning stages of marriage- the "Big Event" that unites us and covers us under a covenant promise to 'love, honor and to hold one another...in sickness and in health...'In most cultures, marriage is highly honored and esteemed, but unfortunately most couples don't take the necessary steps to prepare for the journey they are embarking on together. Even further, they don't have the tools and resources available to maintain their marriages. Yes, marriage takes maintenance work and when we don't understand what that means or how to protect and nurture our marriages, we grow frustrated with one another. We are firm believers in marriage and in the fact that marriage is a beautiful union that does work! For that reason, we are honored to share this post with you!

How Becoming One Saved My Marriage & 5 Steps To Take To Save Yours

Just Being Honest

After the beautiful dress, the tears, the excitement and joy of the wedding day, the real work begins. What work you may ask? Well you see, in order to live up to the vows you so sincerely spoke, you must become committed to the process of becoming one with your spouse. Now don’t get overwhelmed by this statement or my next sentence. Along with the passion, joy and happiness, there will also be some hurt, pain, sacrifice and a total giving of yourself that will be required. I only share that harsh reality of marriage because there are so many out there that are struggling and on the brink of divorce.

My 2cents

My theory is that most people are enamored by the idea of marriage but severely under plan for marriage. Hence the divorce rate for first time marriages hovering around 50%. What a travesty! See, my husband and I learned a very valuable lesson about marriage because we missed one crucial step. We never truly focused on becoming one. We negated the steps that it takes to merge together. My desire in this post is to make sure that you have the information that we lacked. You are probably wondering, “What are the 5 steps?” Well before I share them with you, just realize that these 5 steps are absolutely crucial to the success of your marriage. I know because my marriage almost ended because my husband and I failed to practice them in the beginning stages of our marriage. We learned the hard way so that you won’t have to. Just know that if you incorporate these into your marriage starting TODAY, you have no choice but to succeed. Let’s explore these five steps.

5 Steps To Becoming One

1.) Know Who You Are

Ok ok…I know you are probably thinking, “I thought this was about me becoming one with my spouse?” Well before you can merge your lives together as one, you both must first really understand who you are individually. Most people will skip right over this step and think that they already know who they are, but do you really? I’m sure you know your favorite color and that you prefer Italian cuisine over Mexican. But do you know why you exist? Are you comfortable expressing your weaknesses? Are you confident enough to identify your strengths? What are you passionate about in life and what are your personal goals for the future? Being able to communicate these key things will allow you and your spouse to see what and who you really need to be to each other. Where he is weak you are strong. Your areas of struggle may be where he excels. When you don’t take time to truly learn yourself and become comfortable exposing all the good, bad and ugly parts of who you are, you can very easily start to feel like you don’t have an identity in the marriage. This can also be the cause of why many husbands and wives often feel misunderstood and unable to effectively communicate in marriage. Trust me…this happened to me.

2.) Become a Student of Your Spouse

Do you remember when you were ready to get your driver’s license? Remember how exciting that experience was? You told everyone about itand maybe your parents already had a car ready for you to drive. But was that all you did to prepare? Were you able to just walk in the DMV pumped up on all the excitement and anticipation to get the license that was going to change the course of your life forever? Not that easy. You had to STUDY for a TEST that needed to be PASSED in order for you to get your license. We take time to research and study articles, YouTube and even Pinterest for tips and tricks on how to cook, clean, do our hair and become better parents. We shut everyone out when we need to study for a test or prepare for an important presentation on our job. We make sure we are well prepared for the world around us, but don’t do the same for our spouse. You must become a lifelong student of your spouse from the beginning. As you grow and change, which you will do, be willing to remain in a position to learn more about your mate.

3.) Establishing Roles & Responsibilities

Once you and your spouse take the time to learn each other this next step will be pretty easy to implement. You see, there are those who assume that ALL men take out the trash or ALL women cook but this is not the case. We should remember that everyone comes from different backgrounds and family cultures which may not look exactly like what we are used to. Because of this, it is important not to come into a marriage assuming your spouse will automatically do certain things, no matter how small they may be. Establishing roles and expectations you both agree upon either before or soon after you are married is a must if you want to have a happy home. Making assumptions only causes you to make a fool of yourself.

4.) Family Culture

Determine what your household will look like. Of course you both have your own traditions and special occasions that are more important than others. However, once you become one in a marriage, you both are to “leave and cleave” to the other person and develop your own culture, traditions and practices for your home and later for your children. Develop a purpose statement for your home. Decide what will and will not go on in your house and what practices are going to be most important to the foundation and structure of your family. Once you agree on your family’s goals and purpose, put it up in your home as a reminder so you both are able to stay accountable to the vision set in place for your home and your future together. This is especially important to have early in a marriage so that you have a foundation to stay on when outside influences try to divide you and your spouse.

5.) Establish Support System & Accountability

One thing that I wish my husband and I had in the beginning of our marriage was a solid support system made up of other trusted married couples to be accountable to. Often times in a marriage, people get lazy and too comfortable resulting in them not being fully present in their marriage. When you are intentional about connecting with couples who are positive, optimistic and objective, you can hold each other accountable and consistently have a standard of healthy marriage around you at all times. If you don’t know where to get the support you need, we offer this through our site and you can become part of a flourishing network of supportive married couples here: www.mendourmarriage.com/membership. Outside of the larger group, being able to just talk as wives or just as husbands is also needed. This is really important in times where one spouse is struggling and needs someone of the same gender to relate and support them through their difficult times.

Choose to GIVE

Yes this blog is jammed packed full of information, but in order for any of this to work you must choose everyday to GIVE…which is the definition of LOVE. If you make a conscious effort each day to give of yourself and make the object of your love your spouse and they do the same for you, your life together will be abundant. Are you eager to become a student of your spouse and get a head start on making your marriage a lasting one with a strong foundation? If so, we offer a solution that is unique to any other site on the web. We are not interested in soliciting our services…we are only interested in saving marriages like yours. To get a better feel for us and to learn more about our Mend our Marriage community, visit us here: www.mendourmarriage.com/membership. And remember, becoming one is all about both of you bringing 100% to the table.

Connect with Mend Our Marriage here:
Facebook
Website
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Guest Blogger | Dr. Tahir on Sleep During Wedding Planning

Introducing Our Guest Blogger: Chiropractor, Author and
Professional Speaker Dr. Rubina Tahir, DC

Are you dreaming about getting a good night of sleep??

Dr. Rubina Tahir, DC shares tips for successful sleep during wedding planning.

A wedding planning bride knows that one day she will come face to face with the stress fairy! The stress fairy is unlike the tooth fairy, you will not be waking up with money under your pillow.  Instead you are faced with this uninvited guest following you around through the whole wedding process: finding a dress, talking to the mother in law, picking out flowers, securing a venue etc. etc.!

So how can you co-exist with your new house guest and still get a good night of sleep?  There is a simple formula that every bride-to-be must know!

During times of stress our body is operating with a GREEN light.  Always on the GO, speeding around the race track of life.  Our nervous system is trained to operate in 2 modes: GREEN and RED.  Evolution of humans paints a better picture:  if you think about a bear approaching, your body signals into GREEN mode, “fight or flight”.  You either get safely away from the bear, or it will eat you for lunch, either way you signal back into RED.  During times of stress we rarely turn the RED light on.  When you can't turn your head off at night in order to fall asleep, or you wake up in the middle of the night with trouble getting back to sleep, these are indications of an overactive RED signal.  You are still running from the bear or in this case, the stress fairy.

Here is what you can do to beat stress and get successful sleep:

Turn off the Lights

Remember that a dark bedroom can help your body know it’s time for sleep. To help the body adjust to a regular sleep cycle, make an effort to distinguish between "daytime" and "bedtime".  A sleep mask is an easy trick to help promote sleep!  Try one that is scented with lavender to help your body wind down and turn off that green light.

Keep your Bedroom a Bedroom

These days, many of us have laptops, kindles, smart phones and other mobile devices that transform any room into an office.  Problem: you will NOT associate your room with sleep.  Keep your sleep room clear of TV’s, electronics and other devices that stimulate your brain and make it difficult to calm the mind and body.

Organize

Clear your mind. Write a To-Do list for the next day. This way the mind can finally relax, letting go for the time being.

Don’t count sheep, instead try this contract-relax exercise

Lie in bed and relax every muscle in your body. Start at your head and work down to your toes, tightening and relaxing each muscle one at a time.  Relaxing muscles is part of achieving the first stage of sleep.

Eat foods rich in Magnesium

Magnesium deficiency is responsible for nervousness that prevents sleep.

Magnesium-rich foods include kelp, wheat bran, apricots, avocado, figs, kelp, almonds, cashews, blackstrap molasses, and brewer's yeast.

Get your B vitamins

The B’s provide a sedative effect on the nerves.

The best food sources of the B vitamins are liver, whole grains, eggs, fresh vegetables, wheat germ, tuna, walnuts, peanuts, bananas, kelp, sunflower seeds, and blackstrap molasses.

Herbal Tea Recipe

Half an hour before bedtime, drink a calming herbal tea made with:

Lemon balm

Lemon balm tea is extremely relaxing and induces sleep.

1 cup of boiling water over 1 tsp. of dried leaves.

Steep for ten minutes and sip slowly just before bed.

Chamomile Tea Bath

Chamomile's sedative qualities is a way to treat you to a spa like bedtime experience. Prepare a pot of chamomile tea made from dried chamomile flowers (loose chamomile is preferable to chamomile tea bags to get the best benefit from this healing herb). Allow the tea too steep for ten minutes. Strain the flower particles from the brewed tea. Pour the warm tea into the bath while the tap water is filling your tub. Immerse your body and soak away your stresses.

Questions?

Email: Chiro@rubinatahir.com

Twitter: @chirorubina

www.rubinatahir.com