Tuesday, February 2, 2016

#AskWendy


We asked all of you lovely brides out there to submit your burning wedding questions for our expert Wedding Coordinator, Weddings With Wendy, to answer. Wendy has been serving the wedding industry for decades here in the Seattle area and knows a thing or two about planning for a wedding.
Find the answers to your burning questions from her below!

Question #1: Are there ways to get loans or free money to offset the cost of weddings?

I am sure there are however the question you want to ask yourself is do you really want to begin your marriage with debt? A wedding can be super fun with almost any budget and I highly recommend putting a budget together before you start your planning and doing whatever you need to in order to stay within it.

Question #2: When it comes to your bridal party, is there an unwritten rule about whether or not the bride should pay for the bridesmaids’ hair and makeup and/or bridesmaid dresses?

Traditionally the bride will pay for hair and makeup so on her special day all your bridesmaid will feel equally pampered and equally special and pretty. When it comes to the dress choice it is typical for each member of the bridal party to pay for her own dress. When a bride is picking out her bridesmaid’s dress she should keep in mind the affordability of it. You don’t want one of them to have to back out just because she can’t afford the dress and there may be times the bride should offer to pay for it. You’ll just want to be very sensitive to the way you handle it.
 
Question #3: With cultural weddings, it’s hard to accommodate and please everyone involved due to direct involvement of family members. Do you have any useful tips or great advise on how to plan a large wedding with family involvement without hurting anyone’s feelings or sacrificing things that matter most to you?

It will be difficult to keep everyone happy 100% of the time and if that is your goal you’ll probably find yourself being frustrated most of the time. I would recommend that you ask your immediate family (mostly the mom’s and dad’s) what is most important to them. Even ask them to write it down and then go through the list letting them know that you will do what you can to accommodate as many of their wishes as possible. If there are things on the list the bride and or groom won’t be able to do they should let the family know ahead of time so there are no surprises. The main thing is to just listen. Your family mostly wants to be heard and to know their wishes are being considered.

Question #4: Real flowers are pretty for weddings, but so expensive. Is there any way to save on Flowers while still getting a full effect of flowers for your wedding décor? Are there places where I can hold off on real floral? Can you suggest pretty flowers that won’t break the bank, but will make a wow factor at my wedding?

You would be surprised on how much you can save and how pretty potted flowers or potted plants are. I myself use these kinds of flower at my home on a regular basis and often take them to my wedding shows and events with spectacular results. Often I’m asked about silk flowers and in general find there to be a significant price range on these and the nice ones often will end up costing more than real flowers. The only advantage is that you can take the silk flowers home and use them again and again however you can also do this with the potted plants and flowers as well and probably at a lower cost. Your other choice is to go to Pike’s Place Market and buy your own seasonal fresh cut flowers however you will have to do your own arrangements and provide your own containers if you choose to do it this way.

Saturday, January 30, 2016

Masala of India - 2016 Her Big Day Wedding Show Vendor





Food and culture go hand in hand when it comes to cultural weddings! For the Indian culture, you can expect the most tasty, exquisite cuisines filled with amazing spices. We are so excited to share that you will be able to taste their amazing food for yourself through one of our Catering vendors, Masala of India.

Masala of India Cuisine is a restaurant with the warm, romantic atmosphere of India, with friendly people who are genuinely passionate about good Indian food and excellent service! Mr. Sanjay Sharma, Owner, has a big smile for everyone who enters his establishment. His family recipes are over 100 years old - guaranteed to delight and satisfy you.

Get excited to meet Sanjay and his team as they serve up their amazing cuisines at Her Big Day: A Cultural Wedding Affair this Sunday, January 31st. Buy your tickets here!



Get social with Masala of India!

Blossom Box Jewelry - 2016 Her Big Day Wedding Show Vendor




Guarantee your jewelry and your bridal parties jewelry with out Jewelry vendor for Her Big Day: A Cultural Wedding Affair: Blossom Box Jewelry! They specialize in Bridal Jewelry, Bridesmaid Jewelry, Jewelry for Wedding Party & Bachelorette Gifts.

Get to know Owner, Ashley Singh, below and get excited to mingle with her and see her gorgeous jewelry selections the DoubleTree by Hilton Seattle Airport at the wedding show this Sunday, January 31st {buy your tickets here}!

Her Big Day (HBD): Tell us about your business! What do you specialize in and what makes you unique?
Ashley: Every Blossom Box piece is designed in the USA & handcrafted by the finest artisans in India. Made from the highest quality of materials such as semi-precious stones & 18k gold plating, each and every piece is made to perfection. Designed for women who love to adorn themselves on special occasions or for those who wish to wear a simple statement piece, Blossom Box is for any woman who loves to stand out from the crowd. We want our line to instill a sense of confidence, encouraging women to express their individuality.

At the heart of Blossom Box is our desire to support women and encourage them to pursue their passion. We want to remind people that while there will be obstacles along the way, they should never give up on their dreams. We are empowering women by giving them permission to dance outside the lines. For us, giving back is a true sign of success. It’s about recognizing all of the hands that went into making each Blossom Box piece, and it’s about carrying the past forward. It’s living courageously while being true to yourself. Blossom Box is more than a jewellery line; it's a statement of the kind of woman you want to be. It’s knowing who you are and what you want, and also recognizing your own ability to support others who are following their own dreams.

Blossom Box – Be Bold. Be Daring. Be Different.

HBD: What do you find clients always say they love about working with you? 
Ashley: Clients love working with Blossom Box Jewelry because we provide unique, semi-precious jewelry at an affordable price. We are able to customize each style with stones requested by our clients & we can alter the design to suit the needs of the client.




Get social with Blossom Box Jewelry!

Makeup by Senait - 2016 Her Big Day Wedding Show Vendor


Having a Makeup Artist understand your skin and your makeup vision for your big day is very important. Understanding your culture is an added bonus! We love having Makeup Artist options so we are more than excited to have Makeup by Senait as one of our Makeup Artist vendors at Her Big Day: A Cultural Wedding Affair. 

Get to know Owner, Senait Tensae, below and get excited to mingle with her and see her beautiful makeup artistry for brides and bridesmaids at the wedding show this Sunday, January 31st, 2016 {buy your tickets here}!

Her Big Day (HBD): Tell us about your business! What do you specialize in and what makes you unique?
Senait: I have been a Makeup artist for over a decade and have gained a whole lot of experience, knowledge and technique within the past years. I have started my freelance business to further follow my passion of making people look and feel beautiful. I have found my special talent which some people spend a lifetime searching for and I use it to bring happiness, joy and confidence. I strive with every client to achieve this wonderful feeling, for their satisfaction and my own. I think what is most rewarding is when a client looks at their self in the mirror, after I have done my best and I see the smile of complete satisfaction in their eyes. I just love that. It makes me feel that I was a big part of something so special and unforgettable. That is what a wedding is, a time in your life that will not be forgotten and I love being a part of making a bride feel so beautiful during that special day.

HBD: Why are you participating in Her Big Day: A Cultural Wedding Affair? 
Senait: This is my first year participating in "Her Big Day" and I am honored to be a part of a community of people who are passionate about making Brides experience the most memorable day of their life in an unforgettable way. I am so excited to meet new people who share a familiar passion of bringing others happiness. =)

HBD: What do you find clients always say they love about working with you? 
Senait: They love the way they look is something that my clients have expressed to me a lot along with "thank you for being so flexible". As we all know, timing and scheduling can be thrown off by numerous things on a wedding day and being able to go with the flow to make my part a reality is what my focus is. I always make sure that the Brides worries have nothing to do with her makeup. I am always willing to accommodate her in anyway I can so that the least of her worries is her makeup.





Get social with Makeup by Senait!

Friday, January 29, 2016

Mehendi Ri Mehendi - 2016 Her Big Day Wedding Show Vendor


Finding an amazing henna artist who knows how to create the perfect design is never easy. Henna that lasts long and adds to your wedding attire is so important. We are beyond excited to have Mehendi Ri Mehendi as one of our Henna Artist vendors at Her Big Day: A Cultural Wedding Affair!

Get to know Owner, Priyanka, below and get excited to mingle with her and see her gorgeous henna at the DoubleTree by Hilton Seattle Airport at the wedding show this Sunday, January 31st {buy your tickets here}!




Get social with Mehendi Ri Mehendi!

Drones Plus Seattle - 2016 Her Big Day Wedding Show Vendor



Don't miss out on anything at your wedding! In other words, make sure you capture all the footage you can of your big day. You can do just that with our Videography vendor at Her Big Day: A Cultural Wedding Affair: Drones Plus Seattle!

Are you wondering what a drone is? A drone is a flying camera, basically! It allows you to catch different angles of video perfect moments. Here is a link to a short clip created by Drones Plus Seattle for a wedding they did here in Washington.

Meet Seattle team as represented by Marcus Anderson and get excited to mingle with him and see his awesome drones in action at the DoubleTree by Hilton Seattle Airport at the wedding show THIS SUNDAY, January 31st, 2016 {buy your tickets here}!

Get social with Drones Plus Seattle!

Genet Catering - 2016 Her Big Day Wedding Show Vendor





After your guests have witnessed your holy matrimony, they will most definitely expect you to feed them! Food is a language that we can all speak and is so unique to every culture. This is why we are excited to announce one of our Catering vendors at Her Big Day: A Cultural Wedding Affair: Genet Catering!

Owner, Genet Debesay, specializes in cooking different kinds of food from Habesha food, to Asian cuisines, Mexican meals, and American food. She can also make special orders like sambusa and egg roll--yum!. Genet has been supplying food to all cultural communities for some time now here in the Seattle metropolitan area and her creations are delicious! She has a referral based business, in which she has no site, but people connect with her through the community. Get excited to mingle with her and taste her awesome food at our wedding show this Sunday, January 31st, 2016 {buy your tickets here}!


Get social with Genet Catering!