Carol, Author at Bride St. Louis

Bridal Show Tips to Make the Most of Your Time

January 25, 2020 By Carol Leave a Comment

Bridal Shows can be fun and exciting, as you put together the pieces of your wedding day. And they are indoors…where it’s warm! So you can warm your body and excite your spirit.

Many brides tell me that they are thoroughly overwhelmed the first time they attend a bridal show, so I thought it might be good to lay out a few guidelines to help you make the most of your time.

Before you go – print several sheets of adhesive address labels with your name, contact information, AND wedding date. Quickly peel off a label and stick it on an inquiry sheet at any booth that you would like to receive additional information.

Bring your checkbook – you just might want to book or hold a date. High demand dates can go quickly. Is your wedding date in May, June or September, October? (These are high demand months.) If you find a vendor you like, and they are available, you better book it now. Photographers book sometimes a year out, and so do venues. They can only host one event on any one day, so don’t take a chance and find them booked next time you inquire.

Bring family or friends you trust, and whose opinion matters.

Invite your groom – but take him only if he wants a voice in this part of the wedding planning. If this is not his thing, don’t torture him!

Know what you are looking for and what’s your budget.

Wear comfortable shoes and clothing.

Many vendors will have SHOW specials. This is a great time to take advantage of these deals to help stretch the budget. Be sure to ask questions about their service. Service is what the top professional vendors provide – that’s what puts them in demand. Weddings are a very personal service, and without GOOD service, you might have problems. Not a way to remember a wedding.

Whether your wedding is a few months away or an entire year, a bridal show will help you pull everything together.

Come visit our Bridal Show on Sunday. What a great way to start the new year and get ready for your wedding!

DATE: January 26, 2020

LOCATION: The Christy Banquet Center, 9000 Veterans Memorial Drive, O’Fallon, MO 63366

TIME: 12 noon to 3:30pm

FASHION SHOW: 3 PM

Additional tickets available at the door for $10.00.

All Children under 10 are free.

One last point – be sure to sign your married name on our “Welcome Signature Board” when you arrive.

We are so excited to have you join us for the perfect wedding experience.

Filed Under: BRIDAL SHOWS

Bride St. Louis donates to ReFresh

January 25, 2020 By Carol Leave a Comment

Refresh Visit by Bride St. Louis

This week Bride St. Louis made a stop at ReFresh in Brentwood to donate dresses that remained from our 2019 Run for the Dress. Re-Fresh is not your typical resale store. The only thing that can top fashionable clothes at reasonable prices is shopping in the name of a great cause.

ReFresh is run by the Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition, a St. Louis non-profit that finds forever families for area children in foster care. Not only do the store’s proceeds benefit the Coalition’s important work, but ReFresh also provides deep discounts to children in foster care. Shopping at ReFresh truly makes both your heart and wallet feel good!

Join them for their first ever Bridal Event January 4^th thru January 31^st. Come shop their collection, which includes over 200 new wedding dresses generously donated by a local bridal store. They have a vast array of sizes and on-trend styles starting at $100, with many dresses on sale for 30 to 50% off the ticket price. Be sure to tell them Bride St. Louis sent you.

Filed Under: Bridal Gowns

Colleen’s Wedding Planning – Part 2 “Choosing a Venue”

January 22, 2020 By Carol Leave a Comment

Bride St. Louis

Welcome back, St. Louis brides! The next step in your wedding planning process definitely requires a glass (or three) of wine! It’s time to think about your venue! This was definitely the most stressful part of wedding planning that I’ve experienced so far. Yet, once it’s over you can breathe a HUGE sigh of relief.

Picking a venue has so many challenges that come with the task. There are so many things that you have to take into consideration that I didn’t even know I would ever worry about. Not only do you have to worry about the price per person for food and drinks, you also have the room rental to consider, the ceremony and the ceremony fee, the space for guests, etc. After emailing and calling so many places, I started to lose track of you who I had and had not talked to! I highly recommend creating a spreadsheet! It was very simple and basic since I knew eventually I will have chosen a place and I wouldn’t need it. My spreadsheet included the location, the price per person, venue rental, ceremony fee, and the person I was in contact with.

Next step…calling and emailing and emailing and emailing. So many emails! The most important thing to consider when you are considering your venue is what type of reception you are wanting. I was interested in a “party” vibe. I want my guests to just eat and drink to their heart’s desire and of course, have a blast! I wanted a place where I could put out some games like giant Jenga, cornhole, etc. I knew I needed more of a barn or brewery type of vibe! So, I could immediately rule out some of the places I talked to that were more industrial and seemed “cold” to me. Distance was also a huge factor! Which set of family and friends was going to have to drive a distance and which set were going to have a short commute? Were there hotels nearby? What about a fun restaurant or bar that guests might be able to get a drink at after the reception? (Can you tell yet that I really just want my guests to have fun?)

Another way to narrow down your search is by thinking about what is absolutely too far for guests to travel. If you’re on the fence about a place, I suggest taking a “drive-by” before you schedule an official visit. I drove by a location that I was unsure about and by just driving to the location, I immediately ruled it out. It just wasn’t what I was looking for and through this approach, I didn’t have to spend my Saturday at an appointment at a spot that I knew wasn’t going to work.

After taking all of these aspects into consideration, I was able to narrow my search down to two places! I booked an appointment with one of the places and the next day I toured the location. I didn’t even call my second option for an appointment because I fell in love with the first one! It has the room and ability to play games, it has a great price for food and drinks, a beautiful area for a ceremony, and it’s the perfect distance for so many of our guests. I can finally breathe! The hardest part is over. Like my fiancé said, “When you know, you know. Just like when I saw you.” Aww, sappy I know 😊. More to come next week!

NOTE: Bride St. Louis has a sister site called VenuesofStLouis.com. There you will find over 300 Venues Listed with detailed information. That site is searchable by location, price, and type.

Colleen’s Journey To Her Dream Wedding – Introduction

January 14, 2020 By Carol Leave a Comment

Hello St. Louis Brides!

We are introducing a new “feature.” Colleen, one of our very own team mates is getting married this year, and we’ve asked her to share with you her journey as she prepares for her wedding this coming July. Witness her decisions, frustrations, and joy as she journeys to her “Dream Wedding”.

First of all, congratulations! You’re getting married! Can you believe it? If not, don’t worry. I couldn’t either, and I still can’t! Second of all, I’m here to let you know that we are in this together! From the hundreds of emails that are flooding your inbox to the millions of calls you are making to venues, photographers, florists, DJs, and more. Just know that we are all going through this together and we will make it out alive! I promise.

In the blog posts that I will be writing over the next couple of months, I am going to walk you through the plans I have been making and the tips and tricks I have come across. But first, let me begin by introducing myself! My name is Colleen, I am 29 years old, and I was born and raised in St. Louis. I am a full-time teacher and lover of hiking, dogs, and trying new breweries. When I am not teaching, I love spending time working for Bride St. Louis under the direction of Carol Pope. She is a bridal show guru and she knows all the ins and outs of the bridal industry! I have been working with Carol for around 3 years now and I have learned so much from her. As a teacher and a bridal show consultant, I have come to realize my love for organization, planning, and being prepared. As you will read in the next few months, you will notice that I like to stay ahead of schedule and make sure everything is organized. So, if I worry you with how quickly I move forward when booking a venue, finding a dress, etc., don’t stress! That is just because I am a type-A personality that finds anxiety in being behind schedule. Therefore, I am here to help you keep track of what you might need to start thinking about doing next!

The first thing I knew I needed to do was book my venue and date! Oh, my goodness that is stressful. My fiancé and I have only been engaged for three weeks now but it feels like I’ve aged three years in that time. Since I am a teacher, I’ve always known I wanted to get married in the summertime and since I’m an organized planner, I felt like I could make this summer work! Seven-month engagement? I got this! I decided to let the engagement sink in for a few days and really feel all the feels instead of jumping right into planning. I highly suggest you take this time as well! However, once a week passed, this anxiety-filled planner started to stress and realized it was “go time”. But please, take more than a week. Take a few weeks, take a month. You do you!

The first thing I downloaded after getting engaged was The Knot app. This app is amazing! You can take a style quiz to determine what kind of wedding you are looking for if you don’t already know. This app will then give you some suggested venues in your area or surrounding area that fit your style. Along with being extremely organized and in control, I am also insanely indecisive. I can never make a decision without thinking about it for hours (wedding dress shopping should be fun). With that being said, The Knot helped me make a vision for our wedding and narrow down some venues that fit with my style. My indecisive qualities loved this feature! Speaking of “narrowing down some venues”, next week I am going to go through all of the planning, phone calls, and meetings that it took to book our perfect venue! In the meantime, don’t stress about all of those little details that are keeping you up at night, everything will get figured out in time and it will turn out perfectly! Oh, and make sure to download that app, it’s a lifesaver 🙂

That’s it for this week…..I’ll be back with more news next week.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Best Tips for the Wedding Day, Engaged, Planning Your Wedding, Wedding Planning

Engagement Ring Care Tips for New Brides-To-Be

December 5, 2019 By Carol Leave a Comment

Congratulations to all your newly engaged brides-to-be. We thought this would be an excellent time to share with you some tips on how to care for that newly acquire ring. Wedding rings will last a lifetime, and maybe longer if you pass it down to future generations, so extend the shine and sparkle and keep your stones safely in their settings.

Clean your wedding jewelry at home with warm water and a baby soft tooth brush. Stay away from sinks and drains. Lotions, powders, soaps – even the natural oils from you skin will create a film and reduce their brilliance. You can use a small bowl of warm suds containing a mild household liquid detergent, but don’t use any cleaners containing chlorine. Paper towels can scratch the ring so use a cotton towel or let it air dry. Be sure to rinse and avoid touching the diamond with your fingers. There are also ultrasonic cleaners available that you may purchase, and there are some liquid jewelry cleaners that you can buy as well. If you are wearing your diamond ring every day in situations where it’s likely to get dirty, give your ring a quick and gentle scrubbing once every two weeks. Opt for a more thorough cleaning once a month.

Store your rings in a separate soft compartment, fabric lined case or box with dividers to avoid scratches. Be careful when using ring holders or jewelry dishes as these tend to stack rings on top of each other which can cause damage.

As tempting as it may be to keep that sparkler on all the time, there are a number of everyday scenarios that can damage your new jewelry. Exercising, showering, cooking, cleaning, and applying makeup are all risky activities for your ring. .Avoid wearing your diamonds while doing housework, yard work or other kind of rough work. Even though a diamond is extremely durable, a hard blow could chip it. Don’t take your ring off to wash your hands in public bathrooms — there are many tories of women leaving rings being.

Insure them! Get comprehensive coverage against loss, theft, damage and mysterious disappearance. If you have homeowners or renters insurance, an engagement ring can typically be protected by simply adding a rider to the policy. As an alternative, there are also independent companies that specialize in jewelry insurance. A jeweler or appraiser will have to determine the value of your ring for insurance purposes. In most cases, an expert at the store where the ring was purchased should be able to help. It’s also a good idea to have your ring re-appraised every year since values often change over time.

Once a year take your engagement ring and wedding bands to a jeweler for inspection and cleaning. They will check for loose settings, any worn prongs and other potential problems. However if you see a loose stone or prong between your annual checkup, immediately take your piece to the jeweler.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

11 Thing to Know BEFORE you talk to any Wedding Vendor

September 19, 2019 By Carol Leave a Comment

As couples begin planning for their wedding most are in completely new territory. Hiring a venue, photographer, bakery, caterer, florist, and all the other services that make for a wedding isn’t something they do regularly. As a result, most couples have no idea what questions to ask potential vendors. Then, armed with limited and often conflicting answers to what may not have been the right questions in the first place, they then try to compare between several and make the best choice. It’s very stressful.

Let’s make sure you’re armed with the right knowledge so you can make an informed choice that’s right for you.

Know your budget. Create your budget and know where your money is coming from BEFORE you even start talking to vendors. Agree on an amount for each type of service you need. Base that decision on what’s important to you.

Know your priorities. Maybe you care more about the music and dancing than running around town for photos in a lot of locations. In that case, spend more on a top-notch DJ or a live band and cut out the party bus. Be very honest about what’s important to you and what will make your day special and weigh the budget in favor of those things.

Set a definite location and date up front. If you come into a cake shop for a tasting to “just peruse” and you don’t have a place and a time set yet, you’re wasting both your time and the vendor’s time. That cake shop might already have ten weddings booked and can take no more. Photographers and videographers, for example, will usually want to know that information right from the beginning as they may already be booked for your date.

Trust the professionals. Wedding pros have experience gained over countless weddings, so listen to their advice and don’t try to second guess them. If a photographer tells you that ten minutes is just not enough time to take twenty family poses after the ceremony, believe it. In the end, however, vendors want your day to be the best it can be and they may have a plan you haven’t even thought of so you don’t have to give up your wedding dreams.

“What does it cost” should not be your one and only question.It’s important to have a general idea of what price range each vendor serves and if they are within your budget. However, price is not the only important thing to consider and you should make it clear when you first contact them that other things are equally important. Let’s be very honest here, wedding professionals are people that are very passionate about what they do. Many are true artists that put their heart and soul into their products and services. When the only question is “what does it cost” many feel it belittles the care and talent that they put into their profession. Instead of getting off on the wrong foot, a better way to approach a vendor is to have a list of three or four questions, in addition to price, that shows you really care about and value what they offer.

Don’t send one big mass email to every single vendor.Narrow down your list to your top choices and then send them inquiries. Be short and INFORMATIVE. Provide them with your wedding date, your venue, and a little bit about the kind of wedding you’re wanting to have.

Always be honest and upfront when talking with a vendor especially as it relates to your expectations and your budget. Give them a heads-up about any “unique” circumstance so that there are no surprises on your wedding day.

Be realistic. While negotiating with service professionals is acceptable, you need to respect their offerings and be reasonable about what you can afford. A vendor’s pricing often reflects their experience, skill level and the hard and soft costs of doing business. You’ll be wasting your time and the vendor’s time if you seek out luxury wedding professionals when you’re on a DIY wedding budget. In most cases, negotiations will be more successful if you’re willing to make certain sacrifices to your vision to get the pricing down. Instead of requesting a discount, ask if there’s anything that can be removed from the quote to reduce the price. Alternatively, seek out off-season deals. You may have a better chance at negotiating lower rates on various services in a non-demand season.

Know who you can negotiate with. Don’t expect to bargain with an in-demand wedding professional during peak wedding season. Talented vendors who are just starting their business may be more likely to negotiate in order to fill their calendars and build their portfolios. Also keep in mind the type of service being provided. For example, a florist has to order new flowers for each event, making it hard to reduce service expenses.

Watch out for hidden fees!Tax is one of life’s inevitable truths, so you need to be prepared for that up front. However, some vendors have fees that most couples don’t know to look out for. Many venues, for example, have a non-negotiable service fee and a gratuity added on top of the listed price. It doesn’t mean they’re dishonest, it simply means you need to ask about any additional fees up front so that you don’t get hit with any surprises.

Be true to yourself and your desires.As you progress down the path of planning, a lot of people will be giving you opinions! You’ll make a decision, confident in your choice, and then a future sister-in-law or neighbor will suggest something totally different. Trust me when I tell you a lot of people will be giving you “their” advice, and then it makes you question your decisions creating utter chaos. You will never be able to please everybody. It’s your wedding! Once you make a decision – it’s done.

+1 More – Be courteous. Even if you’ve decided to go with someone else, please respond back to all vendors and let them know where they stand. If you are just looking for a price, its best to be open about it. It’s hard to receive an inquiry from a client who raves about your work and says you’re exactly what they’re looking for only to never hear back from them again. It’s good to remember that the person you’re talking to is human and they put a lot of time and effort into their response and their business.

Wedding planning does not have to be so stressful. Learning to ask the right questions will help ensure your wedding comes off without a hitch!

Filed Under: Do's and Don'ts, Wedding Planning Tagged With: How to Have a Beautiful Wedding, Stress Free Weddings, Wedding Planning