20 Most Expensive Wedding Cities

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When planning a wedding the first thing an engaged couple does is picking a date.  After the celebration is over of the engagement party, now is the time to make the final decision on where the wedding will take place.

The Knot has always been the resource to find all things weddings. Wedding Business Today republished information about the 20 most expensive cities.  This is the 4th annual survey of almost 19,000 former brides that discussed budgets and trends about weddings.

Hawaii, known for its landscape of beauty was ranked No.19 with an average wedding budget of $26,722. Southern Florida (Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and surrounding areas) being a city of warmth, palm trees and the blue ocean ranked No.10 with an average spent on a wedding is $33,810.

The information given from the statistics the majority of the cities are Eastern and Western cities. Chicago, IL is the only Midwest city ranked in the top ten at No.8; with an average budget of $35,197.

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Los Angeles may have Rodeo Drive, but it didn’t make the top five most expensive cities. Ranked at No.6 an average wedding cost $33,810. It shows that many superstars may live there, but when it comes to actually getting married in the city, it falls short of ranking in the fabulous five.

New York may be considered the concrete jungle, but it takes the not only the No 2. for the Outer Boroughs averaging $44,718. Taking the No.1 position is Manhattan, NY with the average wedding costing $70,730.

So as a couple decides on where to get married, they should always reference The Knot to check and see where can you get the best bang for your buck.

Ooh So Fabulous Events Speaks Legal Journey As Ongoing Process

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Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. This is the classic saying when a bride is going through the last steps of her wedding planning. Sometimes a bride may do the planning on her own and sometimes a bride may use the services of a company.Ooh So Fabulous Events, Co-Founder Tamesha Rouse and her partner are in the business of making couples special day memorable with their services. On a consistent basis Tamesha and her team work effortlessly to work with couples on the logistics of their day. Their team will help with day of coordination, linens, set design, and even workshops.

On a Saturday evening, I spoke with Tamesha to get some background information on the legal aspect on how her company handles any legal issues that may arise. I asked her about Defamation and has it ever affected her.

Defamation as stated is to harm the reputation of by libel or slander. Ooh So Fab Events, has been fortunate enough to not have to deal with any slander towards the company. But, a company did come to their site and take photos from their site and place it on their site as their own. They spoke with their lawyer and he told them “Facebook-anything that I posted on there no longer belongs to you. He also suggested the only way to protect ourselves from not happening again would be to watermark the photos.

I asked Tamesha about how when her and her partner started their company, how did they go about going laying the foundation about their legal matters. She stated, When Ooh So Fabulous was started we sat down with two lawyers and they drew up our contract by advising us to make sure that we are covered by any means necessary. We did know of a company that had to breech contracts once her business folded, she took money from these clients, but could not produce the product.”

The difficult part that occurs for Ooh So Fab unlike other vendors is that they “deal with clients on a monthly, weekly and sometimes daily, without a legal binding contract we will not be paid for our time”.  So it will be very crucial to cover all legal grounds before and during while meeting with a client.

If you like to find more information about Ooh So Fabulous Events, click on the link above to contact Tamesha Rouse and her team.

"Tamesha

 

 

Who is Really Invited to the Wedding and Whose Just Watching

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Original Wedding Bands of Constance Thomas

Many people feel that there isn’t any privacy when it comes to social networks. Let’s take wedding events for example. Couples today are using the Internet for more than just the search engine to find the best venue and caterer. They are utilizing it to connect many to showcase their everyday planning of their special moments, all on one site.

Mashable did a wedding survey with Carley Roney of  The Knot, she states “It seems the rules of wedding etiquette are evolving as technology becomes part of the wedding plan. The faux pas of sharing information with those not invited is gone, and it’s becoming more and more okay to post openly, even to those who aren’t necessarily attending. We’re seeing a shift in the standard rules of wedding etiquette.”

Original Photo of Constance Thomas Wedding
Taken By: Jennifer Grant

Seclusion doesn’t exsist anymore. Intrusion in your life is what happens with any social netwok. It turns out about one in ten (8%) brides are updating their Facebook relationship statuses within minutes of saying “Yes,” while nearly one in three (31%) did so within hours of getting engaged. Mashable’s Social and Tech wedding survey, done in conjunction with TheKnot.com, shows that today’s bride is both connected and social. In other words, she has hashtags and QR codes, and she knows how to use them.

I recently spoke with newlywed Andrena Smith, who was just married this past November. Her planning process was shared by a Facebook group. When asked the question why, her reasons behind the social network she states, “to save on invitations because when we first made the group no one in the group were apart unless they were special.” The page was made private but with privacy laws changing with Facebook, many were still able to see their information. She states, some didn’t make the cut to join the group but its not because she didn’t want them there. There were some that intruded on their site for information still.

When asked about the reason for making the group private, Smith replied “It was just more comfortable,” she continues to say “most of all we just wanted to do something different that allowed for everyone to be informed”.  For everyone to be informed meant only a select few. Those select few turned into many intruding. No one is safe. So your wedding has now become public domain.

When asked would she share another important event via facebook? Smith ended on saying, “Hmm, I’m not really sure of any events that have the same importance, besides having a child and I thinkit would be awesome if we set up a page with the progress of the baby.” She also states she has no regrets on the openess of the social network.

 

 

 

 

 

Renee Aaron Tips: Wedding Photographer’s Mistake Educate Others

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Image Provided By:Video Editing Made Easy

 

When one hears the compliments, “You do amazing work” or “I have seen your work and I would like to hire for my next event”, are always good signs of what one would think will be the start of a great working relationship. So now you have met with the client and have discussed what the particulars will be. The date is set and you are ready.  The time is now here for the event to take place and you commence to work. No one ever told you that what lies ahead will make a turn for the worse.

As a wedding an event planner I take it very seriously to educate myself of things that have happened to other vendors in the industry. While researching, I came across a video that was posted by Gary Fong. A wedding photographer reached to him, “who found himself in a pickle: after doing a “great job” (in Fong’s opinion) in shooting a wedding, he received a menacing letter from the couple threatening him with a $300,000 lawsuit”, as taken from the website Peta Pixel.

This photographer is experiencing a case of the Libel life. The lawyer (who is also an attorney) started the letter with, “This is the only demand you will receive before you get sued, and you ruined our wedding. Verbal contract aren’t forcible in Washington State.”

The video continues with Fong reading this letter. He speaks about the errors in the photographers: always have a contract, always edit out the photos that were not going to be used, and be careful.

I spoke with Doria Barnes of D’Arne Productions a multimedia company and had her review this video. I asked her a few questions and this was her response:

What are your thoughts of the video and the issue at hand?

I think the client does have a right to not be satisfied with the photography work. However, the lawyer intimidation and the $300,000 they are requesting is ridiculous. There should always be an initial meeting with the client and photographer, covering all bases ensuring the client and photographer click and work well together. In this situation the photographer failed to have that initial meeting and a follow up meeting presenting the contract spelling out everything the client(s) want and a media release form. These forms are to make certain, the photographer will capture everything the client wants documented. Videography is a little bit different, I record the entire event from 2 different angles and I am able to cut and paste to create exactly what the client wants.

As a professional how do you combat issues like this with a client?

Having meetings after meetings with the client making sure we are all on the same page.

How important is that you cover your bases?

It’s very important that as a company, we cover all bases because the client we are working are presently work with can refer your services to new clients.

Do you have any libel or defamation clauses in your contracts?

I do not have those clauses; however, I will definitely make sure I do so, a.s.a.p.

So in the end we need to cover our bases. We have to have documentation no matter how well you know a person or not. In the end it’s all still business.

To find more information about D‘Arne’ Productions check out their website darneproductions.blogspot.com.

Image Provided by D’Arne Productions

 

 

 

Renee Aaron Events Presents: Ooh So Fabulous Weddings and Events

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Photo Provided By: Ooh So Fab Events

On a Friday evening, I sat down with co-founder of Ooh So Fabulous Wedding and Events, Tamesha Moore-Rouse. We talked about the start of the wedding business and what the future holds with the fabulous event planner.

As noted on the company’s website in their “about us” tab, Moore-Rouse states exactly how the company was started by accident. “A friend of ours from the University of Michigan was getting married and a week before her wedding she fired her wedding planner and hired us,” Moore-Rouse speaking of herself and her business partner Kalisha Gaines.

Born and raised in the city of Detroit, Moore-Rouse’s background is in Education. She holds a Master’s in the Arts of teaching. Bachelor’s in Education, Elementary Education, Children’s literature with Drama and Theater for the young. Teaching runs in her family. Interestingly, her father is a retired teacher and always asks when will she get a real job? She laughs as she speaks about him because she states, that he doesn’t realize this is a real job.

Every business owner will have their share of ups and downs of being an entrepreneur. When asked what the ups were she says, “This is my baby, I get to mold it and shape it into whatever I want it to be, its mine.” In that same breathe she clearly lays out what are downs, “But at the same time the downs is, its my baby and if something goes wrong, it’s me that their calling. It’s my partner their calling. It’s all on me now. I’m in charge and I have to make the right decision.”

Photo Provided By: Ooh So Fab Events

Photo Provided By: Ooh So Fab Events. Taken By: Marco Antonio Photography

Every client brings their own unique flavor and trait. When asked what types of clients has she encountered thus far, she had this to say, “We have clients recently that haven’t had that beauty, they’ve said their not pretty enough, or they can’t want for their wedding, so they can be pretty”. Their goal is to provide that client with the Ooh So Fabulous experience by letting them know they are beautiful. Their event is important but they want the client to experience and feel that within. When she finished, the question was asked would you consider this your mission statement.  She quickly replied, yes.

I asked Moore-Rouse about the future of Ooh So Fab Weddings. She was excited to share that recently in September of 2012; they have expanded to a full service called “Ooh So baby”, for the moms, dads and babies. They are also event producers for big trade shows as well.

As we ended the interview, I was given the tour of her great office held in the Metro Work Space facility, in Livonia, MI. They are also expanding out of state as well in Atlanta, Orlando and Chicago. If you would like to watch the interview of Tamesha Moore-Rouse of Ooh So Fabulous Wedding and Events, click on the video and learn more about the great event planner. 

For more information about Ooh So Fab Weddings and Events check out their Facebook page.

 

Bride and Groom Average Five Figures to Plan the Perfect Wedding

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As a young bride in 2005, I knew the importance of budgeting and preparing for a wedding. However, as time went on no one gave me a full explanation of how much a wedding would cost. Traditionally the bride’s parent’s pays for the wedding and the grooms parent’s pays for the rehearsal dinner. In today’s society more couples are paying for the brunt of the wedding.

In April of 2011, the royal family had a wedding that cost $48 million paid on the taxpayer’s dime, as stated from theknot.com. According to the The Knot the average American weddings cost $26,984 excluding the honeymoon. Editor and chief Carley Roney stated, “Brides remain committed to planning a luxioruis, memorable event and are willing to spend despite the state of the economy”. With sites like the “The Knot”, The Wedding Wire, and Brides a bride and groom will find the tools needed to ensure they are budgeting and using their money wisely.

While planning my wedding I knew that I wanted the biggest bang for my buck. I made myself aware, that this day is just for a couple of hours and our biggest ticket item would be our photographer. A photographer plays a big factor on how the wedding day will be portrayed for years to come.  Stated on this graph the average amount for a photographer is $2,320. For my husband and I, we wanted those pictures to tell a story where a caption isn’t needed, the images speaks for it self. The average reception site cost #12,124 and the average amount spent on each guest is $194. Again, newly engaged couples know their wedding will cost but you never really get grasp until all the ideas and thoughts one dreamed of having has a price tag with it.

           There are many ways to become cost effective while planning one of the most important days of your life. New ways to cut down on cost would be avoiding the peak season of June-September as stated in the graph. Instead of finding a business to do desserts or centerpieces find a family or friend who is skilled in that area and have them create them for you, cutting your cost drastically.

If I could do my day all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing. I loved every color, venue and item chosen for our wedding. We did kind of miss out on the huge party reception after our ceremony. However, in three years we will celebrate 10yrs of marriage. So the planning has begun and the venue has been chosen. We have prepared our family and friends for an all-night party until you drop celebration, because no one said to throw a fabulous event you need to have the money; maybe not 48 million, but somewhere closer to that 27K range to make it memorable. Happy budgeting!

A Vision Becoming a Reality…

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After Thanksgiving dinner in 2004, my then-boyfriend kneeled down and asked me in front of my family “Would I give him the honor of becoming his wife”. From that day forward, I would walk into a world of all things fabulous, elegant and life changing. For some women, planning a wedding is a stressful time. Brides have the voices of mothers, sisters, BFFs, and maybe even a grandmother giving them an opinion of what needs to be done and how they would like to see it happen. As a coping mechanism, to avoid the voices, a bride will contact me: A wedding planner.

I have always been then “Go To” person for what happening in not just Detroit, but other cities as well. Growing up, I always had a fascination of far away places. I would call for travel brochures, and kept a binder of them. I always loved dressing up and attending events. I knew when my time was right; I would marry that guy GOD intended for me. We would do all the things needed to make sure we have a great marriage, but first we would have to plan the perfect wedding.

While planning the wedding, one can learn so much about weddings. To learn simple tips about favors, locating boutiques and specialty stores where a dress that would normally cost $1,200 is now only $400. Where instead of finding a baker, who owned a store, you meet a woman who makes cakes out of her home and her cakes were just as amazing as a large bakery.

Here at Renee Aaron Events, LLC, we aim to help those brides, write their vision and make it plain enough to where they are not stressed during the process. A bride should have a cost efficient wedding with out breaking the bank. We work with the bride to have a comprehensive budget and timeline, which keeps them on track through out the planning process. Planning a wedding should be fun and memorable, and that’s our goal.

 

Welcome to My World!

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Hello Readers,

Welcome to the world of Renee Aaron Event. As you start to follow this blog you will begin to see who we actually are. You will come to find what we like, how you do things, and where we are trying to go. Everyday you learn something new and I not only want to show you something new, I hope the dialogue we begin, you will be able to show me or expose me to something new as well.

As I close, know that in order for things to become a reality, you have to write the vision and make it plain. Let’s start writing the vision together!

-C.Renee