tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24916039111265204922024-02-18T22:09:43.394-05:00Shawn Rabideau Events and DesignShawn Rabideauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06875333378158855681noreply@blogger.comBlogger289125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491603911126520492.post-60066685808778777602016-03-30T13:05:00.000-04:002016-03-30T13:12:24.909-04:00Should Social Media be a part of your Wedding?<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Whether we like it or not,
social media is an integral part of our lives. I once had a bride who
used social media sites to detail her every wedding move. The result.... by the time the
special day came around, she was crazed with all the advice others were giving
her and she was disappointed because nothing was a surprise to her guests. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Social media can be a great way for you to decide what friends
and family know about your personal and professional life. You may have a
thousand friends following you, but are you prepared to invite them all to your
wedding? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are social media etiquette points that should be adhered
to when planning your wedding. When you become engaged I recommend going the formal route by
sending an announcement in the mail not by blasting it on social media. While it may be less expensive to
announce your engagement through social media it is far more special to receive
an engagement announcement in the mail. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And while you might think it’s okay to detail your every
move from selecting shoes to buying a wedding gown and picking flowers, your documentation can be seen as a bit self-centered and less about sharing excitement.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My advice to brides, refrain from over-documenting your wedding planning and actual wedding on social media
sites. Leave a little to the imagination and more for your wedding album.</span><b><span style="color: #00ccff;"><o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Until next time ...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cheers!</span></div>
Shawn Rabideauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06875333378158855681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491603911126520492.post-19001198407346852842016-03-04T13:22:00.002-05:002016-03-04T13:22:06.679-05:00How many Bridesmaids will you have?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I recently came across this article from <a href="https://www.weddingtonway.com/wedding-guide/style/bridesmaid-dresses-and-gowns/where-in-america-do-people-have-the-most-bridesmaids">WeddingWay.com</a> which lists Charleston, SC as the "Bridesmaid Capital of the United States" averaging over 5 bridesmaids in a typical wedding party.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I must say that I have seen more of a trend to smaller wedding parties and personally, I prefer it. My opinion is to just let your friends and family enjoy the day without having the formal commitment of a role in the wedding. Also, think about the budget, not only do your bridemaids have to spend more on dresses, hair and make-up, you have the extra expense of bouquets and gifts which can add up quickly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My recommendation is to keep the bridal party small and just focus on a wonderful experience for all of your guests.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Until next time...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cheers!</span></div>
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Shawn Rabideauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06875333378158855681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491603911126520492.post-13114861570458138702016-02-23T10:05:00.000-05:002016-02-23T10:35:14.425-05:00How much can you realistically expect to spend on a New York City wedding?<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am baffled by the amount of misinformation that is published regarding the cost of weddings. As a result, brides are confused about what they realistically need to spend. I do think it is time for a reality check.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6Dv8w6MBOe8WB4VWCvIWGzlpHcFbh4sgm0TrgxAVZhmN6u-JKlpPmMmDHSW64fP6Wh_RGfyWBXltC5kp4Cjc0hTHEZzaEJBy4xHH55Q05tS4hXaMvD_4Ot9Dx0y8fI_F6idgHcJZNHk/s1600/Aisle+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6Dv8w6MBOe8WB4VWCvIWGzlpHcFbh4sgm0TrgxAVZhmN6u-JKlpPmMmDHSW64fP6Wh_RGfyWBXltC5kp4Cjc0hTHEZzaEJBy4xHH55Q05tS4hXaMvD_4Ot9Dx0y8fI_F6idgHcJZNHk/s320/Aisle+4.JPG" width="214" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What really made me feel the need to speak out was this article I recently saw in the New York Post: <a href="http://nypost.com/2016/02/20/this-is-why-your-wedding-is-ridiculously-expensive/" target="_blank">Why Your Wedding is Ridiculously Expensive?</a> As I started reading, I thought the article had promise as I agree that cost of weddings, especially in New York City, has been on the rise. When I got to the quote that the average wedding cost in New York City is just over $16,000 I was floored that any publication could print such misinformation. My current rule of thumb is that couples can expect to spend at least $1,000 per person. While brides may scoff at this number,. when they start to add everything up they see it is a very real starting point.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fortunately, there is some accurate information on the internet from reliable sources like the Knot who is quoted in this article on Slate.com: <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/life/weddings/2013/06/average_wedding_cost_published_numbers_on_the_price_of_a_wedding_are_totally.html" target="_blank">Average wedding cost.</a> Also, there are wonderful destinations that are far less expensive. This is why I love planning weddings in Charleston and the Finger Lakes; you can get so much more for so much less.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, I have said my piece and would love to get feedback from other New York City planners about your thoughts. I feel more wedding experts should speak up so that accurate information is provided to brides and grooms </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I look forward to hearing from all of you and...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cheers!</span>Shawn Rabideauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06875333378158855681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491603911126520492.post-75680540478774382622016-02-19T10:13:00.000-05:002016-02-19T10:13:47.663-05:00How to Book Wedding Room Blocks<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After my brides and grooms have chosen a date and confirmed
their venue we take the next step in confirming hotel room blocks for
guests. While my team and I do this almost every day, the process for
those who don’t have the pleasure of a planner can be a bit confusing.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today I’m going to give you a few tips and tricks to
securing rooms for your wedding guests.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The first thing you need to do is determine how many guests
will need accommodations. Remember, if you’re expecting 100 guests it would generally mean about 50 rooms. However, keep in mind, unless your wedding is a
destination you most likely can cut that number to 25. And if your
wedding is a destination, you want to make sure you have enough rooms for
all your guests.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once you know the number of rooms I recommend making a list
of all the hotels in and around your wedding venue. Start with calling
the larger hotels and work your way down to the boutique hotels. When
calling the hotel ask to speak with the person in charge of room blocks.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Keep in mind there are several ways hotels will set aside
rooms for your wedding. There’s a thing called “the courtesy block” and
one called a “financial guarantee”. We always recommend staying away from
the latter. We prefer a courtesy block allows you to set aside a certain number
of rooms (usually 10 on the outset without putting any money down) at a reduced, fixed rate. The hotel will require you to sign a “contract” but that
contract usually states that within 30 days of your wedding they will release
any un-booked rooms into the general population. The latter (the
financial guarantee) will ask you to sign a contract and either put a deposit
down on each room. If all rooms are not booked you will have to pay a
percentage regardless of whether or not the room was booked. Now I don’t know
about you, but I certainly do not want to pay for something I didn’t use.
So that’s why we always shy away from that option.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The great thing about a courtesy block is that as the rooms
fill up you can often ask the hotel to add more to the block, of course subject to availability.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We always tell our clients to keep a few things in
mind. You can certainly go onto Hotels.com or other sites and find the
same rooms and sometimes they may be at a reduced rate. And sometimes the
hotel will match that rate, but often they do not and in reality they have no
control how a site like that buys up their inventory. Another thing to
keep in mind is that if you have someone with say, an AARP discount, they may
not be able to get both the room block rate and their discount. So if
they want the bigger discount they may not be part of your block.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We also recommend giving your guests a choice of hotels with different
rates. Let’s face it, everyone’s budget is different so it’s nice to help
your guests out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another thing to keep in mind is that while you may want all
your rooms to be together, the hotels can’t guarantee it no matter how often you
beg and plead for the rooms to be together. So if your uncle is upset
that your grandmother can’t be next to him you know why.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And finally, while it’s great to give gift bags or boxes as
guests arrive to the hotel, keep in mind there may be an additional cost.
Most hotels will charge to distribute at the front desk and most dread when you
want each to be placed or delivered to the room. The reason, guests don’t
show, they change rooms and then the hotel staff has to chase down where each
guest is staying.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So while it may be a bit of work, I hope this helps you as
you set forth and help to make your wedding guests stay a bit more comfortable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Until next time…</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cheers!</span></div>
Shawn Rabideauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06875333378158855681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491603911126520492.post-5890914481821194242016-02-17T11:01:00.000-05:002016-02-17T16:03:23.983-05:00Don't give in to pressure from a wedding vendor<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I love what I do! I truly do, so when people ask my
occupation I’m all too happy to tell them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Recently I was speaking with a bride and I asked all the
typical questions. When’s your wedding? Where are you having
it? And who is she wearing? So red carpet of me, I know. But
as a wedding planner I want to know!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She proceeded to tell me what I would equate to a horror
story. She and her mom went to a few wedding dress boutiques in
Dallas. She told me none of them really had what she wanted; however
every time she told them she was getting married in September each proceeded to get
a look of horror on their faces. One in particular told her she was way
behind the eight ball and she needed to get her wedding dress that day or she
would risk not having a wedding dress on her wedding. So, reluctantly she
put a deposit on a dress she didn’t want. The more she thought about it
the more nervous she got and the more nervous she got the worried she got and
until the point she wanted to change the wedding date so she didn’t feel so
pressured.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy of Lindsay Flanagan</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Honestly I was mortified any wedding boutique would play
this card. I’ve planned weddings in 4 weeks, some in two months and never
were my brides not able to find a dress that they felt like a bride in.
The woman at the boutique even talked her out of going with an Israeli designer
telling her the dresses always get stuck in customs and she should go with the
dress she tried on. Now it is true some dresses take longer to make, some
take longer to fit, but why put added stress on the Bride just to sell a dress.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are few things wrong here. First, as wedding
professionals, our job is to ease any worry the bride might have. That’s
not to say we don’t manage their expectations by cautioning them on this and
that. Our job is not to cause more stress. Second, this is the
prime example of why wedding planners exist. Our job is to take that
burden of worry off their plate and to solve problems.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Out of curiosity, I called a NYC boutique who carries the particular wedding dress the bride liked just to see if the dress she liked
could be ordered in the timeframe she needed. Indeed it could be ordered
and there would be no issues with customs or fittings.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhddVXkcwkcoWSr1YsnpN_ve2dlC4oMbS7HEKo743h1Gkp3j0eR4_Qtv8hASL8bDX1M3GA-h_VAYS9SdymCHxW6OR-lLc58YMwzMyv8IP0d083-Yu026fxURV_TP-oEaOzlEruIEoE4Pdw/s1600/Dress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhddVXkcwkcoWSr1YsnpN_ve2dlC4oMbS7HEKo743h1Gkp3j0eR4_Qtv8hASL8bDX1M3GA-h_VAYS9SdymCHxW6OR-lLc58YMwzMyv8IP0d083-Yu026fxURV_TP-oEaOzlEruIEoE4Pdw/s320/Dress.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy of Maring Visuals</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’ve yet to find out how this story ends, but I can say
this, shame on any wedding vendor who uses scare tactics to make a sale.
And shame on the wedding boutique in Dallas that did just that! That’s
taking advantage of the situation and putting unwanted fear when there should
be none. All wedding professionals should be just that, professional,
kind and manage expectations without the use of fear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Until next time…</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cheers!</span></div>
Shawn Rabideauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06875333378158855681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491603911126520492.post-71958864495642770942016-01-08T14:01:00.000-05:002016-01-09T09:39:08.898-05:00Myths in wedding planning<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every so often I come across an article that I think is spot on and I feel needs to be shared with my readers and anyone planning a wedding.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have to shre this article from the Huffington Post because I think it is so on target. It discusses a number of misconceptions in the wedding industry and what is the reality. With so much information on the internet, much of which is really not accurate, I think it is important to be able to see the truth. Just click on the link below and you will see what I mean.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/danielle-rothweiler/10-little-wedding-planning-lies-youll-read-if-you-havent-already_b_8760252.html?utm_hp_ref=weddings&ir=Weddings" target="_blank"><br /></a></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/danielle-rothweiler/10-little-wedding-planning-lies-youll-read-if-you-havent-already_b_8760252.html?utm_hp_ref=weddings&ir=Weddings" target="_blank"><b>Wedding Planning Lies</b></a></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I would love to hear your input on the article and some of your experiences planning a wedding. Feel free to leave your comments.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until next time...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cheers.</span>Shawn Rabideauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06875333378158855681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491603911126520492.post-64667141174350992242016-01-06T09:43:00.001-05:002016-01-06T09:43:25.871-05:00Communication is key when planning any wedding<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A couple of days ago I wrote about “Who to Please When Planning Your
Wedding” and it occurred to me I never truly closed the loop on how to handle
unruly family and friends when you are planning your wedding.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While I’m not a family therapist, and have no intention of
becoming one, (although some days I do feel like I play the role) I often have to
step in and iron out family matters and smooth over ruffled feathers.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9MU4Ku0oIAxeppPZos76i5ov2Psk3wjuQdGZFYrqFggl01Yse1vWHV1QvilnOhCI_F0mChm54OqPbdVmN3fXvMYCemCUKMFiLXcLadrQ3gfu2iQ9RWDBanFbxtzrz57cHw353a4SCmWM/s1600/Church+from+Balcony.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9MU4Ku0oIAxeppPZos76i5ov2Psk3wjuQdGZFYrqFggl01Yse1vWHV1QvilnOhCI_F0mChm54OqPbdVmN3fXvMYCemCUKMFiLXcLadrQ3gfu2iQ9RWDBanFbxtzrz57cHw353a4SCmWM/s320/Church+from+Balcony.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy of Maring Visuals</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The truth is, families are complicated and they get even
more complicated when planning a wedding. The mothers want to feel like
they are contributing, especially when there is a planner involved. Some
siblings want to help, but aren’t sure where they are needed. And others
members of the family really don’t care or perhaps they care too much.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So what is a bride to do when it comes to planning her
wedding and dealing with family dynamics? Communication is the key…While it may not
solve all problems and while not everyone involved will truly understand,
communication is the key to almost any relationship.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I often recommend to my brides and grooms who have sticky
family relationships to sit down and clearly communicate what their vision is
for their wedding. Notice, I said “their”. It’s because it is about
the bride and the groom, that’s not to say others opinions shouldn’t be
counted, but in the end it is about the bride and groom. By clearly
communicating what they desire it will hopefully be a springboard for how
others will react and respect their choices.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjKbqoH_e8nePk-RNKp1-mHAUPCca5qxVfVLOvVb-ahPWDfeROs7ku7esSuPXshZTbdlZkFNVGEh0PCU3Sks8sm_GXSoEUJhHvUPHxwDcAu0YWfDtzSJ3bFO0yairjqVhRQbqduYf7-6w/s1600/LFP_20110115_486.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjKbqoH_e8nePk-RNKp1-mHAUPCca5qxVfVLOvVb-ahPWDfeROs7ku7esSuPXshZTbdlZkFNVGEh0PCU3Sks8sm_GXSoEUJhHvUPHxwDcAu0YWfDtzSJ3bFO0yairjqVhRQbqduYf7-6w/s320/LFP_20110115_486.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy of Fifth Avenue Digital</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also, by clearly communicating the roles they wish family
members to take it will help set boundaries and in the end open the lines of
communication. I’m not saying there won’t be heated discussions here and
there, but what I am saying is that if everyone comes together and clearly
communicates their desires, their wants and their “don’t want’s” then it puts
everyone on the same page and it creates mutual respect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Again, I’m not a therapist, and I don’t pretend to be one,
but after many years of planning weddings with hundreds of different
personalities' the one thing I’ve learned is that if everyone is on the same
page, whether they want to be or not, it does make planning a wedding a bit
easier.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until next time…</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cheers!</span></div>
Shawn Rabideauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06875333378158855681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491603911126520492.post-68352116529289613082016-01-04T15:39:00.000-05:002016-01-05T09:34:48.698-05:00Who to please when planning your wedding?<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’ve come to the realization that, in life, you will never
truly please everyone. And this fact definitely holds true when you’re
planning your wedding.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk687t0MfcCs1YafRSm1ydyohzM1Pamm4S-KHvxydW99Xg51j_tssmOhbouLJ6g2TfBnE-fWp-mkQrXha14zg4DG-SOesxDyqtO8Yo9hVrVYPbNN6oC1YCzbc_zXQNen1PR2guqPhyphenhyphenxgU/s1600/jessica_rob_0455.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk687t0MfcCs1YafRSm1ydyohzM1Pamm4S-KHvxydW99Xg51j_tssmOhbouLJ6g2TfBnE-fWp-mkQrXha14zg4DG-SOesxDyqtO8Yo9hVrVYPbNN6oC1YCzbc_zXQNen1PR2guqPhyphenhyphenxgU/s320/jessica_rob_0455.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Recently I have had a few brides who are playing the
delicate balancing act of trying not to hurt someone’s feelings. Whether
it be their mom, their future mother in law or their bridesmaids. While I
applaud them on this balancing act, I also caution them because giving someone
an inch often leads to them taking a mile.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We’ve all been there, right? We are planning a night
out with friends. You like sushi, someone doesn’t. A friend wants
to go to a wine bar, you to the casual neighborhood watering hole.
Another wants to go to the new hot spot in town, while another hates
crowds. Ultimately you all end up at a place that is just okay and still
there’s someone who isn’t happy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The reality is, when planning your wedding you’re not going
to please everyone. This means, mom, grandma, best friend and so
on. Now I’m not saying you throw everything to the wind and don’t care,
but what I am saying is that if you listen to everything everyone else says you
as the bride (and let’s not forget the groom) are not going to enjoy YOUR
day! You need to do what’s right for you, what you feel in your own heart.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’m also not saying you throw etiquette out the window. Etiquette will always play in role in any wedding. But what
I am saying is that if you want a beach wedding and want to wear a ball gown,
go for it! If you want to get married at city hall and have your
reception in a park pavilion go for it. And if a few people don’t like
it, then so be it. After all it’s your wedding and your memories.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Don’t let those who don’t approve take up space in your
head.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So go forth, plan away and remember, when you’re planning
your wedding you’re creating your own memories, no one else's.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Until next time…</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cheers!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Shawn Rabideauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06875333378158855681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491603911126520492.post-72314005187901162662015-10-28T12:50:00.001-04:002015-10-28T12:50:34.462-04:00Dream destination wedding locations<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">As an experienced destination wedding planner, more and more often I have clients coming to me looking for the perfect destination to hold their wedding. While everyone's dream is a little different; some want the beach, others want a quiet country wedding and some prefer a more exotic locale, the goal for everyone is the same; to find the perfect destination.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0vj3iRUd4wpvZsfyJ5Q3KbtaDp6jdyQ7qdM4Fv4pEUgkkLvs2x-dtotihzN6MQnKpUR437e0IvOIiZE82sUfbzN3UeoQ6Hzjjo-IwXJzKwijBZ05zfhvvIEoOTzqerJkxluMT2GAur7I/s1600/Spain+wedding+ceremony.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0vj3iRUd4wpvZsfyJ5Q3KbtaDp6jdyQ7qdM4Fv4pEUgkkLvs2x-dtotihzN6MQnKpUR437e0IvOIiZE82sUfbzN3UeoQ6Hzjjo-IwXJzKwijBZ05zfhvvIEoOTzqerJkxluMT2GAur7I/s320/Spain+wedding+ceremony.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">In my constant search for interesting locations to please my clients I came across the following article in Elle Magazine. <a href="http://www.elle.com/life-love/travel/dream-wedding-destinations#slide-1" target="_blank">Elle: 10 dream wedding destinations</a>. I think these are some amazing destinations and I can just imagine planning a wedding in any of them </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj5YTxUasM8Fy3EDThqfPfwrEv1zsyLlfmXVET5fTWeeJi7uEYyROAb5J7KMFQhb9sCxDuvYAwjtzoehoPslWm1AaI5lsu7IIS__SeeIKWVKWgo-ZgvBlx0r5ZHKq5FuBwuW1faRGVPTg/s1600/Jade+Mountain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj5YTxUasM8Fy3EDThqfPfwrEv1zsyLlfmXVET5fTWeeJi7uEYyROAb5J7KMFQhb9sCxDuvYAwjtzoehoPslWm1AaI5lsu7IIS__SeeIKWVKWgo-ZgvBlx0r5ZHKq5FuBwuW1faRGVPTg/s1600/Jade+Mountain.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">But this is really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to amazing destinations for a wedding. What I think would be really interesting is to compile a list of dream wedding destinations from readers here on the blog. Where would you hold your dream wedding? I would love to get all of your comments to share with my readers.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Looking forward to all of your comments and ...</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Cheers!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span>Shawn Rabideauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06875333378158855681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491603911126520492.post-70659614352791330232015-10-21T12:58:00.003-04:002015-10-21T12:58:41.815-04:00Guest Blog - Honeymoon in Africa<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over the last few months we have had the great pleasure of working with John Holley and the team at <a href="http://www.iconicafrica.com/" target="_blank">Iconic Africa</a> to assist us with travel and lodging for guests at our upcoming bush wedding in South Africa. We asked them to give us their take on honeymoons in Africa on our blog. I think they provide some wonderful insight and, if you are looking to plan any type of travel in Africa, I highly recommend that you reach out to Iconic Africa.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enjoy and ....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cheers!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">“Every great love starts with a great
story.” Nicholas Sparks<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Why not start yours in Africa? </span><span style="color: #535353; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Africa is one of the world’s greatest honeymoon
destinations; offering the most romantic luxury safaris, heavenly beach hideaways,
fine dining splendour and a magnitude of once-in-a-lifetime experiences! </span><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">“Live in the sunshine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Swim in the sea.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Drink the wild air.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Emerson<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #505050; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Taking Emerson’s simple yet sincere advice
we suggest a combination of the following for an unforgettable and
extraordinary honeymoon. </span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Click here: </span><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://itinerary.iconicafrica.com/Itinerary/Landing/a49814ad-dc1e-6f48-2efc-0ea94fa089f8" target="_blank">African Luxury Honeymoon</a></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
for an in depth look. T</span><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">he link includes our interactive map,
videos and images of some of Africa’s most exquisite destinations!</span><span style="color: #505050; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Spectacular Safaris<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #292626; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Whether you choose <a href="http://www.krugerpark.com/?gclid=Cj0KEQjw75yxBRD78uqEnuG-5vcBEiQAQbaxSO6sJQqc99Pm5NJYK45R1P8kvrvgGKjQy4Exwcgb0WAaArVK8P8HAQ" target="_blank">The Kruger National Park</a>, Madikwe or Botswana you and your loved one can expect a truly
romantic retreat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #313131; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Palatino; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">The
magic of the African bushveld touches all that visit it, an indescribable
feeling and the perfect backdrop to begin a life of wedded bliss. From relaxing
in your own private plunge pool, to sipping a superb sunset cocktail while
watching elephants at the waterhole, to a sumptuous, 5-star dining experience
and large lavish lodges… you cannot go wrong. Sit back, relax and let the exquisite
African luxury engulf and spoil you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #313131; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Palatino;">Iconic Africa recommends the
private reserves of the <a href="http://www.sabisand.co.za/" target="_blank">Sabi Sands</a>, <a href="http://www.timbavati.co.za/" target="_blank">Timbavati Game Reserve</a>, <a href="http://www.thornybush.co.za/" target="_blank">Thornybush</a> and
<a href="http://singita.com/" target="_blank">Singita</a>’s concessions, all set within the park. These private preservation
areas are notorious for their Big 5 sightings, and the definitive luxury safari
style. In true African fashion these lodges go above and beyond for honeymooners,
so we have no doubt an adventure here</span><span style="color: #313131; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "PT Serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> will surpass your wildest
expectations! </span><span style="color: #313131; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Palatino;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Beautiful Beaches<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Whether you choose Mozambique or Cape
Town the pristine beauty and breath-taking sunsets at these incredible
destinations will have you begging to stay for longer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #313131; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Palatino; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Mozambique
is a complete sensory overload of beauty, wilderness, culture and flavour
flanked by 2400kms of silky white beaches. Dotted along the astonishing
coastline, little pieces of African paradise have floated out into the azure
Indian Ocean to create the last remaining wild island paradises in the world.
Azura Benguerra and Azura Quilalea are the best possible places to experience
the abundance, luxury and seclusion of an authentic, superlative, tropical
island honeymoon. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #313131; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Palatino; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Cape
Town also offers stunning beaches and is the very destination where
awe-inspiring nature, gourmet Cape cuisine, exceptional service and ultimate
indulgence meet in glorious harmony on the edge of Africa.</span><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> From </span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">sweeping
ocean views, pristine white beaches, mountain walks, whale watching, sun
tanning and spa treatments need we say more? </span><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ZaXMzGrqwNtQem2D4rv_pa8PVjgaLtgCHFE1_bC8GvbKdR-kM1WYCcPDfgmq6sWgEly6CcJDEIMyaERgH2RZmfbZMHJXqhrRNfgsCrwzS9anvYd2AKhoUpgOwmCdCMnmeKwHGHSeGdU/s1600/IA+Mozambique.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ZaXMzGrqwNtQem2D4rv_pa8PVjgaLtgCHFE1_bC8GvbKdR-kM1WYCcPDfgmq6sWgEly6CcJDEIMyaERgH2RZmfbZMHJXqhrRNfgsCrwzS9anvYd2AKhoUpgOwmCdCMnmeKwHGHSeGdU/s400/IA+Mozambique.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Wistful Winelands <o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">For the wine-lovers and foodies out there…
there is no better setting than <a href="http://franschhoek.org.za/" target="_blank">Franschhoek</a>, which literally blooms romance and
is w</span><span style="color: #313131; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Palatino; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">ithout a
doubt one of the most beautiful villages in the world. Drive across rugged
mountain passes, down lightly down age-old cobbled driveways and through
century old vineyards and gently make your way into the Cape Dutch style manor
houses that are typical in the culinary capital of the Western Cape.</span><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #313131; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Palatino;">The Cape Winelands epitomises luxury
and relaxation and romance. Although the area is steeped in tradition it is
also a vibrant hub for fine wining and dining. Whether you are looking to
simply slow down and take in the countryside ambiance, or perhaps a cultural
journey visiting galleries, historical monuments and time-honoured wine
estates. Whether you want to taste some of the region's finest bubbles,
sample the local treats or simply wander through the vineyards holding the hand
of your loved one… the Cape Winelands has endless experiences on offer. </span><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Captivating Cape Town<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #313131; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Palatino; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Without
question one of the world’s most spectacular cities, </span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Cape Town</span><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="color: #313131; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Palatino;">was recently voted the 2014, World Design Capital. Despite
being South Africa’s oldest city, Cape Town has managed to retain its
traditional charm whilst developing its cosmopolitan lifestyle. This
combination ensures a wealth of experiences for tourists and locals’ a-like.
Cape Town is undoubtedly a destination in itself but also the honeymooner’s
gateway to the African continent.</span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #313131; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Palatino; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Cape
Town has an allure and a heartbeat that cannot be experienced alone… it is a
city for couples. Honeymooners will fall further in love not only with each
other but also with the idyllic views and white sanded beaches, incredible food
on offer and breathtaking views no matter where in the city you are. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #313131; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Palatino; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Africa
is the continent of safari, wilderness, and adventurous escapades but infused into
all of this is an unmistakable and ancient romance. Contact Iconic Africa now
to combine the perfect mix of beauty, wilderness and adventure into a honeymoon
your loved one will remember forever. </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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Shawn Rabideauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06875333378158855681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491603911126520492.post-66021097286793152042015-10-19T10:43:00.000-04:002015-10-19T10:43:39.141-04:00Tips for choosing the perfect wedding cake<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of my favorite quotes is the simple saying "You don't know what you don't know." Simple but very true, especially when it comes to wedding planning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A big part of my job comes in educating my clients as most have not had to deal with the intricacies of planning a large event and there can be some real surprises. I also like to use this blog as an educational tool for brides and grooms.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Certainly, one area that can be foreign to brides and grooms is ordering a bakery for the wedding cake. This is not a daily occurance so I am here to help the process. By asking a few of these simple questions you can choose the
right bakery for you.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most brides want to know “how much”. The cost of a
cake varies based on ingredients and complexity of the design. So when
you inquire, rather than ask how much will a cake cost, ask your prospective
bakery what is the price range. Note that a large portion of the cost is in the design so the more intricate, the more you will pay. I recommend that you have photos or a solid idea of what you want the cake to look like before contacting bakeries so they can provide accurate pricing information.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When it comes time for the tasting, not all bakeries will provide you with every single flavor
to taste. This can get costly and time consuming. When making your
tasting appointment guide them and let them know what flavors you like or don’t
like. This is also the time to let them know any allergies you might
have. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBvhRe9wrWPdYCJWC_BUUYfTZiaMei4CfRAseTXMjDH9GrTds4dNmbIQ-ZTQVyXlPNmNYEoKwYt6DFxeVI5bFLbnUkCR_VPFCjcTXMNmvcBVLAojdN90-t4gCFy_a3hlb8wYvWQ_inQMo/s1600/Fall+wedding+cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBvhRe9wrWPdYCJWC_BUUYfTZiaMei4CfRAseTXMjDH9GrTds4dNmbIQ-ZTQVyXlPNmNYEoKwYt6DFxeVI5bFLbnUkCR_VPFCjcTXMNmvcBVLAojdN90-t4gCFy_a3hlb8wYvWQ_inQMo/s320/Fall+wedding+cake.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another good question to ask is who will be delivering the
cake. Will it be the baker themselves or do they have a company that they
outsource? If it’s the latter, I often recommend getting an emergency
number of the bakery. Mishaps happen and you may need to call on your
baker to make some minor fixes to the cake should it get damaged in
transport. This is where your day of coordinator or wedding planner comes in. Most likely they’ll handle the situation and you’ll be none the
wiser, but if you’re planning the wedding and don’t have that luxury it’s nice
to know they’ll be able to fix the cake in a jiffy.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sometimes bakeries will put in faux layers or tiers for support. I highly recommend asking your bakery if they will do this. There’s nothing worse than trying to cut into the cake to find out that tier is fake!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also recommend asking the bakery to provide a cake box for
any left overs and for the top tier of your cake. This way you can take
your cake home and store it properly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And finally, remember it’s not simply flower and eggs.
This is the livelihood of those who are making the cake. Most likely
these people have spent years perfecting their craft to be the best they can
be. There’s a reason they exist and a reason they’re good at what they do
and they charge what they charge.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Go forth and eat tons of cake and until next time…</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cheers!</span></div>
Shawn Rabideauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06875333378158855681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491603911126520492.post-23834342020323301302015-07-20T13:34:00.001-04:002015-07-20T13:34:22.088-04:00Wedding on New York Harbor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It has been a busy Summer at Shawn Rabideau Events! As I mentioned, we opened our Charleston, SC office earlier this year and have been busy connecting with all of the wonderful vendors there. I can't wait to start showing you photos of upcoming Charleston weddings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For today I want to share a beautiful wedding I planned and designed at <a href="http://www.thelibertywarehouse.com/" target="_blank">The Liberty Warehouse</a> on New York Harbor last Summer. It was a beautiful event with some fun details that I would like to share.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The day started with a ceremony at St. Francis Xavier Church in Manhattan. This is such a beautiful setting for the ceremony that I really did not need to add decor elements to the ceremony. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-cNF-DJBRdSIVvPSMgaRdFVMzdpxa9Ax1U_zIn-JsdPrY2fYoL-mkZEG0nHLU9IG1QtcrBEAnDwhzmYnS7XZK735l4lXJP7RPmyJp6PoKWvsyx5-HhvrEiYYNL6s2r-f98W90PtEglI/s1600/Winter-Styles-Wed-Rabideau-17_WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-cNF-DJBRdSIVvPSMgaRdFVMzdpxa9Ax1U_zIn-JsdPrY2fYoL-mkZEG0nHLU9IG1QtcrBEAnDwhzmYnS7XZK735l4lXJP7RPmyJp6PoKWvsyx5-HhvrEiYYNL6s2r-f98W90PtEglI/s320/Winter-Styles-Wed-Rabideau-17_WEB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To add a personal touch, as guests left the ceremony they were greeted by traditional bagpipes who played in honor of the Groom's Heritage.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQKhLeJ4TalZ1j_258EnOQRMPUVsf3I38Jzte9DYKWCXTBhPqSye_IP3q7go43ssj6iamnz6pa4Mdb2BL1I9eVvADLQzy4jYMSHes4L1aZF0eI2Nzny1otRpBxfdyOdj90xKRHYJt7RRo/s1600/Winter-Styles-Wed-Rabideau-20_WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQKhLeJ4TalZ1j_258EnOQRMPUVsf3I38Jzte9DYKWCXTBhPqSye_IP3q7go43ssj6iamnz6pa4Mdb2BL1I9eVvADLQzy4jYMSHes4L1aZF0eI2Nzny1otRpBxfdyOdj90xKRHYJt7RRo/s320/Winter-Styles-Wed-Rabideau-20_WEB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I mentioned, I kept the decor elements clean and simple. This is reflected in the Bride's bouquet that included pink and white blooms with roses, peonies and anemones.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgxlZetUdpARt4S0EsKMuAIY2GgCNuX-IKNlGXbXQaO3TtEhRzBj3PvkYY06VOqGfAP-xduoM9_5EDTJwNVZLPvv29xPg7bkGxp1hVBwHSg6WBhFYGWhkUOnWmSH9H3zu5Kq8xBxRNvGo/s1600/Winter-Styles-Wed-Rabideau-8_WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgxlZetUdpARt4S0EsKMuAIY2GgCNuX-IKNlGXbXQaO3TtEhRzBj3PvkYY06VOqGfAP-xduoM9_5EDTJwNVZLPvv29xPg7bkGxp1hVBwHSg6WBhFYGWhkUOnWmSH9H3zu5Kq8xBxRNvGo/s320/Winter-Styles-Wed-Rabideau-8_WEB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Following the ceremony, guests were taken by Motorcoach to The Liberty Warehouse in Brooklyn. While I have to say that as you approach this venue many guests would question where they are going, but once you get there, the setting is incredible. With great views of New York harbor and Manhattan, it offered the perfect setting for a lively reception.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzyDeysnuyqPwtIX878O89tbs0q9bksF8g45Ao7986aPUSI0i3ZNmPoKS_NzjF1a_LgxdKbexoCqfJMJOMGQvX_o4d2lg-c2s_poOsXMPX8VF9BhRdctFJ7q_wQt7Yz58AmSkJnsmaAus/s1600/Winter-Styles-Wed-Rabideau-22_WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzyDeysnuyqPwtIX878O89tbs0q9bksF8g45Ao7986aPUSI0i3ZNmPoKS_NzjF1a_LgxdKbexoCqfJMJOMGQvX_o4d2lg-c2s_poOsXMPX8VF9BhRdctFJ7q_wQt7Yz58AmSkJnsmaAus/s320/Winter-Styles-Wed-Rabideau-22_WEB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the floral bright spring colors in pink, fuschia and peach were used to add life to the decor and the room.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2dVuKhWqmjBRA-_KfZrw3q_AJ5JKIry0JoHdil3L_aS_Bml8KlAlo2pncHc7RfaeaEkd4z2-lhJgzPslwYAflyMESpGhN9jEdaQlQm5uVZipZFPzU3u44OGL_GrlIbmUjmd7QRpUxfXw/s1600/Winter-Styles-Wed-Rabideau-28_WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2dVuKhWqmjBRA-_KfZrw3q_AJ5JKIry0JoHdil3L_aS_Bml8KlAlo2pncHc7RfaeaEkd4z2-lhJgzPslwYAflyMESpGhN9jEdaQlQm5uVZipZFPzU3u44OGL_GrlIbmUjmd7QRpUxfXw/s320/Winter-Styles-Wed-Rabideau-28_WEB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I combined long and round tables with high and low arrangements create movement and give a wonderful flow to the room. I then added lots of candlelight including hanging votives to create a romantic glow.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5fg_aQ-n16K0ZFxzB3WGa9V0_qHQnonjciN2ut5_oTEBLSYorXzXe80H8XpFbH4hxXS3P65GIDsc8Z159GCJ2DJ8aY-vrhcwZBnaAagaEHqJF068PVNodDjYlkzXXwEzZT23bfG9kVAU/s1600/Winter-Styles-Wed-Rabideau-30_WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5fg_aQ-n16K0ZFxzB3WGa9V0_qHQnonjciN2ut5_oTEBLSYorXzXe80H8XpFbH4hxXS3P65GIDsc8Z159GCJ2DJ8aY-vrhcwZBnaAagaEHqJF068PVNodDjYlkzXXwEzZT23bfG9kVAU/s320/Winter-Styles-Wed-Rabideau-30_WEB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP7vPQR-cjjQI9gf2Go-H5YygsMyDyRcX6EoQblbwPc5euHNvhdIKLuYmmVk8I1AoH2F7KbQ-maFjwiMZLkGDAcZ3dp1sFQ6Co9DsUhwRDmOyRk_3xYg9xoefR871YFt0w7Qf7A_b7X9w/s1600/Winter-Styles-Wed-Rabideau-31_WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP7vPQR-cjjQI9gf2Go-H5YygsMyDyRcX6EoQblbwPc5euHNvhdIKLuYmmVk8I1AoH2F7KbQ-maFjwiMZLkGDAcZ3dp1sFQ6Co9DsUhwRDmOyRk_3xYg9xoefR871YFt0w7Qf7A_b7X9w/s320/Winter-Styles-Wed-Rabideau-31_WEB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGhJeDbw9wvk5Rr8cZqb44S-fO8SNjGT2BnOsOSIrifgv5nyLVsSzhpOJ2S1n5EZSiDFQdsZ8_mByi_Bes3bXgUd98zyH0e8rwjcIFIqc0mKpKtwhGB0RfDGs55lrwakJGY-WUtTnpFTM/s1600/Winter-Styles-Wed-Rabideau-34_WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGhJeDbw9wvk5Rr8cZqb44S-fO8SNjGT2BnOsOSIrifgv5nyLVsSzhpOJ2S1n5EZSiDFQdsZ8_mByi_Bes3bXgUd98zyH0e8rwjcIFIqc0mKpKtwhGB0RfDGs55lrwakJGY-WUtTnpFTM/s320/Winter-Styles-Wed-Rabideau-34_WEB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While storms did roll through during the evening, they created some great photo opportunities with spectacular skies and an amazing sunset.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVtYB4uiDk8x1WP09__WBqvqGRdlOy71aA4oayVJE0aTlPH6sNBKPkqkxNypOccEF8LNl3_eGiuqvQp_ShhF74EP1Y_LiAr2IuJ7Ta4_dJveiBLa_Id9bHXtlCYcmebfsa14S1pUA0ebw/s1600/Winter-Styles-Wed-Rabideau-25_WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVtYB4uiDk8x1WP09__WBqvqGRdlOy71aA4oayVJE0aTlPH6sNBKPkqkxNypOccEF8LNl3_eGiuqvQp_ShhF74EP1Y_LiAr2IuJ7Ta4_dJveiBLa_Id9bHXtlCYcmebfsa14S1pUA0ebw/s320/Winter-Styles-Wed-Rabideau-25_WEB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To cap off the evening, as guests were leaving they were able to pick-up their favorite comfort food from the food truck we brought it. It was the perfect end to a great New York wedding. I would like to thank all of the great vendors who brought this event together and <a href="http://michaeljustinfilms.com/" target="_blank">Michael Justin Films</a> for the photos featured here.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWGHH0wPoCYKEsmGgNRoevc6E17MrwIJXX1O57y20Xr4sA78jNeZR_i5bX-dki5NhVjgo1KhXHhDDEvLHU_FhF3vtcJohXHODczifsDwCpMpJemOml2zX_eiIdIb2SXszSTU2yrKCMGOY/s1600/Winter-Styles-Wed-Rabideau-48_WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWGHH0wPoCYKEsmGgNRoevc6E17MrwIJXX1O57y20Xr4sA78jNeZR_i5bX-dki5NhVjgo1KhXHhDDEvLHU_FhF3vtcJohXHODczifsDwCpMpJemOml2zX_eiIdIb2SXszSTU2yrKCMGOY/s320/Winter-Styles-Wed-Rabideau-48_WEB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am always excited to share a great wedding experience and hope you enjoy reading about them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until next time....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cheers!</span></div>
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<br />Shawn Rabideauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06875333378158855681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491603911126520492.post-56692326795310717872015-04-13T13:51:00.000-04:002015-04-13T13:51:24.730-04:00A few more tips on budgeting for your wedding<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">When planning
your wedding knowing where to begin can often be the hardest part of the
planning process. Often I hear brides ask “how much is that going to
cost”. While cost is one of the most important parts of the wedding I
often turn the question back to them asking them to prioritize their priorities.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7mX3G1unnnkb9atsVsG5jbMDQkkXf5XE7jSgOtZC_g2TXxlPz3k7pC-cvzbkv_K_0bpbni2N13IiPqd89RJcoN8ztgdMyEQautIrDv9AjTUoGVfI6qgLekFLrO0zU_qy0RrgyIogxmu0/s1600/WR082208-DN_408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7mX3G1unnnkb9atsVsG5jbMDQkkXf5XE7jSgOtZC_g2TXxlPz3k7pC-cvzbkv_K_0bpbni2N13IiPqd89RJcoN8ztgdMyEQautIrDv9AjTUoGVfI6qgLekFLrO0zU_qy0RrgyIogxmu0/s1600/WR082208-DN_408.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">You see, once a
bride knows what’s important to her, she can then put a value on that
item. Determining the value as it relates to your wedding can be one of
the most stressful parts of planning. So I often caution clients to break
down what’s at the top of their list. For my clients I do the homework of
determining what their priorities cost. However, for those brides that
have not hired a planner I highly recommend they do their
homework.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Start out by
contacting the venue first and foremost. Detail out everything you want
and work to get the best possible price. While researching venues go to
the next most important item on your list and research that cost and so on and so
forth.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLW3QZ3kgJwzjUnY4iuHHuLxyi21_rL6P4TV05ZIG9jan2P9HQHQ9vaBSdBHytcZ3QtL0moYIG0OP6YhCnI-DGHwdcZmSiZk-SuT1XSpJxG0hNDsPuTDbpWczgMOjaEUJZPEjwIYkOSvQ/s1600/DJ+Chuppa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLW3QZ3kgJwzjUnY4iuHHuLxyi21_rL6P4TV05ZIG9jan2P9HQHQ9vaBSdBHytcZ3QtL0moYIG0OP6YhCnI-DGHwdcZmSiZk-SuT1XSpJxG0hNDsPuTDbpWczgMOjaEUJZPEjwIYkOSvQ/s1600/DJ+Chuppa.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">It’s very
important to gather all the costs before signing any contracts. Don’t let
any one vendor pressure you into signing with them. Once you start
signing contracts and giving deposits it’s too late to turn back. If you
have hired a planner this is where you want to bring them
in. They are the ones who can and will negotiate the best possible price
for you.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">By gathering all
your costs you can see exactly where each item fits into your budget.
This allows you the option to switch gears and change your expectations based
on how the value of your “priority” fits into your overall wedding budget.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwe0tDYW5ltdvivQ__gbQ8TAviTaHvRXVZJtNo3BsT_qfB82CoSSvw91IrZqISpM4JGox8vevBM459u_bQg6MpaENBwcOl95KYKEdhNGl1AWsOIx2D_Pmzcl9UXGYvM2yXIYivTuVTi8/s1600/WR082208-JD_3712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwe0tDYW5ltdvivQ__gbQ8TAviTaHvRXVZJtNo3BsT_qfB82CoSSvw91IrZqISpM4JGox8vevBM459u_bQg6MpaENBwcOl95KYKEdhNGl1AWsOIx2D_Pmzcl9UXGYvM2yXIYivTuVTi8/s1600/WR082208-JD_3712.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Take for example, I’m working with a client who has a fabulous venue. Their most important items
are photography and band. I’ve cautioned them before signing anything to
let us do the homework to determine what all of the other elements will cost. This way
they can decide how all of the elements can work within their given budget and how they can allocate more money to the items they deem most critical.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Once you feel
comfortable with how things work into your budget you can sign on the dotted
line. After that, all the little details will fall into place.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Until next time…</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br />
Cheers!<o:p></o:p></span>Shawn Rabideauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06875333378158855681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491603911126520492.post-91319757900096512912015-04-06T08:59:00.000-04:002015-04-06T08:59:24.632-04:00Henriette<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I first developed the designs for my stationery collection I used inspiration from my family and each design serves as a reflection of these special people in my life.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I am now traveling to Vermont to gather with family to celebrate the life of my Grandmother I thought it would be appropriate to share the design "Henriette" I created in her honor.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgot7AH6r8pUxe0F-HFneBYuJfcCQZwgsb0s1-hSRaI2ljtG54NSS-auyYQLTRUEfxHhvnTiusg7LzVo4zzBBBF-RUjBNAKji2rbZPTwtzSqScAJSLiAxnMpWPcUqOgOb8XjSSJ718bNRE/s1600/EB9C7347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgot7AH6r8pUxe0F-HFneBYuJfcCQZwgsb0s1-hSRaI2ljtG54NSS-auyYQLTRUEfxHhvnTiusg7LzVo4zzBBBF-RUjBNAKji2rbZPTwtzSqScAJSLiAxnMpWPcUqOgOb8XjSSJ718bNRE/s1600/EB9C7347.jpg" height="256" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I always remember the beautiful, vibrant flowers that adorned Meme's garden and used that inspiration for this design. I looked forward to traveling to Vermont to see the beauty. It is a memory that I will cherish and am so happy I had the opportunity to honor her in a little way through this stationery.</span></div>
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Shawn Rabideauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06875333378158855681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491603911126520492.post-4945764244528170952015-03-28T10:54:00.002-04:002015-03-29T10:07:16.524-04:00Featured Vendor - Absolutely Charleston<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Recently I began a series of features on my blog to highlight the great vendors I have had the pleasure of working with. I would like to continue this with an amazing transportation company in Charleston, SC, <a href="http://www.absolutelycharleston.com/" target="_blank">Absolutely Charleston</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In working with Absolutely Charleston I have found their service to be impeccable and their equipment top notch. Recently I had an opportunity to tour their facility and see how they reconstruct and maintain their trolley fleet. I was truly impressed and can see why they are so successful. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, I took the opportunity to ask them questions about not only their business, but also about transportation in Charleston and general information for brides. Below you will find some great information that is useful for any bride, not just those coming to Charleston.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SR - Tell me a little about how Absolutely Charleston came to be?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AC - <span style="color: purple;">In the mid-1990s, Linda Wohlfeil Jones, a native of Charleston, launched the beginnings of Absolutely Charleston as a tour company with a few vans to assist with tour transportation. In 2000 she sold the transportation side of her company to Walt Thorn. Walt </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">took those few vans and started offering transportation services. Eventually the fleet grew by adding minicoaches, trolleys and a vintage style bus. Absolutely Charleston quickly started filling a need for Brides in the area for unique transportation and today we are a premier transportation provider, specializing in Weddings, and have the privilege of working with the area's top planners. The current version of Absolutely Charleston is an organization comprised of City of Charleston-licensed Guides, a full service destination management company, and full service transportation provider who operates our own fleet of vehicles to accommodate weddings, corporate clients and social groups.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzVvQBcT6djy9SKb9OmIp0uiEvfICtK8ESyypK4oNdnoqYQ5pne31b-TLya5Mh4qlBsT6CDGAl5lytsOyb1jh66xZEQOGveQIWM4PlI9MZ5DXZDwEu1rCW4Exow6QNwc_c57f4PAqy5MY/s1600/trolley_3_resize.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzVvQBcT6djy9SKb9OmIp0uiEvfICtK8ESyypK4oNdnoqYQ5pne31b-TLya5Mh4qlBsT6CDGAl5lytsOyb1jh66xZEQOGveQIWM4PlI9MZ5DXZDwEu1rCW4Exow6QNwc_c57f4PAqy5MY/s1600/trolley_3_resize.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SR - What would you say sets you apart from other transportation companies in Charleston?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AC - <span style="color: purple;">The level of service and planning that we put into our events is unsurpassed. We go way above and beyond the average transportation provider when planning an event. We spend a lot of time organizing the schedule so that there is a plan in place that really works day of. We also stay informed of City policies and regulations that affect transportation so there are no surprises on event day. In addition to the logistical planning that goes into preparing for an event, we also have an amazing fleet of vehicles that we are constantly maintaining and improving and even more importantly a team of drivers who are hires with a strong customer service focus, and trained specifically to work for our high end clientele. To ensure great service we also have onsite coordinators on our team that we dispatch out to large events that manage transportation specifically, so we take that whole worry off the planner, or bride's, mind, so they can focus on the more important details of the day. Lastly, we also prepare for any possible vehicle issues by having an emergency dispatcher with a standby vehicle at the office on busy event days, so in case any emergencies arise, we are prepared to solve the problem and ensure that there is not a service failure. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga_GPseiVkM8y__S4viNFxX4G0ABOkC5cv81sOgf_dxnUD5DohhpeGbwlFqapCa5agVjGZCmeRNtFHX0loO5Vm1WV5IATmfIYL1fwneu2zhrBGRhdnDL0AihyphenhyphenQJyR-F9nxl7tIr_yUAAE/s1600/vehilce+shot+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga_GPseiVkM8y__S4viNFxX4G0ABOkC5cv81sOgf_dxnUD5DohhpeGbwlFqapCa5agVjGZCmeRNtFHX0loO5Vm1WV5IATmfIYL1fwneu2zhrBGRhdnDL0AihyphenhyphenQJyR-F9nxl7tIr_yUAAE/s1600/vehilce+shot+3.jpg" height="196" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SR - What are some of the challenges you face when getting
around Charleston.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-themecolor: text2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AC - <span style="color: purple;">Transportation in the Holy City
is tricky for a few reasons: </span></span><span style="color: purple;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-themecolor: text2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;">1. There are transportation restrictions, put in place by the City,which protect the residents in the historic district, that limit where large vehicle can go, and where they can pick up and drop off. We must use city approved loading zones and there are specific areas we can't drive through or stop in. All of this needs to be factored in during the planning process.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-themecolor: text2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;">2. We have many one way streets and even some cobblestone roads, which we have to plan for when working out a transportation route.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-themecolor: text2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;">3. There are many roads that are too small to travel in a large vehicle, or that you can't turn on to, of off of, due to limited turn radius in a large vehicle.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-themecolor: text2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;">4. We are such a busy tourist destination that there is vehicle and pedestrian traffic to consider, which needs to be factored in when planning a transportation schedule.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SR - What are some of your favorite wedding locations?
How about locations for photographs?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-themecolor: text2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AC - <span style="color: purple;">Some of my personal favorite
wedding locations are Lowndes Grove Plantation and Boone Hall Plantation. Both of these venues are beautiful and have
wonderful outdoor space with gorgeous scenery.
They give you the opportunity to have a traditional Southern fête with
all of the historic charm of the plantation, complete with the old oak trees
and the marsh in the background, and they can be dressed up so that each event
there reflects the clients individual tastes!
Photos at these locations are beautiful as well, but many Brides like to
travel into the historic district to get some unique photos. I think Washington Park is the best location
Downtown for photos, as it has brickwork, rod iron gates and a cobblestone
street that runs just behind it.</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGy8x3JefgF6pQIvnTWw-DfwkLbkcVja-uMU1bPWOLHxg1vlGBk1tVgwlZ0KTl-7Jy-X7NOG0vuY39JsRq2NGkgA-slaTBz5y-mP4lEG-9Dq1JYwiKn-a49-NPbLrcBJ-lF5hfscFIbXU/s1600/vehilce+shot+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGy8x3JefgF6pQIvnTWw-DfwkLbkcVja-uMU1bPWOLHxg1vlGBk1tVgwlZ0KTl-7Jy-X7NOG0vuY39JsRq2NGkgA-slaTBz5y-mP4lEG-9Dq1JYwiKn-a49-NPbLrcBJ-lF5hfscFIbXU/s1600/vehilce+shot+5.jpg" height="320" width="219" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SR - What's the craziest and most outrageous request you
have ever had?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-themecolor: text2;">AC - <span style="color: purple;">That’s a tough one… I don’t really consider any request too
outrageous to try and accommodate! I
will say that we have had requests to travel as far as Virginia with our
trolleys to help with a wedding, and that we often get requests to transport
pets, and have even had to pet-sit on a few occasions after the transfer. As a team we are very customer serv</span></span><span style="color: purple;">ice
oriented and we will do almost anything to keep our clients happy on their big
day!</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSHiyxsDbLH1fAPUMle2oZAoWaMJgnHSSmmXJt6cwvQMQ5Of9qHEYXlsgCBE974PCz13p53QwM4bFiIO_5b2n_K9u3v67g21XLbgrzKFij1pF1wyjgLJ5ZhY-XsnqyRr8Z1Sv5n3pCpTY/s1600/vehicle+shot+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSHiyxsDbLH1fAPUMle2oZAoWaMJgnHSSmmXJt6cwvQMQ5Of9qHEYXlsgCBE974PCz13p53QwM4bFiIO_5b2n_K9u3v67g21XLbgrzKFij1pF1wyjgLJ5ZhY-XsnqyRr8Z1Sv5n3pCpTY/s1600/vehicle+shot+6.jpg" height="196" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SR - What changes have you seen in use of wedding
transportation over the last few years?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-themecolor: text2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AC - <span style="color: purple;">In the recent years I have
found that more Couple’s are providing transportation for their Guests. The focus used to be more on getting the
Wedding Party where they needed to be, but in recent years, the Couples are
really putting thought into getting their Guests moved around safely and
efficiently. This is so important in a
city like Charleston where getting around, and parking can be complicated. And of course, safely accommodating friends
and family after a festive reception is a huge concern.</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6lLTgn6xAgYIFhwfDrzgoG9QDOcY11Udqs-2S1MJCuRC5hZjsU-CZOzGwZ2XTSXGxAMZM0f6h9KRirahIHTlqCyZOP3g_fDQ22hsOlXqM3YAgAjUodwcWPeA8vM6hvMAu3s4lspZx610/s1600/vehicle+shot+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6lLTgn6xAgYIFhwfDrzgoG9QDOcY11Udqs-2S1MJCuRC5hZjsU-CZOzGwZ2XTSXGxAMZM0f6h9KRirahIHTlqCyZOP3g_fDQ22hsOlXqM3YAgAjUodwcWPeA8vM6hvMAu3s4lspZx610/s1600/vehicle+shot+4.jpg" height="196" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SR - What are a few things brides should ask when selecting
a transportation company? What a few things brides should ask that they
don’t?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-themecolor: text2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AC - <span style="color: purple;">I think when choosing a transportation
provider, it is important to ask:</span></span><span style="color: purple;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-themecolor: text2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;">1. How they prevent and plan for vehicle breakdowns?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-themecolor: text2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;">2. What is the driver's attire?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-themecolor: text2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;">3. Will the vehicle they book be taking other groups on runs during the down time on their event?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-themecolor: text2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;">4. Do they have a good working relationship with local planners?</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-themecolor: text2;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The answers to these questions
will give you a good idea if the transportation service is professional and
reliable enough to trust on your big day!</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SR - Any advice for brides and grooms during the planning
process?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-themecolor: text2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AC - <span style="color: purple;">I recommend getting
transportation booked early! If clients
wait too long to secure transportation the top providers will be out of
vehicles. Transportation, while not one
of the more glamorous aspects of an event, is so important to the flow of the
day. Transportation delays or mistakes,
or poor scheduling, can result in ceremony delays, guest missing parts of the
event, and stress for all parties involved.
Having a dependable and professional provider will make all the
difference in client, planner and guest stress levels on the day of your
wedding.</span></span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-themecolor: text2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxWPH0ToHeueWgp9NUow2niQG6Pen2mShy0t45l81giUNxhYAkQuGP0KFDzUbUNBdAfhzLsBxJL5HC3EtttpaskEenJ1uXmKiwenPtCNDtuFtu2G1uHIZA85whL6j3kotmAuPKjk05mQ/s1600/vehicle+shot+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxWPH0ToHeueWgp9NUow2niQG6Pen2mShy0t45l81giUNxhYAkQuGP0KFDzUbUNBdAfhzLsBxJL5HC3EtttpaskEenJ1uXmKiwenPtCNDtuFtu2G1uHIZA85whL6j3kotmAuPKjk05mQ/s1600/vehicle+shot+1.jpg" height="196" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SR - What's the best possible advice you can give to a
couple on their wedding day?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-themecolor: text2;">AC - <span style="color: purple;">Be in the moment once the day
arrives. At this point don’t stress over
details, leave that to the professionals you have hired. Really enjoy the day that you have spent so
long planning; it is over in the blink of an eye! No matter what happens, at the end of the day
you will be married to the person you love! </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-themecolor: text2;"><br /></span></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH9OzGcdWa23DNordZ7CunQpah9nbfgm2J3j33tuHgiWIbP51DUIQmU1gtE3A-UcSq1qfTSJxA5Id2b0uZT03yY7oaqcm4PXr1a8JUKgtyOEdEXeS52PvPDM4BQmjtM2YRC32bIklAmj0/s1600/trolley+pic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH9OzGcdWa23DNordZ7CunQpah9nbfgm2J3j33tuHgiWIbP51DUIQmU1gtE3A-UcSq1qfTSJxA5Id2b0uZT03yY7oaqcm4PXr1a8JUKgtyOEdEXeS52PvPDM4BQmjtM2YRC32bIklAmj0/s1600/trolley+pic.JPG" height="246" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SR - How can brides and grooms find you? <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Website: <a href="http://www.absolutelycharleston.com/">www.AbsolutelyCharleston.com</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AbsolutelyCharleston">https://www.facebook.com/AbsolutelyCharleston</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/AbsoCharleston" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/AbsoCharleston </a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks to Absolutely Charleston for their great insight. Until next time...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cheers!</span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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Shawn Rabideauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06875333378158855681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491603911126520492.post-27928532646685734932015-03-25T14:02:00.000-04:002015-03-26T18:49:44.935-04:00What do Wedding Planners really do?<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I can't tell you how
many times people tell me how fabulous my job must be. Of course I think
it's fabulous otherwise I wouldn't be doing it. But truth be told it's
not all rainbows, butterflies and ponies.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br />
Like any profession there's good and bad. Take for example flight
attendants...Sure it seems fabulous flying around the world getting to see
things you otherwise wouldn't normally get to. Truth be told it's a hard
job with odd hours, crazy requests, and demanding ungrateful people.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The same can be
said of wedding planners.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Recently I had
the opportunity to speak to a room full of "want to be" wedding planners at a
college in the south. The professor asked that I give the reality of what it's
like to be a wedding planner. You see these kids (I can say that, as I now hit 40...) were all dreamy eyed, thinking planning weddings is like opening a
box of Lucky Charms, Magically Delicious.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The reality,
wedding planning is a hard job filled with many misconceptions. So what
do wedding planners really do?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL_vDS1fRAgiSX1jAhPef5IVA6j0fJF9kPh1zdC6wQVsUFTj8rHInQcfwG0gaUvb1FhcwG-Gw5A8WldcwHvQtEXrYQvCx-501L5tU-7ZGRpEtB33AcgS2CuvvT1f2hl5BeoE6WJJFuJRY/s1600/Jessica+and+Shawn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL_vDS1fRAgiSX1jAhPef5IVA6j0fJF9kPh1zdC6wQVsUFTj8rHInQcfwG0gaUvb1FhcwG-Gw5A8WldcwHvQtEXrYQvCx-501L5tU-7ZGRpEtB33AcgS2CuvvT1f2hl5BeoE6WJJFuJRY/s1600/Jessica+and+Shawn.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">First, let's get one
things straight, 99% of wedding planners are small businesses. This means
that in reality, even when successful, they have to work their butts off to
cover their overhead which includes insurance, rent, electric, employees, phone
bills, transportation, PR, IT and the list goes on and on. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Second, for many like myself, doing what we do is the only source of income. Not everyone
is lucky enough to have a spouse pick up the financial slack when times
aren't plush and rosy. So when I hear potential clients say I had no idea a
wedding planner could be so expensive. I remind them we may only
take 10 weddings a year due to the hours demanded to plan each wedding. If you take what a wedding planner charges for
that one wedding and divide that by 12 months, then divide that by 4 weeks and
then divide that by 30 days you begin to understand that
planners charge what they do because it's their living.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Which brings me
to my next point, how many hours we actually do work? So often potential
clients truly don't understand the amount of work that goes into planning a
wedding. The planning process is normally anywhere from 10 to 13 months or
more. In that time a planner can easily write over a 1,000 emails that
coincide with one particular wedding. They can log about 48 hours or more
of phone time and about two weeks straight full of meetings, all for one
wedding. We often work from the moment we wake usually about 5:30 /
6:00am until we go to bed by about 10:00 / 11:00pm. And we do this on
average 6 to 7 days a week depending on the season. And let's not forget
the amount of hours logged on the wedding week and day.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">It's true that we
play many roles wedding planner, negotiator, therapist, just to name a
few. All that comes with experience of the trials and tribulations of
what we've learned over the course of many years of planning. So when we
sometimes say that a thought or proposal won't work or it isn't a good idea it's most likely
because we've learned lessons the hard way or we've seen our clients learn
lessons the hard way. We are full of sound advice and don't recommend
something just because we feel like it.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXbWYfspyffez654_dwYQKwmpmVTgndBUv8mi7LTi_cXOuBVwHr6yRuStW4BTkaha6pPWRK2OoN3J2y0R9Y_Dx-41XEIkfVsc1k95Vizgt_sHy_OV9VszP19r8vVQakB18hYxsHuKKgXA/s1600/Shawn+pinning+Talis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXbWYfspyffez654_dwYQKwmpmVTgndBUv8mi7LTi_cXOuBVwHr6yRuStW4BTkaha6pPWRK2OoN3J2y0R9Y_Dx-41XEIkfVsc1k95Vizgt_sHy_OV9VszP19r8vVQakB18hYxsHuKKgXA/s1600/Shawn+pinning+Talis.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy of Fifth Avenue Digital</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The amount of
logistics that go into planning a wedding are mind numbing. We have to think of every little detail and how that detail has consequences
that could effect other details. Take for example setting up the band
near the dance floor. A good planner knows to work with the band to make
sure they don't spread out too much otherwise there might not be enough room
for the Hora. A good planner will scan the room and make sure no spots are left
in the dark, like the middle of the dance floor where dad is giving his tear
filled speech. A good planner will know enough to cross check the
photographers contract to make sure they capture every moment and don't leave before
the cake cutting. So the reality is we create agendas, timelines and
everything in between to make sure nothing is forgotten.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">For each wedding
we probably do as much research as one would do for their senior thesis in
college. Looking into venues for your wedding can take up to as much as a weeks worth of emails and phone calls. Then arranging the site visits can take
another full day or two. And then the negotiation of the contract can
take another few days. And this is all before looking for a photographer,
band, caterer, hotel rooms for guests and much more. And we do all this
while balancing other clients expectations.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Speaking of
expectations, I can't tell you how many times I hear from a family member how
important this day is. Not to be snarky, but do you really think we don't
know this. We know we have one shot to get this right. We have one shot
to make a lasting impression to not only our client, but to 200 people attending the wedding.
We know each and every wedding is as important as the next.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYnTzUJBk5Jjnt6zrkuSezdpIdFOrAdPPl_ra8m44bXKjhHct-OfvQwrYC53EQOL43pCl1A9sfwLy0WDXfD7Itc247VpGBi6cdRCSA-zPPDwZG7833vRoXjGWmZQx24uA1AZnQ5FuHF8I/s1600/Shawn+and+Bride.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYnTzUJBk5Jjnt6zrkuSezdpIdFOrAdPPl_ra8m44bXKjhHct-OfvQwrYC53EQOL43pCl1A9sfwLy0WDXfD7Itc247VpGBi6cdRCSA-zPPDwZG7833vRoXjGWmZQx24uA1AZnQ5FuHF8I/s1600/Shawn+and+Bride.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy of Lindsay Flanagan Photography</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">And finally, we
do what we do because we love it. We don't do it to get rich, we do it
for the joy we bring each client and for the joy each client brings us. I
truly love what I do. I love the logistics and research. I love that each
client has different thoughts on how they want their wedding to be and I love
that after the wedding I remain friends with them for years to come.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBvH5UsDRTVZiKD6QPqPjp45qmV1oGl13PCOMepE_BsOn0XC9eCrGN5Jv9RQp8li4uUd1hvU0B5JkRPlGp7FSmtBFQszI12o1Hd80wNNp9C_LCwK8kpONmUvO7ari3O_wuN8pVn-WvIso/s1600/ShawnKellyJason.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBvH5UsDRTVZiKD6QPqPjp45qmV1oGl13PCOMepE_BsOn0XC9eCrGN5Jv9RQp8li4uUd1hvU0B5JkRPlGp7FSmtBFQszI12o1Hd80wNNp9C_LCwK8kpONmUvO7ari3O_wuN8pVn-WvIso/s1600/ShawnKellyJason.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy of Michael Dade photography<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">This post merely scratches the surface of what planners do, but I think it
gives you a better idea that to be a good wedding planner it requires us to
have a passion for what we do.</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Until next
time...<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Cheers!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<br />Shawn Rabideauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06875333378158855681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491603911126520492.post-14330707438159936262015-03-14T11:32:00.004-04:002015-03-14T11:33:16.625-04:00Charleston, South Carolina - Number 2 travel destination worldwide!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I always knew that opening an office in Charleston would be a great idea. I am truly excited to have my opinion reinforced as Conde Nast magazine just rated Charleston the number one destination in the country and number 2 worldwide! Check out the article here and make sure to plan your visit.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://tinyurl.com/lnkszsg" target="_blank">Conde Nast Top Cities in the World</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Congratulations Charleston!</span></div>
Shawn Rabideauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06875333378158855681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491603911126520492.post-18323400521550698042015-03-12T12:17:00.000-04:002015-03-14T11:34:39.927-04:00Shawn Rabideau Stationery now at Bed Bath and Beyond<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am excited to announce that the Shawn Rabideau Stationery collection is now available in the new stationery department at Bed, Bath and Beyond. You can see all of the great designs here:</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://invitations.bedbathandbeyond.com/shop/party/adult-birthday-invitations/shawn-rabideau-stationery_br.html" target="_blank">Shawn Rabideau Stationery</a></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1bG1-euxel7CSmFWydzJRYby6oCKUQ5xZPhyphenhyphenNUJdVuFf8Agp6MwmPGa5pW3mSPuPe_HXFR3AeQxxs2j0VIyUW4fP4rDe6fDjCKgfpL01QCjaPIZXgjE4QHsy0mmSfdesqOyhe4jZvmgY/s1600/IMG_4498+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1bG1-euxel7CSmFWydzJRYby6oCKUQ5xZPhyphenhyphenNUJdVuFf8Agp6MwmPGa5pW3mSPuPe_HXFR3AeQxxs2j0VIyUW4fP4rDe6fDjCKgfpL01QCjaPIZXgjE4QHsy0mmSfdesqOyhe4jZvmgY/s1600/IMG_4498+(2).jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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Shawn Rabideauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06875333378158855681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491603911126520492.post-59400080035326124002015-03-06T15:37:00.000-05:002015-03-06T15:37:04.486-05:00New York Lounge wedding<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With all of the cold and snow we have been experiencing this winter I thought I would send out warm thoughts and share a wonderful rooftop wedding I planned and designed this past Summer at <a href="http://tribecarooftopnyc.com/" target="_blank">Tribeca Rooftop</a> in New York City.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU4UJSkv6CaRW1EhrKxhRXckyJ5ziVoMI1zFxfoyMA0MjYagAgZ5d2HEs6aJbfGSXwipWZHpNbl0XLY14T2hhZgXo7IxRV8SXMarIUkEpcN15KRpnO2pQqJNvYqoVasi0x7cKIPsCBlWA/s1600/Dawn_PJ_Wedding_SionFullanaEdits06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU4UJSkv6CaRW1EhrKxhRXckyJ5ziVoMI1zFxfoyMA0MjYagAgZ5d2HEs6aJbfGSXwipWZHpNbl0XLY14T2hhZgXo7IxRV8SXMarIUkEpcN15KRpnO2pQqJNvYqoVasi0x7cKIPsCBlWA/s1600/Dawn_PJ_Wedding_SionFullanaEdits06.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was a great wedding for me to plan not only because Dawn and PJ were wonderful brides, but also due to the fact that I was planning the wedding for PJ's sister at the same time! It was wonderful to get to know the family and everyone at Susan's wedding in Virginia then to see everyone again in New York. You can see photos from Susan's wedding here: <a href="http://shawnrabideauevents.blogspot.com/2014/10/lovely-virginia-wedding.html" target="_blank">Lovely Virginia Wedding</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fortunately, we had great weather for the ceremony on the rooftop. Once the ceremony was concluded guests were treated to cocktails on the roof and then a lounge style reception. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSHt4WQ_vSyTkVT5CR_7mXVvJs2VEw_0H9zUTCSRIQJlJlzxvT21t7k3TUcE_4ggnAhw_orBCTopAm_11jzo42KB_bbT_gBh4z-seax3wCvOCIi9IU6hbKHpQo4Wa_iiUqRNlxTf9GaUs/s1600/Dawn_PJ_Wedding_SionFullanaEdits14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSHt4WQ_vSyTkVT5CR_7mXVvJs2VEw_0H9zUTCSRIQJlJlzxvT21t7k3TUcE_4ggnAhw_orBCTopAm_11jzo42KB_bbT_gBh4z-seax3wCvOCIi9IU6hbKHpQo4Wa_iiUqRNlxTf9GaUs/s1600/Dawn_PJ_Wedding_SionFullanaEdits14.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can see that I designed a few dining tables for family and lounge seating for the rest of the guests. I worked with <a href="http://www.taylorcreativeinc.com/" target="_blank">Taylor Creative</a> to create different vignettes around the room with seating in purple and white that tied into the overall scheme. I then used green and purple floral to create sleek, impactful centerpieces that really popped in the room. The result was a look that the Brides loved.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm_EBet9yw0JU7kGH9AXCk_s3S5I4fJRYxBzB_6pPUJPg_gQ03uKC5pDXDhGsGF02_STznPEvqdueUG_hyphenhyphenv53gpB00-vttTdiXU6OzrBRqthxWuXdPq7QczgReMUIqRuOfohAX8NaQnxM/s1600/Dawn_PJ_Wedding_SionFullanaEdits15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm_EBet9yw0JU7kGH9AXCk_s3S5I4fJRYxBzB_6pPUJPg_gQ03uKC5pDXDhGsGF02_STznPEvqdueUG_hyphenhyphenv53gpB00-vttTdiXU6OzrBRqthxWuXdPq7QczgReMUIqRuOfohAX8NaQnxM/s1600/Dawn_PJ_Wedding_SionFullanaEdits15.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3GmOQSnVMNT7fs8FOaEAX4c2zRH-B9Z6p5IwhpODMTATBllFvWGR0VAiN8h1tuxvejOUSW6Z4NYLAz-ROC7g_eeCSdHqAm-ZpTs7O3op15HBfap5oG5zlpfi0AuNmE0ELos0yAuwjaAc/s1600/Dawn_PJ_Wedding_SionFullanaEdits16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3GmOQSnVMNT7fs8FOaEAX4c2zRH-B9Z6p5IwhpODMTATBllFvWGR0VAiN8h1tuxvejOUSW6Z4NYLAz-ROC7g_eeCSdHqAm-ZpTs7O3op15HBfap5oG5zlpfi0AuNmE0ELos0yAuwjaAc/s1600/Dawn_PJ_Wedding_SionFullanaEdits16.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-XkY_nwFPxsAKP2L81ms5Hf-1p5eKu-9F3uXDm9hk_Oe5yszgrlgxkf2uuCI0tWMnYYm961_lE4Ik_LBB13YRfG-QUkOGvp9E41fBD30bsFYoJsmJT_DmaejhSwtKnJ9qpJgBPCuvKs/s1600/Dawn_PJ_Wedding_SionFullanaEdits17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-XkY_nwFPxsAKP2L81ms5Hf-1p5eKu-9F3uXDm9hk_Oe5yszgrlgxkf2uuCI0tWMnYYm961_lE4Ik_LBB13YRfG-QUkOGvp9E41fBD30bsFYoJsmJT_DmaejhSwtKnJ9qpJgBPCuvKs/s1600/Dawn_PJ_Wedding_SionFullanaEdits17.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was really a great setting for Dawn and PJ to make their grand entrance down the staircase to their amazing reception. It was a great night for a wonderful couple.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-GGPsOIyAzKdMVq88ReHR4_tqv97shq1EMZEdUWWXGVdodnER_lMesRUaLsTLLFu-YIk7gPqujxJ2mggEC93VYc4StCJJ4n2a8wssloPs_5T5KSt3zxXQQFSiUICEdIiM8cY3fZ74rg/s1600/Dawn_PJ_Wedding_SionFullanaEdits18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-GGPsOIyAzKdMVq88ReHR4_tqv97shq1EMZEdUWWXGVdodnER_lMesRUaLsTLLFu-YIk7gPqujxJ2mggEC93VYc4StCJJ4n2a8wssloPs_5T5KSt3zxXQQFSiUICEdIiM8cY3fZ74rg/s1600/Dawn_PJ_Wedding_SionFullanaEdits18.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I addition to the staff at Tribeca Rooftop and Taylor Creative, I would like to give a shout out to <a href="http://onthemove.com/" target="_blank">On the Move</a> for supplying terrific entertainment and <a href="http://www.sionfullana.com/#/" target="_blank">Sion Fullana</a> for the wonderful photography.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sending you warm thoughts until the next great event and...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cheers!</span>Shawn Rabideauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06875333378158855681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491603911126520492.post-74225606949463859042015-03-04T10:36:00.001-05:002015-03-04T10:36:18.758-05:00Watch the tides<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">If
you're looking to get married on the beach or have your reception on the beach
the tide calendar is going to become your friend. And any good
wedding planner worth their weight (and price) had better look this information
up before even entertaining the idea of a beach wedding on your specific date
and time.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmRylnnnbWL3yQvbAM7EPbV8JmXcpF-ET2rHhZ4CaehVhw1ViPXJkjrJuy7z7b_deHv-R7D5zJXKFzGQFdALp54h4K1a-DJbKSFJmHt7WATea48dyOIN1wCMkJcPDJmNyHk0vCURskH0M/s1600/IMG_2922.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmRylnnnbWL3yQvbAM7EPbV8JmXcpF-ET2rHhZ4CaehVhw1ViPXJkjrJuy7z7b_deHv-R7D5zJXKFzGQFdALp54h4K1a-DJbKSFJmHt7WATea48dyOIN1wCMkJcPDJmNyHk0vCURskH0M/s1600/IMG_2922.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When looking at the tide calendar it is important to be very specific about your location as there are differences in the exact timing of low and high tide even within the same city. I like using the site in the link below because you can be very specific about your location and get the information you need for planning.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.saltwatertides.com/pickpred.html">http://www.saltwatertides.com/pickpred.html</a></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
last thing you want is for you or guests to get swept away in a high tide.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Until
next time…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Cheers!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Shawn Rabideauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06875333378158855681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491603911126520492.post-21549806134697270142015-03-02T13:03:00.000-05:002015-03-02T13:03:13.736-05:00Planning a Gay Wedding<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In
some respects its strange to say the phrase "gay wedding". I
catch myself saying it all the time and what I really want to say is
"wedding". Why can't we say "wedding" without
giving it any further thought? In due time across this country I predict
we will soon just say "wedding". Of course there are going to
be those that object to gay weddings, but that number is getting smaller and
smaller each day. But enough of the politics…Weddings in my opinion have
no place for politics.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9O2Xe4FGLUgdZbB1porcIo4_Uvzc_zl936UIuDAWbFw5Kp3GHRKZqCUQjO_o2aEpzSx-Wx_WH2UV1RAMq6DsqPtfAknbVADrGfmrn6Qpptv4-ijb0EPdYjrE0146vUiZQeGBp5tM0DNM/s1600/320-DD-20130511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9O2Xe4FGLUgdZbB1porcIo4_Uvzc_zl936UIuDAWbFw5Kp3GHRKZqCUQjO_o2aEpzSx-Wx_WH2UV1RAMq6DsqPtfAknbVADrGfmrn6Qpptv4-ijb0EPdYjrE0146vUiZQeGBp5tM0DNM/s1600/320-DD-20130511.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
There are a few exceptions of course like New York, Massachusetts and many
other states where gay weddings aren't even given a second thought.
However, in some of the more conservative states like South Carolina I'm
finding couples aren't really sure which vendors are gay friendly. I can
tell you this, most of the vendors I've talked to in Charleston, SC are so
excited to have the opportunity to work with couples of any gender. They
see gay weddings as an opportunity to grow their business, and to be honest, if
the money's green they'll take it. But I think it's more than that, deep
down, they see what we all see, two people in love who have the right to be
recognized as married.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaV2HeCecstd3CUjVCqvFlyNvL5L2AnQkET89wbMEgECNdGNqnfVmnD7mh9R0-r34l2DZUSK9cR1bno8PYyVABdfC_T87AScMbHcZS_czFC-aqX8-TNZyFr1BvJ0RlqGJ2tAWckrLwM9g/s1600/20100529-01-JD-0846.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaV2HeCecstd3CUjVCqvFlyNvL5L2AnQkET89wbMEgECNdGNqnfVmnD7mh9R0-r34l2DZUSK9cR1bno8PYyVABdfC_T87AScMbHcZS_czFC-aqX8-TNZyFr1BvJ0RlqGJ2tAWckrLwM9g/s1600/20100529-01-JD-0846.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As
a planner who has planned dozens of gay weddings I find planning gay weddings a
bit more special and meaningful than those of their straight
counterparts. Personally it's because these are couples who have been
together for 15, 20, 30 + years who otherwise never thought they would see the
day when they could marry the person they love. Now don't get me wrong, I
love planning all weddings, gay or straight, but there's just something that
tugs at my heart strings, maybe because I'm gay and I've been able to marry.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWNms5NHNCOVUFv0ZJ84k2lV4RtRQAv1woOwIJ0M8Vw9o6DSY6DXaHujyzipvW5Ja1jfJmMzDR_toJkL01U8BhtgrFEtzupMjdtR3MbC1b_PXSqe1vVlAoeWox9l0nbtbS7m5YThM3iVA/s1600/Dawn_PJ_Wedding_SionFullanaEdits12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWNms5NHNCOVUFv0ZJ84k2lV4RtRQAv1woOwIJ0M8Vw9o6DSY6DXaHujyzipvW5Ja1jfJmMzDR_toJkL01U8BhtgrFEtzupMjdtR3MbC1b_PXSqe1vVlAoeWox9l0nbtbS7m5YThM3iVA/s1600/Dawn_PJ_Wedding_SionFullanaEdits12.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And
as a wedding planner who has recently expanded his planning services to
Charleston, SC, I find myself with a slight advantage to my counterparts here
in Charleston because I have planned countless gay weddings. For me, I treat gay
or straight weddings all the same. It's a moment when two people who are
in love join to become one. I treat each the same in their requests, in
what's important and what's not important. I treat each with the same
devotion and regardless I know (for most) this is a onetime deal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So
I say this, if you're gay and looking to get married in the South you can
certainly come to me, but also know, you have support in growing numbers from
many wedding businesses that want you to hire them, because the reality is,
they want you to be happy too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Until
next time…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
Cheers!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Shawn Rabideauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06875333378158855681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491603911126520492.post-39332933523277379322015-02-27T11:30:00.000-05:002015-03-03T10:21:04.724-05:00Sunset photos - timing is everything!<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Charleston,
South Carolina has some killer sunsets! If you're getting married there
(or in any location with a killer sunset) timing is everything!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Any
wedding photographer will tell you those are some of the most difficult shots
to get, specifically because of the timing. It's not like you stop the
sun from setting. There's no magical switch to turn it on or off.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So
if you're planning your own wedding how can you be sure that you and your now
spouse will be in the foreground of the perfect sunset?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjoa2pjRRWmiGvxfgHrQcCwv1NsoY7qBuRsbWY0UBAtveHBUjn11IK_daZdZPpg7xPUyDar8oBSSOCPdjZAmnhaxtxUCfCWRZeptVzouh7M3XkZOFbmzwDbgcT383dacQ2uQ8dgPm0nbQ/s1600/Sunset+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjoa2pjRRWmiGvxfgHrQcCwv1NsoY7qBuRsbWY0UBAtveHBUjn11IK_daZdZPpg7xPUyDar8oBSSOCPdjZAmnhaxtxUCfCWRZeptVzouh7M3XkZOFbmzwDbgcT383dacQ2uQ8dgPm0nbQ/s1600/Sunset+1.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy of Hopkins Studio</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">First
and foremost, communicate with everyone! The moment you hire your venue,
photographer, caterer, day of planner, band or whomever else, tell them you
want the perfect sunset shot. Communicating your plan is one of the most important things
you can do. By letting everyone know you want that shot it
will allow all the vendors to come together to say okay, we need to make sure
we're not serving food, doing the father daughter dance or whatever else may take place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial Narrow, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">If
you have a wedding planner, whether it be a day of or a full scale they will
know when the sun is setting and put that into the day of wedding timeline.
They'll be able to communicate the specific time with all the vendors and work
around that 10 to 15 minute period to make sure you get the perfect shot.
If you don't have a wedding planner you can find out the sunset times in your
local area here: </span><a href="http://www.sunrisesunset.com/">http://www.sunrisesunset.com/</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYwEaw1bdu012VttnLMs1I2kDl3b7D51FoA-u1Vo877anquqHulmmxCB15a_dLGxg9_S6HT26BlLVWWvdJXOIXluzh7dxT8YyWwhsKc7LemdSIQGzq8OmQpxpu2eCDyrAwXuYAmtYeWz8/s1600/Sunset+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYwEaw1bdu012VttnLMs1I2kDl3b7D51FoA-u1Vo877anquqHulmmxCB15a_dLGxg9_S6HT26BlLVWWvdJXOIXluzh7dxT8YyWwhsKc7LemdSIQGzq8OmQpxpu2eCDyrAwXuYAmtYeWz8/s1600/Sunset+2.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy of Hopkins Studio</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">You really want to make sure you work your timeline around the sunset, once that's figured out, everything else will fall
into place.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Until
next time...</span></div>
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Cheers!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Shawn Rabideauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06875333378158855681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491603911126520492.post-27742385688998560782015-02-26T14:06:00.000-05:002015-02-26T14:06:36.811-05:00Wedding trends - Day of Planners<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've
been planning weddings and events for over 15 years and in that time I've seen
trends come and go. However, there is one trend that I think is here
to stay and that's brides requesting (in record numbers) a day of wedding
planner. For some reason full time wedding planners have received a bad
rap for being too expensive. Thus brides who want help, but also want to save money, turn to a day of planner.
I'll be talking in the coming weeks about the misconceptions regarding the expense of a full time
wedding planner, but for now I want to talk about day of planning.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7pJppRoAtHPL-4r9E5w-XlRaUx1sbhBczVtH01y40kkEMjS7oQA6C8qZg9tw-X5RrJOgmw4usdXmsiX0c809f-wUlEHuowApFwCWfUDxUM9QeXp0e6eB1Xzw4nPVeVgvCOEAhQliQK9c/s1600/050210_CateMike_0305.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7pJppRoAtHPL-4r9E5w-XlRaUx1sbhBczVtH01y40kkEMjS7oQA6C8qZg9tw-X5RrJOgmw4usdXmsiX0c809f-wUlEHuowApFwCWfUDxUM9QeXp0e6eB1Xzw4nPVeVgvCOEAhQliQK9c/s1600/050210_CateMike_0305.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To
be honest, I never could understand how one could properly do "day of
planning". As a planner, how could you possibly show up on the most
important day of someone's life and possibly execute a flawless wedding?
It's almost impossible to get to know a bride's hot buttons a week or even two
weeks before her big day. Thus, why I never wanted to do "day of
planning".<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However,
after many requests, I decided that if demand called I would answer and now offer "day of planning". But, my service encompasses more than just the actual wedding day and here is why. To properly plan a wedding I need to get to know the
client and the client needs to get to know me. First and foremost, if you want
to hire me or an associate as a day of planner you'll need to hire us a minimum
of two to three months out from the date of your wedding. This allows us
to get to know each other and it allows me to know every single detail of your
wedding.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As
your day of planner I'll sit down with the bride, groom and parents to
discuss what's important, what's not important. What's been done and what
still needs to be done. I'll want to see all the contracts for each of
your vendors and the time you've contracted them for. I'll also want to
discuss all the little logistics that may not have been thought of such as
first look or transportation to and from the church. Do the times you've
contracted match up with your planned timeline? Often I find it's the little details that get missed
and I have to reorganize a few things to make sure the day runs smoothly.
I'll also pull together your day of timeline and speak with each one of your
vendors to make sure they are on point and are in the know with every single
detail. So by the time your wedding day rolls around the bride will want
for nothing. We'll handle everything so you don't have to.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
reality is day of planning can be a lot harder that planning a wedding from
start to finish. There's the issue with the bride having had numerous if
not hundreds of discussions with the caterer or photographer that you've not
been privy to. There's the issue of the planner not really getting to
know the brides personality. And there's always the issue of her hiring
vendors that simply are inexperienced (less expensive) which only makes the
planners job harder. However, if you hire a proper day of planner they'll
take care of all those issues so you don't have to.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In
the next couple of blogs I'll talk about the do's and don'ts to hiring a proper
day of wedding planner.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Until then...</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">cheers!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Shawn Rabideauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06875333378158855681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491603911126520492.post-22865527865513406162015-02-24T13:07:00.000-05:002015-02-24T13:07:26.695-05:00Getting the most out of your wedding vendors<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rabidos and Rabidon'ts for making your wedding vendors go the distance
for you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The vendors you choose for your wedding are at the core to
making your wedding dreams come true.
And the thing to remember is that your wedding vendors aren’t
necessarily working “for” you, but rather “with” you. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDtJoFZiDhpMd6U4OKm4eLcB8xxWmZ5m3-kRU5Vfrq-WiKiHWM4kmpPgnCfgyi_-rwaLyEbeONUr_1JmxATTIZ2-irL1oKOOOjx0sEL9oSzEEesSaTRwpSszUY5ax9431BpzIXnq8BIk/s1600/Lyndhurst+Ceremony+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDtJoFZiDhpMd6U4OKm4eLcB8xxWmZ5m3-kRU5Vfrq-WiKiHWM4kmpPgnCfgyi_-rwaLyEbeONUr_1JmxATTIZ2-irL1oKOOOjx0sEL9oSzEEesSaTRwpSszUY5ax9431BpzIXnq8BIk/s1600/Lyndhurst+Ceremony+3.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So here are a few tips to make your wedding vendors work
with you, which in turn will make them want to go a little further for you thus
making your wedding fabulous and a little less stressful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rabido – When searching for vendors, let them know you’re
shopping. This does two things, first they know you might just be getting
started and feeling things out. Second,
they’ll be willing to offer up even more information so that you can be
educated when narrowing down your selections.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rabidon’t – Don’t ignore your vendors. Whether it’s a potential vendor or one you’ve
hired, responding to an email or voicemail within 24 hours isn’t just nice, it’s
good business. The idea that you’re too
busy for your own wedding really doesn’t sit well with planners, photographers, DJ’s
and venues. Not responding signals that
you don’t care about the efforts they’ve put into helping your wedding dreams
come true.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rabido – When you receive a proposal from a prospective
wedding vendor, let them know you’ve received it, will review it and will get
back to them in a timely manner. That
acknowledges that you’re keeping them top of mind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rabidon’t – Don’t be afraid to ask your prospective wedding
vendors if they have any specials or discounts.
Wedding vendors will make concessions to work with you; after all they
want the business.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rabido – Do plan to tip your wedding vendors. Of course tipping is up to you, but it’s
always a nice thing to do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rabidon’t – Don’t forget to feed your wedding vendors on the
day of your wedding. Now this doesn’t
mean you should set up a table at your reception, but you should arrange with
your wedding venue or caterer a place behind the scene to feed them a hot meal. And NO it’s not okay for the band,
photographer, planner or any other vendor to drink at your wedding, but that’s
another blog post for another day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rabido – And finally do trust your wedding vendors when they
dole out advice. They’ve been doing this
a lot longer than you and know what will work and won’t work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until next time...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cheers! </span><o:p></o:p></div>
Shawn Rabideauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06875333378158855681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491603911126520492.post-34169866454274819482015-02-09T14:15:00.000-05:002015-02-10T14:19:44.375-05:00Featured Vendor - Hopkins Studios of Savannah, Georgia<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">One focus I want to make on my blog in the coming year is to feature some of the wonderful vendors and venues we work with. Given that we have worked with so many great vendors it will take time for us to present all of their work but I will do my best. I want to start by featuring a great photography team I have worked with in the Savannah and Charleston area, Scott and Melissa Hopkins.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif";"><a href="http://hopkinsstudios.com/" target="_blank">Hopkins Studio</a> is a husband and wife photography team who are
blazing their way through the Low Country. I wanted to know more about
what makes them tick and how they've become so successful. I also wanted
to know how they've been able to lead the way in the southern wedding market,
so I sat down with them to find out more about them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJdZ7pwAxMOdvTzI2loYy-Yskh5c_GdEcSGbfPTgmVmxeNWljP3hnpkkAQUztZWPpaD69otNfs1u7cP7c4o3m8x3OJQHvP7yOETjewuVRFBY0mntdVAIjs_H0iU8OoAQU2Ls6BxeRrTc/s1600/Hopkins-Studios-0017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJdZ7pwAxMOdvTzI2loYy-Yskh5c_GdEcSGbfPTgmVmxeNWljP3hnpkkAQUztZWPpaD69otNfs1u7cP7c4o3m8x3OJQHvP7yOETjewuVRFBY0mntdVAIjs_H0iU8OoAQU2Ls6BxeRrTc/s1600/Hopkins-Studios-0017.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif";">SR -
Scott and Melissa, tell me a little about how Hopkins Studio's came to be?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">HS - </span><span style="color: #6b2185; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif";">Scott started the company in 2004 after years of working in the
photo industry and as a nature photographer. In 2009, Melissa joined on full
time with Scott and we made their moved south away from the hustle and bustle
of Philadelphia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif";">SR -
As artists and photographers what would you say sets you apart from other
photographers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">HS -</span><span style="color: #6b2185; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif";"> We try to make everything as easy and as relaxed as possible
for our couples. We want our couples to enjoy the day with their families and
friends, so when we need them, we work quickly and get them back to the party
as soon as we can.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFvBmC4AsfS25HgKtDtLanSRIAu2ou_gY2JLTLxthWPJZo6OLlHBe6m4sggSUuvizLhitZ4uVeQFyVLr2odYBRg6X7xjzUMjV928h5Jrt0xbGRPrZ9Xch1YI_ETMOSkXI-7q__7nDLDBQ/s1600/Hopkins-Studios-0020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFvBmC4AsfS25HgKtDtLanSRIAu2ou_gY2JLTLxthWPJZo6OLlHBe6m4sggSUuvizLhitZ4uVeQFyVLr2odYBRg6X7xjzUMjV928h5Jrt0xbGRPrZ9Xch1YI_ETMOSkXI-7q__7nDLDBQ/s1600/Hopkins-Studios-0020.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif";">SR -
How would you describe your shooting style?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">HS -</span><span style="color: #6b2185; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif";">Our approach is primarily documentary. We do not want the day to
be one long photoshoot for our couples. We concentrate on the moments that make
up the day, how can we frame them in an interesting way, how can we use the
light to make it dramatic</span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">.</span><span style="color: #6b2185; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3uTM4WS-VmeTYFkqmBdze01YeeTuoms125UnQcltNjVj1GlTqbvJeekrcwsAHfcEcY0n4aeQDS_xd2eA2xPnvP8VHd2iUn_XhYvOXcCIIh2Rp1xl6QVsOWGfzqAP8spNEoROstbMZ0TM/s1600/Hopkins-Studios-0038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3uTM4WS-VmeTYFkqmBdze01YeeTuoms125UnQcltNjVj1GlTqbvJeekrcwsAHfcEcY0n4aeQDS_xd2eA2xPnvP8VHd2iUn_XhYvOXcCIIh2Rp1xl6QVsOWGfzqAP8spNEoROstbMZ0TM/s1600/Hopkins-Studios-0038.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">SR -
What are some of your favorite locations to shoot? Either for an
engagement session, a wedding or just for family shots. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">HS -</span><span style="color: #6b2185; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif";">The one of the best things about living and working in this area
is the variety of locations that we work at from wedding to wedding. One
weekend we are at a historic plantation, the next on the beach and next a five
star resort. Charleston and Savannah have such a rich history, visible in both
their architecture and landscape, we love showing that in our images.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCnDCMM4qkfijRu1r_NHBMJoMFhqiTYMjatrdq_uwriNRGNEeemBoJitOZKgP0WFjaU3WO_C8qVzxTZoKxk2L19g97Nc-I5-jxWzdWxOuFhE0SYX9GyVqkebPm_TsO3zW9TDbu2OLjqEU/s1600/Bride+and+groom+under+the+clouds+in+Savannah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCnDCMM4qkfijRu1r_NHBMJoMFhqiTYMjatrdq_uwriNRGNEeemBoJitOZKgP0WFjaU3WO_C8qVzxTZoKxk2L19g97Nc-I5-jxWzdWxOuFhE0SYX9GyVqkebPm_TsO3zW9TDbu2OLjqEU/s1600/Bride+and+groom+under+the+clouds+in+Savannah.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif";">SR -
What's the craziest and most outrageous photo(s) you've had taken?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">HS - </span><span style="color: #6b2185; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif";">A few years ago we had a long heat wave and the ceremony and
reception both took place outdoors by the club’s pool. Near the end of the
reception, the wedding party and a number of the guests decided that is was
time to cool down and dove into the pool, gowns and tuxes still on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif";">SR -
What are some bridal trends that you love and some you'd like to see go
away? And what are some you'd like to see comeback or just start all
together?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">HS - </span><span style="color: #6b2185; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif";">We would love to see more couples lighting their reception,
especially pin spotting their floral arrangements and the cake. A little
lighting can dramatically change the appearance of a room, it gives it life and
depth. We would also love to see a more modern take on the vintage, southern
wedding that is popular in this area.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE_uEY31LLyyyDMxiD0AJHtE2UG2z_3cBAWoBlyVZga0jPJlrZ-O49FDyirDWdiuI45sZc70LQl5iMxhymak4tV8vY8zXeAc58_kLbtiZe90UGrXO2-l9gHkwLfS_pRucqzg5AW7_UiZk/s1600/Lighted+dock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE_uEY31LLyyyDMxiD0AJHtE2UG2z_3cBAWoBlyVZga0jPJlrZ-O49FDyirDWdiuI45sZc70LQl5iMxhymak4tV8vY8zXeAc58_kLbtiZe90UGrXO2-l9gHkwLfS_pRucqzg5AW7_UiZk/s1600/Lighted+dock.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif";">SR -
What are a few things brides should ask when looking for a photographer?
What do you want them to know when shopping for photographers? What a few
things brides should ask that they don’t?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">HS -</span><span style="color: #6b2185; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif";">It is important for a couple to see an entire recent wedding
from any photographer they are considering. Seeing that final collection of
images should give you a good idea the images you can expect from your own
wedding. Good photographs are timeless, avoid the trends and fads that pop up
from season to season.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif";">SR -
Any advice for brides and grooms during the planning process?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">HS -</span><span style="color: #6b2185; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif";">We highly recommend hiring a planner who can help you bring your
vision to life. They have the experience handling all of the little details
that you may not think of. Also, work with vendors that you like and that are
the best fit for you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif";">SR -
What's the best possible advice you can give to a couple on their wedding day?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">HS -</span><span style="color: #6b2185; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif";">Relax and enjoy the day because it goes by quick!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif";">SR -
From a photography prospective what are some do's and don'ts brides should keep
in mind when planning out their hair and makeup on their wedding day?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">HS - </span><span style="color: #6b2185; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif";">Keep it natural and look like yourself. Keep it light around
your eyes as smoky eyes tend to appear very dark in photos and it can be hard
to see your eyes. Also keep in mind the level of touch ups you will need
to keep you looking your best throughout the day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQGlg4IkE2Jt_xurISPhUJlcF7m6GaacT3vJOyIGpjJOSGnL4m6HMDhYGrTitF3pMch9qJifxEiF_7I2LaVCNgG6K_LIJZY4xFTpC_9nNgk_dr8VYlN7lvZP_L4yKPs8TkcnPOlvuMWnc/s1600/Bride+and+Groom+near+the+beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQGlg4IkE2Jt_xurISPhUJlcF7m6GaacT3vJOyIGpjJOSGnL4m6HMDhYGrTitF3pMch9qJifxEiF_7I2LaVCNgG6K_LIJZY4xFTpC_9nNgk_dr8VYlN7lvZP_L4yKPs8TkcnPOlvuMWnc/s1600/Bride+and+Groom+near+the+beach.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif";">SR -
How can brides and grooms find you? Please list all social media<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif";">HS
- <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6b2185; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif";">Website- <a href="http://hopkinsstudios.com/">http://hopkinsstudios.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6b2185; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif";">Facebook- <a href="http://facebook.com/hopkinsstudios">facebook.com/hopkinsstudios</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6b2185; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif";">Twitter- <a href="http://twitter.com/hopkins_studios">twitter.com/hopkins_studios</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6b2185; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif";">Instagram- <a href="http://instagram.com/hopkins_studios">instagram.com/hopkins_studios</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope you have enjoyed this insight into the work of Scott and Melissa as well as the wonderful images of their work that they shared here.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until the next featured vendor...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cheers!</span></div>
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Shawn Rabideauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06875333378158855681noreply@blogger.com0