Notes From the Future "Mrs." - Getting Organized: Create a System!

{Photo: Courtesy of Mindy Weiss}

{Photo: Courtesy of Russell+Hazel}

'Tis the season to get organized. Especially for wedding planning. I was snooping around online, and noticed Mindy Weiss has this great book called "The Ultimate Wedding Organizer" Planner for $99.00 on her e-store. LOVE this organizer idea! I'm sure it's got every category imaginable covered, too (Just look at her book! Every wedding-related question under the sun is discussed. I'm not even joking. It's amazing.) Anyway, while online, I also noticed another great organizer from Russell+Hazel for $75.00. And you know what, honestly they both look like GREAT options.

But most brides probably don't want to spend the hundred bucks. So here's a solution. Just go buy a big binder, some page dividers, and lots of clear page protectors and VUALA! ...you have a wedding organizer book! You can even decorate it REAL pretty if you want ;)

So, without further ado, here is the category breakdown of my 'Wedding Book':

1. RECEPTION SITE
* Locations of Interest
* Food/Beverage Ideas
* Misc.

2. CEREMONY SITE
* Locations of Interest
* Misc.

3. FLORAL/DECOR CONCEPTS
* Personal Flowers
* Ceremony Decor
* Reception Decor

4. THE DRESS

5. OTHER ATTIRE
* Bridesmaids
* Groomsmen
* Ringbearer/Flower Girl
* Mother of the Bride (This is for you mom! I promise I won't neglect to help you find a BEAUTIFUL dress! You know I got your back :)

6. BEAUTY/ACCESSORIES
* Veil/Hairstyles
* Make up
* Shoes
* Jewelry
* Misc.

7. THE INVITATIONS

8. THE GUEST LIST

9. THE MUSIC

10. THE TRANSPORTATION

11. HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS

12. REHEARSAL DINNER
* Food/Beverage Ideas
* Flowers/Decor/Tent Rental

13. MISCELLANEOUS
* Lighting
* Sound
* Rental Items
* Other


Tearing out pages from magazines, and creating sketches for design concepts. That is what my spare time consists of these days. Now every idea has a happy little home to go into in my binder :)

And you want to know the best perk about this book? As I look through it, I am beginning to see a pattern. There are specific styles that pop up more often than others. Styles that "speak to me"...as Jodi would say. Having an eclectic style is a curse, I swear, so this is helping to narrow things down a bit. There is a prominent look happening here. Very fun to see. And helpful, nonetheless.

So, let this inspire you to better organize your big event ...in a very simple, inexpensive way.

~ Jillian

Inspired By This!

Yesterday, my publicist Leila Khalil, launched a new blog that I couldn't be more excited about. She is one of the great industry minds and keeps company with the best including Liene Stevens, Sean Low, and Rebecca Grinnals. She's a brilliant wedding strategist and branding expert, not to mention media goddess. And her blog is guaranteed to be full of helpful hints that will help elevate any wedding business.

I encourage you to add her blog to your Google Reader and check it often. She inspires me every day with her knowledge and strategic plan for my business. I'm so fortunate to have her on my team and I want all of you to benefit from her expertise as well.

~Jodi

PS - Leila has a book coming out this fall. When it does, I'll be hosting a give-away and I'll even have her sign it for the winner!

A Modern Event's "Style Your Event" Class, this Thursday Night!

We mentioned this over at A Modern Event's website, but in case you missed it don't forget to sign up for our very first class this Thursday night! The theme is "Style Your Event". We'll look at beautiful designs for the following styles: CLASSIC, VINTAGE, MODERN, and BEACH. We'll show you how to create a specific look for your event without breaking the bank and share some great tricks of the trade!

If you're a bride, know someone getting married, or just want to check it out, this will be a evening filled with goodies and helpful tips! Plus, as an added bonus (because we just can't contain our excitement for the start-up of our educational series) this class is COMPLIMENTARY!

Bring your mom and your best friend with you! All you have to do is email us your RSVP. Because the more the merrier!

LOCATION:
A Modern Event Studio
125 Ottawa Ave Grand Rapids, MI 49503

TIME:
Thursday, May 28th 6:30pm - 8:00pm

See you there!

~ Jodi

Notes From the Future "Mrs." - Picking a Color Scheme

Now that I have searched for venues, I'm onto the fun part - the creative part! Seriously, how does one even begin to design their wedding? The options feel endless. It seems like only yesterday I was in my apartment at Michigan State, looking through stacks of bridal magazines instead of sewing my design project for Senior Design Studio...ahhh, the memories [sigh]. Now all the great wedding ideas I loved are flooding my head.

Thankfully, I have some help. Jodi posted on In Any Event's blog not too long ago about 5 things she thinks every event MUST have. So, I'm going to make it easy for myself and break it down into these 5 categories. What will I start with first, you ask? Colors of course! Right off the bat, I want to show you the top color schemes I've found along the way.


My favorite color combo...

FUCHSIA + TAUPE: I fell IN LOVE with this color scheme from Martha Stewart! I saw these photos in the magazine not too long ago, so I was thrilled to find them again online! Clean and preppy. Perfect for the style I'm going for and perfect for the venue. I just need to tweak it a little to personalize it (maybe add an additional color?) and we're good to go!

Other color combos I love...

BLUE + ORANGE: This look is fun and unique. It's one of those things that could save you from a gloomy, rainy day. Should it rain on your wedding day (heaven forbid) then this combo would keep your day bright and cheery. You can't go wrong with complimentary colors... they always work well together!

{Photo: Courtesy of Brilliant Event Planning}

YELLOW + GRAY: This color pairing is very popular right now. I see it everywhere. What I love about this event is the aqua. Popping another color in there makes it different (you don't want your wedding to look like everyone else's!)

{Photo: Courtesy of Wedding Inspirations}

My list of favorites definitely goes beyond these three color schemes...but I just want to give you a small taste for now. Next up, I will be looking for linens and incorporating my color choice into those (oh boy, that's gonna take a while!) Hopefully I can find time this weekend to make some more decisions on my overall look. I like a lot of styles, so it's going to be tough. It's just one big process of elimination. Hopefully everything will all tie together in the end though! I'm crossing my fingers.

~ Jillian

Just a Friendly Reminder

If you're interested in winning a one-year subscription to Bride and Bloom, you have until 5pm today to leave a comment at the Modern Event blog post I did on Monday. So far, only 5 people have left a comment and I'd love to see more of you entered to win! So, swing on over to the site and tell me how excited you are to see the latest issue!

Good Luck!
~Jodi

Bride and Bloom *Update*

If you've been scouring every obscure bookstore and food market trying to find the latest copy of Bride and Bloom, {oh wait, maybe that's just me!} you can take a break for a few weeks. I spoke to my publicist yesterday and she found out that printing of the summer issue was delayed. It seems they've revamped the layout and will be unveiling its new design in a few weeks. I'm told that it went to press this week and will hit the stands the second week of June.

So, I guess I'll just hang tight for a little bit longer. I feel like a little kid waiting for Christmas to hurry up and get here!

~Jodi

Invitation Etiquette Follow-Up

I received a great question from Meghan yesterday about her invitations and how she should incorporate some of the etiquette I discussed yesterday. So, I thought I would give you different 'tricks' I've developed over the years that give an invitation visual interest yet retain proper etiquette. The image above from Bella Figura reflects what I'm about to explain in some of the lines on the invite.

Meghan asked what should be capitalized on an invitation and what shouldn't. I've got a simple solution. That is, capitalize or use lowercase letters for everything. The trick to making this work is to incorporate at least two fonts in every invitation. For example:

THE HONOUR OF YOUR PRESENCE IS REQUESTED

AT THE MARRIAGE OF

jennifer anne smith

to

austin james clark

{please note that Blogger is 'font-challenged' so I didn't have a lot of font options for this example}

By using this technique, you avoid strange looking lines on your invitation. Oh, and don't use standard fonts. If you're making your own invitations, do a Google search for unique fonts and invest in them. Many are free and the rest are no more than $20 to $30. And if you're ordering from a company, ask what fonts are available and if you're able to use a couple of them on your invite.

~Jodi

Fun Facts: Invitation Etiquette

Did you know:

• The inner envelope is the place to list exactly who is invited and by omission who isn't {children, for example}


• 'The Honour of Your Presence' is only used when the ceremony is in a house of worship, otherwise, the traditional wording is 'The Pleasure of Your Company is Requested...'


• Dates should always be spelled out in full, including the year {there is no 'and' between two thousand nine}
  
• States should also be spelled out in full


• Brides are married 'to' their grooms, except in the Jewish faith, where brides 'and' grooms marry


• There should never be any mention of gifts on the invitation or in the enclosures

~ Jodi
{photo credit: bella figura - etiquette credit: anna post}

A Contest - One-Year Subscription to Bride and Bloom

I'm running a fun contest over at A Modern Event's blog. This is the week that Bride and Bloom issue I contributed to hits the news stands. So in honor of that sweet occasion, I invite you to leave a comment on the Modern Event blog to win a one-year subscription to this stellar publication.

In addition, the first lucky reader to send me a photo of the Bride and Bloom issue on the stands will also receive a one-year subscription. So, jump over to the post and read all the legal mumble-jumble. Good luck!

~Jodi

Notes From the Future "Mrs." - Booking Venues, Priority #1!

Well, at least it was for me anyway. I definitely have had my heart set on couple places for a while now. Therefore, making these phone calls is a great starting point after announcing the engagement. So here are my favorite spots (in no particular order):

TOP CEREMONY CHOICES
1. First Park Congregational Church
2. Mayflower Congregational Church
3. Westminster Presbyterian Church
...all located in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Westminister Presbyterian - Mayflower - First Park

TOP RECEPTION CHOICES
1. Cascade Hills Country Club
2. The JW Marriott
3. The GRAM
...all located in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Cascade Hills Country Club

JW Marriott

The GRAM

So, here is a line I've heard MANY TIMES already: "Sorry, we aren't allowed to book anything more than a year in advance." OK, I am going to be perfectly honest, I've never thought about venues having restrictions on advanced reservations before. Kind of embarrassing because I work in the industry (I know, I know) ...but none of our clients have very long engagements, maybe 5 months tops. I have over a year, so this will be quite a different timeline-experience than what I am used to.

The struggle of not being able to book places has turned me into somewhat of a hot mess, I must admit (at least HALF of the places have had this policy and the other places are already starting to book up!) I want to know my locations are secured, but I'm in a waiting lull. Oh well, it's life and I'll get over it.

Here's my tip: make a list of 5 favorite ceremony and reception sites right before you start making those phone calls and site visits. That way you'll have back up plans in case your 'dream' place is booked. Knowing you have other places of interest beforehand will help ease the heartbreak if something is not available.

That's all for now on my weekly update. Chris and I are off to make some site visits this weekend for the first time together. Hopefully by next week's blog we'll have some things BOOKED! Wish us luck!

~ Jill

Happy Friday!

Ahh, the end of another week. I can't believe how time flies when you're busy. I feel like it should still be Monday. Alas, the weekend will do me some good in the 'refresh and renew' department.

Missed doing a post yesterday as I was tied up in meetings and conference calls for the majority of the day. So, thought I would swing by to say 'hello' before Jill arrives at the office and posts, 'Notes from the future Mrs.' She's been working hard to coordinate the church and reception venue and I think she's going to talk about that today. {But don't quote me!}

So what have I been up to lately? Well, think finding a way to level beach sand on Lake Michigan so that chivari's don't sink into the sand and 8ft tables stay level. The trick is doing this without attracting DNR attention!

What else, you ask? Concepting a fantabulous wedding reception at the Grand Rapids Art Museum. We're using white antler chandeliers for this one! Booyah! We're also hard at work on the new invitation company that will become a division of In Any Event by Jodi Bos, LLC. The logo has been designed and I love it! Can't unveil it just yet but it's coming, I promise!

Have a wonderful weekend!
~Jodi

Now That's What I Call A Dream Beach Wedding!

I'm in the midst of planning a beautiful beach wedding scheduled for the middle of July. As I was scouring images, I came across this photo and had to share it. My favorite element? Not the attire. Though, that's pretty special. No, it's the mallard ducks hanging from the gazebo. I ask you, aren't they precious?

Enjoy!
~Jodi

What Size Linens Should I Use?

Are you confused by linen sizes? Well, you're not alone. If I didn't deal with linens all day long, I'd be just as confused. So, I thought I would give you a quick reference guide as to what size linens you'll need. Do note that the sizing I give allows the linen to touch the ground and hide those ugly table legs. Here goes:

• 60" round table {8ppl} - 120" round
  
• 72" round table {10ppl} - 132" round
  
• 6 foot rectangular table - 90"x132"
  
• 8 foot rectangular table - 90"x156"
  
• 4 person low top or cafe table - 96" round
  
• high top or high boy - 120" round to touch the ground or 132" round to puddle {if you want a chair tie around the middle of the table, rent a 132" round}

Good luck picking those linens out! Have I told you lately that I have a small obsession with table linens? Yep, I sure do :)

~Jodi

Fun Find - 'The Loo'

You may remember from a post a couple months back that my youngest brother, Jason, is getting married this August. I'm especially excited to plan this affair because he and his fiancee have decided to get married in my parent's apple orchard.

With a wedding and reception in an orchard comes a lot of logistical challenges. The least of which is restrooms. So you can imagine how excited I was when I found this adorable sign that could lead guests to the potty. And I love it that it says 'The Loo' because somehow that seems classier than 'The Restroom' to me.

Cox&Cox has the cutest selection of unique wedding goodies. And this sign did not disappoint. You'll have to take a look at their selection of unique products. But don't ask me how much the stuff is because I'm still trying to figure out how to convert British pounds to American dollars!

~Jodi

Notes From the Future "Mrs." - Announcing the Engagement

So here we are!!! This is a photo of Chris and I up in BEAUTIFUL northern Michigan last summer for our friend's wedding. The wedding was during Cherry Festival, hence the red dress. :)



OK, getting right down to business...announcing your engagement is a little bit trickier than I thought. Who do you call first? When do you call them? Believe it or not, I've received some 'angry texts' and 'angry phone calls' from people due to the fact that they did not receive a phone call immediately. And Chris (bless his heart) figured he would just wait for people to find out and call him. So right away I said, "THAT is the next blog topic I'll tackle." Seriously, any newly engaged couples out there, or soon-to-be engaged couples, you'll want to listen to the following very closely!

If you are on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, or any other social networking website...my personal suggestion is that you think about making those your LAST priority. I read not too long ago that The Knot's list of the Top 10 Wedding Trends for 2009 has 'Announcing Your Engagement on Facebook" as the #1 trend for this year. And you know what, I totally get it. It's exciting to get engaged. Plus you can't get more efficient than announcing it through social media. However, just be careful of WHEN you do it.

Here is what I would have done differently: I would had made ALL my important phone calls BEFORE I took the good news to the internet. I am guilty of this mistake, yes. I only got in touch with about half of my friends before going online. Now, if anyone knows me personally, they know I am THE WORST person at calling people. I hate the phone, I really do. So the idea of making 15 consecutive phone calls is enough to put me in the hospital. Still, I could have tried a little harder.

Obviously this is just personal advice. I know a handful of couples that have gone right to announcing online and it turned out pretty OK for them. Only you know your friends, so just think it over first and make that judgement call for yourself. But in order to not end up in my shoes, and to avoid hurt feelings, call (not text, texting doesn't cut it) everyone you are close to first. Remember, your family and friends love you and will really appreciate you showing them how much you want to share your exciting news with them directly!

Best of Luck!

~ Jill

Random Thought Wednesday

Good Morning, All! I'm writing this a little bleary-eyed because my allergies are so bad I want to rip my eyeballs out! It's the one reason I hate spring and the buds on the trees. As long as I take my drugs, it's manageable but I forgot to take last night's dose and the eyes aren't so pretty this morning! Oh well, such is life :)

I've been getting a lot of questions lately on random topics so I thought it would be a good morning to answer them. {Got a hot cup of tea in hand and ready to fire the answers off!}

1. Bride and Bloom - When's it coming out? My publicist tells me it will hit the news stand on May 17. So not too much longer, friends! I'll be sure to post about my first sighting and let you know where I found it. Since it's a national publication you'll be able to pick it up at Target.


2. The Knot Michigan - When's it coming out? Umm, don't have a specific date but I know it will be out this month. This is a regional publication so you'll only be able to pick it up if you live in Michigan. Again, I'll let you know about my first sighting.


3. Notes From the Future 'Mrs.' - When's she bloggin' again? Jill will blog every Friday from now until she walks down that aisle! Yesterday she said she had so many things to talk about this Friday she didn't know where to begin. Hang tight. You'll hear from her in just a couple of days and she's even going to post pictures! {I know, you all want to see how stinkin' adorable she is and how ridiculously handsome Chris is!}.


4. Does In Any Event offer 'Day-Of' Coordination - Unfortunately, we do not. I have structured our business model as such that we only take on clients that we work with from beginning to end. From design through implementation. But, I know a lot of day-of coordinators in town so if you need a recommendation, just email me.

Okay, gotta scoot to A Modern Event meeting now. Jill's holding down the fort over here. Her 'to-do' list is a mile long but knowing her, she'll have it done before lunch!

~Jodi

Wanna See My Kids?

On Saturday, I had the distinct pleasure of having Lisa Ruff of Lisa Kae Photography photograph my kiddos in an urban setting downtown. What an experience! The kids did a phenomenal job and the way Lisa interacted with them truly brought out their personalities. In turn, these *amazing* photographs were the result!

THANK YOU for the beautiful portraits, Lisa. I love, love, LOVE them!

~Jodi

PS - If you want to see the larger versions {and the great pictures Lisa took of Jen Kroll and her family, be sure to jump over to Lisa's blog!}

Fun Find: Flip Books

Have you ever seen a flip book before? If not, you need to know what they are because they're that cool!

These little wonders have been on my radar for some time. I think they would make an adorable engagement announcement or save-the-date. Can you imagine receiving one of these in the mail announcing the marriage of dear friends and inviting you to the after party? How cool would that be!

Using your own digital video, you can create just about anything imaginable. There are a number of companies that produce these little buggers. My two favorite companies are FlipClips and Flippies. Both produce a quality product at a very reasonable price.

Want to see what they're all about? Watch here and here. And enjoy!

~Jodi

Notes From the Future "Mrs."

"Newly engaged" means a lot of things. It means months of planning. Months of joy and bliss. Undoubtedly times of tears from frustration and stress. Learning real "teamwork" with your fiance. Endless options and tough decisions. Calling on your best girlfriends for help. And last but not least, months of juggling life like you have never had to juggle life before.

I am SO thrilled to start my series as a guest blogger every week for In Any Event! Really... this is going to be quite the experience. You can tag along with me through the process as I give tips and advice, ask for suggestions, introduce great vendors and other finds, and share crazy stories - of which I am sure there will be PLENTY. I may even cry on your shoulder when the going gets tough (just kidding ...I hope). You can also follow me on Twitter. I'm an open book and ready to share all the experiences I'm bound to encounter.

Let me back up now and introduce myself. I am Jillian. I am Jodi Bos' loyal assistant, an MSU grad, and now Chris' fiance. A year ago from now I was graduating with a design degree from Michigan State University. Battling with what my next "step" would be, and dreading yet another year of being long-distance with Chris as he finishes school in Toledo, I realized I had some decisions to make. Well, let me tell you... one whirlwind year took me from my original goal of moving back to New York for fashion design work, to following my love for event planning alongside Jodi, and I haven't looked back since.

So I now find myself here on this blog. A proposal. A ring. A very sweet guy named Chris with whom I have a 4 year relationship. These are all the things that have lead me to this, as the bride-to-be blogger ...and I couldn't be happier!

Until next time!
~ Jill