The Song That Captures Your Love Story: Trending "First Dance" Songs of 2013

You are standing there behind closed doors, hand-in-hand with your new spouse, when finally you are announced to enter your glorious reception area where your loved ones await to celebrate this momentous occasion.  You enter the room with smiles and waves, and are immediately directed to the center of the dance floor for your “First Dance” as a married couple.  All eyes are on the two of you, yet the only pair of eyes that you notice are the ones that belong to the person you said “I Do” to earlier that very day.  The “First Dance” is a moment that captures the hearts of everyone and most importantly you and your new spouse.  When you picture this very moment at your own wedding, what song do you hear playing?  If you have not yet made this decision, we have listed a few tips to help choose the song that captures your incredible love story.  

The “First Song” is a key element to show your love and what your relationship is all about.  From the lyrics to the tempo, the song you choose says a lot about how you feel and all about the bond you two share.  It could be that this particular song was from the band you saw for the first time together in concert, the first song you danced to, or it was the song you heard when you kissed for the very first time.  Or maybe this song relates to your life, and/or what you both have been through together.  What ever the reason is, you will want to choose a song that you think represents who you both are as a couple and how you feel towards one another. 

If having a themed wedding, you might want to make sure the genre of music blends well.  Vintage weddings are a very popular theme recently, so maybe sticking with a Jazz genre would be the best choice.  Another popular trend is having a “Country/Rustic” themed wedding.  Choosing a song from the “Country” genre would be a wonderful choice.  Plus let’s face it, there are hundreds of  beautiful love songs from this genre.  Considering every detail is important in planning a wedding, so make sure that this song is a wonderful match. 

We have been researching, and already in 2013, we have found a lot of trending songs and particular genres couples have been choosing to play for their “First Dance”.  Country, Soft Rock, Contemporary Pop, and even Jazz are all popular genres chosen for this moment.  We have created a list of 30 songs that seem to be trending this year,  to help you find a possible song for this moment that you will remember and cherish for the rest of your lives. 

1.  “A Thousand Years”- Christina Perri

2.  “I’m Yours”- Jason Mraz

3.  “Memories of Us”- Keith Urban

4.  “Wanted”- Hunter Hayes

5.  “God Gave Me You”- Blake Shelton

6.  “Bless The Broken Road”- Rascal Flatts

7.  “For Once In My Life”- Michael Buble

8.  “Everything”- Michael Buble

9.  “You & Me”- Dave Matthews Band

10. “Marry Me”- Train

11. “La Vie En Rose”- Louis Armstrong

12.“What A Wonderful World”- Louis Armstrong

13. “Lucky”- Colbie Calliat

14. “Real Love”- John Lennon

15. “Heavenly Day”- Patty Griffin

16.“Because You Loved Me”- Celine Dion

17. “Fly Me To The Moon”- Frank Sinatra

18. “All The Way”- Frank Sinatra and Celine Dion

19.  “A Moment Like This”- Kelly Clarkson

20. “Amazed”- Lonestar

21.“At Last”- Etta James

22. “Breathe”- Faith Hill

23. “Everything I Do (I Do It For You)”- Bryan Adams

24. “From This Moment”- Shania Twain

25. “How Do I Live”- Leanne Rimes

26. “How Sweet It Is”- James Taylor

27.  “I Could Not Ask For More”- Sarah Evans

28. “Me and You”- Kenny Chesney

29. “Must Be Doin Somethin Right”- Billy Currington

30. “L-O-V-E”- Nat King Cole

BBFN (Bridal Bliss For Now), 

Olivia

Vendor Agreements, Do you Need Them?

When entering into an agreement with wedding professionals, as in any business relationship, where there is an exchange of money for products or services, expectations must be clearly defined.  Weddings are a costly business.  Every bride and groom spend thousands of dollars to make their Big Day perfect.  They all rely on surrounding themselves with people that they feel can deliver that to them.  But before entering into a relationship with such person or company, here are some tips on what to expect.

Agreements or contracts must include:

• Full company name, address and phone number of the vendor
• Names of the bride and groom
• Date and time of the wedding and reception (if you don’t have this information at the time of signing, it should be noted that the information will be added at a later date)
• Services or products being provided should be specified, with as much detail listed as possible. (For example, on a floral contract, instead of “ ten centerpieces,” a better idea would be to have “ ten centerpiece arrangements with white miniature Calla lilies, red roses, and seasonal greenery, sized in a pilsner vase with submerged orchids”)

For Services:

• Set- up time, start, finish, and break-down time should be listed
• Name of the person or persons who will be performing the service
• Any electrical or special requirement of the venue
• Additional charges for night pick up or above ground ballrooms.
• Any delivery of products after the wedding (such as photographers or video) should be listed, with a date by which you will receive the product

Regarding prices and payments:

• Amount that is refundable should be listed, with the charges as detailed as possible
• Each item should be priced separately unless it is part of a particular package
• In the case of packages, content should be listed in detail
• If there is the possibility of adding on services at a later date, those prices should be listed so that you have the pricing guaranteed—particularly the pricing for photos and albums.
• Set-up fees should be included in the contract. If they are not listed separately, it should be clear that the price includes set-up and break- down

Taxable products or services:

• All applicable taxes should be listed.
• All rental taxes should be listed.
•  Required gratuities should be listed , and if they are not required but encourage, this information should be included

Special requests:

• Should be noted somewhere in the contract (such as no “Hokey-Pokey” played by the DJ, or         Vegetarian meals provided by the caterer upon request).
• Parking or travel fees
• Overtime fees
• Restriction on lifting and moving of equipment, products, furniture etc must be clear.

Payments:

• Schedule should be listed in detail, including the acceptable forms of payment and applicable penalties (for example, if a personal check is returned.)
• Due date of such payment(s) must be included
• Final payment date and amount must be listed.
• Charges, or penalty for making changes after the final order is placed, must be clearly stated.

Policies:

• Cancellation policies should be included in the contract, with specifics regarding cancellation by either party.
• Deposit requirement and the refund policy must be clear
•  If there are other relevant policies that the vendor follows. They should also be included in the contract.

You should be presented with an original copy of the contract, with two sets of original signatures- yours (or the person responsible for paying) and a legal representative of the vendor. In order to make the contract binding, you will need to present compensation at the time of the signing.

If the contract lacks any of these items, don’t hesitate to request corrections, additions or verification of details. It is in everyone’s best interest to have everything listed in advance. If the vendor hesitates to provide you with a detailed contract, perhaps you should consider a different vendor.

If expectations change, make sure to record the changes in writing.  This will protect you, and validate accepted changes by the vendor.  After all, it is your one and only day.  Surrounding yourself with an event team that understands your vision, and enhances your wedding experience, that is the right team for you.

BBFN (Bridal Bliss For Now), 

Olivia

2012: A Year in Review Continued

Enjoy the follow photos as a year in review of our in house design studio! Congratulations to all the brides! We are looking forward to working with all the 2013 brides!

BBFN (Bridal Bliss For Now), 
Olivia

A Year in Review: 2012

Oliveaire would like to take the time to thank all the brides and families that we had the opportunity to work with last year. Working with each bride and groom along with their families is always an achievement when we see the smiles on their faces after a successful event! Thank you for letting us help bring that smile to your faces, we sincerely appreciate all of you and letting us be apart of such a memorable day! Congratulations to you all, and we look forward to working with all of our 2013 brides this year! 

Below are some of many of the pictures from our 2012 events! Take a look at the gorgeous transformations Oliveaire created, and imagine what we can do for you! 

BBFN (Bridal Bliss For Now),

Olivia

Bridal Registries

Bridal Registries are something brides and grooms still have and are doing it more fabulously then ever. At the start of a marriage, most couples have either not lived together and/or cannot afford much. They need all the help they can get, and this has not changed and probably will not change in coming years. It is also exciting for most couples to go to a couple of stores and pick out items that they will share and remember for the rest of their lives. We have created an updated list of tips for you and your fiancé to remember when registering for your possible gifts from your loved ones. 

1. How to Tell Your Guests About Your Registry Tastefully

Telling your guests about where to shop for your wedding presents can be a pretty awkward moment. Timing and how it is told are two important factors you should remember to announce tastefully where you will be registered. In today’s society, most couples create their own wedding website for guests to look at and be updated on the upcoming nuptials. When creating your website, create a link that shows where exactly you are registered. This way you are not directly telling them and they will still find out where and when to go. Pinterest is also a popular way to place your registry items on a website for your guests to search what you are hoping for. This is also a great method, because you can directly link each item to the website where they may purchase it. Your guests will really appreciate this because of the convenience of having it right there in front of them and they can purchase this item without leaving their house. Other ways we suggest is word of mouth and/or showing your registered stores on your bridal shower invitations. We do not recommend however to tell about your wedding registry in your initial wedding invitations. Today, this would be considered improper etiquette and we encourage you to wait a while to tell your guests in a different way. However, if you would like your guests to know right away, you could post your wedding website on your invitations to sneak around this.

2. After the Engagement, When Should You Register?

We recommend that you wait around one month or longer after you announce your engagement to register. This also depends on when you are planning on getting married. If you want a short engagement, we would recommend waiting about one month or so. If a year or more engagement is something you are wanting, than we recommend waiting a couple of months, so it does not feel like you are rushing your guests and you can also ask for more up-to-date items that might not have been in stores earlier that year.

3. Shop Ahead of Time

We recommend that you go to the stores you would like to register at before the appointment to not only save you time but headaches as well. By going before your appointment, make sure you like what they have and browse their items to have an idea on what you would like to register for. Registering can be very time consuming, so by having an idea of what you would want can help save you a lot of time. Also, we already know most men hate shopping (especially for items like glassware and decor), so by cutting the time down registering, will be something he will truly appreciate.



3. Make An Appointment

Believe it or not, registering for your wedding day can be very time consuming and might last more than one day at a single store. Calling ahead of time to make an appointment will ensure you personalized attention and will guarantee that you know everything there is to know about the store and the item you are registering for. Also, when you arrive there will be some paperwork to fill out in order to ensure your guests will know that it is you they are purchasing for.



4. Make Sure to Register With More Than One Store

This is mostly important because you will be saving your guests a lot of possible travel time and stress. We recommend that you register with 3-5 stores. By doing this you can make things easier for your guests because they will be able to at least access one store since they might not live near certain other stores. By registering with one department store as well, you can almost guarantee that your guests will have one that is not too far away from them. Registering at different stores such as boutiques, shops and department stores will also allow you to have a variety of different gifts that other stores might not have in stock. All around, it may be a headache to register at more than one store, but you and your guests will appreciate the variety to choose from.

You and your fiancé are just starting off life together, so having a registry is very important and is still very relevant in today’s society. Your friends and your family want to help you two out in any ways possible, and by having a registry, they can see exactly what the two of you want and need. Having a registry not only takes the stress away from you and your fiancé, but it also takes the stress away from your guests because they know they are spending money on something you truly want and need in order to start your wonderful and happy lives together. 

BBFN (Bridal Bliss For Now),

Olivia

Pulling a Room Together: Enhancing Your Event With Linens!

The feeling of glitz, glamour, luxuriousness and elegance can all be brought to life with the use of linens on your wedding day.   From the wide selection of fabrics, colors, and patterns to choose from, there will be something that matches the tone you are trying to set.  There are many different ways linens can be used to enhance your venue in a whimsical and romantic way.  Here are some helpful tips of advice on what linens would be a perfect match and how to incorporate them on your wedding day. 

Finding Your Perfect Linen
1. Research: When searching for inspiration for your lavish linens, be sure to research everything from colors to the material. Every aspect is important and everything will determine the look and feel of your venue space. Always consider what you have envisioned and get advice from the experts and from your family and friends. Both will help you come up with what would be perfect for the atmosphere you are trying to portray. 

2. Color Considerations:Even though bright colors are trending this year, the use of ivories and whites for table clothes and chair covers are more popular than ever. Here are a few reasons as to why you should consider ivory or white for your linen choices.
· Plain and simple, white and ivory are the easiest to decorate with because it matches just about everything.  It is very good against splashes of colors from your table napkins and your centerpieces.
· White and Ivory also look absolutely breathtaking with up lighting because it will somewhat turn the color of your room without blending into the backdrop. Either of these two colors shimmers against the lighting.
· If you are looking to save money and you are lucky enough to have this, most venues can only provide white or ivory linens when it is a part of their wedding package.

Even though there are many different benefits to having white and ivory linens, the use of colored linens can also look just as magnificent. It may be a little more tough to mix and match and get the lighting right, but we have seen some exquisite venue spaces with colored linens before. Be creative and follow your heart on what you believe fits your personality and your vision.

3. Other Ways to Use Fabric Besides a Table Cover
Chair Covers: The use of fabric to cover a chair can turn a fabulous chair into a spectacular piece of art that flows with the scenery. Sure we have seen couples choose to use the venues chairs without a cover or order specialty chairs that match the décor, but the use of a cover and possibly a wrap around of another color, really pulls the whole room together.
Backdrop: A very unique way of incorporating fabrics into your wedding day is by using a backdrop made of all linen. Although this might be an expensive way to incorporate linens because of all the yards it will require, you could use this backdrop at both the ceremony and the reception. The below picture shows a backdrop that we did in the past that incorporates two different colors and if you look close enough you will see that it has elements of crystal curtains throughout.
Aisle: Flowing fabric aisles definitely gives off a romantic and flowing feel to a ceremony space. Although it may be tough to keep everyone off of it before you walk down the aisle, it will be well worth it. We have seen some beautiful aisles that are made of linen and are topped with flower pedals going all the way down to the alter or the Mandap. Below is a picture from one of the weddings we did the décor for that has a breathtaking fabric aisle with floral elements. 

Mandap and Stage: At Oliveaire we specialize in South Asian weddings. With the above picture, you can see a gorgeous fabric Mandap made out of all linens with a hint of floral elements. The stage is also covered with a beautiful soft white fabric. This luxurious way of decorating a Mandap looks absolutely romantic and the lighting brings out the beautiful pink color.

4. Steps You Should Take
1. Research information and size of tables, chairs and other measurements where you might be incorporating linens. This information includes if your venue space provides linens or areas close to you that can provide you the linens you want.
2. Find out Costs. Call around to many different places and compare costs on the amount of fabric you will need and their services to deliver and possibly set up.
3. Consider the costs and envision the best possible outcomes that stay within your budget.
4. Before ordering, make sure this fabric brings to life the look and feel you have been dreaming about.
5. Once you are sure, make an order with the company and make sure before your big day that they will be ready on time and that they have everything you ordered.

Linen simply adds pure elegance and pulls your dream décor all together.   When choosing your extraordinary linens, make sure to gain as much knowledge as possible, brainstorm and get advice from your close family and friends.  Having all of this information can only help and it will make choosing a lot easier and a lot more fun.  Follow your vision and nothing can go wrong!   

BBFN (Bridal Bliss For Now),

Olivia

Capturing the Moment: Tips on How to Choose the Right Videographer

Capturing every single moment of your big day will be something you will appreciate in the future.  Hiring a videographer will not only help you see what your day was like but they will also capture the moments that you had not noticed during your wedding day.  From taping everyone’s emotions during the special moments, to having loved ones express their joy and share their hopes and dreams for you as a couple, a videographer will create a video that you will treasure for the rest of your lives.  This video is a timeless item that you will be able to share with those who could not attend and most importantly to your children and to generations after.  This is your Cinderella story, so make sure to hire someone who shares the same vision and someone who is just as passionate about capturing the moments that you will never forget.  In order to find the right videographer for you, we have created a couple tips to have when choosing this person for your wedding day. 

Tip #1:  How to Search for a Videographer

            First things first, start as early as possible when searching for the right videographer for you.  Set up meetings and hire far in advance, because they usually are booked for months to even a year ahead.  For the actual searching process, we recommend that you turn to your friends and family for recommendations and advice.  These individuals know you the best and will know if they have a good match for you or not.  Other various ways to search are through internet research, looking through magazines or attending Bridal Expos.  Make sure to set up meetings with various videographers right away because you never know if you will have a match or not with the first or even second appointment. 

Tip #2: Experience is Key

            Knowledge and experience will be the most important factors to look at when meeting with a videographer.  You want someone who knows everything there is to know about the equipment, editing, your venue, and has created a video for weddings many times before.  If you want something absolutely breathtaking, professional and well edited, do not hire someone who is not experienced.  One more tip would be to look at their physical appearance.  If they take the time when it comes to their appearance, this might indicate that they take their time with creating videos and care what it will look like.  We have created a list of questions to ask during your initial meetings so you will be prepared to know if this person is a perfect match or not.

1.       May I see an example(s) of past videos you have done?

2.       After meeting us, what is your vision for creating this video?

3.       Do you have any creative recommendations?

4.       How many years do you have of experience?

5.       Can you tell me something about the equipment and how many cameras will you be using?

6.       Do you have someone else assisting you?

7.       Do you have back-up equipment and DVD’s?

8.       Have you ever been to our venue or not?  If not will you be visiting the venue in advance to gain ideas?

Tip #3: Style/Creativity and Artistry

            When you watch this video and look back on your day, do you want a straight forward boring video without any effects or creativity?  Or would you like to see various clips, stills, colors and have a possible theme to the video?  Well when paying as much as you are for a videographer, it is important to not only get a video that is worth that amount but to also have a video that’s fits your style and is something that is creatively put together and entertaining.  This is where experience is extremely important.   During your interview, the videographer should ask questions about your vision and who you are as a couple.  A great videographer will want to match how he captures and edits your video to fit your needs and wants while incorporating his own personal style.  We have put together a list of things to pay attention to when watching an example of a past video that he/she has created and be sure to ask multiple questions.

1.       Look for their emotional style and if it fits perfectly with yours. 

2.       Look at important filming elements such as lighting, angles, close-ups, and if it is a good quality image in high definition. 

3.       Also, look at important editing elements such as an incorporation of colors, black and white additions, stills, live video, titles, songs and if it flows all together.

4.       Ask if they can customize it to your exact wishes.  An example of this is adding short clips of your loved ones saying their best wishes and any advice they might have. 

5.       Will they have the option for multi-camera coverage?  And if so, will it cost you more?

Tip #4: Pricing and Packages Available

            The amount of money you are willing to spend on the videographer all depends on the quality of video you would like to receive.  As you can tell from all the various questions, there are a lot of important elements to consider when choosing your videographer.  Make sure to research, research and research different packages available and compare prices for what you will get for the amount of money you are willing to spend.  You want a package that describes exactly what you would like to see on your video and that you are also receiving a videographer that is completely professional with every aspect when he is creating his masterpiece.  One piece of advice we could give is always ask multiple questions and make sure you know exactly what you are getting.  Also, make sure to determine ahead of time how many hours you would like to be filmed so you can determine the amount of time in your contract.  Signing a contract is key when it comes to hiring a videographer in order to ensure you are getting exactly what was agreed upon for the price.  To most, this video is a vital part to capturing every detail of one of the best days in someone’s life, so make sure it is something in the end that you will be pleased with. 

            A videographer can capture every important moment of your wedding day as it is happening.  From getting a close up of the bride and groom saying their vows to one another, to capturing the tears from the mother’s eyes when they say I do.  Seeing the emotions of yourself and your loved ones will really show you just how much you are loved and how truly important your union together is to those sharing this day with you.  This video is a precious keepsake, so make sure you are hiring a videographer that cares about this as much as you do. 

BBFN (Bridal Bliss for Now),

Olivia