Today I would like to introduce you all to one of our very special brides, Brooke Dixon.  Brooke is 29 and she has been engaged since September of 2009.  So for our blog toady Brooke has agreed to answer a few questions that our followers might find helpful, entertaining and interesting.

  

Bridecents : Brooke, how did your fiancé propose to you?

Brooke Dixon:  It was a surprise….I had the LONGEST day ever and just wanted to come home and “veg out” and catch up on the DVR.  OS I jump in the shower, throw on baggy clothes, no makeup and seriously lounge on the couch.  I am relaxing and finally take a breath…when Will (my boyfriend then) and Toddie, my dog, come around the corner.  I notice that Toddie is scratching at his neck and when I look closer and see an engagement ring tied with a ribbon.  I look at Will, with my non-concealer, bug eyes and say, “What is going on”?  He moved the coffee table and got down on one knee and asked “will  you marry me?” It was so romantic, just me, Will and sweet Toddie.  We got dressed and went out on the town with his family and friends.  It was the perfect proposal!

Bridecents:  Wow….that sounds amazing.  When is your Wedding Date?

Brooke Dixon:  We choose New Years Eve 2010 (12-31-2010).

Bridecents:  Why New Years Eve?  I am sure you get that question a lot….

Brooke Dixon:  I get that question all the time.  Honestly, it is the only time I can use as much glitter as I want to and not seem tacky!  Everyone laughs at that response and thinks I am joking…but I am not!

Bridecents:  That is hilarious…you must really love glitter J

Bridecents:  When you started planning this Glitter-Fabulous event did you have a budget in mind?

Brooke Dixon:  My parents said that they were only giving us a certain amount of money, which I am very appreciative of, but we wanted to contribute as well so that we would be able to have all of the things that would make our wedding “PERFECT”!

Bridecents: Have you been able to stay on budget with your planning?

Brooke Dixon:  Not at all…I feel that everything in Charleston is a lot more expensive than I ever would have imagined.  From the first day we started planning I always thought this wedding is going to be a once in a lifetime experience so why not “GO BIG OR GO HOME”!!!

Bridecents:  I like where your head is at…that is a great way to look at it.  Most brides want to make it memorable for not only them but for their guests as well.  What do you think has been the most challenging step of planning your wedding?

 Brooke Dixon:  Definitely making every part of the wedding cohesive.  The decor, invitations, flowers etc.

Bridecents:  What have you done to jump over that hurdle?

Brooke Dixon:  I just decided to go with simple elegance.  Trying to use too many different elements can overwhelm you.  The simpler the better…but with glitter J

Did you send a Save the Date since your wedding is on a very popular Holiday?

Brooke Dixon:  Yes, and I am obsessed with them. Stephen at Open House did an amazing job.  It was very unique.  The front t of the Save the Date included about 40 different small pictures of Will and I through the 4 years we have been dating.  In the center of the card there was a large picture of us from New Years.  It was absolutely perfect.

Bridecents:  Did you include accommodations for your guests with your Save the Dates?

Brooke Dixon:  I included a link to our website, www.mywedding.com/willhankelbrookedixon.  I felt that was easier because then our guests could have all the information about this very big day!

Bridecents:  What did you find were the easiest hotels to work with?

Brooke Dixon:  I picked my favorite hotels in Charleston and then also included on that would fit people with a budget.

Courtyard by Marriott Charleston, Waterfront

www.marriott.com

Holiday Inn ~ Riverview

www.hiriverview.com

Charleston Place Hotel

www.charlestonplace.com

Bridecents: What have you found has been the most costly expense in planning your wedding?

Brooke Dixon:  food and Beverage.  since our wedding is on New Year’s Eve we decided to have a sit down dinner due to having to break up such a long night of entertaining our guests.  Since we are having a sit down dinner at the reception, we are not having a traditional “Rehearsal Dinner” the night before and that allowed Will’s parents to pay for the alcohol at the wedding.  This has been a huge help with the cost and allowed us to throw an extravaganza.  

Carolina Yacht Club

www.carolinayachtclub.com

Bridecents: Did you hire an event planner to help you with all of your planning?

Brooke Dixon:  Not yet, but definitely considering it for the day of the wedding/reception.  Hard to pull everything together when there are all eyes on you.  We are setting up the night before the reception and that will be another way for us to cut costs and save money.  When in doubt, do it yourself!

Bridecents:  That sounds like a good plan.   Know that many event planners offer week of and day of services.  Here are just a few that we have worked with…

A Charleston Bride

www.acharlestonbride.com

Open House

www.openhousecharleston.net

Luke Wilson Events

www.lukesevents.com

Bridecents:  Thank you so much Brooke for sharing your experience with our readers.  We hope to catch back up with you as you go through the next phase of planning for your big day.  If you have any questions for BrideCents or for Brooke please feel free to email us, info@openhousechalreston.net subject line BLOG!  If you have a question chances are another bride does too!

Save the Dates and Invitations

Hello Brides....Since my family and I have an invitation and stationery business I thought it only fitting to make my first blog about Save the Dates and Invitations for your wedding. I will touch on some of the hot trends for 2010 as well as a little "Save the Date" etiquette. I am very aware that selecting the invitations for your wedding can be very overwhelming with all the choices out there and hope that this will help at least a little....

Let's start with some of the latest trends that will help make your invitations and save the date cards as special as your day. Big bold colors and bright patterns paired with sleek and sophisticated designs have been big for 2010. Colors like orange, green, yellow and vibrant blues are some of the colors I have worked with. To make sure that you are setting the right tone for your wedding you should select a color combination that you will be able to carry throughout your entire event. Destination weddings are becoming more and more popular for brides. If you are planning a destination wedding let the destination determine the look and feel of your invitation or save the date. This creativity will inspire your guests to attend your wedding wherever it may be. If you are planning an outdoor event it is nice to add some natural elements to the invitations or save the dates. Bring some outdoor charm to your entire celebration. Of course the traditional trees, leaves and flowers are always in style but some of the newer outdoor themes include summer camp, classic picnics or seaside motifs. Finally, consider the season that you are having your wedding during and incorporate this into your invitations and save the dates. If you are having a winter affair think snowflakes and mittens and for the upcoming summer brides the bright colors and sunny invitations are a good bet. Seasonal invitations offer the ideal way to make your wedding date the central part of your celebration. Perfect for "Save the Dates" not to be forgotten!


Speaking of "Save the Dates"...haha, smooth transition. Save the date cards are not necessary or required in all situations but they are a wonderful way to generate excitement for your big day. They are very important if you are planning a destination wedding, have a great deal of out of town guests, if your wedding day falls around any holidays, or if your wedding is taking place in a popular travel destination. Save the date cards should be fun and creative. We have been doing a lot of photo save the dates as well as magnets. If you are going to send out save the dates you should do this at least 5 months before your wedding date, and if you have a great deal of travelers 6 months is best. This time will allow your family and friends to make travel arrangements and hotel accommodations. I suggest that you send an accommodation card of a few hotel choices near your event to make this easier for your guests. Hotels will normally reserve a block of rooms for wedding parties and also give discounts based on the number of rooms reserved. This will make it much easier on your traveling guests. Your wedding invitations should follow about 2 months before your wedding.


I hope that you will find this information helpful and will pass it on to anyone you know who is embarking on this wedding planning journey. Please feel free to ask me any questions I didn't answer or visit me anytime at Open House where I am happy to help make this overwhelming decisions a lot less stressful....fingers crossed I am not over promising! Stay tuned for our next blog and we will introduce you to a bride who will blog with me from the beginning of the journey to her walk down the aisle!


Hope to hear from or see you soon....

Nice to meet you....

My name is Melissa Mills and I am the Wedding Professional at Open House in Charleston , South Carolina. Together with Sandy, Jeffrey, Stephen and Sarah, Open House works hard every day to ensure our brides have the best experience while purchasing or designing their invitations, registering for their china and gifts, getting all their shower and hostess gifts, and everything in between. It is one of the happiest jobs I can imagine having. Over the past 4 years I have built relationships with so many brides and wanted to share my knowledge and expertise with all the brides who haven't yet ventured into wild world of weddings....happy learning!