I Do with Mirassou!

It's that time of year again! Mirassou Wine is sponsoring a contest and they wanted my readers to know about it!

Mirassou is offering engaged couples chance to win $10,000; a trip to New York City for a 4-hour dream wedding consultation with a Brides.com editor; and an elegant Reed & Barton 5-piece dinner service for eight, 5-piece flatware for eight, and 3-piece crystal stemware for eight.

Answer a few questions; write a 250-word or less essay about your "Mirassou Moment"; submit a picture of you and your gorgeous fiance and WIN!!!



Happy Planning!

Win a Day At the Spa for You and Your Bridesmaids!

Calling all brides!

So you finally have the ring, found the perfect dress, and cut your third cousins, who you met once when you were five from the guest list. Phew! Now it is time to re-energize and feel refreshed before the most important day of your life! What is better then winning a trip for you and your bridal party for an ultimate day of beauty?

Spa Week and WeddingChannel.com have teamed up with Red Door Spas and are offering one lucky bride and up to five of her bridesmaids the "Bridal Bouquet Package" to be used at a Red Door Spa.

Package includes the following:

50min Classic Massage
Bikini Wax
Warm Cream Manicure
Warm Cream Pedicure
Haircut, blow-dry and finish
Spa Lunch

There is only one entry per email address, so make sure to have your bridesmaids, groom, groomsmen, and parents all enter to increase your chances of winning. After all, this is your day and it should be all about you!

Visit the Spa Week website to enter now!

Be sure to let us know if you win and take plenty of pictures! We'd LOVE to blog about it!

Happy Planning!

Win Bridal Show Tickets and a Wedding Planning Binder!

I was just given a pair of tickets to the upcoming Bridal Fashion Debut at the Phoenix Convention Center and I would LOVE to give them to YOU!

All you have to do to win is leave me a comment, telling me about the greatest challenge you've faced with planning your wedding thus far. Has it been finding the right venue? Photographer? Finding the right wedding dress?

I'll choose a random winner next Wednesday, June 4th. I'll leave the tickets for you at Will Call and I'll even throw in a Bravo Wedding Planner for the winner!

Win $10,000 and a Trip to New York!

{Please note: the contest is void in CA, TN and UT and you must be 21 years or older at time of entry}

Last month I told you about a really great contest over at Mirassou Wines where one lucky bride will win $10,000, expert advice for planning your wedding AND a trip to the Big Apple! Well the contest is ending soon...May 30th to be exact!

The prize includes hotel and round trip airfare to New York City for two days and one night, during which time the winner will meet with Senior Editor Anna Pezik for a one-day consultation about the winner's wedding.

Ms. Pezik will showcase the very latest bridal trends and offer personalized suggestions for the winner's wedding. What a way to begin planning your big day! To get a preview of the kinds of things Anna will share with the winner during their planning day in New York, take a look at the vidoes below.








May 30th is right around the corner so head on over to the Mirassou website to register for your chance to win!

{Please note: the contest is void in CA, TN and UT and you must be 21 years or older at time of entry}

And the Winner Is...

Our May contest didn't get the response that I expected but we did get several comments about favorite styles and what they meant to their respective readers.

We had two comments that chose "Traditional" as their style of choice and we chose ths one as our favorite...

"maryclaireb said...
Traditional is my favorite. You can still make your day your own but there's a reason traditions stay in style--they're fun and help make the day meaningful."

Contrats maryclaireb! Please email us at info {at} sacredmomentweddings {dot} com so that we can get your CB2 gift certificate to you right away!

Stay tuned for more exciting tidbits about our fantasy couple, Amy and Kevin and what their wedding style is shaping up to look like!

"Define and Design" Wedding Style Contest Ends Friday at Midnight!

Don't forget about our contest which ends this Friday, May 16th at midnight!

In order to win we need your help to choose a wedding style for our fantasy couple, Amy and Kevin. Read all about it here. One lucky winner will receive a $50 gift card to CB2!

Here are the wedding styles:

Traditional
Hollywood Glam
Southern Charm
Sophisticated Vintage
Natural and Green
Modern Chic

Just leave a comment on this post, stating which of the styles listed above appeals to you the most and why. Deadline for comments is midnight, May 16th. The winner will be chosen randomly from all the posts of the style that gets the most votes. We'll announce the winner on Monday, May 19th. It's that simple!

We really want lots of votes on this one so pass the word and encourage all your friends to vote for their favorite style too.

Good Luck!

"Define and Design" Wedding Style Series

Last week we told you about a series of posts we'll be publishing in June to take you on a journey to define and design the perfect wedding for our fantasy couple Amy and Kevin. I had a brainstorming session with my friend Jessica yesterday and now this thing has taken on a life of its own!

The first thing we'll do is choose the venue. From there we'll create a color and content palette that will help us choose all the little details that Amy and Kevin's guests will discover on their wedding day.

We're also going to throw in a few "monkey wrenches"...you know, those obstacles that come up when planning any event? We'll solve them, hopefully with your help, so that our couple's wedding day goes on without a hitch!

We'll take you step by step through the planning process...ask for your opinions along the way...and hopefully at the end leave you with a great road map to begin the creative process of planning your own fantasy wedding!

To launch this process we're having a contest to determine what wedding style we'll use for Amy and Kevin's wedding. (Read about the contest here.)

The wedding style choices are as follows:

Traditional
Hollywood Glam
Southern Charm
Sophisticated Vintage
Natural and Green
Modern Chic

To get started, we need your help! Amy and Kevin need a wedding style! We gave you a few hints into their background in our previous post so be sure to vote for your favorite wedding style and you may just win a $50 gift card from CB2.

Contest ends midnight, May 16th!

What's Your Wedding Style

So sorry this is late...*sigh*...computer issues!

We are soooo excited around here!!! In June, we will publish a series of posts that will attempt to create a fabulous wedding for our fantasy bride and groom, Amy and Kevin.

Here's a brief bio:

Amy is a graphic artist from a small town in New England, where she grew up spending lazy day summers at the beach. She now lives in the big city, where she met her fiance, Kevin. Kevin is a city boy who grew up in a house with 3 rowdy brothers. His summers were spent delivering packages to businesses throughout the city for a messenger service.

These two were created to take you on a journey to "define and design" your wedding style...which is our goal here at Sacred Moment Weddings! We want to give you a glimpse into how we begin to style a wedding for our clients and what steps we take during all the phases of planning along the way.

In order to win and in preparation for those posts, we would like to know what is the most popular wedding style being used by couples today. One lucky winner will receive a $50 giftcard to CB2!

Here are the wedding styles:

Traditional
Hollywood Glam
Southern Charm
Sophisticated Vintage
Natural and Green
Modern Chic

Just leave a comment below, stating which of the styles listed above appeals to you the most and why. Deadline for comments is midnight, May 16th. The winner will be chosen randomly from all the posts of the style that gets the most votes. We'll announce the winner on Monday, May 19th. It's that simple!

We really want lots of votes on this one so pass the word and encourage all your friends to vote for their favorite style too.

Good Luck!

April Contest Winners!

So sorry I didn't get to post this yesterday! I had limited to NO internet access yesterday and it was NOT a pretty sight around here!

Now on to the good stuff...

Since we only had TWO comments posted for our contest and couldn't really choose between the two...BOTH of them wins!!!

Each of them will receive this beautiful lace garter as their prize!



Congrats ladies! Contact me at wendy {at} sacredmomentweddings {dot} com to claim your prize!!

"I Do" With Mirassou Wine

I like wine. White wine. I've seen Mirassou Wine around for about a year or so and I tried their chardonnay the other day. Delish!

And then I was over at A $10,000.00 Wedding a little bit ago and saw a post about Mirassou's contest for a chance to win $10,000.00 and "wedding planning day" with Brides.com Senior Editor Anna Pezik.

Why not? What have you got to lose?

Our April Giveaway: Old, New, Borrowed, Blue?

Where did the wedding custom of "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue" come from?

It has it's roots in Engish tradition. Each item is supposed to represent good-luck for the bride. The thought is that if she carries all of them on her wedding day, her marriage will be peaceful and happy.

"Something old" will connect her to her family and the tradition that she was raised in. "Something new", of course, represents her glorious future as a wife and the blessings of motherhood.

The folks over at Yahoo.com answered it this way, "Something borrowed" is "an item from a happily married friend or family member, whose good fortune in marriage is supposed to carry over to the new bride. The borrowed item also reminds the bride that she can depend on her friends and family."

And then there is the color blue. Blue represents, "love, modesty, and fidelity...", and also purity. Long ago, just before the 19th century, blue was a popular color for wedding dresses

So? What does the "something blue" look like in YOUR wedding?

Our April giveaway is centered around the color blue and is for brides only! We'd like to keep it a secret for now! All we'll tell you is that it is obviously...blue! :) It will come wrapped in a box like the one you see above, and is something you'll be able to use as your "something blue" on your wedding day.

All you have to do is leave a comment below and tell us what your "something old, new, borrowed and blue" will be on the big day. Tell us what the tradition means to you and what clever ways you'll honor that tradition.

We'll keep the contest open until midnight, on Sunday April 13th. We'll choose a random winner from all the comments received and announce the winner on Monday, April 14th.

Good Luck!

"Got Cake" Contest Winner

It's been a loooonnnngggg day! After pouring through all the entries, we have a winner!

Sara from Prescott, Arizona submitted an idea to have everything in her spring wedding theme be "baby size", "mini" or "new", to celebrate "life brand new!"

Baby blue and soft pink colors (blue for her fiance and pink for her)
Baby wedding cakes for each guest table
Baby (or mini) versions of grilled cheese, burgers, shots of tomato soup, etc. for her appetizers
Baby (mini) calla lilies and spray roses for her bouquet and floral arrangements
Baby veggies with the main course (baby carrots, baby asparagus and new potatoes)

And last but not least - all her attendants except the MOH and Best Man will be children.

So...CONGRATS Sara! Your Martha Stewart Wedding Cakes book is on the way!

Thank you to everyone who entered and left comments! It was VERY hard to pick a winner because everyone had GREAT ideas. Sara has promised to keep us updated on her planning progress and will also be sending up some pics of her ideas next week. Be sure to check back often for all the details!

This was so much fun that we're announcing another giveaway tomorrow so be sure to check in with us then!

Ciao!!

Contest: Got Cake?

We received our Martha Stewart Wedding Cakes book a few weeks ago! I just got around to looking through it the other day. (Being sick leaves me with TOO much time on my hands!)

Thing is? My hubby bought one for me while he was out shopping one day. (Isn't he sweet? I think it was his way of buttering me up to get me to bake that red velvet cake he's been wanting...hmmmm)

Anyway...since I have two...I thought I'd give one away to one of my readers! (Brides, grooms, wedding planners, all are welcome!)

In honor of Spring, write me and tell me about your favorite Spring Wedding ideas. Tell me what springtime elements you would choose for your idea including colors, flowers, decor and entertainment.

Spring flowers? Pastel colors? Perhaps incorporating a religious holiday like Easter or Passover into a wedding. Or are your ideas bold and brazen like having a St. Patrick's Day theme? Leave us a post in the comments section below to enter.

Claudia, Katie and I will choose our favorite post from all the comments posted. We'll leave the contest open until midnight on Monday, March 3, 2008. We'll announce the winner on Tuesday, March 4th.

Good Luck!!

Ask the Expert: How Do I Choose a Wedding Planner?

10 Important Questions to Ask When Interviewing Your Wedding Planner

Some of you have written in and WOW...the questions you've asked are GREAT! I thank you and appreciate every one of you who have taken the time to write in. Keep them coming and you may win a beautiful, personalized Wedding Planner from Exclusively Weddings. Read about contest details here.

I've listed some of the questions you've asked below:



1. What is your experience level?

This is equally as important as asking “how many weddings have you done?” The planner may not have done any weddings officially but have helped friends or their church with coordination. This is good experience. What you want to avoid is the consultant who tells you she did her own wedding and decided to start the business. Too many times, this consultant is still full of the romantic and fun part of the process and has no clue about the brick and mortar it takes to build a wedding to accommodate someone else’s taste.

2. How do you charge for your services?

Some wedding planners charge by the hour, some do an estimate of time your wedding will require and some charge a flat fee and still others work on a percentage of your wedding budget basis. Make sure you know what wedding planner services are included in that fee.

3. Do you receive commissions or referral fees from vendors?

Ethics dictate that the consultant is paid only by the bride, thereby devoting loyalty to the bride. Consultants who accept referral fees from vendors will often pressure you to use the vendor they get the best fee from rather than the vendor who will do the best job.

4. What is your procedure on the day of the wedding?

Some consultants get you through the ceremony and appear at the reception just long enough to see the set up and then they are gone. You want to make sure the consultant will be there throughout the reception to coordinate your special dances, cake cutting, etc. If your consultant gives you an hour block on the day of the wedding, be sure you and the consultant discuss when to start that time and when to stop. You can then plan your events within that time block.

5. What is the procedure for a replacement should you not be able to perform?

A well connected consultant will have a good working relationship with other consultants in your area. If she is unable to perform her duties, she should be able to help you find a qualified replacement.

6. How many weddings do you do per day?

You can do better with a consultant who has only one event per day. Their attention will be on your wedding not on the next one.

7. Can you provide References?

Ask the consultant to provide at least 3 references. It is also a good idea to ask for at least one vendor reference.

8. What is your record keeping system?

You need to know that your wedding coordinator uses some written form of record of your wedding details and vendors details.

9. What other services can you offer?

Many offer invitations and accessories which makes it easy to take care of multiple details with one contact. However, beware of the consultant who is also a caterer, DJ, photographer, etc. If they are doing that job, how can they be there for you as your wedding coordinator too?

10. How will the wedding coordinator be dressed for your wedding?

You'll want the consultant to blend in with your guests and be in proper attire to exude authority and expertise.

Wendy's Gonna be on TV!!

Have you seen the new show on Lifetime called Get Married? It's a show thats ALL ABOUT WEDDINGS! The show airs each weekday morning at 7:30am. If you're career girls like us, TIVO is a girl's best friend!!

The show features celebrity experts like David Tutera, Sylvia Weinstock and Preston Bailey. These are some of our favorite "over the top" wedding designers!

But...

There is a special segment called, "Ask the Expert" where local professionals are featured. These local professionals are also experts in "all things weddings" but they are closer to home...closer to where you need them to be!

This fall, Wendy Robinson of Sacred Moment Weddings will be featured on Get Married in their "Ask the Expert" segment, and she wants to know what questions YOU want answered!

Think about some of the questions you have and send them to Wendy at ask@sacredmomentweddings.com. Be as specific as possible and she'll write you back with a personalized answer. Wendy will feature a new question and answer every Tuesday on the Sacred Moment Weddings Blog, so check back weekly for new answers to all your wedding questions.

If your question is one of the ones featured on the show, you'll be entered into a drawing to be held in January 2008 to receive a free personalized wedding planning binder and tote from Exclusively Weddings.







So send Wendy an email with your questions today!