Author Archives: Wedding Experience

The Wedding Officiant

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Wedding Officiant

The Wedding Officiant Sets the Tone For Your Wedding

6 out of 10 engaged couples don’t hire a professional wedding officiant.  Here are some scenarios that I have personally seen at weddings with unprofessional wedding officiants.

1. The wedding officiant who forgets to tell the guests to “please rise” when the bride walks down the aisle.  This makes people feel awkward as they need guidance to sit and stand.

2. The wedding officiant who literally tried to go to the restroom as the bridal party was walking down the aisle.  That same wedding officiant messed up the vows and said to the guests, “Sorry, I usually bury them, not marry them!”  Seriously, this happened.

3. The wedding officiant who forgets to the tell the wedding guests to please take their seat after the bride and groom are ready to begin.  I’ve stood through a 40 minute wedding along with 150 other guests because the officiant forgot to tell everyone to sit down.

Let us introduce to you a professional wedding officiant who will make your day perfect!

Meet The Wedding Officiant, Heather Ann Mack

Wedding Experience member Heather Ann Mack is the Wedding Officiant.  Not only does she officiate weddings, but also offers pre-marital coaching to her couples.  This is another reason to hire a professional wedding officiant.  She spends time getting to know you. Also, she helps guide you into marriage, while creating a lovely wedding ceremony.

Heather is not only a great wedding officiant, but a great wedding resource in general.  Take the time to watch her video and get to know Heather a little better.

Your wedding ceremony sets the tone of this joyous event.  It’s important to find a wedding minister that fits your personalities as a couple.  It’s also important to find a professional that will make sure everything runs smoothly at your ceremony.  Please contact me for your get-to-know one another consultation.

Check out Heather Ann Mack’s website. Make sure to go and “LIKE” her Facebook page!

Wedding Costs: Your Wedding Budget

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Your Wedding Budget in Portland, Oregon: Part 1 (The Smaller Wedding)

Are you worried about the wedding costs adding up too fast while planning your wedding?  Wedding costs can really start to add up fast. Luckily, if you’re a bride and/or groom planning a wedding in the Portland area, you will notice that the average budget is quite less than places like Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Your wedding budget is crucial to the planning experience. If you don’t set a budget you will more than likely spend more money than you really want to on your wedding day. There are many things to take into consideration when adding up your wedding costs. Are you going to serve a meal, or serve just appetizers and cake? Do you want exotic flowers or local flowers that are in season? Do you want a small, medium, or large wedding?  All these factors play a huge role in the wedding costs.

In this particular blog we are going to focus on a smaller wedding with 30-50 guests.  Small weddings are so much fun because they are intimate.  Usually just close family and friends makes for a very sentimental wedding.  You will want to capture these beautiful moments on camera and possibly on video.  The number one regret that couples have is not hiring a videographer.  Try not to have any regrets on your wedding day, so plan accordingly!

On average plan on spending $180 per person.  This includes everything from the wedding venue, cake, flowers, transportation, hotel room that night, etc.  If you are planning a smaller wedding, but still plan to serve dinner/meal, dessert, drinks, etc., you still should budget about $180 per person.  If you plan to have 30 guests, a reasonable budget is about $5,400 to $8,000.

A Breakdown of Wedding Costs for a 30-50 Person Wedding in Portland, Oregon

Wedding Costs

Your wedding can add up fast, what are your wedding costs?

Dress: $800-$1200

Wedding accessories: $200

Make-up and hair/nails: $250-$500

Wedding Invites: $200

Venue/Caterer package/Linens: $1650-$2300

Floral/Décor: $500-$750

Cake/Dessert: $300

Music/Entertainment: $500-$1000

Photography: $1800-$3,000

Officiant: $250-$400

Alcohol, Beer, Wine, non-alcoholic beverages: $400-$800

Videographer: $1000-$3000

Of course this is just an average breakdown and your own wedding costs will be different, but remember to be realistic.  The more you try to cut corners the more you will notice yourself becoming frustrated.

Take a look at all of our professional wedding vendors on our Wedding Experience Vendor Page.

Don’t forget each month we have a FACEBOOK contest, and you’re going to want to sign up for that, so go now and LIKE our page!

Check out this wedding video tutorial about budgeting we found on Youtube.

Portland Wedding DJ Spotlight

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Portland Wedding DJ

Portland, Oregon has a flood of so-called wedding DJs.  However, there is only one company in Portland that is a truly different and unique wedding DJ company and is your expert as a Portland Wedding DJ.  Paradox Productions is “the new generation in DJ entertainment.”  If you want to throw a party, Paradox is where you turn to. 

Paradox Productions has been the recipient of numerous Portland Wedding DJ awards such as: Best DJ from Oregon Bride Magazine, WeddingWire Brides Choice Award, Wedding Industry Experts Award, and The Knot Best of Award!

A team of hand-picked professional turntable DJs, holding positions at the top-level wedding venues, radio stations, sports arenas, nightlife and entertainment destinations in Oregon.

Paradox DJs strive to blend your personal requests and style with the best music from all generations, appealing to every demographic of your guest-list. As “turntable” DJs we will actually mix your music together, meaning the music literally never stops once the party kicks off. This removes the uncomfortable silence or “dead-air” between each song and is one of the most effective ways to keep your cocktail hour interesting and your dance floor packed!! One of our most common testimonials at the conclusion of a Paradox reception…

Take a look at Paradox Productions: Your Portland Wedding DJ

Are you looking for a great workout mix?  How would you like to listen to some of Paradox DJs’ mixes that are available to download.  Your ears will thank you!

Don’t forget to visit their website.  Get an instant quote, take a look at their amazing DJ list, and more.  Check out their Wedding Experience page, too.

While you’re at it…Make sure to give them a “Like” on Facebook!  If you tweet make sure to follow them on Twitter, too!  You won’t be sorry.  Paradox Productions is a Portland wedding DJ that serves the entire Northwest region!

Wedding Thank You Notes: A How To Resource

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Wedding Thank You Cards5 Helpful Tips for Writing Your Wedding Thank You Cards

The major stress of the wedding is finally over!  However, you do need to set aside a good amount of time to thank your guests.  Don’t look at this as a task, rather a time to reflect on all the fun and amazing moments you had at your wedding!  Here is a “how-to” list to help you create the best wedding thank-you cards!

1. Set aside a few separate times to create your thank you cards.  I wouldn’t try to bang out 150 thank-you cards in one sitting.  Instead delegate 2 hour time slots over a span of 2 weeks to get finish all your thank-you cards.

2. A good rule of thumb is to get those wedding thank-you cards out absolutely no later than the 2 month anniversary!  If you receive any gifts before the wedding the rule of thumb is to send a wedding thank-you no later than 2 weeks after you receive the gift.

3. It’s always a good idea to acknowledge the gift you received in the wedding thank-you note.  Here are some examples for you to consider:

Dear Susan and Brad,

We had the most wonderful time with you both at our wedding!  Nothing beats good old shot-ski’s and reminiscing about our weekends on the mountain skiing.  Thank you so much for the check!  Jack and I are saving for a down payment on a house this fall, and you are helping us reach our goal.  Thank you so much for sharing our special day with us.  Rachelle and Jack

4. Make sure you are organized.  Right when you open a wedding gift make sure you record who gave it to you, the correct spelling, their address, and write down what the gift is in detail.

5. You don’t have to write a novel to say thank-you for your wedding gift and attending your wedding.  Luckily 3-5 sentences is perfect for a wedding thank-you note!

Once again, remember creating and writing you wedding thank you notes is not a daunting task.  Enjoy the time with your new spouse and remember how amazing your wedding was!

The June Facebook Contest is Here!

We’re now going to say thank-you for “Liking” us on Facebook.  Make sure you go to our Facebook page and sign up for the June Facebook Contest!

Win a Thank You Card Gift Package From Weddingcardsbydesign.com

On June 30 we are choosing one lucky winner to win a Thank You Card Gift
Package which includes a custom card design with up to 150 cards
(including postage) mailed to your list of recipients!  Let’s make those
Thank You’s easy and memorable.  This promotion is sponsored by
Weddingcardsbydesign.com powered by Send Out Cards!

VENDOR SPOTLIGHT: Dream Team Events, LLC

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Dream Team Events, LLC is one of the most experienced wedding planning companies in Oregon.  Chelsea Boehler, the owner of Dream Team Events has been in the event industry for years!  She has seen over 3,000 weddings!  You are in safe hands when you choose Dream Team Events.

Please check out the Dream Team Events 5 minute educational video about the details that go into planning your wedding!

Also check out Chelsea’s latest blog post about the quest for find a wedding venue!  Visit Dream Team Events online, too!

Don’t forget to “Like” Dream Team Events on Facebook.

Check out Dream Team Event’s member page at The Wedding Experience.

Dream Team Events

Make Your Wedding Less Stressful: 5 Ways to Eliminate Wedding Stress

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Weddings = Stress!  Some weddings are way more stressful to plan than others, but the simple truth is that planning a wedding will come with some stressful moments.  Below is a list of 5 ways to help with the everyday wedding stressors when planning a wedding.

  1. Hire a wedding planner—Hiring a reputable and professional wedding planner that fits your wedding budget, personality type, and wedding vision is the ULTIMATE way to decrease the stress of planning a wedding.  Many people feel that a wedding planner is too much money.  A professional wedding planner is the just opposite and will SAVE you money on your wedding.  Most importantly a wedding planner allows you to have a stress free wedding and spend time with those you love.  Don’t put your mom or sister to work on your wedding day, let the professionals handle it.  Make sure to visit Wedding Experience member JD Weddings.
  2. Set a wedding budget and stick to it—If you set a wedding budget you will know what you can and cannot afford.  Don’t try to live up to the Jones’ lifestyle if you don’t have the money to do so.  There are many ways you can have a fun and entertaining wedding without breaking the bank!
  3. Don’t try to do everything yourself leading up to your wedding day— A DIY wedding might sound fun in the beginning stages of your wedding.  However, don’t fool yourself into thinking that there will magically be more than 24 hours on your wedding day.  You only have so many hands and fingers that can put together all your flowers, food, cake, decorations, and more.  Make sure you leave the big stuff (like the food, flowers, DJ, planning, etc.) to the professionals who do this everyday and perform every weekend if not more.
  4. Don’t hire a cheap wedding DJ—A cheap wedding DJ could ideally ruin your wedding.  One of the most important aspects of your wedding is the flow of the wedding.  You don’t want your guests getting too hot, too cold, feeling hungry, or worse, feeling bored.   A great DJ will move things along from beginning until the end by utilizing great music that fits your style and personality, with their MC skills, and a GREAT dance party!  Check out Wedding Experience member Paradox Productions, named Oregon’s best wedding DJ in 2012!
  5. Find a great wedding caterer—Bad wedding food can lead to a problematic situation.  Bad food can often lead to sick guests.  Not only can bad food lead to sick guests, but also leave your wedding guests feeling hungry.  Wedding guests who are left hungry either a. leave the wedding early to go eat somewhere else or b. get way too drunk and create dramatic situations at your wedding!  Make sure guests are well fed so they don’t get sloppy drunk and make fools of themselves at your wedding!  Your guests will be so beyond satisfied if you let them feast on the wonders created by Rafati’s Catering, a member of the Wedding Experience!

THE MAY WEDDING CONTEST IS ALMOST OVER!!

We know that there is no way to eliminate all wedding stressors, so we have a contest running on our FACEBOOK page right now for a Hot Stone Deep Tissue Massage!  Go and sign up before it’s over on May 31!  Sign up here: http://bit.ly/11x296S

***Thanks to Yarley over at Jade River Healing Arts Center for donating this AMAZING gift to one of our very lucky Wedding Experience fans!  Who wouldn’t want to win a hot stone deep tissue massage!***  The Stres of Planning a Wedding

Wedding Planning: Don’t End the Marriage Before it Starts

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Marriage is something that should not be entered into lightly. A solid marriage will often be tested, and will go through growth spurts, challenges, and is never easy. If a marriage was easy I don’t’ think that more than 50% of marriages would end in divorce, right?

• So, are you or someone you are close to ready to take the plunge into a lifelong commitment of marriage?
• Are they planning a wedding?

A marriage is difficult, rewarding, amazing, and time consuming! What’s crazy is that about 67% of couples entering into a marriage or legal commitment also plan to have a wedding that will cost anywhere from $5,000 to well over $65,000! That alone can cause a divorce within the first year! All kidding aside, the truth is a wedding can cause much stress and in all seriousness challenges a couple to make crucial decisions that are both emotional and logical when planning a wedding.

Here are the top 5 stress factors and solutions when planning a wedding.

Set a Wedding Budget

A wedding budget is crucial. Before you just pick a magical number, sit down with your fiancé and go over your finances, what others (parents, step-parents, etc.) are contributing, and how much debt you want to go into from your wedding.

Before you pick your budget, I suggest you do research on the kind of wedding vendors you want to hire and how much their services cost in your area. This will empower you to have the wedding you desire knowing what the professional wedding vendors in your area charge so you are not surprised when you realize that you might not have budgeted enough.

Not budgeting enough is the most common problem. Couples often want a $50,000 wedding on a $10,000 budget. Unfortunately, the world does not work this way, and you will find yourself disappointed and stressed out if you don’t budget correctly for your wedding day.

How to Incorporate the Family into the Wedding Planning

Family can be stressful. You might have numerous members of your family involved in the planning aspect of your wedding. Many different opinions can cause a very stressful environment, so make sure you carefully pick what (if any) family members help in the planning process and/or financially. When family members contribute financially to a wedding they often want to help in the planning process. You might want this, or you may consider this to be a nightmare. Make sure that you and your fiancé really think this one out long and hard before asking family members to get involved in the wedding planning process.

Not Enough Time in the Day to Plan a Wedding

Do you already feel like there is not enough time in the day? Well, planning a wedding will more than likely feel like a part-time job, if not more! Make sure that you actually have the time to plan a wedding, if not I HIGHLY suggest that you consider hiring a reputable and professional wedding planner.

Too many couples think that a wedding planner is an unnecessary cost. Great wedding planners will pay for themselves, literally. What I mean is that you can actually save money on other services and items by hiring a wedding planner! Seriously, I am not lying. If you and your fiancé work full-time, I would suggest calling and meeting with 3 wedding planners and see if one is a match for you! If you don’t feel that you need a wedding planner to help with the planning, I do suggest hiring a day-of-wedding coordinator. A day of wedding coordinator will be the best investment ever.

Don’t Forget Date Night When Planning a Wedding

Like I said above, planning a wedding is like having a high-stressed part-time job. It’s easy to spend the time off you have planning your wedding and let it take over your life. Don’t neglect your marriage before it even starts! Make sure to delegate at least 1 day a week to spend with your fiancé and make sure the “wedding planning” topic is off limits! You will be very happy you did this.

The Wedding Guest List

You want to invite 100 guests and keep your wedding intimate with close friends and family. Your fiancé wants to invite 250 guests because he/she has almost 75 cousins and has a very large extended family.

You have done your research and you know that the average cost for a wedding is around $180 per person. So if you invite 250 guests you are looking at spending about $45,000. Your budget is between $15,000 and $20,000. The math speaks for itself, and you’ve already done your research on the professional wedding vendors you want to hire and you know that it will be near impossible to have 250 people and hire the wedding professionals that you have researched and like.

I have seen many couples and families fight about the guest count. When making this decision, do NOT try to cut corners, as you will more than likely be disappointed with parts of your wedding. Be reasonable, realistic, and remember the word compromise with your fiancé about the guest list. Make sure that you listen and take into consideration family tradition, how many friends are in town versus out of town, how long it’s been since you’ve seen people on your guest list, etc.

Please make sure to suggest this blog post and this website as a resource to help anyone plan their wedding, whether they live in the Pacific NW or not, this website has not only amazing wedding professionals but also tips, tricks, and videos to view that will help plan the perfect wedding.

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For Immediate Release

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The Wedding Experience: The Only Full-Scale Mock Wedding Event For Engaged Couples

Portland, OR – October 12, 2012 — On October 27, 2012, the owners of MEGA Music Entertainment and Wedding Marketing NOW present The Wedding Experience — A Luxurious Mock Wedding for the Real Engaged Couple.  From 4:30 pm to 10 pm, engaged couples will experience a full-scale mock wedding at The Benson Hotel.  Guests will enjoy a four-course meal, sparkling wine, specialty cocktails, see 40 professional wedding vendors in action, listen and dance to both live musicians and three amazing local and professional DJ companies.  The event is sponsored in part by The Benson Hotel.

 

A groom who happens to own a few businesses in the wedding industry created The Wedding Experience.  Simon Blanco, with the help of his new wife, Meagan Hope Blanco, created The Wedding Experience for couples planning their wedding but who are unsure of how to execute the actual wedding day.  The Wedding Experience will allow brides, grooms, friends, and family who are helping plan a wedding to see how the wedding should flow from beginning to end and showcasing only the most reputable wedding professionals from the Portland metro area.

 

An inherent problem at wedding expos and bridal shows is that the typical 10×10 booth does not allow the newly engaged couple to see the professional wedding vendor in action.  On the flip side, the professional wedding vendor does not have a chance to speak to every bride or groom at your typical bridal expo.  During The Wedding Experience, each vendor will have a 2-3 minute interview during the evening emceed by the event host, Mr. Drew Carney.  Also, the vendor (depending on their specialty) might be taking pictures, executing the plan, creating a bridal look, serving a cake or dessert, up-lighting the event, or providing the wedding programs, etc.  There are makeup artists, hair professionals, bakeries, patisseries, a chocolatier, a wedding dress boutique, musicians, dance instructors, photographers, decor companies, a photo booth, two wedding officiates, and more.

 

The event will begin with guest registration at The Benson Hotel (tickets available for purchase at the door or online).  At 5:15 pm guests will be seated in the Crystal Ballroom to observe a Vintage Barcelona-inspired ceremony.  After the ceremony presentation concludes, guests will be invited to a Great Gatsby-inspired cocktail hour in the Fireplace Lobby.  Guests will enjoy hors d’oeuvres and sparkling wine while mingling and speaking with professional wedding vendors, listen to some great jazz tunes while snacking on the gourmet popcorn and nut bar.  At 7:00 pm, guests will be escorted upstairs to the Mayfair Ballroom to feast on a salad, main entree and an assortment of desserts, cake, and other unique treats.  After dinner there will be a formal mock toast, first dance, entertainment, and dancing.

 

At the end of the evening, The Wedding Experience is awarding one lucky couple the “Honeymoon Package” prize.  At 9:50pm, the lucky winning couple will make their Grand Exit from the Mayfair Ballroom to a limousine that awaits and will whisk them to a helicopter pad where Konect Aviation will give the couple a twenty-minute tour of the City of Roses.  After the helicopter ride, the limousine will return the couple back to The Benson Hotel where they will enjoy a night of luxury and romance in the Grand Suite.  The Suite includes flowers, chocolates, massage oils, champagne, a fifteen-minute serenade on the baby grand piano, and a 2pm late checkout.

 

If you would like to partake in this new concept and bridal event, tickets are available for $99 per couple at Ticket Tomato, http://www.tickettomato.com.  To learn more about The Wedding Experience please go to the website at: http://weddingexperiencepdx.com.  For members of the press please contact Meagan Hope Blanco at weddingexperienceusa@gmail.com.

 

For information on the Benson Hotel, go to www.bensonhotel.com.

 

 

Local Celebrity Host Drew Carney – KGW News Channel 8

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We at the Wedding Experience are so lucky and happy to make the announcement that Drew Carney from KGW News Channel 8 will be the host for our mock wedding! His “Out and About” reports can be seen weekday mornings on KGW’s “NewsChannel 8 at Sunrise” between 5-7a.m. He will be guiding guests through the night and asking vendors questions about their business. The best part is Drew got married at the Benson Hotel 6yrs ago and is very happy to be coming back, and can’t wait to show couples how wonderful their wedding can be.

Drew’s pursuit of a career in TV began almost 20 years ago while attending college at Temple University in Philadelphia. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree, he started out as a sports anchor/reporter with stops in small markets like Abilene, Texas, & Johnstown, Pennsylvania. In October of 2000, Drew moved to Portland and two years later made the switch from sports anchor to morning show feature reporter. Since then, he’s learned to call the Pacific Northwest home… marrying a born and raised Oregonian in 2006. He and his wife now share a home in the Portland suburbs with their twin boys. Drew is is very excited to to be coming back to the Benson, and will see you on October 27th 2012!


TICKETS: Click here to buy NOW!

What Is The Wedding Experience? Watch Our New Video & Learn!

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The Wedding Experience is a mock wedding, and not a bridal expo. This is a 5hr wedding starting with ceremony and going through: cocktail, dinner, dessert, and dancing. Eat a full 4 course meal, have unlimited beer & wine, and win prizes for both the groom & the bride. We will also have a guide available online, mobile, and on a native app for iPad/iPhone & Droid. It will have a unique matching system to pick the best vendors for you based on the criteria you fill out on our questionnaire. Watch and experience what this is all about:

More Information:
Simon Blanco
360-771-8745
weddingexperiencepdx@gmail.com

Purchase Tickets October 27th 2012 @ Benson Hotel:
Ticket Tomato - Logo, Ticket Tomato - Logo