Good Times And Great Company In 2013!!!

Well, we are sad to say goodbye to 2013 but excited for what will come in 2014!!  We want to share some of our most memorable and fun moments at Glendalough in 2013.  From our wonderful couples, awesome vendors, event staff and of course the girls in the office that make almost everything possible!   Wishing you and your families the best 2014 that you can have and we look forward to sharing with you in the new year!

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Cobb Galleria Bridal Show 2013

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Teresa with Cutie Pies and Cakery!

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Katie with Blackbird Photography!

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Jules with One of A Kind Music Productions!

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Caitlin and Forrest:  October 19, 2013!

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Our lovely wait staff (some of them anyway)!

1236670_10151527617811256_1306105143_nWho can forget these stunning creations from Ciao Bella Weddings?!

996598_10151596093196256_1810028101_nVegas Baby!

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Nicole, Jessica and Pennie!

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Jena and Pennie in the dish pit!

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Jessica and Jaylyn at Nicole’s wedding!

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And….quite possibly some of our favorite details/photos from 2013!  It was hard to narrow them down:)

Happy New Year everyone and Happy Planning!

5 Tips For A Perfect Wedding Toast

It’s an honor to be chosen as a Maid of Honor or Best Man but the job of giving a toast at the wedding may be a daunting task. Especially if you have never given a toast before or have a touch of stage fright.  We have compiled a list of the top five tips for writing and giving a top notch wedding toast.

Photo provided by Wed Me Pretty

1. Start and end strong.  Start off your toast by saying who are and how you know the bride or groom.  Be confident and create your speech like you would a story.  End your toast with asking guests to raise their glasses to toast the happy couple

2. Be Yourself!   If you aren’t normally a funny person don’t try to be.  Just tell a sweet story instead of a list of jokes.  As long as you are sincere guests will love it just as much as a funny toast.

Photo provided by The Wedding Shoppe

3. Keep it short and sweet.  Don’t tell long drawn out stories about when you were kids. That’s normally when guests start to tune you out. Guests love to hear personal stories just keep them current and short.

4. Practice!!  Practice really does make your toast sound better.  Don’t try to wing it on the wedding day.  A great tip is to have an outline of talking points to help you remember.  Don’t read your entire speech word for word or it won’t sound sincere.

Photo provided by Sweet Chic Events

5. Keep it Classy!  Try not to drink too much before the toast to relieve nerves.  Also, try to contain your emotions.  Don’t cry too much where guests can’t understand what you are saying or laugh at your jokes when they may not be that funny.  Make sure you don’t bring up sex or exes. When in doubt leave it out.

Do you have any advice to add to this list?

We want to hear about it!

Questions to Ask Possible Wedding Venues

Before you go to any venue it is best to be prepared with a list of questions.  I hope to give you a detailed list of questions to ask to help in your venue search.  Asking the right questions before you decide on a particular venue can prevent any surprise costs during the planning process!

1.       How much is the facility rental fee? Is there a food and beverage minimum or guest minimum I must have for certain days/times?

2.       What if anything is included in the facility rental fee?  If the venue provides tables and chairs make sure to ask how many of each and the sizes of the tables.  If you may use more than the allotted number of tables and chairs make sure to ask if there would there be additional costs of renting chairs and/or tables. (As a side note 60” round tables will seat 10 people and 72” rounds will seat 12 people).

3.       Is there a separate ceremony fee?  What is included? (Chairs, audio visual?)  Is there a back-up plan for the ceremony?  If there is make sure you will not be too disappointed if you have to use it!

4.       How many people can you fit comfortably for seated dinner? What is your maximum capacity without chairs?   Make sure to use the word “comfortably”.  Many venues can fit more people in the reception room than would be comfortable for your guests.

5.       How many hours are included in the room fee?  Does that include setup and breakdown? Who handles the setup and breakdown?  Try to look for a venue that handles all setup and breakdown of the tables and chairs.

6.       Will there be a facility coordinator?  Will someone be there to coordinate vendors and ceremony on the day of and coordinate the rehearsal the day before?  If the venue does not provide one you may want to look at hiring a wedding coordinator to at least run the day of.  This helps lessen the stress on you and your family on the wedding day. (I will have another blog on wedding planners later!)

7.       Do they have a preferred vendors list?  If you use those vendors do you receive any perks for using their preferred vendor?  Are you allowed to bring in outside vendors?

8.       Can you bring in an outside caterer?  If not, will there be a menu tasting?  If the facility has an on-site chef make sure they provide the dinnerware, flatware and all serving utensils.

9.       What type of bars do you offer?  Many times you are not allowed to bring in outside alcohol.  If a venue provides the alcohol they will handle all of the permits and liability.  Make sure they provide the bartenders and ask if there are additional charges for the number of bartenders.  Also make sure there are no hidden fees such as wine corking as well as whether they provide a sparkling cider or champagne toast included in the fees.

10.   Do they have adequate parking?  This can be a very expensive detail that many brides overlook. Make sure to ask this question!  Some venues partner with local hotels so make sure to ask if they provide free shuttles or any discounts.

11.   How many weddings can you have on one day?

12.   Are there any additional fees?  Gratuities, tips, etc I should be aware of?

Lastly make sure to ask each potential venue for a sample contract before leaving.  That way you can review the contract and ask any follow up questions if needed.

I hope this helps in your venue search. Make sure to check out www.glendaloughmanor.com if you are still on the search for a venue.  It is an all-inclusive facility that would be happy to schedule a tour and answer all of these questions for you!  You can click on the pricing tab or the cost calculator to get more detailed information about this beautiful garden venue.

If you know of any questions that helped you in your search please comment and let us know.

Happy Planning!