June 30, 2010

The Guestzilla ~ Part 2: The Drunk Guest

People, your friend's wedding is not your chance to get drunk as a skunk and act a fool.  I've never understood why people feel the need to drink so much at weddings.  Nothing good has ever come from too much alcohol.  Let me tell you about what happens with too much alcohol.  Girls trip in their heels, men fight with their friends, and parents embarrass their children.  I love when my clients tell me that they're sure their guests won't get drunk on just beer and wine.  I once had the cutest, petite lady falling down, quite literally, drunk by 7:00.  Simply from wine.  Then there were the parents that once the baby was asleep in the stroller, went a little crazy.  To the point where I looked over in time to catch the wife sitting on top of a table, falling backwards into a very large centerpiece, spilling candles and water everywhere.  I of course was there in an instant cleaning if up before a fire started or worse, the bride saw it.  ;-)  Assuring the woman that no one saw and that it happens all the time.  It doesn't.  Drunk guests start complaining about everything.  The music, where the heaters are placed, the fact that the party is ending.  They start requesting ridiculous songs and then get mad at the DJ when they don't play them.  Drunk family members are the best!  I once had a grandmother giving a most touching toast to the bride and groom.  And then... at the end of her toast she said, referring to the older and unmarried brother, "Don't worry, you'll get married soon.  Someone is out there for you."  It was mortifying.

The absolute worst thing I have ever witnessed, I am proud to say, DID NOT happen at one of my weddings.  I was helping a caterer friend of mine at a wedding manage his staff.  It was the end of the night, he had gone home and it was myself and 2 wait staff.  All of a sudden one of the wait staff came up to me and said:  "They're fighting at the bar."  I thought he was joking.  Well I should have known we were headed for disaster, the wait staff had been clearing stacks of shot glasses.  Yes, the wedding planner had allowed a full open bar for over 6 hours.  I say 'allowed,' because I would NEVER do that.  If a client of mine insisted on that much alcohol, I would walk.  I don't want my name associated with what could happen.  This is your wedding, but it's my business and my reputation.  This wedding ended with the police, a fire truck, ambulance, the bride in tears, her mother screaming and the venue owner bloodied and in the hospital.  Later, myself and the wait staff even had to give our story to the police.

Some Advice:

Brides, Grooms and Guests:  Eat plenty that day.  Especially breads and anything that absorbs alcohol.  Drink plenty of water!!!  Most of my weddings are outside in high heat.  I cannot stress the importance of water.

Guests:  Give yourself a 2 or 3 drink maximum.  You'll thank yourself later when you see the wedding photos or video.  Save it for the after party.  You can let loose at the bar after the wedding.

Brides and Grooms:  Don't feel the need to supply your guests with an endless amount of alcohol for the entire night.  I would never have a full hosted bar for the entire night.  Host a cocktail hour or two and then switch to beer and wine.  People drink slower on their dime.  Always have shuttles or taxis available, someone will need them.  And the best advice for brides and grooms, don't drink too much on your wedding day.  You want to enjoy your wedding night, don't you?

June 29, 2010

The Guestzilla ~ Part 1: The Omniscient Guest

I've heard a lot of people, mainly in the TV industry, refer to some brides as 'bridezillas.'  There's even an entire show dedicated to it.  I for one, in 9 years,  have never crossed paths with a bridezilla.  I have met many other 'zillas' in my day and will try to blog about them all.  I have decided to start with... "The Guestzilla."  Da da da!  In my experience, it takes one bad guest to cause a scene or dampen your wedding day.  What's the expression?  "One bad apple..."  So true.   I have so many great experiences with guestzillas that I've decided to make this a multi part post.

We'll start with:  "The Omniscient Guest."  This is the guest who knows so much more than anyone else at the wedding, including all of the wedding professionals.  Everything you're about to read has happen to me at one of my weddings.  ;-)

Guests, let me assure you that EVERY detail at a wedding has a purpose and has been thought out.  Some advice, please don't switch seats at dinner when we've gone to the trouble to assign you a seat.  That cute little card with your name on it, please don't put it in your purse until after the meal.  Wonder why your name is in one color and your husband's in another?  It denotes your entrée choice.  If you start moving things around it affects the flow of dinner.  The bride and groom have taken so much time and put a ton of thought in to where you are sitting at their wedding.  It's just for an hour.  Be an adult, and sit where you are told.

No, you cannot move the tables with the 50 pound centerpieces closer together to make one big table.  I had a wedding where to my horror I had guests trying to do just this.  Really?  You can't sit 8 feet away from your friends?  It's just for dinner!

Never try to grab a microphone out of the hand of the DJ or Wedding Planner.  We're not going to hand over the mic to a drunk person.  Or a sober person for that matter.  Let the MC make the announcements.

Don't interrupt the wedding planner during a most busy time and ask for explanations as to why this or that is happening.  What am I supposed to say?  We don't have a coffee station because your friends didn't spring for it, or think it necessary in the 90 degree heat?  She's not dancing with her father because he's estranged and was lucky to have even been invited?  There's no alcohol because the groom is an alcoholic?  Let it be.  Just be happy and have a good time.

Lastly, please don't tell me what you did at your wedding, your friend's wedding or your sister's wedding.  To be blunt, I don't care.  This isn't your wedding and we're doing it the bride's way.  Not to mention, I have one or two weddings under my belt, this isn't my first rodeo.  ;-)

Stay tuned for Part 2 of my Guestzilla series "The Drunk Guest."

June 22, 2010

Ask A Planner: Family Feud

Hello Wed Heads!  Today's question comes from a high school friend of mine, Danielle.  She wants to know how I deal with feuding family members at weddings.

You would think that people would put aside their differences for their loved one's special day, but no.  I recently had a horrible, estranged mother of the groom call the grandmother (who raised the groom) a b***h!  At the wedding!  She couldn't keep it together for one night.  I of course also have had the:  "I won't sit next to him, I won't take a picture with her."  I say get over it people!  We are adults, please act like it.  All in all most of the family members at my weddings are very gracious and try to avoid all drama.  As a planner, I PLAN for it as well.

During the year before their wedding, the couple and I will create a detailed 'family tree' if you will, that only I see.  It shows me who is divorced, remarried, which family members aren't speaking, who won't sit together, who won't pose in pictures with this person, etc...  The couple and I go over this very carefully during the planning of the wedding.  This helps me so much.  It avoids me asking estranged parents to walk down the aisle or pose for a picture together.  Speaking of which, family photographs can be a touchy time for feuding family members.  I avoid hurt feelings by having a list of photo groupings so no one is ever left out or asked to do something they aren't comfortable with.  This is one of the reasons photographers love me!  They have enough on their plates without worrying about family drama.  I deal with the drama so they can 'focus' on creating beautiful photographs.  (Sorry for the pun.)  ;-)

My advice if you are a feuding family member:  Please don't wait until the wedding day to talk to the bride and groom about your concerns.  If you don't want to take pictures or sit with someone else, please tell them during the year of their wedding planning.  DON'T wait until the happy day.  They will appreciate being able to deal with it ahead of time.  All that being said, only immediate family members should ever make such a request.

My advice for brides and grooms with feuding family members:  Don't think they will behave at your wedding.  Expect the worst and deal with it ahead of time.  Ask your divorced parents if they are comfortable taking pictures together, or sitting together.  Talk with your wedding planner and let her know about any drama there is.  Let your photographer know the groupings you want and tell them not to deviate from the list.  Plan ahead, you won't be sorry.

June 18, 2010

Ask A Planner

I asked for wedding/event related questions on my facebook page, and my fans didn't disappoint.

Nicky wanted to know about bridal shops in Santa Barbara County.  First, I wouldn't limit myself to the county you are in.  You are so close to LA and San Francisco, do some research and maybe plan a little trip to do some shopping.  As far as Santa Barbara goes, I've got a great tip for you Nicky.  A dear friend of mine, Mercedes Trump, owns Beautiful Boutique at 2009 Chapala Street in Santa Barbara.  Mercedes is nationally known for her expertise on wedding gowns.  She will be a wealth of information, I would stumble in to her boutique.  (They are closed Sunday and Monday.)  And a little side note, I am proud to say that I am named after her beautiful daughter, Angelique.  ;-)


Next Janie Skelton, who manages the Grand Chenier Ranch in San Miguel asked why so many brides think it will be okay to simply appoint a friend or relative as wedding planner.  Well I'm so glad you asked Janie.  ;-)  Anyone who thinks they can simply plan and execute a wedding NEVER has.  There is a reason myself and many other people are able to make this a full time job.  Not to mention the experience a wedding planner has.  Do you think my weddings when I first started out are in the same league as they are now?  No way!  I've grown, I've learned, and most importantly I've experienced.  I know what to do when confronted with any issue, I know how to deal with other vendors and anticipate their needs, I know the laws and regulations, I know how guests would like to be treated at an event, I know how to put on and throw amazing successful weddings and events, because I have done so for the past 9 years.  What about contacts?  Does your family member/friend have the owner of the rental company's cell phone number.  Do they know every DJ in the county so that when the horrible DJ the bride insisted on hiring doesn't have the right equipment they can call someone to bail them out?  Most importantly, does your family member/friend have the experience that a professional would.  No they don't.  The venue is the one who usually suffers in this scenario.  An inexperienced wedding planner could be more trouble than not having one at all.  Even if you have a capable family member/friend (I of course have planned a friend's wedding) do you want to do that to your family member/friend?  That person isn't going to get to celebrate with you because they will be working like crazy. Whenever I hear a bride say their mom or best friend is their 'wedding planner,' I always say:  "Why, do you hate them?"

And finally, Dustin wanted to know how much champagne a bride and groom should typically buy for their wedding.  Great question Dustin!  First, are you serving champagne for the toasts only, or do you plan on serving it all night?  Most couples opt to only serve it during the toasts, so if that is the case I usually recommend 1 bottle per table of 8 people.  Keeping in mind that you just pour a half a glass or so for the toasts.  People seem to be happy with this.  Of course, have a few bottles extra and have experienced wait staff pouring the glasses.  They will know how much to pour to make the bottle go around the table.  If you want to be able to really supply your guests with champagne then account for 1.5 bottles per table of 8 or 2 glasses per guest.

Great questions everyone!  I hope I was helpful, thanks and keep them coming!

April 14, 2010

Etiquette, Schemtiquette?

Yesterday on facebook I asked if anyone had any etiquette questions for me.  I received a great response.  Here are the answers.

Analese wanted to know: Should you send the wedding gift before or after the wedding?  Or do you bring it with you?  Great question Analese.  Gone are the days of getting married at church and having cake and punch in the courtyard.  With more and more couples having both destination and local destination weddings (weddings within driving distance of the couple's hometown) it just makes sense to send the gift before or after.  Why travel with an expensive gift, only to have the couple lug it back?  Even if you do get married right down the street in your town, it is a lot to load up all of the presents and transport them home.  In my opinion, couples will appreciate the convenience of arriving home to all of their gifts.  All that being said, if you do bring a gift to the wedding, bring it to the reception, not the ceremony.  They will just have to then transport the gifts from the ceremony venue to the reception venue.  And for goodness sake, TAPE THE CARD ON WELL!  You would not believe how many people slip a card under a ribbon knowing that the gifts will have to travel a long distance.  I hope that answers your question Analese!

Nicky wanted to know:  Do you wear your engagement ring when walking down the aisle?  Well, yes and no.  It is absolutely acceptable to wear your engagement ring during the ceremony.  Although the wedding ring is worn 'closest to the heart.'  So you would have to take off your engagement ring to let your husband place your wedding ring on your finger.  A great option is to wear your engagement ring on your right hand and then after the ceremony place it in it's proper place on top of your wedding ring.  A lot of ring sets these days are bonded together, perhaps before the ceremony.  That is what I ended up doing.  I didn't want to deal with having two separate rings that I might lose on the honeymoon, so a week before the wedding I had the two rings bonded together.  I then just didn't wear my engagement ring that last week.  As a wedding planner, my rule is, 'There are no rules!'  This is your wedding and you do whatever you want.  If you want to wear your ring, simply take it off and hand it to your maid of honor, or officiant before the ring ceremony.

And finally, a new bride of mine, Lindsay, pointed out that there are just too many rules when it comes to planning a wedding.  Even down to which mother gets to buy her dress first.  Well Lindsay, why do you think there are wedding planners?  ;-)  There is a ton to know and stay on top of.  Feelings get hurt at weddings ALL the time.  I've had bridesmaids in tears because of their placement in the lineup.  As for which mother gets to shop first, that is an easy one.  Tradition is that the bride's parents pay for the wedding, so of course the mother of the bride would get to choose first what to wear to her party that she is hosting.  (I could also see this 'rule' being set back in the day when there was one store in town.)  ;-)  It reminds me of one of the funniest stories I've heard since I've been in the wedding business.  A woman was getting married, her parents were divorced and her father had remarried.  Coincidentally the bride's mother and step-mother bought the same dress to wear to the wedding.  The bride tried to appeal to the step-mother to change her outfit, but she wouldn't budge.  So what did the mother of the bride do? She wore the dress to the rehearsal dinner!  lol!!!


Emily Post has been and will probably remain the authority on all things etiquette.  She has an entire book written on the subject of wedding etiquette available here.

Thanks for the questions everyone, keep them coming, I'm always here for answers.  Don't want to post your question on facebook?  Email me at:  sarah@sarahangelique.com

April 09, 2010

Dinner at Embassy Suites, San Luis Obispo

A few days ago on facebook I won dinner for my family from Embassy Suites in San Luis Obispo.  I get totally excited about winning anything, so I was very stoked about dinner for 3!  Embassy Suites is opening up their new restaurant, Greenhouse Grill and Café and were looking for people to try out their new menu.  We got there at 7:50 and the place was packed!  Great first night.  I've always liked the inside of the Embassy Suites Hotel.  There is a large glass roof that allows you to see the night sky.  Guests come and go which is perfect for people watching.  The restaurant's placement has not changed, but the menu has had a full facelift.  Our server, Greer - who was a cutie, welcomed us and explained that this was a trial run for the restaurant.  Well you would never know it.  Everything ran like a well oiled machine.


I started my meal with the Baby Spinach Salad, with caramelized onions, imported bleu cheese, oven dried prosciutto, hard boiled egg and lemon vinaigrette.  Yum!  


(please forgive the poor quality of my photos.  They were taken with my iPhone under the romantic lighting of the restaurant)









I may have ordered everything based on cheese.  You know me.     ;-)  My entrée was blue cheese crusted filet mignon with port wine demi glace.  Garlic roasted asparagus and mashed potatoes. 



Yes, I still had room for dessert.  I couldn't pass up chocolate bundt cake with raspberry sauce and whipped cream.














Everything was very good!  Jason and Gabriel loved their meals and a good time was had by all.  
Thanks to Embassy Suites for a great evening!  Can't wait to come back.

April 01, 2010

It's The Little Things

As a wedding planner, you never know what request will come your way or what you may need to do last minute.  At a recent wedding the bride said to me, "I need to borrow something."  "What?" I asked.  "No, I need something 'borrowed.'"  Ah!  Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.  I happened to be wearing a very dear necklace to me that day.  It has my son's name, birthday and birthstone on it.  So I took it off and I attached it to her bouquet.  I love my job and love being a part of such a special day.  Photo by Lindsey Hahn Photography.  Bride's bouquet by panacea, event floral design.

January 15, 2010

It's All About The Groom




I've noticed a trend in the past few years.  The days of men saying:  "just tell me where and when to show up" are gone. There are a few reasons this seems to happens.  Lately I've had more and more brides in demanding, fast paced careers.  Their grooms seem to have more time than they do, and so become my partner in crime during the planning process.  They take on favor decisions, color schemes, cake choices, everything.  Then there is the groom who is just totally into it.  He wants to be involved in every detail.  I had a groom insist that we email every day for the year before his wedding.  Honestly, even I don't have that much to say.  ;-) And then there is the groom that makes all the other grooms look bad.  This wonderful man had been married to his bride for 10 years and wanted to surprise her for their 10th anniversary.  He arranged for their closest friends and family to join them for an intimate vow renewal.  (Blog on that event coming soon.)  Which are you?  The go with the flow groom?  The overly involved groom?  The totally romantic groom?  I, for one, am all for men becoming more involved with the planning process.  Come on ladies, it's their day too.

January 05, 2010

Caroline & Curt ~ Vineyard Wedding ~ Paso Robles, CA


This was one of my favorite weddings of 2009.
I not only coordinated the wedding, but arranged all of the flowers.

The bride's bouquet was adorned with her grandmother's brooch.
I love adding little touches anywhere I can at a wedding.

These are nosegays for the mothers.  I had the bride make necklaces with baby photos of herself and the groom.  The moms loved this gift. As all the flowers are lavender, they will dry nicely and be lifelong keepsakes.

There was quite a bit of detail in the 'tablescape.'  My favorite part was the mini grape vines.  I found them locally of course.  The perfect touch for a wedding at a winery in Paso Robles.



The bride and groom were married under the trees with the sweet smell of lavender in the air and their closest friends and family surrounding them.  Literally.  As soon as the bride took her place next to her groom all of the guests moved in around them like a hug.  It was very intimate.

Amazing photos like these can only be taken in beautiful Paso Robles.  The bride and groom took full advantage of the vineyards and spent some time taking photos among the vines.



Dorian Michael serenaded guests with his amazing guitar stylings. Want him to play at your wedding?  Give me a call, he only works for me.  ;-)



A wonderful evening under the trees at Carmody McKnight Winery. With about 50 guests, it was the perfect number to have a large continuous table.

The mother of the bride made the fun, crafty 'Just Married' banner.  It was so cute I had to hang it from the head table.  Later I made sure it made it into their car for the honeymoon.



Thank you Jon Nickson for these amazing images.  It was a pleasure working with you. And thank you Caroline & Curt for being wonderful clients to work for, love you guys!!

Wedding & Reception Venue:  Carmody McKnight Winery
Photographer:  Jon Nickson
Florist:  Sarah Angelique
Caterer:  Miss Oddette
Music:  Dorian Michael

August 06, 2009

Out of Control

I love writing about the wonderful things that happen at weddings. But today I thought I'd share some of the, let's say, less than fortunate things that have happened at my weddings over the past 9 years. You really do have to remember that you can't control everything and always be ready for the unexpected.

Sickness Happens
At a wedding rehearsal we were waiting and waiting for the Bride and Maid of Honor to arrive. We finally get a call letting us know that the Bride is in the hospital with food poisoning and the Maid of Honor is with her. They never made it to the rehearsal, and she recovered like a champ in time for the wedding the next day.

Then there was the Mother of the Bride who woke up the morning of the wedding with an eye infection so bad her eyes were almost completely shut. She raced off to the E.R. while I held down the fort. Just one of the many reasons you need a wedding planner. ;-)
Stupidity Happens
Against the Bride's wishes, the Groom and Groomsmen went four wheeling the day before the wedding. You can see where this is going. The women and myself are at the venue waiting for the guys to arrive for the rehearsal. And we get the call that there had been an accident. One of the groomsmen flipped his 4 x 4 and had fractured his leg. He made it to the wedding and even participated, cast and all. The Bride was pissed!
Doors Stick
Yes, believe it or not, I had a wedding at a hotel where the bridal suite's door became stuck right before the ceremony, with of course the bride and bridesmaids inside. Maintenance men with axes, seriously, had to get her out. The Mother of the Bride was almost crying outside the door. The wedding started just a bit late, and looking back, how funny. An ax!
Extra Guests Show Up
I had a wedding at a hotel where the banquet manager came up to me the morning of the wedding and said: "The Bride's mother just informed me that she invited 6 more people last night." This was a plated dinner. You can't just add another entire table. Not to mention pulling a centerpiece and linen out of thin air. The hotel ended up serving over a dozen more dinners than were ordered. That is unheard of. Of course, we pulled it off.
Brides and Grooms Fight
It's a stressful day. Some advice guys, don't go for the 'cake in the face' unless your woman starts it. A Groom who shoved his cake in his Bride's face got an earful in the bathroom afterwards. Myself and her Bridesmaids were trying to calm her down and fix her hair and makeup. Way to start off the marriage lame-o.
Car Accidents Happen
I had a wedding where the cake was late. I didn't think much of it, we had plenty of time for them to get there. Then I get a phone call that the bakers had been in a car accident en route to the venue, destroying the cake. They were amazing though, raced back to the shop, somehow, and got another cake to us by the time the reception started.
Wedding Crashers!!
Yes, I've had to kick out wedding crashers. I asked them who they were with, the bride or groom. Knowing full well they were crashers. They had the nerve to tell me that they were just checking things out... at our full bar.   I told them I was going to ask them to leave and escorted them to the door.
Well I hope you enjoyed reading about some of the unexpected, out of control things that have happened to me over the years.