Lexington, KY Wedding Planner and Event Designer - Always Planned » Corporate

Wedding Vendor Deposits

Rayna — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 14:16:59 +0000

This blog post is a crossover between being for the bride during her planning and being for the wedding professionals of the world.

Being a small business owner I can tell you that there are moments of great achievement, complete chaos, stress, happiness and utter excitement, sometimes within minutes of each other. Much like a bride is during her planning process, a small business owner can feel so overwhelmed that it could bring them to tears and so joyful that they could scream, typically from the same issue.

One of the biggest issues that overwhelm and stress small business owners out is money. This is also something that can stress out a bride during her planning…. see where I am going with this?

Every wedding professional should require a NON-Refundable Retainer or Payment at the time your agreement or contract is signed. If you (wedding vendor) do not have an agreement or contract in writing then WHAT ARE YOU THINKING????

Why is this important for the Bride? Well it means that you legally have something in writing stating exactly what you are getting on your wedding day, what your requirements are and how that vendor works. I highly suggest you keep all of your contracts in a binder or folder and all in the same place. This will make it a ton easier for you once you turn it over to a planner or when you are planning out the details of your day. The retainer means your date is just that – yours. Most wedding professionals will only take one wedding per date and the last thing you want is to lose that amazing (photographer, florist, planner, designer, venue, etc) to another bride who was smart enough to put down her retainer or initial payment early.

Why is this important for the Wedding Professional? Because things happen every day. Couples break up, family members get sick, brides change their mind, dates change and sometimes personalities clash. Most of the time you are fine, but on those rare occasions when something happens, it only makes business sense to have a NON-refundable retainer to cover any work you have lost, the date you cannot replace and the staff you still have to pay. There are a ton of expenses involved in meeting with couples and meeting their needs – office/marketing/rent/utilities/etc. That’s a whole different story.

Anyway – sometimes something inspires me to educate brides and vendors. In the end we love what we do, but it is a business and sometimes people forget that.

xoxo, Rayna

eos = yum!

Rayna — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 15:40:36 +0000

Every bride knows that on her wedding day it is vital that her skin be soft and silky smooth and her lips be utterly kissable. Mallory and I are always trying out the latest in products and services so we can report back to our brides. We recently discovered eos and must admit, we are in love. First they got us with the adorable packaging of their lip balm, then we tried their lotions and shaving creams.

I love the fruity fragrance and Mallory loves how cute they are! It’s a win-win for everyone and the price is great too! Easy to find at Walmart, Target,Walgreens or online at evolutionsofsmooth.com. This line of products make great gifts for your bridesmaids and the perfect stocking stuffer for the upcoming holidays!

Make Hands Happy

Say goodbye to dry, chapped hands forever and smooth on the eos Everyday Hand Lotion. These handy lotions, available in Everyday (floral) or Cucumber, leave skin feeling soft, supple and healthy long after you apply it. Dermatologist tested. Hypoallergenic. Paraben-free.

Key Ingredients:

Aloe
Oat
Shea butter
Vitamin E & C

Price: $3.99 (each)

Smile Like You Mean It

Can a lip balm make you smile? We think so. That’s why we invented this one. The eos lip balm smooth sphere is 95% organic, 100% natural, and paraben and petrolatum free. Packed with antioxidant-rich vitamin E, soothing shea butter and jojoba oil, eos keeps your lips moist, soft and sensationally smooth.

Flavors include:

summer fruit
emon drop spf 15
strawberry sorbet
honeysuckle honeydew
medicated tangerine
sweet mint

Price: $3.29 (each)

See Ya, Stubbles

eos, Ultra Moisturizing Shave Cream is the ultimate in soothing, smoothing and shaving. Made with natural aloe, oat, shea butter and antioxidant vitamins E and C, this non-foaming cream boosts skin’s moisture level and keeps it silky & soft long after you’re done shaving. So moisturizing, you can shave wet or dry. Paraben-free.

Scents include:

Price: $3.49 (each)

Smooth On

The eos lip balm smooth stick is 95% organic, 100% natural, and paraben and petrolatum free. Packed with antioxidant-rich vitamin E, soothing shea butter and jojoba oil, eos keeps your lips moist, soft and sensationally smooth.

Key Benefits

Long-lasting moisture
Shea butter & vitamin E
Paraben-free
Petrolatum-free
Phthalate-free

Flavors include:

vanilla bean
pomegranate raspberry
sweet mint

Price: $3.29 (each)

Introducing…..

mallory — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:15:51 +0000

If you have been keeping up with Always Planned and our many ventures you know that the newest segment of our company is Perfect Posy…. which is strictly florals and design. We are so excited with the direction Perfect Posy is headed and wanted to officially introduce the new logo designed by the amazing Smudge Graphics. We hope you like it!

Sandals Night-January 25th

mallory — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 17:13:10 +0000

Come let us take you away to the Caribbean! The night will be complete with a luau theme, palm trees, food, tiki bar and of course drinks with little umbrellas!! A Sandals specialist will be here to speak about all of the amazing resorts that Sandals has to offer and you can find out how you can be drinking one of those drinks with an umbrella in it on a real beach in the Caribbean! By booking your vacation from our Sandals Night you can receive a $250 spa credit and have the chance to win a FREE romantic dinner on the beach for you and your new spouse! Definitely a night full of fun that can lead to a whole week of fun in the sun!!!

Tuesday, January 25th

6:30pm

128 North Broadway

Lexington, KY 40507

Sponsored by AP Luxury Travel and Simply Love Studio

ABC Meeting

mallory — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 17:43:36 +0000

Happy Monday!!! It really is beginning to look a lot like Christmas out there and at AP we are so excited!! We attended our first holiday meeting last week. The Association of Bridal Consultants had a lovely end of the year party last Thursday at The Brown Hotel in Louisville, KY. The service, food (and drinks!) were impeccable as always and it was a lot of fun to catch up with some of the amazing women in this industry. All in all it was a great year for the ABC and everyone is looking forward to great things in 2011!

Belterra Casino Resort and Spa

mallory — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 02:57:47 +0000

Always Planned was out of the office on Monday and Tuesday morning at an overnight stay at Belterra Casino Resort and Spa to discuss some future endeavors. All I can say about our experience is…. WOW!!! Never have I seen such impeccable service at a nearby resort or hotel. It was amazing. As soon as we pulled up, there was a valet guy waiting on us to open our doors to park our car. A bell hop was also there waiting to load our luggage, take it up to our room and then unload it. Every employee we passed on our way to our room had a smile and a kind “hello.”

My amazing boss had made us appointments at the spa, so we headed straight there after check in. We experienced a relaxing Swedish massage. Ahhhh, I never wanted to leave!

That night, the wonderful folks of Belterra treated us to dinner at Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse where we had the best food that I have ever eaten. (Be ready to be amazed by all the food we ate.) We had crab legs, crab cake, salad, bread, fillet mignon, mashed potatoes, creamed corn and creme brulee. Below is a picture of one of their signature deserts, a chocolate mousse in an edible chocolate teacup. So cute!! We barely made it back to the room, but when we did we all had a gift waiting on us with a handwritten card:-)

Tuesday morning, we were given a tour of the facilities and treated to breakfast. The resort is perfect for any size wedding or event. It’s beautiful, the staff is amazing and the amenities of the resort would give your guests an amazing experience. Whatever you are planning…. weekend away with your honey, girls night out, wedding, holiday party…. whatever it may be, BELTERRA CASINO RESORT AND SPA would be the perfect place.

We definitely didn’t want to leave:-)

ABC Conference

mallory — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 17:05:47 +0000

The Always Planned crew was out of the office last Thursday and Friday to attend a conference for the Association of Bridal Consultants at Horseshoe Casino and Hotel. We had a chance to try out Paula Deen’s new buffet, bounce ideas off of other wedding/event planners and had a lovely dinner. Kristen Becker Little of Five Dot Design was the guest speaker who spoke about the importance of branding and marketing strategies. After the conference the gang even tried our hand in the casino… Unfortunately, we all came back empty handed! All in all we had a great time and now are back to business! Have a great week everyone!

We Have A Major Sweet Tooth!

mallory — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 14:45:46 +0000

Just about anytime you see us Always Planned girls working you can about guarantee that we will be munching on a piece of candy, sipping on a mocha latte or eating something that most likely contains a lot of sugar. So, last week I was so excited when Rayna came in with a bunch of goodies from Martine’s! We had a cake decorated in celebration for the World Equestrian Games, cupcakes, cream puffs and chocolates! It was soooo yummy!!! Martine’s has always offered wedding cake services, but now you can stop by their shop throughout the week and buy their pastries, brownies cupcakes and more!! We love it!!! Be sure and stop by and visit them!!

ACE WEEKLY BEST OF LEX 2010

mallory — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 16:16:18 +0000

Always Planned is the official party planner for Ace Weekly and had a blast working on the Best of Lex 2010 party this year. Everyone was raving about the food by Bluegrass Catering and it was held at their brand new venue the Barrel House in the growing Distillery District of Lexington. House did the fabulous floral arrangements and the cool swag bags were sponsored by Big Ass Fans, Mingua Beef Jerky and JDI Technology Group! There was a big turnout and we loved meeting all the winners of the Best of Lex contest. All in all it was an amazing party and we are so glad that we were able to be a big part of it again this year!!!

The AP Team and new SLS intern on the red carpet at the Ace Weekly party!

Eventology 2010! EEK!

Rayna — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 13:56:13 +0000

OK, I can seriously tell you that I love to be around woman who inspire me. The attendees at Eventology honestly rock the free world and the unbelievable amount of determination, dedication, integrity and sheer girl power at this event is overwhelming, but in the best of ways. I love it!

Here are a few photos to show the relationships formed as well as the beautiful ladies (and one guy) that inspired me. Enjoy!