The Williamsburg Wedding Blog

Williamsburg Wedding Design is getting a new home. Today is our last day at Sandy Bay Road, and we will temporarily be housed at Chez Shayna (a.k.a. Home Office). I'll update clients and vendors with a temporary mailing address - and I'll let you know when we upgrade our office location soon! Wish us luck!

Black Friday for Brides

*Disclaimer: Unless noted, as in the Amazon link, these are NOT affiliate links, just good deals that you can take advantage of if you act quick:

Happy Black Friday! I'm on my way to do my own post-Thanksgiving shopping (yes, it's late, it's already 3:39 AM and I'm not in the Target or Wal-Mart parking lot yet...I'm taking my chances). Brides, there are many great deals available that can help you make your budget even brighter over the holiday season. Here are a few examples:

Calligraphy: through the end of November, you can make reservations with the incredible Calligraphy by Jennifer and secure a 15% discount off of your order. If I had a calligraphy need, I'd make a reservation with her in a heartbeat. Contact Jennifer for more details.

Candy: Having a candy buffet or need candy for your favors? Oh Nuts! (my favorite source of candy, and the one we use for most of our buffets) has a neat Twitter offer today only (November 30).I totally lifted these instructions off of the email they sent out, but somehow I think they'll appreciate it:

To get your $5 gift certificate, simply follow these 3 easy steps:

1. Follow @ohnuts on Twitter

2. Tweet "Get a $5 Gift Cert. from http://ohnuts.com. Follow @ohnuts and RT This. You will get the Gift Code via DM #BlackFriday". (Shayna's note: obviously, leave out the quotation marks)

3. Receive your $5 gift certificate in a DM from @ohnuts

If you don't use Twitter, you can become a fan of Oh Nuts! Hanukkah candy page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HanukkahGifts and they will send you the gift certificate.

The Oh Nuts! gift certificates must be redeemed by December 1.

Major Department Stores: Several stores have amazing deals available to early birds today. You can source everything from votive candles to decor items and save big. Our Target had a "buy $100 get a $10 gift certificate" offer going this morning (limited supplies and times, I believe). An extra $10 isn't going to hurt anyone's budget. Think creatively, and go shopping!

The Container Store: Three or so years ago, I ordered these boxes from The Container Store (inspired by a photo in Martha Stewart Weddings) for awesome bride, Tracy, and her bridal party. We put a small lunch-y/snack in them for use while they were at her church getting ready. The photo is courtesy of E. Leise Photo Design (www.specialdayphoto.com):

 

The Container Store is offering a $25 gift certificate when you purchase $100 in Gift Cards or EGift Cards or free shipping when you purchase $100 in stocking stuffers. If I were the best bridesmaid ever, I'd gift a couple certificates to my favorite bride-to-be (so many fun and useful things on their site). Brides, they have more fun items suitable for bridal party gifts and several pretty things that are great for decor. 

Amazon.com: (The following Amazon link IS an affiliate link).

You can find all sorts of fun wedding things at Amazon.com, and they are posting some great deals this weekend. Whether you choose a Kindle (my personal wish-list-topping item), a bridal design book, or even a mini-video camera to shoot your engagement moments with, you're sure to find a huge variety of choices and great prices.

How will you spend your Bridal Black Friday? Feel free to share your ideas in the comments section!

Happy Thanksgiving

From our family here at Williamsburg Wedding Design to all of our clients, colleagues, family and friends: have a happy and safe Thanksgiving. 

Photo Courtesy of Brad Howe Photography, Kerri & Chico, October 2008

And for those of you even considering it...go ahead, get engaged! Then call us on Monday morning. :)

Peace be with you!

Shayna Walker

Williamsburg Wedding Design

Faces of Williamsburg Weddings: Jennifer Rodriguez, Skincare to Black Tie Affair

Enjoy Jennifer Rodriguez's Faces of Williamsburg Weddings Profile!

 

What is your background?

 

As a licensed cosmetologist for the past 20 years, I have always enjoyed formal hair and make up for brides.  After college I took on the exciting world of Information Technology (IT).  (You can laugh here if you want!)  I retained my cosmetology license and my love of doing hair.  I moved to Williamsburg in 2000 and had a successful run with a homebased cosmetics sales business for 4 years.  I was married in the Wren Chapel at the College of William and Mary in 2001.  In 2004 I gave birth to a little boy and started a small business doing hair and makeup on site for brides and special events.  I still hold a full time job in IT during the week, but on the weekends, I love the joy I bring to a bride and her bridal party plus the "girl" time that comes with it. 

How are your services unique?

 

I offer a free run through and I come to you because I want you to feel confident and relaxed on your wedding day.  I enjoy helping salons and other local stylists with large bridal parties, but the bulk of my work is with individual brides coming in from out of town for their special day. 

What do you love about weddings in Williamsburg?

 

I love the tourist friendly atmosphere of Williamsburg - the Colonial Area, Busch Gardens, and the beautiful drive down the Colonial Parkway to Yorktown.  There are parts of Williamsburg that feel like a relaxed small town and fun things for each of your guests during their visit. 

If you could bring a celebrity wedding to Williamsburg and do the hair and makeup for it, whose would you choose?

 

If I had the honor of doing the hair and make up for a celebrity in Williamsburg, I'd pick Keira Knightly. It is fun to see all the different styles she's worn through the years.  And, as a mom when I saw how cute she was on Sesame Street, I'd hope she would be just as nice in person. 

You can reach Jennifer at 757-229-8123.

Why Williamsburg?

It's fun to hear why people choose Williamsburg for their weddings. We have several 2010 clients right now, all with different ties to this community. Some of the reasons they have cited for choosing Williamsburg:

1. Going to/went to school at the College of William & Mary (Go Tribe!)

 
Photo courtesy Erik Leise, E. Leise Photo Design

2. Long-time family favorite vacation destination

3. Family living here

4. It's in "the middle" (of the East Coast that is)

5. Stationed near here

6. Love the history, love the area

 
Photo courtesy of Brad Howe Photography

If you've been following our "Faces of Williamsburg Weddings" series, you'll have noticed that even the locals (original and transplanted) are pretty enamored with the place. When asked what they love about Williamsburg weddings, they answered:

Weddings in Williamsburg always seem a little bit more romantic than weddings I’ve attended in other locations. It’s a combination of the history, beautiful buildings and landscapes that help to set a perfect backdrop. (Niki Worrell of The Williamsburg Nanny Agency)

It is just minutes away from Jamestown which is the beginning of new life.  A wedding in Williamsburg would represent the beginning of new life and new surroundings! (David Smith of Oleta Coach Lines, Inc.)

  
Photo Courtesy of Brad Howe Photography 

Nothing says romance like the ambiance of Colonial Williamsburg.  Guests can enjoy tours, dining in one of the historic taverns, strolling down Duke of Gloucester Street and a horse and carriage ride. It is a setting that gives a special day one-of-a-kind memories. (Ken Jaworski, Dreams in Motion Limo)

Historical churches, plantations, estates, winery, large hotel ballrooms, historical sites, waterfront locations: Williamsburg has it all! (Brad Howe, Brad Howe Photography).

Your Turn

What about you? Are you planning a Williamsburg wedding? Did you have a magical wedding here? Why did you choose Williamsburg to host your big day?

Share - there are couples out there every day considering the area, and they'd love to know why you chose a wedding in Williamsburg!

More On Venue Coordinators vs. Wedding Planners

Ahem...

I'm interrupting our Faces of Williamsburg Weddings series (which I'm loving and has more good stuff on the way) to touch on a subject of general wedding planning interest that is too important too ignore.

Amber's Story

I first wrote about this topic in July of 2008. Unfortunately, due to some broken links (my fault!) only a part of that article appears on our former blog The World According to Weddlady (weddlady.com) today. I was incited to write (not riot) again by a great article written by a California colleague, Amber Gustafson, and posted yesterday, which you can read on her blog, entitled: The Difference Between Venue and Independent Coordinators.

Amber was prompted to write when she received the (sadly too often repeated) message: "thanks for your follow up, but we booked Venue X and they provide a wedding coordinator and so I don't need your services." 

Amber's article is a must-read.

My Take

I have been, and remain, passionate about this issue. I have no malice towards venue coordinators - in fact, I adore some of them so much that I have previously and will again profile them by name on my blogs. The ones who get it - the ones who understand that different clients need different levels of help, and that teamwork is the best way to achieve superior results, are worth seeking out, identifying and treating like gods among men. 

The Good

Like Amber, I believe their role is critical to the success of a wedding day. Working in tandem with a professional venue coordinator can make an event seamless and dream-like no matter how many unforeseen issues arise. I work with two venue coordinators in particular who, through their knowledge of their facilities and incredible commitment to cooperative effort and the best possible outcome have helped pull events through the most trying of circumstances, with happy clients as the result.

The Bad

However, I also believe that many venue coordinators are under so much pressure to appear to be all things to all people in order to land accounts, that they are forced to in some cases mislead clients into believing that they do what an independent planner does. Unless they are staffed like some of the world's more exclusive full-service resorts (which very few Catering/Sales department budgets allow), they can't, even when they really want to.

It's Not Just Me Folks

I was speaking with a professional photographer friend this evening, and brought up the issue. The photographer insisted that I write about the subject again, and noted this about the shiny, detailed weddings you see in magazines - almost none of them are credited to venue coordinators. They all have independent planners and designers listed (or should be listed depending on the publication).

Roles and Responsibilities - Theirs

It's not because venue coordinators aren't creative, helpful, caring people. It's because their JOB is different. Their responsibilities are to the integrity of their venue, the safety of their clients, and the sanctity of their product. They have to be available at least five days a week when you want things like specs, diagrams, booking availability, site tours, sometimes catering quotes, delivery restrictions, and behind-the-scenes stuff like staffing and site repairs. They travel to promote their facilities, field many times more inquiries than they will ever book events, and contribute to marketing planning. Sometimes their roles are divided - they not only coordinate weddings, but conventions and corporate events; they may have multiple sites that fall under their responsibility. They may have membership responsibilities, seasonal building usage to consider or any number of sales demands. They very often have the full-time job of more than one person.

And when they do deal with independent wedding planners, they don't always get the pick of the litter. Our segment of the industry is plagued with under-educated upstarts and drama queens. Too many start as really cruddy wedding planners and do damage to the reputations of the great planners of this world. Venue coordinators get stuck with the results, and that is unfair to them.

Wonder why turnover is high in their segment of the industry?

Roles & Responsibilities - Mine

And then there's the PROFESSIONAL independent planner's job. My job. Needless to say, I don't sit and blog all day (sometimes I sit and blog all night). I keep crazy busy doing what I do, and can not even imagine adding the responsibilities of a venue coordinator to my own for every event.

The fact is that very, very few facilities are equipped to provide the kinds of attention to detail that a professional, independent, client-focused planner provides.

What Should Be Done

I love the great venue coordinators of the world. I don't want to see the position go any more than I want to start taking wedding photos or baking cakes (both would end disasterously, I assure you). What I want is for venue coordinators to aknowledge that:

a) they cannot provide all of the same services that an independent planner can provide, and that there are many clients who need some amount of help from an independent planner

b) we are not forces that need to work against each other - mutual, coordinated, cooperative efforts will actually increase the quality of weddings that we execute, which will naturally increase the demand for both of our services, which will lead to more opportunities to serve together, and so on. This "grab every last penny no matter who you have to grab it from" mentality doesn't help our clients, and definitely does not help our industry.

What Will Nirvana Look Like?

How can they practice this? Well, adding wedding planners to their lists of recommended service providers would be a nice start (seriously - many won't) - and then having frank discussions with their clients (and their management) letting them know that independent wedding planners enhance their services in invaluable ways. I'll settle for NOT claiming to be wedding planners, though, as a start.

In return I promise to respect their venues and recommend lots of appropriate clients to them - clients best suited to their style and strengths with the best potential to be deliriously happy with their product. Win-win-win for all.

Why You Should Care

If you're planning a wedding, you're making an investment in a day that you can't, as Amber points out, do over. Educate yourself about issues like this, and protect your investment by hiring the professionals who best meet your needs, and not just those who try to be all things to all people. You deserve the best. Demand it.

Faces of Williamsbug Weddings: Niki Worrell, Williamsburg Nanny Agency LLC

It is my great pleasure to profile Niki Worrell today! You have to imagine her enchanting British accent when you read her responses - it adds even more flair to an awesome Williamsburg vendor profile. Enjoy!

 

  

Niki Worrell (2nd from left) with some of her Williamsburg nannies.
 

 

Who are you?

 

I am Niki Worrell, owner of the Williamsburg Nanny Agency. We help families throughout the Hampton Roads area to find professional, reliable and experienced nannies. We provide full-time, part-time and temporary childcare as well as event care for children whose parents are attending a wedding, family gathering or conference etc.

 

What makes your services unique?

 

We offer a very personal approach to finding nannies. We like to meet with families in their own home to discuss their specific requirements in detail and we interview all our nanny candidates in person. This helps us to better match nanny with family to ensure a good, long-lasting relationship. This in turn provides consistency for the children who, in the comfort of their own home receive loving care from their nanny.

 

What do you love about Williamsburg weddings?

 

 

Weddings in Williamsburg always seem a little bit more romantic than weddings I’ve attended in other locations. It’s a combination of the history, beautiful buildings and landscapes that help to set a perfect backdrop.

 

If you could bring one celebrity wedding to Williamsburg, and you could provide services for it, whose wedding would it be and why?

 

 

Danielle Radcliffe but only if he promises to wear his pointed hat. Seriously, I have enjoyed all the Harry Potter films and being English would love to host a traditional English wedding in Williamsburg.

 

 

Thank you Niki! You can contact Niki Worrell, President of the Williamsburg Nanny Agency using the following contact information: 

 

Williamsburg Nanny Agency LLC

work: 757-645-3898

Fax: 757-645-3909

mobile: 757-345-8449

website: www.williamsburgnannyagency.com

Finding the best care for your children

Faces of Williamsburg Weddings: David Smith, Oleta Coach Lines, Inc.

Today's "Faces of Williamsburg Weddings" profile is of our friend David Smith at Oleta Coach Lines, Inc.!

 

 

 

Introduce yourself: David Smith, Director of Marketing & Sales for Oleta Coach Lines, Inc. 

 

What makes your services unique? The owner of our company began it with the purpose of rendering a service with a taste of love and not just in it for the dollar bill.  Our consumers rate us #1 in Williamsburg and #4 in the state of Virginia for a reason!

 

 

 

What do you love about Williamsburg weddings? It is just minutes away from Jamestown which is the beginning of new life.  A wedding in Williamsburg would represent the beginning of new life and new surroundings! 

 

 

If you could bring one celebrity wedding to Williamsburg, and you could provide transportation for it, whose wedding would it be and why? At first I would say Oleta Adams, just because she shares the same name as the Vice President of our company and walked past one of our coaches one day and said, that's my bus, but she is married already, then I would say Dave Matthews, because we did some transportation for his band while in Hampton, but again, he is married also, so I would have to say Hanna Montana (when the time comes of course) because my little sister is in love with her and would love to know that she was on one of our coaches.

 

Thank you David! If you would like to get more information about Oleta Coach Lines, Inc., please see Oleta's website at www.oleta.com, contact David via email at david@oleta.com or via phone at 757-253-1008.  You can also read reviews of Oleta's services at: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g58313-d1381353-Reviews-Oleta_Tour_Travel_Inc-Williamsburg_Virginia.html.

 

More "Faces of Williamsburg Weddings" profiles will be posted soon. What do you think? Leave us some feedback or suggest someone you might like to see profiled! Don't forget to "Fan" us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter (Twitter name: weddlady)!

 

Photos in this post are courtesy of Oleta Coach Lines, Inc.