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Wedding Zen: Being a Cool and Collected Modern Bride

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A Game Plan for Staying Chill while Planning the Wedding of Your, Your Fiance's, Your Families' etc. Dreams

Calling all forward-thinking, gainfully employed, fun-loving and busy modern brides who wish to hold a tasteful yet intimate yet rollicking, generous yet economically practical wedding for your for family and friends as I wish do to for mine! This lens is for you.

Journey with me down the aisle as I intrepidly navigate my way through vendor negotiations, materials selections, family issue handling etc. while attempting to maintain a Zen state of mind. Along the way I hope to provide you with really great tips on saving cash, finding great vendors and keeping that pretty head intact!

Countdown to Our Wedding Day

Our Wedding Day: July 26, 2008

Zen Bride Tip #1

Stop and Smell the Roses...

And the ranunculus, and the Queen Anne's lace, and the dahlias, hydrangea and cosmos oh my! If you're like me, you'll find your head spinning with getting all the details just right. Just remember to take a minute to remember what this day is all about...marrying the man of your dreams!

Rockin' NJ/PA Vendor List

The professionals responsible for helping me realize the day of my dreams.

The definition of a vendor is "one who sells something". But in terms of a wedding, a vendor must be treated more as a partner. Your planner, photographer, musicians, etc, will play pivotal roles in the success of your wedding as an event. My best advice is find professionals who really "get" you, and share your vision. The vendors I've hired, I would hang out with as friends. These vendors serve the New Jersey and Bucks County areas.
Paulette Robinson Events
The mastermind that keeps me in one piece. Paulette is a frequently featured planner on Whose Wedding Is It Anyway? and has already proved her value to this event many times over. A true partner in your event. Highly recommended for your big day!!
John Arcara Photography
My wedding photographers and visual geniuses. They are former editorial photographers and their talent and experience really comes through in their portfolio. I consider myself lucky to have them capturing this special day. Check out their frequently-updated blog for all kinds of really cool photo shoots.
Michael Bruce Florist
My floral extraordinaire. This man is a true artist, who was able to translate my vision into a centerpiece effortlessly. He's also wonderful to work with and his passion for his work permeates his creations.
RSVP-to-Me Fine Stationary
The woman behind this custom stationary operation is a priestess of paper. She has locations in Red Bank, NJ and Nyack, NY, and produces invitations that are utterly unique, elegant, stunning and reasonable. You'll eat up the fact that the invites to your special day are completely your own creation. Also does programs, thank yous, and stationary for other joyous events. Run to her, don't walk, for yours!!

Fishbone Travel & Honeymoon Registry

Honeymoon Registry: Beats a Blender

Why register for stuff you either already have or are going to return, when you could register bits and pieces of your dream honeymoon?

Visit our personal travel booking engine, FishboneTravel.com, click on Extras and you'll find a link to a great honeymoon registry site called HoneymoonWishes. Book your accomodations & flights through Fishbone Travel and register your entire honeymoon on HW. This is the ultimate in modern registry options!

Zen Bride Tip #2

Learning to Let Go...

of the little things. One mistake I think a lot of modern brides make, myself included, is not knowing their limits. Yes, we are smart, successful, multi-tasking mavens, but we are also human beings people! Sometimes I forget that outside of this wedding, I'm still juggling a job, house repairs and crazy doggie! I found myself overwhelmed with the need to cater to every guest's unique travel situation, food preferences, and making every single decision no matter how miniscule.

Do NOT be afraid to make use of your current and future family for help; most likely they are itching to be involved in some way, and learning how to delegate tasks that you trust (operative word!!) others to handle can be a great nerve-preserver; think gown pickup, transportation research, buying liquor, etc. Everyone understands that it's your day, and you'll see them pull out the stops to make sure you are still intact on W-Day!

Greening Your Wedding

A green affair doesn't just mean celadon bridesmaid dresses and mint mojitos.

Weddings can be some of the most consumptive events out there; CO2 from guest transportation, hotel stays, and all that leftover stuffed chicken add up quick in terms of earthly waste. That's why I offset my wedding's carbon footprint at CarbonFund.org. For just a few bucks, you can repay the planet for your revelry with an offset that will fund renewable energy and reforestation projects.

If you're like me, you can't stand the idea of all that uneaten yet perfectly palatable food going to waste at a wedding. At the I Do Foundation website, I found tons of resources on donating leftovers, flowers and even your wedding dress to charitable causes. A must-visit for any green-minded bride.

Here are some of the top tips for having an eco-friendly fete:

Cool Wedding Reads from Amazon

For all that down time between meetings...

These books have kept my addled brain together quite well (organization is not a characteristic for which my intended is marrying me!) Others make great gifts for members of the family, and yet others are just a great way to relax.
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Groovy Wedding Sites

Sites that Saved My Life

  • Save the Dates: I got mine at this great little online shop called PioneerColor.com. They specialize in cool and tasteful save-the-date and personalized thank you magnets, which has so much better a chance at standing the test of time in your guest's home than a regular old card.

    Reception Stationary: I found the greatest online shop for my leaf-shaped placecards, called WeddingFAVORites.com Not only do they have a fabulous selection of reasonably-priced stationary, favors, and you name it, but they were able to place a rush order for a nominal fee and got the items to me in 4 business days instead of 15. Even Zen brides fall behind, so thank you!!

Bridal Relaxation: Not An Oxymoron

Stretch Your Dollar, Stretch Your Muscles

What will you do with all the cash you've saved negotiating your way through those vendor meetings and contracts? Reinvest it in yourself! I practice yoga frequently to keep my body and mind on track. The benefits are really beyond the flexibility, toning and balance you gain. These are my favorite DVDs that I've practiced religiously for over 5 years. You'll see I'm biased towards Gaiam, but that's because I feel their content, cinematography and music create a truly Zen atmosphere in my living room.
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Dealing with Dinero

One of the less glamorous aspects of organizing matrimonial revelry, and marriage in general, is of course, moolah.

Nowadays, money responsibilities are equalizing among the families and often the couple is in control of the finances. I personally want to be able to sleep at night after doling out the cash to various vendors, knowing that I'm getting a great deal for my money and putting on a good show for my guests.

You're probably familiar with the various online budgeting tools provided by the big wedding sites. If so, you also may have noticed that many of them are lacking in giving you what you need to go into meetings and negotiations with an accurate assumption of what things will cost you. Some of them miscalculate what you can spend on the rest of your wedding after you put in actual costs, and others don't adjust your budget to a specific enough level for you to know what you should spend on your food vs. your cake.

Well stay tuned, because I'm working on bringing you an online budgeter that will fill those gaps using your guest count, bridal party count, and total budget. It will arm you with the info you need to keep your costs in line and your dream a reality!

Funny Wedding Apparel on CafePress

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Talk to Me!

  • SyrinxZ Jun 18, 2008 @ 1:00 pm | delete
    Sure, you can email her at pr@pauletterobinson.com - tell her I sent you!
  • sasha mitchell Jun 18, 2008 @ 12:34 pm | delete
    do you HAVE CONTACT INFO FOR PAULETTE ROBINSON...IM TRYING TO GET IN CONTACT WITH HER. PLEASE HELP ANOTHER BRIDE TO BE IN NEED!!!!!!!!!!
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