3 Steps to consider when determining your budget

To avoid a nightmare or unnecessary stress, your budget should be based strictly on what you and/or your parents can afford.  When budgeting for a large wedding, you should include allotments for each of the expenses listed below.  When budgeting for a smaller wedding, you should include the items that you cannot provide yourself and intend to purchase, as well as what you plan to do on your own or with the help of friends and family. 

With good creativity and planning, a beautiful wedding can be held within any limit.  Whatever you decide, stick to your budget.  If you don't stick to your budget, unfortunately the stress and anxiety could carry over into your marriage, and that's not how you want to start off your marriage.

1. Start with an amount that's comfortable for you. Before you sign a contract or make a commitment with any vendor, determine a dollar amount that you believe you can spend on your wedding. For example, if you have $25,000 to spend on your wedding, and the venue you want cost $20,000, you are not leaving enough money to cover other costs.
2. Economy versus value. Remember, value is knowing exactly what you want and what you are willing to pay for so that you satisfy your expectations for quality and service.  If you pay for things you don't want, you are not getting good value.
3. Ideas on budgeting.  Just about every aspect of your wedding will have a wide range of choices and costs.  Decide what is important and prioritize and then splurge on it, economize with class in the other areas.

Happy Thanksgiving!

From Beverly Harris Weddings & Events

Beverly Hills | The Beverly Wilshire Hotel Weddings

The Beverly Wilshire Hotel, also known as the Regent Beverly Wilshire is located in the heart of Beverly Hills. Many people know this Four Seasons Hotel well as it was the main backdrop in the film Pretty Woman. If you haven't seen the movie, you must rent it. Since it is directly across the street from the famous Rodeo Drive, the Beverly Wilshire is a well known gem in the city of Beverly Hills.

To the wedding couple, your magical wedding can begin when you walk through these doors.  You can't get any better than this. The new spa is a great place for the bride and her bridesmaids to relax and enjoy the special treatment before the big day.

The Grand Trianon is one of many beautiful spaces to plan your next event. 

Lunch at The Blvd was not only yummy, but very special. Each staff person called me by name. Ahh, just those little things that makes the difference!

For a small and intimate event, The Royal Suite is the venue for you.  It's my favorite! 

If you want an elegant and magical wedding here at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, contact:

Lauren Randolph

Catering Manager

(310) 858-2371

Malibu Wedding | Adamson House

My clients and I went for a site visit at the amazing Adamson House located in Malibu, California.  My clients will get married at the Adamson House next year.  Adamson House is a historic landmark known for it's well-groomed gardens, beaches and ocean front.  The ocean front will be the backdrop for their ceremony.  Although most people get married underneath the historic tree. 

Adamson House Loggia - This classic Malibu home was built in 1930 for Rhoda Rindge Adamson and her husband, Merritt Huntley Adamson. The house shares its location with one of the most beautiful beaches in Southern California. There is a Persian-style 'rug' complete with fringed ends designed into the tiles by William Handly of the Malibu Potteries

Congratulations to the happy couple! 

Beverly Harris Weddings & Events

(310) 487-9698

Beverly Hills Flower Gallery

The other evening I visited the fabulous owner, Angira Patel of Beverly Hills Flower Gallery located in Beverly Hills.  Beverly Hills Flower Gallery is uniquely suited to handle parties, events and corporate accounts of any size. They pride themselves on their personalized service, delivering the pro­found emotional experience that can only be achieved through exceptional arrangements of the freshest flowers.

One thing that really sets the Beverly Hills Flower Gallery apart from other flower shops is that you can't walk into their shop and pick a flower and go, each flower is uniquely made upon your request. 

When you need the extra polish and poise only the most elegant flowers you can create, Beverly Hills Flower Gallery is your partner in style.

Thank you Angira for the beautiful flowers you created for me.

You can contact Angira at:

Beverly Hills Flower Gallery

9601 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 100

Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Phone: (310) 859-0210

5 Simple Tips To Organizing Your Wedding Planning Ideas

1. Engagement is a fun time in a couples life. They look forward to their new life with anticipation and excitement while preparing for their special wedding day. This is meant to be a day that everyone can enjoy with minimal stress, and this can be easily accomplished with a few practical wedding planning ideas.
2. Those who wish to pull everything together and be focused will need to be organized. To be able to accomplish this, you will need a few simple tools at hand. The most basic and necessary tool is the wedding organizer. This can simply be a three ring binder where you can store all of your information in one place. But it should also contain a calendar and some to do lists.
3. Some prefer using a computer to store all of their information on wedding planning ideas. For those who are a little more tech savvy and like to carry their computer around with them, this is a good alternative. However, for someone who does not wish to store all of their information on a computer, a pen and pad in a wedding planner is much more simple.
4. A wedding involves so many different vendors and so much information that is impossible to keep track of without a method of organization. Things such as contact information, receipts, pictures, brochures, music sheets, appointment lists, guest lists, contracts, and deadlines will all need to be properly organized. If they are not, you will find yourself frustrated, overwhelmed, and stressed.
5. Keep your to do list up-to-date and jot down all your wedding planning ideas in the appropriate section of the wedding organizer. Details are everything, and it is always much better to have too much information rather than too little. You may find that you need to clean and reorganize from time to time to keep the information relevant and easy to access. This will become a valuable resource and a keepsake for a later time.

Beverly Harris Weddings & Events

(310) 487-9698

6 Creative Bridal Shower Ideas

1. Bridal Jeopardy – The hostess compiles a series of trivia answers relating to the bride and groom, then asks the guests to phrase the questions.
 
2. Ask each guest to supply a favorite candid photo of themselves with the bride and/or groom plus a brief caption, and create a scrapbook to present to the bride. 
3. Wedding Charades – The hostess passes out squares of paper with wedding-related phrases or superstitions.  Guests are divided into two teams and take turns acting out the phrases.
4. Ask each guest to contribute one line to a free-form “poem” of good wishes that will be read and presented to the bride after all the gifts have been opened.
5. “Roast” the happy couple by having guests take turns telling anecdotes and stories about the bride and groom.
6. Give the bride some words to live by—invite guests to share their best advice for a happy marriage.  Or ask guests to write their thoughts on note cards, then seal them in an envelope for the couple to open together on their first anniversary.
Beverly Harris Weddings & Events
(310) 487-9698

Holiday Weddings | Winter White Inspiration Boards

Since we are approaching the holiday season, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to share a couple of winter white inspirations boards.  Enjoy!

Beverly Harris Weddings & Events

 (310) 487-9698