{A-List Your Guest List}

{Image courtesy of Sydney Morning Herald}

The guest list is a major stressor for event clients, especially brides. I always suggest to A-List your Guest List. Simply create your guest list on the celebrity standard: A-List, B-List, C-List all the way through.

Scenario:

- Bride and Groom are paying for their wedding on their own.

- If they are having 200 guests, then each gets to choose 100 guests.

- Out of the 100, decide which people are:

      1. A-Listers (your must haves... your Oprahs, Beyonces, Lady Gagas, Biebers, etc.)

      2. B-Listers (your nice to haves...some Reality TV stars)

      3. C-Listers (your I guess so’s...Childhood TV stars)

Note: You shouldn’t even have C-Listers unless it’s someone like your mother’s great-aunt that is her only remaining relative on her mother’s side of the family but you don’t even know her.

After you work through your list in that order, move people up a notch as you begin to massage the list as people start to “soft RSVP.” Breaking the list up will help alleviate some of the stress of deciding who should be at your big day, no matter what the occasion.

{Ready, Set Expectations...}

{Image courtesy of Invictus Digital}

Happy New Year! And Congratulations, if you are one of the lucky couples that got engaged over the holidays.

It is an exciting time for you, your family and your friends, however it can also be very stressful. Everyone gets caught up in the excitement of your engagement and they start giving advice and suggestions on how they envision your special day should be. Thank them for their best wishes, set expectations and keep it moving...

It is very important that newly engaged couples set expectations with family, friends and each other.

First and foremost, set expectations about your budget. Start with what you would want your special day to be like with no budget restrictions, then work your way into what is realistic. Any advice or suggestions that take you off course say thanks, but no thanks. You do not want to start your Happily Ever After in financial turmoil.

Secondly, set expectations about your guest list. This has the biggest impact on your budget. You can't invite everyone that you've ever met or worse...people you haven't met, like one of your guest’s plus one that they just have to have so that they won't be dateless at your wedding. You cannot make this your problem and have it affect your budget.

Just be honest with yourselves, family and friends and set expectations. If you are receiving advice from people that are not contributing financially and it's going to cost you to take their advice, then you have to eliminate it. You will have enough going on with planning your special day, so don’t take on additional stress.

This is your big day! So, breathe and take it all in, but don’t take on the burden of costly advice or extra guests.

{Here's to New Beginnings}

Welcome to the new Mélange Events Blog! We are excited to get our new start, in a new city. And it’s just in time for the holidays and the start of the Bridal Season.

We look forward to starting the New Year with you and your celebrations. 

Have a Merry Christmas and we will see you in the New Year!