Segment: Fox 13’s The Place- Common Planning Mistakes among Brides

 

Hi Everyone!

I had a great segment today at Fox 13’s The Place, they asked me to talk about common planning mistakes Brides can make, so even though there is a lot we could talk about, I narrowed it down to 5, but even on air, we talked so much about each one, we got through only 3! here is are my top 5! I am also doing a giveaway for a few magazines and totebags from The Knot, email me at muylymillerco@gmail.com with the subject ‘giveaway’ for your chance to win!

Not planning your guest list in the beginning: before anything gets started, it would be great if you sat down with your groom and your families to really figure out who will be invited, but most people don’t do that in the beginning. So i recommend having a very narrow range in mind, at least. Something like 110-125 guests, or 350-375. A couple of reasons you need to know this is for the venue- can they accommodate all your guests? Also it helps with budgeting on all aspects down the line- food, invitations, decorations, rentals, the cake etc. I’ve had brides who gave me numbers like 100-200 and that won’t work.

Not Having a checklist for to-do’s, booked vendors and your budget: planning on the fly is such a big mistake. You can get free wedding checklists online from a number of resources- and though it’s overwhelming to look at in the beginning, they really do cover a lot of those things people will forget- such as getting the marriage license before your wedding day, or accounting for the cost of stamps for all your invitations, rsvps and thank you cards. The Knot is one of my amazing sponsors for my business and their site has an awesome checklist!

Trying to do it all: I’ve seen this too many times, the Bride’s or the Bride’s mother doing it all! It’s so hard to plan a wedding as it is, but when you are trying to make everything yourself, set up all your tables and linens, ushering guests and so forth, it takes so much away from the big day and adds so much stress. It is so worth it to pay some of the delivery fee’s to help with those items, and if it get very overwhelming, then consider getting a wedding coordinator a few weeks before your wedding to polish up the timeline of the day, help with the rehearsal and make sure things are set up with vendors the day of the wedding.

Not asking enough questions to vendors: When I do consultations, I advise brides and grooms to ask lots of questions. I mentioned delivery fee’s above, ask about the area of delivery, does it cost more to deliver outside that area. Ask about services such as cake cutting fee- who will be doing that? What extra rentals are associated with that. If you have your heart set on a certain photographer or DJ, but have a budget that isn’t quite listed on their package prices, it never hurts to ask what they can do to accommodate that. I’m not saying email them and say “I see you charge 1400 for your package, can you do it for 500” cause then you’ll just offend them and you may not even get a reply.  Word it more like ‘ i see you have this package option available, I’m on a limited budget but love your work and would love to include you in my wedding, what other package or a la cart options do you have?”, other questions to ask are service fee’s for caterers, when they will set up, do they need extra electrical outlets, what plan b options do they have in case of weather issues.

Staying flexible with your wedding day: At this time, you just need to breathe and let things be. All your work and planning has come to this day and you’ve done all you can. Things always happen and you’re going to start driving yourself crazy if you take your focus away from your celebration and putting them on linens, or flowers or someone’s shoes, if the linens arrive later than the florals, just try to go with the flow and let those vendors work it out, if the wind is starting to knock down some of your displays or place cards, assign someone to figure it out be flexible so that you aren’t tense about the details. Meditate, say a prayer, put on some music that morning of and just get relaxed and be beautiful and enjoy your day. Of course, hiring day of coordination services from a wedding planner helps a lot!

I got a lot of compliments on the vest I am wearing. So in case you were wondering here is the breakdown of the outfit-

Vest: Target

T-shirt Dress: Amazon

Shoes- last year Target

Necklace: clearance at Smiths Marketplace

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Video: Bridal Shower Tips and Ideas!

Bridal Shower season is happening now! need ideas and tips? I have a few to share if you are hosting an upcoming bridal shower. really, they could be used for any party. Special thanks to Amanda Kay Memories – Utah Photographer, Diamond Rental Parties, Tents, and Events, Lark’s Closet on Etsy and all these beautiful ladies you see in the video! If you have questions on any of this, let me know, thanks guys!!

YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oP8es4VcMM

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Video: Vintage and Clearance inspiration

I’m trying to come up with a name for my video series, Muyly Chats, Event Planner Talk, How to think like a crazy wedding lady. I don’t know, but it will come to me, for now, Here is my first ever video, on a youtube channel! that’s a lot of big steps for me! Watch and hopefully you get a kick out of it. maybe it will inspire your next dinner party, or give you some new ideas for your wedding, or at least, inspire you to go shopping, I mean..my day would be complete if everyone said they went shopping after watching this!

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Click Here for Video

Rocky Elegance in St. George, Utah

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When Pantone announced Rose Quartz as one of their Colors of the Year, you know all the wedding people jumped for joy to carry on the color of blush, pinks, champagnes and gold into this up coming wedding season.

I did a collaboration with Mckenzi with M. Felt Photography. She had this amazing location picked out in St. George, and I was completely breathless when we did the site visit. The juxtaposition of the soft gowns and florals, soft fabrics and colors, against the mossy boulders, black rocks and dwarfing bluffs made this not only a styled shoot, but one an artist’s eye could appreciate!

We incorporated the soft romantic blushes and pinks of the season in the wedding gowns made by Janay Marie, with the lush bouquet by Bloomers and the soft sweetheart table that picked up on the green of the landscape.

We showcased a detailed lace and beaded gown with a blush lining- it brought on a vintage nostalgia you only see in black and white old photos, and then we went modern with the organza skirt and lace top. The talent this designer has is impeccable, one of a kind, and simply sweet.

 

 

Our hair and make up team, Kelli Miller and Julie Thomas at Blow Beauty took our model to a glamorous level all brides should have on their big day. I told them what I was looking for and they delivered, plus more!! The lovely natural look with that pop of berry on the lip made our Mallary shine and elevate in the photos, and the braided and gathered look of the hair by Julie was unique and beautiful and really played well with the gowns.

 

We incorporated an amazing cake by Cupcakes by Julie, in which the bottom was chocolate, yes pure chocolate and the top was painted with wispy pinks and accented with gold and fresh flowers.  I put together a wonderful sweetheart tray full of fruit, cheese, golden raisins, crackers and chocolate dipped stroopwafels dusted with gold. Cirkels makes the yummiest stroopwafels around!

 

My sweetheart table is a mix of gold, copper, vintage goblets and plates, and soft chiffon and champagne fabrics. Kathy at Bloomers allowed me to pick my containers for this vintage inspired gathered table arrangement, and her floral design was to die for. She totally picked up on my vision, what a florist and a wedding planner relationship should always be!

I was also able to work with St George Party rentals on this who supplied the chairs and a talented videographer, Dustin Miller with Red Tie Cinema will be treating us to a wonderful video of this styled set.

 

We hope to bring some inspiration for spring in this stunning shoot! We are all for hire too! Please look us up!

Set Design and Coordinator: Muyly Miller Company, @muylymiller, http://www.Muylymillerco.com

Site chooser extraordinaire and Photographer: Mckenzi Felt, M. Felt Photography @mfeltphotography http://www.mfeltphotography.com

Florals: Bloomers, @bybloomers , www.bybloomers.com

Make Up: Kelli Miller, @kellimillerbeauty, @blowbeauty

Hair: Julie Thomas, @thomastimes @blowbeauty

Model: Mallary Andra, @mallary_andra

Videographer: Red Tie Cinematography, @redtiecinema, http://www.redtiecinema.com

Cake Design: Cupcakes! by Julie, @cupcakegirl_78

Stroopwafels: Cirkels Specialty Stroopwafels, www.passthecirkels.com, @passthecirkels

Chairs provided by St George Party Rentals, @stgeorgepartyrentals, www.stgeorgepartyrentals.com

Table settings provide by overstock.com, @overstock plus unique vintage and modern elements brought by Muyly Miller.

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DIY or Hire Segment on Fox 13’s The Place

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I had such a fun time on The Place today! Here is a list of all the vendors that were shown on the segment

Photographer for the canvas and clothes pin Display: Amanda Hendrickson

Photo credits for photos shown : Amanda Hendrickson and Amanda Kay Memories

Floral Design: Native Flower Company- ask about DIY Flower Classes

Invitations: Shown with the Gold Paint- Twelve 30 Creative, Display invitations: Basic Invite, Wedding Paper Divas and Minted ( ask about exclusive discounts for these sites- email me at muyly@muylymillerweddings.com)

Here were my Talking Points- It would basically cover an hour show!

DIY or HIRE

Engagement season is upon us, and the overwhelming thoughts of wedding planning are consuming Brides to Be, especially staying on budget ! Muyly Miller , Utah wedding planner, is here to help us with budgeting tips and  is it worth it to hire out or to DIY?

The Average wedding in Utah costs around $15,000. How do you work with budgets and what tips do you have to help Brides decide what to do themselves or what to Hire Out

  • After you have a set budget, before any planning starts I tell people to pick out the top 3 elements they want most in their wedding. It doesn’t matter if you have a $5000 budget or a $25,000 budget, if you can get your top 3 must haves narrowed down, it allows you flexibility for the rest of the budget and items on your list.
  • The things that cost the most in weddings, in my experience are Food, Venue, and Wedding attire (dresses, tux rentals, bridesmaids dresses, kids attire, jewelry, shoes, etc)
  • The items that get the most attention during the planning process are usually the invitations, flowers, photography and entertainment
  • The key thing to remember is that the more guests you have, the more your wedding will cost, so if you are running close to budget, or running tight, trim the guest list. Just cutting 10 people will save you in invitations, stamps, linens, food, centerpieces and other event rentals.

Invitations:

if you have less than 50 guests coming to both your ceremony and reception, It may be more cost effective at times to do a simple DIY version from a kit.  If you have 75 or more guests I would definitely hire it out. You can add some DIY elements to your paper suite though. As seen here from Twelve 30 Creative.

Simple paper but embellished with gold paint

Paper selections are endless with invitations

If you want to design your own invitations, upload them on to basic invite.

If you want someone to design something for you, Cami Thurber at Silen6 designed some for me and they are spectacular

If you are the type of person who needs to touch and feel the paper, head over to twelve 30, or         another local source and they will have lots for you to play with.

Flowers- even if flowers aren’t that important to you on your wedding day, I really suggest you hire it out anyway. I’ve seen DIY flowers just get so sad before the event is over. Unless you have a real knowledge of how to keep flowers fresh, how to cut them and how to make them look lively and vibrant until your sendoff I would hire them out. A way to save money is to pick a florist that doesn’t have a minimum. Most florists will work with your needs and keep you on or close to budget. Plus, that’s one less thing you need to make mom and dad carry around- a box of flowers and vases. Also, make sure you give the florist enough time to order everything. Flowers are time sensitive so they have to be ordered in a particular amount of time, and it depends on the season if they are available. I use Native Flower Company for all my Brides and she is a genius. If you don’t think you like flowers, just get up close and personal to one of her arrangements and you will be converted.

Your Sign in Table decorations:

This is definitely a DIY and a fun one! It’s a fun way to add those fun elements you see on pinterest but can’t afford to use them in your entire venue. So sweet picture frames, or some twine hanging pictures from clothes pins are so cute of you and the groom from your engagements or bridals. Adding cute pieces like little trays and love notes is cute too. All the details are in one spot and it will be a fun thing for your photographer to shoot as well.

Wedding  Cake:

I love a good yummy cake at a wedding, and sometimes I think Brides get a bit of sticker shock when they see the prices on cakes, it’s definitely a personal preference these days to do a big wedding cake, or just a small one to cut for the obligatory cut the cake moment. I had a bride who did just that, a small round cake to cut and then served cookies and pastries.

So my advice is- if you have a reliable family or friend that wants to make your cake  for you, great! That is their way of showing you love and support and it does take a lot of time, so its such a special gift. I had my best friend make my wedding cake and it was delicious. The only thing is, if you have a DIY cake or a professional baker make your cake, make sure you have someone to slice and serve it. Sometimes the venue will have staff to do that, sometimes the caterer will do it. Double check and it may even cost extra. If it costs extra then do what my bride did.

Photography:

In this day and age, A DIY photographer is a thing, its called a ‘selfie’ I don’t suggest you take selfies all day during your wedding though.

Hire. That is all. We’ve all heard the horror stories about a friend or a family doing it for free. In the long run, it is priceless when you have a dedicated, professional photographer who knows how to work the wedding day, stay on time, capture the moments and produce clear, sharp, high quality photos.  I tell people to research all different types of photographers and find the style of shooting that fits the brides and groom. Sometimes you will see very angled typed photographers, some that use wide lenses a lot, some that edit with a romantic soft look to all your photos. So for sure research, find the style and the price point that fits. But always hire it out.

Thanksgiving Table Setting and Tips with Overstock.com and Muyly Miller

 

http://kutv.com/features/fresh-living/setting-your-thanksgiving-dinner-table

I partnered up with Overstock.com to come up with a fun Thanksgiving table setting idea and also my own tips on keeping the buffet line moving.

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I started with this festive table runner and then used it as my base for keeping the elements earthy and tonal with modern twists.

The dinnerware set is modern but goes beautifully with the traditional charger, I chose a grounding copper color and it made these plates pop!

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Nob glasses are my favorite go to glass now, and Overstock has them in several colors. My recommendation is to buy neutral glasses and flatware with your dinnerware sets so that you can use them all year long. Dress up your tables with pops of color from linens, chargers and as you can see, flowers!

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I love the napkins with the personal touches of the guests names. These tags do double duty ,  they can easily be tied onto a straw so that you always know where your drink is!

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Native Flower Company has these wonderful pots and vases, and she encourages the use of different textures such as berries and even feathers! This gathered look can be easily moved around to fit in platters, and is low enough to be able to see your guests and they obviously add a natural look to this table! I love this idea so much, thank you Native Flower Company!


The Buffet Table

I took this same table runner and set up a quick buffet line to give you some tips on how to help it flow

The copper platters from Overstock came in a pack of 3. So I used some here and I like having dishes served on different heights, it helps with flow and looks appealing. Before you cook anything, lay out your serving utensils, serving dishes and trays, so you know where they are and won’t dirty them in the process of trying to cook and find them. placing the platters on different things to give height helps with space issues as well. I just used an upside down pedestal bowl and an 8×8 baking dish.

I start my buffet line with a stack of plates then end with glasses and flatware. It is easier on guests if you have all your flatware rolled into napkins. that way they don’t have to fuss with pulling each utensil from a tray, then try to get a napkin and then their drinking glass.


If you are using plastic utensils, I implored the same thought and stuck everything in a tidy bag. I had done this for a past Friendsgiving event I hosted, but instead of having them at the buffet line, I actually placed them on the the dinner tables.

Finally, display those mugs and saucers from your dinnerware set. It informs your guest that coffee or tea will be served, and that always goes well with pumpkin pie, duh! For my table setting, I put them out with the rest of my table settings, for the buffet line, I neatly arranged them on this copper tray

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All of these item will be aired on KUTV 2 Fresh Living, please visit Overstock.com and Native Flower Company as well.

http://kutv.com/features/fresh-living/setting-your-thanksgiving-dinner-table