We have great news to share!

As some of you may remember you can now find our Ask a Planner section in the new Atlanta Occasions magazine. For those of you that are not local, have no fear we will be hosting your weekly questions on the Atlanta Occasions blog. Be sure to check out this week’s topic on Mixologists. Send all of your questions to ask@atlantaoccasions.com. We will get your answers posted ASAP!

Also for our NY clientele we have an amazing contest going with the phenomenal Love More Photo by Arek along with Le Ink Coquette. This contest has tons of goodies in store so head over and submit your info.

Q: We really want one of our good friends from college who also introduced us to each other, to sing our first dance song at the reception. It will mean something to us since she is responsible for us meeting plus she has an incredible voice! Are there any pros or cons of asking her to sing live at our wedding?

A: Of course we would all love to have the original artist to perform live for our first dance song. This would be a sentimental moment costing you THOUSANDS of dollars! The cost for a professional artist can range from $5,000 to the millions.

Many couples opt to have their first dance song sung live by a soloist from their band, or even hire one just for that one song. There are a few things to consider if you are going to go that route:

• Make sure the soloist has the same vibe and voice range of the artist of the song
• If instrumentals are being plaid by the band and not the exact instrumental recording from the song, hear how it sounds before the big day to ensure the song will still be your pick
• If you plan to orchestrate a dance routine to the song, DO NOT practice from the original artist. Ask your soloist for a copy of them performing the song so you may use as a reference.

All of these steps require preparation. It will take time for them to learn the song and get it just right! As a back up make sure to give your wedding planner a copy of the CD just in case you change your mind at the last moment or your friend gets cold feet.

Remember the most important thing is that your friend means something to you since she is responsible for this beautiful day. If she is willing to put in the effort to gift this to you, take her up on the offer.

Now that you’re engaged, the first thing people will gravitate to is your hand. You want it to remain as clean and sparkly as the day you received it. However, caring for your diamond over time is very important. Don’t be fooled with old wives tales. We’ve heard ring cleaning advice over the years that makes us cringe at the thought of what some people do to their diamonds. We like to give you facts and we like them to be real simple. So we’ve taken this how-to video from the experts at Real Simple to give you the best advice on cleaning your diamond. Enjoy!

Q: I’m excited about all the upcoming festivities surrounding my wedding but a little nervous about all the thank you cards that have to be sent out after. Can you give me a general time frame of what’s acceptable.

A: It’s a great idea that you are putting some thought into this ahead of time. Depending on the number of events surrounding your wedding, and the amount of guests you’re having, writing out thank you cards can become time consuming but they are thoughtful and expected. Here is a general rule of thumb you may want to follow:

-For pre-wedding events such as bridal showers, send thank you cards no later than 3 weeks after.

-For wedding gifts, some say that 3 months is the appropriate measure. I’ve also heard that up to a year is acceptable. I personally think a year is not acceptable. Would you want someone to thank you for a gift a year after you’ve given it? Probably not. I think anywhere from 4-6 months is appropriate due to the fact that many people wait on the proofs from their photographer. Also adding to the factor that some couples are in the process of moving after the wedding makes sending thank you cards right away a little difficult.

-If you receive gifts after the wedding from people who were not able to attend, follow up immediately and send a thank you card within 3 weeks.

I know it seems like a lot, but organization is the best way to keep up with everything coming in and thank you cards going out. There is a gift tracker that can be downloaded off of microsoft that will allow you to do this. I would suggest printing a couple of them and dividing them into three sets: pre-wedding, wedding, and post wedding. Have fun and enjoy those gifts!

Q: My mother has always had this vision that I would wear her wedding dress when it came time for me to get married. This however is not what I envisioned. Her dress is beautiful and timeless, but just not my style. I don’t want to hurt her feelings but I don’t know how to approach the situation without feeling like I’m crushing her dream.

A: It sounds to me that you have quite a few options to consider. It’s perfectly fine that you have had another vision in mind than the one your mother has. Because of this, you’re going to have to be upfront with her about your feelings. If thought out fully, you can probably come to a decision that you both feel happy with. Here are some suggestions:

-Bridal Portraits: This is a trend that I’m slowly seeing decline ever since the rise of engagement pictures and trash the dress photo shoots. Bridal portraits are professional pictures taken before the wedding of the bride in bridal garment. They are usually displayed in the entrance of the reception room. If you were to consider doing bridal portraits, wearing your mother’s wedding dress for the photo shoot could be a great way to compromise with her dream.

-Ceremony: The ceremony takes up anywhere from half an hour to a full hour of your wedding day. Determine how comfortable you’ll be wearing your mother’s dress for the ceremony and then changing into your dream dress for your formal portraits and reception.

-Incorporate it into your dress: Perhaps a piece of her dress can be attached to your dream dress, even if it’s just a piece of material in the inside that can count for your “something old”.

-Grandchildren: If in fact you come to the conclusion that wearing your mother’s wedding dress is not what you want to do, see how she would feel about having the dress turned into a blanket for your first child’s christening or baptism.

Q: I’m finding it really hard to get the things I want across to my bridesmaids. By “things”, I don’t mean material items, but just overall expectations. I have two bridesmaids that have visible tattoos that I would like to be covered but I just have such a hard time trying to tell them without sounding like a bridezilla. The same feelings apply with telling them about the dress I picked out. I don’t know why I’m expecting the worse, but do you have any ideas for getting the information across that would make the process smoother.

A: You have very valid reasons for being concerned. As a bride you will be telling many people along the way what your wants and expectations are. The word bridezilla has been blown out of context lately. Having a specific vision or desire does not make a person a bridezilla- how they approach and act in certain situations do.

The issue with your bridesmaids that have tattoos can be a little touchy because some people feel as though their tattoos are a part of their identity. It’s best to talk to them privately and honestly about the subject to get a feel of their thoughts about it. The worst thing is to be pushy about it. It helps the situation when you offer a solution to the problem. Do a little homework on temporary tattoo cover-ups before talking to them and offer to pay for it.

As far as everything else, my best advice would be to put together a newsletter. They are a fun way to keep everyone abreast on updates, appointments, and everything else related to the wedding. Free templates can be downloaded at Microsoft Office Online. Having luncheons with your bridesmaids is also another idea. It can be an opportunity to get quality girl time in with your ladies and discuss wedding things in a stress free environment. Most importantly, remember why you picked these ladies to by your side. They should be the main people you feel comfortable talking to because they are an essential part of your big day. Good luck!

Q: I’m working on my final guest count to give to my caterer and I’m a little confused as to which vendors I’m supposed to feed. Am I expected to feed everyone?

A: Although it may make you want to cringe at the added cost, etiquette and common courtesy states that you have to feed all major vendors. This includes your photographer(s), videographer(s)/cinematographer(s), DJ/Band, the assistants of these vendors, and most importantly your planner/coordinator. These are the people that are making sure your event gets pulled off without a hitch. All of them work on their feet for long periods of time, so it’s imperative that they are properly fed and hydrated. Some vendors will even have this as a clause in their contracts.

The best thing for you to do is check with your venue or caterer. They may provide vendor meals at a discount, especially once your guest minimum is met. Some places who have a list of recommended vendors that you hire, may even eat for free.

Q: My fiance and I have been engaged for two months. No one from our families have mentioned anything about having an engagement party. I would really like to have one but I am not sure who is supposed to host it and what having one really entails. Should we expect gifts, are favors a must?

A: Congratulations on your recent engagement! The “rules” to engagement parties have shifted a bit. Brides and Grooms weren’t hosting their own engagement parties as much in the past. But just as more and more couples are fronting the bill for their weddings, more couples are throwing their own engagement parties.

Engagement parties are typically held shortly after the engagement announcement- at least six months or more before the wedding as not to interfere with other pre-wedding related events. Invite family and close friends. You’ll want to make sure that you don’t invite people who aren’t going to be invited to the wedding.

While it’s a good idea to make a short registry, gifts are optional and should not be expected. Favors are always a nice touch to any event but they don’t have to be expensive. Many couples like to incorporate their save the dates into the favor.

The most important thing to keep in mind is incorporating you and your fiance’s personalities into the event and have fun. After all, you’re about to get married!!!

Q: A few of our friends and family have asked if we have a wedding website set up. Honestly, it has never crossed my mind to do one but now I’m contemplating whether or not I should. Is this something that many couples do and will it really benefit us and our guests?

A: Wedding websites are very popular these days. Although, they aren’t a necessity, they do have many good aspects to them. Their general purpose is to keep people connected to your wedding in an informal way. You can tell people how you and your fiance started dating, how you got engaged, and when/where you plan to exchange nuptials.

There are many different hosting websites {The Knot, Wedding Channel, etc} that allow you to set up a personal page free of charge. Our personal favorite is MyWedding.com. They allow you to get personal and creative with features like:

• music
• photo galleries {perfect for displaying your engagement pictures}
• wedding party introduction
• accommodations {for hotel blocks}
• attractions {perfect for out of town guests}
• R.S.V.P. tracker
• registry information
• custom pages

A wedding website can be as simple or elaborate as you would like it to be. The more elaborate, the more time consuming they are to create. If you’re worried about the time it takes to put into setting up the website, some event companies {like ourselves} give clients an a la carte option of designing one for them.

Q: I grew up with my step father who I love dearly, but my biological father has always been involved in my life. I would like to honor them both at the wedding but I’m not sure how to do it without making one of them feel bad. What do you suggest?

A: I think it’s great that you want to honor both fathers since they have played significant roles in your life. I also think that you should keep your father and step father abreast on which decision you ultimately decide on because communication is best in these type of family situations. Usually you find that people are willing to comply and respect the relationship you have with the other person. Here are some ideas:

You can have one father walk you down the aisle and dance with the other father at the reception. If you feel like this is too hard to split up between the two, you can divide the same task between the two. Have your step father start off walking you down the aisle while your father waits for you in the middle. Then your stepfather can hand you off to him and you can complete your walk.

For the father and daughter dance, you can dance with one father for half the song and the other father for the second half. Another possibility is to choose two songs that have a special meaning for each father. Dance with one father in the beginning of the recpeption and the other father after the cake is cut.