Unfortunately...

Finally, my emails are back and so as the website is viewable again. It was down since Sunday and was just restored yesterday at 4pm.

Ok, my "reliable" hosting service failed to renew my domain name. My account executive resigned last month so I guess it was not properly turned-over. Their technical people can't fix the problem since the time I called them last sunday. I checked my website yesterday and page comes out saying that the domain name has expired! I was furious. I called their technical again and that was the only time they realized that it could be the real problem.

Thank goodness they were able to restore it yesterday. But unfortunately, there could be lots of opportunities lost within it.

Ok, enough of my ranting...gotta move on!

Concerns and queries can again be directed to inquiry@events-experts.com or jody@events-experts.com

Website is clickable here.

Good Words...

I met four prospective clients last week.

I am meeting again all of them this week for contract signing.

It's good news.

But what is more of a good news is that all of them learned about us through good words from other people.

One is a a sister of my former bride. Her sister said "You can't go wrong with Jody and her team."

The other one is referred by her sister who attended a wedding we did last month. Her sister said "It was a very organized wedding."

Next, the other one is referred by my existing client. Her friend said "Jody is very organized and I feel comfortable that she is handling my wedding."

And the last one is a referral from a co-wedding supplier. The wedding supplier said "Jody is easy to work with. I'm sure you will be in good hands."

These are all praises.

Ok, fine, I'm lifting my chair now.

But I think it is worth blogging and sharing.

I'm just glad that good words spread so naturally.

We are just doing our job.

We are just perfecting our craft.

I'm just glad that I don't even need to join bridal fairs to get clients (read: I've got nothing against bridal fairs)

Word-of-mouth is the cheapest form of advertising.

But yet it is the most effective.

A walk to remember...(wedding shoes!)

Shoes are perhaps one of the most important purchases you will make. You're going to be on your feet practically all day, so invest in a pair of shoes that will be comfortable for hours. A shaped, low or medium heel will provide enough of lift to create an attractive line yet to be low enough so that your feet don't get too tired.

In addition to the comfort factor of the shoe, you'll want to go with a shoe that offers some "toe cleavage" if you will. It looks dressier, and it will make your feet and legs look slimmer.

Usually, leather shoes aren't fancy enough to go with an elaborate wedding gown. So select a shoe that is made of satin or silk shantunglike fabric. However, if your dress is superornate, keep your shoe simple. Conversely, if you're wearing a simpler dress, you can go with a more elaborate shoe. Remind bridesmaids to keep the same advice when selecting their shoes.

(Taken from the book, The Portable Wedding Consultant by Leah Ingram)

It's also a good Sunday...

After waking up this morning, I got this text from Cat, my July 20 bride...

"Jody, thx a lot 4 all the help 2 make our wedding a perfect one. We're very pleased how everything turned out. Let us know of your vacation plans 4 sanfo on oct so we can hang out together :-) cat n karl"

Our couples/brides who are all based abroad, always have a standing offer to take me out whenever or just in case I'll be in their area. There's lots in US, some in Hongkong, Singapore, Dubai, Italy and London. It is just so good to note their warm welcomes. Keep it coming...

I just love this job!

It's a good friday...

Woke up this morning in a good friday...

There's a mail from my July 22 bride, sitting in my inbox...


----- Original Message -----
From: Minette Caceres
To: Events Experts
Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2007 11:20 PM
Subject: Thanks Jody!
Hi Jody!

Just want to thank you and your team for all the help! Our wedding would not have been possible without your assistance & expertise...

It was great working hand in hand with you & I really appreciate the consultation & correspondences that were made through our phone calls & emails...

Again, Long & I would like to thank you sincerely for making this important event of our life,
a reality!

Wishing you and your team all the BEST!!

Much love,
Minette

Been the "official" coordinator of Minette's family. Well, there's only two of them..(siblings). Also did her younger brother's wedding, (Allan Jay and Jayce Lampa) few years back in Fernwood Gardens.

This email made my day. Thanks Minette!

How to Trim the Guest List?

I mostly find from my existing clients having a hard time trimming down their guestlist. First meeting with the bride and groom, they are having 150 guests. Second meeting comes to 200 guests. Third meeting is at 230 guests. And most of the time, they end up a hundred more from what they initially told me.

Ok, reading from "The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Weddings" by Joshua Piven, David Borgenicht, and Sarah Jordan, these are some qualified and witty tips. Find humor into it.

1. Determine your budget

Decide the maximum amount of guests you can afford to invite or who will fit at the wedding site.

2. Make lists.

The bride, groom, and respective parents each should make a list of people to invite.

3. Strike as many people as you can from your own list.

4. Remove unnecessary names from someone else's list.

Take turns striking one name at a time from the list of the person sitting to your right. If that person objects to the removal of the potential invitee, invoke the "two strikes" rule and find an ally to vote againts the would-be guest. Remove contested names that have two votes against them. (There are variations on the rule that grant people paying for the entire wedding greater voting power: Their vote for removal counts as three votes, and the names on their list are untouchable.)

5. Compile a master list.

Combine the names and organize them by category: wedding party, work contacts, relations, friends, parents' friends, college friends, others. Rank each person within a category by importance, as determined by the answers of the following questions:

• How often have we seen this person in the last year?
• Did he really seem glad to see us?
• If I invite this person, will I be obliged to invite his spouse or friends?
• How much power does this person hold over me?
• How rich is he and will he use his wealth for good gifts? (hehehe)
• Will he seem impressive to my friends?
• Is he good looking? Will he improve my wedding photos or video?
• Can I handle the fallout if I do not invite him?

6. Agree in advance what the cut-off level will be.

Remove entire categories. Decide no kids, no work-related people, no relations beyond first cousins, no dates for singles, no redheads.

7. Remove people below a certain rank.

8. Create barriers to attendance.

Make it impossible for large numbers of people to attend.

• Hold the wedding in the middle of the week.
• Hold the wedding at a distant location.
• Require formal attire or elaborate, expensive costumes.
• Hold the wedding at an inconvenient time (6am).

9. Recalculate the list.

Estimate how many people each barrier will knock out. If your list is still too large for your budget, continue to Step 10.

10. Alternate knocking people off the list.

Only the bride and groom (advice from parents is acceptable) take turns removing individual names from the master list until they reach the desired number of guests. If this process becomes too heated, proceed to the next step.

11. Play Rock, Paper, Scissors.

The winner of each round can eliminate a name or add someone back onto the list.

Be Aware.

• Send out the invitation six to eight weeks before the event. As you get negative responses, send out your "B list" invitations to people who didn't make the cut. Stop sending invitations out a month before the wedding date; last-minute invitees will realize their status and be insulted.
• Manage expectations among potential guests. Let it be known that you plan on a small wedding so that no one is really expecting to be invited. If an invitation arrives, the invitee will be deeply flattered, but those who are not invited will not be hurt--at least that's the theory.
• You are expected to include spouses, fiances or long-term live-in companions of your guests. If a guest is only casually dating, you are not obliged to extend an invitation to his date.
• If you forget to invite someone,the next time you see them act annoyed with them for not sending back the RSVP card.

Hope the above tips can help somehow...