Inspiration & advice
FWS Blog
Welcome to our blog page where we catalogue our best advice to help brides, their mothers, and others who are aiding in the planning of their wedding day. Dive into any piece and you will gain a piece of advice that comes from years in the industry.
9 Tips When Choosing a Venue
Venues can be the hardest choice when it comes to wedding planning. With two decades in the industry this is what we see time and time again. The first reasons to choose a certain venue usually include its location, pricing, and availability. On a more emotional level, venues can be ideal because they match your aesthetic, are on the water, where your friend got married or didn't, can accommodate your guest count etc. But the issue arises that your date or month of your wedding has been all booked up. Option B is now all booked up too. Or the worst is pricing went up at your ideal venue and now you cannot afford it. These are all reasons we've seen before that our couples have had to pivot, sidestep or do a full 180 in their search for the venue that can hold their entire day together. Here are 9 warning signs we tell our brides to look out for as they search for their venue.
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Cocktail Hour Details to Get Right
Here's why cocktail hour is the most important hour to get every detail right. It is the time where guests are looking around absorbing the aesthetic and vibe of the night to come. This is the essential moment in between the key timeline items of the day. Guests are given this gap to relieve stress, engage with new friends or connect with old ones. To them this is the time that made the travels worth it, a time to drink, socialize, and connect with others. During cocktail hour your guests are observing and connecting with the people and items around themselves.
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I Do to Dessert
Dessert costs can add up handsomely and be the bill you least expected. Though most guests enjoy cake, not all do. How do you know how much to order and how to accommodate such a large group of people? Don't worry, we're about to walk you through it. The two key things you need to think through are what desserts you are excited to bring to the table on your day and being realistic with the amount you are going to order.
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Secret Glow on Your Big Day
The big day is here and you are ready to walk down the aisle. The last thing you thought about was your skin and bloating—but now it's THE thing you're worried about. Let's avoid that worry and get you prepared weeks in advance with a few simple tricks. There are both topical and ingested items that will help you glow.
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Seating Charts – Worth the Effort?
Is making a seating chart worth the effort? The short answer? Absolutely. A seating chart doesn't just tell guests where to sit—it helps your reception begin smoothly and keeps your timeline on track.
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Signage as the Guiding Light
Groups of people need many reminders and touchpoints telling them where to go. How a wedding is signaled changes the whole feel of a wedding. There are three printed signals that we advise brides to include: RSVP cards, ceremony programs, and welcome signs.
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Unplugged Ceremony Signs – Why Every Wedding Should Have One
You've invested in a professional photographer to capture every special moment. An unplugged ceremony sign is a simple way to help protect those memories—it politely asks guests to put away their phones and cameras so they can be fully present while allowing your photographer to capture beautiful, unobstructed images.
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Wedding Invites Made Easy
Keep your invites simple, easy to read, and dressed up with the wedding's vibe. Feel free to use design elements that tie into your day and reflect your energy as a couple. Use words and a design that correlate with the level of formality of your event. Pay attention to design details after listing all the key details to your invite.
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Welcome Signs, Are They Really Necessary?
Personalized wedding signage is one of the easiest ways to welcome your guests into the experience you've worked so hard to curate for them and indicate that they've arrived at the right place.
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Why Hire a Planner?
When you are planning a dinner with friends it can be chaotic—now add a DJ, dishes, cutlery, napkins, table settings, chair options, which dining room, how many bars, and 150 people, and now you're planning a wedding. Envisioning a day on Pinterest is one thing; bringing it to life is the job of a professional planner.
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