| | | One-stop shopping is a trend both brides and vendors can get behind.
| It's tough to plan a wedding without a lot of schlepping. To taste cakes, try on dresses, pick rings, select invitation paper, decide on a venue, find a caterer.... Good news is, many local vendors have recently teamed up to offer two or more services under one roof.
 About a year and a half ago, florist Christina Chandler of Studio 539 invited Paper Moss stationery owner Emily Hostetler and Sweet Sophistications baker Roy McGill to setup shop within her store (gift shop ReFind is also in the mix). Not only does sharing space cut down on rent and other business expenses, it also stokes creativity, says Hostetler (left), who is pictured with her partners. "It's great to work with another young, creative female," she says. "We're always discussing projects and bouncing ideas off each other." And though couples have no obligation to work with all of the vendors, doing so helps ensure coordination and saves time (as in one meeting, or at least one location, to talk about with flowers, cake and invitations). Plus, many of these combo businesses offer discounts if you do work with all (or both) vendors.
Over in East Greenwich, Bridal Finery owner Nancy Rodrigues Spirito shares real estate with Pamela D'Orsi Ryan, who runs PDR Events and New England Invitations. "It's great for clients who are in the research stage," says Spirito. "They can interview us both under the same roof, and between us, we have a wealth of knowledge." Yet another example is The Bakery Boutique in Smithfield, where Deanna Cimorelli sells cakes and Diana Russas offers save the dates, invitations and menus under the brand One Bella Design. In Warren, jewelry boutique Muse and stationery shop Modern Printed Matter recently consolidated two Main Street storefronts into one. Muse owner Elizabeth Kiepert says the move was a no-brainer because it allowed her and cohabitator Anna Cote to share shop hours and spend more time at home with their babies. Plus, she points out, "it made sense because we shared the same clients anyway." |
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| Tips from an Invitation Designer Mackenzie Sala of Providence-based KenzieKate Invitations shares five things you need to know before buying invites.
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1. Calculate Carefully. If you are having a 150-person wedding, you don't need 150 invitations. You'll need somewhere between seventy-five and 100 since each couple gets one. Lots of brides make this mistake only to learn later that the correct calculations could have saved them a lot of money. 2. Get samples. Be sure to order them before you place your final order. It takes a little extra time, but knowing what you're getting is worth the effort.
3. Leave time to address the envelopes. Calligraphers will need at least two weeks (sometimes more) to turn around a batch of invitations during the busy season. Book your calligrapher around the same time as your stationer and talk to them right away about timing. 4. Don't fret about invitation etiquette. Know what the rules are, then break them judiciously. If you want to spell it "honor" instead of the traditional "honour," go right ahead! If you'd rather use numerals instead of writing everything out, go for it! However, never take liberties with punctuation or grammar. 5. Keep it simple. Many brides try to squeeze too much info into their wedding invitation packages. Rather than overwhelm guests with information, share only the basics, then give details on a website or follow-up mailing. Remember that most guests are fully capable of performing an Internet search or, at the very least, reading a map! | The Real Deal
It's one thing to get advice from experts, but it's another all together to get it from those who have just gone through all of the planning and stressing themselves. Read on for words of wisdom from newlyweds.
|  "We had an amazing band and guests were up dancing all night long. But if I had to do it over again, I think I would have chosen a place that allowed an extra hour of dancing. The band had to stop at 10:30 p.m., though the reception ended at 11 p.m. Another thing I might have done differently is not leave as quickly for our honeymoon. The next day, we had a brunch for the bridal party and I enjoyed reliving the night with them. I left right after, but wish that I had used the whole day to clean up loose ends and get my thoughts together. " - Alicia Dagesse, North Providence.
"I'm very happy that we had a destination wedding. More people came than we thought would and it was nice for family and friends to have a couple of days before the wedding to get to know each other. I think it helped them have a more relaxed and fun time at the actual wedding. One thing I wish I had planned more carefully was the bar. Be specific if you don't want them to offer shots or if they should not be serving doubles. You may think, 'oh, well grandma and Aunt Flo won't drink, so let's have an open bar,' but your little brother and his friends will probably make up for that." - Lauren Mayer, Narragansett.
"I almost didn't hire a videographer and I'm thrilled that I did. The day goes by so fast and a video helps you relive all the moments you may have forgotten. I'm also glad that we decided to go with a caterer that supports local farms and vendors. It's smart to prioritize what things are most important to you and why." - Jewel Healy, Providence. | | | | | | | | | |
