Planning your wedding in six months or less? No stress—here’s how to get it all done in a flash.

Although many brides and grooms take up to a year and a half to organize their weddings, other couples want to make it snappy. “I’m getting more and more calls from brides who would like to get married in a couple of months,” says event planner Julie Pryor of Pryor Events. There are plenty of reasons for having a wedding in a hurry—from a job change or military deployment to just plain eagerness to tie the knot. Here, some pros’ tips to ensure that, even with fast-and-furious planning, your wedding goes off without a hitch.

1. Make the first month count

Wedding timelines usually start a year before the big day. So what’s a bride to do when she’s just six months out (or less)? “First, set your budget and make all your major decisions and purchases,” recommends Christine Paul of C.P. Events. “That means booking your ceremony and reception sites, purchasing or ordering your gown and the bridesmaids’ dresses, hiring a photographer and deciding on the honeymoon.”

You’ll also want to sit down with your fiancé and set your priorities. For example, your top three might be great jazz music, authentic Italian food and a first-rate photographer. “Once you’ve done all that, you’ll be right on track with brides who’ve been at it for months,” says Paul.

2. Be flexible and creative

You may find that some of your first choices aren’t available. For example, many popular wedding locations are reserved a year in advance. So learn to be flexible; a fabulous venue could be a place you haven’t yet imagined. “Instead of the more obvious choices, perhaps a friend has a beautiful beach house, or you could get married in a local park,” says Paul. Open your mind to different dates and times as well. Sometimes it’s easier to find a place for a Friday or Sunday—or earlier in the day. The better able you are to come up with creative alternatives, the happier you’ll be with the end result.

3. Ask for help

Event planners may be hired to do the entire wedding, or simply to handle a few tasks you can’t fit in or even just to manage things on the big day itself. Researching vendors to learn who’s right for the job is time consuming, and a good wedding planner with a network of reliable vendors can figure out the logistics quickly and easily. For example Cheryl Hooten Of Dream Day Weddings ( www.dreamdaywed.com ) can handle all your planning needs.  Let the time crunch be someone elses problem.

4. Enjoy Yourself!

Remember to take time to soak it all in. Sure, you’ll be in a hurry, but taste-testing dishes and listening to bands is still fun. Luckily, you’re already on top of this. “Brides who’ve gotten their weddings together in six months or less have told me they enjoyed the process,” says Paul. “They had less time to stress out and found the preparations surprisingly exciting.”

HINT: Enlist the help of friends. Give them jobs they’ll feel comfortable doing, like managing the RSVP list. You’’ll be glad you did.

Will It Cost More?

In many cases, you’ll receive the same treatment, and fees, as any other bride. In other words, giving shorter notice doesn’t always mean getting a higher fee. And, says Debi Lilly of A Perfect Event in Chicago, “don’t assume you should refrain from negotiating prices just because you’re on a short timetable. Negotiate whenever and wherever it seems reasonable.”

Although there shouldn’t be rush fees for booking your venue, your band, your florist or most other vendors, Lilly notes, “You can expect to pay extra for hurrying your and your bridesmaids’ gowns and maybe the invitations or favors.” So try to make quick, smart decisions. You really don’t have time to be fickle about the colors of your bridesmaid dresses or whether to have roses or white orchids for your bouquet. Chances are, you won’t regret your choices, especially when you find you’ve eliminated costly “rush” fees.  Remember... Don't Wait Too Long.. At Some Point Your First Choice (or 2nd & 3rd) May NOT Be Available, At Any Price.

Happy Planning,

J.W.

Thanks To All Who Came Out To The Frauenthal For Our Bridal Show.

The show was a huge success, the fashion show went great!  It was a BLAST!!!

We are looking forward to seeing you all in the store soon so we can get started planning your perfect wedding!

January 16, 2010

Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts - Muskegon, MI

Doors open at 11:00 a.m. Fashion Show starts at 3:00 p.m.

Doors close at 4:30 p.m.

Though it was not called Thanksgiving at the time, what we recognize as the first Thanksgiving feast was celebrated in 1621 by the pilgrims of the Plymouth colony along with about 90 Wampanoag Indians. The Pilgrims had suffered through a devastating winter in which nearly half their number died. Without the help of the Indians, all would have perished.

After the first harvest, Governor William Bradford proclaimed a day of thanksgiving and prayer to God. The food, which was eaten outdoors, included corn, geese, turkeys, ducks, eel, clams, leeks, plums, cod, bass, barley, venison and corn bread. The feast lasted 3 days. Though the exact date is unknown, the feast clearly took place in late autumn.

In 1623, a period of drought was answered by colonists with a proclamation of prayer and fasting. This prayer and fasting was changed to another thanksgiving celebration when rains came during the prayers. Later that year, Governor Bradford proclaimed November 29 as a time for pilgrims to gather and "listen to ye pastor and render thanksgiving to ye Almighty God for all His blessings."

Throughout American history, there were many thanksgiving proclamations and celebrations. In 1789 George Washington proclaimed a National Thanksgiving Day on the last Thursday in November, in honor of the new United States Constitution. Thomas Jefferson, the third president, later discontinued it, calling it "a kingly practice."

In 1863, Sarah Josepha Hale, the author of the poem "Mary Had a Little Lamb," convinced Abraham Lincoln to proclaim Thanksgiving a national holiday. For the date she chose the last Thursday in November because of Washington's proclamation. In 1941, it was officially changed to the fourth Thursday in November.

Since Abraham Lincoln's proclamation, it has been a custom that all presidents of the United States make Thanksgiving proclamations every year. One of George W. Bush's proclamations came just two months after the September 11 tragedy. He stated that "In thankfulness and humility, we acknowledge, especially now, our dependence on One greater than ourselves."

ON BEHALF OF SPRING LAKE BRIDAL, WE "THANK" ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF OUR BUSINESS.

Justin.

BRIDAL SHOW AND OPEN HOUSE NOVEMBER 14TH.

**UPDATE**

CONFIRMED VENDORS FOR OPEN HOUSE @ SPRING LAKE BRIDAL

KEVIN REEDY PHOTOGRAPY, DREAM DAY WEDDINGS (PLANNING & OFFICIANTS), SIMPLY CREATED (INVITATIONS), NENA'S NEEDLE (ALTERATIONS, UNDERGARMENTS & HAIR)

BEYOND EXPECTATIONS (CAKES DESSERTS & MORE), THE HOLIDAY INN (VENUE, CATERING, ETC).

NENA FROM NENA'S NEEDLE WILL BE DOING SOME HAIR EXTENSION DEMOS.

COME SEE HER FOR A 10 MINUTE UPDO DEMO.

CHERYL HOOTEN - FROM DREAM DAY WEDDINGS WILL BE HERE TO ASSIST YOU, AS WELL AS TELL YOU ABOUT HER SERVICES AS A WEDDING PLANNER, ABOUT HER CUSTOM CERMONY PROGRAM WITH THAT CUSTOM SET OF MAGICAL WORDS THAT MAKE YOUR WEDDING DAY TRULY UNIQUE.

CHRISSY - SIMPLY CREATED WILL HAVE SAMPLES OF HER INVITATIONS, FOR YOU TO VIEW.

KEVIN REEDY WILL BE HERE TO SHOW YOU SOME OF HIS WORKS AS A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER.  HIS PICTURES ARE UNMATCHED, HIS WORK ETHIC IS SOLID.  AND HE'S JUST A FUN GUY TO KNOW.  YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED.

BEST OF ALL I AM SERVING YOU FREE FOOD.  STOP BY BETWEEN 12-2 AND SAY JUSTIN PROMISED ME SOME FOOD, & GRAB A PLATE.

WE WILL ALSO BE AT THE BRIDAL SHOW AT THE SPRING LAKE HOLIDAY INN.

THE SHOW IS FROM 10 - 3 @ 940 W. SAVIDGE ST - SPRING LAKE

WE ARE ALSO HAVING AN OPEN HOUSE AT OUR STORE!

FROM 10 AM UNTIL - 4 PM.

REFRESHMENTS AVAILABLE FROM 12- 1PM

COME SEE OUR NEW STORE, CHECK OUT SOME LOCAL VENDORS, AND TRY ON SOME DRESSES.

THE NEW SPRING 2010 DRESSES HAVE BEEN ROLLING IN ALL WEEK.

COME SEE THEM AT SPRING LAKE BRIDAL FIRST.

REGISTER AT http://springlakebridal.webs.com/signupandsave.htm/ FOR EXCLUSIVE COUPONS

JUST CLICK THE COUPON LINK ON THE MAIN PAGE!

ALSO CHECK OUT, http://higrandhaven.com/blog/?p=264#more-264

Today is November 11th and people in the United States, are celebrating Veterans Day, which is also known as Armistice Day. Veterans Day is a day to honor and celebrate the veterans, who have defended their country.

But it is also a day of sadness, because there are so many that have lost their lives trying to defend their country. Veterans Day is a legal holiday in USA, both state and federal and was declared a National holiday back in 1938.

According to dailyamerican.com, there are still 25 million living veterans, so today is not only a time to be proud of the soldiers who have died fighting for their country, but to also be grateful to those who have served and are still living.

BRIDAL SHOW AND OPEN HOUSE NOVEMBER 14th.

WE WILL BE AT THE BRIDAL SHOW AT THE SPRING LAKE HOLIDAY INN.

THE SHOW IS FROM 10 - 3 @ 940 W. SAVIDGE ST - SPRING LAKE

WE ARE ALSO HAVING AN OPEN HOUSE AT OUR STORE!

FROM 10 AM UNTIL - 4 PM.

REFRESHMENTS AVAILABLE FROM 12- 1PM

COME SEE OUR NEW STORE, CHECK OUT SOME LOCAL VENDORS, AND TRY ON SOME DRESSES.

THE NEW SPRING 2010 DRESSES HAVE BEEN ROLLING IN ALL WEEK.

COME SEE THEM AT SPRING LAKE BRIDAL FIRST.

REGISTER AT http://springlakebridal.webs.com/signupandsave.htm/ FOR EXCLUSIVE COUPONS

JUST CLICK THE COUPON LINK ON THE MAIN PAGE!

ALSO CHECK OUT, http://higrandhaven.com/blog/?p=264#more-264

CALL IF YOU'D LIKE TO RESERVE AN APPOINTMENT.

616-837-8383