The ABC Wedding Emergency Kit

We at April Bridal Concierge ensure that there’s an emergency kit on hand for use by the bride and bridal party at every point in time during the ceremony. Items in the emergency kit include (amongst others):

1.     MEDICATION

ü  Andrews liver salt

ü  Antacid

ü  Flagil

ü  Pain killers

2.    BEAUTY

ü  Hairspray

ü  Brush and mirror

ü  Bobby pins and rubber bands

ü  Hair glue

ü  Concealer

ü  Mascara

ü  Eyeshadow

ü  Lipstick and lip gloss

ü  Extra nails

ü  Super glue

ü  Tweezers

ü  Beauty wipes

ü  Eyelashes

ü  Nail polish remover

ü  Hair gel

ü  Cotton bod

ü  Perfume

ü  Deodorant spray

ü  Face cleanser

ü  Body scrub

ü  Nail polish

3.  EMERGENCY

ü  Band aids

ü  Spirit

ü  Sewing kit

ü  Scissors and blade

ü  Mouth wash

ü  Safety pins

ü  Cellotape

ü  Chalk (to cover stains on the gown)

ü  Lint roller

ü  Eye drops

ü  Breath mints

ü  Rhinestones

ü  Faux pearls

ü  Weave needle and thread

ü  Earring backs

ü  Buttons

ü  Beading wire and pliers

ü  Glue gun

ü  Cobbler’s gum

ü  Toothbrush and toothpaste

ü  Shaving cream

ü  Aspirin (for those pesky zits)

ü  Showergel

ü  Hand sanitizer

ü  Sanitary pads and tampons

ü  Extra panties

ü  Pantyhose

ü  Camisole

ü  Hand lotion

ü  Tissue rolls

ü  Panty liners

ü  Drinking straw

ü  Stain remover

ü  Bleach

ü  Hair dryer

ü  Fabric scraps, ribbons and bows to cover up rips

ü  Flat iron

ü  Iron

ü  Baby powder

ü  Smartphone juice pack

ü  Dummy rings and pillow

ü  Extra calling credit

4.     FOOD AND DRINK

ü  Water

ü  Chips

ü  Cookies

ü  Energy drinks

ü  Glucose

Do I really need a bridal concierge?

I’ll let these quotes from wedding planners do the talking;

“Your wedding planner is there to help you bring your dream wedding to life. That said, a wedding planner is not your personal assistant or your family therapist -- even if some brides believe that's part of the job description. Of course, planners can't tell their clients they're acting like a bridezilla!”

We'd like to tell you we're not your personal slaves.

Of course your planner should make sure things go smoothly on your wedding day, but if you're expecting her to cater to your every whim for months leading up to the main event, you've got another thing coming. "I once had a bride tell me (in a bossy tone, no less) that she planned to use me as her assistant. She wound up driving all of my assistants crazy!"

We don't want you to make us do your dirty work.

Weddings are hotbeds for every kind of sticky social situation, but it's not your planner's job to handle interpersonal challenges -- and they hate it when you try to make it their business.

You're not the center of our universe.

Yes, you're important to your planner, but you're far from her only bride, even if it seems that way from the personal attention she gives you on the phone and during your appointments. Besides other clients, she likely has a family! Dragging your coordinator to more than four meetings per type of vendor you're trying to hire is taking advantage of her.

So do I hire a wedding planner or a bridal concierge?

It all depends on how you want your wedding to go:

1.  If you’re going to DIY-plan your wedding yet want help in running errands and wedding day coordination, the bridal concierge is your girl.
2. If you want professional help in planning your wedding yet want someone to fill in for aspects of the planning which will surely not be covered under a wedding planner’s contract, the bridal concierge is your girl.
3. If you want someone with administrative skills to oversee all pre-wedding and post-wedding activities and be there for you every step of the way, the bridal concierge is your girl.
4. If you need someone with a knack for damage control and who’s armed with an emergency kit to take care of virtually every wedding-day emergency which may arise, the bridal concierge is your girl.
5. If you’re a busy executive or an out-of-town bride and need someone to be your eyes and ears on everything (and that means EVERYTHING) wedding-related, the bridal concierge is definitely your girl.

All-in-all, your bridal concierge is your one-stop “shop” for everything you’ll need in ensuring that your wedding goes as smoothly as possible and that you’re the pampered, happy bride you deserve to be.

NOT YOUR PERSONAL ASSISTANT!

So I came across this article by Bitchless Bride and thought i’d share. Needless to say, I found the brutality of it really hilarious!

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Hmmm... how to say this nicely... I'm your wedding planner, not your personal assistant. There, I said it. Wow, I feel much better. Brideys, it's really important for you to be able to distinguish between the two. No, really it is. You hired me to plan your wedding, not to tap my network for an amazing maid service to clean your apartment, not to "quickly grab a coffee (for you) before our meeting", and certainly not to pick up your birth control prescription because I am right near the pharmacy.

Listen, I completely understand how the lines can easily become blurred. I am in the service industry, but not the ALL services industry. I have a job to do, and would like to do it without being the liaison between every little detail in your life, and your wedding planning, especially when I'm in the midst of wedding season, and every bride thinks she's my only client, I feel myself starting to lose patience. And you really don't want BB or any other wedding planner to lose their patience because then it's really easy for us to stop being your advocate, and start being your nemesis.

So here's a simple checklist of wedding planning etiquette for you to follow so that the lines between planner and personal assistant become a bit less hazy (this is applicable to the wedding coordinator at the venue who's working hard to make sure your wedding is a success, and the person you hired to plan your wedding):

1. Drop the "Can you?" and "Do you mind?" statements from your vocabulary. Catch yourself before these words slide out of your mouth, because in my experience, it's always followed with something personal instead of wedding planning oriented. Is this something you can do? Do you really need your wedding planner to fulfill this task? Great! Then do it!

2. This is pretty basic brideys, but think about what you are going to ask before you ask it. Do I really need to be present when you're choosing which Jimmy Choo shoes to wear under your wedding dress? Or perhaps picking out some fun jewelry to wear on the big day? Because as much as I love shopping, shoes, and jewelry I start hating it when it's expected for me to have the ultimate say so in your decision. I am busy planning the significant details for your big day, so put your big girl pants on, and choose whatever makes you happy all by yourself. Or grab your MOH to help you! That's part of her job!

3. While I am always happy to help make your life easier during the planning, it's outside the scope of my services to assemble your welcome bags for your guests, unless you are paying me to do so. We can certainly talk about what you should be putting into the bags, the design, the color, etc., but if you are going to take on a DIY project (any DIY project for that matter), then DO IT YOURSELF!

4. If you need yarmulkes, Kiddush cups, coconuts, unity candles, light bulbs, rice or anything ceremonial, I can certainly guide you to the resources and even procure them, but if I am doing the work, then I am going to be paid for obtaining the items for you. As lovely as I am, I am also a businesswoman. My time is valuable, billable even. And frankly, these items can easily be retrieved by an actual personal assistant or even your by your fiancé. So, if I am getting them, expect that a percentage will be factored in for my time.

5. This is my absolute favorite... "Can you please email the notes from our meeting with the florist to her assistant? She doesn't have any because she was busy creating our arrangements for the showing." This is an actual line from an email I received from one of my brides. And not only is this florist NOT in my network of vendors, it is her responsibility to take notes, pictures, etc., and retain the details. If she wants to call me, we can talk, but I am not transcribing the meeting minutes.

Brideys, it is truly my goal to educate you on how to behave during your wedding planning. I want you to understand what is appropriate and what is out of line. I know that you most of you haven't planned a wedding or even a large event, so it's completely understandable that you are unaware. But, that said please allow me to provide you with the insight you need to really be a Bitchless Bride. Got it?

Source www.bitchlessbride.com

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LOL.

So there you have it, ladies. A bridal concierge will save you this rant. Hire yours today.

Call 0909-798-1908

Okay, so what exactly does a bridal concierge do?

Oh! Shall I count the ways?!

First off, your bridal concierge (aka bridal personal assistant) is in charge of picking up where your wedding planner leaves off. Many wedding planners will be quick to say to you “I’m your wedding planner, not your personal assistant” or “that isn’t included in the contract, hire a personal assistant for that” or “sorry, i can’t do that for you, i’m not your personal assistant”. Yup. A wedding planner will NOT do absolutely everything for you- wedding-related or not.

Furthermore, there are brides who want to DIY their own wedding planning but still need someone to run around securing a few stuff without actually committing to a wedding planner.

For this “light” wedding planning, a bridal concierge is your go-to girl to get the job done.

Having said that, here’s a list of things a bridal concierge will do for you in preparation for your wedding (this list is by no means exhaustive):

1.     INTRODUCTION/ FAMILY MEET-AND-GREET

ü  Arrange for bride’s outfits, makeup, hair, nails

ü  Help send out notices to invited guests

ü  Arrange for the photographer, etc

ü  Arrange for catering, etc

ü  Make arrangements for music

ü  Help purchase and gift-wrap gifts to groom’s family

ü  Help with setup, decoration and cleanup of venue

ü  Coordination of vendors

ü  Help pickout and deliver asoebi (if any)

ü  Wait on the couple and be available to run errands

ü  Act as hostess to attend to invited guests

ü  Wait on bride’s parents and be available to run errands

2.     PRE WEDDING

ü  Discuss design, budget, timeline, logistics

ü  Arrange/host a bridal shower

ü  Pick out wedding dress, shoes, etc

ü  Pick out second/getaway outfit

ü  Pick out bridesmaid’s dresses, shoes, etc

ü  Assist with shopping and other pre-wedding tasks

ü  Attend makeover/spa sessions with bride

ü  Select and coordinate wedding vendors

ü  Intermediary between bride and groom/parents/parents-in-law

ü  Intermediary between bride and vendors/service providers

ü  Make hotel bookings for bride and bridal party

ü  Make hotel bookings for out-of-town-guests

ü  Make transport arrangements for out-of-town-guests

ü  Make necessary payments on behalf of the bride

ü  Arrange transportation for bride and bridal party to hotel

ü  Record wedding gifts at showers and pre-wedding parties

ü  Secure wedding gifts and gift money

ü  Coordinate appointments for bridesmaids dress fittings

ü  Keep in contact with all the bridesmaids concerning schedules and activities

ü  Attend all pre-wedding activities with the bride

ü  Attend brides fitting appointments

ü  Shop for souvenirs

ü  Arrange branding and distribution of souvenirs

ü  Procure and distribute asoebi

ü  Address wedding invitations and deliver them

ü  Send out invitation SMSs

ü  Arrange for and attend all pre-wedding photo sessions with couple

ü  Run any other wedding errands the bride needs to have done

3.     TRADITIONAL WEDDING

ü  Help in picking out couple’s attire, shoes, beads, accessories etc

ü  Help in picking out and purchasing asoebi

ü  Deliver asooebi

ü  Hand out souvenirs

ü  Purchase and gift-wrap return gifts from bride’s family

ü  Run wedding errands as required

ü  Act as provisional hostess to attend to couple’s personal guests

ü  Have the ABC Emergency Kit on hand for emergencies

4.     WEDDING

ü  Assist the bride with pre-wedding errands and activities

ü  Deliver breakfast to the bride and bridal party (we’ve actually cooked dinner and wedding morning breakfast on a couple of occasions.... true story!)

ü  Help the bride and bridal party get ready

ü  Help with any last minute problems that may occur on the wedding day to spare the bride

ü  Responsible for the bride’s bouquet during the ceremony

ü  Receive and secure wedding gifts and gift money

ü  Help transport gifts after reception

ü  Help with any changes that may happen at the reception

ü  Make sure bride& bridal party get served meals during the ceremony

ü  Wait on the bride, groom and wedding party to ensure that they are properly taken care of during the ceremony

ü  Help the bride with addressing envelopes and recording wedding gifts

ü  Make sure the bride looks perfect for all the pictures

ü  Coordination of vendors

ü  Act as provisional hostess to attend to couple’s personal guests

ü  Help the bride change into getaway clothes

ü  Have the ABC Emergency Kit on hand for emergencies

5.    POST WEDDING

ü  Pack the bride's gown, veil and accessories and take to the cleaners or the bride's mother

ü  Help return any items (rental pieces, tuxedos etc.)

ü  Deliver any thank you notes or gifts the bride and groom require to be delivered

ü  Ensure that couple’s apartment is in order in preparation for their arrival from honeymoon