DIY or DIY-aster?

I love weddings! I especially love DIY (Do It Yourself) weddings! I love it when the bride and groom put their own personal stamp on their wedding by bringing together family heirlooms or items they've made to make their wedding their own. But what saddens me is when there's no direction to their theme, and a couple's well-intentioned ideas go awry because no one has thought the concept through completely. And unfortunately this is something we see all too often...ones fabulous DIY wedding reduced to a DIY-aster.

So to keep this from happening to you, here are a few tips to keep in mind.



1. Think your ideas through completely. And once you've done that, ask friends and/or family for their opinions. Then listen to their suggestions. Remember, other people see things differently than you do. It's better to find out early on that something is not going to work together instead of on your wedding day when everyone's in a rush to get things set-up.

And, if you're a really ambitious and organized like our bride Roz, try putting together a wedding binder with all your great ideas inside...that way you can keep them all together and actually see if your ideas work with each other.


2. Make an Inspiration Board. These are great because they allow you to actually compile all the ideas you're dreaming about on one page. And maybe, once that concept is in front of you, it may not be as spectacular as you envisioned in your mind. If that's the case, your Inspiration Board can be easily changed.

You can either put together your Inspiration Board from scratch, or you can use the fabulous new one 'Get Married' just launched on their website. Go to www.getmarried.com/inspiration-boards to start yours. It's fun and easy...and there's a tutorial!


3. Check out the wedding blogs. There are literally hundreds out there to choose from and they're chalked full of great ideas. The professionals behind these great sites spend hours and hours searching, researching and collecting ideas to help you make your 'dream wedding' come true. They know what works together and can give you the tools to make your ideas come to life.
You probably have your favorites, but if not, here are a few of the ones I like:

• Style Me Pretty -www.stylemepretty.com
• Wedding Wire - www.weddingwire.com
• The Green Bride Guide - www.greenbrideguide.com
• DIY Weddings Magazine - www.diyweddingsmag.com
  
• My DIY Wedding Day - www.mydiyweddingday.com
• Ruffled - www.ruffledblog.com
• Ever Ours - www.ever-ours.com
• Elizabeth Anne Designs - www.elizabethannedesigns.com/blog

4. Decide on a theme and stick with it! Nothing spells DIY-aster than going from one idea to the next to the next. Weddings take a long time to plan and when you keep changing your mind, things can go wrong very quickly. So again, take the time to decide on a theme and stick with it!


5. Do a dry run. This is probably the easiest way to see if your great DIY ideas are going to be a hit or miss. Set your table with all the elements as you see them. Bring your items to your venue and place them where you've envision them. Then step back and take a look. Sometimes when things are in place, they aren't as magical as you pictured them, or they may not hold up the way you thought. Many times we have seen a brides great idea collapse on her wedding day because what looked good on paper didn't hold up at the event. For instance, the weather was too hot for candles, the fabulous banner wasn't long enough, glue holding the pictures together melted, the centerpieces were way too tall, etc. Again it's better to be safe than sorry...test things out before your big day!


6. Always make extras...always. It never fails that something is going to go wrong...you miss counted, someone extra shows up unexpectedly, or something breaks...so it's a good idea to over estimate the number of things you're going to need. Believe me, there is nothing worse than trying to recreate something hours before the wedding with a minimum amount of time and supplies. So be prepared for the unexpected. Oh the stories I could tell...


7. And for heavens sake, hire a Wedding Planner. They are worth their weight in gold and they'll be honest with you about your DIY designs. They've done lots of weddings. They've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly...and they'll tell you whether or not your ideas work. And best of all, they'll be able to anticipate the things that you can't even begin to imagine, so do yourself a favor and put a Wedding Planner in your budget.

Keeping these few tips in mind could mean the difference between having an InnCredible DIY wedding and a DIY-aster! Happy Planning!

Making your wedding InnCredible!
InnCredible Events
949/887.9629

Tag..You're it!

(QR Code from our InnCredible Events WeddingWire site)

I love these little guys! QR codes and Tags are literally popping up everywhere...especially in all your favorite magazines. In fact, in my newest issue of 'Get Married' magazine, I counted 20 Tags; beginning with one right on the front cover.

I first learned about these cuties at the Wedding MBA conference in Las Vegas last year, and have been fascinated by them ever since. They're quickly becoming a necessity for the busy bride on the go because they allow her to scan and capture information on her phone. Amazing!

So, what exactly are they codes and tags and how do they work? Well, I'm not expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I'll try to explain as best I can...

A 'QR Code' is a simple square image made up of black and white geometric designs that's captured by your cell phone and automatically connects you to information without any typing. Originally designed in Japan for Toyota, QR Codes have been around for about 15 years, but in the past year, have become extremely popular. Below is the QR Code for our InnCredible Events blog. And once you have the app on your phone, you can check it out.'Tags', on the other hand, were developed by Microsoft and tend to be more colorful, but do the exact same thing as QR Codes. According to Microsoft, 'When you scan a Tag using the free Tag Reader application on your mobile phone, it will automatically open a webpage, add a contact to your address book, display a message, or dial a number.' Cool, huh?

And Tags can be customized so they take on a 'fun' look, allowing companies to put their personal stamp on their Tag.
In order to use these Codes and Tags, you first have to download the apps on your cell phone. There are several different options available, and all are free. I have an iPhone so I used 'QR Code Reader and Scanner' and 'Tag Reader' as my apps of choice. 'Get Married' magazine recommends 'gettag.mobi' as a Tag reader. Check your App Store for the options available on your specific phone. And if you were lucky enough to just get a new phone...good news, these apps are already installed for you.

Once your app is downloaded the rest is simple. Just open the application on your phone, center the QR Code or Tag in the square on your screen, and depending on your application, either snap a picture or let the application do the work for you. The rest is magic! Your phone will automatically bring up whatever is contained within the cute little box you just scanned. Again, amazing!

Now that you know about this new technology that seems to have exploded on to the scene, see how many of them you find as you go through your day. I hear they are even being used on electronic billboards in NYC to help companies market their products. Wow! What's next?

Making your wedding InnCredible!

InnCredible Events
949/887.9629