Monday, February 27, 2012

Interview Questions for your Wedding Makeup Artist

You might have heard of the horror bridal story. Once there was a bride who hired a makeup artist for her wedding day. The makeup artist says "trust me", I'm going to make you look "fabulous" and applies layers and layers of makeup and she announces "voila". A few minutes later she looks in the mirror and stares in horror as she sees her reflection, she sees a monster disguise of herself with no natural beauty of her face. She has run out of time for a beauty do-over, her wedding time is near.

The moral of the story, you have to spend time with a good wedding makeup artist who knows how to bring out your inner skin beauty. You need first to find a good wedding makeup artist and then spend time experimenting. You need to find an artist that has a lot of makeup knowledge and find a makeup formula that works well and that you like and then see if you can replicate the makeup artist's work yourself. After you find a formula that you like, you should have the makeup artist jot down a checklist of steps. You should also take photos or videos of each step of the process. Take the shoots about 4 feet to 6 feet away and note also how the stroking of the makeup is applied.

Before your session with your makeup artist, you should gather pictures of makeup applications that you like. Look in magazines, books, and makeup and bridal sites off the web. Cut out the pictures and place the pictures in a baggie and bring along to your appointment. Also include information on your color scheme for the wedding, a snapshot of your wedding dress, the style you like, the neckline, the jewelry you plan to wear and your hairstyle might influence the application as well.

When it comes to hiring a makeup artist for your wedding, you need to find a makeup artist that has the training and experience of applying makeup for weddings. This is not an ordinary day, this is your wedding day and this day you need to look glamorous. You also are likely to spend several hours with your makeup artist, you need to find an artist that you feel very comfortable with. Often brides are filled with emotions on their wedding day, the makeup artist not only applies makeup in the style you want, but also needs to be a good communicator, one that can also provide moral support, someone to boost your self confidence and one who can soothe your raw nerves in the last hours before you walk down the aisle.

Some months before the wedding, an engaged bride should hunt down a good makeup artist, have some trial and practice sessions, experimenting to find what makeup looks good and a style that you like. The makeup artist should be asking you about your current makeup routine. He or she should be asking details about your wedding, whether much of your wedding day will you be spending indoors or outdoors and time of day is important too, will the day be mostly in the sun or most of the activities be in a dimly lit ceremony site or a flood lighted wedding reception facility. The makeup artist needs to know the mood and color scheme of your wedding, will it be romantic? will it be natural? will it be vintage? or will it be modern?

As you get to know your makeup artist better and as your wedding day approaches, you also may consider makeup for your bridesmaids. Do you have the makeup artist only do your makeup or do you also include having your makeup artists apply some makeup for all the bridesmaids. You also need to consider costs and who is paying for this work. Can you the bride cover all makeup costs, go 50/50, or have all the bridesmaid cover their own costs? You need to assess the situation, can the bridesmaids afford a makeup job? If the bridesmaids get makeup, will your makeup artist be able to handle them all or does she need to bring along an apprentice. Does the apprentice have the training needed?

The time it takes for makeup, the bride should note how much time it takes, and needs to account how much time. The makeup job should be finished about one and a half hours before walking down the aisle or photo shoot appointment. For each bridesmaid receiving makeup generally it takes one half hour. Many brides get lessons from a pro on how to apply wedding makeup and take note of the products and application materials and then have a family household member or friend apply wedding day makeup. If this is the case, make sure there are about a half dozen practice sessions and some on different days. The sessions need to be dress rehearsals to make sure the process is mastered and the timing is nailed.

A bride might consider asking her makeup artist to a bridal shower or party. The bride may consider having  part of the event with the makeup artist giving tips on applying makeup. If the artist sells some cosmetic products, allow her to sell cosmetics at the party if the bridesmaids are interested, but not to be too pushy. At the wedding though, pushing cosmetics is out of the question, selling cosmetics at weddings are rude and unprofessional. The day of the wedding, you have to come to agreement, will the makeup be applied at the studio or will the makeup artist follow the bride to each location.

Since the bride is learning applying makeup with a professional, the bride might consider learning makeup from two perspectives. What makeup procedure works best for her wedding and what makeup is good for everyday makeup. A bride should note which cosmetics are her official makeup cosmetics, this way for many years in the future, the bride won't end up buying cosmetics and then throwing out cosmetics she ends up not using. Take the time meeting with a makeup artist to learn makeup and what you learn will become valuable in your marriage years.

Interview Questions for your Wedding Makeup Artist?
1-What is the name, address, phone number, and website information of the business the wedding makeup artist works for?
2-Ask for a business card, what is the name, phone number, and contact number such as email of the wedding makeup artist?
3-Is the makeup artist available for my wedding day? if not, can he/she teach me how to apply wedding day makeup, to show another family member or friend? if not, can she find another makeup artist that he/she would recommend?
4-How long has the business the makeup artist has worked for has been in operation?
5-How long have you been a wedding makeup artist?
6-How did you get started working as a makeup artist?
7-What education and training have you received as a makeup artist?
8-How many brides have you applied makeup for in your career? in the past year? in the past month?
9-Will I be the only bride you work on on my wedding day or might there be others or other activities?
10-On my wedding day will I need to come to your studio or will you follow me around to venues?
11-Do you have a portfolio of prior brides you have prepared for weddings? can I see your portfolio?
12-What is your typical week like?
13-What is your best experience with a bride and what is your worst experience?
14-What size of bridal party can you accommodate? if you work on a bridal party will you work on the brides makeup yourself or will you ask an apprentice to help?
15-Can you duplicate a makeup look from pictures or a magazine?
16-Can you teach me also how to apply everyday makeup?
17-Do you offer a experiment session and trial run or preview session? How do you run these type of sessions? If you offer these, how long are these type of appointments?
18-Once we have my makeup session, can you jot notes down into a checklist of my makeup session?
19-Can I have photos and videos of each step of the makeup session? (make sure the photos or videos are from 4 feet to 6 feet away for best viewing)
20-If you bring along an apprentice, does that person have similar qualifications?
21-Will you be willing to give a talk to my bridesmaids about applying makeup? (if the makeup artist sells cosmetics, he/she can offer to sell cosmetics if he/she is not too pushy? be insistent, no sales pitch allowed on your wedding day, which is considered unprofessional and rude?
22-What procedures and products are recommended to remove previous makeup?
23-What procedures and products are recommended to cleanse the face?
24-What procedures and products are recommended for concealers?
25-What procedures and products are recommended for foundation?
26-What procedures and products are recommended for contouring and shading?
27-What procedures and products are recommended for cheek color and applying to cheekbones?
28-What procedures and products are recommended for powdering?
29-What procedures and products are recommended for highlighting?
30-What procedures and products are recommended for eyebrows?
31-What procedures and products are recommended for eyeliner?
32-What procedures and products are recommended for mascara?
33-What procedures and products are recommended for lip color?
34-What procedures and products are recommended for barrier spray and lip cleaner?
35-What procedures and products are recommended for a primer?
36-Are there any other procedures or products for makeup you want to talk about?
37-Once we are done with my makeup procedure can you write down a list of cosmetics and application products I should get? do you sell any of these products? where might I find any of these products?
38-What would be the costs associated with experimentation?
39-What would be the costs associated for a training or practice session?
40-Do you charge for travel costs?
41-What would be the costs to do makeup for my bridesmaids?
42-Do you do makeup the day of wedding for the mothers of the bride and what be the cost?
43-What would be the total costs for your wedding makeup artist services? are there any hidden fees?
44-Can you share with me of any promotions offered or discounts?
45-How much of a deposit is needed and what and when is final booking due?
45-What methods of payment arrangements do you accept? credit card? debit card? personal check? certified check? Paypal? cash? other?
46-Can I review a list of charges to take with me to review before signing?
47-What happens if you or I cancel the makeup session?
48-What happens if you become sick or have a family emergency on my wedding day?
49-At what date must I book your services before signing to meet my wedding date?
50-Can you provide 3 prior brides that you have prepared makeup for their wedding? (Contact at least 2)

Make sure that you review the contract thoroughly before signing and what all agreed to in discussions is also down in the contract. Understand with makeup artists often get bigger weddings to work for and they often try to get out of contracts, to get the bigger weddings as they are trying to make the most money they can. If you find this may be an issue, try to book all the bridesmaids along with yourself for a makeup job for your wedding. You might consider makeup jobs for the mothers of the bride in addition. Lastly, try to find a makeup artist that you feel comfortable being friends with. It would be great to invite your makeup artist along to your wedding reception and be there for touch ups.

If you need help applying cosmetics, "Youtube" shows many makeup artists and how cosmetics can be applied, you can learn from these procedures too! Become a beautiful and glamorous bride, find a professional wedding makeup artist to use for your wedding!

See you on the other side!


Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Interview Questions for your Wedding Hairstylist

Many brides have their regular beauty salon that tends to their hair, but when it comes to your wedding day, many wedding hair stylists just don't have the training to make your hair look magical for your wedding day. Right after you have decided on your wedding dress, is the time to start looking for your wedding day hairstylist.

You want to start by gathering ideas of hairdos you like, start by looking at bridal hairdos in magazines, and looking at websites of different types of dos on the internet. Get yourself a baggy and collect dos that you like, also take a picture of your wedding dress and bring those along when you meet up with your wedding hairstylist.

There are basically four choices of how to set up your hair for your special day. Do you want your wedding day hair to be an updo, half-updo, down, or do you go with a wedding veil look. You also want to gather information for accessories for your hair, do you style your hair with beautiful hair pins and wear dazzling earrings or with something other.

A good wedding hairstylist, has taken classes on preparing wedding day hair and has mastered the basics and has created many dos for brides. A good wedding hairstylist has a portfolio of pictures to share of previous brides with their wedding day hair. The good hairstylist uses a number of different factors in determining what would look best on a bride. These factors include the neckline of the wedding dress, the face structure of the bride whether it be an oval, round, square, or heart-shaped face, the length of one's hair, the texture of the hair whether it be kinky, frizzy, curly, wavy, straight, or afro-structured, the thickness of one's hair, and the color of their hair and skin.

Early on you will want to determine who will do and where will you do your wedding day hair. Will your wedding hairstylist available to do your wedding day hair and if she is able does she do your wedding hair at her salon or does she come to your home and do it there. Another possibility is that the wedding hair stylist finds the hair style that you want for your wedding and lay out a checklist of notes to prepare your wedding day hair. She also should include pictures and/or a video of how your hair should be prepared for your wedding day. After the information is gathered, you should find a relative, friend, or it could even be yourself, but another person is better, it's best to not put pressure on yourself for your wedding day hair. You want to have many practice sessions with whoever is going to do your wedding day hair to be sure the process is mastered or find someone other, also take note of the time it takes for your hair to be prepared so you can work the time into your wedding day schedule.

When you meet up with your hairstylist, you want to tell her thoughts of how you would like your hair, a good stylist is a good listener, a person who will make a special appointment to try out numerous hair styles to see which one you like best for your wedding day. After each style is done take pictures from the front, back and left and right side. You might also bring a close friend along, either your maid of honor, a sister, your mother, another bridesmaid, or close friend and get their opinion of what they think looks good. In the end though, the decision is yours, it's your wedding, pick the style you like most. Also, wear a white shirt that has a similar neckline to your wedding day dress for your appointments.

After you have decided on your wedding day hair, you should have the hair stylist jot down notes and make them into a checklist of things to do for your wedding day hair which also include photographs or take a camera video of preparing your hair. You either have a backup plan for your wedding hair or you will have instructions on how a relative or friend can prepare your hair for your wedding day. You should also work out in a contract on what needs to be done when for your wedding day, you need to lock your hair stylist into a commitment for your wedding day, what will be done and the times things will be done and where. In general, a bride's wedding haircut should be two week's before the wedding, the wedding day hair may need a light little trim, but the focus is for styling, trussing, curling the hair and making the hair look glamorous.

Next attention shifts to your bridesmaid's hair. First who is going to cover the expenses to get the bridesmaid's hair for the wedding. All depends on what the bride's budget is. Some bride's can cover the expense of treating the bridesmaid's to a beauty salon. Bride's that can afford to offer a bridesmaid day of pampering, a fun day out with the girls about two weeks before the wedding, all the bridesmaids go to a salon or beauty spa and make a fun day of it getting their hair done, facial, manicure, pedicure, massage, and sauna a day of preparation of their bodies for the bride's wedding day. If it isn't in the budget, the other options are to go 50/50 or have the bridesmaid's go dutch (paying for their own wedding day hair). Don't feel guilty if the bride can't afford to cover her bridesmaid's hair, it's very common for all to pitch in.

The bride should call a meeting of the bridesmaids, the bride should share what her wedding hair day will look like, the obect of the meeting is to get symetry of each bride's hair for the wedding day. Has the bride decided on an updo, half-updo, down, or will she wear a veil. For a beautiful wedding scenario, the images, photography, and cinematography would look best if the bride and bridesmaid's all have their hair in a consistent style. At the meeting, the discussion should be about whether the bridesmaids would be willing to wear their hair in a similar fashion as the bride. The important thing to note though, the bride should not force the decision upon the bridesmaids, they will either volunteer to a similar style or not, a hairstyle should not be forced upon them and please do not be offended if one of the bridesmaid's doesn't go along with the bride's wishes.

If the hairdos aren't consistent, another way around wedding day hair is by using hair jewelry and earrings. Have hair jewelry and earrings match the color of the bridesmaid's gowns. Also the jewelry could be all silver or gold or could be colored pearls, as long as the jewelry on all the bridesmaid's are consistent with each other.

At the wedding there is a presumed pecking order. The bride's hair should be elaborately done, the maid of honor has her hair semi-elaborate, the remainder bridesmaids have their hair done in a nice manner but a little bit more subdued. The important thing about wedding is imagery. Some brides may have a bridal party and invite her hairstylist along to give a little talk on wedding day hair, so the bridesmaids get an idea of how to do their wedding day hair.

On the wedding day, a timetable should be layed out so that the appointment for hairstyling and makeup ends about an hour and a half or two hours before the wedding or picture taking. You don't want the hair appointment to be too far in advance of the wedding or the wedding hair won't look fresh or may get weathered. Have the appointment to soon, right before the wedding, it might cause the hair appointment to be rushed and may add stress to the bride worrying about things, she needs to be relaxed and not stressed.


Interview Questions for your Wedding Hairstylist
1-What is the name of the bridal salon, the address, the phone number, and website information?
2-Ask for a business card, what is the name of the wedding hairstylist, their phone number, and contact information such as an email address?
3-Will the hairstylist be available for your wedding day?
4-How long has the beauty salon been in business?
5-How long has the wedding hairstylist been doing business?
6-How many bride's has the wedding hairstylist prepared in their career? in the past year? in the past month?
7-What is the wedding hairstylist's background?
8-What type of training and schooling has the wedding hairstylist received? can you tell me a little bit about courses related to wedding day hair?
9-Do you have a portfolio of pictures of bride's with the hairstyling you have done yourself?
10-Do you have other pictures of bridal hairdos in which I can get ideas?
11-Can I share you with pictures of hairdos that have caught my eye and that of my wedding dress?
12-What kind of hairstyles do you specialize in?
13-What hairstyles would look good with my wedding dress?
14-What hairstyles would look good with my face structure?
15-What hairstyles would look good with my hair length?
16-What hairstyles would look good with my hair texture? (curly, wavy, straight, etc.)
17-What hairstyles would look good with my hair and skin color?
18-Can you do appointments trying out different hairstyles?
19-Once we have my wedding day hair settled, can you jot down a checklist of notes of my hairstyling process?
20-Can you or one of my friends take pictures or video camera each step of the process?
21-When should be my major wedding day haircut? (usually about 2 weeks before the wedding)
22-Can you come and give a talk to my bridesmaids on how their wedding day hair should be done?
23-Can your salon handle my wedding day bridesmaid's hair? if it can, who would do their hair, will it be you only or a team of hairstylists?
24-Must the appointment be at the salon or can it be at one of our homes?
25-Is there a discount offered if I bring my bridesmaid's in for my wedding day hair?
26-Is there special discounts, coupons, or promotions upcoming that I should be aware of?
27-Do you offer a special session for a bridesmaid's day of pampering? if so, how will the session be setup? do you offer any private rooms to have a party and share some goodies?
28-What products do you sell that I should treat my hair with? how should I use the products?
29-What hair accessories do you recommend for my wedding day and for the bridesmaids? do you sell hair accessories in-house or might know where to find beautiful hair accessories?
30-What is the final cost for wedding day hair? for various appointments? are there hidden costs?
31-Can we create a contract for my wedding day appointment laying out times and all that has been agreed to? can I take an unsigned contract home with me to review?
32-Are there 3 referrals of prior brides you can put me in touch with? (contact at least 2)

What helps making healthy hair is getting your body in shape and eating the right foods. The time before your wedding is a good time to join a health spa, join a bridal boot camp or get into a home exercise routine. Don't get into a too much of a strenuous program though, you don't want to look too frail or break a limb for your wedding. Also get into healthy eating habits, drink 8 glasses of water or mineral water daily (carry around that water bottle). Get a healthy dose of vitamins. eat plenty of beans(zinc), eat your dark green vegetables(vitamin A), eat eggs(vitamin B), eat a little bit of lean meat, eat fruits and drink plenty of fruit juices.

See you on the other side!

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Interview Questions for your Sweet Shoppe

Candy buffets have become a big hit at weddings. They create a beautiful centerpiece or focal point at your event and leave a lasting impression with your wedding guests long after the wedding. Basically there are three types of candy buffets. First there is the color schemed display, the rainbow effect display and the old tyme candy display.

A good candy display utilizes various receptacles for holding the candy. The containers used is very various. Look for candy dishes, glass bowls, glass vases, cylindrical vases, cocktail glasses, wine glasses, wine gimlets, small bowls inside of large bowls, sugar bowls, cookie jars, plastic office bins, flour, sugar, coffee, and tea containers, tiered serving trays, and even dishes placed upon candlesticks. A lot of these containers you might find in dollar stores, department stores, and art and supply stores.

A beautiful candy bar shows varying heights upon the table. If the table is square, have taller dishes in the back. Use linens underneath, the same color scheme as your wedding. You can create height by adding boxes  such as board game boxes, smaller shipping boxes, shoe boxes, hat boxes, gift boxes, or large books under the linen. You can design the space around the candle too with place cards to show what candy it is, picture frames of the wedding couple, or a few loose candies spread about the table, or decorate with confetti, sparkle, or flower petals. When setting up your dishes, symmetry is your friend, the table does not have to be identical on each side, but use pairs of the same types of candy dishes, containers, and platters on each side of the table.

If the candy buffet is round. Maybe place a table centerpiece that you are using for your wedding reception and place the table centerpiece in the middle. Lay out all your candies around the center piece with higher containers near the centerpiece and lower containers in the front. Again decorate the table with picture frames of the wedding couple, loose candies, nostalgic toys, flower petals, confetti, or glitter.

As for serving the candies, if the candies are unwrapped use scoops or tongs, you can decorate them with bows or ribbons around the handles. If the candies are also wedding favors, you can pick up white favor bags and protective paper from a local chocolate shop. Also have an attendant to monitor the candy bar to replace candies when they get low and to help smaller children select and bag candies. You also might consider allowing wedding guests to take candies home as wedding favors, you can often arrange to buy white bags and paper tissues from a chocolate shoppe and can either be placed upon nicely or hung from the side of your candy buffet.

Some grocery stores sell candies in bulk and some candy stores can be found around town often in malls, but often you can get your best deals for purchasing bulk candies are from online businesses. If you are ordering candies yourselves, the best time to order candies is right after holidays, most candies will stay fresh for quite awhile if they are kept out of a heated environment. The list below are some candy companies online you might consider to order candies and containers..

www.acandystore.com
www.beau-coup.com/packaging.htm
www.bulkfoods.com/wedding.asp
www.candycrate.com
www.candywarehouse.com
www.chocolatevault.com
www.creativechocolates.com
www.customcandybarwrapper.com
www.favorsyoukeep.com/weddingfavorbags
www.giftsintl.com/organzabag.php
www.groovycandies.com
www.jellybelly.com
www.lakechamplainchocolates.com
www.mymms.com/weddings
www.nuts.com/Wedding-Candy
www.ohnuts.com
www.oldtimecandy.com
www.papermart.com/Favor-Packaging
www.sweetservices.com
www.thecandybarwrapper.com
www.theweddingfavorbar.com/candyjars.html
www.wrappedhersheys.com/Wedding

Interview Questions for your Candy Buffet Business
1-What is the name, address, phone number, and website of the candy buffet business?
2-Ask for a business card, what is my contacts name and phone number, and email or other contact information?
3-How long has the candy buffet been in business?
4-How long have you been working the candy buffet business?
5-What type of candy buffets do you provide?
6-Can we see photographs of candy buffets you have put together before?
7-Are you able to handle the candy buffet for our wedding date?
8-What types of candies do you recommend for my color scheme?
9-How much candies is recommended for the headcount of our wedding guests?
10-What candies should be ordered for out candy buffet?
11-What containers should be used for our candy buffet?
12-Do we rent the containers for the candy buffet or must we buy them?
13-Do you provide scoops or tongs or something other for our wedding guests to serve themselves?
14-Do you provide bags so our wedding guests can take the candy home as favors?
15-Do you bring along a table for the candy bar or do we need to find one? which type? round? square? rectangle?
16-How might the candy buffet table be decorated?
17-Is there an attendant to service and refill the candy buffet or must we find an attendant?
18-What type of linens will be available for the candy buffet?
19-Are any boxes, containers. or books used to raise some of the containers under the linens of the candy buffet?
20-How much time is needed to set up the candy buffet?
21-At what time of our event should the candy buffet begin to be set up?
22-What is the total cost of the candy buffet? does this includes all charges such as travel, taxes, and gratuities, etc.?
23-How long before the wedding must we sign the contract?
24-What methods of payment do you accept? credit cards? debit cards? certified checks? personal checks? Paypal? cash?
25-Can you provide 3 references that have used your services in the past year?


Chocolate fountains are also becoming a highly sought after attraction at weddings. The chocolate fountain will leave your guests an experience that is unique and delicious and will make a lasting impression with your guests long after your wedding day. At the chocolate fountain, your guests will have a fantastic time mingling and reveling in all that chocolate with delectable treats.

What do you get with a chocolate fountain? You get a waterfall of cascading melting chocolate becoming a chocolate lovers paradise, with large amounts of chocolate being heated into liquid form and mixed with oil, inside the chocolate fountain is a heated motor than turns a corkscrew type of device that moves the chocolate  from the chocolate basin to the top level causing the chocolate to be flowing full circle.

The chocolate usually is preheated in a double boiler to a temperature of 120 degrees and then oil is mixed  with the chocolate usually 1/2 cup of oil is used for every five pounds of chocolate, the chocolate needs to be thin enough in order for no clumping happens as the chocolate is poured into the chocolate fountain. The right blend of chocolate is important too, there needs to be a high viscosity of cocoa butter between 32% and 39%. Most companies that provide the chocolate fountain deliver the fountain about a week before the wedding so to test it out to be sure it operates properly and the user can get comfortable working it.

It is highly recommended to always use the chocolate fountain indoors. The fountain needs to be on an even level so the chocolate flows evenly. Problems generally happen outdoors, from temperatures constantly changing, wind may splatter the chocolate, the chocolate may get rained upon, and the smell of chocolate attracts bugs from far away. Usually for cleanup, if the chocolate hardens heat the chocolate back up, squeegee. scoop, sponge, and moisture towel the chocolate, cart the components using plastic bags, wash all the components in a sink except the part with the motor.

Chocolate fountains need not be chocolate any more. A freeze flavor product can be used with either with a chocolate or vanilla base, fountains can be made of many different flavors and colors, can even be color schemed to your wedding colors. You can have strawberry, pina colada, banana, blueberry, lemon, egg nog, chocolate mint, and many other different flavors.

To create a beautiful looking fountain try to use a round table to set it up. If you use a rectangled table you might have the fountain on one end and create a palm like tree with tooth picks loaded with lots of different goodies on the other end. Goodies with nuts, chunks, or are very crumbly, are highly discouraged to be used with the chocolate fountain, if they end up in the chocolate compound they might cause clumping of the chocolate inside the internal corkscrew device.

100 Different Chocolate Fountain Goodies

1.anise cookies, 2.apple fritters, 3.apple slices, 4.bananas, 5.biscotti, 6.blondies, 7.blackberries, 8.blueberries, 9.bourbon balls, 10.brownies, 11.butter cookies 12.cake, 13.candied fruit slices, 14.cannolis, 15.cantelope, 16.caramels, 17.cheesecake squares, 18.cherries, 19.chocolate balls, 20.chocolate chip cookies, 21.chocolate cookies, 22.chocolate covered cherries,23.chocolate marshmallow cookies, 24.cinnamon buns, 25.coconut balls, 26.coconut chunks, 27.coffee cake, 28.cookie dough balls, 29.corn fritters, 30.crackers. 31.cranberries, 32.creme de menthe squares. 33.deep fried frozen daiquiries, 34.deep fried frozen margaritas, 35.donuts/donut holes, 36.dragon fruit, 37.dried apricot, 38.dried fruit, 39.egg nog balls, 40.fig newtons, 41.fried beer, 42.fried butter, 43.fried kool aid, 44.fruit bars 45.fudge, 46.ginger snaps, 47.gingerbread cookies, 48.graham crackers, 49.granola bars, 50.grapes, 51.guava, 52.honeydew melon chunks, 53.ice cream cones, 54.ice cream sandwiches, 55.iced cookies, 56.italian cookies, 57.kiwi, 58.lady fingers, 59.lemon squares, 60.mango, 61.mandarin oranges, 62.marachino cherries, 63.marshmallow treats, 64.marshmallows, 65.melon balls, 66.mini chocolate eclairs frozen, 67.mini cream puffs frozen, 68.mini french toast 69 mini funnel cake, 70.mini muffins, 71.mini pancakes, 72.mini waffles, 73.mint sticks, 74.mud pies, 75.oatmeal cookies, 76.oranges, 77.oreo cookies, 78.papaya, 79.pastry bites, 80.peanut butter balls, 81.pears, 82.physilas, 83.pineapple, 84.popcorn balls, 85.profiteroles, 86.raspberries, 87.rum balls, 88.snickerdoodles, 89.soft pretzels, 90.sponge cake, 91.spumoni, 92.star fruit(carambola), 93.sugar cookies, 94.sugar wafers, 95.toffee, 96.toffee cookies, 97.tortelli, 98.vienna fingers, 99.watermelon, 100.wedding cake.

The chocolate in chocolate fountains can also be ladled and drizzle over wedding cakes, any cake, pastries, various breads, cinnamon rolls, cheescake, banana splits, ice cream sundaes, brownies, blondies, bread pudding, baked alaska, petit fours, and many other desserts. Generally chocolate fountains come in different sizes, it's recommended to get a small one for 50-150 wedding guests, a medium sized one for 150-500 wedding guests, and get a large one for each 500-800 wedding guests.

Interview Questions for your Chocolate Fountain Company  
1-What is the name of the company that has the chocolate fountains, also the address, phone number, and website?
2-Ask for a business card, who would be my contact person for the chocolate fountain, what is their name, phone number, email address or other contact information?
3-Would the chocolate fountains be available for the date of our wedding?
4-What size machine would you recommend for the amount of our wedding guests?
5-How old is the chocolate fountains that you have?
6-Do you have different styles of chocolate fountains?
7-Do you provide foods to dip into the chocolate fountain? what foods do you have for dipping? what desserts do you have for drizzling the chocolate?
8-How might the dipping foods be decorated on the table?
9-Do you have a table for the chocolate fountain or must we find one?
10-Do you have photos of the chocolate fountain when it's operating?
11-How long do we get the chocolate fountain for?
12-Does the chocolate fountain get shipped or personally delivered? if it gets shipped how does it get shipped? how does it get picked up or shipped back?
13-What type of chocolate is available for the chocolate fountain?
14-How do we make the chocolate?
15-Are there other flavors that can be used for the chocolate fountain?
16-Can you provide an attendant for the chocolate fountain if we ask for one?
17-How does the chocolate fountain get assembled? are there instructions?
18-How does the chocolate fountain keep maintained while it's running?
19-How does the chocolate fountain get disassembled and cleaned when we are finished? are there instructions?
20-What happens when the chocolate gets hard?
21-Is there a contact person available to reach if a problem comes up? what's their name and number and email address?
22-How does the chocolate fountain get maintained while it's operating?
23-Can the fountain run when the chocolate gets low?
24-Can the fountain be used outside? (generally the answer is no)
25-Do you have other props to display the goodies? (example would be a palm tree with tooth picks)
26-When does the chocolate fountain need to be returned? Are there penalties if it's returned late? what are the penalties?
27-At what date must we sign a contract to insure it's available for our wedding day?
28-Can we take an unsigned contract with us for review?
29-Are any discounts available for the chocolate fountain?
30-What methods of payment do you accept? credit cards? debit cards? certified checks? personal checks? Paypal? cash?
31-Can you provide us with 3 referrals? (make sure you contact 2)

Make sure the contracts are reviewed thoroughly before signing, this goes for both the candy buffet and the chocolate fountain. Many of these businesses have not been around too long, but try to find one that's been around for at least a couple of years. Make sure you test the chocolate fountain as soon as it's received, if it does not work, you have time to take action and get comfortable with it's operation and don't let the goodies to dunk in it be a last minute decision? Review how the decorations should be on the table and make sure the decorations are pretty, if you decide on a candy buffet or chocolate fountain, use it to make a lasting memory for your wedding guests.

See you on the other side!


Friday, February 10, 2012

Interview Questions for your Wedding Favor Company

Having wedding favors for your wedding guests has become an American tradition at weddings. The wedding favors is a little token to leave your guests as a reminder of the special occasion and to thank your guests for being important people in the wedding couple's lives and for attending their wedding. The important thing is to give a little thought in the wedding favors that are chosen.

The perfect wedding favor is giving one that your guests deem special and will not be thrown out, a perfect favor is one, if you shall visit wedding guests five years later, your guests will still have it and use it and when they see it, they will be reminded of your special day.

You might find wedding favors that can be bulk ordered from a local gift shop, or make your own from supplies obtained from an arts and supply stores. Another place to find wedding favors is online from national wedding favor companies, today there are dozens to choose from. Decide on a product that will represent you as a couple well and wrap it so it will compliment the look of your wedding reception.

Top Selling Wedding Favors
1) Wedding Fans
2) Calla Lily Candles
3) Miniature galvanized favor pail buckets
4) Photo coasters
5) Wine stopper
6) Photo frame place cards
7) Decorative keychains
8) Miniature chalkboard table number sign
9) Personalized stemless wine glasses
10) Bottle openers

When you are contacting a national wedding favor company, because you are bulk ordering a product, very often you can negotiate more of a discount. What you may want to do, is look at many favor company websites for ideas, find 3 companies that offer a product you like and call each of them and go with the one that can offer the best deal. Also try to have a company send you one sample product, before you bulk order.

Reputable National Wedding Favor Companies
www.americanbridal.com
www.beau-coup.com
www.blissweddingmarket.com
www.bridalweddingfavors.com
www.efavormart.com
www.ellasweddingfavors.com
www.favorfavor.com
www.favorsbyserendipity.com
www.favorwarehouse.com
www.foreverandalways.com
www.greataffordablefavors.com
www.gunthergifts.com
www.herweddingfavors.com
www.kateaspen.com
www.littlethingsfavors.com
www.myweddingfavors.com
www.partyandweddingfavors.com
www.pricewisefavors.com
www.topweddingfavors.com
www.weddingfavors.com
www.weddingfavors.org
www.weddingfavorsunlimited.com
www.weddingthings.com
www.wherebridesgo.com
www.withthisfavor.com

What you should do before ordering wedding favors, is to note your wedding theme and color scheme. Also take your wedding favor budget, then take the wedding guest count and add 10% more to the count and use that amount and divide by your total. 10% of your budget should be used for additional expenses needed to box, bag, wrap, ribbon, string, yarn, tag, and any additional costs to decorate the favors. The number you need is a per person cost of ordering wedding favors. You should order wedding favors 6 weeks to 2 months before the wedding, have them arrive 3 weeks to a month before the wedding and wrap them about 2 to 3 weeks before the wedding. Have them wrapped before a week prior to your wedding week, your wedding week you will be too busy and to have them wrapped and ready to go is one less worry.

Some brides might use their mother, sisters or maid-of-honor to help them wrap their wedding favors. Other brides make a fun evening of it, have family or friends make delicious desserts and set up a coffee bar then invite all the bridesmaids over to help wrap. After the favors are wrapped, keep the favors from prying eyes, keep them in an empty guest room, side of a home office, in a storage room or closet, keep the surprise factor at the wedding reception. Make sure the wedding favors are stored away from the sun, and cold and hot temperatures. Practice how the favors are to be wrapped before others arrive to help wrap, so you can leave instructions on wrapping and to be sure all the favors are wrapped consistently.

You should also name a person that is responsible for putting all the wedding favors out at your reception and discuss how the wedding favors should be situated on the table place settings or be displayed on a table near the reception entrance. Make sure the wedding favors are displayed in a way that make a beautiful presentation.

Interview Questions for your Wedding Favor Company
1-What is the name of the wedding favor company, what is the name of the person we talking to and what is their reach number and what website addresses you have?
2-If we order the favors now, at what date can we expect the favors to be received?
3-How long has the wedding favor company been in business?
4-What wedding favors do you specialize in the high end, over $10 per person?
5-What wedding favors do you specialize in the median end. from $5 to $10 per person?
6-What wedding favors do you specialize in the low end, under $5 per person?
7-What wedding favors would you recommend at our per person wedding cost?
8-Do you have enough wedding favors of that particular product for our wedding guest count?
9-If we find we need additional more favors, will we be able to order more?
10-What place setting wedding favors do you have? how much is the cost?
11-Do you offer any special promotions on wedding favors?
12-Do you have any favors that adhere to the color scheme of our wedding? wedding theme?
13-Are the wedding favors in stock and ready to be shipped or do the favors need to be made or ordered?
14-How would you recommend the wedding favor be wrapped, bagged, or boxed? do you have the materials needed? where might we find them? if you have them is there an additional cost?
15-Do you also offer decorative ribbon? string? decorative yarn? tags? decorative stuffing paper? if so how much would be the costs? if not what stores do you recommend?
16-Do you offer super discounts on wedding favors that are going out of stock? how much would they cost?
17-Can we receive samples of wedding favors that we are interested in before we order them in bulk? is it free or is there a little cost?
18-What happens if any favors are found damaged upon arrival?
19-Who do we call and ask for, if there is a problem with our order?
20-Are we sure to receive the order before the date we need them?
21-What is the best deal you can do for us in the favors we are interested in?
22-How will the favors be shipped?
23-What would be our final costs including all expenses, taxes, and fees?
24-How can we pay for the order? credit card? debit card? certified check? personal check? Paypal? cash? other?
25-Can you provide us with 3 referrals that have purchased favors from you in the past year? (Contact at least 2)


Some of these online companies will require you to order products through their website, make sure you get instructions on how to get the discounts they quoted. If you can, try to get what is agreed to in writing, specifically mentioning what is promised and dates quoted for the product. Make sure the dates quoted are safe dates for you for the wedding favors to arrive, which should be at least 3 weeks before the wedding. You always want a cushion in the event there is an issue or a mix-up with the wedding favors. There are a few wedding favor companies that don't use a customer phone, all correspondence is handled through email. Some of these companies are pretty good, but just to be safe for your wedding you want to reach someone live if you have to.

Put a lot of thought in when it comes to choosing a good wedding favor, don't get a cheap wedding favor, your wedding guests will cherish their nice gift, make it unique! See you on the other side!


Sunday, February 5, 2012

Interview Questions for your Bridal Registry

Bridal registries have been used by wedding couples for many years. They have become a very convenient way to inform their wedding guests what wedding gifts they could really use for their home. The first bridal registry was started way back in the 1920's at a Chicago department store called Marshal Fields. Today thousands of department stores, gift stores, and other businesses have added bridal registries to their business.

Some other advantages of bridal registries is that they help the newlyweds avoid getting duplicate gifts and many offer an exchange of one gift for another to get a gift they are looking for. The thing the bridal registry does, it eliminates the need for guessing when it comes to buying the newlyweds a nice wedding present.

Before a couple signs up for a bridal registry, they should do a couple of things before signing up for a stores bridal registry. First they should visit a number of department stores and note the price of common items such as fine china. Whatever store has the best price for common items is the store a couple should more consider, you want to consider trying to save money for your wedding guests as they are looking for a wedding present to buy for you. The other thing to consider is to choose a store that more closely resembles your style of home decor.

Next, when you sign up for a bridal registry you want to select gifts in all different price ranges. Some families can afford nice expensive gifts, some families buy gifts around what each wedding dinner costs per person, and some friends you had in college or high school might have a slim picking budget and can only afford an inexpensive item. You want gift choices with wide price options. You don't want to sign up with too many gift registries, if not enough gifts are selected at a store, you won't be able to take advantage of a great big discount or pick a gift that is free. An unwritten rule, you should sign up with one registry for around every one hundred wedding guests up to three. Small weddings one, medium size weddings two, and big weddings with three bridal registries.

Many businesses run their bridal registry differently, some will give you a scanner, some will give you a checklist of items to check off, and some will have a bridal customer service representative mark down what items you want from a list they carry. When you register, it's a good idea to have the bride and groom choosing the items together and make it a fun and exciting day. Choose a time when the department store or gift shop is less busy, avoid weekends, usually choose late mornings or early afternoons late in the week are a good time for the appointment.

Before the couple has their appointment to choose gifts for their registry, the couple should review the list of items they would like to receive in their registry. If you are concerned with decorating your house, you should discuss what colors you want prevalent in various rooms. Also discuss on special occasions how many guests you might expect to have such as for a dinner table, might it be 4, 6, 8, 10, or more, how many place settings might you need. As for place settings, you should strive for having 3 sets. One set for everyday living, one set for special occasions, and a second set for a change for special occasions. Also get glassware for every day living and for special occasions. Also consider how you both plan to entertain, choose items according to whether you plan to entertain formally or casually.


Before you start registering, you can use the wedding checklist below and cross off everything that you already have (or don't want). Then, refer to this wedding checklist when you're making the final decisions about what to put on your wedding gift registry. Happy Registering!

For Your Kitchen
Apron, Bakeware, Beer mugs, Blender, Bottle opener, Bread box, Cake dome, Cake plate, Can opener, Casserole dish, Cast iron grill pan, Centerpiece bowl, Champagne flutes, Charger plates, Coasters, Cocktail shaker, Coffee cups, Coffee grinder, Coffee maker, Colander, Cuisinart, Cutlery set, Dishcloths, Drinking glasses, Espresso machine, Flour sifter, Food processor, Fruit bowls, Garlic press, Glassware sets, Grater, Grilling machine, Ice cream maker, Ice cream scoop, Juice extractor, Kitchen rugs, Kitchen scissors, Kitchen timer, Kitchen towel set, Margarita glasses, Martini glasses, Measuring Cups, Measuring Spoons, Meat tenderizer, Microwave Dishes, Microwave Oven, Mixing bowls, Napkin Holder, Oven mitts/Pot holders, Pasta cooker, Pasta set, Pie Plate, Pitchers, Popcorn popper, Rice cooker, Pots and Pans Set, Roasting pan, Rolling pin, Salad Bowl, Salad tongs, Salt and pepper set, Saucepan, Sauté pan, Serving bowls, Serving platters, Serving Utensils, Shot glasses, Silverware, Soda making kit, Spatula, Spice rack, Sugar and creamer, Teakettle, Toaster, Toaster Oven, Tupperware set, Utensils, Vegetable peeler, Water goblets, Wine glasses (red/white), Wine opener, Wok or Stir Fry, Wooden spoons.

For Your Dining Room
How Many Place Settings(   )?, Candle Holders, Candles, Centerpiece decor, Charger Plates, Coasters, Fine China Set (2?), Flatware, Ice Bucket, Linen Napkins, Place mats, Table linens, Tiered server, Vase, Wine cooler, Wine rack.

For Your Bathroom
Bath bubbles, Bath mats, Bath oils, Bath sheets, Bath towels, Bathrobes (his and her), Body lotion, Body wash, Decorative Towels, Hair curler, Hair dryer, Hand towels, Lotion, Lotion dispenser, Massage Oil, Massager, Scale, Scented Soaps, Shower curtain, Shower liner, Shower mats, Shower radio, Soap dish, Soap dispenser, Tissue box cover, Toothbrush holder, Towel racks, Tumbler, Washcloths, Wastebasket.

For Your Bedroom
Alarm clock, Bedspread, Blankets, Blinds, Body Pillows, Comforters, Contour pillows, Curtains, Drapery rods and panels, Drapery, Dust ruffle, Duvet cover, European pillowcases, European pillows, Featherbed,
Fitted sheets, Flat sheets, Mattress pad, Pillowcases, Pillows, Satin Sheets, Shams, Sheers, Small rug, Wall Decorations, Wall Pictures.

For Your Closet/Cleaning
Air purifier, Broom, Closet organizers, Drawer organizers, Dust pan, Garment bags, Humidifier, Iron, Ironing board, Laundry basket/hamper, Luggage sets, Mop, Pants hangers, Shirt hangers, Shoe rack, Stepping stool or smaller ladder, Suit hangers, Trash cans, Travel bags, Vacuum cleaner.

For Your Living Room/Other Accessories
Air mattress, Bed tray, Bedside lamps, Bicycles, Bookcase, Bose Stereo, Carbon monoxide detector, CD rack, Ceiling lighting, Coffee Tables, Computer accessories, Decorative storage, Digital camera, DVD player, DVD rack, End Tables, Floor lamps, Grill, HD Movies, HDTV, Home entertainment system, Home stereo, Kindle/Kindle Fire, IPad, IPhone, IPod, Laptop Computer, Magazine rack, Mini bar/bar accessories, Oil Painting, Ottoman, Patio Set, Photo album, Picture frames, Shelving, Smoke detector, Snack tables, Table lamps, VCR, Video Games, Wall art, Wall clock, Wall frames, Wall lighting, Wall mirrors.


The month before your wedding you should check in with your registry once every week, late in the week, preferably on a Thursday or Friday. If anything is chosen off your registry replace it with another item of similar price. If an item is out of stock replace it with another item in a similar price range. Some registries and some managers run their registries very well, others are very sneaky and mislead on what is included. To get the most out of your registry check in regularly, the more your guests buy from your registry the more in discounts and free gifts you will get from your registry. Now to questions you should have for your registry.

Interview Questions for your Bridal Registry
1-What is the name, and address, and phone number and what is the website address of the department store, gift shop, or other bridal registry?
2-Ask for a business card, what is the name, and phone number of our customer service representative for our registry?
3-Who should we ask for? what is the managers name that oversees the registry should a problem arise? what is their name and phone number? are they located in the store or are they located elsewhere?
4-How many years has the store been in business?
5-How many years has the store run a bridal registry?
6-How many years have you been working in this business?
7-How many years have you been working the bridal registry?
8-Can you explain how your bridal registry works?
9-Do you offer a list price of items in the registry? can we take the list price for the registry home with us for review?
10-What hours and days of the week is the bridal registry and the store open?
11-How do we select items in our registry? scanner device? mark off a check list? a customer service manager marks down what we want? other?
12-Can you review with us in any place setting dish set, what items are included and what items are excluded?
13-Will our registry be online, available to look at off the internet or is offline?
14-Can we meet with you late of each week before our wedding to update the registry for items bought or for items that run out of stock?
15-How quickly do our updates get entered into the registry?
16-How does one of our wedding guests order items online under our names? (if online is available)
17-How does our of our wedding guests order items in person walking into the store? should our guests request a specific person?
18-Do we get a sheet or can we or look online of the items available? chosen?
19-Can our wedding guests look online of the items available?
20-Can we upload the items onto our wedding couple website?
21-Can you find items according to our decorative style and color scheme for particular rooms?
22-Do you offer gift cards for the registry? how do they work?
23-Should we leave any specific instructions about the registry with our wedding guests?
24-What is the return policy with receipts? without receipts?
25-How long will the registry be available after the wedding?
26-Do we have to close the bridal registry out when its finished?
27-Does the registry offer shipping? online? shipping for a wedding guest that walks and purchases from the store?
28-Are we allowed to exchange items from the registry with another item in the same price range?
29-What happens if a gift is not working or found broken after it's opened?
30-What naming convention is used to set up our bridal registry? are passwords or pass codes needed by our wedding guests to get into our registry?
31-What has to happen for us in order to get a discount on gifts we buy? how much of a discount can we get?
32-What has to happen for us to get free gifts?
33-Are there any promotions concerning the bridal registry that you can share?
34-Are there any limits to the amount of items selected for our bridal registry?
35-Do you run your bridal registry in conjunction with any other businesses?
36-Can the registry be combined with other brides to increase the chance of getting discounts?
37-How far in advance of our wedding do you recommend we sign up for the bridal registry?
38-Can you put everything we have discussed in writing?
39-Is there anything else we need to discuss that was not covered?
40-Can you provide us with 3 referrals of other couples that have used the registry? (contact at least 2)

Use your gut feeling when dealing with a bridal registry customer service manager, most of the major department stores have honest people that run their bridal registry, however some businesses might tell you one thing and you find they lie to you, for that reason you should always get what is agreed to in writing. If you are uncomfortable dealing with a bridal registry customer service person, move on to find another registry. Review closely what is included and not excluded in things such as fine china sets. You may be led to believe the place mats and soup bowls and salad dishes are included and find they are excluded in a place setting.

The key in a successful bridal registry is to check in often with the customer service manager and check with referrals. You are not suppose to push your wedding guests into buying a specific item but you can include the information on your wedding website or have a note on a secondary invitation piece providing information about the bridal registries in which you are registered.

Stay on top of your bridal registry and many will buy from it and then you get what you want and get major discounts on items you want. See you on the other side!