CasaSugar

Casa Interview: Destination Wedding Planner Alison Hotchkiss

CasaSugar — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 08:00:00 -0700

Alison Hotchkiss, the creative director of Alison Events and the author of Destination Wedding Planner, took some time out of her busy wedding planning schedule to offer CasaSugar readers some words of advice on planning their weddings. If you, or a couple you know, are planning a destination wedding, I highly recommend Alison's new book to help lend a guiding hand in your planning process.

CasaSugar: Congratulations on the book! I love the tone and the fun look of this planner.

Alison Hotchkiss: Oh thank you! I thought that the imagery and the lighthearted tone would encourage people to enjoy planning their weddings.

CasaSugar: What was your experience with working with Chronicle Books [the publisher of Alison’s book]?

Alison Hotchkiss: It was fun to work with Chronicle. They were really open to all of my suggestions and it felt like a very collaborative project. It felt really good, and they treated me like family. Chronicle is very supportive. They’re very cool people over there. I feel very happy to have them as my publishing company.

CasaSugar: How did you get started as a destination wedding planner?

Alison Hotchkiss: I’ve been an avid traveler since childhood, and my initial goal was to be a meeting planner, since my understanding was that they could travel all over the world. So a couple years after doing that I fell into the right situation helping with someone doing day-of event wedding planning. I realized there was a need for destination wedding planners; there were only a small number of us. The cover of my book shows the first wedding I planned. The bride on the cover is Emily Nathan, who got married in Kauai. I gave that wedding 150 percent of my energy, and I realized how much I loved it. That was seven years ago. So now, I’ll travel pretty much anywhere, but my specialty is tropical locations or mountainous locations. I love going somewhere new and learning about the place, the culture, and making new friends. It’s a blast.

To hear about some things a couple should consider when planning a destination wedding, read more.

CasaSugar: What would you say are some of the most important points of advice for a bride who’s starting to make decisions about her destination wedding?

Alison Hotchkiss: I think it’s important to narrow it down to one specific area if possible. Often couples will come in and say, “Somewhere in the tropics.” We try to help couples to determine what they really want for their destination wedding, whether they want their weddings to be activity-based, culture-based, etc. We ask couples to sit down and make a list of what the most important things in the wedding are, and then offer help in narrowing it down even further. Oftentimes weather is a consideration; the time of year will narrow the choice by determining what month is best for the location.

If people are on a budget, that cusping month (such as in May/June in Mexico), can save hundreds of dollars on your room rates in June, and the likelihood of a tropical hurricane is much less, though the weather may be sweltering hot. You have to just be flexible.

CasaSugar: What are some of the most fun weddings you’ve planned? What would you say the elements are that are universal?

Alison Hotchkiss: I think the idea of a destination is making it about a long weekend or a holiday for people and less about it being one day. We often find that we turn it into a four-day weekend starting with a fun cocktail reception, and then plan activities for the next day. Instead of rehearsal dinners we’ve had rehearsal barbecues down on the beach, and we’ve done the wedding brunch the morning of the wedding instead of the day after the wedding.

You don’t want to overwhelm your guests and feel as if they have to do everything, but it’s great to have options and have lots of fun things to do and experience and the culture and the local community.

I would say Costa Rica was one of my favorite weddings, and we also did a wedding in Sundance, UT, and those were both really fun. One was centered around surfing, the beach, and the tropics . . . it was a really laid-back group. The other wedding, in Sundance, consisted of people skiing, drinking hot toddies after skiing, and sitting around the fire.

People also have to consider, “Who are your guests?” Be mindful of who your guests are. Are they elderly? Are there kids coming? Do you have teenagers? Have babysitters services available if you need to, and if there are teenagers, find cool teenager things to do, have a movie night. If there are elderly guests, make sure there’s always a chair for them, and have a waiter dedicated to making sure they’re comfortable. I think that people get a little caught up in the planning and forget about all of the people who are attending. You have to remember your audience.

Alison has a lot more advice for brides, so make sure to check back on Monday for the second half of this interview!

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Who Designs Your Nuptial Décor?

CasaSugar — Wed, 14 May 2008 09:15:45 -0700

You may not be a DIY bride but you probably enjoy being involved in most of the details of your wedding day. There are some engaged gals, though, that leave it all (invites, floral arrangements, color scheme, tablecloths, etc.) up to a wedding planner (or their moms). Take this poll and let me know where you fall in the bunch.
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Wedding Planner: Make Your Own Stamps

CasaSugar — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 12:00:08 -0700

One place where I splurged when planning my wedding was designing and ordering custom postage stamps. Since I'd put so much time into designing my invitations, I didn't want to muck up the pretty envelopes with the pink, overly saccharine Love stamps that were my option from the USPS (plus the pink stamps would clash horribly with my celedon green envelopes). Instead, I decided to design postage stamps through Zazzle, which has partnered with the USPS to provide stamps to folks who are interested in designing them to mark special occasions or to just add a little bit of fun to a letter.

To see how to make your own stamps, just read more.

The process is very simple. Just upload a photo, add text, and then click and drag the image or text until you have it perfectly placed. You can even choose between a wide range of font sizes and styles, and also choose the size of your stamp. Stamps are also available in a number of postal rates, from Postcard to Priority. I think this is a great way to add a little something extra to an invitation and a bit of a couple's personality to the envelope or RSVP card. Granted, it will cost you a bit more. A sheet of 20 first-class stamps in the small size on Zazzle is $14.95, while a sheet of 20 at the post office would only run you $8.40. Still, if you order more than one sheet, you get $2 taken off each order. I figured that I ended up paying an extra $75 for all of my postage, and even though we're trying to keep a tight rein on our budget, my fiancé and I both agreed that this was one place we were happy to splurge.

To get started, just go here, and for all of our wedding coverage, check out IDoSugar.

Casa Interview: Destination Wedding Planner Alison Hotchkiss (Part 2)

CasaSugar — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 09:00:47 -0700

Alison Hotchkiss, the creative director of Alison Events and the author of Destination Wedding Planner, has plenty of smart advice on planning destination weddings. If you, or a couple you know, are planning a destination wedding, I highly recommend Alison's new book to lend a guiding hand in your planning process. You can read the first half of the interview here. Alison has more great advice in the second half of this interview.

CasaSugar: When you plan a destination wedding, do you try to use local artisans, caterers, and other services?

Alison Hotchkiss: I definitely try to use as much local support as possible. It’s cost-effective, puts money back into the community, and is a positive way to support the area. I will sometimes hire a local planner to serve as my eyes and ears locally, and then I have someone to help us when we’re there. Especially in smaller beach communities, a lot of negotiations and contracts are over a handshake, not a formal agreement, so it’s important to respect the way that the local community does business.

To see Alison's advice on everything from wedding favors to organizing activities, read more.

CasaSugar: What’s your take on wedding favors? Have there been any that have stood out? Have there been any alternatives that were creative or impressive?

Alison Hotchkiss: One of my favorite favors was from my Costa Rica wedding. All of the guests were given Holga cameras preloaded with film, so everyone was able to take photos throughout the ceremony. There was a big beautiful glass bin where everyone could drop their film and they could reload throughout the evening. At the end of the evening the bride took all of the film, processed it, and put it on the Pictage website, so everyone could see all of the photos that were taken.

Another trend I’ve been seeing is people paying it forward by offsetting people’s carbon footprint for travel. This is often seen on the bottom of the menu or program. Other couples have donated to schools or children’s community shelters. I’ve seen a lot more of that than people purchasing favors. I think it’s a waste of money to do a favor these days when there are so many other things you can put your money towards.

CasaSugar: How do you deal with gifts at a destination wedding?

Alison Hotchkiss: I rarely see gifts at a destination wedding. Most people know to not bring gifts and to ship them in advance. If somebody were to get gifts they’d have to pack them and bring them back. You’d have to arrange for shipping, and oftentimes if you’re staying at a hotel that’s something they can execute for you.

One other great story is that some of my clients, in lieu of wedding gifts, the client included a notecard in the invitation asking everyone in lieu of gifts to “pay it forward” and do something for someone else, be it a family or an organization in their name, and then to write it on the notecard. Then, when people got to the wedding, the guests had the same card that had their name and their table numbers on it, so they replaced the name cards with the pay it forward card, and we had this really awesome display of what people had done to pay it forward. They ranged from deep, meaningful stories to really silly stories, such as “Oh, I paid for the person’s toll behind you,” and someone else said, “I rescued a bird off the side of the road.” That was a really cute idea and a great way to say, Let’s not focus so much on material gifts, and focus more on giving back to the world.

CasaSugar: Once guests get to the destination, have you found a fun way to organize activities? Do you let guests know a schedule beforehand, or spring it on them as a fun surprise? How would you say is the best way to organize this?

Alison Hotchkiss: I’d say the majority of people these days are creating their own wedding websites, which is the best way to communicate all of the information that can happen. It can have directions, wedding activities, local things to do and see, all of that. Or, rather than asking people to sign up beforehand on the web-site you can have people, during the rehearsal dinner, sign up for the following day’s tours. We have used a chalkboard so it was more fun than writing it on a 8.5x11 piece of paper. Different activities we have done are a snorkeling adventure, massage, or horseback riding. It’s nice to not have to determine things so far in advance.

CasaSugar: Given the economic climate right now, if you were going to recommend one area where guests can squeeze their budget, what can be downsized?

Alison Hotchkiss: I’d say music. We always tell people to go with a DJ vs. band, it’s thousands and thousands of dollars for a band. A band can run from $2,000 to $10,000. That’s one area. Another is limiting favors. You can also choose beer and wine instead of an open bar, or limiting the time of the open bar. Pick your battles and consider what’s most important.

Another area is the flowers. Instead of doing flowers, consider using a combination of herbs, flowers, succulents, and fruits. We did a wedding recently in the tropics and cut bougainvillea petals from the local branches and made a carpeted aisle for the ceremony. It was so vibrant and so colorful, and it was free. Use what you have locally.

CasaSugar: What would you have at your destination wedding?

Alison Hotchkiss: All I know is I want it to be somewhere tropical (with good surf), laid back, and I would be totally happy with fish tacos, a DJ, and local beer, Oh and I think I am going to wear a short dress and lose the shoes!

CasaSugar: That sounds excellent.

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Home Library: Destination Wedding Planner

CasaSugar — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 09:00:34 -0700

If you're an excited bride-to-be considering a destination wedding, you'd be well advised to pick up Destination Wedding Planner ($19.95). Written by wedding planner Alison Hotchkiss, creative director of Alison Events, this book is full of all the advice that a bride-to-be could possibly need for plotting the perfect far-flung wedding. I just received the book yesterday, and I haven't been able to tear myself away from its pages.

After pausing to take in the book's gorgeous cover (the photo was taken from a wedding on a Kauai beach), I admired its handsome, smart design. A ring binder spine makes it easy to flip through, and tabs labeling topics such as "Getting Started," "Location, Location," and "Pulling It Off" allow a harried bride-to-be to turn to the correct section at a moment's notice.

Each chapter begins with a collage of inspirational photos, printed on heavy cardstock. The cardstock page flips to reveal a hidden pocket, perfect for storing inspirational ideas, photographs, invitation samples, or lists. Throughout the book, Alison's tone is pitch-perfect. She conveys practical advice and inspired ideas in a welcoming tone that reminds me of my best girlfriends. The book is also really fun to read, with a combination of lists, highlighted tips, quizzes, and pages reserved for notes and contact information.

I definitely needed this book last year, when I was planning my destination wedding, but my loss is every other bride-to-be's gain. And for $20, this may be the smartest item you budget into your wedding!

Wedding Planner: A Letterpress Program For Your Big Day

CasaSugar — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:15:31 -0700

As you may have noticed, I'm a big fan of letterpress, so it's probably not a surprise that my fiancé and I are considering using letterpress programs for our wedding ceremony. While not often used at more casual weddings, programs are always a lovely keepsake for guests. Traditionally, wedding programs are a small booklet featuring the couple's names front and center, although it's becoming more common to use a single sheet of paper explaining the basics of the ceremony. As I made the local rounds of letterpress printers, one company that definitely caught my eye was Hello!Lucky.

Hello!Lucky is an eclectic, artistic letterpress company owned and operated by sisters Eunice and Sabrina Moyle. They can design your wedding stationery, or work with designs you have in mind, and will produce everything from save-the-date cards to the menus. For a video of the ladies of Hello!Lucky explaining how letterpress printing works, read more.

Hello! Lucky from bliss productions on Vimeo.

To order wedding letterpress program or reception cards from Hello!Lucky, check here. Do you plan on using a program card for your wedding? If you did, what did it look like? Tell me in the comments below!

Wedding Planner: Would You Get Married at Ikea?

CasaSugar — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 05:30:41 -0700

While this might not be for everyone (or for most anyone), I'm sure there are some Ikea addicts out there who will be charmed by the prospect of getting married at the big blue store.

The Ikea "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" Want to Get Married at the Mamma Mia! The Movie Wedding Event Couples Search (whoo! that's a mouthful, huh?) will take place on July 17th, a day before Universal Pictures' release of Mamma Mia! The Movie. Twenty couples will be selected to renew vows or get married at the Ikea Burbank store. Ikea has you covered - everything from the reception, justice of the peace, entertainment, and cake. Just bring yourself and up to 16 of your closest friends.

What else do you get? Well, there's a $500 Ikea gift card, other assorted, unnamed goodies, and a pre-screening of Mamma Mia! The Movie, You can complete the entry form until June 10th, telling Ikea why you'd like to get married, renew your vows, or participate in a commitment ceremony.

So tell me, are you tempted by this offer?
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Wedding Planner: Bridal Shower Thank You Gifts

CasaSugar — Thu, 15 May 2008 05:30:52 -0700

If you're planning a bridal shower, you're probably scouring your local shops looking for cute, inexpensive party gifts for your guests. These Cherry Blossom Gift Tins (10 for $22.50) are a great find. I don't know a lady out there who doesn't love pretty, small tins and boxes that can be used for stashing everything from earrings to sewing pins or change. There's just so many uses for little, pretty containers. These Japanese chiyogami (old-paper) gift tins would be a gorgeous, colorful, and unique keepsake tin for your party favors. You could fill them with something small and heartfelt, such as flower seeds, decorative small soaps, or chocolates. It's definitely a unique party favor that everyone will appreciate.

Wedding Planner: The Things We Do For Love

CasaSugar — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:00:25 -0700

When I moved in with my fiancé, I had some artwork and furniture that he simply refused to have moved into our house, citing them as either too colorful or girly. And on his end, there was some furniture that was too dull and bachelor pad-esque for my tastes. So, to appease each other, we had to get rid of those items. Ah, the things we do for love. Take this Craigslist ad, for example. Here we have a bride-to-be who's in the same situation, and is forced to choose between her future husband and her taffeta lady wingback chair:

This Craigslist seller writes:

The time has come for me and my glorious purple taffeta chair to part ways. I'm moving in with my husband-to-be, and we agreed there's not room for all three of us. As much as I love this chair, I love him more. So, I hope there is someone out there that will appreciate this beauty. It's been lightly used, and is in good condition. No tears, or stains, although the fabric has a few snags. The frame is solid, the cushion is spry. It looks and sits like a fresh, young chair, and is a beautiful purple with a happy sheen. Sorry if the pictures are a little blurry, I may have been sobbing gently when I took them.

Anyone else out there have stories about furniture or artwork you had to give up when you moved in with your partner or husband? Anything you made your significant other get rid of? Tell me in the comments below.

Wedding Planner: Advice From a Wedding Photographer

CasaSugar — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:15:39 -0700

Wedding photographer Jessamyn Harris is known for taking lovely, striking images of couples in love. I recently interviewed her about her business, and she provided all of those brides-to-be out there with valuable knowledge about what to look for when choosing a wedding photographer. Read on to find out all about Jessamyn's advice for hiring a wedding photographer, and if you're interested in hiring her, you can do so here.

CasaSugar: What's your favorite part about being a wedding photographer?

Jessamyn: Definitely the people I get to work with. I am really lucky to work with kind and creative clients who genuinely want a beautiful wedding because they love each other, and to whom artistic photography is a high priority. Combine that with gorgeous details to photograph, and it's a pretty nice setup. The best moments are when I really feel the connection between the bride and groom during the big and small moments of their wedding day, and of course when I know I got an amazing shot.

To see a gallery of Jessamyn's work, and to get her advice for choosing your own wedding photographer, just read more.
CasaSugar: What are the most challenging parts of your job?
Jessamyn: The most challenging aspects to being a wedding photographer are much the same as running any small business that is so based on the identity of the business owner - in other words, it's all me. I do all of the booking, planning, shooting, editing, and designing myself, as well as all of the other aspects of owning a business. Most of the time this is awesome and rewarding (because I hated working a full-time job for someone else!), but the flip side of that is that it can be exhausting and hard to escape. At the wedding itself, I work very hard physically and also emotionally to keep everyone happy and comfortable while being photographed. This is also something I like about it, though, so there are really two sides to each aspect.

CasaSugar: What should couples consider when choosing their wedding photographer?

Jessamyn: The number one thing a couple should look at when searching for a wedding photographer is style. You definitely want to be sure that what appeals to you is thoroughly represented in the photographers' portfolios. For example, my style is a mix of fine art, documentary, candid/ lifestyle shooting, and most of my clients are interested in keeping the more traditional family portraits to a minimum, with some time for unique portraits of the couple being the main focus. Most of my clients want candid, natural shots of the connections and moments between people, as well as some classic and beautiful portraits of themselves in their wedding finery. If I get the sense that a potential client wants a more traditional style than I tend to shoot (my style is something like "quirky, modern elegance"), I'll refer them to someone who has a little more mainstream sensibility. Besides style, I definitely think it's important to have a personal connection, or at least high comfort level, with your photographer. These two usually go hand in hand, but be sure they are someone you'll actually want at your wedding day. The more comfortable you feel with the photographer, the better the photos will be.

CasaSugar: What are some of the most memorable wedding shots you've taken?
Jessamyn: I have a shot going around the internet from a wedding last Summer of the bride's former roller derby teammates who served as usherettes at the couple's beautiful Napa Valley wedding, all in roller skates! This same wedding had a bounce house, and some other very unique details (and was recently featured on Style Me Pretty. Otherwise, it's usually the shots that I can tell will take the couple's breath away, or a shot of the bride looking like a beautiful vintage painting as she gets ready to get married. I also offer a "photo booth" type of setup, and these are often very memorable as well! This weekend, I had a very pregnant woman and her husband pose themselves as if she was about to deliver the baby, and there have been many other hilarious and shocking self-portraits taken.

View 21 Photos ›

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