Proposing Dreams Wedding & Events

"to be engaged" and "to be married"

Proposing Dreams & The Wedding Design Studio are working on our two new monthly classes at The Studio "to be engaged" and "to be married" .... chat with local professionals about where to start your planning in our "to be engaged" class and get great advice and tips from seasoned pro Sabrina Torti about how to have a smooth and successful wedding day in our "to be married" class!

Stay tuned for more information!

Fox 2 HOT LIST - please vote!!

Please take a moment to click on this link and vote for Proposing Dreams http://ktvi.cityvoter.com/proposing-dreams/biz/530214 Past and current clients please leave a message about your services with Proposing Dreams - even if we don't win the words of praise are greatly appreciated and so flattering!

Here are a few that were posted already! Thank you all!!

Posted by: Katie H.
Sabrina and her team are amazing! They helped us plan our special day and made it one to remember! Every little detail was as important to them as it was to my fiance and I. Sabrina is great to work with and truly cares about each client. Don't try to plan your wedding alone...Let Sabrina and her team help!

Posted by: Kathy W.  
I love Proposing Dream. Sabrina and her staff has everything under control. Anytime I mention something I would like to have for the wedding she knows exactly who to contact. Love her!!! Kathy W.

Posted by: Nicole C.  
I was fortuante enough to have Sabrina when she was up and coming. Not only did she make my dreams come true but was there for every step of the way. If I had it to do again, I wouldn't change a thing!

Posted by: amandalynnmc  
They planned my wedding back in 2008 and my day was PERFECT.

Posted by: Melissa K.
Sabrina and her crew are THE BEST! She helped plan our wedding and now 2 of our friends' weddings as well! Everything is always amazing!! I've always said that she was our #1 vendor for our most special day. We would refer Proposing Dreams to anyone.

Posted by: Mindy E.
Sabrina and her Team made my wedding Incredible. This is the best money I spent on my wedding. They took my vision and made it better than I could have imagined. They have all the best contacts to make your wedding PERFECT !! If you are planning a wedding call Sabrina today !!!

Posted by: Adam
We used Sabrina for our wedding way back in June 6th, 2005 and feel it was one of the best decisaions we made to help take the burden off some of our tasks needed to plan our day. It's great to be a guest at your own wedding and not have to worry about anything. Thanks again, Sabrina
Sincerely,
Kim&Adam

Posted by: Amanda
Amanda D & Maureen were wonderful. They kept us on time, solved any problem before I even knew about it, and just generally took care of my husband and I throughout the day.

Posted by: Eileen D.  
Sabrina and her team are Fabulous. I can't say enough about how great they are. The money we spent on hiring Proposing Dreams was the best we spent on the whole wedding event.
 
Posted by: Mstery H.   
super friendly, accomodating, and REAL. This is one of the most important days of your life... Why not have someone that really cares in your corner!

Best of the FOX 2 HOT LIST!!

Check out this email I got the other day....we are so excited to be recognized. Please help us continue to rise to the top and go online to vote. Yes, there is a sign up but it just takes a moment.

.................

Congratulations! Your business has been nominated as one of the top businesses in St. Louis as part of the Best of the FOX 2 HOT LIST. We strongly encourage you to personalize your listing to your own liking by adding new images and unique descriptions.

What is the Best of the FOX 2 HOT LIST?
- An online guide to local businesses that launched with a contest starting 1/25/2010. The guide will be available year-round.
- Consumers from all over St. Louis vote for their favorite businesses on http://ktvi.cityvoter.com/contests/best-of-the-fox-2-hot-list/4759
- You can view your listing immediately.

The Best of the FOX 2 HOT LIST is powered by CityVoter. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at [email protected]

10 Reasons to hire a wedding coordinator...

With the holiday’s just past and Valentine's Day just around the corner....couples are getting engaged left and right. This means its booking season! Also brides that were engaged last year realize "Oh Man! I'm getting married this year I better get on it!" So, we and many other great vendors are going to start filling up.

Need a little help to convince yourself or fiancée or family why having a wedding coordinator is a great investment for your wedding day - here are 10 reasons!!

Ok, so maybe we are a little biased, considering that we are professional wedding planners. However, we believe in what we do, and we have seen many beautiful wedding under our direction.

1) Piece of mind
Stress is a big part of any wedding. A wedding planner can help alleviate the stress by helping you with the most difficult parts of a wedding. They can also be someone to vent to and a voice of reason.

2) Avoid the business side of wedding
A wedding planner can handle all the business details like negotiating the price of tent rentals, making sure the limousine company isn’t charging too much and tipping your vendors at the reception. Not to mention just the details of what to order and from whom, do you really need that and don't forget to order this.

3) Leverage networking relationships with vendors
Locating experienced, trustworthy wedding vendors can be time consuming and expensive. Wedding planners have extensive lists of qualified vendors that they have used many times. At Proposing Dreams, if we are ever offered a special discount or rate we pass that on to you.

4) Help keep focus
With all of the responsibility that a wedding brings, it is not hard to lose focus. A wedding planner can help you keep your focus with timelines and task lists.

5) Help with creative ideas and fine details
Wedding planners have seen many different and unique weddings. An experienced wedding planner is a great resource to bounce ideas off of. Also keep you from recreating costly ideas that may have flopped in the past.

6) Time management – time is money

The average wedding can take more than 250 hours to plan. With today's hectic lifestyles, you may not have time to compare all the options and make sure you get the best deal. If you can take your planners advice and instructions you can shed hours and hours off planning a wedding alone.

7) Money savings
While it is possible that wedding planners can get you discounts through some of their contacts, the real value comes by letting a wedding planner review your contracts. They read contracts every day, and they can help you avoid hidden and unnecessary charges as well as help you negotiate.

8) Professional quality to wedding – Taken more seriously by vendors
Working with a wedding planner is like having an experienced manager in your corner that can handle any situation that might occur. Should a problem arrise, we can more effeciantly and effectivly handle it than your Aunt Kay or Cousin Sally.

9) Wedding Budget – Keep your eye on the prize.
Wedding expenses can easily get out of control if you are not careful. Wedding planners have checklists and spreadsheets that can help you set and monitor your budget. They can also be your sanity check when you are considering how much to spend on certain items.

10) Enjoy family and friends on your wedding day and during the planning.

Prior to the wedding day there are too many chances for too many opionions and therefore judgement on your wedding planning. Save your sanity but hiring a professional advocate that will honestly tell you when you have great ideas or it's not worth the fight.
Last but not least, a wedding is a day that is meant to be enjoyed and spent with family and friends. With a wedding planner running the show behind the scenes, you can be assured that it everything will work out fine on your big day without your involvement.

We have a large number of pending contracts right now and will be posting closed out dates soon. Please schedule a consultation asap and lock in your date.

Now is the time to book appointments. We have a few weddings over the next few months but weekend will be open for appointments as well as Tues, Wed, Thurs.

I am proud to announce that that we have our entire staff of 7 coordinators are returning for this season along with Cassie our office manager and Stephanie our newest intern. We are excited to offer a fantastic team to help more and more couples have amazing and successful wedding days!!

Best Wishes and Happy Planning in 2010!!

First 10 steps to planning your wedding…..by Sabrina Torti

1) Propose or be proposed to....this is a given right??

2) Announce to family and friends that you are engaged - enjoy the celebration before the planning begins.

3) Talk with parents about finances! Where will they come from, who wants to contribute what - THIS IS IMPORTANT!! No one should start planning without a budget. Try to get a dollar amount rather than – I will pay for "blank" - This will allow you to retain control over aspects of the planning. Be realistic about what you can afford to contribute.

4) Talk about time of year for the wedding, are there dates you can't have a wedding?

4a) If you can - book a wedding planner!! A planner can save you time, stress and costly mistakes.

5) Select the wedding party and ask them to be in the wedding. Talk with each other about the number of attendants you would like to have.

6) Start the guest list, with names not just guessing the number of people you think will be invited. It might be way higher or lower than you think. You also don't want to fall in love with a location that you can't fit in, can't afford because of your number of guests or would swallow your guests because it's too big.

7) Look into locations. Ceremony and reception venues can determine the date based on availability. Also like before, you don't want to fall in love with something you can't afford or later find out that your budget is blown because the guest list has grown and the per person cost is more that you should have locked into.

8) Once the venues are selected, finalize the wedding date.

9) Start researching vendors, in order of importance to you. Don't assume anything will be available or easy to get. If you have the money for deposits - lock em' in. Some of the online budget sheets have breakdowns of what percentages go where, but I don't always find this the case. Remember if photography is most important book what reasonable (see following chart) but if you really want one that is out of the budget range, then you must give up something that you aren't as concerned with having. It's about balancing what you want with what you can afford. This goes for anything. If food or location is most important then maybe you’ll have to have DJ rather than a band.

10) Start a wedding binder, tracking all information found, received, collected. Tracking all payments made or to be made. It will become your wedding world. Come into The Wedding Design Stuido and purchase one of our custom wedding binders already loaded with tips, tricks, checklists, budgeting and so much more!

Open House for The Wedding Design Studio!

If you are reading this blog you are probably planning a wedding and do we have some great news for you!

Proposing Dreams Wedding and Events is excited to announce the opening of The Wedding Design Studio; a comprehensive studio offering brides complimentary access to an extensive vault of wedding resources.  A concept seen around the country, but not yet in St. Louis… until now!

The Wedding Design Studio is a haven, a creative stomping ground, if you will, for brides to escape, kick back, and have fun planning their wedding.  Guests may browse our professional member portfolios, bridal magazines, color swatches, planning and etiquette books, and so much more!  Special events will include open houses hosted by top wedding professionals, cake tastings, mini bridal shows and networking parties with local vendors.

 

Planning a wedding should be fun, not stressful…  we’re here to make that happen! And the best part.....it's all FREE!! No where else in St. Louis can you get professional advice and access to such amazing tools with no pressure and no cost to you.

 

See more online at www.theweddingdesignstudiostl.com and please come by and check us out!

 

Bridal Open House for The Wedding Design Studio! Join us for our open house on Wednesday, September 9th, 2009 from 4:00pm-8:00pm (happy hour from 5:00-6:00 with drinks and snacks) at 3520-1 Greenwood Blvd. Maplewood, Mo. 63143.  We’re looking forward to seeing you!

 

 

Here are a few photos from our Professionals Open House, excuse my lack of photography talents:

Table Display by Aries Co

Centerpiece by Sisters Flowers

Table Stationery by Dickey Designs

Hightop Table and New High Chivaris from Aries Co

 

A little snack display by Proposing Dreams

 

Our comfy couch area

back of the Studio - that's our little office behind the screen.

 

Information Central - 40 Categories with 10 amazing wedding professional in each!

 

 

Today's To Do's

WOW!! I have been BUSY!!! Hence the lack of blog activity but we're coming back!!

So just for today here is a look at my to-do list:

Answer all emails

Clear out trash emails

Getting appointments made for next week

Get DH's schedule in my day planner for future reference

Make Cassie's to-do list

Write PD Newsletter to Coordinators

Get my own past reviews and the other gals past reviews together

 

Contact Amanda about shortened letter for *secret project*

Make a few follow-up calls for *secret project*

Schedule party for *secret project*

Get all information ready for the launch of *secret project*

 

Order items for client

Go get rest of client's invites

Pay for client's cake

Move appt time with client for Friday

Send out 3 new client bids and return calls from yesterday

 

Work on tententen website updates

Set Schedule for tententen Top 3 Finalist

Get images and videos from yesterday's wild ride

 

Update other websites

Put on Twitter and Facebook badges

 

Tweet this post

 

Get shower, get dressed, possibly buy new dress for tonight's The Knot Industry Party

Take son to in-laws as DH is working since 9:00pm last night to 1:00pm today he'll need to sleep before going back in tonight at 9:00 but then we have the whole weekend off!

 

Go grocery shopping for camping trip this weekend

Pack for camping trip this weekend

Get the last of Mason's stuff for school

Balance check book

Clean house

Do laundry

Schedule next ultrasound after referring to DH's schedule so he can be there

 

and I'm sure so much more!!

 

Better get on it!!!

 

I write this not just to tell you how busy life can get but to show you that making lists can make your planning and day in general much less stressful and ultimately more successful in completing your tasks!!