Category: Wedding Guest List

How to Set a Wedding Budget

Post author By Admin
Post date January 26, 2022
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Planning a wedding can be both exciting and daunting – from choosing a wedding date, reception venue, wedding favors and suppliers, and wedding attire. Then comes the discussion about the wedding budget. No need to fret, we’re here to help! We have listed down below some of the things that are often overlooked when planning a wedding budget.

1. Wedding invites

Crafting your wedding invites surely is fun to do. We’re sure you’ve already planned your matching RSVPs, or maybe you even hired a calligrapher. However, allotting a budget for postage/stamps is something most couples tend to forget. These stamps may not be so pretty as compared to your envelopes and embossed invitations, but they do come in handy and are important when it comes time to mail those out!

2. Gratuities

Most people understand this as a “tip”. Although giving a tip is highly arbitrary and optional (but recommended), it is always worth it to give extra gratitude to the people who have worked far and beyond during your wedding. If you’re hiring a handful of wedding staff and suppliers, make sure to set aside enough amount of budget for the tip!

3. Taste tests

While you are looking forward to hiring a reliable and good-quality wedding caterer, we’re sure you are also prepping up for the much-awaited taste test and dry runs. Although most wedding caterers include the taste test in their service fees, there are still some suppliers who make this as a separate offer. The best option is to ask about the inclusions of their service and set aside a reasonable amount for taste testing.

4. Additional decorations and stationery

When you are envisioning your dream wedding theme and style, you may have overlooked the small details and decorations that must be budgeted too. These additional decorations may include table runners, candles, place cards, escort cards, and other small stationery pieces. While these things may still add up as the wedding preparations progress, it is best to allot a budget for them.

5. Thank you notes

When all the merriments and well wishes have been said and done, giving thanks to your guests who spent their time and resources for you is always a good idea. You want to thank them appropriately and everyone knows a thank you note in the mail is the way to do it. Thank you notes typically aren’t very expensive, but they do cost something, so they should be in your budget.

We at Mimi Ebichi Events take pride in treating our services as a wedding investment. We are committed to bringing blissful wedding celebrations to our valuable clients through our artistry, craft, and wedding planning experiences seasoned through the years. Book a FREE consultation with us today and let’s start this year by planning your wedding!

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Tags newly engaged, reception budget, wedding budget, wedding engagement, wedding planner VA, wedding planning DC

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How to Pick The Right Wedding Caterer

Post author By Admin
Post date December 22, 2021
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Choosing the right wedding vendors is no easy task. For most couples, it takes a couple of weeks, months even, on selecting the right wedding supplier and vendor for them. Thus, picking the right wedding caterer is no different at all. Since food is the total crowd-pleaser of any wedding, it is very crucial in the whole wedding preparation process. But don’t fret! Here are some tips on how to spot a reliable wedding caterer.

1. Wedding Venue Package

If your chosen wedding venue already comes with an in-house caterer, then this part would be easier for you. However, the downside of settling to a wedding venue and caterer package is that you have lesser room for negotiation. While your wedding reception comes with a venue-caterer package deal, you could still work your way around getting a nice discount or extras. Since cash is beloved by all, you could politely ask your caterer if they offer some valuable discounts or extras for clients like you who are willing to pay in full!

2. Compare, compare, compare

It never hurts to come up with a considerable list of preferred caterers. This will allow you to carefully weigh in the pros and cons of each caterer on your list; especially in terms of their package deals, the quantity of service, the scope of service, and quality of food above all. The easiest way to do this is to interview them and do initial research by visiting their website. This would help you build up your expectations towards the particular caterer.

3. Finalize your budget

The general rule is to never consider interviewing any caterer without a set budget and final guest list. All caterers would gladly offer you a package that would suit your guest count and budget, so it is best for both parties to meet at a common ground. This way, it would be easier for you to negotiate and even compare which caterer offers the best package for your needs.

4. Food tasting is a must!

Before signing the contract with your chosen caterer, make sure to have a food tasting first. It goes without saying that no matter how good the deal was, the quality will always be the real deal. Consider your caterer as one of your wedding investments that require time and careful planning. Remember that the food in your reception will always be the crowd-pleaser.

At Mimi Ebichi Events, we are proud of our commitment and dedication to providing the quality of service that our clients deserve. We put value in our clients’ investment in hiring a wedding planner by giving them the best and memorable wedding experience ever. Let us be a part of your dream wedding by signing up for our FREE consultation today!

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Top Wedding Trends in 2022

Post author By Admin
Post date October 22, 2021
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The wedding industry has gone through major changes for the past years. As the times were changing, wedding trends have also been dynamic and ever-changing. If you are a couple who is planning a wedding in 2022, here are the fresh, new, out-of-the-ordinary wedding trends to watch out for next year.

1. “Anniception”

Anniception or Anniversary Reception is perhaps something you have never heard of before but it is one of the big things to happen in 2022. This is a type of celebration where couples recreate exactly their wedding reception on the day of their anniversary. This trend is most suited for couples who postponed a grand wedding a year ago and opted for a micro wedding due to pandemic restrictions. Since health protocols steadily ease up, anniception could be one of your choices for the months to come.

2. Micro weddings

If your desired wedding location still observes health restrictions, a micro wedding is a great choice to celebrate with your loved ones in a really special way and in a safer environment. However, micro weddings are not just for weddings in the time of COVID-19. Some couples prefer micro weddings whether it is in a season of pandemics or not, simply because micro weddings are promising in giving you intimate, solemn, and warm celebrations with your closest knit of family and friends.

3. Monochromatic weddings

If you are looking for a classy and chic wedding color palette for the coming year, then a monochromatic wedding is the perfect choice for you. Be it for the dress, florals, foods, or invitations, monochrome color palettes go with about anything in your wedding. Although it focuses on just one color, it will not go out of style because you can play and explore with different varieties of shades and tones with similar colors.

4. Pre-wedding toasts

Pre-wedding toast deviates from the traditional wedding toasts that we all know. This toast is being celebrated during the rehearsal dinner or the night before the actual wedding ceremony. This gives couples and their closest bunch a great opportunity to give out intimate and less awkward speeches. Also, pre-wedding toasts provide ample time to hit the dance floor and catch up with the guests.

5. Destination Weddings

Destination weddings or getaway weddings is the top choice for couples who simply love traveling and going out on adventures. Celebrating your wedding out-of-town is a good chance to have a different scenery out of the usual. Plus, what’s better than a wedding and vacation rolled into one?

6. Multi-day weddings

While you are at it with the getaway wedding, might as well take this as a chance to spend quality time with your beloved guests. Multi-day weddings are coming into popularity because it gives you a weekend wedding experience where you get to have fun activities with your guests for 2-3 consecutive days prior to the actual wedding day. If you are the type of couple who is fond of hosting parties and brunches, this option is the best choice for you.

Mimi Ebichi Events is well versed in the Wedding trends for 2022 and knows how daunting it is to set up the appropriate wedding reception theme within a limited time. Even amidst the pandemic, our team commits to provide top of the class and distinct wedding ideas for every cultural taste, aesthetic appeal, and tradition. Celebrate your wedding with us and book a free consultation today!

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Tags wedding ceremony ideas, wedding ceremony outline, wedding ceremony script, wedding ceremony songs

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8 Wedding Horrors and How to Avoid (or Deal with) Them!

Post author By Admin
Post date November 21, 2020
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Whether you like it or not, wedding mistakes are very common in the industry. Albeit there are things beyond your control throughout your wedding journey, there are loopholes that you can avoid upfront. Much to your surprise, even the most organized couples make mistakes during the wedding planning journey. Today, we will talk about how such mistakes can be avoidable, or how to deal with them anyway.

1. Going beyond your budget
You can (and chances are, you will) be guilty of this! Imagination is the limit when planning out a wedding. However, the downside of this is the tendency to go over the initial budget by booking too many vendors and suppliers, and later on realizing the overwhelming costs accumulated. The right way to plan a wedding is to set a strict budget before even planning. This budget will be the grounding rule for every decision that you have to make.

Tip: Why You Need to Hire a Wedding Planner

2. Letting other people decide for you
We guess we won’t have to explain this much to you. Although it is nice to hear suggestions from your closest ties, the final call still rests upon you as a couple. The soon-to-be-weds gets to call the shots for which kind of wedding party, theme, or ceremony they will be having. The danger of letting other people decide for you is the possibility of unnecessary blaming when things do not go the way as planned.

3. Centralizing your fashion budget solely on The Dress
Say you have set $1,500 for the wedding outfit. This $1,500 will be dispersed in the veil, accessories, hair and makeup, dress alterations, and sometimes even mannequin rental. Not to mention the tax and handling fee on top of the dress and suit too. The point is, although it is very tempting, do not put all the fashion budget solely for purchasing The Dress as there are many other factors to weigh in too.

4. Sending out invitations too soon
We understand that you are very excited to tell everyone the good news, but do not send out the save-the-date cards yet until you have finalized your guest list. Moreover, invitations are sent out eight to ten months prior to the big day, and only to those people whom you are positive will be invited and will actually attend.

5. Late bookings
Booking late for hotel accommodations is the number one common mistake of couples. Do not leave the task of securing room accommodations for out-of-town guests to the last minute of your wedding. If you plan to marry during the busiest seasons of the year, it is a must to book in advance (a year in advance is the safest move). The 8th-month mark of your wedding planning signifies that you should now have finalized the hotel arrangements for your guests and include the important details in their invitation cards.

Tip: What to Consider When Booking a Wedding Venue

6. Not hiring a professional wedding videographer
Some couples overlook hiring a wedding videographer simply because they are yet to realize the significant roles of videographers during their wedding day. Although it is tempting to believe that all your guests will more likely bring a camera with them and capture every important detail of the celebration matched with your Instagram hashtags, it could never compensate for the service of a professional wedding videographer. From our previous post about the importance of investing in a wedding videographer, we mentioned that your videographer is well equipped with coordination of motion to best capture the day without you having to exert much effort anymore.

7. Not asking enough questions
And this could also apply to those couples who ask the wrong questions too! One of the skills of a professional wedding and event planner is the mastery of negotiation and communication with various vendors and suppliers. Hiring a wedding planner will help you ask the right questions when dealing with vendors and suppliers. This includes (but not limited to) availing their bundle package, seasonal sale, service discounts, and sometimes even modifying some of their package inclusions.

8. Too many people on the guest list
Another classic horror story for soon-to-be-weds is inviting too many people on their wedding day. Always keep in mind that your guest list, as well as your venue’s maximum capacity, should always match up, with respect to your budget. Of course, we cannot invite 500 people if we assume a maximum capacity of only 200. As much as you would want all of your friends and families to witness your big day, there are factors (budget, venue, accommodations) that we have to consider. Read about making a checklist when drafting out your wedding guest list here.

Making mistakes throughout the course of your wedding preparations is perfectly inevitable and normal. While some may easily pass off as no biggie, there are things that are best managed with the help of a professional wedding planner instead.

Mimi Ebichi Events is committed to giving you quality service and assistance from the onset of your wedding preparations up to the moment of your send-off. With Mimi Ebichi, we value our customer’s satisfaction by giving them more than what they pay for – creativity, reliability, and efficiency in service.

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How Much is Too Much in Making a Guest List?

Post author By Admin
Post date October 26, 2020
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The preparation for your big day is no big joke. In reality, it can be any couple’s greatest nightmare if not managed properly. While most preparations seem pretty easy and exciting, drafting a wedding list is an exception. This task can sometimes induce stress and overwhelming pressure to both families involved. And while it is so tempting to invite jampacked people on your wedding day, here are the reasons that tell you to think otherwise!

1. Budget
The budget allotted for your wedding pretty much determine the whole figure of your guest list. Obviously, inviting lots of people entails additional costs in the food, venue, and other vendors alike. So before you dive into making a guest list, finalize a working budget that was agreed upon by you and your beau.

2. Venue
The size of the venue also determines the carrying capacity for your guests. The venue’s ventilation, lighting, parking capacity, table, and chair provision are the key factors that should help you decide on the number of guests that you want. As much as possible, we try to avoid saturating the venue with too many guests that will only lead to everyone’s discomfort and dissatisfaction.

3. Guests’ residence
The two factors mentioned are the basics and rules of thumb for every wedding preparation. But your guests’ residence is also a thing to consider when inviting them. If your guests live from miles away, it is best to consider their living conditions (and practically, their financial capacity) to make it to your wedding day. On the other hand, if you have guests who live in nearby cities, assume a roughly 80% chance they will show up on your big day.

4. Manpower
Now, this is also very crucial. If you plan to invite 100+ guests, make sure that there are enough hands to accommodate them accordingly. We do not want the guest number and limited manpower to coordinate the whole event right? So again, it all boils down to the set budget of the couple. A bigger budget means more room for people, and more people to help you organize and coordinate your guests.

5. Two lists
Another rule of thumb in the wedding industry is making 2 lists for your guests. List A includes the people who are ‘non-negotiable’ guests. These are the guests that will be invited regardless of the circumstances. Usually, your A-list is your immediate family and closest friends. Meanwhile, List B falls under people who can be invited, ONLY under the condition that there are still enough resources to spare off. Practically, these are the people whom you may have lost contact with over the past years or relatives you barely know. Typically, couples send out invitations much earlier for List A and much later for the List B.

6. Set boundaries
And STRICTLY adhere to them. After considering all the factors above (especially your budget), you should have set boundaries by now, and actually follow them. While it is so tempting to add a ‘little bit more’ to the list, keep in mind that you have boundaries for a reason. It is important to assume that each of your guests will possibly bring a plus-one at your wedding. Therefore, the temptation to dive into adding ‘extra’ guests beyond your list will cost you beyond your means. In the long run, this will cause you so much distress.

At Mimi Ebichi Events, we specialize in full service (white glove) wedding planning and also offer wedding management services for the couple that has no time to do it all. We pride in building and maintaining meaningful working relationships with venues and vendors so our mutual clients enjoy a seamless event.

10 Ways To Manage Your Wedding Guest List

Post author By Admin
Post date March 13, 2020
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Coming up with an actual list of your wedding guests may not be as exciting as your food and cake tasting, picking your wedding gown, and all other much-awaited preparations during your big day. But fret no more, below is a fool-proof guide on how to manage your wedding guest list without being too pressed up for the time.

1. The first goal is to have an ACTUAL draft of your list.

Making the guest list can be messy and overwhelming to work with. But, the first goal in mind is to have an existing list that you can work on gradually. Don’t worry about having to cross out and add names from time to time. After all, that is the very purpose of your draft.

2. Divvy up the task between the two families

One of the unspoken rules of planning a wedding is the division of the guest list between you and your fiance’s family. Traditionally, the couple takes charge of half of the guest list, and each set of parents gets a quarter of the guest list. So if you’re planning to invite 200 people, you’d get 100 guests, your parents would get 50 and your fiancé’s parents would also get 50. The most drama-free approach is to split the list evenly in three ways.

3. Categorize your list

If time still permits, there should be an assigned category that corresponds to your invited guests. Classify which guests are non-negotiable – those that you can’t imagine missing your big day. There are also guests that can be compromised too, those that you can spend time with other than your wedding day. The purpose of categorizing your guest list is to make it flexible for you and your partner to make necessary changes without having to over redo the entire list.

4. Be realistic about the number of guests

This is also in connection with the previous item. One common mistake during wedding preparations is how some couples tend to over exaggerate their guest list. Crunching the numbers isn’t the most glamorous part of wedding planning, but there is a figure you really can’t avoid: your guest list count. While it’s true that you and your partner want to share this very special moment with most of your loved ones, it is still important to keep track of your budget and the capacity of the venue. Each guest adds to the number of plates your caterer will prepare, favors, chair rentals and how much cake you’ll need. Choose a number that’s larger than your venue’s capacity and you’ll be holding your breath every time you open an RSVP. It’s much better to keep your number on the conservative side.

5. Come up with rules (and be sure to stick to them!)

Making a set of rules on who to invite can go a really long way in determining who your non-negotiable guests are. These rules exemplify the qualifications and justifications in picking out your desired guests. Some of the rules could be: “If neither of you has spoken to or met them or heard their name before, don’t invite them.” or “Not crazy about inviting children to your party? Don’t feel bad about having an adults-only wedding.”

6. Specify names on your response cards

Surely there would be guests who will cramp one to two more names on their RSVP cards. To avoid this awkward problem, the key is to actually print their names on the card with the specified seat allotment. If for some reason, you still get extra write-ins on the days leading up to your wedding day, you can politely tell them the deal that you would love to have everybody at your wedding, but you and your fiance have made budget and venue considerations.

7. Set-up healthy boundaries

And actually stick to them. Yours and your fiance’s parents will inevitably face hard conversations about finalizing your guest list; which includes crossing out some of the guests under your B-list. The key is to set up healthy boundaries within two families involved by making up a deal that is amenable to both parties.

8. It’s okay to not invite some friends and relatives

Setting aside some friends and family is never illegal. But, it should be consensual to both parties involved. Make sure to have a quiet, sit-down conversation with your fiance to avoid unnecessary drama leading up to your big day.

9. Don’t feel bad about having to invite a limited number of guests only

Fewer guests would mean a more intimate celebration! Don’t worry about not having a grander wedding celebration just because your guests are cut to a limited number only. It just doesn’t work that way. So long as the people included in your guest list are the ones who you treasure the most and can’t miss out on this milestone, then you are good to go.

10. You CANNOT cram the guest list. You just can’t.

Because wedding planning is not an overnight project, same goes to your guest list planning. Avoid cramming the guest list by deciding on it at the very start. As much as possible, we want to be eliminating all the unnecessary stress from cramping up the guest list at the last minute.

At Mimi Ebichi Events, we understand that there is more to a wedding than gorgeous decor and amazing entertainment. Knowing this, we strive to connect with your heart so that together, we can create a customized process and deliver an experience unique to you and your guests. We do not just organize your dream wedding, but we strive to make this life’s precious milestone worth the memories.

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