The World According to Weddlady

2009-2010 Calendar & Availability

What's in store in 2009-2010?  Below are the events we have booked and pending, as well as significant weekends and other important dates.

Remember - we now have two staff coordinators with their own teams (Shayna Walker & Lauralee Eason) and the ability to service multiple Wren Chapel ceremony-only couples on one day.  If your date is listed below, give us a call (757-592-3365, 757-644-5733 or Skype: Shayna.Walker) or drop us an e-mail (shayna@williamsburgweddingdesign.com).  It is very likely that we can help!

Where practical, the wedding is listed with its lead coordinator:

Current bookings and team assignments: 2009-2010

Julie & Shane, July 4, 2009 (Lauralee)

Valerie & Alex, July 11, 2009 (Shayna)

Kristin & Matthew, August 08, 2009 (Shayna)

Stephanie & Michael, October 10, 2009 (Shayna)

Pending Contract, October 10, 2009 (Lauralee)

Jennaro Wedding, October 17, 2009 (Lauralee)

Marsey & Gedeon, November 6, 2009 (Lauralee)

Krissy & Ernie, April 10, 2010 (Shayna)

Julie & Chris, April 17, 2010 (Shayna)

Event Nannies from a Great Company

I owe a debt of gratitude to Niki Worrell at the Williamsburg Nanny Agency, and I plan to repay her by spreading the word about her fantastic, classy, professional service that I know many of you need. 

After multiple attempts to contact me (it's not just my blog that is suffering a little from my over-scheduling...my kids and my brides first, everything else a close second), Niki introduced herself to me at the Two Rivers Bridal Show a few weeks ago, and in a short time I've become a huge fan.  Niki created and operates the Williamsburg Nanny Agency. 

We are frequently contacted by brides who want to know how they can safely and professionally provide event childcare during their receptions and ceremonies, and until now it has been very difficult for us to satisfy requests for the service.  Thankfully, Event Childcare is a specialty of the Williamsburg Nanny Agency.

Some of you know that I have been very involved lately in youth enrichment programs at The Williamsburg Indoor Sports Complex.  Last week I began a 4-week WISC Kids Business School course for budding child entrepreneurs.  Niki gave a great presentation today about how her business grew from an idea to reality and really inpsired our students (not to mention gave them a great tote bag - I'm jealous!).  She was also the first corporate sponsor to jump up and volunteer to "invest" in the kids' first day of business by paying their booth fees at the upcoming WISC Indoor Flea Market on May 16 from 8 am - 2 pm.  (Incidentally, Brad Howe Photography also jumped at the chance to help, for which I remain grateful...I should probably return his gorgeous framed Two Rivers landscape that I borrowed for the bridal show!). 

I love businesses with vision, and those who perform these roles as part of their social responsibility.  I have become a huge fan of Niki's and I can't wait to have the opportunity to utilize the services of the Williamsburg Nanny Agency.  Please visit her site and contact Niki and tell her that Shayna sent you.

Okay - incredible amounts of thunder (and I assume lightening) just broke out here in the 'burg.  I better move away from the computer!

Happy Planning.

Shayna

Two Rivers Country Club Bridal Showcase

Have I mentioned that you should meet me here on Sunday...

 

Come to the Two Rivers Country Club Bridal Showcase, on March 29, 2009 from 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM at 1400 Two Rivers Road, Williamsburg, 23185 and find out how you can make this picture your wedding reality.  If you plan to attend, give the club a call and rsvp at 757-258-4610.   

Thank you to Brad Howe Photography (www.bradhowephotography.com) for letting us use the photo.

Happy Planning!

Shayna Walker

Williamsburg Wedding Design

Upcoming Bridal Show - Be There!

Lauralee and I were honored with an invitation to participate in the Two Rivers Country Club Bridal Showcase, on March 29, 2009 from 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM at one of my favorite venues, the Two Rivers Country Club.  You'll find the club at 1400 Two Rivers Road, Williamsburg, 23185.  If you plan to attend, give the club a call and rsvp at 757-258-4610.  The club is private but is available to non-members as a ceremony and a reception venue.  Service is exquisite, food is fabulous and they recently underwent renovations that made an already beautiful (WATERFRONT!!!) venue even more wonderful.

Please plan to attend, and bring a friend.  Stop by and say hi, and ask us for some planning advice.  That's what we're here for!

Happy planning!

Shayna Walker

Williamsburg Wedding Design

Frequently Asked Question - Answered

  I am often asked where you can find the LOVE plates that were featured on Kerri's candy buffet in October, 2008 (as seen in the photo, courtesy of  Brad Howe Photography, below):

  

The plates are avaialble through WhereBridesGo.com and were seen in Modern Bride's  "100 Things We Love".

 

WeddingWire's 2009 Bride's Choice Awards

WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced that Williamsburg Wedding Design has won the 2009 Bride’s Choice Awards™! In its inaugural year, the Bride’s Choice Awards recognizes and honors vendors from the WeddingWire Network that demonstrate excellent quality of service, responsiveness, professionalism, value of cost and flexibility. This year’s recipients represent the top three percent of WeddingWire’s vendor community, which includes over 100,000 wedding vendors from across the US. That means Williamsburg Wedding Design is one of the very best full service wedding coordination firms.  Unlike other awards in which winners are selected by the company, the Bride’s Choice Awards are determined exclusively by recent newlyweds through surveys and reviews. “We are excited to launch this annual award program to honor high-performing vendors based solely on the experiences of our WeddingWire community,” according to Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “This year’s recipients have set the bar high, exhibiting excellent service and expertise in the wedding industry.” Williamsburg Wedding Design would like to thank our past clients for speaking on our behalf and helping us win the 2009 Bride’s Choice Award!

Thank You

To our past clients who advocated and voted for us in the WeddingWire.com Bride's Choice Awards, 2009, Thank You!

 

We are honored.

Shayna Walker, Owner

Williamsburg Wedding Design

Advice for Those Destined for the Aisle or Not

I just had a birthday.  The number is just this much higher than I'd like to confess to...but okay, here goes.  I turned 32 on Sunday.  My kids bought me a HUGE fancy strawberry shortcake (they're 4...maybe I had something to do with the cake).  Turns out that they like it way more than I do, so they'll be eating cake through February.  I enjoyed my kids' company - gift enough for me. 

The point?  I'm feeling wise today, so it's time to impart a little bit of that wisdom.  While it's mostly non-wedding-specific, you may just find it useful.

1. If you haven't discovered Facebook yet, it's a wonder.  You're also more than likely my age or older, since the next generation was born on Facebook and MySpace. I have "reunited" (in a uniquely internet-y way) with elementary school classmates, my very first high school boyfriend (I use that term loosely...I was 13, but at the time it was love!), past interns (shocking what they'll post, but I love you guys anyway) and current business friends.  I feel very connected even though I only have 60 or so friends (not a great accomplishment, but I'm picky).

The wedding lesson?  Don't join Facebook until AFTER your wedding if you are hoping to keep your guest list small! 

2. Do something crazy today.  Not dangerous or self-destructive, just something out of your "box".  I lived up to this and I expect you to do the same.

Wedding wisdom?  Try something at your wedding that you might not have thought "proper" in the past.  Have a celtic band (Poison Dwarf, you rocked in December!), put up a candy buffet instead of a cake, or choose an exotic location.  DO NOT choose an exotic haircut or new form of facial waxing during the month or so before the wedding.  I said crazy - not lunatic.

3. Literature inspires.  I am guilty of spending the last 5 years in a sort of non-reading coma.  Not that I wasn't keeping plenty busy, but I wasn't feeding that particular beast.  Everyone has their own genre, of course.  Mine is pathetically stereotypical: everything Jane Austen is sacred.  Reading is a renewing hobby, though, and helps inspire creativity in all aspects of life.

Wedding application? Pick up a book, redefine your wedding.  Depending on what you choose, you might just come up with a "theme", or resolve an issue that plagues your planning.  Use common sense when following this advice, however.  I imagine that the trajectory that reading Pride & Prejudice might inspire you to follow is vastly different from that which a Stephen King novel might produce.  "Clever" is always better than "cleaver" when it comes to weddings.  Trust me.

I wish you happy planning!

Shayna

Candy Buffet Wisdom

I'm getting a lot of questions these days regarding candy buffets (my new favorite obsession...ask away).  Here is some information I shared with one of my clients recently in response to her e-mail for any tips I might have:

Oh - I meant to say that for the last candy buffet, I pre-filled the jars then wrapped them very tightly with plastic wrap so the candy stayed fresh and in-place.  The week before I actually washed all the jars, and made and affixed the candy labels on the ribbon (and double-sided taped the ribbon to the jars).  Those things take up SO much time that doing them in steps saved us a huge headache during setup.  Also, I recommend having extra candy to replenish the candy buffet and to make sure it's in easy to open/close Ziploc bags or reusable containers for discrete refills.  Finally, choosing the smallest possible scoops helps keep guests from taking all of the candy at once.

 

We actually had an attendant (from my staff) keep the candy buffet closed until after the introductions and first dance so all of the guests had time to admire it, and the photographer had plenty of time to shoot it.  Otherwise guests would have torn it to pieces before the bride ever had a chance to see it, and they would have been paying more attention to getting candy than they were to the dances and welcome remarks.  The suspense was healthy and people took the time to admire the setup.  The delay wasn't too long and except for some teasing remarks, most people didn't mind waiting.

 

Hope that helps!

Wrapping Up 2008

With last night's wedding of Julie & Tim, our 2008 wedding season officially ended.  While the year presented challenges familiar to anyone trying to run a business in this economy, it was still a grand year full of happy couples and beautiful weddings.

A quick look back over my files reminded me of how many special weddings we were priveleged to coordinate in some capacity this year.  We traveled to new venues, like the Fred Heutte Center in Norfolk and Legacy Hall right here in town, and we revisited old favorites, including the Williamsburg Winery, the Lodge and the Williamsburg Community Building.  We helped break new "ground" at the Williamsburg Inn, and pulled off daring design feats in the grand ballrooms of facilities as wonderful as Colonial Heritage. We worked with couples of many different ages ranges, and were even selected to coordinate for a very good friend.

2008 also ushered in the welcome addition of Lauralee Eason to our wedding coordinating family.  She is someone for whom I am very grateful.

Sometimes I'm guilty of letting the politics of this business get me down.  However, I realize that I am very blessed to have both an outlet for my talents and passions, and to have wonderful people around me, clients and colleagues alike, who "get it".

I don't know with complete certainty what 2009 has in store for us, but I hope that the moments that we share with our clients and friends are even half as fulfilling as the last four-plus years have been.  Then we shall be happy to call the year a rousing success.

From our family to yours,

Merry Christmas!

Shayna