Zella MIMosa – Making it Meaningful

February 15, 2009 by ellejae  
Filed under Making it Meaningful

Tip #1 for Making it Meaningful

This is a no brainer: it’s easy, it’s super impressive and it’s FREE!!

Although it is one of the most simple ways to make your wedding day meaningful, many couples do not take the opportunity to toast their parents and their guests. I expect better from a Zella! Preparing and offering a meaningful toast is a great way to melt your parents hearts and dazzle your guests. Regardless of your relationship with your families, you and your partner should publicly acknowledge them and give them props for getting you to where you are today.

So what do you need to do, and how do you do it?

Read on...

Enjoy Each Day to the Big Day

February 14, 2009 by ellejae  
Filed under Real World Advice


“I’ve never done this much work and not been paid for it!”

We’ve heard that a lot.

Putting together your wedding will take a lot of research, decision making, negotiation and financing. It can be very overwhelming, and most brides had no idea what they’re getting into before getting engaged!

Many brides say it is like having a part time job on top of their full time careers or school schedules. Many weekends, evenings and–let’s be honest–extended lunch hours (haha) will be spent surfing the web, flipping through guides, making calls and meeting with vendors.

So how does a Zella keep it all together and enjoy the process?

You have to keep it all in perspective and you gotta feel the love. The 6-18 months ahead of you will be some of the most exciting and trying times you’ve ever experienced. On one hand, you are planning a big party: it’s a big deal, right? Keep it in perspective: it is a one night affair. No one will starve if you serve the beef medium rare even though they prefer well done. No one will perish if they don’t get a favor, and I promise you: no one will notice if the caterer forgot to set out the menus.

On the other hand, you are planning a gathering of the most important people in your life to witness the one of the biggest commitments and transformations of your life.  So it is a big deal, right?! It is a big deal. The many emotions involved with choosing your life partner and fusing your families together can make the decision making process cloudy. All of a sudden, the decision of vanilla cake with raspberry cream vs. chocolate cake with truffle fudge feels like choosing which of your limbs to chop off (which do you use more often? Your right arm or your left leg?!). Whenever you find yourself with an axe in hand, contemplating crutches or a claw, you gotta STOP. Breathe and remind yourself of the love that brought you to this place. Everyone around you loves you and supports you. Even if that means they’re yakking your ear off about not wanting to have a peach colored tulle archway at the entrance of the ballroom (After all, Michaels Arts & Crafts is having a sale on tulle by the yard and peach was your favorite color when you were 12!).

If you can Enjoy Each Day of the process (or at least most of them!), you will Enjoy the Big Day.