Time to check those timelines!

With spring on its way, it’s a great time for all of you engaged couples to regroup and check where you are on your schedule. For June weddings, we’re just three months out! For fall couples, we’re coming up on six months out!

Review your lists. Take a step back and go over your checklists. Is there anything important you’ve let slide? Now is a great time to assess what you’ve accomplished and what still needs to be done.

Check in with your vendors. Have you stayed up to date on all your deposits? Are you on track with things like hotel room blocks, dinner choices, save-the-dates, invitations, and floral arrangements?

Take a deep breath and enjoy. You’re heading into the home stretch! Your wedding day will be here before you know it! Enjoy the ride!

What are you doing to keep yourself on track for your big day?

Enjoy the Southbury Bridal Show this weekend!

It’s finally here! The annual Southbury Bridal Show is Sunday, March 6 from noon to 5 p.m. here at the Heritage Hotel.

We have a great variety of vendors, from bakeries (who offer samples!) and photographers to florists and DJs. Need help picking a gown or a tux? What about jewelry and hair? We’ve got the best local vendors for you to visit and chat with. Bring pre-printed address stickers with your name, phone number and wedding email address, and you won’t have to stand there filling out every form! You can just add a sticker to sign up for more information.

You can come see what delicious treats the Heritage has to offer, with a sampling of many of our hors d’oeuvres and action stations offered at a typical Heritage wedding.

The Southbury Bridal Show is free to attend! Visit www.thesouthburybridalshow.com for more information. We hope to see you there!

Happy Valentine’s Day to all the engaged couples!

This Sunday is Valentine’s Day and what better way to celebrate it than reconnecting as a couple? With all the stress of wedding planning, Valentine’s Day is a great way to stop and take a step back and remember why you got engaged in the first place!

Revisit the past. Go to dinner where you had your first date; rent the first movie you watched together; go dancing at the club where you first met. Enjoy a little look back at how far your relationship has come!

Don’t overdo it. If you’re in saving-for-the-big-day mode, spending a lot on Valentine’s Day may not be in the cards. That doesn’t mean you can’t find other ways to be romantic. Make a special dinner together. Turn off the TV and put on some music. Light some candles. Turn off your phones. Make it a night not about wedding planning, but about each other.

Turn up the fun. Did you go on fun, silly dates as a new couple, but have left that behind? Why not do something just for the fun of it again? Go bowling, ice skating, or to the aquarium. If you’re reading this from a place much warmer than Connecticut, hit an amusement park, go mini-golfing or on a hike.

Get a change of scenery. Book a hotel room, order room service, and pretend you’re on vacation, even if it’s just for one night.

And Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us!

Tips on creating a wedding website

You have a lot of information you want to get out to your guests: hotels, transportation, directions. But a formal invitation suite doesn’t give you a lot of room to add a lot of details. The solution? A wedding website.

You don’t have to be an amazing graphic designer or technical wizard to create a wedsite. Almost all wedding planning sites offer templates so that all you need to do is type in your information, and they will make it look great!

A quick web search will show you lots of options for templates – almost all of them free. You will, of course, need to sign up with your personal information. I always suggest creating a special email address for just wedding planning, and using that when signing up for anything! That way, all your wedding information is in one place, and it doesn’t get lost in the spam of your regular email. If you’ve already signed up for a site like The Knot or Wedding Wire, you may already have access to a wedsite template.

Think about what your guests need to know. Are you planning childcare? Is there a bad-weather second location? Do you want everyone to wear something green? Are you planning a weekend’s worth of activities? Your wedsite is the best place for all those details.

With so many people carrying smartphones, you can keep your entire guest list informed of your schedule right on your wedsite. Unless your ceremony and reception are taking place in a bad cell-reception area, everyone will be able to access all the details with very little trouble, even on your wedding day.

Did you make a wedding website? Did your guests find it useful? Let us know!

Making honeymoon plans: fun, but details are important

The weather here in New England is cold and wintery this week, so let’s thing about something much more fun: planning your honeymoon. Preferably somewhere warm!

Palm trees and ocean views for your honeymoon?

Looking forward to the two of you relaxing on your honeymoon to celebrate your new life, and recover from all that wedding planning? Of course you are! But you should plan your honeymoon carefully, too, so that it is relaxing and enjoyable!

Do your research. Once you’ve chosen a honeymoon destination, do a little research. Are you going to an all-in-one resort? Read the fine print; there are often options that are not included in your base price. You don’t want to be surprised when the bill comes!

Check to see what documentation you will need. In you’re traveling out of the US, you’ll need a passport. Check with the Department of State to ensure you have everything you need to enter another country as well as come back when your vacation is over. Also check to see if you need any immunizations before you leave!

Pay attention to changes in the area you plan to visit. If you’re traveling abroad, there’s always the chance of a change in political situation, even in a previously-stable country. And no matter where you go, keep an eye on your weather forecasts as you get closer to your departure date.

And, as always, make reservations in the name that is on your identification, even if you’re planning on changing your name. Unless you are delaying the start of your honeymoon for several weeks, or longer, you won’t have time to change your name legally before your trip.

Then, you get to have fun, take lots of pictures, and enjoy the start of your new life together! 

Newly engaged? Here are some tips to get your wedding planning started

Are you one of the lucky couples who got engaged over the holidays? Or, now that the holidays are over, you’re ready to attack wedding planning with no other distractions? I’ve got some tips for you to get your wedding prep started!

Did someone pop the question? 

Figure out your priorities. Sit down together and decide what parts of your wedding are the most important. Is it a religious ceremony? A great reception with an incredible band? Having all of your friends and family with you? Or a small, intimate event? You need to decide what the two of you want before you can start making decisions.

Know your budget. How much do you have to spend? Are the two of you paying for everything? Are either of your families helping? Don’t assume! As awkward as talking about money can be, you need to be clear on what your limits are.

Put together your guest list. This, along with your budget, will determine the types of venues you’re looking for.

Get organized. Whether it’s an app on your phone or a book-style organizer, pick what works for you. Even the smallest weddings need a little organization!

Take breaks. Of course your wedding is going to be at the top of your list, but it’s important to sit back and relax sometimes, too. Don’t let wedding planning get in the way of enjoying your time as an engaged couple. Go out to dinner, and talk about things other than the wedding. Spend time with your friends and family, too. Your wedding organizer will be there when dinner’s over!

What you can expect from the Southbury Bridal Show

Happy 2016, everyone, and congratulations to all the couples who got engaged over the holidays! To help you plan your wedding, the Heritage Hotel is hosting the annual Southbury Bridal Show from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 6.

What can you expect from our bridal show? A lot of information from area vendors, plenty of food, and lots of fun!

First things first: you should pre-register at www.thesouthburybridalshow.com if you’re planning on attending. The show is free to attend, but pre-registered brides and grooms are guaranteed a copy of "The Little Blue Book" to help plan their wedding!  

On the day of the show, you should bring a notepad and pen so you can jot notes about each vendor. If you’re planning on leaving your information with them, print some address labels with the information you want to give out – usually your wedding-planning email address, name and phone number. It will save you a ton of time writing it down, and you don’t have to worry about whether or not your handwriting is legible!

Feel free to bring anyone who’s helping you with decisions: your sweetheart, parents, siblings, wedding party, and more!

We can’t wait to see you there!

70 years of wedded bliss!

We love when couples renew their vows on special anniversaries. There’s just something very meaningful about returning to the beginning of your marriage on these special occasions. But this couple in China might just have everyone else beat!

70 years of marriage! (Thanks to CNN for the story)

Cao Yuehua, 97, and Wang Deyi, 98, were married in 1945, after Mr. Cao worked for the US Army during World War 2 as an interpreter. So, to mark their 70^th wedding anniversary, they recreated their wedding photos in the same park they were married in way back when.

Of course, these days it’s not as easy for them to get around, so their four children helped them get ready for their special anniversary, wedding dress, flowers and all.

So, tell us in the comments – have you attended a vow renewal or are you planning one? 

Have a wedding weekend like Sofia and Joe!

I don’t know about you, but my news feeds this weekend were filled with all the fun of Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello’s wedding weekend. From beachside welcome parties to the big event itself, the celebrity couple looked like they had a fabulous time in Florida.

But you don’t have to go to Florida to plan a wedding weekend like a celebrity! Here at the Heritage, we can help you plan a weekend getaway to remember with a rustic, elegant New England feel.

We can start your weekend with a welcome reception in any of our banquet rooms. For fall and winter weddings, you can choose a room with a fireplace or for warmer-weather occasions, enjoy the firepit on the patio near our Adirondack chairs!

If you’ve got the time, schedule tee times on our golf course; get pampered at our day spa; or spend the afternoon in one of our two salt-water swimming pools!

After your rehearsal, let us handle all the details of your rehearsal dinner. Then you and your guests can take the elevator to your newly-renovated guest rooms to rest and relax before your big day!

For your wedding day itself, your ceremony can take place in our stunning Stone Garden, followed by a reception to remember in our Timbers room, a spectacular space featuring cathedral ceilings, a massive stone fireplace, and wall-to-wall windows. Timbers, a warm and inviting room with our dark wood walls and beams overhead, is the perfect place to show your guests the best of what New England has to offer any time of year.

Plan an after-party in the Tavern, our comfortable pub and restaurant and let your guests enjoy our hospitality for one more night in their comfortable guest rooms!

The next morning, enjoy our post-wedding brunch. You and your guests can take one last dip in the pool or spin on the exercise bikes before they head home and you head off on that fabulous honeymoon! 

It’s wedding fashion week!

It’s that time of year again, when the models who come down the New York runways are all in wedding gowns! While we all may not be able to afford a couture gown, the trends that hit the runways this weekend will shape what brides will see as they shop for dresses.

Designers will show their visions in everything from gowns to jewelry to shoes and more! With Zac Posen for David’s Bridal and Dennis Basso for Kleinfeld presenting already, it’s been a great start to the show!

A gown from the Dennis Basso collection

  

Tell us: Do you pay attention to Bridal Fashion Week or do you follow your own style for your wedding dress?

We love fall weddings!

Fall in New England. Weddings in New England – what could we possibly love more than a fall wedding here in Connecticut? The leaves are turning, the days are (usually) bright and crisp and fall food themes are fun! If you’re planning a fall wedding, there are so many ways to incorporate the season into your big day!

You can make your whole theme of the wedding fall, using burnt oranges, bright reds and warm browns as your color scheme. Or, if you have different ideas, but still want to celebrate the season, you can choose just one fall-flavored focus!

You can use a cider- or pumpkin-based drink as your signature cocktail or choose hors d’oeuvres that include those flavors.

If your venue allows it, you can use potted mums as decorations throughout the ceremony and reception space.

If you want to celebrate a little bit of Halloween, you can always use carved pumpkins as decorations or have a Halloween candy buffet!

If there are outdoor elements to your ceremony or reception, just remember that fall weather can be fickle! You may want to be prepared with small blankets or shawls for your guests and wedding party if it’s chilly; and prepare for the opposite – an unusually warm day in late October.  

Do you have fall wedding favorites? Share them with us!

Celebrating 10 years

It’s amazing how time flies -- somehow, I turned around and it’s been 10 years I’ve been here at the Heritage Hotel and Conference Center! While it seems like just yesterday, a lot has changed in wedding planning in the last decade!

Pinterest: Almost every bride (and even some grooms!) uses Pinterest as a place to get ideas and put them in one place. Whether your wedding is formal or relaxed, quirky or traditional, you can find inspiration there.

Social media: Facebook existed in 2005, but was still just for students. Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat? Weren’t even on our radar! Hashtags with cute couple names like #ChrisAndPat2015? Nope! Now, you can see all your friends’ pictures of your wedding in real time! (Unless of course, you are having an unplugged wedding!)

Same-sex weddings: While Connecticut had a civil union law on the books in 2005, it wasn’t until 2008 that the state recognized same-sex marriage. Now, of course, it’s the law across the country!

Of course, for the Heritage, our biggest change has been a major renovation throughout the resort: with a new entrance, updated guest rooms, a brand-new hospitality room and more!

It’s been a fun ten years of celebrating weddings… here’s looking to ten more!

Formal or fun, on paper or electronically, how to get those RSVPs in!

You’re getting close to your big day – you know what you’re wearing, who’s in the wedding party, and where it’s going to be. Your Save-the-Dates and then your official invitations went out. But only half your guest list has returned their RSVP cards and the deadline for your caterer is coming fast! What do you do?

The first thing is make sure you gave yourself some “wiggle room.” Make your response card deadline at least a few weeks before your deadline with the caterer. That way, you have time to hunt down the guests who have not responded.

How do you get your guests to return these? Sample response card from our friends at Respond if You Please.

Make it easy for your guests to RSVP. Yes, the traditional form is to print a response card with your invitation suite and supply a self-addressed, stamped envelope; that’s never wrong. But if you have a less formal wedding, or you just want to give your guests options, there are plenty of electronic ways to get RSVPs, too! If you have a wedding website, create a section for people to RSVP. Send out emails, and accept RSVPs that way, too. You can even make a closed Facebook event to get people to respond.

Get help. If the guests who haven’t responded are from one side of the family or another, ask family members to help. Perhaps your mother-in-law-to-be can get her cousin on the phone for you! (It’s also a great way to direct the energies of a person who wants to help, but doesn’t know how!)

What ways have you gotten your guests to RSVP? Share them in the comments!  

Tips on shaking that wedding planning overload!

You are as excited as ever to be marrying your sweetheart, but there comes a point in planning most weddings when you start to feel more than a little overwhelmed. We have some tips to help you get through the stress and re-energize yourself!

Organize. Use a wedding binder or an app to keep yourself on track, and make good lists. That way, you won’t get too sidetracked as the planning progresses.

Take a break. Really! Take an evening and go out with friends, or have dinner with your sweetheart. Make a promise to yourself that you won’t talk about the wedding. Just enjoy a dinner, music or movie without letting wedding planning enter the conversation. Your seating arrangement chart will still be there in the morning, but you’ll be more refreshed and ready to attack it!

Stop looking at Pinterest. Once you’ve made your decisions, give Pinterest a break too. Every idea looks fantastic and you can only do so many different things. At some point, you have to tell yourself it’s okay to stop looking. The themes, colors and favors you choose will be perfect for your wedding, so don’t let yourself get caught up in “Pinterest regret.”

Delegate. Let your future mother-in-law pick up the flowers, if she wants to. Or give the task of alphabetizing the escort cards to a member of your wedding party. People will want to help – let them!

Enjoy. Yes, the two of you are planning a very important event. And yes, you have a lot to balance. But take time to remember why it’s such an important day and step back and enjoy the process.

What tips do you have to make the wedding planning process easier?

Start spreading the news!

When you’re newly engaged, you want to tell the world! With social media, it seems like you can with just a push of a button. But that’s not the only way to get the news out – don’t forget the traditional engagement and wedding announcement in your local newspaper.

Newspaper clippings of your engagement and wedding announcements are a great keepsake to tuck into a scrapbook. It’s also a great way to tell your entire hometown that you’re engaged – even the people you’ve lost touch with! While not every couple can get their wedding announced in the New York Times,that doesn’t mean you can’t contact your local paper!

Each newspaper is going to have a slightly different format. Your best bet is to visit your local paper’s website. Most papers will have a “contact us” link on their site so you can call their news department.

Once you find out who to talk to, ask if they have a specific form they wish you to fill out. If there is a form, print neatly and carefully to save yourself from spelling errors! If you want to attach a photo, ask for their photo guidelines. While most papers’ guidelines aren’t as strict as the New York Times’, each newspaper does have them.

Which newspapers should you choose? If you and your sweetheart are from different hometowns, you’ll want the papers for each of you, as well as the newspaper where you live now. Include both your daily and your local weekly newspapers, too!

Also, since you’re going to want to print your engagement and wedding in the same newspapers, ask for the guidelines for both announcements when you call for the engagement form. That way, you won’t have to make a second round of phone calls! Even if you’re planning a lengthy engagement, you can put the wedding announcement form in your wedding planning book to fill out later. 

Lastly, engagement and wedding announcements usually run when the editor has space for them; make sure you follow the newspapers' deadlines so you have the best chance of your announcement getting printed as quickly as possible!

It's the bridal show of the season!

We are ready to bring you the premier wedding show of the season! The annual Southbury Bridal Show is happening in just a few short days -- please join us from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 1, right here at the Heritage Resort, Southbury.

We are so thrilled to be working with Respond If You Please again this year to bring you the best the area has to offer. The top wedding industry vendors in the area are ready to impress you with their expertise and talent, not to mention some amazing show discounts and gifts!

And while it’s called a “bridal” show, both brides- and grooms-to-be are welcome! We will have sampling of cakes, cupcakes, food and treats, special show promotions and discounts, cash bar and more prizes and give-aways than you can imagine!

Best of all, this event is FREE to attend for brides, grooms and their guests! While pre-registration is not required, it is suggested. We want to be sure that our vendors are fully stocked with giveaways and prizes.

So, to pre-register, visit the bridal show's website.

We hope to see you there!

Going to a bridal show? Try these tips on how to get the most out of it!

Bridal and wedding shows are a great way to get a lot of information in one place. But if you don’t plan ahead, you can find yourself overwhelmed by so many choices.

Be prepared. Bring a notebook with questions ready to go so you know what you’re looking for. If you already have a DJ, but not a florist, don’t spend too much time at the DJ tables and instead focus on the floral arrangements. Or vice versa, if you are looking for an amazing DJ.

Make address labels. Every vendor at a show will give you the option to join their mailing list. Make up some labels with your information (name, address, email) and use them to sign up. It will save you a lot of writing at the tables. There are many easy tutorials online on how to make them, depending on your computer system.

Ask for special bridal show deals. Many vendors will have special offers for attending the show. Some ask you to simply mention you saw them at a show, while others may require you to book at the event itself. But if it’s a vendor you’re happy to be working with, always check to see if they are offering a special deal!

Bring a buddy. Whether it’s a member of your wedding party, a family member, your sweetheart or another good friend, having someone with you will also help keep you from being overwhelmed.

Do you have tips on how to get the most out of a bridal show? Tell us in the comments!

Want to catch your guests having fun? Try a photo booth!

Couples are always looking for ways to get photographic evidence of all the fun their guests are having. While many weddings have used the “disposable camera on the table” trick, another option is the photobooth.

While the idea is like those booths we used to find at the mall, the wedding photobooth has a lot more options. Most wedding photographers either have a photobooth set-up, or work with someone who does, so your best bet to start is to check with your wedding photographer. And, depending on the set up, today’s photobooths give you much more flexibility for how many people you can fit in. It’s not just for two people to squeeze in together anymore!

Next, you need to think about props. Again, some photographers will have prop options, but if you’re having a themed wedding, here is where you can have lots of fun. Is your wedding Star Wars themed? Have light sabers on hand to catch some epic duels! Roaring 20s theme? Fake cigarette holders, flapper-style hats, fake mustaches and top hats will get your guests laughing. Whatever your look is, the photobooth props should match. Check your local party store for lots of ideas!

You can even use the pictures as favors. Again, work with your photographer on pricing options, but those old-school photo strips are a great giveaway.

Last, but definitely not least, work with your venue so they know you’re planning a photobooth. You’ll want to set aside enough space for the whole set-up.

Pre-registration is open for the Southbury Bridal Show

Did you get engaged over the holidays? Or hoping to be engaged on Valentine’s Day? Pre-registration is open for the free Southbury Bridal Show, to be held right here at the Heritage Sunday March 1, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

It’s a fun-filled day of local experts and professionals in photography, wedding attire, invitations, confections, transportation, jewelry, makeup and more. There also will be gourmet appetizer sampling and a cash bar. Best of all? It’s free! And everyone who pre-registers will receive a copy of “The Little Blue Book,” to help plan your wedding day.

 

The pasta station in the Terrace room was a big hit at the 2014 Bridal Show

 

Colorful tables and helpful vendors await you at the Southbury Bridal Show

To learn more, visit The Southbury Bridal Show and pre-register! 

Are you unplugging your wedding?

I’ve talked in the past about social media and wedding planning, but what if you want to it all during your wedding? Some couples are happy to make Instagram hashtags and share their day over Facebook, while others want a less smartphone-heavy wedding day. But if you want an unplugged wedding, how do you ask your guests to comply?

It’s easier to request that your guests put phones away during the ceremony than during the reception, especially if you’re having a religious ceremony. Find wording you prefer and use it in multiple places. Your wedding website and signs at the ceremony are great places to start.

You also can ask your officiant make a statement at the beginning of the ceremony. You can say something like “[Couples names] thank you for attending their wedding. So that you will enjoy the ceremony as much as they have enjoyed planning it, they respectfully ask that all cell phones remain on silent and are put away for the ceremony.” Sure, you won’t get everyone to put their phones away, but the vast majority of your guests will be smiling at you, not looking at you through their smartphone screens!

Keeping everyone unplugged throughout the reception will be more difficult. People are used to having their phones out and taking pictures of everything, from their meals to selfies to their crazy dancing; while people who have children at home with babysitters will want to be able to stay in contact. Again, you can ask your DJ or members of the band to make an announcement requesting no smartphone use during the reception. But you may need to compromise a little here, depending on your guests.

You can request that family members leave the photography to your professional photographer during the special moments like cake cutting and first dances. While photographers are used to working around your guests, it will make their jobs easier if they’re not competing with phone camera flashes. It also means you’ll be able to see our guests’ faces in the pictures, instead of a host of phones!

 Are you trying to keep any part of your big day unplugged? Tell us in the comments!