Are you ready for your 2012 wedding?

Today is New Year's Eve 2011 and I am preparing for my last bridal meeting of the year and my last wedding ceremony of the year, both happening later this afternoon. 2011 has been a great year for Rich Events. One December 26, 2011 we entered a new phase of marketing with television commercials airing in the Nashville market. The ad is also available to view on my website at www.RichEvents.com or on www.LadakProductions.com which is the website of my primary photography and media partner.

In the early days of 2011 we gained great attention and success with our Valentine's Day wedding chapel event at Belmont Mansion. We are actively working on the 2012 version of this event but this time we will introduce a mass wedding at Eastland Baptist Church along side our Belmont Mansion ceremonies.

January is always the busiest season of the year for phone calls and emails from recently-engaged brides who are starting the process of planning their wedding. Wedding venues and vendors start booking up popular dates early so brides, you need to get ahead of the planning process. May and October are the most popular months of the year for weddings so if those are your preferred months, you need to reach out to vendors and venues as soon as possible!

Rev. Brandon Rich of Rich Events operates wedding venues in Nashville, TN at Belmont Mansion, Eastland Baptist Church and leads a team of wedding officiants serving weddings throughout the mid-South region. www.RichEvents.org

Supporting my "Friendors"

Kellie Bryson, President
Main Event Productions

I cannot claim ownership of the word "friendor" but I wish that I could. Kellie Bryson of Main Event Productinos was the first person I heard using that term. Her event business encompasses A Catered Affair, The Bake Shoppe and two Nashville area event venues; Events at 1418 and Legacy Farms. She is my primary preferred caterer and cake designer for Belmont Mansion and I am her preferred officiant provider for her two venues.

I am excited to attend the open house at Legacy Farms tonight. I officiated at this venue in its previous life when it bore a different name under different ownership. I would encourage you to visit www.LegacyFarmsTN.com and learn all about this great location.

To learn more about all of the officiating and coordinating services that I provide and the two venues that I manage please visit www.RichEvents.org.

Are you ready to book your 2011 wedding?

Today is December 27, 2010 and it is 8:29 pm. I am sitting in my studio office at Belmont Mansion getting ready for the annual avalance of wedding calls that will hit soon. You see, nearly half of all proposals and engagements happen during the holiday season between Christmas and New Years Day. The next bump is Valentine's Day. Many of my remaining available dates for 2011 will dissapear in the next 6 to 7 weeks, starting on January 2--when the holidays are over. Just tonight I got the first email from a bride who had gotten engaged over Christmas. So, for any of you brides who find yourself reading this blog entry, I have some suggestions. First, think Rich Events for all your officiating, coordinating and wedding venue needs :) ...I know, shameless self promotion. But seriously, the most popular dates fill up quickly and those would be Saturdays in May, late September and October. There are weddings all 12 months of the year, but not in the volume as those times. So, if you are one of those May/September/October brides, don't waste precious time! Find your venues and put down deposits and sign contracts as fast as you can. If you are interested in a March, April or November wedding you'll find a lot more opportunities for open dates. Also, you may get the month you want if you are willing to take a Friday or a Sunday instead of the coveted Saturday.

Amber's Flaming Purse and Grand Entrance

So I had something new happen last night. My bride's purse cought fire while sitting too close to a votive candle during the rehearsal dinner. My assistant director of weddings grabbed the purse and we RAN out front, flames and smoke billowing through the Grand Salon of Belmont Mansion. Her purse strap will never be the same!

And then there was the wedding. Her violinist broker her arm. Her cake designer broker her foot. The topper though, bless her heart, was her grand entrance into the ceremony. As she decsended the steps in to the Grand Salon of the mansion...she fell down the steps. She caught herself on the railing and she wasn't hurt...but still, she fell down the steps.

Four weddings but no funeral

The beginning of Autumn is always a busy time for weddings and that has been the case in 2010. the last two weekends in September 2010 were particularly fun and noteworthy. September 18 was a date to remember. I participated in four weddings personally on one day. I started the day officiating a wedding on Center Hill Lake. As I arrived, not having met the couple in person, I was intrigued to see a guest arrive dressed from head to toe....wait for it...in a duck costume. White fur, yellow beak, tail and with a lovely human woman on his arm. The groom had bemoaned the fact that the bride would not allow him to see her dress before the wedding. He threatened to wear...are you there yet?.....a duck costume. So, when the pre-wedding photos were about to begin the bride was greeted by our duck. After a few minutes, the real groom appeared.

The next wedding was much more conventional and traditional and it went off at Belmont Mansion without a hitch. The third wedding was a lovely affair at an outdoor venue in Williamson County. The only thing out of the ordinary was the Secret-Service-looking security agent monitoring the festivities. The groom plays in the band of a famous country singer who needs a little protection out in public.

My last wedding of the night started late and ended on a somewhat Las Vegas note. The DJ/entertainer was...wait for it...an Elvis impersonator, white jump suit and all!

There is NEVER a dull moment when you work as a wedding minister/planner!

Christmas Weddings

It's not even April yet, but it is time to start booking venues for Christmas weddings. Some brides may not consider the Christmas-New Year's holiday time of year as an ideal time for a wedding, but it is. Many indoor venues such as mine (Belmont Mansion and Cabinberry Farm) are beautifully decorated both inside and out, which helps cut down on the bride's decorating and floral budget. Another plus to a December wedding is the weather. That might seem like an odd statement, but as someone who has been to more weddings than I can count, I can tell you that cool-weather weddings are a blessing. Weddings require a lot of work and a lot of time spend lifting, lugging, hauling, walking and working. Even if your wedding is an indoor event, there is a lot that has to be done out that involves being in the punishing heat of Summer.

One great advantage of a wedding scheduled around a holiday is the fact that many of your guests may already be in town or otherwise off work. Certainly, you will want to poll your closest friends and family and make sure that your venue can accomodate a holiday wedding before you get too far into the planning process. You will also want to make sure that your consider conflicting holiday parties and other events during the busy holiday season. I have coordinated and officiated for many couples during the Christmas holiday season and it worked out beautifully each time.

Keep in mind that many wedding venues such as mine host more than just weddings. Christmas tends to attract a lot of non-wedding rental events at these venues, so the time to book a Christmas wedding is NOW!

Picking Your Wedding Venue

I am a wedding coordinator, wedding minister and a venue manager. As someone who functions in different roles in weddings, I have a unique perspective. There are several things that brides (and grooms) need to consider when booking a wedding venues.

First, where do you want to get married? There are four good options to consider: bride's hometown, groom's hometown, a city between those two places, or finaly a resort/destination wedding.

Second, do you want a single venue wedding with ceremony and reception in one place or do you want a split venue wedding with ceremony in one venue and reception in another?

Third, how many guests do you want to be present?

Fourth, do you want an outdoor or indoor wedding?

Fifth, what venue style appeals to you, i.e. church, hotel, historic building, beach/waterside, privagte residence, resort?

Sixth, do you want to serve alcohol?

Seventh, when do you want your wedding to take place? Morning, afternoon or evening? Weekday or weekend? Spring, Summer, Fall or Winter? On or near a major holiday?

Eighth, how much are you willing to pay for your venue(s)?

Ninth, what ameneties or services would you like or do you need for your venue(s) to include for you, i.e. event planning, catering, bar tending, officiating, tables, chairs, linens, valet, salon, etc.?

Tenth, will this venue photograph well?

Eleventh, is this venue accessable to and comfortable for my guests? Is it easy to find? Is their available parking?

Finally, does my venue work for my wedding? Does is do what I need it to do and do I like it? Lots of people will give advice, solicited or not. Parents or others may pay for some or all of the venue cost, but at the end of the day the bride and groom should be happy with their wedding venue, because it is THEIR wedding!