“You did a great job.  You have a wonderful, thoughtful manner and seem very secure in what you are doing.” Margaret Collis

“What an awesome event, thank you so much.” Megan Zucaro

“You are truly special and multi-talented!  The event was beautiful with great details everywhere and it all went so smoothly.  That does not just happen!   It takes a lot of planning and effort to make it look as easy as you made it look!  You did such a great job!”  Melissa Adams

“Shauna, I’m so thrilled about the way our ParentRise dinner turned out last night. You and Perfectly Planned organized the perfect event. Thank you for all your hard work. It was all so beautiful – down to the detail.” Loretta Maase

One said it was “a jaw-dropping evening that left them moved to make a difference.”

Visit our website for more pictures www.perfectlyplannedevents.us

“Shauna, just wanted to tell you what an amazing job you did coordinating the first-ever event for the Parent Rise Free Concert Series at the Domain!  Your level of detail (like the directions on how to take credit cards on the back of the raffle info. pages) is awesome and I feel the event was a great success.”  Melissa Adams

“Shauna, you are amazing and you did a tremendous job!! “ Kathy Johnston

 “It was clear that you went the extra mile to make it all work so well.” Loretta Maase

 “You did a super job with this event!  I would recommend you to anyone that needed an event planner in a heart beat!” Megan Zucaro

By Shauna Jankowiak

My husband and I asked our dear friend to perform our ceremony for us when we got married. We were so worried about someone not saying our names right and not knowing who we were as individuals that we thought this would be a great solution.  This is a new trend in weddings today for those reasons and with the ease of signing up over the internet, why not do this?  Asking a friend or loved one to perform your ceremony brings a personal touch to your wedding that both you and your friend will remember for many years to come.  You can save a lot of money by going this route as sometimes hiring someone that you do not know can cost you up to $500. 

First, you need to find the right friend.  Find someone who is comfortable speaking in front of a large crowd of people.  If you are having a religious ceremony, you will need to consider that person’s religious views and their comfortable level with incorporating different views into the ceremony if necessary.  You must be able to rely on them to be punctual and to represent the occasion well.

Once you have thought of the perfect person to fill such an important position for your day you will need to ask them.  Invite them to visit privatley and quietly with you while you ask them.  Be sure to give them plenty of time to consider your request, this is not easy for everyone especially if religious aspects are involved.  When they have accepted the role, they will need time with you to prepare what they should say and how you would like the ceremony to be performed. 

Finally, you  have the perfect person, you have laid out how you want the ceremony to be done, and now they need to become ordained.  In most states including Texas, they can become ordained over the internet and legally be able to sign the marriage certificate as a minister.  The Universal of Life Church is one of the resources that provides credentials of ministry.  There is no fee associated with doing this, they only need to complete this form  http://www.ulc.net/index.php?page=ordain and submit their application.  Within three days they will receive a confirmation email that says they are now legally able to perform ceremonies. 

After my husband and I asked our friend to perform the ceremony, we could not have been happier in knowing that we made the right decision.  We were able to cut costs on an otherwise expensive wedding, we had a much more personal ceremony, and made a life long lasting memory for us and our dear friend.  We later found out at the reception that our friend had never even been to a wedding before ours; however, they did such a wonderful job that us and our guests had no idea. 

We want to hear from other people that asked their dear friends to perform their ceremonies, please tell us how you felt about the experience.

By Shauna Jankowiak

A Bride’s friend is there to help you choose dresses for the bridesmaids, help address invitations, throw a bridal luncheon, and holds your bouquet at the end of the aisle.  She is your matron/maid of honor. 

 If you are a bride you have chosen the closest friend to help you every step of the way.  For a year now she has made this day in your life her highest priority and seen you through every crisis, whether that is booking the venue of your dreams or deciding on the perfect blend of colors. 

 We want to hear how your Maid/Matron of honor has helped you.  We invite you to give her praise and appreciation today.

Most couples nowadays who are getting married are looking for a stand-out way to display their never-ending love to their significant other. While spending 20 grand on a piece of jewelry or dress you’ll wear once is fine enough for some, this groom took it to the next level by having his family create, by hand, a 1.4 mile-long wedding train for his future misses. While it sounds expensive, the entire dress only cost $6,000, and talk about a day you won’t soon forget; this couple’s dress rivals the current Guinness record holder for longest wedding dress which is 1,579 meters long! If having your wedding day and gown displayed in the Guinness Book of World Records isn’t the ultimate memory, then I don’t know what is.

The entire article is very touching, and it’s a great display of what thinking out of the box can get you on your special day. More couples are finding that the trend of emptying your life’s savings for your wedding is quickly dying, and this couple’s idea is just one great example of the creative and unique ‘surprises’ you can have in store for you, or your hubby on your wedding day.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/5986681/Chinese-bride-gets-married-in-1.4-mile-long-wedding-dress.html