Wedding Professionals Unveiled: Flourish Bomboniere

Many couples wish something uniquely different for their wedding which will differentiate their celebration from others their guests have attended. When Liz Young was planning her own wedding she wanted her guests to have a keepsake with a difference, something that they could keep for a long time and remember the wonderful time they had celebrating her marriage. From this Flourish Bomboniere was born. Liz provides a natural and colourful way to celebrate your special day. With beautiful plant creations inspired by the environment, these unique bomboniere give a personal unique touch ensuring your wedding will long be remembered.

I am pleased to introduce to you my latest featured Wedding Professional, Liz Young from Flourish Bomboniere. Please make her feel welcome as she takes time to recount how it all came about and explains the service provided.

Name: Flourish Bomboniere

Website: www.flourishbomboniere.com.au

Where are you located, and what geographical area(s) do you service?
Our Office/ Showroom is located in Castle Hill, NSW. We service Sydney and surrounds, Central Coast, South Coast, Blue Mountains, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide.

How long have you been in business?
2.5 years

What drew you to Bomboniere as a profession?
Flourish Bomboniere was inspired by beauty and the environment. The idea came from the preparation for our own wedding and the desire to give guests something unique and special. When searching for guest gifts we found that they were predominantly chocolates or items that guests would more than likely throw away. When you are spending so much money on the occasion, you want something they will remember, not something that will be forgotten and gather dust. This way guests could plant the creations in their garden or in a pot – so regardless of whether they are living in a house or a unit, their gift can be planted and enjoyed for years to come.

We had such an astonishing response from our guests that we decided to go into business to make available this opportunity for everyone else. My husband is a professional Horticulturalist and hand picks all the plants plus can offer advice and recommendations on plants suitable for individual brides.

The plants have that personalised touch and will provide everlasting memories of the wedding day. All the plant creations are made by hand and are wonderfully presented using quality materials. We have over 10 varieties of plants available with the most popular being the orange jasmine (murraya paniculata), gardenia and the romantic flower- lavender. Also becoming quite popular, especially with our European customers are the olive trees. Only the very best plants are selected from our growers with a great deal of care. Inspired by nature, these gifts that will last a lifetime!

What do you feel sets you apart as in Bomboniere Supplier?
With the growing awareness of climate change Flourish Bomboniere has become such a wonderful environment friendly green gift, there is really nothing else like this available.

These are attractively presented with the latest trend being hessian wrapping which has that natural feel with the more earthy ribbon tones such as chocolate brown and olive green. Some customers are even doubling up the labels as place cards! Beautiful messages that read "All things grow with love" or "Love grows". Of course, messages can be customised to suit each wedding or reflect the couple’s thoughts.

Couples are not limited to just one plant variety; if they wish, they can have a selection of 2, 3 or 4 varieties. These living bombonieres are very affordable, but if the couple are on a budget , we have various options available that include organza bags with sugar almonds, chocolates, mints or lollies which can save them money.

Flourish Bomboniere are a beautiful memory of the wedding day. Guests will call months after the wedding talking about their plants and how much they have grown and express their appreciation for something truly unique and meaningful.

What do you love most about your job?
I have been in the wedding/events and hospitality industry for 15 years, I love working with people and helping to make their day special. I get so much satisfaction out of planning and preparing for events and seeing the final result! I have an energetic and happy nature that I share with my job!

If you had to describe yourself in one word, what would it be?
Energetic!

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Wedding Songs - Spend My Life With You by Eric Benet Feat. Tamia

"Spend My Life with You" is a Grammy-nominated song by R&B singer Eric Benét, featuring Tamia. Released as the second single from Benét's second studio album A Day in the Life, it is an ideal song for a wedding. With heartfelt lyrics sung with emotion, it could be used for the register signing, first dance or cutting of the cake.

Spend My Life With You

I never knew such a day could come
And I never knew such a love
Could be inside of one

And I never knew what my life was for
But now that you're here I know for sure

I never knew till I looked in your eyes
I was incomplete till the day you walked into my life
And I never knew that my heart could feel
So precious and pure
One love so real

Can I just see you every morning when
I open my eyes
Can I just feel your heart beating beside me
Every night
Can we just feel this way together
Till the end of all time
Can I just spend my life with you

Now baby the days and the weeks
And the years will roll by
But nothing will change the love inside
Of you and I

And baby I'll never find any words
That could explain
Just how much my heart my life
My soul you've changed

Can you run to these open arms
When no one else understands
Can we tell God and the whole world
I'm your woman, and you're my man
Can't you just feel how much I love you
With one touch of my hand
Can I just spend my life with you

No touch has ever felt so wonderful
(You are incredible)
And a deeper love I've never known
(I'll never let you go)
I swear this love is true
(Now and forever to you)
(only for you)
To you

Can I just see you every morning when
I open my eyes
Can I just feel your heart beating beside me
Every night
Can we just feel this way together
Till the end of all time
Can I just spend my life with you
Can you run to these open arms

When no one else understands
Can we tell God and the whole world
You're my woman, and you're my man
Can't you just feel how much I love you
With one touch of my hand
Can I just spend my life with you

Can I just spend my life with you
Can I just spend my life with you
(Forever here with you)
Can I just spend my life with you
Can I just see you every morning when I
Open my eyes

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Negotiating With Wedding Professionals

Recent economic conditions has caused wedding budgets to be tightened like never before and as a result, some couples seem to think that wedding professionals should also reduce their prices accordingly. After all, any money saved is money that remains in your pocket, yes? Many couples therefor believe that wedding professionals should accept a booking at a lower rate rather than them losing that business altogether. Well this thinking is not quite right – just think about how you would feel if your employer came up and said, “Sorry, but things are a little tight at the moment, so I will need to reduce your pay by 25% for the next few weeks, but you will still have to come in and do the same amount of work.”

What couples need to appreciate is that wedding professionals are in a service industry. Negotiating the price when buying a new car, for example, is an entirely different scenario. In this instance, you are simply asking the car dealer to lower their profit margin. They pay a certain amount for the vehicle, factor in any overheads and sell it for a higher price. The higher the price, the more money they make, and so the listed prices are typically inflated to leave room for negotiation. A wedding professional, however, is essentially selling themselves. They provide a service and base their pricing on the time, effort, and resources required to provide that service. By asking them to lower their price just because you are unable to afford it, you are in essence devaluing them, requesting them to provide a level of service and quality that is compromised. Most wedding professionals certainly do not appreciate this.

Another issue is that more often than not, couples have absolutely no idea the amount of work individual wedding professionals put into their wedding. All that is seen is the finished product. For example take a Floral Designer, couples don’t see the hours spent searching for component products to use, or the time spent designing, planning and calculating their customised wedding. They have no idea that it takes at least three-four hours, or more, just to unpack their flowers, cut them, and prepare them for working with them. They can’t comprehend the number of actual hours it requires to make all of those boutonnieres, corsages, bouquets, centrepieces or displays, and to add detail to them. Add all of those glass, cylinder vases and candle holders that have to be washed, boxed, loaded, unloaded, and unpacked on-site. All that is seen is the beautiful bouquet or wonderfully decorated room.

You really need to think of negotiation as a compromise: this is where both parties agree to give something up in order to get something in return. For example, should a certain photographer be out of your budget, you could ask for a reduced rate in exchange for less hours of coverage at the wedding, or fewer included photographic prints, or a smaller album. This way, you pay less and the photographer spends less time and/or resources on your event, and the quality of the service does not need to be compromised. Everybody wins - this is a partnership, and both the wedding professional and client need to feel that they are winners! This is important to keep in mind when negotiating with a wedding professional.

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Wedding Songs - At Last by Etta James

"At Last" is a 1941 song written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren for the film musical, Sun Valley Serenade. The following year it was re-arranged and also used in the film Orchestra Wives. Both these versions were originally recorded by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra with vocals by Ray Eberle.

Whilst it has since been recorded by many artists, the Etta James version is perhaps the most famous, and is very popular at wedding ceremonies and receptions because of its romantic lyrics and sweeping orchestration. This is essentially one of the best love songs ever. It's so heavenly, with that whole concept about love at first sight, and that wonderful, wonderful feeling one gets when they realise that they're in love.

At Last

At last, my love has come along
My lonely days are over
And life is like a song
Oh, yeah, at last
The skies above are blue
My heart was wrapped up in clovers
The night I looked at you
I found a dream that I could speak to
A dream that I can call my own
I found a thrill to rest my cheek to
A thrill that I have never known
Oh, yeah when you smile, you smile
Oh, and then the spell was cast
And here we are in heaven
For you are mine
At last



Below: A version from Australia's own Kate Ceberano


Below: A recent cover of At Last by Beyonce

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Price of a Disc Jockey – Understanding The Relationship Between Price, Quality and Service

Unfortunately most couples when searching for a DJ/MC to provide the entertainment at their wedding, don’t know anything about what they should look for when hiring one! From experience, in nearly every case, the very first thing they ask when the DJ picks up the phone is, “How much do you charge?”. Most have not even considered that the concept of price is only one of three factors that dictates the economic standards of competitive enterprise. These three components are PRICE, QUALITY and SERVICE.

Many couples want a cheap price, but the highest quality and best service for their wedding celebration. More often than not, for a cheap price the couple ends up with a cheap celebration and cheap quality which relates directly to the minimal fee paid for their chosen DJ. It is important to understand that when one of these three components is compromised, it inadvertently impacts one or both of the other two components in a negative way. Higher prices are almost always associated with quality – in the case of a DJ Entertainer this translates to extremely professional, polished performances, strong customer service efforts and great attention to detail. A DJ service that charges a higher fee for their talent and skills, usually has earned this right due to great public and industry respect gained over a long period, by continuously meeting and exceeding customer expectations.

Not surprisingly, most professional, reputable DJs will charge a higher fee for their services than a hobby or part-time DJ who is only looking to make a few extra dollars on the side. For the reasons explained above, you should fully question a DJ service that is low in cost...as most likely, quality and service will also be low. Accordingly, there is a very good chance you will be putting the success of your wedding celebration at risk in order to save a few dollars. Also, bear in mind all the time and money you have already invested in your wedding day and the impact the DJ/MC has on it’s success. If the venue was just average, the food was only ordinary, the speeches were far too long, but the entertainment was exceptional, your guests will still always remember your wedding as one of the best they have ever attended.

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Wedding Professionals Unveiled: Faye Cahill Cake Design

The wedding cake provides you with a great opportunity to have the entire feeling of the wedding expressed in one single detail. So many elements of the cake come together to really display the personality of the bride and groom... the colour, the design, the flavour and the shape. Today, we have an interview with one of Sydney’s premiere cake designers, Faye Cahill from Faye Cahill Cake Design. Take a moment to read about this imaginative and talented cake Studio who not only produces refined and beautiful wedding cakes with a designer edge, but that are also extremely delicious!!.

Name: Faye Cahill Cake Design

Website: www.fayecahill.com.au

Facebook: Faye Cahill Facebook

Where are you located, and what geographical area(s) do you service?
Our shop/studio is at Dulwich Hill in Sydney’s Inner West. We deliver throughout Sydney. We also have many clients who transport their cakes to Bowral, the Hunter Valley and the South Coast. We also freight cakes quite often to regional and interstate airports.

How long have you been in business?
3 1/2 years under this name and 18 years in the industry.

What drew you to Cake Design as a profession?
I worked in cake shops while studying for my art degree and fell into baking shortly afterwards which led to my career as a decorator. I was very fortunate to find work at one of the most prestigious Sydney companies early on, and developed an eye for quality, detail and design.

What do you feel sets you apart as a Cake Designer?
My extensive experience making literally thousands of wedding cakes, has taught me what works and what doesn't. Proportion, balance and harmony are crucial in achieving the most refined results, and clients can feel confident that if we tailor a design to suit their scheme that it will turn out exactly as we have discussed. We also take a lot of care in the preparation of our cakes to ensure that they taste as good as they look. All your cakes are filled and layered with creamy ganache and masked to prevent drying and produce a perfect silhouette. Another of our strengths is that we hand make all our flowers and decorations rather than using the standard imported ones. The results are much finer and we can customise to a greater degree with styles and colouring.

What do you love most about your job?
Nothing beats seeing all the beautiful cakes come together at the end of the week, and also hearing back from couples who were thrilled with their cakes. We are lucky to be working with clients who are planning a happy and special event, and who often bring beautiful elements from their scheme to show us. We find that we are continually working with new themes and designs which keeps our work engaging.

If you had to describe yourself in one word, what would it be?
Edgy

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Wedding Professionals Unveiled: Serendipity Wedding Consultancy

Natasha Woodward from Serendipity Wedding Consultancy provides targeted and elegant wedding planning services that are personalised to each couple's individual needs. Natasha understands that memorable weddings don’t just happen....they’re planned! If you wish to avoid unnecessary hassle and stress; then Serendipity Wedding Consultancy has a number of personalised wedding planning options available to assist you achieve your perfect wedding.

Natasha impressed me with her great enthusiasm and passion for weddings and going that extra mile to help create wonderful memories for her couples - allow me to introduce Serendipity Wedding Consultancy.

Name: Serendipity Wedding Consultancy

Website: www.serendipityweddingconsultancy.com.au

Where are you located, and what geographical area(s) do you service?
We are located in Sydney, and service Sydney-wide areas focusing more on the CBD location. We have traveled to the Hunter Valley Region and a few hours up and down the coast for weddings. If there is a special place that a couple has discovered and would love to get married at – we can make that happen!

What drew you to being a Wedding Consultant as a profession?
A real love for the wedding industry! Working on many corporate events you don’t get the same satisfaction as you don’t impact someone’s life – planning weddings was always my passion and this really show’s in my work. I am dedicated, enthusiastic, reliable and have exceptional attention to detail which are all qualities of an event planner – it is the love and passion for something that makes you a great wedding planner!

What do you feel sets you apart as a Wedding Consultant?
The time spent with my couples I am planning a wedding for. I provide unlimited consultations and involve my couples in every aspect of the planning for their special day. I make sure they are comfortable and relaxed through every deadline...which makes them less stressed and more likely to feel more calm on the day that every detail is taken care of.

What do you love most about your job?
Contributing to the happiness and memories of a couple. I feel the utmost satisfaction from seeing all the smiles on everyone’s face as soon as the bride is visible!

If you had to describe yourself in one word, what would it be?
Passionate

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