Journal

Top Three Partial Wedding Planning Ideas

No. 1: The first thing I think about with partial wedding planning is a coordinator, which is more of what I do alongside my alterations. A coordinator is someone that helps you basically plan out the day of and make a game plan for that that can be shared with all vendors. They help you coordinate how the whole day is going to unfold. They are generally right there with you for a chunk of time, maybe 8 hours helping you. When I coordinate, I’m generally there for 8 hours, so I let that be either heavier on the side of decorations or later in the day and heavier on the side of the reception. So that’s a wedding coordinator.

Secondly, when I think of partial wedding planning, I think of a digital planner. A digital planner is someone that you consult with over the phone. They are someone that can help you over phone meetings as you plan your wedding. You can generally book with this person as you go. So if you feel like you only need an hour, you can book a one hour consultation or you can come back and revisit that. Generally, a virtual wedding planner is going to help you create that timeline and execute that and be able to delegate that to a family member or someone else who is going to step in the day of.

The third and last one is selecting a wedding planner book. I recommend selecting a wedding planner book that is going to guide you through the process. That I could see as partial wedding planning. You will need to find a good wedding planner book that will help guide you through the process efficiently. Those are my top partial wedding planning. Keep your eye out for our summer launch of our very own wedding planning book! We will be announcing it at Instagram. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and go follow us on Facebook. And if you haven’t yet and you’re in the middle of planning your wedding, go ahead and go to our home page and grab that free to do list. It’s called our I Do List. You don’t want to miss out on it. It’s totally free and it’s going to help you. It’s just 15 minutes of your time to de-stress your wedding just a little bit. Talk to you soon!

Wedding Dress Cleaning & Preservation Process | Sun Valley, Idaho

Hey friends, Brittanie with Modern Cottage Bridal & Prom. I want to jump on here really quickly and answer a recent common question. That is: What is the wedding dress cleaning and preservation process like? For starters, there are two different options when it comes to cleaning and preservation. You can bring it to me directly. That’s always an option.

“You can schedule a pickup or drop off, or I can ship you a shipping kit.”

-Britt

You can schedule a pickup or drop off, or I can ship you a shipping kit. With that, you can mark, your stains and ship that out. All shipping is signature required on your wedding gown preservation and cleaning. Once you ship out your gown, the wait time is about six to 10 weeks from there, you can expect to have your gown returned to you, boxed and preserved.

Also, when you open it up, and if you wish to pull it out of the box or look at it, it’s important to wear gloves. The reason being is the oil from your hands can actually stain the dress over time. With preservation, you have to keep that in mind. We always recommend additional storage outside of the cardboard box provided. The box does work fine as long as you have the two boxes around it. I think that would be just fine for storage, but it’s definitely important to get some sort of waterproof box around it. I think that’s important. Aside from that, it’s a pretty simple process. If you have any questions, feel free to visit our contact page and inquire there about wedding gown preservation and cleaning. Or you can text me at 208-696-1155

Best,

Brittanie

-The Bridal Tailor

Winn Homestead | Walla Walla Wine Country

Blackbird Photography | Winn Homestead

Friends! It is such a different time right now with all the shifting of wedding dates, more elopements, back yard weddings and much more! Regardless, we can still share some of our preferred vendors. Every time we see stunning photos from clients who tied the knot at Winn Homestead we are in awe of the simplicity. The rolling hills, green grass, and detailed landscape paint the colors for beautiful photos. We got the chance to ask the owner of Winn Homestead what their “why” is behind what they do. Here’s what they had to say:

“We host weddings because we love sharing our historic, family homestead with others as they begin writing their own family histories.”

-Kendra
Blackbird Photography | Winn Homestead

For more info on Winn Homestead and the venue features, please visit their website at: https://www.winnhomestead.com/

Bridgett & Vincent | White Barn Estate | La Grande, Oregon

Hello! Britt here, creator of Modern Cottage. I just loved Bridgett & Vincent’s story and wedding style, I had to share! Bridgett brought the most beautiful Lillian West gown to our cottage for tailoring last year. I loved helping her find the perfect fit. Here’s more about their story:

“We met working at a Shell gas station in college. He proposed on a bike ride with the view of mount Rainier in the background. “

-Bridgett

I love simple love stories like this one! Scroll down below to see more highlights from their special day, and the creative behind the scenes.

Cake by Jane Cole | Tailoring by Modern Cottage Bridal | Gown from Amy’s Bridal | Flowers by Fitzgerald Flowers | Wedding Planner Renetta Prince | Photos by Blackbird Photography

Bridal by Marie | Boise, Idaho | Wedding Dress Shopping

Hi! I got the chance to chat with Susan, the founder of Bridal by Marie located just outside of Boise, Idaho. When asked what her “why” is behind what she does, here’s what she had to say:

“My ‘why’ is to create an environment for my brides and customers that combines extraordinary service and attention to detail with a meaningful personal connection. The relationships I cultivate with my brides keeps me motivated and passionate about the service I provide.”

-Susan

First hand, I have experience tailoring gowns purchased at Bridal by Marie, and I highly recommend them! The quality and accuracy of sizing was great with Stephanie’s dress featured above. Stop by their website to learn more: https://bridalbymarie.com/

Grande View Productions | Wedding Videographer | La Grande, OR

White Barn Estate | Grande View Pro | Periwinkle Events | La Grande, OR

I got the opportunity to interview Chris, the founder of Grande View Productions, a local videographer her in La Grande, Oregon. When asked what his “why” behind his business and what keeps him passionate about videography, this is what he had to say:

“We are passionate about telling people’s love stories & helping them capture their special day to enjoy for years.”

-Chris

Videography truly is a way of telling a story that a photograph can’t do. You can almost relive the day and feel exactly how you felt in that moment with a wedding video. He went on to talk about his passion for both the creative side and technical side of filmmaking. If you are looking for a professional videographer for your Eastern Oregon wedding, we highly recommend Grande View Productions!

In a wider scope we love every aspect of filmmaking, whether it’s the technical side, artistic side, or getting to know our clients, it’s all a fun adventure!”

-Chris

“All our experiences with Modern Cottage have been wonderful! We look forward to every time we are able to work together, & each time we have the pleasure of filming a dress or suite that has been through the cottage! Brittanie is a delight and we loved filming her vow renewal, as well!”

-Chris

We’ve worked with Grande View Productions first hand on multiple occasions. My vow renewal was one to remember and I will treasure the vidoegraphy performed by Grande View Pro. It was executed with attention to detail, flawless lighting, and editing. They told our love story as I would imagine it. If you have a moment, take a look at more from Grande View Productions: http://www.grandeviewproductions.com/

-Brittanie

The Bridal Tailor

Tux Rentals, Suits, and Timing

Hey, guys, Britt here. Happy Saturday. I am jumping on here really quickly to chat with you guys about the timing of tuxedo rentals and suits.

So if you have a winter event coming up, let’s say let’s say its next weekend and you’re wondering if you can get a tuxedo rental in time or a suit in time for your event. I would recommend placing your or no later than 4 p.m. on Monday during the week of your event. Be sure to stop by to get your measurements & pick out your style before then. By getting that handled before 4 p.m. on Monday helps to avoid any rush shipping. This helps to alleviate timing as well, just in case we need to do alterations. Also, it insures that your tuxedo rental will be here in time by say Wednesday, Thursday the week of your event. We can then do any alterations and adjustments to get you ready for Saturday.

Aside from that, we do have suits and tuxedos available for purchase, and this is a great option if you have multiple formal events coming up.

If you are going to be a wedding guest at several weddings during the summer, having a nice suit jacket on hand that is tailored is a really great go-to. The best thing about ordering from us is that our alterations are complimentary. That’s no extra charge to you for either a tux rental or suit for purchase. Generally speaking, it’s really never too late to order except when we’re down to those last couple of days before the event. At that point we’re really limited on options. We want to make sure we get in to place your order for your event no later than five days before your event. I would say it’s always best to start somewhere around 30 days before your event, just to ensure that we have that sizing available for you. I hope you guys have a great Saturday and I’ll talk to you soon.

-Brittanie

The Bridal Tailor

The Right Timeline for Wedding Dress Alterations

Hey, guys. I am jumping on here really quickly to chat with you guys about what the right timeline looks like for alterations as far as bridal alterations go and for bridesmaid dress alterations or anything non bridal. I do recommend forty five days or more for bridesmaid dresses or non-bridal. If you are less than forty five days, that is not a big deal. Just consider that there will be a thirty five dollar rush feee. As far as bridal gown alterations, if your first fitting starts 90 days or more, that is a great timeline to be on. Three to four months ahead of time before your wedding date allows for plenty of time to work your dress in the mix of things.

Wedding Dress Alterations | La Grande, OR

Again, if you need to book your first fitting less than 90 days before your wedding date, there will be a rush fee of one hundred dollars. That is just because we’re pushing you to the front of the line. Also, if you book your first fitting 90 days or more before your wedding date, you can get a $75 voucher towards your towards any additional services. So I hope that helps with the timing. Again, you can use the schedule appointment link to schedule fitting online. You don’t have the messages for that. Just use that link and use it at your own convenience. Have an awesome day!

Wedding Dress Alterations | La Grande, OR

Brittanie

-The Bridal Tailor

What to Bring to Your Tuxedo Rental Meeting | La Grande, Oregon

Hi friends! I am jumping on here really quickly to answer a recent question about what to bring to your tuxedo rental meeting. So the first thing I want to start with is to prep ahead and browse styles on the website. If you visit our tuxedo rental page here, you can look under services and tuxedo rentals. On that page, we have some featured styles.

Grey Suit Rental | La Grande, Oregon

From there you can also there should be a link on there that goes to Jim’s Formal Wear. On their website, you can look at further styles. You can also use their build a tux app that actually builds a style completely together. You can customize the the vest and tie to whatever color you want to have. Then, beyond that, the next step is to schedule a meeting here.

Black Tuxedo Rental | La Grande, Oregon

Once you’re on the calendar, I highly recommend bringing color swatches. So if you don’t have any offhand, and you want to get color swatches that match your bridesmaid dresses or any colors that are within your wedding theme, you can go to the paint section at Walmart or Ace and you can pick out paint swatches there. That’s a great way to match those colors spot on. So I hope you guys have an awesome day! If you guys have any questions, don’t hesitate to message me.

-Brittanie

The Bridal Tailor