Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Samantha, What Ever Happened To The $20K Wedding?

I have to admit when I receive these emails it kills me that I don't have the time to work with as many brides as I used to. I can blame it on many things, the truth is we grew. We grew really BIG...This is great for a company, but what happens to the bride who used to keep us on our toes with challenging budgets? Here's what I have to say about the economy PHOOEY! Who cares. You can and you will have that fab wedding for 20K. I am going to get you there, but you to have to trust me. I've been doing this a long time...I think you are going to like our program. I want you to know that I personally have been working on education to excel in what I do best. That is to design and teach. I am still here guys, I'm just growing and you haven't seen anything yet. Wait until you see what's ahead! This isn't a bad thing. It allowed me to make mistakes without anyone...SMILE, it allowed me to train planners we work with to be better, stronger at what they excel in and I also needed a place to facilitate 13 planners. That is not an easy task to do. Now that I am back in "ME" mode...I've had a chance to peek at the economy about 50 times a day and decided, I need to give what I can. So I have great news! I am running a special for the month of Feb-March 2009 a wedding a MAGNIFICENT wedding for $20,000. There are rules, this doesn't come so easy. But it can happen. Prerequisites: You can have no more than 125 guests You will work with a planner Month of Coordination ONLY Samantha Goldberg will work with you on design ONLY... YOU MUST BE FLEXIBLE WITH DATES YOU MUST BE FLEXIBLE WITH LOCATION GREAT NEWS....YOU CAN AFFORD LIGHTING, DJ, FLORAL A GREAT VENUE and A PLANNER.... But you must call soon! If you are a vendor or venue and are interested in this program you will need references and samples for your work before your considered. Please contact: Samantha's Asst. Catherine Scerbo 908.209.4028 All venues and vendors are certified and insured! Venues we need your open dates and your pp please!!!!

I Know I Can Squeeze Into That Dress! Give Me The Pliers Please!

If I lose 20 Pounds, I know I Can Get Into That Dress..... How many times I have heard this from our brides! PLIERS PLEASE! Whatever happened to the person is beautiful no matter what on her wedding day? I get the whole primp and exercise program before hand. You want to look amazing for your groom to be and for your guests. But why does it take a special occasion to get you there? All you do when you get engaged is focus on your gown , face it.... We've watched through the years celebrities basically get down to skin and bones before the Emmy's or Grammy's. This has even occurred while planning for their BIG flashy nuptials. Bottom line...It's always about impressing someone else. I have to tell ya, I kind of think it's shallow to worry about what others 'think. I mean if this is YOUR day to shine, does it really matter what anyone thinks about you and your dress? Now I am going to play devils advocate for a moment. What if you have the figure and the dress...NO NO NO...Too low, seeing plumber tush...It's a bit much gals. I have seen a lot of tush. And some of you should not be wearing this kind of gown when you don't have the body to carry it off. I'm not one who makes all the rules, but each designer "designs" their gown around a specific type of body. This is why it's important to go with a dress that matches your body type. If you don't find what you want, you can always go couture. But PLEASE don't try to be something your not. All this is going to do is depress some of you and cause others to become so thin, it's just plain unhealthy. And Boot Camp gals, never makes it past 30 days as quoted by many bridal boot camp companies. Too bad I love the concept! Has anyone ever done this???? I know when I was ready to tie the knot, I had nerves all right. I had my dress taken in 3 more times than the norm. I tend to lose weight when I stress. I have a smaller frame so I do need to be careful not to loose too much weight when stressing. I have planned MANY weddings where brides are exactly the same. We just cannot eat when we're stressed. My only concern is if you lose the weight, how big are we going to go with the chicken cutlets? You know the boobs are the first things to go right? I don't get it, you have children, this is the area that massively expands...You can stress all you want. Heck I went from a C to a Double EE while being prego..While hubby was saying WOW, I said Bow Wow! Stay away Mr! If you noticed in OK and US they are bashing Lindsey Lohan again. I get she has issues. She is one of those types as stated on OK Magazine that tends to loose weight when she stresses out. if you had millions always watching every step you made, you'd stress too. OK. This does kind of contradict my philosophy of not caring what others think...But...I was speaking of weddings. Now Eva Longoria lost a few pounds too before her big day according to Us magazine. Was it stress, because she is already the size of a tooth pick... Now it's your turn. Are you a stress eater or a food avoid er? Have you had trouble finding the dress of your dreams and if so what have you done to fix this issue? Have you tried the boot camps and what did ya think? I just want you to know, you are not alone no matter what your body size is...I think sharing your experience here might help someone going through the process. You don't even have to give your real name! I still think your great no matter what size and shape you are, if it matters! xoxoxo SG

Friday, February 13, 2009

Newest Post On WWW.BRIDALGUIDE.COM..

I have a good one this time ladies and am looking for feedback... February 13, 2009 The Wedding’s Off... This is probably the worst subject one can talk about while planning a wedding or the day before Valentine’s Day, but a reader who commented on my last post asked for some help regarding this topic. Just to give you a little background, one of your fellow brides recently found out her fiancĂ© was having an affair with the maid of honor—five months before the wedding. I know, completely heartbreaking! She didn’t know if she should call off the wedding or try to work things out. We all want to believe that once you get that ring forever means forever—no cheating, no fighting, just plain love—but sometimes that’s not the case. Although not all situations are as extreme as this one, there are instances when a bride or groom comes to the realization that getting married is not right. When this happens, the fallout is often difficult to deal with, especially when the big day is right around the corner. Want to read the rest....LINKING....Come on, what would you do???? http://www.bridalguide.com/community/blogs/samantha-goldbergs-red-carpet-weddings/

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Media My "9"

You know your going crazy when you get emails saying how great you looked on television last night...I'm like last time I checked I was home...I'm having one of those weeks, I did what? And when?? As long as it's good folks, I feel OK with forgetting a few things! Here you go! It was taped a few weeks ago and looks like it was just released last night. As always tips on how to save with your wedding! You can certainly have it all! I don't care what they tell you, there's always a way to squeeze it all in...tastefully! You just need to "cut and paste" right? Anyone whose flexible with an excel spreadsheet can make it happen! Enjoy! Title....Tips For Affordable Weddings http://www.my9tv.com/news/

Monday, February 9, 2009

So What Are The New Trends For 2009?

It seems as though each meeting we have, the same questions are asked. What are the newest trends Sam? I think we can all agree that in 2007-2008 we really went overboard with Tiffany blue and chocolate brown. I'm not going into specifics with how many combinations we had during this time. I will tell you, I couldn't be happier with the new colors we are welcoming into the reception! Color is magical and expresses our personalities in more ways than you can imagine! Just when someone thinks they know you, surprise...you have hot pink floral and rhinestones throughout the room with chocolate brown lighting and a hint of pink to tie it all in...WOW! Ladies, just think color! I know that orange, fuchsia, yellow and lime green for some may seem tacky, but when it's put together with the right lighting, linens and floral design, you may just change your mind. Color can liven up the most conservative venues. Who set the rule about being conservative with everything we choose for the wedding? AND...Who says the gals have to match the room? I mean if lime green looks good on your gals, there's no rule that says you can't have it? Have you ever been to a Home Depot and taken a color swatch with 4-5 different shades of green? It looks really amazing with attire! If you visit a David's Bridal...You can choose any color and play around. You'll have a blast trying to figure our what shades you'll want for your bridal party. Maybe have a few good laughs too...Every dress shop has that special dress that MUST be tried on. You know what I'm talking about...THE DRESS.... Tastefully....We walk away from THAT DRESS! If we discussed the girls and their gowns along with matching the decor this might have been a bigger concern like 13-15 years ago! Times have changed. Do you really want the bridesmaids dresses to match the linens? When is the last time you had a portrait in the reception room with the bridesmaids and the groomsmen sitting at their table "striking" a pose? I don't know about you, but in my world, this hasn't happened since poly satin in teal was popular for the bridal party...OH..and the puffy sleeves..Gotta love that look! This was early 90's. I have some dresses from weddings I stood up in, I just cannot share my thoughts on line. I may lose a lot of friends. I've stood up in 13 weddings and still have friends who are waiting for the ring! Yes...Even at 40....we are waiting! Everything takes time I tell them! Totally going off the subject, but have to address it... What scares me most of all is that MOM jeans are trying to make a come back? Did you catch a glimpse of Jessica Simpson at one of her last appearances wearing the high waisted belt and the MOM jeans? I have no idea why this style continues to push it's way back into our "Vogues" and "In Style Mags". We've tried this for 2 years now! Face it, MOM jeans are not coming back. They are not appealing for any ones figure. If anything, it's going to make the waif come back and that's a whole different subject. We all need a little meat on our bones. OK. Back to what's in. So if we've changed the color wheel, which way is it going? Slate is the new brown! We're not getting rid of brown were simply replacing it with something more diverse. Now what I love about slate is that you can take it really deep as in vintage 40's SUPER DEEP......Velvet and or crinkled organza, you can add some light colors (taupe, champayne, even silver for accent) and it becomes very decadent. Slate and champagne look fab together. Add some silver to this, maybe a charger or silver candelabra and you have a romantic and sultry look. Take this even further and add some amber lighting (amber makes anything look amazing) and your room will become this romantic, simple yet well thought out decor for all to enjoy. Don't forget the mega pillar candles to create the mood. I love color, so the sultry look might be a bit too deep for me. I have to admit, when we've used this for birthday parties or any special occasion it does look hot! Swanky lounges even during weddings are just SEXY! Purples and hues of the purple family are still being used right now. However, deep pinks and raspberry are being brought into this color scenario and that is totally awesome if you are looking for a fun yet sexy reception! Again, it's only color and when the lights are dim, you will have one extravagant dance party! Now, here's a shocker for some. Pastels are back! For those of you who love pinks, blues, lilac and peach...It's here! We've already begun to take this traditional look and add a bit of "flair" to it. I do love pastels, but what about a pop of color? Don't be afraid to ask your designer to work in a pop of color. Even with your bouquet, the bride always needs to pop! Your def going to hear this from your designer. If you like pink, what if you started with a light palate and you slowly bring in fuchsia?? You could bring different variations of lilac too...So we start light and we end with little pops of a deeper purple? Now, you have a centerpiece with all different variations of pinks and purples? Again. with the right lighting, this will look amazing. Your gals don't have to wear one color...each bridesmaid can wear a shade of your favorite color? If your working with pastels, everyone is sure to find a color that fits with their skin tone. If the bouquets have all colors of the bridal party in them, they will look incredible in photos. A little hint....if you give your bridal team some variety, your going to save yourself from some nasty conversations later on...TRUST me...I have been there for "those" conversations. NOT pretty and NOT always a happy ending. Choose your battles brides, this one is not worth losing friendships over. I have more details to share...as in what the new trends in bridal gowns are for 2009and 2010, in my next post I promise! Think Vintage! Think layered, Think Lace... As always, you guys have been awesome with your emails and requests for information! Keep em' coming! This year is going to be one of the better ones we've had in a while I can feel it!

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Recent Press On Line...2008-2009

For those who have asked about recent press, I have found some sites that have graciously posted for all to enjoy. If you have any ideas or subjects you would like to see more of, just ask. I'm asked on a weekly basis of what brides and grooms would like read. Enjoy! By the way, if you think I have been a bit crazed, wait until you see what I'm working on! I couldn't be more excited to share! I hope to have this announced with a national press release next week! Bridal Guide http://www.bridalguide.com/wedding-planning/ Special Events Magazine http://specialevents.com/childrens/events_setting_bar_high_20070616/ Copley News Service http://extras.berkshireeagle.com/NeBe/weddingplanner/images%5Cp11.pdf The Statesman http://www.statesman.com/life/content/life/stories/other/10/20/0608guide.html The Good Life http://www.app.com/goodlife/Spring2007/features/features.html Cosmo Confessions of a Wedding Planner http://www.zinio.com/pages/Cosmopolitan/Dec-08/317424161/pg-170 Cosmo article Why Small Weddings Rock... http://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/relationships/small-weddings

Free Wedding Coordinators! Please Assist Our Students!

I wanted to thank everyone who has inquired about the planner for a day program. As of today we have 6 brides that have signed up! We still need 6 more! Ladies there are no strings attached for this program. The ONLY thing we ask is after your wedding for you to complete a SMALL 1 page QUESTIONNAIRE. Our students need this to graduate. You're not going to have someone of beginners status as we have another coordinator working along with each student at your event. In a week, we receive at least 30 requests from brides who have a budget of $20,000 and under and want planner but cannot fit this into their budget. We are handing you this to you on a silver platter. All you have to do is apply! If you feel that items with no fee attached are too good to be true, you are usually correct. However, this particular program is for educational purposes and the benefit is to work with you! I am VERY confident with our students and the several letters of recommendations from our program you will be pleased. We are currently in need of brides getting married in NJ or NY between March and August of 2009. Please inquire soon as we have 6 openings left. How would you like to be a guest at your own wedding???? xoxoxo SGG
I devote my time to ensuring our clients recieve fab service. There's another "calling" for me. To give back to my peers that aspire to be the next "best" fancy pants somebody! Those who play it safe standing behind me, will fail. I do serve as a warning to others and yes, I'm nutty. It's who I am & it's not going to change, as it works. Feel free to comment & join me on what could be the best road trip EVER!

Not That Sassi Planner Again???

Bling and Pearls Can Be The Icing on The Cake!

Bling and Pearls Can Be The Icing on The Cake!
Too Good Too Eat.

Just admit it, I say off the wall things...And it works!