Is Wedding Insurance for You?

We might never know how many weddings were cancelled or postponed because of Hurricane Irene this weekend but it’s a great example for why wedding insurance should be considered.  I want to believe many of the couples were able to either reschedule their weddings with their vendors or recoup their costs with vendors, but we have no way of telling.

What does wedding insurance do for you?

It gives you peace of mind about extreme weather and more. And with basic policies starting at $75 they are relatively inexpensive. From a financial stand point there is an additional cost added to your wedding budget, but will protect you from unforeseen disasters and more. With an average wedding costing $28,000 and up, wedding insurance becomes more of a necessity today.

Wedding insurance policies typically cover:

·        Weather If you’re wedding has to be postponed because of rain or other bad weather, your policy should cover the cost of rescheduling.

·        Illness or Injury If essential people get sick or injured and cause the wedding to be postponed; the expenses involved with that postponement are covered.

·        A Missing Officiant If your minister, rabbi or other celebrant should be a no-show; you’ll recoup some of your costs.

·        Missing vendors Similarly, if your caterer, florist, photographer, or other key vendors are missing in action, you’ll recover some costs and possibly the costs of rescheduling the whole thing.

·        Your Location If your ceremony and reception sites don’t already carry their own insurance, your wedding insurance policy can cover damage to the site, fire, electrical or mechanical problems, or going out of business that causes you to lose money or have to reschedule.

Additional Riders You Can Purchase:

·        Military Service If you are in the military or active reserves, you’ll want to be insured in case you are called to duty suddenly and everything has to be postponed.

·        Your Gowns and Tuxedos including stores going out of business or damage.

·        Gifts If your homeowners or renters insurance doesn’t cover them, you may want to protect against theft or damage of gifts.

·        Liability Most sites carry liability insurance, but if you’re having your wedding at home or renting a home, you’ll want to be protected in case a guest gets hurt or hurts someone else.

·        Honeymoon Protect yourself against having to cancel your trip due to illness, bad weather or other unfortunate circumstances.

What It Does Not Cover?

You or the groom calls off the wedding.

Where Can You Purchase Wedding Insurance?

Check with your home owner insurance company they might carry it. If not we recommend www.wedsafe.com, you can order it right off of their website.

2nd Annual Beaufort Bridal Show - this Saturday!

We would like invite everyone to the 2nd annual Beaufort Bridal Show this Saturday, February 26th, from 12pm-4pm at the Holiday Inn Beaufort. We will be there with information on Purely Decor, our new event decor company! More than 40 wedding professionals will be showcasing their products and services and the show is co-sponsored by 104.9 The Surf.  Come on out - it's free and open to the public - especially those planning weddings! Prizes will be given away too. The Holiday Inn Beaufort is located at 2225 Boundary Street in Beaufort on Highway 21. Call (843) 379-3100 for more information.  We hope to see you there!

Announcing a Free Photography Contest!

Be sure to check Tracy's blog on April 1, 2011 to see how to vote!   Start gathering friends, family, coworkers, etc to help vote for your entry.  Please share this with any engaged couples you may happen to know. Good luck!

The Knot Best of Wedding Vendors 2011!

Amanda Rose Weddings would like to sincerely thank all of our past and present brides for voting us The Knot's Best of Weddings for 2011! 

The Knot Best of Wedding Vendors 2011!

We are so excited to announce that Amanda Rose Weddings has been listed as Best of 2011 Wedding Vendors for The Knot! 

Finally, a beautiful and customizable envelope holder!

This is too cool not to share!  We came across this company that specializes in custom card boxes for weddings.  You can toss those cheesy birdcages once and for all!  Collect your gifts in style with  Creative Custom Card Boxes.

Tips On How To Properly Address Invitations

Planning your dream wedding? Well, today anything goes! What has not changed however, is how to address invitations.  So here are some tips that you may find very useful:

• Invitations should ALWAYS be hand-addressed, preferable in black ink.  Never are you to use labels.  If you are hand writing them, they should be addressed by someone with  neat, beautiful, and legible handwriting, or in calligraphy.  *Hint* Many printers now have the ability to take your guest list (if stored in the computer) and generate you addresses to look just like calligraphy.

1. NEVER use abbreviations expect, Mr., Mrs., Dr., or Jr.
2. Symbols should NEVER be used. For example,write out the word "AND" rather than using an ampersand (&).
3. NEVER use initials. Write "James," not "J".  If you do not know the name do not use an initial.
4. North, South, East, and West should not be abbreviated.
5. Street, Road, Avenue, Boulevard, and Lane should ALWAYS be written out, not abbreviated.
6. States are spelled out in full (for example: South Carolina, not SC)
7. Figures are used in zip codes and housed numbers.  Numbered streets are written out.  For example, Fourteenth Street, not 14th Street, or One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Street, not 125th Street.
8. Avoid "and family" if possible.  All children over age eighteen should receive a separate invitation.
9. Mail invitations first class mail, NEVER metered mail.
10. Be sure to include a return address on the invitations.

***Wedding announcements and thank you cards are addressed the same as invitations, and should be mailed immediately after the wedding.

HOPE THESE TIPS ARE USEFUL AS YOU BEGIN PLANNING YOUR DREAM WEDDING!!!!!!

Wish Upon a Wedding Gala: Do you have your ticket??

Wish Upon a Wedding is the world's first nonprofit wish granting organization that provides weddings and vow renewals for couples facing terminal illness or other serious life-altering circumstances. Less than one year old, the organization has 16 active chapters, and will have granted 12 wishes by the end of 2010.

During the month of November, they are hosting several fund raising galas and auctions throughout the country, and would like to invite you to participate.

Whether you are a bride or groom to be, a wedding industry professional, or you simply love the concept behind their mission... YOU can help make Wedding Wishes come true, while raising crucial funding needed to sustain this wonderful, new nonprofit organization.

Here's How:

Attend The Blissful Wishes Ball

 A Gala Celebration to Benefit Wish Upon a Wedding

Chicago November 1

LA November 4

San Francisco November 10

Houston November 11

Charlotte November 12

Orlando November 14

St. Louis November 14
 
Baltimore November 17

Portland November 18

Atlanta November  21

The Blissful Wishes Ball is a festive way to support Wish Upon a Wedding.  Enjoy a nice night out on the town with an elegant dinner, entertainment, music, dancing, and incredible auction items.

Buy your tickets today!

Bid Your Wish for Wedded Bliss

Online and Live auctions for a Worthwhile Cause

For the first time in history, couples getting married can plan their entire wedding from virtually any city in the United States, knowing that every penny they spend will go directly towards helping a couple in need.  It's so EASY to bid.  Find everything from invitations to flowers, catering to DJs, photography to wedding planners, honeymoons and more.

Simply visit their online auction site here to choose from hundreds of items from the industry's best vendors.

Even if you are not getting married, check it out for other exciting items, such as dinners in top-rated restaurants, entertainment, sporting events and popular autographed memorabilia. Every cent earned goes towards Wish Upon a Wedding and their mission to provide these heartfelt Wedding Wishes.

 

About Wish Upon a Wedding

Founded in January of 2010 by CA wedding planner, Liz Guthrie of San Jose Wedding Consultants, Wish Upon a Wedding was created to help couples who did not have the time, money, resources or strength to plan a wedding on their own, because of terminal illness or other serious life-altering circumstances. The organization now celebrates the courage, determination and spirit of these couples by granting their dream wedding wishes. It is their goal that chosen recipients can inspire other couples facing similar situations to find hope and strength, while raising awareness for terminal illness.

Growing up with a sister who was deaf since birth, and raised by parents who ran a board and care home for people facing numerous disabilities and life hardships, Liz learned early on to value the many blessings in life, and the importance of helping others. Volunteering throughout her life for a variety of nonprofit organizations, Liz was looking for a way to combine weddings and community service. 

After producing the San Francisco Dream Wedding Giveaway in 2009, a contest in which only one couple would be granted a dream wedding, Liz came up with a way to merge her two passions. While going through the process of giving the wedding "prize" to a woman suffering from stage IV Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Liz  created Wish Upon a Wedding. Overnight, Liz decided to change wedding history, and the way we give, by launching a nonprofit organization that was totally unique and had never existed before.

Supported by industry leaders such as Sasha Souza, David Beahm, Stella Inserra, Jenny Orsini, Kevin Covey, Stacie Francombe, Sylvia Weinstock, Steve Kemble, Mindy Weiss, Mary Dann, and Ivy Robinson (to name just a few), the organization has experienced rapid growth and seen voracious acceptance throughout the country.

To date, eight couples have benefited from the generous work of Wish Upon a Wedding. Over 4,000 volunteers have signed up to become Wish Granters. Their facebook page has attracted over 10,000 fans. 

None of this would be possible without public support.

In Loving Memory of Wish Recipients who have Passed On 

Dani and Tony married in St Louis on September 1. She passed away September 30th. Dani had suffered from Cystic Fibrosis since age 3, and had recently received a double lung transplant.

Florence and Micheal married near Sacramento on March 13. She passed away on September 28. Florence battled stage IV breast cancer, and was diagnosed with six months to live at the time of her wedding.

Shelly and Jay married in Seattle on May 2.  Shelly passed away three weeks later. She had been battling a rare type of cancerous lymphoma, and Jay suffered from Multiple Sclerosis.

Please help Wish Upon a Wedding continue to do great things.

Attend a Gala.  Donate to or bid in the auctions.

And help them spread the word, by sharing this article with your friends, family, co-workers and acquaintances.

You CAN make a difference in someone's life today!