Product Review: SoleMates

Posted by Khris in Crafter's Toolbox

There’s a dirty little secret no one tells you about aisle runners and grass: they’re a recipe for disaster. See, those fabulous designer stilettos you’re rocking down the aisle can actually puncture straight through the aisle runner, right into the ground. And what does that mean? A one-way ticket to Tripsville, baby. A face plant on your way to the altar is not exactly the memory you’d like to have of your wedding, right?

Here’s where Solemates High Heelers come to save the day (and your heels).

These ingenious little gadgets slip over your heels, providing you with more surface area which helps prevent heel punctures. Added bonuses: they’re reusable, they stabilize your step and protect the fabric on your shoes to keep them looking pretty.

After trying them out on my favorite pair of mules (my prized Lacroixs, the only eBay win I’ve ever felt a rush from), I have to say that I loved them! Sliding the High Heelers over the heels took mere seconds and they stayed put throughout the evening. I tromped along grass and gravel without problem. They did catch some attention from some of my foot fetishist curious friends (“what’s that on your shoe?”) so they’re not totally invisible but they really don’t stand out, either.

High Heelers fit most stiletto and kitten heels and come in clear or black. They retail for $9.95 at TheSoleMates.com. Discounts are available with a purchase of 10 or more sets (great for your bridesmaids!).

{Disclosure: Solemates provided me with a sample of this product for the purpose of review.}

Coming Soon: DIY Bridal Beauty

Posted by Khris in Attire + Beauty

Hey DIYers!

I am thrilled to announce that we’re adding a new do-it-yourself feature to DIYBride. We’ll be covering hair, makeup, and beauty/skincare topics on a regular basis beginning April 01.

To help kick off the new feature, please let us know what your most pressing DIY beauty questions are by popping into the beauty forums and speaking up.

Contracts 101

Posted by Khris in Wedding Planning

If this is your first wedding, or one that requires hiring vendors and venues, you’re going to be faced with a lot of contracts. While it’s easy to just sign on the dotted line, there are some things you should be aware of before you put your scribbles next to the big X.

1. A contract is a legally binding document between the parties who sign the agreement. Many couples assume are under the impression that wedding-related contracts are casual, fluid agreements. Nope. They’re serious business agreements and will hold (usually) up in a court of law unless there is some serious flaw in the wording of the contract.

• Once you sign you are bound by law to fulfill your end of the agreement no matter what circumstances happen between now and the wedding, even if the wedding is canceled.
• Only the person(s) who sign the document have any authority – or responsibility – to fulfill, change, or cancel the agreement. If mom and dad sign the catering contract you and your beloved are at their mercy if they decide to, for example, change the entree selection from prime rib to pasta and meatballs to save some cash.

2. Beware of vendors who do not offer a contract for their services. Working without a contract is asking for trouble on both sides – vendor and client – as word-of-mouth agreements are notoriously difficult to enforce. Always, always get any agreement for services to be provided in writing even when it’s for something seemingly small or easy.

3. Don’t sign anything without reading and understanding the entire agreement.  Confused by force majeure? Don’t make a move until you understand that it’s a clause that releases the vendor from liability when circumstances outside of their control (act of God, act of Nature, the hotel where you’re holding your reception is having a strike of their workers…).  Yes, legalese is boring and often frustrating but it’s in your very best interest to read the fine print. It’s perfectly ok to take a contract home, do some research, and return it to the vendor. If a vendor pressures you to sign RIGHT NOW, that’s a warning flag. Conversely, don’t keep vendors waiting indefinitely. Many will require the contract be signed and returned with X amount of days (usually 3 – 10 business days) before it’s void.

4. The terms of a contracts are often negotiable but only before you sign it. If you have concerns or changes you’d like made to the contract it doesn’t hurt to ask for reasonable changes. Things that usually aren’t negotiable: cancellation policy, refund policy, payment schedule, travel expenses/arrangements.

5. The anatomy of a contract. While every vendor will have her own contract to best serve her and her clients (and meet local/federal laws), every contract should have the following basic information:

• Client Info: Your full names, address and contact information, type of event, location, date and time of the event, and alternate contact info (email, fax, cell, backup person to call, etc.)
• Vendor Info: Business name, address and contact information of the representative you are working with.
• Scope of Services: This is where the exact description of the services to be provided are listed. This section should be extremely detailed with the who/what/where/when/why/how of this business transaction. Never, ever assume anything left off of the SoS will be taken care of. If it’s not here, it’s not covered.
• Fees & Miscellaneous: This section will include information about what extra fees may be incurred by the couple. This could be rental items, overtime charges, tips & gratuities, substitutions.
• Payment Info: Your deposit and payment schedule will be listed here. Be sure it includes the amount of the deposit, the date when the remaining balance is due and/or a payment schedule, and the form(s) of payments the vendor will accept.
• Cancellation & Refunds: In the event you must cancel or reschedule your event, you’ll need to know what the vendor’s policies are. The vendor should clearly state under what circumstances and how far in advance of the event that deposits and payments are refunded, if any.
• The Fine Print: This is where the vendor talks about force majeure, liability, client responsibilities, and other other details not covered above.

I hope that gives you the basics. Coming up we’ll discuss major points to watch out for with specific vendors.

Happy Planning!

JIGster Winners

Posted by Khris in Contests

Today’s the day! We have our winners for the JIGster contest:

#10 is Audra: Matt and I are having a 4 day wedding weekend so there are lots of parts to our invitations – we plan on using the JIGster to get all of the invitations looking topnotch so our guests can find the information they need quickly!

#118 is Kacee: This tool looks amazing!! I am currently tackling my first DIY projects–Save the Dates (from the first DIY book, the one with the wheel!!) and Wedding invitations and I am sure to use this tool. It’s already been great fun, and I hope to create many more DIY projects

#133 is Leanne: We’ll use this to make quick work of our save the dates and programs, and whatever other paper projects pop up!

All winners have been notified by email.

Thank you, everyone, for participating! You made this one of the best contests ever at DIYBride. It was a lot of fun!

A special thank you to the crew at Envelopments for their generosity and support of the DIY Bride community!

Real Planning: I Chose The Wrong Venue

Posted by Khris in Wedding Planning

DIYer, “L”, wrote in with this pressing issue:

How can I get out of a venue that I don’t really like, even if I’ve already paid for it. Is it even worth trying? In a rush, I chose a venue that would be more economically satisfying, and now all I can think about is pulling out. Is this normal?? It seems I’ve been having this attitude with everything…including my dress. Please help.

Yes, it’s normal to feel this way. I think you’d be surprised by how common these feelings are. The vast majority of couples feel some sort of buyers’ remorse at some point in their wedding spending. And why wouldn’t they? Weddings are expensive and most of us aren’t used to paying that kind of cash for anything.

The first thing you should do is look at your contract. Most venues will have their cancellation policies written in the contract. In most cases you can cancel but be prepared to lose your deposit or a large percentage of the rental fee. The venue will likely have a minimum number of days before the event when cancellation is possible without forfeiting all of your money so check into that right away.

The next thing is to evaluate why the venue is no longer working for you. Do you have cold feet or are there irreconcilable issues with the venue/management? You didn’t say in your email but there are some things you can do to work through both scenarios. You’re welcome to email back and we can open up the conversation about strategies.