This year, 100% of our clients through out the receiving line, and we couldn’t have been happier about it. For the sake of soon-to-be wed couples that are trying to figure out what to do to acknowledge their guests, but really aren’t excited about the thought of a receiving line, I thought I’d offer some alternatives to consider.

• Mingling during the cocktail hour – Instead of planning a grand entrance to your reception with your new spouse, you could enjoy a more casual entrance to your party and mingle with your guests during the cocktail hour. You probably won’t have to go far though, because what you might find is that an informal line will start to form, and the guests that really want to greet you will come to you.
• Releasing tables to the buffet – Of course this only works if you’re planning dinner buffet-style, and not plated. The idea is that you and your new spouse visit each table, receive your congratulations, thank your guests, and excuse them to the buffet before moving on to the next table. This keeps the buffet line short and managed, and gives you and your guests a moment together. Don’t forget about you, though. To pull this off, I recommend having your wedding coordinator prepare a plate of food for the both of you, and eat a bit before you make your entrance into your reception. Depending on the size of your guest list, releasing tables could take a while, and if you don’t eat before, you’ll be starving by the time you’re done. That, and there won’t be much time before toasts, cake cutting, and the many other reception events replace your time to eat.
• Mingling at guest tables – This works for buffet or plated dinners. You and your wedding party lead the way to the buffet, or receive your plated dinner first. Because you’re first to eat, you’ll likely be first to be done. When you’re done eating, you and your new spouse can spend a few minutes at each guest table. This is less rushed than releasing tables to the buffet, but you still need your wedding coordinator to manage your time, otherwise, you may not make it to every table before reception events begin, and you lose your opportunity.

While we don’t wish ill will on the poor Receiving Line, or any clients that are planning on “the long walk”, we are glad to see this tradition fading into the past. Always have fun planning your wedding, and don’t be afraid to make some new traditions.

We’re taking you Behind the Veil with some of the Puget Sound’s best wedding and event venues and vendors. This ongoing series of personal interviews will be both entertaining and informative. Who are the real people behind these great companies and why should you put them on your ‘must-contact‘ list? Join us as we answer that very important question for you.

In this edition of Behind the Veil, we interview Debbie Hurter, owner of Transformation Salon & Spa. We sat down with Debbie recently to talk about why brides and brides maids should consider her salon and spa for wedding services, and to get to know her better.

Red Letter Events: How did you get started in the salon and spa industry, and how long have you been doing this??

Debbie: Well, I got started in the salon and spa ( beauty ) industry about 25 years ago. It was always something as a young girl that I was drawn to and dabbled in here and there – finding myself giving advice and “prettying up” my girlfriends. So when it came time to think about college (if you will), I had to think about my passion and where and what would bring me the most joy. Cosmetology School won!

RLE: What inspired you to open Transformation Salon and Spa?

Debbie: My inspiration for naming and opening the salon was simple – with everything I do and have a passion for, it has always been about the joy and desire to help others with their personal needs and goals for themselves.  ”Transformation”, whether it be on the inside or outside – inside being the most important – is such a personal thing. So it just seemed fitting to Steve and I that we name our new business Transformation Salon and Spa.

The inspiration for opening Transformation Salon and Spa was to be able to have one place where we could with a FAB team, touch and affect and empower a lot of peoples lives in one day. I love to show people how AMAZING they are and what they have to offer themselves and the world – give personal encouragement. The salon gives that opportunity abundantly!

RLE: What is your philosophy when working with bridal parties and how do your services compliment that?

Debbie: My philosophy for working with bridal parties is that you need and must remember this is one of the biggest days of the bride’s life. And it is very important to take time and listen to her vision – visualize the day with her, so this way, when it comes to the bridal party you can create that most magnificent day ever! I want to fulfill every dream she ever had – and then some!

RLE: Your services go beyond the typical day at the spa. Can you tell us more about those unique services that you provide??

Debbie: I love the fact that our services are geared toward making our guests shine from the inside and out! We can – with enough time before hand – assist the bride and her party if wanted, with personal training needs, nutrition – making sure she and her party are staying healthy and full of energy during what can be a stressful time – skin preparation to get that glow every bride deserves, and natural nail maintenance. We also offer lifestyle classes that teach and give super info on what the importance of eating well and often will do for our bodies, and of course the HAIR!

I took a lot  of time researching products to bring into the salon that would NOT be damaging to the hair. I like the fact that these products are sulfate free, paraben free and one line is actually gluten free. So cool! I know how important to have that perfect hair is – and our CHI color line does that. It is incredible! No Ammonia, and adds life and shine back into the hair. I definitely know how important that is to the brides and their wedding parties.

RLE: How do you go about helping a bride and her attendants choose the perfect make-up and hair style, just for them?

Debbie: Helping a bride and her party choose the right make-up look and hairstyle is best done with at least one consultation before you do a run-through of the total look, pre-wedding day. This is where I and my team get to “know” the bride and her gals. I feel it is essential to get a grasp on the entire vision that the bride wants to have reflected on her wedding day! I then take into account her skin color, eye color, facial profile, length of neck, and overall hair texture and amount. These things play a huge part in making it all perfect.

RLE: Do you have a favorite trend that brides are requesting this year?

Debbie: I have been seeing a lot of originality, with twists on the classic favorites. Such as half twist done up to the side, chignon off to and behind either ear, all down and big retro waves. I am finding that brides are wanting to show their personality along with being romantic and pretty. I do say to my brides that they need to accessorize as well – it can make or break your entire look. Right now, colored stones are quite popular. It is a great way to add color and not go overboard. Emerald green is the hot trend right now. Another thing I like to have my brides think about is lip color – so necessary for all those endless pictures. Plus it perks up the face when you are starting to feel things catch up to you.

RLE: You guys are really involved in the community here. Do you have a favorite organization that you love to help?

Debbie: Steve and I have a huge passion for community service and working with our chosen charities. We both feel it is important to give back to our community and help those in need! The two main organizations we have been working with are Infant Initiative with the Emergency Food Network of Pierce County, and the Tacoma Rescue Mission. Steve and his twin brother Mike have a golf tourney every summer that supports and creates dollars for the Infant Initiative. It is always so heartwarming to see tons of people come out to support the cause and help give back!

RLE: What do you and Steve love to do after business hours?

Debbie: Ha! After business hours – what’s that? I think we are continuously in business mode of some sort. Steve and I do love to cook, entertain, go for mystery rides to wherever the car ends up, play with our 2 dogs – pretty much anything that lets us be together. I think that is how we have made it to 20 years of marriage.

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We chose to go Behind the Veil with Debbie Hurter because we like the way she treats his clients, we love her work and we appreciate they way she treats other wedding and event vendors. Regardless of how you find a wedding or event vendor, we always recommend that you personally interview them before signing a contract. You should be able to count on a quality referral from your wedding and event planner, but you should always take the time to ensure that you like and trust a vendor yourself.

Red Letter Events is a proud supporter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Alaska & Washington.

Dear Friends,

We’re on an important mission to rekindle the holiday spirit and we need your help.

Quite simply, we’re asking America to believe. This holiday season, join Macy’s and the Make-A-Wish Foundation® to help collect a million reasons to believe.

What is the Believe campaign? Beginning on November 6, children across the country are invited to drop off their letters — stamped and addressed to Santa at the North Pole — in the Santa Mail letterbox at any Macy’s store. For each letter received, Macy’s will donate $1 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, up to $1 million dollars to help grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. We’ll be picking up letters from our local Macy’s and getting them on their way to the North Pole.

What is the Make-A-Wish Foundation? The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.

Be an inspiration. You are in a unique position to really make a difference. Write your own letter to Santa and drop it off at your local Macy’s store today. Inspire your children, peers, family and friends to get involved by writing their letters, too.

This is Part 3 in our 3 part series on saving money while getting the wedding you want. There were great ideas long before these, and there will be more tips after this series – but we hope that some of the info in this series has been a help to you in planning your wedding. If you find yourself in need of some cost saving or trendy ideas, or you need help on your wedding day, please call or email us – we’ll be right there for you.

Videography: Limiting the events that your videographer captures will save room in your budget. Instead of having them film from the time you start getting ready to the time you ride of into the sunset, you could have them capture just the ceremony and the formal events of your reception.

Wedding Cake: Instead of getting an elaborate cake for display and eating, you could have a small 2-tier cake made for display, and then have a sheet cake made that will be served to guests.

Favors: You can save on cost by making your own classic favors from scratch. Buy tulle circles (or cut them out yourself) and wrap some Hershey Kisses or Jordan Almonds with ribbon tied around it. Other affordable favors might include paper fans, coasters, candles, or handmade chocolates.

Hair & Make-up: Depending on the look you want, hair and make-up are easily done by you or a friend. More complicated hair styles will require someone with some expertise, though.

Wedding Planning & Coordination: With enough time and enough organizational skills, you can plan your own wedding and save the money for day-of wedding coordination. Having a professional wedding planner coordinate your wedding day allows you, your family and friends to enjoy your wedding day instead of working. We have the experience with vendors and venues to make sure that your wedding day looks just like you imagined it.

This is Part 2 in our 3 part series on saving money while getting the wedding you want. Why a series? Because trilogies are cool and too many tips at once can make you sick, like too much wedding cake in an hour. Read on our weary friend:

Transportation: A handsome new stretched limo can add a fun dynamic to your wedding. Instead of picking up everyone in your wedding party and taking them to the ceremony, then to the reception, you can save a bit of money and still enjoy the ride by renting it just for your send-off.

Reception Venue: Having your reception at a friend or family member’s home will save you the most money, by far. But, if that’s not a possibility because of guest count or you just don’t know anyone that can accommodate, look for venues that have a low minimum hour expectation, and then limit the total time for your reception. You don’t have to party until midnight to entertain your guests. Half your guests will leave after the formal dances are done anyway. You can make a rockin’ reception in just a few hours.

Catering: Feeding your guests can get expensive - period. A low end estimated cost for a catered dinner is around $30/per person plus tax & gratuity (18%) is approx $5,800 for 150 guests. To scale down the cost of food, you could have a late evening or early to mid-afternoon wedding so that it does not fall during a meal time, and just serve your guests hors d’oeuvres and drinks.

Reception Music:  Hiring a DJ that does an exceptional job at keeping guests entertained with music – no matter the age or background – and serving as your master of ceremonies is incredibly important. There are many people that do it, but few that do it well enough to get repeat or referral business. As with any hourly vendor, limiting the time of your reception can save you some money, but hiring the cheapest DJ is not a valid way to save money. With any DJ you hire, make sure to check references and ask for a sample of their work – either a recording, or to stop by an event and see them in action. Don’t expect to get to come to a wedding they’ll be at though – would you want a stranger at your wedding? It’s rare you’d get to tag along at a reception.

Photography: You will have your wedding photos forever, so choose your photographer wisely. Like hiring a DJ, the least expensive photographer isn’t always the best choice. Ask for referrals and look through their portfolio. Asking for custom package quotes and limiting the number of hours that you require them to be with you can save some money you can put into other areas of your wedding..

Look for Part 3 coming soon. And if you have any tips that you’ve used or like but don’t see here, please comment and share.

More and more brides and grooms are asking us how to fit all their dreams and desires into their wedding day on a budget that isn’t as big as it once was. Here’s the good news – it’s totally possible to have the wedding of your dreams on a limited budget – you just need to think outside the box to get there. Sounds like a good time for a quick tip series. This will be Part 1 in a 3 part series – because trilogies are cool and too many tips at once can make you sick, like too much wedding cake in an hour. So here we go:

Ceremony Venue: Set up your ceremony in a large back yard of a friend or family member, or have it at a local park ($50-150). Rent chairs from a party store such as AA Party Rental or Alexander Party Rentals for approx $300 including delivery/pick-up for 150 chairs. Metro Parks Tacoma offers the Rose Garden at Point Defiance during the summer for $400 for 2 hours (chairs included).

Bouquets, Boutonnieres & Floral Arrangements: Local farmer’s markets are a great place to meet growers and florists, and are a wonderful place to find flowers in the summer-time, as long as you aren’t particular about the colors. You might contact a local grower early in the year before they plant their seeds and see if they will grow specific flowers or colors for your wedding. Buying in bulk from a grower will save you big money too. You and your friends could make the flower table arrangements and bouquets during the last couple of days prior to the wedding. You can also find affordable vases at your local dollar store. Talking to a florist early about flowers that are in season during your wedding will help make better decisions and save you money.

Officiant: The cost for an officiant is generally around $200 – if you belong to a church or synagogue, you might ask your pastor or rabbi if they’d be willing to officiate your wedding for free as a gift.

Stationery: Buy make-it-yourself kits from Michaels craft store for around $40 for 50 invitations ($120 for 150). Generally you can find matching place cards, table numbers, thank you cards, and more in the pattern you’ve chosen. They are easy to make and print from your own computer. If you’d like to have raised lettering, you can purchase embossing powder and an embossing heat gun to create raised letters immediately after printing.

Attire: Attending a bridal dress show like the South Sound Wedding Show can net you deep discounts on designer wedding dresses. Or, choose a dress from David’s Bridal in their online outlet section.

Look for Part 2 coming soon. And if you have any tips that you’ve used or like but don’t see here, please comment and share.

Hosting a family reunion at a local park can be a fun way to gather together. Pierce County and the City of Puyallup have a variety of parks with picnic shelters available for rent – my personal favorites include Bradley Lake, Clarks Creek, DeCoursey and Wildwood Parks. A theme idea for your family reunion could be an “Old Fashioned Family Picnic”. Imagine picnic tables set up with white and red checkerboard table cloths, white china dishes, red linen napkins, a wooden basket filled with mixed nuts located in the center of the table with a fresh edible fruit arrangement in the middle, with pitchers of icy pink and yellow lemonade on the table ready to enjoyed. Lunch or dinner could include a buffet of traditional barbecue fare – hot dogs, hamburgers, watermelon slices, macaroni salad, baked beans, corn on the cob, baked potato salad and kettle chips. The perfect dessert for a hot summer day would be a shaved ice machine offering a variety of flavors (you would need a power outlet, which most of the Puyallup picnic shelters offer).

Family reunions are not just about eating and comparing stories from years gone by, but also having fun together as a family and making new memories. Outdoor games are a great way to mingle and have fun as a group, and are also great ice breakers for families who may have some barriers to break through when they gather. Old fashioned game ideas include arranging a 3-legged-race, potato sack races, object-on-a-spoon race, badminton, croquet and bocce ball. Last but not least, buy or create an invitation that sets the tone for your Old Fashioned picnic theme. Happy picnicking!