Wedding Opus

Get Organized for Wedding Planning!

You've had friends to your home for dinner. Maybe you've hosted a Super Bowl party or two. But have you ever planned and coordinated an event for 50-300 guests?

If you haven't, then welcome to the world of wedding planning.

Caterers, florists, and other wedding-related companies will be banging down your door to get your business. Friends and relatives will offer advice, phone numbers, and web sites for you to check out. How will you juggle the multitudes of research and information from those who want your day to be special? The key to smooth and stress-reducing wedding planning is...

Being Organized

Being organized is the art of having the things you need when you need them whether it is a brochure, a phone number, or a picture of your ultimate bridal bouquet. And no one recognizes the need to be organized more than someone who is planning a wedding. A few organizing techniques you can use to help you plan your wedding are the consistent use of a calendar/PDA and making 'to-do lists.' But what about all of those wedding-related papers you've accumulated? Estimates from caterers, song sheets from bands, and all of those pictures you tore out of magazines--how are you supposed to keep them all organized?

The Wedding Binder

The top tool for organized wedding planning is a 'Wedding Binder.' Besides your future spouse, your 'Wedding Binder' will be the closest thing to a best friend you'll have during your engagement period. The wedding binder is essentially a 'home' for all wedding-related information. Each topic will have a specific area in the binder allowing for quick referencing and retrieval.

How should you build your wedding binder to work best for you?

The size of your wedding and how many 'extras' you incorporate into your wedding day (ex. ice sculptures, doves) will determine the size of your binder. If you are having a small, simple gathering or you're not doing much research, you may not need more than a 1" spine. Large gatherings with many 'extras' will probably require a binder with upwards of a 3" spine.

Besides the binder itself, you will need:
* three hole punched, two-sided pocket folders
* extra wide dividers or self adhesive divider tabs for the pocket folders
* three hole punched, zippered pocket for pen/pencils/paper clips (optional)

One, two-sided pocket folder is usually enough room for the paperwork of one vendor. One side of the pocket folder is for ideas and research and the other side is for estimates and contracts. Keeping these different types of information separate will allow you to locate them and retrieve at a moment's notice.

Examples of some categories for your pocket folders are...
* Catering
* Photography
* Bridal Gown
* Transportation
* Ceremony/Officiant(s)
* Honeymoon

Assemble the pocket folders in order of importance to you. If you are constantly making calls to your caterer, place that folder towards the front of the binder. Already know what favors you want to give out? Place that folder towards the back.

What other information can be stored in your wedding binder?
* Guest lists/gift lists
* E-mail/phone list of bridal party members
* Seating charts
* A print-out of your registry

Benefits to using a wedding binder
* Money-saving benefit: You're always prepared when a vendor wants to talk about price. If someone quotes you a price in writing and you can't produce the paper it's written on, they could try to charge you more money for their services.
* Time-saving benefit: Since all of your information has a 'home,' you won't be wasting your time printing duplicate information off the internet or repeatedly asking for the addresses of your guests.
* Sanity-saving benefit: All of your wedding information is in one place. No need to take apart your living room looking for what you need.

Tips for keeping an organized wedding binder:
* Label the pocket folders clearly
* Place new papers/information in the correct pocket of your binder as soon as you receive them.
* Sort and purge your binder once a month. Toss any information that is no longer relevant in the trash or in a folder for a friend or relative who may need it in the future.

Always bring your wedding binder with you when meeting with your vendors. You'll have all the information you need to compare prices and make educated decisions. You will be organized, prepared and in control of your special day.

Stacey Agin Murray, professional organizer and owner of Organized Artistry, LLC, transforms mess into masterpiece with patience, organizing know-how, and a sense of humor. For a free e-list of 'Top Ten Tips for Organized Living,' or to order your copy of '7 Steps to an Organized Wedding Thank You Note' visit http://www.organizedartistry.com.

East Africa Travel Serenade

Newsletter from East Africa

A Wedding Out Of Africa

Kenya has always brought out the romantic in its overseas visitors, from the days of the early European settlers to the international travelers that now arrive daily from all parts of the globe to explore the country for themselves. As a honeymoon destination, Kenya is among the top in the list. It is a country that boasts an enviable range of dramatic landscapes inhabited by exotic and wild animals, and has a surprising number of paradise locations on its Indian Ocean coast. An advantage of a wedding in Kenya is that everything will be done for the couple except saying “I do”; from invitations, marriage license to registrar, photographer to entertainment. So whether a beach wedding with a total seclusion on a deserted sand dune or a sumptuous beach party of 200 or more! Or getting spliced on a luxury yacht whilst sailing on the Indian Ocean, or even a bush wedding revolving around the ‘Out of Africa’ theme – Five-star seclusion, four-poster beds and excellent cuisine served on best bone china with silver cutlery and candlesticks redolent of times past, you name it and the dream will be a reality. http://www.kenyaonetours.com/activities/weddings.htm

Endangered Species in Kenya

After the decision to resume ivory trade was taken last year, poachers have taken a greater interest in elephants in northern Kenya. Eight orphaned babies have been rescued in the recent months, the youngest being one week old. These baby elephants, which actually are a reminder that the resumption of international trade in ivory brings violence, cruelty and tragedy, are being raised and rehabilitated by Kenya Wildlife Service, for the eventual release back into the wild. Kenya that once boasted of 120,000 elephants, has had this number reduced tremendously after a decade of poaching. Today her elephants are strictly protected and population is recovering.

Lamu Cultural Festival

This month the historical Lamu island in the Indian Ocean hosted its third Cultural Festival that brought together thousands of people from other coastal towns, upcountry visitors and tourists. Unfortunately this event came in the wake of a disastrous fire that razed three hotels, including Lamu's oldest establishment Petley’s Inn, which was built in 1936 and was regarded by historians and Lamu residents as "the epitome of our cultural heritage". However, the mood of the festival was not been dampened and instead Lamu people used the occasion to display their traditional spirit of goodwill and resilience. The number of visitors has continued to increase in the past days in Lamu, and main streets and narrow alleys are congested.

Shimba Hills Lodge Specials

Shimba Lodge, a unit of Block Hotels Kenya, has introduced a very special rate for its guests this season who want to experience the only Tree Hotel at Kenya Coast. The new prices are as little as US Dollars 80 per double and US Dollar 50 per single, on Half Board. Child rate is 50% of the double room rate.

Mombasa’s Castle Hotel comes back to life

Mombasa's old glory, the historic Castle Hotel is back. This famous Meeting Place - where residents and tourists alike, including those from visiting ships, could socialize in comfort while enjoying a drink and great hospitality along the island's main thoroughfare, Moi Avenue. Its existence since 1927 (the original hotel site probably going back even earlier to 1913) also attracted many more people and trade to the area. It has been sorely missed since closing ten years ago. Striving for a four-star grading, the hotel with 66 rooms, hopes to be fully operational by the end of the year. The 'Ashanti Cafe', 'Ivory Bar' and 'Italian Restaurant’ are already operating.

East African Safari Rally

This is a reminder about the 2003 East African Safari Rally, which marks the 50th anniversary of the original Coronation Safari rally held in 1953 to commemorate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth. This year’s event is opened to all cars built prior to 31st December 1971 – a classic event for classic rally cars. The 5,000 kilometres, nine day event, will start in Mombasa on 10th December, and will cover the three East African countries. The type of cars to be seen, driven by a host of former champions and experienced rally drivers, will include, Ford Escorts, Porsche 911’s, Datsun 1600SSS’s & 240Z’s, Ford Mustang, Mercedes 220SE, Volvo PV544 Sport, Austin Healey 3000, VW, Skoda, Alfa and even a Trabant. For more visit www.eastafricansafarirally.com

A Golfing Destination Kenya

Kenya has long been considered one of the world's great undiscovered Golfing destinations, but more and more traveling golfers are now packing clubs on safari. For the traveler seeking a diverse range of golf courses, combined with world class standards and service, Kenya is the perfect choice. The weather in Kenya is ideal for golf all year round. Kenya has 38 courses, of which 12 are 18-hole and 10 are used for championship events, in locations as varied as high altitude plains, beautiful lakeshores, lush forests, tropical beaches and more. The courses offer international golfing standards and some of the world's finest design and landscaping. Day or temporary membership at Kenyan Golf Clubs can be readily organized by the visitor or through a travel agent or tour operator.

Sky Diving at Kenya Coast

There are many ways to see Kenya on safari, but how about from 14,000 feet above the ground, falling earthwards at 120 miles per hour? For adrenaline junkies, the Kenyan coast has become the latest hot spot for aerial adventure- where the equatorial atmosphere at sea level can give skydivers more than a minute of full freefall over the beautiful blue Indian Ocean, before touching down on pure white sands on one of the world's best beaches. For 14 years now international skydivers have been gathering at Diani Beach on Kenya's South Coast each year for the Kenya Skydive Boogie. This event is proving very popular both with experienced skydivers and those interested in experiencing the thrill of freefall for the first time. It has now become a major event on the international skydiving calendar. The Boogie is organized by Kenya Skydivers and will be held in October 2003. www.skydivekenya.com or www.kenya-boogie.com

Lake Baringo Club, Kenya

This is a classic, neat and compact hotel on the shores of Lake Baringo, and one of the rare places in Kenya where it is possible to watch a family of hippos graze just a few metres from where you are seated! The club has plenty activities including a boat ride across the hippo and crocodile infested lake! A good time to see the hippos is late in the evening after dinner, because at this time they start to ascend from the lake to the lawn where they graze. There is also a morning bird walk before breakfast, led by the club’s ornithologist. There are over 460 species around the club. Baringo Club is situated right on the floor of Rift Valley, an area that boasts of contrasting and captivating scenes.

Greeting from East Africa

Yours, Karl-Heinz Straus

Karl-Heinz Straus is the Managing Director of Kenya One Tours and living in Kenya for 15 years and working as a tour operator for 30 years. Visit also the website http://www.kenyaonetours.com.


Bookmark this post!

Fitness for Wedding Ode

Fitness Tips For Looking Your Best On Your Wedding Day

Every bride wants to look perfect on her wedding day. Selecting a dress that will make you look and feel great is an important first step. But what happens when you look in the mirror and don't think you look quite as good as you could? When this happens it’s not uncommon for brides to try quick-fix diets to help them get in shape. Unfortunately, many dieting brides make fitness mistakes that not only prevent them from reaching their goals but also cause unnecessary stress and sometimes even illness. Those are two things no bride needs! Here are five of the most common diet mistakes as well as some tips to help you avoid them.

1. Too much, too late.

One of the most important things to remember if you are trying to lose weight is to start early. For example, don’t try to lose 20 pounds two months before the big day. The key is to plan ahead so that you can lose the weight (or just tone up) gradually. So if you’re dream-wedding day includes you being in great shape, then include fitness as a “to-do” on your overall wedding checklist. That way it will be a priority in your wedding planning.

2. Setting unachievable goals.

Many women get engaged and begin imagining themselves drastically thinner or more sculpted. Be realistic with yourself. If you’ve never been a size 6 in your life, then it is probably unrealistic to think you can magically transform just because you are getting married. And, do you really want to look so different on your wedding day that most people (including your fiancй) hardly recognize you?

3. Radical diets or fitness programs.

Brides typically are short on time and long on to-do lists. This leads many to try unhealthy fitness programs or starvation diets. Don’t be tempted by diets that promise quick, drastic results with little effort from you. You should avoid any programs that suggest taking “diet” pills or eating unbalanced meals (like eating only cabbage soup for a week). And, don’t be lured into trying dangerous things, like laxatives.

4. Not exercising.

It’s very easy for brides to say “I don’t have time to exercise” or “I’m too tired to exercise”. But diet and exercise should always go hand in hand. Consider them to be like yin and yang. Without activity your body can’t burn as many calories. If you are very short on time, try to exercise in small 10-minute bursts throughout the day. And, keep in mind that little things help too, like taking the stairs or parking at the outer edge of the mall parking lot. Plus, if you are tired from all of your planning, exercise will help give you back some energy.

5. Skipping Meals

It’s not uncommon to get caught up in your planning and then realize at 9 p.m. (as your head begins to ache) that you haven’t eaten a thing all day. While it may not be an uncommon scenario, it is unavoidable. Not only is skipping meals unhealthy, it can lead to binge eating. That often means eating very fattening foods and/or overeating all at once. To avoid this, try packing light snacks to keep on hand throughout the day. Good examples include carrot sticks, cheese strings, peanut butter on crackers, etc.

Getting in shape doesn’t have to be complicated and it doesn’t require a lot of time. If you are trying to lose weight or firm up before your wedding, below are some sample plans to help you get started. Keep in mind that the most important thing is for a bride to feel good about herself. And no matter what size or shape, all brides are beautiful on their wedding day!

Sample Exercise FITscription:
20 – 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise (3 – 5 time per week)
Example: 2-5 minutes of brisk walking, 2-5 minutes of jumping jacks (repeat for 20 – 30 minutes)

Sample Meal Plan:
Eat 5-7 small meals per day (meals should include protein, grains, vegetables, etc. to meet the food pyramid daily requirements)
Example: Small, grilled, skinless chicken breast
Slice of whole wheat bread
Slice of cheese
Mixed Vegetables
Glass of Water (2 or 3 would be even better)

Lynn Bode is owner of http://www.workoutsforyou.com an Online Personal Fitness Training company. Workouts For You offers online exercise programs for weight loss, strength training, nutritional planning and race training. Personalized programs can be designed for all fitness levels. The programs are customized to meet your individual needs and lifestyle (based on the extensive profile you provide when enrolling) and include a motivational accountability system and a huge library of exercise technique demos. You receive all the trainer benefits without the expensive price, and you can workout wherever and whenever you want.


Bookmark this post!