Local woman offers ideas to save money -- and sanity

By GENEVIEVE BORDEN
Sentinel staff

rom the time women are small girls, many begin to dream about the picture-perfect wedding they will have someday. A beautiful dress, the perfect man waiting at the end of the aisle for them, and a magical reception are all visions that run through their minds as they clomp around the house in their mothers' heels with a lace curtain draped around their heads.

Even as women get older, get engaged and begin planning their magical day, few focus on the problems and pitfalls that can occur in even the most carefully planned wedding. Some women take care of these problems by hiring a wedding consultant, a person who helps with the planning of the wedding and makes sure the day runs smoothly.
However, in times of rising wedding costs, a wedding consultant can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars and hiring one is not always an option. In the Keene-Brattleboro area there is another option.
"Secrets for a Spectacular Bride... or How to Avoid the Pitfalls of Wedding Preparation," the brain-child of Brattleboro-based caterer and wedding consultant Sharon Myers, is a three-hour program that gives brides a chance to hear from professionals in the wedding industry about the various pitfalls that can occur in wedding preparation and how to avoid them.
"Secrets" is a program that can be used in lieu of having a wedding consultant plan the wedding. As the prices of weddings skyrocket, the $150 fee for the program is much more attractive than the hundreds or thousands of dollars that can be spent on hiring a consultant to plan a brides big day. 
Unlike a bridal show, where brides meet potential vendors and sign up for services, Secrets gives brides an inside look into the bridal industry. It teaches brides the ins and outs of planning a chaos-free wedding and hopefully will reduced the stress level of all those involved. 
Myers is a caterer who has been cooking since the 1970s and catering since 1983. She has catered for many weddings and has seen first-hand the different problems that can occur in the wedding-planning process.
The idea of having this program came to Myers one day as she was driving home from a wedding. Major last-minute changes had all of the professionals and those in the wedding running around flustered. Myers thought to herself that there must be a way to avoid the stress and pitfalls that come with planning a wedding, and the idea for her program was born.
Myers launched her program in the fall of 2001. She uses vendors from the areas where she holds the program; using Keene vendors when presenting in Keene, Brattleboro vendors when presenting in Brattleboro, etc.
A group of 8-10 professionals, including an image consultant, florist, photographer, baker (of wedding cakes), bridal gown consultant, tuxedo rental representative, rental company and more, all present 15-minute programs on what brides can do in advance to make the weeks leading up to their weddings more calm and less stressful. Each professional gives suggestions and then answers any questions the brides may have.
Myers also provides refreshments for brides to sample during breaks. A local caterer and cake maker provide snacks and a wedding cake for all in attendance to dine on.
One example that Myers gives of pre-wedding chaos is when a bride decides the week before her wedding that she is inviting 5-10 more guests. While this may be nice for the bride and groom and their families, it can cause frustration with the professionals that are working at the event -- the rental company must come up with more china and chairs. An additional table may mean more flowers than the florist has ordered. Often times these changes cause more stress than happy memories. In her program, Myers and the other professionals present speak on such situations and show the brides what they can do in advance to make their day less stressful for everyone.
In addition to the three hours brides receive with Myers and other professionals, Myers includes two free hours of personal guidance for brides attending the program. Brides can use these hours with Myers to receive personal help with any problems that may arise while planning their wedding.
Myers will be holding her programs in the fall and winter, usually in October and November, and then again in February and March. The program costs $150 for brides and $50 for mothers or another second person. For more information or to register call 800-498-2480 or 802-254-2480 or e-mail: srmcater@together.net. There is limited seating for the program, so call early for reservations.

 

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