Wedding wonders

Avoid the bridezilla factor by following these 5 golden rules of wedding planning

"First, you set a budget and then you book the venue."

This advice for brides from special events planner Gwendolyn Hood of Katy comes from her near quarter-century in the event planning business during which time she has helped brides insure that their special day is indeed special.

No bridezilla antics necessary.

Organization and pacing are other aspects of the planning process that Hood will cover in her Wedding Planning Workshop at The Bougainvillease event center on Feb. 7 and Feb. 21. Details can be found here.

In the meantime, Hood offers the following five golden rules of wedding planning.

1) Take your time and set a realistic budget

Hood advises that the bride set a budget before planning begins and include all parties that will be covering any part of the expense, including the groom. In this process, the bridge should be flexible. "Revisit, review and revise," Hood recommends.

2) Confirm your venue first

The location sets the tone and style of the entire event. Always visit the locations being considered, using your guest count as a guide to your needs. She also says, "Don't leave money on the table. Pretty much everything is negotiable."

3) Make sure that details count and are cohesive

Explore every detail in planning and coordinate all aspects as this "makes for a well-planned event from your Save the Date cards to the wedding cake and everything in between." Hood recommends coordinating vendor packages (photographer, caterer, cake, etc.) to reflect the style of the bride and groom.

4) Thou shall not over-extend yourself

That would be the surest route to bridezilla-dom. "Edit your projects within the parameters of your capabilities," Hood suggests. For those projects which the bride cannot manage single-handedly, Hood says, "Hire an experienced wedding planner who has knowledge and resources to assist with the additional tasks."

5) Carefully study the vendor contracts

Hood recommends that brides review all contracts more than once, making sure that all clauses — cancelation, attrition, etc. — are clear. Again, she advises, "Never leave money on the table." In Hood's world of wedding planning, most things are negotiable.

Organization and pacing are key ingredients to creating the perfect wedding.

8 Wonderful Weddings Thai & Hoa February 2014

Photo courtesy of © Duy Khang Weddings

Organization and pacing are key ingredients to creating the perfect wedding.

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Party Watch

Contemporary Western art shines at Galveston museum fundraiser

Photo by Jacob McCready

Ryan Horton, Meredith Peebles, Taylor Crowder, Kara Przybyl McIver, and David McIver.

What: Art Untamed, A Night of Contemporary Western Art

Photo by Jacob McCready

Ryan Horton, Meredith Peebles, Taylor Crowder, Kara Przybyl McIver, and David McIver.

Where: The Lancaster Hotel

The Scoop: With cowboy boots traded for cocktail attire, more than 115 artists and art lovers moseyed into downtown for Art Untamed, an evening that lassoed the spirit of the West with a modern twist.

Now in its fourth year, the fundraiser benefiting The Bryan Museum was steered by a dedicated committee including Christine Glover, Linda and Bill Reeves, and Guylene and Jay Lendrum. The event spotlighted 32 Southwestern artists featured in the Visions of the West exhibit.

Guests sipped and mingled during cocktail hour, sizing up 73 pieces ranging from luminous landscapes to storytelling textiles. The live auction, led by crowd-favorite auctioneer Randolph Holford, delivered a flurry of paddles in the air, especially for Bob Stuth-Wade’s radiant Santiago Peak from Chalk Draw, Nathaniel Garza’s moody Three Reasons, and Echo Ukrainetz’s intricate batik honoring cowgirl trailblazer Lucy Mulhall.

The weekend kicked off at The Lancaster Hotel, where partner Jay Shinn hosted artists and VIPs at a reception in the historic property set to celebrate its centennial next year. During the festivities, museum founder JP Bryan captured the mood best.

“A collection is an expression of a soul; it speaks to where our heart is,” he said. “That is why the museum was founded, to share the important story of Texas and the American West through a world-class collection, outstanding exhibitions, and educational programming.”

The evening raised nearly $100,000 to support educational programming and outreach at The Bryan Museum.

Who: Lori Leal Wedemeyer and Barkley Wedemeyer, Sassy Stanton, Bill Pinckard, Mike Glover, Shara Fryer, Barry Silverman, Frank Rynd, Deborah and Monte Stavis, Kelly and Luis Zúñiga, Kara Przybyl McIver and David McIver, Dianne Reynolds, Stephanie and Brent Kindle, Penny and Townes Pressler, Linda and Jerry Dickson, Bob Leibrock, Paulina Padilla, Nocona Burgess, Vickie McMillan-Hayes, Ricardo Robles, and Bob Stuth-Wade.

museums fundraisers bryan museum visual-art