The Main Event by Memory Makers Event Planning, LLC

The Wedding Channel.com recently posted a list of what they consider to be the top twenty biggest wedding planning mistakes. Most of the issues could also occur when planning other types of events as well. Following are the problems they identified, in no particular order, with our added comments based on many years of experience planning hundreds of events. 1. Not sticking to your budget. You have a budget for a reason. It is never okay to overspend and then pay for an event for months or years afterwards. Decide what is important to you and where you can compromise. Your guests won't know or care if you wanted steak but could afford only chicken. 2. Hiring a friend or family member as your photographer or videographer. You are only going to do this once. When the day is over you will have only your memories and your photos, so you will want quality photos. If Uncle Joe spends his time at the bar, not behind the camera, it is your loss. ...

When a couple marries, not only do they combine households, but they combine credit scores as well. Perhaps she is a saver who pays her bills on time. He is a spender who enjoys giving her lavish gifts. Charming initially, but maybe not so much when reality sets in. When the couple jointly applies for a loan, they may have an unpleasant surprise if one or both haven't learned to manage their finances. Each of us has a credit score, which is based on numerous criteria, including the length of a person's credit history, the amount and type of available credit on credit cards and revolving accounts, whether payments have been made on time or are habitually late or missed, and more. Though each credit reporting bureau has its own scoring system, the FICO score is most commonly used by lenders. Scores range from 300 to 850. If a couple jointly applies for a loan, both scores will be checked. The lender may take an average of the two scor...

I have coordinated Indian weddings in the past, but always the groom was Indian. This was my first traditional Indian wedding with an Indian bride (the groom was not). There are numerous differences. In India, the celebration can last up to five days. This one started on a Friday with the bride's mendhi, the application of henna tattoos to her hands and feet. Yes, we have a mendhi artist in Boise. On Saturday, we had a mendhi for all the guests though only ladies were able to receive a tattoo. The event lasted two hours, with food and music. The actual wedding ceremony occurred on Sunday morning. We gathered at the event center at 7 a.m. to erect a mandap, the "shelter" under which the couple, their parents and the officiant sat during the ceremony. It looks much like a Jewish chuppa and was elaborately decorated with flower garlands, lights and fabric. The ceremony begins with the groom's procession, called a barat. In India the groom would arrive on either an ...