06:46:24 PM WeddingDiva:good evening everyone.......
06:46:34 PM joycelyn34:lets see
06:47:14 PM sunworshipper:Hello jocelyn34
06:47:22 PM melagirl:Hello Joycelyn
06:47:23 PM WeddingDiva:hello to everyone
06:47:29 PM joycelyn34:hello everyone
06:47:45 PM melagirl:We are going to get started soon, in about 5 minutes
06:48:01 PM joycelyn34:it seems like quite a few of you ladies know it each other already
06:48:15 PM sunworshipper:and one fellow
06:48:27 PM joycelyn34:i'm sorry
06:48:32 PM sunworshipper:that's ok
06:48:42 PM joycelyn34:but it's good to see you here
06:48:49 PM cheryl:you lucky man!
06:48:57 PM WeddingDiva:definitely good to get a man's point of view...........
06:49:53 PM joycelyn34:this is neat i never did this before
06:49:59 PM sunworshipper:I agree with that... a man't point of view is important <smile>
06:50:04 PM WeddingDiva:chats are wonderful!
06:50:08 PM WeddingDiva:i do them a lot!
06:50:16 PM cheryl:no men, no weddings!
06:50:51 PM joycelyn34:i'm going to have to start chatting a little more on the internet
06:51:23 PM melagirl:We'll have more chats in the future Joycelyn, please join us for them
06:51:34 PM joycelyn34:i sure will
06:53:24 PM sunworshipper:Joycelyn how did you hear about the chat?
06:54:06 PM joycelyn34:i go to melanet at least once a week
06:54:22 PM WeddingDiva:yes.....
06:54:31 PM joycelyn34:i think i spelled that wrong
06:56:57 PM joycelyn34:ok, so are you all doing something or are you like me just sitting at the computer
06:57:39 PM WeddingDiva:i'm listening to some great music.......
06:58:00 PM joycelyn34:what are you listening to
06:58:13 PM WeddingDiva:I'm listening to Jill Scott...love that CD!
06:58:32 PM joycelyn34:jill is really nice
06:58:33 PM cheryl:i'm watching a show on rosa parks
06:58:55 PM joycelyn34:is rosa park on the history channel
06:59:06 PM melagirl:We'll have more chats in the future Joycelyn, please join us for them
06:59:39 PM cheryl:she is on lifetime
06:59:49 PM melagirl:sorry about the duplicate message
07:00:02 PM joycelyn34:that's ok
07:00:16 PM melagirl:Why don't we get started?
07:00:50 PM melagirl:The AWG staff would like to introduce Linnyette Richardson-Hall
07:01:02 PM hadiah:hello
07:01:29 PM melagirl:owner of Baltimore, MD based Premiere Event Management and wedding consultant extraordinaire
07:02:30 PM WeddingDiva:Hello - again!
07:02:34 PM melagirl:Let's introduce ourselves, and find out from what city everyone is from
07:03:03 PM hadiah:i am in dc
07:03:07 PM WeddingDiva:<~~~~Linnyette/Baltimore
07:03:19 PM cheryl:va beach checking in
07:03:26 PM hadiah:baltimore is my home town.
07:03:32 PM sunworshipper:Sunworshipper, male, Norfolk, VA
07:03:34 PM jdipina:James/Fairfax
07:03:37 PM melagirl:Melagirl is from Baltimore (Ravens country)
07:03:39 PM joycelyn34:i'm in ohio, but from florida
07:03:52 PM WeddingDiva:<~~~member of the "Raven Nation"
07:04:04 PM melagirl:Great, Hadiah, it's good to have someone local
07:04:14 PM hadiah::)
07:04:53 PM melagirl:Ok, Wedding Diva, why don't we get started with the chat so we can do Q&A.
07:05:00 PM WeddingDiva:Thank you :)
07:05:21 PM WeddingDiva:First, I would like to thank the staff of the African Wedding Guide for allowing
07:05:36 PM WeddingDiva:me the opportunity to chat with all of you. Weddings are my passion and I truly
07:05:51 PM WeddingDiva:enjoy sharing my knowledge and expertise with others....
07:06:17 PM WeddingDiva:I am a pretty straight from the hip kind of person and actually, I am atypical
07:06:24 PM WeddingDiva:of most wedding planners.................
07:06:38 PM sunworshipper:atypical?
07:06:56 PM WeddingDiva:Yup.....I don't do it the way most people do..I walk to a different tune...
07:07:10 PM WeddingDiva:And that is one of the components that makes my weddings/events so wonderful
07:07:15 PM WeddingDiva:You never know what to expect.
07:07:28 PM sunworshipper:elaborate please... what's considered typical?
07:07:30 PM cheryl:what do you mean?
07:07:44 PM WeddingDiva:Well....remember the movie "Father of The Bride"
07:07:52 PM joycelyn34:yes
07:07:58 PM cheryl:sorta,
07:07:59 PM WeddingDiva:remember the characters of Hanck & Franck??
07:08:12 PM cheryl:nope, not me
07:08:17 PM cheryl:however, go on
07:08:24 PM WeddingDiva:a lot of people assume that I'm like that...running around declaring that everything
07:08:29 PM melagirl:father of the bride
07:08:31 PM WeddingDiva:is "mavalous - dahling"
07:08:47 PM WeddingDiva:and the truth is: it's not that way....
07:09:04 PM WeddingDiva:I'm sorry - the remake with Steve Martin and Martin Short
07:09:14 PM WeddingDiva:that was out a few years ago.....
07:09:37 PM hadiah:what should be expected from you?
07:09:43 PM WeddingDiva:On the other hand, some folks assume that I'm like that nice little lady at the church
07:09:53 PM hadiah:how do you make it an african wedding?
07:10:08 PM WeddingDiva:Well.....this is a great segue into our topic!
07:10:13 PM joycelyn34:yes hadiah that's what i want to know
07:10:27 PM WeddingDiva:With any wedding...before you even start with the lists, the money, the dresses
07:10:41 PM WeddingDiva:you need to get a handle on the type of wedding YOU wish to have......
07:11:00 PM WeddingDiva:I always recommend that a couple sit down and do some visualization....
07:11:05 PM WeddingDiva:it isvery helpful.
07:11:19 PM WeddingDiva:Close your eyes and place yourself at your wedding....
07:11:33 PM WeddingDiva:what do you see? what are you wearing? what music is being played??
07:12:05 PM WeddingDiva:If you start creating an internal vision for your day...your planning becomes much easier.
07:12:20 PM WeddingDiva:and it doesn't matter what type of wedding you are having....you need to have
07:12:30 PM WeddingDiva:your wedding style parameters set early on in the game.....
07:12:39 PM WeddingDiva:Does that make sense to everyone?
07:12:46 PM joycelyn34:yes
07:13:03 PM hadiah:you mean what size and how much $?
07:13:05 PM cheryl:yes
07:13:07 PM Frank:yes
07:13:25 PM WeddingDiva:No.....I just mean what you truly envision...what it is that your heart desires......
07:13:29 PM jdipina:Yes, I like approaching it from the goal backward
07:13:34 PM sunworshipper:yes
07:13:39 PM hadiah:ok
07:13:52 PM WeddingDiva:A lot of people will have various opinions on your wedding...beacause others
07:13:58 PM WeddingDiva:live vicariously through them....
07:14:10 PM WeddingDiva:but it is vitally important that you and your fiance retain control....
07:14:15 PM WeddingDiva:at all times....
07:14:20 PM WeddingDiva:trust me on this one.
07:14:34 PM Frank:I agree
07:14:51 PM hadiah:ok
07:14:54 PM WeddingDiva:Once you get the picture started...then you can move on to the actual planning process
07:15:17 PM WeddingDiva:how many of you are planning on getting married in the near future?
07:15:25 PM cheryl:what if you envision an island wedding with a family member too sick to travel. compromise?
07:15:40 PM joycelyn34:i'm planning an african wedding in july
07:15:46 PM WeddingDiva:Well.....you may not have to compromise...
07:16:09 PM cheryl:two wedding ceremonies?
07:16:38 PM WeddingDiva:no.......if the person in question is a close family member, and they can't travel
07:16:53 PM WeddingDiva:it doesn't mean that you can't have your island wedding.
07:17:18 PM WeddingDiva:you may video tape it, take great pictures and create a memory box just for them,
07:17:28 PM WeddingDiva:so that they can relive those moments with you........
07:17:43 PM WeddingDiva:or you can just plan an island themed wedding here in the States......
07:18:09 PM WeddingDiva:Joycelyn...you mentioned that you are having an AfricanWedding this summer..
07:18:13 PM jdipina:or you may have the wedding in the islands and take the recpetion back to the States
07:18:21 PM WeddingDiva:what brought you to that decision.......
07:18:24 PM cheryl:that's a thought
07:19:09 PM WeddingDiva:See, planning a great wedding requires flexibility,.....and lots of compromise
07:19:17 PM WeddingDiva:very much like a good marriage......
07:19:42 PM hadiah:compromise means enhancing the relationship.
07:19:50 PM WeddingDiva:Someone else had mentioned money........
07:19:59 PM WeddingDiva:Weddings can be very costly..however, there is no reason to break the bank to
07:20:06 PM WeddingDiva:have the wedding you want.......
07:20:07 PM hadiah:i always fret over costs.
07:20:20 PM cheryl:well my sister in law to be has always wanted an island wedding, but she has also always wanted her mom there of course
07:20:28 PM sunworshipper:What role should men play in the planning?
07:20:30 PM WeddingDiva:Most couples do. The average wedding in the US is around $18,000
07:20:54 PM WeddingDiva:I always encourage my grooms to be as actively involved in the planning process
07:21:06 PM WeddingDiva:as the bride is. After all, he's getting married too!
07:21:29 PM WeddingDiva:And the money factor is where a lot of grooms will get really involved!!!!
07:21:37 PM sunworshipper:oh great!
07:21:43 PM sunworshipper:Just write the checks!
07:21:53 PM WeddingDiva:Now....you don't have to spend $18,000 to have a nice wedding....
07:22:07 PM WeddingDiva:Sunworshipper....believe it or not, that's exactly what they do...
07:22:20 PM WeddingDiva:After I've explained to them what they are paying for and why!
07:22:27 PM hadiah:yeah man, write the checks! :)
07:22:30 PM sunworshipper:what they do or ALL they do?
07:23:07 PM WeddingDiva:Most of the grooms I work with will actively work with music, food, transportation
07:23:17 PM WeddingDiva:portions of the reception.....
07:23:31 PM WeddingDiva:As a wedding planner, I encourage the active participation of my clients...
07:23:33 PM hadiah:is there a role for him from an afrocentric perspective.
07:23:40 PM WeddingDiva:Now granted....I do all the hard work :)
07:23:50 PM WeddingDiva:Yes, Hadiah...there is...
07:24:04 PM jdipina:I want to have equal say in how things are done. Because it is a special day for both.
07:24:11 PM joycelyn34:question, i'm envisioning something beautiful happening right before the bride comes out, i'm having dancers at the reception so, i want something different at the wedding, but i can't figure out what i can do, what do you think
07:24:19 PM WeddingDiva:His role as the provider, protector and head of the household come into play during the
07:24:23 PM WeddingDiva:planning process........
07:24:50 PM WeddingDiva:Although...many couples participate equally during the planning of their weddings,,,
07:25:20 PM WeddingDiva:Joycelyn....it all depends on the "wedding vison" the two of you have created.
07:25:43 PM WeddingDiva:what message are you wanting to send to your guests?
07:26:06 PM WeddingDiva:I wanted to get back to the money issue briefly before we move on....
07:26:29 PM WeddingDiva:Know this....you can have a nice wedding for $5000 or $50,000
07:26:46 PM WeddingDiva:it just depends on what your particular parameters are. You need to decide
07:27:02 PM WeddingDiva:what are the most important elements of your celebration then work from there...
07:27:30 PM WeddingDiva:so if you are on a limited budget.......inviting 500 people may not be an option for you..
07:27:35 PM hadiah:spend big money on a house downpayment.
07:27:45 PM WeddingDiva:Yes....there is life after the wedding....
07:28:24 PM WeddingDiva:so no matter what your budget is.....decide what matters most, what you absolutely
07:28:43 PM WeddingDiva:positively must have...and spend accordingly....
07:28:47 PM cheryl:do you travel all over planning weddings?
07:28:53 PM WeddingDiva:Yes...I do...
07:29:13 PM WeddingDiva:I am fortunate and blessed to have planned weddings across the US and I've loved
07:29:17 PM WeddingDiva:every minute of it!!!
07:29:38 PM WeddingDiva:a lot of my clients are not from my area...so I go to them!
07:29:46 PM WeddingDiva:and it works out beautifully!
07:30:25 PM cheryl:why use a wedding planner
07:30:32 PM WeddingDiva:Have any of you formulated a wedding budget - and are you sticking to it?
07:30:46 PM hadiah:what should we ask planners?
07:30:47 PM SharBa:...
07:30:59 PM WeddingDiva:Good question, Cheryl....
07:31:06 PM WeddingDiva:The main reason most people utilize the services of a professional planner is because
07:31:26 PM WeddingDiva:they are unaware of the planning process, they don't know the various service providers
07:31:46 PM WeddingDiva:they don't have the time to dedicate to the process...and because they want
07:32:10 PM WeddingDiva:to be a guest at their event...not running around trying to make everything happen
07:32:16 PM SharBa:...
07:32:23 PM WeddingDiva:You can't direct the wedding from the front of the church.....
07:32:47 PM WeddingDiva:There are different types of services that a planner can render...so you need to decide what
07:32:55 PM WeddingDiva:services you will need.......
07:33:13 PM WeddingDiva:Especially for cultural weddings.....which can be more involved and require
07:33:23 PM WeddingDiva:more research to make them go just right.......
07:33:59 PM WeddingDiva:Most people don't realize how much time and effort goes into the planning of a wedding
07:34:11 PM WeddingDiva:until they are involved in it...then it hits them!
07:34:18 PM hadiah:yeah
07:34:42 PM WeddingDiva:I'm going to take questions now...so fire away!
07:34:55 PM hadiah:i guess planners are professional hand holders.
07:35:15 PM WeddingDiva:not only that - but we are there to make sure that everything goes off without a hitch
07:35:31 PM WeddingDiva:and even if something does happen, we have the expertise to fix it and you will never know....
07:35:53 PM WeddingDiva:we know how to manage a budget, how to create magic....how to make your wedding the
07:36:04 PM WeddingDiva:talk of the town and a memorable occasion for everyone.......
07:36:16 PM joycelyn34:like i said previously, i want something to happen before the bride comes out to reflect my african heritage
07:36:41 PM WeddingDiva:Well.......you mentioned that you were having dancers at the reception, right?
07:36:45 PM joycelyn34:yes
07:37:18 PM WeddingDiva:why not have a singer or chanter...come down the aisle either singing a melodic african melody
07:37:38 PM hadiah:cool i like that
07:37:42 PM WeddingDiva:or chanting a wonderful african proverb or libation?
07:38:02 PM WeddingDiva:you could have a child sprinkle a mixture of sweet flowers and cowrie shells.....
07:38:16 PM hadiah:how do you get the minister to participate differently?
07:38:23 PM WeddingDiva:you could have your elders precede you down the aisle and make welcome your new husband
07:38:25 PM joycelyn34:sounds good, we are doing libation, and jumping the broom
07:38:38 PM SharBa:...
07:38:51 PM WeddingDiva:There are a lot of ministers who are now willing to participate in more cultural rituals
07:39:06 PM WeddingDiva:but you need to speak with your officiant early in the process....
07:39:19 PM WeddingDiva:so that he or she is aware of what you'd like to do. But if they are not
07:39:32 PM WeddingDiva:comfortable with the process, you may have to locate another officiant...
07:40:31 PM WeddingDiva:Did that answer your question, Hadiah?
07:40:35 PM SharBa:...
07:40:42 PM hadiah:yes, do you know about hand painting?
07:41:06 PM WeddingDiva:Yes......having a henna ceremony the night before the wedding is a great way to bond with the
07:41:19 PM WeddingDiva:women in your family and in your new family also.......
07:41:46 PM hadiah:sounds nice!
07:41:50 PM WeddingDiva:And I would strongly suggest doing it the night before...not the day of!
07:42:03 PM WeddingDiva:The henna needs to have time to dry....
07:42:22 PM SharBa:...
07:43:09 PM WeddingDiva:Any other questions???
07:43:19 PM hadiah:i have to go now, but this is most informative.
07:43:25 PM joycelyn34:you mention the flowers ant the cowrie shells, it sounds great, but wouldn't it make it harder to walk without stepping on it
07:43:28 PM SharBa:...
07:43:40 PM WeddingDiva:Before everyone leaves...
07:43:47 PM hadiah:i think that the added assistance of a planner would help to eliminate the stress.
07:43:56 PM joycelyn34:i agree
07:43:59 PM WeddingDiva:let me make mention of an event that I am hosting next month here in Baltimore
07:44:20 PM WeddingDiva:it's for brides & grooms, and it will be held on March 7th from 6-8:30 p.m.
07:44:37 PM WeddingDiva:so if any of you are in the area and would like to attend..I would love to see you there!
07:45:00 PM hadiah:where in bmore
07:45:10 PM jdipina:great! I'll tell my friends about it.
07:45:20 PM WeddingDiva:The place is called Overhills Mansion and you can make reservations directly
07:45:25 PM WeddingDiva:at (410) 744-0040
07:45:44 PM WeddingDiva:It will be a great evening , very nice, food, and a chance to pick my brain again...
07:46:06 PM WeddingDiva:Which seems to be a very popular thing these days.....
07:46:21 PM WeddingDiva:As a planner, I can say this:
07:46:42 PM WeddingDiva:It's my job to make your day as stress free as possible. While I can't eliminate
07:46:51 PM SharBa:...
07:47:05 PM WeddingDiva:all sources of stress, I can do my darndest to make sure that your day is exactly as you envisioned!
07:47:27 PM WeddingDiva:I really, really want to thank the staff at the African Wedding Guide for having such
07:47:37 PM WeddingDiva:a wonderful resource for couples to use!
07:48:10 PM SharBa:...
07:48:10 PM WeddingDiva:It's vitally important that we are able to find service providers and ideas for the kinds
07:48:24 PM WeddingDiva:of weddings that are culturally important to us.....
07:49:33 PM WeddingDiva:Well.....once again, I'd like to thank everyone for being here tonight......
07:50:06 PM SharBa:This is has been very informative....will there be other sessions - I joined in late.
07:50:36 PM WeddingDiva:Why thank you! I hope that you've gained something from this!
07:51:24 PM melagirl:Thank you very much Wedding Diva
07:51:50 PM jdipina:Thank you WeddingDiva!!
07:51:54 PM melagirl:We will have chats in the future
07:52:09 PM melagirl:SharBa, look for one in April
07:52:38 PM melagirl:And you can always visit the AWG for additional information and resources to help you plan your wedding
07:52:51 PM SharBa:Thanks - I'll be sure to do that. And Thanks AWG and WeddingDiva
07:53:21 PM melagirl:Thank you all for attending AWG's chat, and we look forward to seeing you again!
07:53:34 PM SharBa:Will be have an opportunity to discuss Consulting as a business as well?
07:55:51 PM SharBa:bye all
07:55:59 PM sunworshipper:sharba...
07:56:19 PM sunworshipper:I'm sure AWG will do a consulting chat in the near future. Stay tuned.
07:56:25 PM WeddingDiva:sorry...got booted!!
07:56:45 PM WeddingDiva:thanks again- I had a great time!
07:57:22 PM sunworshipper:Thanks Linnyette
07:57:38 PM WeddingDiva:i'm sorry - i got knocked off!
07:57:52 PM WeddingDiva:no...my thanks to all of you....
07:58:00 PM WeddingDiva:this was fun - and i really like doing chats!
07:59:21 PM WeddingDiva:are any of you wondering why I chose the name WeddingDiva?
07:59:32 PM sunworshipper:yes
07:59:44 PM WeddingDiva:it was given to me by one of the local radio personalities here.....
07:59:55 PM sunworshipper:WOL?
08:00:04 PM WeddingDiva:i was doing his show and in the intro.he christened me the 'WEddingDiva"
08:00:09 PM WeddingDiva:and it's stuck!
08:00:18 PM WeddingDiva:actually it was Frank Ski.......
08:00:25 PM WeddingDiva:on 92-Q FM
08:00:40 PM sunworshipper:great
08:02:44 PM sunworshipper:good night