heidzillas in the news: i’m published!

jstyle weddings january 2009

 

i was interviewed last month by amy newman smith of jstyle magazine‘s annual weddings issue. we talked for over an hour about all the tactics i suggest to my clients to save costs and still have a beautiful wedding for her article, “love on a budget: wow weddings without dollar woes.” the magazine just hit newsstands and i got my hands on a copy today. i was delighted to see that, in addition to several other brides’ ideas, there were a few quotes included from my interview and some of my ideas in amy’s “twenty easy ways to save money on your wedding” at the end of the article.

the magazine should be available digitally soon. i’ll post the link as soon as i see it on their site. until then, i scanned shots of the article…

 

here’s my big press debut! 

 

“That doesn’t meant you shouldn’t investigate tried-and-true venues. Wedding planner, Heidi Baumgart, owner of Heidzillas in Avon Lake, says hotels and wedding halls that offer one-stop shopping can save you money by bundling.”

what i meant was, some reception venues such as wyndham, marriott, key club, windows on the river, etc. have packages including a three course meal, liquor and wine, linens, china/silver, champagne toast, a cake, valet,  tax abd gratuity for one rate. you may think going to reception hall and hiring a caterer, a rental company, a linens company, bringing in your own liquor, securing a bakery is going to be much more affordable, but by the time you  add up the delivery fees, taxes, tips, not to mention your time, gas money, energy, etc. it’s a lot easier (and maybe higher quality, too!)  to hire one place that does it all for you. piece-meal wedding tasks can add up more quickly than trying to find a deal for every.single.vendor. 
here’s another quote from later in the article:

Baumgart recommends that her clients look at renting wedding day transportation from a car rental facility like Hertz or Enterprise rather than a limo company.

a little more about this idea… do you have a small bridal party or maybe only need transportation from your ceremony site to your reception site? many limo companies require a four-hour minimum and you might only need them for an hour. instead of paying four- or five-hundred dollars for a limo, ask one of your ushers, a cousin, or a friend to serve as “chauffeur” and rent a luxury car at a fraction of the price of a limo rental. you can rent it for 24 hours, transport parents, bridal party members and you and your groom to and from the ceremony, reception or hotels. and, in the morning, you’ve got a nice ride to head to the airport if you’re going on your honeymoon right away.
one more blurb from the article:

The message: Put your money where your heart is. Whatever you do, don’t feel bad for paring down. “Simple and clean goes a long way,” notes Baumgart.

don’t think that you have to have massive centerpieces, an enormous overly decorated cake, 400 details, the fanciest favors, patterns, colors and more to have a “wow” wedding. couple a clean, bright color palette (say one wedding color plus white or ivory) with simple but classic touches, you can save on extra flowers, cake up-charges, per person rates,  random decor elements, and the time and cost of putting it all together!

if you’re in the cleveland area, grab a copy of jstyle to see this and other great weddings in cleveland-related articles. and, i’ll keep my eye out for the digital copy of the entire wedding issue!