While the economy has taken a downturn, weddings have certainly not. People are still getting married, and now, more than ever, they want to showcase their personalities. One of the easiest ways to convey the tone of the event to guests is with custom wedding invitations.
Offbeat brides are not afraid to think outside the box with cutting edge designs. In fact, many brides are seeking the help of their wedding stationery designer before any other vendor to help them create a theme that is unique to them and that can be carried through all aspects of the wedding and reception.
Custom logos and monograms are created to not only be used on the invitations, but along with accessories like table numbers, menus, programs, and even vinyl for a signature dance floor. Pocket invitations still reign as the favorite invitation style for their ability to organize several inserts, including maps, reception information and RSVP.
Another invitation trend is to make the outside or envelope design as nice as it is on the inside. New wrap around labels, custom envelope printing, and matching custom stamps create excitement before the recipient even opens the envelope.
More Brides and Grooms are paying for their own wedding and have limited budgets. Therefore they are choosing more minimalist design styles and forgetting all the bells and whistles. Flat cards have become the most popular choice for Recessionista Brides, printed with either one spot ink color or an economical four color process. Thermography, or raised gummy print, is also popular since it is as cost effective as flat ink printing and adds a more formal feel to the invitation. To take it up a notch while still staying within budget, a ribbon or bow accent, rhinestone detail or metallic paper is proving to never be out of style.
Finally, D.I.Y. wedding invitation kits is a smart choice for couples who have the time to create their own wedding invitations and want style at a reasonable cost.
Guest blog by Erin L. Burkhard / CEO - Be In Love Designs
There are lots of reasons to want a beautiful limo, party bus/shuttle bus or SUV/sedans on your big day. In my last post I talked about how it doesn't matter that it is your wedding day - you can still get a DUI on your wedding. But of course the biggest reason is you want the elegant ride. You picture you and your Prince Charming smiling for pictures as you enter the stretch Hummer toasting champagne to your eternal happiness.
But for some reason, most brides put the expected cost for a limo somewhere above the cost of their non-designer shoes or costume jewelry but below the cost of the cake or flowers. They expect that we will just show up with a $100,000 vehicle insured by expensive commercial insurance. Chauffeured by a professionally suited, CDL licensed chauffeur who has already spent 2 hours of 'work' by driving all the way down to the office to pick up the limo - prepped the limo with ice/a wedding package and drove all the way to your location.
And for all that we should only charge you the 20 minutes that it takes for you to drive from the wedding location to the reception?? "But we only need the limo for 20 minutes and it is less than a 5 mile drive" is the cry we get from brides daily. Oh and then you need to come back at 11pm to pick us up again. Huh? NO WE HAVE TO HAVE MINIMUMS to make it worth our while. I'm sorry - you can use the limo for more needs - take you and the groom, then come back and pick up your elderly relatives.
Or better yet - we can pick you and your bridesmaids up at the home/salon - take to the church - then go and pick up the groom and groomsmen - then sit and wait (yes and get paid to wait-shocking I know I'm sure you never get paid at work for just sitting around) for the 1 hour ceremony then drive the bridal party from the church to the reception. That is a better use of the 3 hour minimum.
"Can't you split the hours?" that is the other thing we hear all the time. Let me ask you - when you go to work do you like to show up, all dressed up and away from your family. Get paid for the first hour of work - then be told that you are off-duty for another 6-7 hours and have to return after 6-7 hours to get another 1 hour of pay? Let's say you live 30-40 min away from your job. So would you do go back home and try to relax?
Every time a bride calls or we are invited to attend another bridal show my stomach turns. And I think of the two questions I hate "can't you do a transfer in a limo - it's only a 5 minute drive?" and "can't you split the time?" Our pricing is so great - get past the minimum of time - we have to have them to make it worth our while!
Wow I hadn't heard about this story so I googled "DUI arrest after wedding" and watched the full story from the TV news segment.
What a bummer to spend your first night as husband and wife separate - one in jail - the other miserably appearing in court in her wedding dress! It is truly important to find a designated driver for any occasion where you will be drinking. But especially your wedding!! You don't want to be like this poor couple that ended up getting arrested because they didn't plan ahead.
I don't care who your designated driver is - Uncle Joe, a taxi, a friend who doesn't drink. Just don't drink and drive! If you want a quote for an inexpensive limo, we would be pleased if you used our service.
How do you plan ahead so you don't drink and drive?
Get a limo or party bus for your special Mother's Day celebration in the metro Phoenix area! Celebrate Mother's Day in a limousine or party bus and enjoy discounted dining at these fine restaurants. Make your reservations with us for the transportation - and at the dining establishments soon - before we are all booked up!
Or better yet - enjoy a full Diva Day where we scoop you and your party up at your house in a gorgeous limousine or party bus - sip champagne and enjoy the company as we head to Spa Lamar for wonderful pampering session. Next, your party heads to a fabulous lunch at your favorite restaurant in the Old Town Scottsdale area (we recommend Olive & Ivy). A bit tipsy, pampered and with a full stomach we return you home. Talk about a Diva Day your Mother deserves!
Mother's Day in a luxury limousine or party bus is the perfect way to celebration and pamper your Mom on this special day!
Your graduation day is one of the most exciting days of your life! All the years of effort and hard work celebrated on this important night. Whether you are graduation high school or college the feelings are the same - a feeling of accomplishment and success!
A graduation limo or party bus would be a wonderful addition to this special celebration! Especially if any cocktails will be consumed. More than one-third of youth under the age of 21 killed in alcohol-related fatalities in 2001 died during the months of April, May and June - prom and graduation season - according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Of course we don't allow drinking of the passengers if all passengers are under 21. If it is a mixed crowd - some people over 21 and some under - we don't police or monitor who is drinking. If we are stopped by law enforcement, those that are over 21 would be hit with the "contributing to the delinquency of a minor" charge.
But even families want to get a limo to make their celebration more special. To celebrate the success of their child for achieving this goal. Renting a limo or party bus doesn't just have to be to avoid DUIs.
Most graduation celebrations occur on weeknights and Fridays and we have reduced pricing for those nights - you can ride in a fun party bus for as low as $18 per person. Make your graduation even more special by renting a graduation limo or party bus.
Here are the top 5 ways renting a limo can help you save you between $3,595 - $8,835:
1. You don't get a DUI. A DUI with BAC of .08 will cost you more than $3,200 and 10 days in jail. Extreme DUI - BAC of .15 will cost you more than $5,950 and 30 days in jail and Super extreme DUI - BAC of .20 will cost you more than $8,330 and 45 days in jail. Savings = $3,200 - $8,330.
2. You get no line/no cover at many of the top clubs in the Valley - average savings $5-$10 per head - let's say a group of 20 - that equals a savings of $100-$200.
3. Some companies have exclusive dining and club discounts to many fine establishments where you can get discounted food and beverages. Savings = $20-$60.
4. You can enjoy your cocktails on-board the limo instead of spending $10 per drink (no kidding - it is that much - especially when you factor a tip) inside the clubs. So let's say 2 drinks each consumed by 15 people from a large bottle of vodka you purchased at the grocery store for $21 & cranberry juice for $4 = $25 for all your cocktails versus $300 buying those 30 drinks in the club. Savings = $275.
5. You show your teenagers that you care when renting them a limo on prom. Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers across the United States. Drivers aged 16 to 19 years have the highest average annual crash rates of any other age group. Prom night is especially risky because of potential for alcohol and drug use and multiple passenger in the vehicle - causing distractions for the driver. Savings = how much is a teen's life worth? I think priceless.
Imagine you have a favorite restaurant that you frequent weekly - you are a good patron. You tip well and give this place business that they can count on. You've been dining at this restaurant for the last two years - most of the servers know you and provide excellent service, the chef usually gives you generous portions and sometimes a free dessert.
You call up this restaurant on their busiest day of the year - let's say Valentine's Day - and inquire about making a reservation. The hostess informs you that the menu that evening is at an increased rate because this night sells out every year. It's all about supply and demand. The staff at that restaurant will be and has been to make this night special for their patrons - they juggle more phone calls for reservation requests, place larger food orders, staff up for that busy night.
Would you - as that frequent patron at this restaurant - insist on getting lower pricing? Probably not. But that is the situation we encounter with some of our existing accounts asking for better pricing on the busiest Prom day of the year for limos/party buses. We gave a 10-12% discount. It still wasn't good enough. What do you think? Isn't it fair that we charge more on our busiest nights? How low do you think we should have to go to keep an existing account happy?
Many people think of limousine service as expensive. They have this idea in their head that it will be high priced when they hear the word "limo". Many, many limo companies have towncars and standard SUVs. These are the bread and butter vehicles of most "limo companies" even though they are not truly "limos".
These vehicles are a great alternative to taxicabs. Corporate companies and savvy airport passengers contact limousine service providers to arrange for service in a clean, newer vehicle like Towncars or SUVs. These nice vehicles are driven by a suited chauffeur (instead of a chain smoking, shorts & t-shirt wearing taxicab driver) who provides great customer service.
And what is funny is that service in these nicer vehicles - driven by more professional individuals is about the same price as a taxicab! For example, going from my house by Desert Ridge in N. Phoenix to the old Town Scottsdale area - or to the Sky Harbor airport is only $66 complete. I used to go out to the clubs in Scottsdale a lot - like every weekend. Trust me, I was charged by those chain smoking, cab drivers $66 (including gratuity) every weekend.
Limousine service - don't let the name fool you. If you rent frequently (Sun-Thur reservations mainly), we can even get an account set up for you and get the rate down to $59.40 complete!
Right now our phones are ringing like crazy. Wonderful - especially in this economy for any "luxury" type service to be busy right? It is - but darn it we wish EVERY weekend was a Prom weekend. This Prom season - unlike other Prom seasons we only have about 3-4 Saturdays that are really busy.
Usually - when the economy doesn't suck - we have 8 Saturdays from mid-March until mid-May that are crazy busy. We sell out. We juggle hundreds of phone calls a day - all calling just for these same 8 days. So of course we increase the price - it is all about supply and demand - right? Just like hotels or restaurants on special dates like Valentine's Day or New Years.
But this year our Prom limos and Prom Party Buses only are selling out 3 Prom dates. 4/18, 4/25 and 5/2. We have 1/2 hour fleet sitting for this Saturday. The phones have still rung off the hook - but this year only three days have nearly sold out.
We count on the busy Prom season to carry us through the super slow summer. Our limo payments don't go away when business slows down. But in the past summers, nobody wants to go out in Phoenix when it is 110 degrees? Nobody has weddings. No visitors come into town. Maybe, hopefully, this summer AZ residents will have little "mini" vacations in town and rent limos or party buses for an "in town" get-a-way and we won't slow down so much. What do you think?
Why can't every weekend be a Prom weekend - then this could actually be a profitable business!
What is your definition of a good limousine service? What defines good service to you? Would you be more interested in saving a few dollars and rent a slightly older limousine - as long as it is well maintained?
Is immediate service with reservations and dispatch operators over the phone super important - or could a company get away with lowering the cost of limousine service by cutting payroll costs and having phone messages and emails returned in 2-5 hours?
The attitude and confidence of a chauffeur probably are areas that you wouldn't want to scrimp on. The chauffeur can make or break your night/transfer/event - if he or she is late, has a bad attitude or is lost/unfamiliar with the route to take your trip can be ruined. Because our chauffeurs are tipped employees their tip goes down when the total ticket price goes down - and to deal with drunk passengers getting as far away from minimum wage something like $12-18 per hour is the range we like to keep the chauffeurs in at least.
But they do sit on their butt a lot. While your party is at dinner, in the club, in your wedding ceremony, etc. they get to sit. And wait. So maybe $10-$15 hourly is all they need to earn? That is all charter bus drivers make and they have more passengers they are responsible for. They can have up to 56 souls in a charter bus. And they make $10-12 per hour plus a $1 tip per person - if they are lucky.
What is your ideal of the balance between service and pricing? What do you think would be a fair rate for limousine service?
Many people wonder which way to go - our club shuttle for $15 per head each way or hourly service?
First the draw backs to the club shuttle:
- It's not offered Saturday nights during peak season (Oct - May).
- You MUST have a specific time for pick up and live only about 20-30 minutes from either bars in Old Town Scottsdale or bars on Mill Ave in Tempe.
- If you are late coming out of bars (let's say you schedule pick up for 2am but everybody doesn't stumble out of the clubs until 2:10 am, the chauffeur may leave you because he/she has another reservation.
- You can't use the glassware on-board and must take your trash and items out of the vehicle.
- You aren't guaranteed the type of vehicle - we pick you up in whatever is available for your party size.
Benefits of the club shuttle:
- It's cheap at $15 per head (plus gratuity) each way.
- It's cheap and you don't get a DUI.
- It's cheap.
Benefits of hourly service:
- Guaranteed type of AZ Limo.
- You can bring your own beverages on board and save money on cocktails versus the $10 per drink in the clubs.
- You can club hop.
- Most of the time overtime is available - so if you come out of the club late - the chauffeur most of the time doesn't have another reservation and will wait for your group to take you-all home.
There is a lot that goes into figuring out the pricing for limo service. I've discussed - a number of times - that there is definitely differences in quality and service amongst limo service providers. But for the good ones - which I try and think that we are one of the good providers - how do we figure out our limo prices?
It's a little bit of trial and a little bit of luck to figure out where we should set our pricing. We may find that for a certain Saturday - for whatever reason - we have only a few cars going out - so come that Thursday afternoon to Saturday morning we are having a fire sale on the hourly rate. Our competitors may have already captured most of the business. Or maybe nobody is just renting limos or buses that weekend (can't believe nobody is partying - just taking the risk and drinking and driving probably). Which means we - and our chauffeurs - lose out on making any decent money that weekend.
We are just like the hotel industry - very seasonal - especially during Prom season (imagine jumping from an average of 80 incoming calls a day up to 150-250 incoming calls a day for quote requests) - all these quote requests for the same 4 Saturdays! Of course those Prom Saturday will be the highest prices!
We try and set our prices to be very competitive with the market-place. And we aggressively discount for Sunday - Thursday reservations. So often people want limos and party buses for reservations on Saturday night (most popular night) and Friday night (2nd most popular night of the week).
The biggest reality is that with this downturn in the economy - we and many of our fellow limo company operators - are struggling. Our business is down. But our car payments, insurance, rent, and some payroll remain the same. Fuel costs are down a bit partly because have less business and partly because the price per gallon went down. - thank God!
But it is pretty tough and going to be a long, hot summer. So the bottom line is that we will work with you, your budget and match or beat a lot of our competitors because we want to earn the business - and keep our cars, limos and buses rolling!
I don't know though - a Prius just doesn't seem to scream LUXURY to me. . . . but it does get 50 MPG according to the owner who spent $10,000 on the stretch.
