Heather's Glen offers the finest in Houston TX wedding venues in Conroe, Montgomery County, Texas

One of my favorite websites to peruse is www.truuconfessions.com/channels/Brides.  It’s an anonymouse website where brides can confess their inner-most secrets in a box on the right of the screen.  Within a few minutes, other brides are clicking away to “fave,” “omg,” or “me too” your confession.  Not only is it hilarious and entertaining (check out the other channels on the site, too), but it’s really enlightening to see what brides are stressing over.  It’s not uncommon to read a confession about a bride wishing her fiance had gotten her platinum rather than white gold, or a bigger diamond.  I mean, come on, who could you actually utter those words to that would not want to kill you? 

Two weeks until my one year anniversary.  This one year flew by!  It feels like just yesterday the electricity was out thanks to Hurricane Ike, and I was in panic mode, constantly praying for it to come back on so the wedding would go as planned.  It did (thank you, God!), but that was definitely my biggest stressor during the few weeks before the wedding.  Reading these brides’ confessions do help you gain perspective.  I want to tell all of them to calm down, to assume SOMETHING WILL go wrong so they can relax and take the day as it comes.  I’m not guaranteeing something will actually go wrong on your day, I’m just encouraging brides to embrace the attitude that anything can happen, huge or tiny, that you may not expect.  It could be a hurricane, it could be that you forgot the favors.  At the end of the day, though, you’re still getting married.  A year later, you’ll look back and smile and wish you hadn’t stressed so much. 

So relax, brides!  If you are indeed freaking out about your upcoming nuptials, this is your guilt-free excuse to go get a massage and take it easy.  Your wedding is just one day, the first day; your marriage is the rest of your lives together as husband and wife.

Today is the first day of Autumn!  Such an exciting season!  After this year’s summer drought in Houston, I know everyone is ready for some cooler weather.  I love this time of year as the vibrant weddings, Halloween, and Thanksgiving force us to make time for friends and family!  Keep checking back to my blog because I’ll have some autumn wedding profiles up soon enough.

Is everyone planning to attend our open house in October?  The details are on the home page, but since you’re obviously reading this right now anyway…

October 29th!  Thursday night, from 6-9pm.  There will be TONS of food, vendors, cake, music, and giveaways.  If you’re looking for the perfect wedding venue, come check us out that evening.  Wander our grounds, meet many of our wedding professionals, and check for wedding date availabilities.  It’ll be a great time, and you may win an amazing prize!

…is our amazing staff that makes each wedding incredible.

For both 2008 and 2009, Heather’s Glen has received the Best of Weddings award from The Knot.  Under our profile blurb for the award, a bride quoted that “the people on staff were awesome!”  This was such a thrill for us, because it’s the people that work the wedding that make it so seamless.  From the experienced and professional chef who prepares the food, to the uber-talented DJ who emcees the event and makes sure the party stays alive, the staff at Heather’s Glen, for lack of a better word, ROCKS!  Our bartenders, Wendy and Travis, are friendly, professional, and ensure safety for your guests.  Lela, the coordinator, keeps the wedding and reception on track, yet blends into the background to keep every detail in check.  No need to worry about cutting the cake just so, because Lela will be at your side to guide you and then step back so that your unforgettable pictures make you look like pros!  Couples getting married at Heather’s Glen can abandon any stress about dance cues and champagne toasts, because Lela will be orchestrating each perfect moment.  Two things we hear from guests at EVERY wedding:  how beautiful the gardens and chapel are, and how incredible the food displays are.  The on-site staff design and create the most ornate and yummy fruit, veggie, sandwich, and cheese displays.  We consider ourselves a family at Heather’s Glen, and are so proud to have these extraordinary people  be a part of it: Esperanza, Lucia, Maria, Janet, and Urbano. 

Thank you to all of the wonderful staff at Heather’s Glen for creating the perfect wedding day for hundreds of couples year after year!

Ever since I wrote about bridal showers the other day, I’ve been obsessed.  I’ve been looking up as much bridal shower info as I can, so that I can hopefully help you guys throw (or receive) the best shower possible! 

So here goes.  Who throws the shower?  Traditionally it was a non-family member, and often the maid of honor.  Now bridesmaids will throw it, sisters, a friend.  If you have the time and the means, throwing a shower is one of the most generous gestures you can do for a bride and her family.  It’s a time to give the bride a break from all her planning, shower her and her future husband with gifts to set up their new home together, and show her your love and support. 

The next step is figuring out a date to throw the shower.  A great time is between two months and two weeks before the wedding.  Saturday afternoon is most popular, but go with whatever works best for the bride.  If she would prefer a brunch or a dinner, kindly accommodate if you can.  After you have the date and time selected, ask the bride to provide a guest list.  The guest list will depend on the type of shower you are giving.  Is it a couples’ shower?  Or just ladies?  Close friends and family should be invited to the shower.  As I mentioned in my other blog, do not invite anyone to a shower that you are not planning on inviting to the wedding itself.  Seems obvious, but to my horror, there are people actually considering this. 

A theme is a great way to get the planning ball rolling.  Display showers are becoming more and more popular, as well as kitchen/bath showers, or bedroom/bath showers.  Another one that I’ve heard of, but have never attended myself, is an “around the clock” shower.  Guests are encouraged to bring a gift appropriate to a particular hour of the day.  Once you’ve got a theme chosen, the fun part (in my opinion) of choosing the invitation is next!  I love browsing through www.weddingpaperdivas.com and www.tinyprints.com for these kinds of invitations. 

The rest of the planning includes deciding on a location, menu, and activities.  While many people opt to give a shower in their homes, tea houses and restaurants are becoming more popular.  The advantage of not giving a shower in someone’s home is that most of the set-up and clean-up are already taken care of!  The disadvantage is that the food may be more expensive, depending on the location. 

The next step is to plan any entertainment.  Games are fun, can be an icebreaker for those who don’t know each other, and create a comfortable and casual atmosphere.  If you choose to be out to dinner, rather than the classics charades or pictionary, a simple yet fun game of wedding telephone can be a more suitable choice.  Otherwise, tons of wedding-themed games can be found online.  Be sure to have great prizes for the game winners! 

Provide practical and thoughtful favors for the guests.  It is also extremely important to keep track of who gave what gift, either while the bride opens them, or as they are brought for a display shower.  Do this for the bride, or assign someone to do it.  Brides, send out thank-yous asap! 

Tons of people call us every week to hold showers here.  While we only do weddings, there are two places we love to consistently recommend.  Chocolate Passions in Conroe is wonderful because it has private party rooms and a delightful atmosphere.  It’s not only a chocolatier (YUMMY), but has a huge selection of gourmet coffees and a lunch menu.  The Vintage Garden Tea House in Montgomery is another wonderful place for a shower.  Several different rooms comprise the tea house and can accommodate different parties.  Sandwiches, salads, quiche, scones, and pastries are offered along with amazing teas.  I can personally vouch for the apricot bread pudding…mmm….

Happy shower planning!

09/09/09 came and went, and I want to hear about all of the weddings!  It was my brother’s birthday (not his ninth), so I was celebrating with him while couples around the country were saying their vows at…99 cent stores?!  Yes!

http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/09/11/behind-the-scenes-of-the-99-cent-only-store-bargain-wedding/

There’s the link in case you didn’t believe me!  I would have never thought of it.

It’s been a big week in my fam; we also had my sister’s baby shower.  The baby is due on Halloween.  I’m not kidding.  Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, so I want to hear about those weddings, too.  Any masquerades?!  The baby shower made me think of wedding showers, of course, so I wanted to check in with my brides on that front.  I was reading on a wedding forum recently that a bride didn’t know if it was a good idea to invite some friends to her shower and bachelorette party and not the wedding. No.  No, this is not a good idea.  So in case my brides were wondering…don’t do that. 

Showers are fun, and as corny as they can be, I love the games.  We played “wedding pictionary” at mine.  Have you heard any fun shower games?

I know we’re just beginning the autumn weddings, but I get so excited for the NEXT season!

What’s everyone doing for their winter weddings?  I keep seeing that slate gray, cornflower blue, and marigold yellow are popular together and very trendy now.  Also, light lavender paired with vibrant purple are seen together a lot.  There’s nothing like a frosty wedding to make a bride feel like an ice princess…but hopefully not an ice queen   Sorry, couldn’t resist!

Here’s an invitation I’m loving right now:

Two Birds: Charcoal

Love it!  It’s like 2 birds nestling on snowflakes.  Well, they look like snowflakes to me!  Know what I’m tired of seeing though?  Damask.  Enough of that.  Know what I’m NOT tired of seeing?  Toile.  I never get tired of that!  Black and white is sooo pretty for winter weddings.

Toile Border: Red

Okay, I promise to pay close attention to the upcoming weddings and report back with some lovely fall trends.

I blogged about fine china a few blogs back.  Then I realized that brides may be a bit clueless when it comes to their wedding registry.  I know that I was!  I had no idea what to register for, what not to register for, where to register, etc.  Unless this isn’t your first merry-go-round, it’s likely that you walk into Macy’s pretty clueless. 

The first thing to remember is that just because the sales clerks tell you that this is your “wish list” and hand you a checklist of things to register for, does not mean that you have to go crazy, or that you have to register for each thing on the list.   Be reasonable.  Here are a couple of things I hate seeing on registries:

1.  Luggage.  Really?  You want me to give you that?

2.  Furniture.  Hmm.  No.

3.  Entertainment items.  A $2000 TV?  Seriously?

4.  Money registries/honeymoon registries.  I just find this one kind of rude.  You’re getting married and everyone knows you need money.  If they don’t go for the towels, they’ll probably slip a check into a card.  It’s easier than shopping, but don’t tell them to do it. 

Otherwise, yes, your registry is a wish list of sorts.  Your friends and family do want to help you put together your first home, by furnishing it with all of the kitchen, bed, and bath essentials. Many will want to contribute the beautiful extras like a crystal vase (for the flowers your husband will bring you all of the time), or an elegant double-frame to display a photo of you and your groom next to your invitation. 

I suppose my advice goes back to simply being reasonable.  Asking for a mantle clock is one thing, asking for a grandfather clock is another!

One more thing.  I know people love to do it, but I can’t bear it.  DO NOT PUT WHERE YOU ARE REGISTERED ON YOUR WEDDING INVITATION!  Put it on shower invitations.  Put it on your wedding website.  Tell people when they ask.  But on the actual cardstock that gives the time, location, and appropriate dress of the wedding, do NOT tell them where to then purchase your wedding gift. 

Happy wedding registering!

Dear Readers,               1 September, 2009

Thank you so much for reading my blog!  I really appreciate that you take the time to do so.  Your input also really means a lot to me, so don’t hesitate to comment below.  All of the thoughts, suggestions, and feedback are what keep me writing about what you want to read about.  Thank you again, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Anne

Okay, so let’s figure this out together, shall we? 

1.  Don’t forget the date.   Write thank-yous as you receive the gift.  For example, if you receive the gift before the wedding, write it immediately, don’t wait until after the wedding.  After the wedding, send out thank-yous within 2 months.

 2.  Thank them specifically for what they gave you.  Think it sounds strange to thank someone for money?  Write something along the lines of this:  “Thank you so much for the generous check/cash you gave us with the thoughtful card!”  If you thank someone for just “the gift,” they may wonder if you remember what they gave you or if you got it.  3.  Tell them how you’ll use it.  China at Thanksgiving?  Money towards furniture?  The frame or vase to display? 

3.  Let them know if you had fun during that game during the shower, or enjoyed dancing with them at the wedding, or refer to what you spoke about at the wedding.  Be geniune.  Don’t gush over how much fun you had with them if you barely said hello.  Let them know their presence meant a lot to you if they were there.  Did they travel far to make it?  Let them know you appreciate it!

4. This one is still up in the air.  I urge every bride to sign it with her name; you are the one, after all, writing the note.  But more and more I see a bride sign with both the bride and groom’s name.  I’m not a fan of this.  Is he over your shoulder telling you what to write?  That’s just me, though.  Which reminds me: at least mention the groom in the note.  “Bruce and I never would have gotten that conga line going if it weren’t for you two…”  You get my drift  

And for those on the giving end, please please PLEASE contact the bride if you were thanked for the wrong gift.  This will help her get her records straight.  Letting her know immediately that you didn’t give her the place setting but the crystal will help her prevent the domino effect of thanking the wrong people for the wrong gifts.

Happy Thank-You Writing!