Perfect color palettes for Cartagena

Cartagena is a vibrant city full of color.  your wedding event can take advantage of that and use vibrant, romantic, stylist combination of colors based on your wedding theme and the tone you want to give to the event.

Some of the most beautiful combination of colors are:

aqua + chartreuse-- Because it is fresh, romantic, there are beautiful flowers that can be arranged and makes for a nice assembly with details for the wedding and the bridesmaids. Certainly various options from the decor to the party favors can be planned based o this palette.

blush + mauve-- The beautiful orchids and the romantic tone of these colors gives any wedding a fantastic romantic effect.

Red and white-- Fairly popular, certainly a trend in Cartagena as well as various variations of orange tones for accent or simply orange variations with white.


Navy blue and pink--have been used separately with white but the combination of the two also works... a sense of romantic, sweet and strong intensity at the same time.


All white continues to be a favorite for the ceremony....

whichever your preferences, Cartagena offers a variety of flowers and decoration options that will make your event spectacular!!!

The most important wedding tip: pick the colors that are important to you and that like, regardless of what is in fashion. The wedding should reflect your personal style.

bodas@caribecordial.com 

Selecting a fotographer for your wedding

Your fotographer will record the images of one of the most important moments in your life: your wedding. Perhaps one of the key items in a wedding preparation that is critical for you to consider because bad pictures can really destroy your memories of a great event. The level of light, the ability to capture unique moments, the ability to bring the best of you, to show the romance, to show the hapiness, to show the colors and details of your wedding day require a crafted artist and a combination of talent and experience.

There are a lot of new wedding photographers in the market, and the number is growing steadily. However, wedding photography is a demanding profession and provides a host of challenges even for experienced photographers. Wedding photography requires adapting quickly to uncontrolled lighting situations, and dealing with unexpected situacions.


You have to get it right the first time, every time. You have to be a master of the craft and make adjustments on the fly, without thinking or hesitating. And you have to do it for 8, 10, or 12 hours in close quarters with clients who have put their trust in you to get it right. In this kind of work environment, experience is essential to delivering beautiful images on a consistent basis, week after week.

Therefore, level of experience, quality of the images in previous work and confirming that the fotographer will indeed take your pictures are the key elements to consider. Do not consider this second priority to other items like menu, music, decoration. The selection of your photographer is very important and will be a memory that you will keep with you forever.

As wedding planners, we work with a selective group of fotographers to ensure that your wedding will be capture in the style and quality that you deserve.

the most important wedding tip:  Dont save on this item for your wedding budget. Your pictures will be important memories of this important event.

bodas@caribecordial.com

lets dance!!!!- Bodas Cartagena/Weddings Cartagena

 Music certainly sets the tone at a wedding and it is probably one of the distinctive elements of a wedding at Cartagena. From great DJs, orchestras of different sizes ( adjust to your venue and number of guests), wonderful bossa nova and jazz groups, Cartagena offers it all. A few groups from Barranquilla, Bogota or famous orchestras are also a potential for your roast of vendors. A very important part of a wedding in Cartagena is normally the "hora loca" and there are fantastic performing groups that really energize the party and make everyone dance and stay until late. Also, the "hora loca"  is a very memorable moment of the wedding and colorful moment with the mask, boas, and accessories that are normally used.

If you are deciding in only getting a DJ, make sure that you have the right mix of music according to the guests lists and the tone that you are setting for the event.  It is always useful to prepare your list of favorite songs and make sure that your DJ has them way in advance as some songs might be harder to get than others and he can tell you in advance if he needs any help with a particular song.

What if any there are not people dancing? Different wedding disc jockeys handle this situation in very different ways – some opt to use the microphone to try to “energize” your guests and motivate them to dance. Others would never do something like this and prefer to use careful song selection to ensure dance floor success. You need to know what the DJ would do in this situation, and determine if that is the way you would like the situation handled.  It is useful to have a discussion with your wedding planner and your DJ on your preference.

If there are details important to you for the music, make sure you inform your planner in advance so the group, DJ or "hora loca" dancers are aware of a particular timing, special song, etc... that you want them to perform.

bodas@caribecordial.com

mini-desserts--- Weddings in Cartagena - Bodas Cartagena

Dessert isn’t just about the wedding cake anymore. The newest trend in weddings is the Dessert Bar. Many brides are opting for dessert bars comprised of various mini-desserts for guests to choose from. Wedding cake are sometimes complementing the offer or the mini-desserts replace them completely. Having a dessert bar with different choices, and individual sized deserts can be a more cost effective way to serve your guests.

When selecting items for your desert bar you can choose:
1. A theme that matches your wedding: Colombian desserts from mini pie de coco and some other delicious local options
2. Desserts with your wedding colors: chocolate cupcakes with pink icing, black and white iced cookies, strawberry cake pops, etc.
3. A variety of desserts to please everyone: something chocolate, something light like sorbet, cheesecakes, etc.

you can also arrange them in a variety of ways and allow guests to indulge on the beautiful presentation, variety of colors of flavors. 

You are sure to enjoy this selection!

bodas@caribecordial.com

Video-- do it or not? Weddings Cartagena

videographer in Cartagena and songs for your video

While every bride hires a photographer, only about 35% decide to also get a video... but about 80% of couple regret not hiring a videographer.... it seems like an item to take out of the budget, but really it is an item that brings great memories later on and capture things that pictures cant. I think it is in part because the art has evolved, they are not following you around as before, there are different techniques and it is almost like a movie production, with different close ups, capturing great moments and couples can revive the wedding at any time. Couples that decide to get the video mentioned that they loved remembering the friends that were there, the moments that they had, the feelings that they had.

Cartagena has some amazing talent and it getting more and more spectacular the work that they do. Some of these talented work can be seem in this weeding but there are plenty more to show.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSbZmjCIDQY

so... worth considering!

Some of the most popular songs... but not means a complete list! there are really over 150 songs to consider for your wedding video....

Bless The Broken Road.mp3
Memories Are Made Of This.mp3
Elton John - The Way You Look Tonight.mp3
Elton John & Joe Cocker - You are so beautiful to me .MP3
LeAnne Rhimes -Some Say Love.mp3
michael bolton - a love so beautiful.mp3
Nat King Cole - The Way You Look Tonight.mp3
Martina Mcbride - I Love You (Run Away Bride).mp3

Bodas@caribecordial.com

warm welcome- Cartagena Weddings-- Bodas en Cartagena

Even more than party favors, a welcome package is in fashion.... consider preparing a nice welcome package for your guests. It style are packages that have a local flavor, have your personal touch. We currently work with local designers and talented artisans that make beautiful welcome bags at low cost. There is a variety of styles, colors and content, to keep everything within budget, yet, a warm welcome to everyone coming to your wedding.

However, as mentioned in the "do it yourself" blog, you can do many things for yourself and these is one of those items. You can prepare them and bring them with you. The best advice for "do it yourself" items, is that are items that wont distract you the day before or in the wedding day.  The content of your welcome bag sets the tone also for the events and spirit you want to give to your wedding-- e.g elegant, casual, fun, etc..

bodas@caribecordial.com

Shoes with Hues- Cartagena Weddings

The creative spirit of the brides is abundant  perhaps most evident in her footwear. Not only are we seeing lots of sparkly “Yes” and “I Do” messages scribed on the soles, but brides are also forgoing the customary white. The most common tones seem to be blue, bright colors, red, purple, gold and going in assemble with the wedding colors. The colorful shoes give the bride a beautiful touch.

Weddings in Cartagena-- the budget discussion

 This is an article that pretty much reflects the importance of thinking about a realistic budget. Many brides struggle with the question of what is the ideal budget for a wedding in Cartagena.  what is a realistic budget?

A budget is:

• A study of the range of what wedding products and services cost in your area, balanced against your tastes, inspirations and fantasies.
• Factored by the number of guests you choose to invite.

 Here is the full article for reference on the topic for the USA. However, the categorization for Cartagena in terms of money brackets is certainly lower. A nice wedding in Cartagena starts at a budget of $12,000-15,000 depending on the number of guests. A fantastic event will require a budget of $25,000-$35,000 on average depending on the event and number of guests. For events with a large number of  guests a fantastic event could range between $30,000-$50,000. Certainly, the number of guests, the type of vendors you choose, the decor style, etc.. have a great impact on the final budget and quality of the event.

Yes, there are always ways to prioritize a budget or work around it but those initial targets give you a realistic first comparison of what to expect for Cartagena.

USA: Wedding Planning Budgets -www.brides.com

So, at the risk of being more precise, I’ll break it down from my experience. Wedding Budgets:

•  Low Budget Bride (Budget: $5000 – $14,999) Has the resources, but will have to make some tough decisions on the reception. The big conundrum is whether to economize across the board or cut in specific areas, and not others.
• Statistically Average Bride: (Budget: $15,000 – $34,999) Has the resources to do a nice job on the reception. Her biggest decision should be ‘How many guests can we invite to have a nice reception?’
• High Budget Bride (Budget: $35,000 – $60,000): Has more than enough money to do great things. Her biggest challenge is not to make bad choices among wedding vendors, irrespective of money.
• Luxury Bride (Budget: more than $60,000): She wants to be best options for a wedding and there is not reason to hold back.

A budget is not:

• … is not throwing a dart at a target.
• … budget is not the total amount in the parent’s bank account or your bank account.
• … budget is not what one or more girlfriends spent on their wedding.
• … is not necessarily what you see on Platinum Weddings or Get Married TV (those are inspirations)

A line budget item is not:

• “I only have $750 left for videography. Will you take that?”
• “Oh, my third cousin, Oscar, is going to take the photos.”

A budget is:

• $1 Million
• $50,000
• $25,000
• $7,500
• $3,000

Budget does not necessarily mean low budget. A budget can be…

• A specific dollar amount or less
• A specific dollar amount or more
• A range from $X to $Y (this is the preferred budget)
• Money is no object (must be the truth)

The Wedding Report publishes ongoing data about spending in the wedding industry. It consistently reports that brides spend close to 50% more than they had budgeted for the wedding, with an average wedding expense running  just under $30,000. This shows a major discrepancy between the original money allotted, from reality of their desires.
I would assert the reason for this is that their original money allotment was not a budget at all. It was dart throwing at a bank book. It is important to therefore, educate the brides on realistic goals based on their dreams, goals and desires for their wedding day.

Weddings in Cartagena-- visitors how to make them comfortable?

While Cartagena is a city full of beauty, historical sites, and fantastic restaurants, many guests invited to a wedding in Colombia are wondering--- should we visit Colombia? is a safe place?

Certainly! Cartagena is a safe place that receives hundreds of foreign visitors a week! Colombia as a whole in 2000 got about 500,000 foreign visitors, that number has exponentially increased over time. Rhere were close to 1.5 mm in 2009. Most of these visitors visited Cartagena.

The fantastic campaign" the only risk is wanted to stay" features wonderful images of Colombia, its beauty and how welcoming the people are. Cartagena, as the main touristic city in the country, excels in its efforts to welcome tourists, offer a variety of options and make visitors feel safe and welcome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzZe0gcc0eY

Trip advisors has featured Cartagena as a top destination in America. Another good references for your guests.

Sure, make sure that your visitors feel welcome! for instance, in the weddings we coordinate we provide a contact person for questions, and for guiding your visitors, providing safety tips, tips on restaurants, hotel reservations and potential services they might need. Request that type of service and information.

After the wedding, or during your stay,  you will get comments about how surprised  they (your guests) were with the beauty of the city, the sense of history, the variety of options, and the smiles that they see in the people of Cartagena. Cartagena leaves a special memory!  Visiting Cartagena for the first time is a life-time experience and there is nothing better than to experience that next to your family and friends.

Caribe Cordial

bodas@caribecordial.com

Weddings in Cartagena, Venues

Venues Selection

The venue has huge implications for your wedding day in Cartagena... there are certainly wonderful, beautiful settings, ranging from colonial houses, baluartes, the castillo de San Felipe, very nice restaurants and boutique and luxury hotels. Some things to consider:

the venue drives the budget-- The size, location of the place determines the amount of decoration.Also the requirements for lighting and the overall rental cost.

the venue sets the tone for your wedding theme and the overall atmosphere of the event. If you go for the Santa Clara hotel, or a baluarte or a colonial house you are establishing different setting for your wedding theme.

Flexibility--- As an example, if you decide on a luxury hotel, you certainly get top service but you wont be able to have the same array of food selections and you will pay higher cost for food, beverages and the overall tax and service fees. Other venues offer more flexibility.

Rain and back up plan--If you go for Castillo de San Felipe or baluartes,  remember that if it rains, you probably have to consider a back up plan location. While this is true for many locations, it is certainly required for this open space events.

Accommodations/venue-- Sometimes some colonial houses combine a venue with lodging, in some cases reducing the venue cost.

Restaurants and hotels-- some events can be done and some restaurants of top terrace place depends on the number of guests.

You have to rely on your wedding planner to give you advise based on your budget, number of guests, time of the year, time of event for the appropriate venue choice.

Venue is an important choice for your wedding. it is also the first thing that needs to be reserved, preferable at least 10 months in advance.


bodas@caribecordial.com

Tips for the perfect wedding video- weddings Cartagena

Getting married is one of the most important and most beautiful moments of your life, and it is something that you will want to remember with clarity forever. There are many ways of capturing special moments, from wedding photography, to comments in your guest book, to a photo booth for guests.
One of the best ways of capturing  the big day in all its detail however has to be the wedding video, but how do you decide on a videographer and what do you need to consider to get what you want from the video itself?

Choose the videographer

There is one word that is extremely important when choosing a videographer, and that word is experience. The videographer does not have to have filmed hundreds of weddings, but they need to have done some and to be able to show you their work. This is also a good opportunity to see if your artistic visions and tastes mesh, and to choose the videographer whose style most closely approaches your own. If they speak English, or have an assistant who does this will be much easier!

Think about what you want them to film

if you have specific requests of moments that you desperately want them to catch, or you want the video to include plenty of footage of friends and relatives, make sure you mention this to your videographer so that he knows what you are looking for.

Consider music and editing

If you want a certain soundtrack, make sure you give it to your videographer so that he can place music in the background . If you want a certain style of montage or editing, also be sure to discuss this with him.

Ask for a copy on DVD but also an original file or film

This is because DVDs do not last as long as videos, and you want to be able to get a new DVD burned if your old one stops working.  Define early own if you want additional copies and every detail so you get the chance to discuss with your vendor any needs that you have.

If you follow these suggestions then you can be sure that your wedding video is going to be the perfect reminder of an extra special day for years to come.

bodas@caribecordial.com

do it yourself!

Cartagena has amazing decorators and options for a unique wedding.that reflects your style. However, there are unique details that you can do, that make a difference and complement your wedding decor. Some of those options tend to be very inexpensive and give a personal touch to your event. Some ideas that have worked really well for some brides are to consider a theme (e.g color theme, Beatles, modern, classic) and based on that define if specific gifts for the guests or small ending touches.

For instance, to complement the center piece of a table, brides have consider unique holders to mark the tables that reflect the couple's style. From pictures that show the couples history, small bottles hiding a story of the bride and groom special moments, party favors, unique napkin holders there are a rage of small ideas that personalize your wedding and combine the different backgrounds and stories that brought a couple together. You can consult your wedding planner and your decorator to see what will go well with the rest of the event, but feel free to be adventurous and add your personal touch to your special day!!!

Bodas@caribecordial.com