Meet the Team 5

8 QUESTIONS

to Ask Before Booking Your Venue

The space you plan on using for your wedding is an important piece of the wedding planning puzzle. There are several pieces of information you need to know about a venue before deciding whether or not to book it. Here are 8 questions you should start with.

Is my preferred wedding date available? If you are exible with your wedding date this question may not be an issue for you. For the bride that is set on a specic date this is a good way to weed out your venue options. How much will it cost to rent the venue? Your venue will be one of your biggest expenses. While exploring venues in your area, you will nd that the cost starts around $1500. By asking how much venue rentals will cost, you can eliminate those that will not t your budget.

How much is the deposit? This question is one for your information. Deposits tend to be on top of venue rental cost. If your decision factor is based on what is cost-effective, compare rental costs by adding the deposit cost to it.

How many people will the venue accommodate? The answer to this question is extremely important. You want your guests to be comfortable on your wedding day. This means you need a venue that will t everyone comfortably. Some venues are willing to work with you to gure out how to t a few extra guests if needed. How many hours will the venue be available for? Some venues will book two events a day. Some do not automatically rent for the whole day. You need to know if your venue time is limited so you can plan accordingly.

What vendors is the venue willing to work with? This can either limit your vendor choices or your venue choices. If you choose a venue that doesn’t work with specic vendors, then you know those vendors are ruled out. If you already have vendors and are looking into a venue that will not work with them, you know that venue is out.

Do we need to provide tables, chairs and linens? Some venues will include these while others will not. You need to know this so you can arrange to provide some if needed. What restrictions does the venue have? Venues have restrictions from alcohol to what you can and can’t use for sendoff. You need to know of these ahead of time so you don’t violate the rules and end up with extra charges.

Production credits: Photographer: Libra Scale Creative Venue: BienVenue Model: Ivanka Garrett Makeup Artist: Mama Bear Beauty Hair Stylist: Mercy’s Hair Designs Bridal Gown: Impression Bridal Florals: Fauxtastic Floral Creations

Production Credits: Photographer: Phelicia Gomez Simpson Venue: The Hall at Ridgestone Model: Cyn Fed, RAD Talent Agency Hair and Makeup Artist: Ashley Maddox Bridal Gown: Oh My Dress

BEHAVIOR

of Bridal Stores

Production credits: Photographer: Phelicia Simpson Venue: BienVenue Model: Ayesha Love Makeup Artist: Ashley Maddox Hair Stylist: Ashley Maddox Bridal Gown: Impression Bridal Florals: Frankie + Flora

Buying your wedding dress is a big deal. A lot of thought goes into THE dress you will be wearing when you walk down the aisle. One thing brides often don’t think about when going on the hunt for the dress is how a bridal shop should treat them during the process. Here are 3 red ags that should indicate whether or not you take your business elsewhere.

The bride is the boss.

You are the one who is going to be wearing the wedding dress; therefore, you are the one who calls the shots. Do not let your friends, family, or a store associate take over your decision. This is about what you want, not what they want for you. If a store associate is too opinionated for you, it is okay to go somewhere else. You should also be able to look at the dresses yourself to choose which ones you would like to try on. If you are in a store that normally picks dresses for you, ask the associate if you can accompany them.

Negative comments are not welcomed.

If a store associate is rude about the way a dress ts you, go to a different store. A store associate can communicate whether or not a dress looks good on your body. After all, they are professionals in the bridal industry. They should do so in the nicest way possible and not in a negative manner.

Having fun is key.

A good bridal store will make your dress-buying experience fun. They will indulge you while you try dresses and veils on. A store should give you whatever you need to make your experience a good memory. If a store does otherwise, you know what to do.

Feel free to shop for your store.

The bottom line is you want a bridal store that will give you a pleasant experience. In order to do this, you may need to go to a few different stores or ask recent brides about their experiences. Make time to nd the store that is best for you.

Wandjell Browning KEEPS FAMILIES CONNECTED

by Zondra Victor

Wandjell Browning, CEO of The Freedom Child Foundation, is a bride who has more than just a wedding in her view. Growing up, Wandjell experienced life as a child with incarcerated parents. She was able to see, rsthand, the lack of funding available to help families and children pay for necessities like food, stationery, and transportation for visitations.

Now, Wandjell is trying to make that experience better for others. She and her groom, Marty Browning, research, supply materials, and organize transportation services for eligible applicants.

“When I was younger, I was severely impacted by parental incarceration because both of my parents were incarcerated, ”says Wandjell. “I just remember, profoundly, the emotions, the lack of resources that I had to stay in contact with both of my parents. ”

The Freedom Child Foundation serves minors between 5 to 17 years old and is open to children who have one or both of their parents incarcerated. Not only does Wandjell’s foundation provide stationery supplies for children, they provide transportation if a child has to travel an hour or more away from their home.

“Most correctional facilities are like hours away from home, ” says Wandjell. “And so it can be very hard trying to get on a train, or get a rental, get gas. Or maybe even once they get to visitation, the food is very expensive. ” Wandjell and Marty are creating a positive and lasting experience for children that will benet from being able to hold on to their relationship with their parents, even during the incarceration period. The Freedom Child Foundation works to solve several issues that may keep children from maintaining those relationships. Wandjell and Marty are providing a community of support for children so that both they, and also the parents, have a chance to keep their connection.

“Children may seem forgotten or they get lost in the system and that’s one thing we don’t want…” says Marty Browning, Wandjell’s husband and COO of The Freedom Child Foundation. “When you don’t have that parental structure in the home, you lose a lot. Our parents are very important and we do want children to know that no matter what your parents went though, you don’t have to go down that road. ”

During this year’s pandemic, Marty and Wandjell have had to change plans for how they operate business. They’ve gotten to hear many different stories and learn about the backgrounds of their applicants from all over the nation through their website.

V i s i t Wa n d j e l l a n d M a r t y B r o w n i n g a t www.freedomchildfoundation.org or on Facebook and Instagram.

Learn more about The Freedom Child Foundation in a special video interview with Affinity Weddings by visiting us on YouTube, Roku, or Amazon Fire Stick.

Wandjell Browning,

CEO of The Freedom Child Foundation