Radiant Weddings

Ria and Joe Hy

To me, a wedding is not only a beautiful event that allows me to exercise every organizational trick that I possess. It is the beginning of a union where new families are formed and a one-of-a-kind love is celebrated. As a recent bride, I got to experience being on the “other side.” My experience as a wedding planner and my husband, Joe’s, experience as a wedding photographer allowed us to have a unique perspective for our own wedding. Now, together, Joe and I want to share what we know and what we've learned with engaged couples who need to know how create their perfect wedding day. My goal is to give every couple the means to have as few “things I’d change if I were to do it over” moments.

  1. 09/07/2022

    Wedding Traditions That Should Die

    Wedding trends come and go, with a few that have the staying power of becoming a “tradition.” We compiled a list of wedding traditions & trends that we’re happy to see are on their way out or that we’d love to see on their way out. In no particular order, they are:  Receiving LinesWhy don’t we love receiving lines? Simply put, they don’t provide you a valuable use of your precious time on the wedding day. A better option is to provide yourself with ample cocktail hour/reception time to greet your guests and mingle.  Dollar DancesTacky. Besides the fact that this would need to be adjusted for inflation, doing any game on your wedding day to “ask” for money is tacky. Garter & Bouquet TossesAs a culture, we’re starting to admit the cringe factor that is involved with this tradition. Whether you cringe because you think it’s sexist or you cringe just because it’s outright awkward, let’s let this one go.   Send offs and other activities that require the participation of all wedding guests.The difficulty of coordinating all of your guests into an organized activity is a stress that you can easily remove from your wedding day. Along with this point, most weddings are missing some guests already by the end of the night which can mean an anticlimactic send off.  Sparklers & alcoholSomewhat on the same note as send offs, planning a sparkler send off is problematic, especially because the guests have been drinking. It’s not only difficult to coordinate, it’s also risky. Best man first looksA little because it’s cringy, a little because it could indeed be a disappointment for the groom.  Cheesy signageI take issue with signage that errs on the “cutesy” side rather than the elegant side. Personal opinion :). Cake smashesNot the best way to begin a happy marriage. Preserve that makeup right up to the end of the night and savor the cake instead. Advice to run from marriage“Yes dear” commentsThese last two are basically in the same category. Negative comments about marriage are not life giving in any context, but they are especially inappropriate at a wedding. Culturally, we’ve allowed ourselves to promote a lot of negativity about the partnership & commitment of marriage. It’s time to start making life giving, encouraging comments about marriage again!

    Wedding Traditions That Should Die
  2. 09/07/2020

    Planning a Stress-Free Wedding Morning

    We took on a new aspect of wedding day stress in this episode. Admittedly, this may have been one of our most fun episodes to record due to our juvenile sense of humor but I hope that we were able to convey information to you that will help with planning for a wedding morning filled with calm anticipation.  It’s very easy to overlook the pre-ceremony portion of your day when planning & delegating tasks. Your first order of business should be to consult with your hair & makeup artists regarding a schedule for styling. You should have a time slot for each person’s styling which you then will communicate to your bridal party members. Remember to let them know any additional information from your stylists about the condition that their hair should be to prepare for styling. Second, appoint someone to deliver snacks & drinks to your getting ready location. Third, appoint someone to keep luggage and wedding day apparel organized. On a wedding morning, we often come into getting ready rooms that are cluttered and and disorganized. This inevitably leads to a frantic search for a missing pair of underwear or other important detail. We recommend keeping all extra luggage in a separate bedroom from the getting ready space. Before you start getting ready, bring all wedding day apparel into one easy to access location (dresses, shoes, jewelry etc.). Make sure that all of your bridal details needed for detail shots (dress, veil, jewelry, shoes, invitation etc.) are set aside for the photographer. Ask your “luggage and apparel” appointee to pack all of your personal belongings into your overnight bag if you’ll be staying in a different location on your wedding night. Lastly, appoint your bridal party members to go through the space and make sure that all personal belongings are packed up and organized before you leave the getting ready space. Listen to more from the Radiant Weddings Podcast! - www.radiantevents.net/podcast Join our Facebook Group! - Radiant Weddings Ria Hy (Wedding Planner)  Website - www.radiantevents.net  Facebook - Radiant Events  Instagram - @radiantevents_flx Joe Hy (Photographer)  Website - www.joehy.com  Facebook - Joe Hy Photography  Instagram - @joehyphotography

  3. 06/04/2020

    Maintaining Relationship During Wedding Planning

    We’ve reached our tenth podcast episode! In this episode we discuss the fact that it’s easy for couples to overlook the maintenance and nurturing of their relationship while wedding planning due to the sheer number of decisions that need to be made. Thankfully, there are some practical ways to ensure that you are planning your wedding together. As always, communication is key to hearing each other’s desires and needs in how the day is planned. We also discuss the need for taking time to just date and have dedicated time away from talking about the wedding or wedding plans. A few other significant notes from our conversation are: 1:00 Joe's thanks to the "little people" who produce our podcast...namely himself. We're were on the news! WETM interviewed us about the Covid-19 impact on weddings. We spoke about wedding delays, elopements, and changing plans. I loved the opportunity to represent this industry that I love and talk about the struggles that vendors and couples alike are facing. There was only one little note in the article where they named Joe as co-owner of Radiant Events...a promotion that I didn't approve. Maybe I’ll have to rethink his position :). 4:00 We took Jade camping for the first time and since she loved it so much, Joe believes that we should have her take her naps in the yard. 15:00 Joe learned that chevron is not a fabric but rather that chiffon is. We decided that it's probably good that he's not a wedding planner. 16:20 Joe is sensitive about his food sensitivity. Since he has some dietary restrictions, we had my sister-in-law bake our personal sized wedding cake to accommodate his needs. Although the cake was delicious and not a sacrifice at all, this was one way that we went out of our way to make sure that we both were cared for in our wedding. 17:45 Taste in description….this cake is truly delicious! mmmm Thanks for listening! -Ria & Joe www.radiantevents.net

    Maintaining Relationship During Wedding Planning
  4. 05/06/2020

    Dealing with Wedding Plans During Covid-19

    Wedding planning is never a complete cake walk is it? In times when the whole world is off it’s normal axis, the difficulty is amplified. We know that many of you are grieving a loss of wedding plans that you’ve spent time and dreaming and money on. Allow yourself to grieve this loss and take some time to evaluate how you want to proceed! Your wedding day is a sacred day because it marks the beginning of your new family.  We have compiled some resources to help you if you are a couple that is currently planning a future wedding or a couple that isn’t able to have your wedding this spring. The following vendors are offering services for making an intimate elopement more beautiful and special as well as remote planning services for couples who are planning future weddings. The Cakeshop CNY The Cakeshop CNY is offering: To go tastings coupled with phone and email consultations to discuss the details. and create order via email or phone.Small versions of wedding cakes for intimate ceremonies.A collaboration with She Rents Vintage for adding a small cake to an elopement package with options for furniture, tableware, and ceremony set up.thecakeshopcny@gmail.com (315) 685-5349 Ba-Li Cravings Ba-Li Cravings is offering: Zoom & Google Hangouts for consultationsElopement package-catering, photographer, flowers and a few venue options or drop off of items (607) 229-2214 tal@balicravings.comHeart to Heart Bride Heart to Heart Bride is offering: Virtual Consultations and Heart to Heart at Home-an at home wedding dress shopping experience. You can find the details at:  www.hearttoheartbride.com/heart-to-heart-at-home Nostalgic Innovations Nostalgic Innovations is offering a special videography package for Covid couples who are eloping or having a smaller version of their wedding day. They will shoot, edit, do a prompt online posting of your ceremony so that you can share it with your loved ones who couldn’t be there with you. 315-761-1632 nostalgicinnovations@yahoo.com Pistil & Pollen Pistil & Pollen is teaming up with The North Farm and Lindsay Stephany Photography to offer curated elopement packages for couples being affected by COVID and just for all couples in general! They are also teaming up with Rachel Liz Photography for outdoor elopements. info@pistilandpollenstudio.com (585) 944-9723 In Bloom  Rachel with In Bloom Florals currently offering video or phone consultations along with contact free pick up and deliveries.   rachel@in-bloom-weddings.com {607} 426 2123 Black Tie Entertainment Black Tie Entertainment is offering all forms of video consultations: FaceTime, Skype, Zoom. They can also still remotely produce any video or music editing that anyone might need.  blacktiedjs@yahoo.com  315.492.7985 Radiant Weddings We are offering an elopement package with photography, planning assistance for those who are rescheduling or planning a future wedding, and coaching! 315-719-7120 ria@radiantevents.net  Marriage License You can now apply for your marriage license online in NY. Moral Support Join us over on our Radiant Weddings Facebook Group for moral support and helpful tips!

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

To me, a wedding is not only a beautiful event that allows me to exercise every organizational trick that I possess. It is the beginning of a union where new families are formed and a one-of-a-kind love is celebrated. As a recent bride, I got to experience being on the “other side.” My experience as a wedding planner and my husband, Joe’s, experience as a wedding photographer allowed us to have a unique perspective for our own wedding. Now, together, Joe and I want to share what we know and what we've learned with engaged couples who need to know how create their perfect wedding day. My goal is to give every couple the means to have as few “things I’d change if I were to do it over” moments.