Five Quick Tips from Minted.com's, Mariam Naficy

Photo credit:  Elisabeth Fall

I am beyond thrilled and honored to share this week's Five Quick Tips from Minted.com CEO and founder, Mariam Naficy.  This smart and savvy business woman was recently recognized by Fortune Magazine as one of 2010's Top 10 Most Powerful Women. What I love about Minted too is that it is a San Francisco-based company and it supports independent designers -- making their designs available to a much larger audience than they might normally reach. Be sure to also check out this recent interview with Mariam in the San Francisco Chronicle.

And now, let's hear what Mariam's 5 Quick Tips are for your wedding!

1. If you want to feel like you’ve had a chance to talk to everyone at the wedding, keep the guest count to 125 or under.

2. Don’t be afraid to ask for creative solutions from your wedding vendors to achieve what you really want. I’ve noticed that some brides assume we can’t customize elements of Minted’s wedding invitations, when we actually can and are happy to do so. The bride who asks is the bride who receives!

3. Find the time for intimate moments with your groom and your family during the wedding day – perhaps a special private toast before hors d’oeuvres are served, for example.

4. I absolutely loved my own wedding, which we pulled off beautifully on a tight budget. The one thing I would have done differently, though, is paid for a videographer. I had thought prior to the wedding that wedding videos were a bit cheesy, but immediately after the wedding I wanted to watch a video of it!

5. If you are on a budget, pick one thing very meaningful that you will splurge on to be a focal point of the wedding. For us, it was our location, Ralston Hall in Belmont, California – a beautiful mansion with gorgeous gardens.

We also asked Mariam, what was your favorite thing about your wedding?
My husband Michael and I were married at Ralston Hall in Belmont, California. My favorite thing that happened was that the fire alarm went off in the middle of dinner. There was no fire at all, but fire trucks showed up and we were able to get great pictures on the truck, including me in my wedding gown. My mom, who is Chinese, thought the whole thing was good luck, as in Chinese tradition fire signifies warmth in a marriage.

Thanks, Mariam, for sharing your wonderful tips!

If you would like to be featured in our Five Quick Tips feature, please email us at info at amynichols dot com.