Reusing Party Favors

It seems that when you have one wedding to attend, three others follow and after awhile you may acquire your fair share of party favors. Some party favors will last a lifetime, but others are meant to be consumed or used within a short period of time. If you have a bit of party favor overflow that is now in a drawer or gathering dust on a shelf, then you may benefit from the following tips:

• Bag of Almonds. If you don’t eat the almonds, make sure to still keep the bag! These bags can be used as candy bags to give trick-or-treaters for Halloween and the almonds can serve as garnish around your Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzza, etc. dishes!
  
  
• Potpourri. The fragrance may have dissipated, but you may be able to convert the fragrant contents into a compost pile. Make sure to check with a gardener or lawn care specialist to make sure that you are applying the correct compost techniques for your lawn.
  
  
• Topiaries. Topiary is the art of designing shrubs and small trees. In the context of the wedding, people can use miniature topiaries not only to hold name cards and photos, but as decorative party favors. If you want to make a simple dinner at home a bit more formal, then placing topiaries on the table with your family member’s names can help to set a special mood.
  

Photo by broo, sxc.hu

There Is More Than One Way to Be Creative

Many of us have heard the phrase “thinking outside of the box,” but what about thinking “around” the box instead? Many event designers start with a concept, colors, and a venue, but what about thinking beyond those initial visuals? At the heart of our event design is the bride and groom and minimizing any stress or anxiety that the couple may feel during their wedding. A bride or couple’s wedding should reflect fundamental aspects of what is wanted yet provide all that is needed with a sense of style.

The designer should know how the bride wishes to showcase her décor, lighting, and other aspects of a wedding as it pertains to the venue location. We strive to think and create outside of the box as well as innovate ways to reinvent the box when the need arises. This will ensure not only a creative wedding, but something that is uniquely your own.



Photo by Leonardini, sxc.hu

Part II: You Really Do Need a Backup Plan

The only reason I knew about the hurricane is because the hotel had the weather channel on in the hotel lobby.

Luckily, months before I had given into my instincts and decided to be more open about the back-up plan. It was important that everyone’s time, money, and energy not go to waste. We wanted to honor our guests by protecting our special day as best we could. Also, discussing the worst-case scenarios with my planners and knowing that they were prepared for the unexpected made me feel more confident.

Feeling self-assured was an especially helpful state of mind to be in when I overheard the bits about the hurricane. Luckily, through the magic of our ancestors, the weather held and there was neither a drop of rain nor hint of wind. The lighting was complex and perfect. It totally matched the tone of our venue and the photographs were ethereal, sultry, and classic – truly capturing our happiness ‘sigh.’

In retrospect, I realized that thinking of a back-up plan is a natural and really necessary part of planning. It makes sense to seek comfort in those things that will ensure your wedding happens no matter what. As they say in the theater, "the show must go on!"

A Few Tips for Planning Your Wedding

While you’re planning your wedding it may seem that everything around you somehow relates to the upcoming special day. Whether it be a commercial or some conversation that you overhear at Starbucks, you start to imagine how the wedding day will go, infused by images of things that you particularly feel strongly about like décor, the wedding dress, the cake, the venue location and more.

If you are trying to develop your vision of the big day, but don’t know where to begin, try these tips to help you on your way!

1. Start with your favorites spots. You and your fiancé should revisit some shared favorite places, like a restaurant, park, or even a movie theater. Just pick places where you love to go and write down or talk about why you love that place so much. Not only will this help you think about what kind of venue you want to have, but the tone and style that you want to achieve.

2. Consult with an expert. You probably want to bounce your ideas off of an impartial party or need help to extract and combine your particular tastes. You may discover that when you talk with a wedding consultant that the impossible may be possible with a bit of creativity.

3. Look through old and new photographs. If your family is involved in planning your guest list, then you could suggest sitting down with photographs to determine the guest list. You may not have pictures of everyone that you want to invite, but it’s a good start to know who matters most to your family. Looking through photos is a good refresher for everyone about your guests' names, especially if the list is long!

Photo by bea29sm, sxc.hu

Bride-to-Bride Part I: You Really Do Need a Backup Plan

Ah, there I am on the day before I am married, the anxious and extremely happy bride-to-be. The day of the wedding rehearsal was gorgeous and sunny, how I envisioned that every day would be in May, especially on our wedding day.

I had planned every detail of my wedding and still hired event planners. We were having a destination wedding and I was living in London at the time. I remember our discussion with Julie (one of the event planners) about having a back-up plan. I also remember completely humming "la,la,la,la" in my head about the topic too. The day would be perfect no matter what, so why was she trying to rain on my parade?

At the time, I didn't realize the importance of our conversation. I was a super organized bride, who knew exactly what she wanted and wanted NOTHING to do with the back-up plan ... at first. Who would've thought a hurricane would come through the state on my wedding day?

Thanksgiving Fall Photos

Here are some beautiful photos from an event that we did last weekend. Let us know which color combination is your favorite and enjoy the pictures!

Luxe Designs

A luxurious wedding event can be expressed through a wedding dress, venue, and most definitely, through the décor. By creating cohesiveness between different elements of your wedding, you can achieve the wedding of your dreams.

On the new TLC show Flowers Uncut, floral designer Jeff Leatham typically starts designing with a theme in mind. On one particular episode, Jeff matched the color of a pink martini to the flowers used during a charity event. Your event designer should not only be able to match different colors, but coordinate them so that your décor will fit into the desired theme.

Photo by Flowerful Events

The Highs and Lows of Centerpieces

Centerpieces can transform the mood and tone of any room. Your centerpieces can be carefully crafted to reflect your design concept and can also incorporate other ideas that you wanted to include in your event decor.

In addition to the design, it is important to consider your centerpieces height in the following ways:

• If your event is held in a banquet hall or enclosed room with low ceilings, then high centerpieces will make the room look smaller. Conversely, higher ceilings would be ideal for higher centerpieces since they will fill the room.

• Steer clear of centerpieces that are at eye level. It will be difficult for your guests to talk across the table, however, this may be a part of your strategy!

• Think about how the centerpieces will look against the color of the walls. If you want your flowers to stand out in a room, then make sure you select centerpiece colors that will give you a contrast.

If you've ever been to a wedding, then you have probably experienced that feeling of excitement upon entering a room or arranged space. Your attention has likely been drawn not only to the room, but to any eye-catching centerpieces. Give your guests a centerpiece visual that they won't soon forget, no matter how big or small!

Event Designer: Luxury or Necessity

Busy schedules and limited time can make it difficult for most couples to plan and orchestrate an entire wedding. The wedding or event designer, once a luxury reserved for only the wealthy and elite, has become a necessity for many people. A wedding designer can coordinate every aspect of your wedding and provide a range of services from concierge to coordinator.

How does your designer make your event successful? I think giving my clients their personalized version of "WOW" will make their wedding successful. With that feeling of amazement also brings a sense of joy. Our couples share that joy with people who can recollect memories from their wedding for years to come. Your event designer should create a unique atmosphere to ensure that your guests will truly enjoy a memorable moment of your life. He or she has to help you express yourself and define your event goals.

Ultimately, an event designer can provide support for and insight into all the various aspects of your wedding and give couples added comfort that the event will run as smoothly as possible.

"Now There's (One Type of) a Bride"

The first Sex and the City movie, released in May of 2008 was a must see for many brides-to-be. Not only did the movie reveal some of the details that go into wedding planning, but how beautiful things can look when you create a cohesive vision.


Through the movie, main character, Carrie Bradshaw became even more of a fashion icon in a Vivienne Westwood wedding dress that was complemented by a classic bird headpiece and an exquisite bouquet of flowers. Since Carrie’s fashion is often portrayed as sophistically-daring, you can probably appreciate how her wedding décor reflected her personality. I couldn’t help, but notice the wild stems enclosed in silk fabric – that reminded me of Carrie (and she’s a fictional character)!

You can fully accomplish the same feat when you design your own wedding. Giving yourself enough time to think about things like the color and tone for your wedding can help you achieve your vision of the big day.

Photo by perischristou.blogspot.com