Using Color

Wondering where to start for your upcoming event?

Let color be your guide.

Find something you really love.  It can be something you wish to purchase for the event or even something you already own.  A photo, a pot, a candle stand, candy, anything!  Let this be your starting point.  

Often our clients have trouble putting into words what they want something to look like but an item or photo really speaks to them and then... we're off

You do not have to only use that color. But keep it with you when you're planning and use it as a base.

Often a color scheme works very well. Various shades of pink anchored by 1 shade of deep brown, for instance.

Little details can be very effective.  Create vignettes- small areas of focus where your guests will walk past or where there is something for them to do: sign a guest book, a drink station or just an entry table.

You do not have to decorate everywhere and this often trips clients up in the planning.  Pick and choose great and important spots and ignore the rest.

Ribbons, fabric and cheap plastic table runners... No really.

Go beyond their traditional uses and cover a light with fabric, drape a ceiling with rolls of plastic bright table clothes or our favorite- use thick satin ribbon to dress up the space, tied around vases, railings, candle sticks, cake plates, etc.

Stick with your theme.  Most weddings would do better sans plastic table cloths and balloons but these are a great inexpensive and bright way to make a kids birthday or baby shower exciting.

O.K.  It's probably time to hit Pinterest again...

Have Fun!

Event Hacks- Boutineers

Event hacks.  
Quick little tips to save your event and help you ...

Enjoy Your Event!

Today: Fixing the forgotten corsages & boutineers.

Photo: Eenwall

Oh no! There's no corsage for grandma! What to do?!

Worry not, you have a couple of options.

#1- Do not let anyone notice what you're about to do. (Especially the person who's missing flowers.) You don't want them to feel left out, like they're unimportant.

#2- Grab some scissors and goto the back of your ceremony flowers, aisle flowers, bridesmaids bouquets or centerpieces. Cut off a few flowers and filler that no one will notice.

#3- Take the same very sharp scissors and cut a small amount of ribbon (at an angle) about 6" long. Look for ceremony flowers, they often have very long ribbons.

#4- Hold them tightly together, wrap the ribbon around a couple times and tie a double knot in the front. Cut ribbon ends at an angle ~ 2" unevenly.

#5- Cut the flower stems evenly about 1 1/2" below ribbon.

#6- Hopefully you have an extra pin in that empty corsage and boutineer box.

Alternately 

You can cut a mini bouquet for the missing person. It's sometimes easier and you can leave longer prettier tentrils of ribbon.

Matching

If you're missing a bout that needs to match (ie a groomsman) then steal the officiants or grandpas and give it the groomsman and make a new one for your poor loved ones stolen flowers.

If you're really cool, then your event coordinator or florist can wrap you a new bout with floral tape and present a new pretty pearl ribbon for grandma.

#7- Relax, Enjoy Your Event!

You can do what you can to take care of the forgotten, but you can only do so much. Then smile, and enjoy.

Food Friday- Cranberry Martinis & Fall Appetizers

Welcome to a new series... Food Friday  
Every Friday we will bring you great food ideas for your event.  

Try a few out at home on your friends.

Hungry for the weekend?

This weekend's testing menu is...

Drinks...

Your Signature Wedding Cocktail

Photo: Stuart Webster

Cranberry Martini

Fill a cocktail shaker 1/3 full with ice cubes

add...
1 cup vodka
1/4 cup dry vermouth
1/4 cup cranberry juice

and shake.

make 4 skewers...
2 cranberries (frozen)
1 lemon twist

each.

Pour into chilled glasses and add 1 skewer.

Enjoy!

Serves 4 or 2 of you twice ;)

Food

Appetizers

Apple, Brie and Honey Bruschetta

Courtesy: Craving Chronicles

go see her here... http://cravingchronicles.com/2012/09/20/apple-brie-and-honey-bruschetta/

make sure you have these ingredients before you go...

1 baguette, cut into thin slices
6 to 8 ounces brie
1 to 2 fresh apples, thinly sliced
1/4 to 1/2 cup toasted* or cinnamon sugared pecans, finely chopped
honey, for drizzling

Goat Cheese & Pistachio Stuffed Figs

Courtesy: A Subtle Revelry

go see her here... http://asubtlerevelry.com/goat-cheese-and-pistachio-figs

make sure you have these ingredients before you go...

Fresh figs (halved), 

Goat cheese, 

Pistachios (finely chopped), 

black pepper to taste, 

2 tablespoons of honey, 

4 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar – preferably fig balsamic vinegar

Bacon Wrapped Butternut Squash

Courtesy: Holistically Engineered

go see her here..http://holisticallyengineered.com/2012/12/bacon-wrapped-butternut-squash-bites.html

make sure you have these ingredients before you go...

2 1/2 lbs butternut squash
15 slices of bacon
Olive oil
Chili powder
Garlic powder
Salt

Happy Eating!

Event Layout- Help creating a great party space.

Ready the air traffic controllers. Paint the runway arrows and make enough space for people to walk.

Tired of cramped receptions and parties? Believe me, guests are too.  

Consider your space and your guest list.  

Be realistic about how many guests you can fit. (Remember maximum is not comfort just physically able to fit by law.)

Get Drawing

Get a plan (to scale) and place your tables, chairs and walking routes.

We love Banquet Tables Pro. They have a great resource for various table set ups:

 

Most common set ups for receptions.

Space Between Large Round Tables: For banquet style setup using large round tables you should leave a space of 60" minimum. This is 2 x 18" for the seats, and 24" room in between the chairs. 

more awesome tools they have:

• Online Table Layout Generator

• Banquet Setup Diagrams & Layouts

• Table Capacities

• Table Heights

• Room Capacity Calculator Based on Layouts

• How Many Tables Fit in a Room? Calculate by Square Footage

• How Much Space is Needed Between Tables?

Get ready to move!

Plan to move all yours guests.  How will they enter the site?  How will they reach the dance floor?  How will they enter and exit (not the same way btw) the buffet line?

Draw it out.

Test it out.  We know you can't set it up but you can make a simple scale room trace and place your loose dinner tables and buffet tables on it.  Make 1 'space between' template to check if you've left your minimum 60" between tables.

Draw flow arrows where people will walk 

Tape it down.

Check with your site and caterer to make sure the plan will work for them and see if they have any objections.  Be open minded they may have foreseen things you missed.

Pass it out.

Once you've all got a plan you love.  Make copies and mail them to all vendors who require setup.  Seeing the plan before hand will make their day easier and remove the last minute "Wouldn't this table be better here?" ideas.

Let it go.

Leave it to your caterer, site planner and wedding planner to take it from here.  If something comes up that doesn't work, trust them to change accordingly.  Let them work while you relax and Enjoy Your Event!

Your Big Entrance- walking down the aisle like a pro.

Photo: Verge Photography

It's come time to plan your ceremony.  A trusted officiant and wedding planner can help you create the perfect order but don't forget about actually getting down the aisle.

Framing views

Pretend you're the photographer. What will you see? The kitchen access? An unkempt corner? Busy wallpaper? You should orient your ceremony with a gorgeous backdrop; through a window (or outdoors) or towards a beautiful wall, light or piece of art indoors. But you should also consider the back. Everyone will be looking there while they wait for your arrival. And there will be lots of pictures of that view, not to mention while guests file out to greet you. So stand in the middle of the , turn and decide carefully.

Width

Your aisle should be wide enough for 2 people to comfortably walk next to each other without bumping decorations.
For picture purposes, it's a good idea if there's space between the aisle edge with decorations and the couple in the middle. It creates a nice structure for your eyes to follow through the picture. (Contrast in carpet/ground color and decorations is nice too btw.)

Hiding places

You will need a nice, comfortable, and well ventilated place to wait while the rest of your bridal party processes. It should be within earshot, so that you can hear the music but to the side so that you can have privacy and separation when your guests stand to wait for you.

It's really nice if it's a pretty enough place for photos too, as these are often some of the best shots.

Private moments

Your ceremony preparation is sometimes stressful and you rarely get to have quality time with parents or your spouse. It is a great idea if just prior to entering you have a space to be able to whisper hello or get a final hug without everyone looking.

Speed

Often overlooked but very simple.  
Do not have anyone do a weird step together move- just walk.
Don't go crazy slow and don't hurry. Be normal.

Children

They are cute. (God makes them this way for a reason.) They're happy to be a part of your day but have a hard time remembering directions and will often abort for a grandma or a cookie seen out of the corner of their eye.

If they are important to you and you are a fairly relaxed bride, then include them.

Letting them sit during the ceremony is a GREAT idea. Children get tired quickly and will be the focus of all your guests as they attempt to make it through what they said they'd do. Let them be cute. Then let them sit.

Breathe & Smile

You wouldn't believe I'd have to tell you this but you'll forget. You'll be trying to remember what you're supposed to do and maybe a little dehydrated from celebrating. You need the oxygen and your stress drops just by smiling. Plus you won't be mocked for your picture.

Enjoy Yourself

Seriously. You want your ceremony to look a certain way and you want it to be meaningful but you should also enjoy the journey. Celebrate your mate and let it go.

Enjoy Your Event!