Emerging Trends - Hanging Glass Orbs

Oh. My. Goodness. I am just in love with this new centerpiece idea! I've always been a fan of tall branch centerpieces decorated with exotic flowers but adding the glass orb takes it to a whole new level.

Imagine having branches decorated with lush flowers and glass orbs hanging down from them with candles or exotic flowers inside. Beautiful, right?! I think this trend lends itself to a very sophisticated, modern, chic wedding.

The flowers that I would use with hanging orbs are on the exotic side. Birds of paradise, cactus, orchids or spider mums would look amazing! Pairing these flowers with lush greenery or moss would make for a very interesting orb. Of course, the other option is to have flower filled branches and arrange moss or candles within the glass orb. Wouldn't it be the epitome of whimsical?

This event design is definitely edgy, modern and bright. It is interesting! I totally envision a bright color palette with lots of up-lighting. Another idea just popped into my head. :) Wouldn't it be fun to do something really cool and have a personalized favor in each one? 8 hanging orbs with beautiful soap or pretty little boxes of chocolate? Hmmmm. So many options! I hope that I've inspired!

Happy planning, everyone!


PHOTO CREDITS: Crafts Direct, Event-Solutions.com

New Event Venue - 514 Studios

Here's the scoop! There is a new loft style event space in the Minneapolis warehouse district. It is 514 Studios and is available for photo shoots, cocktail parties and smaller wedding receptions and banquets. I love this type of space because it is a blank slate!

This building is incredibly hip! It has exposed beams and brick walls with white cement floors. Can you say character? There is a small kitchen area for catering. With a little creativity this area can be sectioned off so your guests would not see it.

You could make the studio a more traditional space by using ceiling draping, chair covers and full floral arrangements. The other option is to do something completely unconventional! Leave the wood beams and brick exposed and go for that urban chic vibe. Really simple clean lines with monochromatic colors would be fabulous!

514 Studios showcased this space with an environmentally friendly event design. They used tissue paper balls and newspaper flowers to create a feminine look in a more masculine space. For a wedding, I love the idea of hanging hundreds of staggered tissue paper pom poms from the beams of the ceiling. If you wanted to do something a little more upscale consider a variety of chandeliers.


Photogen showed off their photography skills by presenting their work on a rolling display board. This inspired my idea of lining the back brick wall of the space with a collage of engagement photos hanging from the ceiling using heavy duty monofilament to create a floating photo showcase. I would set the head table directly under it!Wouldn't this be so cool instead of a traditional slide show?

This space would be perfect for a dinner reception of under 100 people. For a cocktail reception you could fit a few more guests. Wouldn't it be cool to have heavy hors d'oeuvres stations instead of a sit down buffet?

The acoustics in the space are pretty good so a small band or a DJ would work perfectly for music. There is also an indie coffee shop located next door so if your guests need a little pick me up they could pop in!

For more information visit 514studios.com

Happy planning!

New Rentals!

As you may know, Wonderful Day Weddings has added unique and vintage rentals to our repertoire in the last year! As an antiquing junky, I've amassed a pretty cool collection of stuff. I need to beef up my furniture inventory a little bit and I'm always keeping my eye out for that perfect French provincial sofa or pair of weathered farm chairs.

Well, I found a stunner! Her name is Violet and she is an 1850's settee with plum upholstery. The ornate carvings on the piece make it so beautiful! This little sofa would be so great at an engagement photo shoot or if you want to have a vintage seating area at your wedding!

In addition to my darling settee, I also found a patina birdcage to add to my collection. I already have a shabby chic white one, and it is a top rental! I think that this new patina birdcage will do well too. I love using birdcages for cards but they can also be used as a decor element. Simply add vines and flowers for a stunning centerpiece!

Finally, I found a pair of awesome chicken-wire lanterns! They are not antiques but are still cool none the less! They have hurricane glass candle votives in the center and would look fantastic hanging from the trees at a rustic barn wedding.

I have a number of other items that will be available soon but I don't want to give them away yet! The rental inventory is always changing. We also make custom creations. I love coming up with unique ideas for event props and making them from scratch. Not everything has to be vintage to be cool! Sometimes the coolest event props are made with a specific theme in mind. I'll just leave you with that little tease.

I can't wait until summer so I can do a photo shoot and show you all of my new stuff in style! Wonderful Day Weddings rentals are exclusively for our clients and for our preferred photographers. If you are a photographer and would like to be included in the preferred vendor list for rentals, please contact me through the Wonderful Day Weddings website.

Vendor Spotlight - Marriott City Center

Marriott City Center is located in the heart of downtown Minneapolis. It is a beautiful venue to host both your wedding ceremony and reception! With so many different, elegant event spaces housed under one roof you are sure to find the best fit for you. They host most weddings on the 6th floor but the 4th floor ballrooms and atrium are fantastic for larger scale weddings.

For ceremonies, Marriott City Center most often uses the St. Croix room.
It has amazing windows that can either remain unencumbered or you can use the sheer drapes for a little privacy while still accentuating the fantastic natural light.
The white walls, sweeping windows and modern lighting lend itself to any type of ceremony. It is a blank slate! Immediately following the ceremony, guests can use the lobby for an elegant cocktail hour with amazing views of the atrium below.


Finally, guests will be wined and dined in the Minnesota room. This is the perfect area to host a medium sized reception. It has funky lighting, and regal color scheme is perfect for a sophisticated affair.

The fourth floor of the Marriott City Center is perfect for a grand affair! If you are hosting a larger wedding there are so many options with the event spaces available to you. For instance, you can use the ballroom spaces for both ceremony and reception. The Grand Portage Ballroom can host up to 1200 for a reception! It has four ballrooms and two pre-function spaces. Areas can be walled off or left open depending on your needs.


Some options are to have the ceremony in the pre-function space and the cocktail hour in ballrooms 3 and 4 and then flip the pre-function space and other ballrooms to create a beautiful reception. The fantastic chandeliers and chic architecture on the walls rivals the art installations at Graves 601.

Another option would be to use the atrium for a ceremony and move guests into the pre-function area for cocktails and use ballrooms 3 and 4 for the reception. The staff at the Marriott City Center will help you decide the best configuration for your ceremony and reception. They are sure to be able to accomodate anything you have in mind.

In addition to the vast space on the 4th and 6gh floors,the Marriott City Center also boasts a terrace that has striking views of the city. Your guests will be able to go out and get some air and look at all the amazing skyscrapers Minneapolis has to offer.


In addition to the terrace, there is a very comfortable lounge area the "Lobby Bar" that can be used to welcome guests before the event. The bar is attached to a private alcove of chairs and couches, perfect place to have a gift opening the day after the wedding.

Of course, the Marriott City Center is also known for its' amazing location. The hotel is shaped like a triangle so it literally has breathtaking views in every part of the hotel. In fact, some of the rooms overlook the new Twins Stadium!


They also offer the unique feature of a multi-level suite. The living area is downstairs and the sleeping area is upstairs! This is perfect for the newlywed couple or as a space for the bride and her bridesmaids to get ready.


The Marriott City Center is a premier hotel with all the amenities you could ever want for your wedding. If you are considering getting married in the heart of Minneapolis, this place should be first on your list!

PHOTO CREDITS: MARRIOTT CITY CENTER, WONDERFUL DAY WEDDINGS

The Vintage Wedding is Dead? What?!

I've been stewing about this for over a month but I decided that I finally needed to weigh in. The truth is, I was completely shocked when I came across this blog article in the Huffington Post that declares "vintage style weddings are dead!" As somebody who loves every type of wedding whether it is "Urban Chic" or "Country Charm" I thought this declaration was absolutely appalling.

Why? Well for one, vintage is not dead and I don't think it ever will be. All you have to do is check out some of my favorite blogs like Snippet & Ink, Green Wedding Shoes and Style Me Pretty. What irks me is not only is this opinion not true but I thought the article was rude to brides that are currently planning a vintage wedding.

It claims that "they are all the same" which it totally nuts! The amount of detail, junk hunting and personal passions that go into planning a vintage wedding virtually guarantees that no two are the same! Not to mention that the classic details of the past will always be popular! For instance, classic updo's from the thirties and forties will forever be a part of weddings because of their timeless style.

As I read on, I was horrified to find that the opinion of a couple of bloggers could spur some wedding industry professionals to jump on the band wagon and bash this particular style of wedding and frame it as just a "trend." Vintage weddings are not a trend any more than a contemporary wedding is a trend or a traditional wedding is a trend. Especially when something you buy is truly vintage, not just "vintage looking." There is a big difference.

Apparently, I'm going against the grain here by stating this. Brides should choose the design of their wedding based on what they love and as long as they do that Vintage weddings will always be a part of the landscape. You can never go wrong planning your wedding around your personal passions and if that happens to be antiques and old books then go for it!

The moral of this story is don't let any industry professional tell you what you want or should want for your event design. Be you and your wedding will be absolutely fabulous! So, I encourage all of my brides to bring what they love into their event design even if it is a so-called dying trend or the newest, cutting edge, ahead of your time design. Whatever your style, be authentic ladies!

Happy Planning,

Silver & White Wedding - Perfect for Winter

Winter weddings are beautiful whether you choose traditional colors such as red and green or something with a bit more sophistication. For this post, I decided to use the silver and white color scheme for a winter wedding. For one, this can be used before or after Christmas, pretty much any time during the winter months.

Silver and white is very regal and traditional but you can also incorporate very modern and chic details. It all depends on the event design! For a modern twist, use shimmering silver overlays and several square vases of differing heights filled with voluptuous white Dendrobium orchids for centerpieces.

Of course, the silver and white palette is easily translated into traditional elegance. To create this look, I would use the white linens normally provided by your venue and dress the table accessories up! Use silver charges and bling filled napkin rings to make your table settings pop. For centerpieces, simple white roses with silver painted willow branches would look fantastic!

I love the idea of the wedding party wearing silver dresses and silver suits while the bride wears a stark white. Incorporating beautiful vintage hair combs or jewelry would be the perfect way to add a little silver to the all white ensemble of the bride. After the reception, I can see the happy couple leaving in a silver Rolls Royce.

As you can see, there doesn't need to be a lot of "color" for a wedding to have a lot of personality. White and silver is a subdued palette but the visual details can be interesting with the use of glitter, crystals, and detailed patterns.

The simplicity of this color scheme is perfect for winter because it is both warm and cool at the same time. White and silver are cool colors but they invoke images of a warm fire in the ski chalet or fur lined hats. I also love that it is very versatile because it can be used for a Christmas wedding, a New Years Eve wedding or any time during the winter.

Happy Planning!

PHOTO CREDITS: BOUQUET - EMICIBRIDAL, BOUTONNIERE - DIYBRIDE.COM, BRIDAL GOWN - WEDDING BEAUTY BLOG, BRIDESMAID GOWN - GEEBIRD.COM, CENTERPIECE-FOREVER PHOTOGRAPHY, CHAIR - TABLECLOTHRENTAL.COM, FAVORS-SGWEDDINGFAVORS.COM, HAIR COMB - ETSY.COM, ROLLS ROYCE - SILVER LADY WEDDING CAR, SILVER MENU - SIMPLY POSH DESIGN, TUX - REDFLAGDEALS.COM,

Do With Planner (DWP) - Pretzel Stick Favors

Well, since it is the holidays I've been doing a lot of baking and dessert making. Cookies, cakes, pies...oh my! Flipping through some of the wonderful recipes I have from friends and family, I found something that would make a great favor for a wedding!

Pretzel sticks dipped in chocolate and coated with yummy candy. Wouldn't they be so cute wrapped in a cellophane bag, tied with a bow? I love this idea for a favor because it is one of those DWP (Do With Planner) projects that would be simple and fun!

You can buy cellophane bags at any craft store in their bakery tools section. Dressing them up with a color coordinating bow and some cute scrapbooking paper announcing your wedding date or simply saying "thank you" would be perfect.

The great thing about these favors is they would look good at each place setting or grouped together in a cute apothecary jar and set as the centerpiece on your escort card table. (That way, when guests get their seating arrangement they can also take a favor.)

Here are a few totally easy recipes for DWP pretzel sticks:

Confetti Chocolate Pretzels

Ingredients: 6 squares of Baker's semi-sweet baking chocolate
26 pretzel rods
1/2 bottle of confetti sprinkles on a plate

Place the chocolate in a microwave safe dish and microwave for 5 minutes. Then dip the pretzels halfway into the chocolate evenly coating the pretzel. Gently roll the chocolate coated pretzel in the confetti sprinkles. Place them on a wax paper lined tray and let set in the refrigerator approximately 15 minutes. Then put each individual pretzel in a cellophane bag. Use some ribbon to attach a tag and tie the bag closed.

Oreo White Chocolate Pretzels

Ingredients: 6 squares of Baker's White Chocolate.
1 Package of Oreo cookies, finely crushed on a plate
26 Pretzel sticks

Place the chocolate in a microwave safe dish and microwave for 5 minutes. Then dip the pretzels halfway into the chocolate evenly coating the pretzel. Gently roll the chocolate coated pretzel in the crushed Oreos. Place them on a wax paper lined tray and let set in the refrigerator approximately 15 minutes. Then put each individual pretzel in a cellophane bag. Use some ribbon to attach a tag and tie the bag closed.

Peanut Coated Chocolate Pretzels

Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups of finely crushed peanuts
6 squares of Baker's Semi-Sweet Chocolate
26 Pretzel Sticks

Place the chocolate in a microwave safe dish and microwave for 5 minutes. Then dip the pretzels halfway into the chocolate evenly coating the pretzel. Gently roll the chocolate coated pretzel in the crushed peanuts. Place them on a wax paper lined tray and let set in the refrigerator approximately 15 minutes. Then put each individual pretzel in a cellophane bag. Use some ribbon to attach a tag and tie the bag closed.

Happy Planning!