Insider Inspiration - Art Nouveau Wedding

Hello everyone!

I've been a busy bee lately with the start of wedding season, however, I've really got to take the time to to talk about an emerging genre within vintage wedding design. It is called "Art Nouveau" and it hails from the very early 20th century. What makes this genre so stylish is the craftsmanship of the furniture, and the originality of the art.


For this type of wedding, bright colors mixed with pastels work perfectly! I like teals, yellows, peaches and mint green. Stained glass windows or Art Nouveau advertisements would be a source of inspiration.

I absolutely love the fonts of this era. They are bold and yet intricate, which would really make your invitations stand out. Incorporating a swirling frame or an Art Nouveau figure (such as a peacock)would be fabulous.

The fashion from this era is so stylish. I love the idea of large costume jewelry, unique head pieces and chic, lace wedding dresses that drape perfectly. Of course, the gentlemen would look

dashing in a gray pinstripe suit. I can imagine the getaway car after the ceremony being a Model -T. That would make for really cool pictures!

Finally, I have to say that the event design for this genre of wedding would be so fun! Can you imagine all the props you could use to set the tone of the event? Cool furniture, ornate broaches mixed in with lush flower centerpieces, gramophones, old cameras, stained glass windows as backdrops...ahhh it would be so lovely.

I truly hope that I've inspired!

PHOTO CREDITS: RUFFLED BLOG, ETSY, PEW PEW PEW BLOG, PINTEREST, NIAGARAATLARGE.COM, SAVE ON CRAFTS, EXAMTHEMES.BLOGSPOT.COM

Vendor Spotlight - Three Sons Signature Cuisine

Hello everybody! Sorry if I've been slacking a bit on my blogging, I've been so incredibly busy with my weddings. After having such a great experience with this vendor, I had to get on here and spotlight them right away.

I had the pleasure of working with Three Sons Signature Cuisine on a wedding recently. Honestly, I cannot speak highly enough of this catering company!I'm sharing my experiences with all of you because I believe in word of mouth and I love to give credit where credit is due.

So let me give you the scoop on Three Sons Signature Cuisine. The business started in 2000 by the father of Aaron McCallum who is the COO/Director of Events. He had been an Executive Chef for over 30 years when he decided to create a legacy that reflected all of his children, and thus "Three Sons Kitchen" was born. However, by 2004 they changed their name to Three Sons Signature Cuisine to better reflect the high quality food they offer.

When I say "high quality" I mean that very sincerely because they are By - Design caterers. This means they specialize in creating all of their cuisine from scratch and work with their clients to assemble event menus to fit each individual's unique style and taste. Aaron McCallum has it right when he says, "Well prepared and designed meals can be a highlight for an event and set the stage for the festivities to come."

Three Sons Signature Cuisine is an extremely flexible caterer. They allow all of their clients to customize their menus. I asked Aaron how they make this work and his reply was, "We integrate our passion for food with experienced event planners and talented Chefs, who then get to know the client’s tastes and palates through meetings and tastings. Although this is a lot more work for us, the end result more than pays for itself in the satisfaction of our clients because they know they had a hand in the meal design which makes it a special event indeed. We also gain new clients and word of mouth referrals from the guests at each event."

Another by product of their flexibility is being able to work around any dietary restrictions because they make everything from scratch. Additionally, their Executive Chef, Ben McCallum can accommodate special requests, such as recreating that heirloom family recipes. Did I mention that they have their own Pastry Chef, Shontae Watson? She not only does divine wedding cakes but every type of dessert you could imagine!

In addition to the fantastic food, Three Sons "delivers on the dream" by applying phenomenal service to each of their events! I was in awe as I watched them deliver plated meals to the guests. It was just like synchronized swimming only with food. What was even more clever is this was done in such a way that the catering team was timing themselves to make sure that everything got out as quickly as possible. Their service is truly an art form!

I was really impressed with their organization doing an "off-site" job. They do this by fostering communication between themselves and their clients, the venues and other vendors. With 12 years of experience under their belt, it is no wonder that they are professional collaborators. They also have a team of event consultants that know exactly the right questions to ask. Speaking of off-site jobs, according to Aaron, "Three Sons Signature Cuisine is also a preferred caterer at over 20 other venues in the Twin Cities. We love to cater in client’s homes, and out-of-the-ordinary places such as backyards and open fields."

Three Sons uses their experienced Events Team to assist all clients in the planning, ordering and implementation of an exceptional event. They can provide bar service, staff service teams, and also have rental items available. If they don't have a specific item you are looking for, they are more than happy to help you order it from another vendor. Furthermore, their hands on approach to setting the room is very impressive. The service staff will help wherever they are needed. They did a lovely job of helping with both set up and tear down while I was working with them.

Another thing I really love about them is they're well versed in wedding receptions because this is 60% of their business. However, they also do catering for a variety of events. Birthdays, proms, graduations, rehearsal dinners...any and all types of special events that require magnificent food.

Of course, they also have their own venues that they are the exclusive caterers for. Saint Anthony Main Event Centre and Blaisdell Manor. You might recognize them as a couple of the top wedding venues in Minneapolis!

It is clear to me that Three Sons Signature Cuisine has gotten to where they are today because of their talented Executive Chef and their uncompromising commitment to customized and well executed events. It is no wonder that they've been nominated for a number of awards within the wedding industry and have won quite a few awards as well. They've been named "The Knot's Best of Wedding" catering vendor in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012! If that is not swagger, I don't know what is!

Ok,ok. I will stop gushing now and instead leave you with some great advice from Aaron. Here are his suggestions, "Read all your documents and be familiar with what you are signing and agreeing to. Ask lots of questions and never use the word assume to describe any aspect of your event details. Be sure your expectations are very clear and that your vendors understand and can clearly articulate them as well.Take good notes and stay organized. Don’t try to plan your wedding in a week, take your time and pay attention to the details."

I couldn't have said it better myself!

Happy planning,

NEW RENTALS!!!

I am so excited to introduce a few new rental items into my inventory. As you know, Wonderful Day Weddings has amassed a collection of very cool things over the years. All of them pertain to weddings. Seriously, I've had so many clients give me things like candle votives, mirrors, extra bolts of tulle... I quickly realized that these items could be useful to other clients. I knew that my collection of nifty things was worthy when my husband had to build me huge shelves just to house everything. I have a lot of great table top accessories but decided to expand. You see, I kept finding unique items at garage sales, thrift stores and antique shops and if I thought it could possibly be used at a wedding, I bought it. Now, a year later I have so many wonderful accessories!

Meet one of my newest. His name is Albert and he is a black 1939 Smith & Corona type writer. He still works great and would make a lovely and unique guest book! Guests can type out just their names or well wishes. Of course, he could also be used as the escort card table centerpiece! I also found this lovely, round galvanized tub that I like to call Betty. Betty is fantastic for housing water bottles or beer on ice. She could also be used as a container for your wedding programs.

Speaking of containers, I found this lovely, vintage 60's suitcase, Penny Lane.

I think she would be perfect for holding cards or favors!Finally, I have to introduce Collette. She is a beautiful, antique, French frame that has been given a new life as a large chalkboard. I like to envision Collette displaying the menu or serving as the seating chart! What would you do with her?

I'm sure I will be updating my inventory a lot this summer. I'm always on the hunt for things that are cute and useful at weddings. Plus, I love salvaging and giving new life to otherwise forgotten pieces!

Mint & Lemon Wedding

Spring has sprung! With daffodils blooming and the bright green buds of trees popping out, I couldn't help but be inspired. I think that pastels make a wonderful color palette for any spring wedding. This year, my favorite soft color pick is mint and lemon!

I love this color scheme because it isn't too girly. It screams fresh, young and modern. For event design, incorporate either bold 60's fabrics or go more traditional with stripes. With vintage weddings so popular it is easy to find mint green milk glass. Use it for centerpieces, cake stands or even dishes!

With so many fantastic scrapbooking papers, it would be a blast to create invitations with these colors. I envision bold flowers, polka-dots, stripes or modern patterns. Strong type mixed with a more flirty font.

This color combination is light and airy but you could easily add a pop of sophistication with mustard yellow or teal as an accent color. I love the idea of the gentlemen wearing light gray or taupe suits and yellow boutonnieres. For ladies, I would suggest flowy mint dresses, bright yellow bouquets, and mustard or teal accessories. Lemon colored heels for the bride would be awesome for pictures.

There are so many fun "foodie" accents you could do for this palette. Playing off of mint and lemon, serve lemon cupcakes with green tinted frosting. For beverages you could have a signature drink of hard lemonade with a sprig of mint and striped straws. I'm sure that your caterer could even create a tasty menu around these colors! (Although, that might be taking it a little bit too far. ;D)Wouldn't it be cute to have lemon drop favors in mint boxes?

Oh so many possibilities! I hope I've inspired you.


PHOTO CREDITS: Pinterest

Green Wedding Ideas - Terrarium Centerpieces

Hello Ladies (and maybe some Gentleman)!

I have an exciting blog post today that focuses on "green" wedding ideas. I'm a total permaculture supporter, in fact I already have my seedlings growing for my square foot gardens. Since I strongly believe in the principles of practicing sustainable living, I do whatever I can to support eco-friendly practices in event design.

In my household, we are discussing putting a greenhouse in our yard so that we can grow fresh herbs and veggies year round. (Not easy in our harsh Minnesota climate.) This left me with the idea of using terrariums or mini-green houses that essentially create their own ecosystems as centerpieces for guest tables! Cute and original. :)

Now, I realize that it might take a little more work to have this type of a centerpiece. You will definitely have to start in advance. Although making a terrarium centerpiece might take more time it probably will be less expensive than using flowers! I would start at least a couple months in advance of your wedding.

Here is what you will need to make a terrarium: glass containers, rocks, potting soil, and potted herbs/plants.

The first step in creating your terrarium centerpiece involves picking your container. You can use glass bubble vases from the dollar store, apothecary jars, small fish bowls or large pickle jars. There are so many possibilities!

The next step is to select your plants. I suggest using an odd number of plants with many different leaf styles to create aesthetic diversity. Mixing and matching the color of your plants is also a great way to make your terrarium interesting. Personally, I love the idea of including wonderful smelling herbs like Rosemary or Basil.

After you have your container and plants selected, line the bottom of your terrarium with rocks. Then add your soil on top until the container is about half-way full. Next put in your plants and make sure you like where they are situated before adding the rest of the soil. Secure the plants by packing down the soil and wallah, a terrarium!

It is super easy to care for your terrarium. Simply put it next to a window that receives a nice amount of sunlight and water regularly. You might even try to put interesting non-plant items in to create more interest. I like the idea of agate rocks, glass marbles, crystals or even costume jewelry.

Additionally, if you are doing terrarium centerpieces, make sure that they are no taller than your nose height if you are sitting down at a table. This makes sure that your guests sight line will be clear and they will be able to visit without distraction.

I also really love the idea of mini-terrariums as place-cards! You could fill small containers with rocks and tiny plants. Write the name of your guest on one large rock placed in the terrarium and you have a very cool place-card that can double as a favor! :)

Speaking of favors, another great "green" wedding favor is to give away trees for guests to plant on their property or at a public forest! Just like the mini-terrarium you can add guest names to them using paper tags. You can have them grouped all together or at each place setting.

I sincerely hope that I've inspired you to incorporate some eco-friendly event design into your wedding. Using natural elements given to us by mother nature is always beautiful and in style!

Happy Planning!

Barbie Party

Hello everyone!

I know that I've been a lazy blogger lately. I've just been so busy with my work life and my family life. My baby girl recently turned four.(Already? Sniff.) As an event planner, sometimes I go a little nuts on my kiddo's birthdays. When my daughter requested a Barbie Party I knew it was going to be a blast to plan.

I found a great deal online for Barbie napkins and that is what I built the color scheme around. Purple, hot pink and bright green made the party so funky and bright. However, I wanted to be careful to not use too much pre-made Barbie accessories. I think when you make decor you can really add personal touches that make the party special.

I made her birthday banner out of card stock and used my Silhouette cutter to make the circles and letters. I have white shutters from my collection of rental items and I used them to hang the birthday banner. (The community center room had restrictions on hanging stuff on the walls and I couldn't let that get in the way of having a cute party!)

In addition to the banner, I created a variety of tissue pom-poms and hung them from the ceiling. I was careful to stagger them so that some of them were higher than others and this created a lot of visual interest. I really love using paper to make event designs because it is inexpensive and versatile. For instance, instead of just using plain streamers, I sewed the crepe paper so that it became ruffled and frilly.

For the candy buffet table, I used a hot pink table cloth and sewed a white and purple polka dot runner to go over that. Then I loaded the table with a number of apothecary jars and filled them with color coordinating candy. I also used my daughter's Barbie car as a silverware holder! It was so stinking cute!

I think my favorite part was the Barbie cake. It was $40 and totally worth it! My daughter gasped when she saw it. It looked fabulous on my white, three tiered cake stand. I also made cupcakes and dressed them in custom holders and picks made from scrapbooking paper. Each cupcake pick had one of the elements found on the Barbie party napkins.

As far as the actual party, it was pretty low key. We had it at the Maple Maze indoor playground at the Maple Grove Community Center. I ordered pizza and we let the kids eat then we spent the rest of the afternoon watching them run around in the park. Lily had a blast and I had a great time coming up with all the different decorations to make her Barbie party unique.

Happy Birthday to my sweet angel! I hope I get to do many, many more. :)

PHOTO CREDITS: WONDERFUL DAY WEDDINGS

Randy to the Rescue in MN!

Hello ladies!

So here is the scoop. Randy to the Rescue will be in Minnesota this April. How exciting is that?! For those of you who don't know, he is the fashion expert at Kleinfeld's in New York and is featured on "Say Yes to the Dress." Randy will be bringing his signature styling knowledge to lucky Minnesota brides!

If you are interested in appearing on "Randy to the Rescue" now is your chance. Email them with your name, age, wedding date, and location at randytotherescue@gmail.com! He will be here on April 15, 2012 so now is the time to get your information to the show. http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/tv/randy-to-the-rescue.

Absolutely fabulous.Good luck!