Event Design Ideas - Fire & Ice

Lately, I've really been enjoying winter. Especially since last year's was so mild. Well, it is Minnesota and we just got a huge snow storm!  My kiddos have been playing in it non-stop. We've been ice skating outdoors, sledding, and building snowmen. Of course, when we come in from the cold we like to warm up with a hot cup of cocoa.

It was really sunny and beautiful the other day, which made the snow lined trees absolutely sparkle. This got me thinking about how awesome it would be to do a winter wedding. If it were up to me, I would do a "fire and ice" event design because it is so fun to go out in the cold and then come in and warm up by a toasty fire.

I would incorporate a lot of sparkly elements paired with an unusual color scheme for winter - dusk blue and fire orange. Of course, I think having the girls in short, gray glittery dresses would look amazing!

Additionally, it would be so easy to make some outstanding centerpieces using Dollar Store vases. First, coat them in Modge Podge and then roll them in white glitter. Next, wait for them to dry then rub off any excess glitter and coat them in modge podge again. Finally, roll the vases in Epsom salt. They end up looking like they are covered in sparkly snow! Glittered branches, white hydrangeas and orange roses would make a beautiful floral arrangement to go along with your Faux icy vases.

Speaking of table-scapes, dusk blue napkins in glittered napkin rings would really add some elegance. Lot's and lots of white candles create a very romantic ambiance. Of course, there are other fun touches to add, like an ice luge serving signature cocktails. A S'mores bar where guests roast their own marshmallows would be phenomenal! I also love the idea of having the walkway to the venue lit with ice candles. A vintage broach bouquet would be heavenly, and maybe the groom could sport an icicle boutonnierre?

There are so many fun details that would make a fire and ice wedding fantabulous! I truly hope that I've inspired.

Happy Planning!

PHOTO CREDITS: CAKE -LEE ANN BELTER BRIDAL, ICE BLOCK W/FIRE - EHOW.COM, BROACH BOUQUET - ERIN HU PHOTOGRAPHY, INVITATIONS - ETSY.COM, SHOES -DRESSSALE.COM, ICE LANTERNS - THE NESTING JOURNAL, S'MORES BUFFET - HELLOCOTTON.COM, SNOW & ICE JARS - WONDERFUL DAY WEDDINGS LLC

Emerging Trends - Coordinating, Not Matching, Bridesmaids

 Allowing bridesmaids to pick their own dress as long as they follow a set of guidelines is becoming increasingly popular. I'm really loving this trend because it alleviates some stressful situations for the bride. I mean let's be honest. Although we love our girlfriends, going dress shopping with all the different personalities, and body shapes, can be a challenge.

It can be almost impossible to find that dress that makes everyone happy. Inevitably, there will always be one friend that just hates the dress that was chosen. Either because she feels it doesn't flatter her figure or she hates the color or the fabric makes her itchy. So do yourself a favor and skip the stress inducing fiasco that is bridesmaid dress shopping!

So this idea, coordinating bridesmaids dresses, is a perfect solution! I think it works especially well for brides with a large wedding party. The best way to go about letting your bridesmaids pick their own dress is to set strict guidelines. This means you will have to let them know the color, the length and maybe even which fabric you prefer.

First, the bride must provide an example of the acceptable color shades. A simple, no fail way to do this is to go to the local hardware store and pick a paint sample with strips of the same color in different shades. Send the paint sample to each girl in your wedding party and write on the back the length of the dress you desire. This will be very helpful for them to bring along when they go dress shopping!

The next step is to simply trust your friends' fashion sensibilities. If your bestie likes romantic, ruffled skirts and a sweetheart neckline, she can choose it as long as the length and color fit the guidelines! It really is cool to see all the different fashions represented and yet everyone will appear aesthetically cohesive.

Remember, you set the guidelines so they are as specific as you want them. For instance, if you really hate Taffeta make sure that your wedding party knows that all Taffeta dresses are off limits. Your ladies will appreciate the guidelines but also love the fact that they will have a lot of lee-way to pick out something that flatters their sense of style and body type. This will drastically cut down on any bridesmaid drama on "the big day" because you won't be spending any time having to reassure anyone that they look great.


Happy planning!

PHOTO CREDIT - WEDDINGCHICKS.COM

Vendor Spotlight - Graddy Photography

This September I had the opportunity to work with one of the best photographers in our industry, Graddy Photography. My clients, Leah & Jonathan, chose the Full Service package but they already knew who they wanted to hire as their photographer. Usually, I give quite a bit of input about this aspect of the wedding. It is so important to hire a professional photographer, so I was a little hesitant when they told me that they'd already found this vendor. My apprehension didn't last long, color me ecstatic when they told me they'd hired Graddy Photography!

Photography is one of the most important aspects of your wedding and I would highly encourage you to spend a sizable portion of your wedding budget on it. Like so many photographers will tell you, it is an investment. There are no "do overs" on your wedding pictures so it really is important to hire a photographer with a style that speaks to you. Graddy really takes the time to discuss what is important to you because they are passionate about making your wedding photographs as unique as your wedding. If you look at their gallery you will see photojournalism that is distinctly original for each client.


Graddy Photography has won MN Bride's "Best of" award for both 2011 and 2012 and was also nominated "Top Photographer" via The Knot. It is easy to see why. The candid moments that Justin captures are nothing short of amazing! He does it in the most unobtrusive way possible. I was standing next to him when he took picture after picture of the first dance between the bride and her father. Every single shot was flattering and yet he was mindful not to disturb this precious moment between them.


Graddy Photography takes great care to get the right angle, use the right lighting and do masterful editing. With over 350 weddings under their belt, you can be sure that they know exactly what to capture. As a planner, it was very pleasant working with Graddy Photography because the professionalism was immediately apparent after one conversation. I definitely think they deserve the spotlight!

 











Happy Planning!

Tips & Tricks - Submerged Centerpieces

Hello everyone! Recently, I realized that it has been about a month since I posted so I had to update this little ol' blog of mine. Phew - it is hard to be a wife, mom and small business entrepreneur; so thank you all for your patience and understanding!

Today I want to share some tricks of the trade. After all, not everyone can afford to have a florist do their centerpieces. The easiest way to have a centerpiece look expensive is by doing a submerged floral arrangement. They don't use a lot of flowers and the beauty of the ones you do use is magnified by the water. I had a client that needed to stretch her floral budget. Since I've done wedding centerpieces before, I offered to do them for her. Now, I'm sharing my knowledge with you! :)

Of course, I prefer that centerpieces be done by a florist because it makes my job a million times easier and, quite frankly, they do a better job. That being said, if you are absolutely unable to budget for centerpieces done by a professional  florist then DIY submerged centerpieces are the way to go.

Start out by purchasing cylinder vases from a garage sale or the dollar store. Then choose glass beads that coordinate with your color scheme. Next, order hardy flowers with full blooms. Great flowers for submerged centerpieces are Roses, Dendrobium Orchids, Spider Mums, and Gerber Daisies. I like to use wholesalers like Sam's Club or  Bunches Direct.

Make sure that you cut your flowers so that they are an inch or two below the top of the vase. You must fill the vase with the glass beads first, then place the flower. This is so they are centered.

Also, there is a trick to getting the flowers to stay in place under water. (Otherwise they will float to the top even if they are surrounded by rocks.) You must use fish weights! You can get these for $2 a bag at your local hardware store in the fishing section.

Use floral wire to secure the fish weights to the stem of the flower and then stick them into the beads. Then fill the vases with water. It is important to note that these centerpieces take a long time to put together. Therefore, if you decide to assemble them before the wedding day then you should not submerge the flowers until you put the centerpieces out on the tables. Instead, only fill the vases about a 1/4 way full so that the flowers are getting water but are not submerged.

Once they are out on the tables, use a pitcher to gently fill the vases up. Put a floating candle on top and, wallah, you have a beautiful centerpiece that didn't break the bank! Because they are so simple, I suggest using mirrors, candle votives and petals to punch it up notch. This will definitely give all of your tables the "wow factor" you're striving to achieve.

I truly hope that I've inspired! If you use this tutorial, let me know how it goes. Or better yet, send me some pictures! :)



Happy planning!

New Rental Items

So, it has been an incredibly busy wedding season. I've been falling behind on the blog a little bit so I decided to take some time out of my busy schedule to tell you all about some exciting new things going on with Wonderful Day Weddings LLC.

I'm thrilled to share that I have several new rental items and I'm a busy bee working on my PDF catalog. It is not done yet, and probably won't be until October because I have three full service weddings this month. I know, crazy busy! Once I get some time to work on this, I will put it up on the website.

As you know, I cater to "green", vintage and shabby chic weddings. I love, love, love upcycling junk into beautiful wedding props. Earlier this summer, I had the opportunity to work with Wing Ta from Canary Grey Photography. She came out to shoot some of the vignettes I put together and also take some family photographs!

Of course, I took a few photographs of the vignettes as well because the majority of our time was spent with my adorable family. :) I worked really hard to stage the pieces so that clients can see their potential.

The rental items I specialize in are a few small furniture pieces and lot's of accessories. My furniture pieces include a petite white dresser, burlap bar stand, old farm door and a lovely Victorian settee. Most of my stash consists of accessories such as chalkboards, card containers, cake stands, apothecary jars, suitcases, etc. etc. A lot of it is also vintage.

One of my favorites is the picture fram with wire mesh insert. It is perfect for escort cards or even to do a flower arrangement. I imagine that a couple's initials could be done in flowers and displayed as an accent on the cake table or by the guest book.

I have a couple of chandeliers, one is candle and the other is electrical. Both are very "French country" looking. I just love the romance of this style!

Recently, I created a "shabby chic" chalkboard door for a client. It is absolutely adorable. I cannot wait t use it! What do you think about her? I've decided to call her Rose because she will be used at Camrose Hill Farm in Stillwater. (Not the best photo, I will update it when I get a better one!)

I also really love the rustic style for weddings so I have quite a bit of those items as well. Lot's of galvanized tubs, rusted tool boxes and wrought iron vases. Mixing and matching things that don't necessarily belong together creates some really charming eye candy.

I think one of my favorite pieces has to be my vintage type writer. Cannot wait for that client that wants to use this in lieu of a guest book. Wouldn't it be so much fun to have guests type out little "love wishes" to the happy couple?

I could gush about this stuff for hours but since I'm really short on time and have a wedding tomorrow I'm going to stop bragging about all my cute stuff and get back to work. I'm leaving you with a picture of my family! Wing does truly amazing photography, I shall have to do a vendor spotlight on her at a later date.






 PHOTO CREDITS: CANARY GREY, WONDERFUL DAY WEDDINGS

Ettiquette Advice - Escort Cards VS Place Cards

In the wedding industry there are little nuances that signal how formal an event is. Often times, these things can be overlooked by those that are not familiar with the different levels of entertaining protocol.

One of the questions I get asked about the most is the difference between escort cards and place cards. Many people think they are the same thing and use these terms interchangeably. However, there really is a difference! If you don't want to confuse your caterer, it is important to learn the role each plays at your wedding reception.

The more formal of the two is the place card. Place cards are usually used at black-tie events with plated meals. They are a representation of assigned seating. This means that the hosts have taken the time to decide exactly where each guest will sit. Place cards are set out at each place setting before the event starts. Often times, a large seating chart will be available in the lobby to direct guests to their table number.

Once they receive that information, they then find their place card and sit. For many formal weddings, there are three or four different entrees available to guests. To keep the staff from having to ask each guest what meal they have, place cards are often color coded to signal the dish to be served to that person. This is a very efficient way to make sure everyone gets the right meal.

Another option is to use a meme on each place card, for instance a stamp of a chicken or fish. I did this with one of my clients and it was an absolute hit!

Escort cards tend to be used at semi-formal weddings. They do not assign guests to seats, rather they assign them to tables. Their function is very similar to a place card but a notable difference is they are often set up on a table with a flower centerpiece.
Another difference is the guest's name will have a number after it, for instance John Smith -14. Escort cards can also be color coded for plated meals. However, they are also used quite a bit at buffet dinners. Brides are becoming more and more creative with how they display their escort cards. I've seen everything from magnetic escort cards to jars of jam with guest names on them. (Having favors double as escort cards is cost effective and looks great!)

I hope that I've cleared up any misconceptions that you might have had about place cards and escort cards. Their differences are mostly in function instead of form so it is easy to get them mixed up. Happy Planning!

Wedding Inspiration - Red, Black & White

I'm so excited for the wedding I have coming up. We meet today to finalize our design plans! The "theme" of this wedding is sophisticated Southern elegance, which should be pretty easy to pull off with the classic color combination of black, red and white.

To create the ceremony space, we're borrowing from the Jewish tradition and using a "Chuppah" that will be lavishly draped in red fabric. The aisle will be flanked by tall wrought iron candelabras decorated with red roses. It might be steamy, so the programs will also double as fans for guests to keep cool.

As for the reception, it will reflect the groom's southern background. Soul food is on the menu with chicken, collard greens, black eyed peas, sweet potatoes, cornbread and Ceaser salad. Yum!

The table linens will be black with ivory napkins and the red rose centerpieces will add a pop of color. We're also doing chair covers with black sashes. How elegant! I'm putting together her centerpieces and I'm really happy to have the opportunity to create exactly what she wants within the parameters of her floral budget. :)

We are using cylinder vases with a single red rose and a floating candle. It will sit on top of a beveled mirror and be surrounded by red rose petals and candle votives. It will be absolutely romantic. In addition to rose petals around the centerpieces, they will also surround their three tier red velvet cake!

Of course, the cake won't be the only dessert! We are planning to have a lavish candy buffet with ornate apothecary jars filled with red, black and white sweets. Plus, we'll have chocolates in red favor bags at each place setting for guests to enjoy.

Yes, it certainly is coming together. I'm happy that we're finalizing all the details and I'm happy to share this inspiration board with you. After the wedding, it will be interesting to see the similarities and differences from the original plan.

I truly hope that I've inspired. Happy planning!

PHOTO CREDITS:WEDDINGS BY COLOR, WED THEMES,THE KNOT,PROJECT WEDDING,ONEWED,BARE FOOT FLOOR,ZIMBIO.COM, QUICKBUY.COM, FRANCOISE WEEKS