Party Time: Roaring Twenties Party Part 1

We recently had the pleasure of coordinating and decorating a Roaring Twenties themed 40th birthday party for a private client. This was a fabulous affair where the host required all the guests to dress in themed attire. Guests entered the party through a real speakeasy door where they had to give the secret password to a costumed actor in order to enter.

This will be the first of a few posts showing the details and decor of this party which was held at Sonoma Grille in Amherst. The client stressed to us that most of the guests had been in this room for many celebrations, so it was important to transform the room in order to impress them. I thought it would be fun to start by showing you the before and after photos of the room. Here are the before photos of the Reserve Room...

And the after photos...

The windows are such a focal point of this room, and they define the space and give it a particular character. I immediately knew that in order to truly transform the room in a spectacular way, I had to change the windows. We chose to create these fabulous white and black curtains to cover every window in the room - this design element really created a "wow" factor.

{Event photos by Knight Photography}

We added black fringe to the ceiling lights, and red uplighting and red moving lights gave the room the feeling of a dark, smoky speakeasy. A black & white dance floor was placed in the center of the room, and all the decor was in black, red & white. We sewed white boas onto the bottom of black tablecloths, and used slinky black chair covers that echoed the style of the curtains and enhanced the twenties feel. It was truly a dramatic room transformation.

More photos of this party to follow in the upcoming weeks!

Inspiration Board: Whimsical Wedding

With Valentine's Day coming up, I created this lovely inspiration board with lots of whimsical wedding details. It is fun and girly and very unique. The colors pop - it would be perfect for an outdoor wedding. It is a bold and stylish, yet still soft and so pretty!



{Click on images to view credits}

Wedding Tips and Tricks: Wedding Websites

Many of my couples ask me if I think they should make a wedding website. There are many benefits to doing so. You can include details about the wedding including travel and lodging information, share your stories and photos, link to gift registries, and even take electronic RSVPs. Here are a few tips...

Selecting a site - There are many templates available online, both free and paid. Some free ones to consider are The Knot, EWedding, and Wedding Channel. A paid site I like is Wedding Window.

Tell your story - Make the website unique and representative of you as a couple. Include stories and photos to reflect your personalities and help people better understand you as a couple.

Travel - Be sure to include information on hotels and any special rates/room blocks along with links to the hotel websites. I advise couples to give guests a few hotel options at varying price points if possible. This doesn't mean that you have to set up room blocks at multiple hotels, but at least give them information on other nearby hotels so that they can choose.

Local Points of Interest - Some of the best wedding websites I've seen include information on local attractions and things guests can do in their down time. Share restaurant recommendations and tidbits about your city.

Privacy - Remember that whatever information you put out there can be viewed by anyone. Be selective about what you include unless your site is password protected.

RSVP Option - In today's electronic world, this is a great feature and helps make it easier on the procrastinators and people who just don't return their reply cards. It will make your life easier, because you won't have to chase people down for a response.

How to tell guests about your website - It really isn't proper etiquette to include the website on your wedding invitation. A great place for this is on the Save-the-Date card or on maps and travel information that you send out.

Buffalo Bridal Expo 2010

This past weekend, we were exhibitors at the Buffalo Bridal Expo held at the Seneca Niagara Casino. All of the exhibitors were members of the Buffalo Bridal Association, businesses that you can trust to provide professionalism and quality for your wedding day. We really wanted to showcase our design skills, and show everyone the items and ideas we have at our fingertips to help you have the wedding of your dreams.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth! It was great to meet new 2010 and 2011 brides and grooms, and to see some of our current brides as well. Here are some photos of the tables we designed at our booth...

This first table is every "girly-girl's" dream! It is a pink and crystal table, with a beautiful candelabra centerpiece draped with crystals. Favors included wine bottles (white Zinfandel of course!) with crystal monograms, beautiful matching menu cards, pink diamonds, silver beaded charger plates, rose petals, pink chivari chairs, crystal napkin rings, and the gorgeous flowers by Flowers by Johnny (who did all the flowers at our booth - he's the best!!). This shows how beautifully all the separate parts can work together to create a complete look.

We do have this candelabra available for rent - just give us a call!

This next table is our sweetheart table. Check out the intricate lotus flower napkin folds (yes, that is only one napkin!), adorable Mr. & Mrs. chair backs, the lovely teardrop linen, calla lily centerpiece, and a love poem displayed in a frame. It is simple and elegant.

Our buttercream table was a big hit, with its huge floral centerpieces and modern look. We combined a beautiful buttercream string swirl linen with whites and ivories, playful paliette napkin rings, and a circular menu card to show you that you don't always have to think inside the box when designing your wedding tables. We had a lot of interest in these fitted chair covers with their beautiful broaches - but we know not everyone has the budget to have this look on every chair at their wedding. I suggest that if you like this type of look but can't fit it into your budget, you could use it for a head table or a sweetheart table. The chair covers are available in white, ivory, black & red.

Finally, our teal table was designed to show you how one color could work in any season. In the Fall, we paired it with brown and peacock feathers. We showcased a curly willow centerpiece with tealights as a "splurge" centerpiece, and a candle with coffee beans in a hurricane vase as a "budget" centerpiece idea. In the winter, we paired it with white and silver, utilizing our beautiful floating candle centerpiece as a great "budget" idea. Summer was red, with a neat design for arranging plates and napkins on the table, creative drink menu card by Belletristics , (actually someone liked that drink card so much it was stolen from the booth!), and spring was orange with some fun paliette tea lights, tissue paper poms, and bright centerpieces featuring beautiful tulips.

We hope that these tables provide you with ideas and inspiration, and look forward to continuing to inspire you in the upcoming year!

Spotlight Buffalo: The Ellicott Square Building

The Ellicott Square building built in 1896 is a really unique place to host your Buffalo event. The lobby can be rented out, and you are able to choose any vendors you would like to bring in. With its two grand staircases, marble mosaic floor and glass ceiling, it is an impressive space. It does take a little more work to hold an event in a non-traditional venue, but this allows it to be customized and more uniquely yours!

Here are some photos of a recent wedding I did at the building. These photos were taken by Expressions Studio.

We lined the entire balcony with about 150 votive candles. It looked amazing once it became darker. What a photo!

You're Engaged - Now What??!

So he popped the question...and you said yes. Congratulations! The excitement is winding down, and you wonder...now what?? Here are some steps to help get you started...

{photo}

Step 1 - Sit down with your fiancee and discuss the type of wedding you would like to have. This includes the size of the wedding, type of ceremony (civil, religious, etc.), who will be paying for the wedding, and an approximate budget. This is a good time to discuss what is most important to each of you for the day.

Step 2 - Meet with any appropriate parties (parents, etc.) to discuss the plans and make sure everyone is on the same page.

Step 3 - Choose a location and set a date. Keep in mind major holidays, school schedules, vacations, and how many people may have to travel to your location.

Step 4 - Begin to think about the big picture. How will the day look and feel? What will the rough time schedule look like? Collect design ideas from websites, blogs and magazines. Check out The Knot for great inspiration, including a notebook you can save your favorite photos to. Attend local bridal shows for inspiration and ideas. A great local show we are involved with is the Buffalo Bridal Expo on January 31st at the Seneca Niagara Casino. Bridal shows are a great way to get acquainted with vendors, view and touch items firsthand, and see what your town has to offer.

Step 5 - Assemble your team. You will be dealing with a number of vendors for your wedding. It is important to interview multiple vendors and see who you feel will work with your style, budget and personality. After all, this is such an important day and you deserve vendors who realize the importance of a wedding, and will do everything they can to make sure you have a wonderful day! Here's a list to get you started...

Reception Venue
Ceremony Venue
Officiant
Caterer
Photographer
Videographer
Wedding Coordinator
Florist
Transportation
Baker
Musicians for the Ceremony
Musicians for the Reception
Calligrapher
Stationer
Rental Company
Linens
Rehearsal Dinner Location

Planning a wedding takes a lot of time and organization, but it all leads to a wonderful day that you will cherish forever. Happy planning!

Wedding Etiquette: Division of Expenses

I have been receiving a number of questions lately from my 2010 brides and grooms regarding the etiquette of how to divide the wedding expenses. This is a tough question to answer, especially in today's times. Many more couples today pay for their own weddings, rather than in the past when it was more or less expected that the parents of the bride footed the majority of the bill. There are many reasons for this change; some couples are waiting longer to get married, weddings are more expensive and more complicated than in previous years, and many couples I work with have already established households together prior to marriage.

{Photo credit - Impressions are everything}

So most couples today are either paying for their own weddings, their parents are pooling resources, or a combination of all these things - there isn't one standard that is considered proper etiquette for today's couples. I consulted my Peggy Post etiquette book and materials from the Association of Bridal Consultants, and both confirm that it is quite common that the groom's family pays a larger share of expenses than in the past. They simply can offer to share the expenses by contributing a set dollar amount,or they can offer to pay for certain parts of the wedding such as the liquor, the flowers, etc.

If you want to know the traditional age-old etiquette, the majority of the expenses are paid for by the bride's family. The following costs were typically paid for by the groom and his family:

• Bride's engagement and wedding rings
• Groom's gift to his bride
• Gifts for groom's attendants
• Bride's going away corsage (oh my - let me see...how many of my brides have had a going away corsage?!)
• Boutonnieres for groom's attendants
• Corsages for immediate members of both families (unless bride has included them in her florist's order)
• Officiant's fee
• Marriage license
• Expenses of honeymoon
• All costs of rehearsal dinner
• Accommodations for groom's attendants
• Groom's apparel
• Transportation and lodging expenses for groom's immediate family
  

Any way you break it down - weddings are expensive. It is important that all parties sit down together to discuss expenses, set a budget, and stick to it.