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Toast in Unforgettable Style

by Amanda

Source: Wedding Style Magazine

The champagne toast is a special time for family and friends to wish the bride and groom a wonderful new life together.  Make the toast even more memorable with a bottle of Dom Pérignon, especially if it’s a personalized bottle of Dom Pérignon!  Dom Pérignon, the most luxurious name in champagne, has recently unveiled Dom Pérignon Wedding, a 12-bottle collection of Dom Pérignon Vintage 2000 plus a commemorative 13th bottle packaged beautifully in a white lacquered box.  This 13th bottle has a unique silver label that can be personalized with the names of the bride and groom and their wedding date, making it a striking keepsake.

What a magnificent way to honor the newlywed’s special day!   You will be toasting in the style of Lady Diana Spencer and Prince Charles in 1981; who toasted their nuptials with their own personalized Dom Pérignon (the inspiration for Dom Pérignon Wedding).  Dom Perignon Wedding is available for purchase at www.crushwineco.com for $2080.00.

About Our Guest Blogger

Amanda, co-owner of Fresh Events Company, is a talented wedding planner from the Los Angeles area. She delights in wow-ing her clients with her design talents and creating memorable weddings.

by Guest Blogger | posted in Reception | No Comments »

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Late Night Snacks With a Twist

by Amanda

More and more couples are hosting unconventional late night snacks for their guests. With the food truck popularity on the rise, more weddings now incorporate them.

Source: Border Grill

Source: Cool Haus

Source: Fishlips

Source: Sprinkles Cupcakes

In the LA area, try out these vendors:

  • Border Grill Taco Truck (213-542-1102 ext. 31)
  • Classic Truck- In-N-Out Cookout Trailer (626-813-8295)
  • Sprinkles Cupcakes (310-274-8754)
  • The Fry Girl Doughnuts (213-590-1710)
  • All American Softy Ice Cream Service (818-881-8890)
  • Coolhaus (organic hand made ice cream sandwiches)
  • Fish Lips Sushi Truck

About Our Guest Blogger

Amanda, co-owner of Fresh Events Company, is a talented wedding planner from the Los Angeles area. She delights in wow-ing her clients with her design talents and creating memorable weddings.

by Guest Blogger | posted in Vendors | No Comments »

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Monogrammed Gifts You Can Do

by

Nicole

Big Fat Cake asked Nicole, “What are the best monogrammed ideas?” Here is Nicole’s response:

  1. Most practical monogrammed gift that could be used after the wedding:

    2. The wrap robes are a great price point at $36 and are beautiful not only for the bride to wear while she gets ready on her big day, but the bride can enjoy at home or even bring with on a trip – overnight, weekend or extended trip! Monogram this item with her new initials or write Mrs. X and any bride will flip for this!

    The cosmetic cases are also a gorgeous item for any new bride to receive at her shower! Brides can’t get enough of displaying their new initials! Choose from 7 colors and adding either her new last name, or new initials and she will get a gift she can enjoy on her wedding day, honeymoon and for years to come. Afterall, she will never grow old of showing her new name!

  2. Most fancy gift to impress the bride:

    3. For a gift that any Bride is sure to love, you can’t go wrong with the bathing suit personalized with crystals. Brides can’t get enough of this! They can enjoy this on their honeymoon and for many years after! You will be the hit of the shower with this adorable gift! You can choose to write the last name of the bride, MRS. X or you can customize with any of the following expressions: Bride, Just Married, The Mrs. or I do. You can even add a crystal heart to the front of the bathing suit for an additional cost. This item is $129 and comes in either halter or string, black or white! Give this gift.. and your bride will be so excited to sport her new name on her honeymoon and for many years after!

    Another great option is a make up case with the monogram ‘BRIDE’ across the front. Choose from a few adorable color combinations and give this to a special bride for her to enjoy on her big day! She can bring all she needs for the day in this adorable case. Choose one that matches her color scheme. This make up case will also be a great piece for her to use after the wedding! This size is perfect – it fits everything and fits in any size bag! She will adore it!

  3. Most popular, or most purchased monogrammed gift from your site:

    4. We can’t get enough of these gorgeous 3 letter monogrammed necklaces! Brides are loving these for themselves!!! Brides can wear these every day with any outfit – from jeans and a tank to a dress.

    These are the 3 most popular styles on Nik’s Naks: Either the 3 letter monogram charm with the addition of a stone of your choice, the most popular being the diamond, the 3 letter monogrammed oval shape necklace or the 3 letter monogrammed disk with a double chain attachment.

    These pieces are stunning, head-turners and make a really special gift for a Bride!

  4. Most inexpensive monogrammed gift that could be purchased for an entire bridal party:
    Two popular choices are either these adorable zodiac necklaces or a monogrammed tote: These are both great quality at a reasonable cost!

    • Jewelry:For $42 you can give an adorable zodiac sign necklace: Below are some of our favorites. This is a great price point and your bridal party can enjoy this special piece for years!
    • Another cute idea are the monogrammed totes! They are also a great price point, and your bridal party can get a lot of use out of this item! For the beach, books, every day use, overnight bag, you name it.. they can use it!  These bags are $24.

    5. Give your bridal party something they can enjoy after your wedding. Keeping this in mind, if you choose to monogram, we recommend monogramming with their name, nickname, or initials! They are doing all they can to make your special day all you want it to be, so lets treat them with something they can enjoy well past your wedding day too!

  5. Most popular monogrammed gift for Men, maybe for groomsmen gifts:
    Give something that they can enjoy at the wedding and use after!

    We are loving the line from Molly Rodgers formal wear. You can choose coordinating ties for your groomsmen – choose from a wide variety of swatches, and add a nickname, initial, initials or monogram to the back for his eyes only  (sewn into the back) and he can enjoy this special gift both at your wedding and for years after.

    If you plan on having the groomsmen also wear a pocket square, buy one for them that matches their tie. Men always need ties and pocket squares. These are of the highest quality and look fabulous!

About our guest blogger:

Nicole created Nik’s Naks because she loves giving the best gifts, and is always in search of fantastic and unique products. She have worked hard to ensure that her site has fashionable, high quality products.

by Guest Blogger | posted in Vendors | 1 Comment »

Celebrate Your Culture

February 26th, 2010

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Celebrate Your Culture

by Amanda

When planning a wedding, some of our clients come to us with specific cultural tea ceremony requests from Chinese Tea Ceremony to Paebaek Ceremony (Korean ceremony) to many others.

Above is a collage of several Paebaek ceremonies that we helped produce. We love seeing the Paebaek ceremony unveil…. it’s full of color and eventful. From paying respect to the honorees and catching dates and chestnuts (symbolizing girls and boys that the couple will have).

A little background on the Paebaek Ceremony:
Paebaek ceremony is a traditional Korean ceremony usually performed at weddings. It takes place after the wedding ceremony and its an intimate event limited to family members. However, modern couples now do this in front of guests as well. For those who have not seen this tea ceremony before, its truly an eye opening experience.

About Our Guest Blogger

Amanda, co-owner of Fresh Events Company, is a talented wedding planner from the Los Angeles area. She delights in wow-ing her clients with her design talents and creating memorable weddings.

by Guest Blogger | posted in Culture, Reception | No Comments »

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2010’s Lucky Date to Get Married

by Amanda

Once in a while there is one date in the year that is noted as LUCKY and very popular among the wedding industry. For example in the past we had 7/7/2007, 8/8/2008 and in 2010 we are blessed with another one- 10/10/2010, which lands on a Sunday.

Accordingly to the Shanghaidaily.com, “Many loving couples are trying hard to book a wedding ceremony on October 10, but face disappointment. The date (10/10/2010) has three 10s, a number which means to be complete and perfect in Chinese tradition, and thus is expected to be a very lucky day.”

Are you planning to get married on this date? If so, my recommendations would be to secure your vendors now if you have not done so already.

About Our Guest Blogger

Amanda, co-owner of Fresh Events Company, is a talented wedding planner from the Los Angeles area. She delights in wow-ing her clients with her design talents and creating memorable weddings.

by Guest Blogger | posted in General Planning | No Comments »

Invitations That Make a Statement

February 13th, 2010

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Invitations That Make a Statement

by Amanda

Our guest blogger, Amanda, is well-known for her tasteful designs. We asked Amanda, “What advice do you have about wedding invitations?” Here is her response:

When it comes to invitation, if your budget allows, make a statement!

The invitation will create excitement for your upcoming event. Take this invitation for example. This silk and faux crocodile box holds an etched metal invitation that can be customized for any type of event or color palette. The boxes can be made in any size and in a large variety of colors and lid options.

Who wouldn’t want to go to this event! RSVP me now!

About Our Guest Blogger

Amanda, co-owner of Fresh Events Company, is a talented wedding planner from the Los Angeles area. She delights in wow-ing her clients with her design talents and creating memorable weddings.

by Guest Blogger | posted in Design Ideas | No Comments »


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Most Ambiance Bang for Your Buck

by Amanda

We asked our guest blogger, “From your experience, what should a bride spend her money on to create the best ambiance for her wedding?” Here is her response:

  • Be upfront with the budget that you are working with. This way the planner can better strategize where the money and energy should be best allocated. Often times, when our clients gives us a budget range to work with, we are always able to maximize the outcome since we have more time to plan how best to allocate the money for the event.
  • Lighting- rather than spending money on lavish linens, use color uplights to accentuate your theme colors and pin lights to bring the centerpieces alive. It is more noticeable. Projecting patterns on the floor and wall is also a nice way to decorate the space without spending tons of money.

  • Instead of a full premium bar, serve beer and wine and even a customized cocktail drink
  • Select flowers that are in season & flowers that are very full in look – hydrangeas, peonies, and dahlia all takes a lot of space yet looks beautiful

  • Candles, candles and more candles- it adds so much ambiance and can make a simple arrangement look gorgeous

  • When décor budget is tight, I always go back to candles, when you put a cluster of candle votives/containers together, they still look just as amazing. Once, when we did a private event, we lined the entrance and drive way with a lot of candles in hurricane containers. It looked very impressive.

About Our Guest Blogger

Amanda, co-owner of Fresh Events Company, is a talented wedding planner from the Los Angeles area. She delights in wow-ing her clients with her design talents and creating memorable weddings.

by Guest Blogger | posted in Design Ideas | No Comments »

(This is a continuation of an earlier post about wedding coordinators).

Pink Orchid Weddings logopresents

Planners vs. Coordinators, What’s the Difference?

by Emilie

A wedding planner should know all of the great venues and vendors in your city or area. Your planner should be able let you know how to manage your budget, introduce you to fabulous vendors within your price point, and help you find your dream venue. This can be as involved as setting up and scheduling vendor appointments for you, attending meetings with lists of questions ready at hand, ordering rentals such as linens and tents, and reviewing vendor contracts. A planner is usually hired in the first stage of planning so you can get the most out of your investment.

A good planner will save you time and money because instead of researching on your own for hours to see if you can find a certain style of photographer in a particular price range, your planner might know one hidden gem off the bat, and show you their gorgeous photography blog in the time that it takes for you to Google “great photographers”. A planner will also help carry out your wedding day vision, with ideas and suggestions to play up your color theme, or personal style. Planners range in pricing, depending on location, experience, and even your budget, but you can look to spend anywhere between $2,500 and $10,000.

Source:

Source: Erica Lyn Photography

A wedding coordinator on the other hand is usually not as involved in the initial planning. If you have the time to plan a wedding mostly on your own, a wedding coordinator is perfect because all of your little personal details and touches need to be shown to your guests in the exact way that you envisioned it, right? A coordinator will not only set up your place cards, guestbook, and menu cards to your specifications, but will also make sure that everything else falls into place, including the vendors that you hired. A coordinator is there to fix your train as you walk down the aisle, and be the point-of-contact for absolutely everything. For coordinators, expect to see prices ranging from $500 to $3000. Prices vary based on location, number of assistants, and especially what is included in the package. Some coordinators will just expect you to tell them what to set up, while others will really be more involved to help you organize all of the details beforehand.

Why not just ask a friend or someone in your bridal party to be your DOC? Because your loved ones should be able to enjoy your wedding day and celebrate with you, instead of worrying about setting up your place cards, or making sure your cake is the right color. By hiring a wedding coordinator, you will be able to relax and be stress free for your special day.

When interviewing coordinators, definitely ask about the work that they have done, and the exact services that they provide. Not only should they have great reviews from past clients, but I would recommend meeting with the coordinator in-person because you will instantly know if it they are a good fit for you!

About our guest blogger:
Emilie is the owner and principal coordinator of Pink Orchid Weddings, a Boston based company that specializes in wedding day-of coordination. Pink Orchid Weddings guides the way for a couple and answers any questions throughout the planning process. The details are pulled together and the vision turns into reality by creating a minute-by-minute timeline, coordinating vendors, and perfectly executing the wedding day.

by Guest Blogger | posted in General Planning, Questions from Audience | 1 Comment »

Picking Your Wedding Colors

September 12th, 2009

“The idea of linking color and behavior is reasonable enough. Anyone who has ever felt blue, seen red, blacked out, or turned green knows we’re prone to make emotional associations with different shades.” (Winifred Gallagher. The Power of Place, 1993, p. 50)

You have the perfect mate, set the date, and scheduled the ideal place for the nuptials and preceding reception. Now it’s time to start decorating, but where do you begin?  Some brides have a favorite color, and others, like myself, love all colors and hues, making it difficult to narrow it down to one or two, or even three colors.

Color can affect our mood, the lighting, or even set the tone of an event. After you take account of the colors that you and mate like and dislike, it’s time to look for inspiration.

As you consider using your favorite sports team colors or college colors for your wedding, you may want to consider these 3 things:

  1. Look for colors that mean something to you and your significant other, but keep in mind your own personal style.  While the Redskins may be your favorite team, a red or maroon is a strong color and perhaps not suitable to all seasons or venues.
  2. Consider your church or reception venue. Is there a predominate color? You don’t want your centerpieces competing with the strong deep maroon and green carpet. Is the table linen white or cream?  A white tablecloth may make cream colors appear “dirty”, including the off-white dress you may be wearing.
  3. The cost of decorating with your colors. Are the colors I’m using suitable to the flowers that are in season?  You could spend a lot more money for pink lilies in winter, but a more affordable option in summer.

Notice the tan walls. Source: Kama Studios

Source: Kama Studios

The colors I chose coordinated with the colors found in the walls and carpet. Source: Kama Studios

The colors I chose coordinated with the colors found in the walls and carpet. Source: Kama Studios

My wedding was in early September. My reception hall had neutral tan walls with carpet and flower arrangements in: green, tan, and a light pink-peach.  I chose flowers that were in season: pink roses, carnations, and my favorite flower, the Stargazer Lily.  The inspiration for my wedding came from my toy poodles; I was inspired by the 1950’s poodle décor, black, pink, and polka dots.   As black is a very strong statement, I kept it for my bridesmaids dresses and left everything else pink and white.

About Our Guest Blogger

Alana is an avid hobbyist designer who has helped countless brides with color matching, wedding themes, centerpieces, and other reception decorations.  She has been married two years now in Northern Virginia and just celebrated her baby’s first birthday!

by Guest Blogger | posted in Design Ideas | 1 Comment »

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Favors Por Favor? Wedding Favor Ideas for 2009 and Beyond

by Naomi Vail

Decisions decisions! Yep, there are a lot of them to make when planning a wedding and it’s often the smallest details that herald the greatest of indecision. Magnolias or Gardenias? Lanterns or candles? Sage or olive? Fondant or buttercream? It’s enough to drive a girl mad! Of all the deliberations I hear as a wedding planner, one of the most common is “what do I get for wedding favors?”
My only advice on this topic is, pick something that your guests will actually want. Too many times I’ve seen wasted favors left on reception tables at the end of the night because honestly, who wants a plastic bride & groom figurine that says “George & Sally’s Wedding.” A favor that someone really wants can fall in to 3 categories: 1) Edible Favors – candy, chocolates and other goodies are rarely turned down and are often consumed before the night is over. 2) Practical Favors – items that have a specific utility other than nostalgia. 3) Favors that are so gosh darn cute or unique, you’ll likely see them perched on the mantels or coffee tables of your guests long after the honeymoon is over.
As the 2009 wedding season peaks, I thought I’d share some fresh new items I’ve seen this year that might spark some ideas.
Edible Favors:
If the idea of jordan almonds in a gift box seems a little too “last year… and the year before,” I introduce to you sheer bakery bliss! These beautiful designer cookies offer an upscale twist on the traditional wedding confection, as they come in delicious flavors such as orange vanilla spice with fondant icing, dusted with a gold sugar luster. Some bakers will even design them to match your cake!
Practical Favors:
The fun thing about practical favors is you can cater them to your own specific theme, personality, occupation, interests or style. Bottle stoppers and bottle openers are perfect for a vineyard wedding. Do you and your fiancee love to cook? Give your guests heart-shaped measuring spoons. Monogram birdseed favors are perfect for, well… anyone. Vegas wedding? Why not give personalized playing cards? There are countless ways to thank your guests; don’t let them forget where they got it!
Wow Favors:
These incredibly life-like tarts have a mouth-watering, jaw-dropping effect. But don’t bite in! The meticulously hand-crafted, all-natural soaps are made with mango butter, shea butter, liquid goat’s milk and vegetable oils. While they might fall into the “practical favors” category, I’d be hard pressed to find someone who has washed their hands with these little works of art!
Whatever your tastes and budget are, there’s a favor out there for you. These wedding favors and more can all be found at Moments of Elegance.com
About Naomi:
Naomi has spent the past 11 years working in numerous aspects of the wedding industry including photography, videography, invitation design, wedding planning and most recently wedding blogging! She’s spent most of her career in beautiful Lake Tahoe with a short stint on California’s northern redwood coast. Naomi is currently engaged and is extremely excited to finally plan her own wedding with her fiance Tim.

Decisions decisions! Yep, there are a lot of them to make when planning a wedding and it’s often the smallest details that herald the greatest of indecision. Magnolias or Gardenias? Lanterns or candles? Sage or olive? Fondant or buttercream? It’s enough to drive a girl mad! Of all the deliberations I hear as a wedding planner, one of the most common is “what do I get for wedding favors?”

My only advice on this topic is, pick something that your guests will actually want. Too many times I’ve seen wasted favors left on reception tables at the end of the night because honestly, who wants a plastic bride & groom figurine that says “George & Sally’s Wedding.” A favor that someone really wants can fall in to 3 categories: 1) Edible Favors – candy, chocolates and other goodies are rarely turned down and are often consumed before the night is over. 2) Practical Favors – items that have a specific utility other than nostalgia. 3) Favors that are so gosh darn cute or unique, you’ll likely see them perched on the mantels or coffee tables of your guests long after the honeymoon is over.

As the 2009 wedding season peaks, I thought I’d share some fresh new items I’ve seen this year that might spark some ideas.

Edible Favors
If the idea of jordan almonds in a gift box seems a little too “last year… and the year before,” I introduce to you sheer bakery bliss! These beautiful designer cookies offer an upscale twist on the traditional wedding confection, as they come in delicious flavors such as orange vanilla spice with fondant icing, dusted with a gold sugar luster. Some bakers will even design them to match your cake!

Edible Favors

Edible Favors

Practical Favors
The fun thing about practical favors is you can cater them to your own specific theme, personality, occupation, interests or style. Bottle stoppers and bottle openers are perfect for a vineyard wedding. Do you and your fiancee love to cook? Give your guests heart-shaped measuring spoons. Monogram birdseed favors are perfect for, well… anyone. Vegas wedding? Why not give personalized playing cards? There are countless ways to thank your guests; don’t let them forget where they got it!

Practical Favors

Practical Favors

Wow Favors
These incredibly life-like tarts have a mouth-watering, jaw-dropping effect. But don’t bite in! The meticulously hand-crafted, all-natural soaps are made with mango butter, shea butter, liquid goat’s milk and vegetable oils. While they might fall into the “practical favors” category, I’d be hard pressed to find someone who has washed their hands with these little works of art!

Wow Favors

Wow Favors

Whatever your tastes and budget are, there’s a favor out there for you. These wedding favors and more can all be found at Moments of Elegance.com

About Our Guest Blogger
Naomi has spent the past 11 years working in numerous aspects of the wedding industry including photography, videography, invitation design, wedding planning and most recently wedding blogging! She’s spent most of her career in beautiful Lake Tahoe with a short stint on California’s northern redwood coast. Naomi is currently engaged and is extremely excited to finally plan her own wedding with her fiance Tim.

by Guest Blogger | posted in Favors | 8 Comments »