Simple is Sometimes Better

A few weeks ago we were asked to help with a Surprise 50th birthday party.  We didn't have a lot of planning time, but knew it would be a small event and we'd be able to pull it off.  Michelle created the invitations:

We were just doing cake and ice cream, so it wasn't anything fancy.  But a few days before, we decided we definitely needed some decorations.  We had to make sure they were in the kitchen area so as not to top off the birthday girl.

We didn't want to do the typical streamers, so we decided on ribbons.  The colors for the party were aqua and lime green.  We decided to add in orange and yellow.  Here's what we came up with:

And, of course, there had to be a cake.  It was a 3 layer chocolate cake, filled with buttercream frosting, that we made from Bakerella.  The candles really made the cake something special.  And they were the perfect colors too!  

Click here for the recipe.  

It was a great event.  The birthday girl was completely surprised and it was a fun time had by all.  

What's your Interest?

The Secret is out and its name is PINTEREST.COM. This is our new favorite site and we want to share it with everyone! Whether you are throwing a bridal shower, baby shower or wedding this has the best collection of amazing ideas. We’re not kidding, just look what pictures we found already. 

Here is how is it works: Go to Pinterest.com and request an invite. You will get an email that will invite you to join pinterest.com (which you will want to do ASAP!) After you join you can then begin to create your own unique boards titled whatever you want it to be. Some of ours are “Vintage Wedding,” “My Next Adventure,” and “What’s for Dinner?” You get the idea. Name your boards whatever you like and then comes the fun part. Its now time to go hunting for some amazing and creative, totally inspiring pictures that they call “Pins.” You will be able to search through endless pages of pictures.  And when you click them, they will direct you to the link where the picture came from. Most of the time they came from other people’s blogs. You can find recipes, quotes, and new outfit ideas.  Really, the list is endless. When you find a “pin” that you like simply click on it and repin it to your board. Pretty soon you will have a huge collection yourself and you might also find Pinterest.com to be your home page before you know it.

 Another FUN way to use Pinterest.com is to be sure to follow other people and their boards as well. This will keep your possibilities for good finds constantly expanding even while you sleep. Now you just can’t beat that. Good Luck and Happy Pinning!

New Year Jitters

Every year around this time I believe the jitters begin. The reasons can be for so many  but since this is a blog on weddings and events. I’ll just name a few for this category. Whether you are a newly engaged couple from over the holidays or your wedding is just around the corner. Every “bride to be” begins to feel the butterflies as she looks forward to that soon to be day of “I do.” There can be a lot of pressure building up around this time as well, the thoughts of meeting more family and friends or looking for that perfect wedding gown that just somehow seems to scream your name. It can also be trying to set an ideal date that works with school or families schedules. There are many details that go into a wedding and all the parties through out your engagement that its hard to keep it all straight. I have found that the largest factor of stress usually comes when deciding on the right budget for your big event.  There is so much that you want but trying to make it squeeze together for as little as possible can be stressful.
That is why this time of year tends to be my favorite. I love to hear the wonderful news of newly engaged couples call me to discuss their future wedding plans and I love to listen as they tell me the story of how the proposal happened. But as I look to getting the party started I want to make sure that I have all the latest and greatest that I can offer for the people I come to meet and get to know. A wedding and event planner can have jitters too you know… especially when we want your big day to be 100% perfect and everything you ever wanted.  It’s a full time job to bringing all your dreams to reality, but we know we can make it happen and  we love doing it. My jitters usually come around this time as I think of all the big events I have on my calendar to plan and prepare for. I put heart and soul into each one so that it reflects the person I’m doing this for perfectly.
So now whether you are a planner for a wedding or a couple deciding to do it all the question to ask is where can I find a little stress relief?  Each person is different so I can only share what works for me and the people I have met and that is this.  My resource of relief in the planning process are Wedding and Event Shows! These can be precious gems when trying to find your creative genius for putting together a spectacular event. I can’t even tell you how many times I have meet a vendor who has just saved the day because they offer exactly what I had been looking for. The ideas and fun that you can have alone not including the inspiration  that comes from seeing so many wondering things surrounding you makes it worth going.
So this time of year I bring out my calendar and begin marking the dates for all the bridal shows and event design galleries and expos that I “MUST” attend. And suddenly I have a new kind of jitters for the new year.  The kind that makes me so excited for what’s to come.  Now every major city in the USA has some kind of expo for you. You just have to keep your eyes and ears open. So look beyond your ordinary ideas and contacts and go off to explore new possibilities for your big day.  Good luck and good finding.