Posts

Happy Wedding Wednesday! A fun element to add to your wedding reception or ceremony is video projection! Projection technology has come a long way throughout the years! Three -dimensional projections are more popular on the outside of large buildings where the images are truly more effective. Top end lighting companies use super bright projectors and their own custom software to project any image onto a building. On the inside, the same effect applies in place of the old gobos that we saw five to ten years ago. Today a much sharper image with endless possibilities is available!  While this is very cool, keep in mind it may not be the best option for the budget-sensitive bride.

Note: Beware of too much moving light. This will over stimulate the senses and lose the effect of a wedding, giving way to a club environment.

If you’re getting married at night time, a custom wedding isle with images of what appear to be live flowers, along with your names or whatever else you desire becomes a reality with video projection. The same thing can be done with the dance floor or ceiling. Moving clouds with the moon and stars would be as realistic as sitting outside star -gazing!

Snowflake projection

Dance floor monogram projection by Shumaker PDT in Lancaster, PA. Click for their website and more wedding lighting photos! (Wedding by Planned Perfection)

Last week I talked about unique roses for your wedding! The Wedding Wednesday flower fun continues…

We are all familiar with the standard colors of hydrangeas and peonies.  If you like a little bit of tradition mixed with something new, consider other varieties of old standards like the stunning coral peonies (pictured below) or tri-color hydrangeas. These two examples demonstrate a powerful punch of color without the need to use dozens of stems (although there’s nothing wrong with that if your budget allows!). A plain white satin strip linen and napkin would allow a simple arrangement utilizing either one of these varieties to pop right off of the table.

Beautiful, unique hydrangeas

Stunning coral peonies

This vibrant color would pop right off the table in your centerpieces.

Also shown is yet another unique hydrangea variety with a blush pink center.

For your Monday morning, we wanted to share two fun food ideas for your wedding reception or next event!

How many of you grew up with pop tarts as a breakfast treat? Of course we know how bad they are for us, but we’ve taken them for a spin. The possibilities are endless. For example, you could have a Shepherd’s pie pop tart with piped mashed potatoes on top or a chicken pot pie pop tart. You could even do a meatloaf or creamed salmon pop tart! For veggie lovers, a roasted veggie pop tart piped with parmesan cheese whipped potatoes and garnished with lemon zest would be delicious!

Pop Tarts aren't just for kids!! Image Courtesy of the Fresh Fridge

If you’re on the hunt for a fun station idea, try a Philly Cheese Steak Station complete with fried onions, green peppers, cheese sauce, and lots of hots!  You can turn this into a fun action station with a Chef cooking the steaks tableside or if you want to save on costs, let your guests serve themselves (that way they don’t feel any guilt about piling on the toppings).

Have a great Monday, everyone!

The champagne toast is controversial these days. My take on it is pretty simple. If the bride and groom love Champagne, then you should serve it. Otherwise, just do the toast with whatever drink you have in hand. We throw away a lot of champagne at weddings and it pains me to do so. You know your crowd better than we do, so if champagne is important to you, then bring it on. Here are some suggestions for some good ‘ol bubbly if you haven’t yet decided:

Nino Franco Rustico Prosecco- Runs around $18.00 per bottle. This sparkling wine is creamy and balanced while refreshing. It has a floral, fruity aroma that’s pleasant and made from grapes grown in Veneto Italy.

Cuvee Jean-Louis Blanc De Blancs Brut- Runs around $10.00 per bottle. You’ll get lots of bubbles with this one. It’s bright and fruity with just a hint of honey. Crafted in Burgundy. A true great value.

Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut – Sells for roughly $12.00 per bottle. This one is from Spain and is often referred to as the “black bottle bubbly”. It is the number one imported champagne in the world. This one is crisp and clean with a medium body and a hint of ginger.

Gloria Ferrer Va De Vi- This one sells for about $22.00 per bottle. Sonoma County’s Gloria Ferrer’s vineyard takes the credit for this one. It’s a classic blend of pinot noir and chardonnay with a touch of Muscat. You’ll get big aromas of apple, pear and cherries with a creamy texture resulting in a lasting finish.

Cheers!

Of course!

Our house made potato chips have been wildly successful at weddings and events. We serve them standing upright on a bed of coarse rock salt with various dippers. We’re now taking those same house made chips and topping them with a sliver of tuna tartare and wasabi, or black bean puree with a dollop of fresh made salsa, or Mango and Avocado. Let’s not forget the ever-favorite mozzarella, a dab of fresh pesto with an added hint of cayenne.

If you’re  looking for something during colder months, put a chunk of brie & raspberry jam on that chip, or go for grilled pumpkin or butternut squash with a maple hazelnut glaze.

Have fun and be creative. No one should have “cookie-cutter” food at their wedding!

It’s easy to get carried away with numerous ideas for reception décor.  It is important to narrow your thoughts down to one theme and stick with it. Clean lines and repetition of form is the key to making a statement with your table design. This isn’t to say that you can’t have alternating heights of centerpieces. It is saying, however, to consider simplicity/consistency and ease of conversation amongst your guests when selecting your table centerpieces. There must be a focal point so elements don’t fight with each other and look cluttered. One more hint: Other than flowers, think twice before you implement any other living thing in your table centerpieces.

Planning a wedding can be wonderful and stressful all at the same time. Today’s Wedding Wednesday post is a tip for organization! If you are about to loose your mind with all the details you’re trying to keep track of,  try MindNode for Mac.  It’s probably the most exciting way to organize your thoughts on a project. The program takes on the look of a subway route as it connects notes or lists and suggestions via a network of colored lines called a “mind map”.  Once you’re acclimated to it, this program is easier than you can imagine and makes a world of difference in terms of organizing!

Read more about MindNode Here.

Example "mind map" via mindnode.com

Have a happy *organized* Wedding Wednesday!

For today’s Wedding Wednesday post I wanted to share this really cool online resource! BBJ Linen, a company out of Skokie, IL., offers a virtual table design center on their website. You can choose from an extensive selection of linens, runners, chair covers, napkins etc. It’s fun to play around with and is rather addicting!

BBJ Linen offers this fun and helpful online resource for designing a table!

Check it out:

http://www.bbjlinen.com/DesignYourParty.aspx

Have fun and happy Wedding Wednesday!

Bridal shows can easily turn into a circus...vendors trying to "out-do" one another and information overload!

Think about the last bridal show you attended. Wedding shows have become sensory overload for many of those involved. The average bride leaves the show with their head spinning and the fallout is even worse. Unfortunately, some of these shows have become such fierce competition to gain your attention that the sole purpose of the show has been forgotten, which is the reality of your wedding.  It’s turned into a lot of glitz and glam, which is not realistic at all for most brides. Big flat screen TV’s, tons of lighting, illuminated furniture and aggressive car salesman approaches to gain your business.

You have to stay focused and realize that this is like going to a car show where the most expensive vehicles are out there in hopes that one person will come along and purchase that six figure car. The “car salesman” is selling you on a lot of expensive pre-fabricated extras. Let’s just say, the sizzle without the steak.

Make a list before you go to the show with your top five needs in order of importance to you and try to stay focused on those vendors.  Once you’ve accomplished your mission, then you can move on to the extras. Don’t be fooled by pushy sales techniques, flashing lights, and expensive set-ups.

The vendors shouldn’t be focused on what they want you to buy, rather what’s important for making your day uniquely yours.

Plan an eco-chic wedding (image courtesy of A Day of Elegance)

I have seen a wonderful trend of bride’s interested in going green for their weddings! This trend will just continue to grow. If you are confused about making a green impact, these tips will help! I recently stumbled upon the blog Intimate Weddings. It is packed full of wonderful inspiration, DIY ideas, and fantastic tips like these! I wanted to share Christina’s 10 tips for an Eco-Friendly Wedding with you today for Wedding Wednesday!

Read her entire post here.

(courtesy of Intimate Weddings)

1. Go Small. The fewer guests you have, the less fossil fuels that will be used. You’ll also consume less, and create less garbage. Having a small guest list will also give you more choice of venues. Why not have your small wedding at a designated green inn or have a restaurant reception at a restaurant that serves local food?

2. Buy Consumable Favours. Consumable favours are fun, fabulous and earth friendly. Some suggestions include diy favors such as homemade jam, chocolate, cookies, candy, free-trade coffee, beeswax candles, handmade soap or lotion. If you still want to take the non-consumable route, what about cloth shopping bags, reusable produce bags, or other products that will help your guests pursue an eco-friendly lifestyle? Don’t forget to include information about local shops that carry eco-friendly products along with your favours.

3. Don’t buy any favours. Another wonderful option for favours is to donate money to a charity in the names of each guest. The guest receives a card that informs him or her that instead of a favour, money was donated to a specific charity. Read more about favor donations here.

4. Be a ‘Locavore’. Choose a caterer or restaurant that sources ingredients locally. Buying local ingredients supports your area farmers, as well as decreases your carbon imprint. Even better, choose locally sourced organic foods, and offer vegetarian choices for your meat-free guests.

5. Have your Ceremony and Reception in the Same Location. This will mean less travel for you and your guests. Many inns and bed and breakfasts can accommodate both the ceremony and the reception.

6. Use Potted Plants instead of Cut Flowers for Centerpieces. I admit, I’m crazy about fresh flowers, but I also love the idea of being able to enjoy my centerpieces long after the wedding. Potted flowers are lovely – so are potted herbs and saplings.

7. Buy a Second Hand Wedding Dress and Bridesmaid Dresses. Have you seen some of the gorgeous vintage gowns at www.vintageous.com?

8. Ditch the Disposables. Don’t even think about having disposable cameras at your wedding. Chances are your guests will bring their own digital camera. You can even remind them in your invitation that you’d love for them to capture their wedding with their own camera and send you the images. And don’t forget the DIY wedding photo download station.

9. Don’t use Throwaway Dishes or Flatware. Use china dishes, flatware, cloth napkins and glasses instead of plastic cups. Not only will this save a ton of waste, it will look more elegant.

10. Scrap the Balloons and Confetti. Do you really need confetti? If you feel it’s a must, then use flower petals. Avoid balloons when decorating, as well as any other landfill bound decorations.