Saturday, June 7, 2008

Saturday's Wedding ABC's

J.  J is for java.  It is always a good idea to set up coffee as a station after the meal.  The wedding cake can also be served on the same station.  Guests shouldn't be sitting at their tables by the time coffee is served - they should be dancing!  Add to the coffee station by adding an espresso bar.  And remember, coffee cups are never on the table at the start of the meal.  They're added later.

K.  K is for keepsake.  Ask someone to collect things from the wedding for you to keep.  Your escort card, your menu, your bouquet, imprinted napkins, programs.  In the celebration you will probably forget, so asking someone to collect these items is always a good idea.

L.  L is for linens.  You can easily rent linens to use on your guest tables, cocktail tables, cake table, etc.  Rented linens will give you a big impact for a relatively small investment.  

Friday, June 6, 2008

Getting to Know Flowers

Getting to Know Flowers

Hydrangea
Comes in white, pink, blue, lilac, green, and red/brown

Tulip
Come in nearly every color except for blue and a true black


Agapanthus
Comes in shades of blue to white

Thursday, June 5, 2008

A Room with a View

We had a wonderful few days down at the Eastern Shore at the Hyatt Chesapeake Bay in Cambridge, Maryland.  We had a few goals while we were visiting:  finalize everything for Angela and Trey's Wedding on the 14th and work on a birthday celebration weekend in August.  Kim Seward from the Hyatt made our visit extra special with a wonderful room and a special
 wine and cheese treat.  Work hard, play hard right?  We did all of our research and then some!

The view from our oh-so-wonderful room.  We didn't want to leave.
 
Our wine and cheese treat from Kim.  Yum!

The view from our lunch at Town Dock Restaurant in St. Michaels, Maryland

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Fix it Fast

Fix it Fast Makeup Quick Fixes

Urban Decay Lingerie & Galoshes for Lashes
$17 on Sephora.com



Tarte Rest Assured Brightening Wand
$22 on Sephora.com



Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer
$36 - $42 on Sephora.com

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Stamp out your Stamps

With all of the changes at the United States Postal Services we've run into issues with stamps for wedding invitations.  The problem?  They're just not pretty enough.  The answer?

Custom Stamps
Zazzle.com and PhotoStamps.com will both create custom stamps with the image and denomination of your choice.  The custom stamps run about $5 - $10.00 in addition to the postage costs.

Be sure to have your invitations weighed and measured by the post office before ordering.  There are so many rules about the size, weight, and flexibility of the final envelope you have to go to the actual post office and have them test it for you.

What to put on there?
An engagement picture, a favorite snapshot, or even a picture of your dog!

You can use them for your Save the Dates, Invitations, RSVP cards, or Thank You Notes.

Monday, June 2, 2008

Modern with a splash of Purple

Photobucket

Amy and Adam were married on Saturday in a beautifully simple ceremony. They stood under a pretty cherry blossom and willow chuppah (designed by Christine at Fleur de Lis and Perkins Productions) with their parents, brothers, and sisters.

Although an earlier rain storm threatened to move the photo session indoors, the skies cleared and fabulous photographer Amy Deputy was able to photograph the bride and groom and wedding party on the amazing grounds of the Elkridge Furnace Inn.

The tent dazzled with cool cucumber green linens from Select Event Rentals and were accent by deep purple roses and hydrangea centerpieces in crystal bowls. Natural wood chivari chairs also from Select complimented the soft color pallette.
The bride's mom spent many weeks gathering beautiful picture frames (shown in the photo here) and a photo of each couple attending the wedding. Once assembled, the frame and photo served as both the escort card with a table assignment and a wedding favor. It might have been a lot of work to complete the project but the result was terrific and the talk of the wedding.

The couples wedding logo was designed by the bride's sister Carrie, a graphic artist and was repeated on the ceremony programs, menu cards, cocktail napkins, and chocolate chip cookie favor tags. It was a simple, modern element that showed Amy and Adam's simple aesthetic. The romantic decor was enhanced by the large lighted lanterns hung in the tent by the staff at Perkins Productions. They glowed all evening and managed to stay clear of the raised chairs during the Hora.

Guests dined at various food stations positioned throughout the tent until the talented Johnny Artis Band cranked it up and the dance floor was full to capacity. There was even a surprise performance by the 'Blues Brothers' - a one night only show led by Amy's father.

Congratulations Amy and Adam!

Sunday, June 1, 2008

A Helping Hand

We love listening to the toasts at wedding receptions.  They're a little peak into the non-wedding planning lives of our bride and groom.  We learn so much about their taste and style but often learn a lot about their friendships and family relationships in the toast.

At Heather and Andy's wedding we heard about how they met (on a trek through Burma!) and about their giving natures.

We wanted to share one element of the toast - specifically about Andy's Bachelor Party.  Now, normally we frown upon sharing details of the bachelor party during the toast.  No one wants to hear that much about drinking and debauchery.

Andy's Pre-Wedding Celebration had a different feeling.  He went to a shelter and served meals to those persons less fortunate to himself.  It was a great bonding experience for his groomsmen and they were able to help people who needed it.
What a terrific way to balance out that feeling of decadence and self indulgence that is sometimes involved with a wedding.  Add it to your bachelor or bachelorette party or make it a separate outing.  It's sure to make an impact on you and your wedding party.