Put some WOW into your wedding!

Kicking off Spring twenty years ago at the premiere of “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” Elizabeth Hurley may have explored with a consultant about what she would wear to the movie premiere. One action or decision can change the perfect event into something unexpected.

According to news.com.au, Hurley suggests her career may have taken a more serious turn had she not worn the famous Versace safety-pin dress that captured the world’s attention. Hurley became an overnight sensation when she appeared alongside her then boyfriend Hugh Grant wearing the infamous black evening gown for the premiere. The plunging Versace dress was held together by oversized gold safety pins, leaving little to the imagination. “THAT dress,” as it was forever then called, launched her career, but quite possibly the one she desired.

Spring refers to love, hope, youth and growth. Rebirth and renewal are the real purpose of Spring. Yes, the cake, gown and centerpieces are all important, but what about the one detail that takes it over the top? We want to bring new trends and services to make your special event not just beautiful but thought-provoking and modern. There are many details that go into creating a special event, but a final touch is when you incorporate a WOW moment with something new and different.

For the ceremony, a giant chuppah can take your guests breath away. {Pictured: the groom handmade the chuppah for his wife-to-be.} Walking down the aisle, is also a magical moment, and could be show stopping with a fireworks display or a special performance as you walk down the aisle.

Take a few dance lessons before your wedding, but instead of the standard waltz, choose a sultry tango or a high-energy swing routine, and then surprise everyone during your first dance. For an unexpected surprise, get your dad or even your grandpa in on the act. {Pictured: this new bride choreographed a funky dance for the Father-Daughter Dance.}

Just when everyone thinks the fun is winding down, liven up the party with late-night nibbles that will leave everyone ready for an after-party. Think about it: crinkle French fries, fresh chocolate chip cookies and milk shooters, a fully loaded taco bar, or even a chicken and waffle truck!

    

An event should be these: innovative and original. Whether it’s a wedding or a corporate fete.

     

 

 

Should I Really Send a Save the Date?

Should you send Save the Date cards for your wedding?  Is a Save-the-Date really necessary? It is—especially if you’re planning a destination wedding, a summer wedding, or a wedding that falls on a three-day weekend. Not only can they allow your loved ones plenty of time to make arrangements to share in your special day (which is especially important for friends and family who will be traveling to your wedding location) they can be a fun way to give your guests a glimpse into you as a couple, and into the kind of wedding you’re planning.

Save the Dates also encourage travelers to take advantage of travel deals, book flights, and make any other necessary plans sooner than later. Don’t send them too late either. The earlier you can notify guests that they are going to be invited to a wedding, the better.

Think carefully before sending out Save the Dates because they must go to people you are actually going to invite to the wedding.

Don’t make it too obscure. The most important thing is that the main information like your names, the date and location are clear. Also, if you definitely know that you want a single guest to bring a plus one at this stage, add this to the Save the Date. If plus-ones and kids are invited, remember to specify “and guest” or “and family” when addressing save-the-dates. Address cards accordingly—and that means waiting until your guest list is set.

Don’t forget to include your wedding website—if you’re going to create one, it’s best to launch it in time for the save-the-date.

Be creative! Your save the date doesn’t have to exactly match the color scheme or wedding theme you’re having—who knows what that will be at this early stage! Just make it personal to you and your groom.  Filmstrips are popular, as are magnets because they go (and stay) right on the fridge, but a garden-party save-the-date might come in the form of a flower seed packet, and a luggage tag could help guests keep track of your destination wedding date and their suitcase.

Aim to send save-the-dates six to eight months before your wedding, especially if you’re tying the knot in a far-flung destination. http://www.eventsplusstyle.com

Getting Engaged on Valentine’s Day

Are you thinking of popping the question on Valentine’s Day? Yes, THAT question – “Will You Marry Me?” Well, you better make it extra special! Here are a few ideas for you.

The cliché always works, no matter what, it’s special!

Roses Everywhere

Roses. Red Roses. EVERYWHERE. Petals are even more special. Lots of them. In the bathtub, on the bed, in the path into your house or her apartment. If you live together, spread them around while she is asleep or at work. But it should be a rose-sprinkled wonderland. And then, the magic happens. Right before she recovers, you go down on one knee to pop the question: “Will you marry me?”

Cute Cards

Remember those cute cards you gave out in elementary school? Write one reason why you love him or her, or a favorite memory on each one. Plant them everywhere on Feb. 14: in jacket pockets, near the toothbrush, purse, the refrigerator, cupboards, on the wheel of the car…and anywhere else you can think of…Finally, present the last and biggest card that asks the big question – “Will you marry me?”

Candy Hearts

Who doesn’t love the candy hearts with the sayings on them? Those irresistible candy conversation hearts…lay a trail of those from the front door to the proposal spot where you and the ring await. Add a giant candy paper heart sign that says: “Will you marry me?” for that extra sweet ending!

Sandy Sign

It’s San Diego and there is no snow. BUT, there is sand! Take advantage of it! Find a location with an expanse of untouched sand, and walk the outline of a huge heart and put your initials in the center of it. Pack two wine glasses and a bottle of wine, then go for a sunset walk together. When you “stumble” upon your sand tracing, pause and kneel to propose!

Charm Her

Make her a charm bracelet. Each charm represents a shared memory, and inside joke or a turning point in your relationship. Choose only heart-shaped charms and inscribe each with a meaningful word or memory. The last one could be a miniature locket that opens to the message “Marry Me.”

A few additional ideas that may catch her by surprise! Don’t pop the question on Valentine’s Day night. Do it at a romantic brunch, or an amazing picnic early in the day. He or she won’t be expecting it when the ring appears with the omelet. Ask your Significant Other at the beginning of dinner instead of the end, when he or she is least expecting it. Surprise your loved one with rose petals and a path to the bedroom where the ring box sits waiting on the bed encircled in roses. Flowers: Instead of choosing the ever popular roses, use a bouquet of more exotic and beautiful blooms, particularly if the woman’s flower is something other than a rose. Embrace clichés: For a whimsical proposal, embrace the VD clichés to your advantage. Attach the ring to a pink teddy bear, root through a bag of candy for every heart that says “Marry Me” or rent a Cupid costume for a humorous proposal that has fun with the holiday!

Roughly 10 percent of couples in the United States choose Valentine’s Day as the perfect day to get engaged. For some couples, getting engaged on Valentine’s Day is the most romantic possible way to take their relationship to the next level! The key is to make it unique and meaningful.

 

 

10 Summer Hacks for Your Next Event!

It’s summertime! This is a time to spend with friends and family enjoying the warm, beautiful summer weather. And if you’re planning an outdoor event, you want to be able to take advantage of this weather and create a fun, cool, no hassle, summer-friendly atmosphere. Don’t be stuck inside, go outside and enjoy yourself! Here are 10 summer hacks for your next event.

1) Fun and unique cooler for drinks
Photo Credit: WeddingMix Blog, buzzfeed.com, chicnest.net

2) Sunscreen and bug spray for your guests

Photo Credit: buzzfeed.com

3) Fruit-infused ice blocks for punch

Photo Credit: The Culinary Tribune

4) Pre-scooped ice cream in the freezer

Photo Credit: http://www.kojo-designs.com

5) Fruit salad in a hollowed out watermelon

Photo Credit: buzzfeed.com

6) Monogrammed sunglasses for your wedding guests

Photo Credit: etsy.com

7) Wedding program fan

Photo Credit: weddingchicks.com

8) DIY Firefly jar:
1) Cut glow sticks and shake contents in a jar
2) Add some diamond glitter
3) Seal jar with lid and shake

Photo Credit: redbubble.com

9) Skewer veggies and meat for easier grilling

Photo Credit: cookingglory.com, marthastewart.com

10) Fun activities for all ages! – slip and slide, horseshoes, corn hole, spray paint the grass for twister

Photo Credit: stylemepretty.com

Fashionably Late vs. Too Late?

Have you ever wondered what is an acceptable time to arrive to an event? People typically don’t want to be the first ones to arrive, but showing up too late can delay the event plans and be rude to the host. This does vary depending on the type of the event. Here is our general rule of thumb:

Formal Social Parties; Cocktail, Holiday and Intimate Dinner Parties

Most of these parties involve a mailed invitation and have a timeline of events with a scheduled meal service.  You should arrive close to the invitation time. Fashionably Late is 0 – 15 minutes after invitation time. Too late is when you get beyond 30 minutes, when the mingling is winding down and meal service begins. The exception to the rule would be if you let the host know that you’d like to come, but would not be able to make it until a certain time. They can let you know if that would be acceptable and plan accordingly. If the formality and timeline is unclear on the invitation, it is best to ask.

Less Formal Parties; Networking Events, Open Houses and BBQs

Most often these events involve an email invitation, are a shorter time frame and have open food stations for people to come and go as they please. In this case, arriving an hour or so late is acceptable, but you don’t want to show up right before the end. You want to be able to enjoy the event and let the host know you appreciated the invitation and experience.

Wedding Ceremonies 

Guess what? Weddings do actually start on time! It is very important to be on time or early. Being late could mean walking in during the processional, which can be disruptive and awkward!

Featured Vendor: Le Parfait Paris

Introducing…Le Parfait Paris “The finest food for the finest city”!

One of our newest dessert vendors, Le Parfait Paris brings the highest quality of traditional French products to San Diego. They carefully select superior ingredients to satisfy your high standards and offer some of the most amazing dessert options for your wedding, corporate or social event.

Their list of delicious French culinary classics include traditional French wedding cakes, wedding cake alternatives and dessert tables that incorporate Petit Fours, miniardise, macarons, and pastries. In addition, they offer an option to invent your own personalized desserts and savory petit four based on your unique ideas.

1} Wedding Cakes

They offer several different traditional French wedding cakes; The Croquembouche {think…choux pastry balls}, The Macaron Tower Cake and The Madelaine Layer Cake, as well as custom designed Layer Cakes. All of  their cakes can be customized to include your favorite flavors, colors and design that perfectly fits your reception theme.

2} Cake Alternatives

Not a fan of cake, but love miniature desserts like Petits-Fours, Creme Brulee, Cheesecake and Meringue? Le Parfait Paris can create your favorite bite-size confectioneries displayed on tiered platers to resemble a wedding cake. The Petits-Fours and Creme Brulee Cakes are very impressive on display as the wedding cake or as a compliment to a dessert table.

3} Dessert Tables

Le Parfait Paris offers a wide selection of desserts that can be incorporated into your custom dessert table. Options include fruit tartlets made of seasonal fresh fruits over almond flavored sweet pastry crust and a vanilla custard, an wide selection of macarons in flavors and colors of your choice, delicate meringues, and divine verrines, mousses, choux and other miniardises. The dessert table is a great way to add a delicate touch to your dream reception and…a deliciously sweet treat for your guests!

Visit Le Parfait Paris at their new Cafe & Boutique in the Gaslamp at 555 G Street !

If you are interested in more information for your wedding, corporate or social event, please contact us for more information. We’d be happy to set up your tasting!

Tips for Newly Engaged Couples!

Congratulations to all the couples that got engaged over the holiday season!!! We are so excited for you! Here are a few tips to help you enjoy this special time and not get stressed while starting the wedding planning process.

1. Embrace this Time! How exciting to that your sweetheart is now your “fiancé”! {and yes it does take a little bit getting use to saying this…as will “husband”!}. This is such an amazing exciting time in your life. Have fun announcing the engagement to your family and friends, showing off your ring 😉 and spending dates doing things you enjoy + talking about your future together!

• Have an Engagement Party…but keep it simple! ~ An engagement party is a fun way to celebrate. However, it is very important to keep this party fun, exciting and simple. Maybe a cocktail style party at a friend’s house or  meeting at your first date restaurant with friends for drinks. Can’t find a date that works for everyone? No sweat! Plan different times to get together with friends and share your excitement over again!
• Ease into Wedding Planning ~ Chances are, you don’t need to have everything planned by tomorrow! Have fun talking about wedding plans and getting ideas and suggestions from family and friends. Nothing is set in stone these days and a lot of the important decisions can be made after you have time to talk with your fiancé and close family members. More on this below…
• Don’t forget to Date ~ Never stop dating! NEVER. This one of my “old married gal” rules, lol. Plan date nights to go out to restaurants and do things you like to do together. Saving money for the wedding? Probably! Date night can be done on the cheap…catch a sunset, take a hike, picnic, or have a movie night in.

 2. Setting the Tone. First things first, here is a list of things you should decide before starting your venue search.

• Location ~ It is probably very likely that you and your fiancé didn’t grow up in the same city or state and you probably have family spread across the country. This can make setting the location a little tricky. For myself, I grew up in Chicago, my now Husband grew up in Colorado, and we had lived all over the state of California with family across the US. My parents were primarily hosting the wedding, so I was kind of ‘told’ that weddings were in Chicago. But, at the same time I think this was my vision all along…so it all worked out.  Another situation I have run into is when both couples were born and raised in the same city and state, thus the guests lists of people would be incredibly large. This might be a situation where you consider a destination or semi-destination wedding. This is the part where involving your fiancé and family members; exspecially the ones hosting the wedding is very important. The location of the wedding should be decided prior to contacting any venues and most vendors, so you don’t waste your time or theirs.
• Time of Year ~ It is best to narrow down a season and year you’d like to get married before shopping and have some potential dates in mind. If you have a date that is special to you both that is great, but keep in mind that it may limit your venue selection due to availability. Popular dates are typically holiday weekends and dates that have consecutive numbers that fall on a weekend. If you are set on a date or have a popular weekend in mind, it’s best to search at least a year out…or more!
•  Style ~ The venue you choose sets the stage for the evening, so determining your style before searching is a must. Your style may change slightly over the process and you don’t need to finalize all the details, but you should have a general idea. For instance, do you want a backyard rustic wedding in a barn,  a formal elegant wedding in a historic mansion, or a casual beach wedding with ocean views?
•  Budget ~ Oh yes, the budget. Not the most fun thing to discuss, but it’s a good idea to know what you have to spend before starting your search. Generally, your venue/catering/beverage costs will be about 50% of your total budget {depending on a specific factors/tastes/preferences}. A planner or coordinator can help with this, which brings me to my next point.

3. Vendors…who to hire first?

• Wedding Planner/Coordinator ~ Weather you are looking to hire a full service planner or a Day of/Month of Coordinator {or not even sure what’s the difference!}, it is good to meet with a planner in the beginning stages. They can typically offer some venue and vendor suggestions to get you started on the right foot. We offer a complimentary concierge service and will actually get quotes for services you may need or just refer you to them together, regardless if you hire us as your planner or coordinator. If you choose a full service planner, they will be with you throughout the planning process and on the big day to make sure things go perfectly. If you decide to do most of the planning yourselves, we highly recommend a Day of or Month of Coordinator. This involves the Coordinator working with you in the last months before the big day to make sure you are organized and help with putting together a final timeline, confirming details with vendors, coordinating your rehearsal, and assisting you on the wedding day.
• Photographer ~ It is also a good idea to book your photographer well in advance. We highly recommend doing an engagement session and actually have a full blog post on the topic. The main benefits are to have the opportunity to work with your photographer before the big day. It is very likely that you have not had a professional session together. This is a great time to get a feel for being photographed together by your photographer. After the shoot, you have the chance to see the photos and provide feedback of the ones you like best. The professional photos can be used for things throughout the wedding. ie. save the date, wedding wedding, ceremony programs, reception portraits. A lot of times it is also very affordable or part of the photography package. It’s also a fun time together {date day!}.

4. Don’t stress and have fun!

Author: Sara Holley

Proposal Idea: A Christmas Proposal

Are you thinking about popping the question?

What better time to propose than over the Christmas Holiday! With all the warmth and holiday cheer, it just couldn’t be more perfect. Check out this amazing Christmas Proposal.

Who could say No to MARRY ME in Chocolate?

Special Thanks to Contributing Vendors:
Event Design: Urban Style the wedding network
Photography: David Difuntorum
Desserts: Tailored Sweets
Flowers: Camellia Wedding Flowers
Venue: The Loft @ UCSD
Boxes: Paper Scissors Print
Hair: Hair by Andrea
MakeUp: Melissa Rae & Co