Pros and Cons of Seasonal Event Planning

So you’ve decided to plan a wedding…that was the easy part!  When planning a special event, the choices and decisions can be intimidating and overwhelming, but they also allow you to have fun and be creative.

The next few blog posts will discuss common dilemmas that arise when planning a special event, beginning with the choice of seasons.

Spring, Fall, Summer, Winter

winter wedding planningEach season offers plenty of advantages and disadvantages, and of course, the weather is always a factor.

Winter special occasions are beautiful, especially with the holidays as a background for your theme.  Colors naturally present themselves as do fabrics and flowers.  However, because of the unpredictability of winter weather, no matter where you live, you need to have contingency plans.  A friend of mine planned a March wedding in Georgia which should have been a relatively safe time of year, except for the blizzard that suddenly swept through.  However, because the event was taking place at a hotel, many guests, including the entire wedding party, had already arrived.  Additionally, because the event was in downtown Atlanta, transportation was still possible. Continue reading “Pros and Cons of Seasonal Event Planning”

Follow Your Instincts; Choose What You Love

Interior decorators have a tip.  Buy what you love, and your choices will complement each other.  See an antique side table you love?  See a trendy new lamp that you also love?  If you stay true to your tastes, your selections will work together, even (or especially) when they are from different eras.

Planning a wedding should be the same fun and unique experience.  Choose what you love for your colors, your dress, your centerpieces, and your ceremony.  The result will be a reflection of you and your special tastes and preferences, and your wedding will be a memorable experience for everyone involved.

If you like yellow, choose yellow, even if the formal magazines say bright orange is the current trend.  If you want orchids, have orchids.  If you want three flower girls, have three flower girls.

One trend with weddings is that you don’t have to follow all of the traditional rules, but you can, instead, create your own traditions.  Consider a sand ceremony instead of the unity candle, especially for an outdoor wedding when the candle could easily blow out.  If you have two nephews that you don’t want to choose between for ring bearers, then have them both.  That’s what I did, and it worked out beautifully. Continue reading “Follow Your Instincts; Choose What You Love”

Cultural Wedding Series: Hindu Indian Weddings

This blog writer once had the unforgettable experience of peeking inside an Indian woman’s closet. The saris were every color of the rainbow, even the pastels brilliant! The lady showed me the sari she had worn to her daughter’s wedding. Its richness was breath-taking.

Traditional mehendi drawn on the hand of a bride.

A Hindu Indian bride’s sari is richly decorated in gold embroidery and bangles. Brides from Northern India prefer red, Northeast India white with a red border, the South yellow, green and white silk, and the West an embroidered skirt with a blouse. Most all Indian brides present themselves fragranced with perfume, palms of hands and feet painted with mehendi designs, hair bedecked with flowers, necks draped with necklaces, and ankles gracefully moving with tinkling silver anklets called payals.

Hindu grooms are not to be outdone. They sometimes sport a sword and a jewel-decorated turban called a tupi and arrive for their wedding on horseback, preceded by a brass band! Continue reading “Cultural Wedding Series: Hindu Indian Weddings”

A Gasp-Guaranteed Vintage Wedding Reception: 7 Tips Formal-Style

Vintage Weddings Part 2:  Formal

Earlier this month we ruminated on the difference between eclectic and formal

Tussie-mussies were common flower holders during the Victorian era.

vintage-styled wedding receptions.  Both have their charm, for sure.  Eclectic allows for a more laid-back, mix-n-match style that can showcase your individual interests and creativity.  Scouring antique shops and attics adds to the treasure-hunt fun of this look!  But preparing a more formal vintage reception can truly recreate the height of Victorian elegance.  If you have family heirlooms, this is the time to show them off.

Starting with our white and cream base colors, picture adding a metallic touch – either silver or gold.  Anchor your table with a stunning centerpiece like the 24”  or 40” Nikki Candelabra.  Or the silver 20” stand with glass votive holders.  Take that look farther by using the Willow Tree line for your aisle candelabras and hanging crystal votive holders in the trees surrounding your reception.  Enchanting! Continue reading “A Gasp-Guaranteed Vintage Wedding Reception: 7 Tips Formal-Style”

Cultural Wedding Series: The Muslim/Sikh Indian Wedding

India: a land of mystery, beauty, and long-standing traditions. Marriage in India is greatly influenced by the religious culture, and that’s why we’ll be dividing our discussion into two parts: Muslim/Sikh and Hindu.

There are a few similarities between the types of unions. Engagements in India were traditionally accompanied by a bridal dowry, which has since been outlawed. Still, sometimes the bride and groom initially meet each other at their engagement party, where gifts are given and sweets are served! Being of the same caste (social standing and function) is of utmost importance. Weddings are often held in a tent, courtyard or garden of the home of one of the pair. And sometimes in India, as well as Iran, Syria and Turkey, the couple may try to step on each other’s toes during the ceremony because it’s said the one who succeeds will be the boss of the new union! Continue reading “Cultural Wedding Series: The Muslim/Sikh Indian Wedding”

A Gasp-Guaranteed Vintage Wedding Reception: 7 Tips Eclectic-Style

Vintage Weddings Part 1: Eclectic

Planning a winter or spring vintage wedding? Don’t be overwhelmed by the myriad ideas and facts online! It’s easy to organize your planning to create a stunning reception for your guests, whether you’re a purist Victorian with a morning wedding and breakfast reception (don’t forget to create a special corner where the bridal couple can welcome guests – perhaps using a colonnade or arches) or a later, more traditional afternoon wedding with finger foods or seated dinner.

Really there are two ways you can go: eclectic (think worn patinas on furniture and decorations, whimsical, shabby chic – with the occasional glitter of crystal or the muted shine of a silver service) or elegant (picture formal candelabras and centerpieces in silver or gold with organza chair sashes or pintuck table overlays reminiscent of a Victorian gentleman’s waistcoat). Either way there’s a common starting point: the fresh palette of whites and creams that echo the purity of a formal vintage wedding. Continue reading “A Gasp-Guaranteed Vintage Wedding Reception: 7 Tips Eclectic-Style”

Cultural Weddings Series: The Jewish Wedding

How many of you have seen Fiddler on the Roof? If you have, scenes from the sacred-turns-riotous wedding are forever imprinted on your mind. The symbolism and simple beauty of the ceremony giving way to joyous celebration presented the very essence of the historic Jewish wedding. Now days, things may have changed, but Jewish weddings here and abroad often echo these same traditions, most strongly among the Orthodox Jews, but also somewhat with the Conservative or Reform congregants.

Traditionally, many Jewish matches were made when the children were quite young. There might have been a ceremonial betrothal meeting where the bride unveiled her face to the groom-to-be. Seven days before the actual marriage, the bridal dowry would have been displayed and a party given for the bride. Continue reading “Cultural Weddings Series: The Jewish Wedding”

The Napkin That Talks

A napkin: just an unimportant piece of cloth in the grand scheme of your wedding reception or party. Right? Actually, this unassuming bit of fabric is a little item that, presented properly, can pack a big punch! Boldly colored amid snowy linens, folded creatively and standing tall, or offering your guest a surprising trinket to take home, the napkin can go a long way toward making the lasting impression you desire.

Basically there are two options to consider when you’re urging that limp little napkin to “talk” to your guests: beautiful folding techniques or unique embellishments. If you choose an unadorned, folded napkin, it’s easy to find a number of photo-illustrated, step-by-step instructions online for creating French or diamond pleats, goblet or opera fans, various pouches to cradle your silverware, or a plethora of stunning shapes like the rose, crown or cardinal hat.

Impressively folded napkins like this crown style can steal the show.

Continue reading “The Napkin That Talks”

Intro to a Tour of Cultural Weddings

The traditional trappings of an American wedding can be colored by heritage and cultural tradition.

Here in America we possess a fairly standard expectation of what the typical wedding might look like: the bride in white, groom in a dark tuxedo, bridesmaids and groomsmen with a ring bearer and flower girl, a ceremony at a church or beautiful outdoor locale, a reception at a banquet hall where the bridal couple cut the white bride’s cake together then everyone scrambles for a piece of the chocolate groom’s cake, toasts are made, the couple dances, the bouquet and garter are tossed, and the bride and groom make their exit to a decorated getaway car amid a hail of birdseed or bubbles (“no rice, thank you” – from the birds).

But – there are pockets of our population where weddings may look quite different. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, non-Hispanic white persons in 2010 comprised 63.7% of the country’s ethnic make-up. That leaves a large portion of residents whose matrimonial traditions may draw heavily from their home countries. And even among the 63.7%, you might be surprised at some European customs that can still flavor wedding plans in America today! Continue reading “Intro to a Tour of Cultural Weddings”

Decorating for Your Elegant Valentine Party or Wedding – With 5 Fun Activities

One-stop shopping at Wholesale Event Solutions makes preparing for an elegant Valentine’s Day party or wedding as easy as tying a knot! … Well, we guess it depends what kind of knot!

Silver place settings create counterpoint to Valentine-colored decorations.

Start by selecting your table linens, chair covers and sashes in white, pink and red, topped by our ostrich feather centerpieces in those same Valentine colors. Even roses would have trouble making a bolder statement, and what could be more unique than our full bouquets of elegant plumes? Next, imagine the stunning counterpoint of silver plate chargers! And the complement of an eye-catching focal piece on your main table or in your entryway: a wired, lighted crystal tree hung with whimsical Valentine cards, ornaments and hearts. Continue reading “Decorating for Your Elegant Valentine Party or Wedding – With 5 Fun Activities”