Make "Green" One Of Your Colors

Just because your wedding will have a significant impact on your wallet doesn't mean it has to have a significant impact on the environment. Here are just a few ways the environmentally conscious brides and grooms can incorporate "Green" in their wedding.

In the center of attention
The best way to get the most out of your centerpieces is to allocate them for a variety of uses. Reuse your flowers by transforming ceremony flowers into table decorations at the reception. After the party, donate them to a local hospital or senior citizen center or send them home with your guests. If you do choose to donate them, delegate that responsibility to a groomsmen or friend of the family to take care of the following day.

If you are looking for a vessel for the center of your table to hold flowers, sea shells or colorful rocks, consider vases made from recycled glass or a bamboo bowl, due to renewable tendencies. Recycled Glassworks has some beautiful original bowls created from recycled glass. The colors and patterns are fantastic and will allow you plenty of creativity and color options when it comes to filling the center of the table. For an even more dramatic table, set it off with a reclaimed wood with votive candle holders. All of these can be special ordered in large quantities.
   

If you prefer to leave the centerpieces up to the professionals that ok too. Ask your florist about what earth friendly options they may already have!

Can you do me a Favor?
There is no better way to make a green statement and to encourage others to do the same than to give eco-friendly wedding favors to your wedding guests. Made of earth friendly, natural materials, eco-friendly wedding favors are kind to the planet and safe for the environment.

Now this is one great wedding favor that serves double duty! Not only is it a place card for your guests its a wedding favor they can take home and plant to watch the wildflowers grow.


It has been said that bamboo is luckiest when it is received as a gift, which makes these beautiful Natural Bamboo Coasters a delightful and thoughtful way to thank your guests for sharing in your wedding day.



100% pure beeswax candles are unlike any other candles. They create beautiful ambiance with their warm glow, soft honey scent and air purifying effects that don’t release toxins.



You're invited!
Your wedding announcement or invitation can set the tone for your environmentally friendly wedding. There are many options today for 100% recycled, partially recycled or completely tree free papers from wedding invitation suppliers. Consider all these places for paper on your wedding day:

•engagement announcements
•save the date cards
•wedding invitations
•ceremony programs
•place cards
•menu cards
•thank you notes

A great way to significantly cut down on paper and waste is by creating a personalized wedding website.  Many wedding planning websites such as WeddingWire.com and TheKnot.com offer free wedding website templates for you to use once you register on their site. Along with the environmental benefits, a wedding website is also a great way to keep all your guest informed. You can post hotel recommendations, directions, and entertainment options for out of town guests. You can also have links to your registries.

So, having a little green in your wedding really isn't that hard. All it takes is a bit of extra thought, reasearch, and a few great reasorces!

A Message To All Brides

Congratulations on getting engaged! Now comes the fun (but complex) task of planning your dream wedding. The best and most important piece of advice I can give you is this: Don't wait to start planning your wedding. There is much more to a wedding than the cake, flowers, and the dress. Those are things that people remember from your wedding. But, How will the cake get from the baker's to the venue? How much will it cost to have the flowers delivered and who's going to meet the florist when they get there? Where is the best place to get your dress fitted and altered if necessary? All of these logistical questions any many many more MUST be addressed and answered before your dream wedding can take place. One of the worst things you could possibly do is procrastinate

What concerns me is when brides start comparing their wedding planning process to other brides that they know. "Well, my cousin Jill planned her wedding in 7 months and it turned out fine. So, I'm going to wait to start planning my wedding till about that time." No. No, No, No,....and NO.
Everyone's wedding is different. Everyone's wedding plans will face different challenges. The more time you have to address these inevitable challenges the easier and LESS STRESSFUL the whole planning process will be. And this is very important to understand especially if you are planning the wedding yourself. Twelve months out is a must!

A large part of the necessity of having a longer planning period has to do with the vendors. I've said it before that you should start looking for venues for your wedding ASAP. Wedding and Reception venues get booked up over a year in advance. I know a woman that booked her wedding venue BEFORE she had a groom. There was a 2 year waiting list for the chapel she wanted to have her dream wedding in. So she picked a date and booked it. Luckily for her the most amazing man entered her life at just the right time.
Even some florists get booked over a year in advance. I was at A Floral Affair yesterday when a bride entered inquiring about prices for bouquets. The showroom hostess asked what the date of the wedding was. The bride said it was next November. The hostess said "Let me check if that date is available." Yes you read that right, NEXT NOVEMBER.
And sometimes, things just go wrong that are out of your control. For example, the wedding I planned for Shawn and Robert Jordan. We booked the caterer in plenty of time. They had the menu picked out and everything. Then a few months before the wedding, the caterer went out of business. We had to scramble to find a new one who was available for their wedding date. But, we had time to do that. You know why??? Because we were on schedule with everything else. Because we started early.

So, please please please for the sake of your sanity and the sanity of those who are helping you in this process.... Don't put this off. The last thing I want to see is a bride stressing 3 weeks before her wedding about something that could have been taken care of 3 months ago.

My excuse.....Disney.

Hello Everyone,
I apologize for neglecting my blog for a month. Everything has gotten a bit crazy with trying to get Andrea and Jason starting on their wedding preparations, traveling to and from Columbia, SC, and a great week long trip to Disney World! Visiting Disney is like visiting a second home for me. There are so many amazing people that I met while I lived and worked there. Going to the parks, staying with the friends I traveled down with, and visiting all my Florida people was a balancing act of epic proportions. I needed two days just to recover!

 
But besides this trip being jam packed, it was also extra special. My friends that I traveled with, Shawn and Robert Jordan, got engaged during the fireworks at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party on October 15th 2010. This was their first trip back to Disney since then so it was a two year anniversary of sorts. In preparation for this trip Athene Jordan, whom is an excellent seamstress and a very good friend, did the costumes for the group. They were fantastic! And I tried some great new additions to the Food and Wine Festival in EPCOT. Overall, I couldn't have asked for a better trip.

Every time I visit Disney my favorite part is the same: I love discovering the things I never noticed before. And believe it or not.... it always happens! Now, I know what you are thinking..... "What about Splash Mountain?!, Space Mountain?!, and Pirates of the Caribbean?!" Of course, there are some fantastic rides and attractions but I think that there is more magic in the details. Disney in general, has always amazed me with their creativity and meticulous attention to detail. I think that because of my background at Disney I look for and enjoy the small details more than the average guest.  For example: Did you know that the iconic fountain in front of the big EPCOT ball actually dances to music every fifteen minutes? It's like a choreographed fireworks show but with water. Most people breeze right by it on their way to Sorin' or Test Track but it is one of my favorite things. In EPCOT I also enjoy sitting outside the little bakery in France eating a cream brulee just watching the people go by. And going through all the parks looking for "Hidden Mickey's" is always fun.
Side note: Part of the new Fantasyland expansion just opened. In one word: Incredible
 
 Well, there is my excuse. It's a lot better than "My dog ate my laptop." I will be returning to my regular blog posts starting..... NOW. So you have some event planning insights, new recommendations, and updates on the Maroun/Spiskey wedding to look forward to!
~Rachael

It's that time again....

No... not football season. There is a time in every engaged persons life when they have to get down to business when it comes to planning their wedding. And for Andrea Maroun, that time is now. It's 13 months 'til the big day. Up until now we've done some brainstorming, swapped some ideas on Pinterest, and  set up accounts on both The Knot.com and Wedding Wire.com. But after booking the venue at The Yacht Club in Sea Pines Andrea wanted a bit of a break. Which is a understandable. It can be a bit overwhelming for the first few months. Everyone wanting to know EVERYTHING. The where, the when, the dress, the ring, the wedding party, and all the little details about the proposal. Take all those questions and times them by how many friends and family members you both have and you can be sick of your wedding in no time. Especially when you don't have the answers to half of the questions you are being asked. SO I made a deal with Andrea. No more major planning til September. Well, September is here!

 On the 13th Andrea, Jason, and I got together for a little meeting at their house. Andrea was a little worried that I was going to show up with a list of things to do ten miles long with dates ranging from now until next October. But to Andra's relief, that's not how I do things. I plan out a "To Do List" for 3 months at a time. I put it in 2 formats. The first is more of an outline for those who are more checklist oriented. The second format is an actual calendar with tasks and due dates for those who are more visually oriented. Andrea and Jason seemed to like both of them.

I was rather impressed with how prepared they were. They already have their guest list put together. They had decided what stores they wanted to register at. And Andrea knew when and where she wanted to start shopping for her wedding dress. Not too shabby for a first planning meeting. Now, their next decision will be whether to sent out the Save The Date cards in October (to give friends and family a years notice because it will be a destination wedding for just about everyone) or in December as Christmas cards. If they want to send them out in October they have to make a decision on a style and order them by next week. I'll keep y'all posted on that.

Other than that I just have to keep this momentum going and keep them on task. In general, I made September a very light month when it came to items on on Andrea and Jason's checklist. In October we are going to pick up the pace and start to finalize the reception menu, meeting with the Yacht Club catering team, and doing research and visiting rental places. For some background on Andrea and Jason's story please see Maroun/Spiskey Wedding under Current Projects.

Break out your flapper dress and cloche hat. We're going to a party!

I have one word for you: Themes

Themed events are tons of fun and really exciting to plan. To take an idea, expand it, and create an interactive version of it takes vision and creativity.  I personally love themed parties. Almost every party I've gone to from age 14 to 25 had a theme. Now, this is in part due to the creative nature of my family and secondly because of the residence hall I lived in while I was in college. (Shout out to all my former Prestonites!)  When my parents would get their friends together at our house it could be just a casual get together or one of my father's grand ideas. My dad came up with some of the most clever themes. I think the most memorable being the "Come As You Were" party. Basically, who do you think you were in a past life and come to the party as that person. We had a variety or characters show up. Everyone from Cleopatra and The Grand Duchess Anastasia to a Samurai warrior and an Amazon Princess. And my dad.... decided to take a more literal approach and show up in a gorilla suit. Bless him.

Now some people may shy away from theming their event because they fear it might make it feel cheesy and they don't want to exclude someone who can't participate. Both of which are valid concerns. But just because your event has a theme doesn't mean you have to show up in a gorilla suit. You can have a Luau family reunion, a little cowboy baby shower, or a sweet and salty desert party. Each of these would be easily executed without having the guests do too much work or feel too intimidated.

On the other hand....
Going all out from top to bottom can be a lot of fun. If you have some good friends who you know will enjoy a great themed party... go for it! I have a friend in Florida who use to have about 10 themed parties a year at the house she shared with a few friends.  Some of their themes were:

~New Years 

~Masquerade

~Choose Your Own Adventure (come as whatever you want basically, choose your adventure and live it!)

~Spirit Animal          

~Blacklight Party

~Red Party (She raised money for a friend that was in a car accident)

~Rubix Cube (wear all the colors of the rubix cube and trade items [hats, shoes, accessories, t-shirts, etc.] and solve yourself)

~Doppelganger (come as your evil twin)

  There was always a good turn out and people were always anxious to hear what the next theme would be.

                                                                                                              Nicki's spirit animal is an owl

Themed parties can also make good traditions. You can have an annual themed event like a Casino Night on New Years Eve. Or every year on your birthday throw a themed birthday party but change the theme every year. To this day my favorite themed event was the annual "Gatsby Banquet" that Preston Residential College held every Spring. As the name suggests, the banquet was modeled after the parties that the character Jay Gatsby would throw at his house in the book The Great Gatsby. It was held outdoors. Starting on our expansive front porch then moved into the garden behind Preston for dinner and Jazz music. 1920's attire was encouraged though not required but many rose to the challenge. But as long as you made an effort to look formal you were good to go. It was also a good excuse for some of the girls to break out their old prom dresses.

The Gatsby Banquet has been a tradition at Preston since its founding in 1995. And it is something that the residence look forward to every year.

Now that I've given you some ideas and told you about a few of my favorite themed party memories tell me about some of yours! And if you haven't been to a themed party, what theme would you give a party if you threw one yourself?

Whitney & Nick

This past weekend I went to the wedding of my friend Whitney Bragg. (now Whitney McCormac) Just going as a guest was such a nice change from planning a wedding or being in one. The ceremony and reception were at 701 Whaley near downtown Columbia SC. I discovered that 701 Whaley is a great indoor venue! I had never been there before so this was a great chance to check it out and I wasn't disappointed. The ceremony was upstairs in what they call the Olympia Room. It is 2000 square feet with original hardwood floors and 17 foot ceilings. Three lofty windows let natural light stream in with distinctive original walls lending character to the room.
  
(This picture is from their website. I was enjoying the ceremony too much to think about taking pictures)

The reception was downstairs in the Grand Hall. (I love weddings that have the ceremony and reception at the same location. So much easier for everyone.) The Grand Hall has an impressive glass storefront that shows off a striking view of the church steeple across the street and the clock tower of the historic renovated mill. Beautiful late afternoon light streamed through the floor to ceiling windows. And, again, the original walls help create a very unique almost rustic feel to the room. And the 'Grand Staircase' gives a great entrance for the bridal party.

  

(You can tell I am a real fan of these walls.) 

And I really liked the staircase as an option for the wedding party's entrance. It's off to the side. Everyone has a good view without having to be in the front. And the photographer has some great opportunities for really nice pictures.









Now, Whitney is a very crafty person. (and I mean that in the best possible way) She knits, scrapbooks, makes handmade decoration....you name it! So, I expected some special details that were all Whitney and I wasn't disappointed :) 

The Whitney and Nick sign was made from an old table sawed in half, some yarn, and nails. I know the Jamie Williams was a great help with this project and also with the felt flowers that placed within the real floral arrangements. And Whitney's bouquet was made of all felt flowers! Not an easy task but the end result was fantastic! Both these projects were inspired by similar crafts on Pinterest. (Yay Pinterest... lol)

Also something I've seen on Pinterest (although I am not certain that's where Whitney got the idea) were the centerpieces for the tables.

She chose a variety of different flowers with the same color palette but put them in different bottles, jars, or cups. I personally love this idea. It brings dimension, depth, and a sense of uniqueness to each table. Besides the "head table" (picture to the right) all the tables had about the same number of flowers on each. The bottles were actually supplied by the florist which kinda surprised me. I haven't come across a florist that catered to those kind of centerpieces before. So they definitely earned a spot on my Vendor List.  (click on the tab from the home page)

The food was also really good. For starters there was a bruschetta bar and waffle and chicken skewers. They also had a great buffet with broccoli salad, peach chicken, vegetables, shrimp, and BBQ sliders. But what was my favorite you ask?........The waffle and chicken skewers were, hands down, my favorite thing on their menu. I was not expecting them but they were fantastic!





At the end of the day the best part was seeing all my friends together to celebrate the start of a new chapter of Whitney & Nick's life. I wish them the best as they both look forward to a shared future of love, friendship, and the wonderful closeness that is marriage. 

*Gasp*...Oh No!

The two words no one wants to hear on their wedding day. No matter how much planning is done or how organized you are, there is always a chance that something could go wrong. A bridesmaid steps on the hem of her dress and it rips. Whilst taking pre-wedding pictures outside, some dirt leaves smudges on the bride's dress.  The groomsmen forget to take the tags off their vests and you don't want to rip them off in fear of ripping the fabric. And God forbid someone break a nail! A good emergency kit can keep a small mishap from becoming a bigger issue.

Here are a few basic guidelines when it come to emergency kits:
1) Put the kit together in something that can be easily transported.
2) Make a master list of what is to be included and make sure everything is there before the big day.
3) Keep it as organized as possible. (Don't throw it all in a plastic grocery bag and call it a day)
4) MOST IMPORTANT!! Make someone in charge of it! A bridesmaid, the Maid of Honor, Mother of the Bride....anyone! The last thing you want to hear in your time of need is "I thought you had it."

Recently, I have seen some really cute versions of emergency kits pop up on Pinterest.

This one was given to each bridesmaid as a "Bridesmaid's Survival Kit."


This one is cute, colorful, and easy to carry.


This one is labeled...organized....then labeled some more! (I love things organized but...whoa.)

Not my ideal choice for organizing things BUT it is a super cute gift.


More important than what your emergency kit looks like is what you put in it. Here is my list of the essentials:

Aspirin (or pain reliever of choice)
Band-Aids
Bottle of water
Chalk (to cover up any last minute smudges or smears on your wedding dress)
Clear nail polish (for broken nails or stocking runs)
Corsage pins
Dental floss/toothpicks
Deodorant
Eye drops
Extra earring backs
Hair pins/ponytail holder
Hand sanitizer
Hem tape
Matches
Mini sewing kit
Safety pins
Scotch tape
Small folding scissors
Spot remover
Straws (No messing up the girl's lipstick on coffee cups or water bottles )
Tissues
Tweezers
Breath mints
Comb/brush
Cash (just in case)
Hair spray
Makeup (for touch-ups)
Mirror
Nail file
Granola bars or other easy-to-carry snacks
Krazy Glue (for nail fixes, shoe heels, decorations, even jewels)

Now, armed with your crisis management kit, you can rest easy knowing that the little bumps in the road on the way to the alter can be taken care of quickly. But the most important thing to add to your emergency kit is: Perspective. Remember that a broken nail does not a ruined wedding make. (In other words: Don't sweat the small stuff)




*Special thanks to Athena Jordan for some much needed inspiration