Sparrow Creek Ranch Open House

Sunday, April 8th  ::  12:00pm-5:00pm

Sparrow Creek Ranch

6 Miles Outside Graham on Highway 16

6800 Highway 16 South
Graham TX 76450

:: Come Have Fun! ::

Strolling Fashion Show

Bridal Swag Bags

Prize Drawings

Food + Beverages

Mini-Barn Champagne Bar

Two Ceremony Setups

Reception Setup

Cakes & Samples

Lounge Area

Beautiful Décor Displays

Photo Booths

Our vendors are putting together some amazing things for the open house!

:: Participating Vendors ::

Audrey's Flowers

Borrowed Treasures TX

Bridal by Mãia

Cakes by Teresa Ford
Cozy Cruiser Photo Booth - RV&V

DJ Platinum T

Double R Trading Co.

Holiday Inn Express Graham

Joy's Flowers

Krazy Cakes

Lucero Cervantes Photography

Michéll Events

Mike's Westside Rental

Mirror Magic North Texas

Neri's on the Square

Providence Place Bridal Salon

Season Hallelujah

Sister & Sister - SASE Shirts

Sparrow Creek Ranch

Whimsy Smith Photography

Whitney Bowman Photography

Wooden Benches - Addison Schafer

#SignatureSaturday :: Easter Basket Cocktail

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz Cherry Vodka
• .5 oz Triple Sec
• 3 oz Half and Half or Milk
• Dash of Grenadine

Instructions 

1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and all of your ingredients.
2. Shake generously.
3. Pour cocktail into your specially decorated martini glass.

Preparation time: 3 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 1

Prepare the Serving Glass

1. Take a Martini Glass and rim it with simple syrup. If you don’t have simple syrup, wetting the rim with sugar water can work too.
2. Dip the Martini Glass rim in green coconut flakes. Use green food coloring to dye coconut flakes green.
3. Take a marshmallow Peep and adorn the glass with it. Adds a nice touch to the Easter Basket Cocktail and a nice treat when you finish your drink. Feel free to garnish your tray of martini glasses with Easter Jelly Beans.

Cocktail recipe from VodkaOnly.

Vendor Spotlight :: Lucero Cervantes Photography

I had coffee with Lucero last week to chat about an event we have coming up, and it was such a lovely time! How about this...we ordered the exact same coffee! White chocolate mocha! She is such a beam of light and such a sweetheart! Her style of photography is bright, light and colorful...as well as her personality! A beautiful style for weddings and engagements! Check out some of her work below and see what she does. Amazing things come from behind this lens! So glad to have connected with Lucero and can't wait to work with her next week at the Sparrow Creek Ranch Open House!

Website :: www.lucerocervantesphotography.com

Facebook :: Lucero Cervantes Photography

Instagram :: @lucerocervantesphotography

Planning Tips :: 5 Huge Wedding Disasters to Avoid

BEING OVER-BUDGET
It happens to most, and it's a stressful thing to tackle. Create a budget from the very beginning and adhere to it. If it goes awry somewhere, remember that the #1 way to trim the budget is to cut the guest list. It's a hard thing to do, but it's the quickest way to get dollars back. Cut one table of 8 guests and you'll save 8 meals, 8 beverage tabs, 8 favors, 8 place cards, 8 menu cards, 8 invitations, 8 place settings, 8 chairs/chair covers, 8 napkins...plus a table, a linen, and a centerpiece with décor. It will add up quickly! 

INSUFFICIENT POSTAGE

Weigh your invitation & all inserts before mailing so your postage is correct  and your invites  don't get returned for insufficient postage. Ask your stationer for info about additional postage for oddly shaped invites so you're not surprised when average postage isn't enough. You can check weights and rates at your local post office before stamping your invites. Also, you can quickly and easily find the perfect wedding stamps online at USPS.com without even leaving the comfort of your home. Quick and easy!

LONG BAR LINES

The general rule of thumb is 1 bartender per 50 guests to keep the beverage lines to a minimum. Be sure to adhere to that rule. Beer, wine and champagne are quick pour and serve drinks, but mixed cocktails and signature drinks can take longer to put together. If you're serving a cocktail that can't be made in advance, more hands will be needed to keep the line moving along. Make sure to go over guest count, beverage menu, and all other details with your bartender/hired staff to avoid long line disasters.

FEEDING THE CREW
Avoid last minute hiccups by reading your vendor contracts fully and making a note of which vendors require dinner provided. Plan in advance to feed your vendors in attendance. Many of your vendors are with you ALL day from start to finish, so part of their contract might require you to provide lunch or dinner. While you and your guests are eating, it's their chance to break and eat as well. It's not always necessary to provide the prime rib or lobster tail that your guests are dining on. Check into vendor meals with your caterer to see what's available, check into a vendor table for dinner (included in your reception or in another area of the venue) and check all of the vendor contracts to see what's required for dinner.

MOTHER NATURE
Mother Nature can always provide an unexpected surprise! Always have a Plan B (tents, wall panels, air conditioning/heaters, etc...) for surprise rain if you're planning an outdoor event. Temperature should be comfortable, too. Guests won't stay long if they're uncomfortable, so don't let the heat or the cold put a rush on your wedding day for your guests. Offer blankets, heaters, and warm beverages in the cool weather....fans, parasols and cold beverages in the warm weather. Certain times of year are BAD for bugs, so keep that in mind as well. If you're getting married during the swarming season, provide your guests with repellant of some sort.

#SignatureSaturday :: Down The Truck Lane

Chicha morada is a Peruvian beverage made from purple corn, a variant of Zea mays native to the Mesoamerica, and spices. Non-alcoholic, it is a type of chicha usually made by boiling the corn with pineapple, cinnamon, clove, and sugar. Its use and consumption date back to the pre-colonial era of Peru, even prior to the creation of the Inca empire.

Down The Truck Lane!

1 oz @lacaravedopisco Pisco
1 oz @avuacachaca Cachaça
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Green Chartreuse Oleo Saccharum
1/2 oz China Morada
1 Dash Eucalyptus Tincture

Instagram cocktail post by @the_garnishguy.

#DIY :: Flip-Flop Baskets

As the warmer weather approaches, flip-flop season begins! I've done several weddings where brides wanted to provide flip-flops for their guests' aching feet. They're always a huge hit and there are rarely leftovers! So easy to do and so appreciated by the ladies with aching dancing feet!

Buy flip-flops in various sizes from 5-11 (most popular is 7-8), and be sure to pick colors that match your wedding! Find a cute large basket to display them in and the guests can help themselves! You can even go as far as to make thank you tags and/or size tags to hang on each pair or a sign to hang on the basket.

March Anniversaries

Danielle & Nick

March 9

Heba & Ali

March 15

Ulah & Mickey

March 22

Sara & Iqbal

March 22

#SignatureSaturday :: Lucky 43 Punch

I'm not much for the green beer that's so wildly popular today, but this punch sounds right up my alley! Wishing a happy and safe St. Patrick's Day to everyone! Get punched!

Lucky 43 🍀
1 part Irish Whiskey
1/2 part Licor 43
1/2 part Midori
1/4 part Cucumber juice
3/4 part Lemon Juice
Topped with Ginger Beer


Instagram post from @thegarnish_guy

Planning Tips :: 20 Must-Take Wedding Photos

When you put so much thought, time, planning, and money into an event such as a wedding, you want to make sure you have beautiful photos to look back on and remember every detail forever! The photographer you hire to shoot your big day will be skilled at capturing these amazing detail shots, so be sure to let them know any specific shots that are on your "must-take" list. Here are 20 ideas for some of those must-have's that you won't want to miss out on! 

Ring Shot

Bride's Bouquet

The Dress

Getting Ready

Stationery Shot

Bride & Bridesmaids

First Look

Bride & Groom Romantic Moments

Ceremony View

Exchanging Vows

The Kiss

Favors

Escort Cards

Centerpieces

Table Setting

First Dance

The Cake

The Food

Dancing

Getaway Transportation