Happy Anniversary Adrienne + Brad!

Happy Anniversary to Adrienne & Brad! We provided coordination, florals, linens and lighting for this unforgettable event! They had a beautiful Catholic church ceremony followed by a tented lakeside reception. Such a fun and special day to be a part of! Happy anniversary y'all, and cheers to many more! 

Adrienne & Brad

July 23

  

Planning Tips :: Tips for an Outdoor Summer Wedding

Frozen Drinks & Lighter Food
Choose cool refreshing food for the cocktail hour, appetizers and even dinner options. Frozen beverages can serve as your signature cocktail and keep guests cooled down at the same time. Even cold bottled water provided at an outdoor ceremony is a refreshing chill for your guests on a hot day!

Extreme Cuisine Catering

Opt for Light Fabrics & Skip the Train
Take the heat into consideration when selecting your dress (and brdesmaids dresses and gentlemen's suits). Choose something light that breathes to ensure everyone is comfortable. Also, forego the long train if your ceremony will be outdoors. It will only gather grass stains and other unsightly debris..

David Loi Studios

Keep Your Guests Cool & Protected
If you're having an outdoor summer wedding, make plans to keep your guests cool while they enjoy your outdoor affair. Hand held paper fans (these can even double as ceremony programs), hand held battery powered fans, rented A/C units or misting fans, bottled water, parasols & umbrellas, sunscreen, bug spray....keep your location in mind and keep your guests comfortable. There are many options available so get creative! At one of our June weddings there was a bucket of iced down popsicles at the ceremony, and an ice cream truck parked outside the reception for the guests! Everyone absolutely loved it!

Penguin Perry's Ice Cream Sandwich Truck

Keep the Cake Cool
If you're having an outdoor reception, be sure to have a plan arranged to keep your cake cool until it's needed for photos, cutting and serving. A cake will quickly melt and wilt in extreme temps, so make sure to keep it safe from the heat! Look into naked cakes with minimum frosting for outdoor soirees.

Michell Events

Happy Anniversary :: Candice + Mike

Candice + Mike

June 13

Happy Anniversary to Candice & Mike! 

This sweet couple had a gorgeous lakeside tented reception!

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.

Planning Tips :: Tented Wedding Details

Spring is a perfect season for a tented wedding! Tented weddings can be absolutely gorgeous, and they're the perfect place for a beautiful outdoor celebration no matter the weather. Here are some tips to remember when planning your tented affair!

Most tent rental companies are full service, meaning you can get other needed rental items from them as well (tables, chairs, linens, dinnerware, flooring, heating/air-conditioning, etc...). You may be able to get a better price (and more convenience) by getting everything through one company. Once you choose the venue to set up your tent (park, backyard, beach, etc...), have the vendor come check it out. They will be able to assess the area and make a plan for the best place to set up.

There are three tent styles mostly used for this type of occasion - - pole tents, tension tents and frame tents. Pole tents and tension tents are the larger of the two (30ft wide or more). You can always add sections to make it larger if need be. The frame tent is smaller (more in the range of 10ft wide), and you can also add sections to this style to make it larger.

Tents offer a blank slate and tons of flexibility in designing and decorating your wedding. They are essentially a white, blank canvas that can be transformed into any theme or color you want. Lighting and fabrics are often used to soften the hardware involved in a tent wedding, and the flooring can play into your décor design as well!

If you don't want open sides on the tent, or if the weather calls for protection, walls can be added to the tent. White walls are available for privacy, or clear walls and walls with windows are available if you still want the outdoor views.

Plain ground is not usually suggested, especially for dancing. A dancefloor or flooring the entire tent area will be needed. Many guests will be wearing heels, and soft ground may make it uncomfortable for them, not to mention the mess when it rains.

Be sure to go over your contract with a fine toothed comb. It should show a breakdown of what you're ordering and the cost - - all fees and services, time frame for your rental, setup and tear down, deposit info and balance due date, cancellation policy, additional rentals, etc... Also, it's best to make sure the company is covered by liability insurance.

Use this chart to determine sizing for your tent based on your guest count! Remember to cover your bases while planning, and rest easy enjoying a night outdoors under the stars!

Planning Tips :: Spring Wedding Details

If green grass and colorful flowers and are your thing, spring is the perfect time for your wedding! The weather is lovely for an outdoor affair. Here are some tips and tricks to remember if you plan on being a spring bride!

Even on a rainy day, a spring wedding can offer magical moments if you're prepared! It's always a good idea to keep umbrellas around, both for keeping guests dry and for some sweet photo moments. If you want the look but don't have the rain on your spring wedding day, parasols are another beautiful touch that can be customized for your day!

Sunset time comes later in the spring and the days are beginning to get longer. Make sure to schedule time to sneak away from the reception with your photographer for some outdoor and sunset photos! Take advantage of the beautiful greenery available in the spring!

Springtime has an array of beautiful floral colors blooming! Incorporate springtime blooms and colors into your bouquets and centerpieces for a surefire way to bring the spring into your event. You can even use edible florals in the food presentation. Get creative with the abundance of florals in the spring!

Spring weather is unpredictable and notorious for surprise showers, so for an outdoor affair you should have a back up plan. Look into tent rentals to overcome spring showers, and keep it elegant and classy at the same time!

Planning Tips :: Fall Weddings

Fall is one of my favorite times of year! I love the foliage and the vibrant color changes to yellows, oranges and reds. Fall is definitely a gorgeous time of year for a wedding or special event, and you can tie in the autumn jewel toned color palette beautifully.

Fall is a peak time of year for beauty! Look into selecting a location or venue that showcases the season. Fall is also the perfect time for a tented wedding, which is always another gorgeous option!

Open fires are perfect for this time of year. Smore's pits make for great entertainment and favors for the guests.

If you're planning a fall wedding and using a fall theme, pumpkins are sure to be included. There are so many creative and lovely ways to use them...hollow them out and use for candles or flowers, spray paint them to sparkle, cover them in fabric or lace for a different look...possibilities are endless!

Blankets, wraps and heat lamps are always a wise choice for fall weddings. Since fall is a time where the weather could go either way; warm or cool....be prepared to keep your guests warm in case your wedding falls on a cool day.

Avoid holiday weekends. Most do traveling on holiday weekends and the hotel rates peak during these times. it will be more cost effective for you and your guests if you choose a non-holiday weekend.

Remember to account for daylight savings time. If your wedding date is around the time change, it will affect sunset time and photo times.

Celeb Wedding :: Corey Bohan + Audrina Patridge

Coming up on their 1 year anniversary! Audrina Partridge is the latest star from “The Hills” to tie the knot. Lauren Conrad‘s former roommate married Corey Bohan on the Hawaiian island of Kauai on November 5.

The couple said their vows in front of 100 guests in a field overlooking the ocean. Sadly, nobody from ‘The Hills’ was on the guest list. The big day was planned by Moana Events and was boho inspired with an island feel. Audrina wore a lace wedding dress by Pallas Haute Couture. The couple have been together for 8 years and are parents to a five month old daughter, Kirra. Photos by Jana Dillon Photography.

See the full post at Celebrity Bride Guide.