Okay, well not until November of 2009, but I’m so excited! My good friend Kelly, and now bride, just got engaged this past Sunday and we’ll be planning her destination wedding at Sandal’s Negril, Jamaica. Kelly knew her ring was in the works all summer long so like most eager brides-to-be, she began scouring websites and magazines. Yesterday we met with Julia from Love2bcreative who took her ideas and designed the perfect save the date card to get things started. How beatuiful!
I don’t know about you but I love free stuff! A few months ago I stumbled upon a very cool blog call Free Design Goodies by a company called Design is Mine. This blog features very cool freebies and giveaways all over the web making it simple to find fun stuff. I check it once a week to see if there’s anything usable…Like computer desktops. I get bored easily so I’m constantly downloading new quirky designs for my computer. Here are a just a few links from the blog that may just come in useful for your event. I’m sure you can find fun ways to incorporate these freebies!
http://designfreebies.blogspot.com/2008/07/nanibirds.html
http://designfreebies.blogspot.com/2008/07/creature-comforts.html
http://designfreebies.blogspot.com/2008/07/pretty-little-things.html
If anyone left me a voice message yesterday and you did not receive a call back yet, please either email me or call again. Yesterday I was running a golf tournament at Colonial Country Club in Harrisburg and lost my little green phone in the large green golf course! Luckily Verizon hooked me up with a new phone which I am very excited about….it’s the little things in life!
Sorry, no tidbits for today. I came home to over a 100 legitimate emails and a office full of paperwork to sift through. I love getting away, but it’s always a struggle to get back into the groove of things the few days afterward. So I decided to take a break and instead tell you what I was up too for my “vacation”!
Well as you can see from the picture above, we had a blast:) Phil and I went with our church’s worship team to a music conference called Worship God 08 in Gaithersburg, MD. We spent 4 days and 3 nights totally immersed in music and it was soo refreshing. It was nice to take a step away from the event planning world and get connected again with my passion for music…I think everyone needs this from time to time.
I’ll be out of the office starting Wednesday, July 30th and won’t return until Monday, August 4th. During that time I will try to check emails and voice messages but can’t guarantee anything as I’ll be away at a conference. All messages will be returned Monday. Have a great rest of the week everyone!
Two weeks ago my lovely couple from New York were down to visit their Hershey wedding location and talk about design and logistics. Scott and Marissa are such an artsy and fun loving couple that it’s a great time when meeting with them! They’ve been granted the opportunity to host their destination wedding at the Inn at Westwynd Farm which typically does not hold weddings, regardless of how absolutely gorgeous it is. However, as we began walking the grounds, I noticed that the flow of the day might run into some minor problems. See, where Scott and Marissa are envisioning their ceremony, guests might be confused on where to go next on the grounds for cocktails. It’s a large lay of land and although I always here the line, “well one guest will get it and the rest will just follow along”, I know from experience that the leader guest, usually doesn’t create the path you had originally envisioned.
Don’t be afraid to simplify things for your guests. They’ll appreciate the direction, especially when you have an outdoor wedding. Even though that little cobble pathway through the garden looks like the most sensible path to take, your guests will think different. For a rustic wedding, carve a wooden sign to point your guests in the right direction. Or line the path with pebbles, pine cones, flowers or candles. Make a clear distinction so no one is confused where to go.
I found these great little adhesive pockets at See Jane Work that can hold your loose fabric swatches, color tabs, & receipts. Just slap these on the inside of your file folders and you won’t have to worry about loosing anymore precious details!
You may also want to put one of these Receipt Catchers by your front door or on your desk too. Designating this area for wedding receipts will make it easy to keep track of vendor payments & spontaneous Michaels runs!
In the midst of planning, sometimes communication lacks. When the communication lacks, well ultimately we know that’s when the fights break out. So to make sure mom, dad, or soon to be husband all have a sense of what’s going on next week use a centralized calendar. For a bride, it’s so easy to get wrapped up in the planning process and just assume that everyone knows what your day planner looks like…even though no one can pry it out of your fingers. Try hanging a calendar up in the kitchen where everyone will see it and update it twice a week with your wedding due dates, vendor meetings, etc. If mom sees a deadline approaching, she knows she can either stay off your case, or ask to help out. Your fiance won’t have an excuse to miss another vendor meeting, and dad will know when the next check is due. Everyone will be a lot happier being on the same page and it will ultimately bring your stress level down! I love Erin Condren’s family calender but you can also find similar organization calendars from Real Simple & See Jane Work.
I was reading up on the Martha Stewart Wedding Blog, the Bride’s Guide & came across these wonderful little treats! They’re designed to look like treasures from the sea shore and it made me smile. Because this is a perfect example of letting no stone un-turned when it comes to reception details. It’s important that if you’re going to create a theme for your guests, that you make sure that theme is carried through to the tiniest details, like your candy bar at the end of the night. One of my friends is beginning to research destination weddings and I thought, what a clever treat this would be for her guests. Instead of just boring chocolates, these seashells and sand dollars will put a smile on everyone face!
Here are a list of the companies that Darcy featured that make these gorgeous treats. I know we have some creative local talent around here too though so don’t be afraid to ask your local confectioner if they have any ideas to pull your wedding day together with sweets.
