Finding your wedding inspiration

By Randi Donahue

This time last year I was engaged, on Cloud Nine, preparing and planning for our wedding just five months away. I was perusing wedding blogs and purchasing wedding magazines. I was searching for my wedding inspiration.
Some people start with a color palette or a dress. But for my wedding inspiration, I looked inward and came up with keywords based on how Ryan and I live our lives. Words like handmade, unique, natural, rustic, low impact, warm, and family-oriented, guided my thinking and imagining, which allowed me to hone in on elements that I knew I wanted present on our special day. It also helped me to focus when scouring blogs and flipping through magazines, which can be extremely overwhelming—sensory overload! If I saw an idea I found attractive, I would ask myself, “Does this fit in with our key words? Does this truly represent Ryan and me?” If I could answer yes, then I clipped or printed it, and put it in my inspiration binder. As the contents of my binder expanded, I could really see how to start researching how to find these items or incorporate them in to the big day. As we got closer to the day, the pool of ideas organically fell into place, with some naturally finding their way out.
“Handmade and unique.” Etsy is a website that offers vintage, handmade, unique, and in many cases, personalized items. This was the source for a large part of our décor. Because Etsy allowed me to have direct contact with the vendors who would be custom-making my order, I was able to negotiate pricing and ask questions. The vendors were kind, and often seemed almost as excited as I was that I was getting married!
The words “natural and rustic” helped us in choosing the location, the wedding attire, and the textiles and textures. We chose to get married at my family’s ranch. The groomsmen wore hemp pants, the bridesmaids wore organic cotton dresses, and the tables and trees were adorned with burlap and muslin. I did not want to limit our wedding to just one or two colors, so we chose tones and hues that flowed with the venue and the season, and that were attractive to us. Blues, greens, creams, browns, tans, and lavenders where featured throughout the venue and used for our attire.
“Low impact” meant that with every decision made, we considered the amount of waste generated and how we were affecting the environment around us. There were trade-offs within this key word, and I did the best I could. We chose to use potted herbs instead of cut flowers on the tables; bales of hay for seating that could be fed to the cows afterwards; invitations made of seed-infused, plant-able, biodegradable paper.
 A “warm and family oriented” feeling was big for us. We are very close to our families, and fortunate that our immediate families are also very close to each other. This wedding was a chance to get extended friends and family together in one place to meet each other and party—all in celebration of us! These words also helped determine the country, home-style menu and family-style seating and serving. There is something about the interaction of passing food around a table that makes a meal warm and open, like a family holiday. We also created a literal warm glow, with minimal lighting thanks to candles and strands of twinkling white lights over the dance floor in the barn, and tiki torches around the property. A close family friend’s band kicked off a night of dancing and fun.
Chances are your wedding inspiration will evolve throughout the course of your engagement. My advice would be to think about themes (my keywords) that are reflective of you and your partner and your relationship, and don’t give up if an idea seems out of reach. Just keep an open mind, and you’ll likely find a way to mold it to fit your budget and scope, and then you can be confident that your day will truly represent the bond that you are creating between you and your new spouse.
 
There are so many places to find inspiration. I found multiple sites with great photo galleries.
 
Etsy
www.etsy.com
This is not only a great place to purchase wedding items, but a great place to search for inspiration. Again, if you need something customized, just contact the sellers, who, in most cases, are MORE than happy to meet your needs.
 
Style Me Pretty
www.smp.com
This is a great source for inspiration no matter what your style is. They post multiple weddings a day and are very descriptive. They include photos, the couples’ own words and more.
 
Once Wed
www.oncewed.com
Once Wed has a unique feel to it. I find most of the featured weddings to be vintage-y, whimsical, and rustic. It only makes sense that they can offer a great venue to peruse and even buy used wedding dresses through the site.

 

EVENT INFO:

Photographer:  Phillippe Diederich, http://www.pdfoto.net/

Caterer:  Sarasota Catering Company

Florist:  Elegant Flower Designs, Yelena Riches, www.elegantdesignflowers.com

Band: My Friend Scott

Location: Family Ranch

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nkaney, November 10th 2010 | Posted in Uncategorized

Vendor Feature – Your “I Do” Menu

Tips for Wedding Catering from Fête Catering and Ballroom

Fête’s Tips for Working with a Caterer for Your Wedding:

• Set realistic planning goals and book in advance, especially during the busy season.
• Deciding on a venue is a key step involved in choosing a caterer. Ensuring the space is the right size for your guests is key—no one wants a reception that feels empty or crowded or a room that makes serving difficult.
• It is usually much less expensive to hold your event at your caterers’ ballroom than at an offsite locale – there are no additional rentals, venue percentages, or venue charges, and the bars are usually way less if provided by the caterer on or off-site than if the venue does the bar.
• If you do select a venue which requires an ‘off-site’ caterer, be sure the caterer has proper insurance, licenses, trucks & equipment – make sure they can really handle it.
• Know your budget, and know where you have wiggle room and where you can’t afford to. For catering, you are quoted per person, so it is very helpful to come up with a per person price as opposed to a fixed number.
• Call the prospective caterers instead of sending a mass email – we all usually need more information than you provide in the email in order to do your proposal, and we like to chat with you to learn a bit about you instead of emailing you some generic proposal.
• When meeting with caterers, let them learn about you and see your personalities.
• Figure out the overall feel and atmosphere you would like for your wedding – it is helpful to your caterer and vendors to pick up on the vibe you are envisioning. Some brides have known what they want since they were little girls, some are still unclear about what they want and chatting with the caterer and florist can help develop your vision.
• Be original! You don’t need fancy foods and caviar to have a wonderful reception.
• Would you like your food to reflect your ethnic background, active lifestyle, or love of chocolate? Suggest it! Your caterer wants your menu to be wonderful, fun, delicious and well within your budget. Personalize it… create a menu that puts the spotlight on you and your fiancé and reflects your tastes.
• Don’t be afraid to try something new and different – let your guests walk away at the end of the night talking about how the food wasn’t like typical ‘catering food’.
• After meeting with possible caterers, look over each proposal and determine which one seemed to get the best sense of what you had in mind and proposed the menu that will be the best fit for your wedding. If you have a theme in mind, which caterer can best help you reflect it? Which catering representative did you ‘click’ with them most? Which menu proposal will best match the ambience you want for your wedding? Which caterer will be best able to accommodate any dietary limitations without compromising quality? Which company will give you the freshest and best tasting food?
• Allow your caterer to do their job…be involved and responsive but don’t micro manage.
•Does your venue have a preferred caterer list? Explore all the websites and menus from this list to help narrow down your caterer selection and then get bids from your 3 favorites.
•Don’t feel limited to “canned” catering menu packages. Work with a company that is willing to let you customize your menu.
•Have one and only one person from the bridal party/family dealing with the caterer. It can be confusing for us to receive calls from the best friend, Mom, Dad, Grandma, the bride and groom, and the wedding planner and still keep everything straight!
•Check the bottom line and fine print on your contract making sure that there are no hidden charges and everything is included from the get-go. A real bummer is ending up with ‘surprise’ charges on your bill at the end.
•Remember that the size of your guest list directly impacts the cost of your menu.
•Write a thank you letter to your catering coordinator & the staff – they really care and it means so much to them to hear how happy you were with what they did for you.
•It is a day all about you and your loved ones… remember to have fun and enjoy it – let the professionals that you hired do their job so that you can ‘be a guest at your own party’.

With years of restaurant and catering experience between them, local husband-and-wife restaurateurs Jaymie and Tommy Klauber began Fête Catering in 2003. Business has been booming ever since, so much so that Fête Catering offers its own onsite ballroom and event facilities in addition to providing offsite catering services. Fête is passionate about providing each and every customer with great food, service and atmosphere at affordable prices. www.caterfete.com

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nkaney, October 5th 2010 | Tags: , , , , , ,
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Wedding day Fashion – it’s now not just ALL about the ladies!

Ian Prosser, Botanica International Design Studio

Nowadays so many different factors come into play when discussing the ‘look’ of your wedding. At Botanica, it’s not JUST about the flowers – we like to be involved or at least included in all visual aspects of a wedding. At the end of the day, as your team of vendors, it’s our job to work together to create a flawless event not only logistically, but visually as well.

Years ago it was all about the women. The bridal gown and the Bridesmaids dress style and color always dictated the color scheme and style of a wedding. It’s important before starting to discuss any floral or décor for the day of your wedding, to have your bridal gown selected as well as your Bridesmaids dresses. Bringing in a swatch and pictures always comes in handy. Something we seem to forget about or deem less important is the men’s fashion. In today’s fashion conscience world – it’s actually all about the men’s fashion when it comes to planning your wedding day decor.

The Bride and the Bridesmaids in some, if not most instances are always overdressed. So really it’s the men’s fashion that comes into play when setting the standards of the formality of the wedding, whether it’s a linen shirt and khaki pants, a charcoal suit or a black tux.

We are finding more these days that the men want to look as GQ as the women want to look beautiful. So even though at times it might be easier to just throw them in a black rented tux, a new suit might be more appreciated. At the very least, we always suggest purchasing new ties for your Groom and Groomsmen NEVER get a rented tie. Purchase a tie that coordinates nicely with your Bridesmaids, whether it’s a solid, striped or paisley tie. By purchasing the tie without being too “matchy matchy” it will create a very coordinated look and look super sharp for the photos. And our last piece of advice – NEVER put your men in color coordinating vests AND ties. It’s one or the other. For instance, if they are wearing a black tux and you want them to coordinate with your teal bridesmaid’s dresses, put your men in the black tux, with a black vest and a teal tie. Never a teal tie and teal vest – that just gives off the look that your groomsmen are 10 years too late for the prom.

More information about Botanica International Design Studio can be found at:

http://www.botanicaflorist.com

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nkaney, September 20th 2010 | Tags: , , , ,
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Inner & Outer Envelopes for Wedding Invitations….

When I attend invitation planning meetings with my clients the question about Inner & Outer Envelopes for their wedding invitations often come up. I always like telling them the tradition behind the multiple envelopes. The tradition is as follows. In England during the 19th century wedding invitations were hand delivered on foot or on horseback. The postal system was still forming and the outdoor elements made it very difficult to keep the envelopes clean. The double envelope was for protection. The invitation was placed inside one envelope, then that envelope was placed into a second envelope which was sealed and addressed. When the invitation was delivered, it would be handed to a servant who would remove the actual invitation from the outer envelope in order to bring it to the head of the household.

In modern days, the post office does a great job delivering the mail and keeping the envelopes clean. The green living trend has taken hold and most feel it is unnecessary to have an extra envelope, but
I do still have clients that choose to send outer envelopes with their wedding stationery to ensure that guests receive invitations free from postage marks and other blemishes.

It’s up to you on deciding to use both the inner and outer envelopes but now you know the tradition on why both exist!

Let us know your thoughts…..Are you using both inner and outer envelopes for your wedding invitations?

Crane Invitation

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nkaney, September 13th 2010 | Tags: , , ,
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Wedding Invitation Wording

I ran across this darling stationery website called http://www.hellolucky.com. Not only are there many adorable wedding invitations, holiday cards and birth announcements there is a feature on: How to Word Your Wedding Invitation. It’s very informative and helpful for invation copy.

http://www.hellolucky.com/wedding-invitation-wording.html

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nkaney, September 10th 2010 | Tags: , , ,
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The +1 Challenge

By Lindsay Howell

As a young bride (I was 22), and the first of my friends to get married, I felt a lot of pressure on who to invite to one of the biggest days of my life. My future husband-to-be and I knew we wanted people who loved us and people who we wanted to include in our milestone events for years to come.

As a young girl, I was raised with the finest of manners that were established not only by my parents, but my maternal grandparents who ate every night on china and used sterling silver utensils for breakfast (and every other single meal). For my wedding, I did not want to disregard my manners, but I did not want to invite everyone under the sun either.  Our wedding vision was an intimate affair with personal touches. With careful discussion, we decided that anyone who was single and did not have a true “significant other” (i.e. not married, not engaged, not in a serious relationship) would be invited as a single and we would not add the “+1” or “and gust” to the invitation. The future husband-to-be and I had discussions with our single friends privately about our feelings, as we did not want to offend anyone, and some were very comfortable and almost elated that they did not have to find a guest worthy of bringing to a wedding, while some questioned our thought process. This method ended up working for us. Our friends had a great time, as we sat all of the “young people” together and they ended up dancing all night long. I think an important note to add is we had a very good balance of single women and men at the wedding. We also allowed a guest for certain individuals who truly had a significant other or if they were coming to our wedding not knowing anyone but us! Side Note: A love match was made that evening and we attended their wedding a few years ago!

Overall, our wedding was beautiful, fun and filled with love. I am proud to say that almost 6 years later, when I look through my wedding photos, I recognize every single one of my guests and still have a relationship with all of them. One of the biggest compliments I received about our “+1” decision was when one of my bridesmaids was planning her wedding; she called me and asked for my advice on how we handled the “+1” situation as she felt we handled it in the best way possible. I was happy to share my experiences and I hope this helps others who find themselves in this situation. Overall, I do not think we did a perfect job on handling this situation and there were some hiccups, but I was very happy with the outcome and at the end of the day, would not have changed our decision.

Photos are by John Revisky

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nkaney, September 7th 2010 | Tags: , , , ,
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Vendor Post – After all, they are your memories….

By Barbara Banks, Barbara Banks Photography

The photographs, the investment.
Many, if not most, of the memories and moments of your wedding day will be preserved only in the photographs. An investment in wedding photography is exactly that – an investment. Wedding images document your once-in-a-lifetime, most-important-day-of-your-life dream event that will be passed on for generations.

Ensure that you invest wisely.
After all, you’ve meticulously planned every element – from the elegant invitation and beautiful flowers, to the exquisite dress you’ve dreamed of from the moment you said “yes” to his romantic proposal.

Now it’s time to contemplate the perfect way to detail and preserve the planning, anticipation, range of emotion, and every visual detail of your wedding day. What you want is a photographer who captures the moments and fine details as well as the big picture… when your feelings are truly evident as you look into the eyes of the love of your life during the ceremony, your dance, family toasts… the expressions of your parents as you exchange vows… the laughter, the glances, the romance and beauty…the cuisine and flowers you’ve chosen to delight friends and family and your stylish guests, all of whom are thrilled for your happiness.

The artist, the style, the products.
Take the time to know the style of photography you seek, do your research and bring examples to meetings and interviews. Styles range from traditional, photojournalistic, fashion/art, to funky Photoshop tricks applied after the images are shot. Regardless of the “style” of the photographer, your images should reflect your style. What do you like and what will you enjoy on your 50th anniversary?

Look and touch samples, lots of samples: proofs, enlargements, albums and not just images on computer/online, etc. When shopping photographers and products compare apples to apples. What products do they use? Are they guaranteed?

Will the photographer who shot the images you view actually photograph your event? What is her/his background, philosophy (photography and weddings) and overall experience? Do they work with an assistant? What is their skill level? Check references. Know your team!

Important is the quality and longevity of the images and products as well as the experience and ability of the artist who will deliver all of the above.

Ask questions and communicate your wants, expectations.
Ask about lingo you’ve heard, think you know, but may not understand: digital files, high resolution (high res), proofs, “coffee table” album, edited vs. enhanced, etc. What do these terms actually mean?

Exactly what is included in your wedding agreement? Know what you want and don’t be afraid to ask. Do you have to lock into a prescribed “package?” You should know and be comfortable with the services and products you will receive for your investment. If it’s not clear, ask and get an understandable answer.

Be sure the photographer asks you questions as well. Communication should be open and two-way. Discuss the family portraits, must-have photos, and other details that are important to you. Communicate!

Above all, remember that your wedding photography is an investment. Your wedding day memories should be documented and delivered so that your day is preserved for your lifetime and beyond.


For more information about the only Sarasota photographer voted “Best” by national bridal magazine “The Knot,” 2007-2010, visit: www.BarbaraBanks.com.

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nkaney, August 31st 2010 | Tags: , ,
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Vendor Post – Why a Wedding Film?

By Jocelyn Karas,  Voila Cinematic

As wedding filmmakers, we are often told by brides that having a wedding film is “not a priority.” There are so many reasons why having a lasting film of the wedding day is extremely important and in our minds absolutely vital to reliving your special day forever.

The wedding day is one that for many couples passes in a blur. Moments such as the way you moved while dancing your first dance, your father walking you down the aisle, the sound of your quivering voice as you recite your vows cannot be captured through photography. These moments that create a wedding film serve as a legacy that will be watched by your children and grandchildren. To quote one of our past brides, “I never realized how important my wedding film would become to me.  My dad who was ill at the time of the wedding was not going to be able to walk me down the aisle. At the last minute he ended up walking me down the aisle. Having the film of that moment with my father and our other loved ones has been priceless to us.”

Next, we are often told by couples that they plans to have a friend film the wedding day. Shooting great video is not something that just anyone can do. It takes a highly trained professional to execute all of the aspects of filming such an important day. Putting the responsibility of filming the most important day of your life on a friend is a great amount of pressure. By hiring a professional you are ensuring that every special moment will be captured, it will be quality footage and edited professionally, you will be able to hear the vows and toasts perfectly (something not easily accomplished without professional sound equipment) and you will give all of your guests the opportunity to celebrate your day without the added pressure of trying to be the videographer.

We hear couples say, “I’ll never watch my wedding film” If we could only tabulate the number of couples that have emailed to tell us that they have watched their wedding film countless times. In fact, most of our couples watch their films every year on their anniversaries. If you choose to hire a company that is not adequately trained or whose editing style you don’t enjoy, you probably will not watch your film. However, if you look at the cinematic styles that are offered today, you will easily see that contemporary wedding films are entertaining and timeless. Our couples share their wedding films with everyone they know.

Lastly, we live in an interactive age. With outlets such as Facebook and email, couples are able to post their cinematic highlights online and email them to friends and family who might not have been able to make it on the actual wedding day. Many couples display their films in digital picture frames. We live in a multimedia world and having a wedding film engages people in a way that no other media can.

Many of our couples come to meet with us because they have a friend who has told them how much they regret not having a film of their wedding. We hate to hear that anyone has any regrets regarding their wedding day. Consider the benefits of capturing your special day on film and find a quality professional who will give you the gift of reliving your wedding day anytime you wish!

Voila Cinematic from Voila Cinematic on Vimeo.

Voila Cinematic specializes in luxury wedding films that perfectly capture the class and elegance of your special day. http://www.voilacinematic.com

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nkaney, August 23rd 2010 | Tags: , , ,
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Reader Question – Who to Invite to a Wedding Shower?

If I invite someone to my shower, but want a small wedding, do I have to invite them to the wedding etc. (my answer was…yes, but you are the professional)?

I agree and my answer is yes as well. You’ll want to make sure that you’re not inviting anyone who won’t be invited to the wedding.  

According to Emily Post: normally anyone invited to a shower would be   invited to the wedding. One exception: when co-workers wish to throw an office shower for the bride, even though they are not being invited to the wedding.

Adorable wedding shower from www.greenweddingshoes.com

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nkaney, August 19th 2010 | Tags: , ,
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Vendor Post – Favorite Foods!

By Mara Routh, Michaels On East Catering

You and your beloved love an array of foods his favorites are not yours….no problem you can have a fabulous wedding by featuring food stations at your reception. You can turn up the heat at your reception with a “Miami Heat” station or add a romantic performance station like “Holding a Torch for You”. When you add a couple of food stations to your reception you add your personal touch that makes this day a life time memory.

Food stations may be added into the cocktail hour or added into a buffet wedding scenario. Many times after a seated dinner a fabulous display of “shots” and “mini martini” desserts come out just as the guests are finishing a beautifully choreographed  seated dinner……this really gets your party started…..it really is all about adding the romance of your love story into the food….and what better way to send your guests off than with a “shot” of milk and a freshly baked warm cookie…Mara Routh, Michaels On East Catering

 

http://jackiefo.blogspot.com/

The inspired cuisine of Michael’s On East is sure to make any event a special one. Whether it’s a customized menu or one of our spectacular stations, let Michael’s create your memories. http://www.michaelsoneastcatering.com/

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nkaney, August 18th 2010 | Tags: , ,
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