Ombre Wedding Cakes

One of the hottest trends from last year that is still going strong into the new year is Ombre. One of my favorite places to see ombre is in the cake. (Maybe that is because I have a sweet tooth, hhhmmmm…..)

Here are some great examples:

Purple Ombre Cake

Pink Ombre Cake

I love the idea of the cake being a combination of the same color. You can instantly make your wedding cake interesting by changing the color from top to bottom. Simple, yet elegant.

Also, who says you have to stop at the outside of the cake. Think about adding ombre layers inside your cake too!

Pink Ombre Cake – Inside and Out

What do you think of having an ombre wedding cake?

What to do After a Bridal Show

You heard a bridal show was going on this weekend so you, your mom and maybe your fiance decide to go. You wake up energized and excited all the way to the show. You register and off you go. Fast forward several hours and you are tired, worn out and your head is spinning. You have talked to venues, photographers, DJs, florists, planners, travel agents and had tons of cake. On the way home you realize that even though you have talked to many more vendors, you still have no idea where to start. First off, you are not alone. Almost all couples come away from a bridal show a little dazed. It is ok, you saw tons of people, no one expects you to remember everything. Here are some tips on how to get the most out of the show and how to survive bridal show overload.

After you get home, take a break from wedding talk. Maybe you eat dinner, watch some TV or take a nap, just try to clear your mind. Now that you can think clearly again, it is time to sort the bag. You were handed tons of business cards, postcards, brochures etc and now it is time to go through them. Start with three piles: Pile 1, I remember them and really liked them, Pile 2, I remember them and I do not feel they are right for me, Pile 3, I do not remember them at all. After sorting, take pile 2 and get rid of it. It is ok that every professional you talked to is not your type. You will find that there are vendors that are right for you and others that are not. I always tell my clients that you have to love me and I have to get you or I will not be able to make your vision a reality. This is true with all your vendors.

The next step is to research piles 1 and 3. With pile 1, your likes, you want to really see what they are like. Go to their website, blog and maybe their Facebook Page. Look at their work and see if you still connect with them. If so, then keep them, if not, then put them in pile 2 and get rid of them. With pile 3, your do not remembers, divide them into piles of type; photographers, DJs, planners etc. I would suggest that each night for the next week, you pick a category and research them. This will get your piles down to just the vendors you want to chat with.

This may seem like a lot of work, but if you take it one day at a time, in one week your big pile you dumped on the couch will now be just the people you are really interested in. Now when it is time to book your vendors, you already have a list to start with. If you still feel really overwhelmed, then maybe it is time to look at the planner pile first. We are always here to help so you do not feel overwhelmed and stressed.

We love to hear about your experiences at bridal shows. Tell us how we can make the experience better.

Happy Planning!

Yes, I’m Engaged! Now What?

It finally happened, he asked and you said yes. You have been waiting for this for a while and cannot believe it has happened. You are now going to have your dream wedding, the problem is that you don’t know what that is. You were not one of those girls who started planning your wedding at age 7. You always wanted a wedding but you don’t know where to start. I have been there (surprisingly, I was just like you once) and I am here to help. Here are my five starting points to planning your wedding.

1. Sit down with your families, and decide the basics – Here are the questions you need answered: who is doing what, what is the budget, and when are you getting married?

It is important at the start to let your family know how much help you want. They can help a lot or a little you decide, but make sure to let them know. You also need to know how much  you are working with. Everyone has a budget, everyone. Figure out what yours is before you start following in love with people and places. Finally, figure out a date. You may not come up with the exact date but figured out dates that will work for everyone.

2. Find your locations – Many times your date is set by what date your venues are open. You will find the perfect place and know you are getting married there. If it is not open on your target date, you can change the date now before anything else is decided. Since you may change your date for your locations, you do not want to book your professionals first.

3. Figure out when you need to get your dress – Now that you know your date, you need to figure out your dress shopping schedule. A wedding dress takes 4-6 months to order, plus you will most likely need time to get it altered. I tell my brides if at all possible try to order your dress seven months before your wedding. Better safe then worried. I never what a bride worried her dress will not make it in time. If you are already passed seven months, then you need to go shopping very soon.

4. Get Inspired – The best way to figure out what you want is to look at photos. This is the really fun part of wedding planning. Grab a magazine or grab your computer and get started. As we all know, you can Google anything and that includes all things weddings. Try to narrow your search to a color, season, theme, etc. This will help with not going into overload. Remember, this is suppose to be fun. If you do not know where to start, go to the main wedding sites:

The Knot

Martha Stewart Weddings

Get Married

These sites have tons of ideas in any theme and color scheme out there. They will allow you to see many different types of weddings quickly so you can start to learn what your wedding will look/feel like.

5. If you feel overwhelmed, look into a wedding planner – A wedding planner is no longer a luxury for the wealth. You might be surprised to know that a wedding planner is more accessible than before and could be your greatest asset. A planner can help you as much or as little as you want. We help you relax and enjoy planning your wedding. Planning a wedding can be a full-time job, and not something you have done before. Why not have someone there to be on your side and there helping you every step of the way. You deserve to have fun planning your wedding!

This should help get you started on your wedding journey. Good luck!

Did this help you? Would you add another tip, if so, what?

Fun Color Friday – Signature Drinks

Pink Drink Idea

Another fun way to add more color to your wedding is with a signature drink. It could be the color of your wedding or another punch of color you wanted to add. Adding a signature drink can also help with the feel of the wedding.

Green Drink Idea

The other great part is that you can have fun naming your drink. The possibilities are endless. You can name it after you and your groom, your wedding colors, or something wedding-ish. Here are some ideas:

Pink Passion
I Do tini
Something Blue
Kiss

Do you have a name for a signature cocktail? Please share it with us!

Happy Planning!

Add Drama to Your Wedding with Lighting

Something many couples do not think of for their wedding is lighting. Strategically placed lighting can change the feel of your wedding. Many brides are trying to creat a mood with their decor, and lighting can really help you. Today there are so many different options out there, you can really create something special. Working with a great lighting specialist will insure that you can get amazing lighting in your budget. Even if you have a tight budget, work with your designer to help put the lights where they will have the greatest impact. I attended a wedding in November (actually attended as a guest) and they placed about 6-8 lights around the room. Even though there was not 20 lights, the mood was definitely set.

Evans Audio Visual
Local Lighting Specialist

By adding lighting, you are adding another element for your guests to enjoy. Again, talk to a professional and you will be able to set that mood you are looking for.

Happy Planning!

Give Thanks

Planning a wedding can be great fun, but sometimes it takes over. All you think and talk about is your wedding. I understand, and you can tell me all the details all day long, however, not everyone is like me. Maybe your hubby-to-be is feeling left out or your parents feel that is all you talk about together. Take this Thanksgiving weekend and just be with the ones you love. Leave the planning binder at home or in the drawer and just be. Be thankful for everyone in your life and have some fun. When the weekend is over, you will free recharged and ready to start planning again. Most importantly you will have spent time with the ones you love.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Fall Internship Opportunity

Do you love weddings and everything about them? Do you want to learn how to plan a wedding? You have come to the right place. We are excited to announce that we have an opening for a fall intern. The information is below and if it sounds like you, then what are you waiting for. Contact me and you could be helping plan someone’s dream day.

 Requirements:

 Available for the following days:
September 16^th, 17^th,18^th
October 15^th, 16^th
December 11^th

 For the above dates you will need to be available the following times:
Sept. 16^th and Oct. 15^th, all day for setup
Sept. 17^th evening rehearsal
Sept. 18^th, Oct 16^th, Dec, 11^th, all day for wedding 

We are looking for someone who has a passion for wedding planning and wants to work hard to plan someone’s special day.

 Job Description:

 This is an unpaid internship opportunity that will allow you to gain experience in the wedding planning industry. This intern will be my assistant for three weddings and learn valuable on the job training. You will also be assisting in ceremony and reception setup for all of the weddings. You will work long hours, but if you are interested in this career choice, you will gain the knowledge you need to move forward with your dream.

 How to apply:

 Send your resume along with a short essay explaining why you want to be a wedding planner and what you hope to gain from this experience to contact@mitevents.com by UPDATE: I am still filling this position. Please contact me if you are interested.

Your Wedding Day Hair

Everyone has different ideas of the perfect wedding hair. Some want it down some want it up and others want both. My advice is to do what works for you and your wedding vision. My other advice is to practice what you want. You probably have a vision in your head of exactly what you want. If you do not practice, then how will you know if your hair stylist has the same vision.

I am the perfect example of what not to do. Way back when I got married, I was not experienced at wedding planning. I showed up on my wedding day and told the stylist what I wanted. When he was done, it was not what I exactly wanted. Best of all, my cousin (who was just a guest) had her hair done, and it was exactly what I wanted. The good news is that my hair looked good and the hair was not a big deal for me, so I did not stress.

Are you going to have the same reaction that I did if your hair is wrong? If you really want a certain look, then you need to have a practice session. Take a picture if you find one and talk to your stylist. If she or he is not doing what you want, tell them. They do not know what you are thinking until you tell them.

My only other advice is be cautious about leaving your hair down. If you leave your hair down with curls, will it hold? You may say, yea I have gone to events and my hair has done well. If your wedding day starts at 8 am to get your hair done and your reception is going to 11pm, it may be up to 14 hours. Will your hair last that long? You can still wear your hair down, just know it may not look picture perfect at the end. As long as you are ok with that, then go for it.

Happy Planning!

Too Busy to Plan Your Wedding?

I have been extremely busy lately and, in fact, have not been able to write. I think that this happens to all of us. Life happens and we sometimes get caught up in doing too many things. Between work, family life and the many other countless things we all do, it is easy for wedding planning to be put on the back burner. This seems ok when you are ten months away, but starts to become a problem when it is two months away and you are way behind. Then panic sets in and you start stressing about everything.

Again, I understand we all get busy, but my goal is to keep you stress free. It is ok that you do not work on your wedding planning every day or even every month. Depending on the month, you may just not have a lot to do. My suggestion is to make sure that each month you do at least check your timeline. Make sure that you have not missed anything or to see if something is coming up next month. If you do miss a month planning, make sure that you check your timeline and work the next month on getting caught up. The idea is that if you do get behind one month, you get back on track the next month. It is a lot less stressful to add three more things to do in a month then to get one month away from your wedding and being 30 things behind.

Planning a wedding should be fun and she not leave you stressful. If you are having trouble planning because of your schedule. Remember that we are here to help. A wedding planner is a resource for helping you plan your wedding. Maybe you are so busy that you need someone else to do the planning or maybe just someone to keep you on track. If you find that you are getting more and more behind, contact a wedding planner and we can help you get back on track.

Happy Planning!