Weekend in Review

Hi, it's Katie!

I am just coming back to reality from spending the weekend working four different events. Whew. It was definitely a busy one. We had a prom, a high school jazz fest, a career fair (that Amanda worked) and two weddings. The weather was iffy on and off; it rained a lot and the fog coming off the lake was a little out of control! On Saturday the wedding ceremony was able to be set up outside under the overhang facing the museum. I’d never seen it set up like that, and it was actually really pretty!


Yesterday the weather was beautiful but windy! It was forecasted to rain, and at the last minute the bride decided to move everything onto Fitch Plaza while the sun was shining. I watched the radar carefully, (the meteorologist coming out in me), seeing the thunderstorms moving our way hoping that the weather would hold out until their ceremony was over. And it did, but just barely. I warned our maintenance guy that severe weather was coming and that taking down the outside set up sooner than later might be a good idea. Within minutes of him finishing up, it started thundering and raining. By that time, everyone from the wedding was inside and couldn’t have cared less what the weather was doing!! And I got to watch from the office as lightening struck over the lake.

There were a few unique things that stood out from the weekend, besides the weather, particularly from Sunday’s event. The colors were black, white and lime green. The bridesmaids’ dresses were to die for; v-necked black cocktail dresses with lime green wraps to match. But the bride’s dress was by far the most interesting I have seen in a long time. It was a traditional A-line strapless dress with a train, and a bright white color, but the embroidering was all done in black. It was really quite stunning. Their set up was simple and classy, and I loved their candle centerpieces. But the one thing that really took my breath away was their cake topper, designed to look just like the bride and groom!! Absolutely adorable!

Really cool light up bar the couple rented to use for their buffet!

The cake was really simple, but the topper was amazing!

It looked just like them!! Note they are holding vide game controllers too!

  

Maid of Honor-what an honor!

Hi all, Katie here!
This past weekend one of my best friends, who I have mentioned before because she is planning her wedding, asked me to be her maid of honor. I was actually a little surprised she didn’t ask one of her oldest friends, who is also a bridesmaid, but when she explained she told me that she thought my organizational and planning capabilities would be very helpful to her, and I would probably be doing a lot of that any way. I am very honored to be her maid of honor, and it brought a few tears to my eyes as my heart filled with pride and happiness to be such a big part of her day. As we all get older and move away, it’s difficult to maintain strong relationships with your close friends, and her asking me to be so involved her in her big day made me feel like I am important to her and that made me feel really good.

Once the emotions settled down, I got to thinking about what a maid of honor really does…plan a bridal shower and/or bachelorette party? Help with the organizing of the big day, and be present to assist the bride with whatever her needs are on the day of? Give a speech/toast at the reception (eep!)? A quick Google search revealed the following:
• Coordinate with the bridesmaids. This could include keeping them informed about fittings, pre-wedding parties, or anything else they need to know.

• Host a shower with the help of the bridesmaids. This includes planning, setting up, and splitting the costs.

• Host, plan, and set up the bachelorette party with the help of the bridesmaids.

• Pay for your wedding day attire. This includes your dress, jewelry, and shoes. The bridal party is responsible for purchasing their own attire; occasionally a very generous and thoughtful bride will purchase these items for you, but don’t bet the farm on it.

• Help the bride shop for wedding dresses, or at least offer.

• Keep the groom’s ring during the wedding ceremony.

• Arrange the bride’s train at appropriate point in ceremony, if needed.

• Hold the bride’s bouquet during the ceremony vows. (Be sure to give it back before she trots back up the aisle!)

• Arrange the receiving line after the ceremony, if applicable.

• Sign the marriage license if needed.

• Toast the bride and groom if given an opportunity-this could be at the rehearsal dinner or at the wedding reception.

• Help where needed at reception; make sure bride has a chance to eat and drink something.

This is actually the shortest list I found with the most common responsibilities. Other lists included many more, such as making sure all the other bridesmaids are prepared and on time, especially on the day of, directing guests and gifts at the reception and playing hostess, making sure the bouquets and corsages are given to the appropriate people, assist the photographer, etc.

Whew! That is a lot to take care of! Basically do anything that needs to be taken care of so the bride doesn’t have to, since on that day she should be relaxed and enjoying every moment. The two biggies that I forgot about are carrying the groom’s ring, and witnessing the signing of the marriage license. Those are BIG responsibilities! Everyone always jokes about forgetting the rings…what if I actually did?!

Fortunately for me, my friend is pretty laid back and will probably have a very non-traditional wedding AND she is hiring a wedding planner who I am sure will guide me through most of the process and take care of a many of the details on the day of. As of right now, they don’t have a date or anything, so I am waiting for further instructions. But I am excited and looking forward to being a part of the process for her. I am sure it will be a great day and I am honored to be able to be with her as she marries her best friend.

The Dapper Groom

Okay grooms...listen (read) up. Let's talk wardrobe. I have heard that tuxes are not the most comfortable thing to wear...and let's be honest, neither are bridesmaid dresses. Anyways, did you know that the latest trend in grooms wear is to get rid of the tux! Yes, you can thank me later (and I prefer chocolate over flowers). It's true, most people are opting to just go with a normal suit and to have their groomsmen follow suit (haha...it's been a long day, bare with me on the puns).
There are so many ways you can spice up a nice normal suit to make it wedding day acceptable! For example:

Get a fun/nice tie...and you may want it to match the color or theme of the wedding...

Or forget the jacket and just go with a vest...totally acceptable for an outdoor wedding

Bow ties! Dapper at it's finest!

 

Khaki suites seem  to be all the new rage...along with the fedora hat, which is always a nice touch!

So grooms, next time you start to get anxiety over a tuxedo...just remember, there are other options out there! Have fun with it!





Trend Alert!

Katie here!

We are officially full swing into wedding season here!  We have had our first few out door ceremonies the past few weeks, and it's been fun watching from the office as brides walk down the aisle.  Seeing so many very different weddings is also giving me plenty of material to write about and new trends to report!  Without further ado....

A few blogs posts ago, Amanda told you about the revolutionary new trend circulating regarding fake cakes. A very interesting and budget-friendly alternative to traditional, expensive cakes. We are getting into the busy season here with weddings and already I have seen two weddings with another trend regarding cakes: individual cakes or cupcakes on the tables instead of floral arrangements as center pieces. The two weddings that I saw do this also had a larger cake for cutting, and while I didn’t get close to them (due to having a bad cold the past few weeks and not wanting to breathe on anyone), now that I am thinking about it, I am willing to bet at least one of these was a “fake cake” (because why have a large REAL cake, and 20 little ones?).

Both weddings were beautifully decorated, and the cakes and cupcakes were such little works of art, that no one missed the traditional floral arrangement center pieces. I know cupcakes at weddings have been around for few years, so this is not necessarily a “new” trend, but seeing them on the tables in unique arrangements as decorations is relatively new to me. And while the pricing might not necessarily be any different, it does save you money on having to purchase floral arrangements for the tables, which you only use for a few hours anyway and probably often cost a fortune.


I mean really, how cute is this?

My Great Idea

I am excited to take some time out of my day to blog about something very special to me: trail mix.
Yes, ladies and gents...if you thought I was going to blog about world peace, puppies, or rainbows and unicorns ...I am sorry to disappoint you.

Trail mix has been one of those staples growing up in many families. It is easy to make, you can make it in bulk, it can be reasonably healthy and is a great mid-morning, afternoon, anytime snack. One of the trends that seem to be sticking around in the wedding world is the idea of a "candy bar" or a table with vases and jars filled with many different sweet treats that the bride and groom enjoy. This morning, as I was having my morning trail mix, I thought how having a "trail mix" bar would be a great idea, especially for those brides and grooms who are more health conscious! So, I'm driving to work and am pretty proud of myself for this idea...then google a couple of things and find out...this has been done, and my original great idea is still a great idea, but I can't take any credit for it.

I like how this bride made her own trail mix, put it in some medium size cello bags, closed it with scotch tapes and slapped a pretty label and ribbon on it and made it her favor.

and then..here is a picture of my "original" idea ...I love how they did this:

So many mixes can be added to this! Craisons, M&M's, marshmallow, peanuts,popcorn, cashews, roasted nuts, rye chips...the possibilities are endless!

Just because this has been done before and I can't patten it or stamp my name on it I hope this helps with some favor and other wedding DIY ideas!

p.s. here is my trail mix from this morning...or what's left of it. I think it would be a safe bet to say I wouldn't add raisins, but lots of nuts and M&M's to mine !



The Royal Wedding

Hi Again, Katie Here!

So the wedding everyone was talking about is officially behind us, and in my humble opinion I thought it was breathtaking and touching, filled with happiness and hope for the future.  While I didn't get up extra special early to watch it, I did DVR it and watch it the whole way through later that morning.  For me, it was like waking up on Christmas morning.  I couldn't wait to see what Catherine's dress looked like, how she and William would interact, what the church looked like, etc. 

The procession was timed to the minute, and appeared to go off without a hitch. Waiting for each arrival was magical, and the first time we got a glimpse of Kate Middleton in her dress, I got goosebumps and tears in my eyes. The second she stepped out of the car with her father by her side, I pretty much lost it. And when she walked down the aisle, it was all over for me. Haha! I thought she looked beautiful, of course, but I was more taken with her composure and how happy she looked. And when she finally made it to the alter and William whispered "you look beautiful" I was certain that THIS was in fact the beginning of something special.

I thought her dress was beautiful.  It was simple and elegant, and yet still fit for a queen.  And I must say, I also LOVED Pippa's bridemaid dress. Stunning!

When they said their vows and all throughout the ceremony, I was pleased to see they stole quick glances at eachother, and smiled and giggled the whole time.  It was so real, and they seemed so happy.  You can tell they really care about each other, and it's really nice to see.

When they walked out of the church and saw the people for the first time, you could hear the crowd roar with approval.  Everyone kept saying Kate would walked into the church a "commoner" and come out a princess, but when they walked back down the aisle, all I could think was they are just like all the rest of us, a newly married couple ready to start their lives together.  I love that she is real and approachable and confident, and I am happy to see that you could still read that on her face when she emerged from the church a future queen.

The carriage ride back to the Palace.  At one point they were holding hands and I thought that was amazing.  Check out that lace detailing on her dress too! So pretty.  And the bright red and blue of William's military attire was a stunning contrast the the white lace of her dress.

And finally the obligatory kiss on the balcony for all the world to see.  Did anyone else think this was incredibly awkward? Haha, but they were cheeky about it and even kissed twice for their public.  PS, how adorable is it that Prince Charles is holding up Camilla's granddaughter so she can see better??  I mean come on!  We all need a reminder that these really ARE just people who are a family and love eachother, and I felt after watching that that is really what the day was all about.  It was traditional without being stuffy, and filled with joy.  I'm so happy for them!  And I wish them privacy as newly weds, and all the happiness in the world.