You're engaged... Now what?

Congratulations! You've now entered one of the momentous, important, ecstatic, and stressful times of your life! So many emotions, so much in your brain, so much to plan. But where to start?

First: slow down. Take some time to enjoy this really special time in your life. Soak in the fact that you and your love have decided to do this forever. Gush with your family and friends, smile big time on this life change, and relish in all that you hope and dream will come next.

Once that's out of your system, it's time to start with a guest list. You'll need to know how many you are expecting before you can decide on a location and/or wedding date. In general, you can expect that about 2/3 of your invited guests will come to your big day. I'd start with the people you CANNOT get through this day without. This include the obvious choices, such as your immediate family, your best friend, your dear grandmother. Once that list feels pretty good, move on to those who you'd love to have there, but could still see yourself going through with it if they were not able to make it. Decide if you want to allow for plus ones, or just invite those significant other who you know are in a serious relationship. This part can get tricky, but just go with your heart... and your wallet. Keep in mind that each body you are seating, feeding, and planning for will contribute to your budget. Finally, as bad as this is to say, there are always people you don't feel you need to be at your wedding, but should be: your boss, your distant great aunt, your oldest family friends you haven't talked to in years.

Now it is time to venue search! A lot of factors go into a venue search: do you want the ceremony and reception to be at two different locations, or the same one? Outdoors? Indoors? Handicap accessible? Noise curfew? Ambiance? How many people can be accommodated? Talk these items through with your fiancé to get a good grasp on what you both are wanting out of the day. Secluded venues with amazing views might need a kitchen and bathrooms brought in which can be pricey, as well as required transportation buses for guests due to lack of parking. Winery weddings can provide those killer views as well, but may have hard liquor restrictions and are often a bit tighter on space too. Hotel weddings can act as kind of a one-stop-shop with the caterer, rentals, and sometimes a venue coordinator all provided for you; however these spaces might be lacking in outdoor space, character of the ballrooms, and limit your creative options. Once you've landed on a venue, they'll provide you with a list of some dates they are open during your desired time frame. Friday will be cheaper than Saturday almost all the time. I suggest looking up public events in the area to make sure you aren't asking your guests to travel during the most expensive/high-traffic/all-the-hotels-are-booked time of the year (unless that's what you're going for). It's also worth inquiring about events they have already booked at the space on the dates you are considering. Many venues and churches will have as many as 2 or 3 weddings in a day (at different times and/or locations of course) and you can sometimes pay extra to have an exclusive for the day. Weddings are notorious for running late, and you don't want this potentially infringing on the time you have paid for.

Once these HUGE decisions have been made, you can get down to the nitty-gritty: catering, flowers, rentals, entertainment, etc. Some peoples' minds were made for this, but some can feel totally lost in the details. You want to enjoy this time, so if doing it all yourself allows for that- GO FOR IT and save the money! But if not, a planner can greatly take away the stress that accompanies this happy time and can ensure your details are in good hands.

Happy planning!

Dessert Dreams

If there is one thing I love and need in this world, it is dessert. Okay, not really... but sort of. With so many wedding dessert options out there, the choices are endless and the decision is a big one! A classic cake has been a wedding tradition forever for a reason. They are elegant, able to be personalized, provide the opportunity for a cake cutting, and are a safe bet if you're trying to please the most people at your reception.

 

But what about the less traditional options? Cake pops, doughnut bars, homemade pies, candy counters. All equally amazing in style and taste so it's hard to go wrong, but how to choose?

 

Being that I am not yet married, I have not had to tackle this hurdle. I truly don't know what I will go with, other than at least a small cake for the cake-cutting. But while making this decision, I think I would take into account my wedding theme (Rustic? Pie is an obvious choice; Circus? Cotton candy!), my budget (a large, intricate cake for 200 guests vs. jars of various types of candy for 200 guests), and what would genuinely make my self and my husband-to-be the most happy at the end of the night (don't be afraid to choose more than one dessert!).

 

My 'Dessert' board on my Pinterest page is devoted to exploring these options. Here are some of my favorite, less traditional options:

 

 

Caramel Apple Bar?! Like, you've got to be kidding me. As long as your venue approves of an open flame (should be fine if you have other hot buffet food as well), this is perfection. Great for a fall/Halloween wedding or anything apple themed.

As seen on Bridal Guide

 

 

If you haven't heard of a Croquembuche before now, your life is about to change. It's a classic French dessert and is a tower of cream puffs held together by a sugar netting. It's delicious, unique, and makes a BIG statement!

As seen on Style Me Pretty, photo by Sylvie Gil Photography

 

 

Strawberry Shortcake Skewers. Fresh, light, delicious. Need I say more?

As seen on Weddington Way

 

 

S'mores packets. This is playful and a for sure crowd pleaser. No one has bad memories of sitting around a fire pit making s'mores, and this adds a fun activity for your guests at the reception.

As seen on Style Me Pretty, photo by Marianne Wilson Photography

Bridal Shower- It's All in the Details

This past weekend I attended the bridal shower of one of my high school friends of 10+ years. She's marrying her high school sweetheart in June and I couldn't be more happy or excited for them! One of our friends through an amazing and thoughtful bridal shower. The photos below were taken with my iPhone, so please excuse the quality.

 

 

The whole party had a mint color scheme. I love how she subtly tied it in everywhere. She purchased adorable mason jar flower vessels on Etsy, and added mint candles on candle sticks for some height. I also loved the mismatched plates; it brings so much variety and playfulness to a less-than-formal affair.

 

 

We played a game where each guest brought a pair of undies for the bride (not all are pictured here). We then all guessed who brought what. It was harder than you'd think! I love that someone brought a sports bra, considering the bride is a personal trainer and nutritionist. Also, how cute is that "Ooh la la" banner? We hung the "Mrs. O'Rourke" hanger above, and the whole setup turned out really cute! She loved it.

 

 

Who doesn't love a classy signature drink dispenser? On the left we had a cucumber and lemon spa water. On the right, a vodka, strawberry, and mint drink. The bride loves vodka, and even asked the hostess beforehand to make sure there would be vodka at the party. That drink was a hit, and looked pretty too :)

 

I love when parties incorporate all the small details for an amazing theme and overall experience.

Bring on the Guest Book

I've always loved special, handwritten notes from friends and important people in my life. I display all my thank you cards and special notes at work at my desk, and save every birthday and holiday card I get in storage at home. For some reason, I can't bring myself to part with these special, personal words that people took the time to write to me!

 

The only problem with this is that, over time, this starts to take up a lot of space... especially when you consider the fact that I very rarely ever revisit these cards and notes. Kind of hoarder-ish of me, I guess.

 

Wedding guest books fall under this same category for me. Like photographs and wedding videos, guests books are another sentimental way to remember who you shared your special day with and the caring words and well-wishes they shared with you. For me personally, I would hold onto my wedding guest book forever, even if that means I only dig it up and read it on our anniversary.

 

I've become super into guest book alternatives, for the simple fact that it's a new experience for your guests, and can somehow be incorporated into your post-wedding life without being forced upon your home décor or hidden away in some trunk in your attic.

 

 

This idea really stood out to me the first time I saw it! I know growing up, we had a globe in my house. It helped with learning my geography, capitals, history, etc., and was also fun for creative reasons, picking a random place on the globe with my Dad and planning imaginary trips to far away destinations. For a wedding, having your guests sign a globe can serve multiple purposes. If you have a lot of guests who traveled to attend your wedding, they can sign where they came from (which is also a nod to them for their dedication to make it to your nuptials). If your wedding is travel themed (passport invitations, suitcase escort card display, etc.), this is another adorable way to tie in your theme and entertain your guests.

Photo by Byron Loves Fawn, as seen on Style Me Pretty

 

 

Another unique way to collect notes from your guests that you can stylishly incorporate into your home. After guests write their words on rocks and stones, you can place them (like shown) in a glass case for display on your mantle or side table. It's subtle, yet special, and something that can be with you every day as your married life grows in your home. P.S. Eco-friendly!

As seen on Babble

 

 

I thought this was such a fun and non-traditional way to involve guests in the wedding. Each card is a "puzzle piece" of the larger photo of the couple. Each guest's place setting has one of the puzzle pieces at it, along with a number on the back that corresponds with where that piece goes on the board to form the overall picture. The back will also ask guests for well-wishes. Post-wedding, the couple can read them all, then frame the completed picture and hang in their house as a really sentimental piece of art for a wall in their home.

As seen on That's Happy

New Year, New Business, New Blog!

Well... It's my first blog post for One & Only Productions. I've been wanting to have my own wedding blog for a while now, ever since the planner I worked for in Santa Barbara had me write some blog posts for her as a part of my internship a few years back. That was in the time period where I was realizing this whole "wedding thing" is what I want to do, like for real. Part of this path involves blogging, as wedding ideas and trends these days are heavily reliant on internet exposure for vision boards, exposure, and sharing!

 

While my business is growing and I accumulate a portfolio for myself and my company, I'll focus most of my posts on other things. The topic of the day: signage!

 

To me, signage is muy importante. I hate when I feel that guests don't know what to "do" next. My ideal wedding flows effortlessly, with organic movement from one space of the venue to another. While staff can play a great role in this (wedding coordinator pointing guests to where they should go next, catering staff waiting in the next destination with passed hors d'oeuvres in hand), signage place a huge role in this. Signs are also cheaper than hiring staff, and can be yet another avenue to add flare, design, and theme to your wedding and venue. Have you ever been at a wedding or event and wondered, "Will there be dinner later, or are these appetizers all I'm getting," "Where the heck is the bathroom," or "I need a drink... WHERE can I get a drink..."? The more little spots you can tie in with your theme, the more your guests will say to themselves "Wow, she thought of EVERYTHING!" That, my friends, is my goal.

 

Here are some signage ideas I love, pulled directly from my Pinterest page.

 

 

I love this idea. The use of symbols, rather than words, is playful and super easy to understand.

Photo by Alison Conklin Photography

 

 

This is another great way to subtly let your guests know what's going on. These signs not only add to he design of this wedding, with their exlectic, rustic feel. They also provide a schedule for the wedding night, letting everyone know what time they can expect everything to happen. The less confusion your guests feel, the better time they will inevitably have!

Photo by Gina Cristine Photography

 

 

All too often, guests approach the guest book table and just...don't get it. People are veering away from the traditional "Guest Book" and are opting for more unique, updated versions of this popular practice to send and receive well wishes. Adding a simple sign, like this, alleviates any confusion and can beautiful any boring guest book table or presentation.

Photo from etablirshop.com