Fun & Unique Bachelorette Party Ideas

The Bachelorette party is a great way for the girls to get together before the wedding to relax and have fun. Many ladies enjoy bar hopping and being a little naughty for the night but it's not for everyone. Here are a few ideas if you are looking for something different but equally as fun!

Boordy's Vineyard

Hydes, Maryland

Saturdays from Late May to Late August, Boordy's offers Summer Evening Concerts

Oriole Park @ Campden Yards

Baltimore, Maryland

Take in a game from the Flight Deck with up to 30 of your guest

Paint Night

Various Locations

Paint Nights have become the latest Girls Night Out event

For in-home or at a location restaurant

Slumber Party

In your home or at a Hotel

Wear your favorite PJ's and spent the evening getting pampered, listening to your favorite music

If you are thinking of having a combined Bachelorette/Bachelor Party

Wiffle Ball

 Flag Football

Softball Game

Scavenger Hunt around town

Missed Opportunities | A Bride’s “Should Have….”

We have had the pleasure of working with plenty of couples over the past decade and we always like to hear what the couples would change if anything. I thought I would share two things with you today on what most would say they would have done differently.

The top decision is usually is “I would have hired a videographer” there are so many wonderful points of the entire day that you may wish that you had the opportunity to play back and enjoy. We had a bride in the Fall of 2012 that wanted to see the Flower Girl and Ring Bearer’s adorable dance for the introductions and was a little sad that no one captured this.

While the wedding was gorgeous and just simply wonderful, she splurged more on décor & food while cutting back in other areas. The reality is that guests are not going to remember the type of flowers that you selected; they just know that it looked nice. If you can shave off a few savings in the correct areas to fit everything that you truly want in the budget then do so!

The second we would like to share with you is “I would have started planning earlier”

This second feedback is very interesting, based on time and our customer service commitment we limit the number of full planning weddings that we offer each year. Therefore we have many clients that book with us for partial planning and month of coordination. We find that many couples begin the planning process and get overwhelmed with securing the right vendors that fit within their budget. It is easy to put things off until ‘next week’ and by the time you realize you may be just a few months away from the wedding!

Although you may feel that you have lots of planning time, there are so many other weddings, milestone parties & events, and special occasions taking place in the lives of other that may be planning at the same time. For example, during the late spring is a peak season with weddings, proms, graduations, and other events. Event professionals usually book pretty fast. Start planning as early as possible so you have time to think about all the details and logistics your wedding involves.

Have fun planning, plan ahead and weigh the pros and cons about hiring a videographer for your special day!

George Peabody Library Wedding

We recently had a great wedding at the George Peabody Library in early October and could not wait to share some of the great images that Clapp Studios captured!

Cake: Sugarbakers
Catering: Chef's Expressions
Flowers: Wicked Willow
Photography: Clapp Studios

Here are a few sneak peek photos that I am able to share.

The bride and groom team J & J were so easy to work with and open to creative ideas that made their decor and details flawless!

Hope to post more soon!
Kay

Bridal Show Tips

Here are a few tips for future shows Bridal Shows that you attend. 

A.       Register online before the show, you can save a few dollars off.

B.       Create an email address specifically for your wedding planning and promotional materials to be sent to you. This helps keep you organized and your personal inbox separate from planning.

Print address labels and save yourself time on filling out forms. Here is an example: *Address & Phone number is optional

C.       Bring a friend if your fiancé is not interested in attending.

D.       Bring a small notebook to take notes and advice from vendors.

E.       Ask questions when you speak with vendors, what would you like to know? 

F.       Keep track of the vendors that you like:

a.       Collect as much literature as possible, for the vendors that you really like you keep the information in your bag. The others give to your friend to place in her bag. This helps you filter the information while at the show, still go through all of the information; you just know what bag to go through first.

b.       Rate the vendors you see, whether you use an A,B,C method this will also help when reviewing information. If you don’t mind have your friend rate the vendor and compare ratings later.

G.       If you like a vendor schedule a consultation on the spot and take advantage of the deals they are offering. If the show is overwhelming follow up later and schedule a consultation, many of which are free. 

        Don't forget to wear comfortable shoes and be ready to walk around at least twice.  To make sure you did not miss anything. 

        Have Fun and Happy Planning!     

A Red, Black, and White Wedding

Happy New Year!

We are back with some wedding recaps from the 2012 year!

The rich colors of red and black accented with white is a great color combination and was a perfect choice for Mr. & Mrs. Redd. Yes this is truly their last name, so we took the red theme and ran with it!

This wedding took place at the Hotel at Arundel Preserve in Hanover, MD. 

When we first met with our couple they were not sure about the style, theme, or a few other items about the wedding. They just knew that they were in love and wanted to be married. That was a great start for me...good reason to start. As I got to know them during the consultation and learned more about them they met each other in High School and had two slightly different stories (as usual...there is always a gap in the funny 'how we met stories'). So we all came to the conclusion that it all began with a crush and there our theme and colors combined with the last name began laying the foundation for their wedding journey.

Kim is such a sweet person and we bonded right away, she was not your typical bride that knew all the details that she wanted. However, she was open and loved the facts that we offered choices and looked at each, talked through the details and then made the decision on the best fit for their wedding. I went gown shopping with Kim and her bridesmaids to help her pick the colors and styles of the dresses. 

Tip: When you go out shopping for your gown have your Maid of Honor try on the bridesmaids dresses that you like and are considering and stand next to the bride. We eliminated a few bridesmaids dresses this way. 

Being different in some of her attire and ceremony decor was keen to the couple and that we did with a red chuppah/canopy for the ceremony. It served as a pretty backdrop for the ceremony and formal pictures following the ceremony. 

Prestigious Occasions provided the custom red chuppah/canopy, all linen, chair covers, DIY crush bottles and tags, aisle decor, and more!

Following the ceremony the guests identified their seats by locating their names on the Crush soda bottles... remember it all began with a High School Crush and that is what the framed sign on the table said. The named tags were created by Prestigious Occasions and tied with red ribbon by the Bride and her Bridesmaids. This served as an escort card and favor...some favors never made it home...the guest really enjoyed the kid in them with the soda and candy bar as a favor.

Guests signed the framed picture as a guest book alternative.

Tip: DIY projects are great to put a personal touch on your wedding. However it is very important to plan out your tasks ahead of time and also enlist help when you need it.

For the reception we combined square and round tables with two different table layouts. The round tables were covered in black linen with a damask overlay while the square table had a black underlay with a damask runner, read napkins with menu cards were placed at each setting. The centerpieces and flowers were created by Randy at Wicked Willow.  

The entire wedding day was wonderful for our clients and here is their review that we received on our services. 

         Kay (Prestigious Occasions) was the best planner. Our wedding was like a dream come true. When my husband and I first sat down with Kay I did not even have a vision for what I wanted (not the typical bride), but Kay helped me to form a vision for our wedding, and brought it to life just as we had imagined it. It was beautiful, and more than we could have ever dreamed of. Her best quality is her patience and willingness to do what needs to be done to ensure that your wedding day is a beautiful experience you'll never forget. Thank you Kay. If you are looking for a planner you have found her!

       ~ Kim                                                                                

Bridal Shower Ideas and Tips

She is getting married! You are excited for her and can’t wait to mark this special occasion. If you’re the maid of honor, sister of the bride, a bridesmaid, or mother of the bride or groom, it’s likely your responsibility to organize a bridal shower to celebrate the lucky bride-to-be.

Of course you want to host the best bridal shower ever, and you envision something unique and tasteful, but where will you find the inspiration? For many, the thought of bridal showers brings visions of ribbons and bows, wedding dresses made out of toilet paper, white gloves and aspic.

Bridal showers are taking place in many forms of celebrations. Whether you are planning to have a garden tea party, brunch at a loved French Bistro,  or even plan to travel for a ‘girls weekend getaway’…the important thing is that you make it memorable and something that she will love….what does she like to do?

Here are some ideas for a Bridal Shower:

Shower at a Winery

Spa/Pamper Her Shower

Beauty Shower – learn tips to enhance your beauty

Beach Getaway Shower

Cooking Class

Host a Couple’s Shower

Center around: favorite colors, flowers, dessert, vacation destination, wine, movie…there are endless options.

No matter what type of shower you’re hosting, it’s important to remember some basic rules for organizing the perfect bridal shower.

Bridal showers: The guest list
The guest list generally includes people who have a close personal relationship with the bride. If the shower is women-only, it’s customary to invite the bride and groom’s mother, grandmothers, aunts, the bride’s closest friends, and, if the shower is a larger event, you may extend the invitation to a few work friends or girlfriends of the men involved in the wedding party.

Bridal shower invitations
Set the theme and tone for the bridal shower with the invitations. Whether you would like to mail a formal invitation or use an Evite. The very important thing to remember is to have a contact person listed for guests to RSVP. There are plenty locations to shop in person or online for invitation. Try visiting www.etsy.com they have so much to offer with tons of talented crafty sellers.

Remember to send out the invitations about a month before the bridal shower so people can mark the date in their calendars.

  

The bridal shower menu
Some classic food items that will not disappoint are hors d’ oeuvres’ select several options to please the guests, just remember to have meatless options.  Dessert bars are also a great hit with guests when they have options of desserts the variety of flavors are enticing.  

Bridal shower games
Believe it or not you can forget about the games if you want to. The games at bridal showers are optional; some people enjoy regular games and not the traditional games of creating a dress out of toilet paper.

While many of the games are fun it is best to know what your bride/couple likes and if they are more centered on enjoying the time with their friends, create an agenda that reflects that.

Quick things to remember

Don’t go overboard. If you decide to have a theme, keep it simple and enjoyable for the Bride/Couple

Do have a plan. A good host keeps the event moving along comfortably.

Don’t invite people to the bridal shower who won’t be invited to the wedding. If the bride and groom are having a destination and that guests will not be traveling…that’s acceptable.  

Do make her feel special. Remember, the bridal shower is for close friends to come together and celebrate the bride/couple.

5 Details and Tips - Not to forget for the wedding

(1) When creating your invitations get a final proof with all pieces included in the envelope. Take the envelope to the post office and check the mailing price of the stamp that you will need. Many standard invitations are $.65 to mail for a wedding invitation. Based on the style, size, and weight of the invitation this price my increase the cost of mailing your invitation. 

 

(2) It’s never too early to find out the details and requirements to obtain your marriage license for the location that you will be married in. When you apply for your marriage license you will do so based on the location of your venue. You may be getting married in the city, however live in the county. Your marriage license would be for the city

(3) You cannot legally get married without your marriage license on hand. Give this license to your wedding planner either at the rehearsal or on the morning of the wedding. It is also important that once the license is signed that you have a dedicated individual that will be responsible in keeping the license for you. Usually a parent is the best option for this.  

(4) Keep good track of the RSVPs that you receive using a program like Excel. This gives you the ability to sort your list in many options and create your floor plan and seating chart. 

 

(5) If you are leaving for your honeymoon the next day or just do not want to deal with the hassle of collecting items following the wedding day designate a family member to handle specific items at the end of the evening. For example, the sand ceremony vases, memorial candle, etc…