A Little Bling - @ The Hotel at Arundel Preserve

Writing about this next couple is easy and comes with joy! Lorraine and Kevin are both wonderful people. If you have not figured it out I love to create relationships with my clients to have a deep understanding about the two as a couple and the family. This unique duo is undoubtedly made for each other.

It is not every day that you meet people that genuinely care about each other naturally and others. It was very easy working with Lorraine and Kevin they took advice and listen to my feedback. Lorraine tried to fight her shopping punishment (courtesy of Kevin & Kay) but understood completely in the end. It was really fun working with her because she also had great ideas and loved the bling as you will see in the pictures below. 

This may sound cliché…however he truly treats her like a queen and he is her king. I don’t think that there was a dry eye in the reception when their children spoke about the love not only between the Bride and Groom, but the unconditional love they have for their children. 

Their ceremony was held at her church, it was very important for them to get married in a church. The reception was held at The Hotel at Arundel Preserve in Hanover, MD. This is a fairly new hotel and the staff is very good to work with! 

Enjoy the pictures below; there are more in our portfolio if this was a tease.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Scott Bey Photography – www.scottbeyphotography.com 

A Wedding Day for a Lifetime- Radisson Lord Baltimore

We had a busy Fall 2012 season and now it is time to share and post some great weddings!

I had the pleasure of working with a Bride by the name of Robyn. My email queen *smiles* Robyn wanted all the bells and whistles. We created a great wedding that reflected both the Bride and Groom within their budget. They celebrated the wedding day with 125 guests in rich colors of wineberry, purple, and touches of gold.

The ceremony was held at First and Franklin Presbyterian Church Baltimore, Maryland.  This church is absolutely beautiful and was a great place to have the ceremony. The Cocktail Hour & Reception took place at the Radisson Lord Baltimore.

Please enjoy the pictures, details, and décor.

We did not need to have too much decor as you can see, two altar arrangements and a few silk pomander balls (from Prestigious Occasions) was more than enough for this grand church.

This is a picture of the blushing Bride Robyn....she has just left her bridal suite and we are on the way to the church for the ceremony.  She was so excited and also nervous at the same time, she practiced her vows and now it is time to actually say them out loud to the love of her life.  

 

The ceremony was wonderful and you could feel the true love between the couple as they exchanged their vows. During that time while you exchange your vows the most important person in the entire room is right in front of you, live in the moment and take your time to gaze in their eyes. 

For the first dance the couple danced on cloud nine...they dance on a low smoke haze as they danced to Inseparable by Natalie Cole

 

Here are details for the reception, the flowers were created by Bella Fiori....Roberta is a great florist! The table numbers were pictures of the Bride and Groom from their engagement photo shoot. Each table was named after an emotion and or key words that embraced love. 

We miss you Mr. & Mrs. Hawkins!

Photography Credit: Weddings by Tre'Lynn (www.trelynnpro.com)

New Look for your Guest Book

We’ve all seen the traditional guest book where each guest signs his or her name on a line, recorded for posterity, and end up being rarely to be viewed. For the couple that would like to try something a little different. It’s okay to be creative and do something unique that reflect you both!

Wishing Tree
A wishing tree is a fun décor piece that can be customized to match your wedding colors. Guests simply write a special message or wish for you on small cards with ribbon affixed to them. The wishes are then hung from the tree and then removed after the wedding and placed into a scrapbook!

Photo Booth Guest Book
For a fun and interactive activity, have guests take pictures in the photo booth and place supplies on the tables for guests to then adhere to a scrapbook with a special message! These pictures get more fun as the night goes on!

Art for Your Home
Instead of having guests sign a matted picture of the two of you, why not change things up a bit and create a custom art piece for your home? Use a historic picture of the venue where the wedding reception was held and guests signed their names around it. A map of the city where the two of you met or were married, a painting of a place that has special significance for you, a family crest, etc – the possibilities are endless for what you could have matted and signed in lieu of a traditional guest book.

Engagement Album Guest Book
You are likely to have an engagement shoot captured by your wedding photographer prior to the big day. Some photographers offer an engagement album that can also double as your guest book with lots of space left around the pictures for guests to sign their name or leave you a little message. Best of all, the book itself becomes a wonderful coffee table décor piece in your new home together where you can smile at the pictures of the two of you while also reading your guests’ special words to you.

DIY Menu Cards - Template

Below is a DIY tip from a bride on Project Wedding - Dill Pickle Picnic

Tools Needed:

•Paper Cutter (or have it precut at Kinko’s,etc)

•Color printer that will allow for custom paper sizes

•Feel Script Font or Monterey BT Font

•Menu Template created in MS Word (saved for Word 95-2005) Supplies Needed:

•8.5 x 11 inches Ivory or White Cardstock – 1 sheet makes 3 menus (I used cover stock from PaperSource in Luxe White but Cold Press watercolor paper would work well also)

Instructions:

•If you don’t already have it loaded on your computer, download and install the font of your choice. This project uses Copperplate Gothic (which came with MS Word) and Monterey-BT. •Download the Menu Template from above and update to your menu items of choice. Verify that the paper size is set to a custom size with a width of 3.66 inches and a height of 8.5 inches.

•Cut your standard sized paper into 3 menu sized pieces*.

Each menu is setup to be 3.66 inches wide, so a 1/3 of a standard sheet of paper’s width if in landscape mode. Using your paper cutter cut each sheet into 3 equal pieces. To make this process less tedious I constructed a “guard” of sorts using a post-it note placed in the correct cutting position. Then I could just line my paper up against it’s edge and make a consistent sized cut each time. In retrospect it would have been even easier if I’d used a piece of heavier cardstock taped to my cutting deck so I have more of a solid edge to line up against. With my cutter and this easier method of alignment, I could easily cut through 2 pieces of coverstock at a time. Menu Template

Finding your Summer Venue

Summer weddings are fun, but can be challenging to plan when you are looking for the “perfect venue” and have a large guest list!

The visions of a summer wedding are very popular and venues book quickly, in some cases years in advance. It is important to know your maximum number of guests; this will give you a guideline in addition to the amenities that you both are looking for on your wedding day.

If you are available to see a venue during the setup process of another wedding this is also helpful and allow you to envision your day and floor plan in the space. Contact the representative for the venue you have in mind and ask to see the space before an upcoming wedding.

There are many things to consider when searching for your summer venue. If you are having an outdoor wedding don’t just think about a backup plan for rain….also remember the sun. While outdoor weddings can be very nice, think about the location and setup of the venue, the position that the sun will set and other details. Explore the options of renting a tent, this help with shade and shelter case of rain.

Keep good notes on the venues that you visit and include the pros and cons. Always inquire about the food if you have an option between the catering companies or if you must go with their company. This can be a deal breaker if the food is not good.

Just remember to plan carefully and think about the overall logistics before signing your contract.

Happy Planning!

Virtual Table Design! Easy Table Preview!

Are you trying to envision your colors?

If you are thinking about your color scheme and how to design your tables, we have a great link for you to give you an idea of a completed table!

You have the ability to select the table shape, size, linen, overlays, napkins, chair covers, sashes and other options!

Please feel free to use the link below and explore the many options that you have dress your tables for your upcoming event!

Have fun and play with the color combinations!

http://www.bbjlinen.com/Design-Your-Event-Table

DIY Centerpiece Ideas & Products

At $3.33 per foot, Crystal Diamond Mesh are a popular ways to add "bling" to centerpieces, bouquets, candles, vases and more. This item is available at Koyal Wholesale for you DIY designers and professionals, this rhinestone-studded crystal ribbon is offered in silver diamond, gold diamond and black diamond. Launched just one week ago, Crystal Diamond Mesh has already become one of the best-selling items of 2011!

As low as $1.80 per strand, the 21" Hanging Crystal Garlands are one of our all-time best selling items. New for 2011, Koyal Wholesale now offers the hanging crystals in 6 colors, including clear, black, fuchsia, purple, pink and turquoise. They also sell Manzanita Trees. The bendable artificial trees come in gold, silver, black and white and in a variety of sizes. Combine with hanging crystals to achieve platinum centerpieces that won't break the budget.

It's not too early for Seating Charts!

Good News!! It’s not too early to start your floor plan and seating chart!!

When you send out your invitations you can create the floor plan at the same time. List the table number and the guests that you would like to sit at that particular table. As the RSVP’s come back in you can highlight the guest as attending. Once the RSVP deadline has come to a close you are able to shift around your guests if necessary to eliminate and add additional tables.

Many couples get overwhelm with the table seating, address this at an early stage and it will be less for you to worry about in the end. To also make this task easier for you, print the escort cards a week before the wedding and organize them in alphabetical order. If you are using and seating chart in alphabetical order by last name, this can also be printed and framed ahead of time.

Be strategic when you plan out your tasks….especially as you get closer to your wedding day.

Enjoy the planning process and relax as you move along towards your wonderful wedding day.

Photo Credit: http://weddinginvitationplace.com/Seating-Arrangements.html

DIY Smores Kit

Here is a fun idea for giving a favor gift that your guests can use. As I was playing around on the internet and wedding sites I came across this neat idea.


Let your guests enjoy taking their personal smores kit home and have fun preparing a sweet treat. You may also offer them an opportunity to prepare them at the venue by creating a smores bar as an additional wow factor.

Here are the details from a past bride:Materials:
1. Hershey's Chocolate Bars
2. Graham Crackers

3. Marshmallows

4. Wire Hangers

5. Cellophane Bags in 3 Sizes

6. Adhesive Paper and Cardstock

7. Labels and Instructions design (downloadable pdfs right here and here.)

8. Kraft Box with Lid 4.75" x 6" x 2.5"

9. Tissue

10. Ribbon

11. Scissors

12. Wire Cutter


STEP 1: Remove the marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers from their original packaging and put them in cellophane bags. Here we put six graham cracker squares in a 4" x 6" bag, Three chocolate squares in a 5" x 3" bag, and about 10 marshmallows in a 5.5" x 8" bag.

STEP 2: With the wire cutters, cut off the head of the hanger and then bend the hanger in fourths so it fits the length of the box. Secure it with ribbon.


Original Post: http://www.projectwedding.com/wedding-ideas/diy-s-mores-kits