Details - Shoes

Every girl loves her shoes! Finding the perfect pair of fabulous wedding shoes to go along with your wedding dress is an important detail to consider. When it comes to the day of your wedding, you can expect to be on your feet a lot! That’s why it’s so important to find a shoe that fits your personality and wedding style, but that is also comfortable for you to enjoy the day in.

Here a few things to consider when you’re picking out your wedding day shoes…

• Your venue – Are you getting married outside where stiletto heels might sink into the grass? Are you getting married on the beach where you might not even need shoes? Will you be walking down a lot of steps or on an uneven surface? These are important things to consider and could determine if you choose to wear a wedge heel or a flat shoe.

• Style – There are many styles of wedding shoes out there. The best way to figure out the styles and designs you like best and that would go well with your dress is to go shopping and try on everything!

• Color – White, ivory or nude shoes are classic wedding shoe colors, but metallic colors or shoes with a little bit a sparkle are just as elegant and can add a glamourous touch to your look. If your wedding colors are bright or you want to add a subtle pop of color to your dress, a bold, colorful shoe may be just your style!

• Height – select a heel hight that you are used to normally wearing and walking in. Shoe height is almost when it comes to making alterations to your wedding dress. Bring your shoes with you to fittings to ensure that your dress is the proper length and just barely hitting the ground with your shoes on.

• Comfort if key – walk around in your shoes before the big day to make sure they fit right and that you can walk comfortably in them. Shoe inserts are also a good idea for a little extra cushion and comfort.

• Have a backup, just in case! Even the most comfortable heels can get uncomfortable after a long day of standing and dancing the night away. Have a back up pair of flats to change into at the reception if your feet start to hurt.

Photography by LaCour Photography, Twin Hearts Photography, Melissa Prosser Photography

3 Quick and Simple Ways to Jazz up Your Holiday Party

{by Natalie Bradley, originally published in Online Athens}

Every host always wants at least two things for his or her party: for guests to have a delightful time, and figuring out how to get more bang for your party planning buck! Today, you’ll find three ways to do just that.

1. Add Depth and Dimension

As at-home hosts, most of us use our furniture to serve on, which usually means lots of flat and boring surfaces. Even if you have fabulous pieces of furniture, it will be boring if everything is the same height without any depth or dimension. We solve this by going vertical whenever possible.

You can always hide books or other stackable objects under linens to place food at varying heights. Pedestals and tiered serving pieces are simple solutions. And in rooms where you have a chandelier, consider hanging florals or light-weight decor instead of placing it only on your tabletop. Keep it interesting and add unexpected elements.

Make fabric your best friend! Any piece of furniture can easily be spiced up with fun and fabulous fabric. You can either splurge by renting beautiful linens from local companies, or you can go to fabric store sales and get something for only a few dollars that you can keep in your supply stash for years to come. Either option is just fine.

Add florals and greenery to bring life to your tabletops. Not just on your main tables, but also in unexpected areas throughout your space. When selecting pieces for your display (especially on your food stations), make sure to choose containers, serving dishes, and arrangements in different sizes and shapes to add depth and dimension.

Trays are also a beautiful way to serve food. When I have the budget to work with, I also make sure we have one or two servers passing hors d’oeuvres on trays in addition to presenting them on food stations. It just makes people feel so pampered and brings the party’s elegance to another level.

You can also customize trays you may pick up at local shops so that you can use them again and again without anyone ever knowing. Spray paint does miraculous things for customizing on a budget. You can also think out of the box with your trays, and buy inexpensive oversized mirrors (watch for jagged edges), old distressed frames without pictures, or even bamboo place mats laid in a tray can be a beautiful presentation. Choose what reflects the formality and tone you want your event to have.

2. Tags and Labels Work Magic

Signage that also reflects your party’s underlying theme is a great way to add wow to your festivities while also providing practical information to your guests about food and beverage. I love having beautiful paper, fabric, wood or even chalkboard signage at stations presented in different ways.

I also have to say a tag does wonders. Adding beautiful tags and custom labels to anything really kicks your presentation up a major notch.

You can add tags or labels to wine bottles and decanters, or even to signature drinks.

Add signage to your stations and your guests will appreciate knowing what they’re eating while enjoying these details.

The best part is, you don’t have to spend a lot of time, money or energy to create a big impact with your signage. You can create these easily by simply using stamps, or you can print a design or fun font at home on pretty paper, or if you really don’t have time, reach out to a local store like Plain Jane’s to create something snazzy.

Ideally your signage, labels, tags and so on will coordinate nicely with your invitations and all other printed materials you may have (like napkins or paper guest towels). Remember - consistency is the queen of personalization!

3. Lighting Tops it All Off

Lighting is crucial to any event. If your guests can’t see, or if it feels like the lighting is harsh, all your other efforts will be pointless. When at all possible, forego the overhead lighting for evening affairs. At night, it’s amazing if your party feels like it’s glowing. Everyone looks more beautiful, and so will your event!

Low-wattage table lamps, candles everywhere, subtle up-lighting and white Christmas lights are all beautiful choices. Especially around your food and beverage tables, make sure it can be seen.

If you want your guests to venture outdoors, lighting will invite them. Add ambience and guests will follow. Make it comfortable, make it have that glow that’s so enticing, and guests will flock to it like moths to the flame.

With all your details, make sure to coordinate everything you do to really jazz it up. Just don’t over-do your color matching. This screams DIY. A professional designer knows that it’s okay to have shades of the same color, and falling in love with various patterns to mix and match. So the trade trick here is to coordinate, but don’t be too “matchy-matchy” with your choices. Sometimes you can have too much of a good thing.

If you consider any or all of these elements in your party planning, you’ll pack a lot more punch into your event that guests will notice while costing you very little. Happy planning!

Blessings,

© 2003-2013 Soirée! Ltd./Natalie Bradley Events

Want to use this post in your E-newsletter, blog, or website? You can as long as you include this complete statement: Southern Event Planner & Designer Natalie Bradley publishes the “Soirée Secrets” blog filled with secrets, tips and how-tos for planning your fabulous event. Get your exclusive inspiration, tips and tricks at http://NatalieBradley.com. Soirée by Natalie Bradley Events is an event planning and design company based in Athens, serving Northeast Georgia, the Carolinas and select destination locations.

The Georgia Club Holiday Photo Shoot

Enjoy some photos from The Georgia Club Holiday photo shoot that are sure to inspire you as you plan your holiday party!

Photos by ZoomWorks; Floral Design by European Florals; Food by Chef Shayne at The Georgia Club; Farm Table and Pilgrim Chairs from Oconee Event Rentals; Printed Materials and Signage by plainjane designs

Details Make the Difference

Whether you want to have your wedding feel like a true reflection of you as a couple, or you want to get more bang

for your budget (and make your wedding lookmore expensive than it actually is), or you’re wanting your wedding to be like something from the pages of a magazine, the key always lies in the details of your wedding experience. Details always make the difference between a beautiful custom wedding and a cookie cutter disaster.

One major way to make your dream wedding is to have detailed surprises throughout your wedding and wedding-related events to dazzle your guests!  Here are just a few ideas for you to use some beautiful details in your wedding plans.

“Brand” your Wedding … think in terms of a logo for your extraordinary event.

Hire a graphic designer to create an incredible design for your wedding.  This can be a variety of fantastic designs, like a funky pineapple (hospitality), peach or cotton (southern or Georgia wedding), or it can be as simple as incorporating your initial or monogram in a creative way.  If you want something more traditional or less expensive, monograms are always an excellent choice and many stationers offer a beautiful selection so that you do not have to fork out the expensive of a graphic designer.

You may be thinking “where do I use a wedding logo“?  …Or maybe the better question is where NOT to use it?

For our clients, I suggest that you add extra details in these wonderful ways: Stationery, save-the-dates, invitations, thank-you notes, welcome notes and weekend itineraries, napkins, favors, menus, place cards, send-off signage, lighting (on your dance floor, side of a building, tent), and  even cake “jewelry.”

Stationery -  Making your wedding as personalized and informative as possible is KEY when creating your fabulous day. All of your stationery should include your theme (color, tone and formality), starting with the very first printed mailing your guests receive (save-the-date or invitation). Especially in this over-saturated world of technology, your beautiful (and well thought out) stationery pieces will leave a lasting impression while adding some major wow factor with those details.

It’s also a nice touch to include a wedding invitation that contains all events of the weekend (if everyone is invited, or specify the packet to only those invited to particular events).  This way, your invitation tells more of a story of the weekend rather than just inviting them in the old-school way. It’s more enticing to guests to be invited in a super-fun and fabulous way!

Welcome Baskets and Bags-  There’s no nicer way to greet your guests as they arrive from weary travel than to present them with a beautiful basket or bag filled with regional treats. Also, make sure to include a personalized note and weekend itinerary and/or suggested shops, restaurants, sites and activities to enjoy.

Menu and Place Cards- If you’re hosting a seated dinner or buffet with assigned seats, it’s always a nice touch to include personalized menu cards that also serve as a place card.  This way they not only know where to be seated, but also what they’re about to enjoy for dinner festivities.

Thank-you Notes-  Always tie your thank-you notes into your overall wedding theme to make sure that the last thing a guest receives from your wedding (usually after the occasion) reminds them of  how extraordinary and fabulous it was.

Well wishes- Guests love writing you beautiful notes of wishes or congratulations, so why not offer cards (even slivers of left-over paper from other printings) for your guests to write you personal messages and include in your wedding album later. It will be fun for all involved!

Signage-  If your venue has specified parking areas, multiple ballrooms or can be difficult to locate, make sure to provide ample signage that is not only tied into the whole theme (use your logo or even as simple as the same font or wedding colors), but also very useful!

If you just give a little extra thought to the details, your wedding is always sure to be a reflection of you, up your wow factor, and at the same time bring you that fairytale wedding feel that the magazines bring you!

Blessings,

© 2003-2013 Soirée! Ltd./Natalie Bradley Events

Want to use this post in your E-newsletter, blog, or website? You can as long as you include this complete statement: Athens Event Planner & Designer Natalie Bradley publishes the “Soirée Secrets” e-zine filled with secrets, tips and how-tos for planning your fabulous wedding or event. Get your complimentary e-guide: ”10 Planner Secrets to Create Your Custom Dream Wedding While Saving Thousands” at http://NatalieBradley.com. Soirée by Natalie Bradley Events is an Athens, Georgia,  event planning and design company, serving Northeast Georgia and select destination locations.

Wedding Details - Planning Assigned Seating

Planning assigned seating is a big part of planning a wedding and can be stressful for the bride and groom.

Here are some helpful tips and ideas to make planning assigned seating a little less stressful…

First, check with the reception venue (and/or your caterer) about how many tables the site can hold with all of your other activities and space needs, as well as how many people can sit at the table comfortably. Plan the layout of the reception to get an idea of where things will be to get an idea of where guests would be seated. Also decide if guests will assigned to a numbered table vs. an assigned seat at a table.

The bride and groom should be a centrally located table, whether they are seated at a sweetheart table, with your parents or with the wedding party. Start with the most important guests in terms of involvement in wedding reception activities and needing to be centrally located when planning the seating chart, like the wedding party and family, and work your way from there.

I’ve always loved Martha Stewart’s tips for planning your seating because it’s so simple and so, so easy!

This will seriously keep you from losing your mind…Plus, I’m obsessed with sticky notes and this gives me a great excuse to use them. 

MATERIALS You’ll Need:

• Low-tack adhesive notes of various colors

STEPS

1. STEP 1

   Divide your guest list into categories — such as wedding party, family, our friends, family friends — and assign a different-color low-tack adhesive note to each.

2. STEP 2

   Write out everyone’s names on the appropriately colored strips. You can arrange and rearrange them around simple photocopied outlines of your tables. The note colors show whether you have a good mix at each table.

3. STEP 3

   When it’s time to set out the place cards, tape the notes in place, then hand the completed sheets to the setter.
   

Make sure table numbers, pictures or some sort of easy identification are on each table and place cards are at each seat to help guests easily find where they should be seated. You will also need escort cards, which are the cards guests pick up to find out where they are seated. Ideally these are organized in alphabetical order so that guests can find their names easily and quickly. We always make sure we also have a clipboard or iPad with a seating chart to assist guests when trying to find their seats to make sure it doesn’t back up at the escort card table.

{All photos above are from Twin Hearts Photography!}

Photo by ZoomWorks Photography

Blessings,

© 2003-2013 Soirée! Ltd./Natalie Bradley Events

Want to use this post in your E-newsletter, blog, or website? You can as long as you include this complete statement: Southern Event Planner & Designer Natalie Bradley publishes the “Soirée Secrets” blog filled with secrets, tips and how-tos for planning your fabulous event. Get your exclusive inspiration, tips and tricks at http://NatalieBradley.com. Soirée by Natalie Bradley Events is an event planning and design company based in Athens, serving Northeast Georgia, the Carolinas and select destination locations.

Wedding Details - Wreaths

Wreaths aren’t only for hanging on your front door during the holiday season, they are a beautiful decoration for any ceremony or reception venue.

Whether you are having a spring, summer, fall or winter wedding, wreaths are great for anytime of year and can be designed for any wedding theme. They can be hung on the door or windows outside leading into the venue, on the back of chairs, on the side of church pews to line the ceremony aisles, or as a part of the table decorations at the reception. After the wedding you can take them home with you to enjoy as a reminder of your wedding day.

There are several different styles of wreaths to consider, depending on your style and wedding desires.

A greenery wreath with with flower accents look beautiful on these wooden doors.

A dark greenery wreath with a bow accent really stands out on white doors.

Wreaths don’t have to only be outside either! This greenery wreath accent around the cake on a dark table linen is a beautiful table decoration.

A fresh floral wreath is a beautiful decoration for the doors leading into the ceremony.

Wreaths aren’t limited to being made out of florals and greenery ! DIY wreaths are being seen more often – they are simple to make your own and there are countless materials to use, burlap and ribbon being just a couple of the most popular. Adding a monogram of the bride and groom’s initials to the center is a great personalized detail for a wreaths that hangs out the ceremony venue or on the back of the bride and groom’s chairs at the reception. For a more rustic look for an outdoor wedding, wreaths can be made out of moss, sticks or leaves and make for a unique table decoration. Find more ideas and inspiration on our Pinterest boards here! 

Photography by Zoomworks Photography and JetKat Photo

Blessings,

 © 2003-2013 Soirée! Ltd./Natalie Bradley Events

Want to use this post in your E-newsletter, blog, or website? You can as long as you include this complete statement: Southern Event Planner & Designer Natalie Bradley publishes the “Soirée Secrets” blog filled with secrets, tips and how-tos for planning your fabulous event. Get your exclusive inspiration, tips and tricks at http://NatalieBradley.com. Soirée by Natalie Bradley Events is an event planning and design company based in Athens, serving Northeast Georgia, the Carolinas and select destination locations.