Wacky Wedding Planner

2010 Should be Exciting

As I begin my 4th year in business I realize that what has worked in the past isn't necessarily going to work for the future so with that in mind, I am preparing my journey into 2010 with bold new ideas and goals.  Here's a sneak peak:

• New Business Plan with help from "The Right-Brain Business Plan"
• New Design Studio which is almost completely finished
• My website will have major reconstructive surgery and may just end up with split personalities...hmmm
• Introduction to Wedding Planning Course with Fete Perfection Weducation Classes beginning March, 2010 - enrollment coming 2/1/10
• Continued Expansion into Destination Weddings -

One of our ongoing commitments to our clients is to continue to perfect our services, challenge our skills and build our professional network of colleagues and friends so couples can trust they have a cohesive/creative team working on their behalf.  Education and networking are the key to this last and most important goal.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy a safe and very Happy New Year and here's to a prosperous 2010 for everyone! I borrowed this image from OneMonkeyShow - hope it's okay...

Wedding Rentals in Costa Rica

I posted briefly about my upcoming trip to Costa Rica in early November but haven't followed up with details or photos because I was anxiously awaiting receipt of the professional photos of the talented Corbin Gurkin. First off my sincerest thanks to our host, Heather Mahaffey of Costa Rican Rentals and Lisa Light of Destination Bride who made this trip possible.

Planners from various parts of the US met in Costa Rica to tour the private luxury villas of Costa Rican Rentals and to learn about the Guancaste Region of Costa Rica. Ashley Baber of Ashley Baber Weddings in Atlanta, Annie Lee of Daughter of Design in New York, Ivy Robinson of Ivy Robinson Weddings & Events in North Carolina and of course Lisa and myself all met at Villa Presciosa one afternoon for a little friendly tabletop design challenge. We were to design a table that could be used for a wedding in Costa Rica.

Lisa Hoffman Johnson of CC New York provided the inspiration for our tables by donating exquisite invitations, menus and place cards she had created for clients. We worked with local florals and decor to completely customize individualized theme tables and although we had to take a break for a few rain delays, the results exceeded my expectations.  

Here are some of the images from my table created from sea glass.  To see images of all the table tops, check out Corbin's website.

Wedding Inspiration & Designs

The week of November 1 I will be traveling to Costa Rica for site inspections and to participate in a tabletop design photo shoot. I was immediately interested but worried about the logistics of decor and accessories being available, however after having about ten days to mull it over, tear through wedding magazines, books and online images I did agree.

Of course the tabletop design has to be wedding related and pertinent to weddings in Costa Rica. I did not want the obvious or "Clichéd" themes of shells, sand, flip flops etc so started researching Costa Rica and its culture.  Several broad ideas came to mind such as Rain Forest, Eco-System and native birds such as the Macaw.  My initial choice was then narrowed to the macaw and creating a table full of lush vibrant colors such as ocean blue, red and lime green seemed fairly simple.

While it is easy to see ideas in your mind, creating the idea in living color with texture and dimension is much more difficult.  I worked several days on pulling the Macaw theme together but it always boiled down to the one final element that said "Macaw" and unfortunately that meant a fake bird.  While the table linens, base plates, napkins, candles and other details were great together, adding the fake bird made everything look like a circus. Here's a photo of my initial inspiration.

Frustrated, I was ready to give up but as luck would have it, I came across a story in the travel section of our Sunday paper about sea glass.  That sparked new interest and design ideas and after additional research, shopping trips and consultations with my graphic designer, I think I'm ready to head to Costa Rica. Getting there is going to be interesting, especially since I'll be bringing an entire suitcase filled with colored glass, decor, centerpieces, linens and votives but I'm hoping my frequent flyer status on Northwest will get them to look the other way when it comes to an over-sized luggage.

So the moral of the story for anyone who may have hit a design block, stop looking at wedding inspiration boards, wedding blogs and wedding books.  Inspiration may hit where you least expect it.  Here is my inspiration found by reading the news.  Good luck and let me know if Fete Perfection can help you get over your design block.

. Photo courtesy of Sea Glass Blog - thank you.

Destination Italy - part II

My travels to Italy were a resounding success having located three venues for the three events my destination couple is hosting next September, 2010.  We specifically looked for a restaurant for the first evening event which we call the "welcome to Italy" dinner.  The following afternoon we're off to wine tasting in the Chianti region and finally the main event, their wedding in a castle dating back to 1000 AD - wow, what a dream venue.

We concentrated our search to only two medieval towns in the Tuscany, Siena and San Gimignano and ended up in the San Gimignano area. 

Here's the view of San Gimignano from my hotel room.

This is another view from my hotel room on our last day.

Their version of a farmers music right in the central square of San Gimignano.

Here's one of the castle's we considered but didn't book.
And here is the castle that will be the wedding venue next September, 2010.

Enjoy the photos and please let me know if you are considering a wedding in Italy or other European country, Fete Perfection can help you locate and plan the destination wedding of your dreams.

Ice Sculpture Centerpieces

I'm always on the lookout for creative and stylish ways to personalize weddings, so when I picked up the July/August issue of Special Events Magazine I was instantly drawn to the idea of individual ice sculptures on guest tables.  Even though the event featured in the magazine was a corporate fundraiser, ice sculpture centerpieces makes perfect sense for weddings as well.

Fete Perfection works with two of the most talented sculptors in the industry and I know if I asked, they would carve creations unique to the couple and the style of their wedding.  Of course the venue would have to be ideal for ice, so backyard tented weddings in July or August, not so.

I would also suggest having ice sculptures as centerpieces on about one third or one half of the guest tables.  Too much of a good thing is not a good thing.  I would suggest a mix of ice with floral and candlelight centerpieces. In addition, ice sculptures should be up-lit which adds drama and depth.

So next time we're either managing a tight budget or stylizing a wedding to fit the design and decor, I'm going to suggest ice sculpture centerpieces.  I think they'll be a big hit and certainly should be remembered long after the ice has melted.

We borrowed these images from the Events Department - thank you.

 

Sherwood Forest and VADA Photography

My team from Fete Perfection and I were fortunate to be able to plan and coordinate another beautiful wedding at Sherwood Forest in Nisswa, MN.  Sherwood is the fine-dining restaurant owned by Grand View Lodge.  It's close to one hundred years old and so stunning with all its rough-hewn-peeled-log architecture and hand-laid two-story fireplace.

This was a great wedding in that the brides mother had fabulous instincts and design ideas that pulled together beautifully.  We brought linens from Linen Effects with us along with over 600 white chargers and red salad/dessert plates from Aarcee Classic Events. We used granny smith apples and lots of wrought iron and candlelight to pull everything together to complete the look of timeless elegance.

The couple was very adventurous and had all sorts of plans to depart the reception which, unfortunately, dampened the day but not their spirts.  They left in a small float plane immediately following their afternoon reception and flew off into the wild blue yonder.

The best part however was working with  one of my favorite photographer Biff Ulm of Vada Photography.  Biff has an eye for capturing details, emotion and personalities like no other. Click here to see the sneak peak of photos posted on Biff's blog.

We so enjoyed every element of Carolyn and Jeremy's wedding, thank you to the family for giving up the opportunity to be a part of such a special day.

Love, Love, Love...Linens!

Other than traveling for destination weddings and networking events, my last three weeks have been spent selecting BEAUTIFUL linens from my favorite rental companies, Linen Effects and Aarcee Classic Events. Russ Mohr of Linen Effects and Allison Munsell of Aarcee never cease to amaze me with their eye, taste and knack for pulling together fabulous looks even without the benefit of being at the venue or seeing the centerpieces.

Because I work with many brides who want specialty linens and personalized decor, I see a wide-range of selections and looks but no two are ever alike.  Even with the bride whose colors may center around brown and lime green, or vivid orange and eggplant, the looks created by Russ and Allison are completely unique to that bride. 

I'm always excited to attend linen selection appointments and so to better prepare yourself for such appointments, I have my cheatsheet on how to do your homework before selecting linens.

1.  If possible, obtain a room diagram of your venue showing table size, quantity and placement.  This will help to quantify linen needs and color schemes if using more than one type of linen.
2.  Know your budget.  The average specialty linen rents for $35 excluding delivery, tax and installation.
3.  Bring photos or magazines showing colors and looks you like.
4.  Bring fabric or ribbon samples if you are set on specific shades of "insert color here"
5.  Bring your florists proposal.  This will help the designers to coordinate or contrast the looks.
6.  Bring your camera...chances are your fiance will not care enough about linens to attend the appointment, but he will care enough to want to see photos.
7.  Speaking of an entourage, don't bring them.  The more groupies you have, the more opinons you get...afterall isn't that why they're there in the first place?  Bring mom, future mom or maid of honor but leave the rest at home.  Surprise them on the wedding day.
8.  Ask for fabric swatches.  Most companies readily supply samples which you can bring to your next floral appointment. 
9.  Don't be rushed.  Allow at least an hour to look at the various selections and samples provided.  One or two will jump out at you and the rest wil quietly fade into the woodwork. 
10. Finally, savor the moment - the hard part is done.

Calhoun Beach Club circa 2007

As I was reviewing photos of weddings from 2007 I came across Nina and Randy's wedding and I immediately noticed this was Calhoun Beach Club prior to their extensive remodeling but after D'Amico Catering took over.  Nevertheless, these photos are breathtaking and the decor timeless.  Thanks to Jennie Sewell of Sewell Photography for these beautiful photos and her sister, Jackie Just of Just Bloomed for the fabulous florals.  This wedding really captures the retro nightclub of the 40's.  The only thing missing was Sinatra but he was there in spirit, I'm certain.

ISES Star Awards

And the award goes to...Festivities for the Best Use of Floral for "A Vintage Wedding".  Joan and John's wedding last summer was an exciting yet challenging event to plan.  Fete Perfection was hired for full service planning, design and decor for not one but five events to take place over the course of three days and we did all this in just four months.  However, we couldn't have done this without the help from Patty, Steve, Heather and Kathy of Festivities.  They were a great resource for not only the backyard tented ceremony, but all rentals, linens, chair covers, floral design and additional decor to make Joan and John's wedding award winning.

Congratulations Festivities!  You deserve it.

Design and Decor Packages

I had a blast creating four seasonal tablescapes for the Perfect Wedding Show which was held last week at International Market Square.  I themed each table Fall - Winter - Spring - Summer and from there designed every detail to fit the theme.  This was a huge hit, at least where the ladies were concerned...the guys...not so much.

Many brides and their mothers commented that because they have limited creativity or have a hard time imagining what colors and accessories will work together, they would love the opportunity to hire Fete Perfection for design services only.  This is a service we include in our full service planning package but are happy to say will now offer as an "a la carte" package we call The Design is in the Details.

This package will include an initial one hour consultation to discuss colors, theme, budget and ideas.  After the initial consultation the real fun begins with linen selection and moving onto accessories, floral, stationery, favors and everything else that makes a wedding table extraordinary. 

Here are a few photos from the show.  My thanks to Alice-Lynne Olson of The Late Bloomer, Sadie Gardner of Sadie's Fine Florals and Mari Bern of MBellish for their beautiful  and one-of-a-kind centerpieces.  Antique chairs were provided by Melissa Stratton and linens from La Tavola in Napa Valley, CA. 

Call me at 952.929.4281 to learn more about how Fete Perfection can design and create a truly extraordinary wedding personalized just for you.

 

 

Amazing Fall Wedding

I worked with Regina and Justin for close to 15 months.  Our first meeting was very memorable, for me at least...when I walked into Black Bear Crossing Regina was sitting at a table with the sweetest smile and Justin had his forehead firmly planted on the table.  When I approached them, Justin kept repeating "we're NEVER going to find the perfect place" - this was unexpected coming from the future groom as most brides are usually the ones to be so distraught.  From that moment I knew that Justin would play a very important part of their wedding planning and I welcomed it!

Their wedding was last Saturday and thanks to Nicole Aronson of Nicollet Island Pavilion
and Mintahoe Catering, the day was flawless.  Martha of Martha's Gardens provided luscious, one-of-a-kind floral displays for both the ceremony and reception.  I always love it when we can move ceremony flowers into the reception and use again.  Previously viewed flowers take on a whole new look in a new setting and these are no exception. 

Congratulations Regina and Justin - you are adorable and have been a delight to work with...I will miss you both! 

Southern Belle

One of our most fun wedding couples this year was Holiday and Aly.  Holiday had a very clear vision for her wedding and that vision meant a Southern Wedding.  What represents southern more than Cedarhurst Mansion in Cottage Grove.  True Thao and his talented team hosted a perfectly lovely southern evening for Holiday and Aly.  Laura from Chez Bloom did an amazing job with all the floral elements and Andrew Vick of Vick Photography captured some of the most intimate moments of the day.  The photos that you see posted are my own.