Wedding Options: Entertainment

Your wedding is a celebration of you and your fiance's love for each other. A celebration, of course, calls for entertainment!

*Photo by lanierStar Photography

The most common entertainment option is a DJ. A DJ is inexpensive and has the potential to provide a great deal of entertainment. They also are able to play all types of music, whereas a band can only play a few types of music. When choosing a DJ, make sure they have recommendations from other clients, because some may not be appropriate for a wedding.

Photo from author's personal collection, by CvB-Photography

A band has the immediate WOW factor in the entertainment arena. They are, however, more costly than a DJ. A good band will know the flow of weddings, and they will coordinate with your planner so they can emcee the event. They'll keep the dance floor packed and the music flowing. A band can add a certain something to a wedding with the live music and interaction.

If you can't decide between a DJ or a band, you can have both! Some weddings will have a band in the early hours of the reception, and a DJ later on to keep the party going. It's a great way to come to a happy medium if you're torn between the two.

Another option for entertainment is to have an instrumental group. This will provide a more formal feel to the evening. A string quartet is the most common instrumental group at weddings. Instrumental groups are a great option for a cocktail hour or a cocktail and hor d'ouerve reception.

Photo by Evrim Icoz Photography

An entertaining take on wedding entertainment that I've seen recently is dueling pianos. Now, you certainly have to be a piano lover, and your wedding guests will definitely have to be fun-loving. But what a fun way to interact with your guests and have a great time! I'm sure the pianos would play normal music and only duel at times that you specify or request. I would love to be at a wedding with this form of entertainment!

Photo via Jellyrolls Piano Men

There are many different ways that you can provide entertainment to your guests. Some are run-of-the-mill, and some are incredibly different! Whatever it is that you decide, make sure it's something that YOU will enjoy too!

Turning a House Into a Home

"Turning a house into a home". This saying has been heard many times, for many years. But I recently experienced the truth in it. My husband and I lived together before getting married, but it felt like we were just living in a "house". We had no pictures on the wall and nothing matched. The house just didn't have any sort of ebb and flow to it.

So, I talked my mom into coming down for a weekend to help me turn our house into a "home". We spent a day cleaning every nook and cranny, and the next day we set out to hunt for decorative items for the "house to home" transformation.

We actually found most of our decor items at Ross. They had a great selection of decorative items! And cheap at that! We cleaned out Ross, and within a few hours, the transformation of a house into a home was complete.

Transforming my house into a home really played a hand in our transition into being married. The house, now our home, felt cohesive and more relaxing. It's amazing what a few pieces of matching furniture and things on the wall can do to a space!

*Image via Design Formula

Image via Decor Catalog


Image via Better Homes and Gardens

*Image via Canadian House and Home


Image via LeentheGraphicsQueen Etsy shop


Image via cpearson6's Etsy shop

There are so many options when decorating! You can use photos, framed prints, vintage plates, wall hangings, decals....there are a plethora of items that can be used to create decor.

Does anyone have any tips or suggestions for those who are trying to transform their house into a home?

Paper Design Details

I have more custom invitation eye candy for you! I just love posting (and finding) paper designs... almost as much as I love making inspiration boards!

*Orange Blossom Ink


*Miss Pickles Press

The font on this invitation is absolutely luxurious.

*Brown Sugar Design

*My Personal Artist

*Minna Designs

Love these! A perfect combination of elegant letterpress with the
eccentricity of a pocket!

*Studio on Fire, via Green Wedding Shoes

Had to throw a little Save The Date action in the mix...these are SO original and innovative! They're made to resemble a menu for the food-loving couple.

*Marilyn and Moony, via Style Me Pretty

Hope you enjoyed these gorgeous and innovative paper designs!

Do you have a favorite custom paper design company? Leave a comment and share your favorite custom paper designer!

Wedding Options: Serving the Meal

The food at a wedding is one of the most important aspects of the event. It's actually what most guests remember from weddings, so of course you want it to be memorable!

There are several options when it comes to the food for a wedding reception. There are different types of food and various ways for it to be served. The type of food served also coincides with the type of reception.

A casual wedding would usually have the food served buffet-style. Buffets are also appropriate for semi-formal and sometimes formal weddings. A buffet is a good way to go if you want to offer a variety of food options, and it is a good way to cut costs.

Photo by Rodolfo Arpia Photography

There are some innovative twists to buffets that have recently become popular in the wedding world. You can make a buffet of basically any type of food. A mashed potato bar is something that has been spotted at weddings.

Photo by 217 Photography

There can also be food stations, which is a very modern take on the buffet. Each food station will have an entree, and there will be a few for a variety of selection. Some examples are a pasta station, carving station, and seafood station. The stations can also feature different ethnic foods, such as sushi and spaghetti.

Photo by Joy Marie Photography

A new trend for buffets and stations is the dessert bar. Some feature just candy, with the guest filling up a bag or box as their favor. Some bars feature candy, cake, and other desserts, giving guests a large selection to choose from!

Via Amy Atlas Events, photo by Leanne Stamatellos

A fresh take on a more modern wedding is the cocktail and hor d'oeurve reception. This reception usually takes place at a time that would be too early for dinner to be served. The cocktail and hor d'oeurve reception can be formal, trendy, or a bit more casual. It allows you to be more creative and offer a variety of food. The hor d'oeurves can be set up buffet style or passed by servers. It's a great way to mingle with your guests and still have a great party!

Photo by Jennifer Schumacher Photography


Photo from TheKnot.com

Finally, the formal wedding reception with a plated meal. At this reception, guests have assigned tables, and it is a more elegant affair. The plated meal is served to the guests, and there is usually three or more courses served. It's nice for the guests, because they don't have to "work" to get their food.

Photo by Focus Photo Tahoe


Photo from Salted Butter

When it comes time to choose what kind of wedding reception and food you want to have, think about your own style. You want the food and drink that you provide to your guests to be of good quality. If they're going to remember the food the most out of any other aspect of your wedding, make it something to remember! You're essentially hosting a party, and you want your guests to enjoy it!

Inpsiration Board: Neutral Elegance

The inspiration to create a neutral inspiration board came from the photo below that has bridesmaids in different colored dresses. I love the trend of having different colored bridesmaid dresses, but these go together beautifully!

A neutral color palette doesn't have to be boring and bland. Accent colors paired with neutral tones can add tremendously to the palette, and they can be displayed minimally or all over the event. Pale pastel colors, such as a light pink or pale yellow, paired with neutral tones make for an elegant and classy event. These color palettes can also be used for a wedding taking place in any season! If you want to have a beautiful and elegant wedding, consider a neutral color combination!

Row 1: Cake; Bridesmaids and Bride photo by Todd Pellowe
Row 2: Invitations; Tablescape; Bouquet photo by Ashley Brockinton Photography
Row 3: Tuxes; Reception photo by Todd Pellowe

Wedding Options: The Different Kinds of Weddings

When the time has come to look for your wedding venue, you first must decide what kind of wedding you want to have.

Start with your wedding date. Is it in the Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall? What will the weather be like? These aspects are crucial to consider when deciding on what kind of wedding you want to have.

The season of when your wedding takes place can also help you choose the theme and colors of your wedding. Some brides have an idea of what colors and theme they want before they even decide on a date. In that case, you can always let those decisions help you in your decision of a wedding date.

A spring or summer wedding usually has light, bright colors, whereas a fall or winter wedding has darker color tones. However, these are not rules or requirements. The color and theme of your wedding is completely your decision!

Via Delovely Designs

Previous Post

A good way to decide on a theme for your wedding is to jot down a few words that describe the kind of wedding you're envisioning. They can be adjectives, such as classy and fun, or nouns, like party and garden. Remember, your wedding should be a reflection of you and your fiance!

The final decision to decide what kind of wedding you should have involves the formality. The formal wedding is elegant and classy. The ceremony usually takes place in a church, the venue is a ballroom, and the decor is extravagant. The semi-formal wedding is also elegant and classy, with a touch of party. These weddings can take place in a ballroom, loft, museum, or outdoors. The decor of these weddings can vary depending on the venue. The casual wedding is intimate, and can be as formal or fun as you want. Casual weddings are usually smaller in size, and they are commonly held outdoors, at a home, or in a restaurant.

Via Style Me Pretty


Via Southern Weddings Magazine

All of these decisions are equally important in determining what kind of wedding you should have. Keep in mind that there is no right or wrong way of choosing what your wedding will be like. These are just guidelines and recommendations. Your wedding needs to be reflective of your personality and your vision! Your wedding is up to YOU!

If you need any suggestions or want some help in deciding what kind of wedding you should have, send me an email or leave a comment! I would love to help in your planning journey!

Friday's Finds: On Sale!

I thought I would spread the word about some fabulous discounts going on around the internet shopping world today!

Some cute casual dresses from Nordstrom that are on sale

Max & Cleo Matty M

Macy's is having a ONE DAY sale, and they also have some great things on normal sale too!

Some of what is on sale TODAY only:

INC INC

Regular Sale:

*Click on photos to link to item on website*

White House|Black Market is having a great sale- up to 65% off!

*Click on photos to link to items on website*


Endless.com has a great selection of shoes from a plethora of designers.
It's the perfect place to look for wedding dress shoes!
And it helps that their sale prices are great!



*Click on shoe to go to item on website*

Enjoy these Friday Finds and have a GREAT weekend!

Wanted: More Hours in a Day

To me, time is something that we don't have enough of...there are not enough hours in the day! I am a huge proponent of using time wisely. Whether it involves blogging on my lunch break, going for a run and taking my dog, or making enough dinner for lunch the next day, I will do everything I can to "kill two birds with one stone". It perplexes me when people waste their valuable time!

When planning a wedding, time is precious, especially if you have other priorities, such as a job, school, or children. One of the reasons that I started this blog was to help others who don't have the time to search the internet for inspiration. I spent hours scouring the internet, reading through blogs, and perusing TheKnot to find inspiration for my wedding. I found amazing ideas, and mostly all of them were found on blogs, but the amount of time that I spent to find them was enormous!

Now my passion for weddings has led me to pursue a career in the wedding industry. I want to focus on helping others to maximize their time spent planning their wedding, but also make sure they enjoy it!

Time management and organization are crucial when planning a wedding. Just a few tips when it comes to these things:

• It is wise to have a planner for your appointments, whether it's on an electronic device or a physical planner. Combine your personal appointments, wedding appointments, and business appointments in one planner so you are able to keep track of everything.
• Try to set aside a specific time of day for certain things if you're finding yourself overridden with things to do. An example could be doing wedding related things from 7 pm to 8 pm only.
  
• Have a place to jot down ideas, questions, or things you think of. Keep a mini notebook in your purse, send yourself emails, or have a place on your phone to jot things down.
  

It's all about managing your time wisely and keeping your thoughts and ideas organized.

These are some items that will help make your life a bit easier. We can certainly all benefit from organizing our lives!

Wedding Organizer from Russell and Hazel

Laurel Denise 2010 Planner


The WeekDate


Stylish Adhesive Note Set from Russell and Hazel


Big Idea Adhesive Notes from Russell and Hazel


The Pocket Book from Russell and Hazel

{Can you tell I've fallen in love with Russell and Hazel?}

If you feel like you're spending too much time searching for inspiration and ideas for your wedding, I would love to help out! Just drop me a line!