ENGAGEMENT SEASON IS UPON US!!

Soooo, this year is almost over, I can't believe its almost Halloween, and the holidays are right around the corner. With the holidays come lots and lots of food, surprises, yummy treats, and ENGAGEMENTS! I have actually had 3 classmates just this week propose to the special women in their lives and this is just the beginning.

Although this isn't a very long post, I do have a few tips for those of you who are engaged or will be engaged very very soon.

1. First things first, soak in the beauty of your BLING!!
2. Make the announcement to your immediate family and friends (this is the fun part)
3. Set a date for the big day
4. Set a REALISTIC budget
5. Hire your wedding planner
6. LET THE PLANNING BEGIN!!!!!!

Getting married is a huge step, so be sure this is a step that you want to take. The wedding day does not equal your life with that person, your life begins after the wedding!! Marriage is such a wonderful blessing from God. I've been married to my wonderful husband for almost 7 years, and I wouldn't change anything. God is the head of our marriage and family, and that makes things so much easier.

So, as you are shopping for that perfect engagement ring, or preparing your speech to propose to the queen in your life remember the six steps above, and remember to keep God first.

Be Blessed,
Jennifer E.

God and Me!!

Greetings everyone,

Wow, can you believe it's the end of August already. This month almost got away from me. I've been so busy, I really haven't had a chance to blog for this month. I wanted to make sure that I post at least once before the month is out, and guess what? Mission accomplished.

This post really isn't wedding related, but it's some of my thoughts and feelings about me. I titled this "God and Me" because, I've had SO many things on my mind over the past month. I have so many dreams, goals and ideas, and I know that God is the only one that can bring all of these things to pass. Being an event planner is not an easy task, but I actually have a passion for this. I've heard so many young ladies say that this is their passion, but do you really have the drive that it takes to keep a smile on your client's face? During my time off I had to ask myself that question. Do you really have the drive to do this? Is this really what you want to do? And my answer was YES!

I know sometime we ask ourselves, "God, do you hear me, are you listening? and it just seems like he's forgotten all about us, I'm been back and forth, at this point so many times, just this month. It seems like nothing is happening the way that I want it to as it pertains to my business. But, I see a lot of my colleagues being blessed day after day. But, who am I to question God? I know things don't happen on my time because I want them to, they happen when God allows them to happen, when he says so. I've had to learn to be happy for my colleagues, and what they are accomplishing. Not that I haven't been happy for them, but I just always felt like "hm, why can't that be me"? Let's face it, we all have wondered why things happen so quickly for others and not us. But, I know that the God that I serve has so much for me and my business, he has so many things in store, and I know that each and every dream that I have will come to pass.

So, if you are reading this and you are almost at your breaking point, and you are ready to give up on whatever your aspirations may be, I dare you to get on your knees, pray and trust God, because he has so much more for us than we can ever imagine. I'm so looking forward to my future, my businesses (yes, I do plan to have more than 1) flourishing, and all my dreams coming to pass. He has promised us the desires of our heart, if we would just give ourselves to him completely and trust him.

I really hopes this blesses someone! And as always, visit our website for all of your wedding and event planning needs. www.IntimateWeddingsandEvents.com

Thank you and God Bless!!

Don't go it Alone!!

Happy 4th of July Everyone!!!! Happy Independence Day!

So I met with a client yesterday at 2 very beautiful venues, and we still have one more to go this week before they make their decision as to which location to hold their May 2013 wedding! As we talked, my bride began to speak about a friend of hers who is also planing a wedding and getting married in March 2013. As we talked, she told me that her friend has not actually solidified anything as of yet. Nope, not even the venue! But, she does have her wedding dress, and that's about it. The more we talked, the more and more it sounded as if this friend of hers needed some assistance, and she needs it quick. Its already July, and March will be here before you know it. To be over halfway through this year and not have anything done in regards to your wedding coming up in 8 months is definitely scary in more ways than one!

I know that sometime we as women like to be in control of everything and don't always want to ask for help with certain things (I am the same way sometimes) but the fact of the matter is, you can't plan a wedding alone, it's just to much work. The thing that gets to me sometimes is that brides automatically assume that they can't afford a professional wedding planner, and in most cases that can't be any further from the truth. All it takes is a phone call, or an email to get information and pricing from a wedding/event planner, and most of us do offer complimentary consultations.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when looking for a wedding planner.

• Make sure that he or she is someone that you feel comfortable with, and that they are easy to talk to.
• You also want someone that will tell you the truth, and not just someone that will tell you what you want to hear. This will help you stay within budget (trust me)
• Make sure that he or she is very organized, and is knowledgeable in the wedding and event planning industry.
• Ask about vendor relationships. Most wedding planners should have long standing relationships with vendors in the area.

I hope these tips are helpful, and Happy Planning!!!

Some of my favorite Wedding Trends!!

I recently purchased 2 completely different books just to get some inspiration, and ideas. The first book was the "The Ultimate Look Book" from the knot. This book has so many inspiring looks and ideas for weddings and special events. I also purchased "My Fair Wedding, Finding your visions through his Revisions" by David Tutera! This is hands down my favorite. It actually shows you some of his weddings (from the show) being planned from beginning to end.

Although each book has its own "personality" (if you will) I did notice a few trends throughout each of the books, that I really, really love and here they are.

Lighting:

A lighting package can do so much for your event, and add so much drama. I posted on our "Beautiful Weddings" Face book page a few weeks ago about how wonderful lighting can be for your event. You would be amazed by what a few up lights, along with some candle light can do to your event. Lighting is definitely one of the things I would recommend for every bride that is looking for that wow factor, during their event. Lighting can be used throughout your ceremony as well as your reception. This is a trend, that I am sure is here to stay

Floral Arrangements:

Flowers have always been a big detail in most weddings. They are the easiest way to add warmth, beauty and charm to your ceremony and reception. Don't be afraid to think outside of the box and get creative with your choices! This is your one special day, so why not let your flower choices reflect your personality! Color palettes for your wedding and wedding flowers are still the creams and neutrals but mixed in with pops of color, such as Red, Orange, Water Colors such as Pinks and Lilacs, Lime Green and a Royal Blue.

Suspending flowers of all kinds with ribbons and nylon invisible lines to hanging of votives and branches with multiple elements attached. To rings and chandelier floral arrangements. This whimsical, trick and play to the eye is dramatic and effective.

Food Ideas:

Set up a comfort food buffet late in the evening. Guests will have worked up an appetite on the dance floor and sometimes they get a little peckish. Hamburger sliders, mac ‘n’ cheese, nachos, grilled cheese sandwiches and waffle stations are great options for a late night snack.

Always taste the food first and have someone control the portion sizes so there’s plenty for everybody.

Serving food from different cultures is becoming popular as more and more couples from different backgrounds tie the knot. Some cuisines fuse better than others and if you do merge foods of different cultures make sure to consider what you think guests from both cultures will enjoy.

You’ll give lots of thought to your wedding menu. All couples do. They pour over all the possibilities for the cocktail party. They worry about having entree options for those with special dietary needs. Some send options along with the wedding invitation (on the reply card) so guests can check off a choice.

It's also important to think about how the food will be served. If you have, say, 200 guests, you want to ensure the food that guest 199 receives is as hot and appetizing as guest number one’s.





DIY Wedding Favor Ideas

When you think about wedding favors, the first thing that normally comes to mind is the same "old" traditional stuff. For example:

• Bubbles
• Match books
• Candy wrapped in tulle

But now aday, wedding favors are a big part of the wedding, and are more versatile than ever. We are all fans of the ever so sweet "Candy buffet station" Yummmmmy!!!





I don't think these will ever go out of style! There are so many ways you can dress these up and make them your own, and they are always a huge success with your wedding guests.

Here are a few creative, DIY projects that your guests will love as well. You can find these plus many more at www.MarthaStewartWeddings.com


 Dahlia favor bags made from tissue paper, fill with your choice of flower seeds.

 Glittery wedding favor boxes, to present your favors in.

 Pyramid Candy Holders

 Personalized Coasters (www.accenttheparty.com)

The "Man Flower" that inspires!

Over the years I have seen some of the most beautiful and unique boutonnieres, and I have also seen my share of the drab, same old stuff from back in the day. Boutonnieres now a day have come a long way. I wanted to talk about this because men typically don't care about these types of things, they just know they have to wear a suit, with a flower on it, and that's true for the most part. But, when you have something that is as unique, and eye catching as 2 left feet, not only will you have everyone talking about how great you look in your wedding tux, but they will also talk about how great your "man flower" :) looks.

Here are a few ideas to inspire your groom to be. Something that is as unique as he is!

Credit: www.theknot.com

Themed Weddings

To theme, or not to theme, that is the question!

Now, don't get me wrong, I am a sucker for a themed wedding. Well, any wedding for that matter. But, when does one thing that is meant as a detail become to much? Anything can be great if done in moderation, but to much can just basically turn your wedding day from beautiful in tacky. Here are a few things that I found, and I just wanted to give my opinion on. I love butterflies, so we are going to use a butterfly themed wedding as an example

I really like the uniqueness of this dress. Its bright, its colorful, and very spring time-ish. I also love the fullness of it. However, this definitely would not be a "walking down the isle" dress.

This bouquet is cute and definitely different. I'm not sure if I would walk down the isle with a paper bouquet, but each bride is different. And if this is something that you would enjoy I say go for it. Dare to be different!!!

OK, so here's another dress. Definitely a second reception dress. But , it almost looks like a costume. This definitely makes a statement, and would be cute on a 5 year old, but I'm not sure about an adult.

These three things combined would definitely be "butterfly overkill", but if you put the butterfly touches throughout your wedding, you will have the perfect themed wedding.

Here are a few different ways to pull off your theme without over doing it.

•  Instead of an entire butterfly bouquet, use beautiful butterfly brooches similar to this, to add that special touch to your bouquet. These can also be incorporated into your centerpieces.

•  Butterfly decor on your cake would also be a beautiful touch, as well as butterfly napkin rings
  
  

At the end of the day, each wedding and each bride has their own personality and sense of style. As long as you are happy with the end result, who's to say you have to much or to little of one thing at your event. So, are themed weddings really a thing of the past? In my opinion, absolutely not!!