A Tangerine & Blue Inspired Wedding

The combination of orange & blue has always been a favorite pairing of mine and a perfect palette for the bride & groom who really want to put their bold personalities on display. Don't believe me when I say these colors really do work??? See for yourself!

Tips for a Successful Wedding After-Party

Don't want the wedding to be over quite yet??? For those couples who want to keep the party going, having an 'after-party' following the main dinner reception is a great idea; it allows the blissful couple to spend just a little more time with friends and unwind with a cocktail after the formalities of the day.

Here are some tips & tricks to ensure you have just as much (or maybe even more) fun at your after-party than you did at your wedding reception:

• Location: In an ideal situation, your wedding reception venue has the perfect intimate space for an after-party; it keeps people together and allows the couple to keep things more organized, especially if the couple is paying for the additional expense. If this isn't an option, then contact a nearby hotel where some of your out-of town guests are staying; quite often, guests who travel to the Metro New York area for a wedding don't have their own transportation--if you have a large out-of town contingency, then this is the perfect solution. Neither of these work? Then opt for a nearby bar or lounge that has the ability to allocate a separate space for your after-party so that your guests don't have to mingle with strangers who have been drinking for the past 'how-many' hours.
• Food & Beverage: With an after-party usually comes more alcohol. And don't forget that guests have imbibed over the past 4-5 hours, so try to ensure that there's some comfort food available such as mini-pizzas, hot dogs and/or pretzels for guests to nibble on.
• Cost: If a couple has paid for their own wedding, and sufficient funds aren't available to cover the entire cost of food & drink, not to worry! Your guests realize they've been eating & drinking on your dime all evening and will likely have no problem covering the cost of their own drinks--especially in NYC where a good martini can run about $15!!! If the couple is not comfortable with allowing their guests to pay for EVERYTHING at the after-party, one option would be to set up a pre-determined bar tab, say $500, with the establishment and when the cost of drinks hits that limit, then guests are on their own after that.
• Who's Coming?:There's no point in going through all of the trouble of hosting an after-party if none of your guests know about it! How to get the word out??? The bride & groom should take it upon themselves to grab the mike and announce the after-party themselves! A good time to do this would be during the cake cutting ceremony, while you have the attention of everyone in the room--no one likes to miss cake! You could also spread the word in the weeks prior to the wedding at bachelor/bachelorette parties and at the rehearsal dinner. Many couples now extend separate invitations to those they couldn't invite to the wedding reception--these days, we all have friends via social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter and wedding-relates sites such as WeddingWire & WeddingBee; the after-party is a great way to include fellow wedding bloggers in your day!
• Bride & Groom Responsibilities: Don't linger at your reception! The main point of having an after-party is to spend time with people you may not get to see very often. Assign end-of-evening responsibilities (such as collecting your champagne flutes, guest book, etc.) to your wedding coordinator or to a trusted family member. If your guests see you heading out to the party, they'll be sure to follow!

ALWAYS REMEMBER---SAFETY FIRST! Allow the after-party venue the discretion to close the bar if guests are getting too inebriated. If you're having the party at a club or a lounge and your guests aren't staying at a location within walking distance, ensure that there are cabs readily available so everyone can get home safely!

Enjoy the party!

It's done, it's done!!!!

Yes, I know...the usual deal, it's been a while...but I have a good reason this time...my wedding & party favor online store is DONE AND UP AND LIVE.

Establishing Exquisite Wedding Favors had been a project in the works for months, in between managing bridal clients and their respective weddings. There's still some tweaking to do here and there, but for the most part, everything is up and functioning.

There are so many adorable things to choose from, and I keep adding more. One of my favorites is Personalized Hershey's Kisses--a perfect treat for any event! Oh and there's the Murano Glass items--so unique. I think the hardest part is picking some favorites and adding them to the favorites page (that's why it's still not done yet!!)

For your amusement, here are a few photos:




And just wait until I post new invitation designs!!!!

Wedding Monogram Etiquette Revealed!

I think we all remember the days when we were in grade school and we were totally crushing on someone (probably us girls crushing on the boys...since girls were 'icky'), and we would spend the better part of the day writing out what our new name might be, how our initials looked together, adding little doo-hickies like hearts and happy faces...ah, wasn't life easy back then???

Maybe it was these little games we played as kids that has brought us to today, where it has become acceptable to use a married monogram prior to the wedding ceremony. I think everyone knows what I'm talking about...maybe we'll get a Save-the-Date for the couple's upcoming wedding or maybe the wedding invitation itself will have an exquisite gold-foiled monogram at the very top...while stunning, in reality it is an etiquette no-no, as a married monogram should be used only after the wedding ceremony has taken place.

"What?!?!?", you exclaim. "But I've already printed my ceremony programs and have a custom aisle runner ready to go!!!". While the etiquette rule I mention above is technically correct, modern monogramming etiquette accepts that couples may use their new married monogram for such things on the wedding day, so you're in the clear.

Now that you have this useful tidbit of information, tell all of your friends before they send out their invitations!!!

The National Stationery Show (aka "Oh My God, what do I buy???")

This past week was such a blur, starting on Sunday, where I arrived bright and early at the National Stationery Show which took place at the Javitz Center. I eagerly await this event every year, and as always, this year did not disappoint.

I took a slightly different approach this year, in that I established relationships with several printing houses with whom I absolutely knew I wanted to partner with prior to the show, and spent my time on Sunday looking for the best things to complement my current offering. There was much less "snap" decision-making to be made, as I had most of the things I wanted prior to the show, so I was waaaay less stressed.

Some notable NEW relationships:
-Emily Post Weddings: such cute designs and REALLY affordable.
-Little Lamb Designs: coordinating invitations and programs (I was looking for really nice programs)
-BT Elements: Okay, I was so tempted to buy EVERYTHING they had, but fortunately, my companion held me back (thanks Lorie!!!)

I promise to post pics of all of these new things ASAP. In the meantime, indulge yourself in this spectacular invitation suite from Gwyneth Paige Couture Letterpress:

The most ADORABLE cookies!!!

I can't think of a better thing to do than a blog post on this dreary Saturday morning. Exquisite Events has been working very hard at building exquisiteweddingfavors.com, a premier wedding & party favor eCommerce store and I just had to share the cutest new product that will be added to the store:

Save the Date Cookies!!!
An incredibly unique way to announce your wedding and completely personalized with the most adorable caricatures to represent the bride & groom (the client gets to pick their own heads & body styles!).

Here's a sneak peek:


Part of my role as wedding planner is to assist my clients with incorporating their personal style into their weddings and I can't think of a more fun or personal way to build the anticipation for the BIG DAY. Although, there is a pretty good chance the guests will eat the save-the-date, so maybe couples should send 2, just in case...

Since the store isn't functioning yet (can we say "sleep deprived"), phone and email orders will be accepted. Building an online store is no joke and I give credit to the webmasters have had to deal with me over the last few months, but it is going to be fabulous!!!

Of course, I will post a link to 'THE BIG REVEAL'!!!!

Congrats to Spark Letterpress & Marsupial Papers...

...for being nominated for "The Trendy Award", an award given to innovators in stationery design & office supplies. I am proud to say I represent both companies and I can only vote for ONE!!! Which one would you choose??? Help me out!

Spark Letterpress:














Marsupial Pouches & Paper:
I am always seeking the newest and most interesting styles for wedding invitations...why have exactly what the store down the block has??? Sometimes, it's difficult to choose what to products you should offer your customer; when I find out that products I represent are bestowed such an honor, I guess it validates my decision to make the investment.

Good luck to you both!!!