Gorgeous Event Design

Today I ran across some beautiful event designs done by Lynn Fletcher Weddings! Check these out..they are to die for!!

Now check out this awesome birthday party she did for a special young lady. The birthday girl even arrived in a horse drawn carriage!

Nneka Saran Bridesmaids Gift Package!!

Cute Favor Idea - Fancy Fortune Cookies

This morning I woke up to a Groupon from a company called Fancy Fortune Cookies.  These are the cutest little things ever! They come in different flavors/colors and would be great for a favor at a baby shower or even a wedding esp if it coincided with a theme! And you can even customize your own fortune messages in a variety of different languages.  They run about $0.65 to $1.15 each.  Check them out:

www.fancyfortunecookies.com

Sending Post Wedding Thank You Cards - DONT FORGET

You've spent months planning your big day.....lots of time making things or having things made for the event and now the day has finally come and gone.  You opened all your gifts, spent or saved all your cash and giftcards and now its time to thank everyone.  Sadly, some people never end up sending out thank you cards which I think is pretty bad.  I mean all these people have taken time out of their lives, booked flights, paid for hotel rooms, and gave you a gift and you cant even send a thank you card?

Don't get me wrong, I totally understand how it is after the wedding is over.  You are happy and relieved that all the planning and getting things together is done and you may not "feel" like doing them right away which is fine. But please make sure you dont forget to send thank you cards. Some people actually write them out before the wedding.  Of course they don't write out the entire card but they address the envelopes and stuff. If you have time to do that, thats great!

Wedding etiquette states you should send them anywhere from 3 to 6 months after your wedding date.  Different people say different time frames.  How long you choose to wait to send them is up to you, just dont wait too long.  And trust me, people really appreciate getting them and they also remember when they don't get them!

Welcome Bags for Your Out of Town Wedding Guests

One very popular thing a lot of couples do is have welcome bags for their out of town wedding guests.

Usually the bags can include food and/or beverage items, itinerary for the weekend, souvenirs, area maps, etc.  You can pretty much put anything you want in them.  The bags can be left at the front desk of the hotel where your guests are staying and the clerks will distribute them to guests upon arrival.  I think this a great idea to do for you out of town guest, but of course it will add an additional cost to your budget.

We decided at the last minute to do them. We did about 50 bags and put snacks (chips, candy, nuts, etc) and a personalized bottle of water in each bag.  I used basic small black paper bags with the handles and added a note on outside of each bag thanking everyone for coming.  Check out pic below: 

I really love gable boxes and if you don't mind spending a little more for them vs using regular gift bags, I'd highly suggest using these.  They usually run around $1 a box depending on what site you order them from (the more you buy, the cheaper they are).  Just be sure to order the correct size for the amount of stuff you plan on putting in each box.  If you are unsure of what gable boxes are, here is a pic of one:

Here are a few sites that sell gable boxes:
Nashville Wraps
Paper Mart
Uline

Awesome Sweetheart Table

This table is sooo hot, it gets it's own post! lol  Check out this awesome sweetheart table! This over the top table made by Rrivre Works is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G !!!! And the dramatic draped backdrop and floral arrangement set it off completely.  Imagine walking into a wedding reception seeing the bride and groom seated here!! I LOVE it! :)

Wedding Sweetheart Tables

A lot of couples today are opting to do sweetheart tables at their reception versus having the whole bridal party sit together. We did a sweetheart table and I personally love the idea of having the bride and groom have their own little table together.  All eyes are truly on the two lovebirds they should be on for that day!  Not to mention, my only problem with having your whole bridal party sit together is that if they bring a guest, that guest is left "alone" sitting at another table for almost half of the reception.  But some people like that set up and thats perfectly fine! Each couple should do whatever makes them happy!

Here is an example of a traditional set up with the whole bridal party sitting togehter:

Now here are some examples of sweetheart tables! Check these out and get inspired! :)

Most of these pictures came from Project Wedding

My Wedding Broom

Jumping the broom has become one of the most popular traditions in African American weddings over the years. Its suppossed to be a symbol of sweeping out the old and welcoming the new, a symbol of new beginnings.

A friend of mine, Nobi DeLon, made a beautiful broom for us to use at our wedding as a bridal shower gift for me. She just asked me what our wedding colors would be and surprised me with this lovely custom broom. Check it out!

Cakes!

Cakes have always been something Ive been facinated by. Some of them are truly works of art. From wedding cakes to birthday cakes to cupcakes, I am in awe of all of the different styles, shapes, and creative ways people decorate them! Fondant cakes alone can probably have a blog all to itself. Although, fondant doesnt taste the greatest.....it's sure pretty to look at! Im more of a buttercream girl. And cake-nistas are starting to get very creative with buttercream too. Needless to say, Im having a buttercream wedding cake! :)

Ive actually thought about getting into cakes myself at one time....but I just dont have the time. So I'll just continue to admire them from afar and continue to dabble with my Duncin Hines box mix and frosting whenever Im in the mood to bake! :)

I actually have a few friends who do cakes and they are really talented too! (shout out to Karee, Candace, & Dee)

Check out some of the great cake designs Ive come across! Enjoy!



Cake by DeAndrea