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Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Spring Inspired Color Palettes

I have to admit, our team is pretty much over this cold weather. So while we cross our fingers hoping the end-of-month lambs replace the lions sooner rather than later, I'm taking refuge from the flurries by finding ideas and inspiration based on three beautiful spring palette combinations suggested in the latest issue of Brides magazine.

Peach and Gray



Lemon and Sky Blue




Lime and Pink




These combos work just as well at an indoor venue as outdoors and depending on the elements you choose, each palette is quite versatile: they can be very feminine, preppy, beachy, vintage, eclectic, or modern. 
They’re also extremely mix-and-matchable: Gray and yellow are still a very trendy, yet classic, pairing. Sky blue and lime is fun, while peach and pink would be very romantic and feminine. Yellow and pink could be punchy, gray and lime could be sophisticated with touches of bright foliage, while sky blue and peach could evoke a sunrise/sunset.

For more inspiration based on these palettes and others,take a look at our spring color and color me pretty boards on Pinterest. 




Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Friends Don't Let Friends Photograph Their Wedding*



*Unless your friend is a professional and/or you really (really) trust them.

Last week I participated in the Twitter chat #bridalbabble, which I now do every Wednesday at 4pm (Eastern) —join us!— and one of the brides mentioned that she learned a valuable lesson when she and her fiancé had a friend shoot their engagement photos. The photos did not come out well and required a lot of editing before the couple could use them.

It reminded me of what happened 10 years ago when my husband and I got married. A very good friend offered to video tape our wedding as part of her gift to us. We accepted and were very excited. She taped the ceremony and the crucial parts of the reception (the cocktail hour entertainment, bridal party entrance, speeches, cutting the cake, etc).

We were married in early October and a few weeks before Christmas, I inquired about the videos. My friend told me she had actually borrowed the video camera from a friend of hers because she didn’t have her own, and she was waiting for the friend to burn the videos onto a CD. Long story short, for months her friends were too “busy” and then started dodging her calls.

Finally, about three weeks before our first anniversary, I told my friend I wanted to call these people directly and demand my videos. So I called up, reached the husband, and as politely as I could gave him the riot act. He told me that he didn’t think they had my wedding anymore because their computer crashed just days before I called.

Ultimately, they lost our entire ceremony (you know, the part you barely remember because of nerves, emotions, and excitement) but they were able to recover the reception video. We were grateful for that, but I really wanted our ceremony video for so many reasons: to see our faces when we first saw each other, to hear our vows and the duet our friends sang for us, and to see my friend, the priest who married us and has now since passed away.

All of this is to say that if a friend offers to photograph or videotape your wedding, or for financial reasons you need to rely on a friend, be sure you trust them. Based on my experience, here are some things you should consider:

  • Make sure it’s someone who will take the task seriously.
  • Ask them to show you the equipment they plan to use and see if they can bring a backup camera (and if they’re borrowing it, make sure they a.) know how to use the camera and b.) create the disc, thumb drive, or cloud folder for you before returning the camera – avoid the middleman).
  • Ask if they’ve shot a wedding before and see if they can show you any pictures.
  • Ask if they have any experience shooting in different lighting situations – even professionals can struggle with dark ballrooms and other lighting issues.
  • Have a conversation with that friend about expectations and your desires.


Good quality professional photographers and videographers are absolutely worth the money, however, sometimes couples need to save money in this area. But know that unless the friend is a professional giving you the gift of free or discounted work, or is naturally a talented photographer, you may not get professional results. I just want you to end up with beautiful, clear photographs (and/or videos) because once the wedding day is over, the memories and the images are what remain.


Photo: webdesignhot.com

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Custom cake ornaments





There are various ways of preserving the memories of your wedding: high-quality photographs and videos, drying your bouquet, or framing your invitation are just some of the classic options.


If you’re looking for something a little different, try commissioning a custom miniature version of your wedding cake. Aberrant Ornaments creates scaled-down versions of your confection (based off of images you send) and you receive a personalized souvenir of your special day.


Each ornament is hand-sculpted from clay, then hand-painted and sealed. The intricate details of your cake are meticulously replicated and the piece includes a loop at the top so you can hang it like an ornament or display it on a flat surface.


The ornament makes a great wedding gift, but would also be lovely for an anniversary or a couple’s first holiday together. Here are a few examples of their work:


  

     

Two comparisons between the original cake and the ornament:






More information about the pricing and other details can be found on their website.


Photos: Aberrant Ornaments

Saturday, January 25, 2014

How to choose your wedding date



Recently, The Knot posted this article about dates you might want to consider skipping when selecting your wedding day.

The religious and cultural holidays seemed the most appropriate to consider. I know when my husband and I got married, several of my relatives on my Jewish father’s side couldn’t make it because our date happened to be a Holy day that year. We would have loved to have those relatives with us, but we chose our date because it had special significance to us as a couple, and any other date wouldn’t have meant as much to us. But if your family is especially religious, or you know a holy or special date would be a real conflict for many of your potential guests, it’s certainly worth keeping that in mind when selecting the date for your big day.

The article mentions many three-day weekends, but I actually like weddings on three-day weekends because it usually means that you can spend more time with the people you came to see. And if you traveled for the wedding, it gives you an extra day to explore the area and/or make the return trip so you don’t have to take off of workunless you want to, though often people can’t.

Certain dates, September 11 among them, I can see because they are sensitive for some people, rightly so. My personal opinion is that dates like that should be filled with as many new, happy memories as possible; though if you or your family were directly affected, you may want to gauge whether or not anyone would be offended. We went to a wedding on September 11, 2010 and it was a wonderful celebration. September 11 existed as a potential wedding day before 2001 and all of those people still celebrate it as their anniversary; I don’t think it needs to be automatically taken off the table.


Last year, my mother-in-law remarried on New Year’s Eve. Before they firmed up the date, they asked everyone they were inviting (less than 100 people) if they would be willing to travel during the holiday. Everyone was enthusiastic about coming, regardless of the holiday. The ceremony started at 6p, the reception at 7p and ran until 11:30 at night when the décor was switched over in the cocktail area, champagne and desserts were put out, and boas, top hats, confetti, and streamers made for a great way to ring in the new year all together. My husband’s cousin held his wedding on December 27, and everyone traveled for that, too. We brought our Christmas presents with us (my husband’s uncle’s birthday is also Christmas Day) and we just made the whole week a huge family celebration. If you have your heart set on a holiday wedding, check with your friends and family first. You may have a few people who aren’t able or willing to attend, but I bet most people would.

There are some dates in the article that seem a little out there though:

Like checking with your parents about having to share Mother’s or Father’s Day weekends? Do people treat Mother’s and Father’s Days so solemnly that they cannot be shared with any other event? That seems like the biggest stretch of all in the article. They also mention considering that you’d be sharing your own anniversary with those days, were you to have kids, but I think that just sounds like a nice full weekend of celebrating the people and relationships that mean the most.

No matter what date you choose, it will be a beautiful day and you’ll be surrounded by friends and family who love you, and that trumps everything.

What date did you choose and were there any you actively avoided?



Photo: SimpleandStunning2 via Etsy

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Crisis Control



Most of the time when you’re planning your wedding things go smoothly, save some minor hiccups. But sometimes a crisis comes up and you’re left with a lot of stress and a lot of questions. While any number of issues could arise unexpectedly, one of the most stressful situations is when, for reasons man-made or natural, the reception venue you’ve selected for your big day becomes completely unavailable.

This happened to many couples in the New York City area after Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Venues on the waterfront, such as the South Street Seaport area, were essentially destroyed and couples who had weddings booked during the end of 2012 and through much of 2013 were left scrambling to find a new location for their special day (and in some cases, recover their deposit). 

A storm caused a mess, we cleaned it up!

We’ve dealt with weather-related disasters, too: A micro storm caused a near-catastrophe at a tented reception site, just hours before the bride was going to walk down the aisle at the ceremony location. The tent had collapsed, their alfresco lighting was tangled and broken, and chairs were strewn about. Our team sprang into action securing a new venue nearby, adjusting the decor, and setting everything up so that by the time the guests arrived, no one knew there had been a problem at all until they saw the video footage the next day. The bride and groom knew the situation was under control and were able to just enjoy their day.  

We’ve had to put out other fires, too; though luckily, never real ones. Though Mother Nature isn’t always responsible, no matter the cause our response is the same: remaining calm and employing a take-charge attitude to make sure your day is exactly what you dreamed it to be. The ability to handle a crisis is an extremely important factor to consider when hiring an event planner for your wedding, or any event you might be hosting. And one that most people probably don’t think to ask questions about until it’s too late.

We take a team approach to all of our events to make sure that we’ve always got you covered and the vendors we recommend and work with, including our partners at our new SKY Armory venue, are chosen with that same idea in mind. From start to finish, everyone we work with makes your event a priority, anticipating and handling issues before you even realize there was a problem.

We would love to tell you more about how we take worries off your mind. Give us a call or send us an email!

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Helpful Tips for Planning the Perfect Day


You’re engaged! Now what? You’ve pictured this moment and the excitement of it all, but where do you start with planning? What are the first and final steps you take to ensure your day is everything you have imagined it would be? Wedding planning can be stressful and chaotic, but if you develop a plan of attack from the start, seek help and advice from professionals and simply allow yourself to enjoy the process of planning, it can be a wonderful and fulfilling experience for both you and your fiancé! Here are some helpful tips we’ve put together to make this time of your life less stressful and more enjoyable.

1) Spread the News:
For starters, you’re going to want to share the good news and show off the sparkly rock that now rests on your finger! Your loved ones and close friends would probably appreciate an in-person reveal, but over the phone will suffice if they are not near-by or if you are just too excited to wait to see them in person. Can’t spread the news fast enough via phone? iPads, iPhones and computers have great apps, such as Pingg and RedStamp, which allow you to send out creative announcements via text message or email. Being that it’s 2013, this might not be a bad way to spread the word quickly and with your own artistic touch. Wedding websites are another great way to spread the news and keep everyone updated on information throughout the planning process. Be warned, those who have access to your wedding website will most likely assume they will be invited to the big day. Therefore, make it exclusive to your family and friends that you will be inviting. Those who get added to the list later can be invited to the website when wedding invites go out.

     2Hire a Planner:
Before you make the next move, you may want to think about who will be your go-to person throughout the entire process. This is where the idea of hiring a planner or day of manager may come into play. If you are someone who loves planning, tends to take charge of situations, is extremely organized and has trouble letting go of control, hiring a planner may not be necessary. However, hiring a day of manager will be worth every penny. A planner can help you from start to finish. They will bring your vision to life, manage your budget, find the best vendors to fit your needs and expectations and provide you with the advice and knowledge needed to create your perfect day. A day of manager is equally as valuable. The last thing you want on your wedding day is to be running around worrying about when the musicians will arrive, how the floral centerpieces are being set up, or even wardrobe malfunctions. Hiring a day of manager will allow you to sit back, relax and enjoy your day. They will take care of phone calls, vendors who are not on time and any mishaps that may happen along the way.

      
3) The Big Picture:
So now you’ve told everyone you are going to be saying your “I do’s” and the questions come pouring in: When and where will it be? What are your colors? Have you found your dress? This is where you may begin to feel overwhelmed if you haven’t thought about any of these things. Take some time to envision your big day and what that day is going to look like. 
  • How many people will you be inviting? 
  • What type of ceremony do you want? 
  • What's your style; formal, vintage, rustic...
  • Do you prefer having a destination wedding or staying close to home? 
  • What color schemes do you love and what’s trending this year? 
Creating the “big picture” will help you determine the time of year you’d like to get married, the best location and venue for your wedding, the décor, and the overall feel for the day.

4) Set a Date:
After you’ve thought about the big picture, determined how long your guest list is and what time of year you picture yourself heading to the altar, it’s time to set a date! Sit down with your fiancé and immediate family members to determine the date that works best for all of you. Think about the time of year, travel, holidays, school, work, etc. If you have your heart set on a summer or holiday wedding, keep in mind that they are the busiest times of the year for weddings and venues and vendors will book up quickly. Getting an exact date narrowed down will allow you to book everything else you will need. Word of Advice: If you're set on a specific venue you may need to remain flexible on the date.




5) Determine a Budget:
“The budget” conversation is very important to have early on with your fiancé and anyone else contributing to the wedding expenses. Understand what you have to spend and how to work within that budget. When determining what you want to spend money on, it’s helpful to make a list of your priorities. For example, if you want your wedding to be a fun party, then food, drinks and entertainment will most likely be your highest priorities. If your heart is set on having a destination wedding on an exotic island, expensive décor may be the least of your priorities. Once you determine what your priorities are, it is easier to find ways to cut back on the things you don’t care as much about while really playing up the parts that will make your wedding memorable.

Your wedding will arrive sooner than you can imagine and the day goes by even faster! Enjoy every moment and don’t let the stress of planning and all the nitty gritty details turn you into a bitter bride and couple. Use these helpful tips for a smooth planning process and let the kinks work themselves out along the way!

For more information and helpful tips, check out our Facebook and Pinterest

Want to sit down with a wedding planner to talk about your big day? Our showroom is open Monday-Friday from 8am-5pm and on Saturdays from 9am-4pm, call to make an appointment or just come right in!

MarrymeNY 
a division of The Events Company
230 Harrison Street
Syracuse, New York 13202
315-422-9400

Monday, March 25, 2013

Happy Spring!


























Spring is making it's way to town and we couldn't be more ready to welcome the sunshine, fresh flowers and longer days. This apple green and purple color story is perfect for spring time weddings, engagements parties or bridal showers!

Stop by our showroom today to play with fun linens and develop your color story! We're open Monday through Friday from 9:00am-5:00pm, and Saturdays from noon to 4:00pm.

230 Harrison Street
Syracuse, New York 13202
315.422.9400

For more inspiration, follow us on Facebook and Pinterest