Christmas Weddings

Christmas Weddings are a great way to celebrate your nuptials.

There are so many different color choices:

Gold & Red

Gold & Silver

Silver & White

Silver & Blue

Red & White

Red & Green (just kidding!)

Cranberry

And the list goes on!

There are so many different themes & items to use:

Winter Wonderland

Snowmen & Snowflakes (Ex. White cotton candy rolled into balls and placed in tin buckets)

Crystals and White Diamonds (My favorite)

Holly berries

Toy land with teddy bears, toy soldiers, trains

Bells

Gingerbread houses

Mini Christmas Trees

Fresh fruit- apples, pears, oranges, lemons, limes

Crystals are one of my favorite centerpieces!

Here are some color samples from superweddings.com

Another one of my favorite combinations is White Roses and red berries. The below picture is a sample of white, pink, and red roses with berries. It's very elegant when it's just white roses and red berries!

Cranberries make great displays! They add a brilliance of color and freshness!

Float them in a bubble bowl with water and floating candles or white flowers

Use them in the bottom of floral arrangements

Garnish a tray of candles with them

String them and hang them from areas in the room

Other ideas for a wonderful Christmas Wedding:

Gingerbread cookies with your monogram for favors

You can also use them for place cards for your guests

Make your own cookies for the kid's table

Christmas Tree seeds for guests to plant

Carolers during the cocktail hour

Signature drink with an eggnog twist

Use family keepsakes- china, serving dishes, decorations, ornaments, etc.

Merry Christmas & Happy Wedding Day!
Planner Girl:)

Outdoor weddings- are they worth it?

Are outdoor weddings worth the stress of trying to predict the weather?

For the last 3 years our region has seen a drought. The result has been brown grass, hot temperatures, and no fear for outdoor weddings! However, this year has been the exception. We had double the rain in May than is normal. Ever After had 7 weddings in May and 8 in June, most of them were outdoor weddings! We are sooooo over the rain! October is supposed to be the driest month of the year, and yet we saw more rainy days than dry days!

Brittany & Ben: May 15, 2009. Photos by Watson-Studios.

You can't predict the rain/sunshine, temperatures, etc. So, is it worth it? The answer only lies within you! Is having an outdoor wedding worth it to you? Are you willing to be OK with the plan B if the weather doesn't cooperate? I'm a firm believer that you should focus on plan A and set aside plan B unless you really need it! But, you should always discuss plan B and know your options and the consequences of bad weather. Glowing tents are not a bad option, though!

In the event of bad weather you will either need to rent tents or have an indoor option. Pricing for tent rentals will vary based on the size you need to cover the number of people, tables, dance floor size, etc. If it is a colder, blowing rain, then sides may be needed along the tent. All Occasion Party Rentals is a great resource for all of your rental needs. They are customer focused. They can create any design for you with their specialty linens, lighting, and talented staff. Kim and Jason are our go-to staff members!

Indoor options are usually smaller areas and require some creative rearranging. Make sure that your vision is not compromised by your plan B options. You can reuse an area for the ceremony and the reception by 'flipping' the area. Look to see where guests can mingle while the area is flipped.

The groom gets the weather update!

Ultimately, your wedding day is not about the weather, the invites, the colors, the food, or even your guests... it's about the union of two people that love each other and want to spend forever with each other!

The weather may have changed our plans, but nothing could change the sentiment of the day! As the father of the bride prepares to give away his angel, their emotion can not hide what this day is truly about... love, sweet love!

Enjoy your day no matter what comes your way!

Outdoor weddings still rock!

Planner Girl:)

Eclectic Center Pieces

Eclectic center pieces!
It's OK if all of the center pieces do not match or are not asymmetrical!

Here are some center pieces from Megan and Blue's Wedding (October 4, 2008).
Megan did the center pieces herself!

Ledges were adorned with pillar candles and various vases with fresh cut flowers.

FYI: Be sure to set something under candles that are placed on linens or certain surfaces. The linen company will charge for greasy stains. Buy dripless candles!

Every table was set with different candles: various heights, widths, and colors. Taper candles in antique holders and tinted votive holders were also used.

The flowers on each table were different colors and styles. The eclectic look gave a fresh picked feel to the garden reception. The vases were cylinder, oval, and round.

Each table was unique! Guests love to wander around the reception area to see all of the different center pieces.

Megan even made the boutonnieres for the guys. The berries, babies breathe, and greenery were a perfect match to the centerpieces! Megan's homemade favors (peppermint hand soap) went along with the theme.

Go eclectic! Collect different pieces from your family and put them to good use!
Planner Girl:)

Vendor Spotlight: Caterers

There are several good Caterers in town. We love Rex Bradford Jones Catering, Simply Southern Catering, All Occasion Catering, and Rosa's Catering! You can't go wrong with any of them!

Today we want to highlight one of our favorites and give you some hints on picking your caterer!

Vendor Spotlight:

Rex Bradford Jones Catering (Abner's Attic)

Phone: (865) 522-5552

History: Mr. Jones originally started as Abner's Attic (Abner is family name). Rex has been catering in Knoxville and the surrounding areas for over 25 years! He recently opened a tea room called Abner's Attic located on Asheville Hwy. All of the following pictures are provided by Rex Bradford Jones Catering.

The food and atmosphere are fabulous! Often in this business vendors get caught up in so many events that they loose sight of their individual customers.

Rex has a personal touch of southern hospitality that is often missing with other vendors!

Potato skins: My favorite!

A sea of salads served in wine glasses!

Hints on selecting a caterer for your special day:

Choose professional vendors. They will show up regardless of what comes up. A professional caterer knows how much food to prepare and will not run out. They will also provide staff to bus tables and serve your guests. You don’t want to use trashcans or make guests clean their own tables. You also don’t want family to have to clean up after 150 guests!

If family members want to help, be sure they do not take on too much, especially if they will be needed in pictures. The stress of running errands, getting themselves ready, playing hostess, and then working food or flowers, can hinder their ability to enjoy the wedding.

Ever After’s caterer checklist:

- Food quality

- Food presentation

- Competitive pricing

- Professional staff in behavior and dress

- Quality service on the day of your wedding

Our top caterers meet all of our criteria! Don't skimp on any of these!

Bon appetit!

Planner Girl:)

The RSVP card!

What's so important about the RSVP?

Getting an accurate head count is important regardless of if you are having a buffet, heavy hors d'oeuvre's, or a plated meal!

An accurate head count is a must with a plated meal; those with and without assigned seating. The caterer must know how many portions to prepare since individual plates are served. Often caterers will prepare a little extra, but not enough to cover too many unannounced guests. You also do not want to guesstimate your numbers. It's too costly to pay for the 'maybes' or 'will sees'!

Unfortunately, there is a bad trend where guests respond with more guests on their cards than were invited. It's very bad etiquette, yet you're left holding the bill. There's also a bad trend of not responding at all. If this is the case with your guests, there is something you can do.

One very helpful hint is to lightly number the back of each RSVP card to match their number on your invite list. Some guests forget to put their name on the RSVP! Numbering the cards will let you track who has not responded.

Don't let it get you frustrated! It is perfectly within etiquette to have your bridesmaids call non-respondent RSVPs. Just be sure to select maids with some tact. Have them simply say, "we have not received your RSVP for the wedding and wanted to see if you will be able to join us." It's OK to put them on the spot to get the accurate count! It's not OK for them to be holding out for something better to come along! Seriously!? While there are some legitimate reasons to respond with a 'maybe' the majority of your guests should be able to commit to an answer.

Most caterers required the final head count to be given two weeks before the wedding. So, set the RSVP date 3 weeks prior to the wedding. There will always be those that respond late and this will give your maids time to follow up!

The RSVP number is also important if you are ordering individual chairs for the ceremony and preparing favors for each guest.

Be bold... number the cards... and sic your maids on them if they do not respond!

Get an accurate number!

Planner Girl:)

Halloween Wedding: Part II

Wedding Spotlight:
Amanda Collins + John Norton

10.31.09

PART II

Part I of this blog outlined the theme, favors, and decor of our Halloween wedding. This wedding was so intricate that we needed to blog it in two parts! Along with the typical first dance, toasts, cutting of the cake, bouquet toss, etc. this wedding had additional activities to match the theme.

The bride's entrance: Headless Horseman

As the violinist played the Bridal March a white carriage crept around the corner. The guests oohed and awhed with excitement. The rain had caused us to change the ceremony location from outside in front of a nearby cottage to the covered outdoor patio. Guests may have expected our other plans to change or the mood to be dampened- but it was not! As the carriage carrying the bride drew closer, guests began to realize that a headless horseman was steering the reins! The bride said she could hear the crowd start to chatter with excitement!

WBIR Channel 10 captured some video footage of the bride's entrance!

The sweetheart table was adorned with a pumpkin carved with an 'N', a picture of the couple, and their toasting flutes.

The outdoor patio was decorated with pumpkin bag lanterns and orange twinkle lights.

Table Decor

Tables were set up with orange mums and pumpkins carved by the bride's sister. A cobweb draped over the table. Here's just a few of the pumpkins!

Dorothy (see the curls down the cheek?!)

The scarecrow

The tin man


The Lion

The Food

The groom insisted that he wanted guests to have fun! He insisted that we have "real food, not catered food!" One of Ever After's favorite caterer's is Simply Southern Catering. I knew that Hope would be able to create a menu that was homemade and did not taste catered! Guests dined on hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries, homemade onion rings, mini funnel cakes, apples with caramel dip! A children's buffet was set up with chicken nuggets and corn dogs. Following dinner and the cutting of the cake, guests were treated to cotton candy!

The Cake

Halloween setters (Frankenstein, ghosts, witches, etc.) sat on the cake. Pumpkins also sat on the ledges! The topper was a silver 'N'.

The Groom's cake

We are in East Tennessee- home of the vols- so of course it had to be a UT cake. The groom is a huge basketball fan!

Trick or Treat Trail

Since many children were coming to the wedding, the bride wanted to be sure they did not miss out on trick or treating. A trick or treat trail was set up for the children. I guided them from lantern to lantern around the farm's spacious grounds and building. At each stop, someone was waiting with a bucket of candy ready to pass it out at the magical words 'trick or treat'. At the end of the trail each child received a goody bag of treats and some glow in the dark jewelry.

The groom and his best man (Aaron)

The Exit!

The bride and groom exited to sparklers!

The moral of this story... make your wedding uniquely you! It doesn't have to be to this extreme, but use the favors, menu, decor, etc. to reflect your personality. Have guests leaving saying, "that was sooooo (your name here)"!

Plan it, live it, enjoy it!

Planner Girl:)