.gif)
Back in August, we posted about how your wedding can provide a wonderful opportunity to help someone in need. With the holiday season fast approaching, we are offering another way for engaged couples to help those less fortunate. If you book a package with Bliss Weddings between November 1, 2008 and January 1, 2009, we will donate 10% of the package price to a charity of your choice. At the time of booking, we will provide a list of charitable organizations for you to choose from, or you may suggest one. Please contact us today to schedule your complimentary consultation and take advantage of this special offer.
This post will remain at the top of our blog for the remainder of the year, so please check below for new updates.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Merry Christmas!
Wishing all of our clients, colleagues, and blog readers a very Merry Christmas!
~ Jessica & Elizabeth ~
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Trimming the Tree With Memories
It’s that time of year again, where you take that dusty box down from the attic and begin to unwrap the ornaments you’ve collected throughout the years. It is always so much fun to go through each ornament and reminisce about a time it represents.
As we were trimming our tree last week, I came across one particular ornament. Jay and I received it as a favor at the wedding of two dear friends approximately six years ago. It is very simple… royal blue velvet adorned with matte gold roping. It reflected the color scheme of their Christmas wedding. Every time I lift this item out of the ornament box, I am briefly brought back to that night. How in love the couple was, the details of their event, the warmth of the ceremony that was held in a church beautifully decorated for the holiday season.
As wedding planners, we are forever in the search of that elusive favor that will not end up as some long-forgotten knick knack in the back of a closet. Guests appreciate the sentiment- but these days, it’s difficult to adequately display every gift received at the weddings they’ve attended throughout the years. However, I believe that an ornament is the perfect solution to this!
Every year, as your guests decorate their own family’s Christmas trees, they will stumble upon your favor. For a moment, they will cherish the memories of watching as you and your fiancé were united as husband and wife. They will remember the details of your décor, how happy you looked that day, the fun they had dancing in the arms of their significant other.
There are many options for how to capture the essence of this most special day in an ornament. It can be something as specific as an ornament engraved with your names and wedding date.
As we were trimming our tree last week, I came across one particular ornament. Jay and I received it as a favor at the wedding of two dear friends approximately six years ago. It is very simple… royal blue velvet adorned with matte gold roping. It reflected the color scheme of their Christmas wedding. Every time I lift this item out of the ornament box, I am briefly brought back to that night. How in love the couple was, the details of their event, the warmth of the ceremony that was held in a church beautifully decorated for the holiday season.
As wedding planners, we are forever in the search of that elusive favor that will not end up as some long-forgotten knick knack in the back of a closet. Guests appreciate the sentiment- but these days, it’s difficult to adequately display every gift received at the weddings they’ve attended throughout the years. However, I believe that an ornament is the perfect solution to this!
Every year, as your guests decorate their own family’s Christmas trees, they will stumble upon your favor. For a moment, they will cherish the memories of watching as you and your fiancé were united as husband and wife. They will remember the details of your décor, how happy you looked that day, the fun they had dancing in the arms of their significant other.
There are many options for how to capture the essence of this most special day in an ornament. It can be something as specific as an ornament engraved with your names and wedding date.
[photo credit: Howe House Limited Editions]
[photo credit: The Stationery Studio]
It can also be as simple as having the ornament reflect your event themes/color scheme as my friends chose.[photo credit: Beaucoup]
[photo credit: Lenox]
It can display the ceremony location as in this ornament (*fun fact: the white building displayed in this ornament is where our very own Jessica was married):
[photo credit The Gift Cottage]
You can even have the ornament favor double as a placecard holder- and your guests can replace the seating information with their favorite photo taken on your wedding day!
[photo credit: Wedding Style]
[photo credit: Favor Ideas]
However you decide to commemorate your event, your guests will enjoy the memory of your wedding every year as they hang your ornament favor on the branches of their family Christmas tree.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Design Your Own Handbag
Boston-based photographer Anne Ruthmann recently posted a great list of holiday gift ideas on her blog and among them was the very chic 1154 LILL Studio, where you can design your own handbag online. If your budget allows, this would be a wonderful idea for bridesmaid gifts.
On the LILL website, you can choose from a variety of different handbag styles and customize the fabric for the bag’s exterior, interior, and strap. Bags range in price from $28.00 to $210.00, and brides receive 10% off their order when they purchase five or more bags. LILL also offers customized accessories including headbands and decorative pillows. Take a look at this adorable Lucy bag I created:
If you would prefer to let your girls create their own bags, LILL offers on location parties where a company stylist will come to your home. This would be a fun alternative to the traditional bridesmaids’ luncheon. Visit the LILL website for more information or to get started designing a bag.
On the LILL website, you can choose from a variety of different handbag styles and customize the fabric for the bag’s exterior, interior, and strap. Bags range in price from $28.00 to $210.00, and brides receive 10% off their order when they purchase five or more bags. LILL also offers customized accessories including headbands and decorative pillows. Take a look at this adorable Lucy bag I created:
If you would prefer to let your girls create their own bags, LILL offers on location parties where a company stylist will come to your home. This would be a fun alternative to the traditional bridesmaids’ luncheon. Visit the LILL website for more information or to get started designing a bag.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
A Sweet Favor Idea
I was thumbing through Crate & Barrel’s 2008 Gift Guide the other day and saw these delightful chocolate-filled cookie cutters.
What a cute favor idea! Cookie cutter favors are nothing new, but filling them with chocolate is a great way to give your guests a little something extra, especially since not everyone will necessarily use the cookie cutter once they take it home. Just pop the chocolate out of the cutter and enjoy.
These are obviously holiday-themed, but cookie cutters come in a large enough variety to suit any wedding theme. Check out Off the Beaten Path for an impressive selection of over 800 cutters. I’ve never attempted to fill cookie cutters with chocolate before, but I imagine it’s relatively simple. I found this recipe for chocolate lollipops on FoodNetwork.com that I’m sure could be adapted.
You could also go a step further and embellish the chocolate with a variety of edible decorations, as with these cookie cutters from Uncommon Goods.
The sky’s the limit, so have fun with it!
What a cute favor idea! Cookie cutter favors are nothing new, but filling them with chocolate is a great way to give your guests a little something extra, especially since not everyone will necessarily use the cookie cutter once they take it home. Just pop the chocolate out of the cutter and enjoy.These are obviously holiday-themed, but cookie cutters come in a large enough variety to suit any wedding theme. Check out Off the Beaten Path for an impressive selection of over 800 cutters. I’ve never attempted to fill cookie cutters with chocolate before, but I imagine it’s relatively simple. I found this recipe for chocolate lollipops on FoodNetwork.com that I’m sure could be adapted.
You could also go a step further and embellish the chocolate with a variety of edible decorations, as with these cookie cutters from Uncommon Goods.
The sky’s the limit, so have fun with it!
Virtual Reality
The hubs and I made a run last night to my favorite place on Earth... TARGET! Although I have zero (nada, zip, zilch) gifts purchased for Christmas... it was essential that I find wrapping paper. What can I say? The wedding planner in me is a sucker for presentation... whether I have something to present or not.
As we were browsing the store, Jay gave into his recent The Sims 2 obsession and decided to peruse the computer games section. As I was looking, a game caught my eye.
(photo credit: Fenomen Games)
Dream Day Wedding allows you to plan the wedding of fictional "friend" Jenny. Select gowns, shop for beautiful wedding cakes and browse other boutiques for the perfect accessories for Jenny's special event! This game is available for play on PC and is brought to you by Elephant Entertainment.
(photo credit: Fenomen Games)
(photo credit: Fenomen Games)
(photo credit: Fenomen Games)
Also enjoy Dream Day- Married in Manhattan, Dream Day Honeymoon and Dream Day First Home. This game would be a fun break from real-world wedding planning tasks.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Red Shoes
(No corny blog post title here - this one cuts right to the chase.) Brides with red wedding color schemes take note: with Christmas and New Years just around the corner and Valentine’s Day coming up in a couple of months, the selection of red dress shoes in stores is more plentiful now than it likely will be at any other time of year due to the holiday fashions.
If you are in the market for red shoes for yourself or your bridesmaids, now is the time to keep an eye out. Below are a few suggestions to get you started.
If you are in the market for red shoes for yourself or your bridesmaids, now is the time to keep an eye out. Below are a few suggestions to get you started.
And for the daring bride (or bridezilla, as the case may be) . . .
JUST KIDDING!!! ;-)
Thursday, December 4, 2008
A Storybook Wedding... literally
[disclaimer: I am fully aware of how corny the title of this post is. However, I found the puns to be unavoidable given the topic]
I would describe myself as your typical “bookworm”. Ever since I can remember, I’ve devoured books page by page. I get lost in the stories and wrapped up in the lives of the characters. My mother used to be concerned about me because even as a small child, I would spend the majority of my time with these characters who I felt had become my friends. Now my husband gets upset because I can fly through ten books in the time it takes him to read one. If I have one talent (aside from wedding planning, that is ;-)), it’s reading.
If you’re a book lover like me, you may have met your significant other browsing the fiction section at Borders, or returning long overdue (yet completely cherished) volumes to your local library. Your first date might have been spent discovering your shared passion for particular authors and subjects. Your courtship may have consisted of exchanging book recommendations and discussing symbolism and themes over romantic meals. If this is the case, why not express your love for all things literature on your wedding day? Here are some ideas I’ve collected for an event design concept inspired by bibliophiles in love!
Venue
The perfect place to hold a book-themed wedding would be, of course, in a library! Libraries are generally beautiful buildings that are admired for their architectural elements. Imagine your guests roaming the stacks of ancient and beloved tomes of the written word. The grandeur and history of the library will excite your guests for the event they are about to experience.
Invitations/RSVP
As we all know, invitations set the tone for the entire event. This invitation would really get your guests excited for your literary themed wedding. I love the clever concept of these particular versions.
I would describe myself as your typical “bookworm”. Ever since I can remember, I’ve devoured books page by page. I get lost in the stories and wrapped up in the lives of the characters. My mother used to be concerned about me because even as a small child, I would spend the majority of my time with these characters who I felt had become my friends. Now my husband gets upset because I can fly through ten books in the time it takes him to read one. If I have one talent (aside from wedding planning, that is ;-)), it’s reading.
If you’re a book lover like me, you may have met your significant other browsing the fiction section at Borders, or returning long overdue (yet completely cherished) volumes to your local library. Your first date might have been spent discovering your shared passion for particular authors and subjects. Your courtship may have consisted of exchanging book recommendations and discussing symbolism and themes over romantic meals. If this is the case, why not express your love for all things literature on your wedding day? Here are some ideas I’ve collected for an event design concept inspired by bibliophiles in love!
Venue
The perfect place to hold a book-themed wedding would be, of course, in a library! Libraries are generally beautiful buildings that are admired for their architectural elements. Imagine your guests roaming the stacks of ancient and beloved tomes of the written word. The grandeur and history of the library will excite your guests for the event they are about to experience.
Invitations/RSVP
As we all know, invitations set the tone for the entire event. This invitation would really get your guests excited for your literary themed wedding. I love the clever concept of these particular versions.
(photo credit: Wedding Paper Divas)
(photo source unknown)
Readings
Traditionally, readings at weddings consist of Bible passages read by loved family members. Instead of the often used 1 Corinthians (“Love is patient, love is kind…”), surprise your guests with readings of passages from books you and your fiancé share a passion for. This element will personalize your wedding even further, and guests will be delighted to hear familiar messages from books they treasure as well.
Guest Book
Select one of your favorite books and have your guests sign the pages with congratulations and well-wishes. In the future, when you remove the volume from your bookcase to enjoy, you’ll have a wonderful reminder of this special time.
Table names
Table names have been replacing the idea of numbering tables for many years now. Carry your book theme into your reception by naming your guest tables after favorite authors or literary characters. This creative idea can even provide an ice-breaker to the guests at that particular table. It will encourage the guests to share their own favorite books.
Favors
Gift your guests with a bookmark! It can be personalized with your names and wedding date or can include a favorite quote from a cherished story. This is a favor that will most certainly be used by your guests.
(photo credit: WeddingsFavors-Smart.com)
Cake
Wedding cake design has been deviating farther and farther from the traditional white, tiered variety that was so popular for so long. As we see on the Food Network show Ace of Cakes, wedding cakes shaped like objects are increasingly requested by brides and grooms. In keeping with your theme, consider a wedding cake in the likeness of a stack of your favorite books. It will be a beautiful and delicious way to complete your vision.
(photo credit: Time)
We always encourage couples to incorporate their passions into their wedding plans. For “bookworms” like me, this is a perfect way to celebrate the union of two people in love.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
