Weddings become more and more amazing every year. That formal event seems more fun than in the past. Couples these days want a memorable wedding that fits within their personality. For these reasons, they are always an incredible source of inspirations for any big party.

You probably have seen the wedding of the creative director of Hello!Lucky, Eunice with Daniel. It is featured on The Spring 2010 edition of Martha Stewart weddings and many on the blogosphere have praised it this month. This remarkable wedding illustrates so well key components that can make any party one that your guests will remember for many years.

1. Set the Tone with Stages, Props and Custom Signage

If you wish to make a statement, you need to invest in out of the ordinary party decor elements. They use the service of Because We Can to build a portable flat-pack grand stage, various signs, and fun props. Look for local people with a background in theater set, or even an excellent store window designer. They know how to create make believe props and stages.

And do not underestimate the power of custom signage. It does not give directions to your guests. It look should reinforce your party theme.

2. Parades and Costumes

The idea of a parade to bring the guests from point A to point B is a great and fun idea. It sends the message that it is time to celebrate. People of all ages love parades. Anyone with an artistic flair coupled with some building experience can made their own version of hand-painted silhouettes, if you have time on your hand. At a kid party, the kid can decorate their own silhouettes. When selecting the materials, make sure the silhouettes once attached to the stick will still be lightweight.

3. Attention to the Comfort of Your Guests

Assuring the well-being of your guests is the number #1 rule of entertaining. Every party has their high and low moments. Make sure that your guests always find something to do. It is not just about paying attention to food and drinks. It is also making sure that nobody is too hot, or too cold. It is about self-servicing snacks all day long, just in case someone is really hungry. All these little details translate into fun and happiness for your guests.

The last point applies to everyday entertaining. If those are planned ahead, the host and hostess will be free to enjoy the company of their guests. It does not always work that way in real life. But as long as you aim for more work before and less work during the party, you should be OK.

SEE MORE:
+ Eunice and Daniel feature on Martha Stewart Weddings
+ Portable stands, props and signage by Because We Can
+ Behind the scenes coverage on the blog of Hello!Lucky
+ Get the vendor list on Hello!Lucky
+ via 100 Layer Cake

You might also like these posts

They are plenty of details that you could recycle from this real wedding featured on Style Me Pretty. For one, I love the distressed wood candlelight chandelier. The concept will also work for an outdoor party by hanging the chandelier on a big tree. Plus, it is something that you can build yourself. Make sure to use small pillar candles instead of votive lights. You do not wish to replace them during dinner.

The Tabletop

Take clues from the way they set the table for an Easter brunch party or a Mother’s Day chic picnic. The restricted color scheme means that you can mix and match paired down tableware. As you can see, every day tableware can create an elegant tabletop. It is all in the way you display it and how you will enhance the look with your centerpieces.

Think about the Comfort of Your Guests

Whenever you do an outdoor party, think about ways to let your guests sit comfortably on the lawn. Put a futon mattress on the lawn with plenty of pillows for the guest(s) of honor. Transform little kid stools into side tables or use trays to get a place to set down your glass of wine. You could use big square blankets, towels or sheets. Select a place big enough for people to gather in smaller groups, if they wish to. Close proximity encourages the flow of conversation.

+ See all of the wedding images on Style Me Pretty

You might also like these posts

If you are looking for inspiration to create a sublime white and aqua blue dessert buffet table, you have to see the Winter Wonderland theme done Maddy from Inspired Bride and Amanda from Bake It Pretty. You will find here the recipe for the marshmallow pops. Apparently it is fairly easy to make and does not too much time. Looking at the wow factor, I suggest that you give it a try.

Their entire buffet table was impressive. The aqua and white theme works is versatile. You can use it for a baby shower, a birthday, a bridal shower or a wedding.

In fact, you could match it with the Dessert Buffet Save the Date and Congratulations! postcards that Maddy designed earlier. Head to her blog if you wish to download the templates.

+ More details about the theme on Hostess with the Mostess

You might also like these posts

The concept behind this wedding photo shoot is to apply the latest Chanel runway show, which I enjoyed, to design a wedding. The event took place under a wooden barn with an equestrian feel. The Stylish Soiree created this rustic chic event. The brides wore three dresses. I wish I have done that.

The tablescape uses the popular red, black and white palette. Since it is still in the morning, I was more inspired by image of the milk glasses.

+ Details on Style Me Pretty – photo by Studio 28 Photo

You might also like these posts

I was pleased when the book publicist of Sasha Sousa contacted me earlier this month to see if I would like to receive a copy of Sasha’s wedding book. Knowing how talented Sasha is, I expect her book to be a treat. And it is! Signature Sasha is a definite keeper.

Right from the start, Sasha explained  how each wedding can tell a story. It is that story that will inspire the elements of design. I like the fact that she refers to stories instead of themes. Creating a story feels so much personal. I see a wedding celebration as a mix of scripted actions and improvisations. And the best written ones surprise and wow the guests.

The book will teach you the nuts and bolts of wedding design and planning as it is done today. The concepts are well illustrated through eight fabulous real-life weddings designed by Sasha. There is a chapter on inspirations, another on colors, a big section on food and beverages. Then, she concluded with setting the stage and the stories behind each wedding.

You will discover how she came up with details that make a lasting impression for each wedding. After reading Signature Sasha: Magnificent Weddings by Design, couples and brides-to-be should have an idea on where to splurge and help them envision the story their wedding will tell.

You do need to plan a wedding to enjoy this book. Just looking at the stunning photos can be fulfilling. You can spot a few ideas that can be useful for any milestone parties.

SOURCING:
+ Signature Sasha: Magnificent Weddings by Design $31.50 USD
+ Signature Sasha: Magnificent Weddings by Design $41.25 CAD

You might also like these posts

On a cold day of December, Jonill and Colin had their engagement photo session walking in East Village, New York. I like the old style and the emotions that were captured by Viera Photographics. I should plan a photo session for our next wedding anniversary.

I love green. On a fashion not, I adore her coat and her classic ring.

+ photos: Viera Photographics
+ via MyWedding.com

You might also like these posts

Karen Wise is a talented Brooklyn based photographer specializing in destination weddings, food and still life. Pictures that evoked a relaxed breakfast on a weekend often caught my attention. They feel heavenly. Taking the time to relax on Sunday morning illustrates how you can reinterpret the Dolce Vita with simple pleasures.

My choice may have been influenced by the New Year edition of the National Post which was a Guide to a Good Life. Amongst the topics, they talked about cooking something every single day. This is a good and feasible New Year’s resolution.

Also look how Karen captured the inside of a kitchen during a wedding reception. It is awesome! You can admire more gorgeous wedding photos on her blog.

MORE:
+ photo: Food and Art site of Karen Wise
+ photo: Karen Wise’s blog

You might also like these posts

This ski wedding theme would have been so appropriate for my own wedding. You see, I got interested in my husband after I saw him going down a ski slope. I always found that excellent skiers are sexy. On top of it, he is bright, cute, fun and cultured. The perfect match for me! I had a wonderful wedding.

I am really impressed by the wedding of this outdoorsy couple. Jodi and Jon went for a superb winter wedding celebrations on a ski resort in Sundance, Utah. From the escort cards put on a birch branch to the UGG boots wore by the bride, every detail was carefully selected to bring fun and elegance to this outdoor theme.

The invitation suite was designed by the letterpress design studio Olive-Route. Besides the beautiful dark gray and burnt orange invite, Olivia of Olive-Route designed the off piste details (transportation and lodging), the other events card, and an RSVP postcard. A complimentary ski lift ticket was included in the package. Her design fits so well with the wedding theme.

After the ceremony, the couple put on their skis for a photo shoot on top of the mountain. I love it! The wedding favors kept the guests warm. Male guests were given flasks and female guests were given winter boots.

Jodi and Jon’s Sundance wedding was featured on Martha Stewart Weddings, where you can see more photos that will inspire you.

SOURCING:
+ photos: Thayer Allyson Gowdy
+ invitations: Olive-Route

You might also like these posts

I enjoy the new breed of wedding invitations that emerged over the last decade. They are less generic. Brides and grooms now have the chance to tailor their invites to their wedding celebrations. One wedding invitation studio that I like is Chewing The Cud.

Based in San Francisco, they offered a fully custom made service and a signature line that can be personalized with illustrations, motifs, ribbons, and embellishments.

Their signature invitations are suitable for any stylish event with a chic vintage flair. I can imagine using them for a big-0 birthday or an anniversary. All their invitations are letterpress printed on 100% cotton, tree free paper with soy based inks.

Two of my favorite collections for something else than a wedding are:

+ The Good Old Days would be good for a special event designed around local food or taking place in the countryside – starts at $1875 USD
+ Flourish Fête would be perfect for a milestone anniversary – starts at $2175 for 75 invitation kits

An invitation kit is the invitation card with its envelop, the RSVP card with the response envelop plus an additional card.

MORE:
+ Chewing The Cud

You might also like these posts

Weddings in a barn are popular. The Spring 2010 Chanel show in Paris will probably inspire many brides to be. Second to walking barefoot on a beach, I am curious to see if many brides and grooms will opt for walking the aisles barefoot in a hay path.

The gold basket could make an awesome container for the centerpiece. You could recycle the idea and make your own. I believe that the bride and groom must distribute one by one the party favors. Decorating a few baskets would add a fancy touch. It is more original than a tray.

To know more details about this fabulous presentation by Chanel, read what Garance Doré had to say about her experience at the fashion show.

October 15th, 2009 Update: you can see the construction of the barn in a video on Wallpaper. It took 6 weeks to create the concept of the barn and 38 men working full time for a week to assemble it.

+ photos: Jacky Naegelen/Reuters on Times Online, Garance Doré

You might also like these posts

Inspired by the fabulous work of LA-based event design Flite, I examined how to best use silk lanterns in a garden party to get a stunning effect. It starts with the superb Vietnamese silk lanterns, which are a lot more sophisticated than Chinese paper lanterns.

When you are hanging lanterns, mix the shapes and alternate colors. Pumpkin, diamond, teardrop, balloon, cocoon shapes work well together. I encourage you to mix solids and patterns within a hue family. A two-color palette is more elegant. For the garden wedding in violets, you can broaden the scheme by adding a few pink lanterns. I think this installation was really successful.

Since you will need a large number of lanterns to make a statement, it is often best to rent them. Plus, they will do the installation for you, including doing the wiring if your party continues after dark. An event design studio with a remarkable portfolio is Flite located in Los Angeles, California. Looking at their portfolio is a treat.

If you wish to do it yourself, you can find sources online. Vi Gallery sells 4 shapes of Hoi An Silk Lanterns in two sizes (medium $20 USD large $30 USD) in an array of colors. For a larger selection, check Asia2you, a retailer based in Wisconsin that ships everywhere. This is where I found these beautiful parasol lanterns.

SOURCING:
+ Silk Lanterns by Flite - Photo credits for my first collage: top left photo by Cat Gwynn and Ben Hoffman, top right photo by Louis Felix, second row photos by Mark Carolin
+ Orange pattern prosperity lantern on sale at $33.95 USD
+ Solid Orange prosperity lantern on sale at $31.15 USD

You might also like these posts

Imagine having a cake with a character that looks like the guest of honor. This is what you get when you hire Anne Heap of Pink Cake Box. She tailored her standard cake creations to fit your event.

The flower baby shower cake includes a pregnant woman modeled after the image on the baby shower’s invitation. The invitation to a first birthday also led to the color palette used for her cake. Each tier of the bachelor pirate cake has port holes with caricatures of the groomsmen looking out. Fall weddings led to leafy pumpkin decorations and a fun Halloween themed cake with bride and groom corpses as cake toppers.

Baby Shower Cakes with Personalized Moms-to-be

Who would not be happy with a pregnant topper like those? Each topper is distinct and tells a story. Details go from the color of the skin, the hair style and fashion accessories up to matching fabric samples provided by the grandmother-to-be. All the pregnant toppers from Pink Cake Box are adorable.

If you recalled, this is the cake shop that replicate the Rachel Ray’s Studio Kitchen as a cake last year.

MORE:
+ Pink Cake Box
+ Get directions to Pink Cake Box p (973) 998-4445
18 E Main St, Morristown, New Jersey, United States, 07960

You might also like these posts