Last fall, a couple came in to talk about an engagement party they wanted to throw. But when we met with Sean and Danielle, they filled us in on their secret--they were planning to host a surprise wedding by getting married at the 'engagement' party! They were able to pull it off and we had a lot of fun being in on the surprise. 

For Sean and Danielle, who wed in September, the romance was a whirlwind. In late March 2014, they met through a mutual friend who was sure Sean was Danielle's future husband. A week after they met, they went on their first date; a month later, she moved in with him, and a month after that they began talking marriage. 

We asked Danielle (and Sean) to talk a little about their surprise wedding:

"We never actually made a conscious decision to have a very short engagement. We both just wanted to be together. I know it seems fast in reality, but we knew we wanted to spend our lives together.  We were driving one day talking about wedding ideas, what he would want, what I would want, just a casual conversation. We were not even engaged at the time. We start talking about how big or little our wedding would be, and Sean said, 'You know what would be great? If we just had a party and surprised everyone and got married!' And I agreed.  It took off from there." 

"We were very secretive at the start. We hired The Events Company to plan the wedding in early June. We hadn't told anyone yet, which was really hard because my family is super close. Mom knew first, mom always knows everything first. Very slowly we each spoke to individuals that we knew we wanted to be part of the wedding. And they were sworn to secrecy.  It turns out we have pretty good secret keepers in our circle.
I would say that 70% of the guests were completely surprised. We had to try and throw people off, so there were some lies and storytelling, but it was completely worth it. If we had it to do over again, we would." 

Even though the wedding was a surprise, the couple managed to celebrate the day with the most important people to them in attendance. About six out-of-town guests were clued in ahead of time so they could attend, but for everyone else not in the wedding party, the wedding remained a secret. By way of the surprise, Sean and Danielle's guest list managed itself in terms of keeping it intimate.  

"We agreed many times that if our engagement party isn't important enough to go to, we don't want you at the wedding.  I know that's harsh. But how many distant relatives do you have, or coworkers, or long lost friends, whom you invite to weddings and birthday parties out of obligation? We figured that by inviting roughly everyone we knew, we covered ourselves fulfilling the obligation part, knowing that people would make the choice of "waiting for the wedding." I was hurt by a couple people who didn't make it, and have had some disgruntled people who have said 'had I known...' But that's the point. No one knew. And they all were there anyways." 

When Sean and Danielle started to reveal their plans at the initial meeting, they didn't have a venue in mind. Nicole listed to their ideas and suggested the Palace Theatre. 

"We wanted to have an "engagement party" and then mid-way through, play a video the guests would focus on, and we could potentially be standing behind the screen where the video was, the screen would lift and we would be standing behind it. We pitched that idea to Nicole and she suggested the Palace Theatre. We knew when we saw it that it was going to be the place to pull it off. " 

Once all the guests had arrived and everyone was enjoying the engagement party, Sean and Danielle asked their guests to enter the theater for a video. As the video played, they changed into their formal dress. As the slideshow of photos of the couple ended, the last slide was a Save the Date--with that night's date. The bridal party procession followed and their ceremony was short and sweet, performed by Danielle's brother who was ordained online. They exchanged brief, funny vows and then got right down to the party. 

"We wanted everyone to have a good time. Good food and lots of fun. That's why we decided to nix a lot of the usual wedding formalities: No dollar dance, no garter toss or bouquet toss (though they kept a few of the traditional elements, such as the first, father-daughter, and mother-son dances, and the cake cutting).
We really just wanted to have a huge party where we could all just have a great time." 

Danielle had her heart set on a black and white color scheme with pops of red. The surprise was the most important detail to Sean, so as that was under control, Danielle worked with us to select decor and set the stage, so to speak. Throughout the lobby were enlarged photos of Danielle and Sean, in place of posters for shows. The ceremony was held on the theater stage (which also served as the dance floor later) and Sean and Danielle said their vows between two tall loose arrangements. The reception tables looked sophisticated in black linens tied with red and were topped by simple low flower arrangements. 

Sean and Danielle added some other special touches to their menu, as well: 
"Mashed potato bar! Best idea ever! It was a favorite of the guests also. I'm sure the open bar was also a highlight, haha, but mashed potato bar. It. Was. Awesome." 

The white and sweet mashed potatoes were served with toppings in martini glasses. 

Their graphic cake was modeled after a sample cake their bakery, Sweet Indulgence, had in their shop.
 
"We actually had chosen a square cake. A few days before the wedding we were told that square Styrofoam, which one of the layers was to be, was on back order. So our cake was round. It wasn't quite what I wanted, but in the end, we put a wedding together in 10 weeks from beginning to end. There were other battles to worry about." 

In addition to pulling off the surprise, Sean and Danielle created a wedding that was very 'them.'

"I don't know if I could pinpoint the best part of that day.  One of my favorite things about the whole thing is the after. And yes, I mean being married to the love of my life, but also the reaction of all the guests. That we did something so different and unique. Sean told me that when he visited another branch of his company weeks after our wedding, people were still raving about it.  We could have gone the traditional route, but it's just not us. And since this has been mostly my point of view I can also say, my husband is a larger-than-life kind of guy. A traditional sit-down formal dinner just didn't fit. Doing something outside the norm just felt more us. And that's a pretty amazing feeling too."

Event planning and design: The Events Company
Venue: Palace Theatre
Bouquets: Backyard Garden Florist
Cake and desserts: Sweet Indulgence
Photography: Photoessence Photography
Music: Marty the One Man Party

Wedding season is about to be upon us, but typically before the wedding comes the bridal shower.

The theme and colors of a shower can coordinate with the wedding's or be inspired by something totally different. Above is the design board Alyssa created for a recent French-themed bridal shower thrown by one of the bride's high school best friends; the groom is French-Moroccan and the bride had studied abroad in France and loved her experience. 

Held at the Lincklaen House, a feminine palette and delicious French-inspired menu featuring Coquilles St. Jacques scallops and Steak Frites, set the tone while a painted streetscape Fun Photo backdrop (rented from Backdrops Beautiful) provided additional flair. 

Some other fun ideas for bridal shower themes (Click on the images for more details and photos):

If you're not really into the formality of a shower, or you wish your guy and/or guy friends could be there, The Knot suggests some casual, low-key co-ed ideas (in addition to a few fancy options).

When brides choose the colors for their events, it's probably safe to say the majority of them are picking two, maybe three, solid colors to work with. Different color combinations can evoke a variety of moods, but have you thought about mixing in a pattern?  (This doesn't just apply to bridal clients - the right pattern can be appropriate and add visual interest to any corporate event or fundraiser, too!)

When we present linen options for a client, we have a wide range of solids and patterns on hand in a variety of materials, sheens, and textures. Color, texture, the way light reflects off the material, any embellishments such as sequins or embroidered thread - all of these enhance the look of your event. Patterns even more strongly convey a message about the mood and style of your wedding.  Patterns can be subtle or bold, neutral or bright, and used in large or small doses. (And not just on linens.) 

Above are outtakes from an inspiration shoot we did a few years ago, and below are some beautiful examples we've found from more recent events:

Don't feel constrained by the phrase "wedding colors" --  there is a world of pattern available to you that includes geometrics, stripes, ikats, ethnic patterns, florals, abstracts, damasks, and more. Click the links below to see even more ideas.

We were fortunate to work with a bunch of great couples this past spring and we're looking forward to sharing their special days with you, starting with Sheila and Matthew who were married on May 3, 2014 in Oswego. 

We worked with them on decor and wedding day-of management. They were looking for a romantic, vintage feel for their reception at Alexandria's, so we created that mood with a variety of elements. Mercury glass vessels, metal bird cages, delicate cake stands, colored vases, and an abundance of candlelight gave the centerpieces a very collected, antique look. A mix of long banquet tables and rounds were used and each table featured a different style centerpiece. Flowers were secondary for Sheila, so we handled the arrangements and used them as a complement to the warm, eclectic mood. 

A palette of eggplant and gunmetal gray, accented with paler shades of purple and yellow, added some depth and vibrancy in place of a typical pastel palette, which the bride did not want.  Sheila and Matthew also selected beautiful vintage china to use as chargers, which added an extra bit of glamour to their reception. 

Thank you Sheila and Matthew for letting us be part of your beautiful day!

Many of our most-pinned images on Pinterest come from our Mission Alfresco board, which features design ideas and inspiration for an exciting event we've worked on in the past benefiting the Rescue Mission.  In keeping with the branding of the Rescue Mission, everything about the event and the board is red. I'm not sure if its the color alone that draws pinners to these images or what ideas or emotions the images trigger, but we do know that color strongly influences moods and opinions. 

Companies spend much time and effort on their branding and color scheme because logos are signifiers telegraphing a message to others and people tend to remember how something looked more than what it said. Interestingly, this week Guy Kawasaki posted a link to this artist's take on color-swapped corporate logos.  

Whether you're trying to soothe, excite, or appear trustworthy, how people perceive color is a big part of eliciting those emotions.  In a recent BizBash article, color expert Kate Smith said, “Whether we realize it or not, color affects us and our decision-making.” If you're trying to send a message that you or your product are natural or eco-friendly, for example, you would likely incorporate shades of green; if you wanted to come across as a bit edgy, perhaps you would select black and white and a bold accent color. 

It probably goes without saying that color is a major foundation of the look and feel of an event. In addition to selecting or recommending linen colors, which is a primary way of bringing color into your event design, we often take advantage of colored lighting to enhance a space. 

The fun thing about color is that you can bring it in to a space in so many different ways: linens and fabric draping, chair covers, lighting, decor elements and centerpieces, flowers, and even the food you serve. 

Of course you aren't only limited to your company's colors when hosting an event, but it's a good idea to have them represented in some way for continuity and brand recognition. The BizBash article closes with some good advice: "Smith advises being clear about your event’s message and using ­color to support it, just like every other element. 'When you’re creating an event, the purpose is more than just looking good,' Smith says. 'It’s creating something that you want to be memorable, and the color will help cement the message in guests’ minds.'”

While we can handle any color concerns you may have about your event, here are a few tips to keep in mind. 

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.

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.