Signature Events by Shelly

Theme Thursday: Rustic Chic

2013-01-10T09:10:00.000-06:00

Rustic Chic. Being a girl from Wisconsin, I think this style is in my bones. I live in the country, photograph barns and woods, yet love having a chandelier in my office and flowers everywhere.

The first wedding I did with this theme was so exciting, and it just gets better with every girl that wants to go this route for her celebration.

They are all different, so I never get tired, and they are always thrilled with what we come up with.

Here are a few inspiration boards to give you some ideas for your Rustic Chic wedding...

Where do you find inspiration for your wedding/ celebration planning? Leave a message and share your ideas! Happy Thursday!

Tip Of The Week: Escort Cards

2013-01-07T08:58:00.000-06:00

As I was looking over things this weekend and coming up with some fun DIY ideas for wedding decor, I found a ton of creative Escort Cards! These are a great way to put your crafty self to work!

Here are some of my favorites {you can also find these and more on my Pinterest Board}

Some Eco-Friendly ideas:

Vintage:

Rustic:

Foodie:

How will you seat your guests? Leave a comment and share your inspiration!!

Happy Monday everyone!

REAL WEDDINGS: JULIE AND KWEKU

2012-12-12T09:24:00.000-06:00

When Julie first called me she was in a total panic. She and her fiancee were getting married in a month, at his parents summer home on the lake, in a small {very small} town in Wisconsin with a lot of tradition incorporated into their day. All of the wedding vendors {and there were a lot of them}were coming from far away and there were so many details that there was an overabundance of coordination and planning to make sure nothing was forgotten. I was leaving for a 2 week vacation, but by the sound of her voice I knew she really needed somebody to help her, if only for relief.

Julie and Kweku had a beautiful wedding day. The week prior was full of high humidity, very hot days. Luckily, Julie hired professional companies to set up the tent, tables, chairs and linens. By the time Saturday came along, she was feeling much more relaxed, Kweku was in a super excited mood and the heat had subsided.

There were a few hiccups throughout the course of the day, but nothing Julie and Kweku knew about and nothing that wasn't easily remedied. Here is a look at their beautiful wedding day.

Credits: Week-of Coordination - Signature Events by Shelly/ Photography - Gravidee Design and Photography/ Rentals and Lighting -JK Rentals, Inc/ Linens and China - Karls Rentals/ DJ - Midwest Sound/ Limos - Bladers, RS Limo/ Bakery - Manderfields/ Indian food - Darbar/ Ghanian food - Baaba Yarney/ Flowers - Sterling Gardens/ / Videography - Sheepshead Studios

Tip Of The Week: Prioritizing

2012-12-03T09:53:00.002-06:00

Photography by Heather Kessler Photography

You and your fiancee have your collection of ideas and inspiration, you know what each of you wants so now it's time to start putting these things in order and making your fantasies a reality!

The first thing you'll want to make sure of is that you don't lose any of these ideas. Create a binder to keep notes, all your fun ideas and, later, all of your vendor contact information and contracts, timelines and other important paperwork. Everything should be readily available to you. Not only will this help you mentally, it will also keep you organized which will help you to feel cool, calm and collected.

This is also the step where you will prioritize all of your ideas to prepare to act upon them. This is necessary to make sure you, and your wedding dreams, don't get lost in the whirlwind of wedding planning. Prioritizing the fruits of your brainstorming session can be simplified into three categories: non-negotiable, negotiable, and neutral.

Non-negotiable: These are the things that you WILL NOT change...no matter what! This is the areas for the "must haves" only. Example: your great-grandmother's knife and server set that has been used in your great-grandmother's, grandmother's and mother's wedding. This is non-negotiable!!

Negotiable: This is for the things that you want but are willing to forgo. Example: you really want to have Cold Stone creamery available to serve with your cake. You realize this may be quite expensive and are willing to give it up if it means you can have the ice sculpture for your shrimp appetizers.

Neutral: Here are the things that you are more impartial to. You would like to have these items, but won't miss them if you don't. Example: You really don't care what wines are served at dinner...

Make sure to come back next week for the most fun part of wedding planning - BUDGETING!! (yeah, I was kidding about the "fun" part...)

How did you start out prioritizing? Leave a comment for more suggestions.

Fashion Friday: LACE

2012-11-30T09:04:00.000-06:00

There is just something about a Lace Wedding Gown that makes one's heart flutter - I could look at them all day! Lace resonates romance, love and all things marriage! So, as I struggled to make my choices, here are some of my Pinterest Picks.

A vintage gown {1800's} from Brussels - found in the Brooklyn Museum

Elie Saab Collection

Do you have a favorite gown? How about a favorite material? What are you going to wear as you walk down the aisle? Leave a comment and tell us your pick!!

Theme Thursday's Featured Wedding

2012-11-29T11:19:00.001-06:00

LOVE LOVE LOVE this wedding!! Lauren Brooks Photography did such a fantastic job capturing the elements of the celebration...I could just sit here and look at this all day! And, Andrew of The Perfect Occasion...WOW!! You are an inspiration!

Make sure to check out the different bridesmaid bouquets. They are all gorgeous and what a great idea!

Also, LOVE the kayak!!

Enjoy...

Leah and John's Wedding

Tip Of The Week: Brainstorming

2012-11-05T10:06:00.001-06:00

Oh My Gosh!! He asked!! You said YES and you've already told all of your family and friends. Now what. When I start working with a bride and groom the very first thing I do is to ask them what they want their wedding outcome to be. It is extremely important for you and your fiancee {no family, friends or coworkers} to sit with each other and envision your perfect day. Write down all of the things you've dreamed of or anything you've seen that really inspired you. Also, write down your favorite colors, styles of music, or anything artistic that speaks to you. Dream big and write it all down...BRAINSTORM!

Start by asking yourself the most important question of all: What emotions do I want my guests to have on my wedding day? How do I want them to remember everything after they've left?

If you answered with words like joy, faith, serenity, you might discover that you want a more intimate celebration. If your thoughts were more toward excitement and energy, you might lean towards a more lively party.

Discuss other weddings you've been to and think of what you've seen that you both liked - and what you know you will NOT do at your wedding!

When you feel as though you cannot come up with anything more and you are happy with the collection of ideas and inspiration, it is time to start putting them in order and make this wedding happen your way!

Come back next week for the beginning of prioritizing and organizing.

Color Crush of the Week : Gold

2012-11-02T15:42:00.002-05:00

Next week I will be bringing you inspirational image upon inspirational image of all things GOLD!! Here's a little preview into what will start your Monday off...

How fun is this! Dressing up your gold Chivari Chairs is not an element to be missed. You don't need to go all out with a chair back cover, but check out the chair pad...fun, right!

See you next week!

Fashion Friday: Ruffled Trends

2012-11-02T11:02:00.003-05:00

One of the best parts of my job is finding all of these gorgeous gowns to bring you some inspiration for dressing yourself for your wedding day. I've been watching the shows from Bridal Market week in New York for the past couple of weeks and one of the biggest trends I've noticed is ruffles! I am absolutely LOVING all of the flowing ruffled gowns!! Whether it is a form-fitting mermaid or A-line, or a full ball-gown, they are all gorgeous!! Here are some of my favorites for you to drool over. Do you have a favorite? Let me know. This gown is by Justin Alexander.

Watters

Pronovias

Maggie Sottero

Badgley Mischka

Maggie Sottero

San Patrick

Watch for what I'll be crushing on next week!! I'll give you a hint...It's another big trend I noticed. :)
Happy Friday everyone!

Theme Thursday: Blue Winter Wonderland

2012-11-01T10:54:00.000-05:00

As I'm sitting here thankful that my heat is on, I decided to take a look at some of the trends we saw in the Bridal Market runways and what we are seeing more and more in weddings today.

On the runway we saw a lot of lace. I'm so happy this is making the comeback that it is!! Lace is such a romantic fabric that it just makes sense to use it for a wedding gown...

What I'm seeing a lot in weddings is some fun and creativity with lighting and color. Every wedding I did this last summer had colorful lighting going on! It was great to be able to use that element to create a romantic, seasonal, or elegant atmosphere.

For this Theme Thursday I took some of my favorite trends and mixed them with with some important elements to help create the "feel" you want for your guests. And, since it is the first day of November and winter is right around the corner, I'm bringing you a very blue and silver

Winter Wonderland.

Stay warm my friends!

Tip Of The Week: Do I Really Need A Wedding Planner

2012-10-29T11:28:00.001-05:00

Okay, so have you seen the commercial with the Dentist using a jackhammer while the construction worker watches him? The dentist isn't doing such a good job and the construction man looks concerned. Well, as a professional wedding planner that's how I feel when I hear about a new engagement. Sure, there are tons of books and downloadable checklists, but how confident are you in the caterer you are going to choose? Or the DJ...will they show up on time and play only the type of music you want to hear? How about the decor at your reception? Will the lighting be the right color and will all of the candles be lit when you arrive? I can never stress enough to newly engaged couples how important it is to hire a professional. I mean, you wouldn't want your surgeon doing your job, or you hers...right?

So my Tip for you for this week is that, YES, you should really consider hiring a wedding planner. You don't need to necessarily hire somebody to take over the planning of your entire wedding, but at least somebody to have there the day of your wedding to make sure everything is as it should be. Somebody that will take care of any and all problems so you don't even know there was one. And, somebody to make sure the candles are lit so your friend, or worse yet, your mother, doesn't have to run over to your reception to take care of it!

Below are a few pictures of weddings that I have done. Sure, things happened {like a major storm rolling in before the outdoors ceremony was supposed to happen}, but nothing that the bride, groom, families or friends had to think about. The celebrating is all they had to take care of!

Photography by Heidi Lee Photography

Photography by Gravidee Photography and Design

Photography by Heather Kessler Photography

Have a wonderful Monday!

Tip Of The Week: Drink Stations

2012-05-14T10:17:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday morning to you! I hope you all had a fantastic Mother's Day with your families - I know I did! I also hope that you got a lot of your wedding planning taken care of. For those of you getting married this summer, make sure you are rereading your contracts and verifying things with all of your wedding vendors. You should have your flowers chosen, venues for sure, decor figured out, and you should know which drinks you will have for your pre-ceremony and cocktail hour drink stations. I bet most of you didn't even think about this - did you? I HIGHLY recommend, at least, a pre-ceremony drink station. Your guests will start to arrive about 1 hour prior. If your celebration day is outside, they will start to get parched, especially if it is a hot day.

There are a number of ways you can go about setting up a drink station. Here are a few of my suggestions:

1. Set out a simple cooler or some galvanized tubs full of water bottles and a table with some wine bottles, openers and glasses. This is fast, easy and very economical. Though you may not have put much time and effort into this, your guests will really appreciate it.

2. Hire a couple of bartenders through a catering company. Purchase some wine, champagne, water and soda. Set-up an 8ft banquet table, put a nice linen on it, a couple of simple flower arrangements {even just one flower head floating in a vase}, and have the bartenders greet and serve your guests. This is still a very economical way to go about something that your guests will look at as quite eloquent. Hiring bartenders for 1 - 2 hours is pretty cheap...

3. Do you have an old canoe, or some wheelbarrels? Fill them with ice and drinks, put up a chalkboard telling your guests to help themselves and voila! A fun, unique and appreciated drink station.

4. Buy, rent or borrow a few dispensers. Make lemonades, iced teas and flavored waters and fill them up! Add the fruit to the drinks for a little extra ooomph. Spread glasses on the table and there you have it.

5. Are mason jars your thing? Fill a bunch up with a signature drink with a super fun name. Pre-ceremony you could have a non-alcohol drink and your cocktail hour could have both drinks with alcohol and drinks without. Put a fun straw and a cute ribbon and label with your monogram on the jars and it is a perfect "Signature Drink Station".

Some things to keep in mind are:

1. If you want your guests to "help themselves" make sure there is a sign somewhere that will let them know this.

2. Give all of your drinks a fun name. I mean, a dispenser with "Lemonade" is not quite as fun as a lable that reads something like "Marital Mimosa" or "Sassy Sangria"...just sayin...

3. Place your drink station in an easily accessible area. This is where your early arriving guests will most likely "hang out" so keep it nearby.

4. You don't have to do a lot to the area, but do dress it up a little. Even just to add a linen and a flower in a vase {you can buy some flowers at the grocery store and borrow vases from friends and family if you need to}, is all you need to do.

5. Always make sure to have water on hand. Not everyone likes soda, and not everyone will want to drink alcohol right away, but water will quench peoples thirst.

6. Designate someone to keep an eye on the ice situation. If it is going to be a hot day, it would be a good idea to have a few coolers around specifically for ice bags. It should be this person's responsibility to make sure the water is dumped and fresh ice is added.

Are you having a drink station at your celebration? What are you serving up? How are you designing it? Please leave a comment and share your ideas.

Theme Thursday: Cinco de Mayo

2012-05-05T09:47:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I've been able to post. That's a good thing!! It's wedding season and that means I'm busy. But, it is Cinco de Mayo and I really can't pass up this opportunity to bring you a couple of Inspirational boards. I hope you have a wonderful day of celebration.

Engagement Photo Tips and Ideas

2012-04-23T10:35:00.000-05:00

Even though you may not be planning to have engagement photos taken, or have it in your budget, it is a good idea to work with your photographer before the day of your wedding. You should try to fit this in and request an engagement session. Besides, these sessions can be so fun that you wouldn't want to miss out!

My top 5 suggestions for a successful engagement photo shoot:

1. Select a photographer that suits you. This person will be with you on one of the most important days of your life so you will definitely want to like them. Do your homework and find one that you "click" with.

2. Select a location that you are comfortable with and excited about. Whether it is a park, Disneyland, or climbing up the side of a mountain, you will want it to reflect your personalities and style as a couple.

3. Ask for a warm up shoot. This will give the two of you time to get comfortable with a camera capturing your every move and it will give the photographer time to see how you react to situations.

4. Have extra clothes along. This way you will get some different "looks" in your photos. Besides, you might decide that you really don't like one of the outfits.

5. Be yourself and have fun! I think this is self-explanatory.

Here are some of my favorite engagement photo images that I want to share:

A favorite snack perhaps?

DisneyLand

A favorite activity

A favorite movie

Childhood favorites

Did you get engagement photos done? Did you follow a theme? Tell us about your photo shoot.
Happy Monday!!

Fashion Friday: Friday The 13th

2012-04-13T10:32:00.000-05:00

Are you a Friday the 13th good luck person? Are you and your fiancee considering a Friday the 13th wedding? Take a peek at the beautiful black wedding gowns. I mean, if you're going to do it, you might as well go all out...right?

But, if all black just will not work for you, here are some ways to incorporate black into your gown.

What color was your wedding gown? Did you incorporate color in any way? Leave a comment and tell us.

Wedding Registry: Giving To Charity

2012-04-11T10:21:00.000-05:00

How fun, right? Going out to your favorite department stores and picking a gorgeous set of china, your favorite {great quality} back-yard games, the 500 thread-count sheets... Fun I say!!

But, when you're done with all of that, how about a little bit of giving. After doing some research I came across a few charity sites that allow you to do a wedding registry, shop at a few places that will donate a percentage of the sale, or purchase "gift cards" for your attendants to allow them to donate to the charity of their choice.

One website that I recommend is

www.JustGive.org

There is a link on this site that will lead you to another great one for wedding registry...

www.idofoundation.org

Are you not sure what to do for your wedding favors? Consider, perhaps, a Charity Favor Donation Place Card.

www.weddingshop.theknot.com/donation-favors.aspx

Do you still want to have something more than just a note at your guests seats when they arrive?

Try this:

www.trufflesforacause.com

Are you planning to do something for a charity for your big day? Share with us what you are going to do.

Happy Wednesday!

Wedding Inspiration: Vegas Style!

2012-04-09T10:35:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago my husband had some business to attend to in Las Vegas, so, naturally, I flew down for the weekend. I've been there before, but never really spent time looking and taking pictures {it was always business in the past}. We had already seen a show - The Beatles LOVE - and had decided to take Saturday afternoon just walking and checking things out. Now, I had been in the Bellagio before, but this time I saw it in a whole new light. All I could think of was weddings!! These are my inspirational pictures...

And you can't forget the SWEET ride!!

Have you ever been to Las Vegas? What was your most memorable thing that you did? Where did you stay? I know what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but some things should be shared. :)

Happy Monday!

Fashion Friday: Vintage Ensembles

2012-03-30T11:21:00.001-05:00

How funny that I decide to go Vintage this week and I notice that many bloggers are doing the same thing! I found some great ideas on other's blogs so I will be sharing those with you also, but first I want to give you some Fashion Friday ideas for your wedding attire.

Movie Star Elegance

Ruffles and Pearls

Lacey Romance

Sweet and Simple Love

and, of-course...SHOES!!

Are you going for a Vintage feel for your party? What sort of style are you going to go with?

Leave a comment and tell us which is your favorite.

Happy Friday Everyone!

Theme Thursday: Vintage Peaches and Cream

2012-03-29T10:42:00.000-05:00

This is one of my most favorite parts of my "job". Finding a theme to bring an entire event together.

Vintage themed weddings seem to have really grown in popularity over the last year, and it's so easy to see why. The timeless, classic romance just sweeps you away to a different age. Find a venue with some great stone architecture {a museum perhaps?}and take this wedding's inspiration board, add some delicious food and a good old-time swing band and it's the perfect celebration.

I also found this GORGEOUS wedding at Elizabeth Anne Designs.

Stop over there and check it out...I might be staring at it for a while.

Happy Thursday!

The Blushing Brides{maids}

2012-03-28T10:45:00.000-05:00

Last week was my Blush Pink week, and I've tried {oh how I've tried} to move on from this absolutely romantic color, but I just keep finding more reasons to let it hang on a bit longer. Today, I wanted to inspire you to let your girls blush a little too. I have to honestly say, this is my favorite color right now!

Found at Adrienne Gunde Photography

Absolutely adore the fun comfortable {and definitely wearable} dresses here! These were found at Design - Conundrum

The long dresses are just gorgeous! You can find these at Two Birds Bridesmaid

Dress by Amsale

What color will your girls be wearing? Do you have a favorite designer? Leave a comment and tell us.

Happy Wednesday!

The Hunger Games

2012-03-24T18:28:00.000-05:00

All day yesterday, all I could think about was how great the movie was going to be. Yes, I'm talking about The Hunger Games. I read the books along with my daughter {though I finished them much quicker} and therefore, couldn't wait for the movie to get to the theaters. I made it to the box office and, thankfully, bought all of our tickets ~ half an hour before they completely sold out! We were all very pleased with how well the movie was done...it was a great family night.

The only thing that made me love the whole Hunger Games more, was waking up to read my email and seeing this photo shoot on Style Me Pretty.

Please take a couple of minutes and check these pictures out. I am now hoping to have someone near me want a party like this!!

The Hunger Games

Did you see the movie and read the books? What did you think?

Fashion Friday: Some Shoe Eye Candy

2012-03-23T10:48:00.000-05:00

Are you in search of that perfect "peachy" shoe to wear on your wedding day? Here are a few that caught my eye!

Are you wearing colored wedding shoes? What color did you choose?

Theme Thursday: Peach and Gray Elegance Summer Wedding Inspiration:

2012-03-22T10:18:00.000-05:00

I really am one for color. When bold colors were everywhere it was so fun and easy for me to envision a wedding design. As soon as the softer tones started to come back I panicked little, because, to me things should POP. As brides started contacting me with soft pinks, grays, beige and white I really thought I wouldn't like designing these as much...Boy was I wrong! I LOVE the soft peach, pink, white and gray tones for this wedding design.

And how fun would a cart, full of fresh fruit {mostly peaches of course} and flowers, be for your wedding favors?!

Using soft peach drapery to highlight the reception area, shot glass sundaes, a gorgeous bouquet and a lovely cake!! What do you think?

Tent Weddings: Tips and Ideas

2012-03-21T11:38:00.000-05:00

I absolutely love tented weddings! To me, they are a blank canvas that you can transform into whatever you can dream up. These are also the most difficult weddings to plan. There are so many things you need to know and think about to make everything go smooth.

Here are some tips and ideas for you to help keep the big surprises away.

1. Check with your city's sound ordinances. Make sure you know when the music needs to be ended and any laws on serving alcohol. If you are having your wedding at your home, I suggest to, maybe, bake some goodies and deliver them to your neighbors informing them of the upcoming nuptials. You know, an ounce of kindness goes a long way!

2. Have a contigency plan for inclement weather. If your ceremony will be held outside the tent, be prepared to move it under the tent if necessary. You could easily set up a little draping to separate the two areas if you wish. This could also include umbrellas for your guests, or making sure you can move to an indoor place if needed. Watch the weather channel!

3. Hire a professional. Find someone that has done outdoor weddings before. This is your best bet.

4. Make sure to announce on your invitations that your are having an outdoor wedding. Your female guests might choose to forgo the heels for something a little flatter.

5. Prepare the site for bugs. This could include a spray, but a fun little trick I learned is to use "fish" cat food. Put it around the perimeter of your area and your stinging pests will be more interested in that than what you have going on. Citronella candles and bug zappers are good options too.

6. Don't forget about restrooms. Even if you are having the celebration at your home I would guess you really wouldn't want a few hundred people tramping through your house. There are some pretty nice "Restroom Trailers" available that offer a larger stall for the bride with a large dress.

7. Make sure you have enough power. Talk with your band/ dj, caterer, restroom company and lighting to ensure you won't have a black-out.

8. Verify that there is enough parking for your guests and that it is well lit. You could set up "painters lights", luminaries, or hand out flashlights for favors.

9. Keep your guests comfort in mind. Set up a beverage station with ice cold water available. Use your programs as fans and maybe even offer sunscreen or mosquito wipes.

10. Consider using a sunset as the backdrop for your nuptials. Keep the sun at your guests back rather than in their eyes {they'll appreciate it!}.

Are you having an outdoor wedding? Do you have any tips you'd like to share? Leave a comment and let us know.

Spring Centerpieces: Ideas For The DIY'er

2012-03-20T11:01:00.000-05:00

If you are looking for ideas for some creative, economical and possibly even centerpieces you can make yourself, then you came to the right place. I'm going to give you 10 tips on keeping your centerpieces budget-friendly and easy.

1. Use flowers that are in season.
For example, Peonies {my favorite flower} are much easier to find in the spring. So, if you're having a winter wedding you might want to forgo these.

2. Use fruit and vegetables in your centerpieces.
Bright yellow lemons and green limes are great to use in glass bowls for your tables. They are fresh and enjoyable to look at.

3. Use large flower heads. One large hydrangea in a glass vase is beautiful by itself in the center of your tables.

4. Keep the height down on your floral centerpieces. Over 12" and the price goes up.

5. Use your bouquet and your girls bouquets for centerpieces when you arrive at your reception.

6. If you have florals being used at your ceremony site, get them transfered to your reception. If you have a large "altar" arrangement, use it at your head table.

7. Use your wedding favors in the center of your tables. These, then, will serve double-duty! Does it get any better than that?!

8. Do you like candy {silly question, right?} Spread the jars amongst your tables along with some little baggies for your guests to fill up.

9. Gather a group of different sized pillars up in the center of the tables. Put them on a mirror and it will really sparkle.

10. Gather up some beautiful orchids. Repot them in some gorgeous clay pots and line them up along the center of your tables. The best part about this is that they are so pretty that they really don't need anything else.

Happy Tuesday!