Lounge furniture is fabulous for weddings of all sizes.  But it often looks awkward when not tied in to the rest of the design. So how do you make it work?

Pillows!

That’s right, just like you use pillows on your sofa at home for a pop of color,  add pillows to your lounge furniture to do the same. And even better – use them to add texture!

Creative Coverings has an easy solution – they rent pillows that match their linens! Rather than buying a bunch of pillows that may not match your home decor, rent them. The photo above is from the Creative Coverings website. What a fun look!

How could you incorporate pillows into your wedding design?

The amazing celebrity event designer Colin Cowie was the keynote speaker, and I loved all the ideas he shared. One that stuck out was the use of Curated Food Stations. I know what you’re thinking – what the heck is that?!

You’re probably familiar with the concept of food stations. A mashed potato bar, a carved meat, maybe a pasta station. Now take that concept, and kick it up a notch!

Each station should be an experience for the senses.  Work with your caterer to create 2 or 3 unique items for each station. Then, add to that station an incredible wine pairing!

Food may be pre-plated on small appetizer-size china, rather than larger plates like a traditional buffet. When food is beautifully displayed, it cuts down on the lines too!

We actually got to experience this effect during the cocktail reception for 650 conference attendees. Each station had two items, pre-plated, so all you had to do was walk up and grab one! I can personally attest that it was fabulous.

Would you like to see this concept come to life at your wedding?

Saturday night, we treated our amazing speakers to a fun evening at Sweet Pete’s and The Candy Apple Cafe and Cocktails.

Sunday morning kicked off with brunch, where I got to tell everyone some interesting facts about Jacksonville. (#ILoveJax)

(thanks to Rose of Sharon European Florist for the centerpieces, Beachview Event Rentals for the chairs, and PRI Productions for the super cool Jacksonville backdrop)

After brunch, we went into our general session room for lots of great educational content:

• Steve Kemble -Revitalize and Re-Energize Your Brand
• Lauren Sarnoff Atwaters, Ten23 Designs – Creating a Unique Event Experience
• Meghan Ely, OFD Consulting – From Stressed to Streamlined: Creating an Organization Syste that Works
• Tamatha Cain, Choux Cake Studio – Emergency Wedding Cake Fixes
• April Knight, Jos. A Bank – How To Tie A Bow Tie and Fold A Pocket Square
• Donnie Brown, Donnie Brown Weddings and Events –  Reading the Red Flags: Don’t Let This Happen To You

And then it was on to the poolside cocktail reception! The weather could not have been more amazing. As event planners, we always worry about the weather when planning outdoor events – especially in August in Florida! But there was not a drop of rain that day, and the breeze made the rooftop deck quite comfortable.

Day 2 of the conference started with a casual breakfast. How cool are these centerpieces from Rose of Sharon European Florist?

And the Omni Hotel Jacksonville staff created the letters “ABC” out of the parfaits!

For Tuesday’s lunch, each speaker was assigned a table. Lauren from Ten23 Designs created these adorable signs with their names! She also made tons of other cute decor pieces that were used throughout the conference.

Monday’s educational sessions were just as amazing as Sunday’s:

• Meghan Ely, OFD Consulting – Attaining Expert Status: How to Become on Expert Industry Leader
• Susan Southerland, Just Marry! – Selling to Couples at Every Planning Phase
• Charlene Shirk, C. Shirk Productions – Pitch Perfect: How to Deliver A Great Media Interview
• Bryan Glynn, BGPictures – Critical Website & Internet Tips for Your Business and Making $$ with YouTube
• Donnie Brown & Steve Kemble – Social Media As Your PR Consultant (Round Table)

Sadly, it was time to say good bye to all of our friends, new and old. These little snack packs had water, chips, and sweets for the drive/flight home.

It was an amazing (and exhausting!) three days, and I am so thankful for everyone that attended. Want to see more photos? Check out the ABC Florida Facebook page.

• If you are marrying in an outdoor space with lots of room to play with, the two partners could walk in from the sides to meet in the middle.
• Or, create two sections of chairs rather than two, creating two aisles from back to front.
• If escorts will be walking the couple down the aisle(s), consider having an extra-wide aisle for both pairs to walk down together. This is a great symbol of families uniting together.

Adding shiny and sparkly elements to celebrations is a continuing trend! Whether you want an over-the-top  bling-fest, or subtle touches of gold or silver, add a touch of glam to any color palette or theme.

Are you drawn to pale pink, blush, ivory? These are the perfect colors to add gold accents to.  If you are going for a blend of cobalt, teal and navy, add some rhinestone touches to brighten it up.

How are you adding metallics or bling to your wedding?

While I anticipated coming home with lots of great new knowledge, I didn’t anticipate coming home with this amazing award: 2014 Planner of the Year. Wow. I’m still in shock. Especially since I didn’t even know I was nominated!

Our NACE Northeast Florida Chapter President, Belinda Cottrell from the Marriott Sawgrass, secretly entered me into this category. I have no idea how much time she put into this process, but I’m sure it was many, many, many hours of digging. Having submitted awards entries for our chapter, I know how detailed and arduous the process is! So my eternal gratitude goes to Belinda and everyone else that helped her gather the information she needed.

So what is Planner of the Year? According to the pretty glass plaque (which I can’t get a decent close-up photo of), this award is given “for outstanding achievement in the overall planning and production of events, as well as contributions which have made significant impact on the catering and events industry.” Wow, again.  That’s pretty heavy. And a lot to live up to! It amazes me that my industry colleagues think that description fits me. I am beyond humbled! It still hasn’t sunk in that the beautiful glass plaque with those words etched on it also contains my name.

When I earned my Master Bridal Consultant designation in 2011, I was so honored that a panel of my peers thought that I deserved to be in this amazing group of professionals. And now, to be selected for one of the top honors in our industry, I can’t believe that I get to do what I love every day and that people think I’m THIS good at it. Mind. Blown.

I have lots and lots of cool information to share that I learned at the conference, so stay tuned for more blog posts in the coming weeks. Cheers!

I LOVE that you can buy a frame right along with the print, and try out different frames virtually. I have the hardest time choosing frames for artwork!

So while you are browsing Minted’s wedding stationery collection, take a look at these great options for your new home! If you aren’t familiar with Minted, here’s a little bit about them:

Minted’s community of independent artists and designers are located in 48 states and 43 countries. They are illustrators and textile designers, painters and packaging designers, marketers and stay-at-home moms. Some have design degrees, and others are participating in Minted competitions to learn design for the first time. They share a deep love for creative expression, personal development, risk-taking, and most importantly, paying it forward by helping each other.

Be sure to check out Minted’s line of stationery as well as art and home decor! Do you have any favorites? Post the link below in the comments.

But what happens when your wedding takes place during hurricane season (6/1-11/30)? Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Have a good Plan B. And Plan C. And Plan D. Even if a hurricane isn’t in the forecast for your immediate area, they can bring drastic weather changes with them. If you are planning on an outdoor ceremony, have a great indoor option booked. Think through your outdoor decor, and see if it will work with the indoor space. If not, talk to your designer or florist about changes that could be made if necessary, and what the deadline for those changes would be.
• Purchase wedding insurance well in advance. Much like homeowners’ insurance policies, there are time limits for purchasing hurricane coverage for your wedding. Be sure to know those deadlines, and finalize your policy in time. (For more info on wedding insurance, check out our friends at http://www.protectmywedding.com.)
• Remember that your honeymoon location might be affected. Keep an eye on the forecast for your honeymoon destination. Consider purchasing travel insurance if you are going to an area that might be in the path of a storm. Again, there are deadlines for purchasing insurance, so talk to your travel agent about options!

Every couple that is planning an outdoor wedding stresses out about one thing: the weather! Hopefully you have great backup plans in place if you are planning an outdoor event. (If you don’t, you should!) But here’s an old tradition you might want to add to your wedding planning schedule.

Southern folklore has it that 30 days before the wedding, at the time of the ceremony, the couple should go to the ceremony location and bury a bottle of bourbon upside down. During the cocktail hour, the bottle is dug up and subsequently passed around for all to enjoy. The folklore must be true, because we’ve seen it done at 3 weddings now and all have had fabulous weather despite rainy or cold days before and after!

Do you have any superstitions or traditions you’d like to share?

(photo from Ann and Mark’s November 2014 wedding, by Susan Michal Photography)

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