The Ultra Lounge!

This is my final blog about "Meet Mahaffey"- the incredible open house that allowed us to transform a warehouse into the most fabulous event space! Here is the super suave tent that was constructed inside the warehouse and transformed into an ultra lounge. We used a clear dance floor that is typically placed over a pool or body of water-just to show it off. We added some fun silver beads and confetti to spice it up a bit since it was placed over concrete and not a pool.

The white leather lounge furniture was accented with green lighting. Haute Horticulture created a floral chandelier out of white roses and Bells of Ireland- which served as our focal point. This was definitely where the party was at- and The Kevin and Bethany Paige Band kept us moving all night!

Stay tuned for some reception ideas for brides on a budget!

Chef's Table at the Double Tree Downtown

So the Butterflies were busy helping the Double Tree Hotel Downtwon coordinate a Chef's Table last Wednesday!  The Double Tree was proud to show off their new Executive Chef, Kaia Brewer, who did a fabulous job with the luncheon.  Our first course consisted of Asian Mix with Fresh Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries and Pecans.  Second course was Pork Chops with Apples and Onions, Sweet Potato Rainbow and Greens and for dessert we had Strawberries Three Ways: adorable petite starwberry cobbler served in a mini-cast iron skillet, a strawberry sushi roll in a chocolate sauce and a mini-chocolate strawberry milkshake.  The presentation from the Double Tree was phenominal!  Chef Kaia out did herself with the food presentation!

If the guests weren't already ready for Spring, then by the time they left, both Karin Woodward of Haute Horticulture and Classic Party Rentals made sure they were ready!  Classic draped the tables in a lime green crinkle linen and Karin adorned them with white vases filled with yellow forsythia and other complimentary yellow blooms.

So the next time you are downtown and are looking for a unique wedding/reception site, you ought to think of the Double Tree Hotel Downtwon.  They have a great lobby with a historial Memphis landmark as a wedding backdrop (unique wedding ceremony site) and a very nice ballroom.  The bride's entrance could be unique in that she can ride down in the see-through elevator.  Just think, the guests will see her descending amongst them! 

Something else we learned while there was that they have an in-house lighting company.  And if you know The Butterflies, we are all about lighting our events!  This makes it one less vendor that has to be hired since they are already in the hotel.

I would be remissed if I didn't mention they have a FABULOUS hospitality suite that we are using for a bridal luncheon.  It has a built in bar, three closet doors are mirrors from top to bottom, luxurious leather furniture, a dining room table, a view of downtown, two bathrooms and so much more!  It is so reasonably priced it makes you wonder what other little hidden delights are waiting to be found!

For those that need to use their wedding/reception budget wisely, the Double Tree not only provides nice ballroom chairs, linens, cuisine and atmosphere but they are also willing to move some of their lobby furniture for "lounge seating".

Thank you Double Tree Hotel for hosting this informative luncheon!  Here is a video of the luncheon from Gemini Media http://www.geminimm.com/videos.html.

Lighting- Bang for your Buck!

Hello readers, happy Monday! Today I wanted to discuss how simple up-lighting with colored gels can add OOMPH to your event for not much dough.

The world of event lighting is filled with endless possibilities. From the complex custom gobo designs (those light patterns you see splashed across dance floors or walls) to the simple pin light on a cake, lighting ups the drama and will help transform your event. However, if you are intimidated (cost and design wise) by all these options, you should still not nix the option of lighting. A couple simple and affordable can lights with color gels are a wonderful way to:

              - Incorporate your colors
              - Create a party atmosphere
              - Transform a dull wall into a vibrant accent
              - Re-invent your event space as the night transitions

The last bullet point is a great one. Events happen over the course of a few hours and include various activities, i.e. wedding ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, dancing. Why not change the look and feel of your various event spaces for each activity? An easy way to do this is with a flip of a switch to change your lighting. For example, if you want a naturally lit ceremony before sundown, keep your lighting off. Move everyone to another area for cocktail hour while you re-create the ceremony space by turning on colored up lights, and ta-da! Your WOW factor has skyrocketed as the guests make their way back inside for the party. Lighting is an easy and cost-effective way to keep 'em stunned and talking with just the flip of a switch.

For help harnessing the design power of lighting, call the Butterflies! We will help you wow your guests and get the most for your money.

Happy planning! - Addie

Pink Palace!

Our final vignette is a tribute to the "princess" in all of us :)

We called it Pink Palace because we paired gold with pink and made it super feminine. From the dress made of flowers and fabric as our centerpiece to the elegant gold rimmed china and stemware-it was a table fit for royalty. Some of the details that added a unique touch were the easels displaying gold ornamental framed mirrors and the candle stands that anchored our vignette. Stay tuned for my next blog about the party tents and tips on using a tent for your next event!!

Until next time~ SB

Hollywood Chic!

Table # 4 from Meet Mahaffey was all about luxury and VIP treatment. From the white draped curtains dripping with crystals to the custom serpentine table and linen we used-no expense was spared!

We also used some lounge style club chairs for seating to give variety and add comfort.

The incredible floral arrangement that swept across the top of the S shaped table was contemporary and chic. Lots of blue led lights and lighting set the table scape off and made you feel like you were in a Hollywood night club.

We even added acrylic menus that were lit with little blue led lights for that over the top touch!

All white can be so many different things for an event and the lighting was key to turning this vignette into our vision of VIP in Hollywood-oh so chic!

Flutter back by for our last vignette-Pink Palace-later this week!

Creation Studios Slideshow of Meet Mahaffey

Donny Granger, Lead Photographer/Owner of Creation Studios, was gracious enough to do a highlight slideshow of the Meet Mahaffey Open House.  Enjoy!http://www.creationstudiosgallery.com/slideshow/mahaffy

Table #3- Art Deco Butterfly!

So y'all have now heard all about Meet Mahaffey and our various vignettes, the Scarlet Silhouette and the Shabby Chic ones. Of course, in true Butterfly fashion, we had to include our signature in the decor somewhere! Therefore, today I want to show y'all our vignette #3: Art Deco Butterfly!

We decided that orange and purple would stand out from the rest of our vignettes as a refreshing and contemporary twist. We wanted to incorporate branchy and floral elements to soften the look, and of course pave the way for the incorporation of butterflies. Check out the unique butterfly gobo light on the backdrop!

Anyone who knows us also knows how much we love details! Intricate and eye catching extras will get your guests talking and looking closer at your meticulous design. On a table setting you should always try to reinvent the purpose of each element on the table. Chairs can be a canvas for splashes of color such as chair pads, like the orange ones pictured.  Our butterflies resting on the chair backs look like they fluttered on by to keep diners company. A dramatic centerpiece and chandelier adds height and luxury to the look.  Check out the delicately strung purple orchid leis!

We got creative with the napkin folding around the menus and incorporated vibrant orange orchids to splash up the look. Luxurious clusters of candles will drape your guests in a warm glow and add movement to the scene. Personal bottles of wine are offered in copper buckets with accents of purple ribbon. The bottles rest on a bed of river rocks in the bucket to continue the natural theme. The linen is a bold art-deco print that ties together all the colors. Crisp white plates rest on orange chargers and purple napkins top it all off.

When it comes to table design, the sky's the limit! Get creative and get your guests talking- give us a call if you need help!

XO- Addie

Social Butterflies is awarded the 2009 Best of the Business for Party Planning by the SBCA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Social Butterflies Receives 2009 Best of Business Award

Small Business Commerce Association’s Award Honors the Achievement

SAN FRANCISCO, November 6, 2009, Social Butterflies has been selected for the 2009 Best of Business Award in the Party planning service category by the Small Business Commerce Association (SBCA)

The Small Business Commerce Association (SBCA) is pleased to announce that Social Butterflies has been selected for the 2009 Best of Business Award in the Party planning service category.

The SBCA 2009 Award Program recognizes the top 5% of small businesses throughout the country. Using statistical research and consumer feedback, the SBCA identifies companies that we believe have demonstrated what makes small businesses a vital part of the American economy. The selection committee chooses the award winners from nominees based off statistical research and also information taken from monthly surveys administered by the SBCA, a review of consumer rankings, and other consumer reports. Award winners are a valuable asset to their community and exemplify what makes small businesses great.

About Small Business Commerce Association (SBCA)

Small Business Commerce Association (SBCA) is a San Francisco based organization. The SBCA is a private sector entity that aims to provide tactical guidance with many day to day issues that small business owners face. In addition to our main goal of providing a central repository of small business operational advice; we use consumer feedback to identify companies that exemplify what makes small business a vital part of the American economy.

SOURCE: Small Business Commerce Association
CONTACT:
Small Business Commerce Association
Email: Press@SBCAAwards.org
URL: http://www.SBCAAwards.org

Shabby Chic-Lemon'!

Table #2 at the "Meet Mahaffey" Open House.... a touch of whimsy on the 22'high back drop of a fence lined with Cherry Blossom Trees.

Part of transforming the warehouse space was working with backdrops to completely hide the walls and ceiling (and lots of other stuff!). So, we created a vignette using a tent structure without the fabric to hang bird cages from in yellow and tiffany blue. Our linen was a tiffany crush-that has some gold shimmer to it and we used white chateau chairs with yellow chair pads and ruffled pillows in a contrasting shade of tiffany blue. Haute Horticulture did fabulous center pieces for each guest-yellow button mums to look like lemon pies-placed on antique white scalloped cake stands. The main center piece matched as well and was housed inside a vintage tea tin. Little ceramic birds and birds nests were scattered about the table and for our place cards and favors we had jars of lemon jam covered in vintage fabric with each guests name adorning the top of the jar. Cute!

Yellow scalloped edge napkins and custom menus were the final touches to the table. Our backdrop included lots of shabby windows with hanging testubes of flowers and some other bird cages on stands and a really awesome shabby chair that Jaime found on the street! The entire vignette was truly Shabby Chic!!

We are planning to re-create this table for a photo shoot at Botanic Gardens-with Lillies as our backdrop-can't wait!!

More tables to come-so keep fluttering by!

xoxo-michelle

How to set a Wedding Budget

So in my meetings with new clients, Michelle, my business partner, will always tell our clients that I am the "numbers person," meaning I jive all the numbers and help people stay within their budgets. As this is usually one of the first questions we have to ask because it will effect the overall event design, it is always best to discuss a budget with the parties that are paying before your first consultation with a wedding planner.  In today's world it is not unlikely to see the bride's parents, the groom's parents, or the bride and groom all pay for a wedding.


So what is a realistic budget for a wedding?  The national average cost of a wedding in the US in 2009 was $19,623 down from 2008 with a national average of $21,804.  With all the platnium wedding shows that are on Style Network and other cable stations, we tell brides it is best to shoot for $25,000 since their expectations are more than years past because they see all the fabulous event design from these over the top weddings!

So what does a $25,000 budget get you?  We like to listen to your ideas and then from there we work the budget categories based on what is most important to you.  You might want more flowers than gourmet food.  Are you might be a paper snob and want to do fabulous invitations.  Or you might be a foodie and want a four course dinner.  After we factor what is most important to you, then we discuss an estimated guest count.  We like to tell our clients to put a dollar figure over each guests head and decide whether or not you want to pay $100 for that person to attend your wedding.  Obviously the more guests you have the harder it is to stretch the $25,000 budget.

So what do we think are must haves in a budget that can make your wedding unique and different than a cookie cutter wedding?  Ligthing, speciality linens and themed food stations.  These are some of our more favorite things to do to make a wedding different.

Here is what the professionals from The Wedding Report tell us people are spending their hard earned dollars on for their weddings:

We always try to stay within set a budget, and if something is going to cause them to go over on their budget, then we always warn them that they are going over.  We also try to be very conscious about suggesting ideas that will cause someone to go over budget.  We don't like to present over the top ideas, if the budget will not allow for it.  We never want to give our clients who have set a strict budget false hopes.

Setting budgets are good to have and should be one of the first things you do when you get engaged (I know you want to get the dress first, but that can factor into what you will be able to do later with your budget - might have to get a dj instead of a band!).

Signing out...Jaime aka The Numbers Person