Make a Statement - Bedazzle My Bonbons!

One of our favorite vendors and party favors are bedazzled chocolate bonbons created by Sasha Vincent, Creator and President, of Bedazzle My Bonbons!  Her patented formula for glittering bonbons is a party favor you don't want to miss!  She has lots of color options (see photo below) and six flavors to chose from.  The flavor options are:  Original Chocolate, Extra-Dark Chocolate, Raspberry, Hazelnut, Peanut Butter, and Mint!

Here are some of our favorite events we used Bedazzle My Bonbons!  Go to her website:  http://www.bedazzlemybonbons.com/ and see the amazing displays she has done with her bonbons!

Photo Credits:  Annabelle Charles Photography

Butt Sketch!

Every year when we go to The Special Event Show, we look forward to going to Krandall's Butt Sketch booth! What a unique and fun favor to give your guests at any event! They have been doing this for over 25 years and are still going strong. Their booth had a line every time we walked by. Look forward to showcasing our Butt Sketch at our 5th Anniversary party! Thanks Krandall!!

Tutu Cute!

So, one of the other DIY projects I have been working on for Jules' upcoming party- are tutu's! Every pixie needs a tutu right?!! I have quite a few girls so purchasing quality/cute tutu's would have been pricey unless I went the dollar store route- and those are not quite up to my standards ;) With the help of YouTube- I found a great Tutorial on how to make them. They are turning out adorable and I think the girls will love flying around in them at the party.

Here is the link to learn how to make one yourself! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTXo6uv9HxA 

TIP- you can purchase tulle ribbon in bulk which makes it a lot easier to work with. I'm not sure if anyone can purchase from this company but http://www.nashvillewraps.com/  is where I bought mine.

"All you need is a little faith, trust, and a little pixie dust!!" good luck!

xoxo
michelle

Let the 3rd Birthday Party Planning Begin!

My sweet little Jules is turning 3 and of course we are planning a fabulous party to celebrate it! This year she is old enough to tell me what she wants so we agreed upon "Tinkerbell- Pixies and Pirates".  First things first- let the invitation hunt begin! It's very hard to find a character invite that is not a huge image of the character flat printed on a card. I agreed to Tinkerbell but DID NOT WANT THAT KIND OF PARTY. Not that there is anything wrong with it but I'm all about the details and creativity so I'm not looking for a party in a box situtaion. So here I am again designing something myself.  The past two parties I have drawn the artwork and had a friend spruce them up on on the computer for me. I spent way too many hours glittering or hand cutting them in the past so I wanted to go more simple this time.  My good friend Claire (who used to own her own stationery company) helped me and we created some "Fairy" cute invites that Jules loves and so do I.

With a little time, some creativity, and good friends anything is possible! I found lime green glitter paper at our local Hobby Lobby and used it as the backing for the card. The next layer (used for printing the text)was made out of lilac shimmer cardstock (bought at Expedex). We used a Disney font on her name in keeping with the Tinkerbell theme.  The actual "Tinkerbell" part of the invites was the hardest part of the process! I found dimensional stickers (because you can't copy tinkerbell and reprint it since she is copyrighted to use on each invite. I had to go all over the city to Michael's, Hobby Lobby, and even Target to get enough of them. For some added detail we used a Martha Stewart Corner Punch "Cherish" on the corners of the lime green glitter paper.  All the layers were glued together by glue dots. They were sealed inside pink shimmer envelopes and mailed to all the little pixie's and pirates.

Super easy, way better than a generic printed card, and affordable- not to mention my little Pixie loves them!  Definitely recommend a good DIY project from time to time.  Stay tuned for more party planning and details!

xoxo
Michelle

PS:  My friend and graphic designer Heather (who actually did our Social Butteflies website) came to the rescue when Claire's computer died with our artwork on it (moments before we were going to print them!) She laid out the invite and I had them printed and cut at Office Max. Phew!!! Nothing's ever that easy- right!??  Thanks Heather!!



Technology Inspiring New Ways of Communicating Design Ideas

As I was working on an award submission and it asked me how I achieved my goals of producing an amazing event, I realized that communicating ideas to our brides and they in turn provide us with ideas has become a lot easier and more on target than in the past.  I can think back to when there were no cell phones (I know that is admitting I'm old!) and how hard it must have been to give clients a vision without drawing something out or tearing out thousands of magazine pictures (I know we all still do this!), but with smartphones, the internet, Pinterest, Facebook, Google, etc. the possiblities of showing clients and clients showing the professionals what they like and want has become amazingly easy.

I have absolutely, and most of you all have too, fallen in love with Pinterest.  I find myself sitting on the couch spending more time looking at the wonderful pins than the TV show I'm suppose to be watching.  Do the TV executives know that we are looking at our iPads or iPhones instead of the commercials advertisers spend tons of money on!

If you haven't become a follower of Pinterest and you are looking to get married in the near future, it is a great tool to use to help your planner know the ideas you like and love.  You can even search for specific ideas and there will be numerous boards with those ideas.

I find myself looking for the next cute saying or sign on Pinterest.  I'm amazed at so many awesome ideas for storage, organization, dinner ideas, desserts, kid games, etc.  I think my favorite category is Women's Apparel and Hair.  Love all the clothes combinations they give you.  For those of you who lack style - take your iPhone and take a picture of the clothing combo and shop around till you find all that the combo suggests.  Wala! 

Martha Stewart is an icon and visionary, and we have looked to her for so many cool ideas and inspirations...one can only imagine that the person behind Pinterest was an avid follower of Martha!  Facebook was smart to join up with Pinterest because it is the next generation of social media!

  

Tracy & Casey's wedding (inspired by Disney)

Let the Magic Begin!

Theme:

Our wonderful clients, Casey and Tracy Dugan came to us with a unique theme in mind for their October 7, 2011 wedding- Disney World! However, not a bold colored theme- park concept-more of an underlying hint of the softer, magical and romantic side of Disney World. The couple was actually engaged at Cinderella’s castle on a family Disney trip! From the start we knew Tracy wanted everything to work together but not in a matching kind of way. No mono-chromatic color scheme here! “I didn’t want people to feel like they are at a wedding, but a place with friends having a good time. Vintage, romance, Disney and family were the themes I wanted tied together,” says Tracy. So we began designing the event in a setting of blush pink, ivory, champagne and pops of peacock blue and marigold.

Ceremony:

The evening began at Hillwood in Davies Plantation, in front of the old Manor house. Guests were greeted by a valet service and then handed custom programs that housed hand-made ribbon wands (made by the bride and her mother) with instructions for them to “wave at the kiss.” The ceremony décor was very natural and included lots of textured plants such as cotton and hay- along with flowers. No two arrangements or bouquets were alike. The Bride’s grand entrance was made to the tune of “When You Wish Upon a Star,” by a White Horse drawn Carriage- one more detail that added perfectly to our theme. And to top it off- it was a total surprise for the groom!

Reception:

Following the ceremony, vintage signs pointed guests towards the cocktail party. Half way there, they were greeted with a signature drink called “Pirates of the Caribbean” complete with sword-skewered fruit. Inspired by the Disney park maps, guests were also handed personal maps (created by Natalie Chang Designs) showcasing the layout and food options at the cocktail party and reception. The Alice in Wonderland inspired “Mad Hatter Cocktail Party” was the perfect beginning to this fun reception. Guests enjoyed the games in the whimsical lit area or could relax on the porch in a setting made of vintage benches and sign the guest book quilt (also created by the Bride and her mother). Long tables dressed in burlap linens with hand-made vintage fabric runners (made by the mother of the bride) were used to make the reception more family-style. Romantic flowers, cotton, succulents, moss displayed in milk glasses, garden boxes, silver vases and other vintage inspired containers were used as centerpieces all designed by Haute Horticulture. Giant fabric rosettes used as chair backs flanked the ends of each setting.

Enhanced lighting set the ambiance for the venue and a special gobo light of the wedding monogram lit the dance floor. That monogram was also used on the game boards for cocktail hour, napkins, invitations, and photo sleeves guest took home with their picture from the event.

Food:

As for food- one of the most important factors in a reception- we opted for stations and each was named after Disney Restaurants or places that were special to the bride’s family. “The Laughing Place Saloon” was scripted on a large vintage mirror along with the bar menu and displayed behind the iron and dark wood bar. Such a fun detail that was custom for this event and the bride could actually use it again in her home after the event since she purchased it with this in mind. The catering was done by Ziparo’s and featured the following stations:

“Mama Melrose”- an interactive pasta station,

“Pecos Bill’s Tall Tale Inn”- a gourmet filet mignon and chicken slider station,

“Tamu Tamu Refreshments”- various fruits and gourmet cheeses and

“Boulangerie Patisserie”- the dessert station included the wedding and grooms cakes by “Oh My Ganache Bakery” and an array of cake balls made by the bride’s friend Gretchen Tayloe. The grooms cake was a replica of the couple riding their favorite roller coaster ride in Magic Kingdom- “Big Thunder Mountain.”

Closing:

At the end of this magical evening as guests got their cars from the valet, a final parting gift was left in their front seat – a small pumpkin with a poem written by the bride that read: "As the clock strikes twelve and the magic ends, Cinderella’s carriage becomes a pumpkin again. What a magical time and it’s all because of you. With love from the Dugans…Bibbiddi Bobbiddi Boo"

What a note to end on! With a wedding full of this many special details- no guest will soon forget how magical the evening truly was. We hope this wedding story inspires you to add special touches to your day and plan it full of memorable details!

Happy Planning!

-The Butterflies

We would like to thank our vendors who helped us to bring the Magic to life!

Wedding gown – Blu by Mori Lee from Ballew Bridal
Bridesmaids dresses– Alfred Sung

Groom/Groomsmen/Ushers/Father of the Bride – suits by Joseph A Banks

Cake Balls – Gretchen Tayloe of Dulcitas Gourmet Treats

Bride hair – Myn Le from Juve Salon (wedding) and Amy Hicks from Capelli’s
Bride and Bridesmaids makeup – Kendrick Simpson from Juve Salon

Ceremony/ reception- Hillwood at Davies Manor, Bartlett TN

Band- Almost Famous

Caterer- Ziparos

Invitations/Paper & signage- Natalie Chang Designs

Photography& Videography- Creation Studios

Cakes- Oh My Ganache Bakery

Rentals- Classic Party Rentals, Mahaffey Tent & Party Rentals, Mosaic Party Linens

Floral design- Haute Horticulture

MAKING A STATEMENT WITH CUSTOM DETAILS

Wedding Planners are more than coordinators, they are visionaries who are able to take your ideas and style and make your event uniquely yours.  How do they do this – they customize it with details! 

First off let’s dispel the notion that your budget doesn’t allow for a wedding planner to customize your event.  Any number of social magazines will tell you that one of the first steps in planning a successful event is to set a budget, but for some reason, most people assume a planner is not included in the budget.  Why is that?  Because they aren’t a necessity like a caterer, entertainment, rentals, etc.?  Is it the fear that the money you could have spent getting the band you wanted is now going to the planner and you have to settle for a dj? 

For those of you who are stressing over the work load of planning an event, a planner is most assuredly in the budget and you shouldn’t have to forfeit your desired vendors!  A good event planner will account for their fees in planning your budget.  In order for this to work though, it is best to let your planner know those services that are most important to you so that they can plan the budget around those vendors.   They will also be able to take the budgeted services and give you vendors that not only fit your personality but your budget too.

Another great perspective on hiring a planner is that they know the local vendors and national vendors’ inventory and should know who has the best price for the items in your budget!  Why rent linens from a NY company and pay shipping if a local rental company is willing to purchase the same linen and add it to their inventory, and thereby saving you a shipping fee!

Most importantly, a wedding planner will be a good negotiator and hopefully negotiate better prices for you because of their previous relationships with the vendors; so much so that it might eventually pay for the planner via discounts and allow you to afford the details that will set your event apart from the others!

So now you can stop stressing about your party and budget and focus on the custom details that make your event all YOU and the talk of the town!  Here is a list of details that you can use to customize your wedding and make them unique to your event:

Courtesy of Ramblin Rose Photography

      Custom Invitations - This is the first thing your guests receive so why not start here with customizing your event!

      Decor - WOW them with custom lighting, specialty linens, chairs, furniture or props – and   if you can’t have all of it, at least do lighting – lighting can transform a room unlike any other linen or chair!

2    Alcohol – Everybody loves a signature drink, but why not go further than that and do a “cocktail pairing” with the food.  For instance, if you are thinking of doing a sushi station – add a sake drink to the station. 

4    Favors – Sometimes these can be seen as a waste of money.  However, if you make it a memorable gift, it will remind your guests of all the fun they had at your event.  For example, at the end of the night if you are using a valet company, leave them a nice gift in the seat of their car so it is one more surprise for them as they leave!

5     Entertainment – How can you make entertainment a custom detail?  Are you an Elvis lover?  Why not give your guests the famous gold sunglasses while the band/dj is playing one of his songs and during the song have the caterer do a late night snack with a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich triangle with Pepsi shots (hint another catering detail)!

      Signage – Gives that personal touch to a bar, a bus sign, the menu cards, party favors, etc.

Details can make all the difference in an unforgettable event and an even that is “just nice.”  So think outside of the box or hire an event planner who can help you decide which details you need to do to make the most impact. A successful event is one that leaves a lasting impression on your guests and has them talking about it years after it is over!   

New Twist to Birthday Entertainment

Determining a theme or style of an adult birthday party is the easy part, but figuring out what to do entertainment wise that is unique and different is another story.  Such was the case for Tim's 50th Birthday Bash given by his wife Shari.   Shari had the theme colors she wanted - black and copper - check!  We decided to go with an outdoor themed event around her pool - check!  Why not do all black leather furniture for the guests instead of tables - check!  But what are we going to do for entertainment?  The ideas that were tossed around were the following: band - no, too cliche'; casino (great idea, but Tim didn't want one); no crazy girls popping out of cakes (to risque!); why not make the local celebrity Chef Wally Joe the entertainment!  Tim loves his food and what better way to represent Tim's birthday than to have his favorite chef not only caterer the food for the event but also provide his guests with a culinary expericence. BIG CHECK!  It was decided to make Chef Wally Joe the entertainment by having him give an interactive presentation of the food that was to be served.   Each course that came out would be described and then passed amongst the guests. 

The menu included:  Roasted Baby Beets, Frisee, Spiced Wlanuts, Goat Cheese & Black Garlic Vinaigrette (on Forks); Berber Spiced Tomato "Tartar" on Chickpea Panisse with Baby Arugula & Cilantro Yogurt; Scallop Ceviche with Heirloom Tomato Taboleh (in Chinese Spoon); Butter Pached Lobster, Vanilla Lobster Roe Vinaigrette & Avocado Custard (Served in Egg with Demitasse Spoon); Duck Pistachio Terrine, Pickld White Cherries & Candied Fennel on Grilled Sourdoug Bread; Potatoe Croquant stuffed with Oxtail, Bone Marrow & Cantal Cheese (served in Potato "tube"); Seared Mishima Beef with Aro Dolce Wild Mushrooms on Farro Flatbread; Thyme Roasted Colorado Lamb, Wrapped Red Mustard Sprouts, Peppers, Olives & Benton Bacon-Anchovy Dressing (Bamboo skewered through middle); last but not least the ACTION STATION:  Cherries Jubilee - Kirchwasser, Cherries, Oranges, Vanilla Ice Cream & Vanilla Financier Cake!  Tim didn't want a traditional cake and since this was a culinary entertainment event - why not give him a flaming dessert instead!

 The night was a success on all accounts - Shari who loves decor got her black leather furniture and flowers and Tim got an awesome dinner with a twist - an interactive culinary delight!

Would like to thank the following vendors for helping us to throw a very special 50th Birthday for Tim!

Flowers:  Haute Horticulture
Furniture: Mahaffey Tents & Party Rentals
Tent/Draping:  Classic Party Rentals
Caterer:  Acre/Chef Wally Joe

NACE National Conference Awards Ceremony

Most companies want to be recognized for their excellence in their industry and prove it by winning an award.  The same holds true for wedding planners and event designers.  When you have worked for a year on an event and have pour thousands of hours into the planning and designing of it, you want it to be recognized as a great event not only by the guests and clients that attended the event, but by your peers too. 

Thus was the case for Laura Romanow Trawick's wedding on April 10, 2010.  Many of you have seen her wedding pictures posted all over our website, Say Yes Magazine and Facebook page and we even tried to use it to win $10,000 from Classic Party Rentals as one of the best events for 2010.  Of course if you were voting for us you would know we placed 2nd in that contest and that was a successful win in our book, especially since we were competing against a California hospital.  However, this wasn't a "panel of your peers" voting for you, but your friends and family, who love you and want to see you win.  So to submit the same wedding to the National Association of Catering Executives (an association of over 5,000 members) for an award judged by your peers and to win is like climbing Mount Everest and shouting form the top "I DID IT!"

Thanks to the following vendors who without them we wouldn't be able to produce award worthy events!

Rentals:  Classic Party Rentals - Memphis, Mahaffey Tents & Party Rentals

Florist:  L & Jay Production

Venue:  Brooks Museum of Art, Brushmark Restaurant

Photographer/Videographer:  Creations Studio

Lighting:  Moonshine Lighting

Come One Come All- to Juliana's 2nd Birthday Carnival!!

 



Well this is LONG overdue to say the least!!! :) My sweet baby girl turned 2 this February and I threw her a fun Birthday Carnival to celebrate with family and friends! And I'm just now recovering 4 months later to write about it-ha! Just kidding- it was really easy this year thanks to a great team of friends/vendors!

This year, I did not spend the many hours working on details that I did for her first birthday. Mainly because I did not have the time! We had a huge wedding the end of January that consumed me so thankfully this theme didn't require as much of me ;) I did design the invitation with the help of my good friend Natalie Chang.                                 

 I always enjoy sketching out Jules' party invite because it gives me inspiration and gets me all excited about the details immediately! So, Natalie takes my sketch and makes it into something way more fabulous than I could ever imagine! The invites shimmered with pixie dust (clear glitter) and had orange and white striped envelope liners with the return address as a "ticket" stamp. It's the little things right ;)

The most amazing thing about her party this year was my good friends Kristin and Joe of Zipario's Catering, did the food!!!!! Having your party catered is really the best gift you can give yourself and your guests ha! It takes the stress level down about a million notches for me- and then I get to focus on the details and making things cute! Zipario's did an incredible job and my friends and family have not stopped talking about how delicious and abundant the food was ;) Your mouth is going to water when you see the pics!

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The party was held at our new home in Germantown. We moved about a year ago so I wanted this to be our first big shin-dig at our new house. However- our house is not a Big Top tent- so my dear friends at Mahaffey Tent & Rental Company "pitched" in to create just what we needed! Our back patio became a Carnival tent with games,food, and a balloon artist and our sun porch and living room housed the photo booth/desserts/face painting/ and favors. We even played carnival tunes of course.

Let me take you from start to finish so we can cover all the details :) Large Polk a dot Balloons tied to our mailbox signaled guests to our house. As they approached our front porch- there was hot pink and orange fabric swagged curtain style over the doorway and a floral Clown on the door. Haute Horticulture (my florist!) did the flowers and never ceases to amaze me! I know Karin thought I was crazy when I asked for a Clown's face made of flowers but as you can see- she is good at that kind of stuff! She also did some popcorn boxes of yellow carnations that we tied HUGE balloons to so they looked like Hot Air Balloons!                  

Inside, the favors lined my dining room table. 9' of large Polk a dot balloons attached to clear take out boxes of animal crackers. Labels reading "Thanks for Clowning Around at Juliana's Birthday Carnival!" adorned each one.                          

In the living room- a red and white striped photo back drop was set up with props such as clown wigs/noses/glasses/boas/fairy wings ect. for everyone to enjoy. This was also part of my plan for thank you notes- I sent guests the pics they took with a thank you note after the party.

The Popcorn Stations were also set up in this room- popcorn chicken and actual popcorn in multiple flavors. Above my fireplace hung a large painting that was a replica of her invitation. Thanks to my good friend Claire ;) She whipped it out in no time so my mantle would match the party!! I LOVE that I'm so blessed with such creative and talented friends!!   

Onto the Sun Porch.... desserts and sweets galore!! Pink Cotton Candy, "hot dog" cannolis, cupcakes, and a smash cake for Jules. I had a lot of fun with the cupcakes and did mini ice cream cones, pop corn buckets, and cherry limeade's- they were delish!! I made special cupcake collars for all of them and used striped liners to keep with the theme.The smash cake was a really large cupcake that looked like a "big top" tent. Each child got a "Big Top" sippie cup with their name on it to drink out of at the party and take home later.

The face painting station and Pasta Bar were also in this room. I used a lot of paper decor which made it bright and fun! Streamers everywhere... and also artwork all over my windows and bathroommirrors just for fun!                                                         

Outside, under our "Big Top" was where all the action was. The balloon artist was a big hit with the kids and created everything their hearts desired! I did a few other games that were more for two year-olds and not really competitive. I had a "Treasure Hunt"- which was simply a sand box w/ buried treasures; the "Hungry Elephant" game- kids fed the elephant peanuts through his trunk for a prize; and last, the "Bean Bag Toss"- a Huge Clown that you tossed bean bags into his mouth for a prize.
It was perfect- just enough and very simple so the kids could just play.    

The food outside was amazing!! From the slider station to the grilled corn- everyone felt and ate like they were at a real carnival.

I did have a drink station in my kitchen which worked nicely (Lemonade/Sweet Tea/Cokes) with fun cups and straws for the adults.

We didn't open any gifts at the party because the kids were having so much fun with all the entertainment that I didn't want to make them stop! After all, the only one that enjoys that is the Birthday Girl and she was busy the entire time!

All of the event was captured by my good friend and super talented photographer- Donny Granger. THANK GOD!!! I think I took two pictures of my own (which even when I know I have a photographer I always take my own pics too!). He's awesome and you should totally have him take pics for you so you can enjoy yourself like I did! I'm so grateful for the amazing vendors I call friends- they helped make such sweet memories for my family and little girl... and hopefully for all the guests that came too!!

Keep your eyes open for an article on Juliana's party this summer in Tennessee At Home, Magazine!

And give us a call if we can help you plan a special party for your little ones! We would love to!

xoxo-Michelle