A Beautiful Green Destination Wedding

Now who wouldn't want to get married in the shadow of this masterpiece? Absolutely beautiful! This is The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise in Alberta, Canada. Now since I've shown you how beautiful the place is you'll be equally delighted to know how this huge company has placed such a great emphasis on being eco-friendly.

I was reading the November edition of Special Events Magazine and one of the featured articles was entitled "Green Plate Special", written about the Toronto-based Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. The article announced that, "This summer all 51 hotels in 12 countries will begin a brand-wide commitment to trying wherever possible to offer menus using sustainable, locally sourced, organic products as part of everyday foodservice operations."

Fairmont already has the award winning Green Partnership Guide that has helped pioneer the idea of sustainable hotel management:
The Green Partnership Guide focuses on key areas such as energy management, water conservation, and innovative community outreach programs, while also providing detailed insights on how to start, maintain and grow an environmental program, including case studies on reducing operating costs, keeping employees motivated and tracking cost savings.

I thought this was so impressive! When you see these types of practices from the hospitality and tourism industry, you know that this "green thing" is here to stay! How great is it to know that you can have your wedding at such a beautiful destination and you will not be causing harm to our environment! I think that would be considered a Green Destination Wedding!!

My Charlotte Christmas Party!

Well, I should've said my "pretend" Charlotte Christmas Party. Because let's face it I DON'T HAVE TIME!! I love entertaining and I would love to have a party, but I just can't find any room to squeeze it in. So, I thought, if I did have a party what would it look like? I came up with a nice clean red and silver party, modern but yet very traditional. I know everyone, well mostly everyone, would love to have a party professionally designed so your guests would be oh so impressed, but you can design something so simple and elegant that your guests will probably more impressed because you did it. Here is what my party would look like:

(Ornaments and Wreath from Z Gallerie, Favor Bags, Table setting and Fireplace Decor from Martha Stewart Living and Snowflake Napkin Ring from Social Couture)

If you're having Christmas Party design-block, pick up a Martha Stewart magazine or go to the mall and look at how some of the stores are decorated. This should help inspire you! Happy Holidays!!

Pantone Spring 2008 Fashion Report - Let Fashion Help You Pick Your Wedding Colors

Have you ever thought about looking in a fashion magazine for your wedding inspiration??? Well, if you haven't you should. Fashion magazines show you what is trendy and what will be "in" for colors as well as design. Fashion mags help you to see what the new trends are in clothing as well as event design.

So, I thought I would give you a preview on what the hot colors will be in Spring 2008. This fashion color report is directly from the color experts Pantone. They have unveiled the top 10 colors for Spring 2008. “The spring ‘08 color palette perfectly reflects the cheerfulness of the season,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. If you're getting married next spring this should help you with your color selections if you have not already made them.

Here is the list of beautiful colors:

1. Snorkel Blue
   
2. Freesia
   
3. Rococco Red
   
4. Spring Crocus
   
5. Daiquiri Green (pictured below)
   
6. Pink Mist
   
7. Cantaloupe ( pictured above)
   
8. Silver Gray
9. Croissant
10. Golden Olive
    

Please download the report so you can actually see the colors for yourself. If I were getting married next year I would be selecting Croissant and Cantaloupe with Freesia as my accent color. Gorgeous colors, go take a look.

Vacation is Officially Over!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I surely did. It was a busy one but a wonderful one. We went to Florida (our home state) for nine days and now we're back. It was great to spend time with my family, especially since we do not see them very often. As you can see we couldn't go all the way to beautiful South Florida without going to the beach! It was great and relaxing, but now I'm back meeting with clients and vendors in preparation for the 2008 wedding season. Busy, busy, busy! I still have some great stuff to share with you this week, so check back soon!

Me and hubby

Yay!! It's Friday!

It's Friday! Finally! This has been the longest, busiest week I've had in a couple of months. Tomorrow I leave to go on vacation to Florida, my home state! I'll still do some blogging while I'm away, but I wanted to post this before I started my running for the day.

My girl Terrica over at The Wedding Planners' Blog has a new category on her blog called New Rules. Every Friday she lists a new set of Wedding Rules that some people may be thinking but may not feel comfortable saying. It is HILARIOUS and so very true. She is so right on so many points. Thanks Terrica for speaking the truth! :) Please check it out and start your Friday off right with some laughter. The weekend is almost here!!! Yay!

Would You Step Out of the "Diamond Ring Box"?

I used to work with a girl who wore a yellow diamond engagement ring, it was absolutely gorgeous. I was always so intrigued by it, because it wasn't the standard "bling" that everyone else had. I was looking around and found some beautiful engagement rings without a diamond solitaire. I applaud those who step out of the "diamond box" and decide to wear a ring that reflects their own personal style. Here are a few that caught my eye. I would love to wear any of these. What do you think?


Rings: (top to bottom)
Pink Sapphire with Diamonds in White Gold
Natural Amethyst in White Gold
Princess Cut Aquamarine in Platinum
Sapphire with Diamonds in White Gold

A Little Christmas Inspiration

I'm working with my great friend Carolyn, who is an amazing event decorator, on an event design for a private Christmas party next month and what better place to go and get inspired than the Charlotte's Southern Christmas Show. Well, personally, it's a little early for Christmas for me. When I was shopping for our Halloween party they had Christmas stuff out already, which is REALLY to early for me. But anyway, we had an enjoyable afternoon looking at the decor and taking photos of little elements that we may want to add to the decor of this event. Christmas, this year is definitely more than red and green. There are so many beautiful rich hues that you can use that still give off that holiday feel. Hmm, this is giving me an idea, maybe I'll start posting some lovely design ideas for holiday parties, hopefully to inspire you guys to invite some folks over and celebrate the real meaning of Christmas. But anyway, let's get to Thanksgiving first! :)

Cute Alternative to Votive Candles

They look like mini-lamps to me! I stumbled upon these cuties on Wishingfish.com and I love them. What a great alternative to the simple votive candles. This a great way to add style to your basic table. Who new a wine glass and a tea light could be so cute!

Hot New Photographer in Charlotte!

At least I think so! :) This afternoon I had the pleasure to have coffee with one of Charlotte's newest and hottest photographers, Cheyenne Schultz! I am a total photography snob, so when I saw her blog and realized she was in Charlotte, I had to meet her because I was in love with her photos. So, over a Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks, we sat and chatted about everything under the sun. Starting with her recent wedding this summer, her love of photography and then about working in the Charlotte area. So, if you're in the market for a wedding photographer in the Charlotte area, go check out her blog and leave her some love. You won't be disappointed!

NACE Crystal Ball

The Charlotte Chapter of National Association of Catering Executives (NACE) will be having it's annual fundraiser entitled the Crystal Ball, to benefit the Alexander Youth Network. This is such a wonderful organization that helps so many of our local area youth who deal with serious emotional problems, due to abuse and neglect. This wonderful event will be held on Friday November 16th at the Embassy Suites Charlotte. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you about our wonderful theme: Moulin Rouge: An Evening of Spectacular Splendor! Fabulous!

If you are in the Charlotte area and would like to enjoy a wonderful evening full of beautiful decor and of course delicious food, please contact me at info@sjbweddingsandevents.com, for ticket information. Also, I can't forget our silent auction, if you'd like to donate an item for this wonderful cause please contact me. We want to raise a lot of money for this worthy organization, please help us!

Dream Wedding Money Saving Tips

Congrats you just got engaged and you may be terrified by what your dream wedding may possibly cost. Well, it is possible to have your dream wedding without going over your budget. So, if you are not lucky enough to have a money-tree in your backyard the following info may help.

1. Your Wedding, Your Guest List! This one is a tough one. Your families are so excited they want to invite all of their co-workers, their long lost cousins and of course you can't forget the people that invited them to their kid's weddings. You must take control of this guest list, it's your wedding. You may have to tread lightly without hurting mom's feelings, but if you're paying for this bash you should get the final say on the guest list and count. With every person you invite to the reception you have to look at it as a total package of expenses. You will be providing a meal for them, you may to rent the chair their sitting in, the linen that's dressing the table and the centerpiece. Each guest is worth hundreds of dollars in some cases. So if you're looking to save money, start here first.
   
2. Your Wedding Party. I know these girls have been your friends since kindergarten or since the first day of college, but if you're trying to stick to a particular budget you may want to consider making your wedding party a teeny bit smaller. Just like your guests, your wedding party is also worth hundreds of dollars in some cases. Remember for every person in your party, you will be providing meals (rehearsal dinner, breakfast for the day of the ceremony and reception meal) , flowers, gifts and transportation. Now let me be clear if you must have a 10 bridesmaids because it just won't be a special day without them, that's fine, but you have to remember that every attendant has an expense attached to them. So think about this while setting your budget. With the money you're spending on your huge wedding party you could possibly use it toward something else. Just a thought!
   
3. Your Cake. I love cake! That is actually one of my favorite parts of the reception! I've seen some gorgeous ones that look just as great as they have tasted. But if you've been perusing through the Martha Stewart Weddings Mag and other bridal mags looking at cakes you must understand that cakes are not cheap. Cake designing takes talent and takes time, which equates to $$$. I know here in Charlotte, wedding cakes start from $2.50 per serving and that's not your Martha Stewart Cake with all of the intricate details. So, here is my suggestion, when meeting with the cake designer really think about how many of your guests are actually going to stay until the cake is cut. Normally the cake is cut at the very end of the night, unless it's being served as the dessert course of your sit-down dinner. So, think about it, is Aunt Sue going to stay until the cake is cut? Two of the weddings I did the summer had so much cake left over, at least enough to serve 50 people. So think about that, at $2.50 a serving the couple really could've saved at least $125!
   
4. Wedding Favors and Programs. Both are great ideas and they give a very nice touch, but if you're looking to save money somewhere you can definitely save a couple of hundred here easily. Remember, any item you give your guests needs to be useful or edible or guess what it's going in the trash!
   

Remember it's your wedding, your money, do it your way!