Outdoor Ceremony Must: Beverage Station!

Holy heat wave!...  So thankful that is over with (for now). Those high 90's and low 100s' temperatures made us thirsty, so we put together a few options to keep you hydrated, and your guests hydrated as well during the high temps in the summer months.

Having an outdoor ceremony? Make sure not to leave your guests parched. Provide a beverage station complete with beverage dispensers of iced tea, mint infused lemonade, bottles of Pellegrino, or a tub filled with chilled bottles of water. Wanna go the extra mile? Try things like cucumber mint water, watermelon mint water, or even lemon basil water. Just make sure to let the fruits and herbs soak for 6-8 hours before the ceremony to let the water take in all of the robust flavors. Wa la... a refreshing beverage for your guests and no one will pass out ( just make sure the bridal party does not lock their knees!).

Want to keep the lines down during cocktail hour? Try this take on "Something Old, New, Borrowed, and Blue" for a self-serve beverage station taken from our couple Kara + Marc. Something Old: Mojito, Something New: Lychi Martini, Something Borrowed: Grandmothers' secret Sangria recipe, and Something Blue: Blue Margarita. Beats guests having to wait in those long bar lines during cocktail hour if you ask me!

Make sure to have signage letting guests know that they can serve themselves. Want to personalize it just a bit? Try personalized cocktail napkins, mason jars, and maybe some paper straws. Don't forget to leave a trash can for recyclable water bottles, paper cups, and napkins... and inconspiculously if you ask me.

devon + ethan | 5.07.11

Devon and Ethan were such a great couple to work with over the course of their planning! I had known Ethan through a friend of a friend, who had a friend from around ten years ago... you know the story! So, we were thrilled when Ethan introduced us to his bride-to-be and said they needed a little extra help having things come together.  They held their ceremony at the Golden Sands Club in Ocean City Maryland the weekend of May 7th, and had a theme of black and white damask print with touches of hot pink in their bouquets, floral centerpieces, and even in the bridesmaids shoes! To bring in touches of the beach into the reception, Devon wanted to incorporate fuchsia orchids and river rocks with some floating candles into centerpieces.

It was such a beautiful weekend, and Liza and I spent most of our first evening in our hotel room stripping roses and making bouquets. The morning however... wow, we had the most spectactular view of the sunrise over the ocean and then it was off to get some DD to keep our day going strong, as we had a 9:30am start time. We really heart long days that start with extremely beautiful visuals! Devon and Ethans ceremony was  in the sand on the clubs grounds, but as the sun started to set behind the condos, so did the temperature, so the cocktail hour was quickly moved up and into the reception space. The team at the Golden Sands did a great job of getting set up very quickly and getting the party started. We had the pleasure of working with Teri Pozniak of tPoz Photography, and she was a blast all day and evening! She kept it light and fun and was able to catch some great shots of Devon and Ethan that you can check out here:

turning the "Dirty" Thirty!

August twenty-second is fastly approaching which means that I will be turning thirty in just two months. Oddly, I am embracing it with open arms and honestly, turning twenty-nine was really the bummer. I mean honestly... twenty nine? What fun is in twenty-nine? I would rather go around and tell everyone that I am already thirty (and to some I have... sorry!). My twenties were filled with great times, awesome friendships, and some stories that I would rather just forget (yes, there are quite a few of those!). I am really just ready to embrace thirty with huge open arms... giving up the bar scene and hangovers and now enjoying sushi and wine dinners and front porch happy hours with friends. I am so happy with where I am at in life and really just enjoying the past two years with LovelyGirls grow. Yes, my twenties came with some regrets, but I consider them hiccups and learning curves... But I am also embracing the LOVE that I shared during those times!

katie + chris | 4.9.11

I was so thrilled when a previous little league teammate of mine, Katie, reached out to me to help plan her wedding last summer. Katie and her fiance, Chris, had been winners of the 2010 Christiana Hilton Free Wedding Giveaway where they won a variety of services by some of Delawares talented local vendors! We were a little late to the punch, but we were so excited for the opportunity that Katie and Chris were extending to us, and the new vendor relationships that we would be forging! Katie and Chris held their ceremony at the St. Margaret of Scotland RC Church, with the reception following in the Christiana Ballroom at the Christiana Hilton, and after party in the Hunt Club! I could not imagine any other way to kick off our 2011 wedding season. Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Yandell!

Parson Desk Redo: Take Two!

Where do I begin? I heart it! So, it has taken me about three weeks, four coats of ultra white Behr paint, touch up paint because I was impatient, two coats of a polyacrylic (?) for protection because I was impatient, some new hardware, and a can of gold spray paint for the hardware... but its now complete! If you are just joining us and you have no idea what I am talking about... I just recently inherited "my new PARSONS desk!", and it was going to need a complete redo. And yes, I do consider paying $25.00 for this desk the same as inheriting. It was basically a steal! Check out some images below of it placed in my home:

DIY: Tissue Paper Lantern

Martha Stewart does it again... First the tissue hanging pom fad (which we love), and now this amazing Tissue Paper Petal Lantern that closely resembles a peony flower just before bloom! And if that was not enough, these masterpeices only take about thirty minutes each. If you have not picked up your Martha Stewart Living Spring June '11 Issue, then do not worry, we have the complete how-to here :

Tools and Materials:    Double Sided Tape

5" Tissue Paper Circles in Pastel + Primary, $6 for 480, hyglossproducts.com

Wire-frame Spherical Paper Lantern, $3.25 to $4.25 for 14-18", pearlriver.com

Martha Stewart even offered up the ideas of creating an ombre pattern (gradations of the same color), or even using round green tissue paper at the top for the illusion of berries! We honestly cannot wait for the opportunity to use these at our next event... whether it is a shower, wedding, or 30th Birthday Party (hint hint - that's right, mine is coming up soon!)

my new PARSONS desk!

Okay, so in my continued effort to move away from working out of my dining room and into my currently "under renovation" office, I just purchashed my favorite piece of furniture that I came upon on a whim! The Parsons Desk.... a "versatile 1930s icon - crisp, clean, and modern." Ta da...

I know, I know... in all of her glory, she just isnt much to look at yet, but believe me she will be! For $25.00 I am pretty happy with my find... especially compared with the $199 and up prices that I see at West Elm and World Market. Even cooler, the front drawer slides out so that I can hide my laptop when it is not in use, and store paper on one side, and miscellaneous items on the other. I will be refinishing her in a nice white gloss coat of paint after I sand her finish off. I havent decided if I should change out the hardware to a tassle knob (or other modern piece) or should I just fill in the holes with wood filler and just have no knobs like all of the pictures below. Thoughts? Check out my inspiration on other parsons desks around the web:

Come back in a week to check on her progress... I'm gonna name her Parson! - NB

nicole brennan  .  302.545.0412  . nicole@lovelygirlsevents.com  .  wilmington