The Little Details Make the Difference!

Let’s face it: planning a wedding can be a lot of work, and it can be easy to lose sight of the finer details in exchange for a big-picture mindset.  While it is absolutely important to know what you want the end result to look like as a whole, at Creative Concepts by Lisa, we think it is equally as important to pay attention to the little details that will pull it all together.  Today, we are highlighting three major details that often get only a little attention, and ways you can highlight them at your event.

Favors – Favors are often a last minute thought, typically because couples wait to see what money is left in their budget before deciding on a gift for their guests.  It is important to spend time thinking about the practicality of your favor –  you want something that your guests will be able to enjoy, and not something that you are going to spend money on that is going to become covered in dust in the back of a drawer.   We suggest giving edible items that your guests can enjoy immediately, perhaps specialty chocolates or pastry from a local company, which can also highlight another local small business.  One of our favorite small businesses is Kennedy Kitchens; she has made our clients some wonderful popcorn treats!  When you give a completely tangible gift, such as a picture or a glassware, your guests might feel obligated to show it in their house, whether or not it matches their style or if they want it out. Additionally, it can be very fun to give out something that is thematic.  If you have a garden wedding, you can give people seeds to plant and remember your wedding, small trees or tiny potted plants. This is a place to truly be creative and have fun so take time to consider all the options! Of course two of the most popular favors today is the Candy Bar and the Photo Booth! You can personalize these too! Candy bar can be easily created with specific colors and décor to match your theme and even your photo booth stripe can be personalized today! With your personalized scrap book! So have fun!

 

 

 
 

 
 

Printed Materials – create, edit, order, delivery can take a long time!!! And you want them to be consistent – do them all with one designer/company.

·         Hotel Welcome notes/itineraries – just because you know all of the intricacies of the wedding week/weekend, your out of town guests might not!  Be sure to provide them all the info they need with a welcome note and their wedding itinerary.

·         Ceremony Program, Place Cards, Table Numbers – almost every wedding these days has a ceremony program, and every wedding has place cards and table numbers.  These can require a lot of time to create, edit, order, and have delivered.  You also want them to be consistent, so it is important to do it all with one designer.  Since they can take a long time, you want to be proactive in figuring out your ceremony and in creating a list of people to invite to your wedding so the RSVP’s can start coming in.

·         Menu Cards –  in order for this to get done, you need to select your menu in a timely fashion – you also need to decide if a menu card is necessary – or is it an expense you don’t need. Either way keep the them or color scheme and font as consistent as you can in order to maintain the event design.

·         Specialty Signage – include welcome sign, hashtag sign, outdoor pointers to ceremony, reception etc.  if you don’t think about them from the start, it can quickly become a week or two before your wedding until you remember how badly you wanted them, resulting in a last minute scramble. Make any signs you have part of the overall design elements to keep your décor and color palate seamless!

Enhancements

·         Specialty drinks – If specialty drinks are included in your bar package, you should absolutely go for it and have fun with it!  If a specialty drink will require a kind of alcohol not typically carried at the bar or not in your ideal bar package, the costs can quickly add up, and you’ll need to decide if this is an expense worth having.  However, if you do go for it, go for it 100%.  Serve your drink in a fun and unique glass, and give it a pop – a fun straw, a garnish, a bright color.  And lastly, make sure to name it!  Specialty drinks are not something that you want to spring on your venue at the last minute – this should be something early on in the process so they can work with you and make sure it is the best drink your guests have ever tasted!

·         End of night treat (cookie, water) and/or Late night snack stations – It is becoming more and more popular these days to give your guests a late night snack and an end of night treat.  It is important to think ahead when deciding if you want to do this because it will definitely affect your budget, and you want to keep it consistent to your theme.  If you are having a Gatsby themed wedding, you don’t want a late night fajita station that will ruin the 1920’s atmosphere, you might instead choose to serve decadent deserts and tea sandwiches instead.  When your guests are getting ready to leave at the end of the night, it is incredibly thoughtful to wish them goodnight with a little goodie on their way out.  This is also helpful if they’ve been drinking at all throughout the night so they have some food in them before their journey home. 

 

After all the hard work you have put in to planning your special day remember to start with your wedding planner and a list of what is important to you.  This way the tiny elements do not get forgotten and you have a plan from day one to the BIG DAY! And remember a wedding planner can take care of all these details for you! Happy Planning!

The Outdoor Wedding, Rustic Chic or Not So Chic...

Many brides and grooms these days are looking to bring elements of the outdoors into their weddings.  We like to use the term “rustic chic” to describe these weddings that incorporate things such as mason jars, burlap, and a barn-like feel.  In doing a “rustic chic”  or "country chic" wedding clients are looking for non – traditional venues, i.e. tents, barns, farms, camps, vineyards, etc.   Which leads us to think – what are some things to consider when deciding between a completely woodsy wedding versus a woodsy-feeling wedding?

 

1. Hiring the Best Vendors

 

       For some couples and outdoor "rustic chic" or "country chic" wedding is creating venue from scratch, which would typically mean a tent wedding. Having a great crew that can create a venue from thin air is always a great start!

 

 

2.       Mother Nature

If you get lucky enough to have the sun shining, you are already doing great, but you must always have a feasible rain plan that fits all the event needs, photos, ceremony, cocktail hour and reception.  When dealing with Mother Nature remember she is in charge! Humid or Wet Means Mosquitos! Bees, Wasps and Hornets means, possible allergic reactions if stung. Bad rain the night before means mud and puddles, these are all elements your guests must deal with, and you have to remember yes it is your day but you are creating an experience for your guests! What is Plan B and C?

3.      Is this going to work for your guests?

Some brides and grooms have families that spend every waking hour outdoors, truly loving the outdoor experience.  Others have families try to avoid the woods at all costs.  When deciding whether or not to have an outdoor wedding it is important to consider what you want, but also what will create a fun atmosphere for your friends and family.  Also, if you are having some guests with mobility issues that require them to use a cane, be on crutches, in a wheel-chair, etc., having a completely outdoor wedding can become a real challenge for them.  They might not be able to hike up the path in the woods to your ceremony location, or may need to have access to air-conditioning or an outlet. You may loose some of these guests early as they are not entirely comfortable.  Some of these non-traditional venues do not have heat or air conditioning, this is SUPER important to consider when making your final decisions about location and style of your event as well.

4.      Wedding Insurance

We recommend that any non-traditional outdoor weddings purchase wedding insurance – it is a very cost-effective way to make sure that if anything prohibits the event from happening (or mother nature gets in the way) you are covered.  While we suggest always getting wedding insurance no matter the location of your event, it is something you definitely want to get if you are having a non-traditional outdoor wedding (think: camp, vineyard, etc.) so that if mother nature does act out, you are covered.  One option for wedding insurance is Traveler’s.

 

Regardless of which rustic-chic option you choose, having a wedding planner help you throughout your planning process will make your life way more stress-free, and will insure that every detail is thought of and executed to make your special day perfect.