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Queen of Hearts Blog
Make Your Own Inspiration Board, with Pinterest!
By Rebecca Richman
I’m currently in the process of working with a few of my brides for their ceremony and reception décor and I found that Pinterest is a great tool to use to organize photos of things that they like or would like to do. Think of Pinterest as a pinboard or an inspiration board. As you are browsing around the web you “pin” photos of things that you like. You can create a board in Pinterest for flowers that you like or for dresses that you like and then when you are browsing around and find a dress that you definitely want to try on or find, you “pin” it to the dress board and it’s location on the web will be saved there so you can go back to that webpage and find where you saw the dress.
I have a Pinterest account and use it for a variety of things like recipes I want to try, or things I want to do to my home but I also have boards for interesting or beautiful flowers I find online or absolutely stunning gowns. Below is an example of what a board looks like:
What is great too is that I (your planner) can see what flowers you have on your boards or what décor photos that you like and would like to use as inspiration for your wedding. It gives me a great idea of what types of things you are drawn to or what ideas you'd like to incorporate or customize for your wedding. Most of all though it's such an easy (AND FUN) way to organize your photos!
You can find me here, see you on Pinterest! But beware…it’s addicting!
Telling Your Story = Sara and Rocky
I LOVE telling the story of Sara and Rocky… {Yes, I love all of our couples} not only are they an AMAZING couple; but, they came prepared to be active participants in telling their own story…and it came in several parts
Sara and Rocky, like many of our couples are into food – I think it’s part of being a generation raised with The Food Network.
The story they wanted to tell through food was about the places they each grew up, where they met, and where they live…
A great concept by itself, but they {specifically Sara} wanted to take this one step further –
Rocky has some rather severe food allergies {I think I’ve memorized the entire list} and it was very, very important to Sara that Rocky have a wedding day free of any worries about what he could and could not eat at their wedding reception.
So she and I set off on a mission to work with the team from Max and Me (now Brûlée Catering) to develop a menu and their chef really hit it out of the park!
We started with ‘tasting plates’ reflecting home – LA for Rocky with Grilled Tuna Loin and fresh Guacamole on a Tortilla Crisp and Philly for Sara with Warm Cheese Ravioli in a Tomato Cream….
Then on to Ithaca where they met and Braised Short Ribs and Savory Oatmeal – what sound like an odd combination was a wonderful warm reflection of the comfort food up upstate New York.
On to a favorite location – Tahoe with a fresh tossed salad in a martini class consisting of Apples, Asparagus, Endive and Bibb Lettuce tossed in a Lemon Vinaigrette.
And finally, to Washington, D.C. where they currently live; with Crab Cakes and a Sweet Corn Puree
Signage was key in conveying the experience to the guests as cards listing the cities were places on the stations and butler passed trays.
Dinner came with its own menu card explaining their love of travel and food including an explanation of foods guests had sampled earlier as well as special nods to special places.
A first course of Fresh Watercress, Butter Lettuce and Frisee with Roasted Beets, Toasted Pine Nuts, Orange Aioli, Light Sherry Vinaigrette an Herbed Filo Tuile took them back to the green hills and lush valleys of Lake Tahoe.
Sautéed Sea Bass with a Spicy Gazpacho & Basil Drizzle was reminiscent of Sacramento and a favorite Latin restaurant and many weekend dates; guests were also able to choose from a Seared Filet Mignon with Sauce Amarone telling of the steakhouses of New York and LA where families met and got to know each other.
Special thought was take to care for Vegan and Vegetarian friends with a special Cornmeal Crusted Eggplant with Sweet Corn Pupusas, Spicy Tomato Chutney and Roasted Plantains – reminding them of “Ithaca where loving the land is the custom and finding the love of your life is just plain lucky”
Not only did this meal tell the story of Sara and Rocky – but family and friends felt connected and cared for…
Who could ask for anything more on their wedding day?
Special thanks to Alison Conklin Photography {Alison and Geoff} for sharing their amazing images with us…{You'll see more in part two of Sara and Rocky's Wedding}
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TELLING YOUR STORY!
We’ve added a new category to our blog – ‘Telling Your Story’ –
We as wedding planners are a lot of things – we are peace of mind, a neutral third party in times of drama with family and friends, we are that connection to the best of everything wedding….
But mostly we are story tellers - our job is to help couples design a wedding that is truly reflective of them - as individuals, as a couple and as two families coming together…
Typically the most obvious story telling is done through the use of photographs and film to both tell and capture their history…
But while this series includes those elements and the wonderful professionals we work with; it’s more about the food, beverages, décor, stationery or music we work with each couple to include in their wedding AND WHY.
What elements of that wedding tell their unique story -
I recently heard a comment that it used to be, when you saw a vintage typewriter or wooden card catalogue on an escort card table it meant the couples were writers or librarians – now it just means they had a great flea market find…
We urge couples not to use elements like these and help them design elements to Tell THEIR Story…
Enjoy!
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It Takes A Village
by Karen Peterkin, PBC
I'm so excited to share the images from Sarah and Ben's Horticultural Center wedding! Sarah and Ben utilized our Wedding Day Directing services, and during our meetings prior to the wedding, it was clear that they had a specific vision for their wedding.
They enhanced the atmosphere of Fairmount Park's Horticulture Center with their own DIY elements, including succulent centerpieces that they grew (and arranged) themselves, rustic decor elements like wood, branches, cork, shells, and glass, and lots of lots of candlelight! It was wonderful working with them and their families on their special day!
This wedding is also a prime example why we, at the Queen of Hearts, are different from some other local wedding planners- our TEAM approach. It took hours for our team to assemble and set up all of the DIY decor. Even if I wasn't incredibly pregnant at the time (which I was), I would not have been able to do it alone. A huge shout-out to Rebecca, Christina and Renee for their assistance all throughout the day.
Working with Leila from Stephen Starr Events is always a pleasure.
The other amazing wedding professionals included: Deja Groove, Whipped Bake Shop, Blossom, Well Spun Wedding Films, Eventions, Philadelphia Trolley Works, Richard Binder, Cheekadee, and the oh so talented Joy Moody Photography.
Check out her blog for their beautiful pictures! http://www.joymoodyblog.com/2012/01/sarah-ben-fairmount-horicultural-center-wedding/
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Local Brides Diagnosed with B.M.S.!
Local wedding professionals are reporting an outbreak of a record number of cases of B.M.S. in the first 15 days of 2012…
B.M.S. (Bridal Madness Syndrome) is generally found in brides who become engaged over the 2011 Thanksgiving / Christmas / Hanukkah / New Year’s holiday season; but this year others have shown severe symptoms as well.
Symptoms can often include:
- Shortness of breath as you have family discussions over size of guest list.
- Increased heart rate working on a realistic wedding budget.
- Changes to body self-image as you try on wedding gowns labeled size 10, which are suddenly WAY TOO SMALL, when you’ve always been a 10.
- Blurred vision as you try to differentiate between ivory, champagne, ecru, oyster and cream
- Tossing and turning at night trying to decide which and how many of your friends you can ask to be in your bridal party.
- Ringing in your ears as you attempt to contact wedding vendors on your lunch break, between classes or after working 8-10 hours
- Nervousness and fidgeting as you wait for people to return your calls only to find out a) they don’t, b) they’re already booked, c) they’re not in your budget.
- Feeling as though you are repeating yourself as you answer the same questions over and over again and explaining the same things to your fiancé over and over again only to realize he has no idea what you’re talking about…
Professionals are finding that in some severe cases symptoms may last 12-14 months, sometimes intensifying into fits of rage and uncontrollable crying closer to the end of the outbreak.
Research has shown that working with a professional wedding consultant with excellent listening skills, an extensive network of wedding professionals, a sparkling personality and fresh design ideas may be the cure to the symptoms many brides are experiencing.
Dosage may vary depending on intensity of work schedule, support of family, involvement of fiancé, amount of business travel and distance from hometown or wedding location.
Please consult a qualified professional for diagnosis and recommendation of appropriate treatment.
This has been a Public Service Announcement brought to you by The Queen of Hearts Wedding Consultants, a division of Eventricity, LLC
{special thanks to photographer Geoffrey Horowitz of Leapfrog Photography and QOH Wedding Day Assistant Shoshana Katz}
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Why you’ll be late to your wedding!
I’m hearing more and more stories from brides who were guests at other weddings as well as from wedding professionals about weddings starting late…
So we’re going to tackle common reasons why weddings start late how to fix them, and most importantly how to AVOID them…
AS a wedding planning we tackle these head on and plan around them, we often know from our meetings what couples may run late themselves or hear that it happens in family weddings and events…
This will NOT BE PRETTY, so it’s not too late to turn back if you are easily offended.
It is a common misconception that certain ethnic groups or religions ALWAYS start late…some people within some ethnic groups or religions MAY start late – but not all.
I recently had a father of the bride say to his daughter and I “We can’t start on time, weddings NEVER start on time”…WRONGO!
Intentionally starting after the time stated on your invitation is not fair to those guests who in an effort to be polite to the couple getting married arrived 10-15 minutes early to find a seat.
Condoning BAD BEHAVIOUR by bending the rules for those who are always late will just invite more bad behavior.
Here are some of the reasons we see weddings starting late and how we plan around them:
If you start late you finish late – Too many brides (sorry ladies) under estimate how long it will take for the bridal party to get hair and makeup done. ASK the professionals about their timing needs.
There are WONDERFUL hair stylists and makeup artists who travel in to your home or hotel; they typically have fewer time constraints on when they can start than do many salons with other clients….if you’re working with a salon – BUILD IN EXTRA TIME, phones ring, travel time to and from take longer, some of the bridal party may be caught in traffic.
Travel just takes longer – if four of us were jumping into a limo and heading out to dinner loading into the car only takes a minute. One Bride, five attendants, one mom , two flower girls and their mom, 8 bouquets, 10 purses, several cameras (a couple of pictures) and a random piece of carry-on luggage JUST TAKES LONGER… allow for loading time, allow for traffic.
Pee before you dress – you’ve rehydrated with plenty of water after your rehearsal dinner the night before, you’ve had your morning coffee and your nervous; all great reasons to have to pee…. Go before you put on your gown…. Taking off your gown and undergarments to ‘go’ takes time, not to mention how complicated this becomes minutes before you walk down the aisle.
Lots of older churches we work in have one set of bathrooms, generally Up Front – no one wants to walk past all of their guests heading to the WC!
Be Prepared! - Pack a box to take to your rehearsal, include you marriage license, copies of your readings, tissues, and programs – give them to your wedding planner! Give the license to your officiant and if for some odd reason you’re not working with a wedding day coordinator ask the church if you can store the readings, tissues and programs there so you aren’t waiting on someone to bring them the next day.
Have a serious conversation- There are people who are ALWAYS late (you all know them) if they are in your immediate family, bridal party or play a part in your wedding… TALK TO THEM! The can make a conscious effort to be on time; worst case lie to them… tell them you are starting earlier than you are so they are on time (not ideal, but it works in extreme situations)
SERIOUSLY, it’s your wedding day and you don’t want to be stressed out because you’re rushing to get hair and make-up done, sitting in traffic or waiting because the person assigned to bring your programs isn’t there…
Truth of the matter is when you’re late – guests get upset, sometimes with you and it might not be your fault. Something will have to give- you’ll either lose time taking photographs, cut something short (cocktail hour) or rush through your reception…
Plan ahead, trust the professionals, build in extra time, talk to people who are habitually late and then sit back and enjoy…
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How’s this for fun?
We’re firm believers that planning your wedding shouldn’t consume your life….Take time to do fun things during the planning process…
We just got this from our friends at Top of the Tower! How much fun would this be for your Valentine’s Weekend?
Great food and great entertainment with an AMAZING view of the city….
For more information and to purchase tickets call: 215-567-8787
Making an Old Tradition New- The Bouquet Toss
By: Rebecca Richman
Engaged: busy, occupied
by Karen Peterkin, PBC
While flipping through my copy of "Real Simple Weddings" again, I was reminded of the less romantic definition of the word engaged...
It reads:
"…the word engaged implies that you are busy, occupied… Yes, planning your wedding is supposed to be a joyful experience, not a painful process of "do this" and "do that." But as you sit at your kitchen table amid a sea of bridal magazines…you start to feel overwhelmed."
How about that for a pep-talk for all those newly engaged couples?
As we stated several blog posts ago and hopefully this reminder from "Real Simple Weddings" is a further motivator: just take a pause and enjoy being engaged: betrothed…in love!
The next step in the wedding planning process WILL involve "to dos" and timelines and deadlines and "do you like this color? …this dress? … this linen?"
But the most important thing is the relationship between the prospective bride and groom and families.
And if we wedding planners can help with taking any of the stress away, and certainly the time it takes to narrow down wedding professionals and venues and services, well, then we're doing our job.
We help to make being engaged less of being "occupied and consumed" and more of the good (fun) stuff!
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Wedding Trends for 2012
Happy New Year!
We’re guessing that many of you reading this are recently engaged, Congratulations!
You’re probably coming here for sage advice, some majorly out of the box revelation – and the truth about 2012 is that it’s all about you, your appreciation of your guests and NOT doing the same thing that you saw your friends doing last year…
I know that sounds counterproductive coming from wedding planner, but really – it’s all about things reflecting you….
And NOTHING people are claiming is “NEW for 2012” is anything we haven’t done already!
- White weddings are in! OK? White weddings are always in… they are elegant, romantic and beautiful when paired with crystal, platinum or silver accents. You just need to decide if a White Wedding fits your personality…
- Return to Glamor! Again, vintage, 1930’s black and white rarely goes out of fashion – beautiful accents of art deco, black and white checked dance floor, vintage touches and some feathers –again details that reflect you…
- Black Wedding Gowns! Really Vera? Trend setter Vera Wang is showcasing BLACK wedding gowns at bridal market and made a big splash – I’m sure there are some ‘Goth’ girls who are jumping for joy….however I’m not sure where the mass appeal of this gown is. Black accents, ya we get it….black gowns, not so much.
- Pantone #17-1463 – Tangerine Tango – definitely a BOLD color for weddings, depending on your bridesmaids coloring and the time of year ( probably not a Halloween color) you may see this in bridesmaids dresses…chances are you’ll probably see it as an accent for a pop of color when paired with shades of purple or Cobalt blue.
- Prosecco is HOT – Slightly sweeter than its French cousin Champagne we’ve got couples using it for Toasts, a Wine Bar {In a BIG carved ice bowl} and as gifts in guests’ “Welcome Bags” - we’re loving this!
- Local fun and funky food - food from your favorite restaurant or celebrity chef will remain hot, as well fresh, local seasonal foods. Fun things like Food Trucks or things guests can see being prepared in front of the (action stations) will remain hot.
- Desserts and a ‘Good Night Kiss’ will get bigger than ever…. While wedding cakes will remain a MAJOR focus of every wedding – other desserts will remain in the spot light.
- Butler Passed Desserts(finger food while your guests remain on the dance floor) will continue to grow in popularity as guests can stay on the dance floor!
- Cupcakes, cookie bars and candy bars are here for at least one more season – putting a personal twist on these will be the key. Favorite flavors, family recipes and displays incorporating personal touches will be what make it yours.
- Good Night Kiss – is a small snack or beverage as guests are leaving your wedding….Hot cocoa, cookies and milk, Philly soft pretzels – the sky’s the limit. Fun and reflective of you are what makes this the last impression of your wedding.
- Photos booths are here to stay – guests love having fun – fun twists on the original, fun props or multiple copies they can put into a guest book for you and your fiancé make it memorable.
So, as you see 2012 is bringing no earth shattering trends….
In 2012, a ‘return to elegance and simplicity’ will be the motto – Will and Kate’s royal wedding while in amazing, historic and opulent locations was somewhat understated….
While Kim K’s over the top wedding and short lived marriage seems to have caused brides to take a ‘U Turn” back to Simple and Elegant.
We’ve been preaching “Make your wedding a reflection of you” for some time now. Our job as planners is to get to you know each of our couples and to help draw out their personalities in their weddings.
What wedding trends can we help you set in 2012?
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