Please Locate Your Nearest Exit

Ah, the wedding exit! As in all facets of life, the exit is a vital part. So, how does one decide on their exit strategy for quite possibly the biggest day of their life? I mean seriously, there is not pressure at all…

Well, there are several ways to go… traditionally, elegantly, with a bang,or totally wild!

People can shower you with small items: rice, confetti, ticker paper or rose petals…

Photo by The Knot

Guests can create a bubble walkway…

Photo by Nancy Hellsten

With fireworks, sparklers or lanterns…

Photo by Elite Bridal Concierge

Photo by A Flair for Affairs

Photo by Libby James

Or people can absolutely cover you in silly string! What doesn’t sound fun about that?

Photo by Diana M. Lott Photography/The Knot

The good news is, you can exit in style on any budget and leave a lasting expression!

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Planning Your Wedding Just Got a Little Easier… Thanks to Athens CVB

http://www.visitathensga.com

Planning your wedding means lots of details and lots of stress to create your perfect day. Athens CVB is an amazing resource at your fingertips for your hotel blocks, brochures and guides of Athens for gift bags and out of town guests, group tours and planning activities for your guests before and after their stay in Athens.

Here is the best part, you can email the CVB with hotels you are interested in having a hotel block and they will do all of the negotiating and then send you the hotel information for finalizing any additional details.

Q: What is the process for working with the Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau to secure hotel block bookings?

A: First, contact the CVB and be prepared to share the following information:

• What is the date and location of the ceremony and reception?
• How many guests do you expect? How many of those do you estimate will need to hotel rooms? For how many nights?
• Do you have a preference about hotels in Athens?
• Do you have any special requests (e.g. bridal and/or family suite; banquet room for brunch the date after)?

Then:

• The CVB will contact the hotels of your choice to inquire about availability and rates then get in touch with you to communicate what we have learned.
• You will consult the summary of responses from hotels with the groom and your families to determine your preferences based on rates and availability.
• Please get back in touch with the CVB to let us know what you have decided.

Q: How does the contract process with Athens hotels work?

A: The CVB will put you in touch with the respective sales manager(s) for the hotel or hotels that you have chosen. we will step aside at this point. Here’s what will happen next:

• The hotel(s) will contact you to ensure that they have all necessary details and contact information regarding the event. You will need to provide a credit card to secure the rooms but *you are not responsible for the booking of the rooms.*

• You will finalize your requests regarding room types and the exact number needed.

• You will establish a cut-off date; after that date, neither the rate nor the availability can be guaranteed. *Be sure to communicate both the hotel name(s) and the cut-off date to your guests.*

Q: How can the Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau help me with my planning
2-4 weeks before the big day?

A: Contact the CVB to request free Athens travel literature to provide to your out of town guests. Examples include:
Athens Visitors Guide
Flagpole Guide
Local maps, regional brochures, etc.
Please allow three – five business days to fulfill the request.

AND, check out the CVB Online Calendar of Events.

• You can enter the dates your guests will be in town for your wedding.

• Then, click on the printer-friendly button for a list of events to send to your family and friends or post on your wedding website. You’ll want to share news about hip and happening cultural events taking place in town during your event!

As I’m sure you are already experiencing, wedding planning is very time consuming, and to have free help is quite possibly the best thing! Contact your local CVB, and see how they can start helping you!

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Lasting Party Favors: Plant + Grow Invitations

I could never turn down attending a wedding that sent me a bouquet of flowers with my invitation! By sending invites on paper that have an array of flower seeds in them, guests can simply fill out their RSVP card and toss the invitation into their back yard! These invitations are not only eco-friendly as they’re completely biodegradable, but they also provide your guests with a beautiful set of flowers to remind them of the fabulous time they will have/had at your wedding! You can choose from dozens of mixes of flower seeds, or just go with your single favorite flower; if you’re big into cooking, there are invitations with choices of herbs to plant too. There are plenty of DIY kits for plantable wedding invitations and also customizable invitations to order: ones with pictures, ones that look rustic, ones that are elegant and romantic…

Photo by: A Fine Press

Photo by Gourmet Invitations

Photo by Invite Site

Photo by Earth Invitations

Another good idea is to attach a small plantable note to your party favors for guests to take with them. As a crazy Mexican food enthusiast (but really, who isn’t?), my favorite twist of this idea is to write a short note of appreciation to your guests on the front of some decorative paper, fold the bottom into a pouch and sew cilantro seeds into them. Then on the back print your favorite guacamole recipe: give your guests the gift of great food. Definitely something unique and cost-friendly for your wedding! By Alexa Munford

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Easter Inspired Weddings

Easter can be very inspiring for your Spring Wedding – the pastel colors, egg cups, tulips, baskets, painted eggs, vintage inspired pieces, fresh grass and flowers. I love this time of year, and I’m happy to share this inspiration with you!

Picture from Weddings in Iowa

You can create centerpieces using painted eggs in tall, cylinder glass vases.

Picture from danischwab.blogspot.com

For your rehearsal dinner or seated wedding reception, you can treat guests to bagged chocolate eggs on your vintage plate settings.

Picture from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Mix and Match these dresses for your bridesmaids or wear one to your rehearsal dinner!

Picture from Martha Stewart

This Sunny Style Board inspiration is obvious!

Picture from 4thewedding.com

This bouquet is the quintessential Easter/Spring inspired floral mix.

Picture from Wedding Flower Ideas

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Saving Money 101 at Your Wedding

When you dreamed of your big day as a child, you probably didn’t have a calculator in hand adding up every magical detail and idea. Now you’re planning your wedding and while you want it to be perfect (we want it to be perfect for you!), you may need to compromise in some areas. Hopefully, this post will show you compromising isn’t all that bad and you can still have the best night of your life!

::Cocktail Hours::
While everyone loves a good drink, having guests go to the bar at the reception is perfectly acceptable. You are less likely to run out of alcohol by avoiding the cocktail hour, since once they are at the reception they will have the option of going to through the buffet or to the various stations. This will also reduce your labor costs because you don’t need to have separate bartenders or servers for this area.

::Passed Hors D’oeuvres::
There is no secret that these are expensive. When you think about someone having to prepare each item individual piece. Imagine making 500 bacon wrapped stuffed dates. Our Cocktail Buffet Menu gives you a pick-up station with hors d’oeuvresque type food and your main buffet and sometimes a carving station.

Pick-Up Table

::The Band::
Don’t get me wrong I love a good band, but if it’s not in your budget don’t fret a DJ will do the trick of getting everyone crunk and no one will be the wiser.

::Overlays & Linens::
If you want more than just basic white linens, you can add an overlay. But with an overlay comes an extra price generally starting at $22.50/each. We recommend using a base linen that you like coordinating with your colors. Pintucks and Lamours are great options to add style and color to your event.

Lamour Linens

::Centerpieces::
You can incorporate some large floral arrangements on your buffet to add color. But consider doing alternative center pieces with old books, candles, lanterns, single flower vases. This will still add color and give your party a great look without the cost of grandiose arrangements.

Shannon Bailey Photography

Shannon Bailey Photography

::The Dinner::
Our Cocktail Buffet menus offers tons of options and can be modified to meet your taste buds. This also allows you to get away with only seating half of your guests, that’s right I said half! Now you don’t have to worry about seating cards or the dreaded seating arrangements; and if you’re ex-cousin’s twice removed step-father can’t sit with your best friend’s mother’s nephew, you don’t have to worry about it! Your guests will still have the option of eating three meats and lots of delish sides without the added price of a served entree or dinner buffet.

Main Buffet

::The Bar::
If you like alcohol but don’t want to offer your guests all of your favorite liquors, you can do beer and wine with a specialty drink. Our beer and wine set-ups also include the soft drinks, water and sweet tea. This will suit everyone.

These simple little tricks will let you stick to your budget while having an awesome time, and no one will be the wiser!

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What Not to Wed

This is my own personal take on TLC’s “What Not to Wear”, with a little mix of CMT’s “My Big Redneck Wedding”. Wow, I hope y’all can handle this post, and I promise I will go back to a more traditional blog post. (Please note, this is all in good fun.)

This is why we recommend bottles over kegs...

This wedding took place at the Redneck Olympics.

To read Rawni's Wedding Blog, Click Here

More Beer Please

In case you can't see, there is a bride there.

Here comes the baby, oops I mean the bride

I'm honestly impressed by this one.

This is apparently modeled after the video game Zelda, I was hoping it was Peter Pan...

All jokes aside, we do enjoy a good themed party or wedding and have a huge warehouse full of props to make it happen. We have king and queen thrones, full knights of armor, Mardi Gras and beach themed props and tons more! We loving having fun and throwing parties, so let us know how we can help you!

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The Wedding Experience at StudioWed

The Wedding Experience at StudioWed is Happening Tomorrow!

The Wedding Experience is perfect for newly engaged couples to jump start their journey down the aisle, featuring seminars geared toward helping couples plan a successful wedding. The day will consist of seminar sessions, table inspiration designs, and lunch! Registration begins at 10:30am and the first session will start promptly at 11:00am.

Attending engaged couples will have the chance to win a weekend stay at Watercolor Inn & Resort!

The prize includes two night’s accommodations for two PLUS dinner at Fish Out of Water($100 value)!

Schedule & Seminars:

10:30am-11:00am

Registration and mimosas at StudioWed

11:00am-11:45am – Photography

Presented by Janet Howard Studio and Andrea Taylor Studio

* Choosing a photographer
* Before the wedding
* Decisions to make about photography on your wedding day
* Tips for the wedding day
* After the wedding

11:45am-12:15pm – Stationery

* Stationery Ordering Timelines Presented by Papered Wonders
* Wedding Stationery Etiquette Presented by Papered Wonders
* Letterpress Presented by Foglio Press

12:30pm-1:00pm – Wedding Cakes & Dessert Bars

* Fondant is NOT the Enemy! – Presented by Sweet Sensations
* Tips for a Fabulous Dessert Bar – Presented by Sift!

1:00pm-1:45pm – Lunch

Our guests will enjoy lunch presented by Epting Events, and have the chance to discuss their wedding plans with our vendors. During lunch, guests can enjoy the photo booth from Shutterbooth
and learn about fun options for the kids at the wedding from Elegant Event Sitters

1:45pm–2:30pm – Wedding Décor – Floral, Linen & Rentals

* Bouquet & Boutonniere Styles – Presented by Floral Couture
* Ceremony Décor – Presented by Aesthetic
* Reception Décor – Presented by The Savage Garden
* Linen Trends – Presented by I Do Linens
* Rentals – Presented by Event Rentals Unlimited

2:30pm-3:15pm – Wedding Planning

How to Get Started Planning Your Wedding – Presented by A Big To Do Event

* Beginning With the End in Mind
* How to Find the Right Planner

Wedding Design – Presented by Lemiga Events

* Venue Selection
* Incorporate Personal Touches
* Choosing Vendor Partners
* Resources for Inspiration

Ask a wedding planner expert panel

3:30pm-4:00pm – Beauty & Style

* Defining Your Wedding Style – Presented by Chaos Couture
* Styling the Wedding Party – Presented by Melanie Carter, Stella & Dot
* Wedding Skincare Tips – Presented by Kimberly Mack Beauty Studio

Tickets are still on sale! Admission for one Bride is $15 and for a couple is $25. Enter discount code “studiowedbride2” for $5 off! Register Now!

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Flips Flops at a Wedding?! Yes, Please!

I was watching Four Weddings on TLC the other night, and one girl had a black tie wedding on the beach. You’re probably thinking, “Oh wow that sounds nice!”; It was nice aside from the fact that the women guests were wearing high heels in the sand and sunk clear to the soles of their feet! Needless to say, this isn’t exactly comfortable for your guests…

How would one solve this problem? Offer your guests flip flops in various sizes, you can even have them coordinate with your wedding colors or just do a basic black. Flip flops can be presented before the ceremony if it is a beach wedding, or more appropriately at the reception once the dancing begins, and coincidentally the blisters do too.

There are several cute and fairly inexpensive ways to present the flip flop baskets.

This is way too cute and would have been perfect on 4 weddings! (Photo from Events by Monroe)

Photo from The Knot

Photo from The Knot

Photo from Chelsea Gets Married

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You’re Engaged…Now What??

First of all, let me begin by saying congratulations!! Now, let’s get down to business.

Lacour Photography

The Date
There doesn’t need to be a whole lot of pressure when deciding a date. If you’ve always dreamed of an October wedding, pick a weekend that fits into your schedule easily. If you’re waiting to finish school first, pick a date after graduation that gives you plenty of time to focus on the final moments of planning. There is also the possibility that you have no particular month in mind, just a time of year.

The Location
When deciding on a location…
If you happen to be one of the brides that does not have a date set, but you also are trying to get one of most the popular venues… this is the perfect opportunity to find out when the venue is available, and go with that date.

Decide if you want to get married on-site, and see if there is a good, level area to make that happen. We suggest going out to the ceremony site and see how the sun will be shining at the particular time of day of your wedding. You want to try to avoid the sun beaming into everyone’s eyes as they are watching the ceremony.

If you’re looking to get married at a church, calculate how far it is from the reception site. You want them to be semi-close in proximity. After all, people are there to celebrate not drive all over!

If you want an outdoor wedding, remember most places will require you to tent the area. Also, look into the restroom situation. If you do not like the idea of having restroom trailers at your wedding, look for a facility that is outside with indoor restrooms.

Ask for a copy of the facility’s rules and regulations. Find out what time your band has to stop playing. See what time your caterer can get in the day of or even the day before. Do you have access to the whole place? Do you have to make sure the floors are mopped? Can you have open flames? What’s the alcohol policy? Can you choose your own caterer?

The Food
Selecting the perfect caterer doesn’t need to be tricky. Once you’ve selected your date or even if you haven’t, call and check the availability.

Decide whether you want stations, a buffet, a served dinner, family style. Look at the menus, and decide what items you know you really want to have. When creating a meal, think about colors and how it will look presented on the plate. You don’t want all of the same color and you don’t want it to look dull.

If you’re a very picky eater, try to remember your guests might not be. It is good to incorporate things you like, things the groom likes, and things your guests will enjoy.

Contact the caterer to set-up a tasting and consultation.

A lot of caterers often times are able to coordinate rentals, floral, linens, etc. We highly recommend allowing them to handle these items. It is worth the extra 10%, than trying to deal with deliveries or problems the day of.

Photographer:
Look at the photographer’s work online, and ask your other vendors for recommendations. This is not an area to skimp on. You’ll want to keep these pictures forever. Also, it’s wise to get a contract where you get the rights to all your pictures. This allows you to print any of them anytime you want for a lower amount.

Once you have a date, venue and caterer down; the rest should be a piece of cake. Remember to enjoy this time and don’t stress too much! And if something does go wrong, it will be one hell of a story later!

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Epting Events’ Menus 101

If you’re in the early stages of wedding planning or have been planning for a while and purposely putting off the sometimes daunting task of choosing your caterer and food; let me see if I can help.

First, you need to decide your catering budget. Then picture your event, and see what comes to mind… Do you think of white-gloved servers placing gold-rimmed plate in a synchronized service? Do you see your guests loving your specialty drink, and the food is working to support it? Do you want everyone to be seated at the wedding?

Cocktail Buffet:
This is one of our most popular menus. As guests arrive to the reception site, they will have several options; 1. they will go to the bar, 2. they will go to the pick-up station for dips and light appetizers, 3. they will go through the buffet, 4. they will go to the carving station (this depends on the type of beef you choose). We generally open the buffet immediately following the ceremony if it’s on site, or once guests begin to arrive. No one wants to wait in line to get food, nor do you want a huge line going through your party!

The pick-up station choices are at the top of the menu, and you generally pick three of your favorites. If you pick one with an additional number next to it, it is that price per person (this will be applicable throughout the whole menu). The menu is priced according to your choice of beef. If you decide on one that needs to be carved in front of guests (for example, beef tenderloin vs. shaved roast beef), you will have a separate table with a green, beef, starch and bread. Then, you pick one item from each of the categories below; you do not have to choose a seafood if you’d prefer not to. When picking from the list, be thinking about the various colors of the items and how your guests’ plates will look. There is no dessert included in this option, since you will more than likely be serving a wedding cake.

One prime advantage of the cocktail buffet, you will save money on tables and chairs as it allows you to only seat half your guests. Why? All of the food is made to eat without needing a knife. They will chat, eat, drink and be merry!

Don’t be fooled by the name cocktail buffet, your guests will NOT leave hungry! There is plenty of food for them to eat, and it is perfectly acceptable to pick this menu for a 6:30 or 7:00 wedding.

Short Plates or Stations:
This menu is designed around “mini-meals” served on our square, white plates. You will generally serve three or four of these options. Short Plates create wonderful flow throughout your party, allowing your guests to mingle and float to their next dish of choice. You can choose from our pre-designed menus, or you can adapt your own from our cocktail buffet menu. Each plate consists of a meat, starch, veggie and bread. One of the most popular ones: pulled pork slider, mac & cheese, sauteed green beans.

You also only seat half of your guests for this option too.

This is a self-serve Tuscan Station

Dinner Buffet:
If you’d like to seat everyone, and walk into the reception with guests enjoying a pre-set salad this is the choice for you! You might also want to offer your guests passed hors d’oeuvres until you are ready for them to be seated. The salad is priced per guests, the buffet price is based upon your beef or pork choice. You then choose a chicken, fish (only if you’d like), and four veggies. If you are doing a wedding cake, you generally forgo the dessert option. Remember to think about color on this plate too. In order to avoid the line forming, we invite one or two tables at a time to go down both sides of the buffet.

Suppers:
This one is home-style, country food and is amazing! It has a lot of the same items as our other menus, but there are fewer choices. You only choose one of the predetermined menus based at $13/person. All of the choices are delicious and you will not go wrong with any of them!

You might have a couple passed hors d'oeuvres as your guests arrive

Served Dinners:
If you want formal dining at your wedding, you’ll choose this option. Each table of eight, is assigned four waiters for a synchronized service. Your guests will begin their evening with an appetizer then a salad, priced per person. You will then choose the entree that you like, if you see two options we can always do a duo with smaller pieces of meat. The entree comes with the sides predetermined, then you choose the green of your choice. Dessert can be added, or again you may serve a wedding cake. Each price is based per person. Service is also increased on this option.

All of the menus are based only on the food aspect, and do not include service. It does include the standard plates and cutlery, serving utensils and dishes. Also, please note all menus are just suggestions, we are always happy to make your grandma’s casserole, a Kosher meal, completely local menu! Hopefully, this has helped some with the breaking down of the menus, and how to best chose the option for you!

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