Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Flower Themed Centerpieces

Imagine a different themed flower arrangement on each table in the reception room. One of our past clients asked us to create a flower arrangement for each table to create a garden effect as you looked through the room. The linens on the table were a vibrant kiwi green and the explosion of colors on each table was stunning. The bride loved flowers and this was the perfect concept to create a "garden" effect inside the reception hall.


Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Escort Cards vs. Place Cards

The role of the Place cards and Escort Cards seemed to have morphed together over the years. Place card table, escort card table... what is your venue referring to? Let's go to the beginning to decipher the true meaning of the place card vs. the escort card.

The Escort Card - Is a small envelope with the guests' name on the outside and on the inside, their table number. These cards are placed in alphabetical order on the "escort card" table. Guests go to this table to look for their name and then open the card to determine the table number they are seated at. This method works very well since the bride can switch around tables that guests are seated at easily by switching the table numbers in the envelopes. With so many last minute changes to deal with, this is a great remedy for dealing with last minute RSVP's! The con to an escort card is that they lay flat on a table unless you get something to prop them up.

The Place Card- In the traditional term, it is a tent card that has the guests' name on it and is placed at the exact place setting on the table that the bride wishes for that guest to sit at. Today, not many brides ask their guests to sit at a particular place setting (unless maybe the bride made custom gifts for each guest and requires they sit in a certain seat to get the correct favor). The place card many times takes on the role instead of an "Escort card" and in addition to the guests' name, the table number appears on the card and is placed on the "escort card" table in alphabetical order by the guests' last name. Since place cards prop themselves up, there's no need for extra gadgets to hold them up unlike a true escort card. The downside is that any time there's a last minute change to a table, a new card needs to be made up since the table number is printed directly on the card. This is the more popular choice for brides today but it's true that the escort card is a little more practical from a planning standpoint in it's ease of switching around tables at the last minute.

So really, the place card has just turned into the role of the escort card and the table where guests go to pick up their name and table number is the "escort card" table.

Friday, April 3, 2009

For NYC brides looking to get out of the city
















If you're a bride in the city looking to get out and into the "country..", there are some hidden jewels that you might just miss if you're relying on big wedding magazines and internet searches instead of asking the pros who have seen it all.

One place I really admire for a small country wedding with a b&b feel is in Hopewell Junction, NY and it's called the Bykenhulle House. Tell Jackie I sent you and then call us to help you with any planning or floral design needs! - Sarah, NY Engagements, LLC.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Invitation Tip for a formal April 1st Wedding

April Fool's Etiquette: Create a very expensive wedding invitation with an evening ceremony time and at the bottom right hand corner write, "Black Tie Casual"... that aught to leave your guests wondering for days what to wear (courtesy of one of my recent clients :) )

Real life tip: It was an evening wedding at a formal reception venue in New Rochelle....My clients had initially wanted to write some attire wording on the bottom of their invitation that they wanted guests to attend in "casual attire". That never would have happened given the reception venue and the fact that it was an evening wedding. If they were looking for a casual, down home wedding where guests were to attend in khaki's and sun dresses, it would have had to take place at a more casual venue and they would most likely have decided on an afternoon wedding. Without evening mentioning dress code on their actual invitation, their guests arrived in the most fashionable attire I've ever seen... It was like they received an invitation to the Oscars! What the guests deciphered based on the venue, the evening wedding details, and the beautiful invitation is that they have a chance to get dressed up for this wedding. So the rule of thumb is, the invitation formality and the time of day and location should scream to the guest how they should dress. An exception...If you really want guests to attend in the most formal attire, dictate White Tie and dictate Black Tie if you want guests in black tuxes. Some country clubs have a Jackets required policy, so you could also dictate "Jacket Required" on the lower right hand side of the invitation or on the reception card. If after all that, a guest arrives in flip flops and bermuda shorts, well the jokes on him/her and you have our permission to point and laugh out loud.

Happy April - Fools in Love!