Wedding Planning and Coordination

NY Bridal week 2013- Wtoo collection

04/24/2012 09:46:00

I love this collection! If you love these dresses too there are a few stores around that carry Wtoo. In Salem you can find Wtoo at The Bridal Gallery. In Portland you can find Wtoo at Charlottes Weddings and More, Anna's Bridal, Blush Bridal Boutique, Magnifique boutique and Ania Collection.

Images above from Martha Stewart Weddings. See the full collection here.

New York bridal fashion week 2013- Vera Wang Collection

04/16/2012 21:49:00

It is bridal fashion week in New York and I am so jealous I am not there!!! Over the next few days I will post pictures from some of the designers who had collections previewed.

Today I am starting with a collection from one of my favorite designers, Vera Wang. I love her style and that she takes chances. Last year her collection was full of nude and black and this year she stayed true to her non traditional style as her vibrant red, and maroon dresses went down the run way. The collection was inspired by Chinese culture, where brides traditionally wear red on their wedding day.

If you happen to love one of these gowns but the red scares you a bit please note that all are also available in ivory.

"Beautiful dream. The symbolism of Red. Boldly romantic, charming, protective, grand, seductive, sexy. From dahlia to scarlet, crimson and vermillion. A celebration of love." - Vera Wang

From The Fashionist, check out their site for more fashion and style information.

Brittany and Cameron. Wedding at Five Pine Lodge in Sisters, Oregon

03/09/2012 16:28:00

When I was first contacted by Brittany and Cameron and they told me they were getting married at Five Pine Lodge in Sisters I was very excited because it is such a beautiful venue. Then they dropped the bomb that they wanted an outside ceremony. Now normally an outside ceremony in such a beautiful place would be a given but since their wedding was in February I was a little surprised! Brittany really wanted snow on the ground for her ceremony. We arrived at Five Pine on Friday at 11am for rehearsal, it was bright and sunny and warm enough I had to take my coat off during rehearsal. I was sad because she wanted snow so bad and it felt like a spring day.

On Saturday morning when I woke up and looked outside my mouth dropped open. The ground was covered in about 4 inches of snow and it was still snowing!!! Brittany was going to get her dream of a winter wonderland wedding and I was about to do my first wedding in rubber boots :)

The day was beautiful but the wind was blowing and it was COLD! The kind of cold that gets into you bones, so we set Pendleton blankets on the benches to help keep guests warm. There was a hot chocolate, coffee and tea station set up outside and hot toddies were passed.

A cute handmade sign greeted guests letting them know they could sit where ever they like and a gorgeous ribbon tree stood at the front as the ceremony centerpiece. There was also a basket of hand warmers for the guests to help take off the chill. One of the best pre wedding moments was when I handed the basket to the groom and groomsmen and told them to start opening and shaking (it takes about 30 min for the warmers to get hot so we had to get them ready prior to guests arriving). Watching all the guys open and shake the hand warmers was hilarious, they had a great time with it.

Brittany spent countless hours working on details and left nothing out. There were photos on the wall that she didn't really like but that we were not allowed to take down. Instead of giving up and just dealing with it she came up with the brilliant idea of covering cardboard with burlap and having her (talented) maid of honor paint pictures on them. They looked amazing and really fit with the rest of the decor.

Centerpieces were done by Cameron's mom Jan. She did such a wonderful job with them! They were an eclectic mix of silver bowls, cups and coffee pots filled with moss, succulents and beautiful white flowers. Burlap runners were laid down under the base for the centerpieces which were pieces of barn wood sent from Jan's friends barn in the mid west. We draped sea foam green napkins down the side of the table then added dark wood chairs and wooden chargers to finish off the look.

They did not want a traditional wedding cake and decided to go with bundt cakes. Flavors included champagne, lemon poppy seed, chocolate chip, red velvet and chocolate. Flavors were identified by little flags placed in mason jars filled with coffee beans. The guests loved them!

Courtney from Flip Flop Sounds got the party going! I have never seen so many guests dancing and for such a long time. They were having the best time! If you are looking for a DJ who can really get your guests out there and having fun I highly recommend Courtney. He was a blast to work with, yet took his job very serious and focused on giving the bride and groom exactly what they wanted.

As the evening came to an end the bride and groom were sent off in style with a sparkler send off. One good thing about having snow on the ground was not having to worry about the sparklers.

Despite the wind blowing snow and how cold it was this was one of the best weddings I have had the honor of doing. I LOVE that everything was a reflection of the bride and groom. It really made the day unique and memorable for not only the bride and groom but for their families and guests. The entire staff at Five Pine Lodge was great through the entire planning process and really went above and beyond on the actual day. I also had the pleasure of working with Kimberly Kay Photography again. Kimberly and her husband Chris are truly amazing to work with and one of my most favorite photographers. All photos in this blog taken and provided by the wonderful Kimberly Kay Photography.

Vendors

Venue: Five Pine Lodge

Photographer: Kimberly Kay Photography

DJ: Flip Flop Sounds

Bouquets and boutioneers: Flowers by Deanna

Rentals: O'Brien Rentals (benches and chairs)

Rentals: West Coast Events (chargers)

Hair and Make up: Kate Tuma

Wedding dress; Bella Bridal

Planning the ideal rehearsal dinner.

03/01/2012 21:31:00

I get a lot of questions about planning the rehearsal dinner. Here is a basic rundown.

Rehearsal dinners typically take place after the wedding rehearsal, the day prior to the wedding. The night should be fun and relaxed.

It is traditionally paid for and planned by the grooms family and planned by the mother of the groom, but with the rehearsal dinner nothing is set in stone. If for some reason the grooms family can't do the dinner can be hosted by both sets of parents together, the brides parents or the bride and groom if they like.

The dinner can be a formal dinner at a restaurant or a casual back yard bbq but should never be more formal than the wedding itself. No matter the style of the dinner you should always send invitations to your guests. These are typically sent after you receive your RSVP's. There is no set rule for who is invited to the rehearsal and you can make it as intimate or lavish as you see fit. Your guest list however does have to include all members of the wedding party and their spouses (or dates), parents of the flower girl and ring bearer if you are inviting the little ones (but if they are very little it is acceptable not to invite), parents, step parents and siblings of the bride and groom. Often times the officiant is invited but again that is completely up to the bride and groom.

This is also the perfect time to allow anyone who wishes to make a toast and to thank your family and wedding party. Typically the father of the groom and the best man give a toast, If you are giving them gifts the rehearsal dinner is the appropriate time. You don't want to have to worry about bringing them with you on your wedding morning and honestly there really won't be time for you to sit and watch everyone open them on the wedding day.

The most important thing to remember about the rehearsal is that it is a great time for both families to come together. For the bride and groom to spend time with their families and their wedding party since the wedding day will be spent mingling with many guests.

If this all seems a little overwhelming and you would like help planning your rehearsal dinner send me an email, I would be more than happy to help

Love and Happiness,

Morgan

morgan@atime4memories.com

Sarah and Quinn: Wedding at Salishan Resort in Gleneden Beach, Oregon

02/29/2012 12:23:00

Sarah and Quinn are currently living in Washington DC and were lucky enough to have family willing to help with their desitination wedding to Salishan Resort and Spa in Gleneden Beach, Oregon. It was the perfect venue since they had so many friends and family coming in from out of town.

The ceremony was held in the Council House which is a beautiful room with wood panel walls and a bay front window looking into a courtyard. Sarah wanted a very romantic feel for the ceremony, we lined the aisle with candles and flower petals and dimmed the lights prior to ceremony. Gina from Bohemian Bouquets did an amazing job with the flowers for the arch and candelabras, they really brought in the evergreen feel Sarah wanted.

The reception was in the Cedar Tree. This room has gorgeous views from the 2 walls of windows and beautiful open beam ceilings. We did 2 different types of centerpieces, half the tables had live orchids and half had lighted branches in vases with moss. Both were surrounded by an eclectic mix of crystal glasses holding votive candles. The beams were wrapped in white lights which highlighted the high ceilings and beams. It also looked amazing when it got dark outside and the light reflected off the windows.

Michelle from My Petite Sweet set up a wonderful cupcake display. Guests loved being able to pick their cupcake off the buffet, they were like kids in a candy store :)

We were lucky enough to have dry weather so and took full advantage by taking a 5 min drive to the beach. Stephen with Remembrance Photography was great to work with and willing to do what ever was needed to get the shots the bride and groom wanted. He got some amazing shots with the ocean in the background and you would never know how cold it was!

It was a New Years Eve celebration that continued well into the New Year. This is the first wedding I have done that has been a wedding and a holiday party together. Such a wonderful way to start 2012!!!

Vendors
Venue: Salishan Spa and Resort

Photographer: Remembrance Photography

DJ: Aardvark DJ

Flowers: Bohemian Bouquets

Cakes: My Petite Sweet

Hair and make up: Salishan Spa

Rentals: Barclay Event Rentals

Winner of Wedding Wire Brides Choice Award!!!

01/27/2012 12:01:00

WeddingWire, the nation's leading wedding Marketplace, is excited to announce A Time 4 Memories llc. has been selected to receive the prestigious WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2012 for wedding planning and coordination!

The esteemed annual awards program recognizes the top local wedding vendors from the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism within the wedding industry. While many industry awards are selected by the organization, A Time 4 Memories llc. was selected based on its stellar reviews from past newlywed clients.

A Time 4 Memories llc. is recognized as part of the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire local vendor community, comprised of over 200,000 wedding professionals throughout the United States and Canada. The Bride’s Choice Award recognizes the best local wedding vendors across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, based on their overall professional achievements throughout the past year.

“WeddingWire is thrilled to honor the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community,” said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire. “Since the launch of the Bride’s Choice Awards™ program four years ago, thousands of outstanding wedding professionals have been recognized by the bridal community for their supreme service and dedication to the wedding industry. It is with great pleasure that we congratulate A TIme 4 Memories llc. for their continued professionalism and commitment to enriching the wedding planning experience for engaged couples.”

We are happy to announce that A Time 4 Memories llc. is one of the very best wedding planner and coordinator within the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Project Wedding, Brides.com, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for taking the time to review our business on WeddingWire. Thanks to their positive feedback we were able to receive the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ for 2012.

For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today at Weddingwire.com

To learn more about the Bride's Choice Awards™, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.

About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire™, the nation's leading marketplace serving the $70 billion wedding industry, is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding professionals. For engaged couples, WeddingWire offers the ability to search, compare and book over 200,000 reviewed wedding vendors, from wedding venues to wedding photographers. WeddingWire also offers a comprehensive suite of online planning tools for weddings, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge. For wedding professionals, WeddingWire is the only all-in-one marketing platform for businesses online and on-the-go. WeddingWire offers one simple solution to build a professional network, improve search visibility, manage social media and reach mobile consumers. Businesses that advertise with WeddingWire appear on WeddingWire.com, ProjectWedding.com and other leading sites, including MarthaStewartWeddings.com (NYSE: MSO), Brides.com and Weddingbee.com

Wedding trends for 2012

12/22/2011 22:37:00

If you read bridal magazines or blogs you know that every year, every season for that matter wedding trends change. 2012 will be no different bringing fun new trends with it.

The Royal Wedding:

Hello to old world glamour!! From hats and facinators to white bridesmaids dresses 2012 brings the regal wedding back in style. There have been multiple reports that sleeves and lace are highly desired in dresses for next year. Ivory and cream in floral will carry the sophisticated old world glamour style through out the ceremony and reception.

Pets:

They are part of your family, why should they be left out of your wedding? You can incorporate your furry 4 legged friend into your wedding in lots of different ways. They could be the ring bearer, flower dog, part of the wedding part or just an honored guest. (A word of advice: make sure your pet is well behaved and just as with children in the wedding know before hand that things might not go as planned. Have someone who the animal know and is comfortable with that can take control if needed.)

Specialty Tasting stations:

Tasting stations will be all the rage! Best part about this is it can be completely tailored to your wedding style/theme. Liquor tasting stations, wine and cheese sampling, a coffee bar, build your own ice cream sandwich bar, the options are limitless!! Along with tasting stations, liquid catering (or alcohol catering) will be in high demand.

Dessert buffets:

For a while we have seen trends moving away from the traditional 3 tier wedding cake with the introduction of cupcakes and candy buffets. While those trends will still be popular the new trend leans towards dessert buffets. What a great way to give your guests variety. From miniature desserts to cupcakes to flambe stations your guests will be thrilled to feed their sweet tooth with a variety of offerings.

Grooms cakes:

This trend has come and gone over the years but it will be hot in 2012. Such a great way to bring your grooms personality to the reception and get him involved.

Dresses:

Wedding dress trends for 2012 are ultra-romantic and dramatic compared to past years. There are lots of oversized flowers, extravagant beeding and large tiered skirts.

Themes:

Themes will be HUGE in 2012 and we are not talking just a simple color palette. They will be full scale incorporating everything from the save the dates, to the flowers and desserts. This is a great way to weave your personality as a couple, have fun with it and make your wedding your own.

Love and happiness,

Morgan

For more inspiration, tips and advice find us on Facebook or Google+ and visit us at http://www.atime4memories.com/

Pantone Color of the year 2012

12/14/2011 12:12:00

Its that time of year again. Pantone has released the color of the year for 2012.... Tangerine Tango! Pantone calls it “a spirited reddish orange, that continues to provide the energy boost we need to recharge and move forward."

Executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, Leatrice Eiseman said it is “Sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to. Reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy.”

Color forecasting influences fashion and make up to home decor and Pantone has become the leader in the industry for finding the hot new colors. The Dessy group offers Pantone Wedding, where you can experiment with color combos, create inspiration boards, and order chiplette color swatches. They even have a place where you can make your own 'will you be my bridesmaid?' cards in any pantone color.

For the first time Sephora is partnering with Pantone to introduce the first Color of the Year beauty collection. The limited edition collection features a variety of products including eye shadow, lipstick, lip gloss, nail polish and accessories, and will be available in Sephora Americas beginning March 2012.

The top 10 Pantone spring color line is as follows:

Provocative Tangerine Tango, an enticing juicy orange, is a vivacious and appealing refresher to enliven anyone's outlook this spring.
Providing a jolt of energy, Solar Powerradiates warmth and cheer.
Fanciful Bellflower, a distinct ornamental purple, exudes uniqueness and creativity.
Scintillating and sexy, Cabaret is a sensual and intense rosy-red — an excellent
choice for summer clothing and cosmetics.
Sodalite Blue, a classic maritime hue, brings order and calmness to mind. Like an
anchor to a ship, this dependable shade works with every color in the palette.
Cockatoo, a tactile blue-green, is sure to make your spirits soar. This unusual hue
adds a whimsical touch to the palette and will surely make a statement this spring.
Margarita, a piquant yellow-green, lifts spirits with its refreshing and stimulating glow.
Reminiscent of a blossoming garden on an early spring morning, fragrant Sweet Lilacevokes the fresh scents of summer. This delicate pinkish lilac adds a touch of romance to any wardrobe.
Natural versatile neutrals add practicality to this season's brights. Driftwood, an
adaptable blend of beige and gray with a slightly weathered feel.
Starfish, a perfect warm summer neutral, complement all colors featured in this season's top 10.

Click here to read the full report on Pantone.com

As you can see 2012 is going to be full of fun, vibrant colors. I LOVE IT!!! Here is a little bit of color inspiration for incorporating Tangerine Tango color into your wedding:

2012 Wedding Trend: WishTrees

12/11/2011 11:56:00

Wish trees started as a Dutch custom where wedding guests were given a piece of paper to write a wish for the bride and groom. The wishes were then hung on a tree and later collected for the bride and groom to read.

This is becoming a very popular way to replace the traditional guest book. Guests can write best wishes, advice, and dreams for the newleyweds. After the wedding you can make a scrapbook with the cards and for a fun touch add photos of your guests at the reception.

A wish tree is a great centerpiece for your guests as they enter the ceremony. You can completely personalize it to fit your style and wedding color scheme, make one yourself, purchase one online or use a living tree that can be planted at your home after the wedding.

Love and happiness,

Morgan

Images taken from herecomestheguide.com, sdweddingscene.com and prewonedweddingdresses.com

Onsite coordinator vs independent wedding coordinator

12/07/2011 12:23:00

Lots of venues offer an on-site coordinator. I have had a lot of brides ask me how that differs from an independent wedding coordinator and if you need to hire a coordinator if your venue offers an on-site coordinator.

An on-site coordinator is employed by the venue. Their first responsibility is to the venue and to make sure nothing goes wrong with the venue or venue staff. Sometimes when you are touring venues it is the on-site coordinator who will show you around and tell you about what is offered. If you have questions about the venue after you have booked this is generally the person you will talk to and you may meet with them one or two times before your wedding. On your wedding day they will be there to open the venue, make sure it is set up properly, and to direct the venue staff. You will not generally see them to much during the wedding day as they are making sure the venue staff is doing what they are supposed to and set up is complete. The on-site coordinator will work with you to set up a time line for the wedding day in regards to the venues roles and responsibilities. They can also be a great resource for vendor referrals as they see first hand how vendors perform during a wedding.

An independent wedding coordinator (or wedding planner) is not employed by a venue, we are employed by the bride and groom. We work closely with the bride and groom during your engagement to make sure all details are taken care of. Like an on-site coordinator a wedding coordinator is a great resource for vendor referrals as we also see how vendors perform during a wedding. A wedding coordinator works with the bride and groom on all aspects of the wedding, not just the location aspect. We will work with the bride and groom to set a time line for all the days events and coordinate this with all your vendors, including the on-site coordinator. We know what time you are having hair and make up done, when your photographer needs to arrive, and what time your cake and flowers are being delivered.

A wedding coordinator knows the big picture and all the small details. We know how many tables are supposed to be set up and what the centerpieces look like. We will make sure you look perfect in your dress before you walk down the aisle. We know what your first dance song is, what family members are supposed to be in pictures and who is going to take the gifts home at the end of the evening. Often with out a coordinator as the point of contact all your vendors have separate time lines that may not match up; your DJ has his, your on site coordinator has one, the photographer has their own, the cake baker doesn’t know when to set up, the florist doesn’t know what time to deliver the flowers, etc. With a wedding coordinator involved all vendors go by the same time line that includes all details they need. The making of this time line can be somewhat of collaboration of all your vendors and usually the wedding coordinator will ask for the vendors input ahead of time to make sure they’re successful with the time line provided. If the wedding gets behind, which can happen, the coordinator makes changes and updates all you vendors to make sure we are all successful in our roles.

I love working at venues that have an on-site coordinator. They have detailed knowledge of the grounds and facility. They have seen hundreds of weddings done in hundreds of different ways and can offer advise on what works best in the space. Yes there is some overlap as to what an on-site coordinator and wedding coordinator do but as you can see the roles are completely different. An on-site coordinator will help you with on-site catering and venue logistics and a wedding coordinator will help you with your every aspect of your wedding. They can compliment each other nicely and work together to make your wedding day perfect, but one can not and should not replace the other.

Love and Happiness,

Morgan