2011 Wedding Color Forecast is in..with Today's Gloomy Weather we Could all use a Little Color!

 Today is the perfect day to bring some cheer into our day and what better way to do that then to admire the lovely color scheme that has been put together for the 2011 season.  This year has been deemed the "year of the honeysuckle", and it will be fun to  see if that prediction spills out into the wedding world.  These colors seem all over the place but they are not randomly selected, in fact there is a method to the madness and these colors were chosen with careful consideration.  They popularized the latest fashion shows and now they are predicted to dominant the upcoming wedding industry as well. 
They seem a bit muted for the most part but at the same time my brain is flooding with beautiful designs for a quarry Winter wedding or a Spring wedding dripping with accents of bamboo. There is a color here for every bride's personality...teal for the romantics, phlox for the bold and frisky, and cedar or coffee liqueur for the casual chic bride.
It is always fun to see how the color trends change and if your in search of a wedding color or two then today is your lucky day. 

Check out the full article : http://www.brides.com/blogs/aisle-say/2011/02/wedding-colors-wedding-color-schemes-best-wedding-colors-2011.html

Now I shall go back to imagination land and coordinate colors in my mind. :)

Ya Can't Please Everyone.

It takes long months, precious minutes, and countless seconds to plan a beautiful wedding BUT still a guest or two will walk away with a string of complaints after attending your special day.  It is hard to please everyone and no matter what you do there will always be a person who finds the negative.  Now, to most of these people I say just wave that white flag in the air and let their comments roll right off your back.  It is not worth the stress or energy to try to tackle every single guest's personal preferences.  But I do think it is important to generally consider your guests comfort during your wedding.  After all this is a celebration and you want the good vibes a- flowing so be thoughtful and try to make your day a special and memorable one for all who attend.

Project wedding posted a list of the 5 biggest complaints guests have after a wedding and I thought it would be helpful to post them here.  

1. Not Knowing Where to Go
2. Left without a Ride
3. The Speech That Never Ends
4. A Table of Strangers
5. Time Between the Wedding and Reception  

 Click the link below to check the complaints out in more detail.

READ ME

These complaints are easy to avoid if the bride and groom to take heed of them.   You want to ensure a pleasant experience for all of your guests and at the end of the night you want people leaving your wedding with smiles on their faces and love in their heart. 

Le Sigh...

Sometimes I come across an Internet find that just makes me swoon and the one I am about to share certainly fits the bill.  I go to this whenever I need to be reminded to smile.  It is simple, short, and above all else, it is so freaking sweet.  Go on and click below:

To My Wife

Every now and then we all need a taste of hopeless romance and reading this guy's posts to his future wife makes me appreciate love and all that it is.  We all need a little reminding at times.  Not all the posts are super mushy either...most are clever, funny, and endearing.  I would like to investigate more about the writer but I hope he finds the  woman he is writing about.  I am a firm believer that putting something in print makes it known to the universe which in turn increases the likelihood of those events occurring and he is doing just that.

I wish him the best of luck and now I want to cuddle.

Cupcake Wars Gets Local

 I was so excited to see a local bakery featured on Cupcake Wars last night and I think they did an amazing job.  What better way to show the love then to feature them in a blog post today.  The bakery is called The Lucky Cupcake Company and they are located in Pipersville, Pa.   Joanne Jarin is the pastry chef and she was the boldest baker on the show last night.  She could have went the easy route and used the simple ingredients but she went for the kill and created a unique and daring recipe.  Even though they didn't go home with the win they still baked to impress.  I applaud their hard work!! 

 

CHECK OUT THEIR WEBSITE

Cupcakes are a creative alternative to the standard wedding cake but even if you like to stick with tradition this bakery makes wedding cakes as well.  They are a one stop shop!!  Consider a cupcake display for your next party and I guarantee your guests will be delighted.  

AND if you have a little one's birthday coming up, The Lucky Cupcake Company, hosts amazing birthday parties.  It's such a cute idea and a party any kid would adore.  Here are the details:

★Your child can invite 10-15 of their closest friends and can come behind the scenes to   fill and decorate their own double size cupcake.
★Each child gets a tour of the bakery, a cupcake box to decorate and take their cupcake creation home in, a bumper sticker and coloring page.
★The birthday child gets to pick a birthday cake or cupcakes to have at the party and also will receive a Lucky Cupcake t-shirt.
★The party last about 1 1/2 hours and can be catered around the childs age.  
★ Beverages and paper products are provided.
★Call for more details.267-362-5136 and to book your party today!

After all this cupcake talk I now know what I will be in search of for lunch today ;) Delish.

Marry Me, Train

I love stalking all local wedding related contests and giveaways and I came across this one last evening:

Q102 and Philadelphia Entertainment Company EBE, are sponsoring a local contest for all engaged couples in the Philadelphia area.  Couples who want to participate in the contest get the chance to win an engagement party with the band, Train, performing live for one hour.  They have a really pretty song out right now called, Marry Me, and it's just a perfect fit for the whole wedding preparation extravaganza. 

Train

Its so easy to submit an entry too and even if you already had an engagement party you can't beat another free one with a famous band performing just for you & your guests! The party already has a set date though : Thursday evening April 21, 2011.  
To enter each couple has to submit a cute "kiss" picture of themselves to THIS website.  On Monday, February 28th, the pictures are open to voting and the couple with the most votes is the winner. Just facebook and email the heck out of your friends and family and make them vote like crazy.  Even if you lose its just something light hearted and fun to get a little relief from the stresses of wedding planning.  Contestant's have until Friday at 5:00pm to submit a photo and that means if you can't find one you still have time to go out and take one before the contest ends.

Contest Dates To Remember:
Submissions:
Tuesday, February 15th through Friday, February 25th @ 5pm

Voting Begins:
Monday, February 28th @ 2pm
Voting Deadline:
Sunday, March 6th @ 11:59 pm

Time to talk about those STD's

Save-the-dates!!!

Personally, I am a massive fan of the save-the-date concept.  I think they are the best opportunity for a wedding-to-be couple to really express their personalities without getting "so serious".  Some people will say they are not necessary and you only need to send them to out of town guests...and to that I say NO WAY!  Get fun, get funky, get fresh.
After the date is set in stone, I say sit down with your sweetheart and throw around some ideas.  Scour the web for inspiration and I guarantee you will find something that strikes a chord with your creative brain waves. The STD's are a way to let everyone know that this pending wedding is happening in a clever sort of fashion.  The formal invitation will cover all of the important details and that's when you can get serious.  But the formal invitation doesn't go out typically until two - three months before the wedding and in my opinion that is simply just not enough time to share this great news.
Now, I would not praise the save-the-dates to the high heavens if they played a part in sucking your budget dry BUT the best thing about the STD's is usually then can be done for a very reasonable price.  There are so many programs online to use for free to create customized artwork for your save-the-date.  Then all you have to pay for is printing and shipping and if you talk to me I know several places where that can also be done at a very reasonable price.  Then at the end of the day you have a unique way to spread the news that will make your guests smile and we love spreading those happy vibes.

Here's an awesome article with so many handy internet tools to create a truly fantastic graphic for your save-the-date.

http://www.thebrokeassbride.com/2011/02/cheap-wedding-save-the-date-postcard/

Running of the Brides..Worth the Risk?

Click here to read up on today's craziness.

So, today kicked (I use the word kicked literally) off the annual running of the brides at Filene's Basement department store in New York City.  Horror stories of fights and pure chaos scare me from ever participating in any of these events but apparently a bride-to-be can find quite an amazing deal here.  The experience might be fun and exciting for some but others leave with nothing but bruises and scrapes to show for their effort.  They have a huge fan following despite all of the danger so if anyone cares to see the rest of the schedule I am posting the dates below.  Worth the risk?  I don't think so but to each their own. 

Boston, MA - Hynes Convention Center
Friday, March 11th, 2011 – 8am to 8pm

Atlanta, GA - 3535 Peachtree Road NE
Friday, March 18, 2011 – 8am to 9pm

Chicago, IL - One N. State St.
Friday, April 8, 2011 – 8am to 9pm

Washington, D.C. - Mazza Gallerie
Friday, April 29, 2011 – 8am to 9pm




Happy weekend to everyone.  :)

Be inspired and inspire in return.

These days I am on such an entrepreneurial spirit high and my conversations with friends all relate to this.  I have come to see that inspiration is a contagious energy and it spreads like wild fire.  I am constantly on the look out for fresh ideas.  Everyday I feel like my creativity bucket needs to be filled and I have all day to do just that.  I browse the web, read my favorite blogs, drool over beautiful pictures, and talk about it with my friends.  Beautiful events require beautiful ideas and that is my mission.
 
Anyway, today I was chatting with one of my best friends and I was sharing whats on my agenda for Scarlet Occasions in the upcoming weeks and all of the sudden she started sharing an idea for her own business that she has had for quite awhile and today she decided to take the first step to make her dream a reality.  She said I inspired her to make the leap.  The feeling that follows a statement like that is indescribable.  I realized that most people do have a secret longing to be in business for themselves ,doing what makes their heart happy, but they lack the nerve to put the wheels in motion and just go with it. So, I say if once in a while you have the honor to be that motivation then spread that spark and keep that energy flowing.

Now, I think it is only fair that I share a blog that truly inspires me.

Inspiration.....pass it around.

Poppin that happy dance right now

I officially launched Scarlet Occasions to my friends and loved ones today and the feedback so far has been beyond overwhelming.  This business venture is not widely known yet to everyone since it's still in the development stage but people have been so kind and open and I just feel so supported.  I will remember this kind treatment and I promise to support all those I know and love in return.

I want to use this blog to keep people updated on local venues, dining establishments, events and entertainment, and all that makes planning parties in Philadelphia truly spectacular. 

The first establishment that I think deserves a shout out is Farmicia:

 

Farmicia

Yelp It!

Check them out on yelp and consider Farmicia for your next event whether its a bridal party brunch, intimate wedding shower, or for a special date that will absolutely impress!

One day I will have a face...

The Scarlet Occasions internet identity is still in the building phase but soon very very soon our inter web presence will make its grand appearance.  The sample logo has been uploaded but its not the final draft yet.  I was just sick of being a blank so up it went.  Each day I am building and growing and planning and thinking.  Everything is falling into place.  This Friday I will be networking a bit and volunteering my services at an event for Children with Autism :

http://newtown-pa.patch.com/events/la-salle-university-family-game-night-for-children-with-autism#c

Now its time to get back to building.  So long.

Farewell Safe Path....

Each day that passes my faith in this company of mine grows and grows.  I have that blind faith right now where I am not looking behind me, not asking questions, and NOT taking no for an answer!  This is mine to grab a hold of and make it happen.  I want to do what I LOVE for a living.  I think everyone should take a chance at an opportunity that allows just that.  I want to make people happy with my job and bring that excited energy into their worlds. I want to let my mind wander and fill to the brim with ideas and details.  I want to be happy and make others happy as I assist them in planning and executing the events of their dreams. 
I am busy behind the scenes right now adding to my list of preferred vendors and researching like crazy.  This is not a project that I take lightly.  This is a slow steady process that will bloom when the time is just right. This is my baby and I will continue to nurture it until it is ready to face the world. 
Also, I just want to mention all of the awesome people who are helping me right now. they are all wonderful!!!!

New Journey

It's about that time to put all my talk into action.  I have been building this business up in my mind for nearly a year now.  I have gotten certified and I am ready to spring into action. FINALLY!  This is the beginning stage to all things Scarlet Occasions.  We are off!  Wish me luck and stay tuned.