Hashtags can offer couples instant gratification with countless candid photos that photographers may miss. However, photos popping up on social media accounts can make other couples shutter at the thought.
On the big day, make your opinion of social media present. Advertise your hashtag on swizzle sticks, napkins, or table cards. For the more private couple, simply asks guests to get unplugged!
We have seen a lot of blushes, nudes, and peaches this year, which is understandable because this is such a classic and romantic color palate. Here are our tips to make this timeless color trend fresh and fun.
Bridesmaids. Carry this trend over to your bridesmaids dresses for a sweet, sophisticated look. Let the girls choose their own dresses in any complementary hue.
Flowers. Sticking to this trending color scheme for floral arrangements is a great way to add a touch of color without drawing too much attention. Numerous flowers come in a range of these colors.
We love garden roses, ranunculas, and peonies!
AE Tip: For a rustic garden look, mix in some extra greenery to your arrangements.
What a year 2013 has been for us! We count our many blessings as we say goodbye to one fab year and HELLO to a new one.
January rang in the New Year with Dan and Alicia's fantastic New Year's Eve celebration. Oh how we loved this evening! A&D and their family remain dear friends.
February brought us back to one of our favorite events of the year and one with an amazing and touching cause: The Black Tie Blue Jackets Style Show. It's such an honor to be involved.
Image courtesy of Capital Style
See footage from the 2013 event. We can't wait for 2014!
May kicked off a busy summer for us with three events...
Heather and Willy's charmingly perfect Downtown wedding...
Ashley and Tom's swanky soiree at the Ivory Room...
Image courtesy of Red Gallery Photo
...we just ADORED these two!
And, another one of our favorite recurring events...The Nicklaus Museum Dinner for Nationwide Financial/The Memorial Tournament.
Photo Courtesy of Andy Mahr
See more here! Gosh, we sure were proud of this event.
June brought us Maggie and Quinn's uber special wedding in Knox County...these high school sweethearts and their families are about as lovely as they come.
July brought us a trip to our favorite part of the country - WINE COUNTRY, for our best friend's wedding. It was such a special experience to be in the wedding and to play a large part in the planning process. Cheers to G&B. Love you!
July also brought the wedding of Emily and Nick. Super sweet affair at the Columbus Museum of Art for a super sweet couple.
Image courtesy of January Newbanks
August brought the first of two big bits of news for AE Events. Brittany Sitz, our long-time intern, starting with us as our first full-time employee. Brittany has been an important part of AE and it's been great to have her official.
Image courtesy of Ink and Ivory Design Studio
September came with another of our favorite yearly events - the always fabulous Rowe Fashion Show celebrating it's 5th year (and 5 years with us, too)! This event is near and dear to us for several reasons: Maren Roth (owner) was our first friend in Columbus and the Rowe Show was one of the first events we booked when we launched AE. We cannot thank Maren and Rowe enough for the constant support, friendship, and fashion advice. xx
October was also filled with fun. It was Adrianne and Sherman's birthdays, as well as, we had Lauren and Ed's amazing affair at the Columbus Museum of Art. This event and our beautiful bride were grace and elegance through and through.
And here is a little teaser video - their day was just so special!
October also brought to Leah and Tom's wedding. Brittany did an amazing job planning and executing while Adrianne had the honor of being in the wedding. Leah and Tom are so in love and truly epitomized what it means to be a bride and a groom.
We also embarked on a site inspection to the British Virgin Islands for our special client and friends, Lacey and Blake. Man, this sure is a tough job!
November and December have been filled with friends, food, fun, new clients, and the holidays.
January begins with yours truly speaking at the 2014 Columbus Bride Show and then we zip off to Ft. Worth, TX for the Nationwide Financial Sales Summit.
We have also been keeping very busy the past couple of months with our second peice of exciting news. We have moved into our very own darling cottage. We can't wait to share it with you!
It's been a fabulous year. We love our job, we love our clients (past, present, AND future), and we love life. Cheers, my dears. xx, AE
Dear Ady: My new husband and I are attending a destination wedding for a good friend in Mexico. I have received invitations to the bachelorette party and shower. Do we buy this friend a wedding gift also or is attending her destination wedding gift enough? What is the wedding etiquette with destination weddings when the travel is over $1000? Not to mention, I did not invite her to any of my showers? Sincerely, Mrs. Newly-Married-And-Trying-To-Furnish-A-Home Dear Newly Married, Well, you aren't going to love my answer, but yes, you do need to give your friend a gift for her wedding. It is your choice to attend her wedding whether it be in Mexico or around the corner from your own home. Regarding the shower and bachelorette, again, the gracious thing to do is to also give a gift. However, you do not need to break the bank. My advice is this. Commit to a TOTAL gift amount in your mind. Let's say $100. I know this is pillows for your new couch, but think how you would feel if guests attended your recent wedding and opted to have THEIR flight/hotel be YOUR wedding gift. Out of that $100, purchase something small for the shower (around $20-$30). Perhaps a fun cookbook or kitchen utensils from her registry. Also, purchase something small for the Bachelorette (panties aren't THAT expensive), let's say $10, and with the $70 that is left, purchase a lovely something to send as the wedding gift. Note, if you don't attend the Bachelorette, you can get away with not giving a gift. However, even if you do not attend the shower, you will still need to send something. It is important to remember that the couple should be given a gift as a THANK YOU for hosting you at what will surely be a beautiful evening in Mexico, and subsequently as a token to remember you by as they start their new life. Just buy a few fewer lattes over the next couple of months and you will rack up your "gift budget" quickly. xoxo, Ady ON THE FLIP SIDE....BRIDES! Listen up! Be sure to go easy on your guests and manage your expectations! With destination wedding travel, it may be cost-prohibitive for some guests give a large gift. Remember, the memories with your guests are the best gifts you will receive. One more tip, do not invite any guest to more than one shower with the exception of your immediate family and bridal party. Be sure to let your bridal party/family know that you do not expect them to attend all showers and that you do not expect them to give you a shower gift, at all.
Dear Ady, I was originally invited to my ex-boyfriends wedding (an ex from 10+ years ago). We have remained very good friends. When the save the date arrived my boyfriend at the time and I were invited together and both planned to attend. Said boyfriend and I have now broken up and the wedding invitation I received did not include a guest. I don’t know why but it bothered me, but also, I don’t want to attend solo. Should I ask the groom, my long-time friend and ex, if I can bring a date? Or is that inappropriate? Helpless in Hoboken, Ellie, Hoboken, NJ Dear Ellie, You should not ask to bring a date if your hosts did not specify on the invitation that you may. Often times, the bride and groom prefer to keep their guest list limited to only those that they know personally, hence, your most recent ex being invited initially. Since they chose to leave "and guest" off the invitation, they have sent a clear message that they would prefer that just you attend their wedding. Furthermore, examine the reasons why you would be hesitant to attend alone. If you will be uncomfortable to see your ex get married, or won't know anyone at your table, for examples, I say it's probably best to not attend at all. Having a "wingman" attend with you will not make any of the reasons you are hesitant better. Again, you may want to give these reasons further thought - 9 times out of 10, ex's getting married bring up well-buried emotions no matter HOW long you have been out of the relationship. You know best if you fall into the 9 category, or are the 1 who was able to move on with no strings attached. My advice? Send a lovely gift and your best wishes. I hope I "Helped you in Hoboken!" :) - Ady
(This may sound a little self-serving and it just might be, but trust us, we are serving you more!)
Please, please, unless you have unlimited free time (who does?) and have planned many events for 100+ guests, (in which case you probably aren’t reading this blog), you have got to hire a wedding planner.You will not regret it.If you are shaking your head and asking yourself “But why? Planning this will be a cinch”, then keep reading.
It all seems pretty simple, right? You pick out a location, think about your favorite menu items, décor you love, your favorite stationery, color palettes you want, memorable tunes and voila!Party planned. Well, there are two distinct differences here.Thinking about what you want and getting what you want, the way you want it (without having any meltdowns) are two entirely different things.Trust us, it gets difficult fast, questions begin to mount and so does the anxiety. Don't do this to yourself!
An wedding planner is a professional who can talk the talk and walk the walk (so to speak). We have experience using event jargon with vendors, we know the industry (and also what items should cost and what terms are appropriate in negotiations) and simply have the skill and experience to seamlessly bring your vision to life.
Imagine this during the planning process:
You are locked into a contract with a venue. The chairs they provide are mauve and that does not fit your color scheme. Ok, so you rent chairs. The venue now wants to charge you what seems like an extraordinary amount for these new chairs. Do chairs really cost $3500? Am I being taken advantage of? Why do I need 7 extra people to unload said chairs? Aren't we talking about chairs here? Are you getting stressed thinking this through? Call your local planner.
How about this one on the DAY OF:
You are enjoying your first glass of champagne, your hair is set in hot rollers, everything is going as planned, you are relaxing and enjoying the morning with your bridesmaids. The phone rings. You pick it up, it's your florist. He/She actually had you on the books for the FOLLOWING Saturday. They are very sorry, but there will be no flowers available for your wedding. Call waiting - it's your DJ, he lost the playlist you sent him and the special CD with the special version of your first-dance song on it, can you please resend to him within the next hour? What to do now? Who is going to handle this? Am I really getting on the phone with everyone in the Yellowpages to get a replacement florist while tracking down my laptop to resend this music? My glass of champagne is now flat and warm (and your hair is about to be too; flat at least). Again, if this is stressing you out - DEFINITELY call a planner.
David and Adrianne at a Milly show during NYC Fashion Week
Still not convinced? We will be at Big Rock Little Rooster on Saturday, August 27th as part of the Vera Wang trunk show. We are currently scheduling appointments and giving out complimentary advice to brides. Join us! We would love to chat with you. Email us if you would like to set an appointment. Contact Big Rock Little Rooster for a dress appointment. Tons of GORGEOUS Vera Wang dresses. NO pressure! Promise! That's what this blog is for! :)
Added bonus: David Thielebeule, Accessories Director at Allure magazine will also be available doling out bridal fashion advice. He can help guide you on chic, sleek and fun color combo's for your wedding day, too! Makeup expert, Lindsay Remley and Hair Guru, Josie Schweitzer will also be available. It's quadruple the fun! Quadruple the experts. USE US!
