Press! Great feature on Elizabeth Anne Designs

We are thrilled to be featured on Elizabeth Anne!   We LOVED this NAPA wedding - wish we could do it all again!  xx

2012 Haus und Garten Tour

We are happy to recap one of our FAVORITE yearly events:  The 2012 German Village Haus und Garten Tour.   We were thrilled to plan, for the 3rd year, this super fun event.  This event holds a special place for us because we get to work where we live, and marry professional with personal - all around - a very special experience.   

For your viewing pleasure, here is a great TOUR recap video created by Tour Co-Chair, John Clark. 

And a little eye-candy...best-looking and hardest working volunteers around!    

 

Also, we are thrilled to share photos from the talented Todd Garland who covered our largest PreTour dinner:  Capital Style's Party on the Platz, held at the German Village Meeting Haus.  PreTour is the premiere gala event in German Village and treats 600+ guests to a PRE tour of the homes open to the public the next day, followed by a cocktail party on a German Village side street, and also to a  privately hosted dinner in one of 18 properties throughout the Village.  

"Welcome to Paradise" was the theme and it truly was paradise with amazing nibbles by Barcelona, chic cocktails by our friends at Buckeye Vodka, delightful sweets by Pistacia Vera and goodies and fun galore!   If you have never attended either Tour or PreTour, we HIGHLY recommend.  Truly one of the best events in the city and we aren't just saying that because we are partial!  xx, AE

Almost Paradise....

PARADIIIIISE....

This was a parking lot just 24 hours prior...

The fabulous and handsome right-hand-man:  Mr. Bradley Cabus

Charming little Fiat's - thanks to our major sponsor:  Bob Boyd Fiat.  BEEP BEEP!  

AE Loves Capital Style!  

Ahhhhh...relaxing....

Barcelona is TOO GOOD!  

Go Jimmy Go!

Amazing what lighting does to transform a space! 

Dandy Brad with Darling intern, Brittany, finding a few minutes for fun!  

Look at all of those FAB FOLKS!  

Let's get this party started!! 

And then there's Adrianne....taking a peak at her guests enjoying the party....wearing a frock from her fave boutique:  Rowe. 

Jack Nicklaus Museum Dinner

Oh my gosh y'all!  It's been way too long since we have blogged and logging onto our poor dusty account with our pour rusty fingers (and wit, we must admit) reminds us that we have to get back into the swing of things!  

Fortunately, we have been working on all sorts of fabulous events and have lots of new, fun things to share!  Up first...this uber chic dinner at the Jack Nicklaus Museum for Nationwide as part of their Memorial Tournament client entertaining experience.  

Our "gentleman's man cave" concept transform the dining area into a warm oasis where guests dined on delicious food paired with amazing wine after the guests enjoyed a private curated tour.    

If you have ever visited the museum, you might notice the transformation!  Enjoy!

Cloche!  With special surprise inside - this reveal was so fun! 

Amazing table scape by the very talented Marti's Floral Designs, our friends from Cincinnati! 

Antique Mantel!  

We always love a little whimsy!

 Candlelight galore!

Our friend, Kevin, from Modern Barology was not only handsome, but also uber skilled as he mixed up masterpieces at our Manhattan and Old-Fashioned Bar!  

Thanks to Marti's Floral Designs for being such an incredible partner, Sodexo for creating and serving an OUT OF THIS WORLD menu, Amanda Julca (we love you!) for capturing with her amazing eye, and the AE Team for being all around to-die-for amazing.  Pearls and bow-ties forever!

xo, AE

Ask Ady: Personal Gift Off the Registry

Dear Ady,
Help! I need ideas for a wedding where the couple has only registered for giftcards. We can't attend in person so want to give a gift that says a little more than a giftcard. Ideas?


Thanks, 


Cate, Denver 

Dear Cate, 


Hmmm - this is an interesting predicament!  I think it's great that you want to provide something a little more personal and memorable - what a lovely gracious guest you are!  


My suggestion would be to still send a gift card (since this is obviously what they want and need) but include a token that is special from you to the couple.  


Perhaps it's a favorite bottle of wine you have enjoyed together.   Maybe it's a set of really cool pasta bowls with a favorite cook-book of yours because they love Italian.  


Perhaps it's something personal just for the couple.  Beautifully monogrammed bath towels, tea towels or pillow cases are always useful and it gives them something special from their wedding that they may not have even known that they wanted.  Pottery Barn has lovely neutral options for this.   


You could also send a beautiful (personalized or not) photo album (Etsy has TONS) and insert the gift card and a picture of the four of you or of your family in the first page.  Right after your wedding, there is nothing more useful than a blank photo album!  


I hope this helps and GOOD LUCK!
-Ady 

Friends of AE: Proper Invitation Wording from Paper Themes

We recently became friends with Mike Smith from Paper Themes, based in the UK, yes, that's right, the United Kingdom.  And since the English are, well, the English, and the forefathers of our language, we figured that they are the perfect experts to give us advice on the proper invitation wording.  Read on for phrasing to cover all different scenarios and hosts.    Thanks Mike and thanks Paper Themes!  Cheerio!  xx, AE

Photo Credit:  Paper Themes

Wedding Invitations – Choosing the Right Wording for the Right Hosts by Paper Themes

Getting the right wedding invitations for your big day can be a real challenge.  First of all you must ensure that they convey the tone and style of the event, whilst also including any theme that may be incorporated into the celebrations. 

Then you have to find a design that reflects the colours and shades that will be present at the wedding.  However, your test isn't over quite yet as you decide on the right wording for your wedding invitations – an element which is dictated by who will be hosting the event. 

Below you will find some examples of correct wording that can be used in traditional wedding invitations, dependant on the hosts and their personal circumstances.

Traditional 

Traditional has been such that the bride’s parents will pay for most if not all of the wedding costs and are therefore the hosts.  In this instance the wording should be:

Mr & Mrs Ian Dawson

request the pleasure of the company of

.........................................

at the marriage of their daughter

Rachel

to

James Caswell

Both sets of parents

A more modern approach is for parents of both the bride and groom to contribute towards their children’s special day.  Where hosting is shared the following wording is suitable:

Mr & Mrs Ian Dawson

and

Mr & Mrs Paul Caswell

 request the pleasure of the company of

.........................................

at the marriage of

Rachel

to

James Caswell

 

The Couple

If the couple is hosting their own wedding, the following wording should be used:

Rachel Dawson & Paul Caswell

request the pleasure of the company of

.........................................

at their marriage

Separated and widowed parents

Separated or divorced parents (not remarried) 

Mr Ian Dawson and Mrs Janice Dawson

request the pleasure of the company of

.........................................

at the marriage of their daughter

Rachel

to

James Caswell

If only one of the divorced parents are hosting, or if the host is widowed:

Mrs Janice Dawson

requests the pleasure of the company of

.........................................

at the marriage of her daughter

Rachel

to

James Caswell

 

Considering step-parents

If a bride’s mother has divorced the father, then remarried and is hosting with her new husband, you can set the wording out like this:

Mr & Mrs Richard Jackson

request the pleasure of the company of

.........................................

at the marriage of her daughter

Rachel

to

Mr James Caswell

Unusual hosts

In some instances it could be that there are other less orthodox loved ones hosting the wedding, such as aunts and uncles, godparents or grandparents.  All of these examples can be solved by using the following wording and adjusting the relationship accordingly:

Mr & Mrs Joe Lyon

request the pleasure of the company of

.........................................

at the marriage of their goddaughter

Rachel

to

James Caswell

An important rule

Whilst we have covered most eventualities, there are other host variations that may arise.  In order to ensure the right wording for these, there is a simple rule that can help.  If the hosting couple are still married then they should be called Mr & Mrs X. 

Where the hosting couple are separated but not divorced, or divorced but the female retains her married name, it should be written Mr X and Mrs X. 

In the instance that the hosting couple are divorced and the female has changed her surname, it should be written Mr X and Mrs Y. 

Remembering this and referencing our examples above, you should be able to work out any hosting eventuality. 

Note that throughout the examples we have used ‘&’ to indicate where hosts are still together, with ‘and’ signifying separate parties.  

Is your scenario not covered here?  Ask Mike! He has answers 

Ask Ady: Appropriate Gift for a Couple Hosting a Shower?

Hi Ady!
I have a really random question and I may be over thinking this, but I need your advice.  I just realized that I need to think of a great thank-you gift for a couples shower being hosted for my fiance and me by my parent's friends as a couple.  I am at a loss for what is not so gender specific that the couple will like and/or need.  I am trying to think of something unique and special since they really already have everything they really need.  Any thoughts?   


Thanks!


M, Grandview 




HI M,


You are very sweet to consider this decision so heavily.  Luckily, most of the time, men do understand that gifts are primarily for the lady of the house, so I don't think you need to worry TOO heavily about this, but here are some ideas that will be pleasing to both:  


1. A beautiful arrangement from the couple's favorite florist.  Have this prearranged and delivered on the morning of your shower.  They will be able to use it as part of the decor.  You may want to use the invitation they sent out as a guide for a color scheme.  When in doubt, go for neutrals!


2. His and Hers luggage tags.  Tiffany has really cool luggage tags that pretty much anyone could use.  You can give him black and her Tiffany blue.  Chances are, they don't already have these, and haven't thought about upgrading their luggage tags!


3. A gift certificate to a nearby restaurant.  You can give this with the sentiment of "thanks for hosting such a lovely shower for us, we would like to treat you to a dinner out."


I hope this helps!  Thanks for writing in! 


Ady

Wedding Wednesday: Gay Marriage Etiquette

Photo Credit aisledash.com 

Let's hear it for the gays!  Gay Americans are now able to marry in several states through out the nation, most recently New York and Maryland - yay!  With marriage being so grounded in traditional gender roles, planning can get confusing and questions can arise.   Here are some tips from us to help navigate through the process...

The Engagement
He Said Yes! Whoever is ready and brave enough to pop the question - GO FOR IT!   And do it your way - It doesn't have to be down on one knee or with a diamond ring.  You know your spouse-to-be best and what will be the most special for you both.  

Bachelor(ette) Parties
There are no rules here (and this goes for hetero couples, too).  The only ingredient necessary to this night out or weekend trip is FUN.   You can celebrate with friends separately, or celebrate together with all of your friends.  Couples now-a-days are defining their own version of the Bachelor(ette) party - do what works for you!  

Who Pays?
You should pay for the wedding as a couple, but if you both agree, contributions from parents are acceptable too.

Invitations
The couples names should be in alpha order by last name.

Photo credit: equallywed.com

Seating
Whose side to sit on?  Brides side or Brides side?  This tradition doesn't really apply, so let guests sit where they'd like.  Here is a cute way to designate open seating:

Photo credit: equallywed.com

Procession
Here comes the bride.... Here comes the groom... and the groom.  You can both enjoy the spotlight of walking down the aisle, if you like.  If you can't decide who would naturally process in last, stick to the alphabet rule.

Husband, Wife, Partner, Spouse
What are you going to call each other?  Are you wives, or husbands or spouses?  Guests will want to know and will ask you, so go ahead, practice introducing your each other with your new titles.

CONGRATS!

If you have any questions, send them our way!  We will be sure to have answers.