Gather's First Event At Architectural Heritage

I am so excited to report that Gather's first event at Architectural Heritage was a raging success! I would love to say that it was the many hours of planning that went into it, but that is not entirely the truth. I had plenty of help from the amazing hosts who like to put on a party as much as I do!

Along with the great hosts, there were others that made this engagement party an extraordinary event for the bride and groom!

Roy Morton and his co-workers at Architectural Heritage - Venue
Cafe Dupont - Food
Alex and Warren with A.G. Lighting - Lighting
Tables, Chairs and Pipe/Drape
BBJ Linen - Linen
Razzle Dazzle Creative Design - Invitation

We pulled the colors from the invitations for the lighting -the building was covered with purple and turquoise lighting.


I was a little worried about the flowers given that my entire flower order did not come in due to bad weather. This was a last minute creative project. I am so grateful for my friend Martie Duncan with Martie Knows Parties. She came to the rescue with flower advice and tips.


Simple, but elegant centerpieces.



This was one of the 3 food tables. One of the fun perks about using AH for your venue is that centerpieces are already in place when you arrive (These statues weigh more than me and were not going anywhere. I am so glad I happened to love them!)

We cleared out a portion of the store and created a catering kitchen for Cafe Dupont. The pipe and drape kept guests from knowing the chefs were even there.

The food was out of this world! Cafe Dupont outdid themselves as usual. If they can pull this off without a kitchen, just imagine what they can do at your home. Don't forget to hire them for your next event.

We set up 6 ft. tables inside the store for dinner.


Since there is only one bathroom at AH, we rented a port-a-potty for the guys. I will say, I only saw 2 people use it all night. I couldn't bare the fact that guests were going to see a blue potty at the party, so I bought a drop cloth from Home Depot and draped it.

Happy Planning!

-NB

Off The Beaten Path

I was hired last week by a Washington D.C. resident who wants to get married in Birmingham on May 30, 2010. Like my wedding, this bride is hoping to create a personal wedding that gives off a relaxed and inviting atmosphere. She would like the ceremony and reception to be in the same venue and is thinking she will keep the guest list to a 100 of her closest family and friends.

With a short engagement, I do not have a moment to spare....

....Where, Oh Where, will this wedding be???

Virginia Samford Theater

The outdoor patio is a perfect area for a cocktail reception. If you are counting on this space for your guests, make sure you have a tent on hold in case of bad weather. You will also need to bring in your own chairs and tables.

The sound stage is an additional area that can be used for a seated dinner or reception. The space is small and I wouldn't recommend using this alone unless you are having a very small wedding. If you are into the theater...this would be a fun rehearsal dinner venue!!

Rent: $1450 for these two areas.
Catering Requirements: You can use whatever caterer you would like and you can bring in your own bar.

The Cantina
The Cantina is a great restaurant in the Pepper Place area. I have been hosting parties there for years so I stopped by to see how it would be for a wedding venue. The one downfall for this venue is the word "Cantina" on a wedding invitation. What do you think about calling it by its address instead of it's name??

The outside of the building has a good look to it and the name of the restaurant is not plastered across the front in a neon light like most Mexican restaurants I know.

The patio is cozy and clean and it will definitely fit 100 chairs (rented chairs) for the ceremony.

First view of the big room......it would be perfect for a reception or seated dinner.


Second view.....the opening (where the man in all denim is) is another room that can be used for a party.

Rent: $350
Caterering: Cantina has a great catering menu for you to select from. You must purchase the alcohol through them.

The Townhouse at Mt. Laurel

I had never been out to Mt. Laurel so I was excited to make the trip down Highway 280 (actually, I wasn't that excited about the 280 part, but excited to see the town that had gotten so much hype a few years ago).

The Townhouse is a small two story building that is a tea room by day and an event venue by night.

This is the front of the Townhouse. Everyone meet Darlene...lower left corner. She is the super sweet lady who runs the Townhouse.

One of my favorite things about The Townhouse is that they can close the street off for your event at no additional charge. For this wedding, I would want to tent the street and let the reception flow from the street into the main floor of the Townhouse.


Lets go inside and take a look.....


This is the main floor of The Townhouse. It is a small room that would be a good location for a few tables and the food. This room, as well as the street, is ipod adaptable in case you didn't want to hire a band.

The upstairs of the Townhouse is more like an upstairs apartment. There is a small kitchen, living room, den and billiards room. It is open for events, but I am not sure it would be a good fit for this wedding.

Rent: $950 (may be more on Saturday nights)

Catering: You can either use their catering or get drop off from another caterer. You MUST bring your own alcohol. They do not have a liquor license.

I hope you enjoyed you tour of the "off the beaten path" venues I visited this past weekend. Keep them in mind for your upcoming events!!

Happy Planning!

-NB

A Corporate Centerpiece

I was asked to put together centerpieces for a company dinner Tuesday night. As you can tell there was a Las Vegas theme to the night. The economy has every company watching their spending. Gather was happy to help and was able to put together a good look on a budget.

Remember your flower selection when you are on a budget. Carnations and Gerber Daisies are always a good filler when doing an arrangement of different flowers. Another cost saver is to borrow vases from a friend. These square vases can cost between $6.00 and $15.00. As a client of Gather you have access to all my vases at no additional charge.

Happy Planning!

-NB

Prince and Princess Birthday Party

I had a blast helping a mother of two plan a joint birthday party for her 3 year-old princess and 1 year-old prince.

Thank you Razzle Dazzel Creative Design!!

The Publix cakes were so delicious that Sanders ate his entire smash cake all by himself!

We made rice krispie treat wands for the favors......

.......and used them as the centerpieces during the party.

We created a "Callie's Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique" for the little girls to enjoy. Every little girl got a princess sash with her name on it and was pampered with glitter, stick-on earrings and lip gloss. I couldn't get a picture of the whole sign and forgot to get photos of the boutique..... sorry.

We didn't want Prince Sanders to feel left out so we had a castle moonwalk and named it after the birthday boy.

The biggest hit was the surprise visit from the "real" prince and princess. The prince came out carrying foam swords for the boys, and the princess handed out the rice krispie wands.

Happy Birthday Callie and Sanders! Thank you for letting Gather be a part of your special day!

Happy Planning!

-NB

Creating the mood with Lighting & Linens

I met with a florist/wedding designer this week with one of my brides. We discussed flowers, lighting, table arrangements, linens and much more. We tried to stress to the vendor that we were going for lounge seating, cool lighting and clean/simple linens.

While everything about this wedding is spectacular...I want to point out the key elements that really stick out to me, so that maybe you can incorporate some this into your next event.

Notice the rectangular shape surrounding the cake and the thin rectangular tables being used to display smaller cakes. We are so accustomed to seeing everything round, that the rectangle actually gives a new sense of style and feel to the event. Try replacing your hightop cocktail rounds with a high, narrow rectangle table instead. I also love the glass tops instead of just a plain cloth draped over a table. If we are trying to create a "living room" feel, then why not dress your tables as you would in your home.

I love the pleated tablecloths. It is such a fresh look compared to the round highboys with a tie!

(This is a highboy with a tie...just in case you didn't know what I was talking about)

Lighting is everything....The room is beautifully decorated, but without the bright light around the bar and the deep mood lighting around the room, the atmosphere would have a completely different feel.

The venue I am using for a fall wedding has built in bars just like this. I am very excited about pulling off this same look!

Happy Planning!

-NB

Today's News

One of my favorite things about Sunday is the Lifestyle section of The Birmingham News. I love this section for a few reasons:

1) The Horoscopes

(yes, I read them religiously on Sundays and only believe them if I like them!)

2) The Wedding Announcements

(Since I am not an actual reader of the paper, I typically just look at the pictures of the sweet couples and read the write-up only if I know them. However, the editor of this blog reads the paper from front to back and is quick to point out the unique write-ups that bring a little humor to my business.)

3) Alene Gamel's weekly wedding column.

(As a fellow planner, I enjoy hearing her thoughts on different issues.)

Today's News:

Taurus (April 20- May 20):

"You have no problem getting down to business because the process you've signed up for just happens to be one of your favorite ways to spend the day."

So true, so true!!! As a wedding/event planner, I work many nights and almost every weekend. While some might say I work too much, I could not disagree more. I absolutely LOVE what I do and find every second enjoyable!

HOUSE OF WORSHIP IS NOT JUST A VENUE

by Alene Gamel
To sum it up.... If you were married in a church, you may remember the "church rules" for decorating the sanctuary such as restrictions on flowers (don't block the altar, no pew markers, nothing in the aisle, etc.), candlelight, music, wedding party placement and photographer locale. These rules can create a little tension between the bride and church wedding coordinator. The article today explained the view of the church as a place of worship instead of the view of the bride who wanted to completely transform the sanctuary.

If you are a bride who dreams of walking down an aisle covered with rose petals or saying your vows in candlelight, be sure to check with the church before booking it for your ceremony. Instead of feeling restricted by the rules, consider choosing an alternate location to exchange your vows. While many brides have dreamed of having their big day in the church they grew up in, you can still have an appropriate religious ceremony in an alternative venue.

For those of you in Birmingham, the photos below are from a ceremony at B&A Warehouse.

Happy Planning!

-NB

**pictures were found on Style Me Pretty , Always a Blogsmaid and A Bryan Photo

My LoVe!!

I am a little embarrassed to admit, but V-day is my MOST favorite day!

While I have been (secretly) celebrating Valentine's Day at my house for weeks, tomorrow is the official beginning of the season! With a Valentine's Day Birthday party tomorrow (stay tuned for a re-cap of this EVER so sweet 1st birthday) to a first grade Valentine's Party art project...the pink and red are coming out!

While red roses can be nice, they must be arranged the right way for me to get excited.....you might want to make subtle hints to your sweet someone that there are so many other options!

These tulips are simply beautiful!

Remember the day when your mom took you down to the drug store and let you pick out the Valentine's Day cards you would be giving out to your classmates? I remember studying my options and trying to pick the coolest card possible. As I sorted through the Valentine's Day cards that came home from kindergarten last year, I realized that the cool cards did not come from Target, much less CVS.

Below are two fun ideas came from My Insanity.

If you don't have time to get this together for the class Valentine's Day party, this would make a very fun birthday party favor!

Don't you L O V E these bags! Check out Crafty Sisters for instructions on how to make your very own L O V E bags.

Note: Do not give a friend the "O" bag or "V" bag alone... your fun creative project will just be weird! Instead stencil the whole word "love" on each bag and then give them out as a gift.

I think I might talk to one of my brides about using this type of bag as their out-of-town gift bags. Instead of stenciling LOVE, we could stencil the wedding logo or couple's monogram.

Dear Mrs. May Bride.....let's talk, this photo has made me remember my original idea of burlap for your reception. Ooooh, very excited!

Happy Planning!

-NB