Happy Holidays!

Wishing you a sweet Holiday!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

~Amanda and Aubrey~

Engagement Ring Trends

I am often asked about trends in the wedding industry, so I wanted to share with you some of the beautiful trends we are seeing in Engagement rings this season.

1. Pave

We are seeing micro pave diamonds on engagement rings and bands.  We are seeing a trend of pave diamonds with all diamond shapes and settings.  We are even seeing rings with pave diamonds on the prongs of the ring. The pave diamonds fit so closely together that you can hardly see any metal.  Just what all the ladies want, more sparkle! This ring is by one of my favorite designers Michael B. 

 2. Halo

This is a trend that started last year and has really taken off.  Halo stands for a Halo of diamonds surrounding the main stone.  This is being done with all stone types.  In most cases the Halo is made up of Pave diamonds. This beautiful Halo ring above is by Simon G.

3. The Solitaire

This is one ring trend that will never fade.  There is nothing more beautiful than a round diamond solitaire.  It really is a timeless ring and will never be out of style.  Another great benefit to the solitaire is that you can dress it up with the wedding band, or just leave its simple elegance.  The sparkling solitaire above is from Tiffany and Co.

What engagement ring trends are you seeing?



Holiday Party

We were so excited we were asked to create another event on WCIU's You and Me this Morning. With the holidays just around the corner we are happy to share with you some of our tips and ideas for your holiday party!

Step Number One:  Pick a Main Color

In this case we chose Red!  But you can choose any color you would like.  We incorporated this color in our linen, napkins and centerpeices.

We incorporated the red color in all of the aspects of our centerpieces.  We used fabric to wrap clear flower vases to give the table more texture.  We also spray painted  clear candle sticks from the Dollar Tree red to match.

To really add some dimension to our table we decided to pick red roses and carnations as the flowers.  Using these flowers you can make a very lush centerpiece at an affordable cost.

Step 2: Choose an Accent Color

For Christmas the traditional colors are Red and Green, but to avoid being too matchy matchy we only used Green as an accent color. These Green chargers we found at Target were the perfect touch of color our holiday table needed.

Step 3: Add a Personal Touch

This may seem way too simple but it is true, people love to see their name in writing! Especially if you are hosting an event in your home, having designated place settings for each guest makes any event more elegant.  We folded the red napkins into a small square and wrapped them in ribbon to look like a present.  Then to add that personal touch we printed each guest name on shimmer card stock and used a tag punch to punch out each name. After that we just secured each tag to the ribbon to complete the look.

Holiday Party Secret!

Want to impress your guests with decorative dishes but cant afford to by fancy china?  These decorative plates we found at the Dollar Tree!  They offer many colors and patterns to choose from. 

Step 4: Add a Signature Drink

This drink does not have to be alcoholic it could even be a punch.  Having a signature drink gives the guests an opportunity to try a beverage that wouldn't usually order.  For this holiday party we used a Peppermint Martini for our signature drink.

Peppermint Martini

Ingredients

•5 ounces of Chopin vodka

•1/2 ounce of Peppermint Schnapps

•Candy canes

•Pour all of your liquid ingredients into a shaker 1/2 full of cracked ice.

•Give a good 20 vigorous shakes and let the shaker rest for half a minute.

•Strain your lucious peppermint martini into 2 martini glasses.

•Add a candy cane in each glass for garnish.

Enjoy!

Step 5: Give each guest a favor to take home

This started when we were all kids.  As we were getting ready to leave our friends birthday parties we received a goodie bag to take home filled with treats and toys. I don't see why there is any reason as adults we can't still receive a goodie bag at the end of an event!  For this segment we wanted to include a treat special to Chicago.  Garrett's Popcorn was the perfect choice.

Candy stations and dessert bars have been very popular at weddings and events.  Why not downscale and have one at your holiday party?  Here you can see we filled the Garretts popcorn into various vases and inserted a scoop on top.  At the center of the table was a gift bag that included a bag to fill with popcorn, a twisty tie to seal your popcorn bag, and a list of favorites foods and drinks for your guests to check out next time they are in your neighborhood!

Step 5: Enjoy yourself!

Holidays are a great time to catch up with friends and family. Save the dishes for later and be a guest at your event!

2 days left! Bid your Wish!

Couples planning to be married can bid for wedding-related auction items

online NOW! Only 2 days left, with all proceeds benefiting Wish Upon a Wedding . This new organization is the world's first nonprofit that provides weddings for individuals facing life-threatening illness.

La di Events has donated a Day of Coordination Package to the Auction!  Jump online and bid on it today!

Black Friday Survival Kit

Looking for a favor for your Thanksgiving guests?  How about a Black Friday 2010 Survival Kit.  This year I have heard my family talking more about Black Friday than Thanksgiving!  So I decided to honor the 5am shoppers with a fun gift!

 All of the items above I placed in a simple brown bag and labeled with the Operation Give Thanks thank you prints by Hostess with the Mostess. 

 On the back of each bag I printed a list of the items included!

What are you giving as a favor this Thanksgiving?

Baby Shower on a Budget

A few weeks ago we received a call from WCIU "The U" issuing La Di Events a challenge.   They challenged us to plan a gender neutral baby shower for 8-10 guests on a budget of $100. We were asked to use items that are already in our homes and items that are affordable to buy at the store.  We were up for the challenge!  The "Baby Shower on a Budget" segment aired this Wednesday November 3rd on the WCIU morning show You and Me this Morning. Enjoy the video!

Scroll down to learn more details about the products used in this segment.

Tablecloth

We used a twin bed sheet from Target!  The twin sheet will fit an 8 foot table.  If you have a round or oval table you can use a fitted full sheet!

Advice and Wishes

This is a great way for guests to share their advice with the mom to be.  We cut up pieces of scrap booking paper that we found at Michaels.  Place the scrapbook pieces on a dish or tray you have in your home with a pen or a small point permanent marker.  For the advice and wishes sign we printed out the words on the computer and glued it to a piece of folded scrapbook paper.  You can set out any clear vase you have in your home for the guests to place their wishes in.

Food

The best way to save money at a shower is to not schedule the party at a meal time.  I would recommend 3pm.  This way you can just have a few items to eat and save money on food.  For the segment we cut up fruit and placed them in glasses I had in my home to make individual portions for each guest.  This also saves you money because you do not have to buy plates for the guests to put their food on.  We displayed the fruit on a dish I had in my home and to add some flair cut a piece of scrap booking paper to line the dish.

Guest Seating

It is always nice to incorporate your guests in the shower.  Ask each guest to mail you a baby photo to be used at the shower.  Place each photo in a picture frame, these we found at the dollar store.  Place the pictures at each guest place setting so guests can find their seat.  It also will be a great conversation piece.

Flowers

I was so excited when I found these sundae dishes at the dollar store.  They were perfect for our baby shower theme.  We used the sundae dish as a vase for flowers.  The flowers we purchased were from Jewel-Osco and we chose flowers that were affordable and matched our theme, mums and carnations.

Cupcake Stand

To make this cupcake stand we took one of the sundae dishes turned it upside down and glued it to a plate from the dollar store with ceramic glue.  Now you have a very chic and affordable stand to display your homemade cupcakes at the shower.

Cupcake Flags

Cupcake flags are very popular but you don't have to spend alot of money on them.  You can make then yourself.  For these flags we traced a tea light candle for the circles on scrapbook paper.  Next we cut out the circles and taped a toothpick to one of the two circles.  Last we took some stick glue and glued the two circles together.  For a finishing touch we added a Wilton baby foot sticker.

Drinks

For the drink we chose a traditional lemonade.  To add to the look we sliced up 6 limes and added them to the lemonade.  We displayed it in my Colin Cowie drink dispenser.   This was not included in the budget because I have this already in my home.  But you don't have to use a fancy drink dispenser you could use a pitcher or a punch bowl you have at home.  You could also pour individual glasses for guest to take.

Coasters

Instead of playing games at the shower you can set out these baby shower trivia coasters by Wilton.  This is a great way to still add some fun to the shower without playing multiple games.

A BIG thank you to WCIU and You and Me this Morning for asking La Di Events to be a part of their morning show.

I loved spending my morning with Jeanne and Melissa!

I hope you enjoyed the "Baby shower on a Budget" segment on You and Me this Morning.  I know I did!!

For more details on items we used in this segment or our planning services please contact us here.

Last Minute Halloween Party Ideas!

Are you interested in throwing a Halloween Party but don't have the time or maybe the budget?  Here are some easy and affordable ideas for food, decor and music this Halloween!

FOOD

Pumpkin Cheese Ball 

You can change your traditional cheese ball into a pumpkin!  All you need to do is cover it with Dorito chips and make the face with black olives and the stem with a pickle!

Pretzel Fingers

Also if you look to the left of this picture you will see "finger food"  You can cover pretzel rods with white chocolate and add chopped almonds for the fingernails.  Then for the container you can cover a cup with an old shirt sleeve! So Easy!

Spooky Dips

An easy way to make your dip more festive is to just add food coloring!  Here you can see not only did we dye the dips but we also placed them in small plastic cups and cut out the top of the pumpkins to display them in.

Ear Wax Sticks

This snack is creepy and fun!! These sticks are made to look like used q-tips. Place a small marshmellow on either side of a small pretzel, then dip the marshmallow's in butterscotch!! So Yummy!

Worms

Buy a few different types on gummy worms and arrange them all on a platter.  You can add a few fake spiders for decor! 

DECOR

Spiderwebs 

No need to go out and buy a bunch of decorations  Just cover your current decor with spiderwebs! You can find bags of fake spiderwebs at the dollar store.  A little goes a long way...literally.  Stretch the spiderwebs all around your home. Add tiny plastic spiders for a finishing touch.

Lighting

Everything looks scarier in the dark.  Change out some of your traditional lights and replace then with black lights.  You can find these in the Halloween section at most stores.  Or also check the local hardware stores.

Candles are also great to create that haunted look.  Stop by the dollar store and get some black or white tapers to light throughout your home. 

MUSIC

Satellite Music

If you have digital cable you probably have a series of music channels. You can turn on the seasonal channel and listen to spooky selections all night!!

AOL Radio

You can stream the AOL Radio Halloween Station from your Computer for free!

Ipod

You could also make a fun playlist for your party on your IPOD.  Some of the songs that are on my playlist include:

"The Monster Mash"

"Thriller"

"The Witch Doctor"

"The Time Warp", and

"Ghostbusters"!!

Happy Halloween Everyone!!!

Operation Give Thanks

Interested in hosting a party and giving back to a good cause?  Have you heard of Operation Give Thanks?


Here is all the information for you to get the know this great charity:
Operation Give Thanks is a nation-wide fundraising campaign to help Operation Shower continue their mission to throw amazing baby showers for military families to ease the burden of deployment.

Operation Shower gives back to our military families through parties, so can YOU !
Operation Shower is asking people across the nation to host a party, big or small, between now and the end of the year to raise money for Operation Shower. What a wonderful way to express your gratitude and thanks at this special time of year — and have fun!

Their long-term goal is to reach every military base in the nation. Their short-term goal is to raise $50,000 through Operation Give Thanks to enable them to shower over 200 more moms-to-be ! That’s right, if you raise $250 for Operation Shower, that helps them to throw a full amazing baby shower with gifts for a military mom to be whose spouse is deployed!

If you decide to host a party, please email  lena@operationshower.org or amy@operationshower.org and they will help guide you and provide more information!


Download their Fundraising Event Handbook here for more ideas.


To help you get started with a party theme some of the top party professionals have joined to offer free Printables!

Their last shower for military moms was in Washington, DC was their first “ A Star is Born” themed party. Whether it is a baby shower, dinner party, birthday party or bake sale everyone wants to be a star! So,they have provided ways in which you could provide your own “star” related event on behalf of Operation Give Thanks.

If you are interested in this theme, follow the links for Paper & Cake, Paper & Pigtails, or Parties By Hardie. They are offering free printables for this theme!

These free printables give you a great start on your next event.  The printable designers are asking that you please donate whatever you can afford in return for using the free printables.

Happy Planning!!

Halloween Parties to die for...

I think I mentioned before that Halloween is one of my favorite Holidays.  So this month I will continue to share easy Halloween planning ideas!

Interested in throwing a Halloween Party but don't know what to do?  Pier 1 Imports has done all of the work for you!  They have developed two Halloween Party Themes with step by step party planning instructions. 

Theme number one: Nightcap on Elm Street

 Theme number 2: Vampire Dinner Party

Jump onto their site here to start planning your Halloween Party! 

Halloween Party Labels

Can you believe it is already October?!!  I have to admit, I LOVE Halloween, and I was so excited when I came across this!! Marishortstuff is a Couture Wedding shop on Esty, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that she is making these custom labels for your Halloween Drinks and Treats!!

I just love all of the scary names!!!  Get in your orders fast!!  Halloween is only 30 days away!

Pink Wedding Gown!

 My dream has come true, a tasteful and glamorous blush PINK wedding gown! Aubrey and I attended Chicago Social Brides, Bridal Walk on Oak St, and even though we were there for her, cause she is engaged!! (Not sure if I had announced that yet?)  I fell in love with this Palazzo wedding gown!!  It is even more beautiful in person.  The silhouette is absolutely amazing and the color is just enough that its not overwhelming.  I want to remarry my husband just so I can wear this Palazzo gown!  Go check it out for yourselves at their boutique at 49 E. Oak St.

Wedding Language

                                     
Its funny how the world that we live in with texting and social media has changed the way we communicate with one another.  Acronyms have taken over everywhere we go.  I find myself using them all the time while taking notes and communicating with our clients.  But I can't fool myself into thinking that every one knows what my favorite wedding acronyms stand for.  In doing some research for this post I found that there are way more that I even knew about. 

These are some of the new acronyms to learn:


B - Bride

BF - Boy friend, Best friend

BIL - Brother-In-Law

BM - Bridesmaid, Banquet Manager, Best Man

BP - Bachelor(ette) Party

CM - Catering manager

CP - Centerpiece
DIY - Do-it-yourself

DOC - "Day Of" Coordinator (Wedding planner hired for the wedding day.)

DW - Destination Wedding

EP - Engagement Party

ER - Engagement Ring

FBIL - Future Brother-In-Law

FFIL - Future Father-In-Law

FG - Flower Girl
FI - Fiance

FMIL - Future Mother-In-Law

FOB - Father Of Bride

FOG - Father Of Groom

FSIL - Future Sister-In-Law

G - Groom
GM - Groomsman (Groomsmen)

GP - Grandparent

GTG - Get Together

HM - Honeymoon

JP - Justice of the Peace

MOB - Mother Of Bride

MOG - Mother Of Groom

MOH - Maid/Matron Of Honor (I like to do mOH for Maid, and MOH for matron)

NWR - Not Wedding Related

OOT - Out Of Town (guests)

OOTGB-Out Of Town gift bags

PF - Pocketfold, pocket fold (an invitation with a pocket)

RB - Ring Bearer

RD - Rehearsal Dinner

SO - Significant Other

STD - Save The Dates

TY - Thank you (or thank you cards)

WP - Wedding planner, wedding party

WR - Wedding ring
 
Do you know of any more?  Please share!

Whats Your Color Story?

 Preston Bailey, he is an event design genius!!  And he has designed this great tool for anyone looking for a custom color palette for your event.  What's your color story is a tool that is free for anyone to use right on his website.  I tried it out myself!

The steps are easy:

Step 1: Start by selecting one of our signature color swatches. Preston advises clients to make a selection by picking their favorite color or a shade that sparks their imagination. If you're not sure what to pick, you can always choose the "random" button to have him pick it for you.

 

Step 2: Tell about your event. Answer four simple questions to help them understand what you're looking for.

Step 3: Choose a Preston factor. (What's the Preston factor? You'll have to play to find out.)

Step 4: Your results! They will reveal a customized color palette created just for you and your event. (If you'd like to see more choices, all you need to do is play again.)

Get started by choosing your main color right here. The possibilities are limitless.