Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Amy and Josh - Married!



This is a late post, but better late than never, right? Amy and Josh were married on May 31, 2009. There wedding was just gorgeous! It was held at Gordon Lee Mansion and we were sooo happy that it turned out to be a nice day. Our backup plan for rain was in a tent and it would have not been as nice as the front steps of the gorgeous, historical mansion. For more pictures go to www.michellemckibben.blogspot.com.
I have been a REALLY REALLY bad blogger these past few months. There have been a lot of changes and I just haven't been able to keep up with my blogging. I know, I'm a terrible person! Don't think I forgot about you all though...because I certainly didn't. I will be posting more now that I am starting to catch my breath. I will try to put some of my Costa Rica pictures up soon so that you all can see how my husband and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary! I am in love with Costa Rica. I miss it dearly. I am thinking that I need to find a bride who wants to get married there. :)

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Early morning in Costa...

So, this morning we woke up REALLY early to a crazy-eyed bird making weird noises outside of our window. I was so hoping that it was a monkey or a tucan, but it wasn't...just a big 'ol nasty black bird being sooo loud!

Realizing that we just couldn't get back to sleep (we are still on EST, so it was actually 9:00 when we finally got up after not being able to take the bird anymore) and got in a pretty good workout before our $20.00 breakfast....ugh. I hate paying more than $2.00 for breakfast. What would Dave say, right? Thank goodness we are going to an all-inclusive resort or we would make ourselves miserable each time we had to pay for food. :)

We are getting ready to leave the Hilton Garden Inn and head for the Paradisus Resort. We are sooo excited! Not sure if we will have internet access at the resort, so if not then we will talk to you all when we get back.

P.S. I don't think I will be able to post any pictures since I am not working off of my laptop but the hotel's public computers. But I'll see what I can do.

P.P.S.S. Mom the frogs here are soooo cute! :) Just kidding...I haven't seen any yet. Granny....tell Hailey I will do my best to bring her back a monkey! :)

Saturday, June 13, 2009

We're in Costa Rica!!

Well, we love it already. We made it in a little early and it was already dark here so we haven't got to really see Costa Rica yet but I'm sure it will be great. The airport is open air which was cool and it was raining when we arrived, so that was an experience in and of itself. :)

For tonight we are staying at the Hilton Garden Inn that is close to the airport to save some money. Tomorrow we will head on over to our resort, the Paradisus Playa Conchal. We are so excited for tomorrow! When we got to the hotel, the service was superb. Everyone here is so friendly and just waiting to help. However, when we went down to dinner we were going to sit outside and all of a sudden this HUGE RAT came running out in front of me screeching "EECH EECH!" (Okay, I may be exaggerating a little...it was more like a small, black mouse, but still...gross!) Now to redeem the hotel...it is not a hotel that you would think would have a mouse on the patio. It is a very nice hotel, in fact, I think it is the nicest Hilton Garden Inn's that I have ever stayed in.

Dinner was good and we are about ready to go to bed since it is almost 11:00 our time. We want to make sure that we have lots of energy to explore Costa Rica and our resort tomorrow.

We hope that you all have a great week and pray for us that there won't be much rain. We are here on the "rainy season" but have heard that it is no more than what Florida experiences with their afternoon showers. If anyone has to get ahold of us, call the resort which you can find their information online. Otherwise, we will see you all when we get back. Have a great week!

Friday, May 22, 2009

And the winner is.....

AMANDA WOODWARD!
Thank you for all who voted. Amanda had a landslide of votes and her groom truly deserves this cigar set. Amanda, please call me at 423-468-0815 or email me at natasha@allureeventconsulting.com to discuss getting you the set.
All of the stories were great and hope that each one of you can find something special for your wonderful fiance to enjoy at the wedding. If anyone is interested in learning more about how you can have your own hand-rolled cigars at your wedding please contact Jimmy Snyder with Coastal Cigars at:
Jimmy Snyder
Coastal Cigars
Director of Operations
843-225-5233
www.coastalcigars.com
Have a fun and safe Memorial Day Weekend!

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Bill's 60th Birthday Party

For the past year, I have been giving hints on one of my main projects that I have been working on. Well, the day has come to reveal the big surprise.....it was my grandfather's surprise 60th birthday party! The theme of the night was "Celebrating the Past 60 Years" and boy, did we go all out! On the invitations it told everyone to dress as one of the past decades that my grandfather was alive in 1940s - 2000s. I was so amazed to see how well everyone responded! There were great outfits and everyone looked so much their part! The picture above is of my sister...and as you can guess, she was dressing as the 1940s. I just love this picture that the photographer captured of her. To see all of the pictures you can go to La Vita Photo's website.

The night was a HUGE success! My grandfather was very surprised and had about 120 guests all there in his honor. However, there was a twist in the night and we had one more trick up our sleeves. About a fourth of the way into the night, I asked my grandparents to join me on the dance floor. I gave them a gift, which ended up being empty. Once they figured out that there was nothing in the box, the doors to the facility opened and in came all of the grandchildren with leis. Yes, that is right....we were letting them know that we had given them a trip to Hawaii too! The trip came from everyone at the party. It was indicated on the invitations that we were giving a huge gift and everyone in the party was more then generous with their donations.

I just want to give a few thank you's to a few people in particular:

-Ryan Vorhees for being our dj and providing us with great dance music
-Sandy Bland and all of her staff for making us a delicious meal and taking care of our catering needs.
-Victoria Stapleton at La Vita Photo for being our photobooth photographer
-Kim Burke for the yummy cupcakes!

Friday, March 20, 2009

Do It Yourself Flowers


In these tough economic times, we all need to look at how we can save money on our events. One of the things that I love about weddings is the flowers. They smell so good and look so pretty and I just can't help to be happy when I am around them. But why do we have to pay thousands of dollars for the flowers when we have two perfectly good hands to do them ourselves? Okay, I know that most of you are thinking...I don't know how to do bouquets and centerpieces and even more than that...I don't have the time! Well if you live in the Greater Dayton. Ohio area, you don't need to know everything about flowers to have great flower decorations that you made yourself. There is a company there called The Flower Man and they have the whole "Home Depot" mindset - You can do it, they can help. As far as being time restricted, you can make this a fun thing for your girls to do. You can have this actually be your Brides Luncheon day...reserve a table for your bridesmaids and yourself, bring in lunch and have each girl customize her own bouquet. I love the idea! For more information check out The Flower Man's website at www.yourflowerman.com.

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Great Idea: Cigar Bar!

picture by www.ngala.net

At the wedding that I was at last weekend, one of the things that the bride and groom did was a cigar and brandy bar. I loved that idea! Outside of the reception was a small lounge section covered by a cabana tent. In the tent was a Cigar Roller from CF Dominicana Cigar Catering. Everyone loved the idea of having their cigars rolled right there in front of them while they sipped brandy. If you want to give your reception that little extra touch, I would highly recommend that you consider hiring a cigar rolling company like CF Dominicana Cigar Catering.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

What are you doing for Valentines?

Valentine's.....a day for love and romance. This past week I have been wondering what my husband was going to do for me for the big V-Day. He keeps telling me that "It is in the works." When asked exactly what that meant he said, "I'm still working on it." Not a very good answer. Why do guys wait till the last minute to plan everything? Being a planner, it absolutely drives me insane. So as I was becoming more frustrated that my husband (like most) wait till the last minute...I have decided to take things into my own hands. Why should the man always be responsible for sweeping us ladies off of their feet? I'm going to release the hubby from all of his V-day "responsibilities" this year and make my own plans.

I think that a sunset picnic dinner will be perfect for this Valentine's. With the 60 degree weather that is sweeping across the south, we might as well take advantage of it and be outside. If you are wanting to do a picnic basket dinner, make sure the following is not forgotten:

-The food of course!
-A bottle of wine, champagne or sparkling grape juice
-A wine opener
-Glasses, plates, and silverware
-A blanket to sit on
-Love poems to read to one another (okay that my be a little cheesy, but it's Valentine's..anything cheesy goes!)

Sunday, February 8, 2009

For the Reception: William Hill Wine

Picture by kolamayeryouths.sg


If you are serving wine at your wedding, make sure that you have something descent. Even if you are not a wine snob, you can pretty much be assured that your guests will know if you are serving them something cheap. One of the best wines that I like for a good price is William Hill. This Napa Valley winery produces a perfect red wine that I just could drink all day long!


William Hill is about $17.00 per bottle and is worth every penny. It is not too cheap and certainly not the most expensive, but I think your guests will be satisfied with it's taste and aroma. If your reception facility will allow you to bring in your own wine, I would highly suggest that you consider this wine for your guests.


Sidenote- If your budget does not allow for a wine like William Hill, I would suggest that you start out with something a little nicer and as the night progresses, change to a cheaper wine. Most will not notice the change too much since they have been drinking already :)

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Grocery Store Flowers Upgraded


Your supermarket stocks fresh-cut flowers that cost a fraction of what the florist charges, but the bouquets lack grace and style. If you take apart those banal bunches of blooms, however, and remember a few quick lessons, you'll be able to transform the most common supermarket flowers into charming centerpieces.

Divide and conquer. Carnations, chrysanthemums, Oriental lilies, roses, golden solidagos, and a few stems of greenery — is typical of those sold in supermarkets. It's a confused mishmash of colors, textures, and sizes.
Contrast colors.Red roses and red carnations seem more vibrant when accented with a few sprigs of bright yellow solidago.Lesson: Never mix more than two contrasting colors in the same vase.
Go monochromatic. All the bouquet's pink blooms — alstroemeria, carnations, lilies, and daisies — are pulled out, cut short, and rearranged in a cylindrical vase.Lesson: Assorted flowers of different sizes and shapes can be mixed when they're all in the same color family, such as reds and pinks, yellows and oranges, or reds and purples.
Contrast textures. Orange alstroemeria is paired with hypericum berries for a lush and bold autumnal bouquet. The marriage of smooth, round berries and spiky flowers proves that opposites attract.Lesson: When pairing two dissimilar flowers, choose varieties with distinctly different textures and shapes.
Cut and edit. Red roses are always available, and more often than not they're sold with unnecessary greenery and baby's breath. For a dramatic arrangement, cut the stems short and place the roses in a simple frosted cylinder vase. Let the stems rest against one another to create a perfect mound of red. Lesson: Don't be afraid to discard unwanted accents or chop down long stems.
Make it mass. Carnations are sold in almost every shade of the rainbow, and because they're inexpensive, you can buy two bunches for the cost of one of another flower. Cut the stems short and stuff a vase, leaving no space between the blooms. Lesson: Common flowers look more sophisticated in large quantities.
Article by RealSimple.com

Friday, January 30, 2009

And the Winner Is......

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Jamie!
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Jamie, please email me at Natasha@allureeventconsulting.com with your full name, address and phone number to receive your Beau Coup prize!!

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Contest!

Beau Coup and Allure Event Consulting have teamed up together to give a great prize for one luck winner of our contest! All you have to do is go to beau coup's website and look for your favorite favor and then leave a comment or email us at Natasha@allureeventconsulting.com saying which one you love! We will pick the winner on Friday, January 30th so check back to see if you are the lucky winner of a $25.00 gift certificate to Beau Coup!
I love this favor! So cute!!
Beau Coup has everything every kind of party favor that you can think of! From weddings to baby showers, Beau Coup is a great source in finding what you need to show your guest that you appreciate them. As the leading wedding favor company, you can count that Beau Coup will always provide you with exceptional service and quick turn-around.

Wedding favors is their biggest focus at Beau Coup but they have so much more than that! From bridal party gifts to wedding supplies, you can do a lot of your shopping right there...which is always a plus!

They also have a blog! If you are in need of more event ideas (that is if you can't find what you are looking for here at Allure) then make sure you check out their blog for the latest event trend updates.


Isn't this miniature watering can the perfect favor for a garden-themed wedding? I sure think so! You could even put plant inside that your guests can plant when they get home.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Barter Something Blue



I know that I have been so bad about blogging lately. Honestly, my schedule has been so crazy that I feel that January has been such a whirlwind! But there are no excuses for my lack of blogging. I'm sorry!

Today I was reading one of my favorite blogs Weddings By A Groom-To-Be and read about a new spin-off blog by the author's brother (a.k.a. Gronk). I will just say that I love Weddings By A Groom-To-Be but I would not suggest that you read it if you are easily offended. If you like a good laugh then please feel free to read this Groom's take on the whole wedding process. Since I am a planner, I enjoy the comic relief that this Groom gives me.

Anyhow, the spin-off blog by Gronk is just hilirious! If you want a background story on why he created this blog, then read the last post of Wedding By A Groom-To-Be. Gronk's new blog is called Barter Something Blue. It is exactly what the title says, Gronk wants to barter his blue items for your blue items in hopes to find the perfect Something Blue for his soon-to-be sister-in-law. For any of you brides who do not have your something blue yet, take a look on his blog and see if there is something that you may want to use for your wedding day.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

What a cute video!

I found just the cutest video from 28Twenty Productions posted on Pictures by Tracy's blog. This couple seems to be such a fun couple! You'll just fall in love with them when you see their video. Click on the picture below to take you to the video:


Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Remember this story?

Do you all remember the story that I wrote about a few months ago with the Winnie-the-Pooh notebook paper leading to marriage?? (If you don't, then click here to read it)

Since I thought their story was so cute, I thought I would post a few pictures from their wedding. Jessica and Josh are too adorable and I had a great time working with them! Can you tell that Jessica is a model? She looks great in her pictures!


 
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