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!)

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 :)

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

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!!

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.

Barter Something Blue

www.SpaTownBeads.co.uk

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.