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!

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!

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.

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.

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 :)