Event Lighting

Lighting is such an integral part of an event, it can turn an otherwise blank space into show stopper. Lighting helps create and ambiance, weather you want a romantic and classic mood or a party scene. 

We always suggest to our clients to do lighting for any indoor event. This starts with your ceremony. We like to keep in clean and crisp during the ceremony, we suggest going with a nice amber lighting which will give the room a candlelight glow.

When moving into the reception we suggest starting with a subtle color. Consider keeping the amber lighting or moving to a light pink or aqua.

As soon as the DJ kick starts the music this is the time to get dramatic with your lighting. Go for bold colors such as red, blue or purple. Even better do choose colors that complement each other such as red and orange, pink and purple or blue and amber.

Things to keep in mind:
1. Don't do to many color combinations as this will make it look like a children's birthday.
2. Changing the colors to much during dancing can be a little distracting and even hard on the eyes.
3. The simpler the better, going too crazy with lighting can be overwhelming.
4. Lasers and moving heads can be fun, but can make it look more like a club than a reception.

Unique Ideas from Etsy

With the ever-growing popularity of websites that focus on handmade and personalized items, it has never been easier to create great customized items for your wedding! Etsy is our go-to site for tons of cute and unique ideas – the possibilities are truly endless! Your guests will be delighted by dessert flags in their cupcakes with sayings such as “Love is Sweet” and “Love Sweet Love.” Liven up your drinks with printed straws and stirrers, or even personalized koozies and coasters! From personalized napkins to fans and sunglasses, the sky really is the limit with Etsy! 

Cocktail Hour Centerpieces

Decor for your cocktail hour will set the ambiance for the rest of the evening. Most brides forget to decorate the cocktail hour. We think it needs just as much attention as the rest of your events. There are plenty of options such as candles, flowers and also non floral that can hold the middle of the table. Here are some of our simple suggestions...

Doubling Up on Cocktail Hour – How to Avoid the Lines

Cocktail hour is a wonderful way for your guests to get a taste of many different delectable foods, but the last thing they want to do is wait in line for a long time and miss out on other stations! To avoid this, we always recommend doubling up on your food stations. The threshold for each food station is about 200 people -  meaning that 200 people can go through each station during a typical cocktail hour. If you have more than 200 guests, you should definitely double up on your stations. For instance, if you would like to feature 8 unique food stations, you should actually have 16 stations set up (2 of each). You’ll also want to make sure that your guests receive speedy drink service at the bar. Having one bartender for every 75 guests is ideal, but you can push this number up to 100 guests if need be. With these 2 tricks, you will ensure that your guests get all of the food and drinks they want at cocktail hour without worry!

Cocktail Hour Timing

Cocktail Hour is one of the most important parts of your reception. By this time guests are generally pretty hungry and ready to get the party started. Even though the standard timing for cocktails is just 1hour, we always like to suggests our clients to do 1.5 hours of cocktails.

Here are the 5 main reasons:
1. Most guests tend to run a little late, therefore if cocktails are 1hr they are missing out on most of it.

2. Cocktail hour is where guests tend to eat and drink the most, so give them time to enjoy and mingle.

3. Extending the cocktail hour allows for the Bride and Groom to make a small appearance, even if just for 30min at the tail end.

4. If you are hosting your ceremony and reception in the same space, flipping the room might take a while, so giving your decorator and venue an extra 30min to set up can be a huge help.

5. If you are already paying per person, you want to make sure all guests are there to enjoy it. This way everyone has fun and you are not wasting your money.

Color Palette: Brown and Pink

Our clients are always asking us for great color combinations for wedding decor. There are so many palettes that have already been done that sometime it can be hard to find new color inspiration. Lately we have been in love with brown and pink! This color combo exudes elegance and luxury. It has a touch of darkness with a hint of color, it's a combo that both brides and grooms will love.

Here is some inspiration:

Non Floral Centerpieces

When you think of a traditional wedding centerpiece, your mind probably immediately jumps to a beautiful flower arrangement. We, however, love to think outside the box, and love the idea of non-floral centerpieces. The items you choose to use can help fuse the theme of your wedding into your centerpieces, and will probably help you save some budget! Using items such as feathers, candles, seashells, or succulents will really give your reception a unique and beautiful feel.

Tree Style Centerpieces

Choosing your centerpieces is a wonderful way to use your creativity to really make your reception stand out to your guests.  One way to create a stunning and dramatic effect at your wedding is to use tree style centerpieces at your guest tables. Adding flowers to a Manzanita branch creates a delicate and graceful effect, while hanging tealight candle holders to the branches can create a more rustic feel. Find some inspiration from Mother Nature with some of these gorgeous tree style centerpieces: