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Workshop Wednesday: DIY Ombre Wedding & Party Decor!
Happy Workshop Wednesday! As you head into your weekend (is it Friday yet??!) we’re excited to feature another adorable and easy DIY project from our gal Rachel at Strawberry Small Works Studio! This week: Ombre hanging party decor: a simple and inexpensive way to
make cute hanging décor to match any style of party or wedding. Seriously, how pretty would the bride and groom’s initials be if cut out of this collaged paper?! We’re also loving this idea for dessert bar or lounge decor or ceremony backdrops too. Thanks, Rachel and happy crafting, Whimsters!
Materials:
- Tag board or cardstock
- Tissue paper
- Glue stick
- Modge Podge (optional)
- Scissors
- Stencils, cookie cutters, or ruler
- Hole punch & string to hang!
The easiest way to set up this project is to cut the tissue paper to the same size as your cardstock.
That way when you rip the tissue it is the necessary length of the paper you are gluing it on to and you can focus on the nuances of color and torn edges instead.
Layer the tissue paper on top of each other and start ripping!
Layer the tissue paper, making sure to put glue stick down under each strip. It must be entirely stuck down.
When you are finished a light layer of mod podge can give a sheen to it and make for a longer lasting project. That step can be easily omitted though.
Use a stencil or cookie cutter to trace as many of your shape of choice on the back of the cardstock.
You can also use a ruler and just cut simple squares or rectangles!
String them together, and ta-dah!
For a more complicated silhouette such as block letter initials you might want to use an exacto knife.
Rachel Shuman Armentano is the owner and artist behind Strawberry Small Works Studio in Somerville, Massachusetts. In addition to being wedding and party obsessed she has years of experience as an art educator and believes everyone can make something beautiful!
What other DIY projects are you interested in learning how to do?
15 Questions Every Bride Needs to Ask Her Wedding Venue
This week, two of our lovely couples officially signed their wedding venue contracts! As a planner, it always makes me feel special to be a part of that deciding moment with them. Finding the venue where their marriage will take place is a super cool thing. In fact, recently, one of my couples chose their venue based on the fact that they could always return to that place for future anniversaries! How adorable is that?
Adorableness aside, signing a venue contract comes with the typical legalities, deposits and questions. Here are a few tips and questions to ask before signing on the dotted line:
1. Along with the contract terms, ask for the bottom line. The venue should provide you with an estimate including site fees, rental fees, price per head, bar estimate, and all additional fees. Often, you will see a service fee, tax and administration fee on top of this.
2. Will you see any additional fees on the actual bill? This can include things like cleaning fees or insurance waiver fees.
3. Proof read your contract. Be sure the date, time, names and location are all correct. Sounds like a no brainer, but it is worth a few minutes to look over.
4. What is the venue’s cancellation policy? Things happen. A friend recently had to cancel because her date was on an important Jewish holiday. Make sure you are comfortable with whatever the policy states. Cancellations almost always result in losing a portion or all of your deposit.
5. How many weddings will be booked on your date? Large venues like hotels can often do more than one event because their full-time staff is trained for quick set up and break down. Smaller venues typically do not book more than one event in a day. If you are concerned, be sure to ask how they handle this. A reference from a past bride could help.
6. Does the venue require a specific time for the event? The venue may have a maximum amount of time or specific hours the event can be held. Make sure this time works with the timeline you have in mind.
7. Who is your venue contact person? Even if you hire an offsite event planner, the venue should provide a contact person onsite to direct questions to throughout the process and at the event.
8. Does the venue require you to work with exclusive vendors? You will need to know this prior to signing so you are comfortable with your choices.
9. What is the flame, candle & decoration policy? This will be necessary for your florist, stylist and planning team.
10. Are you required to provide event insurance? Often venues that require you to bring in all vendors also require insurance. The cost is generally low for 1-2 million in coverage. Check with your local insurance agency. State Farm or Wed Safe also provides event insurance.
11. What is the backup plan? Be sure the venue has a backup plan for inclement weather.
12. How early can you arrive for set up? This all depends on the venue. If the space is being used for other purposes during the day, you may only have a few hours. Be sure to find out so you can communicate this time with your vendors.
13. Who is responsible for set up and tear down? No matter what venue, be sure to hire a planner or florist who can help set up, deconstruct and collect the décor. Your venue may also do this for a fee. You definitely do not want to be cleaning up in your wedding dress on the happiest night of your life!
14. Does the venue provide parking? Some provide parking for a flat rate, valet or street parking. If your vendor requires valet, you will also need to budget for attendant service and tip.
15. What is the deposit schedule for payment? Be sure to understand how much money you need to put down to reserve the space and when the remaining balance is due.
I could spend all day doing this, but these tend to be the most important questions to ask. Honestly,venues are not out to make your day complicated. In fact, they strive to provide you with a stress free day. Overall, as long as you are comfortable with their answers and are aware of everything ahead of time, you are golden!
Past brides, can you think of anything else you learned when signing your wedding contract? Feel free to post in the comments!
Posted in Boston Wedding Planner
Also tagged boston event planning, cambridge wedding planning, somerville wedding planner
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On A Whim: The Proposal. A Music and Wine Wedding Design
This is the story of how we proposed to Matt & Steph…
We were pretty darn eager to start brainstorming for Stephanie and Matt’s big day. Moira, Jen, Jenny and I turned on our music and got right to creating a proposal.
Matt and Steph left the design completely up to us. So we kicked off our meeting by reviewing the details. We had a good understanding of their style and what they wanted on their wedding day. Our goal was to cohesively tie together every aspect of their relationship – their love for music, wine, food..and fun. We knew this wedding was going to be something special.
Moira started with her vision. She imagined candles everywhere. Tall glass vases at up to 40” high, staggered at different heights, surrounding the entire room. Almost like piano keys…or flames..or lighters at a concert. Romantic, emotional, magical, intimate, relaxed…and most importantly, musically inspired. We got Moira’s vision right away…and we came to realize, it had that MTV unplugged feel.
THAT WAS IT….MATT AND STEPH..UNPLUGGED.
We nearly fell out of our chairs. It made sense…they’d been to over 47 concerts together..it was edgy, urban…and totally up their alley. From there we built the design. A candlelit ceremony that mimicked Florence and the Machine’s unplugged show… wine colored dahlias…a concert poster seating plan…custom signage..tables named after their favorite bands and a lyric…flowers inspired by each band…a Legend Wall in honor of Steph’s mom…2 guestbook options: a custom made music video or an autographed record. We designed the proposal like a CD cover, with every aspect included in the set list:
We sent the proposal to Steph and Matt with baited breath. We were psyched when our design plan was well received. They were completely open to our ideas and enhanced them with a few more of their own. And with a few minor revisions, we finished up the contract…(with coffee at Bloc 11, obviously).
And now…it’s go time! With a month to go…we’re getting the timeline in place….and a trip to the flower market scheduled in early July! Coming up on the next blog: Steph and Matt’s amazing engagement pics from Yaritza Colon and their quirky cake from Amanda Oakleef!
Alternatives to the Wedding Cake: Whimsical Wedding Desserts
This may be one of my favorite blogs to write. Who doesn’t dream about desserts in their spare time? I certainly do. Over the years, traditional wedding cake, although beautiful and mighty tasty, has certainly become a little pricey…causing couples to look for new alternatives. The goal: a dessert display to amaze their guests and satisfy their tummies. Last year, cupcakes were the “it” factor (with good reason!). They’re cute, delicious, and unique. Then came candy bars - with all different types of treats in an adorable and fun display.
All in all, couples are making desserts a key feature in their day, and we couldn’t love this more! In fact, we’re pretty sure you should eat dessert first! Our favorites:
Cake pops in decadent flavors
Sweet and savory flavors of popcorn
Shaved ice, funnel cake, macaroons and whoopie pies
A Gourmet Smores Bar
Warm pies in glass mason jars (no need for a knife, just grab a spoon and dig in!). Seriously who wouldn’t love jars of blueberry, rhubarb, or strawberry pie with colorful plaid clothe lid and a rope string to tie it all together??
and my personal favorite…. mini melt in your mouth, right out of the oven, chocolate chip cookies with a shot of milk to wash it all down – the world’s most loved and traditional dessert with a not so traditional twist.
One of our brides decided to melt the traditional with not-so-traditional for her dessert bar.. Instead of one grand and beautiful wedding cake, she decided to have a table of adorable mini wedding cakes with an assortment of melt in your mouth flavors. Sounds like my kind of wedding! Not only can your guest have an extra large slice of red velvet cake, they can also have chocolate, vanilla, and lemon if they wish!!!
When it comes to desserts, the world is your oyster…or doughnut? Just remember, if you need a taste tester, the Whim crew can certainly be of assistance!
xoxo,
Jenny
What’s your favorite wedding dessert?
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Also tagged boston event design, boston floral design, cambridge floral design, cambridge wedding, wedding boston
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On a Whim: A Wine & Music Inspired Wedding at Les Zygomates
This is the story of how we met Matt & Steph.
Steph’s original email to Whim was pretty standard. Her and her fiance Matt were interested in flowers (perhaps burgundy dahlias) for a night-time wedding at Les Zygomates Wine Bar in Boston. Little did we know, this awesome couple was far from standard.
We got a bit more info. They wanted an urban, intimate feel, inspired by music and wine – like a big dinner party, where they just happened to be getting married.
We loved their energy from the start – and we set up a time to meet. A few days later, Steph emailed to ask if we could bring our dear friend Jen O’Donnell from CutPasteLove to the meeting. Steph and Matt loved Jen’s quirky hand-written wedding invitations. We consider Jen a part of the Whim crew, so you can imagine our reply.
And so we all met at Les Zyg on a bustling Thursday night. Jazz was playing, wine was flowing. And in fact, it felt like a fun night out, where we just happened to be talking about their wedding.
We instantly loved Matt and Steph. In between wine, oysters and burgers, we learned they have been to over 47 concerts together. Matt once went to a wedding with 2 different shoes on. They’ve been friends for years. They once saw a dude set his hair on fire at a concert. Steph’s son is learning VooDoo Child to play on the guitar at their wedding. Matt’s a southern gentlemen who pulls out chairs for ladies, and prides himself on random facts. Steph’s a school teacher for inner city kids, who runs marathons for charity…and loves cheeseburgers and cake. Their engagement pictures were taken of the two of them eating cheeseburgers all over Boston…
All in all, these two crazy cats were quirky, unique and fun…exactly how we imagined their wedding to be.
So, we were thrilled when Steph and Matt asked us to not only do flowers, but to also design their entire vision…from invites, to a seating concept, right down to the guestbook. Music and good conversation were key elements, as was a way to remember Steph’s mom, who had passed away years ago. With two months to make this part-ay happen, we had a lot to do quickly.
A few days after our meeting, Jen got to work on the invites. And she floored everyone with this awesome design.
Now, the next step…for us to build a custom design proposal…
…and we can’t wait to tell you what we came up with!
Find out more on the next blog, friends. =)
Xoxo,
The Whim Crew – Nat, Moira, Jen & Jenny
Jori & Sean’s Somerville Wedding: Hurricane Irene Meets Her Match!
Looking at these photos, you would never guess that Jori and Sean’s colorful nuptials happened during the downpours of Hurricane Irene. But that didn’t stop this awesome couple and their guests from having a blast! The couple’s quirky and casual style made for a super fun and super relaxed day for everyone involved. Jori and Sean are all about keeping it local, so it made perfect sense for them to have their wedding reception at Bloc 11 in Somerville, steps from their Union Square home. And when we heard that Redbones BBQ was catering, we knew it was our kind of party! Moira arranged the flowers and I was the day of coordinator, and we were thrilled to be involved! We adored the DIY elements the bride’s mother created; from gingham table squares and tea lights, to personalized wine charm favors. The bride’s father married the couple, the groom’s sister sang a heartfelt song at the ceremony, and each family member blessed the rings with warm wishes for the couple. We don’t care what the weatherman said, it really was a beautiful day.
Photo credit: Kan Photography
For more pictures, click here