100 Likes!

It's official! Wonderland Events made it to 100 "likes" today! I started my page in July, so to have 100 "likes", not including all of the pages that have "liked" WE as well which do no show up in the count, I am thrilled. The love and support of my friends, family, and co-workers is amazing!

In the happy spirit of today, I designed a Citrus colored theme party. Bright watermelon pinks, orange oranges :), and hints of lemon yellow fill this party with cheer. I picture this as an outdoor or garden party for a young girl. I love the pink lemonade cupcakes and the cotton candy. I also love the place settings (minus the neon green :) ) for the party. They would be a super easy DIY project! The hot pink golf cart is a great prop and also a fun thing the play around on at the party! Not to mention how awesome the pictures would be with this beauty! DIY yard balls, ribbon stick favors, and centerpieces pull in the colors and are great added touches. Check it all out here:

Once again, thanks to everyone and keep the "likes" and love coming!

Blessed
-M

Easy Breezy Beach Board

Yay! I finally got my beach board done! I found a lot of really cool details for this wedding that made me fall in love even more with saying “yes” on the sand.  Check it out:



I'll go from left to right explaining my picks! First, the DIY seashell candles are a great inexpensive touch that adds subtle lighting and lots of detail. Use these on the sign in table or even around the centerpieces at the reception.

The guys boutonniere made from starfish are great and will standout on any color of suit with the greenery in the background.

One of my favorite touches to this wedding is the living favors. These small plants can go a long way and will make your guest remember what a great wedding you had when they see the plant grow. I think it would be cute to add a saying to it with a decorative tag. Maybe, "May these plants grow each day more and more like our love has." Love it!

Another one of my favorite is the tandem bike pictured above. For vintage weddings, the couple leaves in a vintage mustang, or for posh weddings, they may have a limo as the get-a-way car, but for the beach, a tandem bike is a must have! Think of what great pictures that would make!

The invitations were hard to pick since there are so many that would look great for a beach wedding. I went with sailboat invites to give more of a laid back feel for the guests. You could do any color to match your palette.

Could the sand aisle and driftwood be any more perfect for a beach wedding? Only if you add this gorgeous greenery! Love the simple, but bold set up for the vow to take place.

I gave two options of bridesmaid dresses, one in blue and green and a neutral tone. Both would be appropriate for the beach. As for the bride, nowadays you can go traditional with a full skirted dress or go ultra flowy with a strapless number. Your pick!

The table set up pulls in the greenery and uses the wood tables to add to the natural setting. I love the centerpiece and white settings. The cake is fabulous and is elegant ivory. Those seashell made of white chocolate add the perfect beach detail.

I could see many happy guests at this wedding full of surf, sand, and lots of love. Make me want to go to the beach!


More to come soon and as always, feedback is welcomed! :)

-M

My First Experience seeing Bieber Fever

WOW! This weekend was a whirlwind! From hitting the red carpet, to helping with a bridal show, I had my work cut out for me. On Saturday, the 33rd Annual Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony took place at the Cobb Energy Center. The Red Carpet was rolled out and hundreds of fans were lined up, waiting for the celebs to strut their stuff. I was excited to attend the VIP reception ceremony in the ballroom. It is always fun to attend big events and look for inspiration for my upcoming parties. The ballroom was decked out in red tinted back lighting making the room glow.  Chandeliers hung from the ceiling and looked like coral shooting out in different directions. Very modern and fun.

People were dressed to impressed. Head to toe glitz seemed to be the trend for the guests. The food was great for a bite sized meal. Sliders, spring rolls, crab cakes, olive pockets, and mini pies were being served on either side of the room. In the center, four bars were set up in the shape of a circle giving the guest easy access to drinks and short lines.

Pretty soon it was time to take our seats. We watched as Troup County resident, Paul Cochran was inducted in the Hall of Fame along with Bieber, Toni Braxton, Kenny Leon, Mother's Finest and others. Guest appearance and performances took place by Samuel L. Jackson, Usher, Jan Smith (Usher and Bieber's voice coach), and Monica of NBC News. It was defiantly a night to remember and a great resource for me to look back on when planning big events.

Here are a few pictures I took throughout the night:

Me and My Date :)

Samuel L. Jackson with inductee, Kenny Leon

Opening of the Show: Mother's Finest

Lead Singer of Mother's Finest. She is 64 and AWESOME!

Usher with the Biebs and Scotty annoucing Jan Smith, their voice coach, into the Hall of Fame

VIP Reception aka the "Red Room"

Ask and You Shall Recieve

Recently I was asked by a great friend of mine to do a post on centerpieces. Depending on the style of your wedding, centerpieces are capable of being the "center" of attention, or... a big flop. BUT have no fear, you do not have to adorn each table with thosands of dollars of flowers, heck, you don't have to use flowers at all if you don't want to! Here are a few of my favorite inspiration centerpieces I found cruising around the internet. I'll give you a few tips on each, but come on people, if you want more tips... you should hire me! :)

This first centerpiece is from a party I did earlier in the summer. It would be great for the on-going trend of a dessert or sweet treat bar at the reception. Instead of using real candy, I used sugar cookies with royal icing (home-made!) to create the cookie pops. It goes to show that inexpensive and home-made can look great and serve the purpose of a centerpiece. It certainly did draw your attention to the favor table. :)

Flowers not your thing? These next few centerpieces are for you! The one above is brillant. A elegant haystack tied with a bow. LOVE! This centerpiece will make an impact and your guests will be talking about how cool it is to turn hay into something chic... or at least thats what I would talk about!  Great for any type of wedding, dress it up or down as much as needed, just like your LBD. :)Fairly inexpensive and super creative. Fab-u-lous!

Talk about a natural centerpiece! The only thing here that doesn't come from your back yard is the mirrored glass and the mason jars, well, depending on where you are from, you could probably find the mason jars back there too! What a great color combo from the green moss, brown and black rocks, and deep purple flowers. This kind of centerpiece is good if you are planning on having a large and casual wedding. The pieces needed to create this look are easy to find and a no brainer on how to arrange!

Now I am easing you into the whole flower deal :) This stunning centerpiece also doubles as a table runner. Different shapes and sizes of clear glass jars hold candles giving your guests some intimate lighting. Petals from almost any flower can replace the white rose petals in the picture to match the wedding decor.

A little bit of this and a little bit of that! Natural branches with added lights make this table light up. The clear glass vases could be filled with rocks or even faux gems to add some contrast. The smaller vases are filled with flowers to offset the rustic feel of the branches and add in that romantic touch.

Last, but not least is my favorite pick! Drum roll please....

Number one, can I just let it be known that I LOVE ORCHIDS! They are such a great flower and are the star of the show in this clear, crystal centerpiece. All white tables are perfectly paired with classic crystal vases filled with water and full of white orchirds brimming over the top. Small votive candles add a subtle light to the table. Classic, chic, and timeless. What more could you ask for out of a centerpiece! :)
Well there you have it. A few great ideas to get you started! And as always, feedback is welcomed!

Dedicated to my Haiwiian bestie :)

Let me make your centerpiece dreams come true,
-M

I love Facelifts!

If you have been here before, you know that the blog looks different. Luckily, I know/date a talented up and coming artist who knows how to work with all programs and can do just about anything. He was responsible for giving this blog the amazing "facelift" it received over the weekend. Since I am already gushing about his talents, just go check it out for yourself after you leave here. His website is http://www.wtarnold.com/ and was designed by him as well.

Ok, now back to my blog :)

When I decide to walk down the aisle, I want there to be sand involved and I think that is why I am being so picky about my beach inspiration board. I just haven't found the right mix of things to make it worthy yet and of course, I am not going to put it out if it isn't my best. Guess you guys will just have to wait for me to perfect it! Until then, check out this vintage board I made. It is breathtakingly beautiful and ultra shabby chic vintage.

The blush, rose, champange, and pale pinks make this wedding super romantic. The pictures of the little girl with the GREAT rosette headpiece is what got me going on this board. How perfect would she be for a flowergirl? And the unique handpiece is to die for... I just happen to know a great company out of Texas that specializes in them. Any venue that has a great outdoor and indoor space would be ideal. Here, I chose a barn with wooden walls to enhance the colors and theme. Pearls used to make chandeliers add a vintage touch and tie in the pearls from the invitations found at the bottom lefthand corner. A branch and baby's breath wreath hung on the wall dresses up the venue a bit, but the mason jars filled with flowers keep it casual. I love the picture on the bottom righthand corner of the suitcase where guests can drop gifts and cards for the new couple. If you look at a earlier post, I bought a great, vintage butterfly case for
this purpose!

 At the top of the board, pictures printed in black and white are hung on pipes by ribbon. Great idea to show off engagement photos! The tree stump circle is being used as the guest book. After the wedding, it will make a great framed piece or can be displayed on a stand. The chocolate bar is a hot trend for this year. The sign and white antique table are two details that make a dessert bar stand out. The bride's dress makes me drool and is a perfect fit for the shabby chic styled party. Bridesmaids will be dressed in a blush hue to match the flowers. Lastly, the flower headbands found underneath the brides bouquet add a delicate detail to the wedding. It is always nice to have a small touch that is capable of making a big impact.

Sorry boys. I was so exctied about the girl's dresses, flowers, and headbands that groom and groomsmen gear didn't make the cut. I definatly would put them in a khaki colored suit and pin them with matching blush flowers wraped in burlap brown. Precious!

Once again, thanks for reading and soaking up my ideas! I hope you had as much fun reading as I did writing and creating! Also, I would love feedback on the new blog's look and the inspiration board!


All for now,
-M

Admitting You Have a Problem, is Step ONE

Something on Pintrest that said there is always "that" time of day where you realize you aren't going to be productive at all anymore. Like a little switch clicks in your head that says, "I wonder if YouTube uploaded the most recent episodes of 'Toddlers and Tiaras'?" Or, maybe thats just me...but, today I have decided to be extremely productive and write this article. Go Me!

Even on my "less-productive" days, I find myself acting like a hard-working bride. I cruise through articles on unique weddings, wedding disaters, ways to avoid inviting awkward Aunt Ethyl, the perfect wedding dress, new trends and fashion, etc etc. Then it dawned on me. I am totally an addict to Wedding Porn. Anything and everything wedding(and events), I am interested in and want to know more about. I spend hours oggling the new Vera collection and putting together color pallettes. I could spend days searching for venues and catering, drooling as I see the newest chefs creations. Seriously, its an addiction. Luckily for me, it is also a job :)

Admitting my addiction has made me realize how to get more brides interested in Wonderland Events. Brides aren't spending there time looking for the perfect wedding planner, and if they are then YAY good news for me! However, I know where my time is spent with I go into "bride-mode" and its on blogs, in magazines, and on Facebook. So, thats where my time for my business will be spent. Over 1,503,000 women are engaged on Facebook and on average those girls spend 55 mins on Facebook a day. 90 mins are spent on blogs and an additional 2 hours are spent elsewhere for the Bride-to-Be. 

With that being said, it looks like it is time to put my money where my mouth is and keep this blog as updated as possbile. Add new work everyday and devote all of my wedding porn time into a site where Brides will stumble upon it and fall in love. Looks like the next logical step for WE is a legit www. .com website. Let's just hope my "wedding porn" site doesn't get blocked by the firewalls for being "Adult Content." :)

What would YOU want to see on a Wedding/ Party site? Feedback people... thats how I am gonna improve! ;)

Get ready for the .com,

-M

Second Go-Round

I posted my second inspiration board to my Facebook account at Wonderland Events, but am just now getting it onto my blog. This board came with much more detail and was a totally different feel from the first. I wanted to make something that was original, refreshing and full of bright colors. Here is what I came up with:

The picture in the far corner shows where I came up with my color palette. I was skimming through a website and saw this table scape and knew I wanted to pursue a wedding with bright purples and teal. The colors are rich and luscious and I thought they would pair perfectly with the outdoor, evening tent. Tents can be a bit pricey, but I think the statement they make and the possibilites for decor outweigh the cost. I also loved the white and ivory place settings found under the star-lit tent.


Round centerpieces made of fresh flowers sit atop crystal candlesticks. I found a gorgeous cake to match and pulled in the teal by adding a signature cocktail,  a trend that is fabulous in itself. The groomsmen are dressed in matching gray tuxes, solid purple ties, and a peacock feather boutonniere. To incorporate the peacock feathers, I found a great flower arrangement for the bride (feathers included) and fresh purple buds to fill the bridesmaid's bouquets. A vision in this ivory gown full of fun ruffles makes the perfect statment for a bold Bride.


And last, but not least, the favors for the guest are monogrammed glasses. You could do these with anything from a simple set of initals to a favorite song quote to make the glass unique. This is the kind of favor that your guests will use and remember how much fun they had at your wedding!


I am working on a beach wedding next, which is where I intend to tie the knot one day. Sand under my feet, waves crashing in my ears, and fresh seafood in my belly :) Stay tuned.


Love,
-M