All the World is a Stage

Okay, so it's the English teacher in me...or is it? This time it was pure fate that I crossed paths with Angie and Matt who have a background in theater and who had visions of a "Midsummer Night's Dream" Wedding. Really, they did. It just so happened that I had just finished competing in a tabletop competition (with Preston Bailey as the celebrity judge and a team that I put together of only the very best pros in town) and our table was...would you believe it: "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

I was fully prepped for this assignment and Angie (who is still one of my all-time favorite brides) saw this as a sign from the Universe...needless to say for those of you who really know me, that was ALL she had to say, I was in!

With the perfect venue: Deer Park Manor we created an event that used every inch of the venue space and stretched our imaginations to pull all of the very best aspects of our Shakespearean theme into 'play' (pun intended)...after all "all the world is a stage" right? I created a "ceremony in the round" for them, which frankly sounded great when I pitched it (and OF COURSE Angie loved it!) but then when my team and I went to actually set it up it was trickier than I thought.

Guests fanned themselves with handmade programs and wrote well-wishes to the couple and hung them on branches. Long feast-like tables adorned with jeweled-toned linens in moss, gold and burgundy flanked the outdoor tent. In the middle of each table was a lush bed of moss and other forest dwelling plants like ferns and mushrooms. Who else would we call on to create such a madrigal feast but Alexa from Lemley's Catering who brought a whole pig! Menu cards were hand stamped with a hot wax seal (I still have the scar to prove it) and napkins were casually gathered with grapevine at each place.

Oh, and I cannot forget the cake...one of Lisa Farkas' masterpieces for sure...it was right out of the pages of Martha Stewart Weddings with all of the tender forest flora the bride requested and it was on top of a very specially made cake plate which was made by the bride's uncle out of a tree trunk...

That's me and wonder intern Emily Williams, Wedding Cake Cutting 101...

All Dressed Up

The Bloomington Bridal Show was on Sunday, February 10th this year and once again all of the local wedding vendors put on their best show to entice, inspire and impress potential clients for the 2008 Wedding Season!

This was the sixth year in a row for social butterfly to make an appearance at the show! In years past we have prided ourselves on creating a booth that showcases the design capabilities we offer as well as the current trends for the upcoming season. This year was no exception. We developed our theme around the colors butter, platinum and coal. (Yellow is one of the hottest colors for the coming season!) In keeping with our style as a firm these colors were used to create a beautiful, feminine yet strong, fashion-inspired booth which was full of approachable detail and lots of blingy "icing."

Some of the details we included were: velvet-trimmed personal menu cards, place cards, a candy bar for favors with yellow, white and black candies, square-knot chair ties with tulips tucked inside wrapped around the Chivari Chairs, yellow carnation pomanders, welcome gift boxes and a coordinating cake. The three linens used for the table included a very luxurious platinum pintuck, and black damask cloth. The pintuck was pinned in place to resemble a fashion-inspired "bubble hem."

We hope that you can take away one idea or bit of inspiration from the booth that we created...or feel free to make an appointment to visit us in the studio!

Sasha Souza!

I had the great fortune of attending an ISES Meeting today in Indy and the guest speaker was Sasha Souza, celebrity event and wedding planner from Northern California. Not only has she been named one of the Top 25 Trendsetters in the industry a few times but she has made many appearances on various TV shows including "Who's Wedding is it Anyway."

With the goal of wanting her brides to feel connected to their wedding Sasha asks her clients LOTS of personal design questions in order to gain her inspiration for their event. She uses a color palette of up to 5 colors for each wedding and incorporates many personal touches that relate directly to the couple.

Teal and yellow are two colors that will make a huge appearance in weddings for 2008 according to Sasha. She has been known to incorporate ideas such as a "S'mores Station" and an heirloom tomato bar at her weddings. She claims that lighting is one of the most important elements of your wedding and something that will change your event. Also hot for 2008 weddings will be vintage wallpaper inspired linens and mixing and matching patterns of all types.

If you haven't seen the new issue of The Bride and Bloom pick up a copy (mine is now signed by Sasha herself), Sasha is featured in this issue! And, I couldn't help sneaking a photo opp...

Pat and Sasha Souza in Indy at the ISES Luncheon

Stress-free Planning...

Our Mission

You've been dreaming about this day for a long time and we do not take this lightly. It is our mission to inspire you with our ideas, give you help with the details that make your special day unique and personal, and provide you with the luxury of unparallel service so that you can enjoy every single second of your wedding day.

Inspiration.
We have over six years of wedding/event planning experience, a studio full of resources and examples, subscriptions to every bridal/event magazine, close working relationships with the most reputable vendors, and an army of very happy brides with success stories behind us - we are ready and prepared to inspire you!

Details.
It is the details that single-handedly make your event YOUR event, and our events signature social butterfly events. We pay special attention to getting to know our clients so that we can bring in the perfect details that make the couple's day more personal for them. This is your first chance to showcase your style as a couple, don't overlook the importance of details and let us help you.

Some of these details include house-made menu cards/presentations, ceremony programs, monogrammed aisle runners, place cards, guest welcome boxes, and favors.

Service.
Having a planner for your special day is a luxury that you deserve. Recognizing that every wedding is unique and special we never overlook the privilege you've given us to take good care of you on this most perfect day in your life.

At the end of the night, after your beautifully perfect wedding day has whizzed by, we want you to walk out, carrying nothing but your shoes -- reflecting on the amazing, stress-free time you had enjoying every single second of your special day!