Essence of Events, LLC

With most wedding dresses averaging in price from $1,000 to $10,000 and well beyond, it may have never crossed your mind to wreck or trash your gown. You may be thinking, “that seems crazy!” and “why would anyone ever do that?!”

Well, for one, you’ll never wear it again! And if you do end up remarrying, do you really think you would end up wearing the same dress that you wore to your first wedding? Are you saving it for your daughter or someone else to wear? Do you think that the chances of them wanting your dress or it still being in style are realistic? The answer is probably going to be a no! As I'm sure you figured this is because they will have their own style, and should probably have the opportunity to have as much fun choosing their gown as you did!

So what are you going to do with that dress? Trash it! Wreck it! Glitter it! Mud it up! Soak it in some water and use it as a canvas! Whatever you do, have fun ruining your dress!

Wreck the Dress photoshoots are a huge trend in the wedding and photography industry right now. They essentially involve the bride in her wedding gown (obviously after the wedding) and doing various activities to ruin the dress.

Some brides trash it completely, with scissors, paint, or mud. Others take a more gentle approach and will frolic in a fountain or body of water; thus still allowing the dress to be dry-cleaned and preserved.

Check out some of the more unique Trash the Dress photoshoot pictures below for inspiration for your very own ideas of how to ruin your wedding dress!

Fairy dust gown trashing with glitter

Choose your selection of glitter!

Spraying adhesive glue onto the fabric will make the glitter stick.

She cut the dress to add her own touch and a dramatic flair to her gown.

The finished product!

Trash your gown Alice in Wonderland style

A unique way of incorporating the theme and water into the session.

Tough-mudder style gown trashing

A bit muddier than your average water.

A happy ending after a long day taking photos in the mud.

Use your gown as a canvas

Now her gown is a work of art.

Essence of Events style trash the dress

One of our brides takes a gentle approach to trashing her dress.

Photographers are even including Wreck or Trash the Dress sessions as part of your photography package. For information on photographers who do so, and recommendations on even more Wreck the Dress options, contact us today.

To set up your free, initial consultation call 253.292.1482 or email contact@essenceofevents.com

Written by Samantha Macrae

The end of school is right around the corner, and for parents and students that can be both a fun and scary thought at the same time. With the start of summer comes the influx of graduation parties.

Whether you are a hosting a celebration for an elementary promotion, high school graduation, or you have finally received your college diploma, Essence of Events has the best décor, tips, and tricks to make your graduation party a success.

Don’t forget graduation’s theme, even with the food!

Keep the theme alive again with tassel tablecloth weights, and cleverly tying the napkins to look like diplomas. Remember, it’s all in the details!

Use school colors for the décor scheme of the day, ultimately it will pan out to be less expensive than if you were to buy all graduation themed items, and your look for the day will be far prettier too.

Offer words of encouragement to your grad throughout the event with these simple DIY banners.

Have a photo display of the graduate throughout their lives, from childhood to this moment. Guests can also write words of wisdom and other notes of advice to attach to photos or to put into a box to read later.

Use simple ideas to create effective statements, like this centerpiece. Small touches go along way; make this celebration personal, as it is a huge accomplishment for these young people.

Essence of Events, LLC’s planners are available to help you plan, coordinate, and design your graduation celebration. Contact us today to find out more about the tips and trends you’ve seen featured here, get your questions answered, and schedule your free, initial consultation.

To reach us, call 253.292.1482 or email contact@essenceofevents.com

Essence of Events would just like to say con(grad)ulations to all those huge accomplishments made by the class of 2013! You did it!

Written by Samantha Macrae

Every bride is looking for the next big trend. The big way to make her wedding stand out from the crowd and make every guest in attendance wonder; “How did she do that?” or think “What a unique idea! I wish I could be that creative!”

Well at Essence of Events, LLC we are always on the lookout for the best, new, and most exciting trends. That is why we are so thrilled to bring you one of this season’s hottest styles; flowers.

You may be thinking “What?! Flowers! Those are nothing new!” But wait until you take a peek at how floral is being arranged this year. It’s going to really wow you, and just think about what your guests are going to think when they walk into your ceremony or reception and see how unique your wedding is.

So are you ready to see what new trends are bringing in wedding fashions? Read on to see gorgeous photos and understand that why, with a little help from Essence of Events, even you can pull of these haute couture trends for your upcoming nuptials!

Low, cascading floral centerpieces are going to start becoming increasingly popular. We love this particular style because all the flowers and color are the same, which adds to the even more dramatic feel when they fall off the table. Keeping the rest of the décor neutral is key when you are going for an elegant feel such as this. You don’t want to overwhelm the room too much.

This is more of a shabby-chic feel. It is still glamorous with this very couture flower arrangement. Choosing to mix flower options but keeping within a color pallet is the best way to go with an arrangement like this. Because it is so bold, you wouldn’t want too many colors.

Another pouring, low floral centerpiece. This room décor has chosen to mimic the flowers on the tables and bring them above with hanging laburnum in within the lights. This gives the impression of being in a green house.

Ombre has become ever so popular in fashion trends this year, so bringing it to your wedding floral is only natural. Notice that all these arrangements are low, and not tall centerpieces like you were probably used to seeing this past year? Tall centerpieces are rapidly making an exit from wedding trends, as brides and guests are realizing that they are becoming harder and harder for communication across tables.

This is a great way to display escort, seating, or place cards. If you place them amongst the flowers they can support themselves. Just be sure to use sturdy floral, such as these pink carnations.

We just love aisle petals. They are gorgeous and a work of art. They are much more modern and prettier than a plain, traditional aisle runner and create stunning photography as well.

To find out more about upcoming trends, make sure to contact Essence of Events, LLC to set up your free, initial consultation and to get all your questions answered.

Call 253.292.1482 or email us at contact@essenceofevents.com

Written by Samantha Macrae

A big trend right now is for brides to be big, huge, I’m talking monster bridezilla’s, so today I’m playing a bait-and-switch on you. Surprise! Its opposite day! Instead of it being Trend Tuesday, today’s blog post is Un-Trend Tuesday.

Ladies, when did it become cool to invite your closest friends, sisters, and relatives to be part of your bridal party on your big day, only to boss them around? In my book, never! These girls want to make your journey as enjoyable and un-stressful as possible, so please provide them the same sort of luxury leading up to your wedding.

They are there for you on this (crazy) ride, and you’ll all have a better time if you’re happy and relaxed. That being said, just follow these simple rules and you will be well on your way to becoming the coolest bride ever! So you may not have a reality TV show, but at least you’ll be keeping your friends and family…

Give them color swatches to choose from, and then let them pick their own bridesmaid dresses. That way they’ll have something they love and that’s flattering, and you’ll have them looking just the way you pictured!

And if you don’t like their choices? Chances are they kept the receipt, just in case. But seriously, how cute are these mismatched bridesmaids? You know you’re into it.

If you want them to wear heels, take care of their feet. They’ll put up for it for you, but your girls will be a little sad if they end the night with blisters or twisted ankles! Please don’t make them wobble-walk on grass; think about investing in heel-stoppers.

Everyone wants to dance the night away, but they don’t want to brave the floor in bare feet. Provide comfy shoes and you’ll be everyone’s Cinderella!

Your girls want to celebrate with you on the big day. It shouldn’t just be you that’s getting pampered. Make sure that you’re providing food and drink the morning-of.

Your bridal party loves helping you out, but it doesn’t mean that they also don’t love being showered with presents as “Thank You’s!” Remember what they’re doing to assist you may be coming at a cost to them. If your ladies are into partying and celebrating, it would be good to have something in a kit for the next day, especially after the bachelorette or wedding night.

Personalized pressies are always sweet; it’s a special way to remember being a part of your wedding!

Offer to pay for your bridal party’s hair or makeup services, especially if you expect them to rock crazy-complicated hair dos.

If your bridal party members are all unfamiliar, introduce all the bridesmaids beforehand so they have time to be friends. Fun outings, lunch, or nights out are a great way to get them together before the big day.

Let your girls know about creepy groomsmen, or cuties if any are single. Hey, you’d expect the same courtesy if the tables were turned!

Don’t make any of your bridesmaids compete for your attention. Things can get awkward fast if things start to turn into a competition if people are constantly vying for your time.

Remember that your ladies are happy to help out with most things; DIY projects, picking up dresses, and mailing invites. All these things are to be expected. But don’t resent your BFF’s if you ask them last minute and they can’t make it.

Remember that your ladies are always there for you, and are happy to help when you ask. This is a huge day for them too!

For more tips on wedding day success, décor advice, and much more, contact our Wedding Planners today to set up your free, initial consultation. Call us at 253.292.1482 or email us at contact@essenceofevents.com

Written by Samantha Macrae