Essence of Events, LLC

Wedding planning can be overwhelming. Feeling the urge to just get out of dodge? Then go for it! A destination wedding can be a great option for many couples. Maybe you want to keep it intimate with a low guest count or perhaps you want to combine your wedding and honeymoon into one; whatever the reason for your decision, Essence of Events, LLC has a few great tips. Destination weddings can be surprising affordable! Many resorts offer combination packages for wedding and honeymoon, so get in touch with a resort in your ideal vacation spot and start hashing out the details. The most popular destination locations are tropical and create swoon-worthy photos.

Tropical beaches in international locations may be the most popular choices, but other destinations create photos that are just as spectacular.

Nervous about traveling out of the country? There are plenty of fabulous destinations right here in the States. Go warm and wonderful in Savannah, Charleston, or the Keys. Escape to the mountains in Aspen or Leavenworth. Or if you prefer the majesty of the desert, head to the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, or anywhere in Nevada. One of the most wondrous aspects of America is her diversity. There is no wrong choice for a destination wedding!

An important thing to remember about destination weddings is to plan early! Give your guests plenty of time to book their flights, hotels, and take off work. Many couples opt to have welcome baskets ready for their guests upon arrival. This is a great way to say thank you to your friends and family for traveling. Baskets tend to contain all important contact information, relevant maps of the area, a welcome letter, a detailed schedule, list of local attractions including restaurants, thematic snacks and destination essentials. Another nice touch would be to provide any transportation needed on your big day; such as, a trolley or shuttle from the hotel to the ceremony and reception locations.

For these and more wedding tips, contact Essence of Events, LLC to setup your free initial consultation at 253.292.1482 or info@essenceofevents.com.

When guests attend the wedding, the menu is one of the last things they think about. What’s on the menu, sure, but the actual tactile menu that they will hold in their hands, perhaps not.

Gone are the days of fancy menu cards, instead couples are opting for a more fun approach with quirky and witty cards telling their guests what they will be noshing on instead. No matter how formal the reception, there is always a unique way to blend styles these days. Read on and check out some great options below.

Boards are perfect when you have a buffet or for cocktail hour. Guests know exactly what is being served and what their options are.

The typography on this menu card is amazing, and bonus! It serves as a place card holder!

Your parents always warned you never to play with your food, but I think in this case we can make an exception.

Incorporate your menu into your table décor.

Geometric shaped menu cards are modern and fun.

This is a great way to hold those utensils. Multipurpose and functional designs are always the best.

Use your menu as a placemat.

Print your menu right on snack bags for a fun time for everyone, serve them up during cocktail hour for a great preview.

For those still wanting to add sophistication to their menu, try using napkins as a decorative element.

For vendors and stationers who can assist you with creating your perfect menu card, and for all of your wedding related needs, contact Essence of Events to set up your free, initial consultation today. Call 253.292.1482 or email us at contact@essenceofevents.com

Written by Samantha Macrae

A cake is a cake is a cake, but wait, is that a cake?! Trompe l’oeil cakes are cakes that look so realistic that you think that they are that other object. Often times these optical illusions are designed as grooms cakes, so you can get your man represented in the wedding somehow.

Check out some of the stunning cakes below, and trust us, they are all cakes, even if they don’t look like it!

The detail on this cake is phenomenal, you can almost believe it is made from real wood.

I wonder how many groomsmen tried to pick up that beer thinking it was real?!

Bridging the gap between schools.

This cake is entirely edible, believe it or not!

The craftsman ship on this stained-glass cake is impressive!

Giant Reese’s peanut butter cup cake.

Intricate elephant wedding cake.

This lobster cake is an intriguing option.

Cake designed to look like cheese wheels.

Elegant stags head cake.

For information on vendors and cake designers who can provide cakes like the ones pictured above or similar, contact Essence of Events today. To set up your free, initial consultation to discuss your wedding concepts, call 253.292.1482 or email us at contact@essenceofevents.com

Written by Samantha Macrae

It may be just getting into the summer wedding season, but in Washington that doesn’t mean we have escaped the rain. At Essence of Events, we always plan ahead, especially for outside weddings. You never know when the heavens above may open and wash away your dream weather.

Though the Italians say “Sposa bagnata, sposa fortunata,” or “Wet bride, lucky bride,” when you’ve worked for months planning a wedding under a proverbial Tuscan sun and it rains at your nuptials instead, it’s hard to think so.

To avoid that flood of emotion on your wedding day if it does decide to down pour, Essence of Events has come up with your plan B, C and all the way to Z to make sure that your big day goes off without a hitch, even under threat of stormy skies!

Rent a Tent

This is a must, especially if your entire event is all outside. Of course choosing where to secure the structure is another lesson all together; pitch it on the highest point of the venue and not downhill in case of a downpour.

Write It Down

About six weeks before your big day, when you’re (relatively) calm and collected and able to think straight, write up a rainy day contingency plan you can pass out to your vendors, and even your guests, if the skies open up at your wedding.

Things to include are directions to a location change if you have to move your ceremony or reception to a separate indoor area and alterations to your timeline that allow for delays in travel time, setups, etc.

Send Rain Cards

If your rainy day plan is more complicated for your guests than just showing up at the same venue now transformed with a tent, include “rain cards” in your invitations that tell guests about your alternative plan. It can be simple but stylish, on a separate card in the same font and format as your invite, explaining the changes. “In case of rain, please note that the reception will be held in the ballroom…”

Add More Wheels

If the weather makes the roads slippery, consider arranging carpools or hiring a car service to take guests from the hotel to your ceremony and then to the reception if it is at another location. Not only will this help people who aren’t familiar with the area remain safe on the roads, it may make sure people arrive at the ceremony on time.

Keep It Pretty

We all know a little rain never hurt anybody. Nevertheless, it can still pain you to see all your best-laid style choices get lost under raincoats, muddy pumps, and an up-do ravaged into a windswept up-don’t.

Embrace the rain; think bright umbrellas for you, your wedding party, and guests. Provide adorable wellies for your attendants (and a pair of white ones for you), and other stormy weather preparations that make light of the dark weather ahead. On the bright side, these changes will make for great wedding photos.

Picture Perfect

Speaking of great pictures, one of the few people who will love the cloudy skies is in fact your photographer. That’s because an overcast day offers some of the best lighting for picture taking. Without the harsh light of a sunny day, the softer, more diffused light will make all your photos better. Add to that colorful umbrellas and galoshes as props and you have some memorable images. Consider making cute signs to hold up during your photography session like “Rain, Rain” and “Go Away” or “Let It Rain.”

Food For Thought

A check on the 10-day forecast can help you predict the more likely weather conditions on your big day. And if it’s not looking good, keep your caterer on speed dial. That’s because you may want to shake up the menu, just ever so slightly, to serve hotter comfort food and less chilled appetizers. If you can’t switch to a stew, think about offering mugs of hot chocolate and mulled wine during cocktail hour, for example.

Laugh It Off

Making light of the cloudy skies is one of the best ways to weather the storm. Plus, it will help put your guests at ease and enjoy the moment too. So why not switch your signature cocktail last minute from the mojito to a “Dark and Stormy?” Change your ceremony’s recessional song or your first dance to B.J. Thomas’ “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head.” You get the idea.

For other great ideas for your wedding day, and to schedule your free, initial consultation with our Professional Planners, contact Essence of Events today. Call 253.292.1482 or email us at contact@essenceofevents.com

Written by Samantha Macrae