Essence of Events, LLC

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

At Essence of Events, LLC we have planned many different types of events, bridal showers included. With all the planning that goes into preparing for the ultimate bridal shower, here are top-tips you are sure to find helpful. Whether you are the Maid of Honor, bridesmaid, part of the planning committee, bride, or anyone looking for some pointers, we’ve got you covered with all these tips and tricks we’ve learned along the way with all our planning expertise.

Create the guest list. This might seem like a no-brainer, but it’s the first step you need to take, and it is a lot easier if you have multiple people helping you create it. Other girls might help you come up with names you may not have thought of before. Remember to run the list by the bride before you send out the invites though.

Think of the location and time. Your bridal shower, the theme, and kind of event it will be really depend on where you plan on hosting it and the time of day. Will it be a brunch, spa day, or evening night club extravaganza? These are key details to the type of event.

Theme. This is another big one, because it again dictates how the entire day or evening will run and what kind of event it will be; sophisticated and chic, relaxing and calming, wild and fun, or some combination of the above? Of course your shower doesn’t have to have a theme, but choosing one can lend a cohesive ambience to your party, not to mention that invitees will probably appreciate being given direction when it comes to gift giving.

Décor. This is where a theme may come in handy, because if you have something specific, you can decorate accordingly. However, you can always decorate with a color scheme in mind. We recommend drawing inspiration from colors that remind you of the bride and groom and their happiness and love for one another.

The top areas to decorate are the guest tables, cake table, food tables, gift table, and activities area. Be sure not to be afraid to think outside the box and draw inspiration from things that bring good feelings and your favorite things.

Food and Drinks. A major one, because no one wants to starve (no matter how good they want to look the day of the wedding!) and having a dry shower is no fun either! Plan the menu according to the time, and having plenty of bubbly to go around and a signature cocktail wouldn't hurt either! Think of your theme, colors, or incorporating the bride’s favorites to come up with a menu plan.

Activities. No one goes to a shower expecting to sit around and shoot the breeze; the games and activities are the best part! We’ve included some alternatives of the best non-traditional bridal shower activities for your soirée (and by non-traditional, I mean not the typical Vegas-style, cringe-worthy night club shower activities, if you know what I mean!). Make sure to capture all the memories throughout the day or evening photobooth style with your camera or iPad. Ask your guests to bring a photo of themselves with the bachelorette to make a photo board as people arrive. Give guests cute, printed index cards to write down a piece of advice to the bride-to-be and then have that guest share their piece of wisdom when their gift is opened during the present-opening portion. Have a rapid-fire Q-and-A session with the bride, with questions about her groom (the answers you will have already received from him).

Favors. This is more or less the finishing touch to the party, and it’s the hostess’s job to send all of the party-goers home with a little favor. You want to be sure all your guests know how much you appreciate their support for the bride. Make sure your favor isn't too extravagant but useful, meaningful, and it's always a plus when you are able to tie it in with the theme of the bridal shower.

For more tips on bridal shower planning, event planning, wedding advice, contact our coordinators today. Need help planning your shower, party, or event? Schedule your free, initial consultation today!

contact@essenceofevents.com

Well when you think of Snapshot or Photography Sunday, one would usually expect to see photographs, or a photographer featured on today’s blog. But sometimes at Essence of Events, LLC we like to shake things up.

That’s why we are going to be featuring a pretty unique and different trend in the wedding industry today; Wedding Painters. Now back in the day, people used to get their wedding portraits painted by an artist. Of course that tradition died out when cameras and photographers came about.

Now, wedding portraits and artists are back in fashion, but perhaps in a little bit of an unexpected way. Have a look at these images to see a few options of what you could have as a unique element at your wedding.

Have your artist paint directly from a photo to capture the image you want permanently displayed. It’s always fun to have the artists in amongst the guests at the wedding to watch her work, but if you do chose to have her paint from a pre-selected photo then you know you are going to get exactly what you want.

Allow the artist to use his artistic interpretation of the day. By having him be present, it will give the guests another level of entertainment, and of course he can pick up on the energy and unexpected happenings throughout the evening.

If you are interested in having a wedding artist paint your special day, local painter Stephanie Broker paints brides and grooms at their weddings. She is an oil painter specializing in custom portraits, and will paint both on site and from photographs.

For more information on wedding artists, Stephanie Broker, or even more unique wedding ideas, please contact us today to set up your free, initial consultation. Call 253.292.1482 or email contact@essenceofevents.com

Written by Samantha Macrae

Today instead of featuring different gifts to present to your guests, wedding party, or significant other, we want to instead give a gift to you! Our gift may not come wrapped, or in a fancy box, but we happen to think it’s pretty special. So, without further ado…

Kate Middleton’s Baby Shower! Or at least our version of it! Everyone knows that the Duchess is pregnant and is due in July, and traditionally showers are held about a month before the date.

In Royal practices, a baby shower has never been thrown before, but rumor has it that Pippa, Kate’s younger sister, will in fact be hosting an event for her sister. The modern “mum”-to-be has decided to adopt this practice and although the who, what, when, where will be a heavily guarded secret, Essence of Events has decided to come up with our version of what her baby shower would be like, if we had planned it!

The theme of the baby shower would be English Tea Party. There are so many adorable directions you can go with this fashionable trend right now, that it would be perfect for Kate. And it is so decidedly English, that people would expect nothing less!

An adorable invitation like this would play upon the theme of the day, while still maintaining her fun-loving side that she is well known for.

The décor should be kept neutral and a white color scheme, as to not reveal the gender of the baby. Having a white baby shower, or décor for your child’s room, is increasingly popular anyway; a trend the duchess is sure to be aware of. We just love these baby’s-breath pom poms and simple floral designs.

The English Tea Party design is clearly shown in this neutral pallet color scheme, and sweet touches throughout the tablescape. Her baby shower is sure to be a classy affair, with delicate touches and personal thoughts.

These vintage-inspired cupcakes blend tremendously with the theme. With the calming color pallet, attention to detail, and tea party inspired design, they are just made for this baby shower!

Since tea parties and afternoon tea in England consists of a lot of dessert options, having a sweet bar where guests can help themselves is a lovely idea.

Bite-sized finger sandwiches of cucumber are delicious, other options include smoked salmon, ham, or cheese; but there are so many different choices. It’s all up to you and your taste buds!

Everyone knows that cake pops are popular, but putting macrons on a stick? Genius! This is a delicious, unique, and totally on-trend desert idea.

These enchanting cookies can also make an appearance at the dessert station. Of course Kate is known for her custom wardrobe, so her baby shower food should be no different! The attention to detail on these is extraordinary.

Having sweets that sit in their own dishes is a new trend, and these pudding parfait shots are looking too yummy!

A delicate ruffle cake that is just as sweet as a new baby!

For help creating your baby shower inspired by the one above, or something completely different, contact Essence of Events, LLC today.

Not only are we available for all of your wedding needs, but we also plan events, including baby showers, bridal showers, cooperate and non-profit fundraisers, engagement, anniversary, and dinner parties, plus more!

Contact us today to set up your free, initial consultation by calling us at 253.292.1482 or email at contact@essenceofevents.com

Written by Samantha Macrae