Saturday, January 30, 2010

Eco Chic~ The Great $50 Challenge






What have I been up to you wonder since I have been away so long? Loads of stuff! lol, one of them is the The Great $50 Challenge over at Sprout blog!

I originally entered an Ikebana Arrangement but wasn't too happy with it as a wedding centerpiece because I felt it was more of a guest check in table arrangement or a foyer entrance arrangement.
Here are the rules:
  1. Centerpiece value must equal $50 retail, (US dollars) – including container and labor.
  2. You must show your math. Retail price of all ingredients
  3. You must show what percentage of the $50 price is for labor.
  4. 1 centerpiece submission per designer.
  5. Centerpiece must be appropriate for a wedding.
  6. Submissions must be received by 6:00 pm Eastern Standard Time, January 31 2010.
  7. Voting will run from February 1 - February 28 2010. Winner will be announced March 1, 2010.
  8. Winner will be blog reader’s choice.
Cool huh?

So I decided that I would switch from this Ikebana arrangement which I really like. :)

To this eco chic arrangement, which I really love. :)

Let me start by saying that I love Green arrangements and anytime I can avoid floral foam I do.
Ikebana teaches you how to work without mechanics( sometimes you use a kenzan) but mostly I use techniques like Jumonji-dome and Soegi-dome, which are a crossbar technique and a split branch technique.

So this is a functional centerpiece that can be placed at any table that will give it height, won't obstruct the view or flow of conversation across the table, and gives it a modern element.
The branches can be any type that has maybe flower or fruits, brides now can take advantage of Quince and Cherry Blossoms, later it can be forsythia( sp?) or tomatoes, or pomegranates or kumquats, you get the idea. But the branch can be cut from anywhere.

I used Red Quince and one loooong piece of curly willow.

The bulbs are tulip bulbs that I bought at my local farmers market for about $2 each. The goal would be to replant them after wards in a garden for the guest or the couple to take home. The gifts that keeps giving(enter cheesiness, hehe!)


The river rocks came from, yep you guessed it.But you don't have to add this element, in this picture I took the rocks away and put some blooms on the bulbs inside.



The container has been reused about 5 times now, but it can come from a private collection or from a Goodwill or garage sale, and they can all be mismatched to add charm. There's no rule that says they have to match! So REUSE!




So all in all, I like it. All under $50!

VOTE FOR ME!!!!!
Starting FEB 1st here


Sprout Blog





Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Featured Friend: Creative Custom Card Boxes!

A few months ago I got the opportunity to have lunch with someone I had been tweeting with for quite some time. It's always nice to put a face to the name and gain a new friend. Here's a little inside dish on Marni, owner of Creative Custom Card Boxes!

Name: Marni Gold

Business: Creative Custom Card Boxes

Website: http://www.creativecustomcardboxes.com

Location: NJ, but we ship worldwide!

Type of Vendor: Decor, Gifts

How Long In Business: 2 years

Work Style: I'm creative and introspective. I like to take my clients ideas and bring them to life.

Training: Research in crafting, eco-friendly materials and creative arts.

Favorite Color: I'm a big fan of any shade of pink!

Sports Team: Go NY Giants! (well, not so much this year but I'm a big supporter anyway!)

Languages: I'm a classically trained singer so though I speak English fluently, I also have training in Italian, French and German diction.

Favorite Foods: Chocolate and cheese. I'm simple.

Hidden Talents or Favorite Hobbies: As I mentioned, I'm a singer. I have my master's degree in education as well! I teach private voice lessons to students of all ages.

Home Town: Ridgefield, NJ

Favorite Place: Anywhere my husband is, he is the love of my life. (too sappy? lol)

Pets: We have a Shih Tzu named Gizmo.

Favorite Holidays: I really enjoy Thanksgiving and Passover...the holidays when families get together and eat great food.

Favorite Quote: "Do or do not, there is no try." -Yoda, Star Wars

Best Part of the Job: I love creating items that help people to totally personalize their event. Whether it be a baby shower, Wedding, Sweet 16, etc., our card boxes are custom made to the colors and theme of the party. I love working with my clients to bring their exact vision to life!



Thanks, Marni for letting us get to know you better!

Friday, January 22, 2010

Bride's Choice Awards 2010 Winner!


I am excited and proud to share this news with you. As You Wish Wedding & Event Design was chosen to receive the Bride's Choice Award 2010 from Wedding Wire.

This award recognizes the top 5 perfect of local wedding professionals from the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, and professionalism. The Bride's Choice Awards are determined exclusively by recent newlyweds (brides and grooms) through extensive surveys and reviews, which means your past clients have spoken on our behalf and selected you to receive this honor.

I wouldn't be as successful as I am without some of the amazing other wedding pros that I work with on a weekly basis. Congratulations to some of our great friends who also received this award!

I Do Hair and Make-Up

Infinity Entertainment

Creative Custom Cardboxes

Chris Jorda Photography

Lela New York

Poppies and Posies

...and many others!

Congratulations to these awesome friends and to all of the other amazing people who received this award. We are truly honored to be in such great company.


Friday, January 15, 2010

I love love....Dorothy Hatchel style


Last month my family and I threw a big shindig for my grandfathers 80th birthday.
It was a surprise party and we had about 100 people there. The additional surpriseAdd Image was that my soon to be brother in law was planning to pop the question that night. Of course we all knew, but my sister was unaware and we were trying to figure out how to work it in without the help of my Grandfather and without her knowing since she was in on the planning.
Well, he got down on one knee and did it in front of everyone and she was shocked!
Too cute!

Dorothy captured all the moments beautifully and I am so thrilled she was able to shoot our event. I will post the party pics later this week, but in the meantime check out her amazing blog and the rest of the pictures of the engagement!

debbie + daniel
Dorothy Hatchel Photography


Congrats Deb and Dan!

Monday, January 11, 2010

Orange-a-glad glad?

As in " knock knock. Who's there? Orange/ Orange who? Orange-ga-glad I didn't say banana?"

My daughter tortured me with that knock knock joke after I taught it to her, lol. She couldn't get enough!

What does it have to do with this post?
Nothing!

But Orange-ga-glad this bouquet is a little different than most orange bouquets? eh? eh??
Don't mind me, I'm just giddy from the New Year. = )
Lots of trials and tribulations last year, but 2010 is going to be alright.
Calm, cool, collected. That's how I am going to tackle this year.


Here is a bouquet I forgot to share last month. I absolutely love euc pods, the kale, the milva roses, and the tulips.



The ribbon has a blue butterfly accent that played off nicely with the all orange and cream wedding with hints of that bright blue!

This is a simple boutonniere with a small orange tulip, some euc pods for accents and a ruffled galax leaf finished off with the orange and blue ribbon.


One of my resolutions is to learn how to spell boutonniere on the first try and to post more. : P

Friday, January 1, 2010

Real Wedding: Ali & Wes

Back in June, I had the total planners nightmare. I had a tented wedding on a day where we got 3" of rain. It was muddy and the conditions were less than ideal, but the guests that came to celebrate Ali & Wes had more fun than I have seen at almost any wedding. With a great team of pro's behind me and a cold for two weeks to follow, Ali & Wes became husband and wife.

Cast of Characters
Ceremony & Reception: Shipyard Marina, Hoboken NJ
Caterer: Contemporary Foods, Harrington Park, NJ
Flowers & Decor: Stem and Company, Upper Montclair, NJ
Photography: Henry Shoots by Henry Chan, New York City

Here are a few setup shots that I took. The ceremony was at the far end of their pier with the NYC Skyline as the backdrop. Once guests were moved into cocktail hour, we transformed the ceremony space into a lounge.



Here are some of the gorgeous pro shots taken by Henry Chan:









Congratulations, Ali & Wes! It was great to be a part of your day.

Photo Credit: Henry Shoots by Henry Chan

Happy New Years!!!!

Another Year...where does the time go?

Happy New Years to you and yours.= )
Hope 2010 brings lots of creativity and contentment in your endeavors.
Lots of love and happiness in your home.
Lots of success in every aspect of your life.




I have big thangs going on in 2010 so stay tuned!


See ya next year!

Cotton Candy Cosmo Signature Drink!

A few weeks ago during lunch at TGI Fridays, I discovered the Pink Punk Cosmo (which led to this Cotton Candy Wedding Inspiration Board.) It's essentially a regular old cosmo, but your martini glass comes with fluffy cotton candy inside, which disintegrates into the cosmo once it's poured. This is such a fun idea to use in your wedding with your signature drink. The cotton candy just adds a hint of sweetness, so you could really do this with any drink without altering the flavor. Don't hesitate to play around with the drink or the color. This could easily be adapted with yellow cotton candy and a lemon drop martini or blue cotton candy with a blue lagoon!


Here is how the do it at TGI Fridays!



Cheers!