l'Evento - Event Resource Boutique :: Central Indiana

This fall, a new membership-only e-commerce site will open for the bride who loves couture gowns and accessories, but is searching for a bargain. Founded by David Yassky, Shara Levy, Deborah Moses and Mark Ingram, The Aisle New York is a revolutionary new bridal ecommerce platform and editorial venture.

According to the press release dated August 3, 2010:

"The Aisle New York debuts with a hand curated selection of bridal fashion and accessories from the world’s top designers including Monique Lhuillier, Oscar de la Renta, Marchesa, Reem Acra, Lela Rose, Angel Sanchez, Elizabeth Fillmore and more.  Most featured merchandise including wedding dresses and gowns, veils and headpieces, designer and fine jewelry, lingerie, shoes, and evening bags are promotionally priced, passing along significant consumer savings.  The site also offers select new collections and designer initiatives at regular prices. Merchandise ranges from one-of-a kind runway pieces, coveted designer archives, new custom-made orders, and exclusive designer capsule initiatives.  The platform’s editorial section, Inside The Aisle, features dynamic content for everything wedding, from aspirational fashion imagery, to e-commerce shopping guidance, and tips and pointers from industry experts. And to spread the love even further, The Aisle New York donates a portion of proceeds from every gown sold to the charity of the designers’ choice."

Interested in pre-registering for membership? Visit  www.TheAisleNewYork.com.

All too often, I see people agonizing over color selections for their event. Concerns of seasonality, appeal to other key people (e.g., the groom), availability, and more always come up. So today, I’d like to begin an occasional series on color to address some of those concerns.

Seasonality

Worried your favorite color won’t work with the time of year? It doesn’t have to be a problem. While you can choose to tie your event closely to the season – think cornucopias and burnt orange in fall, snowflakes and silver in winter, etc. – it is certainly not necessary. When was the last time you saw a child’s birthday party planned around the season? No self-respecting 9-year-old would welcome a cornucopia to her party any more than a bride would decorate with iCarly.

So why is it that when a big event comes into our lives, we so often feel compelled to follow the seasonal trends? Perhaps it’s the magazines, driving us to these ends, or the stores, providing us with endless selections of perfectly seasonal décor, many months in advance. Whatever it is, feel free to ignore it all when choosing colors for your event.

Your colors should reflect you or the guest of honor’s personality and preferences and the type of event. Think about what colors make you feel good: confident, powerful, beautiful, excited – whatever emotions you’d like to evoke in yourself. Start there, and choose a palette that makes you happy, ignoring the colors you’re “supposed” to choose. By choosing colors in this way, you’ll make your event time-less and season-less.

More on color soon...

Cheers!
Heather

Just for fun this Friday -  some wedding dance videos. Enjoy!

Cheers!
Heather

Nope - nothing bad here. Just talk of travel, and more specifically, honeymoons!

When planning your wedding, you spend so much time perfecting every detail of that one day (OK, maybe two or three for some of you...) that once you depart for the long-awaited honeymoon, all you want is to relax and enjoy. Using a professional travel agent, such as l'Evento Member Melisa Keiser of Carmel Travel Company, can really help you make all the right choices. However, here are some additional tips to help make your trip wonderful.

Before You Go: First, consider what sort of honeymoon you'd like to have. Restful? Active? Filled with excursions? Shopping? Make sure your destination is a good fit for the type of activity (or lack thereof) you prefer.

Do a little research on the sights and activities around your destination. If you're staying at a resort, find out what is included, and what else is available. Are you the adventurous sort? Investigate what can be found in the area.

Upon Arrival: Talk with your hotel or resort's concierge. He or she can guide you to the best options for your interests. Be upfront with your budget and specific about your preferences. If you'd like to dine at a great sea-side restaurant, but dislike fish, your concierge will be able to recommend a spot that offers an excellent steak.

But, be careful. Some "concierges" posted at popular vacation destinations are actually sales reps for vacation companies. Don't get sucked into a presentation (unless timeshare ownership really interests you.) You can also check out the brochure stands usually found near the front desk, ask the desk staff, or even other guests!

Back At Home: Try to plan an extra day off before you have to return to work. Even if this means making your honeymoon one day shorter, the “buffer day” will prove invaluable. This day will allow you time to readjust to your home time zone (if you honeymooned in a different one), unpack, and just decompress.

Finally, make sure you continue to enjoy each other once you return as if it were your honeymoon each and every day.

Cheers!
Heather

Looking to save a little money on your event? Who isn't?

While websites like eBay and Craigslist can help you find some deals, there are a couple sites geared specifically to people planning events. You can find everything from votives and vases to gowns!

Smartbride Boutique :: "SmartBride Boutique helps today's savvy brides create the wedding day of their dreams without sacrificing designer names or fabulous style. Local brides connect to buy, sell and save on everything wedding; including: wedding dresses, bridesmaid gowns, decor, accessories and more."

Used Event Stuff :: A site founded by event designers tired of seeing perfectly good items being tossed out after an event, they created a marketplace "solely devoted to the re-sale, re-use and rental of event and wedding items." Used Event Stuff is perfect for those on a budget or looking to be more "green."

Remember, one of the best ways to save money when planning an event is to be flexible. If you get hung up on a tiny detail - like the exact variety of flower or shape of vase you must have - you may end up spending more, just to have that "thing." And when it's all said and done, that detail may not have made one bit of difference. Trust your event professionals - they can often help guide you to the most cost-effective choices.

Cheers!
Heather

When choosing favors, do not think only of what will fit into your theme. Think about what your guests are more likely to use and enjoy. Even seemingly useful items, such as the small picture frames often used as place card favors, can become useless clutter to your guests if the style does not match their taste.

To increase the chance that your favor will be well-received, keep it within one of these three categories: Edible, Consumable, or Useful.

Edible: A pretty obvious one. People always love something they can eat. Whether you choose to place exquisite chocolates at each seat or provide a candy buffet for all to visit and enjoy, edibles always top my list of favorite favors.

Consumable: This is not the same as edible. Here I mean something that can be used, then discarded. Think about notepads or pens – but don’t imprint everything with your names or monogram. If you want to make it personal, consider having notepads made with each guest’s own name or monogram. Now that’s thoughtful!

Useful: A much more difficult category in which to find a successful favor. Potential items might include those same photo frames I already mentioned – but in a style that is fairly neutral and simple. Other useful favors could include bookmarks, tree saplings, or kitchen utensils. Just make sure any item you choose is high on usefulness and low on cute. Too often, something that would otherwise be enjoyed gets tossed because it is simply too cheesy!

While it is probably impossible to please everyone – especially if you are having a large celebration – keeping your selections within these guidelines increases the chance that your favor will be appreciated and enjoyed, rather than taken home and forgotten – or worse – left behind!

Cheers!
Heather

Last night I finally watched the first Sex and the City movie. (I know, under what rock have I been hiding, right?) Anyway... I realized there are several lessons you can take away from it. Now, I'm not trying to turn a fun-loving movie into something deep and educational, but it does have a message. There are the obvious ones: forgiveness, friendship, true love... but the one I found most interesting was about weddings. (Imagine that.)

Carrie realizes part of the downfall of her wedding was the wedding itself. Sure, Miranda's comment to Mr. Big didn't help, but it wouldn't have had such a major impact on him if he weren't already so close to the edge. I mean, how many couples get heckled at least a little about "giving up their freedom" or some other such nonsense. Actually, that's what bachelor and bachelorette parties are all about - the "last hurrah."

Ladies (and some guys, too), don't forget the central reason for having a wedding - and it's not the party. A wedding is about two people publicly celebrating the fact that they have decided to join their lives. Don't let the planning and the flowers and the linens and the lighting and the music and the dress and all the rest of it come between the two of you as a couple. Keep communicating; keep the marriage and the fact that there is a deeply profound reason for the wedding celebration at the forefront of your minds always. And then, plan a fabulous wedding that truly celebrates the two of you as a couple!

Cheers!
Heather

What are you doing to educate yourself as a business owner this year? I realize we're in the thick of the busy season here in Indiana, so many of you aren't thinking about working ON your business at all just now - only keeping up with everything already on the books, right? But, it is important to take the time to improve your business skills.

It's easy to stay up with the trends, to read trade-specific magazines, and learn about the latest trick, shortcut or cool gizmo. But, really investing in your business knowledge takes time, and often, the right environment.

This year, that "right environment" for you just might be the Wedding Merchants Business Academy, or Wedding MBA for short. The annual business convention caters to the needs of a very specific group: wedding professionals. Ours is a constantly changing and evolving industry, and the education offered at Wedding MBA addresses that.

One of our own Preferred Professional Members here at l'Evento, Suz Haire of Studio Brides & Events, has been a regular Wedding MBA attendee for years. She swears by the program, and encourages every event pro to attend as well.

Now in its seventh year, Wedding MBA will be held in Las Vegas, NV, Tuesday, September 21 to Thursday, September 23. This year, invest in you and your business - attend Wedding MBA!

Are you looking for a creative and attractive way to present favors to your guests or gifts for your attendants, but are also a little enviro-savvy? Then you just might be interested in this new product.

eWrapz offers a new line of fabric gift wrap that can be washed and reused repeatedly, the company says, eliminating the waste associated with conventional gift wrapping paper. The product, ideal for favor boxes and gifts, is available in six sizes and comes with an attached tie—no tape or scissors are needed. Designs include colorful patterns, holiday prints and neutral basics. A "legacy tag" helps track the wrap's path as it is reused.

Tell us about your business; how did you get started as a photographer?

When I was five years old, my dad let me use his Minolta SLR camera for the first time on vacation and from that moment on, I was hooked! I photographed everything in sight, took as many classes as I could, and eventually started my business when I shot my first wedding at the age of 14. I love being behind the camera and showing the world my perspective on life. By the time I graduated from college, I was shooting full time and had a staff, it was truly a dream come true! In 2003, I married my best friend and he became an integral part of my business, not only assisting us girls on photo shoots but also doing a lot of back end work on our website, blog, social media, etc. We work together as a team and love photographing fun weddings for fun people!

How would you describe your style of photography?

I would say that we have a refined, blended style of photography. While most photographers specialize in one specific style or another, we blend the couple’s entire wedding story into beautiful formals, fun candids, fashionable fine art and artistic photojournalism. We love bright, colorful, vibrant photos and I think our strengths include knowing how to produce fabulous images in difficult lighting situations, adding our own special touches to each photo afterwards and then producing an album that showcases the couple’s favorite images from their wedding day in a way that they’ll be excited to show their friends and family. I think that is the winning combination for our overall style.

Do you have any new or interesting projects or news you'd like to share?

Yes! I’m so excited to announce that we’ve been chosen as an ongoing staff photography contributor for the new Wedding Dog magazine coming out this year! I’m a huge animal lover and more and more of my couples are including their pets in their weddings (and engagement sessions) and now, we’ll have an opportunity to have their photos featured in the new national magazine!

What is your favorite place you've shot a wedding?

Oh wow, that’s a tough one…we’ve been to so many cool places! Some of my favorites or most memorable weddings would include: the huge destination wedding in Toronto that we photographed a few years ago, the river boat wedding that we photographed in Louisville, the vegan wedding that we photographed at midnight in downtown Indy, the Radio Now wedding giveaway at the Marott, the fun New Year’s Eve wedding at the Central Library last year and the other fun high end weddings we’ve photographed around Indy and beyond!