Saturday, December 3, 2011

Mason Jars -- So Many Uses

One of my favorite every day items that has become very popular as wedding decor is the mason jar.  There are so many uses for them from centerpieces, aisle markers, lighting pieces and even special drink glasses.  I love how they can be used in a casual way, romantic setting, or even as a vintage touch to wedding decor.  And the best thing about them, they are inexpensive and can be done as a DIY touch to your wedding.  What a wonderful way to stay in budget and get amazing decor for your big day.



Check out these designs on Etsy!

Wooden Mason Jar Table Numbers -- Blue Envelope on Etsy
Etched Mason Jars -- Icatlla on Etsy
Burlap Covered Mason Jars -- Craft up Your Life on Etsy
Mason Jar Table Numbers -- DazzlingExpressions on Etsy
Hanging Pew Flower Mason Jars --Bloomed to Last on Etsy
Chalboard Mason Jars -- Urban Belle Couture on Etsy

Wedding Favors...What to Give Your Guests

How many of you have been to many weddings and you leave the big event with a favor that you will never use?  Okay, put your hands down now.  Many times brides try to find favors that they think are cute and that the guests will enjoy.  But unfortunately some of them go in the trash or in a drawer at home never to be looked at again.  I remember being at my aunt's house not too long ago helping my cousin's fiance' plan her wedding and the topic of favors came up.  I was telling her that you want to give your guests something they can use.  My aunt them held up a wine bottle stopper that she had on the top of her computer desk and said "Like this, I have never used it.  Notice where it has sat since I came home from the wedding".  I started laughing and said exactly.  Here are some examples of those favors that may look cute on a guest table, but will never be put to use in the future.


For those of you who do not want to spend money on something your guests will never look at again, here are some examples for you!


Some ideas from this inspiration board are:

Decorative Candles --Pebble Creek Candles on Etsy
Small plants that can be planted in your guests yard  --Plant a Memory Favors and Gifts
Labeled bottles of wine or champagne-- Labels from I Do Artsy Weddings on Etsy
Decorative Cookies--A popular choice in Savannah is Two Smart Cookies
Candied Apples-- Try Savannah Sweets
Boxed Chocolates--All ThingsChocolate and More 
Your favorite jelly or jam-- Labels from Miss Pickles Press on Etsy
Cute Vases filled with your favorite jelly bean --Jelly Belly
Your favorite tea or spice blend in a tin -- Tea For All Reasons on Etsy
Cupcake in a jar, perfect favor and can be used as the desert for the evening -- Half Baked Company on Etsy
Bagged coffee beans or chocolate covered espresso beans --Nuts Online

And for me the best favor of all is a donation from the bride and groom to a local or national charity in honor of each of the guests. 

Unique Centerpiece Ideas

Lately we have had our brides asking us for unique centerpiece ideas for their weddings.  Yes, tall lavish floral centerpieces are definitely an eye catching centerpiece, but brides now a days are looking for something to adorn their guest tables that are different from any other wedding they have been to.  There are so many unique ideas out there that would be amazing on any guest table.  These unique ideas can help in coming up with an overall theme for the wedding reception.  Here are a few that we found and love. 



The best thing about these centerpieces is that the majority of them can be done on your own so that you are saving money in the long run and having an adorable centerpiece for your tables.  Below are some Etsy shops that we have found that can help you in achieving these centerpieces if you are not the creative person. 

NHWoodcreations --wood vases
Custom Love Gifts --tin jar centerpieces
Petals and Chalk --mason jar centerpieces
AmandaCereola --paper flower centerpieces
The Gingham Bird  --fabric flower centerpieces
Klips N Scraps -- paper pinwheels



Friday, December 2, 2011

Our Holiday Gift to You...

During this magical time of good cheer, we at Everlasting Occasions have decided to extend a discount of 30% off of the package of your choice. Choose from one of the packages listed below:

From This Day Forward - Our full planning package.

To Have and To Hold - Begins one month prior to your wedding.

Happily Ever After - Our popular day-of coordination package.

You May Kiss the Bride - Your choice of rehearsal, day-of, or reception only coordination.

I Do - All inclusive elopement package.

This fabulous discount will be applied to any bride who books with us by December 25th!
Have you thought about having a wedding planner to coordinate all the details of your dream wedding but thought that you could not include one in your wedding budget? With this amazing holiday deal you can now have the help that you need so that you can relax and enjoy your special day!

Please see our website www.everlastingoccasions.net for detailed information on each of our packages.

Act fast, for this special holiday discount will be gone before you know it!

Why Should I Hire a Wedding Planner

Many brides always start out excited about the wedding planning process, but that feeling often goes away when the reality of all the responsibilities sets in. The long to do list - from filling out seating charts to what photographer to choose - can be very overwhelming, taking the fun out of the big day.  One way to avoid this stress is to hire a wedding planner.   If you hire a wedding planner with a good reputation, they can take a lot of the stress out of planning for your special day. More times than not, they are worth the money that you pay for their services.

One of the advantages of hiring a wedding planner is that they have connections with the local venues and vendors that are used for a wedding.  Today's couples have three things that are top on their list, venue, photography and catering. Sometimes wedding planners may have special deals with certain vendors and may be able to get you a discount. They also know who is the best of the best to work with so that you know you are getting what you paid for with no worries. 

Another benefit is that professional planners have been there before. We know what problems could arise and have a solution ready just in case.  Did the groom lose a button on his tux? We are ready to sew it on for him.  Did you forget the bubbles for your send off?  We have some just in case.  No matter the problem, many experienced wedding planners have a solution already prepared for such an event. Because of this, the peace of mind that you will receive from hiring a planner out weighs the cost of hiring one. 

As your planner we will sit down with you and talk through each decision that will need to be made regarding your big day. We will also keep you posted on when things come up that you may need to give attention to. We will ask you about your preferences so everything goes according to your plan. Our job is just to make the day go smoother and with less stress for you and your families.

The decision for you to make is whether you need a planner there to walk you through every step from your engagement to your honeymoon or if you want someone to make sure that everything you planned goes off without any problems.  Either way, it is best to find a planner that makes you feel comfortable and that you know you can have a good relationship with. 

Our goal with every bride and groom is to establish a relationship with them.  This is our first priority, followed by making the entire process as stress free as possible.  We are there to take the stress away from not only the bride and groom but also their entire families.  Noone wants their friends or families to have to work for them on their wedding day by doing last minute tasks.  Everyone involved should be wrapped up in the excitement of celebrating such a big day. 

See what some of our brides say:

Amanda: 


Let's see why shoudl you hire a wedding planner....

To begin, when you first become engaged, the euphoria of a wedding can be overwhelming; not only are you hearing "advice" from friends, family, and acquaintances, but also vendors. And unfortunately, not every vendor is trying to help you achieve the vision that fits in your budget. Personally, hiring a wedding planner was the best investment I could have made for my wedding. Not only did Raven have experience with many vendors in the area (she helped me avoid people who would not treat me right), she helped me organize my budget to fit in everything I really wanted into my wedding. If you are seeking unbiased and true advice from a previous bride, heed me now: a wedding planner will help you enjoy and treasure the time before, during, and after your wedding. She will help you be organized, carefree, and calm. Raven and Everlasting Occasions not only helped me to have absolutely no regrets after my wedding, but every memory of my day is wonderful; no crying, no stress, and no last minute set up or helping the vendors. And to top it all off, I still maintain a friendship with Raven that I treasure! Take it from me...hiring a wedding planner is the best money you will spend on your wedding! I can promise you that!

Brooker:

 


When you picture your wedding day... you hope for beautiful weather, good health, and a smooth ceremony and reception! Granite hiring a wedding coordinator can't fix mother nature or your health but they sure can make you day go right! :):) By hiring Everlasting Occasions to coordinator my wedding day was one of the smartest move I made...they were so wonderful to work with! They listened to what I wanted and made it happen. Weddings can cost a lot of money...by hiring a wedding coordinator you will NOT go wrong! It's nice to know you have someone you can count on and trust to make sure everything happens as planned. Again weddings can become costly but the price you pay for a coordinator is priceless! You pay for a piece of mind at a reasonable price. :):) You can plan your whole wedding but to pull the day off like you want you need someone you can trust...and Everlasting Occasions was it for us. Xo

Sarah:

 


Raven was the "day of" coordinator for our destination wedding, in Savannah. However, she was so involved before the wedding, she became a lifesaver. When things got a little out of hand on my end, out of state, she was right there. Then at the rehearsal, she made sure everyone understood what we wanted and made it happen. On the day of our wedding one of her family members was in the hospital, however she still managed to be there for me while I was getting ready, and to help my party walk down the aisle (plus all of the other "little" details"). She was amazing and I will always thank her for helping me create one of the most cherished memories of my life.