New Blog

Hi Everyone,

This blog has now moved to the following domain: http://flutterflyevents.com/blog/ 

I look forward to seeing you over there!

Erika

UKAWP Wedding Sanctuary

Come meet me and other UKAWP wedding planners and industry experts at the Wedding Sanctuary hosted at the prestigious Somerset House on March 20th, 2011!

The Wedding Sanctuary is an innovative wedding show designed to offer top design inspiration, personal style advice and one to one planning support. This will be YOUR one stop planning refuge!

I'll be giving a talk on how to plan your timings for the wedding day so be sure to swing by and listen to this extremely important topic. Our industry experts include:

Julia Boggio Photography
Amanda Austin Flowers
Cutture
Zoe Clarke Cakes
Sassi Holford
Gorgeous Film Productions
Table Talk
Emmy
Sternberg Clarke
Elle Au Naturel
Katrina Choat Image Consultancy
Wedding Magazine
Staggered

Details
Date: Sunday, March 20th
Time: 11am-1pm and 2pm-4pm
Tickets: £10 for a single and £15 for a double Click here for ticket purchase.

Eltham Palace Bridal Open Day

FlutterFly Events will be at one of finest wedding exhibitions in London on February 19th.  Eltham Palace is holding their annual bridal open day for brides and grooms interested in hosting their wedding at this stunning venue.

Set within tranquil moated gardens, Eltham Palace was once the childhood home of Henry VIII. The venue boasts a mix of medieval style, art deco and Hollywood glamour, perfectly situated in a private gated area surrounded by lush manicured gardens.

Come visit us and other London wedding suppliers from 11am-4pm on 19th February 2011.

                  Credits: Eltham Palace and Zafferno

FlutterFly in the Press

Happy weekend! Check out my budget saving tips on page 119 of the March/April issue of You and Your Wedding. It's a great start to the 2011!

FlutterFly is Re-Branding

FlutterFly Event's is re-branding!  Our new website will be complete in mid-February but in the meantime have a look at our new logo:

A Gorgeous Succulent

Succulents are a big hit with US weddings and it's only a matter of time before they get big with the UK weddings market. Enjoy these gorgeous floral designs and let us know what you think:

                             Image from Elizabeth Anne Designs (EAD), photo by Amy Squires

                              Image from EAD

                                             Photo by Amy Squires

                             Image from EAD and Green Wedding Shoes

                              Image from Style Me Pretty, photo by Erin Heart's Court

                            Images from The Knot and JL Designs

Wise Wedding Tip

Wise wedding tip # 2

If you and your fiance are from countries that speak different languages, consider having a short reading at the Ceremony followed by the same reading in the other language.  

                                                Giles Penfound

                                                                      

Guest Management

Having a database or tracker for your wedding guests is uber important.  You need to store important information such as guests attending, mailing address and assigned seating.  Here are some tips on how to go about staying organized:

Set up a guest tracker in a user friendly program such as Excel.    My tracker has 15 columns but adjust yours to the way you're organizing your reception.  These are my columns:

Guest Name
Mailing Address
Phone Number
Email Address
Reply Card Number
Date Invitation Mailed
Date RSVP Received
RSVP Accepted
Attending Ceremony
Attending Reception
Meal Preference
Dietary Requirements
Table Number
Gift Received
Date Thank you Card Mailed

Let us know what else you have in your guest management system.  We'd love to hear from you.

Wise Wedding Tip

To kick off a series of Wise Wedding Tips, today I'll talk about the WEAR and the WHERE:

Wise Wedding Tip 1:

Two of your biggest decisions will be choosing what to wear and where to getting married.  I suggest deciding WHERE first as the style of the venue will have a big impact on design decisions later in the planning process.  Besides, imagine buying a formal ball gown dress then finding out that the only openings in June are at a horse ranch!

Love,
Erika Unbehaun
FlutterFly Events

A Martini Trend

One big wedding trend I'm loving this year is food served in Martini glasses.  Add a bit of chic to your celebration by bringing out your starter or dessert course in the Martini glasses, or having a late night buffet with a table full of Martinis!

Fill your glasses with the following:
Shrimp Cocktail
Mashed potatoes
Asparagus Risotto
Scrambled Eggs
Ice Cream or Sorbet 

A Beautiful Dress

I come across beautiful things most days on the job.  Diamonds, boxes folded to perfection, gorgeous silk draped around doorways, and more.   I wanted to share this beautiful Vera Wang gown with you as the sweetheart neckline and ruffles with incredible texture took my breath away.  I can already envision a truly divine wedding with this gown...

The Fabulous You

Like most brides I assume you want to look like a better version of yourself on your wedding day?  Step up your health and beauty regime and jump kick your fabulous booty into gear.     At least three months before your wedding day you should make some small tweaks, if necessary.    

FlutterFly's top tips to a more fabulous you:

1. Improve your diet by cutting out everything you know is bad for you- white breads, starchy foods, sugar, alcohol, and fatty foods.  For me, dairy products cause breakouts so I completely avoid these when I have a big event.   Eat green vegetables and foods containing omega 3 and protein such as salmon, avocado, almonds and egg whites.

2. Aim for at least 30 minutes of cardio exercise three (3) times per week then increase this to five (5) times per week.  The blood flow will help increase metabolism and get your skin glowing!

3. Lightly exfoliate every three (3) days to get rid of dead skin cells and to increase cell turnover.  You will notice a softer and brighter complexion immediately.

4.  If you're a sufferer of dry and frizzy hair, start using a good shampoo, conditioner and serum such as Kerastase.  This brand has done wonders for my dry, split end mane.  Another tip is to use the cool setting on the blow dryer for one (1) minute after your hair is completely dry.  Blast the cool air from root to ends for a sleek and frizz free finish.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!!

Congratulations to all the newly engaged couples.  2011 will be the most exciting year of your lives together.  Your love for one another will continue to grow as you get to plan the wedding of your dreams.  It doesn't stop at the wedding- the wedding isn't just an event, it's the beginning of a new life together.

Thank you to all of our suppliers.  Without you we wouldn't be the great company we are today, FlutterFly Events.  Wishing you a happy, safe and successful 2011.

To all our friends and family- we love you and look forward to spending another great year with you.

Cheers, love, safety, healthy and success.  Happy New Years 2011

Wedding Stationery Tips

When talking to newly engaged couples, whether they're based in America, Canada, Australia or the UK, the same topic always comes up: "Erika, what is your opinion on wedding stationery?"   I could go on and on about the importance of stationery for an entire day but instead I'm going to furnish you with some of my favourite wedding stationery tips.  If you want some further information on wedding stationery wording and etiquette, then visit my previous post.

1. Your invitation sets the overall tone for the wedding.  Be sure it reflects the style or theme of your event.    Example: If you're having a formal and elegant wedding, make sure your stationery is elegant and formal in terms of font, paper stock and embellishments, so your guests know what to expect.

2. Though not necessary, save-the-date cards increase excitement for your special event and will give you a better sense of how many people to expect at the wedding.  Plus, more people are likely to show up at the wedding as they won't book plans during your wedding week/end

3. The envelope is the first impression of the wedding so make sure it stands out by using a calligrapher, good penmanship, exquisite stamps, or a gorgeous embellishment

4. Create a consistent look across all your wedding stationery, including: save the dates, invitations, order of service, place cards, menus, and Thanks Yous 

If you'd like any creative ideas please feel free to contact us.  Happy New Years Eve! 

First Steps of Planning Your Wedding

Congratulations you're ENGAGED!!! 

You've never planned a wedding before so where do you start? 

Step 1: Get Focused

·       Set your budget.  Figure out realistically how much you have to spend on your wedding

·       Guest list.  What size wedding do you want?  Together with your fiancé and family, write down a must list and a maybe list

 

Step 2: Location

·       Where do you want to get married? In your hometown? Destination wedding?

·       The style of wedding you want to have will reflect the venues you start to look at

Step 3: Style

·       Focus on what YOU want, not what others have told you. 

·       Sit down as a couple and discuss your dream wedding.  Flip through magazines and browse the web for things you like and dislike.  StyleMePretty

·       Start thinking about style of wedding- classic, traditional, elegant, modern, whimsical, formal, informal, etc.

Step 4: Prioritize

·       What’s truly involved- focus on priorities

·       Is good reception music high up on your priority list, or would you rather plug in an iPod and splurge on flowers?

·       What’s important to you?  Start budgeting for your priorities.  Fill out priority worksheet provided by FlutterFly Events (contact us for your worksheet)

Step 5: Find Dream Team

·       Find wedding vendors to match your budget and complement your style and personality

·       Ask friends and family for vendor referrals

·       Make sure you get along with your vendors, as well as being confident in their work.  They will be with you throughout your engagement and you want to share this wonderful experience with someone you can have fun with

Step 6: Design

·       Pick your colour scheme and theme, if you have one.  This influences everything from save the dates to the dress to flowers and food

·       Think about additional design touches such as lighting, furniture and décor

·       Choosing your colour palette:

What are your favourite colours?

What does your venue look like?

What season will your wedding take place?

Pair cool colours with warm colours?

Start with two colours, three at the most.

Reduce, Re-use, Recycle

Flowers are at the heart of every wedding.  When you hear the word, "wedding" you most likely have visuals of a man, woman, a white dress and lots of fluffy wedding flowers.  Right?   You may envision an aisle runner lined with hundreds of white hydrangeas, or your banqueting tables having large vases overflowing with beautiful pink orchids, but then comes the reality... wedding flowers are a pricey business.   Can you still have your hydrangeas and orchids even if you don't have an enormous budget? Sure you can, just be honest with your florist about your budget and think about the following tips:

1. Reduce:  A couple of statement flower arrangement will be more stunning and remarkable over multiple small arrangements.   Together with your florist, try to come up with something that will create a talking point throughout the evening.   Note: Guests are likely to remember larger arrangements.

2.  Re-Use: Gather up your wedding party and have them transfer the wedding flowers used at the Ceremony, and bring them to the Reception.  Flowers can be used in places such as the restrooms, mantels, fireplaces, bars, etc.  A move like this must be planned well in advance so there aren't any delays at the Reception venue.  If you're travelling a long distance speak to your florist about transporting the flowers.

3.  Recycle:  If you're having a party on the eve of your wedding, why not re-use the flowers somewhere at the wedding the following day?  Similarly, think about ways you can use flowers and herbs for the Ceremony, cocktail reception and dinner.  For example, use bunches of lavender to decorate an Escort Card table during the cocktail reception, then have someone place a bundle of lavender on top of each napkin before dinner.  You get to recycle the lavender that was originally purchased for decorating the Escort Card table! Win/Win

Rocky Mountain Wedding

TV News Reporter and my friend from the University of Colorado at Boulder, Valerie Castro, got married to her lovely fiance, Chris Mosher, in a stunning Rocky Mountain wedding this past September.   The marriage took place at the Chapel at Red Rocks in Morrison, Colorado, and a reception followed at the Terrace Gardens Ken Caryl.  

As always, the Colorado weather held up beautifully and the sun was beaming against the famous Red Rocks.  Every well known musician in the world wants to perform at the Red Rocks Amphitheater and to get married there is a real treat.  Their wedding photographer, Lindsay Pierce, captured the day wonderfully and managed to get the bride and groom to roam through the fields for some contemporary photography.

The bride looked gorgeous in her Pronovias and carried a bouquet of lilac, hydrangeas, roses and orchids.  

Details:  Instead of a Champagne toast, they toasted with a liquor called Aguardiente which is the national drink of Colombia.  The bride's mother's side of the family is Colombian so it was a special touch that made the family and friends feel close to one another.  The Aguardiente is what led to the idea of tailor made shot glasses as wedding favors!  And of course, they also made sure the DJ played lots of Latin music.  The DJ did such an incredible job that the bride and groom extended the music license three times on the evening!

2011 Wedding Trends

It's that time of the year!  Time to post the wedding trends for the new year.

Wedding Trends 2011

Saying "I do's" in doorways!  Sounds silly but it's been happening all over the UK.  Since the law doesn't permit couples having a ceremony outdoors, the closest they can get to mother nature is next to the door leading outdoors.

Post wedding luncheons, BBQs and parties in general are HOTT.  Why end the party at midnight?

The after party after the wedding reception is in full swing.  Many of the younger guests are continuing the party at a hotel or lounge after they leave the venue.

Engagement shoots are going to be big in the UK this year.  Couples are understanding the importance of the engagement shoot and that it gives them a chance to get comfortable in front of the camera and with their photographer.

A nude palette of peaches, blush pinks and golds are big for 2011 and on the other end of the colour wheel, I'm seeing bold and vibrant colours such as purple, tangerine, fuchsia and bright red.

Table napkins are being adorned with tiny bunches of fresh herbs to add sophistication and scent to the room.

For more 2011 wedding trends please contact Erika at weddings@flutterflyevents.com 

Photo by Lloyd Dobbie

A Winter Wedding in London II

As a follow up to our previous post on Kayleigh and Dan's upcoming wedding, we'd like to take this time to thank all of the vendors who have offered their services for this special wedding.  Kayleigh and Dan will have their ceremony at St. Thomas' Catholic Church Wandsworth, followed by a reception at Selsdon Park and Golf Club on Saturday 19th of February 2011.

Some of the below vendors are no longer involved in this wedding due to a change in date and venue, but we'd like to thank them for offering their time and services/products for such a special couple:

Athena Network
Renata- All About Pearls
Eltham Palace
Sarah Jagger
Euphoric Flowers
Blue Strawberry
Payne and Gunter
Acclaim Food
Vsj Marquee Hire
Drake Algar Flowers
Young Guns UK
Giles Penfound
Unique Thinking and the Windjammer Landing in St. Lucia
Beautiful Bosom
Pearl Pictures
Move Three Sixty
Gift of Bio Energy
Parfum Parfait
Kerry McNair Photography
Cherry Crimp
Palecek-Principles
The Hire Emporium 
National Coach Hire
Nicole's make-up and hair
John Vassallo
Frank Noon

Staircases With A Difference

Get creative with staircases to make them into unforgettable, grand, beautiful stairs.  Our examples show stairs with flowers, stairs with faux flowers, stairs with foliage, stairs with balloons and stairs lined with hurricane lamps.   Hope this inspires you!

Credits:
Inside Weddings
Lloyd Dobbie
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