Howerton+Wooten Events Blog. The musings of a Maryland Wedding and Event Planner

A Thoughtful Wedding Favor: Origami Hearts

Last year, I had the pleasure of taking care of a couple who held a private wedding ceremony at the Inn at 202 Dover in Easton, Maryland.

 

Since, so many of their wedding guests were coming from the Washington, DC metropolitan area, they had to pay a toll on their wedding to the ceremony.

As a thoughtful gesture, the bride and groom gave everyone an Origami Heart made in the dollar amount with a little note explaining that it was for their tolls.

Now, I would venture to guess that none of their wedding guests suffered financially because of the toll money paid.  But this favor was one of the many thoughtful ways they let their wedding guests know how much they appreciated them for coming to their wedding.

If you are ever at a loss for wedding design or favor ideas, think of ways to make your wedding guests feel welcome or comfortable, and the ideas will come from that.

 

If want to know how to make your own Origami Hearts, check out E-How for instructions.

Love & Soul Always, Kay

(Photo of Inn at 202 Dover: What's Up Magazine)

(Photo of Origami Heart: E-How)
   

Soap Opera Wedding Album

During Thanksgiving week, I had the privilege of hosting the Howerton family in my home for a few days.  On the afternoon prior to Thanksgiving, my aunt was watching the Young and the Restless.  Before I knew it, I started thinking about all of those crazy soap opera weddings.

Bo and Hope's first wedding. (Days of Our Lives).  Sheesh!  Could they fit anymore flowers in that church?  Or better yet, could they fit a bigger veil on her head?

 

 
Victor and Nikki Neumann (Young and the Restless).  Exactly how many times did this couple marry and break up?  And, are these people still on this soap? 

 

 
All My Children aired the first Lesbian wedding for a Daytime Drama.  I am not particularly fond of the matching hairstyles, but their bouquets are sweet.

 

 
Now, all of you kids of the 80's cannot deny that you remember this?  Luke and Laura's wedding (General Hospital).  I don't know which one was bigger -- Laura's veil or Luke's hair.

Thanks for taking a trip down memory lane with me.  This was fun (and funny).

Love and Soul Always, Kay

Peacock-Inspired Blue and Green Wedding Decor

A couple of years ago, I had the privilege of planning a wedding for one of THE BEST couples.  I smile every time I think of them.

Their blue and green wedding design was inspired by the colors of a peacock.

This picture of the bridesmaids is one of my favorites.  The combination of their wedding day jewelry and their lovely saris made for pure eye candy.
 

 

Each table had its own design.  As you can see, this table's blue and green decor was accented by gold napkins and gold chairs.

Here is a closer look of the same table before the catering staff finished setting them for dinner.

 
Half of the tables were designed with lime green table linen with gold napkins.  The centerpieces for these tables were crystal trees.

The bride and groom had their peacock Cake Topper made by an artist on Etsy.  It was so cute, and it was such a fun way to showcase the inspiration for their wedding reception design.

Here is another picture of their wedding cake.

Here is a picture of the sweetheart table.  For those of you located in the DC area, you can easily tell that this wedding reception took place at the Galleria at Lafayette Centre.

Enjoy!

Love & Soul Always, Kay

(Photos: Erin Marie Photography)
 

Simple Jewelry That Flaunts Your Heart

I think it is great how these pendants, made by Three Sisters Jewelry, showcase a special person in your life without being "in your face."

 This tiny sterling silver necklace comes with three small tags -- you can stamp one letter per charm or add a heart.  Because it is so delicate and sweet, it would be a nice gift for your junior bridesmaid.

I am defnitely a fan of this Circle of Life bracelet.  I can see this as a thoughtful gift for a bridesmaid, who is also a mom.  The bracelet could include the bridesmaid's name, her mom's name, and her child's name.  The bracelet also comes with smaller charms that say "joy" and "love."

 

What a nice gift to share with your best girlfriend!  You have the yin, and she can have the yang.  One hand-stamped tag is made of a gold fill and the sterling silver tag has an extra large letter.
   

Because of You . . .

You are my husband/wife.
My feet shall run because of you.
My feet dance because of you.
My eyes see because of you.
My mind thinks because of you.
And I shall love because of you.

 

-- Intuit Wedding Vow

 

 

 

 

 

Love & Soul Always, Kay

Professional Wedding Vendor Interview Questions

Last Sunday, while working at a bridal show, I heard numerous couples state a common challenge.  They don't know what questions to ask wedding vendors during meetings/consultations.

And, as many of you know, asking the right questions is key to helping you make a sound decision for your wedding day vendors.

Over the years, I've found blog posts that feature some really good questions to ask professional  vendors before you hire them.  A few of them are below.

• A list of Essential Questions for Your Photographer (found on Elizabeth Anne Designs)
  
  
• I thought this list of Things to Ask before Renting a Limo for Your Wedding was really good.
  
  
• I thought I would throw in my own list of Six Questions You Should Ask Your Wedding Caterer BEFORE you hire them.
  
  
• Even if you hire your own church's pastor for your wedding day, here are 15 Must-Ask Questions for Wedding Officiants (written by Anne Chertoff for iVillage)
  
  
• I think this list of 20 Questions to ask Your Florist is a really good one (written by Anne Chertoff for iVillage). 

And, most important of all . . .

• A list of Wedding Planner Interview Questions for Brides (found on Wedding Tidbits by Kelly McWilliams' Blog)

Do you have any lists to add?  Please share.

Love & Soul Always, Kay

Wash Your Hands AND Your Engagement Ring

We're still in the throes of the flu season, so keep up that healthy habit of washing your hands with antibacterial soap.

Instead of taking off your engagement ring before washing your hands, keep the ring on.

As we have learned this flu season, germs can live on just about anything, and that includes your gorgeous ring.

So, lather up while wearing your engagement ring, and dry off the ring with a soft, lint-free cloth.

Every six months, you should take your ring to a reputable jeweler to have it professionally cleaned, and checked for loose prongs or gems.

One more thing.  Close the sink while you wash your hands, so your ring doesn't go down the drain by mistake.  (ask me how I know! Oy!)

Love & Soul Always, Kay

(Photo: MorningStar Photography)

Monday Morning Thoughts: Crying Uncle

So, what do you do when wedding planning stress has become entirely too much for you?  Do you plow forward knowing that you will feel much better on your wedding day?  It's okay to admit it.  So many of us do the same thing.

Take it from me -- It's okay to cry "uncle" too.  It's not a sign of weakness -- It's simply your notification that you need help.  Hey, even the hottest wedding planners in town have assistants, so why should you take on this major task alone?

Here are some recommendations for managing your wedding planning projects --

* First and foremost, prioritize.  Create a list of the most important tasks and a list of "nice to have" tasks to help you focus on what is important.  Do what you need to do first.  Then (if you have the time available), you can take care of some of the tasks on your "nice to have" list.

* Ask for help.  Divvy up some of the tasks and ask for help from your groom, your reliable family members, reliable friends and the reliable members of your bridal party. (notice I said the word, "reliable")  Exploit some of their talents.  If your future mother in law is a supreme gardener, ask her for help with selecting your wedding flowers.

* Outsource.  Hire a wedding planner.  If your budget doesn't allow you to hire a planner, consider hiring a planner for your most challenging (or most time-consuming) wedding project only.  And, you cannot go wrong with hiring a professional day of coordinator.

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Here are some recommendations for reducing your stress and anxiety --

* Take all of your wedding projects and break them down into monthly tasks.  Breaking up your tasks by month won't seem so overwhelming.  And, it allows you to bulk up the tasks on your life's slower months and slim down your tasks during your life's busy months.

* Get outside.  A few years ago, I was overwhelmed with stress.  I felt like I was "drowning in drama."  I decided to put on my sneakers and take a walk around my neighborhood (without my blackberry or my iPod).  This 30 minutes of quiet time helped me to gain perspective.  Now, I can't live without my 30-minute walk.

* Take a mental break.  Remind yourself that there is life outside of weddings.  Take a weekend away from family, friends and work, and don't utter the word, "wedding."  Don't look at a wedding magazine.  Don't watch a wedding show.  And don't read any wedding blogs. (gasp!)

* Eat healthy.  When I feel anxious or overwhelmed, I am famous for enjoying a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup, followed up by a box of ginger snaps and a root beer.  Guess what?  I feel better for about ten seconds.  According to some studies, eating organic fruits and vegetables and omega-3 fatty acids help you to get clarity.  And clarity is what you need when you feel anxious. 

 

So, relax.  Ask for help.  And know that your loved ones will consider you wise for asking for help -- not for losing your mind over your wedding planning.

Love & Soul Always, Kay

 

(Photo: This is a photo I took from my back yard last summer.  It was a rainbow after a wicked storm.)

Featured in Essence Magazine

Check out Howerton+Wooten Events in the February issue of Essence Magazine!

 

The article titled, “From Fear to Freedom” gives a brief synopsis of my journey from working at a corporate gig to running my own meeting and event planning company.

The article starts on page 65, but you will find me on page 66.  Below is the magazine issue's cover, featuring Reggie Bush (wow)

 
If you get a chance to read the article, let me know what you think.  Sharing so much about my own personal journey made me a little nervous.  But the feedback I have received from women all over the US made me realize that so many of us need to hear stories like this.

Oh by the way, the printed photo of me in this issue was taken by Bailey Orenia-Sessoms.  I don’t think I have ever given her blog credit for my professional photo, but I owe her a great deal of gratitude.

Love and Soul Always, Kay

(Photo: Essence Magazine)

Maptotes Are a Fun Option for Your "Out of Town" Wedding Guest Bags

 
Isn't  this Maptote a great idea for your "out of town" wedding guests?  The bags can hold all of your guests' wedding weekend items, and they would be a fun souvenir of your wedding city.

Maptotes offer numerous city options, and seven bag sizes.  I especially like the grocery tote bag because it can be used long after your wedding day.  Which, of course, is environmentally friendly.

If you don't see your wedding city as one of their options, you can have a bag customized with your wedding city.

I think the Mapnotes would be fun if you had your "save the dates" printed on the other side.  Your guests will have all of your wedding information, along with a snapshot of your wedding city.  The mapnotes are 4" x 9" flat cards.  They come with brown envelope that is made of 100% recycled paper.

What do you think?  Would Maptotes or Mapnotes be a fun addition for your wedding weekend?

Love & Soul Always, Kay

(Photos: Maptote)