How to Make a Wedding Planner Cringe in 10 ways..... Guest blogger: Lauren

Hello everyone! My name is Lauren Galloway and I have known Julia for over 10 years. We both graduated from Western Kentucky University majoring in Hospitality Management and shared a few late nights studying for classes. I miss seeing her and I am honored to be asked to contribute to this wonderful blog Julia has created! I am SO proud of her!


From the weddings I've coordinated, one of the things that I've noticed is working with a bride who is not very organized with her wedding plans. Vendors, set-up, decorations, budget, etc. Having a checklist, timeline, or being organized in some kind of way is SO helpful to your wedding planner. As wedding planners, we are determined to make the day go as well and beautifully as we can for you! It is YOUR day and you need to enjoy it as much as you can! Obviously, there are many times where something will come up last minute that you just can’t always plan for, but if you have done your best to inform your Wedding Planner up until the Wedding day, I can guarantee she will be able to handle those last minute things. There are many checklists and books that help with organizing which you can find online. When you decide to use a wedding planner to help your day run smoothly, she will most likely keep you organized.



Something I would like to HIGHLY recommend to brides is from the moment you start planning your wedding till the end: Keep a binder of important details. Make tabs for Vendors, Rentals, Ceremony, Reception, Transportation, etc.

I’ve enjoyed writing this entry for you all and I hope you find this information useful. Happy planning!

I've discovered something amazing....

Pinterest!!!

A lovely wedding planners dream. Pinterest allows you to organize all your ideas in one place. If you're like me, you are constantly saving websites to your toolbar and the list just keeps growing and growing.. and growing. I wanted to share a few of my favorite finds recently.
I love this for so many reasons.... 1]My obsession with pennants is out of control 2] The tree trunk cake stand is awesome, surrounded by trunk candles 3] Look at the centerpieces in the background!!



How adorable!!! These little cupcake toppers will be making an appearance at my next party.



Fabric flower garlands... how cute would these look strung outside above a patio?

How to Make a Wedding Planner Cringe in 10 Ways..... #2

Here we go folks, number 2! When trying to create a centerpiece for any event, or even just at your own dining room table, remember this: size does matter!

1] Size Matters: Make sure the size of your table is in proportion with your centerpiece. Big table means larger centerpiece. Small table means a simple, smaller centerpiece will do. Small centerpieces just look dinky [yep, dinky] on large tables. ** Secret: Tall centerpieces make the room look more full of decor AND it makes it easier for table conversations. You won't need to duck around the flowers in the middle in order to talk to the person across the table. Tall centerpieces are good for rooms with tall ceilings, because a short centerpiece would just get lost!

Check out this amazing centerpiece from my cousin's wedding.The reception venue had vaulted ceilings with spectacular chandeliers. I love the base of this centerpiece because there were colored petals surrounding it which helps break up the flow. Also, by adding other details at different heights below the tallest item on the table, makes for a nice cascading look and not so sharp. Perfect!!

A centerpiece from my best friends wedding. Again, great height for a centerpiece. The wedding was in a tent with vaulted ceilings and this really made it look beautiful!!

How to make a Wedding Planner cringe in 10 Ways...... Day #1

Being a HUGE fan of wedding blogs, party set-ups and anything frilly, I see alot of things I LOVE and want to copy but I also see a lot of things that leave me thinking HUH?! Granted, everyone is welcome to use their own design ideas and apply what they think looks nice. BUT, sometimes it looks just plain silly. Today I'm kicking off
How to Make a Wedding Planner Cringe in 10 Ways
NUMBER 1:
* Using tablecloths that are too short for the tables *
This is bad yall, who is guilty? Come on, admit you have done it [and then never do it again!]
It looks tacky, it shows the table legs, it shows in pictures, and it's just silly. Want proof?



OUCH! The poor little tables look like they are floating!












Look at this lovely mess....








In conclusion....
* Get tablecloths that hit the floor
* Chairs won't hide your 'too short' tablecloth

Stay tuned for many more rants from this wedding planner! :-)

Sunday Sweetness- Fruit Salad

In the midst of planning some birthday parties, I've been trying to come up with affordable snacks to serve at some upcoming baby showers. 5 of my friends are pregnant and I need to start thinking of the best ways to throw all these showers without going broke! :-) Most of my friends are due in the fall/winter of this year, but I do have 2 summer showers so I plan on using some juicy fruit recipes for those! Let me tell you about a couple super yummy recipes I've discovered and have gone over great with all my guests!

Honey-Lime Fruit SaladIngredients: ALL your favorite fruits!!
My Ingredients: Pineapple, strawberries, kiwi & blueberries Honey Lime Glaze: equal portions of honey and lime juice....
yep that easy!!

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Sugar Pita Chips
Ingredients for fruit salad:
Blackberries, cut in half
Strawberries, sliced
Kiwi, diced
Blueberries
Drizzle with fresh lemon juice and Agave nectar

Add Cinnamon Sugar pita chips for serving

I'll be serving these up at the next few baby showers. Fruit is so colorful and it easily makes the drab buffet table look super cheery. Place in wood bowls, tiered on top of pottery, wood crates, whatever you have! You would be surprised how much stuff you actually have laying around your house that can be used to spice up a buffet line.
Enjoy!

Getting to know... Julia

Hello there!

Before fully launching this blog, I feel like I should introduce myself to everyone out there. I also feel inclined to give you cheesy facts about me and what I like to do in my day to day life. So.... here we go!!

• I'm from the wonderful city of Kansas City, Missouri. I was raised by my amazing parents and super fun little sister. Surrounded by amazing BBQ, wonderful shopping and living on a lake was the perfect life!
  
• After graduating high school, I went to Tampa, Florida to attend college. At a school with only 500 students, it was perfect for a freshman! I met some of my very best friends [and my husband!] at Florida College. Going to college close to the beach was a major perk and always made for fun weekends away.
  
• After Florida College, I transferred to Western Kentucky University, located in Bowling Green, KY. I soon decided I would major in Hospitality Management and focus on event planning. This whole time there was a major for planning parties?!! Count me in!!
  
• What seemed like 8 years later, I graduated and didn't know what to do next!
• Since I was dating Jake [future hubby] at the time, I started looking for jobs in his hometown of Fayetteville, Arkansas. After a couple weeks, I became front office manager for a local hotel!
  
• Jake proposed to me a few months later overlooking downtown Fayetteville, and then began the fun stuff!!!
• Planning our wedding was just awesome! My mom and I talked every day about every detail imaginable.
  
• On August 27, 2011 we had our perfect wedding in Kansas City. Best day ever!!! I still can't believe it's almost been a year!

So here I am now... ready to begin my dream of planning parties, events, weddings and every detail along the way. With lots of experience the last few years, I feel confident it's time for me to put my talent to work. I'm ready to make everyone's day as special mine was. Looking forward to getting to know all my followers better. Hang on ya'll, it's about to get fun!!

Sunday Sweetness

Every Sunday I'm going to bring you a sweet recipe to try. To kick things off, I'm going to introduce one of my favorite sweet treats to serve at parties: Marshmallow Pops!!! Look at these beauties!

They are so easy to make!!
All you need is:

[1] bag of Jet Puffed Marshmallows
[1] Pack of white Almond Bark
Couple Tbsp of Canola Oil
Food coloring Sprinkles/Candies of your choice
Bag of bamboo skewers

* Break a couple of the Almond bark pieces and put them in a double boiler
* Add 2 Tbsp of Canola oil
* Cook on medium heat until melted, but still a little thick
* Add food coloring and make desired color
* Put marshmallows on skewers, without poking all the way through the marshmallow
* Dip marshmallows into melted chocolate and cover only the top half
* Dunk in sprinkles
* Lay marshmallows to cool on wax paper

**ENJOY!!!**