CROWNING CELEBRATION: Amanda & Zach

Amanda and Zach are one of these couples you just fall in love with! Amanda's gorgeous smile and Zach's charming personality made them one of our favorite couples of 2014. Not to mention they have excellent taste! Pair that with some fab vendors and you have a pretty awesome wedding and really fun day.

From Amanda's 20 carat diamond necklace (no, I'm not exaggerating) to their Catholic-Jewish 'cashew' ceremony, followed by a bridal party who had too much fun on the 12 golf carts at their disposal, to the gorgeous sunset with sparkler introduction and heart-warming and funny toasts, Mary Wyar Photography captured it all fabulously!

Location: Toledo Country Club. Photography by Mary Wyar Photography. Invitation, Menu and Favor Tags designed by UpperCase Designs. Flowers designed Bartz Viviano Flowers and Gifts. Coordinated Crowning Celebrations, Brittany, Anna, Megan and designed by Crowning Celebrations, Brittany.

Thank you bride, Amanda for this review:
Crowning celebrations was the most well spent money of our entire wedding! I do not know what we would have done without them!! They helped us with ever aspect of our wedding from invitations to decor. Brittany is a great designer and made our wedding beautiful. They are also very organized and answer emails and phone calls immediately which was very helpful. I would 100% recommend them to anyone!

CROWNING CELEBRATION: Alicia & Ryan The Knot Magazine

What a great way to end the year than with Alicia & Ryan's wedding in The Knot!

CROWNING INSPIRATION: Fat Cat Cooking Show

Happy Small Business Saturday! I hope you had a blessed Thanksgiving and you are out shopping and supporting LOCAL!

I was flattered to be an invited guest on the Fat Cat Cooking Show, which aired today on #iheartradio WCWA1230 at Noon. As promised here are my tips for entertaining at home during the holiday season:

DO:

• Set your table the 2 days before. Whether it’s a buffet or sit down dinner. Pull out all your serving dishes and mark each one with a post-it of its corresponding dish and serving wear. By doing this 2 days before you realize if you need to polish something or borrow something and this gives you a day to prepare.
• Clean out your fridge and your medicine cabinet. People are noisy. Make sure your fridge doesn't have left over food dripping down the side and is not stocked to the brim (after all where are you going to put left overs). Also make sure when guests go to the bathroom your medical or personal secrets are stashed away.
• Set boundaries. If you are having a large party and friends are bringing a 'plus one' who you are meeting for the first time, it might be a good idea to put a lock on your bedroom door. Keep your money, jewelry and other personal items safe and private. This is also a great place to stash those little projects you didn't quite get to. Behind the couch doesn't work. If its reachable - it can be seen.
• If budget allows, hire a helping hand. There’s nothing better than using your china and not having to do the dishes. As I say, "Use the good stuff if you have it". If you have someone managing the kitchen during a party – sit down dinner or mingle - having someone to keep up on dishes, make sure bottles of wine are open and ready, etc. If its not in your budget, then don’t spend your evening doing dishes when you should be entertaining friends. Instead stack them neatly next to the sink. As long as food is not sitting on them, fine china can be cleaned the next day, no harm done.
• Buy some take home containers for guests. Like most hosts you are going to over buy, over cook and have left overs. Send guests home with their favorite dishes
• Make sure you have a great flow of traffic with your furniture. You may have to remove some items and bring in standing bistro tables to allow more areas for guests to set their drinks. This is inexpensive rental and worth it.
• If your event is not a formal dinner, prepare a menu that has bite sized food or easy to eat with just a fork. Guests cannot juggle a glass of wine, eat with a set of silverware, and manage their plate. Besides smaller items allow for easy bites and easier conversation.

DON'T

• Forget the ice. People often rely on the ice maker and it just can’t pull its weight. You need ice to chill down drinks prior to and also serve at the bar.
• Neglect your bathroom. People are going to frequent the bathroom so stock up on toilet paper. And if you are on a septic tank, use the cheap stuff (were you wondering where I was going with that on air - now you know!). Nothing is more expensive than the amount of champagne you are going to serve than calling a plumber at 10pm and having him clear your pipes. Check the waste basket always make sure hand towels are available. 
• Overwhelm your guests with scented candles and plug-ins that fight with the delicious smells of your home cooking. Keep the smelly candles for the bathroom.
• Get too comfortable. Work the room. Introduce new people. Therefore you probably won’t each much. So be sure to help yourself to your food while preparing it.

I think the best holiday decor is some of the easiest. Real, fresh evergreen foliage and Christmas bulbs are some of my favorites. I have listed several ideas on my Pinterest page. You will find an eclectic collection from traditional to playful. 

Enjoy, and happy planning!

CROWNING CELEBRATION: Intimate Bridal Shower

Having known my bride for over 20 years, I have come to appreciate her love for monograms and traditionalism. Visiting her hometown from Manhattan, it was important that the bridal shower included her favorite little luxuries.  

I designed her bridal shower in the home to give an intimate atmosphere with fineries such as Francis First flatware, Waterford crystal, Aynsley Pembroke china, lace linens from Italy, antique silver vessels for flowers and touches of gold in the chargers and chairs. 

As a surprise, I monogrammed all the Battenberg napkins with her new monogram along with a chair drape, which was then re-created into a table runner for the newly married couple. 

Antique silver vessels were filled with garden flowers and fresh herbs. 

Guests were served beverages with monogrammed coasters during lunch, followed by coffee and tea with macaroons and desserts. 

The couple has a mutual love for Polar Bears - an inside love joke of sorts between the two of them. So I dressed up these two bears and placed them at her placesetting as a surprise.

Vendor Recognition:

Bartz Viviano Flowers & Gifts

Toledo Chiavari Chairs

Meredith Party Rentals

Sylvania Country Club

KF Sweets

CROWNING CELEBRATION: Bridal Shower at Toledo Museum of Art

I love it when clients let me design for them and then totally let me run with it! And its even more fun when its a break from the usual and plan an intimate party such as this one. 

This bridal shower for 12 lovely ladies at the Toledo Museum of Art was designed around the bride's profession as a profession art auctioneer at Sotheby's in Manhattan. The hostess, the bride's sister, wanted to use coral and touches of turquoise and gold.

Great events deserved to be photographed by a professional. Thank you to Mary Wyar who captured my tablescape design, along with the entire event. 

 Don't you just love the gold flatware - totally completes the look!!! I luckily have a connection with fabulous taste and really good estate sale shopping skills. Thank you, Dale, for loaning us your fabulous finds!