There is no doubt that people love ice cream, cookies, cakes and old fashion milk shakes.  These tasty treats can be nostalgic and delightful when offered to guests at your wedding reception. Don’t just settle on a Dessert Buffet Table create a theme using old fashion ideas. Serve mini or bite sized individuals including mini milk shakes, mini hostess cupcakes, mini ice cream sandwiches, and mini cotton candy for an added bonus hand out sparklers wrapped in custom printed paper with the names of the bride and groom. 

For an old fashion twist have pictures printed of ice cream parlors personalized, use them as cones for the cotton candy and stickers for party favor bags. Here’s an added bonus, wow your guest even more by hiring an old fashion Ice Cream Truck for a couple of hours.  Be creative, but don’t try to do this yourself get a little help and hire a professional.

Eventfully,

LaDawn

Creating a Signature Cocktail for your wedding reception is a great way to make a splash and personalize your wedding. The Bar tab for your wedding could become quite costly, however choosing to create a signature drink along with serving champagne, beer and wine can cut down on your beverage budget tremendously.

Here’s a few great ways to make the most out of your Signature Cocktail…

Try to match your signature drink with your wedding theme. For a summer-themed wedding, for example, you may want to go with a mojito or a fruity drink like a mango martini.

You can also match colors from your wedding to infuse your signature drink, like a blue martini for example. Experiment with different combinations of ingredients to come up with the right shade.

Test Drive your cocktails, like your wedding cake make sure your signature drink is something you and your guest will enjoy. For a fun night invite a few friends over for an informal “Cocktail Party” and have your guest help you choose one drink by the end of the night.

Once you have your drink picked out you can also create a unique name for your cocktail using a combination of your names or just a fun name that works with your theme.

For the reception have printed signs in frames placed on the bar announcing your signature drink(s) so your guests are aware of what you created.

Always have non-alcoholic versions of your alcoholic cocktails readily available for your guests.  It usually just entails eliminating the alcoholic portion of the drink, and adding in a bit more of the mixers

It is also OK to have more than one signature drink, such as a martini bar or a drink inspired by the bride and one inspired by the groom.

Work with your caterer, wedding planner or wait staff to come up with ideas.

Whether it’s a blue martini to match your color scheme or a “Just Hitched” Hurricane, choosing a signature drink is fun and timeless.

This is my new favorite drink!

Nuvo - A combination of French Sparkling Wine infused with Vodka

Have it alone over ice!

You and your guests are sure to love this drink and it comes it such a pretty bottle!

Be creative and Enjoy! Please drink responsibly

Eventfully,

LaDawn

Choosing Fall hues with Olive and French Blue is a perfect way to add a sophisticated twist to the traditional Chocolate Brown and Blue. Although beautiful when combined, using alternative family colors are a way to think outside the box and add a custom touch to your color palette.

With the color and the word olive you can add playful wedding favors like small bottles of personalized olive oil, jars of olives or serve both as a social hour appetizer. Continuing with the olive theme add a wine tasting table include a Sommelier who can educate guest on specialty wines from local or international vineyards, and pair them with different olive oils from across the country. A great way to make sure this idea makes an impact, asks your wedding consultant to assist you with choosing the right wine professionals/vendors for you. A good wedding consultant will have a list of local wineries in the area that can assist.

By adding French Blue you add a pop of color without over powering, creating a chic and sophisticated atmosphere. These two colors together make for a unique and pleasing combination with endless wedding possibilities.

Don’t be afraid to be creative, broaden your perspective and allow your wedding consultant to guide you in creating everlasting memories for years to come.

Eventfully,

LaDawn

]]> http://platinumlining.com/blog/2010/08/olivefrench-blue/feed/ http://platinumlining.com/blog/2010/08/thats-entertainment/ http://platinumlining.com/blog/2010/08/thats-entertainment/#comments Fri, 20 Aug 2010 16:17:50 +0000 erobinson http://platinumlining.com/blog/?p=53

Today’s couples are taking their creativity to an all time high when it comes to their engagement pictures.  I love this idea, Movie Inspired Engagement Pictures, imagine you’ve just become Noah and Allie from the famed Notebook movie and you now have the chance to express your undying love for each other played out in your engagement pictures, it’s more then romantic, and it’s breathtaking and absolutely entertaining.

Gone are the days of wearing matching attire, sitting under a tree and cheesing directly into the camera.  It’s dated and old fashion.  Photographers are using this opportunity to create editorial stylized works of art to make your special day more then just “special”. Taking pictures stylized like your favorite characters in a movie, era or theme is a great way to make everlasting memories.  It’s quite an investment but imagine a tabletop book that will be shared with guest for many years possibly passed down to a loved one that tells a romantic story. Below are a few ideas you can create for a movie inspired photo shoot.

Gone With the Wind

Casablanca

Pretty Woman

Grease

Titanic

Beauty and the Beast

A Walk in the Clouds

Romeo and Juliet

Have Fun!

Eventfully,

LaDawn Williams Bailey

Professional Bridal Consultant™

Flowers make a very powerful statement starting from the bridal bouquet, down the aisle and on to the centerpieces, they tell the story from beginning, middle and end of your wedding day. That’s why flowers can be a very big part of a wedding couple’s budget. Below is the average cost of wedding flowers.

Most wedding coordinators and bridal planning guides suggest that couples set aside between eight and ten percent of their total wedding budget to cover floral expenses. Depending on a couple’s budget, this may mean wedding flowers cost between $400 to $5,000 and up, but the costs for specific types of flowers can vary widely based on several different factors.

Costs for Specific Wedding Flowers

General figures for wedding flower expenses, on average, include:

Bride’s bouquet: $50-200

Bridesmaids’ bouquets (each): $20-50

Corsages and boutonnieres (each): $8-30

Head wreaths and floral hair pins (each): $15-40

Toss bouquet for the reception: $20-50

Church altar flowers (each arrangement): $50-75 or higher

Pew flowers (each): $10-40

Reception centerpieces (each arrangement): $40-150

Flower girl bouquet or petals: $20-35

Floral cake topper: $30-100

(courtesy of lovetoknow.com)

Here are a few tips on how to choose the perfect flower vendor and flowers for your big day.

• Word of mouth is always best and of course any recommendations from your wedding planner they usually work very close with premier florists
• Make sure they are willing to work with you and your budget
• Make sure they listen to your ideas and they don’t tell you no!
• They should be flexible and show you flower options that fit in your budget
• Ask how many weddings they do in a weekend
• You should meet the actual designer not just the salesperson

Remember, choosing the right flowers for your wedding day is very important but it also should be

fun and enjoyable. You should leave your meeting looking forward to seeing your flowers on that

special day.

Eventfully,

LaDawn

]]> http://platinumlining.com/blog/2010/08/flower-power/feed/ http://platinumlining.com/blog/2010/08/unique-wedding-ideas-think-outside-the-wedding-box/ http://platinumlining.com/blog/2010/08/unique-wedding-ideas-think-outside-the-wedding-box/#comments Mon, 09 Aug 2010 02:59:38 +0000 LaDawn http://platinumlining.com/blog/?p=50 Oprah Winfrey always says “Your house should rise up and greet you.” I feel this way every time I come home, especially after a long day at work. I love my home and my husband and I bought it 12 years ago and it was a diamond in the ruff. It was in a great neighborhood, all of the surrounding homes were beautifully landscaped and pristine and then the realtor drove into the driveway of the ugliest house on the block! And we bought it!! Since then we have spent the last 12 years remodeling and creating a home that would rise up and great us every time we walked in the door. It reflects our personal style.

When planning your wedding look for unique venues and decor ideas where you can be creative and also be true to you and your grooms style and personality. Pick the most unlikely place, a diamond in the ruff look at things differently when you are out shopping and don’t let anyone tell you what you can’t do, break the mold. Who knows maybe you will set the next big trend that brides after you will try to mimic.

Your Wedding Decor should make a statement about who you are and rise up a greet you and your guests! So what are you doing to add a personal touch to your wedding?  Whatever you do, don’t forget to have a theme even if it’s just the color pallet you choose. Have Fun with it and think outside of the box.

Here are two of Platinum Lining Event Brides that thought outside of the box:

 One of my Brides got married at a Lavender Farm and actually played Frisbee in her wedding dress!!!!!

One of my other brides had Hot Dog on a Stick as a Mid-Night Snack for her guests!

SUMMER, is my favorite time of the year. The part I love the most about summer is the warm summer nights having dinner outside and really enjoying time with the people I love the most, my husband, dogs and family. My dogs love me during the summer because I actually take them for walks after I get home from work and they love our summer strolls.

Living in California is an added bonus in my opinion you can go to the Mountains, the beach or the dessert the choice is yours, there is so much to do. This summer my husband and I decided we are going to try a different restaurant or entertainment place once a week and just date our city, get out there and try something new. This is a stretch for me I am a creature of habit, dinner and movie, what else is there to do after 11 years of marriage! We have discovered that there is a lot to do. I’m excited about this new adventure. We are starting this Friday and we are going to Pala Casino with another couple (I’ve never been there before). I will let you know how it goes.

So what are you doing this summer? Whatever you do, don’t forget to I have fun and celebrate being engaged!!

Here are some Summer Date Ideas from Platinum Lining Events:

Baseball Games - Most guys out there just LOVE summer for one reason… BASEBALL! Surprise your honey with tickets to see his favorite team play baseball. What a fun idea for a date… just watch out for those foul balls.

Wine Tasting -Did you know California has some of the Best wines in the nation. Take a weekend trip to Temecula, Santa Barbara or even head up North to Napa or San Francisco.

Picnic in the Park with a Twist - The Great Park in Irvine offers a great place to relax and have a picnic with your man and then hop in the largest tethered Helium Balloon that over looks the entire park. It is environmentally safe, non-polluting, virtually silent and FREE.

Head to the Beach - Southern California has some of the most beautiful beaches, when is the last time you went? Try a new beach this time like: Trestles Beach just three miles south of San Clemente or Crystal Covelocated between Corona del Mar and Laguna Beach, surfs up!

Send Us Your Story

We’d love to hear about the exciting things you and your groom have done together this summer? Take a Break from your wedding planning.

We would love to post your romantic dates on our blog. Take a few pictures, send us your story, and we’ll feature your date on our blog. Send your submissions directly to info@platinumlining.com

Eventfully,
LaDawn Williams Bailey

]]> http://platinumlining.com/blog/2010/07/summer-lover/feed/ http://platinumlining.com/blog/2010/07/wedding-recaps-and-rewinds/ http://platinumlining.com/blog/2010/07/wedding-recaps-and-rewinds/#comments Thu, 22 Jul 2010 22:33:51 +0000 LaDawn http://platinumlining.com/blog/?p=47

I’m back!!!! So sorry for the lapse in time but I’ve been so busy these last couple months. I’m waist deep in event planning season, everyone is getting married and having fabulous receptions…the weather is warm and love is in the air so, where do I begin?

I will begin with sharing some of my most memorable moments. It’s been a busy, busy summer; obviously I haven’t posted since May.

I have so much to say but instead of giving you a play by play I’m just going to give you a few Rewinds and Recaps….. more to come!

Sybelle and Rudy are a great couple. They were actually already married so this was the fun celebration with family and friends with a renewal of vows! The theme was Retro-Vintage with a splash of Hawaiian to celebrate the bride’s heritage. The Ceremony took place on the Fairgrounds In-Field (they were the first in history to have a wedding in this location). The ceremony had the Hawaiian them including a traditional Hawaiian welcome. Guest entered the ceremony through a long underground tunnel and exited through that same tunnel greeted by the Charter Oaks High School Marching band (the bride and grooms former high school) and walked the bride, groom and their entire guest to the cocktail hour at the Avalon. They even hired an onsite day care company that was in a separate room to take care of the guests children’s while they enjoyed the party. The Reception was completely a mix of Retro/Vintage with ever table mirrored with feathers and black and white décor/linens. They had a real vintage photo booth, each table was a Johnny Cash song title and the guest dined on steak and lobster with a fun retro cake for desert. To top the evening off, Hot Dog on a Stick truck came at 11p and served all the guest corn dogs and lemonade.

The Dream Team for Sybelle and Rudy Included: Sheraton Fairplex, The Finishing Touch Wedding Design, The D’Jay Company, Cucamonga Cakery, Vantage Point Productions, Dana Grant Photography (all the pictures are from her), Kids R People Too Child Care, Custom Birdcage Veil by Lucky Leona.

Raven & Jerome – This is what I call my Diva Bling Wedding. This wedding was all about the Glitz and the Glam. The ceremony was at Kimberly Crest & Gardens. The Reception was at the Coco Palm. This was a fun and fabulous wedding!

Angela & Christon – Let’s get married on the 4^th of July!! I was so excited to do this wedding. It was on Sunday the 4^thof July, but they didn’t do a silly theme, no Red, White and Blue. Instead Bold Fuchsia, Black and Bling!! Angie and Chris are the sweetest couple and the MOB, and FOB felt like my mom and dad. I LOVE this family.

The Dream Team for Chris and Angie Included:The Beautiful Double Tree Claremont, The Finishing Touch Wedding Design, Amber Events Productions, Garner Films, Bellasposa Photography, Tasteful Cakes, Cal M.A.C.S. DJ

The Fabulous “Platinum Lining Events Team!!”

So much more to come from, your favorite So Cal Event Planner

Eventfully,
LaDawn Williams Bailey

In addition to our great favors for our brides, Platinum Lining Events also showcased some of our decor at the bridal show. Platinum Lining Events provided all the linens and even decorated our booth with a canopy style structure, great for ceremony’s, sweetheart tables, cake tables and more.

Platinum Lining Events specializes in Full Service and Short Term coordination for weddings and events, we do all event decor and design, fabulous vendor referrals and custom and semi- custom Invitation designs.

Our next bridal show is July 25, 2010 at the beautiful Double Tree Claremont. Come check us out!

Then my bride and groom were off for their new adventure in Canada and they left me with these words “We can’t do this from Toronto without stressing, so we need someone local to be our representative.” Their priorities were, fun, great food and drink, family, naturally beautiful, local small business vendors, no fluff!

I assembled my dream team, it was important that I chose vendors that honored her eco-chicness, were local and could help me pull this off with her being in another country. Skype and email became our direct link to each other. Ricardo from Irises Designs created a design session via Skype with her center piece, linens, willow tied napkins, it was fun! She booked Signature Limo’s for transportation on the rehearsal night. The amazing Desi Baytan Photography was the photographer and he got some amazing shots (see below). The chef at HSR created an amazing menu and their guest got to choose between Duck Confit, Vegetarian Paella or grilled stripped Bass.

The beautiful ceremony took place in the lavender field at HSR and Irises Designs created beautiful May Poles and the wind was blowing just perfect. The vows took place just under the beautiful olive trees and the bride and groom wrote their own vows that touched everyone!

The wine was flowing, the music went until after midnight and Robin and Ken didn’t compromise even from Canada and they got everything they set out to experience at their wedding. I am so excited to have been a part of this beautiful, eco-chic wedding!

Check out more pictures on our Facebook Page.