WEDDING COLORS: CHOCOLATE, PINK & TURQUOISE

Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate! Great when it's poured over cake and topped with vanilla ice cream. But, a little boring when you attend five weddings in one year and have them all look alike. For the next few days I will delve into the world of wedding colors. Often times, we (planners included) get stuck in what is of the now. There is a way to be trendy without your wedding looking like a cookie-cutter wedding. With today's storyboard, I have utilized chocolate, pink and turquoise; however, as you can see, I have made turquoise the main color instead of chocolate.

Photo Credits: Invite, Fresh Bloom; Lighting, Preston Bailey; Tie, Charles Tyrwhitt; 

Chair Pad, BBJ Linen; Ranunculus, Michelle Rago; Tree, Michelle Rago; 

Wedding Cake, Butterfly Sweets; Bouquet, Jennifer Skog Photography

• The stationery shown is a great pop of color, which any color scheme needs. Here, the paper is edged in chocolate. Overall, three colors will play up your vision better than two colors. With your stationery, however, it is a safe option to only have one or two of your colors represented. Remember, every item of your wedding does not have to have every color that is a part of your wedding scheme. Believe me; your guests will see your vision without being hit over the head with it.
• If you choose to go with the safer color of chocolate for the wedding party attire, you can bring in the wow factor with lighting at the reception as seen in the second photo. Several Can Lights placed around the reception venue will create an atmosphere for your reception. And since this is the space that your guests will spend two to three hours in, it is best to use most of your funds on the reception. Can Lights, however, only cost $20 per light in the Memphis area. Check with your personal wedding planner or lighting company for a quote in your area.
• For a wedding that is less formal, but not necessarily casual, the gentlemen in the wedding party can done the striped chocolate and turquoise tie. 
• No matter the formality of the event, these wooden Chivari chairs with turquoise pads will do the trick for sure. Your guests will remember the little details like that. 
• Ranunculuses are gorgeous flowers if you are having your wedding anytime from late Winter through Spring. Not often used, they can actually not be too much of a hit to your floral budget. Because they are so lush, full bouquets and centerpieces can be made with fewer blossoms. 
• Now, the Manzanita tree is more of a splurge for most brides. The tree itself may not put you behind the red line of your budget; but, the small blossoms strung from the tree will cost you in both product and labor. I know what you're thinking, "I can do that myself!" But, do ask yourself, "How am I going to transport this?" And, truthfully, it will take more man hours than you will have on hand the day before your wedding. You can't do it any sooner or the flowers will not live through the wedding day. 
• Turquoise fondant on your wedding cake will be a super surprise for your guests! That is something rarely, rarely seen. A suggestion for colored fondant, or any fondant for that matter, is to ask your baker to ice your cake with butter cream before laying the fondant. Fondant has a bitter, acquired taste to it. If your baker applies butter cream underneath the fondant, your guests can peel back the fondant and still enjoy your wedding cake. 
• The design world has really taken a great step forward in the past couple of years in the realm of bridesmaids' dresses. And we are most thankful for that! There are two piece ensembles, strapless chiffon, v-neck satin...oh, the possibilities are endless! The great thing about turquoise is that it does look great on most skin tones. 
• One question my brides always ask the florist during our consultations is how they can tie in all the wedding colors into their wedding bouquet. This fabulous bouquet features plush, lush pink and cream roses, is tied with light pink, satin ribbon and wrapped with turquoise jewels. Yes, that is a mouthful to say, but well worth it!

Let me know what you think of today's wedding colors!

IN THE PLANS:

WEDDING COLORS: GREEN, YELLOW AND ORANGE

WEDDING COLORS: CHOCOLATE AND...

With trends comes a bit of monotony. For the past two years, chocolate has been the choice du jour for many brides, no matter their geographical location. I have had four brides in the past several months with chocolate as their main color. Orange (and variations of that color) and ivory have been the most common pairings. There are so many other choices waiting out there in color land for us all. They are just waiting for us to be bold enough to take them on. For the next couple of days, I will take on the boldest of these color choices and share them with you. I hope to inspire you to not be bored with what is of the now, but to embrace it and make it your own!

IN THE PLANS:

CHOCOLATE, PINK AND TURQUOISE

SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION!

That means I have been tagged by someone who was tagged by someone I tagged. Is that one degree or two? Hhmm...At any rate, Stacey from Kiss The Bride tagged me after Saundra from planning...forever tagged her after I tagged Saundra. Does that help? Well, Saundra, being the engineer that she is, put a new spin on the game. Because it is essentially not the same tag that I gave, I am going to play along.

Here are the new rules!
1. Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
2. Share 5 songs you are embarrassed to admit to others you like and tell why.
3. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
4. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

1. Can't Fight This Feeling ~ REO SPEEDWAGON~ This SO brings back memories of cheerleading camp during the summers of the 80's

2. New York, New York ~ Frank Sinatra ~ I grew up in a town where our high school produced (and I do mean PRODUCED) a musical every year. My mom and dad also made sure that I was not one of those narrow-minded kids who could only listen to one type of music (thanks, folks!) With that said, I LOVE SHOWTUNES! This song really was a fav of my sister, Monica, who passed away six years ago. We would do jazz hands and chorus line kicks as we belted out this tune!

3. When Sunday Comes ~ Daryl Coley ~ I love gospel music and I love God. Although, this is a professional forum for me and my clients read it, my love for God is something I will never compromise on and pretend to not have an interest in. Gospel is so soothing for me, so my clients should love that I listen to it. That way, I won't throw pots at caterers who show up late! Just Kidding!

4. Anything By Donald Lawrence ~ It's hard to pick just one song of his. The Blessing Of Abraham is especially encouraging for me.

5. Just Keep Swimming ~ Dory and Nemo ~ Really, is there any explanation needed?

Okay, since I think everyone I know has been tagged within the past 24 hours, I am not going to tag anyone. But, I will visit a few friends to

share my songs with them and to see what they've got!

I VISIT: Katasha, The Wedding Workroom; Kawania, Howerton+Wooten; Scarlett, Scarlett Lillian (thanks for the shoe info!);

My new friend Ashley, Ashley's Bride Guide

I'VE BEEN TAGGED!

I am super giddy about this! This is my first tag! And, I most happy to have been tagged by none other than A Bride In The Making! She is planning a traditional, yet not too traditional wedding (which I love!). She has her own sense of (great) style and is incorporating that into her wedding.

Now, without further ado...

What to do:
1) Link back to the person who tagged you.

2) Post these rules on your blog.

3) Share seven unimportant things about yourself.

4) Tag three random people at the end of your entry.

5) Let the tagged people know by leaving a comment on their blogs


1. During my Junior and Senior years of high school, I was a radio announcer/DJ at a radio station that played country music . Hence, my love for Travis Tritt and Lori Morgan.

2. My lawn looks like the field from Little House on the Prairie right now. Dang landscapers haven't shown up.

3. I am working on a Habitat House tomorrow morning with my sweetie!

4. My favorite color is Shades of Red. Why do I have to pick just one? ;-)

5. I only wear nail polishes that are oranges and reds. And...only on my toesies. I don't wear nail color on my hands.

6. I don't like odd numbers. I was born on an even day, even month in an even numbered year. I think that might have something to do with it.

7. I know almost every line to every episode of Good Times...

I tag:

Tammy @ May Magnolia Wedding (You're almost there, Tammy!)

The Ladies @ The Pink Book Blog (One of my favorite new finds!)

Saundra @ Planning Forever Events (Because she's witty and makes me laugh!)

Let's hope everybody plays along!

WEDDING COCKTAIL HOUR SOLVED!

I have found the absolute coolest site for information on cocktail recipes. The Bar.com is a very new, very cool, uberly interactive site that will make you the master mixologist of all your wedding parties! 

You get a personal bartender, Jack, that will give you mixing tips. All you have to do is ask! I asked Jack how to make a great martini. He told me to use cubes instead of crushed ice because crushed ice will dilute the drink. Who knew?

To really enjoy all the features of the site, you need to register. Isn't that the way it always is? But, with this site, you actually receive a benefit from registering. During the registration process (which is very quick, by the way) you tell them what types of drinks you most prefer. It even asks detailed questions about your favorite brand of choice, the price point you generally pay and how often you partake of these libations. Once you complete the registration process, you become a regular at the bar! After your bar is setup, you can click and find recipes that are tailored to your tastes. You can also find the top rated cocktails in your area. I indicated that I prefer wine and cocktails that contain vodka. I was given the yummiest sounding recipe for a Ciroc Blue Ocean. Here is the recipe.

1 oz. Cîroc Vodka

.5 oz. blue curacao

.25 oz. grapefruit juice

splash simple syrup

Shake with crushed ice

Strain into champagne flute

Garnish with a white orchid

How did they know that I love caracao? That was just freaky! And it's such an appetizing looking drink as well.

Weddings, engagement parties and rehearsal dinners are becoming more intimate. This site will come in handy if you are hosting one of these parties in a venue where you have brought in your own liquor or when you are hosting a party at home. It will also make the cocktail hour at your wedding more different and unique than your friends'. You can develop a new, unique signature drink for you and your sweetie. After you find the perfect cocktail, take the recipe to the venue. Most catering managers are fairly open to having something new on tap, not just for you, but for their clients that follow your event. Just think, you could become a trendsetter in your area!

Log on to The Bar.com and let me know what your fav recipe is!