Let's Go Wedding Trending!!!

“I want the reception to be different. . . I want it to stand out. . . How can I do something cool?” These are the questions that I hear time and time again from my brides.

I often suggest creating a signature station of some type. Specialty stations such dessert bars, candy bars, cognac and cigar bars, barista stations, and  wine bars are all options that I have offered in the past.

Budgets are tight in this economy so we are seeing a lot of brides go back to the standard 3 course seated dinner. However, there is still a trend of having one or many specialty stations following dinner.

Brides are opting to lose the wedding cake and replace it with varied choices from a creatively designed sweets bar. I like to do these bars on several levels and I also like to use whenever possible whimsical colors that take us back to our childhoods. Let’s face it, the saying kid in a candy store still has meaning even today!

One of the other assets of using a candy/sweets bar is that it gives the guests  the ability to enjoy a variety of items at their leisure.
 What started as cupcakes and then the playful candy bar has now emerged into a course that offers wide varieties of after dinner sweets options. From small tarts, pies and cakes, to signature jelly beans, initialed m&m’s all the way to creative pastry chef driven items, the possibilities are endless.


I always offer guests a uniquely created bag or small box that they can help themselves to the bar and then of course have the option of taking it home with them.  I enjoy pairing  the  dessert bar with a barista station and offering some fun blends of coffee for all to enjoy.

Another growing trend is that comfort/drunk food at the end of the night. Let’s face it, guests have enjoyed an open bar and have been having a good time. Some times in fact, too good of a time and they may be a little tipsy. You don’t just have to pass the same old tired foods.

 I like to add some flavor to our events and incorporate one of the hugest trends in the country and that’s offering street foods. Now if the event is an outside one, I will have a food truck pull up towards the end of the night and start serving. It creates such a cool vibe. I have even had a scenario where I had multiple food trucks arrive to offer a variety of street foods. Savory crepes,  fresh cut boardwalk style French fries, portabello fries, gelato, grilled paninis. . . the possibilities are endess! 

I like to often add the extra touch of some street performers roaming. Fire Breathers, stilt walkers, unicycle riders, caricature artists and you have a brilliant and memorable end to an amazing celebration!

Designer Tastes on a Budget. . .OH MY!

One of the challenges of our business is to give our clients exactly what they want at all times. After all, I am the artist that has to get into the head of our client and paint their picture to achieve the overall marketing goal of the event. With some clients it is quite easy because funding is limitless and the sky literally is the limit.

However, most of the time, it is my job to help figure out a way even on a budget to achieve the said aesthetic. Here are a few ways that you can still have a lovely event with out it breaking the bank.

Save the Bar: of course one of the biggest key elements to any cocktail event is the bar. Now it is no surprise that this can be a huge ticket item. Open bars for 3-4 hours in itself can be thousands of dollars. Then you have to add in the necessary labor to support the bar as well. My suggestion is if budget is an issue, simply offer a selection of 3 beers, a red and white wine that is tasty but is not incredibly expensive and then one signature cocktail that is available. A helpful hint to this would be to not make it too sweet. People will be more inclined to have more than one. It's a simple and effective way to cut corners while not looking cheap.

Share Share Alike: be sure to ask your planner if there is anyway that you might share the cost of rentals with a client that may be just before your event or just after your event. You can get great discounts on multi-day event rentals from all kinds of companies such as tent rental, audio visual, glassware, tables and chairs etc.

Utilize the Entertainment: instead of hiring someone completely different from your party band to play piano or guitar for the cocktail reception, utilize what you already have. You will get a much better rate. The band is already there, so use one of their guys to fill in the gap.

Schedule your deliveries during normal business: if you have the ability, make sure your rental companies are coming to drop off your items during the week and picking it up during the week. There are always extra fees added for special drop offs and pick ups. You can save tons right here!

It is the little details such as this that will help you and your pocket book. Happy Eventing!!!!

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Cheers,

L.

Fall Design Trends

As the season begins to change for cooler more temperate weather, the first thing I do is put up the white clothing, linen and the sear sucker pants. Now I will leave the sear sucker jacket out to be rocked with jeans! (Just Saying).

However, that aside, it gets me thinking of some of the latest trends towards colors and design ideas for both weddings, social and corporate events.

I have found a rather interesting array of colors to be popular this Fall and Winter. Take a look and I will offer insight to each for you.

Purples are huge this season especially with both candles and linen options. Now remember, I'm not speaking of Lavender, but more over real violets or purples.

Harvest orange is being seen in a lot of accent work with both florals as well as center pieces. Think cornucopias without doing the obvious.

These are 2 of the biggest colors we are seeing this season. I will showcase  more as we go into 4 varying scenarios of event trends.

TREND 1:

Vintage is bigger than ever this season. For instance wedding dresses with cap sleeves. Vera Wang who of course did the Kardashian wedding shows off her thoughts on this lovely vintage concept.

Other things adding to a vintage style wedding would be to have it take place outside. You can even go so far as to take it and do it in a back yard to add that home style vintage vibe.

One of the biggest trends that remains strong is our eco-friendly wedding.

In 2011, we’ll continue to see more green, environmentally friendly weddings. Think second-hand and vintage wedding dresses.

 LED lighting, ( which we use all of the time)

 recycled paper invitations and programs:

 Catering is often done with local farms providing fresh items to the caterer. Farm raised and grown always tastes so much better. Heirloom tomato bisques, Pulled pork BBQ canape on a corn bread round, and the list just goes on and on.

 Charity donations will continue to be a popular option instead of traditional wedding favors, and more couples will be asking for donations to their favorite charity instead of wedding gifts.


The Modern Wedding:

With both our wedding divisions making huge plays for this during this season, I thought I would share a few thoughts on some of the things that are happening.

3 Modern choices

 Our brides are opting for non-traditional dress choices, such as: beautiful hues instead of the usual white or ivory; old shoulder instead of strapless; and short cocktail dresses (the little white dress) instead of a long gown.

This trend will continue through décor, as well, with couples steering away from the customary 10-person round table and opting to mix table shapes and sizes.  The use of farm tables as well as squares and rounds is something we are using often.

 cool lounge settings,



One of the largest trends we are seeing with our modern brides is setting up after parties for everyone. This is especially true with destination weddings. No one wants the party to end. WE are finding that the couples are often reserving VIP rooms and sections in lounges and nightclubs and keeping the party going all night long.

Another fun option for the modern bride is that they are letting their brides maids choose their own style dresses to wear as long as it keeps with the color scheme. This is not the norm. However, it certainly is cool!

Social Media:   We hear about it in our daily lives. This is something bigger than facebook or twitter. Brides are creating their own wedding website that they can update daily and keep their guests involved step by step. Guests love reading how the planning is coming along.  There are tons of resources out there to do just that.

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You can hear me weekly on my radio show called The Sunday Morning Mimosa. We are heard across the country. You can also download the podcast via i-tunes or off of my website at www.lawsonroberts.com.

Thanks for reading!!!

Lawson's Labor Day Potato Salad

Growing up in the south, it was always a tradition to have potato salad. I personally never really enjoyed the sweet potato salad with the pickles. I took it upon my self to create one that I have taken to party after party and it gets rave reviews. This is something you can even get done today for an event this afternoon or this evening.

Serves 6-8

10 Russett Potatoes

5 celery stalks

1 red onion

1 package of bacon

1 small jar of dukes mayo

1/2 bottle of ranch dressing

3 tablespoons of regular yellow mustard

1 tablespoon of dijon mustard

Lawry's seasoning salt

garlic salt

black pepper

Boil the potatoes until they are completely cooked through. You can always tell by sticking a fork in them. while this is happening, cook the entire package of bacon. save some of the drippings for later too.  Make sure bacon is crumbled and put in a bowl for later. pre-chop your red onion and celery and stick in very large mixing bowl. Put your crumbled bacon in the bowl as well. Once potatoes are cooked drain out of the water and place them in the mixing bowl. With a knife start cutting up the potatoes. Remember you're not making mashed potatoes so there is room to have some lumps! Add just a splash of the bacon drippings then add the mayo, ranch, 2 mustards, and seasonings and mix together. Stick in the refrigerator for an hour and you're ready to serve.



Happy Labor Day Recipes that are EASY!!!! ENJOY!

Well, we all know it's a boat and beach day. What will serve a bunch of people and is easy as can be to prepare? Try our world famous White Sangria.  Drop me a line and let me know how it worked out for you! Lawson@lawsonroberts.com

Lawson’s Famous White Sangria:

Ingredients
3 tablespoons sugar
3 shots  apple liquor
1 lime, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
2 ripe peaches, cut into wedges
3 ripe green apples seeded and cut into wedges
1 bottle white Rioja Spanish wine or other dry white wine
1 pint raspberries
Sparkling soda water, for topping off glasses of sangria at table

Directions
Combine sugar, apple liquor, lime, lemon, peaches and apples in a large pitcher. Cover with 1 bottle of Rioja wine and chill sangria several hours. To serve, spoon fruits into glasses or goblets, adding a few fresh raspberries in each glass, pour wine over top of the fruit. Top glasses of sangria off with a splash of soda water and serve.