The 411: Creative Food Bars

Men, women and children all will remember one main element at your event.  Be it a wedding or a summer bbq, the food is a key element to any party's success.  I have been seeing a ton of creative additions to weddings with creative side bars to keep guests happy until the last song.  But scale down these same ideas and they would be a perfect fit for a more casual affair.  Here a four of my favorite inspirations right now:

#1. Ice Cream Parlor
Wedloft featured a spectacular ice cream parlor set up that made me curse the stars that I am lactose intolerant and don't have free range of every item on this table.  Of course you can provide soy ice cream for your guests along every topping under the sun, making sure there are labels for each item for any guests with allergies.  Timing & location is an issue since you don't want your beautiful display turning into a sloppy mess, so save this idea for an indoor reception, limit the bar's availability to 2 hours and always check with your venue first.  If you want to try this out for a home party, limit the types of ice cream and keep any unused cartons in the freezer.

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#2. Trail Mix Buffet
Who doesn't enjoy trail mix?  This is a personalized and fun update to the dessert bar featured on Style Me Pretty.  You can set out the different items for guests to create their own trail mix or you can set out different styles of pre-made trail mix.  Perfect for health nuts and this is the lowest cost bar on the list.  Yum!

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#3. French Fry Bar

So mashed potato bars have become fairly common but what says all-American party more than french fries?  Wedloft featured this mouthwatering setup which makes french fries look classy and chic at a wedding, imagine that!  I could easily see this being a huge hit at a house party as well as a great compliment to burgers and dogs.  I would suggest using plates so guests could pile on cheese, crab meat, bacon, chili... the possibilities go on and on.

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What Booking Season Means for Brides

Can you believe that a week from today is FEBRUARY?!  Yeah, me either.  January has flown by for Felicity C Weddings and the fact that a lot of engagements happen over the holidays is probably a main component.  January-March is considered the typical "booking season" in the wedding industry, vendors are looking for new clients to set up their wedding season.  That is why there are a lot of bridal shows and a lot of vendors are offering deals.  As for the huge deals this time of year, I have posted a bunch on the Felicity C Weddings Facebook page as I see them.  Today I have a few more specials offers for you to take advantage of.

First up is the Ming Wang Mother of the Bride Makeover contest.  Definitely a great way to make mom feel special and let her know that you both are thinking of her with all the bridal excitement in your life.  Next up is the annual David's Bridal $99 bridal sale where you can find $50 to $300 off bridal dresses including new arrivals and designer collections!  They also offer online exclusives that allow you to save up to $300 by ordering online. 

Subscribing to different bridal blogs will also score you some great deals.  The larger known the blog is, the better deals you will find such as Style Me Pretty's Paperless Post giveaway.  SMP is definitely the mecca for all things bridal blogging and I would recommend any bride-to-be subscribing asap.  The larger bridal blogs will also keep you up to date on national bridal shows so you can find one close to you.  I found out about the Unveiled bridal show in DC this past Sunday from Atrendy Wedding Blog.

In addition to bridal dresses and shows, there are a lot of other vendors that are offering deals across the internet.  Wedloft posted the $350 EmersonMade Shopping Spree Giveaway on Jan 19th and Snippet & Ink posted 10 discounts & giveaways in this one post on Jan 14th!  These are just a few deals and I'm really just scratching the surface here.  Keep an alert eye out for any vendor promotions between now & March and definitely don't be afraid to ask vendors if they have any deals going on.  Good luck!

David's Bridal $139.00

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Wedding Websites- the 411 & a Giveaway!

I don't have concrete numbers, but I would say at least half of engaged couples have their own wedding website.  I believe most are free (here, here, and here) and are pretty easy to set up.  Now, before I go into the basics, I wanted to share this amazing find from WedLoft: FREE wedding website hosting package giveaway.  This package will take away the guess work of couples trying to customize and build a website.  This is a fantastic deal and if you or someone you know is engaged.  First call Felicity C Weddings for a planner... and then check out this giveaway!

Back to the basics.  Just like another other website, there is a home page which typically includes a picture of the couple and a countdown to the big day.  Then there are various other pages; how the couple met, the proposal story, who is in the bridal party, ceremony & reception details/ directions/ maps, accommodations info, guest book, photo albums, registry information, and RSVP section.  The last one is growing in popularity, not only because it is very "green" and eco friendly, but it is a definitely cost saver to only mail out invitations.  It really is such a great idea not only so all your guests are informed, but is a ridiculously easy way for all the guests to really get to know the couple (unless you plan on calling every guest to tell your proposal story).  I even found a wedding website demo from Wedding Paper Divas to give you an idea of a typical site.

Speaking of Wedding Paper Divas, which is an amazing online stationary company, I also came across this offer for free personal wedding websites that match your invitations!  Check out their website and blog to see their whole catalog and be inspired!  Here are just a few of their varied styles.  Enjoy!

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