Thursday, July 14, 2011

8 Complaints that Irk guests by eleGALA.com

Check out this insightful article from eleGALA.com
Mind your guests and avoid these major oversights so your wedding celebration is one that everyone can enjoy.
Chances are, you’ll be the only one to notice if a flower is out of place or the best man dons the wrong shoes, but wedding guests everywhere agree that the following blunders make for a painful wedding experience…
8 Wedding Guest Complaints

1) Bad Timing – Long pauses between the ceremony and reception are generally a bummer. If you cannot book the ballroom immediately following the ceremony, arrange for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at an adjacent space.

2) Cash Bars – Sorry, a cash bar is never an acceptable money-saving solution. Swallow that expensive pill by thinking about this: You would never ask guests to pay for a cocktail in your own home; your wedding should be the same. Consider simply serving wine, beer, and a signature cocktail to cut costs. If you’re on a budget, a full bar isn’t necessary.

3) Stranded Dates – Don’t create a painful experience for your attendants’ dates. Speed up the marathon photo sessions and seat dates together with the wedding party at the reception.

4) Stranded Guests – If your wedding reception and ceremony locations are far apart or far from accommodations, you should provide guest transportation. Besides the obvious safety concerns of drinking and driving, your guests should remember what a lovely time they had at your wedding – not what a pain it was to get there.

5) Unaccommodating Accommodations – Failing to provide information for convenient and affordable accommodations for long distance guests never goes over well. Don’t force guests to be their own travel agents, and don’t secure the only room block at a five-star hotel unless all of your guests have five-star budgets.

6) Silent or Tardy Dinner Bell – If your four hour reception falls during meal time, understand that your guests will be expecting just that – a meal. And they’ll expect that meal during normal lunch or dinner hours, so don’t wait until 10 pm to serve dinner.

7) Ungracious Hosts – Failing to acknowledge any gift or thoughtful gesture with handwritten, personalized thank-you notes is always an etiquette faux pas and never a breech that goes unnoticed. Suffering from writer’s block? These useful thank-you note examples will help you get started.

8) Just Plain Tacky – Ok, let’s get it out: When it comes to money dances, novelty songs (hokey pokey comes to mind), or singles dances, most guests are in agreement that it’s a little out of date. Of course, there will always be those who find these acts acceptable and those who don’t – but as host/hostess, your job is to make guests feel at ease and comfortable, so consider your audience as you decide on the evening’s events.

Friday, July 08, 2011

McNay Art Museum - All in Pink




Raquel Linares and Robert Orozco were married at the beautiful historic San Fernando Cathedral, here in San Antonio. Their reception was held at the McNay Art Museum. Mariachis played during dinner and for the reception The Latin Connection took the stage. The guests had a great time dancing the night away in the custom-lit room. Take a look at some of the photography by Anahi Navarro.



This gorgeous cake actually has the words from 1 Corinthians 13 written around the different layers. This verse, which speaks of the true meaning of love, was also read during their ceremony.
The adorable lifelike grooms cake ws custom made to look just like the couple's dog. TOO CUTE!!!!
We just loved designing her invites for her. The image of the cathedral was a touch that finished off her invite and I think is what she really fell in love with about our design.










I adored Raquel's color choices. The bridesmaids dresses really set the tone of our design. The French Connection designed the flowers to help turn the bride's vision into reality.

Friday, July 01, 2011

Boulder Springs, New Braunfels- June 2011

Lauren and Carl were united in Holy Matrimony at St.Peter/St.Paul Church in New Braunfels Texas. The bride looked regal as she walked down the isle to her First Lieutenant.
The couple had a Silver Shadow Rolls Royce, from Rolls Royce limos, transport them from the ceremony to the reception. At the end of the night they had a beautiful Corniche Convertible Rolls Royce take them away after the reception.
The reception was held at Boulder Springs. The bride and groom along with their guests enjoyed hors d' oeuvres and the couple's signature drink - a fruity sangria. A delicious, cold choice for a bright summer day! The French Connection designed the tables and flowers. A dynamic look was created throughout the room by using both short and tall centerpieces.

Since Carl and Lauren have such a special connection to the Marine Corps, they incorporated many special Marine personal touches to their wedding.
One of which was a "Missing Man Table". A Missing Man Table is a table specifically for those who couldn't make it to the wedding; whether it was because they were deployed to another country, or no longer with us. We set a table with simple dish setting, and added a beer and shot glass. It was such a great way to remember all their loved ones.
Secondly, Marine sword bearers created a sword arch for the bride and groom to enter the reception area. There were six uniformed sword bearers. Before being allowed to pass under each arch, the happy couple had to kiss. It was such a unique entrance!
The delicious groom's cake was in the shape of the Marine Corps seal. It was a wonderful way to commemorate both the groom and the father of the bride.


It was such a magical event, I'm glad we could be apart of it!