This past weekend, we had the honor of designing a “Mamma Mia” themed bridal shower we can’t get enough of! Our client approached us wanting something personal and beautiful for her future daughter-in-law and we were thrilled at the opportunity. The bride Alexa is Greek and loves ALL things from the movie “Mamma Mia.” So we knew we had to incorporate fun colors and patterns into this design! Every detail of the bridal shower was so thought out and one of our favorite events to work with alongside an incredible team – also, we are totally obsessed with Benchmark’s private dining space which we rented for the event and think the blank slate was the perfect canvas. If you’re in need of an awesome location for your next party, definitely check them out!
Other details we incorporated were printed games, custom olive oil favors and the couple’s favorite pie flavors from a local baker With Love From Scratch. Fun fact – we have a whole board of bridal shower decor off Amazon we used to find the perfect purchases for the day-of too! We found adorable wooden risers for the pies and even managed to score sweet ‘advice’ cards as a shower game. Not to mention all of the dessert accessories – win, win!
Hey guys, it’s Chelsea here! As a newly engaged member of the Lucky Day team and a wedding planner for the past 6+ years, I’m excited to take you along the journey with me as we go through the process of (finally) planning my own wedding! We thought it would be fun to show you an insider look into each step I’m taking. We’re planning and designing my big fat wedding planner wedding! This will be the first post in a series of posts to show you our process. How I’m probably going to break some rules we have for our clients, while definitely adhering to others.
Before the Proposal
It’s funny to say, I was never the girl who had everything planned out. I never had my dream venue selected. Never really knew what it would look like, and for the most part just kept my options open. In hindsight that’s probably a good thing considering as a girl growing up in Southern California, I never dreamed I would end up living and planning my wedding in North Carolina. North Carolina is now home and I love it! Being a planner and anticipator of all things, I truly thought I would know more. I thought I would know where I was getting married, but still, I was clueless.
I had done all the things I could think to do to prepare for the proposal. Let’s face it, I had 6.5 years of preparing. Although stupidly, I didn’t get my nails done. I know guys, but it’s a pandemic and I was worried I would get them done, then I would hit the two-week mark of them looking sketchy and BOOM, proposal. So I got them done the next morning after we got engaged. Oh well! I did however prep in other ways. Found a few outfits I knew would be a good “go-to” look. I started working out a few months prior to make sure I would be happy with the engagement photos. Have you read my “about me?” Mac and cheese and champagne are my absolute favorites and it was time to make a change. I’m still using the Faster Way to Fat Loss program, if anyone was curious (shout out to Allie Janszen as the best coach).
Do you like online shopping? Start your registry!
Then most importantly in my online browsing obsession, I had made our registry. Throughout the years of things I came across and wanted, but knew I shouldn’t buy I just “pinned them.” I actually started on Zola, but switched it to Amazon when I realized they allow you to add items from different retailers. Highly suggest!
Creating the Guest List Before You’re Engaged
Years ago when we were on a long road trip, Aaron and I started a wedding guest list. We just went through family, the friends at different stages of life and jotted down everyone we could think of. I’ve held onto that list and finally typed it up into Google Sheets to see how many people we had. I was shocked to realize it was close to 200 people. I never thought I would have a big wedding. Two more years passed by though and we were closer to getting engaged, we revisited that list and found we could cut it down by quite a few people we had lost touch with to get it closer to 150 invites.
I would 100% suggest starting your wedding guest list if you aren’t engaged yet, but feel comfortable talking about it with your boyfriend or girlfriend. Pro tip: it helped us realize who we needed to call out of our friends to tell them we got engaged before they found out on social media. Then I knew right away what range of guests we would land at for the venue search.
Engaged, Now What?
The obvious first step after the guest list is finding the venue and setting a date. I cannot express how difficult this can be. I’ve said it to clients and now I’ve lived it. Choosing a venue is supposed to embody everything you are as a couple visually and experientially. It is finding a place that not only fits the logistics (guest count, location, flow etc.), but also FEELS like you. It’s like finding your home you want to live in for the rest of your life, but for the best party that everyone important in your life will always remember. A lot of pressure, huh?
So first, you’re narrowing down type of venue. Is it an old historic house, a mill, a funky hip newly remodeled warehouse, a gorgeous lawn adjacent to a beautiful hotel, the options are endless! For me, while I had worked at SO. MANY. INCREDIBLE. VENUES. I didn’t feel like I had quite found “the one.” We knew we wanted it to be closer to Charlotte for Aaron’s family and for the ease of the airport for my friends and family coming from California, but that was all I had. I liked something that had an indoor/outdoor feel being that open almost California vibe, but I loved the idea of something with texture and history. These charming Southern venues offer a lot of that and I knew I wanted to include it somehow.
Venue Tours + Finding “The One”
In August, Tatiana was flying out to North Carolina for a few wedding meetings. We took that time to explore more venues that prospective clients had inquired about. I had my eye on Providence Cotton Mill and was hopeful that I would love it. It’s sad to say, but some venues may look great online and then you drive up and you don’t realize the location is really terrible and it breaks the venue. Or the flow doesn’t make sense for what you’re looking for. There are so many factors and of course I’m picky because I just know too much behind the scenes logistics. Anyway, we went and met with the owner, Ethan and I gave Tatiana the eyes and a “yes” in our own secret business partner telepathic code, which told her to take all the photos.
As we finished the tour, I told Ethan that I was recently engaged and would love to get married at Providence Cotton Mill. He then switched his pitch from planner to client and showed me available dates. It was a COVID realization that stung just as badly as all the clients we had postponed. The calendar was so full with most Saturdays taken. We were over a year away too! In that moment I had to compromise and say ok, if I love it then it’s going to be on a Friday and that will just have to be good with everyone. I was definitely a little sad to not nab a Saturday, but got more encouragement from family and friends that it will now be a full weekend celebration. We signed the contract and officially secured the date for Friday, November 5, 2021!
More Coming Soon!
We’re about to kick off even more planning. Stay tuned, I’ll fill you in on the next steps as I’m still working on them in the next post! Hope you enjoyed this one. Drop a message in the comments with anything that surprised you.
Last week we helped you with the Lucky Lady in your life, this week we’re focusing on the men with our Lucky Guy’s Gift Guide! These are practical things for every guy from dads to fiancés, brothers and uncles. You name it, we got you covered. I mean, just look at that Beard King! Whether he’s a tech-savvy or tech novice, traveling guy or partying guy, we chose gifts that will make him merry. Plus they are all on Amazon and easy to shop! Bookmark this guy’s gift guide to make your Christmas shopping a breeze this December!
What’s your favorite item from this guy’s gift guide? Let us know in the comments!
Xx,
Chelsea + Tatiana
Lucky Day Events Co. is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking.
Can you believe it’s almost the holiday season?! We know this year more than ever, people are going to be online shopping for gifts. So we picked out our favorite gifts for her. Think of it as a cheat sheet for your fiancé, significant other, or bestie. From tech gifts to stocking stuffers, we’ve rounded up some of our Amazon favorites for your checklists. They’re all beautiful, chic and totally functional. There’s truly nothing we love more than a gift you can actually use and serves a purpose in your life. Gift giving is definitely high on our love language list, so we’re passing along our favorites in hopes it will help you out! Need more inspiration? Our ‘Lists‘ boards are full of items sure to satisfy every “lucky lady” on your list!
What’s your favorite item from this gift guide? Let us know in the comments!
Xx,
Chelsea + Tatiana
Lucky Day Events Co. is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking.
You’re less than a month out from your wedding and you’re starting to slightly panic about details. You realize that all the little things you’ve been putting off because you’ve had “so much time” are still there and you can practically count the hours left until the big day. We’re here to the rescue with both inspiration and a checklist of final details you may have forgotten along the way. Here are our top tips to help you avoid the last minute decor scramble!
Escort Cards + Place Cards
This is probably the biggest wedding decor dilemma we’ve heard from our wedding management clients. Of course you don’t have to seat your guests until about two weeks prior to the wedding, BUT it’s important to figure out early on if you’re planning to assign each guest a specific seat or a specific table. This will make all the difference as you go through the seating process. There are differences between escort cards and place cards which you can read about in this blog post. Lean on your us for ideas too! For more inspiration, check out our Pinterest Board HERE. We’ve linked up some of our easy Amazon favorites to browse along with some traditional card holders.
Table Numbers
Don’t let this wait too long – sometimes the numbers you’ve had your eye on are either sold out or unavailable. Stick with something that fits your wedding aesthetic and plan for it in your budget so you don’t break the bank at the last minute. Check out our fave table number inspiration ideas HERE!
Guestbook
Gone are the days of simply purchasing a padded book from Hallmark and having guests sign their names. Couples are taking guestbooks to new heights (sometimes literally) by creating pieces that can later be hung on walls in their homes or asking guests to write notes in custom books that can be read at a one year anniversaries. Some couples choose to use polaroid photos and make scrapbooks too! We’ve seen custom signable sports jerseys, custom wine bottles, custom jet skis, you name it! Think about what is unique to you and your fiancé and create something that you will both cherish for years to come. We’re always finding fun guestbook pins HERE. For more traditional options, we’ve linked up our favorites on Amazon (and don’t forget to pack pens!)
Card Box (and optional ‘gifts’ sign)
When it comes to a place for guests to drop cards, we love to think outside the box (ha!) and come up with something that’s unique to you. These should match the decor you already have incorporated throughout your wedding. If you’re having a vintage wedding, we often see couples using timeless traveling boxes or a suitcase. If you’re having a modern, colorful wedding try a bright acrylic or metal box. The sky’s the limit here! If you’re having signage throughout your wedding, make an additional one to show guests where gifts and cards go along with a sweet thank you message from both of you.
Programs
Programs are entirely optional, but serve as a way to introduce the wedding party and the order of events for your ceremony. We’ve often seen programs double as fans or have another purpose for guests to use. If you’re not into the idea of printing programs for everyone, think of doing a large sign at the wedding entrance for guests to peek at before they take their seats.
Desserts, Galore!
We find that most of the time the cake details are overlooked. However, this small detail definitely helps tie in the overall design and shouldn’t be forgotten. You’ll need at least need cake knife and server and toasting flutes for champagne. Some optional pieces to add would be custom forks and a cake topper!
Menus
Menu cards function the same as programs and can either be placed at each seat or table or not included at all. Depending on how formal your wedding decor may be, this is a sweet way to inform your guests of the food they will be enjoying while adding another detail to help tie your wedding design together.
Signs
Directional signs, restroom signs, ‘activity’ signs… the options are endless. Sometimes these can all come through sites like our good friends at Minted and Basic Invite (ask us how to score some lovely deals here!) or they can come through sites like Amazon and Etsy. We’ve included some options for popular signage we see with customizable links for items you want to make your own.
Favors
While this is an entirely optional detail, we love the idea of giving guests a personal token of thanks. Whether it’s a jar of handmade jam from your family farm or a small bottle of olive oil at each table to go along with an Al-Fresco theme, there is no limit to the favors you can supply. Some couples will choose to make their escort cards double up as favors too. We’ve had custom engraved maracas on a wall serve as both seating placement and escort cards! Check out our board HERE for some fun ideas.
We’re here to help make those last couple of pre-wedding weeks a breeze. Enlisting the help of moms, aunts, friends, bridesmaids and even your significant other is totally the norm and a great way to delegate some last-minute details hopping. Hopefully these lists are as fun to browse through as they were for us creating them!
Lucky Day Events Co. is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking.
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