What a gorgeous day we had for an outdoor wedding in Sarasota.  The temps were in the 70′s and it was December 30th!!

Bianca began her day getting her hair styled for her wedding.  Once she was coiffed, she made her way to the Helmsley Sandcastle Hotel where she met up with her bridesmaids and slipped into her gorgeous dress. 

Capturing the images of the day was Jessica Kurant of JVK Photography.  During my research and search for a photographer, I met Jessica.  She is a graduate of Ringling School College of Art and Design.   After communicating with her, it was easy to see that she would do a fantastic job of photographing this wedding!! And she certainly did not disappoint. 

Bianca and Trent decided to have a “First Look” photo and chose to meet at the “Unconditional Surrender” statue located at the Marina Jack bayfront.  Trent arrived and my associate met up with him so that she and the photographer could place a blindfold over his eyes.  Minutes later, Bianca arrived and walked up to Trent and removed the blindfold.  After seeing his beautiful bride for the first time, they posed for several photos, with one being to mimic the statue.

After spending a few minutes with the bride and groom, the groom left and headed to the venue, while the bride, her bridal party and family stayed at the Marina for more photos.

The venue for the wedding was the Sarasota Outboard Club.  This is one of those places that you treat as a blank slate and let your visions and creativity take over.  The groom’s mother spearheaded getting a small army of folks to assist in hanging twinkle lights, moving furniture, hanging chinese lanterns among many other details.  But all of this hard-work paid off with a look that was magical. 

The  ceremony took place on the lawn alongside the bay with contemporary musical selections provided by the DJ, Jacob of Music on the Move DJ’s as the sun was setting. 

At the conclusion of the ceremony, guests were treated to beverages and hors d’oeuvres while the wedding party took advantage of the stunning waterfront views for more photos.

Nellie’s Deli Catering provided the delicious food for the evening as well as the table decor. I have to compliment this catering company as being so easy to work with.  The staff was pleasant, knowledgeable and flexible – which made for a very pleasant planning experience.

Instead of using typical floral centerpieces, we opted for a tablescape of floating candles in a variety of  glass cylinders in varying sizes.  Beautiful sea glass was placed in the bottom of the cylinders and placed on the navy linens gave the appearance of being under the sea.  It also gave a nod to the Groom’s current station in the U.S. Navy.

After the cake cutting and toasts, guests were invited back outside where the party took place.  The bride and groom had their first dance to Tony Bennett’s “The Way You Look Tonight”.  The bride then had a heartwarming dance with her dad to “I Loved You First” by Heartland and then taking the dance floor was the Groom and his mother.  We had all been looking forward to this dance and with a last-minute change of songs – which was a surprise to the groom’s mom, they took to the floor with the Jack Rabbit Slims Twist Dance Contest song, “You Can Never Tell” by Chuck Berry from the film Pulp Fiction. This truly was a huge hit and definitely got the party started!!!

This wedding was definitely a celebration and the guests had a great time partying the night away. 

The couple departed into their awaiting limo provided by SRQ Services through a throng of guests blowing bubbles to wish them well.  As they left, guests were overheard commenting that this was the best wedding they had attended.  Those are always words that we like to hear.

As we leave you with a few more images from the day, we want to wish Bianca & Trent a lifetime of Happiness!!!

Behind the Scenes at Winnie Couture

Now that you are all excited – I have a couple of special deals just for you!

First special deal:

The second special deal is ONLY for clients of Janice Blackmon Events.  To receive this offer, you must be a client of ours and you will receive a wonderful discount off of any of the gorgeous gowns available at Winnie Couture.

What are you waiting for?  Contact us today and combine the best Event Planner with an amazing discount on a dress from Winnie Couture for YOUR SPECIAL DAY!!

 

Ten holiday stress busters

So many gifts to wrap; So many parties to attend; So many cards to send!

Are the holidays stressing you out? Well, join the club! Few of us escape holiday time without feeling:

1. Panic
2. Overwhelmed
3. The blues
4. All of the above!

And it doesn’t help one bit when you turn on the TV and there’s someone smiling happily, hosting “the perfect” holiday party.

So here are 10 tips to help you survive the holidays.

• Throw away the word “perfect.” We are all human beings trying to do our best. There is no such thing as “perfect” when it comes to this time of year.
• Try to do less this year, not more. What is one task you can remove from your “to do” list?
• Do a “small” good deed. It’s amazing what it can do to lift your mood. Call that elderly aunt in California. Baby sit for the young mother across the street.
• Say “no.” That’s a tough one. Start with a list. Decide what events are important to you. And let the rest go.
• Try not to worry about things out of your control. Uncle Bob always talks too much. Those mail-order gifts might not arrive in time. The world will go on.
• Shake a leg! Hit the gym. Take a walk. Ride your bike. Exercise helps relieve stress and chase away the blues.
•  Get more zzzzzz’s. Sleep? Did someone say sleep? Yes, it’s extra important this time of year. Burning that (festive green and red) candle at both ends is a guaranteed way to let stress and the blues win.
•  Laugh off mini-disasters. OK, so the dog just ate the shrimp dip. Think how many calories he’s just saved you from!
• Forgive yourself. Forgive others. It’s not the time of year to settle old scores. No matter how much you want to tell off your (you fill in the blank).
• Hugs help!

Hopefully these tips will help you reduce your stress during the Holiday’s.  One other way to always ease the stress when planning any type of special event, is to contact Janice Blackmon Events and let us take the stress away by providing our exceptional service that ends with a flawless event allowing YOU to enjoy the special occasion along with your other guests!

Dates are quickly filling up for 2012, so don’t delay and run the risk of creating STRESS because we aren’t available for YOUR date! 

Happy Holiday’s from all of the Janice Blackmon Events Team!

As with any party, the first thing you must do is to set the date and time of the event.  With so many parties at this time of year, it may be a good idea to check with your group of friends to see if your proposed date is open on their social calendar prior to moving forward with your plans.

Once the date has been set and your guest list determined, send out invitations as far in advance as possible.  Be sure to indicate any specific information such as details on parking so that your guests can be prepared ahead of time.

Now comes the decision-making process on what you will serve for your party.  If you are desiring to have a fun and festive gathering where your guests can mingle and come and go as they please, a cocktail party is your best bet.  This can also be the most cost-effective type of party since guests will not expect to be served a full meal.  You must however, keep this in mind when setting the timeframe for your party.  My favorite is a Drop-In Cocktail Party.  This allows for a variety of hor d’oeuvres to be served which can range from simple items such as a cheese, fruit and or vegetable display where guests can serve themself,  as well as more elaborate options  that are perfect to be passed.

If you will be preparing the food items yourself, start the process early so that you can prep as much as possible ahead of time leaving you to not be as rushed on the day of the event.  Make sure that you have all of your serving pieces out, cleaned and labeled with how they will be used.  This makes the placing of the items on the party day easier so that you will know where every item will be placed and what serving piece will be used.

Of course, you can decide to take the easier approach which is to purchase your party food from your favorite caterer.  At this time of year, many of the local caterers have a special party-to-go menus that you can  pick-up and then take home with minimal set-up or preparation. 

It is advisable to purchase bags of ice and store them in coolers for use in keeping items chilled before serving if refrigerator/freezer space is limited.  You will also need to make certain to have enough ice to sustain the duration of the party for all beverages.

Speaking of beverages, make sure that you provide a variety of alcoholic and  non-alcoholic options.  To keep things festive, I am in love with seasonal varieties such as a Gingerbread or Candy Cane Martini’s.  Another wonderful option which can be served hot or cold is Wassail (hot/cold mulled cider).

In addition to making sure you have all of the food prepared and beverages ready, don’t forget to take one last look in each powder room to make certain that you have the essential necessary items in abundance.  It is my recommendation to hire someone to act as a Restroom attendant during the party so that they can maintain the supplies and cleanliness of the powder rooms.

Speaking of hiring people, it’s also a good idea to hire staff to act as servers and bartenders.  This will allow you to actually enjoy your own party and mingle with your guests.  There are agencies that specialize in providing banquet servers and bar tenders, or you may decide to contact a local college or technical school in your area that offers a culinary program to see if they have students interested in making a little extra Holiday money by working as a server for your party. 

One touch that I think is a necessity is tons of candles.  I personally like scented candles – however, you don’t want to overload the senses with various scents, so select one or two complimenting scents to have placed around your home and use other fragrance-free candles to supplement the supply.

Setting the ambiance.  Whether you decide to have your home stereo system playing,  or you arrange for a group of Carolers, or hire an acoustic guitar player or pianist or even a DJ, keep in mind that the music should be background in nature and not so loud that guests can’t carry on a conversation.

It’s also advisable that you have a designated place for coats and ladies purses to be placed.  One such idea is to empty your coat closet and have hangers available for wraps and the bottom of the closet clear and available for bags.  If this is not possible, set aside one room, perhaps the master bedroom, that will not be used for the party to store your guests personal items.

One of the most important things is to make sure that you are ready to receive guests at the start of the party.  Nothing is worse than having guests arrive and things are in a disarray as it makes the guests feel uncomfortable.

You have checked your list, not once but twice and know that everything is set and ready.  Take a deep breath, and be ready to greet each guest as they arrive.  Have a tray of beverages offered upon their arrival and then have a fabulous party.

All of us at Janice Blackmon Events wish you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Feliz Navidad, or whatever other holiday you celebrate as well as a Happy and Healthy New Year!!!

Cheers!!!

Starting with the personal flowers, the bride and her bridesmaids had a little Bouquet making Party.  Ashley purchased flowers from a wholesale flower outlet and then with instructions from the provider and us, they made the bouquets, boutonnieres and mothers flowers.  They turned out so nicely and offered a substantial cost savings. 

Ashley set her wedding theme as Winter Wonderland ~ which for a Florida wedding is unique in any case.  Her color palette was royal blue, silver and white.  Because she was going to provide all of the decor herself, Ashley began searching for items that would fit into her theme a year in advance.  She found adorable candle stands and small blue and silver ornaments.  To give the idea of snow, she used white sparkly material which was placed in the center of the family style tables on top of which the candelabra and ornaments were placed.  She used blue table cloths for linens.  To enhance the look of the cake and Sweetheart Tables, we provided gorgeous linens from Chair Covers and Linens.  These linens added an extra  special touch to the room and pulled the look together.

The room was further enhanced with blue and silver garland and silver snowflakes!  We even had a Christmas Tree decorated in the same color pattern!  Even though it was 80 degrees outside, guests could get the sense of being in a Winter Wonderland when they entered the reception.

To involve the guests and create a lasting memory, a “photo booth” was set-up where guests could don fun items or just be themself while a photo was taken that will be placed in the Guest Book next to their personal message. 

The guests feasted on pork loin, roasted red potatoes, green beans, macaroni and cheese, rolls and several other items. 

Boxes of candy mints were placed at each guests seat as favors while bowls of M&M’s were on each table for guests to enjoy throughout the reception.

The Matron of Honor and one of the groomsmen offered meaningful toasts to the couple. 

When the time came for the specialty dances, the bride and groom took the floor dancing to “From this Moment” by Shania Twain.  For a sweet twist, the bride then had a dance with her mom to “Mama’s Song” by Carrie Underwood.  The groom and his mom entered the same song half-way through.  To get the crowd on their feet, the Wedding Party was asked to get on the dance floor while the “Theme from Friends” played as all guests were then invited to join in the party.

The couple departed through a path of their family and friends blowing bubbles to wish them well.  As they drove away, they were still smiling after being surrounded by all of the love of those who celebrated their special day with them.

We wish Ashley & Jon a lifetime of Happiness!!!!

The first order of business was to select a venue that would enhance a New York City feel and immediately The W Hotel ~ Midtown came to mind.  We secured Altitude {the ballroom on the 27th floor} as the venue.  Since the room offers views of the city on both sides of the ballroom, that would lend to the feel of the Big Apple. 

Working with the extremely talented, JWilbur of EventScapes, a division of CCP Events, the decor was devised in meeting with Shelby’s New York City theme.  Wilbur offered wonderful suggestions for bringing the city design into the room.  There were two large gobo’s that shown on the back walls depicting famous landmarks such as The Statue of Liberty and the New York City skyline.  Each table on the adult side of the room was covered in the hotel’s standard black spandex linen and topped with a luxurious silver overlay.  The centerpiece consisted of a square base filled with flowers out of which came a street sign indicating famous cross-streets in NYC.  Shelby determined some of her favorite locations in the city and those became the table names for the adults.

On the “kids” side of the room, the look was more of a club feel, with lounge seating, a few cocktail rounds with seats and a few highboy tables.  These were treated with the hotels black spandex linens and topped with hot pink overlays.  Cube vases filled with hot pink roses enhanced the look of these tables.  To fully show the NYC theme, Wilbur created a large sign that had the name of the event:  “Shelby’s New York City Extravaganza” complete with the New York city skyline and more of the famous landmarks.  The sign was outlined in lights and enhanced with swags of fabric to create a stunning focal point.

As with most Mitzvah’s, the party began with the kid’s having some time partying without the adults present.  They were feasting on yummy hors d’oeuvres such as fried cheese, mini pizzas, and pigs in a blanket.  Meanwhile, the adults were not being left out.  They were having an adult-only cocktail party on the 2nd floor of the hotel in the area called Away.  It’s a semi-private area that worked perfectly for the purpose of a cocktail hour. 

At the appointed time, the adults were whisked away and delivered to the celebration which was already in full swing.  As the guests exited the scenic glass elevator, they found their table assignment cards on a lighted round table which was centered with a tall decor piece that held a rotating Yellow Taxi Cab adorned with Shelby’s name.  The table assignment cards were replica’s of New York City Metro (subway) cards.  Robyn Feinberg of RSVP provided the stationery products for the event and as always did a superb job!

The family entered the event in grand fashion.  Once Shelby was announced and the whole family was front and center, a long-time family friend offered the Motzi.

Dinner for the adults consisted of a dual entrée of a beef filet and salmon or for those wishing for a more vegetarian option, salmon and pasta. The kids feasted on chicken fingers, mac & cheese, salad, and other tasty goodies.

To add a fun twist to the desserts, both the adults and kids were offered a dessert display that would provide options to tempt every tastebud.  And what would a New York City themed event be without Black and White cookies?

To keep the fun going throughout the night, the incredible team from Vibe provided the entertainment.  These guys definitely know how to throw a fun party — not just for the kids but for the adults as well. 

Jenni Girtman was the photographer of record for the event capturing all of the fun times.  She also provided a Photo Booth station where guests could select various New York City backgrounds for their GreenScreen photos.  Kids and adults had such fun trying out all of the props AND the different backgrounds.

Can you ever have enough sugar at an event? We didn’t think so, so we provided a Candy Bar.  Shelby selected her favorite types of candy which included, Malted Milk Balls, M&M’s, Skittles, Mike&Ike’s, and Sour Patch Kids.  We provided the complete set-up including the custom labels for the containers in keeping with the color and theme of the event. 

As the time came for the guests to depart, they were treated with adorable and functional favors of PJ bottoms which also were emblazoned with the logo of the event. There were a HUGE hit!!! (I think the adults were sad that they didn’t get a pair).

Judging by the smiles from everyone as they left, this was another fabulous and FLAWLESS event and we were so pleased to be a part of it!!!

To see more photos (taken by JBEvents) from the event, please enjoy the slideshow below!

 Click to view slideshow.

Janice Blackmon Events is an event planning company offering many levels of service to assist clients in the best possible way for their event.  Don’t leave your celebration in the hands of someone less capable, contact Janice Blackmon Events today and enjoy the feel of planning a flawless and stressfree event!