✩ The Color of the Year ✩

Finally, what you've all been waiting for! The star of the show, Marsala- also known as Pantone's Color of the Year. Marsala is a great color that can warm up a fall or winter wedding, even when paired up with a few cool tones. This shade of color can be upscale classy and even country chic and that's why it's  a great color to play with no matter what the style of your wedding is. We're going to be seeing a lot of jewel tones, sparkle, and neutrals, so below you will see some inspiration if you plan on incorporating Marsala into your wedding color palette.

all images via Pinterest

Hot Color Trends of 2015

Have you heard what the color of the year is? Pantone released their 2015 color trends recently and their color of the year is Marsala! This year we're going to see softer colors for the first half of the year compared to the bright colors last year and then we're going to move towards more jeweled tones for Fall- cue the Marsala trends. Keep on reading to see different ideas on how to incorporate these colors at your wedding!

Via Pinterest

Aquamarine                                                                          Scuba Blue

Lucite Green

Classic Blue                                                                         Toasted Almond

Strawberry Ice

Tangerine                                                                              Custard

Are you waiting to see Marsala trends? Check out our blog tomorrow for an entire post dedicated to the Color of the Year!

♥ Happy Valentine's Day ♥

It’s important to step back from planning your wedding and remembering why you got engaged in the first place. Make sure to go out on dates or even plan a special night in. It’s easy to get caught up in other things, so create a date jar; it’s super simple!

All you need is:

Popsicle sticks

A Jar

Markers

Here are two ways you can create your date jar:

Option #1 Have different color popsicle sticks to signify a night in, a night out, a free date, a nicer date, etc; that way it’ll be easier to pick out what will suit you better for that day.

Option #2 Have three different colors to signify $, $$, $$$ (different priced dates).

**I didn't have popsicles, so I used colored post-its instead. A color guide is also helpful so you don't forget what each color signifies. NO RULES- GET CREATIVE!!!**

 After your craft project, here are some creative date ideas to write on your popsicle sticks (or post-its) and to save you money while planning your wedding:

Date Idea #1: A Night In

 Tired of the same old meals every week? Look up a recipe of something neither of you have tried!

Date Idea #2: A Night Out

 A night out doesn't always mean going out to dinner. Change it up by going to a comedy club!

Date Idea #3: Free Date

 Become a tourist in your own city! Visit your city's website and find out what is going on that you can do for free without having to travel far.

Date Idea #4: $ Date

If you like wine, check out your local vineyards. You'll get to sample local wines and many places even give you a wine glass to take home.

Date Idea #5: Throwback Date

Go on a date to the zoo! It’ll bring back childhood memories and you can create new memories. Plus, it’s cheap!

**Check out our Pinterest page for more ideas!**

You can use these even after you’re married; it’s important to keep on dating each other even after marriage! Have fun on your dates and Happy Valentine’s Day from Knot Your Average Events!

Reasons to Attend a Bridal Show

Planning a wedding can be a bit overwhelming at times, but attending a bridal show can help put your mind at ease! When you walk through the doors and look around the room, it may seem like a dreadful task because you don’t know where to start and you know you are going to be bombarded with more information than you need. Trust me, it’s worth it. Don’t believe me? Here are some reasons to attend a bridal show and/or open house:

• It’s nice to put a face to a name when meeting vendors. It’s going to be more helpful than looking at a million websites and not having that interaction.

• It’s easier to narrow down the options in each area as long as you keep your budget in mind.

• You can see if you’ll interact well with a vendor and not just a screen; you’ll be able to pick up on their personality and see if they will be a right fit for your wedding.

• There will be a lot of information, but it’s less than if you spend hours searching on the internet.

• It’s great even if you have some vendors already booked. It’ll be easy to find your last few vendors because you’ll know what you’re looking for.

• Even if you just got engaged and haven’t started the planning process, it’s a great way to get ideas, but make sure you know your budget first!

• Most importantly, they are there for YOU; they are more than happy to help you.

Here are some tips when attending a bridal show/ open house:

• Get a babysitter for your kids. They will distract you and this is your time to be finding your vendors for your big day.

• Create sticker labels so you won’t have to be filling out a form left and right. It will save you time not having to write your name, number, address, email, and wedding date. Even add in a picture of yourself, so the vendor will know exactly who you are when you contact them.

Questions to Ask Your Venue

Looking for a venue can be intimidating and everything revolves around your location. When you're looking for your venue, keep in mind your vision and what comes with it. Do you want it indoors or outdoors? Do you want it to be rustic or classic? Once you have narrowed down your choices, here are a few key questions to ask your venue:

 

One of the biggest questions to be asking your venue is, “How many people can they host?” This is make or break depending on how many people you are expecting at your wedding. You don’t want your guests to be crammed into a back room or so spread out they can't all be together.  You want to have space for all of  your vendors to properly do their job while giving you room to walk around and interact with your friends and family (plus you don’t want that dress getting caught on a chair!).

Everyone always wants to know the price up front. Think value first! Ask what is included with their rental.  Are there options?  Make sure you ask for their rental rates before you fall in love with the venue. Know your overall budget because you don’t want to fall head over heels and have your vision crushed because it is too far out of your budget. No worries, you WILL find your perfect venue- don't give up!

Whether you're having a wedding during the day or in the evening, you are most likely going to have food for your guests. It's important to know whether your venue has their own caterer or do they allow for outside catering? Another biggie is if they have a license to have alcohol on their property. Also be clear on alcohol policies and procedures.  You don't want to be having problems with the venue or the law on your big day!

These are just a FEW of the critical question that you want to ask your venue. When you hire us, we’ll make sure to help you find your perfect venue and help you ask all the right questions.

New Spring Intern 2015

Hey everyone! My name is Sarah Manns and I am so excited about interning for Jenn! I am currently a senior at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro majoring in Community and Therapeutic Recreation and in my last semester. I usually say I am from Charlotte, but in reality, asking where I am from is one of the hardest questions I am asked. You see, I was born in Turkey and lived in Brazil, England, Singapore, and then the United States. Do you see my dilemma now?? It was because of all the traveling I did with my family that made me fall in love with different cultures, people, and traditions. So, what better profession to get into than event planning in order to experience all three? The answer is: there isn't a better option (for me at least)!

Not many people know that you can study to become an event planner, so how did I get there? Since both of my parents are foreign, they decided that they knew exactly how college in America worked; everyone chooses their major before they get to college. Right? Far from it. Yet, that is what I did. I researched majors and narrowed down what I wanted to do and from there I chose the college I wanted to go to based upon if they had my major or not. I only had about five options, but Greensboro was the one place that I could picture myself. Spoiler alert: I was accepted and have loved it ever since.

As for my internship, Jenn was my professor a couple of semesters ago, so when I found out that she didn't have an intern for this Spring, I knew I had to accept her offer. I just started last Monday and I can already tell that it is going to be completely different from my last. My last internship was at a country club and I only saw the forefront of event planning, meaning I never saw the planning part- just the actual event. From my first week interning with Jenn, I've already accumulated so much information and I can finally see behind the scenes of what it takes to create an event and network. Even though I know what I've wanted to do since my senior year of high school, this past week alone has confirmed that I've made the right choice.

I'll be posting more on the blog during the time I am here, so make sure to check back in!

TO BUSTLE OR NOT TO BUSTLE THAT IS THE QUESTION!

To Bustle or Not to Bustle that is the Question!

 

After saying yes to the dress of your dreams and entering into the time of alterations one aspect to your dress that you might want to consider is whether or not you should bustle you dress. Well you might be wondering why I should bustle my dress in the first place. You might be thinking why I would want to alter my dress. I love the way the train flows behind me and I have the dream of dancing the night away just the way the dress is, but this might not be the practical option.  Imagine this you have picked the dress of your dreams. It is the one you have had your eye on and it is absolutely gorgeous. It has beautiful intricate beading throughout the whole dress with that long flowing train that you love and because you love the aspect of the long train you decide not to bustle the dress. This was a big mistake. First you realize that your dress seems to be getting dirty! On top of that someone just step on your train and it ripped. Now you have to carry it on your arm and this dress is not the lightest. It because more of a problem and you catch yourself not being able to enjoy your day because you’re constantly worrying about your dress. This problem could have been avoided all together if she would have just bustled the dress.

American Bustle Verse the French Bustle

 

             The American Bustle

This bustle is also referred to as the outer bustle. This style is created when the train is hooked to the outside of your dress by buttons or hooks placed with corresponding loops.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The French Bustle

The look of the French bustle is created by a series of ribbons that can be found inside the dress. The train is then lifted and your bridesmaids will tie the ribbons that are either color coded or numbered together to create this secure, elegant look. This is a great bustle for ball gowns, or dresses that are made with heavy or delicate fabrics.

 

 

So when choosing the dress of your dreams you should really think about bustling your dress. It can have a huge impact on your special day!