Christmas Parties, New Year’s Eve Parties, and your other winter Occasions

There are all types of events that require the assistants of an event planner. Elite Elegant Events prides itself on being able to assist with all your occasion needs. Keeping in mind the most up to date techniques and ideas Elite Elegant Events staff is dedicated to making your event special and unforgettable to you and your guests. For years your friends will say “ remember that party you had that Elite Elegant Events helped to plan…..What a wonderful event”  With the Holiday season approaching Elite Elegant Events would love to help you plan your next winter gathering.

There are so many ideas for winter parties, here are a few just to think about. Place evergreen-scented candles by your entryway to set the scene as guests arrive. Set your tables in white with silver accents. Silver candles, place mats and napkins add excitement to even the plainest white plates and serving bowls. A vase of white flowers and a slight sprinkling of fake snow down the center of the table can add a striking finishing touch. Wrap twinkle lights in white tulle and drape over a window frame like soft, snowy curtains. Tie back the tulle with a snowflake ornament or white satin ribbon.

Its so cold outside but don’t let that stop you from partying the night away with friends and family. Contact Jessica@EliteElegant.com for more details on how to make your winter party successful.

Happy Planning!

Jess

Erica and Scott's Wedding

Hi all!

Head planner, Marie, planned and designed a gorgeous wedding for a very deserving bride and groom, Erica and Scott.  Please enjoy the photographs provided by Marsha Moats Photography and Design.

You're engaged!! Now what?

Hi everyone!

Eighty percent of engagements during the year happen between Thanksgiving and Valentines Day.  Approximately 2 million people get engaged in a year so that breaks down to about 1.6 million in that short time frame.  I know it's been true with the people in my life this year.  My mini-feed on Facebook went crazy on Christmas morning with friends announcing their engagements!

So now you are engaged.  You have the ring, now what?  There is so much planning to do but each step has a specific time period in the process of which to do it.  Here it is:

1.   Enjoy being engaged!!  Kiss each other a million times and jump up and down : )

2.  Tell your parents/closest people to you.

3.  Set the date.  This way you know what day you are shooting for and you can plan the rest of the pieces accordingly. 

4.  Announce your engagement.


5.  Choose the feeling you would like to have at your wedding.  Do you want it to be traditional, modern, fun, low key.  Whichever you choose, this step will set the scene for choosing your venue because they book up quickly!!

6.  Choose your attendants.  Also mandatory before you choose a venue so you know what size you are looking for.

7.  Choose a venue.  Most venues book up a year in advance.

8.  Research vendors.  Set up appointments with florists, cake bakers, DJs, photographers, to look at their work.  In this step, its also very helpful to ask around.  Who have others used and did it work out?  Not only was the good or service great but was the vendor a problem solver, good at communicating, easy to get ahold of?

9.  Purchase dresses and tuxes!  Here's the fun part : )  About nine months before, try on wedding gowns, pick out and order bridesmaid dresses and order tuxes.

10.  Reserve the vendors you chose.

There is many more things on the list but these 10 are the first, and most important.  You can find all the other steps and everything in between on tons of websites.  My favorite, and the most detailed and accurate is the calendar on WedAlert.  The link is: http://www.wedalert.com/content/planning/calendar.asp

Congratulations and good luck with your wedding planning process and please let me know if you need any advice!

Stay fab,
Lauren

The Ultimate Eat-Off

When planning a wedding, there are hundreds of choices you have to make.  You choose your dress, the bridesmaid dresses, the tuxedos, the tuxedo shirts, the venue, the photographer, the invitations, the limo service, how you want your hair, how you want to decorate, the flowers.  But one of the biggest decisions you will make is the food you will serve.  Believe it or not, what kind of food you serve and how you serve it will set the overall feeling of the wedding.  So do you want a sit-down meal with filet mignon and lobster?  Or a chicken buffet?  Only you can decide but here's some help.

If you answer "yes" to these questions, a sit down meal is for your wedding.
1. Do you want your reception to be formal and elegant?
2. Are your guests mostly the elderly or children?
                A sit down meal will make the night easier for the people looking after them.
3. Are your guests traveling long distances?
                It's appropriate to feed your traveling guests a full meal to make up for their trouble.

If you answer "yes" to these questions, a buffet is for your wedding.
1. Do you want your reception to be more laid back and relaxed?
2. Are you looking to save some money on this part of the wedding?
                ... then you have more money to buy a stunning gown : )
3. Would you like your guests to have more of a variety to choose from?

If you answer "yes" to thes questions, appetizers are for your wedding.
1. Are you really struggling with your budget
                This is the cheapest of the three options.  Also, if you serve hearty appetizers, your guests will feel well fed without the extra expense.
2. Do you want to be creative with the food you serve?
                 You can choose a theme, like tiny cheeseburgers and miniature hot fudge sundaes.
3. Do you have a wide range of people from ethnic backgrounds and lifestyles coming to your wedding?
                  You can provide something for everyone- the vegetarians, the low-carb dieters, etc.
4. Do you want people to mingle?

I just went to a holiday party last Friday night and I loved how they served food.  The venue was two rooms: the room in the front was a large dance floor with a band, two open bars, and a few tables around that held finger foods with mini plates and napkins so the guests could serve themselves.  The back room was set with about 25 tables and then there were buffets set against the walls serving crabcakes and sirloin and a creme brulee desert table.  In my opinion, it was the perfect party!  The people who wanted a sit down meal were in the back and the people who wanted to snack and party were in the front.  Two giant door ways, one on either side of the separating wall, allowed party-goers to easily flow from one room to the next.  What a great party!

Happy wedding planning and stay fab!
Lauren

Say "I Do" in Paradise

Atlantis - Paradise Island, Bahamas

I had the amazing opportunity to stay at the Atlantis resort in Paradise Island, Bahamas this past weekend for a four day getaway with a friend.  I can't describe to you in words the wonder of this place.

Three miles of impeccable grounds were covered in flowering tropical plants and scattered with palm trees which made for a lush landscape.  Pools throughout the resort, constantly replenished with crystal clear ocean water, housed manta rays, sting rays, barracudas, sharks and a variety of colorful tropical fish.  The relaxing sounds of cascading water can be heard from every corner of the property.

The resort features a wide variety of hotel room options from the reasonably priced, "singles" towers, Beach tower and Coral tower, to the higher-end "family" tower, the Royal tower to the private villas for the lavish vacationers.  It has two beaches, a casino, a nightclub, a marina, 8 water slides/rides including a 45-minute lazy river ride, snorkeling lessons, scuba lessons, 9 restaurants and high-end shopping.

Now I don't tell you this to make you jealous of my vacation, (though I'm sure you are after hearing about this heaven!) I wanted to share this gem in case you are in the market for a destination wedding venue.  This definitely isn't for everyone as I'm sure the amenities do not come at a cheap package price.  But if you are looking for a place with amazing hotel rooms, incredible 24/7 service and enough activities to exhaust even the most chipper wedding guests, Atlantis is your place.

Lauren (right) and friend, Kristi, at Atlantis

Feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions.  Happy wedding planning!

Stay Fab,
Lauren

A Candy Buffet is a Sweet Treat for Your Guests!

It’s all the new craze, candy buffets at weddings and… Elite Elegant loves this idea!  Who doesn’t have a sweet tooth?  And with candy buffets, your guests can create their own favor that surely won’t go right into the trash with the typical low-cost, everyone gets the same thing, favors.  So we went on a search for the best candy store in Frederick, MD and we found it!  Sweet Memories in downtown Frederick, located on East Patrick Street, has a huge variety, from old fashioned Charleston Chews to taffy to decadent caramels and chocolates.  Whatever your favorite, Sweet Memories has it stored in cute wooden barrels that filled the store.  The owners, Doug and Christina, were very friendly, just overall wonderful people, and mentioned how setting up candy buffets at weddings was one of their favorite parts about owning a candy store.  They also offer pre-made wedding favors, candy gift baskets and candy centerpieces.  You can visit sweetmemoriescandystore.com for more information or call 301-620-4202 end_of_the_skypeto speak with Doug or Christina. 

Enjoy, candy lovers!

Lauren
PR and Marketing Manager

On the Green: A Guide to an Eco-Friendly Wedding

With the degradation of the world’s ecosystem, people are putting more effort into going green by practicing better ways to sustain our planet. From recycled invitations to earth-friendly receptions, many couples are planning eco-friendly weddings. A green wedding will not only help save the planet, but it can also help you save money as well.

Here are some tips to make your wedding eco-friendly:

Paper chase

Minimizing the amount of paper used in your wedding stationery can have a huge environmental impact. There are few certified green printers. However, there are many wonderful choices when it comes to paper. For wedding invitations, select paper that has a high recycled content or is made from an alternative fiber, such as cotton or bamboo. While it is acceptable to send emails or E-vites for surrounding wedding events such as the bachelor and bachelorette party, it is important to mail your guests a paper wedding invitation.

Instead of giving each guest a wedding program, print one program per couple. We also recommend placing only one or two dinner menus at the table rather than placing a menu at every plate setting.

Create an organic menu

Ask your caterer to create an organic menu to ensure your food has not been exposed to pesticides. Choosing free-range meats and fish and local organic vegetable and fruit is healthier for you and your guests, the animals, and the environment. Organic meals are a fresh, delicious and economical way to make an eco-friendly statement. Depending on the time of day, you may want to serve hor d’oeuvres at your wedding rather than a full dinner or buffet. A hor d’oeuvre reception is appropriate between 11am and 5pm or after an evening wedding.

Instead of tossing those extra entrees into the trash, ask your caterer to send leftovers to a homeless or food rescue group. Many organizations pick up fresh, uneaten food and deliver it to local shelters and families in need. If food donation is not an option, ask to have the food composted.

Faux flowers

Flowers are a major component to every wedding. Talk to your florist about local organic blooms and explore how you can enhance your bouquet with greenery, herbs, and grains like wheat and millet. For centerpieces, consider using potted flowers, plants, or even small trees, which can later be replanted in your own garden or yard.

Fruit can also make lovely wedding centerpieces. Fruit is inexpensive, aromatic, and most importantly, edible. After the reception, the fruit can be divided and given to your guests or donated to a homeless shelter. You can bring happiness to the lives of others by donating your floral arrangements to a local hospital, nursing home, women’s shelter, or any other organization that could use some brightening up.

Dim the lights

Candlelight is not only romantic, it is also energy efficient. Soy wax is a renewable and cost effective alternative to paraffin wax. Made from soybeans, soy candles come in various sizes, shapes, colors, and scents and are cleaner, longer burning, and more fragrant than regular wax candles.

The key to a stylish, eco-friendly wedding is simplicity. Choosing earth-friendly materials not only saves money, it saves resources as well.