Engagement Photos

 You Just got ENGAGED!!  That is reason enough to celebrate and have photographs to remember this special moment and milestone in your lives together.

Once you become engaged, there are a many reasons to have engagement photos taken. As a couple, most have not been photographed professionally before, the engagement session is a valuable tool every couple should utilize. Engagement Photos are pictures you will cherish forever because of the fond memories you will associate with them. Plus, it’s fun! The engagement session feels a bit like a double date. Most of our couples tell us they didn't realize it would be so much fun! 

If you've always wanted to have your picture taken somewhere, now is the perfect time to do this. You can even choose a sentimental place, such as the place where you met, to have the photos taken. Your photos will mean more to you if you have them taken somewhere meaningful to you as a couple.

 Anna and her fiance personalized their engagement photos session.  They are huge fan of the NY Yankees!  How amazing are these pictures? one of my favorite photos! this really shows their interest and their fun personalities. 

The best part about the pictures are that hopefully  you and your fiance leave the session more in love than when you came, just as our beautiful soon to be bride and groom in these amazing pictures.

Wishing our soon to be bride and groom, lots of  love and happiness!!

From your event specialist,
Elegant Creations

Natalie Portman Wedding Ceremony

Natalie and Benjamin

 Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied  married in Big Sur, California on Saturday night.The Jewish wedding ceremony took place at a private home after dark. The couple said their vows underneath a chuppah made of twigs. The bride wore a long sleeved wedding dress by Rodarte and a crown of wildflowers in her hair.

From your event specialist,
Elegant Creations

How To Plan A Party On A Budget

How To Plan A Party On A Budget!

Do you have a big event coming up? or thinking of maybe celebrating a special moment in your life? I'm a big believer that there's nothing quite like the memories life's biggest milestones can create.  I for one love celebrating special moments in our lives.

The reality is that even the most beautiful memories can be overshadowed by a debt and over budget. In fact overspending on a big event can overshadow the joy in the long run.  Instead of the fanciest venue or the most elaborate sit-down dinner, concentrate instead on this piece of advice from David Tutera, a celebrity wedding and party planner  "If a guest can go to a wedding and walk away knowing more about the bride and groom, that's what makes a wedding much more unique." The same goes for any other type of special event. It's about the person, not the party.
The average price of a wedding these days is $22,000, And it's not unheard of to drop $20,000 on a Sweet 16.

Below are a few things to keep in mind on putting together a party on a budget.

• Set aside cash. It's never too early to start saving for the big day. If you can avoid using plastic on a $1,000+ bill, you'll bypass those hefty interest charges. Twelve to 18 months in advance of the shindig, figure out as accurately as you can what it's going to cost you. Divide the total by the number of paychecks you get in a year and start automatically shuttling that much money into savings. You can even open a separate savings account if it'll help you keep your fingers off!
• Go in with your eyes wide open. Whether you're planning a wedding, a bar mitzvah or a 25th anniversary party, "you need to make a conscious choice about whether it's more important to you to spend thousands on the event or save the money for some future financial need," says financial planner Ross Levin. "There isn't necessarily a right or wrong answer, but the decision ought to be intentional."
• Don't be afraid to put on the brakes section. If a voice in the back of your head is starting to say this is getting out of control—listen carefully. (And try not to listen to all those service providers who are encouraging you to go overboard on their specialty alone. Do it with each one and your budget is completely out of whack.) Besides, you don't want to end up resenting the money you spend. Nor do you want to overindulge so much that you, the guest of honor, and all the participants lose site of the real meaning of the milestone you're celebrating. 

From your Event Specialist,

Elegant Creations

Tips from Oprah

Hosting A Home Party!

Are you hosting a home party and need some guidance? no worries below are a few pointers that can help you.  As a party planner, hosting home parties comes easy but with more detail and work.  I love planning, It's like bringing something together from the bottom up.  I am currently in the process of hosting a graduation party in our back yard... this is so much fun.  I will share pictures and blog about it as soon as this event takes place, but for now here are some tips.

Plan It Out: Your home  dinner party is making it feel worth your guest time and support.  Planning ahead for issues such as if this will be a formal sit down (with place cards and so on) or a simpler cocktail party will be key. This also needs to be expressed on your invitation cards.  This way gusts can decide if they want to (or can) be part of your event. 

Plan your Menu & /or Drinks: Pull together what you're going to serve. This is where keeping things intimate and confined to close friends and relatives can pay off. Knowing what people like (or are restricted to eating) will help you create a spread delectable enough for everyone (or mixed drinks for cocktail parties suitable to every one's tastes). A fun idea is to create a signature drink, that represents the person that you are.

For added inspiration grab a cookbook.

Be Personal When Inviting Gusts: Call your gusts to invite them over the phone (depending on the type of party) or send invitations being sure to use their name.  Places like Facebook are too easy to click away and say no to... people need to feel you're intimately involved so go that extra mile to reach out.  Have people RSVP (or ask for "regrets only") and let them know if your party is a formal sit down or something more informal like a Bar-B-Q on the deck.

Add In Some Extras: Consider giving out favor bags to gusts or create some games so that people can win a favor (this has often been a major highlight for parties... give it a try).  Just keep it light and non-depressing so people have a good time—not focusing on even more dire problems in life. Hire a DJ or get a friend to do it (you wouldn't believe the number of kids out there that can do this from their laptops or iPods!), have dancing or keep it low key (think swank NYC eateries... what do they play?) with Latin Jazz and World Beats. Just a little in the background for ambiance but not too much that it prevents people from talking to one another.

Tell Your Guests Thank You: In most dinner parties it's the host that gets all of the thank you cards, you want to make your guest feel special send them a thank you card. Write it out and pop a stamp on it. This is also a good time to let them know once again how important it was to you to have had share a special moment. 

From your event specialist,
Elegant Creations Events.

Jenner Wedding

Jenner Wedding.

 Brandon Jenner married Leah Felder on the beaches of Kauai.

Kendall Jenner and Kylie Jenner, were bridesmaids while the groom’s brother, Brody Jenner, looked on from the front row.

Also in attendance was Brandon’s father, Bruce Jenner, with his wife Kris and the bride’s father, Eagles guitarist Don Felder. 

The bride and groom have their own pop-folk band, Brandon and Leah. They had been engaged for several years. How stunning is the bride.  I am truly loving simple weddings.  

Bridesmaids look beautiful, we are loving the idea of simplicity.

From your event specialist,
Elegant Creations Events

Simple & Elegant

Simple, Beautiful & Elegant

Alisan Porter married her long time friend Brian Autenrieth. 

The bride looked beautiful, simple, and elegant. Poter wore a vintage- inspired lace wedding dress by R. Mine. 

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg married his long time love Priscilla Chanin a backyard ceremony on Saturday afternoon at his Palo Alto home.

The wedding was a surprise to guests who thought they were celebrating Chan’s graduation from UCSF Medical School.

Chan wore Claire Pettibone’s “Sky Between the Branches” wedding gown, an ivory laser-cut floral dress adorned with matte sequins lined in silk. Beautiful and simple.

How beautiful is the back of this dressed along with the beautiful Tiffany diamond necklace draped down Jessica's back. 

From your event Specialist,

Elegant Creations

Destination Wedding Planning

Planning your destination wedding! We are experienced destination wedding planners, and we have put together a quick list on tips in planning your away wedding. We hope that all you bride-to-be find these tips useful.

First thing, research your location, resorts, all-inclusive resorts, flights, cost, hotels and everything. Just as you planning a wedding in your area, there are some pre-planning steps for your away wedding. The most effective way to start is by visiting a travel agency that specializes in destination weddings, they will help answer many questions.

Once you have chosen your destination, take some time to research the culture of where you are getting married, the language, your surroundings, hospital research it all.. 

Weather is a must, not everyone shares the same weather during the same time of year therefore; research temperature, tornado, hurricane season.

Wedding Laws, are different every where specially out of the country. You will need to know what paperwork you need such as, blood work, immunization, marriage license, residency requirements, and  witnesses.  Please note* different countries need different requirements!

Basic but important tip is to be organized, planning a wedding is basically managing a thousand details. Planning a destination wedding doubles the number, so make sure you are set to tackle your plan of action. 

How to maintain everything organized:

• By maintaining file folders
• Keep receipts, record all payments
• Set calendars and stick to them
• Archive e-mails, pictures etc..

We are very loyal to inspirational boards, create your very own board, normally we do this with our clients and they love it. 

If you are unsure about planning your destination wedding, hire a wedding specialist. We are more knowledgeable in what you need.  

Most important is to be happy. Your wedding day, no matter where you celebrate it, overflows with equal  parts emotions and stress. But if you remain focused. It's just about you and your commitment to your future partner.  And that's all that really matters in the long run.

We hope you found some helpful ideas.

From your event specialist,

Elegant Creations