Drape It Beautiful

You have hired the planner, booked the caterer and florists and rented all your tables and chairs. but what about the Reception Hall? What happens when, due to a tight budget, a large number of guests or "No availability" the hall you booked has more "Lack" than "Lustre"?  We are talking about orange walls, green carpets and exposed brick in the wrong places. Ok, maybe it's not that bad but it's NOT the venue of your dreams.

PhotoCredit: TheKnot.com

The reception hall is very vital to any wedding. After all, this is where you will entertain guests with food, music and dancing, and the ever present high table speeches (lol). Apart from the ceremony snapshots, most of your wedding day memories will be captured during the reception and who wants those gorgeous photos marred by an unflattering backdrop. I can tell you...There is hope.


The Solution? DRAPING AND LIGHTING.
With the right lighting and wall coverings, even the darkest room can rival the lounges in a five-star hotel.
That last line was kind of cheesy but its true. Look at these Before and After Photos of a Real Reception held in a church hall courtesy of Mybridestory.com (Blog)

Ordinary Church Hall...

Ordinary Church Hall Transformed  

Here are a few more draping inspirations...

PhotoCredit:  Midway Party Rental

PhotoCredit:  Midway Party Rental

Can you tell that this is an indoor basketball court? I couldn't either ;-)

PhotoCredit: Royal Receptions UTAH

PhotoCredit: NES Weddings

Obviously, this is not a drape but it's a beautiful decor idea to cover an unsightly wall ;-)

PhotoCredit: TheKnot.com

 
PhotoCredit: TheKnot.com

Quick Tip: Cut the cost of having a florist in half by using drapes and lighting to make a statement in your decor

Have you considered (or used) draping for your Special day?! 

Leave a comment below. We would love to hear your experiences!

Music: Live Band vs Disc Jockey

Battle of the Bands and DJ’s

It’s finally the end of the week and like most of you out there, we’re counting the hours until we can trade our overloaded desks for a night (or weekend) on the town. Yes, the weekend has plenty of social events to attend; weddings, engagements, baby showers, cookouts, etc. Whatever you decide to do this weekend, be sure that one thing these events will have in

common is… Music! In one form, or another, music will be in the air and this definitely ha

s us thinking about weddings.

OK, this is a wedding blog so we are ALWAYS thinking about weddings *insert laugh*. Today, we are looking at music in respect to the reception. At a wedding music is provided either Live (A band) or recorded (Disc Jockey). While both methods can be entertaining there are also a number of things t

o consider when deciding whether to go with a band or DJ (in no particular order):

ATMOSPHERE

Music has a large influence on the ambience of a room, s

o think about your theme for the reception. What vibe do you want to have in the room, relaxed and easygoing or energetic and upbeat? Most African bands are high energy and guest engaging so that is a sure fire way to get your guests excited. If your looking for a classic and relaxed atmosphere, a DJ who can play slower more contemporary songs to keep the mood light and airy is best suited for the occasion.

VARIETY/GUESTS

The two go hand in hand. Why? Because the music is not j

ust there to fill silence, its there to entertain YOU & YOUR GUESTS. If you and your spouse-to-be love music from across the genres, a DJ would have the array of songs needed to incorporate these genres into the reception. When considering the guests, it’s often safe to cater towards the majority. Younger guests are generally more receptive of what’s current (AND wedding appropriate) i.e. Top 40, R&B, Rock, Hip-Hop etc. Which would of course be better provided by a DJ. Older guests are more appreciative of traditional

African music and the custom of “spraying” which a live band would be more suited for the job.

SPACE

Sometimes, this is not as simple as we think but you must consider the size of the venue. Will the hall comfortably hold your guests, decor, d

ance floor AND a band? If Size is not on your side, the beautiful thing about a DJ is that (s)he will not require the amount of room needed by a band and If you were hoping to dance the night away in your Traditional wear to the beat of your cultural drum, look for a DJ who will have such songs in his collection.

BUDGET

Usually, having a DJ costs less than a Live Band. This is because the larger the band the more people to pay. For the Bride on a Budget, this does not mean that you cannot have that band.

A few pointers:

1. Look for a band with fewer members (But DO NOT sacrifice quality).

2. Ask friends and family if they know anyone willing to work with their budget.

3. Instead of hiring a band for the whole day, hire them for a later time e.g. in the second half of the wedding i.e. the time couple change into their Traditional. With the right sound system, and lengthy preselected play-list, a close friend can easily stand-in, as DJ ‘til the band is ready to play.

Remember, whatever your decision, be sure to check references and ask unbiased family and friends for an opinion. There is nothing worse than hiring a terrible DJ or Band for a time you will remember for the rest of your life.

Ultimately the goal is to have fun dancing with your New Husband surrounded by loved ones.

Photos Courtesy of:

Cunningham Photography

FindalVideo

Keeping The Flowers and Your Budget

Flowers come in a wide array of shapes, colors, sizes and fragrance. We love them because they add beauty and depth to every event/venue. In a wedding, flowers can be seen from any angle; with the bride (and bridal train), during the ceremony, as centerpieces at reception and in some instances as part of the cake.

According to a survey conducted by TheKnot.com, in 2010, flowers made up close to 10% of the average wedding budget in the US. This comes out to about $2000-$3000 and with the shrinking economy (and increased cost of living) this has lead many brides to wonder if the flowery feat is accomplishable…

It is indeed quite possible to have beautiful flowers on any budget and here are a few tips to help

1.    Avoid flowers that will be out of season at the time of the wedding. These tend to cost a lot more and do not last as long because they must be shipped.  If you must have these flowers think “Less is more”

2.     As a follow up, opt for flowers (and Florists) that are locally grown.  Florists are a lot more flexible with pricing and assistance when it comes to local weddings. 

Traditional roses can be found almost everywhere

3.    D.I.Y. – With a few hours of research and a steady hand you can create your very own beautiful bouquets, boutonnières and centerpieces. The money saved on hiring a florist can easily go into having more flowers for the day or into other areas of the wedding.

Simple and Gorgeous

4.    Mixing Flowers and other aesthetic elements. Instead of a bouquet made purely of flowers. Try using half the amount of flowers and adding beautiful elements such as Greenery, jewels, sculpted branches etc.

These arrangements are not only beautiful, they are far less expensive

5.    An alternative to real (and more expensive) flowers is to use silk/artificial flowers. Look out for our future article on the pros, cons and how-to’s of using them.

Can you tell if these are silk flowers? 

With so many options, the possibilities are endless. Have fun with a little research and let your imagination run free. No matter the size, budget or theme of the wedding the most important rule is to JUST BE CREATIVE.

Happy searching