Trending: Reception Tents

I love seeing all the new ideas that have been seen in the way of tents. Some of the best of the best in the bridal industry have made a name for themselves by finding ways to bring even more wow to the tented reception. Tara Guerard, David Tutera, and companies like Boutique Tents and Raj Tents, are some of those going further than the all white tent:

Tara Guerard's famous way of styling several pavilion tents together to create intimate lounge-like stations within one large tent. Love.



David Tutera made a large open space more intimate by giving each table its own pavilion in this episode of My Fair Wedding. Beautiful statement without having a large outer tent.





Love this idea: use a canopy frame without the top. Using gauzy fabric draped at each pole like this softens the look without closing anything in.

~Happy planning!

{Sources}: Photos 1& 2: Blue Moon Events via Boutique Tents; Photos 3 & 4: Soiree by Tara Guerard by Liz Banfield via Boutique Tents; Photo 5: David Tutera via Raj Tents; Photos 6 & 7: via Stacy Meadows Photography

inspiring Photo No. 8

Today is all about color!


Via Tobi Fairley Blog

This colorful Christmas tree is the result of a collaboration between an Australian designer and Anna from Absolutely Beautiful Things. Be sure to check out the not-so-traditional Christmas display.

For a little more colorful inspiration, check out this super colorful wedding featured over at Green Wedding Shoes:







Brimming full of creativity, budget-friendly decor, and lots of beautiful color. What colors are you thinking of bringing around this Christmas season?

My 2010 List Of Thanks

 

2010 has so far, been one of the best years to me. I've had to work hard to get where I needed to be, but it has been extremely fulfilling to see the end results. My business has grown leaps and bounds, I've become more comfortable with myself and my goals, and my family life has been amazing. This blog has also been a huge part of my life....in good ways. So I thought it would be only natural to post all my thanks on it today :) Here are my top few that come to mind:

1. First and foremost I'm so thankful for my son. It's true what they say...you'll never know love the way you do when you look into your child's eyes.

2. My hubby is right up there too. You've been a strong shoulder to lean on, an umbrella for the rain, and my constant supporter.

3.  My girls. As in, my Soiree girls (Samantha, Annie, and Michelle). You have all taught me SO much this year. It was one of the scariest moments to bring someone on into my crazy little world of wedding planning. A combination of feeling incompetent as a manager and leader, fear of teaching the wrong things, all the while still keeping the business afloat. So thanks, girls, for accepting me as is and for being such a rock to Soiree this year. Couldn't have done it without you all!

4. Could I have this list without mentioning all our brides? I live vicariously through all of you each year, and I feel so lucky to have such a fabulous job. Love working with you all.

5. Twitter, Face Book, and social media as a whole. I know, sounds weird to be thankful for something like that, but these platforms have catapulted not only my business, but also my knowledge and confidence. I've met some great Twitter and blogging friends, and discovered some invaluable advice via business and wedding planning blogs.  Thank you, friends!

And now for some (slightly) materialistic things I'm thankful for (I can't lie, folks):

* My label maker. Yep, just finally got one (I purchased the Brother P-Touch 1290), and I've been a labeling machine. My pantry is a rockstar (resembles a Real Simple pantry) at the moment, and our wedding files have a new look about them. Just ask Annie, she appreciated my excitement ;)

* My new cognac boots. I've been searching for the *perfect* fall boot since early summer. Well, as close to perfect as I'll come...the $500 pair were just a little out of budget this year. Oh, and FYI: I got mine on sale at Macys for $74.99:





Hope you all have a fabulous Thanksgiving, and enjoy your time with family and friends!

{Photo}: via The Venture

Idaho Engagement Session: Travel And Rock And Roll

We're thrilled with this engagement session done by our good friend Tana from  Tana Photography. When we posted our request for stylized engagement shoots and weddings to put on our blog a few weeks ago, Tana stepped right up with this sophisticated and oh-so-personalized session. And we apparently can't get enough of the bride, Katie, since we've posted about her several times; see her anenome and stripes inspiration board here, her Etsy shop here, and finally her gorgeous wedding here. What can we say, we like great style. Without further adieu:

















They're a great couple, aren't they? Loving the stylized touches, without going over the top. Thanks to Tana and to Katie for sharing with us.

Are you a recent bride, a bride-to-be, or a photographer with a great photo session or wedding to share? Email us at blog {at} weddingsbysoiree {dot} com.

~Happy Planning!

An Ode To Rue

Rue Magazine's 2nd issue is officially out online, and they've blown us away again. If you're craving style, needing a creative kick, or just want to waste an entire afternoon looking at jaw-dropping prettiness, you need to check it out. Just in time for the holidays, this issue packs several gift guides (including top present picks from celebrity event planner Mindy Weiss) and tons of holiday decor inspiration for any style. And of course, it wouldn't be true to Rue without having their already signature articles and interviews with people we all wish we knew.

Some of our favorite holiday inspirations from Rue:











And we can't not mention the article on event and lifestyle guru Kelley Moore. Or her office. Hello.





Ok we can only take this in small doses...go read Rue Magazine #2 now! (And happy planning!)

Inspiring Photo No. 7

With so many of our weddings being and our clients wanting a modern twist on their events, this picture was a refreshing classic. Would love to design a garden Victorian-inspired event around this picture. Hope you're having a great Monday, and if you're in Boise hope you're enjoying our White Thanksgiving week!





Photo: Cynthia Rowley for Elle Decor via Elements of Style blog

Teal And Cranberry | A New Winter Palette

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is in less than one week? One week? Where did it all go? Forecasts say snow will be in Boise this weekend...are you kidding? To be honest, I feel like I woke up this week, looked at the calendar and realized we're really behind on getting with the season. Woops. So, as a kick off to the holidays to come, here's the first of many seasonal color palettes we're currently dreaming about.

 

I actually didn't even realize that these color combos looked wintery, until one of our brides pointed it out. Add some gold to this and we definitely see a modern Christmas wedding, or a cozy winter cocktail party theme. We have a New Year's Eve wedding this year, and we're thinking the rehearsal dinner might be nice all dressed up in these colors too....what do you think?

Here's to a happy weekend, and if you're in Boise, have fun playing in some snow! 

{Photo Sources:}
1) Nicole Hill Gerulat, via Brenda's Wedding Blog; 2) Tablescape via Rebecca Thuss; 
3) Little Bird Tail Table Numbers, via Inventing Weddings; 4) Teal Flower, via Inventing Weddings
5) Red Signature Drink, via Keen To Be Seen; 6) Bird Escort Cards via Tara Guerard Soiree;
7) Damask Ties, via Inventing Weddings; 8) Teal and Red table setting, via Tara Guerard Soiree

CW Moore Plaza Wedding: Meet Dave + Christina

You may recognize this couple from the blog- they were the runners up in our Wedding Day Giveaway Contest back in 2009. If you remember, we let our readers do all the voting, some parts to get you all involved, but a lot of parts because we didn't want to have to be the ones that told any of the sweet couples they didn't win. There. We said it.

So imagine my sheer excitement when I got a call from Christina and met with her for the first time last November (can't believe it's been a year already!). We met and talked about her modern vintage feel she was going for, taking a lot of cue from her dress and awesome bohemian headpiece she was planning to wear.

We also talked about the venues- Dave and Christina got married at the US Assay Office Building in Boise, (also known as the US Historic Building) and had their reception at the popular Penthouse at CW Moore. Like most brides, Christina craved something different to be done at the reception, especially with the ceilings. Being already lower than most, we had to be careful not to close in the room even more. After almost 10 months of planning, our eclectic, modern yet vintage, with-a-little-bit-Vandal design was realized. Check out some of the details from their gray, yellow, and white wedding below:





Christina's bouquet was comprised of yellow billy balls, white hydrangea, succulents, dusty miller, and thistle.






The simple ceremony in front of the US Assay Office in downtown Boise.


At the reception we decided to leave the ceilings alone and instead created ribbon chandeliers. We thought it made a perfect central focal point without making it feel like the ceilings were closing in!






Kitty tags designed by Ampersand Studios. These were in honor of the couple's "furbaby", Nicco. I told Christina we'd find a way to include him in the wedding!


And one more view of the cake and cupcakes because we like them...





We love love LOVED working with Christina and Dave on their Labor Day weekend wedding. All the personal details were devoured by her guests, and it was quite the party, if we do say so ourselves.

The Team of Vendors:

Planning & Design: Soiree
Photography & Kitty Tag Design: Ampersand Studios
Ceremony Venue: US Assay Office, Boise
Reception Venue: The Penthouse At CW Moore
Florist: Boise At Its Best
Linens: Cloth Connection, New York, and Tates Rents
Caterer: Kanak Attack
DJ: Pro Entertainment 
Cake: Greg Marsh Designer Cakes (cupcakes were made by the bride's mother)

~Happy Planning!

Inspiring Photo No. 6 + A Paper Feature

Today we're actually inspired by a few photos, all features of the latest and greatest from Anthropologie. Me and our intern Annie were in the downtown Boise Anthropologie last week, and I was blown away at all the paper artwork and fixtures the newest displays have. So I went to their online catalog to see what other paper creations there were, and came up with some of these:

 

All photos via anthropologie.com


And all this paper inspiration has perfect timing, as we also have a guest post today on using paper as part of your wedding design. Preownedweddingdresses.com has a featured series on their blog asking planners for tips and tricks on how brides can get the look for less (read= on a budget). Other topics in the series include using fabric, lighting, and focusing on linens for the most bang for your buck. So head over to check out our post and to see ways we incorporate paper into our weddings to take them from pretty to amazing. Thanks Josie for including us!

PS: Still looking for your wedding dress? While you're there, also check out all that Preownedweddingdresses.com has to offer. If you're in the market for a designer or couture gown, this site features everything from Amsale to Kenneth Poole, all in various sizes. And for those wondering, the site also offers new and sample gowns to choose from too. 

~Happy Planning!

{Good Ideas} Popcorn

We've seen twinkies, nuts, house-made chips, and even ice cream come out as a late night snack at our weddings. But popcorn? Wouldn't mind seeing these come out, especially in their sweet little vellum bags. Sophisticated yet just down to earth enough to keep the dancing going throughout the night. Bon Appetit!


Popcorn favors in vellum bags, via Santa Barbara Chic

~Happy Friday!

Thursday Tidbits | Couture Invitations, Designer News, And More

The wedding world has been buzzing this week with fabulousness! To start out, remember Jason Wu, the just-starting-out designer that Michelle Obama made famous practically over night? He now has an exclusive bridal line debuting at Net-A-Porter to celebrate too.


Jason Wu Bridal via Elle.com

The Jason Wu line will feature 5 different styles, ranging from $800-$4000. Tres jolie. 

Monique Lhuillier is also debuting a line of couture wedding invitations featured at Myjeanm.com:


Monique Lhuillier Fine Paper via myjeanm.com

We love the little texture details...just like her wedding gown collections. We do have a thing for pretty paper. 

On Soiree's own bridal front, we are now going to be featuring guest submissions for Idaho weddings, city weddings, and stylized engagement shoots. This will be open to vendors and to brides alike. We are looking for events and photo shoots that are stylish, personalized, and will serve as creative inspiration to all of our bride readers. Email us at blog{at}weddingsbysoiree{dot}com for submission details and requirements. We look forward to see what you've got in store for us!!

~Happy Planning!

Interactive Maps For Your Guests

How many times have you seen little clippings of papers fall out of wedding invitations and/or stacks of black and white maps at ceremonies directing guests where to go next? We love it when we can involve the guest as much as possible throughout the entire process, so when one of our October brides created this interactive map from Weddingmapper.com, we loved the idea.



Little icons and adding pictures help point out all your spots of interest, including the ceremony site, reception venue, and hotels and restaurants. Add comments to tell your guests about places to go and things to do while they're in town too.





You can choose to leave the link on your wedding website (which, by the way, you can also create your website on Weddingmapper.com too) or print it out for those that don't have computer or online access.

And to show you an example of a finished wedding map, here is our bride's for her fall wedding a few weeks ago:

 

Head over to Weddingmapper.com to check out all the other tools they offer too- forums, guest and vendor managers, inspiration, and more.

~Happy Planning!

Pantone Accessories For Your Day

If you're anything like us, you sometimes go nuts trying to find the exact matching shade in various items. Continuity makes all the difference, so we deem it ok to go through color craziness at least once in your life (we say this because we're sure you'll do it again for the nursery a little later in life).

Thanks to the Dessy Group, you'll have even less searching to do. Using Pantone colors (which are practically the  Holy Grail when it comes to color and design), they've come up with perfectly-matching accessories that you or your bridesmaids can wear. From pashminas for the chilly winter and early spring weddings, to hair flowers in all shades, to fabulous little clutches that any girl would swoon over.









Dessy doesn't stop there either- bowties, vests, and even matching shoes are available for the guys in the wedding. Our favorite part about all of these ideas is that they double as gifts that will be used again after the wedding.

1.& 2. Wedding Pashmina, made out Merino Wool & Silk, $32

3. Chiffon Hair Flower- $14

4. Taffeta Ruffle Clutch, $22

~Happy Planning!