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Planning a Valentine’s Day wedding? Here’s how to do it without the cheese.

Faith West Photography

First, some history on the lover’s holiday: Though sending cards and love notes only dates back to the 1840s, Valentine’s Day has been around since 496 A.D. Flash forward hundreds of years, and you’ll find that this year Valentine’s Day falls on a Saturday, making the most romantic day of the year the perfect time to say I do. Not sure how to pull off a Valentine’s Day wedding with style? We’ve got 10 tips to help you plan.

Show Your Love

To get started, think about Valentine’s Day and what it means to you. Look for inspiration from your own love story — if you met on the ski slopes of Vail, incorporate cool blues and other wintry hues. Or take your decor cues from an ultraromantic destination you’ve been to, like Paris or Venice.

Find Your True Colors

Valentine’s Day is synonymous with pink and red. Depending on your style, you can go with this traditional palette or do something unexpected. For example, choose a classic black and white palette and subtly add hints of red or pink. Do so by carrying a deep red bouquet or wrapping pale pink satin ribbon around the tiers of an all-white cake. Another way to make these romantic hues stylish is to go for contrast. Think deep crimson paired with ballet slipper pink.

Seal It with a Kiss

For a semiformal affair, get guests in the mood by sending save-the-dates decorated to look like vintage Valentines. Instead of a guest book, you might leave out Valentines for your guests to send to you with their well wishes and words of advice (make sure there are extras in case they want to give some to each other too!). For a formal wedding, flocked paper, whether for your invitations or escort cards, makes a luxurious statement with its rich, soft texture.

Create Room for Romance

Speaking of texture, use it to your advantage to create a romantic vibe. Lots of candlelight will shine even brighter if you choose table linens that have a silky sheen. For lounge or cocktail areas, a few faux fur pillows or throws will create a comfy, cozy mood (as well as a perfect spot for guests to snuggle). And if a fireplace or fire pit is an option, by all means, light it. Any frosty February chill will be forgotten thanks to its comfort and warmth.

Add Some Mood Lighting

Think about lighting to set the mood. Splashes of soft pink light will warm up a space and make everyone look great in photos. While you may not want hearts everywhere, a heart-patterned gobo spotlight would look quite modern dressing up your dance floor. And, of course, nothing says romance like a candlelit dinner. Go for ornate, flower-draped candelabras or create a more contemporary vibe with frosted glass votives.

Say It with Flowers

Roses on Valentine’s Day are a given. But other blooms can be just as romantic and stylish. Amaryllis is one showy winter flower that’s dramatic and gorgeous. For a rich contrast, mix deep red calla lilies and cockscomb. Another option, no matter what your budget: Experiment with adding nonfloral elements, like feathers or crystals, to your centerpieces for a rich and luxurious look.

Toast Your Love

A Valentine’s Day wedding calls for its own special signature cocktail. A pink sugar-rimmed cosmopolitan or a flute of champagne with gold flakes will play up the romance factor. A chocolate martini is another delicious option. You might also consider having small bowls of classic Valentine candies, like Conversation Hearts and red cinnamon hearts, at the bar for a sweet but subtle touch.

Have Your Cake and More

Valentine’s Day is a day to indulge. Last year, $14.9 billion worth of chocolate was sold in America. Consider serving decadent desserts like individual-size flourless chocolate cakes drizzled with raspberry syrup or dark chocolate-dipped dried fruits. For the actual cake, a modern heart pattern embossed into white fondant is a great option, or choose a red filling (like red velvet cake or fresh strawberries) so that each slice will have a hint of color.

Play Sweet Music

It’s more than likely your first dance will be to a love song. But if you want to keep the mood romantic all night long, ask your guests to fill in their first dance song (or simply the name of their song”) on their RSVP cards. Mixing some of these tunes into your playlist is a lovely way to honor your guests and help them relive loving memories.

Give ‘Em Some Sugar

Don’t forget to let your guests know how much you love them. Leave them handwritten messages — love notes, if you will — in glass bottles at each place setting for a fun favor. Or send guests home with something sweet, like chocolate truffles or chocolate-covered espresso beans, packaged in a creative way. Add a personalized card with a cute saying like, We’re in love…with you! Thank you for coming.”

Special thanks to Maya Kalman of Swank Productions, New York; Debbie Geller of Geller Events, Los Angeles; and Christine Paul of Christine Paul Events, Inc., New York

Photo Credits: (From top to bottom) Eclectic Images Photography, Jonathan Dann Photography, Weddings By Pamela, Alternate Angles, Glenn Barnett Photography, Lisa Kyle Photography.

– Kate Wood

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Ten V-Day Wedding Ideas

When couples are considering wedding dates, Valentine’s Day is always a popular suggestion. Not only is it synonymous with expressing love, but it will also make a memorable anniversary. Another benefit to choosing the holiday to say “I do” is the creative direction you can go without becoming cliche. Your guests are trading in a day to support you and your partner, so you’ll want them to feel equally as special. With the right elements, your wedding will transform from a simple ceremony to an indulgent experience for everyone. Here are our tips to making a Valentine’s Day wedding work.

1. Festive Save The Dates

Invitations are the perfect way to engage your guests and get them excited about the wedding. Channel your inner Cupid and add a romantic twist to the cards. Look for a sleek design and accent it with a textured border, charm or a pretty ribbon.

2. Tailor Your Theme

Valentine’s Day doesn’t equal hearts and candy for every couple, so think about the way you celebrate. Do you revisit the park where you first met? Exchange love letters? Sprinkle hints of these ideas into your overall concept

3. Find A Charming Venue

Some locations automatically put everyone in a romantic mindset. Scenic views, beachside venues and intimate lighting all help you achieve the look without the hassle. Explore your options.

4. Seat Accordingly

Of course you’ve already snagged your hubby, but many ladies will be hoping to catch the bouquet. Weddings are prime opportunities to connect people, so consider everyone’s status when plotting your chart. You’ll get a kick out of watching the singles flirt

5. Sip Something Sweet

If you plan to serve drinks at your reception, offer cocktails like peppermint martinis or chocolate cosmos. Garnish the glasses with fresh fruit or flowers to add elegance. Play bartender with your man at home and decide which ones your guests will enjoy.

6. Get Into The Groove

Pull your iPod out, dust off the old records and make a list of love songs for the DJ. People will be ready to party, so get them on the floor for a good slow dance. As a parting gift, send everyone home with a copy (and don’t forget to include your first dance song).

7. Spin The Color Wheel

If you don’t want to use the traditional red and pink, there are alternatives to help you set the mood. Pick your main colors then try a variation of the hues like magenta or burgundy. Nearly anything will look chic with dim lighting or tea candles.

8. Discover New Flowers

The first flower that pops into mind for most brides-to-be is a rose. However, they’re in high demand so prices will rise during this window. Stroll through your local florist together and find out which ones look and smell wonderful. Tulips and orchids are always classy.

9. Spoil Your Wedding Party

Go above and beyond to show friends and family your gratitude for their involvement. Assemble gift baskets with handwritten thank you notes, homemade treats and Godiva gift certificates if your budget will allow it.

10. Spread The Love

Your wedding marks the beginning of a journey with your soul mate. The room will be filled with testimonies, so pass the microphone around and allow couples to toast to their partner. They’ll offer words of wisdom you both will remember for the rest of your lives.

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It is 2012, and already some of the hottest ideas for wedding themes are already out. From dresses, to flowers to cake toppers it is going to be a great year to get married. The new dresses have already hit the runway and color combinations for this year are already being dreamed up. Hew are some of the themes that are going to be hot this year.

Victorian Weddings

One of the most popular themes for this year is an old theme that is making a major comeback. These weddings are elaborate and ornate focusing on the smallest details. A major detail about these weddings is the invitations. The Victorian era modeled polite society, so having invitations that show this is key. As far a venues go, outdoors is the most Victorian, since gardens were so important in the Victorian age. We must not forget about the dress. A long elaborate white dress with a long train will highlight your Victorian styling for a perfect wedding.

Beach Weddings

This year beach weddings are still a popular theme. These weddings feel fresh and spontaneous, even though months of planning go into them. Beach weddings can be simple or elaborate depending on what the bride wants. Invitations will have a fresh and sunny feel to them. The one thing that beach wedding should have in common is the wedding dress should be a shorter length. No matter if a walk-way is put down or not a shorter dress will work the best for a beach setting. Receptions are usually held at the host hotel instead of the beach. Many hotels offer wedding packages to make planning much easier.

Garden Weddings

While this theme has something in common with Victorian weddings, it can be vastly different. Garden weddings can be the most simple and breathtaking weddings of them all. Garden weddings should invoke feelings of spring freshness for everyone involved. Many brides are planning on doing simple dresses. Another popular style in this theme is brides are letting their hair down and putting flowers in it. Some brides even go barefoot for a Garden wedding. The other extreme of this is to give the Garden wedding the feel of a Garden tea. Where the Bride has is styled in all the glamour and the garden is simply a backdrop to her.

Winter Wonderland Weddings

Where once winter and snows were something brides wanted to avoid, now winter is embraced by brides. This theme incorporates the beauty and magic of the snow and turns the bride into a winter queen. Silvers and dark blues are colors that work well with in this theme. Sparkling snowflakes decorate the setting, and instead of rose petals lining the aisle soft fake snow might be what the beautiful bride glides over. These theme are already being used this year, and while they will take a break, they will be back for those special December weddings.

This perhaps is the most fun theme this year. This wedding celebrates the everlasting love of the bride and groom by comparing it to diamonds. Everything about this wedding sparkles. The invitations should have some type of diamond glitz. The flowers even sparkle. Florists are starting to put crystals on their flowers for the bouquets. Even if the bride does not want sparkling flowers the ribbon that holds them together can easily sparkle. As for the bride herself, she can cover herself in diamonds, or crystals. Some of the hottest dresses this year embrace the sparkling diamonds theme. Even the guest enjoy the theme as all the table decorations sparkle like diamonds.

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Watch your step… it’s Friday 13th! (And it’s bad news for the superstitious as there are THREE this year)

By Charles Walford

Those of a superstitious inclination may have extra reason to curse their luck today.

Not only is Friday the 13th a particularly inauspicious day for them, they may be unhappy to learn that 2012 will be an especially unlucky year.

Today is the first of an unusual three Friday the 13ths – the fear of which has its roots in Christian tradition – that will fall in 2012.

But the good news is that they only have to get through this year and the phenomenon will not strike again until 2026.

And while they may spend the day cowering under the duvet in case any ill might befall them if they leave the house – and avoiding walking under ladders or over three drains at a time if they are forced to venture outside – they can take some comfort in knowing they are not alone.

More than 60 million people worldwide are claimed to suffer from fear of the day – known as paraskevidekatriaphobia, from the Greek.

Christian roots: Friday the 13th is thought to be unlucky because Friday was the day Jesus was crucified, while Judas was 13th – and last – guest to arrive at the Last Supper

Unlucky for some: The traditional hangman’s noose has 13 turns

It is believed that superstitions over Friday the 13th stem from two separate fears – the fear of the number 13 and the fear of Fridays, which both have their roots in Christian theology.

Thirteen is the number of people who were present at the Last Supper and Judas, who betrayed Jesus, was the 13th member of the party to arrive.

And Friday was the day on which Jesus was crucified.

Others say it has its toots in anti-paganism.

But whatever the cause, the fear is so deeply ingrained that many people will refuse to leave their homes for fear of an accident or some other misfortune such as losing money.

Dr Donald Dossey, of the Stress Management Center/Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina, estimates this costs as much as $900m to the US economy alone.

The other Friday the 13ths this year will come in April and July.

While some may find it hard to believe that any day of a year could be more unlucky than other a 1993 study found that on the day ‘the risk of hospital admission as a result of a transport accident may be increased by as much as 52 per cent’.

The article ‘Is Friday 13th bad for your health?’ published in the British Medical Journal concluded the date was actually unlucky for some and that it might be safer to stay at home.

More…

Separate research in 2003 suggested people who thought they were unlucky were more likely to believe in superstitions linked to bad luck which could, in turn, actually lead to bad luck.

Psychologist Professor Richard Wiseman, of the University of Hertfordshire, said Friday the 13th could make some people anxious and more accident-prone.

Though with many preferring to stay at home on some an inauspicious day, it has been reported that the number of road accidents can fall on Friday the 13th.

In Norse myth, Freya, after whom Friday is named, was the goddess of fertility. Christian tradition may therefore have seen her day as an unlucky day

‘IT’S A LUCKY DAY FOR US’

Friday the 13th may be linked with misfortune for most of us – but for one couple, it’s seen them lucky in love. Craig White and Emma Ward (pictured above) are getting married today, exactly six years after they went on their first date – on Friday the 13th. And they will be following the usual wedding traditions in a bid to ensure a trouble-free day. Emma, 30, said: ‘Getting married on Friday 13th doesn’t worry us in the slightest. Craig is not superstitious at all and I only am a little bit – fortunately not when it comes to Friday 13th.

‘I won’t be seeing Craig on the eve of the wedding and he won’t see the dress until I’m walking down the aisle.
‘I’ll be wearing something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue – and I’ll probably be late.
‘Things can go wrong on any date, and as long as the people we want to be there all manage to make it, we’ll be happy.’
Emma, from Nottingham, and Craig, who is originally from Southern Ontario in Canada, met while travelling around Australia and enjoyed their first date in Brisbane on Friday January 13th, 2006.
And rather than fate conspiring against them, love blossomed – despite the fact they lived 3,500miles apart.

Emma, a language services administrator, added: ‘We were only together for six or seven weeks in Australia before we had to go our separate ways, but we knew we liked each other, and somehow we have managed to get to this point.’
Now, six years later, Craig’s family are crossing the Atlantic to see the couple walk down the aisle together in a civil ceremony at a hotel in Arnold, Nottingham.
Craig, also 30, said: ‘We’re keeping our fingers crossed that nothing will go wrong – although when my jacket arrived, it didn’t fit so I had to go and change it.
‘Most people don’t like Friday 13th, but it’s brought us nothing us happiness.” One advantage of getting married on the date is that the couple, who live in Carlton, Nottingham, had no trouble booking a registrar.

Helen Scaman, Registration Services Manager at Notts County Council said: ‘For obvious reasons Friday 13th is usually a very quiet day for weddings.
‘It just goes to show though that despite any superstitions, different dates can hold different significance for everyone.’
Meanwhile, research in the housing industry suggests that superstitious Brits are more likely to refuse to buy a house with a number 13 on the door – helping to knock more than £6,500 off its asking price.
And Friday the 13th also sees fewer property deals signed off as a result of new buyers and sellers worrying about it being unlucky.
The fear of the number 13 can be a financial burden to those trying to sell, but helps to pick up a bargain for buyers, said website FindaProperty.com.

It reduces the selling price by an average of 4 per cent – around £6,510 – compared with homes with other numbers on the door.

An analysis of transactions over a decade of sales found 144,789 homes with the number 13 were sold compared to 239,716 number 12s – a 33 per cent gap.
Similarly there have been 222,127 number 14s.  And the superstition does not stop there, said FindaProperty. There are fewer homes sold on the 13th of the month than any other day, around 32 per cent fewer than an average day.
Samantha Baden of FindaProperty.com, said: ‘The fact that buyers avoid the number 13 is a trend that has been evident for the past 10 years.
‘Many people believe Friday 13th to be one of the most unlucky days of the year and as a nation of superstitious buyers, we expect it will one of the quietest for property.’
She added: ‘What this research shows is that it’s not just the bricks and mortar that effect a property’s sale price – there are so many other less tangible things to consider and this is a prime example.

‘Whether or not a potential buyer warms to a property can have a huge impact on its saleability and for some people, superstitions can play a big role in this.’
There are a wide range of reasons given for the fear, and in some cases it seems that the theories have been sought to later justify the belief.
Some theologians even claim that Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden fruit on a Friday, and that the Great Flood began on a Friday.
Other historians suggest the Christian distrust of Fridays is actually linked to the early Catholic Church’s overall suppression of pagan religions and women.
In the Roman calendar, Friday was devoted to Venus, the goddess of love. When Norsemen adapted the calendar, they named the day after Freya, the Norse goddess of sexuality

Both of these strong female figures once posed a threat to male-dominated Christianity, the theory goes, so the Christian church vilified their day.
A separate Christian legend holds that 13 is unholy because it signifies the gathering of 12 witches and the devil.

But some trace the infamy of the number 13 back to ancient Norse culture.
In Norse mythology, the beloved hero Balder was killed at a banquet by the mischievous god Loki, who crashed the party of twelve, bringing the group to 13.
This story, as well as the story of the Last Supper, led to one of the most entrenched 13-related beliefs – that having thirteen people seated at a table will result in the death of one of the diners.

Sailors were particularly superstitious with regards to Friday, often refusing to ship out on that day of the week, believing that to start a trip on a Friday mean you would meet misfortune.
One urban legend tells of the ship the HMS Friday, commissioned by the British Navy in the 1800s to combat the superstition.
The navy selected the crew on a Friday, so the myth goes, launched the ship on a Friday and even selected a man named James Friday as the ship’s captain.
Then, one Friday morning, the ship set off on its maiden voyage and disappeared forever. Sadly there is no record of such a ship ever having existed.
It is also said that 13 turns make a traditional hangman’s noose – anything less would fail to snap a neck.

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We thought this story was very timely because we have seen an uptick of resort wedding venue we partner with over the last year. Not only seaside state parks but estates, country clubs, wineries and even a few private school grounds New Hampshire, Northern and central Massachusetts and down east Maine have some of the most beautifully landscapes in the world to hold your very special wedding or event. We partner with dozens of locations that would fit even the most discriminating tastes. So now is the time to review and book the venue that is right for you for that perfect late spring, summer or fall outdoor wedding. We can help with every detail to make your event worry free just visit our website and drop us an e-mail today. We hope you enjoy the story and it gives you inspiration in planning that perfect wedding or corporate event.

After Suzy Ellis and her boyfriend got engaged, they considered several Southern California locations for the wedding, including upscale hotels such as the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel and the Biltmore Santa Barbara. But nothing was quite what they had in mind.

“Whenever we looked at hotels, people would be standing on their balconies, gazing down at the wedding site,” says the 26-year-old Dallas resident, who handles P.R. and marketing for a fashion company. “The thought of strangers being privy to what was going on seemed so wrong. I wanted my wedding to be a private, intimate occasion.”

So Ellis chose Villa Casa Bella, a bluff-top coastal estate in Santa Barbara, California, that comfortably sleeps 20 guests and can host parties of up to 250. The bride-to-be arranged to rent the property, which is the primary residence of a local family, which relocated to its second home nearby while the festivities were under way. Ellis and her family stayed at Villa Casa Bella, hosting five days of events, including a Mexican-fiesta-themed rehearsal dinner, a spa party for the bridesmaids, and a Saturday-afternoon reception for 150.

From Cape Cod to California, spectacular estates, mansions, and villas are becoming available, for a price. They aren’t museums, catering halls, or city properties, but private homes—in many cases, belonging to owners with several residences.

“A real estate investor may have homes throughout the U.S.; he can’t live in them all at the same time,” says Dan Caporale, general manager at Carefree Lifestyle, a Miami company specializing in luxury rentals nationwide. “Rather than having the house just sit there, they can get some good use out of it. They’re smart, successful businessmen; they see a return on their investment.”

Aaron Kreye, whose family owns the Arcus Estate, a two-house waterfront property on Martha’s Vineyard, agrees. “There’s extra money you can make, and the property’s just sitting there, so why not?”

Even though some properties must be rented for a week and others require a five-figure security deposit, as more and more couples seek to personalize their lavish weddings, estates like Villa Casa Bella are becoming increasingly popular venues.

“Estate weddings are the No. 1 request that I get,” says Kimberly Pilson, a wedding coordinator who runs HamptonsWeddings.com, an online resource for those planning nuptials. “I’ve received more and more requests over the past three years. People are tired of traditional banquet halls or hotels.”

The trend is fueled, in part, by the children of affluent baby boomers, who are coming of age and tying the knot, wedding experts say. Backed by immense parental wealth, the young and ready-to-wed are opting for increasingly lavish weddings—the average cost of a nuptial event nearly doubled from 1990 to 2006, according to Condé Nast Bridal Group, which is owned by the parent company of Condé Nast Portfolio.

Plus, notes Santa Barbara wedding consultant James Johnson, “Brides and grooms don’t come from the same place anymore; the location needs to be neutral and interesting. And now some of the kids are kicking in money themselves. The stakes are raised.”
Finally, all couples want their wedding to be “different,” whether it’s the location, the dress, or the reception-dinner favors that set it apart.

“A lot more people are renting these big, beautiful houses to hold their receptions in,” says Nantucket wedding coordinator Nicole Welden. “There’s a more personal feel to a wedding if you have it at a house rather than a hotel.”

It’s not just about making money for the homeowners; some owners of luxury homes simply enjoy contributing to someone else’s happiness. The Baker Estate-a seven-bedroom waterfront home on just over four acres in Hampton Bays, New York, that rents for about $20,000 a month-typically hosts two weddings a year, in May and September.

“It happened by accident,” owner Beau Baker says. He originally bought the property for a weekend retreat, but when a friend’s daughter was getting married, he offered the estate as a venue. “It was a huge success. Afterward, the caterer came to me and said, ‘You should rent this out.’ I just sort of went with it. It’s a really beautiful place, and it’s very rewarding to share that with people.”

Many estates allow weddings only on a case-by-case basis, since the homeowner decides who can use the property for what purpose. “A lot of them have very strict rules about what can be done, what can’t be done,” says Gabrielle Longhi, a wedding coordinator in Maui. For example, there may be a limit on the number of invitees, or guests may be prohibited from using certain areas of the house.

Weddings at mansions tend to be more expensive than those at traditional venues, as everything—from food to tables to the occasional generator for extra electricity—must be brought to the home. And owners can generally command a premium over the usual rental price. “If you’re having a party at a property, you’re going to have dozens and dozens of people coming through,” Carefree Lifestyle’s Caporale says. “There’s more wear and tear.”

At the Arcus Estate, a one-week rental in the spring or fall costs $2,500, but a five-day wedding rental is $5,000. “It’s not worth it for us unless we charge more,” Kreye explains, noting the extra work involved in making the house wedding-ready, from painting to doing yard work to rerouting electricity so the patio is primed for music and lights.

But Ellis, whose wedding festivities totaled about $200,000, thought her wedding was a deal. “We had five parties,” she says. “Working in P.R., I know that five parties for $200,000 is a bargain.” —Lisa Keys

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Handcrafted, handwritten, personalized wedding favors: Today’s brides are all about personalization.  These chalkboard tealight holders are an inexpensive, unique way to let the bride and groom leave their mark. The best part? Guests don’t get stuck with a favor they’ll never use.  Just wipe the chalkboard clean, and they’ll be able to customize it for their own use.

Green wedding venues: Green will still be on the mind’s of some brides in 2012. Look for unique wedding venues that are green like the High Country Conference Center that incorporate– among other things– those little green touches, like opting for water fountains instead of water bottles for guests.  We also love this beautiful table setting from one wedding held there. Can’t you just see those chalkboard tealights fitting in nicely?

Vintage wedding elements: That old-fashioned look came on strong in the past few seasons, and it will still be popular in 2012. Why? Because it incorporates both green and handcrafted elements into a one-of-a-kind look.  We love these bouquets that are made of vintage jewelry, especially the one made of the bride’s grandmother’s jewelry… a perfect way to include “something old.”

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First, a great way to let your guests know ahead of time that your wedding will have a holiday theme is by incorporating the theme in your invitations. Emboss your lettering in red, or choose an invitation with a picture of a Christmas or winter scene on them.

Then, invite your guests to view your wedding website – also with a Christmas theme! Your guests will have a lot of fun reading about how you met, taking your quiz, signing your guestbook, looking at your photos, and even RSVP-ing online! You can sign up for a free one week trial simply by creating your Christmas wedding website.

Decorate your ceremony with romantic white Christmas lights, spruce trees with ornaments on them, and red flowers. Hang garland on the communion rails or around the church or ceremony site. Make your ceremony programs with a Christmas theme on them. And, sing a Christmas hymn during the ceremony!

At the reception, hang mistletoe at the entrance or in a key location to share the romance of the day with your guests. Decorate with white Christmas lights, garland, and spruce trees. Place pine or cinnamon smelling potpourri in the lobby or place Christmas-smelling candles on tables. Give Christmas-themed favors to your guests – like, tiny stockings with a candy cane in them, or a small wrapped box with chocolate or candy inside. Or, make ornaments for your guests to take home and hang on their tree to remember your wedding by.

During the reception, you can also play Christmas music, or ask your guests to sing their favorite carol to get you to kiss (instead of glass-clanking). Have Santa Claus visit for the children and give them a small gift. Offer Christmas cookies as a late night snack or place candy canes around the room for people to snack on. You could even ask some of your outgoing friends or relatives to reenact the birth story of Jesus.

Whatever you do, make it fun! Enjoy your Christmas wedding! Your guests are going to have a wonderful time!

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By Holly O’Dell

An outdoor wedding in the San Diego area used only tent framework. Fastened to the frame, “the fabric was the environment,” says Glen Hansen of Liner handling tips

When it comes to creating the right look for a tented event, interior fabrics play an important role. Fabric liners, for instance, continue to be a popular choice for clients who want a refined look. “When people use a liner, they generally do so in frame-style tents to cosmetically clean up the interior of the tent,” says Glen Hansen, vice president of sales for Classic Party Rentals–Chicago, McCook, Ill. “But we don’t get a whole lot of requests for liners in tension or pole tents because there isn’t a lot of aluminum or infrastructure that needs to be disguised by fabric.”

Although clients still seek the more traditional gathered or pleated liners, many event rental companies report an increased interest in smooth or flat ceiling liners over the last several years. “They give the tents a more contemporary look,” Hansen notes. “We’ve had people come in and say, ‘We do not like the gathered liners because they look like the interior of a coffin.’”

Hansen also cites cost as a determining factor. “The smooth liners are cheaper than the gathered ones. They take a lot less material to make and therefore rent for less.”

Spencer Etzel of the SEC Group/BaytexUSA, Wilsonville, Ore., says that smooth liners are appearing in corporate environments. “The smooth liner hides all the mechanisms in the tent structure and becomes a perfect palette to project pictures or corporate logos onto. We’ve created a number of high-end display liners for national brand clients such as BMW and Cadillac who want the event interior to be smooth and sleek like their corporate image.”

The fabric composition of liners has remained relatively unchanged, but some event firms are switching up the looks. “We’ve recently used Mystique Satin fabric because there are 180 color options,” notes Barbara Friesen of the SEC Group/BaytexUSA. “We’ve built liners with the satin side for higher reflection and brighter color and the matte side so that it becomes muted and softer. The texture of the fabric is very sophisticated.”

Color palette

Tent liners are no longer static elements of interior design. Ceiling liners come in a palette of colors, while white, creams and champagne remain the most popular. However, a client who selects a white or off-white liner doesn’t have to settle for design mediocrity. “People can add a lot of color onto them with color gels or LEDs,” Etzel says.

Black also has emerged as a popular color. Clients like using a black liner “because it makes the surrounding space disappear,” Friesen says. “Lighting effects on decor and props make the event very dramatic.” Like smooth white liners, black liners are particularly popular with corporate events.

Occasionally tent rental companies receive requests for a patterned ceiling liner, but don’t expect to see any increase in their availability or use. “Patterns tend to be a more specific design and because of their design limitations can only be sold a few times, so most companies do not even carry them,” notes David Merrell, creative director and president of AOO Events in Los Angeles, Calif.

Superior swags

Fabric swags serve as an easy way to either complement or replace ceiling liners altogether. Plus, they add an element of customization. “Swags are great because they are unique to each event,” says Brian Richardson, president of L&A Tent Rentals in Hamilton, N.J. “The green you might like is not the green I’m going to use at the next event.”

The client will bring in a swatch, which L&A matches with fabric from a local store or wholesale provider. The company fabricates the swags in-house, then disposes of them after the event.

Karl’s Event Services, headquartered in Oak Creek, Wis., finds that its clients like to use various-colored swags to accompany liners and complement tablecloths and runners. Indeed, swags can punch up a tent’s interior. “One color we’ve been using quite a bit is steel gray,” says Jimmy Parks, vice president of sales. “It is a subtle color that blends well with a lot of different themes. It is a very clean look.”

Linen appeal

Like liners and swags, linens make a strong decor statement. Merrell indicates that linen trends vary by location and category of client. “On the whole, corporate clients tend to be more on the conservative side, choosing traditional patterns and textures such as pintucks, bengalines and crushed silks or velvets,” he says. “When you get into the social aspect, like weddings or bar and bat mitzvahs, those clients are more daring and go with bold patterns and damasks.”

On the color side, Merrell says that color palettes emerge every year, then disappear. However, some hues never go out of fashion. “Orange always seems to stick around, or at least different versions of it,” he says. Merrell also has seen a transition from neutrals to brighter colors such as vibrant blues, fuchsias and oranges. “When you are in a recession, neutrals, which are more conservative, generally are more prevalent, and when there is an upswing in the economy, bright colors come back out.”

In addition, Merrell suggests ways to make linens more enticing. “Use a more basic cloth and spend a little extra effort and time on a runner. A runner is a lot less fabric and yet it has a custom feel to it. Fun additions include adding tassels at the end of the runners or tying up the corners of linens. These are simple ways to make a basic linen seem more expensive.”

In tough economic times, customers are looking for creative options for their tent interiors without breaking the bank. “We are finding many clients are willing to cut back on the type of chair they are renting and are going with a less expensive carpet, but they are still willing to have fabric treatments as part of their event budget,” says Richardson. “They know that when most guests leave the event, they won’t be talking about how wonderful the chairs were or how plush the carpet was. They will, however, probably notice and be talking about the overall decor of the tent, which includes the fabric.”

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 Ugly Bridesmaid Dresses

These dresses could use a little extra support…

Santa bridesmaids, oh dear!

Some of these pictures were taken from  http://offbeatbride.com/ and Etiquette Hell, both great sites!!

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However, since most school children are taught that the first Thanksgiving was held in 1621 with the Pilgrims and Indians, let us take a closer look at just what took place leading up to that event, and then what happened in the centuries afterward that finally gave us our modern Thanksgiving.

The Pilgrims who sailed to this country aboard the Mayflower were originally members of the English Separatist Church (a Puritan sect). They had earlier fled their home in England and sailed to Holland (The Netherlands) to escape religious persecution. There, they enjoyed more religious tolerance, but they eventually became disenchanted with the Dutch way of life, thinking it ungodly. Seeking a better life, the Separatists negotiated with a London stock company to finance a pilgrimage to America. Most of those making the trip aboard the Mayflower were non-Separatists, but were hired to protect the company’s interests. Only about one-third of the original colonists were Separatists.

The Pilgrims set ground at Plymouth Rock on December 11, 1620. Their first winter was devastating. At the beginning of the following fall, they had lost 46 of the original 102 who sailed on the Mayflower. But the harvest of 1621 was a bountiful one. And the remaining colonists decided to celebrate with a feast – including 91 natives who had helped the Pilgrims survive their first year. It is believed that the Pilgrims would not have made it through the year without the help of the natives. The feast was more of a traditional English harvest festival than a true “thanksgiving” observance. It lasted three days.

Governor William Bradford sent “four men fowling” after wild ducks and geese. It is not certain that wild turkey was part of their feast. However, it is certain that they had venison. The term “turkey” was used by the Pilgrims to mean any sort of wild fowl.

Another modern staple at almost every Thanksgiving table is pumpkin pie. But it is unlikely that the first feast included that treat. The supply of flour had been long diminished, so there was no bread or pastries of any kind. However, they did eat boiled pumpkin, and they produced a type of fried bread from their corn crop. There was also no milk, cider, potatoes, or butter. There was no domestic cattle for dairy products, and the newly-discovered potato was still considered by many Europeans to be poisonous. But the feast did include fish, berries, watercress, lobster, dried fruit, clams, venison, and plums.

This “thanksgiving” feast was not repeated the following year. Many years passed before the event was repeated. It wasn’t until June of 1676 that another Day of thanksgiving was proclaimed. On June 20 of that year the governing council of Charlestown, Massachusetts, held a meeting to determine how best to express thanks for the good fortune that had seen their community securely established. By unanimous vote they instructed Edward Rawson, the clerk, to proclaim June 29 as a day of thanksgiving. It is notable that this thanksgiving celebration probably did not include Native Americans, as the celebration was meant partly to be in recognition of the colonists’ recent victory over the “heathen natives,” (see the proclamation). By then, it had become apparent to the settlers that the natives were a hindrance to their quest for more land, so the good will they shared at the first feast had long been lost.

A hundred years later, in October of 1777 all 13 colonies joined in a thanksgiving celebration. It also commemorated the patriotic victory over the British at Saratoga. But it was a one-time affair.

George Washington proclaimed a National Day of Thanksgiving in 1789, although some were opposed to it. There was discord among the colonies, many feeling the hardships of a few pilgrims did not warrant a national holiday. And later, President Thomas Jefferson opposed the idea of having a day of thanksgiving.

It was Sarah Josepha Hale, a magazine editor, whose efforts eventually led to what we recognize as Thanksgiving. Hale wrote many editorials championing her cause in her Boston Ladies’ Magazine, and later, in Godey’s Lady’s Book. Finally, after a 40-year campaign of writing editorials and letters to governors and presidents, Hale’s obsession became a reality when, in 1863, President Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November as a national day of Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving was proclaimed by every president after Lincoln. The date was changed a couple of times, most recently by Franklin Roosevelt, who set it up one week to the next-to-last Thursday in order to create a longer Christmas shopping season. Public uproar against this decision caused the president to move Thanksgiving back to its original date two years later. And in 1941, Thanksgiving was finally sanctioned by Congress as a legal holiday, as the fourth Thursday in November.

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