Samantha and Abiola, Atlantic Beach Club

 With a day that promised thunderstorms and rain, we had not one drop and although it was a little warm, Samantha and Abiola and their guests were able to enjoy all the Atlantic Beach Club offered.  They had a beautiful cocktail hour outside under a tent, where 280 guests enjoyed the gorgeous ocean view.  From the cocktail hour they moved into the ballroom, that has an unbelievable view. The food was incredible, they had 3 courses, with a dessert table and then late night snacks of a variety of pizzas. Guests had a great time with the photo booth, dressing up as their favorite superheros. There were many traditional Nigerian customs that occurred throughout the evening, because both families were rich into tradition, Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your special day! Congrats!

Vendor Updates!

On Wednesday, March 12th, I had the privilege to attend 2 great events. The first one a luncheon at Blithewold Mansion in Bristol, RI.  Blithewold (www.blithewold.org) is a gorgeous venue, where we thoroughly enjoy working. It has beautiful gardens, an unbelievable view and a gorgeous mansion as the backdrop.  They are making some wonderful changes for the 2015 wedding season and we can't wait! Our second stop that day was at Rentals Unlimited (www.rentals-unlimited.net) in Newport, RI. They opened a new location on 360 Thames Street and it is amazing. There is great meeting space, and a showroom that will be able to assist our clients choose linens, china, place settings and specialty furniture in a one stop shop.  We are so thrilled for both Blithewold and Rentals Unlimited on their exciting changes and wish them both well!

Amanda and Joe, October 6, 2012 Newport Hyatt

On October 6^th, 2012, Amanda and Joe were married at Salve Regina University’s Our Lady of Mercy Chapel with their reception being held at the Newport Hyatt Hotel.  This wedding was many years in the making as Amanda and Joe first met when they were 11 years old and reconnected as adults!

            From beginning to end this wedding was elegant with many fall accents and details.  When guests first arrived at the hotel they were treated to Out of Town Boxes provided by New England Invitations with a Newport theme. The ceremony was intimate and heartfelt, with tears of joy from many! Bridesmaids wore chocolate brown dresses, that were stunning and their bouquets from Stoneblossom were exquisite.  After their ceremony, the bridal party hit the town on the trolley provided by Rockstar Limo to take pictures throughout Newport with their photographer Jennifer Neves.

      The reception was absolutely gorgeous and fit perfectly into the fall theme.  The centerpieces, created by Stoneblossom Florist, was a scape of gorgeous flowers that had branches that protruded out it in every direction.  On the end of these branches hung oil based votive that truly twinkled in the dim room.  The lines were a crinkled cloth in pistachio and were matched with walnut chiavari ballroom chairs. The table numbers were replaced with different venues in Newport, instead of table one the guests would be sitting at the Rosecliff or Newport Bridge table. 

            Keeping to the fall theme, each guest was given a miniature apple pies tied with a delicate chocolate brown ribbon as a favor provided by Scrumptions.  The women were also given pashminas for their shoulders on such a chilly night. 

            Aside from the beautiful fall theme, it’s safe to say that the main attraction at this wedding was the food.  Guests enjoyed a cocktail hour complete with a plethora of passed appetizers, a raw bar, and a soup station.  They then moved onto a four-course dinner, which included a salad, antipasto, entree, and of course, cake for dessert.  As the night drew on and guests danced they were offered what the couple came to a “late night snack.”  This late night snack included pizza and deli sandwiches. 

            From ceremony to reception this wedding was truly a romantic and tasty affair.  Amanda and Joey, thanks for letting us spend your special day with you!       

     

Venues that Change Your Event into an Experience

Venues that Change Your Event into an Experience

            Imagine, it’s the day of the wedding and you take your seat at your reception table.  Looking around you see all of the major components of wedding.  There is of course a bride and groom, floral arrangements, a beautiful cake, a band, and a tank full of sharks.  Wait, a tank full of sharks?  Since when has that become a part of a wedding? 

Planned to Perfection has noticed a great trend popping up in the event planning realm.  We found that a lot of clients are looking to take their event from ordinary to extraordinary by hosting them at exotic and entertaining venues.  Some venues that we have noticed to fit into this category of extraordinary venues are the Mystic Aquarium located in Mystic, Connecticut, the New Bedford Whaling Museum located in New Bedford, Massachusetts, the Roger Williams Park Botanical Gardens located in Cranston, RI, Jonathon Edwards Winery & Vineyard located in North Stonington, Connecticut, and lastly Sakonnet Vineyards located in Little Compton, RI.

The Mystic Aquarium has truly transformed from one of the finest aquariums in New England into a full functioning event space.  Imagine getting married with thousand gallon fish tanks a your backdrop, a naturally beautiful landscape for any event or wedding.  The Mystic Aquarium takes pride in working with Ocean Blue Catering to provide an excellent meal that correlates to the amazing surroundings of the aquarium itself.  The most unique characteristic this venue has is the amazing sea creatures that always try to make an appearance at your event.

Moving onto another extraordinary venue we have the New Bedford Whaling Museum.  This museum has eight different galleries and rooms to choose to hold your event in.  Each of the rooms represents a different part of whaling history.  You could sit below the skeleton of a whale or be surrounded by various whaling artifacts, either way this venue definitely provides guests with much more than an ordinary reception.

Another venue that does just that is the Roger Williams Botanical Gardens, Jonathon Edwards Vineyards, and Sakonnet Vineyards.  These three venues don’t necessarily have rich history or sea creatures but they still fall in the extraordinary venue category for one main reason, which is landscape and atmosphere.  These venues are equipped with gorgeous floral landscapes and lush vineyards that would make the backdrop for any event go from average to amazing.  Guests have the opportunity to educate themselves on wine and grape growing as well as educate themselves on different flower species in the botanical gardens.

One common characteristic that all of these venues have is the “Wow” factor.  Each one of these places takes an event and transforms it into an experience that you, as the guest, are sure not to forget.

So, when you’re planning your next function keep in mind these unique venues and how they can change your event from ordinary to extraordinary.     

Megan and Seth

Seth and Megan

   On Friday June 29^th, 2012 Planned to Perfection found itself finally at the day of Megan and Seth’s wedding.  The morning started out with some light showers but as the day progressed and the ceremony time drew closer, mother nature couldn’t have conjured up a more beautiful summer day for the couple to get married on.

            Seth and Megan were married at the gorgeous lighthouse at the Newport Hyatt.  Megan and Seth were married under a gorgeous chuppah decorated with an array of white and pink floral details provided by Golden Gate Studios.  The lighthouse was a backdrop the whole scene and can be seen in the following photo.  The ceremony was short and sweet with a few friends of the couple participating in four readings.  The ceremony itself was a personal one due to the fact that a friend of the family, who is a judge, conducted the ceremony himself.  The couple even had their dog take a walk down the aisle.

            As the night drew on and we now had a happy pair of newlyweds it was time for the reception.  The entire cocktail hour and reception were decked out from head to toe in white and pink accents.  The floral arrangements used for this special day all were of different heights and sizes.  The arrangements ranged from a tall centerpiece that had extending branches with chandelier type accessories on them to a simple table floral piece.  The cocktail tables all went along with the couple’s rustic theme and had floral arrangements inside of little medal pales.  

            One of the most unique features of this wedding was one of the bride’s favorite items at her wedding.  There was a pink lemonade bar that was available right after the ceremony at cocktail hour.  The guest enjoyed refreshing pink lemonade out of monogramed mason jars.  These mason jars were also used as wedding favors to the attending guests.

            Another great feature at this wedding was the candy bar that was brought to the wedding by Sweet Indulgences.  It was all pink and monogrammed to match the overall theme of the wedding.  Between the various jars of sweets and cake pops guests found them selves in a sugar wonderland.

            Megan and Seth’s wedding ended with a lot of dancing to the sounds of Nancy Paolino and the Black Tie Band and good times with their friends and family.  They even enjoyed some pictures with the gorgeous sunset that fell just beyond the Newport Bridge.

Thanks to Steven James at the Newport Hyatt, Sweet Indulgence, Nancy Paolino and the Black Tie Band, John Lovgren Photography, Artistic Wedding Video Group, and Rockstar Limo.

Newport Bridal Show

Come visit Planned to Perfection at the Newport Bridal Show, Saturday February 18th from 11-4. We will be located at Oceancliff and have great giveaways for all that stop by! Please click on link to pre register for some great prizes.

http://newportweddingexpo.com/

We're Engaged! And then the panic sets in, what do I do?

Congratulations to all of you newly engaged couples. What an exciting chapter of your life that you are about to begin! Now it's time for magazines, bridal shows, websites, etc., so before you put yourself into wedding overload, let's start very simple so that you can have the wedding of your dreams.

First, be realistic about your budget. Who will be paying or contributing to the wedding? Although an awkward conversation to have with your parents, both the brides and grooms, it is one that you must know going in because you may think they are paying for it all when they have another plan. Why is it a budget important? For planners, it is a good starting point and discussion for us to have with you, so we know which venues and vendors to point you to.

Second, how many people will you invite. Again a conversation piece for both families, again, the number of people that are going to attend your wedding will determine what venues will work best for you.

My last piece of advice is this, bridal shows can be completely overwhelming, and some vendors offer great deals to book on the spot. Make sure before you sign on the dotted line that you connect with your vendors and that they are the best fit for your wedding. Sometimes the best price does not mean the best quality. Make address labels with your name and address on them so you can give them to vendors rather writing your name to enter raffles, get more information, etc.

Happy Engagement!

Fall Special

We are offering 20% off any of our packages if you book by December 31st. Mention code "fall" when emailing or calling!

Grace Ormonde Wedding Style

It has been a busy wedding season, and the blogs have suffered! I am so excited to announce that Planned to Perfection's tabletop design will be featured in the Spring/Summer issue of Grace Ormonde Wedding Style. We had a great photo shoot at the picturesque Ocean House in Watch Hill and help from many of our wonderful vendor friends, The Perfect Setting at Felicia's, Conceptual Image Designs, and Rentals Unlimited. I can't wait for the magazine and for you all to see it!

Be sure to check out the Grace Ormonde website for the exact release date. www.weddingstylenewengland.com

Ashley and Tom's Wedding

What a beautiful day and what a beautful couple! I have been working with Ashley and Tom for the past year planning an intimate wedding at Regatta Place in Newport. They had a lovely ceremony in Jamestown and then headed with Erica Mancini from Adeline and Grace Photography and Mike Henriques from Artistic Wedding Video Group to Beavertail where they captured some gorgeous photos and many laughs. While they were taking photos, their guests enjoyed a steel drum player during cocktail hour and delicious hors d'oeuvres from Regatta Place. The floral arranagements of blues, greens and ivory, which were provided by Conceptual Image Design popped in the tent and uplighting from Luke's DJ created the perfect ambiance once the sun went down. Guests enjoyed a special treat near the end of the evening with a slider bar that included fries, onion rings and milkshakes. Congratulations and best wishes to Ashley and Tom!