There tends to be confusion between escort cards and place cards in the wedding world.  They actually don't mean the same thing and the terms are not interchangeable as each type of card serves a separate purpose.

Escort or Seating Cards:  These are the cards that let your guests know where they are sitting.  Your guests will choose theirs from the table or other creative display, and it escorts them to their seat.  I personally prefer to call these seating cards because the word escort tends to carry too many other connotations.  This is the same reason I refuse to abbreviate the phrase "save the dates".



Place Cards:  This card is actually at each person's place at the table and denotes to them exactly where a guest is sitting at their previously assigned table.

Seating cards can be used without place cards if you choose to assign the table and not the actual seat, but place cards usually cannot be used without seating cards.

Whether or not you assign individual seats is up to you, but I definitely recommend at the very least assigning tables.  If you don't, chaos tends to ensue and tables don't get filled properly.  People will pull up an extra chair and try to squeeze in at one table while other tables leave three or four seats open.  Trust me, it is much easier to assign tables ahead of time and then let people choose their seats from there.  With this method, you can also ensure that your grandmother is getting a seat with a clear view of the dance floor, but is a little further away from the volume of the speakers. 




{photos via Martha Stewart}

This past Sunday, I officiated the wedding of one of my best friends. I really enjoyed it, but I don't think I'll be adding this to the list of services I offer my clients any time soon. While I am ordained, it is mainly so I can legally sign a marriage license should something catastrophic occur. I guess you could say it is the ultimate tool in my wedding emergency kit.

Choosing an officiant is an important task and one many people tend to put off until the last minute. It really is one of the first vendors a couple should hire, however. If you don't already have someone who can officiate your wedding, here are some things to consider when you are choosing one:

1) Hire someone who is available for you. It was easy for me to write a heartfelt ceremony for my friends because they have been a significant part of my life over the years. Chances are, though, that you won't know your officiant that well. They should be willing to meet with you in order to get an idea of who you are so that your ceremony can be personalized and not just a canned wedding message.

2) Weddings are a sacred event, and as such, a person's beliefs play a large role. If the officiant you want has a theological or ideological difference with something that is important to you and your fiance, there is no need to be offended. It just means it is time to interview the next person.

3) Not all ordinations are created equal. Make sure that the ordination your officiant has is legal in the state you are getting married in. Each state has their own marriage laws and just because someone can perform a ceremony in Washington doesn't necessarily mean they can perform one in Arizona.

4) Some officiants will come to the rehearsal, some won't and some include the option for an extra fee. If your officiant doesn't include the rehearsal in their services, make sure that they can get a copy of the ceremony outline to your wedding planner a few days prior to the rehearsal. This will allow your coordinator to better run the rehearsal and walk you through specific elements in the wedding, such as when you'll do your sand ceremony and where to stand for it, when you'll present flowers to your mothers, etc.

5) If the officiant works with a videographer often, they may have access to past weddings documented on film. If possible, ask to see video clips of the officiant speaking. Not all will be able to offer this, and it shouldn't necessarily be a deal breaker. It is helpful, however, to see if they are good at speaking and whether or not they do, in fact, skip the cheesiness that so many officiants are known for.

While shopping for a birthday gift recently, I overheard a group of ladies shopping for outfits to wear to an upcoming wedding of a friend. One stated, "this one is gorgeous, but you just can't wear black to a wedding". Her mind was clearly made up, so I didn't enlighten this complete stranger on the finer points of modern wedding etiquette.

I'll tell you here, however, that is perfectly acceptable nowadays to wear a black dress to an evening wedding. The style of the dress should match the formality of the event, and should be a fun, party-style dress. For afternoon weddings, an outfit with more color is still the norm.

Pretty much the only color that is still off the table for wedding guests is white. If you're thinking about wearing a dress that is white, cream or even mostly white with a colored pattern, hang the outfit back up in your closet and hit the mall instead. This color is still reserved for the bride, so shy away from it when choosing your attire as a wedding guest.



{Notch Collar Shirtdress; currently $89.99 at Ann Taylor}

Everyone knows that bruschetta is a quick and easy fix for bridal showers and home events, but you can surprise your guests, and still save time in the kitchen, by serving this delicious twist on the classic:

Bruschetta with Goat Cheese, Figs and Honey

Half loaf (5 oz.) baguette, cut into ½ inch slices
4 oz goat cheese
2 ripe figs, diced
Clover honey to drizzle

Heat oven to 400°F.

Place baguette slices in single layer on baking sheet. Bake 8–10 minutes, turning each slice until both sides are crisp and golden around edges; let cool.

Spread cheese on toasted baguette slices. Top with figs and lightly drizzle with honey. Makes 13–15 slices.

Enjoy!




{recipe and photo via InStyle Magazine}

No Meet the Readers today, we'll pick up with that again next week.  Today I wanted to do some housekeeping and make some announcements to keep you all in the loop of what's been going on at Blue Orchid Designs.

*Our new website is getting closer to going live!  I am so excited about this, I cannot even tell you.  I cannot wait to have that ginormous task crossed off my to-do list. 

*Along with the website launch, we're doing a photo shoot of the Blue Orchid Designs team.  I don't think we've ever taken any pro photos of us all together all at once, so that should be fun as well.  They'll be on the new website, of course, but I'll also post them here along with some interviews of our team members so you can get a better idea of the people behind the scenes.

*We've revamped some of our long-term goals and as a result Blue Orchid Designs is no longer accepting corporate contracts.  I know that won't apply to most of the blog readers, but I wanted to keep you in the loop.  We are now exclusively weddings and social events and I couldn't be more thrilled about that decision.  

*There's another big announcement regarding Blue Orchid Designs, but you'll have to wait for that one.  I know - we're so mysterious and vague.

*If you're a wedding planner, be sure to check out The Smart Planner, my other company that provides coaching resources for wedding consultants.  August is our six month mark, so there's lots of UnBirthday fun in store, including giveaways for event professionals!

*Aside from event planning, I've been logging long hours and late nights writing a book.  It is set to be released in December, so keep your eyes peeled for more info to come on that!

Who says being a bride means you have to give up your sense of style?

The lovely and talented Anne Chertoff has teamed up with Russell + Hazel to create a modern and stylish wedding organizer.  You can choose from a variety of patterns and colors and not one carries even a hint of tulle or lace (thank goodness).


Here's some of what is included:

- Signature Binder
- 12 Section tabs with pockets
- Planning notebook
- Organized adhesive note set
- Sheet protectors
- 2 business card pages
- 10 8-1/2 x 11" pages
- 5 Multi Format pages (holds 11 x 17" or 8-1/2 x 11")
- Free, downloadable PDF templates for the set

Anne switched companies recently and is now the senior editor at Brides.com and as such, she has moved her blog, From "I Will" to "I Do", back to its original location on blogger. Hers is one of my favorite wedding planning blogs because she is practical, witty and her advice is always on point.

Be sure to pick up one of her wedding planning binders from Russell + Hazel in order to keep all your to-dos in one place and be sure to subscribe to her blog so that you can tune in to her good advice while you're engaged!



{photos via Russell + Hazel}

As a wedding designer, I do not get inspired by photos of past weddings.   This is why you will rarely find an inspiration board made up of wedding photos on the Blue Orchid Designs blog.  They just don't do it for me and they aren't a part of how I do my work.   I pull my inspiration for wedding design from music, art, interior design, and a variety of other details that make up this journey called life. 


That said, I recently stumbled across this wedding purely by chance.  I was researching on a topic completely unrelated to weddings when it landed on my screen.  I think the reason I am so drawn to this wedding is because my grandmother had a tea and breakfast set that exactly matched the blue porcelain of these vases (she is also the person I inherited my entertaining and design genes from).  I have to admit, while looking at the photos, I felt myself relax and some of the day's stress melt away.  And that is an effect that I believe good art should have.  Art should always evoke emotion.  And a good wedding designer should always design with an intent to evoke emotion through the wedding celebration.  


There is just something about this wedding by Carolyne Roehm that made me stop and say "wow".  It is not over the top or dripping with extravagance, and perhaps that's why I like it. The design is graceful with an ability to not take itself too seriously; traits that also remind me of my grandmother.  Its simple sensibility and attention to the tiniest details make it appear effortless and joyful - two things that I believe should make up any wedding's vibe, regardless of the aesthetic or budget. 

Click here to view more photos and details of this lovely wedding and click here to read Carolyne's magazine, Carolyne Roehm Style.



{all photos via Carolyne Roehm}

If there is one element that can make or break your wedding decor aesthetic, it is the chairs you choose. A beautifully dressed table gets lost in your reception if it is surrounded by ten ugly chairs that stick out like a sore thumb. Fortunately, there are a variety of seating options and solutions available on the rental market. Here are four of the more common ones:

Chiavari chairs (pronounced shih-vahr-ee) are a popular option for wedding reception seating. It's important to remember that Chiavari chairs are an upgrade and are not typically included with your venue's wedding package. If the photos the venue gives you feature Chiavari chairs, be sure to ask if those are their standard chairs or if you will have to pay more in order to have them. Chiavaris run about $8-$15 a piece depending on your market and will be pricier if you are required to contract them through your venue. So, if you have your heart set on this pretty and classic option, be sure to budget at least an extra $80-$150 per table of 10 or an extra $800-$1500 per 100 guests.



Ghost chairs are sleek, contemporary and perfect for a modern event. These are becoming more popular, and more and more rental companies are adding them to their inventories yet they are still not quite mainstream.  Depending on where you are located, you may still need to pay extra for shipping if your local rental companies don't yet carry them. The Louis Ghost Chairs average around $50 per chair, so for these lovelies be sure to budget about $5000 per 100 guests.



The wooden (or resin) padded folding chairs are a popular option for outdoor ceremonies and are usually the most economical at about $2.25-$4 per chair, or $225-$400 per 100 guests. They can be dressed up with a chair tie or ribbon to better fit your overall design concept and they come in a variety of colors. Depending on the formality of your event, these chairs may be a bit too casual for a four-course meal in a ballroom and could end up distracting from your aesthetic instead of contributing to it.



I'm convinced that banquet chair designers and carpet designers are in a conspiracy to make every hotel ballroom as tacky as possible. Banquet chairs are most likely the standard that come with your venue's package, yet they probably won't be the ones in the brochure's photos!



If you are using banquet chairs, you can opt to use chair covers to dress them up. Chair covers can range from $4-$15+, or $400-$1500 per 100 guests, with the average falling around $8-$10 each. Chair covers are also deceptively time consuming to install, so be prepared for a higher fee if you are hiring someone to shimmy the taut cover onto each chair and then tie each bow for you. I'd recommend comparing costs because once everything is added up you may find it is more economical to use Chiavari chairs.




{photo credits: Chiavari Chair, Ghost Chair, Padded Folding Chair, Banquet Chair, Chair Covers}

This recipe is a twist on the classic Sangria, and a refreshing treat to offer your guests. With a combination of just wine and juices, it is also less potent than the original versions and perfect for an afternoon bridal shower.

White Sangria

1/2 pound seedless green grapes, stems removed
1 - 2 Red Delicious apples, cored and thinly sliced
3 cups fruity white wine
1 cup apple juice
1 cup pineapple juice
2 cups ice cubes

In a pitcher combine grapes, apples, and white wine. Let sit for 1 to 2 hours. Pour in the apple and pineapple juices. Add the ice cubes and serve. Makes 4 servings.

Enjoy!



{recipe via Food Network, photo via Cooking Light}

Today's featured reader is none other than Megan, a close friend and former roommate of mine.  Since we don't see each other as often as we'd like anymore, she reads the Blue Orchid Designs blog to stay somewhat in the loop on my life.  She was gracious enough to agree to let you all meet her and I didn't even have to threaten to share all her embarrassing moments with the world.  What a nice gal I am. I mean she is. Okay, here's Meg . . .

Name: Megan

Location: Arizona

Blog or Website: none

What do you do for a living?
Regulatory compliance consulting and freelance writing. {Liene's note: Meg's being modest, so I'll brag for her - she's actually written an entire book and I know because I lived with her at the time and saw all the countless nights she spent working into the wee hours of the morning to make the publisher's deadlines.}

What is your favorite way to spend a Sunday?
If I am able, I will sleep in, make myself a latte while the husband cooks breakfast, lounge about the house doing absolutely nothing productive, and then attend the evening service at church.

What is your dream vacation spot?
Maui! I've been to dozens of countries and nearly every continent, but Maui is the only place I long to be. I lived there on and off before I got married (including one interesting summer with Liene), and was fortunate enough to have my wedding on the best beach in the world (Keawakapu, if you're curious).

What beauty item could you not live without?
Heavy duty body lotion - a must in a desert climate.

What two people (past or present) would you have as guests at a dinner party and why?
Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca - 16th century Spanish explorer. He was one of four survivors of a disastrous expedition to Florida, and subsequently spent years living as a healer among the American Indians. He showed them an appreciation and love that was extraordinary for his time. I would love to hear more about his travels, his philosophies, and the (now extinct) culture of those American Indians he encountered.

Jean-François de Galaup, comte de La Pérouse - 18th century French naval officer and explorer. La Pérouse was another man who was ahead of his time. During his scientific expedition around the Pacific, he showed great respect to the Pacific islanders - and was also the first European to set foot on Maui. His ship disappeared after leaving Australia, and I would love to hear his story of what happened.

What is the best piece of advice you've ever received? 
From my parents: "pay off your credit card every month" and a variety of other smart financial advice. Staying out of debt has allowed me to save money for my favorite pastime: travel.  For wedding advice, it was "make sure you have fun." I would encourage every bride-to-be to calm down and just take it easy. Better yet, hire Liene!

What are your three favorite blogs besides blueorchidblog.com?
For an outsider's view of American politics: Justin Webb's America on the BBC. For tree-hugging DIY tips: Mother Earth News and/or the Phoenix Permaculture Guild. And for faith in modern culture: bethinking.org and/or Relevant magazine.

Thanks, Meg!


{If you'd like to be featured on Meet the Readers, leave a comment and let us know!  And if you're new here, you can meet other fun readers who have been featured here previously by clicking here.}

Hi Liene,

I stumbled upon and have been reading your site since I first got engaged. It's fantastic, and you do a wonderful job writing about your experience and inspiring us "lay people." Keep up the good work!

I'm planning a rather large (200+) wedding for next October in West Palm Beach, FL. I live in Chicago, IL. My family is in the West Palm area, but I was planning on hiring a wedding coordinator for day-of and as-needed vendor help. So my question is, is it best to hire a coordinator/planner who is local to the area, in West Palm Beach or Palm Beach? Or can I use someone who's from the tri-county area, or even import a savvy planner like yourself from way out of the way?

Thanks,
Lisa


Hi Lisa,

Great question!

Destination weddings are an entirely different animal than planning a wedding in one's own area, and not all wedding planners are created equal, so if you were to hire a non-local wedding consultant, you'd want to be sure that they can actually plan destination weddings. At Blue Orchid Designs, we do plan quite a few destination weddings outside of our local areas, so importing us for your wedding would not be a problem since we are experienced at planning from afar and can coordinate all the extra logistics with that. I will tell you however, that hiring us just for day-of coordination for a destination wedding in Florida would probably not be your most economical option.

That said, you would probably get the most bang for your wedding buck by hiring an experienced planner for day-of coordination in the area you are getting married in. Since they are local, you would not have to pay travel fees on top of their coordination fees.

A professional wedding planner will also know the dish on everything behind the scenes that you will not find online or from previous brides, so I am a huge proponent of hiring one even just for vendor recommendations (many will offer this service a la carte). With the exception of catering and cosmetology, the wedding industry is largely unregulated. Because of this, vendors run the gamut from being exceptional to well below sub-par. A good wedding consultant can help you find professional vendors who will mesh with your personality, steer you away from ones who will spend the entire wedding day hitting on your bridesmaids instead of doing their job, and give you the peace of mind that you are hiring people who won't flake on you.

Day-of wedding coordination services entails quite a bit more than just showing up on your wedding day and keeping people on schedule, so the planner's fee should take that into account. Pricing will vary depending on the market, but definitely keep your radar up for the difference between "a good value" and "too cheap". Budget now for a good day-of coordinator and then set that money aside (I recommend putting it in an ING account so it is at least working for you during the next few months) so that you have it on hand when it comes time to hire your day-of coordinator and you aren't tempted to spend it on a second pair of must-have dancing shoes.

Even if you are doing the bulk of the planning, having a professional there on your wedding day to tie up the loose ends means that you and your friends and family can relax and enjoy your day. Being relaxed definitely shows through in your photos and wedding video and makes them a million times better as well. Your guests will also take their cues from you, so if you are enjoying yourself and having fun, they will follow suit. Having a good planner with you on your wedding day is worth every penny.

Ami Elizabeth and Rebekah Anne, the creative minds behind Elizabeth Anne Designs, launched The Library yesterday, a complimentary resource for brides that includes a collection of wedding professionals from around the globe, including yours truly.

I am pretty choosy about what I attach my name to, and I have turned down invitations to be listed in other directories for various reasons.  The Library is free for vendors, but I was more than happy to support the work Ami and Rebekah are doing with a sponsored listing because I believe these two women are top notch.  These ladies have raised the bar by creating the best and most helpful directory of wedding professionals that is currently online, and they are continually adding to it.

Okay, enough of my gush fest, here's what Ami and Rebekah have to say about their labor of love:

"We are incredibly excited to announce our new project, The Elizabeth Anne Designs Library. After months of development and research, we are launching a new resource for brides. The Library is filled with hundreds of useful links, from photographers to shops to stationers. Our goal is a simple, comprehensive list of vendors. The Library will help every bride, no matter her location, find the vendors and inspiration she needs for a beautiful event."

Right now the collection is categorized alphabetically by area of expertise, but a quick {ctrl+f} search can highlight the professionals in your specific location. While you're over there, be sure to bookmark their blog so you can spend some time there soaking up all the information they have archived. Rebekah and Ami have truly built a comprehensive wedding resource for today's brides, full of inspiration and practical, real-wedding tested advice. I wrote a series of guest articles for them earlier this year that are exclusive to their site, so be sure to check those out as well.

Whether you're planning to have a simple engagement party at your cousin's home or a girls' night in with some of your favorite friends, chocolate covered strawberries are a hit with almost any group.  Luckily they're pretty easy to make, too (even I can make these, and my culinary skills are seriously lacking).  Package a few in a cute box tied up with some pretty ribbon and voila!  You have an instant hostess gift, and a sweet break from the standard bottle of wine.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

You'll need:
* 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
* 3 ounces white chocolate, chopped
* 1 pound strawberries with stems (about 20), washed and dried very well

Put the semisweet and white chocolates into two separate heatproof medium bowls. Fill two medium saucepans with a couple inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat; set the bowls of chocolate over the water to melt. Stir until smooth. (Alternatively, melt the chocolates in a microwave at half power, for 1 minute, stir and then heat for another minute or until melted.)

Once the chocolates are melted and smooth, remove from the heat. Line a sheet pan with parchment or waxed paper. Holding the strawberry by the stem, dip the fruit into the dark chocolate, lift and twist slightly, letting any excess chocolate fall back into the bowl. Set strawberries on the parchment paper. Repeat with the rest of the strawberries. Dip a fork in the white chocolate and drizzle the white chocolate over the dipped strawberries.

Set the strawberries aside until the chocolate sets, about 30 minutes.

Yum!



{recipe from the Food Network, photo via Sabellachan's flickr}

Congratulations to Abbie, who said "I'm torn between the bird lovers and the float + celebrate save-the-dates. All of them are so pretty. What a great giveaway! Thanks!" for being the fourth commenter and winning the Blue Orchid Giveaway sponsored by Minted!


Abbie, email us at info{at}blueorchidweddings.com to claim your set of save the date cards from
Minted!

For everyone else - if you're not yet subscribed to our blog, be sure to to sign up (in a reader or via email) so that you don't miss out on our future giveaways! And be sure to check out all the gorgeous wedding invitations and save the date cards and other stationery items over at Minted. There are too many beautiful options to choose from, and I love that they carry lines from independent designers.

Name: Sharon

Location: Greeley, Colorado - soon to be Bloomington, Indiana

Blog or Website: freckleddiva.blogspot.com

What do you do for a living?
This Fall I'll start as a Masters student in voice performance at Indiana University 

What is your favorite way to spend a Sunday? 
Mmm . . . drinking a pot of french-press coffee with my husband, yoga, taking our kitties Django & Debussy to the park, riding bikes around the neighborhood, a dip in the pool, the night at home making dinner together, red wine, chocolate sorbet . . . is that too much to hope for on a Sunday? I think not.

What is your dream vacation spot? 
Spending a month or so at a cottage in the south of France would be divine. No TV, fresh foods, local wine, listening to children speak français - my kind of dream.

What beauty item could you not live without? 
It may seem silly, but Eyeshadow Primer Potion by Urban Decay; I don't sweep on shadow without it.

What two people (past or present) would you have as guests at a dinner party and why?
Renée Fleming - perhaps my favorite singer of all time. I'd love her thoughts on creating roles and perspective on the craft.

W.A. Mozart (age 26 or so) - we're both music nerds and ridiculously goofy. I think we'd get along.

What is the best piece of advice you've ever received?
It's really amazing how some advice sticks. Sometimes it's out of nowhere and proves to be just what I've needed, and sometimes it's the 20th time I've told something to someone else and realize it's what I need to listen to myself. Truly, the best advice for me has been to do something if I love it and to go forward with confidence and belief in myself that I can do anything I put my mind to. When you are a singer, you need constant reminders either from yourself or from others that you are worth it and have what it takes. Slowly, I'm able to hear this and know I can do what I love!

What are your three favorite blogs besides blueorchidblog.com?

Wow - well, not necessarily my top three, but some of my favorites would have to be: Zen Habits, Apartment Therapy, and Treehugger.

And, these are all besides Blue Orchid, of course, because I love Liene!