How to Create a Memorable Entrance for Your Country Wedding Reception

April 5, 2012 By Susan Southerland Leave a Comment

Elegant and rustic country weddings are still going strong– more and more memorable trends and touches are created with every event! If you’re looking for some inspiration for your rustic and romantic affair, check out our previous real wedding story from Ashley and Phil.

Today, we’re sharing some fun ideas that I came up with for our wedding planning eHow.com video series on ‘Planning Your Dream Wedding.’

Are you planning a country wedding? What other kinds of country touches are you including in your ceremony or reception? Share below with your comment or question for us!

Your partner in perfect planning,

Susan

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Wedding Welcome Bag Ideas

March 13, 2012 By Susan Southerland 1 Comment

It is important to show your appreciation for your wedding guests who are traveling to be part of your special day. Not only are they likely out-of-towners who are unfamiliar with the area where your wedding will take place, but they’ve also spent both time and money to make the trip. A wedding welcome bag is a great way to extend your hospitality—but what to include?

As I’ve mentioned in recent wedding planning wedding blog posts, my assistant, Erin, recently toured the El Conquistador Resort, a Waldorf Astoria Resort in Las Croabas, Puerto Rico. After a hectic day of travel, she was greeted at the resort by a delightful gift bag, the contents of which were very useful during her stay. Below, she shares the contents of the bag along with some tips for how to personalize your wedding welcome bags!

My welcome bag included…

  • “A tote bag with long straps (that you can toss over your shoulder) turned out to be the perfect catch-all for things I needed to carry around property (my room key card, sunglasses, bathing suit cover-up, a towel, and camera easily fit inside). I even ended up using it as my carry-on bag when I flew home, since I ended up with more souvenirs than I had room for in my luggage—your guests may face the same space-crunch and the tote could come in handy!”

  • “Brochures about the resort, including a map and details about all of the amenities on property (it was nice to get familiar with the resort’s layout and see what types of services and facilities they had—if you’re not staying at a resort with extensive dining or entertainment options, be sure to include some brochures about restaurants and attractions in the area. You can often get these from your guests’ hotel concierge or your local Chamber of Commerce).”

  • “A baseball cap with the resort’s logo (and ‘Puerto Rico’ embroidered on the back), which turned out to be handy as we spent a lot of time outdoors. Plus, it made for an instant, perfect souvenir! You may want to consider something that your guests will use during their stay—a hat for sunny locations, scarf if you’re somewhere chilly, or a lanyard for carrying things like room keys and ID (perfect for wedding cruises).”

  • “Sunscreen was in my welcome bag as well, which is great for guests coming to a sunny location. Other toiletries that guests may not have been able to pack, like lotion or lip balm for cold or dry climates would be appreciated.”

  • “Perhaps my favorite item (and likely to delight your guests), a bottle of ‘Don Q’ Puerto Rican rum! This was very specific to this resort and destination, as it is produced locally, so get inspired by this idea and think of something that is unique to your wedding destination—then share it with guests!”

  • “Along with my welcome bag was also a personal note of welcome, which made me feel right at home! It would be a very simple touch to add to your welcome bags to extend your thanks to your traveling guests (psst– notice the wedding dress cookie from our previous post on unique wedding dessert ideas?).”

    • Our thanks to El Conquistador Resort for the wedding welcome bag ideas featured in today’s blog!

    What are you planning to include in your wedding welcome bags?

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    Rustic Romance: The Real Wedding of Ashley and Phil

    November 23, 2011 By Susan Southerland 2 Comments

    Due to demanding educational and work schedules, Ashley and Phil managed to plan their Kansas City, MO dream wedding in a matter of three months! With help from her mother and sister, they pulled off a casual yet elegant outdoor affair, as you will see in their gorgeous photos (shot by Sara Tafoya Photography). Bride, Ashley, shares her real wedding story, including her helpful DIY tips and tricks!

    “Phil and I are really laid back and love the outdoors. We wanted a wedding that reflected our style, so we went with a rustic theme. Our venue, Saddle and Sirloin, had a cancellation at the last minute, so we booked it about a month and a half to two months before the wedding. It was perfect for what we had in mind!”

    “I wanted a very natural look for our outdoor wedding, so our colors were tans and taupe with ivory and white. The only actual color I wanted in the wedding was green, and I only wanted it to come out from the greenery we used.”

    Wedding Wardrobe Tip: Bargain hunt in department and designer discount stores! “Phil’s mom found the guys’ suits on sale at JC Penney for $100 total for the suit and jacket. Once we found the suits, I decided to have my sister-in-law’s mother custom make the bridesmaid dresses. For the bridesmaids’ shoes, I figured a wedge would fit the look of the wedding and the girls could walk in the grass without their heels sinking. I found the perfect Steve Madden, ivory wedges at Marshall’s.”

    Wedding Decor Tip: Ask around! “I wanted to have whiskey and wine barrels around for the rustic look, so we called around and found a few local wineries (Blue Jacket – Eudora, KS) and distilleries (High Plains Distillery – Leavenworth, KS) that either gave them away, or let us purchase them.”

    Wedding Centerpiece Idea: Mix it up! “We had four different centerpieces, so not all the tables would be the same. For one centerpiece, my mom and I found several wooden boxes for each table that we could fill with different rustic and old looking items. My mom purchased several old books from a used bookstore and we used galvanized buckets and crosses and anything old and rustic we could find. My mom also got a bunch of little picture frames for the boxes that we could put our engagement pictures in. For another centerpiece, I had Phil cut up big logs to use as a ‘charger’ to put candles or different items on.”

    Wedding Cake Idea: Consider buying handmade! “I wanted a grape vine ‘R’ [for the cake topper], but didn’t know where to go to get the grape vine to make it. A co-worker told me to check Etsy. Sure enough, that’s where I found it.”

    Thanks again to Ashley and Phil for sharing their DIY wedding decor ideas with us! Do you have a real wedding story to share? Contact us if you’re interested; you could be the next couple featured!

    If you have questions on this or any other wedding related topic, please post for me here on the wedding blog or send me an email to susan(dot)southerland(at)pwg.com. Also become a fan on Facebook (search: Susan Southerland Secret) or follow me on Twitter (@Susansoutherlan).

    Your partner in perfect planning,
    Susan

    Ashley and Phil’s Wedding Vendors:
    Sara Tafoya Photography
    Saddle and Sirloin
    Raspberry Rose Desserts
    The Village Gardens
    Patrick Lenz Music
    Rock With U
    Celebration Party Rental
    Absolute Hair
    Melissa Blayton
    Mike Varel
    Christian Anthony Designs
    Idas Bridal and Tuxedos

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