Jill & Ben's Highlights Video - Bogle Productions

Posted by Kelly Simants

Jill and Ben were married last summer and selected Bogle Productions to capture their big day on video. Cory from Bogle did an amazing job and I'm excited to be able to share the highlights video below...enjoy! :)

Sweet Pea Events Launching "Be Inspired!" ~ Wedding Planning Workshop in Dallas!

Posted by Kelly Simants

I am excited to announce that the Dallas Office of Sweet Pea Events is launching an intensive one-day workshop called “Be Inspired!” for people interested in learning more about the wedding business and inside scoop on becoming a Wedding Planner! We have had so many inquiries over the past few years from people aspiring to be a Wedding Planner, so I'm excited we are now able to expand our services and help others develop their careers.

Here are high-level details about the workshop:

• When: Wednesday, April 8, 2009 – 9:00 am – 4:30 pm
• Where: The Dallas Arboretum - 8525 Garland Road Dallas, Texas 75218. For more information about this beautiful venue, please visit www.dallasarboretum.org
• Why: There are some excellent wedding planner certification programs and networking groups available. However, we have found that there are very few options for people interested in simply attending a workshop to learn more about the wedding industry and what is involved with becoming a Wedding Planner. My goal is to offer an affordable solution where you can Be Inspired, soak in a ton of valuable information and great take-aways which will help you to determine if wedding planning is the right career path for you. With my 8 years of experience as a Planner, I’m excited to share my history with aspiring Wedding Planners and help give you a jump start into this wonderful industry! I also have a passion for developing others, as I was in Human Resources prior to the wedding industry and thoroughly enjoy providing training and development opportunities!
• What: We will cover a variety of topics which will include: Wedding Industry Statistics and Trends, Basics of Owning a Wedding Planning Business, Day in the Life of a Wedding Planner, Marketing Tips, Establishing Vendor Relationships, Pricing & Sales, Next Steps You Can Pursue, and More!
• How: To reserve your space in this workshop, please contact Kelly at kelly@sweetpeaevents.net to request a registration form no later than Friday, April 3, 2009. The total cost of this workshop is $200 which will include lunch. If you bring a friend, the cost for each of you will only be $150! Registration will close on Friday, April 3, 2009, so please ensure your registration form and payment are submitted by then. Note: Class size will be limited to 20 participants and is based on a first-come, first-serve basis. Considering the requests we have already received, this workshop will fill up quickly. Looking forward to your participation and meeting you in person!
  

Wine Country Whimsical Wedding!

Posted by Kelly Simants

Wow…when Joann Arruda Photography sent me the pictures from Jill and Nick’s wedding at Willows Lodge I was beyond impressed! Not only was she a blast to work with, but she captured the essence of this magical, colorful wine country wedding just perfectly. Thank you, Joann, for providing these incredible images!

Jill was an amazingly creative bride (oh and fun fact, she and Nick are both Rocket Scientists, literally...soooo smart!!) She pulled all of these design elements together on her own, then called on Sweet Pea Events to help bring the final touches together. They selected our "Month-Of" package so they could sit back and enjoy the final weeks before the big day and hand over the plans to us. I loved all of the details that went into this wedding…especially the bags of kettle corn which were used as escort cards, and whimsical tablescapes with bright poppy colors along with ferns, moss, grass, and river rock to create a very enchanting atmosphere!

Congratulations Jill & Nick, it was such a joy working with you both!

Beautiful invitation suite and programs designed by the fabulously talented Whitney & Jonathan of Brown Sugar Design.

Love these detail shots!

Fabulous Vendors Jill & Nick Selected:

• Ceremony Location: Bothell First Lutheran
• Ceremony Musicians: Bottom Line Duo
• Reception Venue & Caterer: Willows Lodge
• DJ: Seattle DJ’s
• Florist: Fena Flowers
• Gown: Marcella’s La Boutique
• Invitations & Programs: Brown Sugar Design
• Photographer: Joann Arruda
• Transportation: British Motor Coach
• Cake: Despi DeLite Bakery
• Rehearsal Dinner: Purple Café & Wine Bar in Woodinville, WA

Cupcakes are not just for kids anymore!

Posted by Holly-Kate Foss

I have been dreaming about visiting Trophy Cupcakes this month!  They have a delicious cupcake being featured through the end of March.  The much desired and highly popular Chocolate Guinness Stout with Baileys Buttercream is back at Trophy for its third year.  Can you tell that I was excited to go and try this month's cupcake?  

We stopped by Trophy last night and experienced the Chocolate Guinness Stout Cupcake as well as the Snickerdoodle Cupcake. They were both fabulous and I would highly suggest you stop by for a visit and try both of these flavors!  But don't forget to check their weekly calendar on their website to see if your desired cupcake will be available for a taste.  Most popular flavors are available daily, but some special cupcakes are only available on specific days.

Trophy Cupcakes can also create your perfect Wedding Cupcake!  They can customize your wedding cupcake to match your theme and style.  You can special order cupcakes with your monogram, meaningful symbols, or photographic art on them.  Trophy can deliver, set-up and decorate to your specifications.

We are looking forward to seeing another amazing display by Trophy Cupcake on April 25th at Rebecca and Glenn's Wedding!

Thank you Trophy for a truly amazing cupcake ~ the Chocolate Guinness Stout Cupcake it my new favorite flavor!

Wedding Day Emergency Kit

Image by Laurel McConnell Photography

Posted by Kelly Simants

If you are planning an event of any kind (especially a wedding), then an "emergency kit" is a must-have! I have recently realized from talking with a few people that not everyone knows exactly what is in an emergency kit, or what it's used for.

The main reason to have an emergency kit - even though you've planned everything to a T and all of the details are completely in order, you just never know what hiccups you might experience the day-of. So why not come prepared?!

What the emergency kit is typically used for - with a wedding, a button may fall off of a tux and need to be sewn back on, your bridesmaid may have blisters and need some relief, or you might need some face blotters to help take the shine away! Each event or wedding I'm at, my emergency kit (pictured above) is used at least 10 times....not by just the bride and groom, but by their wedding party, family members, or even guests.

Here are the items I recommend including in an emergency kit - Through the years I have come to learn what items are most important to have, so I wanted to share a few tips in case you want to create your own emergency kit:

• Small sewing kit - tip: include a few white/ivory/black/buttons
• Crochet hook - tip: if you have alot of buttons on your gown, this is a lifesaver!
• Aspirin/Tylenol
• Antacid
• Clear nail polish
• White nail polish - tip: to touch up any chips on a French Mani/Pedi! Sephora has great mini sized bottles that are perfect for the emergency kit.
• Safety pins - variety of sizes
• Small scissors
• Tissue
• Stain remover - tip: I've found that the travel-sized Shout Wipes work best!
• Hairspray
• Face blotters
• Deodorant - tip: can also be used for any chafing issues! :)
• Deodorant remover - tip: try using "Gal Pals" to get those annoying deoderant marks off your dress!
• Brown/black bobby pins
• Nail file
• Extra earring backs
• Eyelash glue - tip: even if your faux lashes are glued securely earlier in the day, I've seen it time and time again where the lash starts slipping or falls off, for whatever reason. Great to have extra glue!
• Breath mints
• Band-aids
• Dr. Scholls "cushiony foam" - to help prevent blisters, or provide relief from already formed blisters...this product is awesome! The dispensers cuts the foam to any size so you can customize it for your shoes.
• Small sample size perfume
• Tampons
• Rubber bands
• Extra ribbon - tip: if you rented your reception vases, but want to give flower arrangements to your guests, use some wide ribbon to tie the flowers together in bunches so your guests can easily transport the flowers home!
• Straws - tip: when you're in the middle of photos and need a sip from a water bottle, stick a straw in it so that your perfect lips aren't ruined and photos can continue uninterrupted!
• Eye drops
• Tweezers
• Q-tips
• Mini lint brush
• Wet wipes
• Static cling spray - Static Guard works great!
• Bug spray (specifically for outdoor weddings) - tip: make sure it's a non-scented kind!
• Travel sized steamer (of course won't fit in your "kit") - used to remove any last minute wrinkles. Be sure to check in advance whether the fabric of your gown or bridesmaids dresses can be steamed!
• Last but not least...Hollywood Fashion Tape! I think I have used this tape for literally everything under the sun...it's awesome. The most frequent uses I've found are to keep hems from falling, straps from slipping, etc.

This is by no means an inclusive list of items that you might need the day-of, but just having these basics on hand could end up saving your day!

Sweet Pea Events Featured in Style Me Pretty & Southern Weddings Blogs!

Today we were featured in both Style Me Pretty and Southern Weddings blogs! I'm so excited, as both of these weddings and brides were beyond fabulous to work with. Their weddings were so romantic and elegant, and I'm thrilled that other brides will be able to see all of the stunning detail that my clients put into their special celebrations. Also, we are proud members of Style Me Pretty's "Little Black Book" so be sure to check out their site for great resources and inspiration!

Special thanks to Laurel McConnell for sharing her incredible images from Sarah and Nathan's wedding which are posted in the Style Me Pretty blog. And, huge thanks to the fabulous Michelle Moore for submitting Lauren and Dave's wedding to Southern Weddings. Both of you are phenomenal Artists and Photographers and I love working with you!

Enjoy these blog features - and thanks again to Sarah & Nathan, and Lauren & Dave for being such awesome clients to work with and allowing me to be part of your big day!

From SMP - Southern Weddings

Creative Idea for Girls Night Out, Bridal Shower, Baby Shower, or Birthday Party!

Posted by Kelly Simants

Are you looking for a fun and unique idea for a bridal shower, birthday party, or just a girls night out? If so, you need to check out "Sippitydoodle" located in McKinney, TX - where you can drink wine, create a painting with the help of an art instructor, and just relax with your girlfriends and let your creative juices flow! They offer private parties both on and off-site and it's super convenient - they provide all the supplies, all you need to do is bring your favorite beverage!