Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Wedding or Anniversary Gifts

Posted by Meaghan Cody

In the midst of our holiday shopping we managed to note things we came across that could possibly be a really great wedding or anniversary gift for ones you love. One item that we were especially fond of was a wooden plaque personalized with the couples last name and the year that they were married. We came across these on Etsy and knew that we had to share them!

I went ahead and ordered one as a Christmas present for Kelly and her family, it was a huge hit and they LOVED it! The Etsy seller is janaitwct, they were super nice and really helpful with my close to Christmas time shopping! Below is the plaque that I had made for Kelly and her family.

Wedding Anniversary Gift

This one is from snickerdoodlesigns:

Wedding Anniversary Gift

Here is another precious one that involves blocks instead of a plaque. This is from Simple Block Sayings.

Wedding Anniversary Gift

All of these were from their Etsy shops. So get to shopping for any upcoming wedding, anniversary, or even valentines day gifts for your special someone! Enjoy!

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Enjolik Bailey of Low Country Quisine – Dallas Caterer

Posted by Meaghan Cody

A couple of months ago we were introduced to Enjolik at Thursday Therapy and immediately knew she was something worth sharing. She is the owner of Low Country Quisine, a catering company in Dallas that is southern food at it’s finest.

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We had the chance to ask Enjolik a couple of questions about her business and some of the things that inspire her. Hopefully you enjoy her as much as we do!

How did you get started in the Catering business, and specifically with weddings?

As a small child I spent my summers in Charleston, SC with my grandparent who cooked all three meals every single day without fail! So my love for food came at an early age, I’d say around 4 or 5! Since my mom never learned to cook, I took on the role of cook for my family. Around 2007 I realized that people were always asking me to cook for parties and events. At that point it literally came to me in the middle of the night; I could combine my passion for food and entertaining with my background in sales & marketing. I thought about my fondest memories of food and I kept going back to the food I ate with my grandparents, Low Country food. Hence the name Low Country Quisine by Jolie’ Ramize. My business started in 2007 as a part-time venture and at that point I didn’t take on any bridal clients because I felt that weddings were events that would require full-time attention. In 2009, we prepared to take the business full-time and we catered our 1st wedding for 150 guests and the rest is history! I love working with brides and their families. After all, the food is one of the most important elements of that special day.

What is your typical day like as a Caterer on the day of the wedding, and also on a non-wedding day?

On a wedding day, our day usually begins very early. Normally around 5am. The most time consuming part of the day is coordinating all of the supplies we need to bring along to create beautiful visual that compliments the bride’s vision for the day. Presentation is very important to us. On a non-wedding day our day is pretty similar. We have the food preparation down to a science. It’s the details and decor of each event that we tend to spend time on because each event is unique.

What would you say makes your style or personality unique from other Caterer?

I think my personality is different from other caterers because I have a strong background in sales which makes it easier for me uncover my clients needs. When clients know that you’re taking care of the things that are important to them it makes for a great working relationship. The same is true when I work directly with wedding planners. It’s our goal to make their job easier. They trust that we’ll deliver what we’ve promised and then some!

What are some of your favorite dishes that you serve at events?

Our mini crab cakes are always a favorite, Alma’s Mac & Cheese, named after my grandmother,as well as our barbeque braised short ribs.

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Favorite tips or advice for the bride and grooms to be?

When it comes to catering for your special day, I always advise my clients to take their time when confirming their guest counts. Food & beverage is one of the most, if not the most expensive line items for a wedding and you never want to over or under estimate.

When you aren’t working, what are some of your favorite things to do?

When I have down time, I like to spend time with my husband and daughter. I usually end up cooking for them or experimenting with new recipes. It’s hard for me to get away from food.

What are some of your favorite venues in the DFW area, and why?

I really love Studios 1019 located in the Design District. I think lofty, “warehousey-like” venues tend to be blank canvases that you can design to suit your needs. To me it’s all about creating a memorable and unique experience for you and your guests.

Enjolik just presented her new website this past weekend and we absolutely LOVE it! Check it our here.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Romantic, Vintage Wedding in McKinney – Marandah and Weston

Posted by Kelly Simants

Marandah-Weston Inspiration Board - DRAFT

Ohhh sweet Marandah and Weston…this couple is so IN LOVE.  They met at Texas A&M and couldn’t be more perfect for each other…they’re even both adorable redheads! :)  When I first met with Marandah and her mom Angie (who also couldn’t be any sweeter) they had 5 months left until their big day, and still needed to book quite a few vendors, decide on their event decor/design, and just needed help in general to drive their overall planning checklist, budget, and pull all of the details together.  The one thing Marandah knew she absolutely had to have was a bouquet similar to a picture she pulled from a magazine (it’s the bouquet in the inspiration board above).  So, with that one image I was able to ask her a ton of questions to draw out of her what she actually did know – what she likes, and loves!  We designed the inspiration board above with romantic, vintage elements and she fell in love! With this design board in hand, we used it as we met with her Florist, Rental Companies, and Cake Baker.  We even shared it with her Photography, Stacy Reeves, so that she knew what kind of ambiance Marandah was going for.  It truly helped everyone to see Marandah’s vision and as you’ll see in the images below…her vision truly did come to life!

Without further ado, please enjoy the images below…thanks to the amazingly talented (and super fun) Stacy Reeves for capturing their big day! Stacy, you rock and we’re so honored to work with you!! (Be sure to check out Stacy’s blog for her write-up of Marandah and Weston’s wedding as well as Marandah’s bridal session!)

 

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Also, here is their highlights video from Daniel at Lynn Films – thank you Daniel!!

Fabulous Wedding Pros Marandah and Weston Selected:

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Adorable Custom Ornaments from Paloma’s Nest

Posted by Meaghan Cody

It’s hard to believe that December is already here! We just love the holidays here at Sweet Pea Events, almost as much as we love to share fun things that we find. As we all started putting up our trees and began to decorate we thought that we would share these super cute ornaments that we have found. Our good friends at Paloma’s Nest have their Holiday Collection items on their website and they are just too cute to pass up. Here are some of our favorites below. We hope that you love them as much as we do. Make sure to place your order today so that they arrive in time to give one as a gift, or to decorate on your tree! Happy ornament shopping!

All of the below images are from Paloma’s Nest:

Detail of gilded ornament

White ceramic ornament with cut-out silhouette (lamb or pony), customized with baby's name

Paloma’s Nest has also commissioned the amazingly talented Moya Minns from MM Ink to do a new line of ring bearer bowls. With her stunning calligraphy and Paloma’s fabulous bowls these items are to die for! Congrats on a terrific partnership, ladies! :)

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Enjoy!

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

5 Ways to De-Stress During Your Engagement and Holiday Season

by Meaghan Cody

Slide Show Image

Photography from Sprinkles.com

With the holiday season underway, we know that so many of you are recently engaged – CONGRATS!  After getting engaged and beginning the planning process of your big day, you may find yourselves becoming overwhelmed and stressed out. We at Sweet Pea Events are here to remind you that your wedding planning season should be a joyful time, not stressful. We know that you want your day to be perfect and special in every way, but taking care of yourself and your fiancĂ© is one of the most important things to be mindful of.

We would like to share 5 ways that you can de-stress during this busy holiday season while you’re also planning your wedding:

1.  Schedule regular date nights: Immerse yourselves in the fun and happiness that you and your fiancĂ© bring each other.  Some fun ideas: look at holiday lights together, make a gingerbread house, decorate your tree together, take a cooking class, go wine tasting, find a local tree lighting festival or parade, bake some holiday treats for neighbors or co-workers…the possibilities are endless. :)

2. Create a holiday tradition together:  You can take one of our date activity ideas above and make it a tradition so that every year you can look forward to making your annual gingerbread house, going ice skating, whatever it may be.  Think of the traditions that you enjoyed growing up, and incorporate them into your relationship now so that you can look forward to these traditions every year when you’re husband and wife.

3. Treat yourself to something festive: Peppermint Mochas from Starbucks, Eggnog Spice cupcakes from Sprinkles, or a “Sugar Plum” pedi. For those of you in the Dallas area, The Crescent Hotel is featuring this amazing pedicure for the holidays that sounds amazing! We just googled “holiday pedicure Dallas” and found this one so wherever you’re located in the world, you can search online and likely find something similar! :)

4. Give back: If you’ve ever volunteered your time or money, you know that more often that not you receive more than you are giving.  There is just something wonderful about giving to those in need and it’s one way to keep perspective and not to sweat the small stuff.  You could volunteer at a soup kitchen, adopt a family for Christmas who is in need of clothes and gifts for their children, etc.

5. Take care of yourself: By eating right, exercising and getting enough sleep, you will be able to deal with any stress that might come your way much better when you are well rested.  Often easier said than done during the holiday season, but we know how frazzled we get when we don’t take care of ourselves.  Just a reminder to slow down, enjoy this engagement and holiday season, and incorporate one or more of these ideas into your life so you don’t let your emotions and stress get the best of you!

Cheers to a stress-free engagement and holiday season! :)

No-Bake Winter Wonderland Gingerbread House Kit

Image by www.williamsonoma.com