Excellent Events

Guest Blogger Stephanie Buttrill is an account supervisor at Ketchum, the public relations agency for FedEx Office. She was married in April 2009, and has had some great ideas for the Out of Office Wedding Series based on her own wedding planning adventures! We loved Stephanie’s guest book idea and asked her to share it with our readers. 

All the weddings I’ve ever been to (which admittedly are few at my ripe old age of 27!) have featured some kind of guest sign-in book on a table by the entrance. I suppose the bride imagines this book full of signatures will serve as a record of sorts, reminding her years from now just who made it to her big day…and how good their penmanship is. I wanted a reminder too, but figured there had to be a better way to do it.

As an avid scrapbooker in my scant free time, I thought: why not combine the scrapbook model with the traditional guest book? In my version of the book, the pages are split evenly between photos and messages from guests, which are tucked inside small envelopes I found in my wedding colors.   

...read more

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Now that the major details of my fast-approaching wedding are nailed down, I’ve been looking for ways to make the event unique and special for our families and guests. One way that I’m honoring our parents and families is by putting both sets of our parents’ wedding pictures on the guest book table beside our engagement picture. Another way is by putting a modern spin on the guest book…a wedding tree.

I have a lovely satin guest book, replete with beads and a bow, but this “guest book” is different. Basically, it’s a sketch of a tree without leaves that I’ll frame for our guests to “sign” using their thumbprints to make the leaves.

Yes, our guests will sign the fancy traditional book on the day of the wedding, but at the rehearsal dinner - where our immediate family and wedding party will be in attendance - we’ll ask them to complete our tree.  ...read more

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Guest Blogger Amanda Emmert is in her senior year at a university in Dallas and plans to pursue a career in marketing. This busy volleyball player is also planning a June wedding and made some terrific save the dates that we wanted to share.  

Let’s face it…planning a wedding is not always as fun as you imagine it to be. There are so many small details that can turn an excited bride-to-be into a big stressball. There’s coordinating specifics, paying unrealistically large sums of money, and trying to please your mother. 

On a lighter note, there are some fun highlights amidst the consultations and the bills. I have, luckily, booked all my major vendors and taken care of décor/dresses for my June wedding; throughout this process, one of my favorite things that I’ve done thus far was designing my “Save the Dates.” ...read more

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St. Patrick’s Day is such a fun holiday. With green galore, shamrock fun, and “Kiss Me” pins, this is a day full of festivity. Whether you’re Irish, part Irish (like me), or not is really no matter – March 17^th is a holiday when everyone can enjoy the playful Irish spirit and celebrate! For this week’s round-up, I pulled up some fabulous Irish crafts, recipes and activities to make any St. Patty’s Day parties you’re planning or attending an emerald gem! ...read more

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I have a confession: I am obsessed with children’s birthday parties. I love planning them, I love going to them, and I especially love the creativity that they allow. After doing a few myself and helping friends with others, I have put together a few tips for hosting a great children’s birthday party. ...read more

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One of my favorite movies of all time is The Wedding Planner starring Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey. In the movie, Jennifer has this one line that goes… “You know the expression, ‘Those who don't do teach? Well those who don't wed plan!’” Oh yes, that line just speaks volumes about my life. I’m one of the few gals among my group of friends that hasn’t married or had kids yet. So when it comes to these monumental life-changing moments, I’m the one on the sidelines just observing and taking it all in.

All that mental note-taking has prepared me for my family’s most joyous occasion this year — my sister’s wedding in June! Now I can share my wealth of knowledge with my sister, Denit – who by the way is nothing like me. I am super-organized, somewhat tech-savvy, and all about the details whereas she is NOT! On top of that, we have differing opinions on the perfect wedding ceremony. ...read more

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I am sooo excited…the Oscars take place on March 7th – something I watch as devoutly as many people watch the Super Bowl. And this year it’s bigger and better than ever with 10 films to pick from for Best Picture. I think that calls for a celebration! Pop the popcorn, bring out the Junior Mints and invite your favorite film friends over for a “night at the Oscars” party.

Because of all the great titles up for the award this year, I thought I’d throw an idea out there. Rather than just having some friends over to watch the stars and critique the fashions – maybe this year it’s time to get into the Academy Awards action by bringing Hollywood home. Bring the movies to life at the party by asking all the guests to dress as a character in one of the nominated films. And with the movies this year, things could get very interesting! ...read more

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My husband and I have never been big fans of Valentine’s Day…it seems like the restaurants are always crowded and everything is over-priced. But now that we have a two-year-old, I want him to appreciate the general meaning and sentiment behind the holiday. And, it is a nice reminder that we all need to stop every now and then to say how much we care about each other! So I’m thinking of hosting a Valentine’s theme play date at my house this year for Tate’s friends and their moms.

If you want to host your own family celebration, here are some of my top ideas to make your home look fun and festive with some Valentine’s Day decor. ...read more

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I have finally put the house back in order from the holidays. Now, it’s on to the next event -- which is hosting a dinner party for my parents and in-laws. While they’ve met before, this will be the first dinner at our house since we got married last summer.  ...read more

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Throwing a holiday party this year? Well I wish I had the time, as I love hosting parties with a personal touch. One idea I’ve loved since I first saw it comes from my friend Robyn. I was at her wedding in Seattle earlier this year, where she had the place cards in the photo above. I loved how elegant the dark metallic frames were, coupled with the detailed scrollwork around the names. I wanted to share with you all in case Robyn’s creativity sparks some ideas for your upcoming events!

If you want to make them or something similar, here are some pointers. You can pick up the frames (2”x3”) at a local party store. The name cards can be easily designed using word processing software and free clip art, and printed out on standard card stock. And if you wanted to carry this design across other event stationery – like invitations, menu cards, buffet cards, hostess gifts, and more – it’s as simple as using the matching graphic, font and color scheme in all the materials. ...read more

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