Reception Week

It's reception week over at theknot.com. Recently, they posted a slideshow entitled Wedding Flowers: 7 Reception Decor Ideas. It's definitely worth "the read."

My favorite ideas: Fabric wrapped vases (pictured) and Attention grabbing bouquet wraps, which work especially well in monochromatic color schemes. Not only do they help break up the uniformity, but they also add texture and personality to your decor!

For more ideas or to see more reception related slideshows, visit theknot.com

Sweet Table Chicago

I recently came across this sweet little company specializing in dessert table design, and thought "how genius!" With the dessert table trend gaining momentum, I couldn't resist mentioning them on our blog.

Sweet Table was started by Kathleen Olsen, a self-proclaimed dessert gourmand from Chicago. The idea behind her company is simple: to give people a completely customized sweets table for their special event. Whether it's a wedding, birthday, prom, or even an ordinary July 4 celebration, Kathleen can find a way to capture the essence of any event and make it truly enticing.

Need proof? Check out these decadent designs created for a Wedding Vow Renewal.


If you manage to pry your eyes off of those mouth watering truffles for a second, you'll notice the monogrammed cookies at the bottom of the photo. How adorable!




I can not get over this fab idea! I'm loving the "crystals in the box and the apothecary jar in the background.


Who needs a cupcake tower when you can have a miniature wedding cake tower!?



Go to Sweet Table Chicago to view more of Kathleen's fab and yummy designs!

Le Moulin Rouge

Back in March, C&C headed down south to Atlanta, GA to coordinate a charity event hosted by the Marcus Stroud Foundation. For those who don't know who or what the Marcus Stroud Foundation is, allow me to briefly introduce you...

Marcus is the starting defensive tackle for the NFL Buffalo Bills. More than that, however, he is a philanthropist who strongly believes in the power of a helping hand. In 2007 he founded the Marcus Stroud Foundation, an organization that sets out to establish various academic and athletic programs for under-privileged youth--particularly in low-income, single-parent homes. The goal is simple: to enrich the lives of children, offer them support, and encourage their wholesome development for a brighter future.

On Friday, March 26 guests gathered at the Opera Atlanta for Le Moulin Rouge, a fundraising event that benefitted Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Hughes Spalding. We had a great night planned for everyone--from live human statues and entertainment by R&B artist, Lina, to themed food stations, a premium open bar and even an aerial fire show! The event was meant to "wow" the crowd; and they were definitely "wowed!" Everywhere you turned, there was something to see, and the entertainment just kept coming with three dance performances from highly acclaimed choreographers. CiCi Kelly (featured on Showtime at the Apollo and Good Day Philadelphia), Victor M. Jackson, II (known for his work with Ciara, Keri Hilson, Lil Wayne and Mario, among others) and Quincy Lamar (featured in Stomp the Yard and The Notebook) were gracious enough to have their choreography grace the floors of the Opera.

Of course an event like this would not be complete without a silent auction featuring fabulous items. Up for grabs were travel, dining and resort packages, rare sports memorabilia and Honesty Jewelry by Nicole Jones (wife of Chicago's very own White Sox player, Andruw Jones). Perhaps the cherry on top for this event (ironically occurring prior to the event) was the Meet & Greet with Marcus Stroud and other participating athletes and celebrities (Deon Grant, Seattle Seahwaks; George Wilson, Buffalo Bills; Fred Taylor, New England Patriots; Mike Peterdon, Atlanta Falcons --Just to name a few). I guess in this case, dessert before the main course is ok! :)

Thanks to all who came out and showed their support, and special thanks to the Marcus Stroud Foundation for allowing C&C to be a part of such a spectacular event!

Voted 2010 Bride’s Choice!!!

Chicago, Illinois – January 18, 2010 - WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced C&C Event Planning & Mgt., Inc. has been selected to receive the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™ for Wedding Planners!

The annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ recognizes and celebrates excellence in quality and service within the wedding industry, as determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 500,000 newlyweds.

C&C Event Planning & Mgt., Inc. is among the top five percent of all vendors in the WeddingWire community, which includes over 100,000 wedding professionals across the US and Canada. Awards were given to winners across 19 different service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers.

“We are excited to recognize and honor the success of the top wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “The annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ program has given us the unique opportunity to highlight the best wedding professionals in each region as reviewed by brides and grooms who have utilized their services in the past year.”

We are happy to announce that C&C Event Planning & Mgt., Inc. is among the very best {Enter Your Service Category} within the WeddingWire Network, which includes WeddingWire and Martha Stewart Weddings. We would like to thank our past newlyweds for nominating us for the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™.

We're Featured in Michigan Avenue Magazine

Check it out! Kristie Sams-Faulkner, owner of C&C Even Planning & Mgt., Inc. was in the July Issue of Michigan Avenue Magazine. Featured, Your's Truly with Mr. & Mrs. Danny Clark (w/the NY Giants). Check out page 41!

The magazine showcases the Who's Who of Chicago and the most exclusive Chicagoland Events. I def. wouldn't put me in the Who's Who list but Exclusive Events category, you BET! I had such a blast planning Danny's Gala for his foundation!

Thank you to the editors of Michigan Avenue Magazine.

Top 9 Wedding Music Mistakes Not to Make

The Knot recently put out a list of the Top 9 Wedding Music Mistakes Not to Make! Here they are below!

#1: Starting the Ceremony in Silence
Because of the focus on your big entrance, it's easy to forget that chunk of wedding ceremony time before you appear. There will likely be 20-30 minutes where your guests will be waiting for the service to start -- don't try their patience with absolute silence.

#2: Skipping the Sound Check
With destination weddings growing more popular, brides and grooms have to consider making remote locations microphone-friendly. Be sure to carefully assess the setting when coordinating with performers. Crashing waves could easily drown out a string quartet or trio of flutes, and a windy mountain peak could render even the strongest voice silent.

#3: Offending your Officiant
It may be your wedding day, but unfortunately it's not your church. When it comes to ceremony music, many churches and synagogues have certain rules and regulations that will affect your choice of tunes that can be played as you walk up the aisle.

#4: The Unending First Dance
You may have fallen in love to "Free Bird" but imagine how long nine minutes and eight seconds will feel alone on the dance floor. Pay careful attention to your love song's length before committing to it for your first dance.

#5: Letting the DJ Take Control
Don't fall into the trust trap just because your DJ has a fabulous reputation. While you should be comfortable letting your band guide the music, providing a play list (or better yet a no-playlist) will leave you happier in the end. You certainly don't want a song with painful associations to pop up unexpectedly.

#6: Blowing Out the Speakers
Despite the presence of alcohol and all your college friends, a wedding shouldn't resemble a frat party. Club-level volume during the reception will frustrate older family members and make it impossible for your guests to talk to one another.

#7: Playing Punk Songs During Dinner
Sure you want to hear everything in your iTunes collection, but don't destroy your sit-down dinner because you had to fit "I Wanna Be Sedated" in there somewhere. Music should fit the mood of the moment.

#8: Rocking Out to R-rated Songs
Yes, these are more liberal times, but be careful not to confuse progressive with perverted. This is your day, and you shouldn't focus on pleasing everyone with your musical selection, but there's a glaring line you should avoid crossing. "Humpty Dance" -- fair. "The Thong Song" -- pushing it.

#9: Too Much of a Good Thing
You both may truly love late '80s hair bands, but five full hours of Def Leppard and someone might actually go deaf. A night of Nirvana or a rap-based reception is just as bad.

Paper Flowers at Paper Platypus

Recently, my good friends, Robin and Alex, were getting ready for their wedding in New Hampshire and didn't have a huge budget to spend on their wedding. They decided to make their own flowers for the boutonnieres, bouquets, and table arrangements to save some money. Although it took them awhile to make all the flower arrangements, they saved a LOT of money, the flowers were unique, and they didn't have to worry about the flowers dying and browning in the hot weather. I should note that their wedding ceremony and reception was outside in the middle of August! They were even featured in The Knot for their creativity! Check out their pictures from The Knot below.

Although they made their own flowers, there are companies available that will do the work for you and still make your event unique and affordable! I really like Paper Platypus. They can be found on Etsy, of course:) Look at their individual mums below; they look so real!