Top 10 Winter Wonderland Event Trends - Part III

Are we all ready for the thrilling conclusion to our countdown of the top 10 Winter event trends?  I know I am... so without delay, here's numbers 1-4!

4)  Everything Ombre - You may have noticed the stunningly popular ombre style trend everywhere from hair color to cake design and everything in between, but ombre has made its way into holiday events in a big way.  From the invitation:

To the decor:

To the cake:

And even the party favors:

Ombre is a trendy way to work big color into your event in a soft and subdued way.  

3) Formalize your invites - Holiday parties can run the gamut from low key gatherings to full on formal affairs, but the trendy event will incorporate formal elements in its invite no matter what the tone of the celebration!  Calligraphy and swirly designs dominate while Santa, the elves, and reindeer are no where to be found.  

You can still set the tone for your guests by choosing a whimsical color palette or by being specific about the formality of the evening (i.e. "We invite you to a formal holiday affair" vs. "We invite you to an evening of fun and laughter as we celebrate the holidays).  You can also provide guidance on the expected attire to let your guests know what to expect (i.e. Casual attire vs. Black tie invited).  There's also the option to let your guests know what they will be doing at the party like in the invitation below.  Few of us will wear black tie attire to a screening of Bad Santa!

2) Serve your hot chocolate on a stick - Of course the DIY bar has been making the rounds at events for a few years now, but this new take on the hot chocolate bar is about as trendy as they come.  This idea can be completed with ready made hot chocolate sticks which can be purchased at many online vendors, or this is also an awesome place to DIY.

Just place your hot chocolate sticks out in a pretty serving dish, along with steaming hot milk in a carafe, and whatever mix-ins your heart desires.  Some of our favorites are the classic marshmallow, salted caramel, peppermint bark, crystallized ginger, and cinnamon sticks, but the choices are endless!

You can also bag the hot chocolate sticks up and offer them as an amazing party favor for your guests.

And... drumroll please...

1) Let them eat pie - No you're not experiencing déjà vu, you have definitely read about the mini pie buffet table on our blog before.  I'm just that good at predicting the season's biggest trends, so I've been talking about the mini pie buffet for a long time!  Pies evoke the warmth and sentiment of family holidays and are a staple dessert for most holiday dinners, so it's no wonder that they're such a hot trend when served smorgasbord style in bite-sized servings.

 The variety of desserts that you'll be able to offer as a result of the small serving sizes will be greatly appreciated by your guests and the stunning display will be colorful, whimsical, and sophisticated when you utilize different methods of serving the bite sized pies.  For instance, don't make each pie a crust topped carbon copy that you need to bite into to know what's inside.  Try serving your chocolate coconut cream pie like this:

and your banana cream pie like this:

Your guests won't be able to stop themselves from trying all of your yummy varieties and they certainly won't forget what an amazing party you threw when they round off the night like this!

If you're looking for a little help bringing your holiday party to life, there's still time to call us to help!  We would love to help you work these trends into your holiday event, or even help you start your own trends.  Until next time!

Top 10 Winter Wonderland Trends Part II

There couldn't be a more perfect time to share the heavily anticipated 5-7 trends for winter entertaining as I sit sipping hot chocolate on this super chilly Sacramento evening.  Here they are!

7.  Winterize your beverages - While eggnog is the classic winter cocktail, not all of your guests will want to indulge in the raw egg containing beverage.  So mix it up with other slightly reinvented winter classics like peppermint white hot chocolate:

or a hot apple pie hot toddy:

Your guests will appreciate the variety and the ode to the holiday season all at once!

6. Go easy on the flowers - This is a trend that your pocketbook is going to love as much as you do!  Winter events are the perfect place to use the manzanita tree or other branch designs in place of floral arrangements.  You will get the height and drama that you want from your floral arrangements, while playing up the beauty of the season.  My favorite manzanita tree centerpiece uses garlands of votive candles and a few orchids to create the perfect blend of low lighting and breathtaking beauty.

You can even add wintry elements to your bridal bouquet!  The silver berries and pine cone clusters set off the white roses perfectly.

5. Candlelight, period - Candles have long been the staple of event decorating, but this season, candles are an even hotter trend.  Create a warm, cozy, welcoming environment by working candles in wherever you can.  Hurricane candles are a perfect way to decorate a fireplace mantle:

Or create a centerpiece of candles of varying heights and sizes to offer your guests the ever coveted and romantic candlelit dinner experience.

You can even work the winter theme even more by adding epsom salt to your candle holder (like these Ball cans) to look like beautiful snow.  The subtle glitter of the salt will play beautifully with the dancing light of the candle.

We'll break down the top four winter entertaining trends in tomorrow's blog, so stay tuned!

Top 10 Trends for Winter Wonderland Events - Part I

Tired of the same old red and green holiday events?  Winter entertaining doesn't have to mean holly berries and spruce!  So for my newest blog series, I wanted to usher in the holiday season with some contemporary and sophisticated ideas for making your holiday parties unique and memorable.  I've also worked some DIY ideas in here as we all know that I love crafting personal elements for your events. So without further adieu, here are trends 8-10.

10) White is the new black - is there anything more breathtaking than a sweeping view of fresh fallen snow?  You can recreate that clean and fresh look by using white as the predominant color in your decorating palette.  Couple the white with gold for a more regal look like the lounge above, or pair it with a dark neutral color for the more understated or rustic look in the photo below.

To make these simple and affordable centerpieces, simply fill glass vases of varying sizes and shapes with a few inches of white sand and arrange several twigs in each.  

9) Work the holiday theme with subtlety - We've all been to that party where we are suffocated by the Santa impersonators, Christmas trees, and snowflake cutouts that are overwhelming the space, but the trend in holiday parties now is definitely less is more.  Choose a few elements to showcase the holiday theme and weave them in to your decor seamlessly.  One of my favorite ideas are these easy to make escort card holders that work in both the winter wonderland and holiday theme.

To make these ornament placeholders, simply use transparent ornaments (available for about $.50 each from millions of online vendors) and fill them about 1/4 of the way with tiny white beads or bagged snow.  Then, using "scribble" paint, draw a few snowflakes on the ornament.  Voila!  A beautiful, classic way to escort your guests to their seats in picture-perfect holiday style.  

8) Serve holiday comfort foods in fashionable appetizer portions - There's no such thing as a Christmas dinner without mashed potatoes, right?  Or maybe you're more of a macaroni and cheese person around the holidays?  Why not combine those holiday comfort foods with one of the trendiest ideas in entertaining right now and serve appetizer portions in various sizes and styles of glassware like these macaroni and cheese martini glasses:

or these mashed potato shot glasses:

Not only will this idea be stylish and fun, it will allow you to accommodate your guests' many different tastes and prevent you from having to make a 4 course meal.  It's also a fun cocktail hour idea.

Check back in to the blog tomorrow to see trends 5-7!

Carrying the vineyard theme through to catering

Of course the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a vineyard wedding is wine, and while it's a great first step, there are many ways to carry your vineyard wedding theme through to your food and beverage selections.  Here are a few of my favorites:

1) Try using wine barrels as bases for your buffet or dessert tables.

The modular nature of the wine barrels will allow you to set up one longer table or several smaller tables around your reception or cocktail hour space and the rustic charm of the weathered wood adds elegance and warmth.  The addition of the chandelier is a great way to make the table draw attention with a touch of dramatic lighting.

2) Set up wine and cheese pairing stations.

This is one of my favorite cocktail hour ideas!  You can set up several stations at different areas throughout the cocktail hour space, which encourages your guests to move around and interact with one another while preventing traffic jams in front of one large table.  You can provide descriptions for each pairing in a decorative frame on each table and allow your guests the opportunity to find a new favorite.  This is also great way to cut down on the pricier cocktails that your guests might consume during cocktail hour.

3) Serve a plated meal with a wine reduction.

 

There are few things that I love more in life than a steak smothered in a cabernet reduction and I'm willing to bet your guests will agree!  The sweet, woody flavor of the cabernet combines perfectly with the flavor of the beef and the bordeaux coloration of the sauce makes for a beautiful plated presentation.  Seared scallops in a white wine reduction are also pretty gosh darn tasty and provide a seafood option for your guests.

4) Let your cake get viney.

  

Molded sugar, fondant, and marzipan all make great options for designing a delicious grape vine to cascade down your tiered wedding cake.  The understated elegance of the vine allows you to go with a very basic design for your cake tiers or you can choose to dress it up with textures and colors.

And since I can't get enough of cake balls these days - I love them!

Wine Country Weddings

There's just something about the rustic charm of a vineyard that screams romance; thus, it's the perfect locale for an enchanting wedding.  The vast grounds make for gorgeous photo ops and with Northern California's vast array of vineyards, the venue options are nearly endless!  Whether you're looking for a stunning outdoor wedding...

... or a remarkable reception in the barrel room

...there are so many possibilities for a uniquely beautiful wedding!  So for today's blog, I wanted to share a few of my favorite wine country elements.

I've always loved the classic wine cork escort card for vineyard weddings, but recently I've been inspired to experiment with some new escort card variations, like this wine glass escort display.  Each square of the rustic wooden display case is numbered for each individual table and the escort cards for each guest at the table are secured to a personalized wine glass (which doubles as a favor) with a beautiful wine glass charm.

That's not to say that there aren't plenty of places to work corks into your vineyard wedding theme!  One of my favorites is the cork succulent planter favors that one of our brides DIY'ed.  The corks are hollowed out, planting soil and a beautiful succulent clipping are added and voila... an awesome (and really inexpensive!) favor is born!

And let's not forget the wine bottle centerpieces!  This is one of my absolute favorite elements of the wine country wedding, as there are so many opportunities to showcase the couple's unique style with color and height variations.  For this autumn, rustic themed wedding, the bride's love of calla lilies played perfectly into wine bottle bud vases atop wooden moss-covered boxes that display the table number.

Hmm... all of this wine talk has got me pining for a glass, but stay tuned this weekend as I showcase some more of my favorite vineyard themed elements!

Autumn Wedding Inspiration

The heat wave is finally over in Northern California and the brisk air and brilliant colors make a perfect backdrop for a beautiful autumn wedding!  We don't often think of autumn as prime wedding season, but autumn weddings tend to be a lot easier on your pocket book than a summer affair.  Not only can you take advantage of off-season pricing from your venue and vendors, but your guests will appreciate the off-peak travel prices.  In addition to the cost savings, the autumn theme allows for a cornucopia (see the Thanksgiving reference there?) of decorating, favor, and even cuisine ideas.  Here are some of my favorites!

A mini-pie bar:

Who doesn't wait all year for Thanksgiving dessert?  Pies are definitely the dessert of the season and make a great addition to your dessert table or as a cake alternative.  A cupcake tower makes for a beautiful display of mini-pies in a variety of flavors, all of which evoke great holiday memories for your guests. 

Oktoberfest-inspired beer tasting station: 

This is an idea that will make your groomsmen giddy while helping to save on your bar bill.  Set up a tasting station that offers several different varieties of beer, ranging from light to dark and provide the descriptions of each of the beers as your guests make their way through the flight.  It's a fun way to incorporate autumn's drink of choice, and while your guests are drinking beer, they're staying away from the more expensive cocktail options at the bar.

Dark neutral color palettes with a jewel tone accent:

While you might immediately picture your autumn wedding in oranges and reds, why not try a dark neutral color scheme that allows you to incorporate natural elements like branches and acorns?  Pair the neutral scheme with a jewel tone for beautiful pops of color will stand out against the dark backdrop and provide a very elegant tone for your event.

Decorating with wheat:

Brides often tell me that they're afraid of autumn weddings because flowers are harder to come by off-season.  Though many popular floral varieties are not in season during this time of the year, there are so many great and creative bouquet and decorating options including wheat!  Gathering wheat into bunches and tying with a beautiful ribbon adds an elegant yet rustic touch to any autumn wedding.

Contact us today for your free initial consultation to start planning your autumn wedding!

The Brand New La Dolce Vita Events Blog

Event planning is my passion.  Even when I'm not planning an event for a client, I'm browsing the internet and magazines for awesome ideas, tips, and details that I can share with my clients in the future.  Needless to say, I have accumulated a lot of ideas over the years and I am excited to finally find a place to share them!

On this blog, I will share with you tips I think are important for planning a Northern California wedding or event, ideas that I love for all different event styles, and amazing products that might be perfect for your big day (like the ones below)!  I will also be sharing some photos of our clients' recent events.  If there are any topics that you would like to see covered on the blog, contact us and you'll see your blog topic here ASAP!  

Thank you for stopping by and check back often!

Today's unique wedding details:

Looking for a cake alternative or a dessert table treat that evokes the classic cake flavor but comes in a unique and super cute package?  How about cake truffles?  These custom cake truffles can be color customized to coordinate with your event color scheme. They also come in your choice of cake flavor.  And at only $2.00 a truffle, you can make quite the truffle display for the cost of an average cake.  These can be found at Etsy.com, seller cocoaconfections.

I love the idea of a rhinestoned something blue on the bottom of the bride's shoes!  It's perfect for the bride who is looking to quietly add a little "bling"to her ensemble.  And your photographer will love experimenting with shooting them!  These can be found at Etsy.com, seller idoshoestickers.