Friday, August 29, 2008

Get your Irish up!


Its the 11th Annual Newport Waterfront Irish Festival this week end Experience the Emerald Isle in the City by the Sea.
This 3-day community event celebrates Irish music, culture, cuisine and crafts.
At the Newport Yachting Center
Address: 4 Commercial Wharf, Newport, RI 02840
Phone: 401-846-1600
http://www.newportfestivals.com/Irish-Festival

Its the perfect wedding weeking for the Irish bride.

Inspeiration ....Boxwood


This weekend’s bride found inspiration starting in her Vera Wang gown. By taking a visual queue from her marquisate trim. We used tin floral containers and boxwood garland for the tent poles, buffet stations and cake table. To complete the story line she reinterpreted this Martha Stewart wedding cake. It was a perfect Newport garden wedding for a perfectly wonderful Newport bride.

Thanks Alison and Adam for making this such a joyful year of wedding planning bliss! I can't wait to see Christian Oths photos!

Sail Boat Name Tags

These charming nametags can be used for Welcome bags, Escort cards or Place cards. At 76 cents a tag you now can afford a calligrapher!

To Order the tags
Nancy@anewportaffaire.com
917 355 0689

So sorry... the blue and white bags are no longer available

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Build your own Irish Pub at The Seamen's Church Institute




The Seamen's Church Institute Library maded a wonderful venue for a welcome dinner. By bringing in our own caterer and trio to play Sea Chanteys and Irish music, we had the perfect setting to unwined after a long day of travel and site seeing.

Thanks Jack... We had a wonderful time!

Seamen's Church Institute
18 Market Square
Newport, RI 02840, US
401 847 4260

A Folk Art Welcome


This Weekend A Newport Affaire did an A Folk Art Welcome Party for a couple who embraced Newport and its history.
So I created Folk Art Topiary in a vintage crock with red apples, rosehips, green acorns and seeded eucalyptus.
Nantucket baskets were filled with the same with small folk art sayings like “Do you like to dance?” “ Welcome friends” and “Sit long talk much!”. Small pond yachts were alternated on the cocktail tables.

Flowers by Nancy Swiezy Events www.anewportaffaire.com
Signs by www.simplygiannaprimitives.com

The Differance between a "in house" planner and a independent planner

Question to a wedding planner
"I'm having a destination wedding at a venue that employs an in-house planner, and she hasn't consulted me on some decisions. How should I handle this?"

While the answer given was good, it was very much incomplete. Here's why; the answer didn't explain that perhaps what the bride was expecting the planner to do, wasn't at all her job. You see, an onsite (or in-house) planner is typically only responsible for things that happen onsite and that are relative to the site and its staff- and NOTHING else.

So, then what's the difference? I'm going to clear this up once and for all. The best way to find out what exactly your "included" planner will do...ask. Here are a few really good questions. And yes, the crazy seeming ones, I have actually had to do."Hello Onsite Planner, ! I have a few questions for you. Yes or no answers please."
Will you...
1. Call all the vendors on your preferred vendors list and see if they are available for my wedding and in my budget? And if not, will you get me 3 more options who are?
2. Create a budget for me for everything wedding day related?
3. Write and hand out both wedding party and guest list itineraries?
4. Compile all the goodies for the welcome bags and make sure all the hotels get them just before guests arrive?
5. Give me stationary and etiquette advice?
6. Keep my mother at the cocktail hour, far from me during photos, with a full gin and tonic and away from crazy Uncle Steve?
7. Schedule and attend all the vendor meetings with me?
8. Review all the contracts I'll have to sign?
9. Prepare a detailed timeline for my day as well as one for all the vendors working at my wedding?
10. Go out and find my new father-n-law size 12.5 brown leather lace free yet wedding appropriate shoes when his sole falls off during the ceremony and make sure that you're back in time for him to be introduced into the dinner reception?
11. Call and confirm all the vendors have been paid, are going to show up, if they need anything further, and that they do in fact know not to say anything about the surprise grooms cake.
12. Find a replacement tuxedo for the best man the morning of the wedding when it arrives blue and not black?
13. Help me create design options for my wedding?
14. Research and find favors, a unique escort card display and super cool fun things for my guests to do at my wedding?
15. Help me plan a welcome reception, grooms outing, bridesmaids luncheon, and rehearsal dinner? Oh, and a farewell brunch too? Oh, but not all at your site of course.
16. Figure out all the rentals I'll need, order them, and then oversee the installation?
17. Stay for the entire wedding and then check under every single table for lost shoes and purses after everyone leaves?
18. Run the rehearsal?
19. Email me when you find flip flops on clearance at Old Navy and then fight with them until they agree to send all 775 to you, even if it does clean out their stock?
20. Have an emergency kit prepared for me and my bridesmaids?
21. Make sure there are hsopitality baskets in the restrooms?
22. Politely explain to the make-up artist that my eyes look ridiculous so I don't have to feel awkward?"

Here is one thing I want to make perfectly clear- onsite planners or coordinators are wonderful and very helpful and are responsible for an enormous amount of work that you will never even realize. I just feel that its important to know that what an independent wedding planner such as myself does, is not what 95% of onsite planners do...2 different job descriptions.

This is a reprint from Kelly McWilliams Weddings by Socialites www.weddingsbysocialites.blogspot.com
Thnaks Kelly

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Is there such thing as a Perfect $$$ Bag


Talking about money can be considered some what vulgar in certain social circles. So what’s a bride to do when her guests start showering her with envelopes ?
I advised one bride to have on hand a small Tiffany bag. This way it looked like some one simple gave her a gift. You could have a small tote bag made out of the fabric from your gown. Or for a garden wedding I'm suggesting my next bride to use a small Nantucket Basket.
Presentation boxes or displays for the checks?
Its just never done at society weddings.

A Tisket a Tasket....

Lightship Baskets are unique to the island of Nantucket. But we here in Newport do borrow them from time to time. They make wonderful baskets for maids and flower girls.
To learn about these baskets go to:
www.nantucketlightshipbasketmuseum.org

Monday, August 11, 2008

Newport's King Park Gazebo




The King Park Gazebo is located on Wellington Avenue (off lower Thames Street), which overlooks the Newport Harbor. It is an open air pavilion which is reserved for small wedding ceremonies (not receptions), for a $50.00 reservation fee.The reservation fee is deposited into a facility maintenance account for repairs and painting of the structure. To check availability, please call (401) 845-5800. Photo by m2studios

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Great Gatsby !!!

Start your Sunday by watching the movie "The Great Gatsby" at 11am.
Then tour Rosecliff Mansion,
Then Book it for your Wedding!
It was one of the locations used as Gatsby's house in the film.

The Jane Pickens Theater
Address: 49 Touro Street, Newport, RI 02840
Phone: 401-846-5474
Advance ticket purchase recommended.

Inspiration...Wedgwood



I adore Wedgwood. Personaly I collect the black and white pattern.
But for a Newport wedding there is nothing better than Blue and White.
Here are some Wedgwood Ideas to inspire your wedding.
Hey a girl does need something blue after all!
www.wedgwood.com
CAKE www.edithmeyer.com

Vintage Car Buff

If vintage cars are you thing...

Why don't you plan a May Wedding and give your guests tickets to The Newport Concours d'Elegance.


www.newportconcours.org

It is a charitable organization, committed to the conservation, restoration and preservation of the vintage automobile. We strive to highlight the importance of historic motorcars, by means of exhibition and education.

And what a fun "Save the Date" these Auto cards would make!
www.shackman.com

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Save some cash with your trash!

The great Fats Waller wrote a song call "Get some cash for your trash "What a creative way to reuse old tins and cans for a green garden party.

An Edible Family Tree?

The Cookie Studio makes custom cookies with hand printed images baked into the surface of the cookie.
It’s a picture perfect way to complement your event as a favor or to celebrate the one you love. The cookies come in Vanilla, ginger snaps, Himalayan spice biscuits, lemon, chocolate bourbon, almond or custom vegan and non gluten.
Contact
veronica@cookiestudio.com
www.cookiestudio.com