What to wear to a wedding

So I have been shopping online for something that is cute to wear to my cousin's wedding. Yes I do get to attend weddings and just be a guest occasionally. :) I have been having a hard time finding a dress that isn't too poofy, isn't too shiny, doesn't make my arms look big and definitely isn't too short. Here are a few places that I found that I want something from each...

H&M
Forever 21
Charlotte Russe
Target

Ashley Troyer Events + Goshen, Indiana Businesses Give Away A Wedding!

Finally! We have been waiting to blog this event for soooo long! We have partnered with Downtown Goshen Inc. + Goshen First Fridays to bring Downtown Goshen Throws A Wedding! It started as a simple idea that I would like to have someone have their wedding somewhere “different” – I mentioned an alley or a rooftop, you know somewhere kind of crazy??? Well, after talking with the director from Goshen First Fridays, Grace Hunsberger, we hatched a plan to give a wedding away to a deserving couple and create an event that would be way out of the ordinary! With the help of several gracious businesses we are able to give Heather Gaut + Brent Zebell a wedding on June 4th, 2010!!

Details:
CEREMONY:: The ceremony will take place in an alley beside The Wellness Studio on Main Street during Goshen’s First Fridays, we will be providing the decor and bridal party floral. Jules Boutique will be dressing the girls, Joselena’s will be dressing Heather and Snyder’s Men’s Shop will be getting the groom and groomsmen looking handsome! Cyd Gallery has provided engagement photos and will capture the whole day/evening. Salon J will provide hair and makeup.

RECEPTION:: The party will take place on Washington Street with several vendors providing food and drink for cocktail reception. Gretchen’s Revenge will be playing the ceremony music and we are so excited that Menno Travel Service will be giving Heather and Brent a free honeymoon that is a COMPLETE secret until the night of the wedding!

We can’t wait to complete the event and share all of our hard work with you but we just had to share the news! This definitely could not be possible with out the following amazing Goshen businesses + vendor support!

Accent Framing & Gifts – Bosco’s Place – Constant Spring – Cyd Gallery – Joselena’s – Jule’s Boutique – Kellie Jae’s Cafe + Maple Leaf Farms – Maple City Market – Mattern’s Butcher Shop – Menno Travel Service/American Express – Olympia Candy Kitchen – Salon J – Shutterhug’s – Snyder’s Men’s Shop – South Side Soda Shop – The Cake Shoppe – The Electric Brew – The News Printing Company – The Nut Shoppe – The Wellness Studio – Wedding Day Magazine – Woldruff’s Foot Wear & Apparel

It has been such a pleasure getting to know Heather and Brent and seeing how these two fit together! We simply can not wait to witness these two share their love to their families and we’re so happy we could be apart of making this day happen for them!

I’m still wondering if they’ll let me tag along with them to their Honeymoon destination??? You know, since it’s going to be FABULOUS!!

Ashley Troyer Events - Goshen, Indiana Wedding Planner South Bend, Indiana Wedding Planner Ft. Wayne, Indiana Wedding Planner

It's Official. Blog has moved.

The new blog can be found on our home page. Also for those of you who have us in your blog rolls... here is the new feed for that: feed://ashleytroyerevents.com/feed/ - if you have any problems switching please contact us !

Looking For Exact Colors?

So I was looking through my blog roll and found a post on Pantone wedding colors over at Color Me Inspired {love them!} from yesterday that really had me giddy! So I really wanted to touch on this subject for our local brides NOW before any more wedding paraphernalia purchasing happens! So lets begin...what is Pantone you ask? Great question! It is a renown authority on color in the graphic design world that you use to find exact colors to use for design, publishing + printing purposes. I recently had a chance to find out first hand what Pantone colors were as I chose the colors for my new logo. My graphic designer and I poured over Pantone swatches trying to find that perfect color. So I am familiar on how they work with the graphic design + printing world. Now... adding that into weddings?! That's something that can make me happy! So I went over to the Dessy site to check out exactly what this Pantone collaberation was.

Can I get woot woot?!!! This idea/site is absolutely amazing and something design teams could have only dreamed of! You purchase the swatch cards that are a full 8.5x11" for about $10. This swatch is split up into 14 different cards that you can use for everything! Hand one to your mom so that if she is shopping and finds something perfect, she has your color swatch! Give one to your cake designer so the color is perfect on your cake, give one to your design team so that they can make sure everything they purchase is correct! The possibilities go on and on!

I must say I am so happy with this site! They offer so much, it's incredible! They partnered with Stila to offer a fantastic bridesmaid's gift that is valued around $65 for $29! With this offer you get their quilted clutch which comes in 60 Pantone colors, a matching head wrap, lipstick & lipgloss that come in 4 different colors. PERFECTION! Need a gift for the flower girl? Well... they have matching flower girl doll dresses! WHAT?! Yes! Yes! Yes! You can give your flower girl the exact replica of her dress for her doll! How cute is that?!

So besides offering wedding, bridesmaid + flower girl dresses and accessories, they offer Tuxes as well! No more guessing on coordinating your wedding party! If you thought it couldn't get any better... it does! YOU CAN DESIGN INSPIRATION BOARDS! My favorite! What better way to convey your ideas to your wedding professionals? Having an inspiration board will not only allow them to see what's in your head, but possibly replicate ideas that you have found AND get the colors exactly! Whoah... I think I am about to faint! This way too much for me to handle!

So go over to the Dessy Pantone site, sign up for an account and start working on this! Because we are so impressed, this our new arsenal in Ashley Troyer Events planning + design process. We'll be working this into our design meetings with new brides!

So now that we found something to make our day, our week and possibly our year... we hope you have a fabulous time! :)

{images via Dessy Group }

We're Moving!

We're creating a new site that no longer requires us to host our blog on Blogger. So within the next day or so, we will have a new blog-site which will be accessible through our website - we apologize for the change but we promise it will make EVERYTHING better! :) We'll update this post with a link to subscribe to the new site to make the transition easier.

Thanks for your patience during this change!

What Is An RSVP Service?

A RSVP Service* is a service that someone like Ashley Troyer Events provides to keep track and update all of the RSVP's you have received from your invitations. Included in our service is the option to email + telephone your unresponsive guests to insure an accurate count of all guests. Knowing you have a deadline to meet to make sure all head-counts are turned in to each required vendor, the option to email + telephone is a great way to insure accuracy. We also feature an online database that allows you to log in and add changes as well as see the progression.

Our brides enjoy this service because it gives them peace of mind knowing that a professional is handling and organizing the responses as well as being able to still view and edit information. It's just one more added service that will alleviate the stress and keep you organized!

{Picture via )
*{This service is included in all of our planning packages}

Canning Jars

At a recent wedding we were faced with budgeting issues that led us to be quite creative in the design of the event. So instead of renting or purchasing vases, we used canning jars to display flowers, hold silverware on the tables + as a path to light the way to the event. In fact, I raided my mother in laws cellar to retrieve all of our canning supplies! Whenever we have an issue with budget, we always try to find something that can be borrowed or someone already has. In this particular setting, it was absolutely beautiful!

What common items have you borrowed that added a fantastic design element to your wedding/event?

Wedding Shoes

When shopping for your wedding attire, make sure you include this hot trend to your accessories! Find a pair of shoes in your colors and add a coordinating bag. Let me add a little bit of caution on being aware of what you put on your feet. Make sure it's a solid color, not a busy pattern. Having something so busy will take away from the beauty of your dress, the solid color will add just enough color to be beautiful. I love color, so any way color comes into play... I'm all for it! I also love being able to reuse items, especially shoes. There are not many outfits you can put white shoes on with and still look put together. So having a pair of shoes that you can wear after your wedding is the better deal! This just makes me want to go shoe shopping!!!

{Pictures via Green, Purple, Yellow, Blue , Pink }

Linens... Dress Your Event!

Linens really are a big part of your overall design. Think about it this way... would you wear the dress that the dress shop had as a standard that is very plain and maybe not the most comfortable fabric, in fact maybe it's quite drab looking? Why would you want your tables to look and feel that way as well? I have found over time, the better the look of the linens, the less money you will need to spend in tablescape decor. Most venues that offer linens within their rental agreement are going with a company that does not have the highest quality in linens. Going with a specialty linens can help you find just the right touch. We can help you find the right linen company.

{Photo via BBJ Linen via David Caruso}

3 Ways to Kill Your Wedding Budget!

1. Do Not Set A Budget To Begin With. Not having an idea on what you are going to spend will by far be the #1 to make sure you spend above and beyond what you can afford. Sit down with all of the parties that are going to be investing in your big day and create the budget. At least know what you can spend. Hiring someone like Ashley Troyer Events with a service of budget creation + management will help you pinpoint where your dollars should be spent. Knowing your budget also gives you more a leverage on striking deals. If you can say "I have XXX money in my budget for this service", the vendor may be willing to help you. So know your budget!


2. Never shop around for better deals. Not checking with other vendors in the area for their pricing will definitely kill your budget! Find at least 3 vendors that you are interested in and meet with them. Find out if they will work well with you and do not be afraid to ask for pricing up front. If they are confident in their business then they should be comfortable telling you their pricing structure up front. But also realize that one package may include something the "same" package in another like vendor's package doesn't. Try to compare apples to apples. If you do not need something in their package. Ask for it to be taken out and get a reduction in price.

3. Be afraid to ask for a discount or choose the least expensive option. If you do not ask, you will not recieve! The worst thing you can be told is no. If you go about it in a very mature and nice way your response should be the same. If they can not remove services or offer a discount, go with the least expensive option if you really want to use their service or product.

Cool Candy Anyone? My M&M's!

Okay... so to be completely honest, I am obsessed with My M&M's for weddings, parties, corporate events or just about anything that you can use them for! LOVE THEM!! It's such a unique way to customize + personalize your event with the famous little chocolate candy! With over 22 customizable colors, the ability to put your personalized message or logo + personalized packaging! Check out this link to get discounts.

Have you found any cool customizable candies?

What's Your Bra Size?

No... I don't really want to know your bra size, that's a little personal! :)  But on a serious note... many of you may have heard that anywhere from 80-90% of women have no clue what their actual bra size is! So that means almost all of you are walking around with an uncomfortable situation under those shirts! Eek! So, I have included the way that the Victoria's Secret ladies measure you. It's fast simple, you just need to know a little addition and subtraction to figure it out. Hopefully this will help all of the brides out there find a little more comfort on your wedding day!

Step One: Band Size: Wear a non-padded bra and use a soft tape measure. Hold the tape measure around your back at band level. Then bring it to the front, just above your bust. The resulting number is your band size. Hint: If the number is odd, round down to the closest even number.





Step Two: Bust Measurement: Measure completely around the fullest part of your bust (at nipple level). This is your bust measurement. If this measurement falls on the 1/2 inch, round up.




Step Three: Cup Size: Subtract the band size (step 1) from the bust measurement (step 2). This number equates to the letter of your cup. Bust Measurement - Band Size = Cup Size. For Example : If your bust measurement is 36" and your band size is 34, you wear a B cup. Hint: Every body is different and results may vary slightly.

{Pictures + Bra Sizing via Victoria's Secret}

Bump It!

So I recently purchased this $9.99 treasure at CVS. I was standing in line and saw them sitting on the shelf, I had heard great things about them from a June bride. She had used them and her hair looked fantastic! Truth be told... I could always use a little volume in the back. Ha! So I rushed home to volumize my do. I absolutely loved them! It took just a little teasing and A LOT of hairspray but the end result was so chic I couldn't stop looking in the mirror! I was super amazed by how quick it went and the fact that I had actually accomplished this look all by myself. I would spend almost an hour trying to get my hair to do that cute little bump. So now I am using them on everyone that comes near my bathroom just because I like to see what it looks like on them! :)What a great gift for all of the girls in your bridal party. Don't forget yours either!!!!

{Picture of Taylor Martin, our intern}

Recycle! Recycle!

So I found the cutest green idea at an expo I attended in Chicago for planners this past Thursday. I so wish I had taken a picture! So just imagine with me! The designer used white shredded recycled paper with spots of colored shredded paper on top of a table and placed a glass top on the paper. It was very cute and could be very budget friendly! Add some candles and a small center piece and voila!

What budget friendly design ideas have you seen lately?

Organize Your Wedding

After pouring over pictures and researching vendors + venues, you probably have A LOT of paperwork! The best thing you can do for yourself is organize it! Get a 3 ring 1 1/2" binder with some sleeve protectors and start filing away! It's a simple & inexpensive way to keep all of your materials in one place. Also grab up some of those handy tabs that you can put in front of the different documents. I prefer the kind that you can write on.

If you prefer the paperless way... buy a flash drive and create files according to what you would like to save. I ALWAYS have a design idea folder available when I am doing internet research. When meeting with your vendors you can have them pop the flash drive into their computer and see all of your creative ideas! You can also scan all of those contracts + pricing information and place them on your flash drive as well.

Staying organized is the best way to keep your sanity!






{picture via WeddingAccessories.net}