A Little Help For the Holidays

If the holidays tend to sneak up on you, just as they do me, you'll need a little help to make sure your holiday dinners and/or parties are perfect!  Here are a few little tips that can go a long way when it feels like there is not enough time to get everything done:

1) Place orders for some of menu or desserts - this may sound like cheating, but it really isn't!  While you might be preparing a meal for 12 people, and just the turkey and fixings are enough to take up your day, look into your local gourmet grocery store, or places like La Boulange, that are now offering a wonderful catering menu.  I tend to like to take care of my main dinner myself, but would like some delicious hors d'oeuvres to go with the meal that I just don't have the time to put together.  This year, I have also pre-ordered our pies, since I like to bake cookies and other treats to go with the dessert course, I thought I would save some time and get some local homemade pies.  It may be cheating, but I will at least be able to enjoy this very special holiday spending more time with our family and friends than in the kitchen.

2) Have separate entertaining glassware - one of the best purchases I have made for my personal entertaining supplies is boxed glassware sets.  I have used these so many times, and they make my life so much easier on the day of my event.  I have three different glassware sets; wine glasses, champagne flutes and tumblers.  These are perfect to set out on your bar for self serve beverages, and cover everything from water, mixed drinks, champagne and wine.  The best part is after the party, you pop them in the dishwasher, put them back in their boxes, and out to the garage they go.  I have found my sets at Cost Plus World Market and Pier 1 Imports, but I know there are many other stores that carry them as well.
 

3) Make your play list ahead of time - one of the easiest things to forget about when planning an event at home is the music. Make sure you have the right music to go with your event, and you may want to have separate play lists for the dinner portion and something more upbeat for later in the evening.  I usually burn a few cd's and put them into our stereo (I know, so old school), and never think about it again.  Those of you more tech savvy can also do the same thing with your ipod.

4) Rent items instead of purchasing - We are lucky enough here in San Francisco to have places like La Tavola Linens and Hartmann Studios to rent anything our hearts desire.  Check your local area for equipment and linen rental shops and see what they have available.  A lot of times you can rent really beautiful linens for your tables, as well as chargers, china and even extra tables and chairs.  You can save money by picking it up yourself, but if convenience is your key word, have them deliver.  The best part is, they wash everything!

5) Invitations don't have to go in the mail - If you are running behind on sending out the invitations, the better thing to do is to send them electronically.  The worst thing is to go ahead an plan an elaborate holiday party only to find out only 1/4 of your guests can attend because your invitation came too late.  I really like Paperless Post as an online option.  They even let you upgrade to electronic envelope liners... love it!  Also, a quick tip about getting guests to come, don't plan your party on a Saturday evening, there is too much competition.  Thursdays and Sundays are great alternatives and you will notice a better turn out.

I hope all your dinners and parties are wonderful, and I would love for you to share any other easy tips for our readers that are entertaining this season! 

Happy Planning!

Getting Ready for the Holidays

We are so happy that our 2010 went off without a hitch, and sent a lot of happy newlyweds out into the world!  The other news is that we are going to start blogging a little more frequently now that the season has ended and we can post all these amazing images and share some things we learned over the year.

In the midst of wrapping up the season means getting ready to decorate and entertain for the holidays, and I was so excited when I opened my email this morning and saw the lovely trimmings West Elm was offering from event planner David Stark.  These are perfect in a time when we are all trying to reduce our waste, and also make things look elegant.  I'm loving this mantle-scape!

The mosaic bottles, and really mosaic anything, is not only great holiday decor, but is popping up in some of our winter weddings.

If you are entertaining this year, I always love to hear how you plan decorate your table or home!  This is one centerpiece I am hoping to try and re-create this year, since it is very similar to an installation we did at one of our weddings this year.  If you want to try and re-create this with me, you can get the instructions by clicking here: CB2 DIY Hanging Centerpiece.

Whatever you are planning, we hope it is festive and full of joy!

Happy Planning!

Immortalize Your Wedding Cake

I wanted to introduce Michelle to everyone! She is our newest team member, and is a month of coordinator.  She has amazing ideas and tips to share, so watch for her posts here on the blog too!  Here is her first post about a fun way to keep the memory of your wedding cake around forever: 
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You spend hours if not days thinking about your wedding cake and how you want it to look. I was a little heartbroken after our cake was devoured and all I had left was our beautiful pictures. So when I was clicking around on Etsy one day I came across SugarArt Jewelry out of Cincinnati who makes replica wedding cake ornaments and had to give it a shot. Now every Christmas while decorating and admiring our tree we will be able to reminisce about our special day.

SugarArt can custom design a mini customized cake ornament or figurine to match your wedding cake, baby cake, birthday cake, etc… Once they receive your picture it takes up to 3-4 weeks to create. It can be made into an ornament or left as a small figurine. The ornament will have a silver hook with a coordinating ribbon, your names and wedding date can be written on the bottom as well. The cake is made of polymer clay, acrylic and puffy paint with a coat of clear gloss to add luster and shine to last for years. It’s a great gift idea too!

Happy Planning!

Michelle

Keeping Holiday Traditions

Our little office has been buzzing this month! So many new weddings have been signed, holiday cards have been sent out, and now we get ready to close up the office next week for 12 days to take a break and enjoy this time with our families. I will be working still, as we have a big festive wedding on New Years Eve for one of my favorite couples, it is going to be a blast!

During this time of year though, we sometimes get caught up in the commercial side of the holidays, and forget the things that matter, like our families, friends and traditions. I am a huge believer in keeping traditions, and I know it can be hard sometimes to make time or spend the money on them, but in the end, it is so worth it. I thought I would share some of my traditions, since I am a self proclaimed holiday nerd, and this time of year just brings me so much happiness!


One thing that I have done since I was a little girl, and bought the same type of thing for my son when he was little, was a felt handmade advent calender to hang every year. When my sister and I were little we would literally have full on fights about who got to put santa (the last ornament) on the advent tree. It was ridiculous, but we loved it anyway. My son is 16 now, and he still gets excited when I put it up, and makes sure every morning to put the next ornament on the tree. It makes me smile to know there is still a little boy in there!

Another thing that we started doing in 2001 was having a Sunday Open House party at our home. We have a small place, but we invite everyone over to watch football, and I love it. I cook all day, put out more food then anyone would be able to eat, and always make a festive cocktail. I usually make my Reese's Peanut Butter Cup cookies, and package them up in takeaway packages. They are delicious, and usually is why I think most people come by, since I give them out a sack to take home when they leave. This year there was some dissapointment, since my baking day was instead spent in the ER having an iv in my arm to re-hydrate after an all night bout of food poisoning. The party still went on, but the cookies didn't make it!

My favorite tradition is one my boyfriend and I started in nine years ago during our first year of dating. We book a hotel room in Union Square about a week before Christmas, go out shopping, look at all the holiday windows, and then kick back for a late night dinner at one of the amazing restaurants we have here in San Francisco. We then head up to the Sir Francis Drake Hotel's Starlight Room for the breathtaking views and all around funniness that is the Starlight Room, sip champagne, and enjoy our night. We usually get up the next morning for some more shopping, as most of the stores open rather early, and then head home later in the afternoon with our loot. Union Square is just beautiful during the holidays, with the ice skating rink in the center of the square, and the light displays everywhere. It really just puts me in the holiday spirit and also let's us spend some time together before the craziness that the holiday brings with two large families.

I always feel it is fun to start a new tradition, especially for all my couples and their new lives together. This year I am "borrowing" our usual Christmas Eve tradition from my boyfriends' mom, since she is hosting Christmas dinner at her place the next day for about 40 people, Christmas Eve was going to be too much. So, I decided to take it over this year, and I'm excited to serve crab, homemade ravioli's and spanakopita.

Whatever and however you spend your holidays, we hope that you have lots of love, laughter and joy! Since our offices will be closed until Jan 4th, we won't be posting until then, but can't wait to share all that is going on at Dream A Little Dream Events in 2010!

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

My Favorite Holiday Cocktail

It has been busy around the Dream A Little Dream Events office lately! Besides signing and planning weddings for 2010, we had our next Dream Bridal Tour tickets released, picking finalists for the SF Dream Wedding Giveaway, sending out holiday cards, and don't even get me started on all the parties!

This weekend I am doing my annual open house at my home in Marin. We just put out tons of food, watch football and have lots of beverages. I always make one cocktail that can be easily refreshed and self served, since I'm never a fan of having to offer every single liquor and mixer out there. I am still putting together the food menu, but getting some help from La Boulange Catering that just launched their online ordering catering menu. I just love when throwing a party can be this easy!

Anyway, I've decided to serve the same cocktail that I did last year. It is so incredibly festive and yummy, it was a hit at both the office and home parties that I just had to do it again. If you want a simple cocktail that you don't need to much too much effort into, I suggest you try this.

Cranberry Chill-ade - Makes about 6 servings (you can double, triple or quadruple the recipe as needed)

1 cup cranberry juice
1 cup lemon juice (about 6 lemons)
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups water
1 cup ice
1 cup vodka
1 red jalapeno pepper (we did half red and half green)

1) In a large bowl combine the lemon juice, sugar and cranberry juice
2) Stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar is dissolved
3) Add the water
4) In a pitcher, fill the bottom with the ice
5) Pour the vodka in first, then mixture over it
6) Add the peppers, stir and serve

It is so simple, and all you need is a beautiful pitcher, some festive glassware, and you are done. I always make a few batches and leave them in the fridge during the party so when it runs out, I can quickly add more ice and mixture, and I can get back to the party.

This time of the season is wonderful, so enjoy it, and if you are worried about throwing together a party or have any questions or comments, let me know!

Happy Planning!

Happy Turkey Day!

Yay! My favorite holiday of the year is finally here, and I'm up bright and early writing on my blog!?! Anyway, just wanted to wish everyone a wonderful holiday with your loved ones, and I can't wait to share some pictures on how my table scape turns out. The place cards are absolutely adorable, as well as the candles and other goodies I got to make our family table festive.

In the meantime, this weekend is a great time to purchase your holiday cards, as we just did through Tiny Prints. From now until the 28th you can save up to $40 sitewide by using the code THANKSALE. I purchased both my personal and business holiday cards this week, and I can't wait for them to arrive! Nice thing to do as well is order the matching return address labels to really make your cards stand out, and use festive colored ink to hand address them.

Enjoy your holiday, and I will be back to blogging on Monday with the information on the ticket release for the January 24th bridal tour on Tuesday!

Happy Planning

Giving Thanks: Making the Simple Things Special

Ever since I was a little girl, Thanksgiving was always my favorite holiday. For anyone that knows me, I love food, especially the comfort food that my Mom prepares on Thanksgiving. But, that wasn't the only reason. It meant taking the time away from the everyday grind to be with family and friends, watching football and eating and enjoying each other for an entire day. Computers aren't on, cell phones are tucked away, and the true meaning of holiday is fully embraced.

When I was 8, my Mom enrolled me in a calligraphy class to 1) try and get me out of the house, and 2) to try and get me to be right handed. Neither worked. I'm a true homebody, and I will forever be a lefty. The great thing though is that one year of calligraphy classes brought me to the career I am in today, and it always gave me the job of making the place cards for Thanksgiving and other holiday dinners. I loved it! I would grab stickers, glue, paper and all my best pens and create the dining table scape. I felt so cool, and the funny thing, my Mom actually keeps all the place cards I ever made in a drawer. It is sweet looking back at them, especially remembering people that are no longer with us.

So, the reason for my post was to remember what we are thankful for during this time of the year, and how to make the simple things special. I was inspired by the email blast I received from Paper Source with their super cute letterpressed "I am thankful for:" cards. I have purchased these for my family festivities, and I think it will be a huge hit. We usually eat around 3 or 4 in the afternoon, and when dessert is served, we always play games. We are Greek and Italian, so the competitive nature can be a bit much, so before the games this year, I want everyone to read their cards, and we can keep them in a scrapbook to look back on in years to come. Maybe it will keep everyone calm when Pictionary comes out!

The other thing I found that I cannot wait to put together are the Wheat Bundle Place Cards. Um, how cute are these?! I have picked up a bunch of goodies to make the table scape this year, and this will really add to the look of it. I love handmade, and I love it even more when it comes ready to be handmade!Wishing you all a lovely and joyous holiday with your loved ones!

Happy Valentine's Day

I wanted to make a quick post before the long weekend with some quick Valentine's Day ideas. I've always loved Valentine's Day; one, because I love all things love, and two, it falls two days before my birthday, so I have always felt extra spoiled around this time of year. What I love most about Valentine's Day is that it can be whatever you make of it, it doesn't have to be what you feel you are supposed to do. Here are some fun ideas for those of you still pondering what to do:

• Instead of doing a lavish prie fixe meal out, go to a wonderful late morning brunch and then to a museum. Spend the day together and just relish in the joy of having time with each other.
• Scour the internet for a new recipe to try for dinner, and make it together. Put on a favorite cd, light a fire, and eat on a blanket in front of it like you're on a picnic.
• Take a road trip to a fun place you may not have been together before. In the Bay Area, there are plenty of places; Half Moon Bay, Point Reyes, Monterey, Carmel, etc. Walk around the town, have a late lunch and enjoy the new sites.
• Take in a sporting event. One year I took my boyfriend to a Warriors game, he was beyond thrilled!
• Order the Book of Us, get some mini cheesecake bites, a lovely bottle of champagne and crawl into bed and fill out this book together. It will make you laugh, cry and remember all the things you felt when you first fell in love and why you're still together. It's a must have for any couple!

Whatever you do, make sure that you enjoy every minute of it, and not take things like the one you love for granted. Wishing you all a very lovely weekend!

Happy Planning,

kathryn