 One of my amazing couples from Bourne Farm this year! I am feeling really sappy today and have been reminiscing about all of the years I have been working with amazing couples, their family and friends, and some fabulous vendors and just had to pause to write this post and say THANK YOU. I would not be where I am today, coming up on my 7th Anniversary in September, without all of you. Your kind words that you share about my team and me on wedding websites, to your friends, to others wanting to get married on beautiful Cape Cod are just unreal and I am so gracious for every last word.
And to my awesome team - Ashley, Mandee and Marni - Cape Cod Celebrations would definitely not have grown to where it is today without you. You are all amazing people and your continued support does not go unnoticed. To my wonderful husband and son who deal with my insane schedule every year - Thank you :) Your unconditional love and support makes me who I am and allows me to do what I love. I cannot wait to work with all of our couples this year, one down and a lot more to go! We will be at some beautiful locations with some really different and new concepts which we cannot wait to share with all of you! And don't forget the NotWedding this November! Another amazing opportunity I cannot believe I get to bring to life - Thanks Callie! Thank you so much.
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 Photo Credit: Channing Johnson So you obviously chose Cape Cod to have your wedding for a reason - whether it be the beautiful beaches, the relaxed feel, the stunning views or just your amazing memories of summering or growing up on Cape - so why not take full advantage of what you have around you and become inspired by everything Cape Cod for your wedding! If you want to give your guests a real Cape Cod feel for your wedding day, be sure to read on for ways to take the beauty of the Cape and intertwine it into your wedding day.
Colors Take a look around you the next time you are on the Cape. I am willing to bet that the majority of the time you are here you are on the beach, gazing at the beautiful sky, and staying for the sunset. Now imagine all of the colors you see while there! The blues in the water and sky, the browns in the sand, the greens in the beach grass and the pinks, purples and yellows in the sunset. Now take all of those amazing colors and see if they fit your theme, personality, etc. and put them to work on your wedding day! Flowers If you haven’t guessed it already, the Cape is known for it’s Hydrangeas. White, blue, purples, pink, green, you name it. And in all shades nonetheless. You could also go all natural and bring in simple beach grass or beach plumbs. Lilacs, daffodils and tulips are also beautiful flowers to incorporate in a spring wedding on Cape Cod. Lighthouses Lighthouses are an amazing structure to be inspired by on Cape Cod. Light up your event with lanterns - metal, glass, paper. Find a company that can up-light your venue or tent to bring it to the next level of elegance or fun. You could also use the lighthouse and their use in your vows or in your ceremony program. They are a beautiful symbol of lighting the way on an amazing journey. Everything Nautical If you haven’t noticed, Cape Cod is a very nautical location! How can it not be when it is surrounded by water? There are so many ways to incorporate a nautical theme into your wedding, but here are a few that you may, or may not have seen before: Anchors, starfish, sand dollars, bouys, boats, nautical maps, rope, rocks, driftwood, sea glass, nautical flags, and the list goes on. Relaxation Most people thinking of visiting the Cape and can’t wait to kick off their shoes, throw on their flip flops and relax on the beach - so be sure to make your guests feel relaxed at your wedding! Provide flip flops for the dance floor, greet them with a signature drink - maybe a Cape Codder? - and plan ahead to ensure a smooth event. Maybe consider transportation as well if your location is not easy to get to so that they do not have to stress about driving. Anything to make your guests feel welcomed and on vacation enjoying your favorite location goes a long way! At the end of February, Marni and I flew down to Atlanta to attend our first ever NotWedding. Needless to say, the 3 day/2 night experience was amazing. We met some awesome people, learned a lot about what do to for our NotWedding taking place on Cape this November and walked away with ideas spilling out of our ears! Many photos, notes and videos later, we returned back to the Cape and were able to announce the NotWedding Cape Cod date on March 15th. Marni and I arrived in Atlanta on a Sunday morning, grabbed lunch with a fabulous waitress down the street from our hotel, took a quick nap (seeing that we had been up since 4:30am!) and met NotWedding creator Callie for dinner at Atlanta NotWedding caterers restaurant, Sun in My Belly. Can you say delicious?! We were greeted by Callie with a box of Krispy Kremes, enjoyed a fabulous dinner with lots of conversation and made our way back for a good nights sleep so that we could be ready to assist at the NotWedding the next day. Monday we arrived at the Mason Murer Fine Art center just outside of the city with our Starbuck's in hand and got to work moving 300 chivari chairs. We watched as the NotBride arrived to get her hair and make-up done, as the vendors came in and out to decorate their tables, set-up the ceremony space, take photos & video and so much more. The gallery was buzzing with creativity. At 5:45pm guests began to arrive, at 6:15pm the ceremony began. Guests then enjoyed a wonderful buffet dinner from Sun in My Belly and dancing from an super fun Atlanta band. The Tunnel of Love opened for guests to learn about the vendors and the night ended after the bride and groom made their exit. Marni and I retreated to our hotel - aching after moving 300 chairs three times - looked at each other, exhausted and knowing that we both loved every minute of it. Enjoy the (iPhone) photos from our trip, view more by checking out the pics on the NotWedding's facebook pageand mark your calendar for the first ever NotWedding Cape Cod November 24, 2013 at the Sea Crest Beach Hotel!  Photo Credit: Stacey Hedman You’re engaged! Yay! The ring is sparkling, you can’t get the grin of your face and you have updated your facebook status.....now what? We have put together a list for you to get on your way to planning your perfect Cape Cod wedding after you have said yes!
1. Get a manicure Funny, but true - you don’t want that sparkly new bobble to be overshadowed by some ugly nails! Go out and treat yourself to a manicure to show off your diamond! You can also find some pretty cheap, and awesome, press on french manicures now a days as well that will last longer! 2. Make your guest list Open up an excel doc, word doc, Google doc, or whatever your preference is for being somewhat organized and start that guest list. Think of close family, friends, ask your parents about who they will want to invite, and make sure you have everyone that you would want to be there. Now go back and look at your list again. Are there guests that should be on the B list instead? Make sure your numbers are manageable. And remember, if you are having a true destination wedding, an average of 20% of your guests will not attend. There are also guests that you have to invite, but you know will not be able to make it. 3. Figure out your budget Sit down with your fiance and start talking dollars. How much will each of you be putting into the budget? What about parents? Will they be helping with half, certain items like the dress and dinner or the rehearsal dinner? It may be helpful for you to check out lists online that show you traditional ways that the costs are split - here is a quick list from Real Simple. Once you have your budget, you will have to compare that to how many people you are planning to invite. Do the numbers make sense with your budget? Do you have to cut back on the guest list to ensure you have the wedding of your dreams? 4. Find a venue & set a date Fair warning: Unless you have had your heart set on a location on Cape Cod since you were 8 years old and you have an unlimited budget, this part of the process can be the most stressful. But rest assured, that once you have the date and venue set it gets easier from here on out. It is always good to reach out to any and all venues that you think would fall into your budget. Check their availability and ask for their pricing. This may be another good time to get out an excel doc to start comparing your options. Every venue works differently, so it is not as easy as comparing apples to apples. Stay tuned for another post regarding what to ask venues before you book! But also check out this past post about how to choose your reception location. 5. Hire a planner I have to do it and say that one of the best things you can do once you get engaged is hire a wedding planner. Wedding planners have connections on the Cape and can save you hours and hours of time in finding locations that fit your budget and your guest count. They can then go on to save you money and stress throughout the planning process. I am not just saying this because I am a planner, but when you come across other posts on the web regarding what to do after you get engaged, almost all of them say to do this! It is totally worth looking into! So I have been trying to keep myself busy this winter by visiting reception locations and vendors to check out their locations, say Hi and see what they do.
So far I have been all around the Cape from Brewster to Sandwich and Mashpee! It was nice to meet the catering staff at Ocean Edge - Megan, Jennifer, Kimberly and Heather make a great team for a beautiful location. Bill at the Lighthouse Inn was nice enough to entertain me on a slow cold Saturday by showing me all of his options around his property as well. Who would have known that the summer dates are limited to a party of 75 due to the fact that they have guests to accommodate as well? Their Off-Season rates are harder to come by. I was also able to talk with Amanda at the Ridge Club in Sandwich - what a hidden gem! They have great prices, a beautiful pavilion and are within close vicinity of a beach for photos. I was able to look through a beautiful book of photos by Tom Davis at Studio 280 - what great shots! I also met with Jen at Dulce Press in Mashpee - what a cute home office she has! She also provided me with samples to show my brides - and they are all fabulous! And finally this past weekend I met with Lauren at the Red Jacket Resort - right on the water in South Yarmouth. A great budget friendly option for right on the ocean. I also met with Amy a the Wequassett - love that location. Have been before, but always great to meet the team there and see the space again!! This is not the end of my winter tour, more to come in February! But for now I will keep preparing for The Bridal Event this weekend at Willowbend! If you do not have your ticket yet, email me with your information and I will buy your ticket for you!! capecodcelebrations@yahoo.com Stay Warm! So on Wednesday it is December - where did the time go? Although my December is free of weddings and events (as of today that is!) it is filled with plans for 2011 weddings, research and of course, Christmas shopping, cookies and music.
It looks like 2011 is shaping up to be a great year. What makes it so great are the fabulous brides and awesome vendors. Oh, and I guess some really fun grooms too!! So December will be filled with requesting vendor contracts, planning calls, 2011 inquiries and a partridge in a pear tree. One thing I also love to do in December - well any month for that matter - is research. One of the best new ways to do wedding research easily everyday is to "LIKE" businesses on Facebook. That way everyday when you check in on your own Facebook homepage you may be surprised by what you find!! Below are a few pages on Facebook I have begun to follow to see what new trends are out there, see photos of local weddings and find what fun DIY ideas are being created. You Ought to be in Pictures WellWed Sarah Fantom Photography Chris Cook Photography WeddingsonCapeCod.com Sposabella Bridal Dulce Press Jennifer Gunn Photography Lady Slipper Stationary Krazy Kakes Cape Cod Lollicakes The Knot Click Chick Photography and of course - me!! There are so many more out there I am sure - feel free to share some of your favorites - and this is not all I have, but I will update it as I find new, fun businesses to follow! Happy December everyone - one of the busiest months of the year!! Man do I love wedding season on Cape Cod! I just had my first wedding of the year last Friday at the Boat House at Chatham Bars Inn. It is hands down one of my favorite ceremony/reception locations on Cape Cod for under 50 people. Susan and John were such an awesome couple to work with too, which makes my job a lot easier! And it could not have been a better day for a wedding, even topped it off with the moon rising out over the water, unreal.
Now onto other weddings and filing my first away as a job well done. Next I am off to South Dartmouth for repeat business! Last year I did a wedding on July 25th in South Dartmouth for Sara and now I am going back to do her twin sister Lisa's wedding. Who would ever think that you could - or should - get repeat business in the wedding industry? I am so thankful that I get to work with their family again though, it makes for a long day, but is totally worth it. The house is located at a beautiful location as well at their parents house at the very back of farm land. Just keeping my fingers crossed that the weather works to our advantage. They have a great band from Murray Hill Talent and are working with other great vendors from the Dartmouth area. Unfortunately not my Cape favorites, but excellent businesses that I will have the pleasure of working with for 2 years now. Some of them do work on the Cape from time to time so I may have to bring them back to the Cape with me! Without a doubt I am extremely happy to be able to work with my awesome couples this year and I look forward to keeping you updated with my events as they roll out!! |
Plan. Relax. Enjoy.At Cape Cod Celebrations, your vision is our brand. Learn more about how we can help you pull together your beautiful Cape Cod Wedding. Archives
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