Tradition, Shmadition

We're big fans of the magazine, Cosmopolitan, and heck, we even follow them on twitter! They publish a lot of great articles that are perfect for the bride to be, or really anyone in a relationship. This morning, we noticed them tweet out about certain wedding traditions that they more or less would like to see go down in flames....here's what we think on the subject, and we want to hear your thoughts too!

Two things they want to ditch are both the bouquet toss and the garter retrieval. More and more, we're seeing the garter retrieval disappear and we can understand why. It's not really a PG activity and can be embarrassing for a lot of people involved. However, the bouquet toss we think should be kept, or at the very least modified. The "Cosmo" writer mentioned that she wanted to keep her bouquet, and of course, what bride wouldn't? We always have our florists work in a "throw away" bouquet so that the bride can keep those beautiful petals she walked down the aisle with. 

Cosmo also mentioned a big tradition, and that is, seeing your sweetheart before that walk down the aisle. We know so many couples that toss that out the window and are now taking what is known as "a first look" picture. We recently posted on our Instagram (@RothweilerEventDesign) a behind the scenes shot of one of our couples that took advantage of a first look opportunity. This is a great chance for brides and grooms to see each other, one on one, before that march down the aisle. Not to mention, a lot of pictures can then be taken before the ceremony, thus freeing up the bride and groom to enjoy their cocktail hour, instead of a photoshoot. 

Check out the rest of the article and what traditions they say they would ditch. Did yours make the cut? What are you changing about your big day? Let us know in the comments selection below!

Article: http://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/relationship-advice/wedding-traditions?src=spr_TWITTER&spr_id=1440_13594972

Danielle Rothweiler
Rothweiler Event Design
www.rothweilereventdesign.com
info@rothweilereventdesign.com

Our Feature in The Knot: New Jersey, Fall Winter 2013

Happy Wedding Wednesday to the brides and grooms to be of the world! We are so honored to be featured in The Knot, New Jersey Fall Winter 2013 edition! Every issue they interview a panel of experts, and we were chosen as their expert planner. In this article we discuss some of our secrets and how after putting together a wedding during Hurricane Sandy, that we welcome any future challenges. 

The magazine is also chock full of other amazing articles including real weddings taking place in the beautiful Garden State! Make sure you take a trip to the store and pick up your copy today...and then don't forget to email us at info@rothweilereventdesign.com or call 732.236.4065 for your complimentary consultation to get started on your big day!

Thanks so much to everyone over at The Knot!

Danielle Rothweiler
Rothweiler Event Design
www.rothweilereventdesign.com
 

Christmas in July!

Deck the halls with big big savings! It's our annual Christmas in July planning extravaganza!

Now until the end of July, when you book your event with us you can save up to 50% off all packages, plus an additional 10% off on all of your paper products AND 10% off on all of the sweets...wedding cake to groom's cake and everything in between. 

If you're on our mailing list, you've already received this incredible offer. But if not, just send an email to info@rothweilereventdesign.com for more information. A planner is in everyone's budget and we customize to fit what you need. Let us be the best friend next to you working side by side. Trust me, when you get closer to that big day, you'll want someone to call at 2am to vent to. 

Merry July!

You plan the wedding but what about the proposal?

Think about it. You spend anywhere from 6 months to 2 years planning your wedding. Endless hours are put into finding the perfect venue, dress, flowers, and vendors. But how much time did you better half spend putting together your proposal?

We ask our clients all the time, "how did he/she propose?", and frequently we hear, "well, it was supposed to be...." or.... "well, it was nice but..." Yeah, it's sad, but true.

But let's face it, a lot of pressure goes into making the proposal perfect. A recent story on The Today Show spoke about how it's now possible for the proposer to get some help; and that it's not a bad idea. We couldn't agree more!

All that really matters is that you say what's in your heart and ask the love of your life to marry you. But what about location? Do you have a plan B? How about hiring a photographer to capture the moment? Surprise dinner with friends afterwards? Romantic dinner for just the two of you? Or maybe you want something less cliche and more YOU? 

Rothweiler Event Design offers these services. We will work with you on your concept and design and execute with you the perfect proposal. You will be there 9 times out of 10 when she/he tells the story of how you proposed, so why not make it a good one?

Call us at 732.236.4065 or email info@rothweilereventdesign.com for more information. Let's make sure she says "yes" with a big smile and lots of tears!

 

It's another event....are you registered?

Getting married? Getting divorced? Buying a new home? Going away to college? Whatever the case, it's party time! We would like to invite you to The Blow Out Lounge at Anthony Robert Salon in Verona, NJ on July 18th from 5-9pm. 

This is a great opportunity for you to come and meet the areas top vendors. We will have amazing food, mini hair and make up consultations, dress shopping and yes, you can even try out our favorite photobooth!
You may recognize the name of the salon, and yes, Anthony is a star on Style's "Jerseylicious". 

So if you have always wanted to swing by his gorgeous salon and schedule a hair trial with him, this is your big chance! His team will also be there for mini-make up consultations and we recently called on his salon to do some barber work for one of our groom and his groomsmen on the day of the wedding. 

If you're looking for a great photographer to capture all of those amazing moments, the best food to impress your guests, that perfect dress with a lot of bling, music you can dance to or flower and decor assistance than THIS is the event for you! Call 973.857.1922 to register! There is no cost to attend and this is perfect for anyone looking to plan their next big event.

We hope to see you there!

Summer Lovin', Happened So Fast

Summer is finally here, and we're waist deep in event season! From weddings to divorce parties to graduations and more, we're busy planning every detail for our fabulous clients! With summer comes the need to be outdoors and celebrate right along with Mother Nature. But this summer, Mother Nature hasn't been that kind to New Jersey. So we wanted to pass along a few tips for how to survive her mood swings, and welcome you to add in your own!

Everyone that wants to have their party outside, never wants to think about their "Plan B". Let's face it, if Plan B was as fantastic as Plan A, it would already be....Plan A! But this is something to consider and be realistic about. Whether you're having an event at a banquet hall, or at one of our private estates as pictured above, there is no reason to be scared of the rain and the changes you will have to make.

Tenting is a great option. If you are insistent that your event take place outdoors, we recommend looking into tents, and getting the best. The tents that we use can withstand the rain, heat, cold and wind. You'll still get the feeling of being outside, without the nightmare of getting your hair soaked. For one of our clients we used a completely clear tent, and even though it didn't rain, many of her guests wanted to take cover inside and away from the pesky mosquitoes. The clear ceiling provided a beautiful way to see the stars at night without the need for bug spray. 

Heat and the sun can be lovely for a day at the beach, but not for a ceremony that lasts longer than 5 minutes. It's important to provide your guests ways to be comfortable from flip flops to fans and yes, even sunscreen. Typically the guests of honor won't notice the mercury rising, but the guests certainly will. Bottled water goes a long way, as does a ceremony that starts on time and moves quickly. Don't forget to mention on your invitation that the event will be outside so that guests can prepare however they feel necessary. And be ready to go at the scheduled start time.

Your guests will notice if the weather is completely changing their plans, so find a way to really surprise them. Don't give away all of the details of your big day to your guests, no matter how much they ask. Whether it's late night cookies and milk, a surprise percussion section, or a sparkly send off, keep those details quiet! Everyone attending will be so happy to see that not only did you party go off without a hitch, but there were a few surprises there too...the last thing they will be thinking about is the weather.

How do you keep your Plan B as fantastic as Plan A? Let us know in the comments section!

Every Step of the Way...

You spend months, maybe even over a year planning your special day. You look into all of the details, making sure that everything flows from the invitations to the flowers to the wardrobe. While you work hard to have each item reflect the overall theme, there are times when gaps occur. 

Often, clients of ours do not have time to do a walk through of their entire day. We at Rothweiler Event Design (www.rothweilereventdesign.com) do a complete walk through anywhere from 3-5 times before the day of the event. We take pictures of every angle from floor to ceiling, because your guests will be drawn to every inch of the space. This means that even though your venue might have some candles on the fireplace mantle, if they don't fit your design, they need to be substituted with something that does.

Your event planner will most likely walk through your venue space within the first month after signing the contract together. This is a rough walk to get a general idea of the canvas they can work with. As the date gets closer, the walk throughs increase, and are often done with other vendors from florists to furniture companies. One of the most important pieces of putting together an event, is knowing the space inside and out in the correct lighting. 

Our next wedding space will be utilizing an entire building with multiple rooms. It would be silly to just have the florist concentrate on the centerpieces, when there is so much more to decorate. Besides draping the walls in something different, we'll be adding flowers in unexpected places to go with the "garden" theme our bride fell in love with on day one. We recently walked through the venue with the florist as if we were guests, and our eyes went to all of those spaces that just seemed empty. While we're not going over the top, we're just looking to make the room come together. This is the same principle you would use when decorating your home.

What about your last event? Did you work your signature color into every room? How did you add your little touches at places like the bar or even the washroom? Let us know how you kept your theme going in every inch of your venue!