Spreading the Word....

We keep spreading the word, we can now be found on the www.GetMarried.com website!

Check it out:

http://www.getmarried.com/local-wedding-vendors/West_Coast_Florida/Party_Rentals/kristen-kozic/

Hot Color Trends for the Fall

If you haven't picked up the latest issue of Get Married, they have some hot new trends that may be of interest to you for the Fall season.

The very talented David Tutera told Get Married that he has a love for "greige" which is a mix between gray and beige (LOVE this dress):



verawang.com




ninewest.com

 Cedar Green:




bhldn.com



shop.getmarried.com

 Deep Mocha:

jordanfashions.com

shop.getmarried.com

Mint & Cherry (another beautiful dress):

reemacra.com



shop.getmarried.com



mybuttoncake.blogspot.com

Let's save the hottest color of the season for last.....Cobalt Blue:

precillaofboston.com

jimcouture.com

Check out the Get Married magazine for more trends and pictures for the Fall 2011 Wedding Season!! :)

www.ModernDayEvents.com

The Royal Wedding....Take Two??

Everyone has their own opinion on the Kardashian clan. I gave it a week and have decided to add my two cents on this whole "Kim Kardashian Wedding." For the first time, I actually turned E! on this weekend and watched a few episodes of Keeping up with the Kardashians. I wanted to see what the fuss was all about before making my judgment call. I have never watched it before and I can honestly say, I don't plan on watching it in the future. I'll admit to having a few laughs because of Khloe and Kourtney but Mama Kris and Kim aren't the least bit amusing. Kris Jenner really thinks she should change her last name back to Kardashian to keep up with the "brand." Poor Bruce:

I will give them credit, this family knows how to make some money. They are brilliant, they have made "The Kardashians" into a household name. Kim was able to profit off of her wedding as opposed to the majority of us scraping every penny for that big day. They had TV deals, endorsements and were able to sell the first photo rights to People for $1 million...just to name a few. Then most of everything at the wedding was either given or on loan. I would gladly wear $10 million in jewelry to promote the Schwartz brand and give it back. How about the $15,000 in hair & make-up.....I feel cheap after hearing that. I just went to the MAC store for my wedding (which by the way did a fabulous job)!

Her favors made you feel like you were at a press junket rather then a wedding:

• A pair of bejeweled flip-flops emblazoned with the phrase “Kim loves Kris"
• A bedazzled jacket with "Kim loves Kris" on the sleeve
• A bottle of Kim's fragrance "Kim Kardashian by Kim Kardashian"
• OPI nail-polish endorsed by the Kardashians called "Wel-Kim"
• A gift certificate to Shoe Dazzle, Kim's shoe shopping website

I could go on and on about the money that was spent on this wedding. The Bridal registry was over the top which we all have heard about. The thought of a $7800 vase or a $1500 coffee maker on my bridal registry is just absurd and in bad taste, I don't care how much money you or your guests have. Hearing them compare their wedding to the "Royal Wedding" is laughable. They really do think they are America's royalty but who's laughing since America is obsessed with them? They are grabbing all the headlines because people keep watching and buying. But here is where England's royalty and the Kardashian's differ. Prince William and Kate do not need a $7800 vase, they preferred that their guests donate to charity since they are very fortunate as it is. Apparently with all the money Kim has, she still wants more...

I really don't want to come off as bitter or jealous which I'm sure I do (I mean there is a tinge of jealousy on being able to profit off of her wedding). But this all seems like a publicity stunt to me and Kris Jenner (or Kardashian) is one hell of an agent. Over the past year, we have seen three different articles at the check-out counter:

Less than a year later after proclaiming she wanted to be married by now, she's married to a guy who fits into the "K" clan....is that a coincidence too?! I want to keep this as an open discussion and get your opinion on the matter (don't worry, I respect all opinions, even those that differ from mine)! Some may think they will have their happily ever after while others are hoping Kris Humphries is in on the PR stunt too since he did have to sign a pre-nup and was missing in the majority of the wedding photos because he was "apparently too tall."

Do you think this was a publicity stunt or do you think that this wedding was a girl's dream come true regardless of all the cameras rolling?

What will People's next cover be?

• Kim Kardashian is Pregnant
• Kim Kardashian & Kris Humphries DIVORCE

Images courtesy of People Magazine

www.ModernDayEvents.com



My Big Splurge...

Planning a wedding can be stressful and overwhelming. Especially if you're detail-oriented and want everything to be perfect. I even thought delegating simple tasks were hard on me because I wanted to make sure it was exactly how I wanted it.

Everything turned out as I envisioned it.

I went back and forth on getting a wedding coordinator. Could I really squeeze it in my budget? I mean, let's face it.....it adds another chunk of money on top of everything else we need. I went thru every scenario..."well I could have a friend in charge of decorating or maybe even someone in our family".....but I wanted everyone who would be at the wedding to be stress-free and to just enjoy the day. I wanted my bridesmaids and family to have fun getting ready for the "big night" rather then spending all day at the venue making sure everything is perfect.

So I splurged....I met with several wedding coordinators and went with Beth Carrick of Flawless Occasions. I did the "day-of Package" and was still able to plan everything. I then passed the baton
over to Beth the week prior to our wedding. She confirmed with all the vendors that I had booked and she made sure to make everything I had planned come together beautifully.



Beth coming to check on me! :)
.

 My mother, mother-in-law, close friends and little nieces were all able to spend the day together getting ready. We had such a great time and it was very memorable. I wouldn't change that quality time we had for the world. I will admit that I went down to the venue a couple times just to see how everything was going (I couldn't help myself).

Good times!

My girls making sure my make-up was perfect!

On our way...

Such a precious picture!!

I strongly recommend a wedding coordinator. It is just as important as the flowers or the decor. It relieves so much stress knowing you have someone handling everything for you. My wedding day went so fast and the time flew by....I don't know where I would have found the time to set the venue up if I didn't have Beth. A wedding coordinator is worth every penny. I was able to spend great time with friends & family before heading into such an important night! :)

No worries here!

Beth helping me every step of the way.

It's GO time! :)



The boys had a great time getting ready too!



Our wedding was so memorable and we had such a good time celebrating our new marriage with all our friends and family. Be sure to take a moment to take the night in. It flies by and is over before you know it.

Images courtesy of Mandy & Me Studios

www.ModernDayEvents.com

DIY Couple ends up in jail.....

I stumbled upon an amusing story and thought I would pass it along. Not what I had in mind as the DIY Bride. I don't recommend this at home! :)

Read the story posted by  Emily Abbate on the couple who were arrested for stealing:

Couple Arrested for Finding "Creative" Way to Save Money on their Wedding

From the venue and the invitations to the dress -- everything involved in planning a wedding is pretty gosh darn expensive. So it's not surprising that a newlywed couple from Pennsylvania wanted to save a few bucks on their big day by supplying some of the food for the wedding reception themselves. I think that's sorta cute! How home-y and personal!

The duo naturally went to the grocery store, picked out all the necessary ingredients (which apparently included a variety of cold cuts and other hors d'oeuvre-types of platters), and left. The only problem? They left without paying.

The lovers stole $1,049.26 worth of food intended for their reception (which they never made it to). Nothing says holy matrimony like a pair of handcuffs to match those new wedding bands!
Sure, it's not every day you hear about people stealing food to try to please their wedding guests. But let's look at the bigger picture here: Can you believe they were only going to spend $1,000 on food? What a bargain!

I'm not saying that every reception has to have a lavish menu like that of just-married Kim Kardashian. I'm all about keeping dinner simple to please the greatest number of people, as long as it's followed up by the most delicious wedding cake ever (red velvet, please!).

BUT -- when you're feeding 100 guests or more, things tend to add up. According to the Bridal Association of America, the average cost of wedding reception food is about $9,400. And that's only for the meal! We can't forget about things like the thousands-of-dollars bar tab at most soirees (which runs about $2,800). With my big Italian family, I'll be lucky if I leave my wedding without some big debt to match! I wonder, can you just register for cash? Or is that tacky?

Alas, I'm far, far away from wedded bliss. But I know when that day comes, I'll for sure be hiring a catering service ... and definitely not wearing handcuffs.

Story found at:  http://thestir.cafemom.com/food_party/125075/couple_arrested_for_finding_creative

Image courtesy of Imagine.

Who cares about the chairs.....

On most occasions, hotels and venues have chairs for you to use for your wedding. In most cases, these chairs do not match what you have in mind for your big day. You have the option of choosing between ballroom chairs or metal chairs. Or sometimes you may get lucky and have the option of the white garden chair. But typically, these aren’t the best options. So it’s another cost you have to include in your budget.





Even the Ritz Carlton can't change the appearance of a ballroom chair.

 
Believe it or not, chairs can make or break your wedding décor aesthetic. It’s typically not what you think of when remembering a wedding you have attended in the past. But that’s because the majority of the time, brides make sure the chairs are in line with all the other wedding décor they have chosen. They may be covered with chair covers or replaced with chiavari chairs but the ballroom chair is changed in some way, shape or form.

If you use the ballroom chairs, they can put a huge crimp in your decor. They stand out from everything else because they’re big, bulky and have some sort of design on them that do not match the look you are going for. Your beautiful reception becomes overshadowed by these ballroom chairs. 

I may have mentioned this before but the chiavari chair can totally transform your reception décor. Chiavari chairs can make your wedding decor go from dull to sheek with the right color for your wedding.

Images courtesy of http://www.theknot.com/, The Ritz Carlton, Dan Hathcock and the Oxart.
Please be sure to check out our website at www.moderndayevents.com if you are planning a wedding in the Tampa, St. Pete or Sarasota area.

www.moderndayevents.com

Why I'm here.....Chiavari Chairs!

The chiavari chair is an undeniably classic and elegant look. It is one of those details that can transform your wedding. Many brides struggle with the decision of chairs mainly due to the cost. The standard ballroom chairs typically clash with most wedding colors or décor, so choosing chairs or covers is usually placed on the ”to do” list.

The chiavari chair originated in Chiavari, Italy in 1807 by Gaetano Descalzi. It was made out of a solid, sturdy hardwood yet light to carry. Today there are varieties of this chair made out of resin and metal. Hardwood is still the best quality by far.

There is a reason that so many celebrities use this classic chair at their weddings such as Carrie Underwood and Bethenny Frankel. The chiavari chair is also the go-to for well known wedding planner David Tutera. It doesn’t hurt to know that the Kennedy’s used these chairs at their 900-guest wedding in 1953.

Courtesy of Life Magazine

Chair covers and sashes do not add that same touch of elegance but is a much cheaper option than the chiavari chair. Don’t get me wrong, if these are your only option to cover up those ballroom chairs, definitely go for them. They just don’t do as much justice as opposed to the chiavari chairs. The tables are already covered with linens and the chair covers make the room look more cluttered and crowded in my opinion. The chiavari chair is a clean, sleek look that adds so much to a room or venue.

You may be thinking, “but it’s just a chair” which if you are a bride, you know otherwise. The chair is another detail that can change your wedding or event theme. It adds to the lighting, centerpieces and the draping. It was always my go-to chair when planning special events. It’s one of those costs that you keep going back and forth on in the budget. I know I lost sleep when planning my wedding. I knew this was an extra cost that made the budget tight, I loved the chiavari chair but could I actually rationalize the cost….oh but I did! In the end, it was a must! I had seen first-hand how it changed a room from my experiences. Every additional photo I saw with these beautiful chairs kept convincing me more and more that I needed them for my big day.

At the end of the day, everyone has their own preferences and opinions on the chiavari chair vs. the chair covers. What’s yours? :)



http://www.moderndayevents.com/



Images courtesy of TheKnot.com, Ijustsaidyes.com and Life Magazine

What about a theme…..

As I have mentioned before, I wanted a very personalized wedding that represented me and my new hubby. Which actually ended up being very easy. We both LOVE to travel. So I wanted to incorporate some of the places we have visited together in that theme. Our “Save the Dates” were made on postcards and I made our “card table numbers” postcards as well. Instead of the standard numbers, I created a postcard of a city we had traveled to and made the escort cards into boarding passes.



My only regret were these darn card holders, they were flimsy and didn't stay up very well. We live and we learn! :)

I used our honeymoon destination as the name for the sweetheart table.



I found a boarding pass template on google and printed them at home on a heavier card stock paper.



I personalized each postcard with a memory from that city.



I even made sure that our guest book was geared towards the "travel" theme and asking our guests where they were traveling from and how far it was.




http://www.guestbookstore.com/


As mentioned in a previous post, I set a wire Eiffel Tower in the middle of the escort card table to add to the boarding passes that our guests would pick up before heading to their tables.

I used zazzle.com to make the postcards and the menu cards. It was such a good site for personalization and very nicely priced.

It was fun throwing around different ideas with friends and family until deciding on the perfect idea for the "big day."

www.ModernDayEvents.com