Chicago Out of Town Welcome Basket- the ingredients

We love making custom wedding welcome baskets for clients across the country and this past week we put together and shipped 25 baskets for a client getting married in Chicago! I wanted to show you the finished product and some some of the fantastic items that filled it!

First, this is the BEST caramel popcorn I've ever had in my life... In fact, we over ordered purposefully and we have a giant metal bucket full of this stuff in our office. Check out all of the amazing products Garrett Popcorn has to offer- a staple for a Chicago welcome basket.

When we started designing our line of out of town welcome baskets I knew I wanted a great coffee or tea in each of them.... we tried many many different companies and varieties and out of every city and state basket we offer, Metropolis Coffee is by far the best coffee I've ever tasted... great people to work with, great packaging, great all around and the coffee is amazing!!!

Finally, we always have a custom welcome map in each of our baskets which includes 5 points of interest of your choice. We used to have a graphic designer in our office so we were able to produce these on our own... Now that we don't have a graphic designer, I attempted to make the map on myself before quickly realizing I was way over my head in Adobe Illustrator and I had to call upon an expert to help finish the project... enter Gus and Ruby Letterpress.... Whitney and Sam graciously moved a few things around for us last week to tidy up and beautify this custom map for Maria and Sam! Thank goodness too, there's looks SO much cuter than mine did :)

There you have it, adding personalized and hand-selected products in our welcome baskets is one of the main reasons ours stand out. We think they're pretty well designed too, if we can say so ourselves! Happy planning! KP

To learn more about our line of Out of Town Welcome Baskets, check out our website! We always make new custom baskets for any city/state/wedding destination!

Destination Weddings- things to consider

Since we plan mostly New England weddings, with many of our clients coming from CA and NY, I thought I would mention a few of the things you should really consider when having a destination wedding.

The first is what actually defines a "destination wedding". In our opinion, any wedding that asks more than 50% of your guests to drive more than 3 hours in one direction is a destination wedding. Because of the distance, a significant amount of your guests will need to make travel plans which is one of the reasons a destination wedding requires more preparation.

In general, the most important thing to consider when planning a destination wedding is TIME. If you plan ahead you can reserve everything you need to reserve and you can communicate the appropriate information to ease the travel planning process for your guests.

Many couples plan their destination weddings around their guests' experience. They want to make things as easy as possible in terms of their guests' travel plans, and they want to provide as much information and activities for everyone to enjoy once they arrive for the wedding.

1. Overnight accommodations- we did just write about this and you can read the details here, but make sure you offer different price point options and room blocks if you can.

2. Transportation- if your wedding is in a remote location in general, and/or if your ceremony and reception are in two separate locations, consider offering transportation for your guests from their hotels to your ceremony and reception.

3. Save The Dates- creating a Save the Date is a major piece of the destination wedding puzzle. You can include as much information as you'd like in your Save the Date, including the wedding weekend schedule and accommodation and transportation information. Getting a Save the Date out to your guests at least 6 months before your wedding date gives them time to make the appropriate travel arrangements, as well as requesting any work days off for your wedding.

4. Wedding Website- in addition to your Save the Date, consider creating a wedding website to provide even more details about your wedding plans. This can include things to do for the weekend, specifically planned activities,- golf outings, tennis, kayaking, etc. and any additional accommodation or transportation information you didn't include in your printed Save the Date.

5. Welcome Baskets- yes, we make adorable out of town welcome baskets, but they really serve an important purpose. We try to fill them with local goodies and amenities for guests to enjoy but we ALWAYS include a local chamber of commerce map as well as a welcome letter from our clients and any additional schedule or itinerary they want to include. Something to consider including is any news on the day-after Brunch.

6. Rehearsal Dinner/Welcome Reception- when planning a destination, many of our clients struggle with their rehearsal dinner planning as they know many of their guests have traveled large distances and many arrive the day before the wedding. Some clients decide to continue the tradition of their rehearsal dinner including only the members of the wedding party and their immediate families. Others decide to include out-of-towners after dinner for welcome drinks, and sometimes we create events where the entire guest list is invited to a welcome dinner the evening before the wedding. A great idea to include everyone, be prepared to adjust your budget according as feeding 80-100% of your guests is much more costly than your wedding party alone.

In the end, many of these considerations apply to a non-destination wedding, so plan in advance, keep your guests experience in mind, and happy planning!

KP

Amy and Sean Get Married

Hi everyone! We are back in action here at the KPW blog. my Kate Parker Wedding has taken up a lot of our time (in a good way) If you want to check out our new online wedding resource, feel free to visit my Kate Parker Wedding! We are hoping to post once a week here on KPW to keep things going.For our first time back in a while, we thought we would post about one of the weddings we are planning in June!

This year we are planning a wedding for a fabulous couple who's style is rustic meets vintage meets something fun and new. We were so in love with their amazing stationery designs that we decided to have some fun! We took a mini photo shoot of the invitations, map, announcement, envelope, and also their flowers (minus the craspedia) to show off their amazing wedding design and awesome style.

This wedding has so many details, but in the best way there could be. There is baking twine wrapped around the invitations with two owls threaded through the twine and perched on the outside of the envelope. We have decided to continue the twine and owl design throughout the wedding and onto the napkins. By wrapping the napkins with baking twine and beading the owls through, we can keep the wedding design flowing, from invites to the reception! The couple also had the coolest stamp designed for them which is two little squirrels holding a heart. How awesome! The squirrel theme is quite venue appropriate since the couple is getting married at Rockywold Deephaven Camp in New Hampshire.

The color scheme for this wedding is something new, different, and very cool. The couple chose an aqua-ish blue, red and a perfect shade of yellow for their invitations. For the centerpieces we designed a terra cotta flower pot and found the perfect shade of blue to paint over it in order to match the wedding invitation colors. We then glazed it to get a nice, finished look. Another aspect of the table scape is the cool fabric that the couple picked out to go under the centerpieces and over the off white table linen. The floral and polka dot designs of these fabrics are in great shades of red, yellow, green, and and blue. A perfect mis-match of patterns that will go great with the wooden aspects of Rockywold.

We are also very excited and proud to say that one of our myKPW photographers, Studio Nouveau, is shooting this wedding!

Here is a photograph of the inside of the invitation. The map of Rockywold and the directions from North or South are a great addition to the invites that help guests out when planning how they are getting to the wedding.

Here is a Save-The-Date for Amy and Sean. Notice the baking twine at the top!

Here is the full set of the invitation. The pocket holds the invitation filled with info about the wedding, maps, what to wear, directions, and of course a place to RSVP. This invitation was printed on some pretty awesome paper that is made to look like tree bark. How cool!?

I love love love these owls (and the squirrels in the background)! The twine wrapped around the invitation was all done by hand by the bride. What dedication. I so appreciate the creative, skilled, hands on DIY kind of bride.

Hello Campers! This is the opening of the invitation, a welcome greeting from Amy and Sean, the bride and groom. You can see the little squirrel stamp at the top of the page, tying the inside of the envelope to the outside.

All of Amy and Sean's wedding stationery was designed and created by Strong Studio.

.written by allie.

Danielle and Matt- a details video

Check out this great video from Maple Loft! Danielle and Matt had great weather last July and we really enjoyed looking back on these details. Thanks to Claris Photography for the fabulous pictures as well! Both vendors are members of the MY KPW family!

http://www.mapleloftstudios.com/DanielleMatt/

Check out Maple Loft
Check out Claris Photography

Meet the ladies of KPW

I thought it would be fun to show you who you talk to when you call the KPW office. Kate Mann has been with KPW for a few years now and we just welcomed Liz Sullivan to the KPW family. Lola, VP of operations, has been on board for almost 4 years now. Sometimes it's nice to put a face to a name. Thank you to Emilie Sommer of Emilie Inc. Photography for taking such fabulous photos!

Kate Mann, wedding planner, graphic designer, welcome basket customer service









Liz Sullivan, wedding planner, MY KPW customer service






Lola Parker, VP of operations




Kate Parker Weddings

Kate Parker Flowers

MY Kate Parker Wedding

How to make an Out of Town Welcome Basket- a tutorial

We have expanded the Kate Parker Weddings brand to include a number of products, most notably our custom Out of Town Welcome Baskets. We have been blogged numerous times showing off our products and occasionally someone comments on how expensive our baskets cost. While OOT welcome baskets are often a DIY project for many brides, I wanted to show you our process so you get a better sense of how involved they can be from the ordering through shipping of each individual basket. We will ship to as many hotels as a client requests, contacting each hotel in advance to let them know our baskets are coming. In addition we send each box with a list of guests as to minimize any confusion. I hope this tutorial gives inspiration for the DIY brides and maybe even some expert secrets and tips of the trade! Enjoy.



The first step is laying out all of the containers and filling them with whatever filler the client has requested. We have a number of containers available on our website but are always open to finding the perfect item if a client is looking for something a little different. The same goes with our filler- paper shred, crinkle paper, tissue paper, natural burlap...you name it, we can find it!



Next we add the heaviest of the items, usually the waters. We use local water companies within New England and then we use Fiji waters for the rest of the country. Sometimes we have them next to one another, other times we will separate them to make room for other larger items.



For this Chatham, MA basket, we wanted to include a Cape Cod travel guide as well as a map of the area for each guest. We usually get this from the local Chamber of Commerce and often times we create custom welcome letters and maps for our clients.



Because this basket wasn't very tall we needed to roll up the map and local guide. It ended up being cuter this way!




A KPW welcome basket isn't complete without our signature medicine kit which includes Tylenol, Advil, and Pepto Bismol. You never know how traveling will treat your guests.



Here is a photo of a completed basket. We like to include the following in each of our baskets: A sweet snack, a salty snack, 2 waters, a medicine kit, chamber of commerce guides and map, and an adorable container with filler. Some clients like to add additional items, some like a few less.



Sometimes we have to put items together in order to accommodate the size of the basket. Here we are creating bags of salt water taffy.



Here we are making small 2 cup bags of the BEST caramel popcorn in the world, Garrett's Popcorn in Chicago... it is so fabulous!



When the baskets are completed they are lined up to check for symmetry and to double check all the contents are included in each basket.




Packing baskets is not an easy thing, since we have to make sure the contents don't move or get destroyed in transit... we like to start with a large 30"x30" box filled with some biodegradable packing peanuts.



Each basket is wrapped in bubble. We don't like to use cellophane for each basket- it's a waste of money and it's not easy for your guests to deal with.



Once the baskets are placed in the box they are covered in more peanuts and bubble wrap, ensuring their safe delivery to each hotel.

How to make a bouquet- a tutorial

There is a LOT of labor involved in making a bouquet, especially for the bride. The size and shape have to be perfect, the flowers have to be the highest quality you can find, and the construction is very intricate. Then you have to add the usually complex ribbon wrapping to complete the look. I asked my floral designer to photograph the steps it takes to make a bridal bouquet and I wanted to share them with you. I hope this provides some insight to how much work is really involved in making beautiful personal flowers! Enjoy the tutorial!

1. Processing flowers: Flowers are ordered from numerous countries around the world and are delivered to the studio in large boxes. They are packed either in 10 stem bunches or if they're roses, they will be packed 25 to a sleeve. Each flower will have to be stripped of its leaves and thorns, cut and placed immediately in water to hydrate, and then they will be ready to use. Depending on the type and number of flowers you're working with, processing can take anywhere from an hour to one or two days.

















2. Selecting the flowers: For a bridal bouquet, you can only use the very best blossoms. I usually like to over order my flowers by about 5% to guarantee we'll have a great selection to go through when it's time to pick the bride's flowers.


3. Creating the shape: Some bouquets are easier than others. If hydrangea is involved, it creates a base for the other flowers to be placed within. If you're using smaller blossoms- roses, tulips, lilacs, etc, they have to be individually placed to form a small cluster. Once you've gotten a base to work off of, you pick alternating types of flowers and place them around the bouquet in the open spaces, trying to keep the bouquet as evenly round as you can. Sometimes it's easier to wrap the bouquet in floral tape in multiple stages for better handling.








4. Completing the shape: Once you've used all the flowers you need, check the bouquet in a mirror to make sure it's completely round- or the shape you're trying to achieve. Sometimes I'll catch Kate Sauer- our floral designer- asking someone in the office to hold the bouquet to get an even better sense of its shape and size. If there's a gap somewhere, now is the time to fill it in with an additional flower.




5. Wrapping the bouquet: We like to use rubber bands first to get a nice tight grip on the stems. Next, we'll wrap in green floral tape to create the smooth surface the ribbon will cover. Finally, we will wrap the bouquet with ribbon, starting at the top of the stems and working our way to the bottom. We will always glue the end of the ribbon over and then attach it to the rest of the ribbon with pins. If there's a special ribbon embellishment- a ballet wrap or a simple overlay- we will attach that now as well.






6. Spray-down, storage, and presentation: I might be a little over the top when it comes to spraying flowers with water, but it is a policy in my studio to constantly keep our flowers hydrated both from their stems being in fresh water and by spraying the flower blossoms themselves. We keep all of our personal flowers in the cooler in vases of water and present our brides with their bouquets still in water until the last minute to keep them as fresh as possible. We always bring a towel to dry the stems off before everyone walks down the aisle.

Kate Parker Flowers
Kate Parker Weddings

Bands vs. DJs- a Band's perspective

Here's another expert's opinion on music for your reception.

Amy Serrago of Nite-Time band in NYC agrees that if you can afford it, having both the band and DJ is the best of both worlds! Check out their website for more information on Nite-Time!

Nite-Time band






A live band brings an air of excitement to any event. There is something about watching and listening to live people making music right in front of you that takes the whole experience up a notch, and your wedding is a once in a lifetime event. A professional event band should be able to cover all types of music, but this is an especially great choice if you are into rock, swing, Motown, alternative, and genres generally utilizing live instruments to create their sound. If your fiance proposed to you at a Bruce Springsteen concert, trust me, you’re band people.

However, if you are into club music, hip hop or techno, and you and your fiance never miss a Saturday night out at the club, then a DJ might be a better fit for you. A great DJ can play his or her turntables like an instrument, and this way you will know exactly what the songs are going to sound like. If you practiced your first dance to the CD for all of those months, you can dance it exactly the same way that night.

I agree with Anne about price, a live band costs considerably more than a dj - we have more people to pay. However, I disagree with her statement that "most bands can't play from grandma's era to today's top hits" a professional event band can and has to play music from all eras. If you find one that can't, you should keep looking.

Of course, for the bride that wants it all, you can always hire one of each and have them trade off, or start with band, end with dj. I find that to be a fun night. We've been asked to "dj" certain songs or sets of songs. We can save people a little money that way too, by letting the musicians go early and then turning on the tunes through our system. We can custom design playlists and music packages for all tastes, styles and almost all budgets.

My husband and I started running Nite-Time - New York City's Premier Party Band! in 2002. We serve NYC and the tri-state area. We opened a Hudson Valley office in 2007 and are starting to get more work in that area as well as some in New England. We have a combined experience in the wedding/event music business of 42 years, and we're not even that old! We both got started very young, I guess.

A Fall 2008 Martha's Vineyard Wedding

We had SUCH a great time on MV and Chappy for our clients Serena and Ted. Although this wedding involved more planning than any other wedding we have ever coordinated- especially in the realm of transportation- we had a blast with both their families and friends and were so happy to be a part of their wedding week.

The wedding events really started on Wednesday, and we have photos of Thursday's Welcome Lobster Bake and the Wedding on Saturday. Here are the fabulous vendors we worked with on MV:

Planning: KPW
Floral and Event Design for the wedding: KPW
Florals for the Welcome Clambake: Flowers on the Vineyard
Event Design for the Welcome Clambake: KPW
Photography: Nelson Hancock Photography
Catering: Jaime Hamlin and Sons Catering
Tents: Big Sky Tent and Party Rentals
Lighting: ProtekMV
Rentals: Be Our Guest available through KPW

Linens: Indigo Moon available through KPW
Ceremony and Cocktail Music: High Range available through CREA
Reception Music: Pete Saunders Orchestra available through Hank Lane Music and Productions and Ryan Parker, DJ
Wedding Cake: Val's Cakes
Favors: Truffles for a Cause
Restroom Trailers: C&S Portable Restrooms



A festive yet casual themed Lobster Bake. Custom stained picnic tables and benches adorned with nautical striped runners completed with multiple colored star lanterns.



Corn Hole- a game I was unfamiliar with until this wedding, is hysterically fun and very addictive!

All of the adirondack furniture was custom stained and created for this wedding by Be Our Guest.  Custom cushions were made from Indigo Moon Linens.

The Wedding Ceremony and Reception- All white ceremony flowers followed by all white linens at the reception with orange, magenta and red flowers.

Serena and Ted created a few of these adorable wooden signs throughout the property.

Staying with the theme, we ordered pink and orange parasols for the ceremony.

High Range- FABULOUS blue grass band serenading guests prior to the ceremony.

Our famous Flip Flop Valets!

We brought out the flooring used in the dining tent to create a platform and aisle for the bride and groom.  Simple white-washed planters filled with all white hydrangea, larkspur and beach grass completed the ceremony design.

Bride's bouquet consisted of pink mokara orchids, poison roses, orange mini callas, black baccara roses, dark milva roses.  The bridesmaids bouquets consisted of white garden roses, white dendrobium orchids, white spray roses, white hydrangea, and white mini callas.

The wedding cake was covered in orange and pink mokara orchids with a chocolate branch effect on the bottom of each tier.

Custom orange titan silk napkin ring with a covered button.

Truffles for a cause favors were placed on a bed of pink hydrangea.

The dining tent prior to guests arriving.

The centerpieces varied from a single multi-colored arrangement to three separate vases containing one color and type of flower.  All vases were double banded in orange and pink taffeta ribbon.

KPW classic paper lantern installation complete with pink uplighting on the tent ceiling.

Luminaria bags were placed to help lead guests to the restroom trailers.

A view from outside the two dinner tents in the evening.