Etsy Monday

Looking to have something unique and creative to hold all of your wedding cards from your big day, well I discovered great find on Etsy, courtesy of Bwithu Studio. These are great handmade boxes that can be customized to your wedding.

The fabric covered boxes are made with "quality ribbons" and depending on the size can hold between 100-300 cards.

Here are some examples:

Elegant Affairs 2011 Team

I am so excited to announce the Elegant Affairs Team for the 2011 Wedding Season. All of these women are exceptional and I am delighted that they will be joining me this season. Each woman brings an incredible talent to the table that will only enhance each wedding experience. Rachel Ermitano is joining the team as lead assistant followed by interns: Krista Foster, Kimberly Merrell, Kylie Johns and Lauren Groulik.

Rachel Ermitano

Rachel Ermitano has known Lori for several years and recently joined the Elegant Affairs team. She was a member of Alpha Phi and a graduate of Washington State University. She currently resides in Seattle and is working on obtaining a teaching position.

Rachel has always been interested in event planning, especially wedding planning. It all started when her sister was married in 2009. She helped her sister plan all the details of her big day. This is when she realized that she had a passion for wedding and event planning. Rachel works to fine tune all the details, adds creative flare and works toward making the client's day flawless and memorable.

Krista Foster

My name is Krista Foster and I am a 21 year old Tacoma native. I have three younger sisters and love to hike, cook, and spend time on the lake or at the beach with friends. I went to Bellarmine Preparatory School before pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy and Sociology at Santa Clara University. At Santa Clara I am an Alpha Phi which is how I met the fabulous Lori Losee and was introduced to Elegant Affairs. My past event experience includes birthday parties, sorority formal events, community fundraisers, formal auctions, and weddings.

I pride myself on being detail oriented and highly organized. My ability to stay calm under pressure and work with people has helped me to put on successful events in the past. Weddings are a time of celebration, of bringing family and friends together to celebrate a loving union between two people. I have always loved the opportunity to witness the joy of these events and cannot wait to bring my event planning skills to the table in order to make each wedding a day to remember forever.


I am so incredibly excited to be a part of the Elegant Affairs team this 2011 season!

Etsy Monday

Normally, I am not a big fan of cake toppers unless it has significant meaning (i.e. parents cake topper, etc.); however I quickly changed my tune when I ran across these adorable personalized cake toppers (really wedding sculptures) by Cake Toppers Studio.

They are pricey ($250), but I feel really worth it.

According to the description: "Charming wedding cake topper (original style topper) custom-made in your likeness. I will create a topper in the style shown of you and your future spouse that features your hairstyles, gown, tux, and flowers. Figures are sculpted of polymer clay and stand about 6 ½ inches tall including the base. The base is white painted wood approximately 5 inches in diameter. The figures are a whimsical, artistic rendering in the style pictured and are not intended to be an exact portrait."

Here are some examples.

Review of Vingtage Wedding Show

The 2nd Annual Seattle Vintage Wedding Fair was simple but full of nice surprises. Upon arrival, we were greeted by the hostess with champagne and an array of small appetizers. We received our gift bags full of samples from different booths. There were only thirteen vendors at the event but each booth was informational and full of ideas.


There were two booths devoted to hair accessories such as feather pieces, flower clips, bird cage veils, and much more. Additionally, the fair features a dress designer that used vintage dresses, such as your Mother's wedding dress, and turned it into a modern design. The designer could also revamp the dress to your liking. The fair featured a hairstylist, paper flower design, vintage inspired paper products, veils with crocheted edging, vintage jewelry, and even mini donut "cake pops".

Overall, the event only took an hour of my time but, the information obtained was useful. Not only were there different wedding pieces to purchase but, each booth offered DIY tips for your special day.

~ Rachel Ermitano, Elegant Affairs Assistant

Etsy Monday

I am starting a weekly tradition on Mondays here on the blog of highlighting products that I found on Etsy. I have used this site to find inspiration for my brides, event clients and for myself.

Today's find are the handcrafted wedding signs. They can be customized to fit your color scheme and/or theme.

The great thing about this Etsy vendor, ourhobbytoyourhome is that they are located in Olympia, WA.

Here are just  few of their designs:

2nd Annual Seattle Vintage Wedding Fair

Date: May 14, 2011

Location: Ghost Gallery (504 E. Denny Way)

Cost: $5.

Time: 12:00pm - 6:00pm

The 2nd Annual Seattle Vintage Wedding Fair is all about focusing on the details. It is not your average wedding show. This is a unique event and is inspired by Hollywood glamour and vintage styles.

The wedding show will be a small event with vintage and retro vendors. The show will have items for purchase as well as "do it yourself" project ideas. Vendors include but do not limit: hair accessories, jewelry, vintage dresses, flowers, various paper products, hair and makeup artists, and so much more!

It should be a quick event but full of fun vintage ideas for your special day. It's open from noon until 6:00. The show will provide small appetizers and champagne while you look around! 

When guests don't RSVP!

One of my biggest pet peeves of being a former bride and now as a wedding planner is when guests do not RSVP for weddings. As a bride you have done everything to make it simple for your guests by including a mailable card that is already addressed and stamped and all they have to do is check that they are attending or not and then put it in the envelope and stick it in the mailbox. Sounds simple enough, right?

What I tell my brides before they mail out their invitations is to make sure they have a spreadsheet (Excel is my personal hero) that lists who you invited, addresses, phone numbers and if by chance an e-mail address.

Be prepared for the flood of response cards, you can expect cards to be returned as soon as a few days after you mail out your wedding invitations. I love this time, this is the one time in your life where you will have so much mail with your name on it that you are actually excited to receive. The key is to record every response as they come in and don't let them accumulate around your house because chances are these little cards can be easily misplaced or accidentally thrown away.

When it comes closer to your actual RSVP date, check your spreadsheet and assess who has or hasn't responded by mailing in their card. DO NOT rely on your friends and family saying to you at a party or in passing that they are coming. Encourage your guests to send in their response cards.

The key thing to remember is to never assume that a guest will or will not be attending your wedding, having that response card is the golden ticket.

My biggest piece of advice is about a week or two to your RSVP date, contact those guests whose response cards you haven't received either by a nice phone call or e-mail. This is a task that SHOULD NOT be done by the bride a groom. This is a great job for your wedding planner or a pre-assigned family member or member of your bridal party.

Here are some reasons why guests haven't sent in their response card:

• "I totally forgot about it. Thanks for reminding me."
• "I never received my invitation."
• "I'm not able to make it so I didn't think I needed to send it in." (Most common)

When talking with these guests, be polite and ask about their response cards. If they have lost their response card, this is the only time where it is acceptable to take a verbal commitment to you wedding.

Services

We offer a FREE, one-hour no obligation consultation to discuss your vision. Call 253.279.6485 to schedule your appointment.

Elegant Affairs will coordinate every aspect of your wedding or event, beginning with an introductory meeting for us to get to know one another and discuss your vision. Trust is important in any relationship. You should feel completely comfortable with your coordinator and feel assured that we completely understand your needs. If you need assistance in determining your individual needs based on your wedding/event style and budget, we would love to sit down with you and help and put together a package and price that is right for you.

All wedding coordination packages include: unlimited access to expert wedding advice via e-mail; access to our preferred vendor list; Elegant Affairs wedding planning workbook; assistant(s), review of contracts; working/coordinating with all vendors, including confirmation one week prior to wedding; and an "Emergency Kit."

Heart to Heart 

Two planning meetings

Vendor Referrals

Create Timeline for Bridal Party/Vendors

Elegant Affairs Workbook

Ivy Leaf

One planning meeting

Coordinate ceremony rehearsal (One hour)

Coordinate the wedding day (Six hours)

 Silver and Bordeaux

Two planning meetings

Coordinate ceremony rehearsal (One hour)

Coordinate the wedding day (Eight hours)

Little Dipper

Three planning meetings

Attend two vendor appointments

Coordinate ceremony rehearsal (One hour)

Coordinate the wedding day (Eight hours)

Big Dipper

Five planning meetings

Attend three vendor appointments

Coordinate ceremony rehearsal (One hour)

Coordinate the wedding day (Nine hours)

Lily of the Valley

Seven planning meetings

Attend five vendor appointments

Create a realistic wedding budget

Advise on reception design

Develop ceremony and reception logistics and floor plans

Coordinate ceremony rehearsal (Two hours)

Coordinate the wedding day (Ten hours)

Forget-Me-Knot

Ten planning meetings

Attend all vendor appointments

Budget preparation

Create and maintain a week by week calendar

Assist with wedding style and/or theme

Manage guest list

Unlimited coverage of your wedding day and rehearsal

We can also customize a package that best fits your planning needs and your wedding budget.

A La Carte
    We also provide an array of services for you to choose from to suit your particular needs. A la carte services can be purchased alone or added to any of the above packages.

• Create Save the Dates, Invitations, Programs, etc.
• Preparation of personal wedding planning timeline
• Budget preparation
• Vendor and venue recommendations
• Manage guest list
• Menu selection consultation
• Hotel coordination for out-of-town guests
• Gift registry assistance
• Marriage license guidance
• Wedding weekend itinerary
• Ceremony wording assistance
• Candy Buffet

If you just need a little help getting started, or need some advice along the way, Elegant Affairs can assist you with those tasks you just can't find the time for: finding the right location for your wedding ceremony, researching caterers within your budget, locating the right florist or baker, helping to design invitations or wedding programs, and much more! Consulting services can be arranged via phone, e-mail or person to person.