Newly Engaged? Tips for the bride to be!

So, he asked and you answered. The ring is on the finger. And you’ve posted your big news on Snap Chat, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Congratulations on your engagement! Brides-to-be are in for an exciting ride of wedding planning that leads to the big day, but it can also be exhausting – and even confusing. So, we’re here to help get you started with our top five wedding tips for brides.

Things to know about the date

Picking the date of your wedding is an important decision you’ll need to make early on in the process. First off, take a look to see what dates might not work, like school reunions, other family weddings, or other special occasions that could interfere with guests attending. 

Once you start to zero in on a few favorite dates, it’s also good to have an idea about what other events might be happening on your wedding day. Things like major sporting events, parades or charity walks could affect the logistics of parking, traffic or hotel availability. And you’d rather weigh those considerations on the front-end, rather than running into surprises after you’ve already picked the date.

Get a rough estimate of the guest list

The number of guests will be a factor in determining many of the other decisions about your wedding and reception. So, you’ll want to have an approximate number of how many people will be there helping you celebrate your special day. It will really come in handy when choosing a venue, to make sure there is space for everyone.

Keep in mind that the size of your guest list will have an impact on many of your wedding costs – from invitations to food and beverages.

Get Organized

There will be plenty of decisions, details and tidbits to keep track of with your wedding planning. That’s why it’s important to stay organized. Find whatever organization system works best for you (three-ring binders, electronic spreadsheets, notebooks) to keep all your notes, contact with vendors, photos, brainstorms and contact information in one place.

Staying organized will help cut down on some of that wedding-planning stress.

Slow and Easy

Sometimes slow and steady wins the race, right? Well, the same idea can be put toward wedding planning. Maybe when choosing a date, take a look at how far out you want to go. A year? 18 months? Two years? The further out the date is, it could help with vendor availability, making sure guests can get it on their calendar, and perhaps most importantly, reduce stress of all the planning.

Getting everything together for a day 16 months from now might sound much more doable than for a day six months from now.

Prioritize

It’s natural to want everything on the wedding day to go off without a hitch. Every bride wants everything to be perfect. However, nothing in life is entirely perfect, and that’s OK. Think of some priorities when it comes to the details of your wedding. What’s the most important thing? Is it having the best DJ in town? An extravagant cake from a well-known baker? A dress from the hottest designer? Pick a few things to prioritize and make sure those items are just right, and everything else will fall into place.

Enjoy the process!
SimplySHAY

Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Peace, My Journey, My Way, SimplySHAY  ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

40th Birthday for Nikeva Lawrence

Simply Perfect Peace Events was honored to plan and manage the Champagne and Chocolate's 40th Birthday Soirée for Nikeva Lawrence which was nothing short of amazing!  The honoree was stunning in her gown by Curvaceous Couture (Columbus, MD), Hair by Ebony Roberts and flawless makeup by Sheree Day Stroud, founder of Fog Cosmetics.

Theme, budget, a few must haves and GO was all she gave us to work with.  Although we hit a bump late in the planning process with our first venue selection the Main Street Diner at the Sapphire Room proved to be the perfect setting for this diva and her guests. A big shout out to my Partner who took time away from her new baby to do what we do and our team for making it memorable for all. Palette Pleasers Catering supplied the delicious cuisine, my business partners Sherhonda Atkins-Martin and Ronnie Martin from Candy Personified and the fabulous sweet table left the guests wanting more. Designs by Shay created a sexy elegant atmosphere with beautiful floral arrangements and the overall design elements. I certainly can't forget my sound and lighting team, saxophonist Rico Maatre and DJ Memphz who set the tone early and had the party rocking all night long. Last but not least, photographer, Marcus L Sanders for capturing the pure essence of this event. I'm looking forward  to the professional photos but in the meantime enjoy these taken with cell phones by myself and guests.

Champagne infused chocolate covered strawberries
by Candy Personified

Sweet table
by Candy Personified

Catering by Palette Pleasers

Ice sculpture for the mimosa bar

DJ Memoh

Saxophonist Rico Maatre

Centerpieces by Designs by Shay

Custom candy wrappers
By Candy Personified

Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

Hosting A Sports Banquet

Tips for Hosting a Sports Banquet

For years we’ve celebrated our sports heroes. We’ve admired their commitment, paid respect for tenacious effort and we have celebrated the brightest moments, in both success and failure. Nowhere is this practice more alive than in amateur sports and it lives vividly at the end of each season when we celebrate our athletes with a season ending sports banquet. The stars of the show vary depending on the sport.  If it's a high school team, it'll probably be the senior athletes, but the trick is making all of the athletes feel special – after all, they’ve all worked hard through the season.  

Here are some more suggestions for making your sports banquet memorable:

Decorate with team uniforms

There’s nothing more personal for an athlete than the uniforms and equipment they take into battle. They wear their gear with tremendous pride and putting some of these items on display at the banquet conjures up memories and inspiration. 

Fill the space with team color

This is straightforward, but rather than just hang a couple streamers and have a banner, put a committee together and take over a space with team colors and paraphernalia. “Own” the space and make it feel like an extension of your school spirit.

Make the kids the stars

So often banquets are bogged down by parent co-chairs, coaches and assistant coaches who all want to pass on sentiments about the season, pass on “props” for coordinating the event, etc. Of course, this is important to do, but our recommendation is to keep it brief and be sure it’s directed towards the student athletes. Make sure there is ample, yet controlled, amount of time for the kids to reflect on the season. Usually the kids provide the most entertaining moments of the evening.

Produce a highlight video

Kids love pictures and every kid loves to see themselves on the big screen and if you’ve attended a sports banquet, you have sat through many of these. First, be sure your venue has audio/visual equipment to support the video and test it ahead of time for audio levels. Secondly, keep the video brief and uplifting. If possible keep it 5-7 minutes in duration. Let the gathering know how long the video is, so they have the right expectation. So often, this part of the program drags on with no end in sight and you want to be sure you leave your families inspired!

Have fun!!!

Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

Love, Laughter and EVERYTHING in Between: Alicia and Mileak

 

June 13, 2015 was the day Alicia and Mileak

said "I Do".  Their church ceremony was he perfect atmosphere for their love!

What an honor it was to be part of their day

 

 

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Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

Love, Laughter and EVERYTHING in Between: Kris and Terrance

On June 6, 2015 we had the honor of working with this lovely couple. Congratulations Kris and Terrance and thanks for allowing us to be part of your day.

Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

Love, Laughter and EVERYTHING in Between: Nikki and Wylie

 

Taking place at the Rialto Theater in Joliet Nikki and Wylie were simply meant to be and we were honored to be a part of their day.

 

 

Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.