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We are now offering our workshop “Planning Like A Pro” one-on-one!  

Because we will be doing single sessions, the catered lunch or dinner will not be offered so take $25 off the fee making the cost a VERY affordable $275.  The valuable piles of information and documentation that you will receive is what we usually save for our “Day-of” and Classic Package clients who pay anywhere from $1,200 to $3,000.  The coupons and discounts that you will receive from our Preferred Vendors will total more than the cost of the class.  Take it from Nancy and I who have been in the industry for a combined total of 43 years, it is better to be prepared from the beginning for all of the little details that will encompass you and your life during the planning process.

 Click here for details: Workshop Flyer 

 Just call Michelle at (512) 267-4544 to schedule a session that works for both calendars. 

Open House:      The Ranch House at Teravista

Date:                    TUESDAY, June 30^th

Time:                    6:00p.m. to 8:00p.m.

Address:             4307 Teravista Club Drive

 Contact Phone:     (512) 633-7632 

This new venue is unique and full of hill country charm! Be among the first in the Austin area to utilize this enchanting location for your wedding ceremony and reception or rehearsal dinner. Come check out the panoramic view from our back porch while enjoying complimentary beer and wine.

 Grooms!  Receive a free round of golf (Mon-Thurs) for attending. 

Brides!   Any bride attending the event who books their wedding with us by August 31, 2009 can choose to receive $250 off the facility rental fee, a free champagne toast for up to 100 guests OR a round of golf for 4. 

Please RSVP to Michelle Bromley at michelle@allisonsevents.com                 

Vendors Attending Include:
Allison Events – Raffle prize: 50% off your wedding planning package of choice.  Value $750-$2500
Gino’s Italian Restaurant
Fantasy Cakes
Bella Bloom
Classical Guitar by Emin Navarro
Make Up by Amanda
Eric Hegwer Photograhpy
The Moving Images CompanyCen-Tex Party RentalSilver & Stone Realty Executives

The answer is YES!  In this article I will share with you the different verbiage that many brides mistake for gratuity and explain who you should tip after your wedding and how much.

Being a bartender in a couple of high-volume country bars and later in a busy bar on 6th Street, I have heard a couple of different origins for the word “tips”.  It is an acronym that comes from the words either To Insure Prompt Service or To Insure Proper Service (TIPS).  The word you should focus on here is “service”.  All of the vendors you hire are providing a service to you that when added together should bring to life a spectacular wedding day.  The wedding bartender is not the only person providing a service and therefore should not be the only person tipped.

Some clients see the words “gratuity”, “service charge”, “service fee”, or “coordination charge/fee” on a catering invoice and assume that money will go to the catering service staff at their wedding.  This is not the case!  The waiters/servers rarely see even a little bit of that money.  It is important to ask your catering sales person how much, if any of that money goes to the service staff.  These people will be doing the most labor intensive work at your wedding and deserve to be tipped.  The average amount is $25 per server and each one should be tipped individually.  You should include the Event Manager in the service staff calculations.  Your final catering bill should have the number of staff that will be working your wedding.  If it doesn’t, be sure to ask.

How to do it? Slip cash or personal checks into envelopes and hand them out at the end of the night. Assign this to the father of the bride, the best man, maid of honor or your planner.

Bridal Open House at Austin’s Trendy Design Center of Austin

The journey toward any celebration can be overwhelming by the huge number of planning and design decisions that must be made.  Then, once the design concept has been chosen you have the task of pulling everything together to make it work.  There are some basic rules that I want to share with you.  They will help you with making these decisions.

1. Don’t worry about “Trendy” The most successful events focus on basic classic details not the latest fad.  Classic is always beautiful.

2. Simple details are not the same as cheap details.  Simple does not need to be minimal.  You can make a simple design by limiting the types of materials but giving an abundant effect by repeating the design many times.

3. Focus on the event environment and design the elements of the event to suit the setting.  Your design for a garden party will need to fit the garden concept while a roof top terrace will lend itself to an entirely different design vision.

4. Design your event to make your guests comfortable.  Never sacrifice the comfort of your friends and family just to highlight a design element. 

5. Limit your design elements to three choices.

6. Know what is important to you when designing your event, then stick to your priorities.  If your priority is fun and dancing then put your efforts towards finding the best dance floor and band you can afford

7.  Worry about providing a gracious, comfortable event rather than making a huge impression and you’ll find the results worth the effort.

8.  Your guests will never notice that you used five flowers in your arrangement instead of three.  What they will always notice is if you skimp on service.  This is part of making the event comfortable.  If your guests are well taken care of they will have a great time

In the past 30 years I have helped hundreds of brides and corporate clients plan and design the decor for their events.  During this time I have been the lucky Event Planner that gets to participate in the celebrations of some of life’s greatest milestones.  Weddings, Birthdays, Memorial Services, Anniversaries, Corporate Galas, or a party to honor a special achievement, each and every one a special occasion and a cause for celebration.  Staging and decoration these events is an art form.  In essence, you don’t plan a party as much as you design it with the venue as your stage.  This room becomes the canvas on which you will apply your ideas and vision.   Experience has taught me to trust my instincts, to conceptualize, then design the event.  Start with a color palette, choose the room layout, select the size tables or cocktail furnishings, choose the linens, flowers and design elements.  Compliment everything with the most overlooked element, lighting.  Then when you select the menu it will be the last element that ties the decor together.  Choose the caterer carefully and make sure that the one you select is not only wonderful with the food but also comfortable with tablescapes that compliment the menu and pull everything together for a spectacular event design that will inspire all that attend.

Whimsical….Opulent…Romantic?  Choose your style and then let your imagination run wild.  Give your event planner many ideas and options and allow them to create a design that reflect your personality to its fullest.  Your inspiration might come from a sparkling waterfall, a simple red fall leaf or the elaborate water fountain outside your favorite building, perhaps you saw a cascade of orchids with bold colors in a fabulous vase with a different shape, whatever your inspiration, strive to create a tablescape that sets the tone for the entire event with a single glance.  Start with the simple shape of the tables and add lush linens, several layers of color and fabric texture are very much in vogue right now.  Find linens with rich trim and unexpected color combinations to add interest and an element of surprise.   If the room is large and opulent then use arrangements that sore above the table.  For a room that has low ceilings try using long and low arrangements.  When given a choice use seating options that add variety and interest such as benches, ottomans or a combination of chairs and couches.  Shake it up and add throw pillows in bright complimentary colors. Floral arrangements don’t need to be made of only flowers.  Add colored jewels on sticks, colorful summer fruits and vegetables or add herbs and other natural materials. Look for elements that will differentiate your event from all other and remember that everything does not necessarily need to match.  Mix up the china, glassware and silverware for an eclectic affair, just keep it simple to keep from becoming too busy.

You may choose Magenta Cattleya Orchids, Gloriosa Lilies, Tulips or Yellow Cymbidium Orchids wrapped in a cuff of Rhinestones or Satin Ribbon with Mother of Pearl Trim for your wedding bouquet.  Your wedding planner can guide you in the right direction to help you select not only the perfect flowers but the perfect florist too.  These days the wedding bouquet is intended to be bewitching, enchanting with undiluted beauty.  It is easy to accomplish  the creation of an enchanting bouquet thanks to the abundant variety of blooms that are available year round from all over the world.   Choose flowers that reflect your style and personality then choose the most talented florist that can compose the perfect bouquet that makes a striking statement as you walk down the aisle.  Nothing quite captures the delight of romance and the magic of your special day the way flowers do.

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Happy New Year!! And Congratulations! You just got engaged and now its time to start creating the ideal wedding.  One that’s fun, beautiful and one that is uniquely you.  As you begin this exciting journey to get you and your fiance down the aisle your wedding planner will be your guide to make sense of the ideas and inspirations you’ve collected.  You will have a million little details and decisions to make before this adventure comes to a close.  The more photographs and notes you can provide to your wedding planner the more able they will be to provide you with expert advice and design ideas that fit your event.  You will be faced with decisions you probably haven’t even thought of or anticipated yet.  Many of these decisions may even come as a surprise to you.  Details from the shoes you plan to wear, the icing on your cake, the size of the cake, do you want a grooms cake, the wedding jewelry, the wedding gown, bridesmaid dresses, flower girl attire, flowers, the ceremony, the reception, the sign-in book, the guest list, the weight of the invitation.  The list goes on and on!  Today’s most sought after wedding planners know where to find answers, know where to find inspirations and know who the vendors are that you need to turn to to create your dream event.  Most importantly, they know how to make the right decisions and that will make your wedding day a dream come true.

I love, love, love Hydrangea’s.  I love their shape, I love their colors And I love their look. Hydrangea’s are round, bushy heads of fabulous multiple little scent free blossoms.  Did I say that I love their colors?  Hydrangeas are found in several shades of blue, pink, purple, green and white.  This garden favorite is perfect for any occasion and any type of floral arrangement.  Bunch them together in every shade you can find them in and then add a lovely mix of smaller blooms such as freesia, stephanotis, lily of the valley or another of my all time favorites, peonies.  You can mix them with deep red roses, tropical-hued orchids or vivid bunches of calla lilies for a great big splash.  As a wedding planner and event decorator, I like to decorate the event with extra blooms in unexpected places. These flowers are the perfect solution for touches of color here and there and make such a nice impression.