parties2weddings.com

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. 

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.

After you have selected your wedding planner the most important detail after you become engaged will be shopping for the most beautiful wedding jewelry you can afford.  Once the excitement of the big day is long past the wedding jewelry will be a daily reminder of the fleeting moment when you said “I DO”.   Set your wedding jewelry budget and then stay within your comfort zone and personal fashion style, remember you will both wear this treasure for many years to come,  day in and day out.  Choose a Jewelry Company that you are familiar with and that you trust.  Today there are some of the finest jewelry company’s available on line and with fantastic websites.  When you take advantage of these sites you have the advantage of more choices and designer selections at better prices, some are even duty free and most offer free shipping and hassle free 30 day return policies.  Check out Diamonds International, Blue Nile, Bright Diamond, Ice.com, Sea of Diamonds and Diamond.com just to name a few.  Happy Shopping!!

As the owner of a Wedding and Event planning company we are bracing ourselves for the huge number of phone calls and e-mails that are the traditional end to the holiday season and our start of the new business year ahead.  Everyone gets engaged over the holidays and everyone starts out their wedding planning with an appointment with their potential wedding planner.  At least the smart bride and groom starts there. I have been in this business for 30 plus years and I know most every vendor, event venue, cake baker, engagement jeweler, invitation and stationary store, florist, photographer, etc, etc. in the greater Austin area and many in other areas as well.   I know who does what they advertise that they do and I know who doesn’t.  Unfortunately there are many that don’t deliver what they are selling.  A well seasoned wedding consultant will save you a great deal of money (usually more than their fee), stress and frustration and direct you around these wedding obstacles as you plan the biggest event of your life.  If you are on a limited budget at least take advantage of a planner that offers a guidance package.  This is usually a couple of consultations and vendor recommendations to keep you on the right track.  Have a great time planning your wedding and Happy New Year!!

Anyone out there with a female on their holiday gift list can rest assured that jewelry always works.  Rings, earrings, necklaces, pendants or braceletts are all appreciated and will be a welcome gift that will be cherished for years to come.  If you are unsure of what type of gemstone to choose take into consideration the skin tone and hair color of the person you are shopping for.  As a rule of thumb when you are at a loss at where to start try using these suggestions: Blond hair works particulary well with blue gemstones.  Red heads look stunning in Green Gemstones.  Warm colors like yellow gold, pearls and earth tone gemstones and sparkling gems like diamonds work especially well with darker color skin and hair.  white gold, sterling silver and platinum work well with lighter, fair skin tones as does pink gemstones, red and purple gemstones.  These are rules that are ment to be broken so  follow your heart when choosing jewelry and remember a woman can never have too many pieces in her jewelry wardrobe.

Today is the day after Thanksgiving and everyone has deserted me to go shopping at the mall.  Personally I think they are a little crazy to brave the crazy crowds on the busiest shopping day of the entire year, but that just me.  I plan to recuperate and make my Christmas shopping list, then I plan to do my own shopping but I’m not leaving the house.   I know of a great online shopping mall that better fits my plans. I want to find a beautiful leather coat for my husband even though I bought him one several years ago and he made me return it because he said he would never wear it.  Every time he packs for a business trip to a colder area he complains that he needs a new coat.  I hold my tongue but guess what,  he’s getting a blasted coat for Christmas this year.   After I finish my easy, easy shopping I plan to make an appointment for a full body massage, I deserve it after all the cooking and cleaning I just did.

I just checked my e-mail and the holiday party invitations are already starting to roll in.  I absolutely love this time of year and I look forward to it all year.  There is only one problem and that’s finding time to shop for something beautiful to wear.  This year I have the perfect solution to this problem.  This year I plan to do my shopping on line.  I tend to lean towards the color black, so that’s were I’ll start and maybe by some twist of fate I’ll find something in formal cocktail attire that is another color besides black!   I always want some different and unusual jewelry to set off my holiday dress too.  This year, I think, will be much less stressful when it comes to holiday attire.  If I find that I’m still stressing out I’ll just have a fabulous Holiday Cocktail while sitting at my computer!!

The Austin Area Alumnae Association of Kappa Kappa Gamma hosted this year’s 11^th annual tabletop extravaganza, now called Austin Settings at the beautiful Palmer Event Center.  Forty-Four of Austin’s premier special event planners, florists, designers and assorted party gurus participated to help raise more than $200,000 for local area non-profits.   Allison’s Events was one of the fourty-four local  Austin designers that participated.  Each participant takes one table to design in a good natured competition.  Although there is no official winner, the finest designs have the opportunity to be featured in a local design Magazine.

  The two day event, which included a “Marimba & Mojitos Preview Party”, a silent auction and a luncheon where guests pay to sit at the designer tables, each one as varied as the design personalities that created them.   Our participation in this event was a charitable contribution which landed the photographs of our design on the pages of Austin Monthly Home Magazine.  We also had the honor of being nominated for the 2007 Texas Star Award in tabletop design for this creative display.

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Many brides and grooms believe that they can manage easily without a wedding coordinator and, yes, there are certain people that do well without hiring one.  There are equally as many that need to hire one.  Remember there is no rewind button, no practice runs on your wedding festivities and after all the planning and money spent you don’t want to miss your own wedding because you are too involved to relax and enjoy the party.  Planning your own wedding could mean unnecessary stress which would have been avoided with a wedding coordinator involved.  Do you want to be the go-to person at your own wedding and deal with every little issue that pops up?  Don’t be one of the hundreds of newly married couples that wish they had hired a coordinator if they had it all to do over again.  The hundreds of details such as invitations, favors, wedding gowns, beautiful hand bags and jewelry are all put into perspective when you hire a professional to help you and your wedding will run smoothly so you can relax.

Your planner can advise you on tabletop design and specialty linens

A professional wedding consultant/coordinator will be a wealth of insider information, experienced know-how and will have resources and knowledge of wedding trends.  This person will have a wealth of creative ideas and knows where to turn to for answers to your difficult questions.  Think J. Lo, Martha Stewart and Amy Vanderbilt plus a whole lot of other things all rolled into one!  This person has the connections with the best vendors in and around town to get you the best value for your wedding dollars.  Not the cheapest, the best value.  The best value may well be the cheapest, but that is not what it’s all about.  It’s all about getting your moneys worth for the best quality and selection.  The saying “you get what you pay for” still rings true.  This person is filled with imagination and knows where to go for the unique touches that can transform your big day into a fantasy.  She/he is an expert on when, where and how to get things done, on time and on budget.  They can organize, motivate and direct all the “players” involved in the production of your wedding with an eye for detail and a superb sense of style.  Think trouble shooter, motivator, negotiator,  advocate, advisor and counselor with the ability to listen to your vision and turn it into reality.