The Event Atelier - A Workshop Series for the DIY Bride
e·vent: n. Something that takes place; an occurrence. A significant occurrence or happening.
at·el·ier: n. A workshop or studio, especially for an artist or designer.
Let’s face it - in this economy it can be hard to justify the sky rocketing expenses of a wedding. $150 per centerpiece? Really?! $3 per invite for calligraphy? You may feel desperate at the thought of spending so much money! The Event Atelier is a series of workshops for brides who are budget conscious - meaning that whether or not they have the money, they want to be responsible spenders. Or for brides who are on a tight budget and may not be able to bring in a professional in all areas of her wedding. Each workshop is designed to teach you the ins and outs of different DIY subjects. You may choose to take just one workshop or all four. Each workshop covers a different area of expertise. You will feel completely confident taking on these projects! You will be able to chat with industry professionals and ask any questions you may have. DIY doesn’t mean home made! DIY means hands on, custom projects that will make your day fabulous and affordable!
Hosted by Tara Stouder Milam of Lavish Events
The cost per workshop is $50 and includes materials for projects (which you get to keep), light refreshments, and 2 presentations by industry professionals. Come share and receive ideas and have a great time!
Workshop #3: April 19th, 2009
Workshop #3 Covers:
A short presentation on the do’s and don’ts of DIY
Hiring a Coordinator: Necessity or Unnecessary? - Lavish Events
Project: centerpieces - create 2 gorgeous centerpieces without breaking the bank
Unique handmade touches for your wedding - Lavish Events
Project: make a wedding sign - rustic, modern, old world - it’s up to you!
You will receive a detailed guide with step by step instructions of each project and a written overview of each session.
Last week, Tara of Lavish Event Planning announced a superb concept - a Workshop Series for the DIY Bride - that I just had to share.
Whether you are a bride on a budget, determined to make your wedding fabuless or a bride who is super creative and wants to take on a completely you, DIY wedding - these workshops might be for you.
Here’s the scoop. Contact Tara for more details or to sign up.
The Event Atelier - A Workshop Series for the DIY Bride
e·vent: n. Something that takes place; an occurrence. A significant occurrence or happening.
at·el·ier: n. A workshop or studio, especially for an artist or designer.
Let’s face it - in this economy it can be hard to justify the sky rocketing expenses of a wedding. $150 per centerpiece? Really?! $3 per invite for calligraphy? You may feel desperate at the thought of spending so much money! The Event Atelier is a series of workshops for brides who are budget conscious - meaning that whether or not they have the money, they want to be responsible spenders. Or for brides who are on a tight budget and may not be able to bring in a professional in all areas of her wedding. Each workshop is designed to teach you the ins and outs of different DIY subjects. You may choose to take just one workshop or all four. Each workshop covers a different area of expertise. You will feel completely confident taking on these projects! You will be able to chat with industry professionals and ask any questions you may have. DIY doesn’t mean home made! DIY means hands on, custom projects that will make your day fabulous and affordable!
Hosted by Tara Stouder Milam of Lavish Events
Tara began planning events in 2006 after a life altering career change. Officially open for business in 2007, she has been making event dreams a reality ever since. Tara especially loves working with brides on a budget - this is when her creativity really shines! Tara has created The Event Atelier because she believes too much emphasis is placed on how much a bride spends. Your wedding day should focus on your marriage, not the $20,000 decor price tag. She encourages brides to think of other socially responsible options - wouldn’t it be better to start your life together with money in the bank? Tara absolutely loves beautiful events - but she tries to replicate those looks in a more budget concious way. She says, “I get absolutely heartbroken when I meet brides who have been disengaged from the true spirit of a wedding by being bombarded by bridal porn at every corner. You do not need to spend a fortune to be happy on your wedding day.”
The cost per workshop is $50 and includes materials for projects(which you get to keep), light refreshments, and 2 presentations by industry professionals. Come share and receive ideas and have a great time!
Workshop #1: March 29th, 2009
Workshop #1 Covers:
A short presentation on the do’s and don’ts of DIY
How the hidden costs in your venue can impact your entire wedding - Lavish Events
Project: Creative Calligraphy - learning a creative way to diy hand written calligraphy
Designing Save The Dates and Invites - tips and tools from a savvy graphic designer
Project: Pocketfold Invitations and Layered Invitations - we will create one of each
You will receive a detailed guide with step by step instructions of each project and a written overview of each session.
Workshop #2: April 5th, 2009
Workshop #2 Covers:
A short presentation on the do’s and don’ts of DIY
Catering Discussion: diy or not? Creative catering ideas for a budget wedding - Lavish Events
Project: Monogrammed Aisle Runner
Presentation by a local bridal resource
Project: ring bearer pillow & flower girl basket - fresh and creative takes on old classics
You will receive a detailed guide with step by step instructions of each project and a written overview of each session.
Workshop #3: April 19th, 2009
Workshop #3 Covers:
A short presentation on the do’s and don’ts of DIY
Hiring a Coordinator: Necessity or Unnecessary? - Lavish Events
Project: centerpieces - create 2 gorgeous centerpieces without breaking the bank
Unique handmade touches for your wedding - Lavish Events
Project: make a wedding sign - rustic, modern, old world - it’s up to you!
You will receive a detailed guide with step by step instructions of each project and a written overview of each session.
Workshop #4 April 26th, 2009
Workshop #4 Covers:
A short presentation on the do’s and don’ts of DIY
Bridal party gifts: diy or buy? - Lavish Events
Project: bridal hair piece - feathers, crystals, and silk flowers oh my!
Schakolad Chocolate Factory - inexpensive favors
Project: favor boxes and bags - diy and local resources for purchasing on the cheap.
You will receive a detailed guide with step by step instructions of each project and a written overview of each session.
Guest Post:Cakes by Shara is a cake designer for Nashville weddings and events.
Don’t let the economy get you down…have your cake and eat it too!
Rent a cake of your dreams this year and save. This cake will rent for $250. You can get a Sam’s sheet cake that feeds 100 people for about $30, that equals $.30 cents per serving for a great “looking cake” plus affordable cake to serve your guests. NO one in town can beat that price on a cake this large. (I would retail a similar but real cake like this for no less than $1200.) You can also custom design a rent a cake starting at $300.
In addition to the rental fee, there is a fully refundable of $200 security deposit that is returned if there is not damage or if you decide to keep the cake. No shipping is available at this time but we are looking into it.
Many options from the same rent a cake are shown below. The options are without limit.
Shara will have a booth at the Weddings the Bridal Show on January 3 and will display 8 new rent a cakes - including an ivory square that can be changed, much like the one above. The others will be in the season’s hottest colors like black and white, green, watermelon and orange, red and orange, shades of pink, etc. But I wouldn’t wait until January to book my rent a cake. Contact Shara now to reserve your date!
Oh - rent a cakes are especially great for those with special diets. For my gluten-free or sugar free friends, get a gorgeous cake and then find specialty bakers to meet your unique nutritional needs.
If you are looking for ways to reduce your wedding costs without sacrificing style and memories, here are a few options:
1) Bridal Specials:
- Ask your vendors if they offer a special rate for ABG readers. Here’s a list of ABG advertisers and their Nashville bridal specials. Also, many of the vendors in my vendor directory offer specials when you mention ABG. This is a great way to hire your fave vendor, save money without sacrificing your wedding dream.
- Attend bridal shows, find a favorite and take advantage of bridal show specials. Many vendors offer specials for brides who contract with them within weeks of bridal shows. For instance, at an August show, The White Room offered a $100 off coupon on their dresses. At the September show, Sweets and Sundries offered a three tier wedding cake for $495.
2) Rental Wedding Cakes:
Get the cake you want, for less with a fake cake - Rentable cakes are an option for brides seeking couture looking cakes. Cakes by Shara offers “rent-a-cakes”. Check out my article on these rent a cakes here.
3) Smart Floral Design
Work with a knowledgeable/helpful florist to use flowers in season. I really like this flower picker resource by Weather.com that walks you through the most popular wedding flowers available by season. Here are a few other website resources.
If music and entertainment are your thing, be sure to hire a DJ because a great dj is a great mc and can help you and your planner keep your event running smooth. An ipod cant get folks on the dance floor. Can’t announce your bridal party or fill in when necessary. Many djs can also help you set up your ipod dj by delivering speakers, etc. Blake of Nashville Event Lighting recently set up a dj ipod set and lighting for an event.
Fabuless bride purchased her wedding dress at a Nashville consignment store. She was elated to be able to make changes to the dress - add a train, add a colored sash, etc and still had the option to sell it back to the store if she wanted to.
Most venues offer lower rates for non-Saturday wedding/events. If you really love a place but it’s slightly out of your budget, see if the venue offers a better rate on a Friday or Sunday. I don’t really recommend this option unless it’s a long weekend OR most of your guests are local. While it will save you money, it will likely be really inconvenient for your wedding guests. Fridays require your guests to take off Friday from work and can be very hectic for everyone to attend. Sundays usually require your guests to take off on Mondays, unless you have an early ceremony - like a brunch.
Another great way to save money is to follow some of my fave budget bridal blogs like Nashville’s Budget Savvy Bride or bridal experts, like DIY bride.
Have you found great ways to save without sacrificing what’s important for your wedding day? Comment on this blog or email me your tips.
Everyone knows that I enjoy featuring all types of Nashville weddings - so brides are reminded that it’s your day! It doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. So, Kira’s wedding, featured below, is a great DIY wedding. She worked with her family and church members to make a gorgeously affordable celebration. She has great wedding photography, thanks to Myrick Studios and married the man of her dreams…what more could you want?
Enjoy!
About us:
Bride: Kira from St. Louis, MO
Groom: Austin from Phoenix, AZ
My wedding details:
Wedding date & time: May 17, 2008, 3:00pm
Ceremony and Reception location: Word of Life Fellowship, Hendersonville, TN
My colors and why I choose them - Deep fall colors, dark browns, maroons, golds. I always wanted a fall wedding, but we decided to get married in May. I figured it’s inside…so why not go for it anyway!! It was beautiful!
My theme - Romantic!
Wedding wow factor - The candles everywhere, our sideshows, the music, our vows
Wedding Favors: CDs that we made of all our favorite songs that remind us of eachother. Our picture was the cover with the wedding date and our names
Gift for bridesmaids - Cute personalized t-shirts, their jewelry, framed picture of us
Groomsmen - Engraved pocket watches
Most special moment for me - Walking out of the room and standing at the end of the isle with my dad, watching my husband see me for the first time in my dress.
Wedding Photography - Mike Cowart of Myrick Studios took our AMAZING photos.
Wedding Videography - CJ Welch did our video.
Invitations - We ordered our invitations from cheapinvitations.com and they were gorgeous!
Bridal Attire - David’s Bridal - My dress and all the girls dresses were from Davids Bridal.
DIY - I didn’t have a planner just me and my momma with my church family. Two amazing people in my church did the catering. We put all the ceremony music together ourselves and had someone from the church dj the reception. My mom did all of the flowers and her along with women in my church did the entire décor,
My Faves:
Publix for the cake….it was BEAUTIFUL!
My Wedding Rewind:
What I would do differently if planning again? Nothing…it was absolutely perfect!
Best value for the service/product? Myrick Studios Photography
My father had surgery on Friday so I found myself watching lots of tv was I waited for 6a-9p on Friday at Vanderbilt hospital. He’s doing great but I have replaced my web surfing with tv surfing.
One of the shows did a segment on weddings and brides cutting their wedding budget. Apparently, due to the recession, brides are decreasing their photography budget by 25%, doing more DIY invitations and cutting in other ways. One of the items they are cutting the cost of the wedding cakes. To do so, they are replacing the typical cake, which averages $600 according to them, with rental cakes or cupcakes.
I think this is a great way to save money.
Rental cakes - usually companies offer two options -
1) custom rental cake - your custom design
2) template/stock rental cakes that are standard but you can add flair, such as ribbons, flowers, monograms
Tip - be sure that your servers give the wedding couple the “real” cake, not the sheet cake…unless it’s your preference. At my wedding, the servers gave me and hubby the sheet cake and not the real cake with the layers of lemon/strawberry/etc. So we really never got to taste it.
This rent a cake, by Cakes by Shara, was dressed in pink. Different looks can be achieved with the same cake. Call Shara to learn more about rent a cake options. Most models are renting for $50.00 to 70.00. Here’s the cake with a different color scheme. These are examples of template cakes.
Here’s another option from Cakes by Shara. This one uses a fake topper plus mini-cupcakes, yet another way to reduce costs without sacrificing style.
I personally love Publix sheet cakes. They are tasty and affordable.
My girl Jessica (Nashville bride) did a great post today on other ways to save $$ for your wedding. Check out her great ideas here.
For the last few weeks, I have been price watching at Linens n’ Things. Why? The LNT in Hickory Hollow is closing (as are many of their other stores across the country) and it’s a great time to stock up on fun items for entertaining.
I completely fell in love with these ceramic beverage jars. When I first visited, they were $39.99. They are now on sale on online for $29.99 (great deal) but I am waiting to buy until they are 50% off!
But, how adorable are these jars? Not only do I love the striped jars but you can also write the name of the beverage on the jar and then erase it. How cool is that? Now that I have told everyone, they are going to sell out before they are discounted any further! I know how many planners read my post and they jump on stuff like this asap:).
Because I love “matchy” pieces, check out the other items in this collection from LNT:
They have a lot more in the store that would be great for your outdoor reception, bridal shower or bridal luncheon.
All of the stores should have the items, even online. But, if you want a good deal - check out the LNT in Hickory Hollow. Most items are 20-30% now and the deals increase every week until they close in August.
