New Blog

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog! With the new website up and running, we have also moved blogs. Please continue to read and follow my blog at the new address:
www.idodetailsevents.com/blog
xoxo

A Little Something Extra

Photo courtesy of MondeDesign on Etsy

There are so many special elements that you can incorporate into your big day to make it your own. One of my favorites is a wedding dress label that can be sewn into your beautiful gown. There are so many different ways to design these whether it be your new initials and your wedding date or a special message remembering someone who may have passed, the opportunities are endless. A lot of girls get it sewn in blue so that it can also be used as their something blue. There are tons of shops on ETSY that design these labels, and they are all beautiful and very reasonably priced. Enjoy!
xo-
Kate

Postcard Guest Book

Photo courtesy of www.blueskypapers.com

I must give credit where credit is due, so I want to give a big shout out to my cousin Ashely who shared this idea with me while we were on vacay at the beach! Couples are always asking me for clever ideas for a guest book that isn't your typical sign in book, and while their are TONS of ideas out there I had never heard of this cute one. Creating a postcard guest book is easy. You provide postcards that are already addressed to the happy couple so that your guests can write them a special message or words of advice. Then your guests put the completed postcards into a basket, a jar, or something like that. At the end of the night someone responsible (maybe your mom, dad, aunt, etc...) will take them and mail one postcard to the couple daily or weekly whatever you choose, so you have a special little something coming in the mail for you to look forward to. You can then either take the postcards and create your own book or think of a clever way to save them! I just thought that this was different, cute, and fun to continue to get reminders from your big day! What are you doing or what have you done for your guest book?
Cheers!

Welcome to I Do Details Michelle and John!

Words can't explain how excited I am to announce that Michelle (my wonderful assistant and BF) is ENGAGED!!! It happened last week and I am so excited! We have already begun planning and it is going to be a wonderful day that really showcases the love that John and Michelle share with one another.
Michelle had plans to meet up with her sister and another girlfriend for drinks at Vivace. There was a knock on the door and when she opened the door, John was there with a newspaper tucked under his arm. That's not totally unusual because Michelle loves to read USA Today (in her eyes it's totally the People magazine of newspapers) and he'll pick one up for her every now and then and drop it off.

So she sees him and thinks he just came by to say "hi" and drop off the paper. He opens the paper up to show her and it says "Today's the big day! Will Michelle Payne Say Yes?" She started SCREAMING and shrieking and then he got down on one knee and asked if she would marry him and of course she said YES! She asked him if her family knew and then he told her that her sister Kristen was waiting outside the door to capture it all on camera! She came in and they had champagne and took a million photos while she just tried to take it all in ...
Her sister and John suggested that they go down to Vivace to celebrate. As she walked into Vivace John's mom immediately comes up to her and as she was hugging her, she saw all of her friends,her friends hubbies, his friends, and her family, it was AMAZING. He had organized for everyone to be there to celebrate! What a proposal!
Michelle and John are most looking forward to waking up next to each other everyday and eventually starting a family! 
Congrats Michelle and John, I can't wait for your big day!!
xoxo-
Kate 

Fourth of July Treat

I am getting ready to host a big Fourth of July party for my family at the beach and I am always looking for festive ideas to incorporate into the party! I can't wait to share with you everything that we are doing and pics, but it will have to be after the Fourth because I want to keep it a surprise for the fam! My aunt found this great website called Glorious Treats and there are all sorts of yummy recipes on there! Here are two that are just adorable additions to any Fourth of July party!
                                     4th of July Cupcakes in a Jar

4th of July Flag Cake

A Special Teacher Celebration!

The delicious Wowee Pops from Wow Factor Cakes!

While all jobs have their challenges, I think that teaching is one of the most challenging but yet rewarding jobs that you can have. It takes a special person to be a teacher. With the school year being over, I thought that it would be fun to celebrate with a dinner party honoring my teacher friends! We had a blast sharing stories and celebrating wonderful people! Here are a few pics from the dinner party!
xoxo-
Kate

The beautiful menu's from Nuage Mulberry.

The place settings!



It has been a sweet year...candy bar!

The table...

Riggins Birthday Party

Hot Dog, Riggin's is one! We had a hot dog bar!

A year ago if you told one of my friends that I would have a dog, they would most likely start laughing! You see, I grew up scared of dogs and would ring the doorbell when I was babysitting just hoping that I wouldn't hear a dog bark. A year ago my husband and I drove to Raleigh to "just look" at puppies and I fell in love with this adorable golden retriever puppy who we named Riggins. After having Riggins for this past year, I can't imagine my life without him, and I think that I have turned into that person who is obsessed with their dog...hahaha! So with that being said, I decided to have a little birthday party for him (which was more of an excuse to have a BBQ with our friends)! Here are some pictures from our fun afternoon! 

Riggin's is waiting for all of his friends!





Dog bone cookie favor's for our friends!



Favor's for the dog's!



Riggin's had so much fun with all of his friends!

Riggin's had a great time opening his gifts!

Welcome Michelle!

I Do Details Events is super excited to welcome Michelle to the team! Michelle is the best assistant ever and I couldn't do these events without her! After our most recent event,  we chatted about Michelle blogging about her experience from a different perspective. So with no further adieu here is her blog post...enjoy!
Day One as an I Do Details Assistant:

The day began with Kate and I praying that we’d beat the race traffic while heading to Lake Norman for Jennifer and Ryan’s big day. Kate is a stickler for being on time, so we left with plenty of time to spare! And good thing too, as we definitely hit some traffic and managed to arrive right on time (number one awesome thing about Kate: her punctuality).
The second we stepped out of the car at the lake, I knew I was in trouble. The Charlotte humidity hit me like a sledge hammer as the first beads of sweat dripped down my face…and it was only 1:00 p.m. I had five more hours of set-up to get through. Luckily, Jennifer has amazing parents and they have amazing friends, who made sure we always had water and a cool place to change before the wedding (number two awesome thing about Kate: she knows I’m heat-challenged).
I was in charge of the groomsmen and thought it would be an easy job! It was…until one of the groomsmen didn’t come out of the bathroom until 10 seconds before he was due to walk down the aisle! I had rounded every one of those groomsmen up, but he slipped out of line without my knowledge. Luckily, he made it on time…crisis averted.
I felt especially important when it was time to cut the cake and for the Father of the Bride to give his toast. As the FOB geared up for his big moment, we suddenly realized that he had no microphone. I immediately tried to sprint towards the stage, but was thwarted by a mass of 200 people gathering around the cake. After saying “Excuse me, pardon me” at least 100 times, I made it…just in time for one of the band members to tell me he didn’t think the cordless mike would work at the back of the tent. It was a risk I had to take…and luckily, the mike worked perfectly (number three awesome thing about Kate: she appreciates my take-charge attitude that helped in this situation).
One thing about Kate is that she NEVER complains about her job as a wedding planner because she absolutely LOVES it. Whenever I ask her about the weddings, she goes into great detail to describe the various elements of the day (all the amazing decorative details, a potential mishap prevented by Ms. I Do Details herself, or the way a FOB included her in his toast). She has never once explained that you will lose all feeling in your feet, that your pedicure is bound to get chipped, or that when you tell the groomsmen not to lock their knees, you should remind yourself of that fact too. However, Kate did prepare me for the chills you get when you watch the groom as he sees his bride for the first time and the elation you experience after you have helped make a couple’s dream wedding come true!
Looking forward to sharing more about my experiences in future blog posts!
xoxo- Michelle

DIY:Chalkboard Signs

Check out my link on Weddzilla today about DIY Chalkboard Signs!
 http://blog.weddzilla.com/topics/diy/diy-wedding-trend-chalkboard-signs/
xo-
Kate

Welcome to I Do Details Amanda and Michael!!

I am so excited to welcome Amanda and Michael to the I Do Details family! Amanda and Michael met through Lindsay and Brandon (yay for "I Do Details" couples!) and started dating in the summer of 2008.
This past March, Amanda was given a little “to-do” list on a Friday afternoon, which Michael claimed was for her birthday. She was instructed to follow directions on the letter, stick to the timeline, and under no circumstances return home. At 3:00 she left work to head to the mall, where she was to choose a cocktail dress (he had Lindsay go earlier in the week to pick out 3 dresses for her, and she got to pick one of them to wear that evening) and was treated to a mani/pedi. After getting her nails done, she was told that she was allowed to come back home, and found a trail of rose petals leading to the door, where Amanda found Michael in a suit and tie standing amidst a million rose petals and candles. It was AWESOME!!!
After she said yes, the first thing she wanted to do was take a picture of the scene when he informed her that they were being filmed!!! He had gotten a video camera to document the purchase of the ring, the ‘talk’ with my father, and the proposal! SO PRECIOUS! Amanda's parents live less than 10 minutes from them so Michael set up a town car, and they headed over to tell her mother in person. Then they had dinner downtown just the two of them. The entire evening was PERFECT- the best night of her life!!!! I mean what an amazing proposal!!!
Amanda and Michael are most excited about sharing the rest of their lives together, and having unconditional love and commitment to each other. They are really looking forward to becoming "The Cardani's" and starting their own family.
I am so excited for their big day in April at The Ritz Carlton Uptown!
Cheers to an amazing couple!
xo-
Kate

Laura and Jeff's AMAZING Save the Date!

When I opened my email this morning I got the cutest email from one of my brides Laura, passing along the link to their save the date. As soon as I clicked on the link and began watching, I got so excited for their big day in October! You can just tell how in love they are, and what a creative save the date! I hope you enjoy this as much as I did and it really goes to show you that anything is possible when you use your creativity!
Cheers to Laura and Jeff!
Kate

Wine Tasting Party

This past weekend some of my friends and I had an absolute blast doing a mini wine tasting party! This was our first one and as we were doing it I thought about how much fun it would be for a shower or a co-ed engagement party! You could have guests bring gifts to help the couple entertain or bring a second bottle of wine to help the couple start their collection.
Here is how we did it:

Every couple brought a $20 or less bottle of red wine.
The couple put's it in a numbered bag and tie's it shut.
Place tasting cups next to each bottle of wine.

The table is ready for the tasting to begin!
Score cards are on table with numbers, notes, and a place to rank the wine.
Oyster crackers in little cups to help cleanse your palate.

The boy's doing some tasting!



Cheers!

The winner's!
Cheers!




 

Always a bridesmaid, never a bride...

We have all heard this saying many times before and kind of laugh it off. A friend of mine Sara who currently works for Weddzilla wrote an incredible article for Glamour talking about if it is really that bad to always be the bridesmaid and never a bride! It is a must read, so check it out here!
Enjoy!
Kate

Construction Themed Birthday Party!

Today I had the privilege of being on Charlotte Today's segment on birthday parties on a budget! We had a $200 budget to create a birthday party for ten kids. We had to include a cake or cupcakes, 1 or 2 activities, and a favor. Here is what I came up with and my budget break down...Enjoy! Check out the story here.



Cake: Dirt cake in a Dump Truck
Pudding, Chocolate cookies, chocolate cake mix, and gummy worms from Wal-Mart= $6.36
Total= $6.36



Favors: Lego's in a Box
Tub of Lego's from Wal-Mart= $16.00
Favor boxes from Michael's= $5.99
Total= $21.99



Activities: Painting Dump Trucks and Making Tool Boxes
Wooden dump trucks from Michael's= $10.00
Three paint sets= $3.00
12 Tool Boxes from Oriental Trading= $7.99
Total= $20.99



Game: Digging for Dump Trucks
Dump trucks from Party City= $5.90
Shovel from The Dollar Store= $1.07
Total= $6.97

Decorations:
Cups, napkins, and spoons from Wal-Mart= $5.00
Juice Boxes from Wal-Mart= $1.97
12 Construction Hats from Oriental Trading= $5.99
Fabric table cloth from Wal-mart= $8
Centerpiece saw dust= $3.45
Invitations by Nuage Mulberry= $25.00
Construction templates and decorations from Plum Party= $15.00
Total= $64.41

Birthday Party Total: $120.72

The Royal Wedding!

Check out my blog post on Weddzilla today about the Royal Wedding! Are you having a viewing party?? If so, share your thoughts and ideas!
Cheers!
Kate

Easter Bunny Cupcakes

                                           
It is always fun to add a little something special to your holiday table. Check out this adorable recipe from Family Fun for Easter Bunny cupcakes! I have made these before and have to say they take some time to do, but they are super cute! Helpful hints: I skipped the coconut and just used white frosting. I also cut mini marshmallows in half instead of the big ones and used chocolate sprinkles for the whiskers. Enjoy!
xo-
Kate

Earth Friendly Confetti

Check out my blog post today for Weddzilla! With the celebration of Earth Day this Friday, I thought that this was a great thing to share! Click on the link and if you are oh so kind, please comment or like to your Facebook profile!
xoxo-
Kate

Weddzilla Post

Check out my post on Weddzilla today about S'mores!
Happy Wednesday!
Kate

Hotel Sierra

Yesterday I had the privilege of meeting with Sarah from the new Hotel Sierra in Charlotte! It is beautiful! From the moment that you walk in you feel the swanky, modern vibe and it is carried out in the bar and the guest suites. Their event level has a great event space, soft seating lounge area, and their rooftop pool even has a clear dance floor that can be rented to cover the pool which would be great for a cocktail party, reception or even ceremony. Be sure to check out the new Hotel Sierra when you are Uptown!
Cheers!
Kate

Gean and Joe's Wedding!

I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was when I got the Facebook message from Lindsey Lee that the photos from Gean and Joe's wedding were up on her blog! They are amazing and I just had to share them with you! Lindsey and her husband Joe are super talented and were such a pleasure to work with. Wait until you see the slide show, Gean and Joe just look so happy and in love! Be sure to check them out on her blog.
Cheers!
Kate

Amazing Giveaway!

                  
I am sooooo excited to let you in on a little secret! One of my favorites Erin McDermott from Erin McDermott Jewelry is having an awesome giveaway! Follow this link to District Weddings and enter to win up to 6 pieces of Erin McDermott Jewelry!!! I know what you're thinking, AMAZING right?! So go check it out and good luck!
xo-
Kate

Magnet save the dates!

There are so many save the date options out there, and I just had to share this idea! One of my adorable couples Sara and Ryan, sent out their save the dates and they turned out super cute! They wanted to do magnets but wanted to incorporate various pictures, not just one. They ended up creating them on Magnet Street and I think that they turned out great! So if you are looking for a great place for magnet save the dates, check out Magnet Street!
Enjoy!
Kate

Fireflies anyone?

My friends are the greatest, and they are always looking out for me! That is why I was so excited when a friend of mine emailed me some adorable pictures from a trip that her and her fiance were on. She knows that I am always looking for inspiration, and she thought that this picture would provide some and I couldn't agree more. After working on a couple of outdoor weddings this year, I love the idea of mason jars, candles, tea lights, big sticks, fabric, and lace, just to name a few! When I got this picture it immediately made me think of all of those things! It also made me think of an invite that I had seen on Minted, and took me back to one of my favorite elegant but yet rustic weddings of a good friend of mine. So here they are for your viewing pleasure...

Picture from Emily with mason jars and tea lights...LOVE how they are hung!

I have always loved this invite from Minted.com

Beautiful centerpieces with tealights from Erin's Wedding!
Holland Photography

xo-
Kate

Check out my post on Weddzilla!

It is Tuesday, and that means that my blog post is up on Weddzilla today! Be sure to check it out...
http://blog.weddzilla.com/topics/getting-engaged/im-engaged-now-what/

Cheers!
Kate

Travel Agent

Are you looking for the perfect travel agent? Well, look no further! Shelby Campbell is just the person that you are looking for! Shelby became a travel consultant in April 2010, a few months after she returned from her honeymoon. Shelby works for Berman Travel, which is what she used to book her honeymoon. The travel agent that helped her and her husband was very personable and knowledgeable. Berman made the honeymoon search and booking process simple. Berman travel is different from other travel agencies, because they work closely with their clients. The agents were available for anything they needed.

With her love for traveling added to the personable treatment that Berman Travel offered, it perked her interest in the travel industry. She wanted to be able to help others plan their honeymoons, family trips, etc with the ease that she had. Shelby has been with Berman Travel for almost a year and has had a blast getting to know couples and families, while assisting them with trips around the world.

Berman Travel offers personalized service to help build itineraries for honeymoons, destination weddings, family trips, quick getaways, cruises, bachelor/bachelorette parties, girlfriend getaways, babymoons, etc. Anything their clients want, they can build an itinerary for! However, they specialize in honeymoons and destination weddings.They provide flights, resorts, hotels, transfers, tours, car rentals, as well as travel insurance.

Shelby's advice for bride and groom's when booking a honeymoon is to discuss what your expectations are for the trip. Make a list of what is important to you. For example:
-all inclusive resort
-adult only
-destination with a non stop flight
-less than 30 minutes from the airport
-several pools
-more than 5 restaurants
-beach activities and water sports
-nightly entertainment
Also, think about how much you would like to invest on the honeymoon. Make a budget that works for you both.
Look into possible destinations for the honeymoon- South Pacific, Caribbean, Mexico, Europe, etc. Narrow down the destinations you are interested in.

Berman Travel also specializes in destination weddings in Mexico and the Caribbean. Be sure to check out their website or email Shelby directly at shelby@bermantravel.com
Enjoy!
Kate

Adorable Program Idea!

   
                            

When looking for some inspiration, I came across this adorable Bridal Party Cootie Catcher from Darling Girl Paper. Sometimes clients just don't want to do the traditional program, so instead they want other options. I thought that these are super cute and fun! It helps guests to learn a little bit more about you while they are waiting for you to walk down the aisle! I think that these are programs that your guests surely won't throw away at the end of the ceremony!
xo-
Kate

Red K Photography

I had the privilege of meeting with Kelli from Red K Photography this afternoon and it was an absolute blast! Her passion for photography is clear and evident in how excited she is when she talks about it. Kelli began five years ago when she started taking pictures of her friends, family, and her travel adventures. Since then her love and talent for photography began to really shine, and she started Red K Photography. She shoots everything from corporate events to families to weddings. Make sure to check out her work!
Cheers!
Kate

Inspiration

a)Powers Hanging Glass Bubble Collection



b) Iznik Dhurrie Rug



c) Andalusia Rug

Ummm...I just got my new West Elm catalog and I am in L.O.V.E with so many things!!! While I love doing my daily stalking of wedding blogs, I also love to search other magazines and websites for inspiration. When perusing through the pages of the catalog I found myself getting so excited about so many things that I felt as though I needed to share them with you! So let's get started! I think that the glass vases featured in photo a are super cool! You can put all sorts of flowers or votives and hang them over dinner tables, specialty tables, windows, the opportunities are endless. The rugs in b and c would be awesome in your soft seating area and you could pick up the designs in the rugs and incorporate them throughout your wedding stationary. The pillows in d and e would also be perfect for your soft seating area and tossing them on a couch or ottoman. These are just a few of my favorites that you could incorporate into your event and give it some extra pizzazz!! 

 Photos- West Elm

d) Mongolian Lamb Pillow



e) Pintuck Sham





Nectar Floral Design Class

I have had the privilege of working with Nectar on some of my events and they do great work! That is why I was so excited to get this email, and I had to pass it along to you. They are offering a floral design class on March 10th from 6-7. Bring your favorite vase and you will learn how to choose the right flowers, take care of them, and how to get that WOW factor that you have been looking for. The cost is $50, so call to reserve your space today- 704-905-9808.
Cheers!
Kate

Vanessa and John

John and Vanessa met on a chilly fall afternoon on October 5th, 2008 at a mutual friends house. Upon meeting, the two immediately felt a strong attraction for one another and thus, blossomed into a forever standing relationship. John, a teacher; Vanessa, an Insurance Underwriter at the time, courted each other for the next two years, leading each other through amazing experiences and memorable adventures. It wasn't until the year 2010 when the two had entered in the conversation of marriage and the relationship took its next step. In the fall of 2010, John bought an engagement ring without Vanessa's knowledge, looking to surprise her in a way that uniquely demonstrated the type of relationship they had. He took her to his parents for the Christmas holiday, and then on to Lake Placid, NY for what she thought would be two days of skiing and shopping in the Olympic Village. On December 26th, the inseparable pair decided to try their luck at ice skating on the very ice Olympians had speed skated on in the 1980 Olympics. It was here where John dropped to his knee and asked Vanessa for her hand in Matrimony. It is with great excitement that on July 30th, 2011, John and Vanessa will become husband and wife, leading each other on a new set of memories and adventures in the many years ahead.

Cheers and I can't wait to be a part of your big day!
Kate

Hayden Olivia Bridal

 

            Parker                                 Ginger                               Roxanne

I got this information passed along to me this morning from Melissa Lamkin and thought that I would share it with you! The highly anticipated Modern Trousseau spring trunk show at Hayden Olivia Bridal is this weekend.  Designer Callie Tein will be available to work with brides Friday and Saturday, Feb 25th and 26th.  Friday night, Feb 25th, Hayden Olivia is hosting a "Meet the Designer" event from 6-8.  Brides and industry professionals will enjoy spray tan services, bakery treats and other desserts, makeup consultations, SWAG bags and more! This sounds like an awesome event so be sure to check it out!
Cheers!
Kate