Howerton+Wooten Events Blog. The musings of a Maryland Wedding and Event Planner

Howerton Handbook: Think of a car when shopping for a wedding gown.

When you shop for a wedding gown, think of the steps that you take when you buy a car.  You will be amazed of the similarities!

Do Your Homework – Check out the bridal magazines and dress designer web sites.  Save the pictures of your favorite gowns for reference, and bring them with you to the bridal boutique.  This will help the bridal boutique’s sales associate bring you gowns that she feels are suited to your wishes and desires.   Research the wedding gown designers – Most designers offer sample sales at certain times of the year and you may be able to get more for your money.  Look for your preferred dress on the web – You may be able to find your dress cheaper on the web.  But beware!  You lose your services when you buy a gown on the web – no fittings/alterations, no customizations, and no guarantees!

Know Yourself (financially) – Before you start thinking about the top of the line wedding gowns, you need to do some self-examination. First and foremost, you need to examine your budget. You should set a reasonable price range for the wedding gown and begin to eliminate dresses that you desire that are out of that price range. As a potential wedding gown buyer, you need to be realistic, don't fantasize about a $15,000 dress when your budget will just barely support a $2,000 price-tag. Also, remember that trying to figure out a way to buy a wedding gown that is outside your price range is really not a good idea. After all, it's not much fun to have a fabulous wedding gown if you can't afford to eat for the next two months.

Take a little time to kick the tires – Allocate approximately 1-2 hours to try on wedding gowns. Bridal salons are very busy on the weekends and may only allow you to try on dresses for an hour. Week day appointments are not as busy, and will be ideal for you if you want to spend more time trying on dresses and talking with your sales associate.

Look under the hood (or shall we say the gown) – Make sure that you are comfortable with the material underneath the gown.  And, definitely bring (or wear) proper underwear with you when you try on wedding gowns.  Why?  Reason #1:  Most salons have a staff member assigned to you and I guarantee you that she will join you in the dressing room to help you dress and undress.  Reason #2: Your underwear will make a difference in how your dress fits.

Don’t be pressured to buy something right away – Try on plenty of gowns at as many bridal salons as you can.  Comparison shopping will truly make a difference in your wedding experience.  But, don’t wait too long!  To avoid stress and angst, you should order your gowns at least ten months prior to your wedding.  Frankly, I feel better if you shoot for 12 months, but I can be a little up tight about things like that.

Ask about the “options” – If a gown has a feature that you don’t like, try it on anyhow.  Most bridal salons can work with you to alter, add, and/or remove a gown embellishment.  If you fall in love with a strapless gown but you would feel more comfortable with sleeves, relay your concerns.  The sales associate may be able to show you a similar gown with sleeves or work with you to add a halter or cap sleeves to the gown.

Consider a used model – Finding that wedding gowns are more than what you can financially bear, consider a wedding gown consignment shop.  One bride went to a salon that sold wedding gowns from old collections and wedding gowns that have been worn once.  And as luck would have it, she found her wedding dress there!  She got such a good deal on her dress that her dress cost less than her wedding veil.

Test Drive It – While you are in the gown, sit down in it.  In fact, you should try walking around for a minute, hugging someone, dancing (no kidding), and raising your arms while wearing a gown.  Oh!  And if your wedding ceremony requires you to kneel, try kneeling in your gown.  I promise you that you will thank me later.

Consider Test Driving a Model that you Don’t Like – Wedding gowns look better on the body than on the rack.  Try on the gowns that you like and the gowns that you don’t like.  And, don't put yourself into a box -- i.e., being well-endowed doesn't mean that you cannot wear a strapless gown!  You just need the right underwear!

Buyer Beware – Disclaimer:  OK.  Before I say anything more, I must go on the record and say that I have worked with some of the loveliest sales associates out there when it comes to bridal salons, and I am by no means saying that Bridal Salon or their Sales Associates are Sleazy.  I love bridal salons.  I find them to be one of the most “magical” places on earth.  However, I have also worked with some salons whose business practices were a little less than stellar in the ethical department and I want you to be aware of that.  First and foremost, you may wish to consider not working with bridal salons that pull the tags out of their wedding gowns.  What is that all about?  Apparently, they do this to prevent you from comparison shopping. It is an illegal practice, and I don’t like it.  Some salons will not allow you to write down the style number or the designer of a gown – Let me just say this -- A reputable bridal salon relies on the quality of their service and the quality of their product.  They realize that a bride must comparison shop.

Know the “Lemon Laws” – Before purchasing a gown on-line, please read (thoroughly) and understand their return policy. Ask questions to insure that they will take the gown back if it arrives with a flaw.  Also, will they replace it immediately at no cost to you?  If you purchase your gown from a salon, make sure that you thoroughly read their policy too.  Reputable bridal salons will stand behind their merchandise. If your dress arrives and there is something wrong, even the tiniest snag, they will send it back to the manufacturer and get you a new one as soon as possible.

Okay, that’s it for me today.  Let me know how your gown shopping goes.  Send me a picture too!

Love & Soul Always, Kay

Four Fun Themes for a Fabulous Holiday Bash (Part 4)

Naughty Or Nice Party – This is a fun theme for hosts that enjoy a little grown-up cleverness.

1.) He’s checking his list! Create a party invitation that looks like Santa’s list.  Detail the party specifics on the front of the invitation, and the back could list all of the invitees with two check boxes next to their names – one for naughty and one for nice.

2.) He’s checking it twice!  As your guests arrive, allow them to choose devil horns or an angel's halo.  You can typically order items like this at www.orientaltrading.com

3.) Naughty.  Give the “naughty” room a very sensual feel with hot & spicy foods, chocolate covered strawberries, and red specialty drinks.  Light the room with red light bulbs, and decorate the room with red boas and floral centerpieces placed in stilettos.  Finish off the “naughty” theme with Latin or Cajun music playing in the background.

4.) Nice.  Decorate the “nice” room with a “Winter Wonderland” décor, which includes white centerpieces, silver tapers or snowball-shaped candles, and artificial snow.  Serve comfort foods such as mini grilled cheese sandwiches, apple pie, and fluffy white mashed potatoes.  The specialty drink can be a clear or light blue drink served in a frosted glass.

5.)  A great exit. As they depart, carry out the theme by giving the guests goodie bags based on their naughty or nice selection.  It will give them something to smile about throughout the holidays!

Take care!  Love & Soul Always, Kawania

Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Ideas

Now that we have emerged from our turkey comas, we need to figure out what to do with our leftover Thanksgiving turkey.  I checked out a few of my favorite web sites and found some very cool recipes.

 

 

 

 

If you deserve Breakfast in Bed after slaving in a hot kitchen all day on Thursday, then check out Daily Candy’s Washington DC edition for a recipe of Black Friday Turkey and Poached Eggs.  This eggs Benedict recipe comes courtesy of 1789 chef Nathan Beauchamp.

 

 

Throwing a Party!  Try Triscuit’s Turkey Melts.  This little party hors d’ oeuvre is like a mini-turkey sandwich.  You will find this easy recipe under the Rachel Ray section of the Nabisco web site.

 

 

Need to shake off the winter chill?  This Creamy Turkey Soup will do the trick.  This Allrecipes.com recipe submission makes a big batch that you can enjoy for days.

 

 

Feeling spicy?!?  A recipe submission on Allrecipes.com for Four Seasons Enchiladas sounds like a nice change from the traditional Thanksgiving fair.  The recipe submitter says that the recipe is a “. . . nice and spicy use for leftover turkey in a form that even the children will enjoy. Quick, too! Great topped with black olives, green onions, and tomatoes! Leftover ham would also be excellent in this dish."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you try any of them, let me know how they turn out.

 

 

Love & Soul Always, Kay

 

Thank You!

We know that Howerton+Wooten Events, LLC would not be the company that it is today without the amazing and gracious clients we have had the pleasure of serving.

We are grateful that you trusted your wedding, conference, and/or event with us and we look forward to the opportunity of taking good care of you in the near future.

Thank you for believing in us, and have a fabulous Thanksgiving Holiday!

Love & Soul Always, Kay

Howerton Handbook: Carving the Thanksgiving Turkey 101

Approximately eight years ago, I volunteered to host my first Thanksgiving Dinner!  It was one of those  moments that I lived for – it was the first Thanksgiving after my “honey-do” and I purchased our home.  I had a new baby and a new kitchen to show off.

 

 

Then it hit me. This wasn’t a time for me to be in all of my glory, this was a moment of insanity – I was hosting a Thanksgiving where one of the guests would be my dad (aka Fat Daddy), who was the undisputed Howerton family cooking champion!  Oy!  What was I thinking!?!

Well, it was too late to back out, so I hunkered down and prepared a Thanksgiving dinner by Martha. (I love that woman!)

Everything turned out fine, but the one task that I neglected to show my “honey-do” was carving the turkey. Poor thing! Our table looked like a crime scene when he was finished. Fortunately, everyone had a great sense of humor and all was well.

If you are being tasked with carving the turkey this year, don’t fret. There are many web sites out there that offer step-by-step instructions. My favorites are below:

·         Martha Stewart’s Web Site offers step-by-step instructions on carving the turkey and arranging the carved turkey on the platter.

·         The Epicurious Web Site offers a video that shows you how to carve and serve your thanksgiving turkey.

·         Saveur’s Web Site offers very simple instructions for carving the turkey.  If you need your instructions to be extremely detailed, this is not the site for you.

When you get a chance, please let me know how your turkey carving went! Eat well.

Love & Soul Always, Kay

Four Fun Themes for a Fabulous Holiday Bash (Part 3)

It’s a Wonderful Life – This “feel good” party is themed around one of the movie’s most touching quotes, ". . . Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?"

1.) Attitude of Gratitude.  For this party, it’s the attitude of the guests that carry out the theme.  Decorate the invitation with a picture from the movie, and let the party guests know that you would like for them to join you in giving back to the community.  Encourage your guests to bring a canned good, an unwrapped toy, or a donation for the charity of your choice.

2.) Merry Christmas Bedford Falls! The party décor should remind the guests of 1940’s hit.  Decorate the room and the buffet with traditional holiday decorations but don’t forget the old suitcase, angels, bells, and ZuZu’s petals.

3.) TV Flashback. Play the movie’s DVD or some of the movie’s music during the party.  You will be amazed at the number of party guests that will stop to watch the movie once again!

4.) Warm and Fuzzy Food.  Serve feel-good, comfort food to go along with the “feel good” theme of the party.

5.) Happy Holidays! Instead of asking guests to sign a guestbook, ask everyone to write down their reasons for being thankful.  After the party, send some of the comments to the party guests.  It’s a great way to remind party guests why it’s a wonderful life! 

Love & Soul Always, Kay

Four Fun Themes for a Fabulous Holiday Bash (Part 2)

Retro Cocktail Party – Break out your smoking jacket, because nothing brings out the “rat pack wannabees” like a swank cocktail party!

1.) Create a DIY bar.  Sure, a bartender is a great idea, but it is just as much fun to stock the bar with everything (including condiments) that you need to make a great cocktail, and place a martini recipe book that allows your guests to test their bartending skills.  For your use, I noted a bar guideline below (compliments of thatsthespirit.com).

For 20 guests –

Ø       Bottles of Spirits – One Vodka; one Whisky; one Gin; one Scotch; one Sweet vermouth; one Dry vermouth; two Rums (one light and one dark); and one Tequila. Make sure that you have beer and two bottles of red and white wine available for this number of guests if you are offering more than cocktails.

Ø       Extra Supplies – Twenty pounds of ice; two Tonic Waters; two Ginger Ales; two Colas; two Soda Waters; two Orange Juices; one Cranberry Juice; one Lime; one Lemon; Olives; Maraschino Cherries; Napkins; Cocktail Sticks; Any extra mixers that you see fit (i.e. pineapple juice); and any extra fruit that you see fit (i.e. oranges)

Ø       Glassware – 60 glasses (estimate 3 per person).  Stock up on mainly lowball and highball glasses but with a few variations too if possible.

2.) Make sure that there is a command performance from Old Blue Eyes!  The martini may be the main attraction, but nothing will set the tone of your party like holiday music sung by Frank, Sammy or Dean.

3.) Serve easy-to-handle appetizers.  A martini cocktail is certainly an appetite wetter, so be sure to serve fun and easy-to-handle hors d’oeuvres.  Big winners include fondue dips, crudité platters (vegetable tray), cheese straws, shrimp, and meatballs.

4.) Viva Las Vegas!  Nothing says “rat pack” like a retro Las Vegas casino, so add a little casino flair in the party décor!  Decorate the buffet and the party room with the playing cards and big fuzzy dice.  Consider renting a roulette game from a party rental store.  It’s an unexpected addition for your guests – and it’s just plain fun!

Four Fun Themes for a Fabulous Holiday Bash (Part 1)

With so many fabulous parties taking place during the holiday season, it is no wonder that we stress ourselves out over the idea of throwing our own holiday bash.  But honestly, there’s no need to stress out over hosting your own gathering if you have the right theme.  The best party themes are totally personal, so think about what you love and use that to create a theme for your holiday soiree!

To help you get over your fears, I would like to provide you with four clever holiday party themes.  Since I have a lot to share, I have decided to submit each theme separately.  Check out theme idea #1!

Eco-Chic Holiday Party – Parties can be one of the main culprits of excessive waste during the holidays.  Try an eco-chic party, and you will be able to have a great time while taking care of mother earth.

1). Call or e-mail your party invitations.  Sure paper invitations are great first impressions for your party, but a personal phone call can make a party guest seem special.  You can follow up the details with an e-mail.  If paper invitations are a must, use recycled paper for the invitations – OR – consider sending invitation postcards instead of an invitation in an envelope.  An invitation without the envelope is less paper used.

2.) Encourage carpooling.  Consider setting up a party carpool list, and offer to place your guests’ names on the party’s carpool list when they RSVP.  This actually feeds two birds with one piece of bread because most carpools can designate a driver early on.  Developing and maintaining a carpool list is definitely extra work, but you directly affect the number of cards on the road for one night.

3.) Hire a green caterer.  Caterers are increasingly going green.  Before you hire a caterer, simply ask if they are willing to cater a green party.  Thinking about preparing the food yourself?  Consider purchasing your produce and meat from a local natural grocer, and purchase your baked goods from a local bakery. Don’t forget to serve organic beverages – I just discovered Square One Organic Vodka, and it quickly became a favorite.

4.) Rethink your décor.  Decorating your home for an eco-chic holiday party doesn’t mean minimalism -- it means minimizing waste.  Instead of purchasing new decorations, decorate with items that you already own, and cut down on the twinkling lights.  Your centerpieces can consist of locally-grown organic flowers and soy candles.  Soy candles are made with the natural oil from soybean plants so they burn cleaner – that means a significantly healthier air quality.

5.) Forget the paper and Styrofoam! Serve your guests with your own dishes, glasses, and silverware.  If you don’t have enough, borrow some from a neighbor or make a trip to your local $1 store for glasses and dishes.  Then you can store them and use them again for your next soiree!

The Cost of a Wedding

No matter how long you work in the wedding business, you are still blown away at the cost of a wedding.  I have been talking to brides about their wedding budgets a lot lately, and the one question that I get a lot is, “What is the average cost of a wedding?”  The American average happens to be $28,000.  However, the cost of a wedding is a lot like buying a house -- location matters.

The wedding report has a website that gives you an idea what the average cost is in your area.  If you’re curious how much it actually runs in your neck of the woods, try this Cost of Wedding Test.  **Disclaimer: Most will say that this cost does not include the cost of the honeymoon, engagement ring or the wedding consultant.**  I wasn't surprised that a typical wedding in the Washington DC area costs $42,620 (but it still stings a little when I think that brides must pay for that and the price of gas too!).

When you have a moment, check out one of my favorite blogs, Style Me Pretty.  One of the October 24th posts detail some tips from a bride in Brooklyn who created a very stylish wedding on a budget.  My favorite tip is “. . . remembering that I was going for a vibe - and that superseded getting wrapped up in lots of little details, that quite frankly no one (including me) would remember."

Now don't get me wrong!  I am definitely a details girl, but I also know that the feeling that your guests have during and after your wedding will remain with them forever.

More to come about wedding budgets in November!  Gotta go!

Love & Soul Always, Kay

Product Love: A Wedding Aisle Runner With Style!

I am a details girl, and a detail that I would have LOVED at my own wedding is an aisle runner provided by the Original Runner Company.  They are absolutely gorgeous!

The 44" wide runners are hand-painted and they are available in 17 different colors and four different floral patterns.

The aisle runners are safe too.  Their exclusive non-slip backing prevents them from moving during the ceremony -- this is a definite issue for outdoor weddings.

I especially love the ability to create a unique custom design on the runner.  You can get one with your monogram, a bible verse, your wedding theme, or a saying that means so much to you and your fiance.

If you are interested, check out their website at www.originalrunners.com. They ship Nationally & Worldwide. 

I wish they made smaller ones because I would purchase one for my annual holiday cocktail party.  What a cool welcome mat that would be in my entryway.  Of course, it will say, "Love & Soul Always!"

Love & Soul Always, Kay