A blog with planning tips, fun new trends, and info related to Ethereal Events.
Photo by Barbie Hull
"Today I am marrying my best friend, the one I laugh with, live for, dream with, and love."
~ Erin & Forrest Pangborn

Monday, November 28, 2011

Wedding Dress 101

Happy Holidays! I hope all your Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, etc. dreams have come true! For those of you who's dream of getting engaged over the holidays came true I'm here to help! Here are first of many tips to come!

10 Tips for Wedding Dress Shopping Success!
Wendi Hroncich

1. Always make an appointment at the dress shop beforehand!

2. Shop for your wedding gown SEPARATE from Bride's maid dresses. Shopping for both at the same time can be too overwhelming and does NOT give either shopping experience the value it deserves!

3. Wear or bring a strapless bar

4. Wear or bring heals with a comparable heel height to what you will wear on wedding day.

5. Shower and do your hair/makeup - when you try on dresses you will feel better in them if you like your hair and makeup that day!

6. Bring more than 1 person with you, especially if this person will like or hate everything you try on. Bringing someone whom you love their style/taste or has similar taste to you will really help. A 2nd set of great eyes will give you more confidence in your decision! If you have to - bring the people you love, whom you don't share taste, as your last option. They can make your decision harder or with out meaning to make you 2nd guess your self or not enjoy the experience at all. Surrounding yourself with positive people with great fashion sense will help you the most!

7. Try on dresses outside of your comfort zone. You never know what you will end up loving once it is on you. Have fun with this experience! After the wedding is over, you will wish you could go dress shopping again!

8. With that said, keep your wedding vision in mind - you don't want to end up with a dress that doesn't match your venue or formality of your wedding. For you I know you have a pretty clear idea of what you want and it really fits your whole vision, but don't rule anything out before at least trying it on!

9. Ask for a fabric swatch of the dresses you love and take pictures, if the shop will let you!

10. Bring a snack for in between appointments. Have everyone coming with you do the same! Dress shopping takes a lot of energy and time. It's important for all to become starving in the middle of the day!

Thursday, October 6, 2011

I Do!...Want to come to the Hottest Bridal Event of 2011

Fall is upon us hear in Seattle! The rain has returned, the leaves are beginning to change and football season has begun! Whether we like it or not, the hot summer days of August (as few as there were) are behind us, and all the crip beautiful days of Fall are here to stay!

The turning of the seasons also marks a significant turn in the Wedding Industry. In October, we go from the summer's wedding every weekend craziness to wedding show mania until the beggining of the year! It is a wonderful time to be a newly engaged couple starting your planning or finalizing your wedding day plans!

Here are the details for one of my favorite shows of the whole season! Get out your party dress, grab your girl friends, and get ready for Urban Unveiled!



The Celebrated Wedding Show for those with Style, Sophistication and a Passion for the Unique
Urban Unveiled returns with its
sixth show on Wednesday, October 12th. The event will be held
at Benaroya Hall and showcases over 50 premier wedding industry vendors, as
well as raffle drawings for attendees, and a one-of-a-kind Luly Yang Couture
fashion show.

The annual Urban Unveiled event held
at Benaroya Hall is more than a wedding show; it is a celebration, a cocktail
party for those getting married and the creative partners who make dreams come
true. This evening of opulence is a chance to meet and mingle with the Urban
Unveiled partners who can take your bridal vision and make it a reality.
It is the culmination of a collaboration among the finest artists in the
Seattle wedding industry.

We have invited each participant to joinus at this event because we truly believe that they excel at what they do. We are confident that we have selected visionaries who are guaranteed to please you with their creativity, personality and style!

We are pleased to present the theme of Urban Unveiled 2011 - "Diamond" - which brings a chic cocktail couture ambiance dripping in sparkle to Benaroya Hall. We hope that this experience will inspire you, captivate you, and spark your imagination to the possibilities for your own wedding or event.

The award winning designer Luly Yang will debut her 2012 Bridal Collection, Diamond, at Urban Unveiled. While Luly has always held a fashion show at the event, this year Urban
Unveiled will feature a full-scale expanded bridal runway show to cap off the
evening. The "Diamond" collection is an ultra feminine, fluid collection of romantic bridal and evening wear gowns inspired by diamonds and precious metals. Experience the brilliant sparkle and unique beauty of diamonds and crystals transformed into exquisite bridal gowns and luminous
evening wear.

Last year's collection


For additional information and to purchase tickets please visit www.urbanunveiled.com.

Friday, September 30, 2011

Real Weddings: Courtney & Seth

I absolutely adore this couple! She is so kind, bubbly, and thoughtful! He is strong, rugged, and fun loving! Courtney & Seth are the perfect couple! They had been celebrating the year of their wedding by the time the final celebration rolled around on September 24th! You can see both the love and personality of this amazing couple! Enjoy!































This picture cracks me up! I didn't have a clue I was in the back ground! I try so hard to stay our of the photos and spotlight! The Bride & Groom sent it to me with this caption - "I was so glad we have a pic with Wendi. She looks just as happy as we are! What a day !" I really am a sap!

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Dear Wendi Wednesday: Tuxedo Prep

Hi All!

It has been quite a while since I have done a Dear Wendi Wednesday! I guess I'm always looking inspiration and questions to answer! I received this question from one of my clients, and it sparked the perfect topic for this post! I love when my Grooms aren't afraid to ask questions and seek my advice! I think it is really beneficial to all men out there! Thanks E.W. for being my muse!


Hello Wendi,

I have rented a tux but I was wondering if you had any other advice regarding the tux (picking it up, trying it on, etc). I have worn tuxes before but it has been awhile and it wasn't for such an important event.

Thanks,

E.W.


Hi E.W.,

Thanks for the email! Yes, I do have a little advice. I would definitely see if you can pick your tux up a few days before the wedding to try it on and make sure they gave you the right sizes and pieces (2 days before is perfect!). This gives you ample time to make sure it is all there and in pristine condition (clean, pressed, and no loose hems or holes)! I have sadly seen too many grooms and grooms men having to do the tuxedo shuffle (trading parts and pieces with one another) because the tux shop somehow got the wrong sizes for a couple of the men.

Also, if you are wearing cuff-links or tuxedo buttons you want to make sure you have those days before as well. The rental tuxedos don't usually include those items. When you try the tux on, try on the whole ensemble including socks, cuff-links, buttons, handkerchief, etc. to make sure you like they way it all looks together. A walk through is very important to guaranteeing you like the finished product! If there is something missing or off you can correct it before wedding day!
On wedding day, all eyes may be on her, but her eyes will only be on you!

I hope this helps! If you have more specific questions please let me know! I'm happy to help!


All the best,

Wendi

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Now that your RSVP's are in, your feast has been selected, and your timeline of the days events is done; there are still many more decisions that need to be made to create the perfect wedding reception!

One of which is: Where will my guest sit? There are so many options when answering this question! Do I assign tables and exact seats? Do I just assign tables? Do I reserve a few tables for family and friends and let everyone else pick for themselves? Or do I let it be a free for all in which everyone chooses where they want to sit? Professionally speaking, taking that extra step of assigning your guest's tables is wonderful idea! It adds a level of elegance to your wedding, as well as lets your guests know that you thought about their comfort at your reception.

I know, this can get a bit tricky, but I'm here to help! You want everyone to have a wonderful time and be social, but sometimes the numbers of seats at the table don't match perfectly with the people you're trying to fit! Believe me, I have worked through MANY table arrangements in my years of planning, and I've learned some shortcuts I'd like to share! Here are a few tricks I use when assembling table assignments at my events!
  1. Ask your venue for a floor plan with the correct number of tables you will be using; as well as how many people comfortably fit at each table. Table sizes and shapes vary in how many fit so it's important not to over/under fill the tables!
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    2. Use sticky notes with each guest's name written/printed on it. I generally cut my notes into several strips so that I can get many names out of one normal size post it as possible. (Note, it's important to cut them vertically so that each strip has some sticky on it!) I also like to use the multi-colored marking tape for this project as well. (Writing the names on the tape can be tricky since they are slippery, but are worth it since they are soooo easy to use! Use a fine tip or regular Sharpie for this!)

    3. I often color coordinate the post its/tape markers to match the relation of the guest to my couples: ie. Groom's family, Bride's family, Bridal Party, mutual friends, work friends, etc. This really helps me visualize who all belongs together without having to know the specific person each time.


    4. Start Arranging!


    5. Once everyone is in place, track the table numbers into your spread sheet or document you've been using to track RSVPs that correspond with the guest. This will make it really easy to give the final numbers and table arrangements to your location and caterer.Good Luck! Try to have fun and don't stress! Everyone will have an AMAZING time because they are coming to celebrate you on your big day!

    Have a tip for arranging your tables? I'd love to hear from you!

Saturday, May 14, 2011

It's Crunch Time!

It is getting to the time of year when your wedding day is just around the corner! You have hired all your vendors, completed all your projects, bought your favors, had your dress fitted, etc., and now you need to know how to make your wedding day run smoothly.

Many of us have been a guest at wedding where there was a lot of standing around wondering, where are the bride and groom?, or when is the next thing going to happen? I'm sure you want to avoid this for your special day. Good News! It is so easy to make sure that you, your new hubby/wife, and your guests have a great time on wedding day! All it takes is putting together a simple timeline for your vendors to follow and guide you through! You have probably considered the placement of the major events of the day: whether you want to be introduced into your reception or sneak in during cocktail hour. When the first dance will take place if your dancing at all. If you want to do a garter and bouquet toss or avoid the whole thing altogether! The list can go on and on!

Luckily, now days there is no "right or wrong way" to way to put your day together. There are just many things to consider, from ceremony start time to last call, inorder to have a smooth flow to your day.

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Many of your vendors have probably tried to help you put together a time line already. (Their tools can be really helpful so please use them!) But, I recommend putting together a detailed timeline for the way YOU see your day going. You should share it with ALL your vendors, and not rely on each individual vendor's. They may all be slightly different from one another! Using the ONE you created ensures that everyone has the same overall picture of the day’s events as you want it! It also helps you make sure that you are fitting in all the major events in the time allotted in your contracts. If you only have 7 hours with your photographer, you don't want the ceremony to start at 2:30 and the toast to happen at 10:00pm. You want your photographer there to capture all of the elements you have planned in the 7 hours!

For an easy way to arrange this, I recommend using sticky notes and a large piece of paper with the start of your day on one side and end on the other! It can make for a fun game, mixing and matching the order of events on the time line to find what makes the most sense and works best! It is also a easy way to visually move the key events around to find the suitable order for the two of you! With the events in order you can start filling in the time surrounding the events and creating the time line.

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No matter how you schedule your day, make sure that it's all about you two having the best time EVER, and taking special moments to slip away and enjoy being married!

Friday, April 29, 2011

Everything I Wanted & More!



I'm sure all of you, like myself, tuned in to the Royal Wedding of the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge this morning! Hopefully you all feel as complete as I do! It was everything I wanted and more! There was not 1 single element that disappointed me in this modern day fairytale wedding! It was fresh, regal, sophisticated, serene, and most of all ethereal! I hope you love the highlights as much as I do! Enjoy!





Prince William & Harry looked so dapper and handsome in their Military Uniforms! Every ounce of William looked like the Future King he is! The Royal Family did not disappoint in any way!






There definitely were a few fashion MISSES! WTF!!!



The Spring green of the trees add a fresh pop of color and clean feeling to the formal Abbey!



The world best kept secret, Alexander McQueen by Sarah Burton dress Kate wore was stunning! I have never seen a more glowing, poised, and polished bride all my life! She wore this dress beautifully! She is the true meaning of elegance and grace! I'm in love with her confidence and authenticity!





Just Stunning!




A simple and understated bouquet. (Maybe the one place I would have like to see a little more!)



Oh the hats! I love the hats!




I love that he leans in to tell her how beautiful she is! He just can't contain himself!



They seem to be such a connected couple! Exchanging sweet glances and secrets!












She is so radiant! A picture of perfection!







Husband & Wife





Fairy tales do come true!



The long awaited Kiss!!!




Not just 1, but 2 Kisses!



Let The Party begin!




Pipa looks incredible in this jewel tone gown!



The 2nd dress! Just as incredible as the 1st!




A cake for a Prince & Princess!












And They Will Live Happily Ever After!!!