One Fine Day blog
Garden Themed Summer Soiree
August 30, 2010

One of my projects this summer has been to plan, organize, and design my mother’s 60th birthday celebration. The party took place on Saturday and it was a beautiful celebration. It all started out as a simple party consisting of a few friends … then she gave me her list (120 guests) … and they all RSVP’d, “yes we’re coming!” So, we re-strategized and planned a very large soiree for a very popular lady!

The theme for this extravaganza – Garden Party – very fitting, as my parents have recently landscaped their yard and my mother is an avid gardener. The decor consisted of watering cans & jars as flower vases, mini shovels as serving utensils, beautiful paper flowers that my sister created, fresh flowers from the farmers market, Italian cafe lighting overhead and along the patio railings, and various lanterns hanging from trees and along the walkways! The entertainment was a 6 piece Irish Band called the Gas Men, also very fitting as my mother is from Ireland and a very large portion of the guests are from Great Britain and Ireland.

To save on costly items, we were very creative with the setup. Instead of renting 100 chairs, we used the brick wall framing the yard as seating and added cream cushions for comfort, and we used a lot of tall cocktail tables that don’t require chairs. We also inquired within our guest list to see if any friends could lend us furniture. Turns out, our friends have quite the selection of banquet tables, chairs, galvanized tubs, and tents! We only had to rent 2 dining tables, 6 cocktail tables, 15 chairs, 2 rounds, and 16 linens – the rest we thankfully borrowed! Since I am waiting to receive several pictures, I am using our inspirational images for examples of how the party looked – stay tuned to see a peak at the party!

one fine day Posted on August 30, 2010 under Events
One Fine Day Featured on Catherine Hall’s Blog | A Wedding Conundrum
August 18, 2010

We are thrilled to be featured on Catherine Hall’s blog! We wrote a guest post about the predicament many couple’s face when inviting families to their wedding. It is always nice to invite the entire family to your wedding, but sometimes it’s easier to either not invite the kids, or provide a kid-friendly environment. You can read the guest post here:

Catherine Hall Studios

Catherine Hall Studios

Kids or no Kids: A Wedding Conundrum

Event planner Stephanie Anderson of One Fine Day and the brand-new wedding site, Tahoe Unveiled, authored a guest post for my blog. Stephanie is a talented professional with a gift for producing off-the-charts events. Today, she addresses a couple’s inevitiable wedding conundrum.

Inviting kids to a wedding? A few of my brides have inquired about the difficulties of guests with kids. Although kids are lovely and can be very endearing, you may not want to hear crying and screaming on your wedding day. In addition, it can be pretty tricky to invite your friends and not their kids, especially if travel is involved. To avoid the hassle, the arguments, and any hard feelings, try one of these ideas:

1. Hire a babysitter. Inform your guests that a babysitter will take care of your kids throughout the ceremony and reception. For your slightly paranoid parents, you may want to hire someone with First Aid certification or from an agency. Ask your venue if they have a spare room you can use as the kid’s room.

2. Kiddie Corner. Designate one or two tables at the reception to kids only. Garnish the table with GI Joes, coloring books, Pretty Pretty Princess, and Hungry Hippo (clearly my childhood favorites). If you are worried about the kids wandering off, hire a babysitter to sit at the table with them.

3. Hire a magician! Kids are easily distracted, so if games won’t cut it, then hire a clown or a magician to keep them entertained and away from your lime light!

Thank you Catherine for featuring One Fine Day on your blog!

To view Catherine Hall’s new site or to learn more about Tahoe Unveiled, click on the following:

www.catherinehall.net

www.tahoeunveiled.com

one fine day Posted on August 18, 2010 under Advice from the Pros, Our Ads & Listings
Wedding Party Gift Idea
August 12, 2010

A lovely email from the Pottery Barn popped into my inbox today, so I decided to take a wee look. Turns out, they are having a sale! My clients often ask me for gift ideas for their wedding party, so I always keep this in the back of my mind when doing my daily online research. When perusing Pottery Barn’s site today, I came across their Awning Striped Beach Towels – lovely thick towels with monogramming available … and they are currently on sale! This is a perfect gift for a summer wedding near or at the beach/lake/water. Whether you have their full name or their initials embroidered onto the towel, your bridesmaids and groomsmen will greatly appreciate this gift!

one fine day Posted on August 12, 2010 under Fab Finds
Organic Elegance | Tahoe Unveiled
August 11, 2010

We put together this inspiration board for Tahoe Unveiled (our sister company) and thought you might enjoy it! This board takes an organic approach to wedding style and shows how natural elements and a little creativity can be used to create a feeling of casual elegance.

one fine day Posted on August 11, 2010 under Inspiration Board
Day 5 of the Wedding Festivities ~ The Farewell Brunch
July 25, 2010

After a spectacular night of dancing, playing ping-pong and corn hole, and sipping on margaritas, it was time to end the celebratory week! Just in case everyone didn’t get enough of the stunning lake views, we planned a post-wedding brunch at Gar Woods. The private room has tall windows and a private balcony overlooking the lake. Guests were treated to a feast consisting of smoked salmon, fresh fruit, roast beef, roasted potatoes, and plenty more! For decor, I setup the lovely flower arrangements from the wedding.

Congrats to Angela and Jeremy – have a wonderful time on your honeymoon in Maui!

one fine day Posted on July 25, 2010 under Real Weddings
Day 4 of the Wedding Festivities ~ The Wedding Day
July 24, 2010

After a year of planning, 855 emails, countless phone calls, and several meetings, the much anticipated wedding day is here! The setup required 30 solid hours of labor, 20 crew members, a 30 foot truck, a pick-up truck and trailer, a sprinter, a Jeep Cherokee, a minivan, and a subaru – each packed to the brim!

As the venue was built in the 1900’s, we had a few challenges loading and unloading. The path leading from the driveway to the front door was 2.5 ft wide and 175 yards long. You can imagine the problems this posed for unloading couches, fire pits, and all sorts of equipment. We managed to gain access to a side road, which allowed us to drive 100 yds closer to the entrance. We still had to battle the rocks jutting out of the path, the stone steps, and a narrow doorway. Once everything was unloaded the stacks and piles were daunting. But, with the incredible A team on board – Bellissima Floral, Crux Events & Party Rents, and One Fine Day’s team, we pulled it off with ease!

At 2:30pm, the furniture was in place, candles were lit, and the guests started to arrive. I took a few snapshots with my iphone  - obviously these are not even close to what Catherine Hall will produce, but they will give you a little glimpse!

Top left – the ceremony took place on the beach with benches built by Crux Events, petals covering the altar, and a lovely lounge setting in the back.
Top right – Bellissima dressed up the chandeliers to modernize the look of the 110 year old dining room.
Bottom – intimate lounge settings overlooking the lake were placed on the decks, lawn, and beach.

The overall look was romantic, organic, and very comfortable. I can’t wait to see Catherine Hall’s photos – stay tuned!

one fine day Posted on July 24, 2010 under Real Weddings
Day 3 of the Wedding Festivities ~ The Welcome Dinner
July 23, 2010

Instead of a traditional Rehearsal Dinner, Angela and Jeremy decided to have a Welcome Dinner. Since all of their friends and family traveled to celebrate their wedding, they invited everyone. Guests arrived to a beautiful setting at the Blue Onion Cafe on Old Brockway golf course. Flowers arranged by Bellissima Floral had a freshly picked feel to them, which blended nicely with the crisp yellow umbrellas! Although the setting was casual, Angela dressed it up a bit with a gorgeous Vera Wang cocktail style dress.

The kids ran around on the grass, while the adults enjoyed mingling and viewing the “Who’s that guy” album that Angela and Jeremy created to help their guests get to know each another. Everything involving this couple is paired with humor!


one fine day Posted on July 23, 2010 under Lake Tahoe, Real Weddings
Day 2 of the Wedding Festivities ~ River Rafting
July 22, 2010

To start the celebratory week, we have arranged for all of the guests to enjoy a lazy float down the Truckee river with the bride and groom. Guests met in a parking lot where we arranged for buses to drive them to the starting point. Sunscreen was lathered, liability forms signed, and cold beverages ready to be cracked open. After the 2 1/2 hour long float, guests enjoyed lunch and cocktails on the River Ranch’s patio.

one fine day Posted on July 22, 2010 under Lake Tahoe, Real Weddings