Pack A Punch In Your Wedding Chairs

A guide to "dressing up" your wedding reception chairs.

Each wedding is very special to the ones starring in it. It's dreamed of as a once-in-a-lifetime celebration. So, as she plans "The Day," a bride starts checking out blogs, websites, photos, and articles, making up her mind, and then changing it, and dreaming about what it will be like.

That day, being so longed and waited for, makes us want it to be perfect, down to the smallest detail. It may be so small that only you will notice it. Truly, it is understandable as your wedding day is an expression of the inner you.  As the saying goes: "People forget what you said and what you did, but they never forget how you make them feel."

Embrace the little details because those are the ones that make a difference – your guests have attended many weddings, but it is the little details that makes yours memorable and gives it your personal touch.  Some people are detail-oriented, some are not. Even those who don't recognize that special flair, are still affected by the way the details set the mood and gives it that certain ambiance. They may not be able to put their finger on what made it seem perfect, but they will still gush about how perfect it was.

One of those little touches that you can incorporate your fashion sense in are the wedding reception chairs.  This is a great way to show your style, personalize your wedding, and make it fabulous.  There are few things you should consider when deciding the style of your chairs.

First, realize how important the chairs are.  It will be a long day for you and your loved ones,  Keep in mind your guests may be sitting on them all night long, and others will use them to rest between dances. You will want the chairs to be comfortable!

Everything besides comfort is all about your vision and dream. You can go with full chair covers, a seat cushion, or just a back cushion. You can "dress" all of them, every other one, only those for the bridal party, or just the ones for the special couple.  The options are endless!

You can go classic, put a little twist on the traditional style, or go bold and creative.

• Incorporate your wedding elements in the decor

If it's a beachy summer wedding – use the usual suspects--which by the way look adorable every time--such as airy fabric, sand, shells and star fish.

A flower-themed wedding – use flowers large and small.

Posh and very elegant – incorporate elements from your jewelry.

If your style is rustic - use organic, simple, earthy items for your chair propping.

Does your dress have ruffles on it?  Here's an idea to incorporate that style.

• Consider the seasons

In warmer weather we take some layers off, wear lighter materials, and shorter lengths. In colder months we like feeling softer fabrics, longer layers, and deeper colors.

• Outdoor or Indoor 

Some ideas are really cute and creative, and maybe the perfect fit for your wedding. However, some ideas are meant to be outdoors. The perfect example of this are these colorful fun ribbons on the photos below. The look is perfect for an outdoor wedding/party where the light breeze will play gently with the ribbons. They would look fun and festive anywhere. They are meant to magically float around which won't work indoors.  The purpose should make sense and fit the look of your venue.

• To be practical

Many styles tend to embrace the romantic theme and make a big decor impact. Remember that these chairs are going to be constantly used – pulled, sat on, rested on, walked by, leaned against...maybe even danced on.  Make sure any touch-sensitive and gentle decor material won't be ruined or make a mess. First, it won't last long, and second, it will be a waste of money. Nobody wants that!

The examples are endless and don't be scared to create something different that is all your own. I hope these tips are helpful when you are making your decision. Have a seat, (hopefully a cute one), relax, and enjoy your day!

Branded To The Bone

It wasn’t that long ago that weddings meant a church, a white dress and your uncle doing the funky chicken on the dance floor. Thankfully for everyone, times have changed and couples – more than ever before – are incorporating deeply personal special touches into their big day that reflect their personality, culture, style, and private traditions.

As a planner, these unique touches make me really excited!  Personalization today can be so much more than picking wedding colors. I’m noticing that brides are personalizing everything from monogrammed cake toppers and ice sculptures, to personalized dress hangers.  It is all about making sure everything is customized to their wedding day.

I recently went to a wedding where the bride and groom took wedding branding to a whole new level. They created their own logo for their event which was on everything including the save the date magnets, address labels, party favors and the invitation. (See the emblem in the lower left hand corner.)  Take some inspiration from them, and think about how you might make your day even more personalized.  There are plenty of resources online that can help you customize your invitations. Check out Broadway Paper if you want the more "do it yourself" project, or Coqui Design will give you the full service treatment!

This wedding couple also started off their wedding plans with some ink!  They got matching tattoos to symbolize their origins, life together and mythology. Their minister just happened to be their tattoo artist as well.  Unfortunately, I can't refer you to a great tattoo artist since that is not part of my specialty, but if you’re not ready for a tattoo, many cultures have special traditions you can borrow from too. Have some fun and trust me, everyone will love something different and they’ll remember it for years to come!  

Mr. and Mrs. also created handcrafted, personalized necklaces with their names and wedding dates carved into bone. So unique to their style and vibe that they wanted for their wedding! On the right are the happy couple flaunting their matching neck pieces.  Tatafu Langi out of Hawaii can customize the perfect piece for you.

Why not add a special drink to the menu? This couple offered their guests a Mango Mojito (which I tried multiple times just to make sure it was up to par) to solidify their theme! A little Tabu malted beverage would have fit right in as well for that little taste of Tahitian flair! Not to mention it matches their new tattoos!

Guests were greeted at the door with favor boxes that contained hair adornments for the ladies.  Beautiful orchids were worn by all the women to make them feel as if they were on the Islands!  The bride wore a stunning headpiece for her reception that complimented the affair and her heritage so well.

  

Next up on the list was the entertainment!  The event was at modern, loft-style warehouse that embodied large garage doors, that when opened, there was an amazement of fire throwers, fire dancers, and hula dancers!  Pyrotechniq out of Chicago travels anywhere and has an assortment of theatrical art performances to choose from.

 The bride even performed a special dance for her groom that was so beautiful, intimate, and romantic.

Whether you've decided to have your initials in lights on the dance floor, hand out handkerchiefs with your wedding date on them, or even have your own personalized Mr. & Mrs. hangers for your special day attire, it's all about making your wedding day unique.  Go crazy and "brand it to the bone"!  Of course, for the traditional couple, guests still love the funky chicken too. You can’t go wrong either way!

The Last Queen of Egypt Arrives at the Milwaukee Public Museum

If you're hoping to bring a special touch to your upcoming event, look no farther than the Milwaukee Public Museum this fall! Just released by the PR department of MPM, the Cleopatra exhibit is coming to Milwaukee.  Featuring many new artifacts recently excavated off the  Bay of Aboukir, the exhibit will make it's third stop here.

ZHG is the exclusive caterer for the Milwaukee Public Museum, and we couldn't be more excited about the new possibilities that this exhibit will open up for us.

The museum has always been a great venue for a special event - from weddings, to Prom, to a company party, the space is large with a unique atmosphere you won't find anywhere else.  But, even better, your guests can have access to this special exhibit, as well as the museum, during your gathering.

It's the perfect opportunity to find a reason to throw a party - whether it's the company holiday event or a special themed gathering (Egyptian perhaps?) - and we're amazingly excited to start dreaming up events for the museum this fall.  You bring the guests, we'll bring the food and the glamour.  The Queen of the Nile is sure to provide a great party!

Themes

We love the events that are different - the ones that go beyond what you would normally expect for a wedding or a gala or a fundraiser.  These are the events that push us out of our comfort zone when coordinating and catering an event.  We love it when the customer asks for something new or imaginative.

Some themes are easy to come up with - Safari or African themes for events held at the Milwaukee County Zoo go hand in hand.  But other themes are harder to come up with.  We love doing Oscars themes, or Harley Davidson themes, or even Railroad themes.  Anything to get our creative juices flowing!

Of course, we offer our own themed menus, if you're looking for something new and exciting.  What brings life to a party better than a good theme with good food to coordinate?

So if you're looking for something to bring new life to an event, look no farther than a themed party.  Come up with your own, or we'll be more than happy to help you find one!

From Weddings to Anniversaries

The greatest thing about weddings is the time to come after.  Your wedding day is just the start of a (hopefully) wonderful future together.  That's what makes anniversaries special - it's a time for a celebration of everything you've done and accomplished together as a couple, a time for remembering and a time for looking towards the future.

ZHG recently did a 50th wedding anniversary party for the couple - a truly momentous occasion.  All the details were planned, and the very intimate party was one to remember.  From the couple's favorite band playing all their favorite hits from the 50s and 60s, to the cake cutting ceremony that they participated in before dinner was served, everything was beautiful, and most definitely romantic.

What was truly amazing about this event however, was the celebration of the love that this couple had shared for the last 50 years, and all the people touched by it.  From the wedding party to the children of the couple, everyone at the party had been touched by the love they shared.

It may not have been the most trendy or contemporary event we were privileged to cater and coordinate, but it was certainly an event full of love.