Hottt weekend for weddings!

The media (and Vera Wang) must have been going crazy this past weekend with so many celeb weddings and events going on.

We all know that Chelsea and Marc tied the knot in a high end wedding which can easily be translated into an upscale production in New York. Chelsea wore a beautiful dress by famed designer Vera Wang while Marc, Bill and all groomsmen wore an elegant suit by designer Christopher Bailey. A very stunning and elegant Hillary Clinton wore a beautiful designer gown from Oscar de la Renta. The flowers included shades of lavender and carried the traditional monochromatic design by renowned florist Jeff Leatham. The wedding was said to be of royalty caliber.

We then learned that Alicia Keys and her beau, Kasseem Dean better known as “Swizz Beatz” tied the knot on a private mansion in Corsica, overlooking the mysterious Mediterranean Sea. Alicia also wore a Vera Wang Dress while Swizz Beatz wore a white jacket tuxedo by designer Tom Ford.

Last but not least reports say that rapper T.I. better known as Clifford Harris and long time girlfriend Tiny (real name Tameka Cottle) also tied the knot and in the very beautiful sunny weather of Miami (I agree the weekend was stunning and full of love). Reports say their ceremony was held on a private mansion on Star Island, however, a close insider advised that the actual ceremony took place on a lavish and exclusive mansion in Homestead, Florida (about 45 minutes south of South Beach). Guests lists included Usher, Jermaine Dupree and Rihanna – which held a concert in downtown the same night. The couple and friends then went on to celebrate their after party at Cameo’s on South Beach!

Hawaii Wedding - a true paradise!

For some that don't have the beach as your backyard, often dream of having a romantic beach side wedding. The top choice is usually Hawaii, but if your budget doesn't extend towards a lavish soiree on the island then opt to have the island brought to you!

We often think of seashells and sand as a centerpiece for a beach themed wedding but why stick to the norm? By extending your creativity you can come up with your own design and add your touch of island flair to your affair!

Some thoughts may be to include some bamboo and vibrant colors such as orange, hot pinks, yellows and greens. We found this arrangement on Pacific Weddings!

As inspiration we also found these vases/pots that are made from bamboo and would look just absolutely amazing with large banana leaves and some colorful orchids.

Some favor ideas can be these bamboo placecard holders from Kate Aspen and a tropical lemonade mix for your guest to enjoy at home!

We also found this board that carries an island feeling and wont make your wedding look like a home style luau!

A suggestion for the cocktail hour is to use pre-recorded Hawaiian music and have live dancers interacting with your guests as well as serving traditional Hawaiian drinks using fresh fruits. Because the Hawaiian palate blends in several cultures, there is an array of foods that can be incorporated into your menu to make it more traditional. The most commonly seen is the pulled pork. You may find that some guests may not eat pork so you may want to substitute with chicken or beef . Fruits play an important part on the island so you may want to include some chutneys on your proteins to introduce some tropical flavorings. Poi is the traditional island starch (for most of us its either rice or potatoes!!). Its a mixture of taro roots with water to make a mash (similar to mash potatoes), you may wish to add some garlic or parsley for additional flavors. For dessert you may want to serve anything that includes coconut, pineapples, guava or just simply fresh cut fruits!

Our intentions are not to reinvent the wheel but just help you push our creativity to the next level and save you some money along the way!

Color of the day...GREEN

GREEN... not just going green but using it!

Who knew that green would turn out to be such a fantastic color to combine with! Check out these boards which use green as both the main color and as an accent element. I'm loving the color combo of green, white and black.
Lots of brides are going green to make a bold statement, however using the color is not a bad idea either! Do you have any funky green color combos you wish to share?

photos courtesy of project wedding

A day in beautiful Key West

I am lucky to consider the Florida Keys part of my backyard. Over the weekend, my family and I took a drive to Key West. I have planned a lot of weddings in Key West and very familiar with the island. I created a photo album with the "must see/do" locations and the very popular wedding locations.

In order to view my photos and read my comments, you must log onto to my FACEBOOK Fan page (Groups - Affairs Remembered). Please feel free to leave comments and any any locations you also feel are a must in the keys!!

Enjoy!

I DO Originals!

I DO Originals is a whimsical and unique company known to sell personalized creations. In the beginning stages of my business, I came across this company as they were known for selling customized aisle runners with the couples monograms. They have now expanded their product lines to include candles, beautiful parasols, table runners and much more. You can order online and have your item at your doorstep in just a few days! Check them out and tell them Affairs Remembered sent you!

Happy Customizing!!

Pre-Summer sale going on at AR!

Spread the word on our pre-summer sale!!!

Book our services before August 1, 2010 and receive the following:

• 50% off our FULL service package


• 15% off our Intermediate package


• $200 off our Month of package


• 10% off ENVELOPMENT orders


• 50 complimentary "thank you" notes


• $100 0ff rental of Color Me Photobooth (http://www.colormephoto.com/)

Email us at alice@affairs-remembered.com or call us at 305.432.4455 to book your complimentary consultation!

Coasters as favors!

I have used this small but memorable detail in several weddings and thought it was such a cute idea I had to share....

These are paper coasters that have several uses. In my case I have used them as hanging decals to be placed on the rear view mirror of your guests vehicle, by the valet personnel at your venue. You can personalize it to say just about anything like "Sweet Dreams" "Safe travels" or just a simple "Thank you for sharing our day". They are very inexpensive and come in an array of colors. You can check them out at http://www.myownlabels.com/.

Mohring / Vivero Wedding Deering Estates

On February 28, 2009, the very beautiful and sophisticated Gisela Mohring married the love of her life, Dr. Richard Vivero. Gisela and I began planning this wedding in early 2007. She had a clear vision of what she wanted and what she liked. From the very beginning stages, Gisela had chosen her colors and knew that her style was geared towards what she called "Vintage Glam".

The celebration took place at the breathtaking Deering Estates. The ceremony area overlooked the bay and tall palm trees. The dinner area was neatly arranged in their intimate courtyard and the dancing took place inside the historic mansion. It was a night full of love, glamour and incredible shining stars in the sky!

Thank you, Gisela and Richard for allowing me to be part of your special day and many thanks to Brett Tyler for the outstanding pictures!!

VIP Wedding Planners Trip to Barbados

I must share how honored and privileged I feel to have been 1 out of 5 wedding planners nationwide to have been selected to visit the absolutely gorgeous island of Barbados. At first, I must admit, I thought it was another hoax. I mean come on, how often do you get to travel completely for FREE to a land of paradise?

The purpose of this trip was to see the island firsthand in order to be able to sell it as a magnificent destination wedding location. We were taken to the best restaurants and locations on the Island and experienced a true royal treatment.

Most of the pictures you will see are in the order of which each location was visited.

Day 1 Wednesday May 13, 2009
Well, I honestly did not believe it until I was on the plane! On Wednesday May 13 at 9:45am, my plane took off from MIA destination Bridgetown Barbados! Upon my arrival I was greeted by a Barbados Tourism authority representative and gathered with my FAM group. We were then escorted to our fabulous hotel (Colony Club hotel http://www.colonyclubhotel.com/) Once we all settled in, we were then take to the Coral Reef spa for some R & R! For dinner, we were taken to the Fairmont hotel where we met with the Catherine, the catering manager. Catherine was wonderful and answered all of our questions without any hesitation.

Day 2, Thursday May 14, 2009
Our day required an early wake up call as we headed to the famous Sandy Lane resort for a 5 star breakfast buffet. From specialty made omelets to fresh fruit smoothies our palates were going wild! We then toured the amazing properties and were then taken to the Country Club Golf course. This is where Tiger Woods got married. The view is so amazing and serene it makes you want to stay there and enjoy nature all day long! We then moved along and visited several properties on Sandy Lane. These multi-million dollar privately owned homes are rented out for private events. It is surprisingly affordable and some homes even come with a personal butler and chef!!!!! (http://www.aaaltman.com/).

After we visited the properties, we were taken to Lonestar restaurant. The view here is breathtaking (as in most places we visited) and we were fortunate enough to meet Corrie Scott a local socialite that enchanted us with her graciousness and surprised us all with a personalized piece of art! We then moved along to visit the other properties owned by Elegant hotels (http://www.eleganthotels.com/) and headed back to our hotel for a quick shower! In the evening we had cocktails at the Cliff restaurant. This location is absolutely amazing!!!!!! In order to properly appreciate it, it is only opened for dinner and private events. It is surrounded by gas torches which give this property the ambiance you immediately feel by just entering the door. It is independently owned and very highly recognized all over the world. You can find more information at http://www.thecliff.com/. After some really yummy appetizers and champagne, we were taken to Daphnes for a very formal dinner. Here we had the opportunity to meet some very important people from the Island. Among them was Emma from Events Unusual, the event planner that worked closed with Sandy Lane in planning Tiger Woods wedding. We had a fabulous dinner with excellent company!

Day 3, Friday, May 15, 2009
We had an early drive to the East coast. We visited the pristine resort called The Crane. This is a resort in which once you check in, there is absolutely no reason for you to leave (until it's time to head back home of course). Here we were presented with a panel of very interesting people. We met a local photographer, employees of the magistrate and Avril from the BTA. We were able to ask may questions on civil weddings, local vendors and how they operate on a daily basis. They were kind enough to set up a mock up wedding so that we could experience what a wedding at their resort would look like!

Once our time at The Crane was up, we were taken to other areas in the island that were of interest. Among these, was an abandoned house once owned by Harry Smith. This house was once amazing and must have been a very secluded area to live in. One of the cool spots we were taken to was Bathsheba. Surfers come from all over the world to surf these waves! For lunch we were taken to the astonishing, Hunte's Gardens. This location almost resembled a natural dollhouse. We were greeted by the owner, Mr. Hunte and taken to his "green house" for a catered lunch. We then toured the property and enjoyed some delicious English tea. After lunch we toured St. Nicholas Abbey. This is a rum distillery that was built in 1660 and located in the northern parish of St. Peter and owned by architect, Larry Warren.

After a very long day of long distance driving and sightseeing, we then headed back to our hotel for a quick shower and prep for dinner at the Tides. The tides offers a wonderful array of seafood in a very romantic and quaint setting!

Day 4, Saturday May 16, 2009
Our day began early as we headed to St. James Parish Church. Here we were able to experience a wedding about to take place. It was decorated with orange fabric and a beautiful display of pew decorations. We then visited Fisherpond House. This home is owned by Mr. John Chandler (the Preston Bailey of Barbados). We were warmly greeted by John's wife, Rain Chandler. She gave us a tour of the estate and shared wonderful stories of all the celebrities that have visited her home. Among them are Prince Harry, Prince William, and Tony Blair just to name a few! After a cup of rum punch we then said our goodbyes and moved on to downtown Bridgetown. We did some shopping and went to visit the ONLY Synagogue in Barbados. After learning about it's history we then went to have lunch at Champers. An absolutely beautiful restaurant with the ocean as it's backyard. Voted number 1 in the 2009 Barbados guide.

After about a 40 minutes drive back to the hotel, we had the afternoon to our leisure. I actually relaxed by the ocean and had a seaside massage! In the evening we then headed over to a very casual dinner at Groots! That was definitely a great "local" experience. This restaurant reminded me so much of Key West! We actually got to write on the walls like back in my middle school days!!!!! After multiple rum punches and hours of laughter, we headed back to our hotel and called it a night!

Last day in Barbados, May 17, 2009
We actually got to "sleep in" and had breakfast in our hotel. We had to pack our goodies and head out to the airport. Before we began our 40 minute drive to the airport, we stopped at Cove Spring. This is were Mariah Carey recently got married to Nick Cannon. This private property is absolutely breathtaking. It is known for hosting spectacular weddings and has a guest list which includes Oprah Winfrey and Simon Cowell.

As we all rode in very quietly (and saddened to leave) in the bus, I had a vision of what my first wedding here in Barbados would be like. I envisioned bringing to life a little girl's dream of a picture perfect beach side wedding to the man of her dreams in a picture perfect place!

Thank you so much for allowing me to share this wonderful experience with you all and I look forward to returning to Barbados in the very near future, hopefully with one of you!