Thursday, November 5, 2015

Cool, Classic, and Sweet Wedding

Love stories and celebrating the best day of a couples’ life is the greatest part of this job. Being able to work behind the scenes to ensure it goes smoothly….that’s unparalleled! Here, another installment of a recent collaboration with Harry O Productions, 1st Impressions Invitations' Event Coordination...



Cool, Classic, Sweet….



Sometimes your friends know better than you….that was the case for Amy and Jeff. They had mutual friends who just knew that the two were perfect for one another and had been talking each other up for over a year before the two met in person. From the moment they were introduced on their first date with their friends Brooke and Peter, Amy and Jeff knew that this was indeed everything their friends had mentioned and more.

After getting engaged on a wine trip to Napa, the two decided on the beautiful Four Seasons Hotel in Las Vegas for their July 10th wedding. With a sweeping terrace and large waterfall as the background, it was the ideal location for a posh and intimate wedding ceremony.



The entire event was based off the bride and groom’s personalities: cool, classic, with touches of fun and sweet little details.  The invitations were a clean black and white with just a touch of red added in the small heart on the invitation and the custom liner in the envelope. The remainder of the couples’ stationery items all coordinated with the invitations in look and font style, right down to the thank you notes following the event.



Keeping it classic and posh, was Amy’s gorgeous and sleek wedding gown, care of Couture Bride: with a long cathedral length veil and low dramatic back, Amy was beauty in motion. Meanwhile, Jeff was the epitome of classic cool in a perfectly fit modern black suit.





When you have the opportunity to work at a gorgeous location like the Four Seasons, you find that very little adornment needs to be added. In Amy and Jeff’s case, we kept the flowers and decor simple and let the incredible food and ambiance of the luxury hotel be the focal point of the event.


The ceremony was sweet and intimate, focusing on the couple’s love for one another with reading by the groom’s children, Jenna and Ryan, and a very sweet love letter ceremony, performed by the funny and sincere Pastor Pete. Amy surprised Jeff with live serenaded music: a crowd pleaser of  Meghan Trainor’s “Dear Future Husband”  was used as Jeff’s entrance for the wedding and Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” was used as the rousing recessional.





In lieu of a traditional sit-down dinner, the couple, who love to entertain, opted for heavy hors d’oeuvres and cocktail party. The food was a fantastic mixture of stylish nibbles and home-town favorites like macaroni and cheese. The guests were treated to multiple carving stations and a fully appointed bar, including the special drink of the evening, “The Pyle Driver” in celebration of the new married surname.




Dancing went into the wee-hours and the guests, shoes in hand, made their exits after enjoying individual shaped cakes in three different flavors and custom made chocolates and cookies. The flower girl, the bride’s adorable tom-boy god daughter stole the show on the dance floor in her sparkly gold high-tops!







The Bride and Groom’s favorite moment of the Wedding Day…

The first look.  Planning a wedding is stressful and seeing each other for the first time on the balcony of the hotel was magical, everything else went away and it was just us.



Moment of Truth/Behind the Scenes of the Day….

It was very windy on Amy and Jeff’s wedding day which resulted in some quick re-designing at the ceremony location. We had originally planned for an aisle runner lined by rose petals but the wind whipped up and ripped the runner and realizing it was a losing battle, we opted for sprinkled rose petals all over the ceremony site instead. You never know what extra variables will come into play on a wedding day and often have to roll with the punches. When you have opted for a location as luxurious as Four Season’s Terrace though, it isn’t an issue: the ceremony was gorgeous and beautiful. One added benefit of the wind: Amy’s veil looks incredible in the pictures! The couple had their own “Wind Machine” courtesy of Mother Nature.




Words of Advise from the Beautiful Bride…

Although weddings are expensive and you try to keep your budget in mind- make sure you wont have any regrets…I wish we hired a videographer.  At the time we didn’t think we needed one, but looking back- it’s the one thing we wished we had to capture the day. 

Our day was amazing and simply magical, and I know without Cathy it would have been 1000 times more stressful, and we wouldn’t have been able to enjoy the day. As stressful as weddings can be, having Cathy made the entire experience so manageable.  We loved having a sounding board and friend to guide us.  Cathy really got to know us as a couple and became an amazing friend.  Truly, we found 1st Impressions Invitations and Harry O Productions to go above and beyond, Cathy was able to make recommendations for other vendors, and they were superb.  Not to mention, we loved our invites and thank you’s, which perfectly captured our style.






Special Thanks to:
Dawn at Couture Bride
Four Seasons Las Vegas
Pastor Pete Starzyk
Harry O Productions
Photography Courtesy of Laszlo Rathonyi
Enchanted Florist
Hair/Makeup Amy Curiel and Patti Jones
Singer Cristina Wojo
1st Impressions Invitations

Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Cathy, what jobs do you do as a coordinator?

I often get asked that question....truth is, I often have to be a jack of all trades. There are the fairly expected jobs, but then, there are some that I never imagined would be come a regular staple, funny or otherwise! Some I have added to my portfolio....

1) Ensure that Ceremony has been prepped with all details: i.e programs, aisle runner, 
check on decor, music, ushers, flowers, officiant etc.

2) Ensure that Reception has been prepped with all details: i.e escort cards, center pieces, music, 
confirm catering timeline, confirm all vendor set-up, and any other amenities that need to be set-up



3) During Reception, ensure proper flow of evening, assist with grand entrance, be aware of 
catering schedule, toasts, dancing, etc.

4) Seamstress! (Sewed a bridesmaid back into her dress after the zipper completely broke)



5) Coordination of all Vendors, Deliveries, and Set-up

6) Coordination of all Wedding Party Members: transportation, communication, logistics, etceteras 

7) T-shirt designer (Upcoming Bachelorette Party)




8) Assistance with Pictures: Pre-Wedding and Post-Wedding coordination of all wedding party/family)...I am often just off camera holding things or assisting the photographer.

9) I carry with me a Bridal Emergency Kit (just in case): Kit Includes such items as stain sticks, hairspray, safety pins, a sewing kit, scissors, Static Guard, deodorant, straws, Band-Aids, snacks, etceteras

10) Cook! Food Prep - smaller parties where caterers are not hired...







11) Handle any emergencies that arrive, prevent and fix any issues should they arise.

12) Invitation Design and production: you may have already guessed at that ;-)






13) Pack up gifts/cards, miscellaneous ceremony and reception items and have them ready to be
 taken to a family members car at the end of the night

14) Crafter-extrordinare! Putting together gifts and party favors.







15) Dance Instructor! When needed, I have given dance lessons: something simple and ofter at my couples'  homes. Being a retired ballet dancer and former Jubilee Dance Captain does have it's benefits! Look out "Dancing with the Stars!"








16) Romance Decorator! Ensuring the Bridal suite is decorated and as romantic as possible for the new Mr. and Mrs.!


Interested in more information?
Check out our website: www.1stinvite.com or 
contact 1st Impressions Invitations' owner Cathy at cathy@1stinvite.com or 702-290-6805 
to set up your consultation today!


Labels: , , , , ,

Saturday, August 15, 2015

Adults Only...? Plus One's...? How to be specific!




It's safe to say we spend a huge amount of time talking with each one of our clients. We chat about their weddings, careers, pets, dress colors... If you didn't know, we're half stationers, and half therapists most days.  All jokes aside though, our clients confide a lot in us when it comes to what they are dealing with. Whether it be there invitation wording, how to mention a family members passing, or how firmly is it to let their guest know that children and plus one's are not invited. It seems harsh, but something it needs to be addressed. 

We take this very seriously. It's not only our job to, but we know how important it is. When it comes to invitations, it's never polite to be too straight forward. It can be tricky! Needless to say we have a few tricks up our sleeves on how to dodge this. 

We all know the "Adult only reception" comment at the bottom of an invitation normally does the trick. However, some still consider it rude. We suggest adding this comment in other panels as well. For example, make your RSVP card work better for you! Again, be specific and add "List each adult name". 

At the end of the day, this is your big day. Make it clear what you want and ask a professional to help make this happen for you. We love to help!

Interested in more information?
Check out our website: www.1stinvite.com or 
contact 1st Impressions Invitations' owner Cathy at cathy@1stinvite.com or 702-290-6805 
to set up your consultation today!

Labels: , , , , ,

Thursday, July 30, 2015

Bold Wedding Invitations by 1st Impressions

As we always say, your invitations are the perfect way to give your guests that 1st Impression of your wedding day. Candice and Rex chose a bold purple and blue for their wedding color scheme and wanted their invitations to make a lasting impact. They chose a pocket folder with a monogramed vellum overlay inside. Also, additional inserts to give their guests as many details as possible. Take a look!





Interested in more information?
Check out our website: www.1stinvite.com or 
contact 1st Impressions Invitations' owner Cathy at cathy@1stinvite.com or 702-290-6805 
to set up your consultation today!


Labels: , , , , , , ,

Saturday, July 18, 2015

Timeless Swirl Wedding Artwork

This swirl design seems to be a favorite! For our more simple brides that want a touch of class for their wedding invitations, this design is perfect! Being a custom design studio we can really capture your theme in your wedding artwork. This back pocket paired with a timeless swirl design is the perfect way to give a great 1st Impression all while including additional information for your guests. 





Interested in more information?
Check out our website: www.1stinvite.com or 
contact 1st Impressions Invitations' owner Cathy at cathy@1stinvite.com or 702-290-6805 
to set up your consultation today!



Labels: , , , , , , ,