Venue Spotlight - The Loft at Falls Park

Lucky for us, Greenville is overflowing with all kinds of striking venues, perfect for wedding ceremonies and receptions of all sizes. We love seeing an empty venue transform into a beautiful space, perfectly detailed to reflect the bride and groom’s personal character. We seem to be lucky in having no trouble finding a space for every bride to be able to create her desired wedding dreams come to life.

Well, we just got luckier. If you’re familiar with Greenville, you know about beautiful Falls Park, located in Downtown Greenville’s Historic West End. This city treasure is a great place for people to come walk around, relax, have dinner and simply enjoy the view. Now, you can enjoy the park view from the newest venue – The Loft at Falls Park!

This newly opened venue is to die for; beautiful hardwood floors, exposed brick walls and a classy rustic feel give this

space the perfect atmosphere for your event of up to 250 guests. Views overlooking Falls Park and the pretty streets of downtown are simply icing on the cake. With catering by The Green Room or Ford’s Cajun Kitchen and several great service styles, great food awaits for your guests.

We were happy to be some of the first to see the new venue, and even took some pictures so you can see for yourself why we’re so enthusiastic!

A built-in nook, perfect for a bar, food stations, gift or favor table.

What a perfect spot to seat your wedding party! This venue is so easy to adjust and create your own feel and design and really make the room your own.

Cocktail tables look great in this room, perfect high-seated positions for those views we were talking about…

Falls Park – so pretty!

Downtown… one more reason why we love this city!

Such a beautiful room and one more option for you on your wedding day or special occasion! You will find them at 631 South Main Street Greenville, SC. We are so excited to share this new venue with you. As always, Christine Faust Events would love to help you create your dream space! Contact us to get started.

Yummy Wedding Ideas

I know the cupcakes at weddings craze has now firmly taken hold. Even though I have recently been converted to a cupcake lover (thanks Courtney @ Iced!) I am getting a bit bored with the cupcakes at every wedding. If you are as hungry as I am for a new idea read on...

One thing I keep running into are these adorable cake pops. If you aren't familiar it is a cake ball (cake mixed with icing), dipped in chocolate and put on a stick. Check out these adorable bride & groom versions, traditional filigree or super cute tiny wedding cakes.


And then I had to throw in these gorgeous chocolate covered Oreos for my beloved hubby. What a beautiful marriage between a traditional exterior and childhood throwback interior!


So if you have been yearning for alternative to cupcakes...take a bite out of one of these!

Crisis Management

We are often asked "I have planned everything down to the tiny details, what kind of crisis could possibly come up on my wedding day?" For some reason I am always at a loss to remember any off the top of my head so I thought it would be fun to keep a running list over the past two weekends. Here for your enjoyment are the last minute challenges that were faced and solved:

NO PRELUDE MUSIC
Because we had the musicians at the rehearsal, we realized that they had only prepared two songs to play as prelude music. Well that takes care of 8 minutes, but what about the other 37 minutes while guests are arriving? The bride was able to put together an IPod playlist of some of their favorite music and that problem was solved. The moral of this story is to always be very clear with your musicians exactly when they will start playing. You need to be prepared that guests can start arriving at your ceremony location up to an hour before the ceremony starts.

NEED MORE CANDLES
The Mother of the Bride had purchased oodles of beautiful ivory pillar candles to put in hurricane lanterns all over the ceremony area and on each guest table at the reception. The only problem is that after setting up at the reception site the day before the wedding she realized that the was 2 short. We saved her from having to run around town the day of the wedding looking for 10" x 3" ivory pillar candles so that she could relax and enjoy the day with her daughter. Happy to do it!

MISSING BOUTONNIERES & CORSAGES
When it came picture time the girls had their bouquets, but the guys were missing their bouts. One call to the florist's cell phone and she was on her way back from the reception site because she had also just realized they were still in her car. The lesson here is always have a complete list of cell phone numbers for all your vendors because you just never know!

FALLING STRAPS
The Maid of Honor had one spaghetti strap on her dress that just would not stay snapped. Handy sewing kit to the rescue and we had the strap tacked in no time flat. 911 Emergency Kit to the rescue!

NO BRAKES
I received a panicked phone call 3 hours before the ceremony from the family friend that was driving the vintage car for their transportation. He had just taken the car out to have it washed only to discover that it had NO brakes!!! One call to the Mother of the Bride's cell phone and it was decided that they would use his back up car in it's place. Always a good idea to take that vintage car out for a test drive a few days before the wedding!

I think all of our brides would agree that it was invaluable to have professionals on hand to handle these little emergencies when they arose. Let us be the ones that are prepared, experienced and running around solving problems!

Baubles and Bling

With so many of my brides preparing for weddings in the spring I am getting numerous questions about stylish jewelry options. If your Great-Aunt Georgina didn't leave you a stunning estate piece worn by every family member for five generations then you have some shopping to do Sweetheart!

There are lots of people that will tell you there are rules about what to wear - simple with a detailed gown, necklace or earrings but never both, pearls were perfect for Jackie-O and they will be timeless for you too, etc., etc., blah blah blah. Wear what feels right and makes the statement you want to make. The question is where to shop for these essential adornments. Let this serve as your go-to shopping guide for all things Bridal Bauble!

These dramatic vintage-inspired crystal drop earrings are designed by Anne Koplik for Dancing with the Stars. You can even choose to wear them from a stud or french wire. At $87.00 they are a bit of a splurge but so worth it!

http://www.annekoplik.com/index.php?file=productdetail&iprod_id=1219&icatid=35



This bold new chandelier earring, with beautifully colored cabochon stones and a chic, longer length that I love. These would make a dramatic statement for an evening affair. Run down to J-Crew now and snatch them up. At $68 they are totally justifiable.





Maybe you were thinking something more delicate? Check out these stunners from one of my all-time fave shopping meccas - Anthropologie! For my very own wedding day I wore the most perfect blue topaz earrings; and they were borrowed to boot! These Wind Wheel posts are only $28 so you don't even have to sweat over paying shipping!

While you're on www.anthropologie.com check out the super cute headband options. This is one craze I can not pull off personally, but so many girls really rock this look. If you are just not a jewelry girl consider one of these hair adornments instead. The Laureate headband is an absolute steal at $32. Have you seen the ridiculous prices they want to charge for "bridal" headpieces?

One of my favorite multi-tasking friends has just become the local rep for an adorable new jewelry line called Stella & Dot. Warning...you may want EVERY thing on this site.

For those of you that are wearing a strapless gown and want to do a statement necklace check out this double strand of hand-cut glass chandelier stones. It is a bit more of an investment at $148, but it will also look amazing with that adorable sundress you bought for the honeymoon. Course you could always host a party to get the discount!

Loving the more traditional look of the pearls....but in abundance. You can also find pretty floral enhancers that can be worn in your hair or added to a necklace. The floral barrette is such a pretty option for short-haired brides!

To order contact Valorie White at http://www.stelladot.com/sites/val/my-business.


I hope that you have found some inspiration to help you complete your ensemble for the Big Day. I would love to see and hear what you plan to wear on your wedding day. Send me comments and pics!

Saturday Alternatives

Many couples these days are more open to considering having their ceremony on a non-Saturday. This trend can be great for lots of reasons:

1. You may be able to use a venue or vendor during a peak season that may not otherwise be available. The most popular sites, photographers, planners, etc. book up quickly especially during popular wedding months like May and October. If you are planning on short notice you may be able to get your top pick if you are not looking for a traditional day or time. I always advise couples to lock in their ceremony and reception locations first thing to save a ton of hassles.
   
2. Many venues and vendors have a discount for weekdays if they are normally in less demand during those times. Never hurts to ask!
   
3. An alternative day immediately sends the message to your guests that this is not going to be your typical wedding. A Friday night wedding somehow seems so festive and perfect for a guest list where the majority live in-town. On the flip side if most of your friends and family are traveling from out of town, a Sunday ceremony allows for lots of time over the weekend to catch up and culminates in the big celebration.

If you are looking to open up your options, save some dough or just shake things up...maybe this is just the ticket!

New Budget Friendly Package

I know times are tough right now and many couples have had to keep a close watch on their bottom line. Many people think there is just no way than can afford a wedding planner on their budget. Christine Faust Events to the rescue!

Announcing my newest bridal package - The Bridal Blueprint! Even a Do-It-Yourself diva can benefit from the process of working with an experienced event planner. The Bridal Blueprint includes:

• Bride & Groom Personality Profile
• Identifying your Top 3 Priorities
• Recommendation of season, time of day and type of venue
• Color and Theme Ideas
• Detailed Checklist
• Budget WorksheetPayment Planner

With your Bridal Blueprint in hand you are now ready to meet with the vendors of your choice and have something tangible to make sure they understand your vision. At only $250 this package is an unbelievable bargain. Contact me today so we can get started!

www.faustevents.com
christine@faustevents.com
864.590.2440

2 Affordable Ways to Get Custom Invitations

In these days of mailboxes filled with nothing but junk mail, a gorgeous wedding invitation is like a special treat for your guests. It is their first glimpse into what to expect from your wedding day. A vehicle to express the formality (or lack thereof), the style and the tone of the event. Custom invitations are the perfect way to personalize what is too often a boring afterthought. I am sure you are thinking sounds great, but way too expensive. Let me introduce you to two artists that are making it available to the average couple.

Jennifer Tucker of White Tulip Designs works with clients to design a handmade pen and ink invitation set. Her designs are then professionally scanned and printed to produce a high quality gorgeous finished product. Because they are produced by hand, she can easily design a set of invitations, programs, favor boxes, etc. that aren't copies, but interpretations on the theme. You can see more examples of her work on her website http://www.whitetulipdesigns.com/.

Another new favorite is Megan Battistella of Adair Designs. Megan is a graphic designer that specializes in ornate and unique invitation suites. Her elaborate designs can also include special add-ons like custom belly bands and whimsical maps. I appreciate her spot-on color trend forecasting. Love the slate gray! You can see more of her work on her blog at http://adairdesign.blogspot.com/.



Just another example of how you don't have to spend more money, you just have to be more resourceful!