Here Comes the BRIDE!

The two cuties leading this lovely bride down the aisle are none other than my two oldest girls.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from The Celebration Place. Enjoy your holiday and should you just happen to be thinking about your upcoming wedding feast your eyes on this ....

This dome is our newest arch. We also have a flower bar - beautiful silk white flowers - for a header on the front of the dome. And elegant flower rings of the same white flowers to use as tiebacks. Call The Celebration Place 850-215-7278 for this and other rental options.

Have a wonderful day!

New Chandelier

www.thecelebrationplace.com

We are always looking for new and fresh rental items and here is the newest creation! We have 3 of these chandeliers for rent and we can't be more excited. The pictures don't do it justice. Imagine these hanging in a tent at the reception as your lighting. We are also doing a lot with them in our 4 post bamboo and our 4 post chuppah archways. What a beautiful addition to our rental equipment! Call for pricing and details, 850-215-7278.

2 sets of chairs or 1?

 "Do I need 2 sets of chairs?"

Well, again, as a rental company I would love for you to order 2 sets but of course that only makes sense if the wedding ceremony is far from the reception (and if you need to rent seating for both). We have a lot of options for chairs. We have white resin, brown resin, white padded, white wooden, beechwood, mahogany/pecan and benches. www.thecelebrationplace.com has a lot of pictures! You have a few options there for style so once you pick those you have to decide one set or two... here are some thoughts on that. 

1. We can provide you with 2 sets of chairs. This is great if you like one type of chair for your wedding and a different type for the reception or if your wedding and reception aren't easily connected. Also, if you don't want to pay us to move them or you don't have an audience who is capable/willing to move them. It isn't the easiest thing to do! You can hire us to set up both sets and clean up both sets. 
2. You can get 1 set of chairs and move them. The only disadvantage to moving them is that the older guests are going to have to wait for you to get them moved and set up. If you are on the sand it takes a little longer because it is difficult to carry them in the sand. If you do this your options are pretty much:
1. "Uncle Joe" and your cousins can move them as soon as the ceremony is over.
2. My crew can come and move them and set them up at the reception.

As always, we are always willing to help in any way. You just need to inform the receptionist when you order so we allow the proper amount of time and man-power to make it all happen! We like to set up at least 2.5 hours before the actual event to ensure that we have time for any hiccups, traffic delays or silly things that may happen. 

How Many Chairs?!

We are always asked "How many chairs should I order if I am expecting _____ people?" Well it has been my experience that people tend to order too many chairs. As a rental company I probably shouldn't encourage you to order less but I am also a planner/coordinator and I want what is best for my customers. If you sent out 150 invitations, you probably have a +1 for each person. You will probably only have about half or less of the people actually respond to the RSVP cards you so carefully picked out, stamped and are counting on. Then probably only 2/3 of the people who said they are coming will show so you are sitting there wondering how in the world do I order the right number of chairs?!!! Well that is a great question. There is no right answer but in my experience this is how you can somewhat determine how many.

1. If you are having a wedding in Panama City Beach and you and your family are from out of town, whoever sends the RSVP will more than likely come and your numbers should be pretty firm. I would suggest you get 85% of your audience there if not 95%.
2. If you live in Panama City and have a lot of out-of-town guests you can probably expect 1/2 to 2/3 of the people you think are coming to show up. There are always travel glitches or monetary reasons people can't make the trip even if they fully intend on coming. 
3. If you are from Panama City and most of your guests live in Panama City you can easily expect 3/4 to be there. Typically people will either forget or get invited to another wedding or get caught up n daily life and not show up but most will come because there isn't a lot of travel involved. 

I am not saying I know all and please don't hold me to these statistics but I sure do hope this is a helpful post! It is always better to have a few people standing than have half the chairs empty :) 

Should I buy my decorations or rent them?

The age old question- buy or rent? Well, I can tell you that I have seen a lot of customers come to my office who bought all their decorations and then tried to sell them to me! They always say "Man, if I had realized how much this would add up I would have just rented from you!" When you are looking for a house I think it is best to buy if you can so you are investing in your future. I have a few resources who can help you with that if you want their phone numbers :) However, with a wedding, are you ever going to use those 20 glass fishbowl centerpieces you paid $8-10 each again? Do you have a place or want to store them for 8 years until the next wedding in your family? Well, I can tell you that you can come rent them at my office for $2 to $3 each and never have to mess with them again!! I often hear brides say "I'm going to go buy my own tableclothes, yours are too expensive." My answer to that is to be sure that when you get them from UPS they will be all folded tightly into a plastic bag and your grandma is not going to be too happy when she has to iron them all! The money we charge for tableclothes pretty much goes into maintenance and ironing (which is something I personally hate to do!!). We have a staff of people who solely do the ironing of all our tableclothes, sashes and runners. 

This is the story for all of the equipment in my 3000 sq ft of storage warehouse space. We are stocked with all sorts of centerpieces, tables, chairs, linens, archways, candleabras (I mean tons!) and more. I am really into the wooden signs, burlap and lace, mason jars and those sorts of things. I joke a lot but I really feel like we could do all the weddings in Bay County and make every one of them different! 

Our warehouse is open 10am to 5pm, Monday to Friday for all who want to browse. Address is 1569 Chandlee Ave. Panama City, FL. You can browse alone or we can accompany you to answer questions. I love to see all of my "treasures" in use so come in and tell us your ideas!

Here are just a few of the thousands of the items in the warehouse :)

Pool Side Wedding Reception

 

Wow becomes WOW!!!

Love is Intoxicating

Love is Intoxicating!

 



Chris and Whitney Leuenberger

Presenting Chris and Whitney Leuenberger .....

On October 27, 2012 Whitney McAllister married Chris Leuenberger. The wedding was amazingly beautiful and so much fun. The venue was Eden Gardens State Park. The couple said their vows in front of "the marrying tree" at Eden. The reception was down on the pavers at Eden.

I had the priviledge of being the coordinator, wedding planner and decorator for this wedding. My rental company, The Celebration Place, provided rental equipment - includng the light setup over the pavers.

Congratulations Chris & Whitney!



New Blog Pages

We have added two pages to our blog for your use. You will find the pages on the right hand side of the blog. Just click on the pages to find the following information.

Page 1) Helpful Planning Sites - this page has alphabetical lists of possible venues, caterers, bakeries (cakes), photographers,videographer and florists we think you will find helpful in planning your special day. Click on the name you are interested in and you will be taken to their webside or Facebook page. Enjoy!

Page 2) Pictures by The Celebration Place - this page has a link to our Photobucket account which has over 1,500 event pictures for you to browse through. There is also a link to a Shutterfly Book featuring some of the smaller rental items carried by The Celebration Place.

Panama City Beach is a dream location for your special day .....

Presenting Rebekah and Nathaniel

Wedding Signs

My rental company, The Celebration Place, either has or I will gladly make cute signs to enhance your wedding.

 

 

 

Tell me the "statement" you would like to make and I can make it happen for you. I have many years experience coordinating, decorating and officiating. My expert crew at The Celebration Place can handle all your setup needs.

Unique Beach Weddings

Wedding on the beautiful beaches of Panama City Beach can be as UNIQUE as you are ......

2013 Lovebirds

I am hearing (and, my sources are experts!) 2013 is the year Lovebirds will make a grand appearance at weddings and wedding receptions.

I love the birds! Don't you? The birds are appearing from the wedding invitation - picture by Zazzle.com, to the cake topper - picture by Kaboodle.comhttp://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/custom-order-wedding-bird-cake-topper, all the way to featured centerpieces at the reception - picture by Fete Fanatic Blog.

I can see your and your Love's name on the wedding invitation ... wedding and reception to be held in the breathtakingly beautiful Panama City Beach area. Some of my friends are the best wedding cake bakers ever. I can get you in touch and coordinate the presentation.

The lovely centerpiece is what I love to create for brides and The Celebration Place will gladly provide the rental table, linens, chairs and anything else you will need. The Celebration Place has adorable birdcages for card collection ....

Pamper Me!

Tuesday of last week my back was aching. I love bridal shows; however, those hours standing on hard concrete floors can take quite a toll on my back. I need to be refreshed, relaxed and ready so I can provide each and every bride 100% of me. My favorite solution to get me feeling good is The Back Connection.

A massage means so much to me - stress gone, emotional stability in check, health taken care of (my back no longer aches) and I DESERVE THE PAMPERING!

WHAT ABOUT YOU?  Read this article from Inside Weddings aptly named Countdown: Surviving the Week Before The Wedding. Take note of their suggestions and incorporate as many as possible into your week before The Wedding! You and your new hubby will be glad you did.

Remember The Back Connection. Their telephone number is 850-215-1708. Make your appointment now!

Hot 2013 Wedding Trend - MINT!

Cool, soft, oh so pretty Mint is a hot runway trend for 2013 ...

Pictures from By Celina.

The color Mint is such a beautiful signature color and looks so very eloquent relaxing on Panama City Beach, strolling our local shops or all ready for an evening of fine dining at an exclusive seafood restaurant.

Mint is the Number One Wedding color for 2013. Mint can be added to Your Special Day is many creative ways ....

Your dress - picture from Martha Stewart Weddings. The Wedding Cake - picture from The Purple Cake Company. Lovebird cake toppers - picture from Sweet Reverie. The bridesmaid dresses - picture from My 1950s Wedding. Groomsmen ties - picture from tuxandtlle. Shoes - picture from Blush Happy Blogspot.

The Celebration Place is ready for the Mint Wedding! We have chair sashes and table runners ...

I have a vision of a pretty reception table featuring white lace, burlap, mint and a wow centerpiece of yellow roses. Come see me. I have lots and lots of wonderful ideas.

And, I know the most wonderful cupcake bakery - Sugar Boogers, 556 Harrison Ave., Panama City, FL 32401 - telephone 850-640-0790. You will find the best tasting, prettiest treats imaginable. Here is one in Mint...



 



The Celebration Place has several cupcake stands for your display and serving needs. Just saying....  

Bridezillas!!! and a Winner!!!!!

I asked and you told me! The chosen topic from our drawing at the Wedding Extravaganza this past Sunday was Bridezillas!!!

According to Wikipedia The word "bridezilla" is a portmanteau for a difficult bride, combined with the fictional rampaging beast "Godzilla" and Bridezillas is an American reality television show which follows the lives of women engaged to be married, casting their busy schedules in an emphatic and sometimes humorous fashion.

Below are links to a variety of articles we found online about Bridezillas ......

New Breed of Single Brides
Business Insider
Cosmopolitan
Bridezillas photos on PhotoBucket

Image Borrowed from cracked.com

Now for my take - there are no Bridezillas. Girls start dreaming of Their Wedding Day at a very early age. You have the Perfect Picture in your mind. Achieving Your Day! can be stressful, time consuming, expensive and an organizational nightmare.

Here is where I enter the picture ... I am a wedding planner, decorator, coordinator, notary (Yes, I can perform the ceremony!) and I own The Celebration Place, an equipment rental company. I would LOVE to do it all for you! I can and will do as much as or as little as you would like. Please call me. We can talk about your Dream Wedding!

Crystal won our drawing for $25.00 credit toward rental items. Congratulations, Crystal. I have sent you an email and look forward to hearing from you soon. Much thanks to all who submitted suggestions for my future blog posts.

Bridal Show to Wedding!

I so enjoyed meeting all the newly engaged brides this past Sunday at the Wedding Extravaganza. Hope to see each and every one of you as you are planning your fantastic day. We invite you to come by our warehouse and spend time browsing for ideas.

Thanks to everyone who filled out suggestions for us to blog about.

Below is some "eye candy!" of events I recently provided and setup the equipment for.....

Table Settings

Your wedding reception is unique to You! Let me and The Celebration Place provide the backdrop to show case Your Personality. I am a wedding planner and coordinator and would love to work with you.