Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

This will probably be our last blog post for the year. because we are deep in the planning and coordination of a wedding the day before Christmas Eve. With the holidays upon us, we know many men will be busy trying to figure out a way to propose to that special lady in his life. So many wedding proposals happen during this time of the year, and why not. Christmas and New Year's Eve are a very festive and memorable time. A party or gathering of friends and family is inevitable at this time of year.  Eleven years ago, I was blessed by God to have the wonderful man in my life, propose to me on Christmas Day in front of all my family. A few close members knew what was happening but it was a complete surprise to me. Naturally for the rest of the day, my then fiance and I became the center of attention, and I loved every minute of it.

If you should find yourself included in the group to become engaged during the holidays, make sure you enjoy it.  Enjoy the dreaming, excitement and laughter of those around you because the planning, decisions and budget discussions will come soon enough. And when you are ready to buckle down and tackle that wedding planning checklist, don't worry, we are here for you. Here to make your wedding day dreams a reality, to help the day flow effortlessly, and for the celebration to shine brightly.

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!



Event & Wedding Planner
Alpha Prosperity Events

The "DIY" Bride that Got It Right!

Every now and again I get to work with a bride that is a true "DIYer" or creative spirit, as I like to call them, but I have not worked with one as detailed and creative as Fiorella. Fiorella and David were recently married at the Amor Mansion, in Dickinson, Texas. I came onto the scene as the "Day of" Coordinator, specifically because Fiorella wanted someone to come in handle the details, and to make sure none of her design elements were missed. She worked very hard on her wedding, creating and designing many things herself. She had a vision for her day and knew exactly what she wanted, right down to specific color and detail. She also recognized that she wanted to enjoy her day along with her future hubby, family and friends, so she called in reinforcements, none other than Alpha Prosperity Events.  We are so glad to have been a part of this gorgeous wedding and to have met such a beautiful bride, who made our job so easy. Check out some of the photos from amazing photographer, Bryan Anderson of Beauty in Art.

This bride did all the special touches herself like the table signs, the items for the guest book table, signage for the photo booth, a pretty basket of flip-flops for her guests, and even the pins for her place card display board. She consulted with professionals on other details, so that everything flowed, beautifully. I can't list enough pics to show the beauty but I think you get the idea. The important part is that as a DIYer, she recognized when she had done enough and when it was time to call in the experts. I think she had an amazing time; I know her guests did.

Thank you Fiorella and David for allowing us to be a part of your special day. You make a beautiful couple and I wish you both all the best. I know I will be calling on you in the future Fiorella, to tap into that creative juice that flows from you so easily.


Wedding Coordinator & Event Planner

  

Alpha Prosperity Events

www.AlphaProsperityManagement.com

Guest Post from Houston Design Expert Shandra Ward

 We are so excited to have a wonderful design expert as our guest blogger this week. Yes, I said, guest blogger. This is one of those ideas we learned at the Wedding MBA recently and I was so happy when Shandra Ward of Signature Design Studio agreed to be our first guest blogger. Check out her posting as she enlightens us with her overall design experience.

Now that the Wedding is Over…it’s time to Merge!

Creating a home you both will love

By Shandra Ward

You have planned your wedding down to the finest detail and it was a dream come true. The wedding is over and now your journey as husband and wife begins.  You are ready to begin creating a home you both will love and enjoy.   A home should be comfortable, cozy and inviting.  How are you going to merge your two very different styles without breaking the bank or contacting a marriage counselor? Here are a few tips and suggestions to help both of you find your signature style.

Communicate - Communication is the key to any successful relationship, so talk about what your needs are before you begin shopping and tossing things out.  Having conversation will keep you from becoming an impulsive buyer and making hasty decisions.  Making rushed decisions will leave you spending too much money only to become frustrated with purchasing something that does not work well with your design.  Then you have to deal with the unpleasant task of returning or exchanging. So make sure you thoroughly discuss what you plan to buy and what you plan to keep just as you would before making any other major purchase. Get to know your home before you start furnishing.

Design a Plan - It is much easier to design your home when you have a plan.  After you have agreed on a budget, begin prioritizing your needs.  Don’t buy what you do not need. Decide where you want to shop and maybe divide the responsibilities, such as, who does the research, legwork, or who gets the place ready for the furniture. You may both want to work together to decide on the final concept.

Create your Signature Style - What is your style preference?  Traditional, contemporary, mid-century modern, classic, ethnic, country, shabby chic, eclectic, global and the list goes on.  A simple way to find out what’s your style is to inventory what you already have.  Discovering your design preference can be found anywhere and a great place to explore is your wardrobe.

Mix it up - It is important for both of you to feel equally happy in your own home. Use furniture and accessories that reflect your new life together, and dispose of what no longer fits your lifestyle. If you know the basic elements of interior design, you will be able to create a space that looks fabulously stylish and functional.  Line, space, color, shape, texture, form, and value are the basic units of a visual image.  By using each element carefully to pull together the design of a room, you can create a beautiful and inspired space. It is important to understand these elements and how they work together to create the right style and design for your home.  Combine this knowledge with practice and experimentation and you are well on your way to designing a beautiful home.

Create the Home You Want - Don't be afraid to dream big even if your budget is small. Find ways of creating the home you want. You can explore department stores when they are having a sale, discount stores, flea markets, and consignment shops. Think about refurbishing and re-purposing items you already own. These are elements of green design. This suggestion allows you to rethink how you can save money and the planet. Designing your home can be a fun experience. Your design choices create a backdrop of your lifestyle, make it work for you.    

Download a complimentary guidebook to learn more about the basic elements of design.

Elementals: The Smart Guide to Creating Your Signature Style

 
 

About the Author

Shandra Ward is a designer and freelance writer.  With over 20 years of experience, Ms. Ward has made a name for herself as a skilled designer and creative event stylist.  After earning two interior design degrees and having an extensive background in art and design, she was prompted to start her own design firm, Shandra Ward Signature Design Studio.  Ms. Ward also shares her design expertise through freelance writing for blogs, online and print publications. In 2010, she launched Signature Style Design & Lifestyle blog.  This blog is a resource of innovative ideas, tips on sensible decorating, stylish entertaining and a go-to site with inspirational ideas for creating your signature style. 

To learn more about Shandra, log on to her:

Blog:  Signature Style: Design & Lifestyle

Facebook: Shandra Ward Signature Design Studio

Twitter: @SignaturStyle

Website: www.shandraward.com

Create a Beautiful Table With Any Budget

With so many event opportunities, we often get asked about table decor, and how to make the room pretty. And now with the holidays quickly approaching, we believe that to be a fair question. Our response to this is if you want the prettiest table decor, for any event, at any price point, start with a proper place settings. We believe this to be true no matter what type of budget you are working with. A proper place setting, which includes plates or chargers, all of the stemware and eating utensils, make a beautiful table, no matter what type of budget you may be working with. All you need are the basic items and a little imagination. We even provided a cheat sheet to help you.

Check out the difference in the two tables below. Adding stemware, napkins and utensils provide that little extra sparkle to the table. Those items coupled with colorful table linens, a glass bowl and floating candles make quite a prettier table. Setting a complete table, using the items that your guest will need to use anyway, makes more sense, both visually and financially. Of course, you can add more to the table for the extra wow factor, but if the budget is tight, it may not always be necessary.

Thought we would throw in a couple of additional photos to show how simplicity would work for your wedding reception or other event. The tables below don't utilize a plate in the setting because this event was a buffet but the use of a colorful table linen, stemware, utensils, napkins and a wedding favor, surrounding a simple floral centerpiece, make for a bright and cheery wedding reception.

These beautiful place settings below come from the editors of House Beautiful, that challenged several designers to create a beautiful place setting with classic white china. So as you can see, it doesn't cost much to create a beautiful table. 

When planning for your next event or holiday gathering, consider going for the simplest wow factor of all. Just set a beautiful table. Add wine glasses and water glasses, and dinner plates and salad plates, and... you get the idea. Your guests will ooh and aah, and you will look like the trendiest bride in the know or the holiday hostess with mostess. Either way, job well done, and your table decor didn't have to cost a fortune. 

Wedding Coordinator & Event Planner

  

Alpha Prosperity Events

www.AlphaProsperityManagement.com

Sangria Wedding in Clear Lake - Part II

As we continue the beautiful wedding story of Diana & Jason, married at the Webster Presbyterian Church, we must include some photos of two of the most important details of the day - the bride and groom. As the wedding coordinator, we strive to make sure that all of the details and wishes of the bride and groom are met. After all, they have gone through months of planning, vendor meetings, many issues of magazines and internet searches to create their perfect wedding; and for them the details are important. But they also want to have fun, and they want their guests to enjoy themselves, having a memorable time. I really enjoyed being a part of the planning for Jason and Diana. Their family and friends were so awesome. I got a chance to get to know them personally and I was kinda sad to see all of the wedding planning and coordination end. But I know this is one couple that will always be close to my heart. We planned for a great event, and we celebrated an even greater event. You've seen the wedding details  in last week's post. Now, enjoy the details of a relaxed bride and groom, enjoying their special day. I think a great time and dancing were had by all, especially the bride and groom. Wouldn't you agree?

We send a huge thank you to Pink Dot Photography for all of the wonderful photos used in this post and to RC's Artistic Entertainment, for keeping everyone on the dance floor. But we can't close out this post without sending a tremendous "Thank You," to our beautiful couple, Diana and Jason, for allowing us to be a part of your wedding day. I feel like you all have welcomed me into your extended family and I look forward to many more wonderful celebrations. I wish you many, many years of joy and happiness. 

Alpha Prosperity Events
Wedding Planning & Coordination
Greater Houston & New Orleans Areas

Sangria Wedding in Clear Lake

This week we are sharing some of the detail shots from the beautiful wedding of Diana and Jason. The color scheme of sangria, gold and champagne gave us so much to work with for this late September wedding on the water in Clear Lake.

The bride fell in love with the sangria color of the bridesmaid dresses and initially chose to accent the sangria color with gold, and ivory. After many tries, she was having difficulty bringing all of the elements together, and this of course was causing major stress for her and her fiance. That's where we came in.

We assisted the bride in selecting many elements for her special day from the invitations all the way to the lighting and other decor elements. After all was said and done, the bride redefined her color choices a bit because she wanted a lot of fall color to compliment the sangria choice. Sometimes, it just helps to bring in someone with a fresh pair of eyes, and the resources to bring it all together.

We think Diana made some beautiful color and decor choices and her selected vendors really came through, delivering just what she asked for. In the end, we had a very happy bride & groom. Mission accomplished!

A special thank you to all of the vendors that did an amazing job for Diana and Jason. The bride, groom and all of their guests had a wonderful time, dancing the night away.  Here are just a few of the vendors involved in the decor details.

Reception Venue -  Hilton Houston NASA Clear Lake
Doughnut Station - Sugar Bunch Creations 
Lighting - Unique Style Productions
Linens - Linens by Lisa
Floral Decor - Nature's Bud
Groom's Cake - Cakes by Gina
Wedding Cake - Coliseum Cakes
Wedding Photography - Pink Dot Photography 

And a big thank you to my detail photographer - Ken Kellogg, Sr. of My Ultimate Photographer, for the beautiful photos included in this blog post. Stay tuned for future blog postings on Diana and Jason's beautiful wedding. There are a lot more details about the family, friends and vendors to come.

Alpha Prosperity Events 
Houston Wedding Coordinator