Halloween Tips as seen on Fox 43

Last week Cheryl Tan with Fox 43 came to our studios to get a little insight in how to decorate for a DIY halloween party. We were able to show her some inexpensive fun ideas that can really spruce up your house this halloween.

Cass & Jason: MARRIED!

Where to start? Where to Start? A beautiful weekend with 3 days full of events at some of the best venues in Virginia Beach equals loads of fun for the Antonia Christianson Events team! We started our weekend with a beautiful rehearsal dinner at One Fish Two Fish. There was fun to be had by all, fabulous food and lots of laughs with Jason and Cassandra’s friends. Their friends were so much fun we knew that the wedding the next night would definitely be a BLAST!

Sunday was a beautiful day for a wedding at the oceanfront…Jason and Cass chose to see each other before the ceremony which always makes for a romantic rendezvous and beautiful pictures. I love to watch how onlookers and tourists react to a beautiful bride and her ever so handsome groom.

This Sunday wedding went off without a hitch…there were so many great details it’s hard to explain them all…but I’ll tell you a few. Their custom stationery created by my good friends at RSVP really set the mood for the entire event. Their “relaxed beach” themed wedding was a HIT! Adirondack chairs had an integral part of the wedding theme…from the save the dates to invitations, custom napkins, dance floor lighting and even cake topper this “detail” flowed beautifully. With the help of Char’s Floral Design, Cass picked beautiful mokara orchids, yellow sunflowers and touches of delphinium as the main flowers in her laid back décor. We added height to the room with large trumpet vases and a simple elegance with her crisp white hemstitch lined linens. The dance floor was rocking all night with tunes from the ever popular band hotcakes and guests sweet tooth were teased with another beautiful creation by Patti Cakes.

Wedding festivities didn’t end after the reception…they continued at Catch 31 were guests enjoyed each other’s company late into the night…and finally, our remaining guests were able to enjoy a delicious “Farewell” breakfast at the Hilton Monday morning.

What is my favorite part of their wedding? I have 3.

1. Cass & Jason walked down the aisle to “Signed, Sealed, Delivered”! LOVED IT!!
2. All guests were invited to every event throughout the weekend…it was really fun for everyone to get to know each other over 3 days.
3. Their wedding favors were handmade with love…spice jars filled with their homemade “rub” with a great little note on them that say “enjoying our spice of life.”

Check out a few images of Cass & Jason taken by my good friends at Scott Hayne Photography.

Jason & Tanya... Engaged!

I love to see friends happy! In Love! And Obviously Meant for Each Other! My husband and I are good friends with a fine fellow named Jason...and Jason is now getting married to a beautiful lady named Tanya. Their wedding is only a few weeks away but they recently spent the afternoon with Dee Akright enjoying each other and capturing their love forever through their fabulous engagement pictures.

I have always heard amazing things about Dee Akright but have not yet had the opportunity to work with her. All of that is about to change as Antonia Christianson Events and Dee Akright Photography will spend a brisk Sunday evening together in November as the Dynamic Duo.

I love Tanya's vintage look...and the way she makes Jason feel...it's obvious they are in love the way they look at each other.

Katie & Enver...The Chrysler

I love simple elegance,  A beautiful gown and timeless beauty. I love clients that are truly in love, have their own vision and enjoy the company of their loved ones... I love Katie and Enver.

Katie and Enver are far from traditionalists, they knew what they wanted and their taste is IMPECCABLE...I really enjoyed every detail from her beautiful bridal gown to her Priscilla of Boston bridesmaids dresses... to her organic feeling kings tables and her first dance song.

What did I love most about this event? The email that Enver sent to Taylor Haycox (their super fun DJ) that requested a song from "They Might Be Giants" to play during their reception. I remember driving across the country when I was a young child and my older sister listening to that tape over and over again. It was so random and fun... It was a definite request I don't think I'll ever forget.

A few people that made this event awesome: Cuisine & Company, Stephanie Greeves and her DELICIOUS CAKE!, Taylor Haycox, Vince Zentner and his whimsical harp playing (I get goosebumps everytime I hear him play), Patrice and Bloom the Art of Flowers...of course Kelly Lee for these beautiful pictures!

Customizable Everything!

I have mentioned my client and good friend Mary Paige quite a few times in the past and today...i'm going to mention her again! Mary Paige is an amazing graphic designer and a super cool chic. She is the design pro behind my blog and my new FAVORITE save the dates. Mary Paige is known for her complete custom design work from blogs, to save the dates, to complete custom bridal websites...well really, she can do anything (and she's darn good at it). Here are a few great images of the amazing work she does.

First, her save the dates! MP and Mr. L live in Atlanta now and are getting married here in Virginia (on the coast) next June...So what are her save the dates? Coasters that say "Join us on the Coast," So cute right?? Oh yes, with a beautiful image from James Christianson Photography.

Next...Here are a few images from an invitation suite that MP did for a friend...

 And of course...my beautiful blog that MP created custom for me! (which I love)

THANKS MP!

Wedding Invitation Etiquette: Part 2

A few weeks back we posted a blog about wedding invitation etiquette and I left it kind of open ended. I could go on for DAYS (week’s maybe) about wedding etiquette in general…but since we are in the height of Virginia Wedding Season I thought I’d give you a few more tips on how to be as proper as possible whether you are sending out the invitation or receiving it.

1. If addressing something with a married couple you always put the ladies name first… This is a great tip for any kind of invitation. You should never separate a man from his last name.
Ex. Antonia & James Christianson

2. If you are the one receiving the invitation…Please Remember to RSVP! If you do not RSVP it is assumed that you will not be in attendance but is still considered very rude. So that you do not forget when the RSVP cards are due simply fill out the card and send it as soon as you receive it.

3. If you are the one sending out the invitation do not forget to have a return address on the RSVP card and have postage already on the envelope or ever popular post card response.

4. Be mindful of all of the parties involved when picking wording for your wedding day stationery…
     There are many factors to think about: Who is paying for the festivities? Are there any deceased parents that you would like to include? Are there any sets of divorced parents? Do you want to only have the name of the bride and groom (used for when the couple is hosting the wedding)?
     There are many great resources online, at your local book store, stationery store and of course your wedding professionals that can help make sure you are choosing the write wording for your situation.

5. Make sure to explain what type of reception you will be hosting to follow your wedding ceremony. Cocktail Reception? Light Hor d'oeuvres? Dinner & Dancing? Dessert Reception?
     This will help your guests when picking their attire, knowing whether or not they should eat before the big event and will even help determine if it is appropriate to bring kids (yep, even if they were invited).

Here is the key…be mindful for your guests and be mindful as a guest. Think about the guests involved, the parties footing the bill and invitations that you have received in the past that you thought were really well put together. There are too many resources (yes, free ones) to not do a bit of research before sending out your wedding invitations. After all…invites can set the mode for the entire event.

Komen for the Cure: Tenth Anniversary Celebration: Part 2

Last week I posted a a great timelapse video of Komen's 10th Anniversary Celebration in Hampton Roads shot by Pike Media Resource...and in that post I promised you pictures...Well here they are! (and of course they were worth the wait) Like always Scott Hayne Photography came through in a pinch and took some FABULOUS images.

I hope you enjoy these images as much as I do and like always...leave us comments and tell us what you are thinking!

This Komen Mermaid named "Suzy" was dedicated at the event as the "Amassador of Breast Health." She will travel around Hampton Roads educating the community about breast cancer.

All of the table linens were donated from Bill Cabell (a great friend of Komen) owner of Distinctive Event Rentals and the delightful food was a product of Cuisine & Company.

Just Cupcakes, located in the Hilltop section of Virginia Beach, donated 500 of these cupcakes to the event. They were beautiful and yummy!

Numerous Musicians donated their time to help entertain our guests, including the mother of our EMCEE Nicole Livas. It was such a treat to hear so many diverse and talented musicians located in one place.

Ballet Virginia International performed to 3 songs and were really great! If you get the chance to see them perform sometime you should not pass it up!

Jeff Edney, body painter, donated his time to paint our guests...I was truly impressed!!!

While in the process of planning the 10th Anniversary Celerbation I put a call into More Music Group to see if one of their amazing bands would like to donate a few hours to our event...and the response was overwhelming. Our event band Black, White & Blues did a great job and kept the night flowing nicely.

 They were a definite HIT!

Last But Not Least...Nicole Livas, Virginia Beach Local, Evening Newscaster on Wavy 10 and Community Ambassador was our EMCEE and Komen Advocate.

I have heard such marvelous feedback about Nicole and we were honored to have her in attendance. ...THANK YOU!