How to Say 'Thank You' to Your 'I Do' Crew

Congrats on finding your mister, but now you need your sisters!  Here is a breakdown of the in-and-now do's of how to say thank you to your 'I Do' crew.

Step 1) Time Frame To Ask Your Crew 

How to ask her once he's asked you:

There are various creative outlets one can use to let your girlfriends know that you might need something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue, but the most important thing you need is them standing next to you!  A good rule of thumb is to ask your gals to be your bridesmaids anywhere between a year to eight months before your wedding. That gives them plenty of time to plan the bachelorette party and get their dresses. Any less time than this may not be enough for them to make the commitment.

Step 2)  

Now comes the fun part!  You know the old saying: "giving is better than receiving"...?  Well, this is one of those times.  Not only are your girls going to be equally as thrilled as you to get to stand next to you on your big day, but being asked is one of the best parts for you both.  The trend, as of late, has been to assemble a little box of personalized and pampering goodies topped off with a creative note to pop the question to them, as he has to you!  

Soirées' Team has hand picked one our favorite ways to ask your ladies to plan, stand, cry and laugh 

with you on your special day.  This is such a unique and adorable keepsake to throw in your box!

Here is the link to Choosing You shop on Etsy where you

 can find all of your personalized tool and spool needs!

Choosing You Etsy Shop

Another foolproof trinket to include is a candle.  Everyone loves candles. Check out this adorable candle made specifically for bridesmaids that we found!

Check out the really reasonable prices here!

Lastly, include a bottle of wine—large or small.

A great shop Soirées loves to use is One Hope.  They provide personalized wine bottles with a flare! 

12-bottle case mini sparkling brut - silver

Add labels to make this already tasteful and thoughtful aspect go
above-and-beyond the usual standard!

Here at Soirées we actually have our own personal One Hope contact, so if you are ever interested in their packages, feel free to contact the office for further details.  Here is a link to their website if you wanted to see all of the products the company has to offer. One Hope Wines


If you decide to pop the question by popping some One Hope bubbly, you will need something to sip down the sweetness with.  This brings us to another great addition to your box of fun!  Personalized wine glasses, water bottles and coffee mugs are all fun ways to go!  Pictured below are some of our fav options we've found scoping Pinterest.

Step 3)
Your gals are there for you.  Now that you've got them by your side, you want to show them how thankful you are for their love and support come the day-of.  It may be you wedding day, but it is customary to gift your girls once more prior to the ceremony.  

For the crafty bride: 

DIY sparkly hanger option

If you have the time, a really touching gift for your people is a personalized scrapbook of all the memories you have shared.  This gift will take some more time, preparation and personal effort than other options, however, it will be worth its weight in gold when you get to see the look on your girls' face and they see how hard you have worked.
For the on-the-go bride:
We also understand that though you may wish you had the time or artsy skills, crafting just may not be your thing—that is totally okay too!  We still have plenty of gifting options for you!

We love this personalized rustic frame sold by Hatch.co!  Not only is it a unique, handcrafted piece, but it is also a way to incorporate memories that you have shared together with your girls by filling each maids' frame with a special moment the two of you have shared.  

Also, we adore thinking outside the box!  Instead of going with the typical matching pajamas theme for a cozier gift, think about sentimental Forever Blankets from Swell Forever or bridal party flannels by TeamBrideDesigns Etsy Shop.  

We are also swooning over the idea of matching monogramed round beach blankets for your girls if you're headed to a shore for or prior to the wedding.

www.myweddingreceptionideas.com

Step 4) Helping Your Man Find His Men 

Now that you have your girls so well pampered and waiting in anticipation of the approaching date, you don't want your future hubby's groomsmen to feel left out. Here are a couple ideas to help him out!

It is customary to ask the entire bridal party within that same timeframe of anywhere between a year to eight months before your wedding.  Groomsmen gifts are less commonly heard of, however, they are a super sweet touch—and who doesn't love to be showered with gifts and honored with the opportunity to support a dear friend?

Soirées' Team has selected a few of our fun favorites!

The Mini Bar in a Jar: 

This is one of those concepts that is sweet and simple.  

It is thoughtful, yet you really cannot go wrong.  

Check out this "open bar"!

The "Man" Box: 

As you can see, this box includes everything from socks to cigars!

It even includes the fun option to let the guys make a game out of

 guesstimating the length of the speeches, etc.

Planning a wedding can be stressful, so getting your support system rounded up shouldn't have to be. 
Hopefully this guide has sparked some ideas within you as far as how you will decide to go about saying thank you to your 'I Do' crew!

Vendor Spotlight: May Flowers

April showers bring May Flowers and this year it also brought a big move!

We set down with the owner of May Flowers, Christy Staven, to discuss the move, her goals, and who a May Flowers Bride is!

                                               Photo by: Bamber Photography

You can now find May Flowers at 800 N. Market St. in Chattanooga, TN and it couldn't be a more perfect spot to showcase their floral talent! The history of the building is a story all in itself! It was actually built in 1920 and served the community as a local market! Christy said she couldn't be more honored to carry on its story.

Christy told us she is also so excited about her new space because of the amazing, open floor plan. As soon as you open the doors, you are welcomed by tons of shelves full of gorgeous rentals May Flowers has to offer. Once you take a few steps in, you can see Christy's amazing team in the back designing away for your big day! You can also see a large cooler where the flowers are stored and a small desk where they get down to business! It all comes together to create magic!

Photo by: Amanda May Photography

Christy said that her main business goal is to add more weddings each year and to gain larger-scale events. Best news is, since she opened in 2013, she has hit her goal every year!

We wanted to know a bit more about who a May Flowers Bride is. Does she like traditional flowers or trendy, loose bouquets? Or is she somewhere in-between? Christy assured me she is all the above! With classic, traditional training from Mississippi State, but also an ability to follow trends and keep up with the latest, Christy and her team at May Flowers can do it all!

Christy said, "We like to look at nature as inspiration. With classical training, nature, and then following trends, I like to think we are a happy blend of all those things."

On a scale from 1 to 10, a May Flowers Bride would fall towards the 10 side of loving and appreciating flowers! A May Flowers Bride is also someone who is laid-back, fun, and able to trust the professionals.

Photo by: Jennie Andrews Photography

"I love to see someone who is so inspired by flowers and is able to come up with some ideas but allows us to actually take that and run, putting our own twists and our own suggestions on something specific. Someone that is open to our creative freedom is my ideal client."
                     -Christy Staven

            Photo by: Cinderella Photography

There is so much more that goes into floral design than what meets the eye. Christy said she receives the flowers at the beginning of the week and will prep them and place them in the cooler to keep them fresh. Then, beginning Thursday they will start designing for whatever event the weekend brings! And designing continues all the way up until hours before your event to ensure every last petal is in its place!

Event days are Christy's favorite part because everything they have worked so hard on all comes together to create their vision. You may have 2 staff members or as many as 5 or 6 to create the event space you have envisioned!

         Photo by: Lanie Kay Photography

Are you getting ready to meet with May Flowers for your upcoming event? Here's some things you may want to have picked out ahead of time:
-Style
-Theme
-Colors
-Inspiration Photos

But, if you're overwhelmed and unsure, not a problem! May Flowers will walk you through every step.

With these April showers coming to an end, we are full of excitement to see those sweet May Flowers at our upcoming events!

                                                Photo by: Bamber Photography

If you think you just may be a May Flowers Bride, you can check out some of their amazing designs on their social media pages:
Facebook: @MayFlowersChattanooga
Instagram: @mayflowerscha
Twitter: @MayFlowersCha
Pinterest: @mayflowerscha

Or you can email Christy directly at christy@mayflowerscha.com or call the office at (423) 486-5320.

Happy Planning!
Soirées

Spring Break Do’s and Don’t: Bachelorette Party Edition

 Dear Bride-To-Be,

Spring break… one of the best weeks of the year! It’s one of those “holidays” we like to write in our planner with a pretty color and follow it up with stickers, highlighter, and arrows pointing all around it! Planning a Bachelorette Party during Spring Break can be a lot of fun, but we’ve come up with a few do’s and don'ts you may want to keep in mind!

Do: Let your Maid of Honor and Bridesmaids

know a few things you expect for your 

Bachelorette Party. If a stripper is a no-go,

 let the girls know! If wine is a must, 

make sure your girls have plenty in stock!

Don’t: Your Bachelorette Party is meant

 to be a close-knit group of friends you 

feel comfortable enough to let loose with. 

Don’t feel like you have to invite every

 girlfriend you ever made in college!

Do: Capture everything on camera!

 This is your “last fling before the ring” 

so you want to remember every single detail!

Don’t: While the beach can be a super

 fun environment for a girls weekend, 

during Spring Break, you may want to

 shy away from spring break hot spots. 

A less crowded beach can make for a 

classy spot to relax with your girlfriends!

Do: Choosing at least one night to get

dressed up for dinner with the girls will

serve as a great night for lots of fancy drinks

and laughter but can also serve as a great 

photo-op! You can later use these photos as

adorable “thank-you’s” to your bridesmaids!

 

Don’t: A bachelorette party the night 

before your wedding is never a good idea. 

Grabbing a quick drink or snack after your

rehearsal with your bridesmaids can be lots

of fun, just make sure you get a good nights 

rests to avoid tired eyes on your big day!

Your Bachelorette party should be all about YOU!  Don’t be afraid to tell your girlfriends about your dream Bachelorette Party and all YOUR do’s and don’ts! Just make sure you allow them to celebrate you the way they see fit, as well! They may have a few tricks up their sleeves that will knock you off your feet! After all, you chose them as bridesmaids for a reason, so trust them to give you some of the best nights of your life!

Happy Planning!

Soirées

The DIY Bride

Dear Bride-To-Be,

Your wedding is approaching and the bills seem to be piling up! Stop and take a minute to see where you might to be able to save a little money on your wedding costs. I know it might seem like one more thing to add to an endless list, you might consider taking on a little DIY project for some of your decorations and who knows you may have fun in the process and feel like those decorations reflect your personality. Your wedding day will have that personal touch you can’t find anywhere else. To help ease some of the stress you could even have a weekend get together with all your bridesmaids and make a party out of the project! Then you can use the money elsewhere or towards a nice, relaxing honeymoon.  Let us share a few ideas with you:

At one of our recent weddings, our team decorated the church with numerous succulents that the bride herself planted and grew in recycled beer bottles that she had cut the necks off of to use. So ingenious! So let’s say a bottle of beer is about $3 and the succulent is about $2, you have a $5 decoration right there! Now you may say, “A potted plant as a decoration? No thank you!”  But the DIY project is your personal touch. So if you are an artist- display your artwork; if you are a baker, make your favorite snack as a favor; if you are the socialite, create your own signature drink. Take your idea and run with it! By doing this, not only are you saving money, you are giving your wedding a personal touch that your guests will enjoy, and at the end of the day, you can give away your DIY project, like the potted succulents, as wedding favors (which is exactly what the bride did for this wedding) as a cute memento of your union for family and friends.

Using a board, nails, and white string, the bride created another decoration for her wedding – the soon-to-be couple’s last name in string art. This was displayed on the welcome table and was the first thing guests saw when they walked into the church entry, a simple yet fun decoration.

Finally, the father of the bride stepped in to help with the next decoration that was the star of the event (except the couple of course).

What made these three do-it-yourself decorations so great for this wedding is the fact that the church needed very little decorating, so they added just the right touch to the church and each had a story behind them. There are countless ideas for do-it-yourself wedding projects on Tumblr, Pinterest, and blogs, you just have to find what suits your needs, and the sky is the limit, so give it a try!

Best Wishes,

Soirées