The Event Lady wants to wish all her bridal and quince blog readers a Happy St. Patrick's Day tomorrow!
Although I am not Irish, I was reminded of the upcoming holiday by a very nice gentleman on Sunday at the supermarket, who while I waited in line behind him, made me smile by handing me a green crocheted Shamrock, (a small clover leaf), an Irish symbol of good luck, and it has been said it also represents the Holy Trinity according to St. Patrick himself.

This gentleman's gesture was for me another daily reminder of how many nice people there still are in the world and of all the melting pot of nationalities right here in Florida, and of all the positive things they bring to our society. We are so lucky to live in an area where so many of our cultures blend. We all can learn so much from each other.

This kind man of my SW Florida community showed me a ring he wore with small shamrocks engraved all around; the true importance of this ring was that the center diamond belonged to his mother's wedding ring. Do you remember my last article about saving important mementos of our special events; this was proof to me that some people still keep precious things close to their hearts.

This token of friendship also reminded me, how much I have wanted always to wear another Irish tradition and never got around to it, the Claddagh Ring. A beautiful work of art in jewelry, a crowned heart cupped between two hands. This ring has a very old tale in history, dating back to the 17th century; its meaning is one of friendship or love. The story is told by many that an old sailor from the Irish fishing village of Claddagh on the West of Ireland, named Richard Joyce, was captured at sea and sold into slavery to work in Africa as a goldsmith. Upon his return to his beloved country, he designed the ring and from then on it became a symbol of love and devotion to all. Now my readers, there are three ways to wear this ring; for friendship anywhere on your right hand, for engagement the ring goes on the third finger of your left hand with the heart pointing out, and finally on your wedding day, you wear the ring on the third finger of your left hand with the heart pointing to your heart. If you are having a quince celebration, this would make a lovely and unique birthday gift for your quinceañera; since love and friendship are not emotions exclusive to weddings. Be different, give that special young lady a piece of jewelry she will treasure always.

 

On a personal note again, last winter our family drove to Tennessee and I almost convinced my husband to buy me one. Unfortunately, I was not successful then, but now I must now insist, an believe me... I am a persistent wife. This claddagh ring is used by many Irish and non-Irish alike because of it's beautiful meaning, and is also seen in many Irish weddings, even here in the United States.

You can find many Irish companies who will sell you pendants with claddaghs, gold or silver rings, invitations with the symbol, goblets, unity candles, even cuff-links for the groom. You name it, and it can be found. If planning an Irish wedding, please remember the color green is a must, shamrocks and claddaghs should be on the top of your decorating list.
I have provided some resource links within my article that should be of use to find these beautiful themed wedding accessories. And.... perhaps give my husband a hint as to where he can find my long awaited gift. Maybe I should tell him to subscribe to my Blog.

So go ahead and plan your cultural theme wedding, Irish or whatever country you want to honor, this is a great way to show-of your heritage and have some fun while you are at it!

Happy St. Patricks Day to All
The Event Lady of Florida Weddings and Special Events

Bridal Show News update for my bridal and quince readers... maybe some of you professional vendors of the industry may want to know too... this just in:

A bridal show at The Edison and Ford Winter Estates!

What a gorgeous wedding location in the City of Fort Myers, talk about stellar places to have your SW Florida wedding or quince event; this is one of those here in SW Florida. Not only can you have a spectacular celebration with a water view at this elegant mansion, but the history of it's origin and it's grounds are incredible, and will actually entertain your guest as well, these grounds are impressive, it is one of my favorite places to go and pretend I am in a different era. Now a tip for your wedding or quinceañera photo shoot, this location is a natural for great picture taking.

Now I know some of you quince girls differ from brides in opinions, and do not want to hear about history... but for the ones who want something a bit classier, maybe a different kind of quince party, a dinner dance for your presentation into society, this location will work too. So quince girls attend the bridal show as well, remember my saying, "A quince celebration is like a wedding without a groom." You both use the same professionals to pull it together!

 

So FYI... See the Information I received below:

The Tropical Florida Bridal Fair will be held on Sunday, April 5th, 2009 from 1pm to 5pm at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers, FL.  Southwest Florida's premier wedding vendors will be on site to answer your questions and demonstrate their talents.  Our bridal fashion show, raffle prizes, and a catering showcase will entertain you while you explore the historic riverfront property. 

Admission is free to brides

$5 at the gate for all others.

Contact or Visit:

 Edison & Ford Winter Estates

2350 McGregor Blvd.

Fort Myers, FL 33901

www.efwefla.org

E-mail: info@efwefla.org

239.334.7419

Naples is hot, it is a city hot for art, hot for beauty and hot for weddings. It is definitely one the West Coast gems for destination weddings. 

You can come down here, have yourself a vacation, get married and then honeymoon and tour the city. Many moons ago, in some people's mind this used to be a place you just came to retire... no longer the fact. Naples is as beautiful as ever, but now jumping with excitement.

This city is favorite bridal destination offering great hotels, fine restaurants, spectacular sunsets for those famous Naples beach weddings by the ocean, and great outings like visiting art galleries, plays, nightlife, (including my favorite Latin dancing,), historic locations, nature trips,  and a new calendar of things to do available almost every weekend. Like today, we have a wonderful arts and crafts shows. You can find some awesome things for your new home as a married couple in some of Naples famous art shows!

There is one of those shows this weekend... sooo I have to run... See you there... Today, March 14th... still have a couple of hours left See you at Naples ArtCrafters Fine Art and Craft Show in Cambier Park, 8th Street South, Downtown Naples, Florida 10AM-4PM. Admission and Parking is Free.

For information on their next show dates please contact: MARIANNE MEGELA, 239-352-3036 artzefolks@yahoo.com or DOUGLAS VOSS, 239-947-4660, watercolorbydoug@aol.com

Got to go.. see you there!

Happy Show Hunting,

The Event Lady of Florida Weddings and Special Events

 

All our special events have one planning task in common… details, details, details.
Quince and wedding celebrations share this, and it is your signature stamp which can make your event very personalized and reflect your individual taste. Accessories and favors will help you achieve this coordinated look.

Favors have centuries of history, 300 years ago they were used as a gifts of appreciation to those that came and shared the wedding day. Back then, richly adorned boxes of sweets called bonbonnieres (French spelling,) bomboniere (Italian spelling) were used by mostly the wealthy class. Chocolates were placed in these tiny trinkets in France, and in Italy they replaced them with five sugared almonds, or confetti. There is a saying in weddings that the five Jordan almonds, as we call them today, are a symbol of health, wealth, happiness, fertility and long life. Traditions in culture play a big role in our favor selection, and as the party industry grows, so does the variety that we find today to fit all styles, themes and personalities. So many overwhelming decisions, I know is hard... but do not forget giving some of your attention to the smaller, daintier decorations that will shine in your ballroom. Some of the fun stuff,  like picking the right theme and the right color, plus everything that goes along with it.

So many things, so little time, and some of us are well...,  so very busy, but yes it can be done!

Now don't forget... favors and accessories take a very special place in the ceremony and reception decorating scheme, and sometimes by mistake, they are left for last when they should have been written in your “things-to-take-care-of- list" early. They not only serve to enhance your decorations, but they can be treasured a lifetime, maybe handed down from generation to generation. Granted, not all of us are into memories and keepsakes, but some of us are still forever romantic and dream of the day we will show our children these favorite mementos. OK, so I am one of those… guilty as charged! Not that my children wanted to look at any of my frilly stuff, but I certainly did; I kept everything, boxes of pictures, postcards, greeting cards, and of course now, my bride's favors.... and let me tell you, some of the prettiest weddings I have planned had lovely favors; and of course the wedding planner may keep one as a remembrance, if she has a nice bride, hahaha, just joking.

 

Quinceañeras and brides are so blessed to have the Internet at their fingertips; well you can just find about everything there…..and at every price point for almost every theme from butterflies to ladybugs. Even in today’s tight economy you can have your cake and eat it too, budget yourselves, plan well and do not over buy. The Event Lady suggests you only place four or five favors per table… that will do fine, since most of the time, men could not care less about taking favors home. Same goes for your quinceañera events, make your list, do your surfing homework, and go on-line shopping, it will save gas, time and money for mom. But remember, "buyer beware", make sure you are dealing with a reputable company, you certainly want someone to answer the phone or call you back if an item came broken!

 

Now, that is where this company in comes in; I want to share another great website resource for my Florida readers, especially down here in SW Florida; and it t is “That Favor Boutique” which is an on-line store owned by a long time Naples resident Mary Diaz. Mary has been in the business world for the last 25 years, and now is happy to bring her customer service skills to the special event industry. A feature of this on-line shopper’s paradise website is the recognition she has achieved so far; since That Favor Boutique has been selected as one of the recipients of the Bride's Choice Award 2009 for Wedding Wire. She is also a proud member of the National Association of Wedding Professionals, within the Naples Chapter.

 

That Favor Boutique has provided us with some pictures from their website, to preview on this Event Lady's Blog. They offer accessories for all occasions, including some must haves like, your engraved champagne toasting goblets, cake knife, guest book, flower girl basket, ring pillow and pen ensembles. There is also a myriad of those wedding and quince favors. When it is all said and done, these personal details are the final glowing touches that wrap up the look of your special event.

 

Oops, almost forgot, you can visit Mary of That Favor Boutique at her booth this Sunday,March 15th at the NAWP Bridal Show at the Club at The Strand, she will be there with a wonderful display. And last but not least, let's not forget, an added benefit to her customers, she offers two sites, she also owns ThatFavorBoutique.kateaspenshops.com and is planning to unite them soon! Wow, what a job....

PS.

One more thing, an added benefit this on-store offers, is that you can buy a very small quantity of a favor, just in case you want to sample the product first.

Mary can be reached toll free at (888) 642-8379 with any questions, or by E-mail.

How is that for service? Well it is time to go shopping, and hope you to do the same….

Happy Event Planning!
The Event Lady of Florida Weddings and Special Events

Today's new, Florida bridal and quince business owners have an added advantage, the famous Internet. This method of advertising, networking, name branding, and image building can bring about a definite business presence in their communities much quicker than conventional ways used to.
Granted... nothing can replace referrals, word of mouth, great customer service skills, vendor networking, bridal and quince show attendance, print media ads or other methods such as television and radio in a good dose, but it sure does help to be able to plaster your image on the World Wide Web in this new marketing game.
By the way... NAWP Naples Chapter Bridal Show is this Weekend!
See Image below or Visit NAWP.com



Remember fellow Florida bridal and quince vendors, it is all a combined effort, a great product, your personal attention to detail, and some sort of marketing budget that makes a difference in your business.
The Event Lady of Florida Weddings and Special Events can assist you in marketing your project to the Florida bride and quinceañera on the Web today.



Happy Bridal and Quince Business Marketing!
The Event Lady of Florida Weddings and Special Events

One of the many wedding traditions used in weddings is derived from Hispanic culture. It is the custom of "The Thirteen Gold Wedding Coins," (Las Arras in Spanish.)

If you research this tradition of the groom handing the bride "thirteen coins" , you will find that most of the time it originated from Spain and Mexico "Las Arras" were used in weddings ceremonies.
They were given to the bride by the groom, and they use to be a symbol of how he could support her from that day on, and how she could count on him for material goods.
Today's modern woman who does not need any financial support, rebels quite strongly to this line of thought. Why not change the meaning of this tradition to signify the sharing of all material things, but definitely not to show any financial dependence... not in 2009 please.
This tradition, is still used widely in Florida, since there are so many Hispanic cultures blended in the state, now a days it has also been adopted by some American brides as well.
The thirteen coins can be presented to the bridal couple in ornate boxes, or in organza sheer bags, any beautiful container can be used. Some already come in their own beautiful packaging like the one shown in the picture blow in a silver container and velvet red box.
This is the one I use in my wedding ceremonies by The Event Lady here in SW Florida;  other styles of these "arras" can be found in many on-line stores too. They come in gold and silver to coordinate with today's wedding themes.



In the old days... stories are told of how they also represented the bride's inheritance or her dowry and they were a symbol for good wishes for the couple’s prosperity. These coins became a part of the family heirloom, and they were handed down from generation to generation.
During the wedding ceremony, one of the bridal attendants, the maid of honor, one of the parents of the bride or groom, or one of the bridal party children could participate in the ceremony by bringing them up to the wedding officiant, priest or minister, just like the tradition of the ring boy.
These wedding coins were a tradition not original only within the Spanish and Mexican,  but stories also stemmed from Roman wedding history; precious metals represented the custom of breaking gold or silver, one half to be kept by the woman and the other half by the man as a pledge in the marriage. Another version of this wedding tradition has it's root from the Catholic religion, in which the first 12 coins represent the twelve apostles, and the number thirteen Jesus Christ.
In a wedding ceremony in church, the priest will bless the coins, and then hand them to the groom, who in turn will place them in his bride's hands. In a non-denominational or civil wedding ceremony, they can also be used and a beautiful poem can be read, explaining the sharing of all material goods on earth, even more important that material things... the delicate and meaningful sharing of their lives together.

For all my Florida brides of any culture... just an additional thought from The Event Lady;
a long time ago, some say this custom was seen as the groom’s pledge to support the bride financially, but not today ... as the saying goes… “We’ve come a long way baby!”
Today’s modern bride does not need any support, they just need unconditional love.
Traditions are still beautiful to keep of course… the meaning of them can just be re-adjusted to fit the times.

Happy Event Planning!

The Event Lady of Florida Weddings and Special Events

My Dear Brides, Lindas Novias y Quinceañeras of Florida,
News Flash... Latin Singer Ricardo Arjona comes to Miami This July! 

My readers.... just in case you did not know... Ricardo Arjona is coming to Miami in his 2009 Concert Tour and he is one of The Event Lady's favorite Latin singers. In case you have never heard of him, I would love to share a bit about him on my humble blog. Arjona was born in Antigua, and actually embarqued into his adult life with thoughts of a career in teaching. This young man soon realized music was his one true calling, and made a life altering decision to pursue his dream. He lived in Mexico and in Buenos Aires, and today is loved by many people of varied cultures and social levels. His Album "Adentro" was nominated for a Grammy in 2006.
He is definitely an acquired taste... you either love him or hate him; I choose love. This Guatemalan personality is a controversial character, a free spirited soul who expresses himself thru music. If you read the incredible bio written by him on his official site (Bio in Spanish only here), www.ricardoarjona.com , you may think you are reading thru the pages of a chapter of one of my favorite books Many Lives, Many Masters by Dr. Brian Weiss. 

His passionate and sometimes defiant and daring lyrics, create his unique style of song. His words, so rich in the Spanish language, help someone like me; raised in the United States, truly enhance my vocabulary. I have been to Miami to see him perform live, and will definitely return again for this July 2009 Tour.  Maybe I can get lucky enough to interview him for my Florida Weddings and Special Events Magazine readers.




Tickets are available by visiting Ticketmaster, and you may read and hear more about him in English at MusicianGuide.com. Another Bio in Spanish is at BiografiasyVidas.com
Now listen up, all you wonderful Florida grooms out there who know your loved one may like to see this performance; keep in mind what a great bridal shower or pre-wedding gift this would make!
For you my still single, lady readers and young quinceañeras; I think we can all agree he is especially handsome; so this being stated; you cannot miss this concert. And... last but not least... all you fantastic husbands reading "The Event Lady's Blog", don't you think this concert is a great anniversary present....Hint, Hint for my own Hubby.

Happy Event Planning
The Event Lady of Florida Weddings and Special Events