Appletini Oasis is coming...

Everyone who knows me knows weddings are my absolute favorite, but I also truly melt at the thought of a fabulous party, and especially when I get the chance to work on it! Well, 2010, especially the summer of 2010, is certainly the year of milestone parties and lots of folks are calling about ME doing their 30th, 40th, and/or 50th bashes...I couldn't be more excited to be a part of someone's celebration during these wonderful corners in life!

Speaking of...here's a peak at my inspiration board for a lady with a 'serious' party on her mind for her 40th birthday. Check out the 'Appletini Oasis,' happening soon!

For those of you getting close to your own milestone birthdays...relax, take a deep breath, and jump in head first--you only get to be 30, 40, and 50 one time!

happy planning...

~kay

The Town that Never Sleeps...

So I've just returned from a trip to Las Vegas for a bride and I couldn't have been more inspired. I'm already a sucker for bright lights, but Vegas is certainly on another level and quickly becoming a great place for modern, chic, and trendy weddings. Although still in full swing, long gone are the days when the only choices for nuptials in this fabulous town are anchored in old lace, drive-thrus, and Elvis impersonators. This wasn't my first time there, but I definitely viewed the city from a different lens, which proved to be a great focal point for the couple with plans to wed there in a few months.

Tiffany and Carlos are a cute young couple I'm assisting who love to have a good time and are looking forward to sharing Vegas with a small group of family and friends. They love designer digs and bling...we're a perfect match!

Anyway...enjoy this inspiration board I'm working from, created with cool software that includes wondeful colors from Pantone (photos courtesy of The Dessy Group). And stay tuned as this couple's day draws near...Viva Las Vegas!

~kay

Will you Marry ME?

Christmas and Valentine's Day are two of the most popular days to get engaged. After doing some light research, one site stated that close to 2.2 million couples marry each year! (That's not counting the number of broken engagements--sorry to say, but it does happen!)

With such a large number of people saying 'Yes,' there is increasing curiosity to the creative ways guys are choosing to ask that most important question. Quite a few magazines are now doing annual spreads of how men are choosing to unveil that big moment, while some sites and other media outlets are offering other ways to get involved with sharing. So, who has the best proposal story?

OneWed.com recently announced their sponsorship in the Ultimate Engagement Proposal Contest. The grand prize winner gets a great package, including jewelry and a trip to Greece! Sweet...So, who has the BEST proposal story? All you grooms-to be out there have until April 9, 2010 to tell your stories. Check out the link for official details...

http://www.onewed.com/giveaways/proposal-contest?#blog

Eat with ME Preview Next Week!

Wow! It's been a busy few months, but I'm so excited to announce the upcoming tasting happening on Saturday, February 6, 2010 at 7PM at the Remedy Hair and Body Spa in Durham, NC!

We've been given the wonderful opportunity to team up with this phenomenal group of women to showcase a few menu items and a couple other surprises as well! If you're in the Durham area next Saturday night, you don't want to miss this!

Check out the Remedy's website too, it's HOT!
http://www.theremedyhairandbodyspa.com/

Hope to see you there...in the meantime,

happy planning,
kay

Food, Glorious Food!

So we (Maximized Events) are extremely happy to offer a new menu for our catering side of the house, Eat with ME. It includes some FABULOUS items, like these too cute banana pudding dessert shooters we prepared for a recent jazz concert reception, as well as Mini Meals, Boxed lunches with our superb chicken salad, and much more! You can download the new menu on the Eat with ME page, but you probably already know that! I think we offer some pretty great packages for groups of 100 or less (if I do say so myself).

I had the opportunity to create a late night Anniversary dinner for two this past weekend which consisted of a picnic basket filled with goodies: fresh red roses, linen napkins, Roasted Rosemary Chicken and rice, fresh sauteed Haricot Verts with red peppers and fresh yeast rolls! I can only imagine the ums and ahs that followed...because of the food no less!

Food and love go hand and hand. At ME, we absolutely LOVE weddings and special events and we LOVE the food that makes those events be remembered.

Be on the lookout for our "Eat with ME" tasting events happening over the course of the next couple of months. We are planning for 1-2 in the Triangle and possibly one in the Eastern part of NC as well. Until then,

Happy planning and eating,
~kay

We're still here, I promise!

Ok, so it’s been a minute since I’ve posted anything. There has been so much going on however…new babies being born, weddings happening, people retiring, and lots of small gatherings that need what else—food!

I will post pictures soon of two weddings from this summer…until then,

Happy planning
~kay

The Colors of Life

I’m so excited about some of the color trends for Spring and Summer 2010 weddings. Numerous sources have all shown the same thing, everywhere I look lately I see a beautiful mixture of purples, blues, greens, cream, and pale pastels.

The ‘vintage’ look has played a mild role this year, but will be much stronger as we draw closer to Spring. The birdcage veils, feathers, and hair pieces are still big for 2010 and fabulous! Stay tuned for more info on an awesome vendor who creates custom head pieces in a few days time...Engagement rings and dresses will jump onboard with the trend, so check your mom’s or granny’s closets for some awesome pieces to add real flair. If you’ve always been a fan of ‘Old Hollywood’ style, this is definitely the year to make it happen--look for inspiration in the style of the Rat Pack and all of your favorite movie starlets from the 1960s.

Now back to the colors…I’ve listed my faves from what will be pretty popular:

Vintage Purple, Lilac, Wine, Mauve—better yet, all things purple!
Emerald, Olive, Mint
Teal
Sky Blue
Coral
Light Yellow
Cream