The Final Four....... Weeks

This weekend sports fans across the country will be gathering to watch the top four men's and women's college basketball teams duke it out during the Final Four Tournament.  At Four Leaf Events, however, we are excited about a different "final four."  Today marks four weeks until the royal wedding of the century and we cannot believe it's almost here!

www.princeofwales.gov.uk

The wedding planning process can seem like forever until you hit the final weeks and you wonder where the time has gone.  It is important to keep on schedule and on task so that the last month will be easy sailing.  Here are a few of the most important things that you, along with Kate, can expect to tackle during the final month:

Visit Your Hair Dresser- If you are updating your do before the wedding be sure to give your frocks enough time for the color to settle and the cut to become more natural.

Manage RSVP's- Most invite responses will not start coming in until just before (or after!) the catering deadline, so you can expect a rush of mail in these final weeks.

Create A Seating Chart- Unfortunately, assigning seats can be a long, frustrating process, and cannot be completed until you have received all RSVP's and contacted those who have not yet responded.

Get Your Marriage License- If you would like for your wedding to be legal, then this step is a must and cannot be filed more than a month before your nuptials. 

Schedule A Final Dress Fitting- Excessive exercise and stress can really take a toll, thus it is important to make sure your dress is perfectly fitted to the current version of you so that nothing is falling off or falling out on the big day!

Love And Trust Your Wedding Planner- With all of the pesky little details surrounding the final four weeks, there is nothing that can put your mind at ease more than a professional taking on the stressful tasks.  Treat yourself like a royal by hiring a wedding planner! 

Jen

p.s. Check back after Will & Kate's wedding for pictures from Four Leaf Events' very own Royal Wedding Party!  

Top 3 Everlasting Bouquets

With spring around the corner, wedding season will be in full bloom and so will the bouquets. But this season, consider a more quirky, unique bouquet that we like to call "everlasting bouquets," because they last beyond the wedding. Made of nonperishable materials, these are the ultimate keepsakes to remember your special day. Not to mention, they are BEAUTIFUL! Here are my top three favorite kinds of everlasting bouquets.

Shells

These would be perfect for a destination wedding, or perhaps for a bride who just wants to bring an element of the beach to her. Whatever the case, shells are a fantastic touch.

Water Lily Bridal Bouquet, Martha Stewart Shell Bouquet

Feathers

Feathers are an incredibly chic and sassy alternative to flowers. And to keep the bouquet within the everlasting guidelines, try using silk flowers to compliment the feathers rather than fresh flowers.

Feather Bouquets by Emplume, via Modern Wedding

And if you feel that a full feather bouquet is too much for you, use feathers to simply accent your bouquet.

Kelly Lane Photography via Exhale! Events and Design

Brooches

And last, but certainly not least, my favorite kind of everlasting bouquet: the brooch bouquet. It is beautiful, can be tailored to suit a bride specifically, can be sentimental, and did I already say beautiful? Finally, I've found a fantastic use for my great-great-grandmother's old brooches!

Alice Hu Photography via Ruffled

Vintage Brooch Bouquet, How to Vintage Brooch Bouquet

And how about this gorgeous creation? Incorporating fabric flowers, feathers AND garnet brooches! It is, in my opinion, the ultimate, exquisite everlasting bouquet.

Handmade Feather Bouquet with Red Garnet

Flowers are classic. There is no doubt about that. But everlasting bouquets are fun! This is your day, so be creative and do what you want to do! The possibilities are endless.

Jaimee

Fresh Picked Fabric Boutonnieres

While I love the look of the Fred-Astaire-classic floral boutonniere, the modern groom seems to be searching for something less traditional and I am all for it!  Coordinating pocket squares is a rich and simple way to dress up the men in your bridal party without pinning on the garden.  If you love the look of a flower on the lapel, then check out my top pick of fabric boutonnieres featured on Martha Stewart Weddings' Best Boutonnieres Gallery:

Martha Stewart Weddings

If you love these looks and you weren't born with the crafting gene, then our creative services can help!  Contact Four Leaf Events to find out how we can stitch, pin, glue, cut, and sew your visions into fruition.


Looking for something more quirky for your groom?  Then skootch on over to April Foster's blog on unique custom boutonnieres.  (We both so happened to have our brains on the same topic today!)

Jen

Royally Classic

The royal wedding invitations were sent out last Thursday and 1,900 lucky guests around the world are finding their personal copies in the mail this week.  While I am accepting the fact that mine may get lost indefinitely in the mail, I can't help but imagine what it would be like to open that particular piece of mail.  

The grandeur of this simple invitation with beveled and gilded edges (that means it is literally covered in gold, people!) represents something very regal and instantly creates great anticipation for those chosen guests.  Why not take a cue from the royal family and create a wedding invitation that will leave your guests wanting more?  Even though most of us cannot afford to use pure gold on an invitation, there are still many other ways to make yours stand out. 

  

http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/

Paper quality is the number one element for making a good first impression through the mail.  Create your own royal crest by using a custom logo or monogram that will add elite status to your invitations and your entire event.  Remember, mailing addresses and guests' names should always be handwritten and adds that all-important personal touch.  Pick out several lesser valued postal stamps for your mailing envelope for a foreign, vintage feel.

These simple touches will transform any invitation from something basic to something royally classic!

Happy Planning!   Jen

In Love With: Ecofetti

Is there any better way to express joy than by throwing confetti?  We don't think so!  However, with all of the pollution and clean-up issues involving this celebratory act, confetti throwing quickly becomes a stressful and, in some cases, unlawful act.  That's why Four Leaf Events loves Ecoparti's Ecofetti, the only biodegradable and water-soluble confetti.  That's right, confetti that will wash away with water, comes in an array of colors, and no staining!  Hooray! *mini ecofetti toss at my desk*

 ecoparti.com 

Jen

In Love With: Flipbooks

Four Leaf Events totally loves Indy Photo Booths flipbooks!  We have all seen the photo booth sprouting up at events everywhere over the past several years.  And while photo booths are classic, the flipbook has taken the experience to a new level.

Indy Photo Booths offers your guests seven seconds in front of the camera where they can strike poses, act out scenes, be playful with props while 30 snapshots capture every move.  Then, like magic, a bound booklet appears containing all of the pictures in sequence when you flip through the pages!  Indy Photo Booths will even add a custom cover for the flipbooks created at your event.

more info @ www.iloveflipbooks.com

We think the flipbook is a completely genius way to keep your guests involved and having fun creating a memory they can take home with them.  I have seen some flipbook sessions get pretty exciting and their reactions to the books are hilarious!

Jen

In Love With: Central Library

In honor of Valentine's Day being a week away, Four Leaf Events is featuring a week of things we love.  And we not only mean love in the mushy-gushy, heart-pounding, head-over-heals sense, but also these things being just plain awesome, totally rad, completely creative, and absolutely worth sharing!


Today we love the Indianapolis Central Library!  The Central Library was built in 1917 but had a major addition constructed recently opening up tons of new event space.  With their insanely sweet staff, FLIK culinary experts, and the perfect balance of old world and new century, the Central Library has quickly become one irresistible slice of venue pie.

Dario Impini Photography

Simon Reading Room

Personally, this is my favorite room in the Central Library.  Not only is it full of beautiful architecture and the main entrance from the grand front staircase, but the walls are lined with shelves of books.  Talk about classic Beauty and the Beast romantic!

Jessica Strickland Photography

Angela R. Talley Photography &  Detail + Design

Atrium

The Atrium offers a much larger and more modern space with an entirely different feel from the other rooms, but equally eye-catching!

Angela R. Talley Photography &  Detail + Design

Angela R. Talley Photography &  Detail + Design

East Garden

This outdoor space is perfect for ceremonies or cocktail receptions, is completely fenced in for privacy, and offers great patio space in addition to the grassy knoll pictured.

Photo taken by Nora Kuzel

Megan W Photography

Step aside, New York Public Library... Indianapolis has flare too!

Angela R. Talley Photography

Jen

Four Leaf Wedding: Josh & Dani

Josh and Dani were married on December 4th in Indianapolis.  It was a beautiful day full of love and joy.  When they set their wedding date, they had no idea that it would be the first snowfall of the season, and it made for a glorious day of pictures. Sarah Carter Photography captured the day, and with a brave bride and a smitten groom, the pictures are breathtaking! 

Playing up the seasonal traits, Dani used pine cones, sprinkling them throughout the day. She even used pine cones for the bouquets, which made their winter wedding unique and warm.  

Congratulations, Josh and Dani!  May joy and happiness always fall upon you like the snow....

Jaimee

So... When's The Big Day?

Bungalow Photography

There are several factors that go into picking the perfect day for you and your sweetie to tie the knot: seasons, venue availability, birthdays, anniversaries, family obligations.  So as you fumble through your calendars, allow us to offer some insight on what days to avoid in 2011.

It is coming up in just a few short months, but for you last minute brides, try to avoid Friday, April 29th.  Unless you are confident enough to compete with British royalty, then you might loose some of the spotlight to Prince William and Kate Middleton.  

Bungalow Photography

There are also the obvious holidays and holiday weekends that tend to not only cause scheduling conflicts, but can be more costly: 

                 Easter: Sunday, April 24th

                 Mother's Day: Sunday, May 8th (check with mom)

                 Father's Day: Sunday, June 19th (check with dad)

                 Thanksgiving: Thursday, November 24th    

                 Christmas Eve: Saturday, December 24th

Some holidays, depending on when they fall, can make for great long weekend weddings since the majority of your guests will already have work days off.  Choose a wedding day around one of these holidays and pack the weekend full of fun events and lots of celebration surrounding your marriage:

                 Independence Day: Monday, July 4th

                 Labor Day: Monday, September 5th

                 New Years Eve: Saturday, December 31st (love this date!)

                 Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Monday, January 16th, 2012 

And, of course, the two favored dates of 2011 that, if you have not already booked, you may just be out of luck for your top-pick vendors:

                 Saturday, September 10th (9/10/11- Four Leaf Events is still available!)

                 Friday, November 11th (11/11/11!)

Bungalow Photography

Interested in other days to steer clear of in the next two years? Check out this article on TheKnot.com.

Silver Screen: Mark & Lauren

Amelse Photography

We are happy to share this romantic highlight video from the wedding of the new Mr. and Mrs. Tetrick!
Look at those details, the flowers, the colors, the lights, that dress!  It makes such a difference to be able to relive your wedding day in motion.  If you are not considering hiring a videographer for your wedding, I encourage you to watch this clip and reconsider.  Enjoy!!!

Lauren & Mark - 10.23.10 from IndyVisual on Vimeo.

Like what you see?  Be sure to check out more of their work on IndyVisual's VIDEO GALLERY and BLOG.

Four Leaf Wedding: Mark & Lauren

I am so excited to finally be able to share this wedding today!  Mark and Lauren are such a fun, yet extremely romantic, couple who really know how to entertain!  They were married on October 23rd at the Radisson Hotel at Star Plaza in Merrillville, Indiana near Lauren's hometown.  

It does not get more romantic and bridal than having a pink and purple wedding!  Lauren did a fantastic job selecting everything from the color of the bridesmaids dresses down to the color of her shoes.  Mark Amelse with Amelse Photography was a blessing when we had to switch to our rain plan for photos.  He escorted the bridal party around the huge hotel getting all of the creative shots the bride and groom were wanting.  Do not miss the gorgeous floral arrangements created by Patrick and crew at House of Fabian!

As a passionate fisherman, Mark was able to incorporate his love for fishing in the groom's cake.  The two ring-bearers carried fishing poles down the aisle with a ring tied on the end of each.  Lauren, being the crafty bride, handmade pink and white spheres that were hung from the pergola at the ceremony.  The pergola was made by Mark and Lauren and now resides in their backyard.  Crafty, crafty!!

Four Leaf Events was pleased to be able to provide the uplighting for the ceremony and reception which added a great ambiance for the party.  At the reception, a real-life glee club from Purdue University got the crowd to their feet with their version of "Shout".

It was so rewarding to work with this very special couple because of the love that surrounded them from every corner of the room.  You can witness this love in the the highlight video filmed and created by Bob Ridge with IndyVisual on our next blog.  It will be worth the wait!

Congratulations, Mark and Lauren!  May your life together see many blessings and great happiness...

Jen

We Have Arrived!

The Four Leaf Events website is finally here!!!  It's been a long time coming, but we are so excited to finally be out in cyberspace.  Check us out at www.fourleafeventsindy.com.

We will keep you updated on our recent weddings and events, as well as have some fun with the latest in wedding trends, right here on our blog.  We hope you will be inspired by all we have to share!