What to wear to a fall wedding

You have been invited to a fall wedding, that’s awesome. But you have no clue what to wear. Fall can be tricky weather wise, so here are some ideas to look your very best.

Colors
Don’t be afraid of color. Fall is all about beautiful deep colors like eggplant, cobalt blue, red, deep orange, emerald and grey. No matter what the dress code, these colors will look fabulous on a cocktail dress or a floor length gown. If you decide to go with black or grey, add some color to your accessories. Bold jewelry pieces and flashy shoes are all the rage.

Styles
Because of cooler temperatures you might want to consider layers or an outfit with long sleeves and long hemlines. Make sure to check the weather forecast when picking out your outfit. You may be able to get away with a strapless or sleeveless dress and layer it with a shawl or bolero. That way you can always take it off when it’s time to get down and boogie.

Guys, we didn’t forget about you!
The same color concept applies to you too. When wearing a dark colored suite, add a pop of color to your tie, vest, shirt or socks. Or for a bolder choice, go for a colored suit. Just do go overboard. A deep fall color will do the trick. And d

on’t be afraid to combine different colors. Navy & Brown are a great combo.  Also try to coordinate with your date. Ask her what she is wearing before picking a color.

Check out some of our favorite picks for HIM & HER…

 

 

Fall Signature Drinks

A Signature Drink is any unique or original drink that expresses the nature of the person or establishment creating it.

Signature Drinks often incorporate local ingredients and culture. They can be fashioned or designed to represent a theme or color. Now that it’s fall we have two signature drinks ideas for your next event. One is alcoholic and the other non-alcoholic. Enjoy!

 

Non-Alcoholic Fennel Apple Spritzer
FOR THE FENNEL SYRUP
1 ½ tbsp. fennel seeds
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water

FOR THE SPRITZER
2 oz. (¼ cup) unfiltered apple juice
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
10 oz. (1¼ cup) seltzer or sparkling water
Apple slices and fennel fronds, for garnish (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Make the fennel syrup: Coarsely grind fennel seeds in a spice grinder. Add seeds, sugar and water to a small saucepan set over medium heat. Bring mixture to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 20 minutes. Pour the fennel syrup through a fine strainer and let cool until room temperature, about 30 minutes. Syrup will keep, airtight, in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

2. Make the spritzer: Stir together 2 tbsp. fennel syrup, apple juice, and lemon juice in a tall ice-filled glass. Top with seltzer, and garnish with apple slices and fennel fronds, if using.

 

Vanilla, Pear, and Vodka Cocktail
12 oz (1.5 cups) pear juice or nectar
6 oz vodka
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
vanilla sugar, for rim
1 cup ice, plus more to serve over

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Mix pear juice and vodka in a pitcher or shaker.

2. Split open the vanilla bean, and scrape the seeds into the juice and vodka.

3. Add 1 cup ice, then give it a good shake. Pour into cocktail glasses over more ice and serve with sugared rim. Makes 4 drinks.

Fall Special

Special Offer

All wedding package $150.00 off.

This wont last long so book before October 31, 2014 to take advantage of this awesome discount.

Share with all your friends & family and receive a $25 Target Gift card if one of your friends books with us!

Contact us today for a free consultation!

info@ashleyadrienevents.com
http://www.ashleyadrienevents.com
Phone: 757-469-5822

 

Color Inspirations – Green

This weeks color inspiration is Green! I love the color green. Ir reminds me of the Wizard of Oz’s Emerald City.

Green is the color of nature. It symbolizes growth, harmony, freshness, and fertility. Green has strong emotional correspondence with safety. Dark green is also commonly associated with money. From a color psychology perspective, it is the great balancer of the heart and the emotions, creating equilibrium between the head and the heart. Green promotes a love of nature, and a love of family, friends, pets and the home. It is the color of the garden lover, the home lover and the good host. Perfect for a wedding if you ask me 🙂

There are many shades of green that work well for for different types of events. Here are my favorite combinations. But you can get as creative as you like.

Mint Green – Baby Showers

Lime Green – Kids Birthday Parties , Summer Parties

Forest Green, Olive – Garden Parties, Showers

Emerald Green, Jade, Sea Green – Weddings

My favorite color scheme is green and white, but also try Green & Silver, Green & gold. It’s a recipe for an elegant affair. Here are some picture inspirations….

At Home Entertaining

I love to entertain at home but not every birthday party has to be a big blowout event. Here are some easy ideas from my last birthday get together. It was easy breezy and still elegant. I’m not a big fan of bar foods unless it’s for a sports event, so I tried to avoid fried foods and chips. I prepared the small bites that morning and stuck them in the fridge until just before my guests arrived. All I had to do after that was pick up the centerpieces and set the table. (I left the cleaning to my family while I was out, like I said Easy Breezy 🙂

The Table
Table runners – You can find these at any super store like Walmart or Target or party supply store. They often have the ones you can throw away after one use. That make cleaning up extra easy and they are usually inexpensive. I prefer the paper over the plastic. Another fun option to try is burlap.

The Centerpieces
I LOVE Flowers so I often go for a floral centerpiece. This does not have to be expensive. In this case I took my own vases to my local florist and asked them to fill it with whatever colorful flowers were in season. The larger the vase, the more it will cost, so I went with two small ones.

The Food – Small Bites
– Hard Salami with Goat Cheese and Green Olives
Cut them in bite size pieces and skewer with cocktail sticks

– Cucumber Boats with Tuna Salad
I made my own tuna salad, but I won’t judge if you use store bought 😉 I cut a cucumber in about three to four even pieces. Sliced each piece in half lengthwise, spooned out the watery seeds in the middle and filled with tuna salad.

– Mozzarella Balls with Grape Tomatoes covered with balsamic vinaigrette
I bought a cup of grape tomatoes and a tub of mozzarella balls, skewered them on a cocktail stick and drizzled balsamic vinaigrette over them.

– Cucumber wrapped egg salad bites with a chive tie
This might look like it was hard to do, but it really wasn’t, I sliced a cucumber lengthwise with a mandolin. I put a small amount of egg salad at one end and rolled it up. Then I used a spring of chives to tie it together

Other snacks included pita chips with hummus and French bread slices with a variety of spreads

The Bar
I didn’t want to go overboard with too many options here so I chose:
One type of Red wine
One type of White wine
Bottled Beer
Sodas

The Presentation
I’m not a big fan of paper plates. I used very simple white serving plates and appetizer plates. They are great for everyday use as well as entertaining. Crate & Barrel have great option for a good price, but my favorite is Target. Lots of great options for an even better price.

It’s so simple and everyone loved it. I put all of the items on the table and sat down with my guests. No big fuss in the kitchen and an easy clean up.
If you have any tips for fun and easy at home entertaining, please let me know. Maybe I’ll try it and post it on the next blog!

 

Surprise Birthday Bash

Here are some pictures from a Surprise Birthday Celebration we did last August at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. It was a formal affair fit for a queen. The guest were invited under strict secrecy. The guest of honor had no idea she was going to her own surprise party. She thought she was going to a wine tasting followed by a fancy dinner with just the family. It was a great evening full of laughter and fun and the guest of honor was truly surprised! Vendors that helped make the event a great one:

Event Planner – Ashley-Adrien Events

Decor Design & Rental – Ashley-Adrien Events

The Venue – The entire staff at the Virginia Beach Convention Center

Catering – Distinctive Gourmet

Chair Cover Rentals – Rent my Wedding

Charger Rental – Waterford Event Rentals

DJ – DJ Repp (Malcom Logan)

Birthday Cake – Incredible Edibles Bakery

Car Service – Dominion Limousine

Photographer – Jason Jarvis Photography

 

DIY Table Numbers

Do-It-Yourself Gold Glitter Table numbers on a budget.

Here is what you need:
– Unfinished wood numbers from your local craft store

– Gold Metallic Spray Paint

– Gold Glitter Spray Paint

– Sand Paper

– Old Newspapers

Directions:

1) Sand down the rough edges of the wood numbers

2) Wipe off residue dry cloth or papertowel

3) Lay the numbers on old newspaper in a well ventilated area. Outdoors is best.

4) Spray the numbers one-by-one with the gold metallic paint

5) Spray the numbers one-by-one with the gold glitter paint

6) Let dry, Flip over and repeat steps 4 & 5

And that’s it. Really Easy!

Keep the finished table numbers in a dry place until you need them. Also note that the glitter does rub off slightly.

Cost for 10 numbers:
Unfinished Wood Numbers $0.89 x 10 = $8.90
Gold Metallic Spray Paint $5.95
Gold Glitter Spray Paint $9.99
Total $24.84 ($2.48 per number)

You can try this with any color you like. Standard colors tend to be even cheaper than metallic & glitter sprays.

 

Nautical Party Ideas

We love themed parties and today we found these great Nautical Themed Party ideas on Pinterest by Birdsparty.  They have great unique party supplies and printables. Do it yourself printable are a great way to save money and still put together a stylish looking party or event. Try these ideas on the beach or in your own backyard. Great for Birthday Parties, BBQ’s and Showers.

 

Take it up a notch and use the nautical theme for a more formal event like a wedding. This theme works great for beach weddings, but can also be incorporated in ballrooms and banquet settings.

http://www.ashleyadrienevents.com

The Blog is Back!!

So we had a slow start with the blog. We never got it up and running right. But we are back with a newer and better blog.

What will you find on the Ashley-Adrien Events Blog. Lots of fun topics about weddings, Events and Parties,  News from the industry, Fun DIY projects, Recipies and stories about our own personal experiences. We hope you enjoy it! And please follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Pinterest.