The Wedding Blog

We can't wait to share this swanky celebration with you. Although it is not a wedding, it was a birthday party for one of our favorite wedding vendors-Stacia McComsey, a very talented florist and owner of Petals with Style. (photos by Jeremy Hess Photographers)

The Vibe
Stacia came to us looking for a fun space for her party. We knew our newest venue, The Warehouse, would be perfect for her celebration.

Throughout the planning stages, we shared ideas via Pinterest (follow us here). By sharing a board, we were able to follow Stacia's vision for her party. Her pins spoke a contemporary and swanky vibe with black and white stripes, pops of emerald, and hints of fuchsia.

The Flowers
Stacia led us to believe that she was going to keep the centerpieces simple, because she didn't want to stress over flowers the day of her party. I believe her words were something like, "I'm just going to do something with lampshades and just a few small arrangements." Leave it to Stacia to go above and beyond her word. Her "simple centerpieces" were jaw dropping beautiful, as always.

The Decor
Stacia formed an A-team vendor list. Special Occasions dressed the guest tables in Black Dahlia, topped the food tables in Fuchsia Silk, and tied the black high tops with Strasburg Stripe runners. Shumaker PDT created a funky lounge in the corner of the Warehouse and added specialty lighting, including a rotating "30" on the dance floor. DJ Freez brought his amazing photo booth and kept the dance floor energized throughout the evening.

Cocktails
When designing an event, we try to incorporate the guest of honor's favorite things anywhere we can. Stacia loves the beach and mojitos, which inspired us to mix the following signature drinks.

The Menu
Stacia wanted a simple and informal menu of bar food favorites. We loved the challenge of presenting a casual bar menu to match the swanky vibe. Here's what we did:

The Cake
Stacia loves strawberries, so our pastry team at The Baker's Table created a trio of strawberry and cream cakes.

After she blew out the candles, we served the cake in martini glasses topped with whipped cream and strawberry sauce. We displayed the strawberry and shortcake inspired dessert in The Warehouse's antique hutch.

Again, our team would like to wish Stacia a very Happy Birthday. We were honored to host her celebration.

To host your special celebration with Cork Factory Hotel, contact our event team at 717.735.2075 or via email.

Looking for a unique and inexpensive way to take your head table to the next level? We recommend adding a special china pattern to the head table. It's amazing how a simple dish can make such an impact on the table. If you do not have a china cabinet full of inspiring patterns, do not fret. You can easily set your table with the following tips:

Something New
They say you shouldn't use your wedding gifts until after your wedding. Well, you're officially married after the ceremony, so why not break out the new china pattern you received at the bridal shower? If you didn't receive enough dishes for the entire bridal party, simply dress the bride and groom's place settings.

Something Borrowed
Have you always admired your grandmother's china pattern? Why not ask her if you could use them on your head table? I'm sure she'd be honored to lend you the china for your special day.

Something Old
We are very fortunate to have such amazing antique shops in our area. Head to Adamstown, PA, this weekend, and shop for china patterns that inspire you. Feel free to mix and match patterns on the head table for an extra vintage vibe.

Got the pattern, now what?
Once you found your head table china, pull out the details within the design, such as the colors, flowers, etc. Incorporate these details into your stationary design and floral arrangements.

See how two unique china patterns drove our design for our last bridal tasting event at Cork Factory Hotel:

Looking for a fun and exciting way to entertain your guests and spruce up your wedding reception? Rent the Smilebooth from Brooke Courtney Photography. Trust us, this photo booth is a blast!

What makes the Smilebooth so awesome? The Smilebooth is an open air, self functioning photo booth allowing your guests to take as many photos as they wish. The LCD screen acts as a mirror as you pose and allows you to view the photo. A copy of each photo is also printed within seconds for your guests to take as a memento from your special day.

Learn more about the Smilebooth at smilebooth.com.

Did you know that we have an incredible table linen rental company right here in Lancaster? Your wedding tables are just dying to be dressed by the wonderful Special Occasions.

Special Occasions has been dressing parties for over thirty years, and they have made us fall in love with table linens. Every spring we look forward to their linen seminar, when the owner, Claudia Himes, gives us the table linen trend forecast and unveils their newest linens.

Here are a few of our notes and photos from last week's seminar:

Color Blocking
Choose bright, aggressive and strong colors for your event. Use one color for your cocktail hour (such a poppy covered cocktail table) and another color for your dinner (such as a yellow dinner table). Top it off with some plaid-the next big pattern.

Prints & Plaids
Do not be afraid of prints and patterns, which become the architecture of any outfit. Or, in this case, the party.

Mixing Patterns
Don't be afraid to mix patterns. Pictured below is their Carnival Stripe (turquoise and white chevron) paired with a stripe. They even added a great Hermes inspired silk linen, called Chain Reaction, which I did not get to photograph. The turquoise patterns play so well together and together exude a ton of energy. Claudia recommends having a bit of clashing tension between your patterns. As you can see below, there's just enough tension between the cloths, but they don't reach the point of clashing.

Pinks & Pastels
Mix pinks and pastels with whites, neutrals and silvers. Below is their Trophy Pearl over a baby pink satin, Rose Crush sheer over white, and a Blush Damask.

Metallics
Metallics are going reflective. Special Occasions unveiled their new Mercury linen, paired with their new Cranberry Sparkle-the show stopper of the seminar. Check out the detail! This would be gorgeous on a sweetheart table or cake table.

Gold is Back
Gold plays well with ivory, and Claudia recommends adding texture through patterns. See their elegant gold collection below (Confetti, Penelope sheer over Gold Satin, and Pandora with Cashion Stripe Napkins):

Back to Black and the Return of White
We loved their spin on a black and white look. Below is their Black Dahlia linen belted with a Rubato runner topped with a black and white (Strasburg) napkin for a modern dinner table. For cocktail hour tables, they recommended their Bollywood topped with a Staccato square. I would love to see that cocktail table come alive in the wind.

Outdoor Spaces
It is important to coordinate your linens with the outdoors but not to compete. Choose linens that are organic, fresh and romantic.

Burlap is still very big, and Special Occasions has an elegant burlap-style linen (a very light weight linen, which does not smelling like burlap), called Maumbi. It even has gold threads woven through the fabric, which sparkles under candlelight. This is hands down one of our favorite table cloth that Special Occasions offers. We also love this new taupe and white embroidered linen they have added to their collection.

Be Aware of the Light
Claudia offered this great analogy when explaining the elements of an event:

"The linen is the dress, the flowers are the jewelry, and the lighting is the makeup. And, you wouldn't go to a party without makeup, am I right?"

Therefore, consider the lighting when you're planning your wedding. We recommend contacting Shumaker PDT for your lighting needs.

Dress Up your Tables
Contact Special Occasions at 717.299.4642 to dress up your tables.

We would first like to congratulate the special couple. This is such a wonderful time for the bride and groom, and also for their families and friends. However, most couples and their families begin to feel overwhelmed with the flood of ideas, tasks, and decisions going through their minds. Where to start? Here are a few suggestions:

1) Celebrate: Why not throw an engagement party to spread the news?

2) The Binder: Create your wedding binder using the following shopping list:

• One Large Binder: Go big... trust us, it will fill up quickly.
• Page Protectors: These will soon be filled with magazine pages, vendor agreements, guest lists, fabric swatches, etc.
• Dividers: Be sure to get the extended tab dividers that will extend over your page protectors. Dividers with pockets are also handy for any loose notes.
• Business Card Sleeves: These will help you keep your vendor contact information organized. They also are great for holding fabric swatches.

3) Inspiration: Find your wedding style.

• Magazines: Visit your closest magazine rack for our three favorites: Martha Stewart Weddings, Grace Ormande Wedding Style, and The Knot--Central PA and Delaware. Don't be shy... tear out the pages of your favorite ideas and fill your binder.
• Books: We recommend the classic, Emily Post's Wedding Etiquette. We offer this book, along with several our favorite wedding design books, at The Baker's Table.
• Web: Going beyond Pinterest (follow us) and The Knot, a few of our favorite wedding blogs include Style Me Pretty, The Perfect Palette, and 100 Layer Cake.

4) Set the Date & Book Vendors: Research local vendors and coordinate a date with your favorites. If you are having a lot of out of town guests, consider sending Save the Dates or start your own wedding website.

You are now a few steps closer to the aisle of your truly perfect wedding.

Wow, has it really been this many months since our last post? We're ashamed. However, we're back, and we'd like to renew our blog vows. We have a lot of ideas, news, and Cork Factory Hotel events to share with you. Allow us first to recap the past several months.

The Warehouse - est. August 2012
We began hosting events in our newest event space, The Warehouse, last August. If you haven't yet seen the posh new venue, which is lined with metallic cork wallpaper and decked out in hardwood floors, be sure to contact our wedding team at 717.735.2075 for a tour.

The Baker's Table - est. September 2012
Last fall our pastry team opened a bakery, The Baker's Table. As well as baking wedding cakes and other sweet temptations, The Baker's Table serves Blue Bottle Coffee, breakfast sandwiches, and lunch options daily. At the center of the bakery is a large communal table, which is perfect for a rehearsal dinner, bridal shower, or bachelorette party. During your visit, be sure to check out the wedding accessories, such as cake pedestals, antique wedding toppers, stationary, and other gifts.

New Year, New Awards
We kicked off 2013 with wonderful news. We were selected as a recipient of The Knot Best of Weddings 2013 award and received the Wedding Wire Bride's Choice Award 2013. What an honor. We would like to thank all who made this honor possible-from the wonderful couples who have shared their special day with us, to our staff who strives for perfection. Thank you.

Vegas, Baby
Recently members of our event team traveled to Las Vegas to attend the Catersource Conference & Tradeshow. We learned so much at this event focused conference, and what happened in Vegas won't necessarily stay in Vegas... we intend on sharing the great ideas we learned on the trip. Stay tuned!