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Real Wedding - Nastaran & Mehran - Chateau Luxe - Phoenix, Arizona

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Every wedding should tell a story, a love story of two people who want nothing more in this world than to share a little bit of their love and happiness with their closest family and friends. Nastaran and Mehran brought together family and friends from all over the globe for their gorgeous Persian wedding aghd (ceremony) and mehmoonee (reception). Every detail reflected their heritage, their love and most importantly to them their family ties. From the ceremony that included traditional Persian wedding songs sung in Farsi by Nastaran’s mom to the presentation of the gifts from the parents to the couple to the private vows presided over by Nastran and Mehran’s church priests every moment was part of a beautiful homage to their Persian culture and family values.

The Ceremony

Their ceremony, held in the beautiful entrance of Chateau Luxe under the gorgeous chandelier, was a mix of western wedding traditions and Persian wedding traditions. There was no wedding party, however Nastaran and Mehran’s sisters acted as ceremony emcee’s and guided the guests through the ceremony elements, read excerpts from the Quran and acted as witnesses to the signing of the marriage certificate. Nastaran’s mom sang traditional wedding songs in Farsi (a hauntingly beautiful language). The aisle was roped off so that Nastaran was the first person to walk down it towards their Sofra Aghd. The Sofra Aghd is a low table that is at the head of the aisle and in Persian weddings takes the place of the traditional arch or other item at the head of the aisle in a western styled wedding.

Mehran was waiting at the head of the aisle for Nastaran to enter with her mother and father. After a number of readings from the Quran read by their sisters, the couple was asked a number of questions by their priests. Unlike a western wedding, these questions and their vows were private and only the couple and the priests were aware of what they were at the time (they were repeated later for video purposes). After the ceremony, Nastaran graciously shared her vows with guests that asked – “I swear to our love. I swear to our lives. I swear to every single moment together. I swear to your smile. I swear to my life. I will always love you until the end of our every moment together. I love you and everything you are. I will stay your love until the last moment and beyond“ (this is the English translation of her Farsi vows). 

The Reception

Following the ceremony, guests enjoyed cocktail hour with traditional Persian appetizers - kibbeh maklieh (lamb with mince and pine nuts), falafel and puff pastry stuffed with beef. A mixed reception followed the cocktail hour (traditionally Persian weddings separate the genders and only the groom is allowed to be in the same room as the women). This is when the party began! Nastaran and Mehran wanted a western styled grand entrance with their families getting to dance into the reception space, and the dancing didn’t stop for almost 30 minutes! The majority of the guests finally took their seats to enjoy dinner – chicken shish kebabs and beef koobideh on a bed of roasted tomatoes, grilled carrots and saffron rice and were back on the dance floor in what seemed like minutes. There was a small break right after the traditional knife dance (to bless the knife prior to cutting the cake) and then the dancing continued for the remainder of the reception – almost four straight hours! 

At the end of the night, the couple asked for one large group picture, gathered their gifts and left to enjoy their wedding night and honeymoon. They were still dancing as they left!

Meet the Fabulous Vendors

Venue/Catering/Cake - Chateau Luxe

Coordinator - Sweet I Do's

Photographer - Rachel Baker Photography

Videographer - Corona Films

Hair & Makeup - Makiaj Beauty

Pianist - Nathan Jude

Dress - Silhouette Bridal

DJ - Reza Ghorbani

Officiant - Mr. Dehghan and Mr. Mostaghim

 

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Waiting to Hire Your Wedding Vendors at the Last Minute? 5 Reasons You May Want to Change Your Mind

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I know there are a TON of articles out there telling you about all the amazing deals you can get if you wait until the last minute to book your wedding vendors. What I found interesting was none of them addressed the things that can go wrong if you wait until the last minute. Always one to remedy a known deficiency in providing information (lol), here are the horrible, bad and just annoying things that can happen if you wait to hire your wedding day team.

1. Limited choice

And by limited choice we mean in both actual vendors that are available and dates that are open. Usually the "best" vendors, venues and dates are booked a year (or more in advance). While you may luck out, that is truly what you are doing, spinning that luck wheel and hoping it lands on what you've been dreaming of. Reality is you will probably be settling on almost all of it. But we still say spin the wheel, reach out to your preferred venue and vendors and ask about your date. 

2. Limited selection

While you may score a great deal with your florist, cake, or caterer, chances are you may end up sacrificing your wants and dreams for what they "can get on short notice". I've had clients ask for a candy or dessert table the week of their wedding. While normally I can accommodate them, they are limited on what I can provide to what is locally available or what I may have on hand. Sometimes they are really disappointed that they can't have their favorite treats in their very specific wedding colors. If you are going to go this route, be super flexible and roll with what can be procured for your fabulous wedding.

3. Potentially booking a weekend warrior, a new vendor lacking in experience or the vendor that no one else wants to book

I hate this one as it implies that ALL weekend warriors or new vendors are bad. They aren't. But there are pitfalls associated with hiring them. They may not have the flexibility to meet with you in your very limited time frame (and it will cause you stress trying to work into their schedule). They may not have the knowledge to quickly and efficiently work their way into your wedding timeline. As for being left with the vendors that no one wants to book, that is a definite possibility if you wait until the absolute last moment to hire a pivotal vendor. In some cases however, something is better than nothing. Don't skip a vendor just because they may be new or only work on the weekends.

4. Being forced to hire someone without being able to do all the research and vetting needed

A condensed time frame to hire means you have little to no time to research and compare vendors. To look and see if they have a license, insurance and are a proper business. To get references or look at reviews. In a nut shell, no time to actually make a thoughtful considered decision. I would think twice before I hired a critical vendor that can't quickly and easily provide at least proof of insurance and a business license.

5. Thinking you're going to get the deal of a lifetime

You may, or you may end up paying rush fees and premiums, or you may pay exactly the same as if you had booked months earlier. There is no guarantee that any vendor or venue will cut you a deal, just because they happen to be available. Some vendors may feel that you don't value their profession because you waited. Some may prefer to work for full price or not work at all. And some may be thrilled to fill a date in on their calendar, even if it means working for a little less than normal. Be prepared to pay full price, but it doesn't hurt to ask the question on if they offer a discount. The answer is always no until you ask the question.

If you're a flexible couple that truly just wants to get married and doesn't want to (or can't wait to) tie the knot, go for it! Look up a fabulous coordinator (like Sweet I Do's) to help with all the details and make everything run as smooth as possible.

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3 Things to Consider Before Hiring a "Part-Time" Wedding Vendor

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Let me tell you a story. It is 4:30 in the afternoon of an amazing day.

I have a super cute couple that will be walking down the aisle at 5:00.

My assistant and I are in the reception hall setting up the final details when a friend of the bride asks me

where the flowers for the bride and bridesmaids are.

I’m slightly perplexed as I spoke with the florist and she assured me that everything was set and ready to go. I go over to the bridal suite and look around. I see a cascading orchid bouquet that is falling apart, a few individual calla lilies and not much else.

I text the florist (this is the only way she will communicate as she has a full time job that doesn’t allow her to take phone calls during the day) and ask where the bouquets are at

and I will never forget her response –

“when I went to the wholesaler yesterday, the roses that the client wanted didn’t look right so I just substituted individual calla lilies instead.”

I was floored and the bride is almost in tears.

Communication was rough all along with this vendor, but for her to make the call to just change the order, without prior knowledge or agreement of the client was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

While I took up this huge mistake with the vendor I was driving to the local Trader Joe’s (this was a destination wedding) picked up some gorgeous white roses, created beautiful hand tied bouquets and my couple walked down the aisle on time (this is the main reason I highly recommend you hire a wedding coordinator by the way).

So there is a happy ending and a moral to the story.

Throughout the whole process this vendor was difficult to talk to, she could only meet on certain days, at certain times and would only communicate through text. She would not return phone calls, would not confirm details and was very unprofessional. She was a weekend warrior and didn’t take the commitment she made to clients, that paid her, very seriously. While not all part-time vendors are this egregious when it comes to taking care of clients, it does happen more often than not.

In the end my team was able to save the day, maintain the timeline and stave off tears and stress, but we shouldn’t have had to.

When choosing your vendors, don’t be afraid to ask the question – “Do you do this full time?” and if the answer is no find out what limits their job will place on their ability to do their job properly.

1. Limited availability

Part-time vendors usually can only meet when they are not working or do not have other life commitments. While all vendors will have limits to their availability most full time vendors will have ample options during the day and at night, during the week and on weekends.

2. Unable or unwilling to utilize all forms of communication

Part-time vendors usually cannot take personal phone calls while they are working their “real” job. They may also be limited as to when they can check and respond to emails and text messages. Full-time vendors can answer their phones whenever they are not with another client or working with another client and have fewer limitations as to when they can respond to email and text.

3. Unprofessional business approach

Part-time vendors have a tendency to skip the necessary items to running a business – business licenses, insurance, contracts, back up plans and staff. Full-time vendors know that they are holding your dreams in their hands and they want to ensure that you have every confidence in them and their business.

While my story had a mostly happy ending, the vendor never apologized for the stress and drama she caused. She didn't willingly refund any money. She didn't care and that is probably the hardest lesson that clients that hire part-time vendors may have to learn - some of them just don't care about their clients.

Full disclosure and reality check - I have worked with loads of "part-time" vendors, but you would never know that they were running their business part-time. They are fabulous!! At the beginning of my journey I was a "part-time" vendor, but none of my clients knew it. It has a lot to do with you as a person, how well you can handle multiple tasks and how you structure your business. I won't say that you have to steer clear of "part-time" vendors, but do your due diligence and understand exactly what you will be signing up for. 

Happy Wedding Planning!

Desert Boho and Romantic Desert Wedding Style Shoot at Tercero Weddings by Aldea in Glendale, Arizona

Have you ever had an idea in your head that you just can't seem to forget about, no matter how busy you get or how many other things are going on in your life? When I first heard about this fun and fabulous new wedding venue that was going to be opening on in the west valley of Phoenix, an idea planted itself in my head and wouldn't leave, no matter what. An idea that I, after being in business for almost 9 years, should design a styled shoot, and not just any styled shoot, but one that would showcase some of my favorite vendors, introduce me to a whole new group of "friendors" and allow me to add some gorgeous pictures to my portfolio. The result, a collaborative styled shoot that had 7 photographers, 2 couples, 2 designs and a ton of amazing details!!!

The Vendors

Venue - Tercero Weddings by Aldea

Photographers - Amber Kay Lonski Photography | Graced by Light Photography              Poppyseed Photography | Sandra Patricia Photography | Shea Brie Photography | Sweet Sunday Photography | Twin Lens Studios

Coordinator/Designer - Sweet I Do's

Florists - PJ's Flowers & Events (romantic desert design) | Poppy Design Co (desert boho design)

Cake/Desserts - Amour de Sucre

Rentals - Tremaine Ranch

Stationery - Paige Poppe Art (desert boho design) | Posh Invitations (romantic boho design)

Farmhouse Table/Benches - Elegant Farmhouse Designs

Lighting - Divinity Event Lighting

Menswear - Celebrity Tux & Tails

Bridalwear - Lovely Bride Phoenix

Hair and Makeup Artist - Makeup by Carmen Orduno

Models - Julie & Brian Read (romantic desert design) | Gina Baker & Ryan Warling (desert boho design)

The inspiration

Living in the middle of the desert in Phoenix, AZ you would think that it would be almost impossible to draw any inspiration from our landscape. When people think of the desert they think of scorching sand and loads and loads of brown and tan nothingness. And while typically true, we have some of the most amazing sunsets and right after the rains our desert turns a beautiful variety of succulent and cacti greens with the most vibrant flowers imaginable. I drew my inspiration for the desert boho design from those colorful sunsets and cacti blooms pulling in magenta, purple, orange and yellow. For the romantic desert design I looked no farther than our beautiful succulents choosing the soft greens, pale pinks and almost translucent blue/gray.

The result

Having 7 photographers taking pictures of the same designs in the same location may seem like over-kill, but I saw it as an opportunity to see what 7 different styles and perspectives of the same elements would look like. I have to say I was thrilled! Check out some of my favorite images in my galleries for each photographer.

Be sure to follow everyone on IG to see more of their amazing work (links below)!

Sweet I Do's | Wedding Day Management Specialists romantic desert wedding at Tercero Weddings by Aldea Image by Amber Kay Lonski Photography Glendale Arizona

Amber Kay Lonski Photography

IG - @aklonskiphoto

Gallery Images
Sweet I Do's | Wedding Day Management Specialists boho bride in bridal suite at Tercero Weddings by Aldea image by Graced by Light Photography in Glendale, Arizona

Graced by Light Photography

IG - @gracedbylight_photography

Gallery Images
Sweet I Do's | Wedding Day Management Specialists desert boho bride and groom at Tercero Weddings by Aldea images by Poppyseed Photography in Glendale, Arizona

Poppyseed Photography

IG - @poppyseedphotography

Gallery Images
Sweet I Do's | Wedding Day Management Specialists romantic desert floor level wedding guest table at Tercero Weddings By Aldea image by Sandra Patricia Photography in Glendale, Arizona

Sandra Patricia Photography

IG - @sandrapatriciaphotography

Gallery Images
Sweet I Do's | Wedding Day Management Specialists romantic desert wedding bouquet at Tercero Weddings by Aldea image by Shea Brie Photography in Glendale, Arizona

Shea Brie Photography

IG - @sheabriephotography

Gallery Images
Sweet I Do's | Wedding Day Management Specialists desert boho wedding cake at Tercero Weddings by Aldea image by Sweet Sunday Photography in Glendale, Arizona

Sweet Sunday Photography

IG - @sweetsundayphotography

Gallery Images
Sweet I Do's | Wedding Day Management Specialists desert boho wedding guest table at Tercero Weddings by Aldea image by Twin Lens Studios in Glendale, Arizona

Twin Lens Studios

IG - @twinlensstudios

Gallery Images
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Real Wedding - Angie & Alex's Wedding Candy Buffet - Carefree Resort & Conference Center - Carefree, Arizona

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Angie & Alex fell in love in the west and they wanted the feeling of the original wild west to be an accent in their wedding. This is the first time we have ever been asked to create a western themed candy buffet and I think we nailed it!

At first glance there isn't much to this candy buffet, but you have to look at the details and know their story. Check out the silver star (and there are more on the back side of the mason jar treat container tags), this represents Alex's love of the Dallas Cowboys. Look close and find the antlers and shotgun shells - they represent the couple's love of the outdoors and their mutual hobby of hunting. Straw bales, lassos and fun bunting tie the western theme together. Notice the artwork in the background, a gorgeous piece hanging in the historic opera room at the Carefree Resort and Conference Center. 

Guests to this mid day wedding were treated to hard candy sticks, yogurt pretzels. licorice, swirl lollipops, dark and milk chocolate Hershey's kisses and milk chocolates in pink. Guest treat containers were mason jars with custom tags designed by Sweet I Do's.

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Real Wedding - Jessica & Josh - Dream Manor Inn - Globe, Arizona

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Theme weddings can be so much fun when the wedding isn't ALL about the theme. Jessica & Josh nailed the Super Mario Bros. theme they wanted for their wedding. It helps that they are a super cute couple, they picked an amazing little venue and a great team of vendors to pull their vision together. Add video games into the reception and you have a winning themed wedding!

Jessica & Josh met in graduate school in Chicago and got engaged over pizza! Four and a half years later and they tied the knot at the beautiful Dream Manor Inn in Globe, Arizona. It wouldn't have been their wedding if it didn't include their sweet puppy Meeko, a raspberry pi playing all their favorite classic SNES video games and tons of small details showcasing their mutual love of Super Mario Bros.

Guests drove into picturesque Globe and up the mountain to the Dream Manor Inn. There they joined Jessica, Josh and their wedding party for an outdoor ceremony that included Meeko and a ring bearer carrying the rings on a mushroom shaped pillow. After the sunset ceremony, guests enjoyed appetizers and drinks on the patio while the amazing Summer Montoya with Summer Montoya Photography worked her magic and took some fabulous pictures of the couple and their wedding party.

Amazing details created by Jessica & Josh and aided by gorgeous florals created by Tony Medlock with PJ's Flowers & Events as well as a music play list that included tons of video game theme songs completed their vision of a Super Mario Bros wedding.

The fabulous vendor team - 

Venue - Dream Manor Inn

Coordinator - Sweet I Do's

Photographer - Summer Montoya Photography

Florist - PJ's Flowers & Events

DJ - Genuine Events AZ

H/MUA - Kensington Makeup

Dress - Suzanne's Bridal

Accessories - Etsy

Tux - Celebrity Tux & Tails

Chair Cover Rentals - Covergirl Chair Covers

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Real Wedding - Kim & Alex - Hassayampa Inn & Grand Highland Hotel - Prescott, Arizona

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Kim & Alex are an amazing couple that decided to roll almost all of life's big moments into one year. New jobs, a new home in another state and a destination wedding that they planned remotely with the help of Kim's mom and I are just a few of the life changes they went through. 

Having always been in love with Prescott, there was no question that they would get married in this quaint little town that has tons of areas that it feels like time has forgotten. Their ceremony was held on the roof of the historic Hassayampa Inn followed by a reception at the amazing Grand Highland Hotel. 

Their ceremony was officiated by the bride's brother Michael and I swear there wasn't a dry eye on the roof of the inn . Guests walked across the iconic city square to The Grand Highland Hotel while Laura Segall and her husband David with Laura Segall Photography took the couple and their wedding party on a whirlwind photoshoot of downtown Prescott.

At the reception guests enjoyed Moscow Mules in copper mugs provided by the couple as favors and ate delicious food provided by local caterer Enchanted Catering.

Kim's dad was trying to keep everyone in tears from both laughter and emotions during his speech (I wish I had recorded it) while the best man Ken and maid of honor Alie told secrets about the couple to the amusement of the guests.

The cold night didn't stop guests from filling the dance floor for hours and rumor has it there may have been a Smirnoff Icing during the garter toss!

Desert colors filled the reception space with hints of copper, deep purple and succulents in centerpieces created by Melinda Dunn Designs.

Dessert was an amazing cake provided by Martin Cakes and cookies and sweets by Enchanted Catering.

For more images check out Laura's blog!!!

The amazing wedding team - 

Ceremony Venue - Hassayampa Inn

Reception Venue - The Grand Highland Hotel

Coordinator/Planner - Sweet I Do's

Photographer - Laura Segall Photography

DJ - AZ Custom DJ

Florist - Melinda Dunn Designs

Caterer/Bartender - Enchanted Catering

Cake - Martin Cakes

Rentals - Verve Events

H/MUA - Rachel Leigh LLC

Real Party - Talitha's End Of Summer Fire and Ice Party - Mesa, Arizona

Talitha throws the most epic end of summer parties ever! We've been honored to set up candy buffets for her for two years in a row and this one had to have been the best yet (there were fire dancers at the party)!!!

Her guests enjoyed fun candies that fit the theme of fire and ice including Hot Tamales, milk chocolates, cherry sours, cinnamon discs and the returning favorite Rice Krispie treats. Guests took home their goodies in fun red and black organza treat bags with custom tags.

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Real Wedding - Arica & Phillip's Wedding Candy Buffet - 12 West Main - Mesa, Arizona

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Arica and Preston braved the heat of an Arizona summer and got married a a super cute little venue called 12 West Main, a contemporary industrial feeling venue tucked away in downtown Mesa.

Their candy buffet was full of elegant black, white and red candies and included such fun favorites as red and black licorice, milk chocolates gems, Hershey's kisses, LifeSaver Pepp-o-Mints, yogurt pretzels and our favorite hand dipped white chocolate Oreo's. 

Guests took their treats home in black Chinese take out boxes with a custom red bracket label designed by Sweet I Do's.

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Real Wedding - Marissa & Preston - Los Abrigados Resort and Spa - Sedona, Arizona

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Marissa and Preston had been friends since childhood, growing up together almost like family. They dated, decided it wasn't in the cards and they moved on. When they were younger, they never imagined they would get married, until that fateful day when Preston quit his job and showed up on Marissa's doorstep. They've been inseparable since and on a gorgeous day in May, they said their "I do's" in front of their closest family members and friends.

They both always wanted an outdoor wedding and Sedona was the perfect spot to combine their love of gorgeous scenery and a semi-destination wedding that their family could attend easily (and get out of the Phoenix heat). With many amazing venues to choose from in Sedona, Marissa and Preston ultimately chose the fabulous Los Abrigados Resort and Spa. 

Even though the wind was a little fierce, we had a creekside wedding ceremony and reception that was everything they dreamed of and more. Guests enjoyed a delicious dinner prepared by the on-site chef for the resort and then danced the night away with music provided by Brad with All Pro DJ. Marissa and Preston arranged to have a scrumptious dessert and popcorn bar provided by Sweet I Do's and super cute photo booth pictures provided by ETC. Entertainment.

Marissa's sister missed her senior prom to watch her big sis get married, so we had a little fun crowning her prom queen at the wedding and Marissa gave her a sweet Pandora charm to commemorate the night.

We may or may not have had a little fun with some sparklers at some point during the night (shh! don't tell Los Abrigados).

The fabulous vendor team - 

Venue - Los Abrigados Resort & Spa

Coordinator - Sweet I Do's

Photographer - Francis Cecilia Photography

Caterer/Bar Staff - Los Abrigados Resort & Spa

DJ - All Pro DJ

Florist - Evening Star Custom Designs

Dessert/Popcorn Buffet - Sweet I Do's

Photo Booth - ETC. Entertainment

Dress - David's Bridal

Tux - Men's Warehouse

Invitations - Zazzle

 

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Real Wedding – Isabel & Brian - Wedgewood Weddings Palm Valley Litchfield Park, Arizona

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Isabel and Brian wanted a cute, relaxed wedding that allowed them to celebrate with their families and friends but didn’t want to spend all of their free time searching for wedding professionals and touring venues. By looking at the semi-inclusive wedding venues in the valley, they found exactly what they were looking for at the Wedgewood Weddings Palm Valley.

Married at sunset on a gorgeous Friday evening by amazing officiant Montana Meadows with Bird of Paradise Weddings, Isabel and Brian said “I do” in front of their guests. Cocktail hour followed with non-traditional cocktail eats of chips and salsa and house made guacamole. While guests were munching the yummy food, Isabel and Brian were getting some amazing couples portraits taken by the fabulous duo of Johnny and Taylor with Studio 616.

Lovers of all Mexican foods, Isabel and Brian chose to go with Mexican food over the traditional wedding fare. Guests enjoyed dinner prepared by the in-house chef for Wedgewood who prepared such delectable treats as beef and chicken fajitas.

One of their super cute flower girls happened to celebrate her birthday on their wedding day, and ever the gracious duo, Isabel and Brian gifted her with a special ice cream birthday cake while all the guests sang “Happy Birthday”! Presents and fun in the photo booth provided by AZ Perfect Pix may or may not have followed.

DJ Damien (one of Wedgewood’s preferred vendors) kept everyone dancing until the very end of the night!

 

The amazing wedding professionals –

Venue – Wedgewood Weddings Palm Valley

Photographer – Studio 616

Coordinator/Planner – Sweet I Do’s

Officiant – Bird of Paradise Weddings

DJ – DJ Damien

Personal and Arch Flowers – PJ’s Flowers & Events

Reception Flowers – Blooming Bouquets

Cake – Pixy Cakes

Photo booth – AZ Perfect Pix

H/MUA – Bobsie Twins

Suit – Celebrity Tux & Tails

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Real Bridal Shower - Sweet Shabby Chic Bridal Shower Candy Buffet Queen Creek, Arizona

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When a fellow industry professional asks you to design an amazing candy buffet for her best friends bridal shower, you say "Yes!!! I can't wait!". 

Kaitlin, Events and Catering Manager for the amazing San Tan Brewery asked us to create a shabby chic candy buffet for her best friends bridal shower to be held on a gorgeous day in May. She wanted some fabulous flowers, loads of details and of course delicious candy!

Guests of the shower enjoyed yogurt covered pretzels (one of our favs), cherry rock candy strings (for a little bit of bling), sixlets and milk chocolate gems in the showers color scheme of silver and pink. Add amazing jelly jars with custom tags as the treat container for guests to take home and a gorgeous vintage desk as the display table and, the result, as you can see, one fabulous candy buffet!

Real Wedding - Anna & PJ's Wedding Candy Buffet - Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort Phoenix, Arizona

Anna and PJ got married on a lovely day in that Arizona season between spring and summer (you know the one, where it can be cold one day, hot the next and gorgeous the day after that) at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort in Phoenix.

For their wedding day candy buffet they chose candies that complimented their colors, but were also some of their favorite candies. Guests enjoyed strawberry puffs, Brach's nuggat candies, pina colada Jelly Bellies, Big Hunk candy bars, strawberry Tootsie Frootsies and pink swirl lollipops.  Guest treat containers were pretty in pink and sparkling silver organza bags with custom tags designed just for our sweet couple.

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Charity Event - Tables That Bloom 2017 - Phoenix Country Club Phoenix, Arizona

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Image - Ken Ross Photography

We love being able to support amazing charities with our talent. One of our favorites allows us to design a beautiful table that fit a specific theme for that years annual event. 

This was our third year designing a table for the Tables That Bloom annual charity event. Tables That Bloom is a luncheon and fundraiser that raises awareness and funds for The Foundation for Blind Children and the Delta Gamma Foundation. Held at the Phoenix Country Club there are between 20 and 22 fabulous tables designed by some of the event industries top designers and small businesses that hold the two charities close to their hearts. In addition to the luncheon provided by the in house chef at the club (always delicious, by the way) there is also a silent auction of some of the most fabulous prizes (bottles of wine, stays at local hotels, adventure gift certificates, dining experiences and so much more).

 

This year the theme was "Hope Blossoms". Each designer was invited to design their table to best represent what the theme means to them. Hope can mean so many things and we designed our table to be represent that hope is ever present. The circular greenery on the plates was to show that hope is like life, a circle that never ends. The copper was used to show that even though it, like hope can be tarnished, it can always be made to look like new. Each place setting had a small quote about hope and life to remind our guests that hope is just a thought away.

Hope encourages us to keep trying, to keep striving and to keep growing.

During lunch we were honored to listen to the story of Catrina Frost and her daughter Cailee. Cailee is afflicted with (and please notice we didn't say suffers from) a rare genetic disease that will rob her of her sight. This little girl and her family have an amazing attitude towards life and give all they have to enjoying every moment of every day to the fullest.

Watch this short video to see what Tables That Bloom is all about.

We were honored to win the 'Best Representation of the Theme "Hope"' award! Thank you to all the vendors that helped make our table and the vision in our heads come true -

6 Tips for Attending a Bridal Show

Congratulations! You got engaged over the holidays! You may have even set a date or you heard that the bridal show was happening and thought it would be fun to just see what your options are and to maybe get a good deal!

Take a minute to read our tips on attending a bridal show.

 

1.     Wear comfy shoes – while those fabulous shoes you got for Christmas look amazing, they probably aren’t practical for walking around on a concrete floor for a couple of hours. Chose comfort and your feet will thank you!

2.     Bring water – you will get thirsty and just like the airport, the price for a bottle of water is slightly inflated. Besides you’ll want to be hydrated to enjoy an adult beverage or two.

3.     Bring a backpack or reinforced bag – with over 400 vendors all trying to get information into your hands, the flimsy bag (if you’re lucky to get one) provided by some of the vendors won’t hold much (those wedding magazines are HEAVY). Also, don’t be afraid to say “no” to a vendor that you aren’t interested in.

4.     Create a wedding only email address – you’ll want a place for all the marketing materials to go to that won’t clog up your everyday inbox. And bonus, if you find a vendor you love you can give them your daily email address and save yourself from having to filter through everything to find their correspondence.

5.     Create labels – your hand (or the hand of your best friend or fiancé) will be tired after writing all of your information over and over again. Create a simple label with your name, email address and wedding date on it. That is what most vendors need and all you really need to provide. Plus, the vendors will be able to read it!

6.     Have fun – while it will seem overwhelming and daunting, just try and have fun. Enjoy the experience, get some fun ideas, talk with some fabulous vendors and get some valuable information.

Sweet I Do's is a wedding planning company located in Surprise, AZ (a suburb of Phoenix). We specialize in wedding day management (also known as day of coordination). We help you create an amazing, unique and totally "you" wedding that allows you to be in the moments making the memories, not worrying about the details. From contract review and timeline creation to day of management, set up and tear down, we're focused on ensuring our couples, their families and friends experience a stress and worry free night to remember.

Real Wedding - Josue & Berenice - Chateau Luxe, Phoenix Arizona

Image by - Carmichael Studios

The song “When A Man Loves A Woman” is a classic representation of what every girl hopes her guy will feel about her. Josue & Berenice’s wedding was the real life version of this romantic song. The love he had for her showed in every single aspect of their fairytale wedding.

Josue & Berenice’s wedding was intended from the very beginning to be an extremely lavish affair that their families and friends would talk about for many, many years. Their main goal was to ensure that their fairytale romance was apparent in each and every aspect of their wedding. Josue loved Bernice unconditionally and unabashedly and he wanted to make sure that her every dream and wish for their wedding was accomplished.

During their ceremony he read to her from their family bible and then they were prayed over by their family to ensure they understood that they were part of a village and that throughout their marriage they would be supported and loved.

Their venue, Chateau Luxe, is a fabulous venue full of light, crystals and elegance. It perfectly represented their vision of their wedding. They were hoping to utilize the new garden location at the venue , but unfortunately it wasn’t ready in time. Josue brought the outdoors in by contracting with a second florist (Tulip Tree), in addition to the amazing florals originally selected to provide additional arrangements without Bernice knowing so her dream of a lush, green wedding would come true.

Their love of authentic Mexican music, that would encourage their guests to dance and enjoy themselves, (they had a large number of out of country guests that only spoke Spanish) was so important to them that they had 2 live bands (Lobos Musciarios and Banda La Llegadora)  and a well known radio DJ (Eclipse Hispanic (Univision)) perform for their reception. 

The venue is not allowed to host an outdoor fireworks display, so Karma Event Lighting created an amazing indoor fireworks display that surprised all of the guests during Josue and Berenice’s first dance, while he serenaded her (a secret we kept from her until that night). He sang not once, but twice that night! Everyone was in tears. 

A large and lavish 4 tier cake was just the beginning of the sweet treats for the guests. Each guest also received a treat of chocolates at their place setting and a sweet cupcake (provided by Cakes by Whisk), individually wrapped, on their way out at the end of the evening. Guests also enjoyed a lavish dessert bar and a gelato station (Frost 321) under the stars. Adding to the personal touch, Berenice wrapped custom scented candles for all of their female guests to take home.

Take a peak at more amazing pictures on Carmichael Studios blog. 

And watch the amazing video on Normscar Video Productions YouTube channel.

The amazing wedding professionals - 

Coordinator - Sweet I Do's Venue - Chateau Luxe Photographer - Carmichael Studios Videographer - Normscar Video Productions Dinner Music Band - Lobos Musciarios Reception Band - Banda La Llegadora DJ/Emcee - Eclipse Hispanic (Univision) Event Lighting - Karma Event Lighting Photo Booth - SnapBooth Florist - Tulip Tree Dress - Suzanne's Bridal Boutique Suit - Parker & Schmidt Hair & Makup - Faces by Gabi Invitations - YW Countdown Cupcake Favors - Cakes by Whisk Gelato - Frost 321

All images - Carmichael Studios

Sweet I Do's is a wedding planning company located in Surprise, AZ (a suburb of Phoenix). We specialize in wedding day management (also known as day of coordination). We help you create an amazing, unique and totally "you" wedding that allows you to be in the moments making the memories, not worrying about the details. From contract review and timeline creation to day of management, set up and tear down, we're focused on ensuring our couples, their families and friends experience a stress and worry free night to remember.

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Real Wedding - Heather & Ian - Val Vista Lakes Clubhouse Gilbert, Arizona

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Image - Frances Cecilia Photography

A wedding filled with all of their favorite people and things was what Heather and Ian envisioned, add a bit of the untraditional and some singing by the bride and groom and it was their dream come true!

Heather and Ian are a super cute couple that had very definite ideas as to what they did and more importantly what they did not want at their wedding. They searched high and low to find the perfect venue that wasn’t Arizona desert or golf club/country club greens. They got engaged at the top of a mountain at sunset while camping so they wanted something just as unique for their wedding venue while still staying in the city to keep their guests from having to travel super far for their Thursday night wedding. 

The decorations, bouquets and boutonnieres were hand crafted by Heather while sitting at home watching Netflix (her destress is handcrafting paper flowers). Each member of their wedding party received a totally unique set of personal flowers to reflect how Heather visually saw their personalities.

Staying non-traditional, Heather and Ian had a long-time family friend get ordained just to marry them and they made him promise to keep the ceremony under 15 minutes (for the record he did it in 10). Their guests went directly into cocktail hour that had a trail mix bar instead of hors d’ouerves and while Heather and Ian were getting pictures, guests could take a boat out onto the “lake” behind Val Vista Lakes.

Their grand entrance was just the two of them after Heather changed into a short and sassy white dress and flip flops, no more heavy bridal gown for her and they immediately went into a semi-choreographed first dance.

Following the dance everyone enjoyed delicious pitas, falfal and other Greek delicacies provided by Pita Bistro. Why have wedding cake (something neither Ian nor Heather are fans of) when you can have mini bundt cakes in all your favorite flavors from Nothing Bundt Cakes? The “cake topper” hand crafted from clay made by the bride! 

During the reception it didn’t take much to convince Heather and Ian to get up and sing their favorite songs with the band! 

The centerpieces (freshly sliced lemons and oranges) served as garnish for the imported beer. Each place setting had bubbles for fun, a metal mind puzzle to keep everyone guessing and chocolates to keep everyone sweet! 

Heather and Ian are both visual people and their guest book had to reflect that personality trait so a polaroid camera provided the perfect selfie station and guests wrote message of love on the back and hung them from a twine backdrop. 

The entire night was a focus on fun, family and close friends.

 

The amazing vendor team –

Photographer – Frances Cecilia Photography

Venue – Val Vista Lakes

Coordinator/Planner – Sweet I Do’s

Band – Jynx

Catering – Pita Bistro

Bartender – Hey Bartender!

Alcohol – BevM

Cake – Nothing Bundt Cakes

Staffing – ETC. by Emily

Rentals – YKnot Party Rentals

Real Wedding - Sarah & Quinton's Wedding Candy Buffet - Villa Siena Mesa, Arizona

Image Via Charmayne Yazzie Photography

Sarah and Quinton celebrated their wedding day at the gorgeous Villa Siena located in Mesa, Arizona. Sweet I Do's created an fabulous candy buffet featuring all of their favorites including brownie bites, chocolate covered pretzels, purple wrapped butter mints, Palmers chocolate caramels, Just Married Sweetarts, purple and silver milk chocolate gems and custom wrapped Rice Krispie Treats. We love the purple and silver colors! Guests took home their treats in silver Chinese take out boxes with custom labels.

Sweet I Do's is a wedding planning company located in Surprise, AZ (a suburb of Phoenix). We specialize in wedding day management (also known as day of coordination). We help you create an amazing, unique and totally "you" wedding that allows you to be in the moments making the memories, not worrying about the details. From contract review and timeline creation to day of management, set up and tear down, we're focused on ensuring our couples, their families and friends experience a stress and worry free night to remember.

20 Questions to Ask Your Potential Wedding Day Venue

Your wedding day will be one of the most beautiful and most expensive days of your life. You will be signing many, many agreements that are legally binding, but before you do be sure to ask the right questions and get everything that is promised verbally, in writing. You never know when the person you are dealing with may leave the company and there are no notes about all the things that they said they would do or give to you. Below are 20 questions/issues that as wedding day management specialists and day of coordinators we've learned to ensure are covered in the contract.

1. Ask if your specific date is available (and make sure that the day, date and year is referenced in the contract if you need a specific date).

2. If you are more flexible with your date, ask which dates are available and if there is a discount for booking in a specific month or day of the week (get this in writing in the contract).

3. Find out if there is a minimum and maximum number of people the venue can hold, dinner style (this is important as a venue can hold more people standing, conference style and stadium style).

4. Pricing and what specifically is included in the price - tables, chairs, linens, flatware, silverware, glassware, lighting, audio, visual, set up, tear down, security, bar, alcohol, etc. Make sure that everything that they promise verbally makes it into the contract.

5. Any discounts that are available (off season, weekday, day time, bridal show, referral, etc.). Make sure they are reflected in the contract.

6. What is the deposit amount, when is it due and is it refundable if you change your mind or if you are in the military and you are deployed?

7. How do you pay the remaining amount (is there a payment plan, penalties, is it refundable)?

8. Do they have a bridal suite and/or groom's room and is it included in your rental? When can you access it? Are there any restrictions (food, drinks, number of people)? Is it locked up during the wedding? When does it have to be cleaned out?

9. What is the cancellation policy?

10. What is their weather plan, when is it implemented and who makes that call?

11. How long do you have access to the space (set up and tear down time)? Make sure this is included in your contract.

12. What is the overtime fee and when is it implemented?

13. Are there any decoration restrictions or guidelines that must be followed (candles, flower petals, rice, balloons, hanging items, etc.).

14. Do they have a required vendor list? Is there an additional cost if you choose not to use them?

15. If they have a required caterer, ask for the price per person, packages and if there is any flexibility in the menus/choices.

16. Do they have a food tasting? Is there a cost for it? A maximum number of people that can attend? When does it happen? Do you get to choose what you sample?

17. Can you provide your own alcohol? If you can't, do they offer a consumption bar or a beer and wine only option?

18. Do they have music restrictions (time ending, sound level)?

19. Do they require security? Under what circumstances is it required? Is it included in the price? If it is not included, where can you hire them?

20. Do you have to provide event insurance, liquor liability or any other type of insurance? Do your vendors?

Seem overwhelming? We understand! Download an excel version of our questions here!

We can not stress enough to get everything that you are told in writing, preferably in the contract. We have seen over and over again couples that are scrambling last minute to find, fix or take care of things that they thought they were getting at the venue and for whatever reason the venue can not or will not accommodate.

Contract review is one of the main reasons we strongly suggest hiring a wedding day manager, day of coordinator or full service wedding planner.  

 

Local to Phoenix or coming here to get married, please call us or reach out on our contact form, we're happy to help!

Sweet I Do's is a wedding planning company located in Surprise, AZ (a suburb of Phoenix). We specialize in wedding day management (also known as day of coordination). We help you create an amazing, unique and totally "you" wedding that allows you to be in the moments making the memories, not worrying about the details. From contract review and timeline creation to day of management, set up and tear down, we're focused on ensuring our couples, their families and friends experience a stress and worry free night to remember.

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10 Mistakes To Avoid Making With Your Wedding Invitations

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You've been frantically searching Pinterest for amazing, fun and unique wedding invitations. You think you have found "the one" and now you need to order your stationery set. Before you hit that purchase button (and after you have received them but before you send them out) be sure you are avoiding these 10 common mistakes.

1. Not including all of the pertinent information - key items to include your names, the date, time and location (for both ceremony and reception if in different locations).

2. Not including a way to RSVP or making it way too difficult - be sure to include an RSVP card with a postage paid envelope or if you are choosing to have online RSVP's make sure the link is easy to read and simple, long hyperlinks open you up to errors and people not responding creating more work for yourself in the end.

Planner tip - only allow your guests 3-4 weeks (or whatever time is needed by your caterer/venue) to respond.

3. Not addressing the envelope to the guests you want to attend - This is the time to be very specific. Don't want children at your wedding? Specifically address the invitation to the parents, by name, only. Allowing a guest to bring a companion? Address it to your guest by name and add "and guest" - Mr. Pat Summer and Guest.

Planner tip - do not add the words "Adult only reception", "No children allowed" or any other phrasing. It will come across as passive aggressive.

4. Including registry information - asking for gifts in any form on the wedding invitation or included in the stationery set is rude. Word of mouth will work perfectly to get the information out there.

Planner tip - don't register for any honey fund or cash based gift site. Create a small registry and guests will know that you prefer cash.

5. Not spell or fact checking - check everything twice and then pass it on to a fresh set of eyes. Planner tip - read it out loud and word by word.

Planner tip - get out a calendar and touch the date to match day and date and Google search your venue for their address o Google.

6. Ordering too many invitations or not enough - you do not need an invitation for every guest, but only every address/family (as a unit). Add 10-20 extra invitations for people you may have forgotten about or if their invitation gets lost. Also, add 10-20 extra envelopes just in case you mess up the address or someone moves and the original invitation is returned.

Planner tip - keep one complete set for your photographer to use the day of.

7. Buying stamps before you know the cost of a completed invitation set - take a completed set (included the stamped response envelope) to the post office and get it weighed.

Planner tip - this is especially important if you have an unusually shaped or sized invitation set and something to consider when budgeting for your stationery.

8. Telling people what to wear - unless you are having a true black tie/white tie event, don't tell people what to wear. You can't control your guests and to be honest it isn't something to stress about. You won't remember what people wear anyway.

9. Any reference to alcohol or the lack of alcohol - telling guests that you will have a dry wedding, to BYOB or that it is a cash bar (the last two are totally against etiquette) while on the surface may seem helpful has no place on your invitation or in your invitation suite.

10. False start time - don't list a fake start time on your invitation (especially if it is just for a few guests that are "always late"). Most guests will arrive 15-30 minutes before the ceremony time. Giving a fake start time means you are penalizing the majority of your guests that will arrive on time or early and will cause issues with your venue and interfere with all of the pre-ceremony items such as pictures and final set up.

Sweet I Do's is a wedding planning company located in Surprise, AZ (a suburb of Phoenix). We specialize in wedding day management (also known as day of coordination). We help you create an amazing, unique and totally "you" wedding that allows you to be in the moments making the memories, not worrying about the details. From contract review and timeline creation to day of management, set up and tear down, we're focused on ensuring our couples, their families and friends experience a stress and worry free night to remember.