Guest Post #6 by Kathryn Kieffer of Festive Fare

Every season I see different styles…from very simple to high-end glam, and color often plays an important role. It is always fun to see brides, event planners, and others bring in their invitations, or dress swatches. From a sales perspective it is helpful to keep up on what “Martha Stewart Weddings” is showing and checking out the popular colors for weddings at jcrew.com. The pantone fashion forecast is also one of my favorite resources.Part of designing a successful tabletop look is understanding how all the components of design come together. Linens are a base on which you build. Glasses add height and sparkle, chargers and napkins anchor your eye, and the chair creates a boundary! All of these can be an option to inject color.Having had several requests for plum and avocado, I have assembled some personal; favorites as well as some elements of upcoming weddings. Umbrella grape stripe linens with the Avocado dot plate would be such a fun look for a post-wedding brunch! And New Stripe Eggplant with Bravo Stemware would look great for an outdoor wedding in September or October. Mixing and matching other things like Tulip Stemware, Fuchsia satin, Amethyst Sheer, Beaded napkin rings, etc…give you the options to pick one statement making selection to reinforce the color you want to emphasize. I also think that the Topaz’s in Valentine and Loden are fantastic!I have found that roses and navy are also more common than they once were and I love Four Seasons Spring plaid with Sevres antique peach plates! Seeing the table through rose colored glasses, like Pale Pink Lido on top of Pink French Pleat is awesome! The important part of designing any look with color is to be willing to try a few things. While you may think that only the perfect shade of pale pink will work, there are some fantastic pink napkins, glasses, and chiavari chair cushions to introduce into the mix. I love working in the showroom and re-inventing tabletops!

Festive Fare 1745 Broadway St., Charlottesville, VA
~ phone: 434-296-5496
~ e-mail: kkieffer@festivefarerentals.com
~ website: http://charlottesville.classicpartyrentals.com

If you’re planning a wedding in the Charlottesville area, the Charlottesville Wedding Directory will make your life so much easier… check it out… and happy wedding planning!

Well, it’s an old jag actually… and according to Andrea Saathoff, owner of Albemarle Vintage Limousine, it’s a “rare and magnificent 1946 Jaguar Mark IV, a model favored by the royal family.”

This silver beauty is a 4-door, right-hand drive vehicle that, until it’s arrival in the US and complete restoration was displayed in an international auto museum.

Albemarle Vintage Limousine currently offers, along with this beautiful vehicle, 4 other museum-quality vintage motorcars for rent for your event… check ‘em out.

Oh, and I also noticed that the talented Jennifer Carroll also posted about this elegant vintage jag on her blog yesterday… be sure to hop over there and check it out.

These fantastic photos were taken recently by one of the CWB’s favorite photographers, Jack Looney, at the always-lovely King Family Vineyards.

If you’re planning a wedding in the Charlottesville area, the Charlottesville Wedding Directory will make your life so much easier… check it out… and happy wedding planning

Guest Post #5 by Kathryn Kieffer of Festive Fare

More great tips from Kathryn… enjoy!

Thoughts of wedding flowers, table linens, and the menu are all huge parts of planning a reception. Another major consideration is planning a reception that will work in your space. If you plan to have a tent wedding, there are many things that you should consider regarding the size of tent and style of reception.

A 20′x30′ tent sounds big, but if you consider the square footage you only have room to seat 60 guests! And that does not give you space for a bar, dance floor, or even a cake table! The rule of thumb is you need 10 square feet per person seated. Festive Fare recently jumped the technology bandwagon and now has CAD drawing capabilities. I have done hand drawings forever, but the computer program is fun and illustrates my point.
By the same token, if you elect to have a wedding in a University Pavilion garden – if fair weather everything is good, but in the event of inclement weather it is nice to have a flexible menu and reception style to accommodate more guests in a smaller space. I love using smaller tables and stand up cocktail tables that are easy to move, easy to place in tight spaces (i.e. indoors). Smaller tables and a lower ratio of seating to number of guests encourages your guests to mingle and move about. They also take up less square footage!

The other thing I’m discovering about designing events on the computer…it let’s you change the feel of your event without using the eraser! It is also helpful for brides to plan seating charts as this client provided diagram points out! The bride provides a diagram so that when the caterer, rental company, or anyone else who has a role in the wedding knows exactly how the event should be set up.

Here are some helpful guidelines for planning for the space your reception will be held in…
6 square feet per person, cocktail buffet
10 square feet per person, seated dinner
3 square feet per person, dancing

Festive Fare
1745 Broadway St., Charlottesville, VA
phone: 434-296-5496
e-mail: kkieffer@festivefarerentals.com
website: http://charlottesville.classicpartyrentals.com

If you’re planning a wedding in the Charlottesville area, the Charlottesville Wedding Directory will make your life so much easier… check it out… and happy wedding planning!

As promised, here are another collection of beautiful wedding tents from Charlottesville’s Skyline Tent Company.  In addition to tents, Skyline offers custom lighting, tables & chairs, flooring and staging and more.  Thanks again, Liz, for the beautiful images!

↑ A Pimento; Beehive Events ↑↑ Clifton; Event Company ↑↑ Skyline Tent Company; Beehive Events; A Pimento ↑↑ Skyline Tent Company; Beehive Events ↑↑ Skyline Tent Company; Beehive Events; Keswick Hall ↑↑ Jennifer Carroll Events ↑↑ Skyline Tent Company ↑↑ Skyline Tent Company ↑↑ Skyline Tent Company ↑↑ Skyline Tent Company: Skyline Tent Lighting ↑

Contact Information for Skyline Tent Company
~ website: www.skylinetentcompany.com
~ phone: 434-977-TENT (8368)
~ e-mail: info@skylinetentcompany.com

If you’re planning a wedding in the Charlottesville area, the Charlottesville Wedding Directorywill make your life so much easier… check it out… and happy wedding planning

Liz Powers of Skyline Tent Company was kind enough to share this beautiful selection of photos that showcase some of the amazing array of possibilities that having a tent at your wedding offers. I have to admit I have a special fondness for tented events… there’s something lovely about being outdoors and yet protected from the elements while dining and dancing. As you will see from these images, Skyline Tent Co. teams up with lots of local vendors to create the look and feel that their couples want. I am so pleased to share these photos with you… thanks Liz!

↑ Skyline Tent Co.; Beehive Events; Festive Fare ↑

↑ Skyline Tent Co.; A Pimento Catering; Festive Fare; Beehive Events ↑↑ Skyline Tent Co.; A Pimento; Festive Fare; Beehive Events ↑↑ Skyline Tent Co. ↑↑ Skyline Tent Co.; A Pimento; Beehive Events ↑↑ Beehive Events ↑↑ Skyline Tent Co. ↑↑ Beehive Events, Keswick Hall ↑↑ Clifton Inn; Pat’s Floral Design ↑↑ Clifton Inn ↑

Be sure to check back in a day or two for lots more beautiful wedding tents!

Contact Information for Skyline Tent Company
~ website: www.skylinetentcompany.com
~ phone: 434-977-TENT (8368)
~ e-mail: info@skylinetentcompany.com

If you’re planning a wedding in the Charlottesville area, the Charlottesville Wedding Directorywill make your life so much easier… check it out… and happy wedding planning

Guest Post #2 by Kathryn Kieffer of Festive Fare

There are lots of ways to make a statement with your table settings without blowing your budget immediately and I would like to show you some ways to make your rental and décor budget stretch more.
First, prioritize. Think about what rental items hold the highest priority. Do you have your heart set on a chiavari ballroom chair? Go for it – but opt for a less expensive glass or napkin. Linens give you a LOT of bang for your buck!  While an individual piece of glassware or flatware adds up when you think in terms of per person, an awesome linen can be divided among 8 – 10 of your guests so the cost is incremental. If a charger is just slightly out of your budget, here are several ways to spice up your place setting.  A napkin ring adds interest and can pull in accent colors and really tie the whole look together.  Another way to fill the setting is with a crisp napkin folded under a menu card or favor. I love stemware and will always choose a fabulous pattern for the table.  Only setting 2 glasses (water and choice of wine) will cut down on the number of pieces you need for the tabletop and you get to keep those gorgeous stems! If you are having a buffet it is not necessary to splurge on the plate as it will not be set on the table it will be stacked on the buffet.
Just some of my favorites and I have lots more ideas… but I’m sure the economy is already recovering!

Festive Fare
1745 Broadway St., Charlottesville, VA
phone: 434-296-5496
e-mail: kkieffer@festivefarerentals.com
website: http://charlottesville.classicpartyrentals.com

Today I am so pleased to start a series of guest posts from Kathryn Kieffer of Festive Fare, the most complete party rental company in our area.  Once a month Kathryn will be sharing her inspirations and ideas on creating beautiful wedding looks for brides and grooms planning their events in the Charlottesville area.  I know you’ll love Kathryn’s posts… enjoy!

~ Guest Post by Kathryn Kieffer ~

Having been in the party rental business for years, I always start feeling Spring fever well before Spring comes. Brides come in all winter long picking their looks for Spring and Summer weddings. While flip flops are still a way off I am pulling linens to go with the first blooms of spring and while cradling my hot coffee to ward off the chill I am showing glasses to hold blackberry iced tea. This is the time of year where I wear dark denim and sweaters while setting a table with crisp cotton organdy over pale pink. The Spring looks are always welcome in the showroom at Festive Fare. This year we wanted to share some of our favorites…

Martha Stewart calls the perfect Spring 2009 palette Pink, Orange, and Yellow in the Winter 2009 MS Weddings. And I couldn’t agree more! Mango Tango embraces all these colors and with a white wood chair and lace china it couldn’t be more perfect!Text text The Pantone Fashion forecast,  has bold fuchsia and super lemon among the colors for spring. Our fuchsia and canary satin mixed with Pucci Pucci is begging to be used for a lounge style after party! With signature cocktails in Silhouette…how sleek is that?
My favorite? Today is Balboa Natural, super clean stripe in shades of neutral. The biggest challenge I have with this cloth is deciding whether I love the white, cream, or silver chiavari. This is a fabulous wedding look for the modern bride.
Please stop by the Festive Fare showroom to see my favorite spring looks and pick yours!

Festive Fare
1745 Broadway St., Charlottesville, VA
phone: 434-296-5496
e-mail: info@festivefarerentals.com
website: http://charlottesville.classicpartyrentals.com