Get SPOTTED!

Posted by The Summerlin House At Thornton Park
Create your own banner at mybannermaker.com!

Tell your mom, tell your friends, tell your fellow brides, tell your dog...!!!

The Summerlin House has a big beautiful ad coming out in the first issue of Orlando Wedding Magazine [slated to hit stands July 1...but definitely by the weekend]! We are BEYOND stoked! So much so that we decided to give things away!!!

We want pictures of you SPOTTED checking out our ad. Get someone (anyone!) to play paparazzi and snap pics of you enthralled by our ad. Post your pics on our facebook wall (as many as you want!) for everyone to see! [Winners will be posted July 12!]

We will choose winners in the following categories:
Most creative shot wins an engagement photo shoot with Jen Adams & Associates
Funniest shot scores $300 towards a floral package by our very own Creative Designs Weddings&Events [$300 floral package is designed to cover bridal bouquet & grooms boutineer but can be applied any way you choose!]
Best overall pockets a gift certificate towards dinner at Hue, one of our favorite restaurants, just down the street from The Summerlin House!


We will also be choosing one of the three winners to be our featured bride in a future "Wedding Wednesday" blog!


We are excited to see what you come up with! Don't let The Summerlin House Intern beat you....she isn't even engaged yet!!!

Get your copy of Orlando Wedding Magazine's first issue at the following stores:
Barnes & Noble
Borders
Publix [select locations]
Whole Foods


Category:

Flower Power

Posted by The Summerlin House At Thornton Park
Don't let wilted flowers wilt your special summer wedding! Here are some tips on how to keep your bouquet perky for the ceremony and the pictures afterwards:

1. Chill them...until the last possible minute

2. Copy them. Two is better than one, so why not have one bouquet for the ceremony and then a fresh one for pictures.

3. Plant them. Use potted plants as arrangements. It is trendy, different and cost effective because you can also give them away as favors at the end of the evening. (Less clean up too!)

4. Fake them. If you want flowers in your hair...why not make it the kind you can hairspray?



If you want to take your chances with a bouquet sans "stunt double", flowers in your hair or as decor during the summer months, you should choose ones that can stand the heat... like these:

Astilbe



Cosmos



Garden Roses - most colors and oh so delicious smelling!



Hydrangea



Lady's Mantle



Mint - we just LOVE that soothing smell!



Orchids - most heat resistant





Wake up and smell the roses...it's SUMMER! :)
Category:

Cool Ideas for the Hot Summer

Posted by The Summerlin House At Thornton Park
For you brides that are brave enough to bear the heat and enjoy your special day during these (or next year's) hot summer months, we have a few summery tricks and tips to keep things looking (and feeling!) cool.

Green is everywhere! Whether it is the lush green summer grass or the concept of "going green" this table is an easy way to look and be green as well as save you some of the green you keep in your wallet too!


Fruit is useful for more than just decorating the inside of a clear table...use it on top too! Make your place cards and table assignments ripe by adding them to a piece of deliciousness or boast about your local fruits and veggies by showcasing them in your centerpiece (like Florida citrus! It's hard NOT to stumble upon oranges everywhere around here and it just so happens we LOVE the hot new color palettes that utilize orange and coral! So, be creative with those oranges!)



Lastly look cool while keeping your guests cool. You will make your attendees feel like kids again with summer treats like this! You can find flavors to make them almost any color too!



Don't work around the summer....make the summer work for YOU!
Category:

Wedding Wednesday - Bride... and The Summerlin House Model Andrea Dennis

Posted by The Summerlin House At Thornton Park


If you are an Orlando native (like us at The Summerlin House) you probably listen to The Monsters in the Morning on Real Radio 104.1. Andrea and Daniel Dennis (one of the "monsters") didn't have their wedding at The Summerlin House, but did use Creative Designs Weddings & Events to plan their wedding and do the floral (offices on the 2nd floor of The Summerlin House). Her theme of "vintage fun" is a good way to describe how we like to do things here and that's why we chose her to be our model. We are so excited to see her in our ad in Orlando Weddings Magazine hitting stands July 1, 2010. Check out her beautiful wedding photos and a sneak peak at pictures from our photoshoot as well as her great answers to some of the questions we had.




The Details
Planning & Floral: Creative Designs Weddings & Events
Ceremony & Reception: I.W. Phillips House (Courtyard Lake Lucerne)
Catering : Puff 'N Stuff
Cake: Cupcakes from Sweet! by Good Golly Miss Holly
Photos: LeighTaylor Photography


How did you choose your vendors?
Mostly word of mouth. Some I had experienced at friends weddings first hand and loved them. But I didn’t go into anything blindly without a recommendation or trying myself.

What did you splurge on?
Photos and food/venue, but mostly photos. I had to have her.

What was the best decision you made with regard to your wedding planning?
To plan and give myself time. I am not sure how these girls do it with only say four months. I needed time to save money, and make sure everything was perfect, oh yea and keep my sanity.

What was the most memorable moment of your wedding day?
Actually remembering every moment. Everyone told us it would go by so fast we wouldn’t remember it or savor it, but we did. We actually got to sit together and eat, and just talk, basically our first dinner as a married couple.

How did you pick your reception site?
Once I saw it I knew. And then I took the hubby there and he loved it. It was very us, outdoors, vintage, just perfect. We also went back during the time of day our wedding would be to make sure it looked how we wanted.

What is one thing you wish you had done on your wedding day that you didn’t do?
Nothing! It was perfect.

What was the first thing you purchased or deicded after you were engaged?
Venue. I didn’t want my place to get booked up on the day I wanted. I didn’t want to have to change my day.

Did you have a theme?
Vintage fun

Did you incorporate any important traditions?
No I think we were really non-traditional.

Briefly describe your first date, courtship, engagement.
Daniel and I worked together, but we had never really talked. Everyone went out to WingHouse on a Friday afternoon and he was there. The band Faith No More was on the radio and we started talking about them and next thing I knew he said “you’re going to go out with me.” I was a little taken aback and didn’t know if it was appropriate being work and all, but I did the next day. After that we never looked back. After 5 years together right before Christmas, Daniel called me on my way home from work and said the Christmas tree wasn’t working. He knew my personality that as soon as I got home I would have to fix it. And so once I got home I went right to it. I looked in the tree and saw it wasn’t plugged in, plugged it in and looked at him like, “you didn’t plug it in.” At that point he said you didn’t see what you were suppose to. So I looked back in the tree and there it was, a ring box. I said, “WHAT!” and he asked me to marry him. It was perfect and so like us that I would mess up the whole engagement. We were engaged a year and a half before getting married. Life has been wonderful with Daniel.






Category:

Don't Let the Grass Steal Your Sass!

Posted by The Summerlin House At Thornton Park

Today we were doing what we do best, researching awesome things for all you brides to be and we found something cool that we thought we would share. SoleMates High Heeler is a tiny cap that you fit onto the heel of your weapon-like high heels that keeps you from sinking in the grass or getting caught in cobblestones. HOW COOL! I know I have sunk in the grass before, so I'm sure you have too. Click on the picture of them below to check out their site!


Category:

Wedding Wednesday - Cole's Classic Cars

Posted by The Summerlin House At Thornton Park
Today marks the beginning of a great (new) tradition here at The Summerlin House, it is the first official Wedding Wednesday! Wedding Wednesday is The Summerlin House introducing you to all of our favorite wedding must haves. We thought there would be no better way to start our tradition with a wedding vendor that exudes tradition (and style!): Cole's Classic Cars. Read on for the story of how it all began.

Cole's Classic Cars, The Father & Son Cole-lection


There is nothing better than a great story about great people. We love Cole's Classic Cars and we know you will too. Visit their website (by clicking the logo below) for more info. Check back for more blogging and next weeks Wedding Wednesday must have!


Category:

Let's Eat!

Posted by The Summerlin House At Thornton Park
Catering consumes a large majority of a wedding's budget. How do you decide what kind of food to offer at your wedding? Better yet, how do you decide how to serve the food that you choose? Let's discuss...

1. The season. People are less likely to eat heavily in the summer and more likely to stuff themselves to the brim during the winter. Also, make sure you are aware whether or not the food you choose to serve will be in season during the time of year that you are getting married. Choosing an out of season item doesn't always mean that it will not be available, but it does however mean that you will pay more for it.

2. Choose what you want! Most brides, and even groomes diet long before their wedding date, so when that day finally arrives...eat! In addition, it isn't necessary to be overly worried about whether or not everyone will be excited about your selections. As long as your menu isn't too "out there" everyone will be happy. If you and your fiance do desire foods that are far from the norm, consider serving them in small portions as maybe an appetizer in order to get what you want without it costing a fortune only for it to go to waste.

3. Plan of action. What kind of approach will you take to serving you food and drinks?

Sit down dinners imply formality and take up time. It seems like this would be the more costly approach but that is not necessarily the case. When having a sit down dinner the food is prepared for the number of guests, with a buffet however, it is unknown how many trips one guest could end up making.



Buffets generally allow the guests to move around the venue as well as around their meal at their own pace. Since buffets are less formal, it isn't necessary to serve such formal food. Buffets take up less time, but more space. Several buffet stations may be needed to keep your guests from waiting in line like they are in an elementary school cafeteria. Buffets also only have a shelf life of about 2 hours.



A cocktail party, if kept under 3 hours, can be an easy and classy way to save money on your wedding. Passed hors d'oeuvres are less expensive than a sit down meal, but the timing of your party needs to be a signal to guests that they will not be receiving a full meal. If your cocktail reception begins at 5pm...people will be hungry for dinner, but if it begins at 8pm hopefully your guests will have already eaten.



Casual BBQs are good for informal couples who plan to have a very intimate wedding. These can be catered or done by friends.



Puff N Stuff, The Summerlin House's exclusive caterer has won numerous awards and is known for "passionately perfecting life's events". Puff N Stuff can easily produce any of the events described above. Be sure to check out their website using the link above for more details. Bon Appetit!!
Category:

Hot or Cold?

Posted by The Summerlin House At Thornton Park
When it comes time for people to choose a date, many opt for a date during the traditional "wedding season". As Floridians however, most of us do not consider May - August the most comfortable time of the year. With temperatures reaching record highs summer after summer, maybe it is time for us to create our own "Florida Wedding Season".

Oddly enough, the most beautiful times of the year to be a Floridian are those months coming before and after "wedding season". October and November as well as February and March are when we can enjoy cool crisp breezes along with our wonderful Florida sunshine, leaving the thermometer to read a welcoming 70-75 degrees. So we ask you, beach bunny brides, why not consider a "winter wedding"? Here are 10 reasons why we think you should:

10. Your hair. Whether you have long or short, curly or straight hair, in the Florida humidity it is going to fall flat or...just the opposite! It is significantly less humid, if at all, during the fall/winter or spring.



[Remember when the Friends went to Barbados? Monica's hair didn't survive the humidity!]

9. Your makeup. Whether you do your own makeup or splurge on an airbrushing session, no one wants their eyes to be glued shut because of melting mascara! YIKES!

8. Your gown. Why sacrifice all those lovely layers of toole and all the things that make you feel like a princess on your wedding day in the name of the heat? Go and pick out a big poofy dress and have a winter wedding...your dress will keep you warm.



7. The Cake. Want a summer wedding? No buttercream frosting for you! Even if your wedding is inside it isn't advisable to go with anything other than fondant for a cake in the Florida heat. Less heat = less melting. Winter weddings are in the lead 3 to 0.

6. The rain. Even when it is 90 degrees and the sun is shining there is always a chance for a summer shower or worse: a thunder storm. Rain chances are much lower during the cooler months.

5. The venue. During the winter you do not have to worry about how long you keep your guests outside because even if it is a little more chilly than desirable, they will have dressed for the occasion (we hope). However, during a summer wedding your guests will not be able to UNdress due to the heat (again, we can only hope!).

4. The Flowers. The color pallete available to you by using flowers available in the cooler months is HUGE. Here are some ideas:
* Roses - Red, White, Black Beauty, Black Magic
* Lilies - Stargazer, Casablanca, Cala, Alstromeria (mini)
* Chrysanthemums
* Daisies - Gerbera
* Carnations
* Freesia
* Gardenias
* Amaryllis
* Hydrangea
* Magnolia
* Snowball Mums
* Poinsettias - White and Red
* Pionese



3. Candles. Get in the mood! You won't have to worry about candles producing extra heat during your wedding if that heat is WELCOME, like it would be during the winter. Nor will they be doused by the summer storms! Candles are inexpensive and can easily replace costly floral centerpieces and if done correctly, produce a stunning effect.



2. THE Date. You won't have to duke it out like Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson did in Bride Wars over a wedding date if you are not having a summer wedding...winter dates are less sought after.



1. The Budget. It is more cost effective to have a wedding during the "off season" because whether it is resort, museum or venue specifically designed for weddings, everyone's busy season is during the summer and they therefore welcome ALL business with open arms (and lower prices!) before and after that time.

There you have it! 10 reasons to be dinstinctive and have a "non traditional" winter wedding and there is no better location for that than at The Summerlin House! Don't forget about Open House this sunday...we sure haven't! It smells like Open House already... :)
Category:

Cheese Please

Posted by The Summerlin House At Thornton Park
Looking for a unique wedding favor for your guests? Partybooths offers a fun interactive option that not only entertains your guests but you too will get a copy of all photos taken during the reception. Everyone loves a photo booth! Say cheese!



See the booth in action at Open House on Sunday!








Category:

Beep Beep!!

Posted by The Summerlin House At Thornton Park


Not sure how to make your "grand exit"? Here's an idea...drive away in vintage style with one of Cole's Classic Cars! Want to have a look at one? Come to our Open House on Sunday June 13, 2010 from 12-3pm and hop in the driver's seat.





Category:

Calling All Brides!

Posted by The Summerlin House At Thornton Park
Good news! The Summerlin House is having an Open House just for you! Come spend the afternoon with us and enjoy music, food, wedding vendors and over 75 gowns for you to fall in love with. The best part is that each and every gown is only $100! Thanks to Savannah Grace Bridal, these gowns normally retailing at up to $2,000 are yours for the taking. So come on out and enjoy being a bride!


The Open House is Sunday June 13th, 2010 at The Summerlin House from 12pm - 3pm.
Category: