How to Pack for Your Destination Wedding Or Honeymoon!

A few weeks ago, I created this 'how to' post for my Tahoe Unveiled viewers. It was such a big hit, that I thought my One Fine Day viewers would like it to!

Packing a suitcase for any occasion is always a challenge. But, Martha Stewart featured a fabulous article in her destination magazine that I just have to share with all you honeymooners - how to pack efficiently!

Layer One -  Shoes, Jeans, & Jackets

Line the bottom with shoes and tech gear in bags. Fill the center with rolled-up jeans and jacket. Martha stores all of her shoes in felt bags - this could be a great favor idea ladies!

Layer Two - Dresses

Lay dresses and pants lengthwise on top of the first layer, letting the ends hang over the sides of the luggage.

Layer Three - Shirts & Sweaters

Roll shirts and sweaters. Place them on top of the second layer. Cover them with the ends of the dresses and pants from the layer underneath.

Layer Four - Delicates & Toiletries

Fold delicates. Place toiletries and lingerie into separate bags. Set it all on top. Flight 001 "F1 Spacepak Lingerie" bag

Unique Wedding Favors

A little Tahoe Unveiled advice & inspiration for you today - unique wedding favors!

From wearable to edible, these unique wedding favors are some of the fun useful ways to thank your wedding guests!

For a destination wedding:

Help your guests out by providing favors that they may have forgotten such as, flip flops for a beach wedding, shawls for a chilly mountain setting or, hats for a where it is nice and sunny. Another fun idea is to create visitors packages using a cute container like these little red suitcases. Fill them with locally made treats and visitors information or even a candle with a scent that will remind them of the wedding's local.

clockwise: jones sodas - mast brothers chocolate - suitcase gift boxes - flip-flops personalized beer - posh pocket puzzle books - shawls

For a personal touch:

If you want to add a personal touch to your gifts, consider creating your own beer, wine, matchbooks or sodas with your photos as labels. You could even give a classy key shaped bottle opener. Some other favors that can be personalized to your wedding motif include soaps, cookie cutters, or even posh puzzle books that come in a variety of styles.

clockwise: pear cookie cutters - key bottle opener - vintage hats - matchboxes - xo soaps B.R. Cohn olive oil - tatine candle

Inspiration Board | Accessories

Oh how I love accessories. There are so many ways to dress up a room/space/yard/estate. One of my favorite roles as an event planner is working with my clients to find their vision and design the colors and theme, while implementing accessories to boost the personality of the event. Here are a few of my latest finds: Simple Whimsical Elements

Implementing nature is a very popular theme today. It is especially great for those on a tight budget. Why? Because there are many things you can collect in the forest, on the beach, in your backyard, etc. that are free. They just require a little crafty DIY!

This inspiration board is made up of fresh accessories that elude an organic feel. The place cards wrapped around a wooden post and held in place with clothes pins is such a simple, yet decorative display; the wooden lantern is used to collect gift cards and decorated with river rocks; a collection of recycled paper hand tied with raffia is used as a unique guest book; potted plants and popsicle sticks create a very whimsical means for seating guests; a beautifully decorated belly belt is used to hold the napkin in place while adding a punch of color to the table; and rustic lanterns hang from tree branches over hay stacks, which are covered with colorful blankets. Each of these images are pretty simple, yet so prominent.

Creative Twist on the Traditional Wedding

Traditionally, weddings were pretty straight forward and the decorations minimal at best. The focus of the wedding was mainly on the ceremonial matters and gathering loved ones together. While these two fundamentals are still huge in today's wedding world, the decorations, theme, and design of the wedding have become almost just as important. You want your wedding to stand out and be memorable - what other way to do so than in your accessories. Thanks to the abundance of magazines, websites, and creative minds there is an infinite amount of ideas at one's disposal. Simple things like signs created out of a plank of wood or chalk boards to direct guests are incredibly trendy at the moment. But, the creative part is not copying a picture, it is implementing this picture and twisting it to reflect your theme, personality, and design. This is the inspiration behind this board. Each item is very simple and somewhat traditional, but they are almost reorganized to produce a fun and different image.

Inspiration Board | Place Cards of all shapes, sizes, and designs!

After all things great and small, fine attention to detail really does play a huge role in knocking the socks off your guests! It may seem like a simple and overlooked part of your wedding, but displaying your escort cards in a unique and aesthetic manner is the icing on the cake! Here are a few of my latest favorites.

Thank you to brides.com, theknot.com, marthastewartweddings.com, and the following photographers:

A Bryan Photo

Autumn Lin Photography

Mindy Myers Photography

Red Ribbon Studio

Angie Silvy Photography

Kim Long Photography

Candy Buffets ~ The pros and cons of candy favors

The perfect assemblance of a color coordinated candy buffet  will evoke "oohs and ahhs" when your guests first enter the room. The cohesive architecture is intended to portray somewhat of an entertaining decoration. But, consider the alternate vision as the evening ensues and more guests dive into their sugar craving, leaving half full containers and candy spilled all over the table. Before you purchase infinite amounts of candy and varying vases and jars, consider the following pros and cons:

Pros ~

1. The look is dramatic, organized, and colorful - you can easily accentuate your colors in a bold manner.

2. Not only does it serve as a favor, but it can also serve as a late night snack.

3. The cost can be relatively cheap, as you can reuse the vases and jars in your house.

4. Kids will love it!

Cons ~

1. During the reception, the table will look messy and disorganized, which in essence negates the purpose of the display.

2. Requires someone to repeatedly refill the containers and clean up the mess ~ not a task for a guest, as their favorite song may drag them to the dance floor, stealing their "candy attending" attention.

3. Requires you to also purchase coordinating bags or boxes for the candy.

4. If you're reception is outdoors, the animals may devour it prior to your guests!

5. If kids attend your wedding, they will occupy the table.

6. When you run out of candy the look turns from fab to drab.

Fresh Favor Idea!

Here's a great favor idea that everyone will love you for - boutique soap. Pick your flavor(s) and your color(s), and place them on each person's place setting. Check out LatherandFizz.com or one of their stores for a variety of flavors, colors, sizes, and styles.