Thursday, June 30, 2011

Jordi's Bat Mitzvah

We did a great party this weekend for Jordi!  She had some purple uplighting with a touch of blue and pink.  She also had white, purple, and black feather centerpieces that we did for her.  This video was taken before the party got started and before the sun went down.  Imagine what the party was like when it was in full swing and the sun went down.  The lighting was amazing if I do say so myself!

Monday, May 23, 2011

Lighting for weddings

What can lighting do for your event?


Event lighting is a growing trend in New York and Chicago events according to Sarah Pease of Brilliant Event Planning out of New York City. Clients are spending their budgets on “music, floral, lighting, and food”. I’ve started to see this trend here in the D/FW metroplex as well. Some clients are just doing a little bit of pin-spotting on their centerpieces and cakes and some are opting for all out room washes with gobos that highlight the couple’s monogram as well as themes such as trees on the walls or beautiful swirls or snowflakes.

So, what is “lighting” anyways? Well, to start, there are room washes that light up the entire room with a certain color. Why do a room wash? There is nothing worse than stark house lighting on everyone’s head. Color wash takes away the harshness of house lighting and replaces it with a mood or feeling of relaxation and fun. Imagine taking the unkind white lights out of the equation and replacing it with one or two of your wedding colors. Our favorite lighting color is 100% magenta washed with a little bit of blue. This stunning look makes everyone look good, the food looks great and the guests are ready to party. There’s no harder way to get people on the dance floor than with cruel house lights shining on them highlighting their every move. Replacing this with a color wash gets everyone on the dance floor and in my book that is a successful event.

What about pin-spots? Pin spots are a great way to highlight the design and décor that you have worked so hard on to make perfect. You should always budget pin spots into your floral design. You can also uplight each individual centerpiece with centerpiece uplighting. These neat little devices fit underneath your centerpieces and light up the water and takes your décor to the next level. I suggest doing both centerpiece uplights and pin spots on your tall centerpieces at the very least. I would also suggest pin spotting your cake. Shed some light on the items you’ve spent a lot of time deciding on so that they don’t get lost. You’ve taken the time to make these items perfect. So, take the time to make sure they are seen.

What is a gobo? A gobo is a light fixture that sends light to your dance floor or walls in the shape of your monogram or other fun shapes such as trees, snowflakes, swirls, or words. For instance, if you’re theme is Hollywood, you can do a gobo that has the Hollywood sign projected right onto your dance floor or on one of your walls. The most popular gobos are monograms on the dance floor. Gobos add so much to your event’s décor that everyone will be talking about it for weeks to come.

So, to light or not to light? That is the question. Well, if you want an event that is out of the ordinary, lighting is definitely for you. If you want an event that is chic and unique, lighting is definitely for you. Don’t forget about lighting when you are creating your wedding budget. Whether it is a little bit of pin spotting for your cake and centerpieces or a full on room wash with gobos and centerpiece uplights, lighting is definitely for you.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Choosing your perfect invitation

Every bride knows that choosing the perfect invitation can be a headache to say the least.  There's all those books to look through and that's if you can find someone who carries the books.  At DragonFly Custom Invitations, we do have a sample book, but that is only so you can see what we've done in the past.  When you consult with us, we create something new, fresh, and unique.  No more worries that your friend will pick the same invitation.  Believe me, it's happened. To me!

First, you start with colors.  They don't necessarily have to match your wedding to a tee.   Colors say a lot about who your are and what you like.  So, we start by choosing your favorite colors and then we move on to papers.

Papers range from light 80 pound weight to a heavier stock of about 110 weight.  I personally love the heavier card stock.  That tells your guests to be prepared for the wedding of the decade.  Don't show  up in jeans, don't even think about wearing tennis shoes.

Then you choose the shape of your invitation.  Should it be a pocket that holds everything nice and tidy?  Or are you more of a freestyle girl who likes a flat invitation with lots of design.

Next comes the fun part: Design.  We love to design something new and fresh for every bride.  Whether it's the monogram that will play a part in all aspects of your wedding or a funky design that no one has in the corner of your invitation, design will tell your guests about your personal style.

Then you leave the rest to us.  We print the invitations and do all of the assembly. We even stuff them, stamp them, and mail them!  You don't have to worry about a thing when you work with DragonFly Custom Invitations. 

If you are a bride and you are looking for the perfect invitation, pick up the phone and call us at 817-230-4165 or e-mail us at info@dragonflycustominvitations.com.  In the meantime, check out our website at www.dragonflycustominvitations.com to see some of what we've done for other clients just like you.

Monday, May 16, 2011

See Jane Live conference this weekend

So, I just got back from Chicago which was great!  I participated in the See Jane Live event which was really an eye opener for how I run my business.  Some changes will be made around here.  One change is that I'll be blogging more.  So, for my wonderful 7 followers, you'll get to hear from me more!

I'm also starting an invitation of the month program which will highlight our favorite invitation we've done each month.  This month, I'd like to highlight Shawn Rogers' invitation. It's simple, but so very elegant.  I just love it!