Carolyn Wilson

Weddings & Events

give us a ring 925-315-9589

phone
  • About
    • About Us
    • Bio
    • FAQ’S
  • Services
  • Gallery

the social connection

  • f
  • t
  • p
  • i
  • Accolades
  • Blog
  • Inquiries
  • About
    • About
    • Bio
    • FAQ’S
  • Services
  • Gallery
  • Accolades
  • Blog
  • Contact Us

Tips for Hosting the Perfect Summertime Wedding

June 16, 2016

Wedding Coordinator California | Host the perfect summer wedding

Temperatures are on the rise and summer weather has made its debut here in California. At Carolyn Wilson Weddings & Events, we are loving the summer sunshine, breezy style, and airy themes accompanying this season’s stunning weddings. While the summertime season easy and breezy, summer wedding planning isn’t always the same way. This season will harbor a few wedding planning roadblocks if you’re not careful! To host a flawless summer soiree, keep our top tips in mind. These will ensure guests stay happy and cool, while the bride stays relaxed and stress-free:

  • Provide plenty of water: keep water dispensers filled and ice-cold so guests can easily stay hydrated. If at a seated meal, ask servers rotate through the venue regularly refilling glasses. Be especially sure to refresh the water supply after dessert has been served, when guests are likely to get thirsty again!
  • Choose light appetizers: keep your menu feeling summery and fresh by providing light appetizers (as opposed to heavy comfort foods). Caprese skewers, fruits, and cheeses are always good options to keep the menu feeling seasonal.
  • Provide summery cocktails: Let guests sip on something sweet that tastes like summer. Look for refreshing combinations like cucumber and mint or fruity concoctions that are sweet and citrusy.
  • Include fans: Keep a breeze going with fans if necessary. For an adorable alternative, provide outdoor wedding guests with programs that double as handheld fan. Or use your wedding monogram for a simple but cohesive touch.
  • Plan for sunlight: Have you checked the outdoor lighting at your venue, at the right time of day? Make sure that gorgeous sunset you’re envisioning isn’t actually a bright light causing guests to squint through the whole ceremony. Work your wedding schedule around summer’s long days and bright sunshine.
  • Pack a bridal emergency kit: Have your maid of honor carry a bridal emergency kit for any unexpected uh-ohs. In warm summer months, you’ll be grateful for that travel-sized deodorant or bottle of baby powder. If you don’t use it, no big deal… but you’ll be glad you have it if you find yourself in need!
  • Have a seamless timeline: The best way to ensure success is a well-planned timeline for the whole day. Make sure you capture photos in summertime’s best sunlight, and avoid bright glares. Keep guests moving and entertained, so nobody is lingering and getting antsy in the warm weather. Considering the details beforehand will go a long way in relieving your stress and making the day enjoyable for guests.

Best of luck in your wedding planning process! Need help executing all the details? We hope you’ll consider planning your wedding with the best wedding coordinator California has to offer. Carolyn Wilson Weddings & Events is honored to be a part of your special day, whether in summertime or any other season!

Filed Under: Planning, Tips and Tricks
Leave a Comment

Why you’ll love having a schedule on your wedding day

March 4, 2016

At Carolyn Wilson Weddings and Events, we believe the key to a perfectly polished wedding day is a detailed schedule. While planning out the minute details of the big day may seem overwhelming at first, you’ll find it well-worth the effort to ensure a stress-free wedding day—for you, your guests, and your vendors. A schedule designed by an experienced wedding planner will secure priceless peace of mind for the newlyweds on their special day. We know you’ll love having a seamless wedding day experience, for these reasons and more:

  • Vendor management: a schedule helps get vendors to the appropriate locations at the appropriate times. Your wedding planner will be equipped to direct all vendors according to the plan, significantly reducing the chance of any snafus (although rest assured—if an obstacle does come up, your wedding planner will take care of any roadblock so you don’t have to!).
  • Reception flow: traditional weddings pack quite a few events into one evening. From toasts and bouquet tosses, to dinner and dancing, there are a lot of activities to pull together. A detailed schedule keeps the evening moving along at the perfect pace so you don’t have to rush any events or forgo any traditions you wish to include. An experienced wedding planner will help in this regard as well. If she senses one of the wedding activities is dragging out (oops, that toast went a bit long!), or another deserves a little extra attention, she can be flexible in facilitating the activities at an appropriate pace.
  • Happy guests: with a detailed schedule, you can rest assured that all guests will have a wonderful time at your wedding. The schedule will prevent mishaps (like transportation arriving late, or the DJ being unprepared when guests are ready to hit the dance floor). It may seem trivial, but scheduling every minute detail will ultimately protect your day from any unwanted obstacles and ensure your guests enjoy the party long into the night.
  • Peace of mind for the bride and groom: this is the most important benefit of designing a detailed wedding schedule! As a bride with a schedule, you can enjoy this precious day without worrying about a single thing. You can live in the moment and trust that your wedding planner has taken care of all the details.

Of course, flexibility is equally important as the schedule. Try as we might to plan out all the details, things may not go exactly according to the schedule—and that’s okay! You’re in good hands with an experienced wedding planner who can adapt seamlessly to any schedule.

Take a look at our basic schedule guideline here; this provides a basic overview of what you can expect at a traditional wedding reception. Let’s talk about how we can customize it and fill in all the details in a way that fits just right for you. We would love to work with you on your custom wedding schedule! Though planning out the day may seem daunting at first glance, you’ll definitely appreciate all the benefits of a schedule on your special day. We would be honored to plan with you!

San Francisco Wedding Planning | Carolyn Wilson Events

Filed Under: Planning
Leave a Comment

What is a ‘Styled Shoot’?

February 3, 2014

I have had the pleasure of working on a few styled shoots over the past few months and love how much fun they are!  I get to incorporate some fun, new and exciting wedding and event design ideas, meet new vendors, work with wonderful locations, and be provided with some amazing photos to share with everyone!  (See my Styled Shoot gallery for more of my work!)

Where do I get my inspiration from?  It all depends….it could be a color I saw that I have never used before, or it could be a twist of the unexpected.

The first styled shoot I did was what I called “Black Tie in a Barn” – not what you would expect to see in a 100+ year old barn!  With ‘Rustic Vintage’ being the latest trend, a guest receiving an invitation to a wedding to be held in a barn would not expect to see crystals flanking the beams, chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, or white plush leather couches for lounging – most would be expecting to see mason jars, chalkboards and old vintage chairs nestled among many DIY projects!  Instead – I put a spin on how you can have a high-end black tie affair in a beautifully restored family owned barn (as well as my personal signature that includes candles galore).

Stay tuned for the next shoot on the horizon!

XOXO

Carolyn

Filed Under: Barn, Black Tie, Design, Planning, Style
Leave a Comment

From Nutcracker to Wedding Season!

January 13, 2014

Photo by http://www.raptproductions.com/  Dancer: Nikki White of White Tree Fine Art

Photo by http://www.raptproductions.com/
Dancer: Nikki White of White Tree Fine Art

What a run!  After months of training, rehearsing, perfecting choreography, and coordinating between dancers, stage crew, costumers, photographers and Directors, (to name a few), the Alameda Civic Ballet’s Nutcracker 2013 was a success!  With only two days of live performances, there wasn’t much room for error! That’s more than can be said for a wedding – which has only ONE chance to get things right!

There is definitely a correlation between a live ballet performance and that of a ‘live’ wedding or event.  Couples go through months of planning for their big day, coordinating with planners, caterers, florists, bakers and musicians (to name a few), with only one chance for all to come together to play out one of the biggest performances of their life!

This is where I feel my ‘work’ is ongoing – whether it be working behind the scenes as a Ballet Mistress (also referred to as a Rehearsal Director/Directors Assistant) preparing dancers for upcoming performances, or working behind the scenes as a Wedding Planner/Coordinator helping couples plan for their upcoming wedding or special event!

I feel that my work stays constant from the ballet world to the world of weddings – literally keeping me on my toes!

Follow me on my journey where I will continue to help couples, and dancers alike, plan for their performance of a lifetime!

 

Filed Under: Planning
Leave a Comment

Categories

  • Barn
  • Black Tie
  • Design
  • Planning
  • Style
  • Tips and Tricks
  • Uncategorized

Archives

  • August 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
Inquiries
Carolyn@carolynwilsonevents.com 925.315.9589
© copyright Carolyn Wilson 2016 // site by doodle dog