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Ways to Geek Out Your Wedding Reception

GeekSugar — Fri, 08 May 2009 13:25:14 -0700

Everyone wants their wedding to reflect their personality, but if you're a geek, you don't exactly want to dress as a Star Trek couple (or maybe you do, no judgment). But there are other equally fun ways to incorporate geekiness and gadget love in your wedding reception. Source

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Casa Interview: Destination Wedding Planner Alison Hotchkiss

CasaSugar — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 08:00:00 -0700

Alison Hotchkiss, the creative director of Alison Events and the author of Destination Wedding Planner, took some time out of her busy wedding planning schedule to offer CasaSugar readers some words of advice on planning their weddings. If you, or a couple you know, are planning a destination wedding, I highly recommend Alison's new book to help lend a guiding hand in your planning process.

CasaSugar: Congratulations on the book! I love the tone and the fun look of this planner.

Alison Hotchkiss: Oh thank you! I thought that the imagery and the lighthearted tone would encourage people to enjoy planning their weddings.

CasaSugar: What was your experience with working with Chronicle Books [the publisher of Alison’s book]?

Alison Hotchkiss: It was fun to work with Chronicle. They were really open to all of my suggestions and it felt like a very collaborative project. It felt really good, and they treated me like family. Chronicle is very supportive. They’re very cool people over there. I feel very happy to have them as my publishing company.

CasaSugar: How did you get started as a destination wedding planner?

Alison Hotchkiss: I’ve been an avid traveler since childhood, and my initial goal was to be a meeting planner, since my understanding was that they could travel all over the world. So a couple years after doing that I fell into the right situation helping with someone doing day-of event wedding planning. I realized there was a need for destination wedding planners; there were only a small number of us. The cover of my book shows the first wedding I planned. The bride on the cover is Emily Nathan, who got married in Kauai. I gave that wedding 150 percent of my energy, and I realized how much I loved it. That was seven years ago. So now, I’ll travel pretty much anywhere, but my specialty is tropical locations or mountainous locations. I love going somewhere new and learning about the place, the culture, and making new friends. It’s a blast.

To hear about some things a couple should consider when planning a destination wedding, read more.

CasaSugar: What would you say are some of the most important points of advice for a bride who’s starting to make decisions about her destination wedding?

Alison Hotchkiss: I think it’s important to narrow it down to one specific area if possible. Often couples will come in and say, “Somewhere in the tropics.” We try to help couples to determine what they really want for their destination wedding, whether they want their weddings to be activity-based, culture-based, etc. We ask couples to sit down and make a list of what the most important things in the wedding are, and then offer help in narrowing it down even further. Oftentimes weather is a consideration; the time of year will narrow the choice by determining what month is best for the location.

If people are on a budget, that cusping month (such as in May/June in Mexico), can save hundreds of dollars on your room rates in June, and the likelihood of a tropical hurricane is much less, though the weather may be sweltering hot. You have to just be flexible.

CasaSugar: What are some of the most fun weddings you’ve planned? What would you say the elements are that are universal?

Alison Hotchkiss: I think the idea of a destination is making it about a long weekend or a holiday for people and less about it being one day. We often find that we turn it into a four-day weekend starting with a fun cocktail reception, and then plan activities for the next day. Instead of rehearsal dinners we’ve had rehearsal barbecues down on the beach, and we’ve done the wedding brunch the morning of the wedding instead of the day after the wedding.

You don’t want to overwhelm your guests and feel as if they have to do everything, but it’s great to have options and have lots of fun things to do and experience and the culture and the local community.

I would say Costa Rica was one of my favorite weddings, and we also did a wedding in Sundance, UT, and those were both really fun. One was centered around surfing, the beach, and the tropics . . . it was a really laid-back group. The other wedding, in Sundance, consisted of people skiing, drinking hot toddies after skiing, and sitting around the fire.

People also have to consider, “Who are your guests?” Be mindful of who your guests are. Are they elderly? Are there kids coming? Do you have teenagers? Have babysitters services available if you need to, and if there are teenagers, find cool teenager things to do, have a movie night. If there are elderly guests, make sure there’s always a chair for them, and have a waiter dedicated to making sure they’re comfortable. I think that people get a little caught up in the planning and forget about all of the people who are attending. You have to remember your audience.

Alison has a lot more advice for brides, so make sure to check back on Monday for the second half of this interview!

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Must Read: Colin Cowie Wedding Chic

partysugar — Tue, 26 May 2009 08:00:58 -0700

Colin Cowie is one of the world's most extravagant party planners. He's known for his outrageous chicness and attention to detail. While he's planned stylish soirees for Oprah and other famous celebrities, he's also helped many brides create the perfect wedding. His latest book, Colin Cowie Wedding Chic ($26.40), is an extensive guide that provides ideas for celebrating every moment of the big day. It's a great resource if you're getting married. To find out more about it, read more.

Pros:

Cowie leaves no detail undiscussed. The book is broken up into ten informative sections including bouquets and other ceremony flowers, centerpieces, reception decor, ritual and ceremony, etc.
The tone is conversational, yet informative. It's a very easy read.
It's filled with inspirational ideas (many with corresponding color photographs) taken from real weddings that Cowie planned.

Cons:

The book's focus is on the wedding day. There is no mention of other wedding related events such as the engagement party, bridal shower, rehearsal dinner, etc.
Many of the weddings illustrated are lush and over the top making it obvious that they were planned with an unlimited budget.

It's a hard covered heavy book: you won't be able to toss it in a purse and bring it to a meeting with caterers.

Imagery: The spectacular photographs make this book. Each page has at least one picture, and the entire tome is filled with hundreds of beautiful color photos.

Overall: If the sky is the limit for your big day or if you're in need of wedding inspiration, get yourself a copy of this book. However, if you're looking for a knowledgeable manual that discusses every aspect of planning a wedding - choosing an event planner, bridal party etiquette, planning the rehearsal dinner, etc. - you might want to consider another book.

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Sugar Shout Out: Celebs Who Go Hands Free

PopSugar — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 23:59:02 -0700

Rich, famous, and connected: celebs who go hands free
Self checkouts are better for your wallet and your waistline
Dreams decoded: what your sleep says about you
50 strangers throw a couple's wedding reception
Wee are the world: where to donate your kiddos' used goods
Sizzling swimsuits under $100 you need now!
Sneak peek: the 2009 Sunset Idea House
Why Buzz loves. . . Zach Galifianakis
10 time of day discounts, from A.M. to P.M.
Need a little exercise motivation? Try these 8 exercise techniques
Double the baby coatis, double the fun!

Wedding Tip: Have Your Guests Upload Photos to One Place

GeekSugar — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 11:06:26 -0700

I used to think that having disposable cameras at each table at a wedding reception was such a fabulously brilliant idea.

But now the quality of the disposable film cameras is too shoddy for any possible framers, plus the kind of people who are going to take photos will have already brought their own cameras. To further drive a stake in the heart of this old trend, last year the majority of you voted that you no longer loved it.

That's not to say you don't want more photos taken than your pro photog will take - just make it easy on your guests to upload them all to one place! Call it the 2009 version of disposable cameras on tables. Instead of cameras on tables, you just place cards with a URL or email address for your guests, and leave it to them to upload after the event.

To see how to make this wedding idea come together, just read more.

First, decide which photo-sharing website you want to use. It may be easiest to use the site you're already using for photo sharing - MobileMe, Flickr, and Picasa provide you with an email address or URL to give out (see my instructions on how to do it in Picasa). But also consider newer site iRave - it also gives you both a URL or email address, and it has settings that let you approve photos before they're up, preventing any pic leaks of champagne-induced embarrassments. Make sure that whichever site you use has plenty of storage space for the photos.

Once you've settled on the service, you need the cards so people know where to send photos. This seller from Etsy makes a wedding photo-sharing kit for $25, but this is also a simple DIY.

Design and print out your message onto business card-size paper (or just cut printed sheets to that size), then place in a festive box or display on each table.

If you're really into the design of your invites, you can inquire with your invitation vendor about printing up these cards with your invite design.

What's Yummy This Week - YumSugar Weekly Recap

YumSugar — Sat, 09 May 2009 09:30:22 -0700

A mushroom and brie appetizer satisfies vegetarians and omnivores alike.
Taste tested: Domino's Pasta Bread Bowls.
Both Oprah and KFC find themselves caught in a free food controversy.
Take advantage of strawberry season with a fragrant salsa or fluffy layer cake.
Decorate your wedding reception with rustic, do-it-yourself decor.
Easy meal ideas that you can make with your kids.
Bourbon, bitters, and coffee liqueur make a surprising match in the Revolver.

Geeks We Love: Doug Aamoth of CrunchGear

GeekSugar — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 09:06:23 -0800

With Valentine's Day right around the corner, we're kicking off our third annual Geeks We Love interview series to showcase some of the most talented and loved tech writers in the industry. And who better to get things under way, than the charming Doug Aamoth, who spends most of his days reviewing high-tech gadget goods for CrunchGear? I had the pleasure of meeting Doug at the HTC Touch Diamond Event in London last year, and found him to be very much the way he comes across in his work - passionate and knowledgeable about technology, and a really great guy with an addictive sense of humor. By the end of this interview, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about - enjoy!

GS: Considering you're the king of product reviews, what types of gadgets are you most excited to take for a test drive?

DA: I'll review just about anything, but I really like to take a look at stuff that has some sort of technological slant to it instead of being a full-fledged technology product. Basically, if I think it's something that would be interesting to other geeks, I'll review it. We get some pretty good response from stuff like the Penguin Home Soda Machine and a little four dollar keychain breathalyzer that also has a built-in stopwatch and flashlight. Of course, right? Every breathalyzer should have a stopwatch just in case you want to have an emergency footrace outside the bar before you figure out if you're okay to drive home.

As far as "real" technology products go, I'm really enjoying this netbook craze right now. I think it'll get much better, too, once Intel sees some more competition from AMD, NVIDIA, and VIA. Other than that, I also really like reviewing things that make people's lives easier. The simpler the better. Oh, and energy drinks. I love taste-testing energy drinks.

To learn more about Doug, including his "ah-ha" moment and his thoughts on technology and dating, read more

GS: What's the most outrageous and hilarious gadget that's arrived on your doorstep?

DA: I think that one of the best reviews I've done was for a product that never showed up. I spent a few days waiting for the new Flip Mino to arrive, at first thinking it would be here on a Tuesday morning, then being told Wednesday instead, then getting a press release envelope but no camera on Thursday, and finally having it show up Friday morning after all our competitors had gotten theirs on Wednesday. It wasn't really that big of a deal but I thought it'd be funny to chronicle the event as though it were an episode of The Office.

Aside from that, the most outrageous review would definitely be for a product called FyreTV, which is a set-top box that streams, um, "non-traditional" video. It's weird because it's basically a review just like any other. We rarely look at the media content for set-top boxes, but more at the actual hardware and how well it handles streaming. So for the FyreTV review it was like, "Here's the box, here are the connections, here's the remote, it streams stuff really quickly, and the video quality is pretty good. Oh, whoops, sorry I had to blur everything out and block the camera with my hand at certain points but you get the idea."

GS: Describe one of the most memorable moments of your career thus far. . .

DA: I had an "a-ha" moment about six months into my career when I was at this Acer conference in Spain. It was my first real work trip and I postponed my own bachelor party to go to it. I remember getting into this big conference hall with a bunch of other reporters, and sitting down at this long table with my laptop and my voice recorder waiting for the presentation to begin. I looked around and thought to myself, "This is what I'm supposed to be doing with my life. I love this stuff." I've had over 30 jobs in my lifetime (I get kind of restless) but I finally felt pretty calm for the first time.

In retrospect, I wouldn't have moved my bachelor party for a work trip but at the time I didn't know how often an opportunity like that Acer conference would come around. Turns out, it was a lot. It was still a great experience, though. Singing White Wedding at CES this year was pretty cool, too.

Also, any time I meet someone that I used to read before I started blogging is always really cool. Every person I meet always looks at me weird when I tell them I'm a big fan of theirs or that they're like a hero to me. I used to read tech blogs and magazines and think "Man, that would be the best job." Now that I'm actually doing it, I still haven't forgotten that feeling. I consider myself to be really fortunate.

GS: How geeky is your significant other? Who makes the final decision when it comes to gadgets for the home?

DA: My wife is probably about a three out of ten on the geekiness scale. She's not into tech stuff whatsoever, but she'll think some of the things I tell her about and some of the products I show her are cool. So she's definitely not against technology and she's pretty savvy with the stuff she uses on a daily basis. She does NOT like all the boxes we have around the house, but I can't blame her for that. It gets pretty out of hand sometimes.

I handle all the IT administration and technical support in the Aamoth household. Interestingly enough, I've been terrible about picking a good cell phone for my wife. I got her the LG Chocolate a few years ago and she didn't like it. Then I recommended the Samsung Glyde and between the non-responsive touchscreen and the poor reception, it's really been a terrible device as far as our relationship goes. One of these days, though, I'm going to pick out a good phone for her. It's just tough being in the doghouse for two whole years while we wait for her contract to come up for renewal!

GS: In the new movie He's Just Not That Into You, Drew Barrymore's character has the following to say about technology and dating:

"I had this guy leave me a voice mail at work, and so I called him at home, and he emailed me to my BlackBerry, and so I texted to his cell, and now you just have to go around checking all these different portals just to get rejected by seven different technologies. It's exhausting."

What are your thoughts on this topic? Do you think technology makes dating more complicated?

DA: Sure, I can see technology complicating things for people who don't embrace it. As someone who's into all this stuff, though, the thought of having seven different technologies that don't synchronize with one another is mortifying to me. I have a single Grand Central phone number that forwards to any other phones I might currently be using and my various e-mail addresses all funnel into a single Gmail account.

It's funny, though, because people will be like, "Give me your cell phone number, I can never get a hold of you at your work number," and I'll try to explain that my work, home, and cell phone numbers all forward to the same place. So they'll leave a voicemail on what they think is my home number saying that they'll try me on my cell, which leads to them leaving the same message in the same voicemail system two minutes later. Same thing with email: the same message three times to three different email accounts.

I think just starting to date someone would be really weird nowadays with Facebook and Twitter and everything. Do you friend this person right away or what? Is there a rule as to how many dates you go on before you can friend someone? And it'd be super weird if you were dating someone for a little bit and then they told you they were getting too busy with work or whatever, and then all of a sudden you see their status change on their profile and you see photos of them with someone else and all that. My buddy told me he watched his little brother's relationship with his girlfriend fall apart over Facebook, which seems totally surreal to me. That's what happens now, though, I guess. Everyone has access to everyone else's private lives with all the social networking stuff.

I'm really apprehensive to admit this but a former girlfriend and I actually broke up over AIM once. And we'd been seeing each other for a long time - like a couple years. We'd been living together in Seattle and I'd moved home to Minneapolis and I think we were both kind of ready to move on, so the mutuality of it made everything easier. I don't think most breakups would work that well over AIM but if you're both pretty much on the same page and it's going to be a relatively clean breakup because you both want the same thing, then it actually kinda works. Weird, huh?

GS: Now for the lightning round!
Mac or PC? DA: PC
iPhone or BlackBerry? DA: I love my T-Mobile G1 but I'd take a BlackBerry. I need a real, physical keyboard.
MySpace or Facebook? DA: Facebook (as the lesser of two evils).
iPod or Zune? DA: I really like my iPod Touch.
The Hills or Gossip Girl? DA: I've never seen Gossip Girl, but The Hills is absolutely, positively, 100 percent the bane of my existence. My wife has to watch it in our bedroom with the door closed or when I'm not around because the way the brats on that show talk is like fingernails on a chalkboard for me. So Gossip Girl.
Steve Jobs or Bill Gates? DA: Bill Gates. His acting in the Seinfeld Microsoft commercials was mesmerizing.
Picasa or Flickr? DA: Picasa. Great example of a desktop app working harmoniously "in the cloud."
Texting or Emailing? DA: Email. I like the cost better.
WiFi or Wired? DA: I'll borrow from a golf saying here and say WiFi for show, Wired for dough.
Pac Man or Space Invaders? DA: Pac Man, preferably Ms. Pac Man.
Star Wars or Star Trek? DA: Star Wars
Laptop or Desktop? DA: Ouch. That's like Sophie's Choice. I have both and could never part with either of them.
The Bachelor or the Bachelorette? DA: ABC should cut out the fluff and have them marry each other. I mean, they're both looking for the same thing, right? Set them up together and spare us all from having to sit through it.
Coffee or Tea? DA: Monster Low Carb energy drink. Coffee will do in a pinch, though.

The How-To Lounge: Reception Speech and Toast Etiquette

DearSugar — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 08:00:00 -0700

While the toasts at a rehearsal dinner are casual, the wedding reception usually has its own set of more formal speeches. Having planned speeches at your wedding is in no way mandatory, but if you don’t account for them, they’re likely to happen anyway, so before the big day, it’s best to sit down for a few minutes to plan them out. To check out my tips on reception speech etiquette, read more

It’s a good idea to check in with your parents, maid of honor, and best man to see who would like to make a toast versus those who’d rather not. Usually at least one parent from either side will give a thank you toast to the guests and some words for the future. However, often parents like to propose a toast together, so talk with them to decide what works for your wedding.
Once you know who’ll be speaking, decide the lineup. Usually the best man will begin the process and the bride and groom will end it, but the order is truly discretionary.
The bride and groom should set aside an appropriate time for speeches - typically they take place just after everyone has been seated for dinner and all of the drinks have been poured, but it’s fairly common to have them after the cake has been cut as well.
It’s important that everyone speaking takes some time before the big day to prepare. This doesn’t need to be typed out and printed, but it’s smart to at least have an idea of what you're going to say.
Perhaps most important is to keep it short! I’d recommend no more than three to five minutes per person. Obviously, if you’re only having a toast or two, they can be longer, but watch out because speeches really can add up. Guests will get antsy if they go on too long, and really, who wants to waste the reception toasting when you could be dancing?
For the family and attendants: Don’t try too hard to make it extra funny, cute, or sentimental. You really don’t need a shtick to make a good toast. While it’s typical to include a small anecdote, make sure your stories don't get too personal. It’s best to keep things general so all the guests can appreciate what you’re saying.
For the bride and groom: Make sure to thank your guests for coming and being part of your important day. And don't forget to take a few seconds to acknowledge the people who put in the most time and effort.

While many people end up winging their speeches and toasts, I don’t recommend it. Just a touch of foresight can still leave room for some spontaneous words without the worry!

To see all of our wedding coverage, check out IDoSugar.com.

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Come Party With Me: Wedding - Invite

partysugar — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:28:33 -0700

A couple of weeks ago I planned an engagement party for my friend Elena, and this week, the saga continues with her wedding. During the process, I'll feature my tips and ideas on how to host a fabulous wedding, so interpret them to your own liking. Elena and her fiancé are hosting a destination wedding in Lake Tahoe. Both the ceremony and reception will take place at a friend's house that overlooks the lake. The wedding isn't until October '09, so we have plenty of time to make and send the invitations. Elena's colors are orange and fuchsia with wood and khaki accents. To see how I made these earthy, elegant invites, read more.

You will need the following supplies to make similar invites:

Three envelopes of the same size
cardstock in two different colors
decorative paper
colored printer paper
glue stick
scissors - regular and scalloped edged
ribbon
branch-shaped hole punch
computer and printer

To assemble the invite:

Create a new document in Microsoft Word. Write out the details of the wedding. The wording on an invite is very important. Since Elena and Sean are hosting the wedding themselves, their parents' names are not included in the text. I used Edwardian Script ITC in size 16 to write the following message:

Elena Rebecca Osterreicher
And
Sean Gary Trapp
Invite you to join them at a ceremony that celebrates love and joy.
The exchange of their wedding vows.

Saturday, the 11^th of October, 2009
At 4:00 in the afternoon.

The Carousel Estate
West Shore, Lake Tahoe, California

Dinner and dancing to follow.

Print out on plain paper and check for grammar and spelling mistakes. Make sure the bride approves of the text. Print out on the colored paper and set aside.

Since the wedding is a destination wedding, the invite includes information on where to stay and a schedule of possible activities to attend during the big weekend. A map explaining the exact location of the wedding is also important. Write the details out as clearly as possible. Here's what mine say:

Places to Sleep

The Sunnyside Resort
(530) 583-7200
http://www.sunnysideresort.com

Plumpjack Inn
530-583-1576
http://www.plumpjacksquawvalleyinn.com

Granlibakken Resort
877-552-6301
http://www.granlibakken.com/

Please join us at one or all of these events!

Arrival Dinner
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Moody’s Bistro and Lounge
8:00 p.m.

Boating Barbeque
Friday, October 10, 2008
Disembarks at 11a.m.
From the West Shore dock

Rehearsal Dinner
Friday, October 10, 2008
The Carousel Estate
7:00 p.m.

Day-After Brunch
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Plumpjack Inn
10:30 a.m.

I will attend: __ Arrival Dinner __ Boating Barbeque
__ Rehearsal Dinner __ Day After Brunch
__ Wedding Ceremony
Carnivore or Vegetarian?

Print out on plain paper and check for errors. When satisfied with the wording, print out on the colored paper. Set aside.
Carefully, remove the upper half of two of the envelopes to make a sleeve.

Seal the third envelope and cover with the decorative paper. Line the inside of the side panels with the decorative paper and set aside. Turn over the sealed and covered envelope and glue the top flaps of the two other envelopes to the back. You are creating a three-piece folding panel.
Cut the cardstock down to 1/4 of an inch smaller than the folded-closed invite. You need three pieces. One for the center and two for the sides. To add depth I used pink cardstock for the outer panels and orange for the main center panel.

With the scalloped scissors, cut the text pages out. These should be roughly 1/4 of an inch smaller than the colored-cardstock pieces.
Mount the text on to the colored cardstock with the glue. Set aside to dry.

With the branch-shaped hole punch, punch out a bunch of branches on the remaining colored cardstock. Open the hole puncher and empty the cut-out branches onto your work space.

Glue to the text/cardstock in an attractive pattern. I put them on the edges of each part of the invite.
Glue the center text cardstock to the middle panel of the invite. Slide the map and schedule cardstock into the side sleeves. Fold to close.
Glue a few more branches to the front, if desired. Tie closed with the ribbon, forming a pretty bow. Set aside.

Line the inside of another envelope with decorative paper. Slide the folded invite inside and send addressed in your best handwriting.

For more fabulous wedding ideas check out IDoSugar!

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How to Make Your Wedding Slideshow

GeekSugar — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 09:03:39 -0700

In your wedding planning mania, don't forget the touches to the wedding that are distinctly you - and one way to remind your guests of what is you, literally - is photo slideshows! Slideshows are awesome for weddings, whether you want one to show at the wedding, the reception, rehearsal, and showers - as well as making one from the wedding and honeymoon itself, to have for you and your honey to keep for yourselves.

Luckily, software and tech helpers have evolved, preventing your slideshow from being a cheesy affair - remember the days of photo collages at weddings?

To see wedding slideshow tips and ideas, just read more

The Pictures

As far as photos, you can do a slideshow of photos of your life together so far, or you can start with baby pictures and work your way up chronologically.
Decide what story you're telling, and think about that in accordance with how long you want the show to be. If it'll be something guests see as they arrive or will just visit briefly, then a shorter show (75-100 for about 10 minutes) may be what you want, so everyone can see all the pictures but not create a distraction. In that case, it's fine to set the photos an a shuffle setting. If you want to show the slideshow to everyone as a main event of the reception, like during the meal or drinks, then you could go longer and set the photos to go in a certain order.
Consider the quality of each photo you're including - but they don't all need to be high-res because they'll be projected - use old black and white, vintage-y looking shots for a nice mix.
Have any old home movie clips, or short video you've taken with your cell phone? Insert that somewhere in the slideshow to keep the audience on their toes!

Getting It Done

If you'll be able to use your computer and project it at the event, then it's achingly easy to upload your photos to a photo-sharing service like Picasa or flickr (pretty much any photo-sharing site does this) and set it to slideshow mode. Just arrange them how you want, and they'll flow in that order. If you want something fancier (like transitions between each picture), you can use a program like iPhoto. Watch the tutorial here.
Want it done for you? DVD Photographs slideshows start at $79.
Make sure your venue has a projector (or be sure to rent one) and a way to hook up your computer, or burn the slideshow onto a DVD if you want to screen it on a TV there. Can't do it yourself? Walgreens can help.

To see more wedding-planning coverage, don't forget to check back on IDoSugar!

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