Every Bride Deserves to Feel Royal

Even as far away as Fort Wayne and northeast Indiana, the Royal Wedding is the topic of much conversation - the ceremony, the invitations, the decor, reception favors, and a Royal Air Force flyover. There's even a T-Mobile spot of how the wedding party might "dance" down the aisle at Westminster Abbey.

But doesn't every bride want to, and deserve to feel like royalty on her wedding day? The Royal Wedding is inspiring brides all over the world this spring; here in Fort Wayne, we're also seeing wedding decor/receptions falling into a few specific categories: "green" — very earthy and natural; or bling, bling and more bling. And there's a definite modern contemporary look that's very appealing to some brides - a clean sophistication reflected in hot color combinations and defined modern spaces at the reception. Elegance and romance will always be in style (click here to view photos of a recent reception in northeast Indiana).

With many Fort Wayne area brides-to-be securing dates and reception locales for 2012-2013, there's still time to decide on the decor and theme for your big event. What's in style and a hot trend today may not be the same a year from now. One recent reception site at the World War II Victory Museum in Auburn, IN included a clubby cocktail/lounge area, dramatic tables and chairs draped in black-on-black linens, a separate buffet and eating area for the kids, a dessert station, and floor-to-ceiling elegance for a reception site with high ceilings (view album by clicking here). Our downtown Fort Wayne showroom changes frequently, so be sure to stop in A Party Apart and see what's hot and what's current to help you with ideas for how to set the stage to set YOUR event apart - and be fitting for royalty!

Viva Las Vegas, baby.....

Every year, one of the most successful events in our industry is held in Las Vegas - with high-profile keynote speakers, booth after booth of new ideas and exciting trends, and the energy only Las Vegas can generate. So it was with high hopes that we headed to Vegas, eager to hear keynote speaker David Tutera - one of THE wedding and event creators extraordinaire - share his creativity, enthusiasm, and latest trends for creating spectacular events.

But it is March in Indiana, and after flight delays, lost luggage and general dismay that can come with flying these days, we finally made it. For those of you not familiar with Davide Tutera, his impressive client list includes Star Jones' wedding, and events for Jennifer Lopez, Matthew McConaughey, Elton John, the Official Post Grammy Parties in NYC, and much more. He was honored by Modern Bride magazine as one of the "top 25 trendsetters of the year" and "Best Celebrity Wedding Planner" by Life & Style Magazine.

It was great to hear him address the general session and share his world of weddings and events as only he can. Great inspiration for creating new ideas and over-the-top "wow" factors for your events.

We also came away with some wonderful new items for food display and serving - new serving possibilities for buffets, display ideas, cupcake stands - all great ways to showcase and "wow" your crowd of 25 or 250. You can browse and search some of our current buffet items online in our catalog. Oh, and ask us about the new drink recipe we sampled - a fresh, light and oh-so-yummy kiwi and watermelon martini - as visually tantalizing as it is tasty!

The time to plan for proms is NOW!

We always look forward to each prom season - great to work with the advisors and students from area high schools like Homestead, Snider, North Side, Carroll, Bellmont, Columbia City, Westview and more...great energy and so awesome to help come up with ideas for these special nights.

Can't get started or having trouble on your theme? Here's some great ones from last year...like the cosmic galaxy-themed prom for Homestead High School that truly was "out of this world" - complete with specialty lighting effects by Doctor Feelgood's, who always makes a event other-worldly!

Clubby and a big city vibe more the preferred style? An uptown/downtown look set the stage for Snider High School's "Midnight in Manhattan" at the Scottish Rite last year. It would have made any New Yorker feel right at home with all the bright lights; big city feel.

And we know so many are simply wild about all the wild animal prints so popular these days - last year, North Side High School decided to take a walk on the wild side with its jungle-themed prom at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art. The leopard chair covers are over the top, and wild animals surrounding the photo.

Click here to view more photos...or browse our online gallery and catalog at APartyApart.com.

Bridal Show a success!

What a great show at Grand Wayne - a bridal extravaganza it was! It was great to have a chance to chat with so many brides-to-be, and thanks to both Lillian Rose and The Bride To Be for being in the booth with us. Our runway provided the perfect backdrop (we thought) of glamour and sparkle from the chandeliers for the girls in the fashion show modeling THE very latest in wedding dresses - very wearable and simply gorgeous! Click here to view photos - everything from romantic to dramatic!

So many great color combinations for this season - wisteria, lilac, navy and cream can be so bold and beautiful; and the romance of a color palette of old rose, ivory, and swiss mocha, highlighted with the sparkle of crystals. Not bold and beautiful enough - what about the ever-striking, always fashionable black and white - with the perfect accent color for added drama? Lots of examples of these and other great looks in our showroom right now.

Next event you can see us at? We'll be at the Classic City Bridal Show on Sunday, March 27th from noon to 4:00pm at the Auburn Cord Duesenburg Museum in Auburn.

2011 Bridal Extravanganza

We're excited about the Bridal Show at the Grand Wayne presented by Fort Wayne Weddings on Sunday, Feb. 20th - our booth will have plenty of modern yet elegant ideas to help brides set their wedding apart from beginning to end. Great ideas about how to set the stage in the beginning by creating THE perfect cocktail/lounge area when you enter the booth, and elegant yet modern reception settings highlighting texture and color in romantic linens, table-settings, decor and more.

So many of our brides and grooms last year opted for sending their guests home on a high note with a special departure table and goodies to go - the guests love this!

Look for great things from Lillian Rose Flowers and The Bride To Be in our booth - plus linens featured in both Yolo and Dupont Downs. We're doing the decor for the runway as well.
Ticket info here....

Our showroom has some stunning new displays - bold and beautiful like this black and white ala Paris setting - lots of new looks, new fabrics, and new color combinations to choose from.

Reminder - October is the HOT, HOT, HOT new wedding month - so if you're a bride or helping a bride and vendors aren't secured or lined up - better move that to the top of your "to-do" list!

Happy planning!

Fall/Holiday Party Planning - in full swing!

As the weather turns colder, colors go bolder and color is everywhere this season for both fall and winter. Use traditional colors, but add a bit of sparkle, or go for it with a bit of bold (either size, color or both) for added punch and drama.

For table-settings, add a bit of shine when you dine - what about pumpkins or gourds with colored glitter, or glazed white with a hint of silver? Combine bold oranges, reds, yellow-golds with a strong touch of silver, gold, or bronze.

Use elements of nature - leaves, sticks, stones, natural river rocks - or textures like burlap - for tablecloths, centerpieces or individual table settings. Be sure to incorporate candles - high or low, votive or a cluster - candlelight makes everything and everyone look better and the flicker of a candle catches that sparkle and makes everything a bit more bright and festive.

Anything natural with a bit of metallic and color is very modern and very "now" and will immediately turn "ho hum" into "how fabulous!"

Wedding Day Show a Success

At the Wedding Day Bridal Tour Fort Wayne version you truly could see, taste, hear and experience....everything! We received lots of good comments from vendors and attendees alike. It was a really nice upscale show — something unusual. A Party Apart booths featured something for everyone — "Rebel bride" with animal prints, graphic black and white, and hot punches of color — to a rich, warm, traditional setting, yet with a modern twist. The lounge areas were a big hit!

Check out more photos here at Facebook.