RW Chronicles // Vendor Game Night

The competition is on for Central Florida vendors!

Our team loves getting our friendors {“vendor friends” if you’re not familiar with event industry lingo smile emoticon} together to kick back and let loose whenever we can!  What better way to start off everyone’s busy fall season than with an eventful evening of games and cocktails at Luxmore Grande!

While we all consider ourselves creatives, being artistic is not quite the same thing…our attempts at Pictionary proved just that! We had no idea just how competitive this game would be, but my goodness did we have fun!

Playing pictionary with our vendor pals.
Playing pictionary with our vendor pals.

Special shout out to our MC for the evening, Justin, with Orlando DJ Group, who took off a night of hosting trivia around town to put our pop-culture knowledge to the test!

DJ Justin Kornaker hosting trivia!

Perhaps the most memorable moments came from our ever so talented lip-sync battle performers, Luxmore’s Got Talent Edition!

Luxmore Grande Estate | Lip Sync Battle

Getting together with friends new and old is something we strive to do. It’s an opportunity to see each other outside of a wedding or event and allows us to get to know vendors on a more personal level =)

Raising the Bar – Part II

It’s summer and you know what that means, time to grab your favorite ice-cold cocktail! Can’t decide how to wet your whistle? Here are some fun drink ideas that would also inspire any wedding bar.

P.S. Be sure to check out Part I of our Raising the Bar series!

7 Tips for An Easy Wedding Planning Process

We know that planning a wedding is the opposite of an easy-going task. One moment, you’re experiencing a proposal, and the next you’re feeling excited, but slightly overwhelmed by the stack of “to-do’s” that lie ahead. It is common to feel overwhelmed in the beginning but starting your planning process with this mindset isn’t the best idea. Trust us, there will be a lot of due dates, reservations and appointments that have to be accounted for– the scary part is that the details that come with a wedding are not visually displayed until (gulp) the day of your event. The RW Events team has managed hundreds of events between Cypress Grove Estate House, Luxmore Grande Estate, and our Rentals + Styling division, and we’ve picked up a few planning tips along the way. If you are in need of planning advice, consider these useful tips from our team + our friends at Eventbrite:

Find an Organizational Method
A big no-no of wedding planning is going into it without a method for success. Without an organized checklist or systematic approach, imperative wedding details and appointments can easily be forgotten, and there is no room for that with a tight schedule. In case one of life’s crazy moments get in the way of your wedding arrangements, a personal planner {and hiring a wedding coordinator} can reduce the risk of you falling behind.

Determine a Budget
Maintaining a budget is an effort that can be quite the challenge. As you move along in the wedding planning process, price re-evaluations and changes can occur when you least expect it. Oftentimes, you are spending much more than you thought you would. For us, spreadsheets are a serious addiction, and they make budgeting so much easier! For a service that you can reference on the go when you do not have access to your spreadsheets, try using a bill notification system app to complete payments on time.

Develop a Vision
As wedding ideas are becoming more and more unique, the variety of ways to go about planning are becoming even more creative as well! A common way brides love to start their planning process is by making a vision board! A vision board involves a poster board, glue and a cluster of your ideas– photo collages and fabrics could be some! Now, a vision board can also be created online— pretty neat!

Create a Guest List
It is essential that invitations are sent out in a timely manner, especially if you’re planning to invite a large group of guests. Whether you want to be extra artsy or simple, there are a variety of ways that invitations can be sent out involving both!

  • Handmade: If you are a creative genius, hand making your invitations can be the perfect way to notify your guests. Even though they might take a little longer to complete, it adds in a personal touch.
  • Online order: The internet is a great resource for finding information about absolutely everything. With an online invitation service you can pick the design, color and font of your choice for your invitations, and order them in bulk with envelopes!
  • Online RSVP: With this free online management platform, you can create an event and let guests accept an invitation– all online! This does not require the use of paper and you will be able to track all of your responses in one space.

Find a Location
Now it is time to determine your wedding venue! Depending on the kind of wedding space you envision, take the time to do some extensive research on different event spaces in your desired location. When choosing a venue, knowing the capacity, availability, layout and parking situation are all extremely important. If you are considering two different venues (one for your vows and another for the reception) be sure to find two places relatively close to one another to prevent your guests from commuting too far. If you are interested in having the entire event in one space, check out our luxury venues, Luxmore Grande Estate and Cypress Grove Estate House, available for booking!

Hire Your Vendors
Photographers, florists, and so many more! These vendors are the qualified helping hands that bring everything together for the event. If you have a set schedule for the arrival of vendors, it is best to communicate with them as much as possible about their arrival times and the amount of time they will need to either set up or work. When you discover initial interest in their expertise, let them know far in advance so they have enough time to prepare for your occasion (I removed chefs as we have in-house catering at both of our venues =))

Include the Event Essentials
If you have a unique or funny way of showing your love or that is a part of your love story, don’t be afraid to share it. Whether it’s an inside joke or a distinct memory associated with your relationship, include a wedding essential that is unique to you! This approach can make your wedding feel more personal rather than to just excite guests!

Are you in need of a rental space, specialty rentals, or styling services? Contact us at [email protected]!

Real Destination Wedding // Claire + Kyle

Over the years we’ve hosted numerous destination events – clients have come from Canada, the UK, Germany, and more to tie the knot at Cypress Grove! And with a destination wedding comes many challenges that local couples don’t face, so we’ve asked some of our international clients to share their planning experiences with us!

Claire + Kyle exchanged vows on a spring afternoon, followed by a lovely indoor meal with dancing, dessert, and a late-night bite.

What were some of the challenges you faced in planning a destination wedding?
There were many challenges, the biggest being the simple fact that I could not visit vendors in person and losing that face to face communication. It was sometimes difficult to express my ideas and desire via email, conscious that it might be perceived in a different way especially with the cultural differences. You lose a certain level of control.

How did you decide which venues you were interested in?
I always knew I wanted an exclusive wedding venue which narrowed my search down to a few venues in the Orlando area. I wanted somewhere with a character and chime and felt that Cypress Grove had just that. We loved the idea of a southern country style wedding with a chilled out atmosphere and Cypress ticked all the boxes.

What was your favorite part of the wedding day?
There were so many favourite parts but I have to say walking down the aisle and seeing my husbands and guests faces. I hate being centre of attention but seeing everyone’s face light up as I made my entrance really did feel amazing.

What advice can you give to couples planning a destination event?
Get a good wedding planner/coordinator – it’s so important and worth every penny. They were worth their weight in gold… even little things like being able to order decorative items online and have them delivered to the them so I didn’t miss out on having personal touches at the wedding just relieved a load of stress!

Photos: Sunglow Photography

Raising the Bar :: Part I

As they say with weddings it’s all about the details, and one of the easiest ways to make a statement is with your reception bar. It’s no secret that a huge part of what makes weddings so fun is the food, dancing, and best of all the free drinks!

While the standard open bar is always expected, why not wow your wedding guests with a fun signature drink, or bold brand choices? The reception bar is where your guests are likely to flock to, so it is the perfect chance to make your wedding fun and memorable.

One of the hottest wedding trends right now is ‘His & Hers’ signature cocktails. The bride and groom each select a unique craft cocktail that represents them, the relationship, or maybe something personal. That is where naming your chosen cocktail goes even a step further. Who says you have to call it a mint julep? Name it after where he proposed, a favorite memory, or your beloved pet. These details will stick with your guests and make your wedding reception one people will talk about. Finally, you can finish this off with a custom menu sign for the bar, tying in your wedding décor as well.

Another unique way to spice up your bar service for the wedding reception is to add unique and craft brands of both beer & wine. Microbrews, and independent craft beers are everywhere these days. There is seemingly a new hipster brewery opening up on every street corner. This is the perfect opportunity to bring in some local flavor, and impress your wedding guests (who I am sure will greatly appreciate it). Organic wines are another new trend hitting the shelves and may be the fitting choice to step up those basic house brands. Look into independent wineries and uncommon brands that awe your wedding guests, and give your wedding a luxury vibe.

Basically, there are so many fun and new ideas to give your wedding reception an exciting edge, because when you keep the drinks flowing your wedding guests are bound to talk about your wedding for years to come.