Design inspiration: pink, black, bold, monochromatic, roses, romance

Design Inspiration: ice blue, silver, crystal, snowflakes

Photo Favors: Of course, you can’t go wrong with photo favors from a Photo Booth or Photo Flip Book station! Not only do these favors provide a form of entertainment for the guests themselves, they get to leave with a printed photo memory, and the guest(s) of honor receive a copy of everyone’s pictures as well so they can reflect on the fun the guests had at the event!

Candy Buffet: Guests are treated to the guest(s) of honor’s favorite candies, displayed beautifully in Significant Events’ candy jars. Kick it up a notch by adding candy bags or boxes with the logo of the party. And don’t restrict yourself to candy! Why not pick different forms of granola, nuts, and dried fruits, and build your own trail mix? Or how about a variety of peppers, tomatoes, and spices to build your own salsa?

Consumable Treats: Some of our favorite “consumable” favors have included a small bag containing a mini soft cheese, a cheese spreader, and chocolate covered strawberries for a wine-loving couple; a “Stroopwafel” for a couple who had lived briefly in Amsterdam; a chocolate mold of “lovebirds,” for a couple who made lovebirds a central décor element of their wedding; and chocolate dipped fortune cookies with a personal message inside from a company doing a Grand Opening;

Usable Goods: Some of our favorite “usable” favors have included a handmade Chinese pin cushion from a bride who loved to sew; a bookmark from a bride who was an English teacher which stated, “Thanks for marking this day with us!”; a CD of original tracks for a Launch Party for a DJ; custom made stone coasters for an anniversary party in which a Bible verse played a central role; engraved Pilsner glasses that were both used to serve beer at a wedding and then taken home by guests; personalized luggage tags from a bride who was a flight attendant; calculators with a personalized message of “We Add Up” from a bride and groom who were both accountants; and lottery tickets with a message on the envelope stating “Lucky in Love”

Charitable: Don’t like any of the above ideas? How about making a donation to your favorite charity in the name of your guests? Simply provide a small card to each of your guests letting them know about the donation you have made. Truly, this is the gift that keeps on giving!

Design Inspiration: chartreuse, plum, succulents, wooded setting, garden party, vintage, lovebirds

Significant Events of Texas was honored to receive the Texas Star Award for “Best Event for a Non-Profit Organization with a Budget Over $100,000″ for the Dallas Hearing Foundation’s “Sounds of the Season” Gala! Can’t wait until this year’s gala which will be even bigger and better!

In the Bouquet Gallery, you will see:

Lisa's Bouquet

Julie's Entry Piece

In the “Centerpieces” Gallery, you will see:

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Sounds of the Season Gala Centerpiece

Lisa's Altar Arrangements

In the “Cakes” Gallery, you will see:

Jon & Lisa's Cake

Louise and Michael's Cake

Elias & Hannah's Cake

In the “Dresses” Gallery, you will see:

Jessica

In the “Favors” Gallery, you will see:

Louise & Michael's Favors

Fred & Ruby's Favors

MOST MEMORABLE OUTDOOR VENUE: THE DALLAS ARBORETUM

The Jonsson Color Garden at the Dallas Arboretum was the perfect setting for Jessica & Ryan’s outdoor ceremony. No additional floral was needed as the Garden provided it’s own natural beauty! (Jules & Albie Photography)

MOST MEMORABLE INDOOR VENUE: UNION STATION
Union Station will take your breath away! In fact, when I showed this room to my client for the Dallas Hearing Foundation’s Sounds of the Season gala, she burst into tears at how beautiful it looked! I also have to give props to Lumen Event Lighting for achieving this look on the ceiling! (Vim Studio Photography)

MOST MEMORABLE MEAL: KENT RATHBUN CATERING

Kent Rathbun Catering provided the delicious meal for Jon & Lisa’s wedding. The menu included appetizers of Lobster Scallion Shooters, Thai Corn Battered Shrimp with Honey Soy Sauce, Tempura Vegetables, and sushi rolled on site by a Sushi Chef. Dinner included Baby Arugula Salad with Julienne Pears, Gorgonzola, and White Balsamic Vinaigrette; Garlic-Panko Crusted Chicken Breast and Baby Portobello Mushroom Pan Gravy
Wood Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Marsala Demi Glace with Grilled Asparagus and Smoked Bacon Twice Baked Potatoes. Yum yum! (Allison Davis Photography)

MOST MEMORABLE WEDDING CAKE: created by ELENA’S CAKES

This masterpiece was created by Elena’s Cakes for Michael & Louise’s wedding, and we made it a centerpiece of the room! Not only was it beautiful to look at but it also tasted great and was their signature flavor: Champagne! (Allison Davis Photography)

MOST MEMORABLE GROOM’S CAKE: created by CANDY HAVEN

Candy Haven created this fun cake for Chris & Kaitlin’s wedding to reflect the groom’s rock n’ roll lifestyle! I love the Pin Up girl detail! (Ashley Langford Photography)

MOST MEMORABLE LINENS: JULES EVENT DECOR

This fun print was custom made by Jules Event Decor for Fred & Ruby’s wedding. When paired with the hot pink color scheme, it really made the room come to life and definitely reflected the bride’s personality (Sweet Memories Photography).

MOST MEMORABLE DECOR: SIGNIFICANT EVENTS

This was not the most expensive decor I did this year, but it was definitely the most fun and, not to toot my own horn, but it was created by Yours Truly! I had a great time custom designing these centerpieces for Cheryl’s 40th Birthday Party – each table reflected pictures of one of Cheryl’s favorite things. Thanks to Installation Floral for dressing them up! We also incorporated enlarged goofy pictures of Cheryl all over the event space and had Word Bubbles available for guests to leave their own commentary. It was a blast! (Roush Productions Photography)

MOST MEMORABLE TRADITION: CHINESE TEA CEREMONY

Michael & Louise incorporated the traditional Chinese tea ceremony into their wedding reception. After Louise changed from her white wedding dress into a traditional red Chinese Qi Pao, the parents of the bride and groom were seated in the front of the room, and Michael and Louise served them tea with the help of an aunt who presided over the ceremony. It was very interesting and beautiful to watch! (Allison Davis Photography)

MOST MEMORABLE PARTY ATMOSPHERE: SIMPLY MUSIC

At Jonathan & Lauren’s wedding, once the dancing started, it never stopped! This crowd literally shut the venue down, thanks to their DJ Simply Music. One thing the couple did that helps keep the energy up was to provide late night snacks to their guests. Of course, the open bar didn’t hurt either! (Joseph Mark Photography)

MOST MEMORABLE LIVE ENTERTAINMENT: provided by ECLIPSE ENTERTAINMENT

These “Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders” were provided by Eclipse Entertainment for a corporate initiative celebration for Medco, and they were definitely the life of the party! They kept the crowd excited and posed for numerous photos with them. You’d never know they weren’t the real thing!

MOST MEMORABLE DEPARTURE: MICHEL & JULIE

With Michel being a fireman, we couldn’t think of a better departure vehicle provided by a friend of the bride’s! Michel and Julie hung on the back of the truck as their guests waved them away to their future happiness! Definitely a memorable moment! (Allison Davis Photography)

MOST MEMORABLE BOUQUET: INSTALLATION FLORAL

I absolutely loved this bouquet created by Installation Floral for Jon & Lisa’s wedding. It was the perfect arrangement for an elegant backyard wedding. It was so natural looking, and Lisa loved it as well! (Allison Davis Photography)

MOST MEMORABLE FLORAL ARRANGEMENT: THE LILY PAD FLOWERS

The Lily Pad and I have worked together on numerous events, but this was by far my favorite arrangement they have ever created. It was used at the entry to the church for Jeff & Lara’s wedding and guests couldn’t get over how beautiful it was. Of course, we moved it to the reception location as well, because I couldn’t let this piece go to waste! (Dorothy Gautreaux Photography)

MOST MEMORABLE LIGHTING: ABSOLUTE ENTERTAINMENT

For the second year in a row, Absolute Entertainment provided spectacular lighting at Tucker Hill’s “Ghouls on the Lawn,” completely transforming the fountain area into a haunted extravaganza illuminated with color, fog, and motion. I always can’t wait for the sun to go down to see these lights in action! (Dallas Party Photography).

MOST MEMORABLE GRAPHIC DESIGN: C.E. COLLINS DESIGN

This logo, created by C.E. Collins Design for the Dallas Hearing Foundation’s Sounds of the Season gala, was just one piece of the entire graphics package created for this event. Also designed were e-Blasts, Underwriting Packets, formal invitations, and programs. We truly branded the entire event thanks to professional graphic design!

MOST MEMORABLE “DO IT YOURSELF”: KEVIN & SARAH’S WEDDING

Kevin and Sarah were the king and queen of the “Do It Yourself” wedding, though you would never know it based on how fabulous everything turned out! Sarah created the invitations and the programs, but you never would have known they were not done by a professional graphic designer! Sarah’s friends got together and bought wholesale flowers to create the centerpieces, and Kevin showed his engineering side by creating his cupcake tower exclusively with Legos! (Nam Nguyen Photography)

MOST MEMORABLE BRIDAL PHOTO:JULES & ALBIE PHOTOGRAPHY

I love how Jules & Albie captured the light for this elegant photo of Jessica. It looks so serene and like something right out of a magazine!

MOST MEMORABLE BRIDE & GROOM PHOTO: JOSEPH MARK PHOTOGRAPHY

This photo of Jonathan & Lauren by Joseph Mark is probably my favorite photo of the entire year. It was taken at the Nasher Sculpture Garden, and I love how he captured this intimate moment with the sprawling city in the background. Truly an iconic Dallas photo!

MOST MEMORABLE WACKY MOMENT: JEFF & LARA’S WEDDING

Nothing could have prepared me from this “let’s surprise everyone including the wedding coordinator” moment at Jeff & Lara’s wedding! Apparantly, it is a tradition that at each one of Jeff’s family events someone dresses up in this alligator costume, and the entire family does a choreographed dance, including rolling around on the floor, to “Wipeout.” It was totally hilarious, but I had to exclaim, “What the hell is going on?” (Dorothy Gautreaux Photography)

Thanks to everyone who helped to provide me and my clients with these memorable moments! Here’s to many more in 2010! Happy Holidays!