Choosing the Right Florist: Floral Artist & Master Designer- Kenji Takenaka

The venue is booked, now it’s time to decide on one of the most important elements of décor—the flowers. There are almost always certain factors a couple tends to overlook when it comes to choosing the right type of floral arrangements for the wedding.

For instance,—whether high or low, small or large—couples sometimes fail to visualize the whole reception room when making decisions. Sitting at a table with a tall floral arrangement obstructing the view of the New York City skyline or clear turquoise ocean, is just one of the many mistakes a couple may make when deciding floral table décor.

Kenji Takenaka, floral artist and master designer of Noir Hanna International, a premiere, world class floral design company in New York, is available to provide tips on what couples should know before meeting with florists:

Timeline
Book the florist at least 6 months prior to the wedding date. Couples want be certain to book their florist of choice, especially if the selected date is a popular one. Waiting too long may result in losing the first option.

Choosing the right size
There are many factors to take into consideration when determining the right-sized floral table arrangement for the wedding. Couples should consider the look of the venue, spacing, table setup and linens, to name a few. “Bigger is better” may not apply for a particular venue. Although flowers are a great focal piece for any wedding, floral centerpieces should fit the overall look.

Season-friendly=Budget-friendly
Ask the florist what flowers are in season around the wedding date to conserve costs. Requesting certain flowers off-season can take the budget to a higher than anticipated number. Flowers that are in-season will cut costs significantly, without having to compromise the overall look of the centerpiece and end product, keeping the couple happy.

Listen to the expert
Take a step back and leave it to the expert. Trusting the florist is imperative to achieving the best look for the wedding. Micromanaging can limit the vision of the florist. The florist has been hired based on the couple’s taste, now it’s time to give the initial vision and leave it in the florists’ hands.

Reuse flower arrangements
When deciding on ceremony floral arrangements, why not consider arrangements you can reuse for the reception? Don’t let the stunning ceremony arrangements go to waste. Arrange for your ceremony flowers to be moved to the bar for décor.

Meet Kenji Takenaka
Under the artistic direction of Kenji, Noir Hanna has a flourishing clientele of high-profile institutions, celebrities and the fashion industry. Noir Hanna remains on the cutting edge of floral design with Kenji’s relentless quest for fresh new ideas that are always executed to his highest standards of quality. Kenji takes an architectural approach to flowers: modern and minimal. He is one of the pioneers of the fuss-free floral look. Known for his minimalist style, Kenji often makes arrangements with masses of a single type of flower and color.

Kenji’s green thumb stems from a long family history in Japan. A fourth generation florist, Kenji has lived with flowers all his life. For more than 100 years, the Takenaka Teienryokka Company has been committed to keeping the value that has established itself as a legend in the floral industry. With more than 20 branches and dozens of floral boutiques throughout the major cities of Japan, the Takenaka Teienryokka Company is the country’s leading floral provider. While this family-run business embraces both their past while always striving for the future, such aspirations do not come without leadership.

In 2009, the Takenaka Teienryokka Company was ushered into the American market with the opening of Noir Hanna International in New York City. With his high level of creativity and technique; Kenji is poised to introduce his family’s philosophy and Japanese style to the American public. The Noir Hanna International brand is now paving a new road in the American floral market – and starting some new traditions of its own along the way.

Hope this helps in your next floral appointment!  I hope to be interviewing lots of different floral designers to get lots of great perspective, so check back!

*hugs*
Denice

Photo and Content Credit: KMR Communications

It's a Jessie the Cowgirl Birthday Party!

My friend Deanna recently gave her 4 year old a fabulous Jessie the Cowgirl themed birthday party, and I had to share it with you!

1) Where did you get the inspiration for your decorations?
After seeing Toy Story 3, my daughter was insistent on having a Jessie Party. I felt the country theme would be easy to create, as there are many products out there. I also was inspired by a couple of parties that I had gone to.

Decorations
My husband and I created the birthday banner out of card stock and rope that you can find at your local craft store. I decorated the tables in tradition picnic table cloths and the tables that held food or beverages were covered with burlap or red and white gingham fabric.

Food
For Food I went went with BBQ Beef sandwiches, potato salad, fresh fruit, veggies, chips and dip. I also had lemonade in a clear glass container with diced lemons to add to the country theme.

Favors
For Party favors are guest took home a bandanna, cowgirl hat, balloon art and a mason jar filled with either army men or chalk. I went to party where they filled mason jars with lemonade for each guest to drink. I thought this was the cutest idea, but after much thought I decided having kids caring and drinking from a glass container would not be safe. Instead they were filled with treats and served as table decorations until it was time for everyone to leave.

2) The water bottles &invitations are adorable, did you make them yourself?
I did not make the water bottle labels or invitations. I purchased them from an online site. It was very reasonable. They send you a PDF file and you print at home. The Labels were four dollars and the invitations were seven dollars.

3) Did you use a local vendor for the balloon art?
I did you a local vendor the the balloon art. We had gone into our local Chili's for dinner one night and he happen to be there making balloons for kids. He is a little pricey, but worth every penny!
Ron's Balloons  (909) 815-1839  or http://www.ronsballoons.com/

4) Were you able to rent the hay or did you have to buy it?
I purchased the hay bails from a local feed store in Rancho Cucamonga called CW Feed, which is located off Archibald between 19th and Baseline. Each bale was $7. My other daughter takes riding lessons and our hope was to donate the bales. However, the horses didn't eat that kind of hay.

5) The bouncer fight right in too!
We were also able to find a Toy Story bouncer from Bounce Around Party Rentals  626-960-9485 

Thanks for letting me share Denice....what a great website you ladies have going!

Thanks for sharing Deanna!!

*hugs*
Denice

Photo Credit: Deanna =)

DIY Leperchaun Placecards

Ok, I promised I would do these =)

I cheated a little this time! I found a great photo of a leprechaun on the Internet, printed it out and the kiddo, Cindy and my momma colored them. I then found photos that were appropriate facial expressions, cut them out and added the hat.  I then added some cotton to make the beard. Here is the finished product:

Leprechaun template

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!

*hugs*
Denice

It's a Wonka Party!

Recently Cindy's school put on a play called Willy Wonka Jr. It was super cute. For the intermission, they had an AMAZING display of sweet goodness. They had chocolate fountains, all sorts of dipping goodness.  Bananas, marshmallows, graham crackers, pretzels.  They also had a candy bar with lots of fun treats.  The BEST part of the entire intermission was the decorations!!! They were amazing and I just HAD to share!!

If you are interested in doing this for a child's party, it would be super easy! It was all done with construction paper, PVC pipe, batting, paint, spray paint, clear cellophane paper, ribbon, foil, card board and lots of white lights!

Enjoy!!

A Wonka bar made from cardboard, foil and paint!

These are paper plates that were painted and glittered. Then they used pipes to affix them too with ribbon and cellophane...poof! A lolly pop!

Construction paper inside the cellophane to look like candy!

This is spray painted batting to look like a mushroom!

*hugs*
Denice

Photo Credit: me!

Super Cute Place- cards- DIY

My Mother in Law made the cutest napkin ring holders for Thanksgiving. She got the idea from the Family Fun web site. They were SO SUPER cute! Here they are:

They were so simple to make. Here is what you need:
1) Black poster board
2) Photos of family or friends
3) Glue stick
4) White paper
5) Tape
6) White Crayon

So, this has now become our NEW holiday tradition! We will be making them for Christmas too! I am thinking Elves and Snowmen... =)

My mother in law also made this SUPER cute appetizer:

TO BE CONTINUED...

*hugs*
Denice

Photo Credit: Me!

Clickable Party- Party Decorations from your Computer?

I found a GREAT website for those who like to be creative in planning their events.  It's called Clickable Party.  Clickable Party is *printable* party decorations that are unique, customizable and reasonably priced. They create matching party invitations, thank you cards, cupcake wrappers, toppers, banners, favor boxes...everything you need to make your next party look extra special. All you do is just print and cut them out!

We are a family owned and operated business in Southern New England striving to offer unique printable party ware for events, holidays and special occasions. We hope you enjoy our designs. Don't forget to check out the Freebies page for free downloads.

Why not use a party store? You can’t find our designs in your local party store - they stand out from the rest! The designs are made to be personalized, and you control how many you print, how you print them and how you use them. ~ Krysten

They have a ton of cute stuff!  I stumbled upon them while surfing the twitter waves.  There is a freebies section with a full free downloadable party for an end of summer beach bash, and more is added all the time. Cruise on over and check them out!

http://www.clickableparty.com/

http://clickableparty.blogspot.com/

*hugs*

Denice

Photo Credit: Clickable Party

6 Great Ideas for a Summer Party

Part of my 31 Day Build a Better Blog Challenge, I needed to create a list post, so here is my attempt: 6 Great Ideas for a Summer Party! Have fun reading =)

There are only a few more weeks of Summer left, it has gone by so fast.  I can't let Summer come to an end without one more blow out, so I started thinking up some ideas.  I narrowed the list down to 6, super fun, summer party ideas.  Check them out and let me know which one sounds like the most fun. 

Did I leave any great ideas out? If so, fill me in!!

Kids Summer Fun Party

For this idea, you can incorporate all the things kids love about Summer: 

- Water balloon fights

- Swimming / Slip-n-slides

- Water gun fights
- Watermelon
- Hot dogs and hamburgers
- Fun treats: My favorite sweet oriented blog, Save The Date for Cupcakes,  has a  bunch of great displays:
~ Rainbow & Race Cars
~ Red, White and Blue Backyard BBQ
~ Splash Bash

Outdoor Cocktail Party
This one is for the adults, unless you make your cocktails "G"rated! There are so many things you can do for this one.
- Wine Tasting

- Margarita Tasting

- A funky glass exchange

- Lots of yummy finger foods

- Create a "Wine" club or "Beer" club and discuss likes and dislikes (similar to a book club)

- Find lots of yummy drink recipes at Celebrations web site

- Do a Wine/Cocktail exchange where everyone brings their favorite and you share (like a cookie exchange)

Beach Party

The Beach Party is a classic Summer must have.  If you are nowhere near a beach, you can always create one in your own back yard. Just get some blow-up pools, bags of sand and lots of friends. Some necessities:

- Beach balls

- Beach umbrellas
- Picnic lunch
- Bon fire
- Boogie boards
- Beach attire
- Kites

- Sand toys

- Creative Beach Cupcakes

Summer BBQ Pool Party

- Pool rafts

- BBQ

- Bubbles

- Cannon ball contest

- Fruity drinks

- Safe (and legal) fire works

- Watermelon pops

- Have a pool scavanger hunt

Camp Out Party

- Smores (try Peach Smores)

- Build a camp fire

- Pitch some tents and sleep in your backyard

- Roast hot dogs on hamburgers

- Tell ghost stories

Christmas in July

You guessed it. Make your Christmas decorations work over-time this year by getting your

garland, tree ornaments, and artificial Christmas tree down from the attic...for instant

holiday atmosphere.

- Surfing Santa

- Christmas tree made from a palm tree

- Snow ball fights (made from white, nylon filled fabric)

- Cookie decorating (but use watermelon as the cookie!)

I hope you enjoy these ideas! Happy end of Summer!

*hugs*

Denice

Photo credits: ME!
Watermelon ideas: Family Fun Magazine

Fantastic Finds- June 18, 2010

Here are some Fantastic Finds that I have come across this past week in bloggyland. I hope you find them useful and entertaining!

Fathers Day/Graduation:

~ Cute Fathers Day cake ideas on Tweedle Designs
~ Super cute ideas for Graduation Dessert Display form Save the Date for Cupcakes

Kids:

~ A super cute Snow-White themed tutu from TuTuBug: I wish I had a daughter to put in this...do you think Cooper would mind?? LOL!

Party:

~ Danielle from Sugar and Spice Events is fabulous, I love reading her blogs. This one is a MUST read: Dinner is served- 10 things for a perfect dinner party
~ Miss Janice is the "Go to Lady" for all things Etiquette: Check out the correct way to drink your Iced Tea with Mind your "Teas"s and Q's

Health:

~ Turbo Fire In House from: Feeling Fit with Dana

Wedding:

~ Who decides what the Flower Girl should wear from: The Bridal Party LLC
~ Pre-marital Counseling? Check out Bridal Buds

Happy Weekend y'all!

*hugs*
Denice

Giveaway Alert...Gold Canyon Candles!

KDCEvents is hosting another giveaway! This time, it is for something that I simply can't live with out. What is that you say? Well, if you know me, you know I can't live without my Gold Canyon Candles. I am so addicted to them that I became a demonstrator just to support my habit. I know...who can burn that many candles? Well, I CAN!!


Ask anyone, these candles are fabulous! One little candle can make your whole house smell amazing for HOURS. Yup hours. The biggest draw to these candles for me is that they have a cooler burning wax, so I don't have to worry about my little ones burning themselves if accidentally spilled.


My new favorite product from Gold Canyon is the Scent Pod Warmer. I have two and I LOVE THEM! I can leave these babies on and not worry about burning my house down. =) They come fit with a timer (4, 8 & 12 hours) and are so easy to change out the scents, see:

I also love the Auto Fresheners. They help keep my car smelling way better than the baby formula it is masking. I have also used the Sachets as a freshener in my car, I just throw it under my seat.

NOTE: These candles are great for events of ALL KINDS!! Weddings, showers, parties, receptions, you name it. They make great shower prizes and gifts, if fact, I am giving away 4 different candles at a baby shower tomorrow. I also used the tealights at my wedding. So check them out for your upcoming event.

Here is what we are giving away to a lucky reader:
~ 16 oz Bella Candle
~ Pack of Auto Fresheners
~ Wick Dipper (scents to be chosen at random)

How do you enter? Just leave a comment on this post as to why you need this fabulous candle, and follow our little blog =) That's IT! (comment is required)

Additional entries you say? Well, here are a few ways to earn them (please be sure to do a seperate comment for each):
~ Follow our little KDCEvents Blog
~ Become a Fan on Facebook
~ Follow KDCEvents on Twitter
~ Retweet this giveaway

We will choose one lucky reader on April 23. Good Luck!
**Must be a US Resident to enter

*hugs*
Denice

Photo Credit: Gold Canyon Candle