Wednesday, April 30, 2014

James & Tracy's Cocktail Reception

When Tracy and James approached us last year about helping with their wedding, they were adamant about planning a wedding outside of the norm (for Western Mass that is). We are so glad they asked us to help, we love helping couples create a wedding that really speaks to their personality and style!

They had their heart set on a cocktail-style wedding reception where guests spent time mingling, dancing and enjoying delicious food without the formality of a sit down event. Their wedding had many personal touches and their guests had a blast!

The venue had the industrial look they loved, providing the perfect backdrop. Photos of the couple were taken in the old First National Bank and the Pushkin Gallery in Greenfield.

Enjoy these wonderful photos taken by Matthew Cavanaugh Photography.


Photo © Matthew Cavanaugh Photography
Photo © Matthew Cavanaugh Photography

Photo © Matthew Cavanaugh Photography

Photo © Matthew Cavanaugh Photography
Photo © Matthew Cavanaugh Photography

Photo © Matthew Cavanaugh Photography

Photo © Matthew Cavanaugh Photography

Photo © Matthew Cavanaugh Photography
Photo © Matthew Cavanaugh Photography
Photo © Matthew Cavanaugh Photography
Photo © Matthew Cavanaugh Photography

Photo © Matthew Cavanaugh Photography

Photo © Matthew Cavanaugh Photography



Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Shopping at Eventiques Flea Market

We are just days away from Eventiques Flea Market and attendees are in for a real treat! We are bursting at the seams with items for sale. We have linens, silver-plated flatware, vases, votives, Mr. & Mrs. signs, rustic signage, birch votive holders, cake stands, craft supplies, gift bags and boxes, glassware, chandeliers, vintage china, the list goes on and on and on! We have over 2000 items to sell!!

To help make everyone's shopping experience a smooth and successful one, we thought it would be useful for us to post some tips and tricks for attending Eventiques.

Create a Wish List
Make a list of the things you are hoping to find. This will help give you a guide for what it is you need. Keep an open mind as well. Having an idea of the style event you are having and the color scheme will help you in making decisions about what items might be best for your event.

Quantities
Knowing roughly the number of tables you will have will help in knowing how many you might need of centerpieces, votives, table numbers, etc. Typically, a wedding of about 120 people might have anywhere between 10 to 15 tables depending on whether or not you have 8 or 10 people seated at one table.

Table Sizes
For those of you planning an event at your home or at a location that requires rentals, you will need linens. We have a ton of linens available for sale! Napkins, runners, and tablecloths. Purchasing these will likely be less than the cost of renting depending on the look you are going for. Knowing your table dimensions will help you select the right size. We'll also have a designer from Eutopia Events available to answer questions regarding linen sizes.

Bring Reinforcements
If you can, bring a friend or family member who can help you collect and carry things. There is a lot to look through and you might miss things at first glance. You'll also want an extra set of hands for collecting and carrying items. There will be staff available to assist but we may not be able to help everyone due to the large number of people attending.

Enter the Raffle!
We're going to have a raffle with some great prizes! Be sure to register at the ticket booth so that you can enter for a chance to win! 

Have fun and stay a while!
Come with the intention to browse and enjoy the shopping experience! Meet with our designer and talk about ideas for the look of your event. Connect with vendors about lighting, video, photography, cakes, etc. Get a chair massage, listen to music, or watch a silhouette artist. Enjoy some coffee or grab a drink at the bar! There will be many things to enjoy!

Some other important things to know...
  1. All sales are final. We will not issue refunds for any reason. It is up to you to inspect the item to ensure it is a good fit for you. All items are purchased As Is.
  2. We take cash or credit/debit card, no checks. There is a $20 minimum for credit/debit cards. There is an ATM in the Eastworks building so you can get cash if need be.
  3. We will be displaying as many items as we can but we may have to keep some overflow of inventory in a storage area onsite. Please be sure to ask if you are looking for a certain quantity of an item.
  4. When checking out, we ask that you kindly be patient with our staff. We have a lot of people working the event but there will be far more customers than staff. Each tag has to be removed to ensure we are accounting for all of the inventory for our consignors. In addition, our staff will want to ensure your newly purchased items are wrapped and/or boxed up so that you can take them with you 
  5. You can also review our FAQ on the website for other important details. 
Our goal and hope is that you all are able to come and have a fun time shopping at the same time be inspired! We're so excited to host this event again and we hope you will all enjoy your experience. After the event is over, we encourage you to email us with feedback. We will continue to try and make each event even better than the last! Thank you for joining us at Eventiques Flea Market!

Photo © Cronin Hill Photography
 



Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Eventiques Flea Market Sponsors

Eventiques Flea Market is only 2 weeks away and we can't wait! We begin our event set up April 28th and we'll be putting together some beautiful displays in addition to putting out all of the wonderful inventory for sale.

Doing an event like this would not be possible without the involvement of some pretty spectacular sponsors. We are thrilled to have some talented professionals on board for our May 2014 event!

Let's introduce you to everyone...

Cronin Hill Photography will be providing photography coverage for the event throughout the weekend. Not only are Paula and Rick talented wedding and event photographers, they are two of the sweetest people you could ever work with! They make you feel as though you are having your pictures taken by two of your closest friends. They are friendly, funny and so easy going. They care so much for their clients, it shows in everything they do. They've worked all over New England and beyond, their photographs are amazing and we always love working with them on any wedding or event!

Cakes by Amanda is owned by Amanda Russell and to say that she is talented is an understatement. Her cakes and desserts not only look phenomenal, they taste fantastic!! We've known Amanda for years and have seen her business grow. She's professional, fun and incredibly creative. She will be displaying some of her cakes at the event as well as providing some nibbles for attendees to enjoy.

Forget Me Not Florist in Northampton has been creating gorgeous floral arrangements for weddings small and large throughout the Pioneer Valley. When it comes to floral designs, we know Rebecca and her staff will exceed our expectations and produce stunning arrangements. We've seen their business flourish over the years and enjoy working with them on weddings and events.

Durocher Florist is another incredibly talented florist who has been designing and delivering flowers since 1948! Hundreds of flowers have passed through their shop and each piece is a work of art. They are professional, and work with your vision to make it come to life. We love working with this talented group!

We're thrilled to have JPod Productions as the official Eventiques Videographer. They have won awards and produce wedding films that are heartfelt. Jamie and his staff are professional, courteous and super friendly! They'll be onsite covering the event but they'll also be available for questions about Videography for a wedding or special event.

As Event Designers, we know the value of really good lighting and how it can dramatically transform a space. CJC Event Lighting has been providing specialty lighting for weddings and events all over New England for years. We're honored to have these talented and seasoned professionals as a sponsor this May! They push the envelope when it comes to lighting, keeping things fresh and new! We are excited to see what they come up with for our event space!

Our Musical Sponsors...

SuperChill Entertainment is owned by Andrew Parker-Renga, an incredibly talented musician who is fantastic to work with! This group is able to cater to many musical styles and tastes. We were fortunate to have Andrew and his crew perform for our November event, everyone loved them! We're very much looking forward to having him play at our Spring event this year. 

Viren Entertainment is owned by Shawn Santanello. He provides entertainment as a DJ but also plays acoustic guitar. We have worked with Shawn many times over the past few years and every client has raved about him! We are so fortunate to have such a talented DJ/Musician in our circle and we love recommending him. He is fun, sweet and really easy going. We love that he has offered to provide musical entertainment once again at Eventiques. We look forward to having him!

Our Food Sponsors...

Hillside Catering will be providing delicious samples of their food at this Spring event. They have been providing catering service for weddings and special events in the area for years. They are well-known for their Pizza at Hillside Pizza located in South Deerfield, Hadley and now Bernardston. They do so much more than pizza though! Their food is delicious, locally sourced, beautifully displayed and their service is top notch!  

We will also be welcoming Western Woods Coffee to Eventiques Spring 2014. The owner, Patrick, will be at the event providing delicious coffee samples to guests. He provides exceptional coffee service for weddings and events, a unique and special service that will surely impress guests!

You can visit our Sponsor page on Eventiques Website to read more about each of these sponsors. You can also visit our Facebook page to see images of their work.


Special Guest...

We have a very special guest who will be at Eventiques on Saturday from 9am to 12pm providing photo booth service, Sandra Costello Photography. Sandra has been providing photo booth and photography services for years in the area. She's a talented photographer, we really love working with her! She's fun and energetic and is a great addition to the event! We'll also be doing a very special promotion through the photo booth so be sure to stop by and see Sandra. You won't want to miss out!



Eventiques Media Sponsor: Bliss Celebrations


Bliss Celebrations is a beautifully designed print magazine chock full of gorgeous real weddings and inspiration pages, a resource for those planning their wedding or celebration in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. What we love most about them is that they include more than just weddings, since we know that celebrations come in all shapes and sizes. The first time we picked up one of their magazines, we fell in love with its beautifully designed pages!

Bliss Celebrations is based out of Rhode Island. When we met with Amy, the editor, it was like meeting with a longtime friend, we hit it off immediately. Bliss Celebrations has joined our team as a Media Sponsor and we couldn’t be more thrilled about this relationship! We are excited to team up with them for Eventiques and share with all of you this beautiful magazine. Each VIP ticket holder will receive a Bliss Celebrations magazine in their swag bag!

Below is an image of the cover and some examples of inside pages you can find in Bliss Celebrations magazine. Stunning!!








Monday, April 21, 2014

Media Sponsor: WellWed Magazine

We're very fortunate to have some fabulous media sponsors for Eventiques Flea Market this Spring. WellWed magazine has been publishing books filled with gorgeous weddings and inspiration for years. We were fans of WellWed long before we had started our Wedding and Event Planning business. This year, we were excited to have one of our styled shoots featured in The Cape & Islands magazine. We're so grateful to have them as a media sponsor for Eventiques Spring 2014!

WellWed offices are located in Burlington, Vermont but they have Magazines throughout New England. They own Vermont VowsWellWed New York, WellWed The Cape and Islands, WellWed The Hamptons, and WellWed Maine and New Hampshire. You can flip through one of their issues here.

VIP Ticket holders will get a copy of this magazine in their Swag bags at the event. A beautiful book full of inspiration and gorgeous real weddings! What a treat! 

Here a just a few samplings of the weddings that have been published by WellWed.

WellWed Cape Cod & The Islands Cover




WellWed The Hamptons

WellWed The Hamptons
Eutopia Events Styled Shoot, WellWed Magazine, The Cape & Islands

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Pink and Turquoise Inspiration

We're hopeful that spring is around the corner and warmer days are ahead! In the meantime, we thought it would be fun to share some inspiration to help with spring-like thoughts! This inspiration board is made up of various shades of pink and turquoise with a mix of floral patterns. Stay tuned for photos from a styled shoot we did based on this look!


An Animal Print Safari First Birthday

While the bulk of the work we do is related to weddings, we do love to create beautiful setups and lasting memories for other types of events. We "went wild" when Katie reached out to us for help planning and designing her son's first birthday party! Since it was going to be an outdoor celebration with guests aging from little babies to grandparents, we came up with a safari theme which is suitable for all ages. We used a simple color palette of browns and tans, with pops of lime green and orange, mixed with wood textures and animal prints.

Check out some of the images from Benjamin's Safari-themed first birthday party, as seen through the lens of the talented Cronin Hill Photography. You can also see more of this party on the Hostess with the Mostess blog, one of our absolute favorites. It is an honor to see our work featured with them!

Invitation design by Eutopia Events • Photo by Cronin Hill Photography


Invitations:
We custom designed the invitations to reflect the theme of the celebration, and carried this design throughout the other party stationery: the labels used on the goody bags, drink labels, menu sign, and memory book sign.

Photo by Cronin Hill Photography • Cakes, cupcakes, and cookies by Cakes by Amanda


Desserts: The cake, cupcakes, and individually packaged sugar cookies were created by Cakes by Amanda. We gave her the theme, color palette, some props we were using, along with some inspiration photos and let her run with it. They matched the rest of the décor perfectly! The cupcake liners even had animal print on them.

Drinks: Another way we showcased the safari theme was through the beverages. We had two drink dispensers filled with juice — one orange and one green — and appropriately named them “jungle juice” and “swamp water.” We also took mini bottles of water and simply covered the labels with animal print duct tape and put them in a zebra striped galvanized tub with ice.

Design and Styling by Eutopia Events • Photo by Cronin Hill Photography




Tables: Each table was set with reusable plates in orange and lime green, a zebra striped napkin, wooden utensils, and clear cups adorned with jute, twine, and cute paper straws. A simple strip of burlap was used for the table runners over khaki colored cloths. The centerpieces were a mix of small and medium sized potted tropical plants from a local garden supply that we easily covered with burlap. All of the chairs were rustic, wooden, folding chairs that used to be part of a traveling carnival and were supplied by Eutopia Events. Little stuffed monkeys and safari pith helmets hung from various chairs to decorate the space, as well as to play with and take home as favors!

Design and Styling by Eutopia Events • Photo by Cronin Hill Photography




Goody bags: Boys and girls ranging in age from just a few months old up to age 12 attended the party. Each child was given an age appropriate activity bag filled with safari themed goodies! Some of the items included were jungle animal socks for the little babies, safari themed coloring books, bubbles in orange and green, safari animal stickers and toys, safari craft projects, and puzzles. Each bag was made of brown kraft paper and was decorated with a strip of animal print paper and a color coordinated name badge.

Just hanging around! Photo by Cronin Hill Photography




Other décor elements: A burlap, animal print backdrop was created to display pictures of the birthday boy throughout his first year and hung behind the desserts. Green, orange, and zebra striped paper lanterns were used to decorate the inside of the tent.

Benjamin with his mom and dad. Photo by Cronin Hill Photography




Thank you to the fabulous vendors who helped make this party such a roaring success!

– Birthday Boy’s Party Hat: Etsy
– Event Planning & Design, Chairs, Invitations & other various props: Eutopia Events
– Photography: Cronin Hill Photography
– Cake, Cupcakes & Cookies: Cakes by Amanda
– Catering: Backyard Grillin’ Company

Friday, March 21, 2014

Calling all event hosts and planners!

This post is not just for those planning a wedding! It is for anyone who has ever planned a wedding or event AND those who are currently planning.

Couples planning their wedding know what a challenge it is to find décor that fits their vision and budget. Countless hours are spent locating the perfect centerpiece container or table number only to come up empty handed, frustrated, or over budget. Now imagine walking into a space filled with beautiful displays of gently used wedding items that have been artistically put together to inspire and help you create a distinctive look for your wedding.

Eventiques, a Wedding and Event Flea Market is a centralized, fun-filled market focused on helping couples and event professionals find decorative elements at affordable prices all in one location. Décor from past events is given new life by being reused or repurposed for another couple’s wedding or someone’s special celebration such as a birthday party, graduation party, baby shower or bridal shower. We created this event to encourage party throwers, both past and present, a greener way of hosting events.

 Photo © Cronin Hill Photography

At Eventiques, you will find carefully selected used wedding décor, vintage goods, new and used wedding gowns, rentals, and handmade pieces you can buy for your wedding or celebration. Local artisans and merchants will be displaying their handmade goods, perfect for making someone’s wedding or event extra special. In addition, Eventiques Flea Market will have select event professionals displaying their work and will be available to answer your design questions and make suggestions on how to create the perfect look for your celebration! It will be a fun shopping experience but you will also walk away feeling inspired!


Photo by Cronin Hill Photography
Join us May 3rd and May 4th at the Eastworks Building, Main Floor, in Easthampton, MA. VIP Tickets are $8.00 each and can be purchased online at www.eventiquesfleamarket.com (limited availability). VIP tickets are for Saturday only and will have early admittance into the event from 9am to 10am. VIP ticket holders will also receive a goody bag with local goods and gifts! Tickets at the door are $5 on Saturday from 10am-3pm and Sunday 10am-2pm.

Perhaps you are already married, or have already thrown the ultimate 40th birthday celebration; now what to do with everything? That décor takes up valuable space in your spare room, attic, basement, garage, etc. One hundred of those candle votives that brightened tables, vast amounts of paper lanterns, or the wine cork place card holders you slaved over for hours! Finding the time and energy to sell these pieces can be daunting. But don’t worry, let Eventiques do the work for you! We will be collecting items for consignment until mid-April.

If you are a bride, groom, stay-at-home-mom, working parent, party thrower, or event professional who would like information about how you can sell your gently used items, please contact us at eutopiaevents@gmail.com We have several consignment drop offs scheduled, visit our website to find a drop off that works for you.

Keep yourself updated as we add new and exciting things to the event! Visit us on Facebook or feel free to contact us with any questions.