Colorful & Casual

We work with a variety of styles, personalities and visions. Jocelyn and Jeff had a clear vision for their wedding, something colorful and casual! They didn't want to incorporate many of the traditions we see at most weddings. No cake cutting, no formal dances, no introductions, they just wanted to have fun! They had a small budget and were able to incorporate a lot of DIY projects in order to keep everything within that budget. Jocelyn even made the paper flowers that she and her bridesmaids held! Loved them!

This couple was a referral from one of our past clients. Jocelyn and Jeff knew they didn't want to worry about all the details on the day of their wedding (Jocelyn's mom also knew that she didn't want to worry either!) so they hired us for Day-of Coordination. Our favorite quote from Jocelyn after her wedding was "You were worth your weight in gold!" We loved working with this couple and their families!

Sean Wytrwal Photography did a beautiful job capturing the moments of the day for these two. Thank you Sean for letting us share these photos!

We had the pleasure of working with some new event professionals:

Photography: Sean Wytrwal Photography
Venue: Saima Park
Food: Shirley Catering
Music: EGO/Joey Eppard
Bartending: The Bar Shaker Company
Rentals: Central Mass Party Rentals
 

What to do with all that wedding stuff?!

As Event Planners, we know couples have a lot of “stuff” leftover from their weddings, often taking up valuable space in a spare room, or collecting dust in their attic. You know what we’re talking about­—one hundred of those candle votives that brightened your tables, vast amounts of paper lanterns, or the wine cork place card holders you slaved over for hours! Finding time and energy to sell these pieces can be daunting, especially after planning a wedding.

What if there was a centralized, fun-filled place where you could buy and sell such items, all artistically displayed to inspire and help you create a distinctive look for your wedding or event?

Eventiques is a new wedding and event flea market created by Eutopia Events and is focused on helping people find decorative elements at affordable prices all in one location! Décor from past events is given new life by being reused or repurposed for someone else’s wedding, shower, even a birthday party. Looking for something old, something new, or something borrowed? You will find carefully selected, used event décor, vintage goods, wedding gowns, unique rentals, and handmade pieces for your wedding or special celebration. There will be music, food, and great deals!

New England is home to many antique shops and flea markets, but Eventiques will be one like no other! Join us Saturday November 16^th from 10am–4pm and Sunday November 17^th from 9am–3pm at Eastworks, 116 Pleasant St. in Easthampton, MA on the first floor. Ticket prices are $8 at the door or $5 if you pre-register. Please visit www.eventiquesfleamarket.com  for more information and to register.

Are you a bride, groom, or event professional who would like information on how you can sell your gently used items, or participate in the flea market? Contact us at eutopiaevents@gmail.com.

Giving it Time

Over the course of the year, we put together many wedding day timelines. In some cases, we begin this process several months in advance. A wedding is made up of many moving parts. From the time you get your hair and makeup done, to the last dance of the night, there are multiple pieces that come together to make your day extraordinary. During the planning process, you will start to see that all of these pieces will need to fit perfectly together to make the entire day run smoothly. 

Here are some helpful tips to get you started with putting together your wedding day itinerary:

1. Allow enough time for hair and makeup. Talk to your hair and makeup professionals about how much time you should allot for each person in the party then add 30-45 minutes to that total (or more). Be sure to count everyone—bridesmaids, flower girls, mothers, grandmothers—anyone getting their hair done with you and the bridal party. 

Photo by Cronin Hill Photography

2. Take travel time into consideration. If you have to be at the church or somewhere for photographs, make sure you have extra time to get from point A to point B. It is also helpful to know if there are any special events taking place in or around where your wedding is going to be. This way, you can avoid heavy traffic areas.

3. Discuss timing and locations with your photographer, this is very important! Planning out your photo locations and timing will reduce the chance of running late. Be clear with your photographers about your ideas in as much advance as possible. 

Photo by Seth Kaye Photography

4. Consider seeing each other before the ceremony. We have had a lot of clients decide to do what is known as a "First Look." The Bride and Groom have a moment before the ceremony to see each other and have photos of them and their wedding party taken early in the day. This frees up the couple and their wedding party to mingle during their cocktail hour.

5. Talk with your photographer about what family members you would like photos with ahead of time. Once they have a list of formals, they can estimate how much time it will take to get the shots you want. In addition—and this is crucial—let the family members know ahead of time that they are going to be in photos. Inform them of where they should be and when. This will cut down on wait time and keep the photo process running smoothly and more quickly.

6. Take a look at the big picture. When planning your ceremony start time, be sure to consider how that will affect your reception venue timing. If you have only booked the venue for 5 hours, plan around that. If your ceremony runs late and you arrive 30-45 minutes late, everything will run behind and you will end up feeling as though you didn’t got the most from your reception.

Planning a smooth flowing wedding day requires some careful thought and organization but the effort will ensure you have a day that stays on time and on budget. A wedding planner can help you with many of these details—from planning the entire event to day-of coordination. 

Sell Your Wedding Decor!

We have our first scheduled drop off for Eventiques coming up very soon! If you have wedding or event decor to sell, come see us on October 3rd from 10am-2pm at Crystal Vazquez & Company's studio to drop off your items. Our staff will be there to review through your decor and approve select pieces for the event. After Eventiques is over in November, you will receive 50% of the sale of your items. You do not have to be present during Eventiques itself to sell your items, we do all of the selling and promoting for you!

Drop off: October 3rd from 10am to 2pm
Crystal Vazquez & Company Studio
116 Pleasant St., Suite 252 
Easthampton, Ma

Questions, please email us at eutopiaevents@gmail.com or call 413-475-2282.

Laureen and Jarod's Romantic Pink, Gold, and Emerald Green Wedding

It can be a challenge planning a wedding from another state, and even harder when the bride and groom both work demanding, full-time jobs. Not only was this the case for Laureen and Jarod, but they also needed help creating the overall look and feel of their day. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to help them plan, design, and create their dream wedding! They were a very sweet couple to work with. They had a great day, perfect weather, and everything went off without a hitch.

This wedding had some elegant touches to help create its overall chic and romantic look and feel. Shades of pink and gold with emerald green accents adorned the reception space at The Blue Heron Restaurant in Sunderland, a sweet little town in Western Massachusetts. This color palette worked very well with tones of the tin walls and ceiling of the restaurant. Champagne faux silk table linens acted as the backdrop to the gorgeous florals made with various shades of traditional roses, garden roses, hydrangeas, stock, ranunculus and peonies from Forget Me Not Florist. We created the menus, as well as the table numbers, to give it all a cohesive look.


Many of the guests traveled long distances to attend Laureen and Jarod's wedding (all the way from Honduras!) and along with them, brought some traditional desserts and fresh coffee to be used as favors. Laureen's cousin created the bags for the coffee, and we created the "Love is Brewing" sign for the display.

J.P. Langland's caught some beautiful moments and imagery from Laureen and Jarod's wedding. Big thanks to him for allowing us to share these photos!

We worked with some very talented professionals who helped bring Laureen and Jarod's wedding to life. We are fortunate to have so many wonderful people to work with in this area.

Wedding Vendors included:

Photographer: J.P. Langlands Photography
Venue and Food: Blue Heron Restaurant 
Entertainment, Acoustic for Cocktail Hour and DJ for Reception: Viren Entertainment
Florist: Forget Me Not Florist
Cake: Royal Icings
Table Linens: Michael's Party Rentals
Makeup: Bridal by Liz
Hair: Jenursa Hair

S + J's Garden House Wedding

S + J were married on a very unseasonably cold day in May this year. You develop a back up plan for rain once Spring hits but who thought weather would be so cold you would need a winter coat?!

Despite the cold weather, and a last minute decision by the family to host the ceremony indoors rather than outdoors, the wedding was intimate and elegant! We had so much fun working with this family and their friends. Our favorite part, the groomsmen's toast!! Hands down the best skit/toast we've ever seen! If we get a video clip of it, we'll try to share it with you.

In the meantime, enjoy these gorgeous photos taken by the very talented Matthew Cavanaugh.

And here they are! The ladies of Eutopia Events. Ruthie and Lauren are making their rounds to check that everyone is happy and enjoying themselves. Thank you Matthew for the photo of these gals in action.

We had the great pleasure of working with some wonderful wedding professionals who helped make S + J's wedding unforgettable! Special thanks to The Garden House staff and Blue Heron staff for their quick turnaround in helping to make some last minute adjustments to the space due to some crazy weather!

Venue: The Garden House at Look Park
Caterer: Blue Heron Restaurant and Catering
Late night food (chicken wings!!): The Hanger
Photographer: Matthew Cavanaugh Photography
Videographer: Brian Keith Media
Florist: Durocher Florist
Cake: Henion Bakery
Music: DJ Adi
Hair & Makeup: Cheryl Nina Day Spa
Lanterns: Michael's Party Rentals

Naomi and Greg's Engagement Session

Naomi and Greg's wedding is just a few weeks away, so we were super excited when Love + Perry Photography shared their engagement pictures at the Bridge of Flowers on their blog! The Bridge of Flowers, located in Shelburne Falls, was the perfect backdrop for their pictures, and Brittney and Shana captured Naomi and Greg's personalities {and love} so beautifully. We can't wait until August!

Photography: Love + Perry Photography
Makeup: Crystal Vazquez & Company
Hair: The Lift

Little Black Book

We have received a lot of interest in our upcoming styled boudoir sessions on July 27th! As part of the session package, you will receive a hardcover accordion book with 4-6 edited photos from your shoot. Want a sneak peek? Here's what your Little Black Book will look like!

Are you feeling hot hot hot?

It's July, and while mother nature has turned up the heat, we are turning up the heat in our own way: with some boudoir! We are teaming up with Crystal Vazquez & Company and Michelle Girard Photography for styled boudoir sessions. Each private, vintage-styled session will be held in the studio of Crystal Vazquez & Company on Saturday July 27, 2013. Call 413-454-4723 to book your appointment now!

Wedding Day Welcome Bags

Having a destination wedding? Or perhaps many of your wedding guests will be traveling from long distances to celebrate your big day with you. If so, it is a nice idea to welcome them with a small bag of goodies upon their arrival at the hotel. A couple bottles of water, some snacks, shuttle bus information, and a brochure about the local area are simple items you can incorporate into a welcome gift for guests. You can get as creative as you'd like with these and use locally made items, such as chocolates, baked goods, beverages, even maple syrup (a great New England treat).

The container does not necessarily have to be a bag either. Consider using a box, basket, personalized canvas tote, a small lunchbox, or even a pail for that Massachusetts seaside soirée! Coordinate it's design and look with the rest of your wedding for that personal touch.

There are many options out there. Your guests will appreciate that thoughtful package as they arrive to their hotel.

If you prefer not to create these yourself, we can help you create welcome bags that fit the style of your wedding or other event. We can design, collect, and create these welcome containers for you, as well as deliver them, saving you valuable time! Contact us at eutopiaevents@gmail.com and we can put together some ideas for you.

A Styled Engagement Shoot at Quonquont Farm

Perfect timing for DIY Bride to showcase Erin and Ryan's engagement shoot on their blog — their wedding is happening this week — and we couldn't be more excited for them! Click here to check out the photos and to hear a little bit about how they got engaged.

This shoot took place at Quonquont Farm, one of our favorite venues, and is the same place Erin and Ryan's wedding will take place this week. If you haven't been to Quonquont, you are missing out! Not only do they have 140 acres of apples, blueberries, and peaches, but the views are gorgeous, and the renovated livestock barn is a stunning place to hold an event. The building and the property offer the perfect location for a New England-style wedding. Erin and Ryan love Quonquont so much, that they decided it was the perfect spot for their engagement photos as well.

We created a casual, country-style picnic, complete with fun and games, to tie in with Erin and Ryan's playful personalities.  The goal was to create a very casual atmosphere where the couple could relax and enjoy some time together. Their picnic basket contained peanut butter and jelly sandwiches wrapped in wax paper and tied with twine, Swanky Swig glasses and lemonade, and of course, delicious cupcakes for a sweet ending. It was a perfect day to enjoy a piggie back ride, kite flying, and scrabble together.

Thank you Sandra Costello Photography for capturing the couple’s fun-loving nature and the beauty of Quonquont Farm. If you haven't checked out Sandra's work, you should! Her bubbly personality and artistic eye make for great pictures.

Apple Orchard Boudoir Sneak Peek!

We couldn't have asked for better weather for the rustic, outdoor, boudoir event we held a couple weeks ago at Carr's Cider House. The apple blossoms were in bloom and the view was spectacular! All of the ladies were excited, especially when they saw the styled scenes we had created, and it showed in the end product: their gorgeous pictures! Here are a few sneak peeks!

Event Planner and Stylist: Eutopia Events
Photographer: dani. fine photography
Hair and Makeup: Crystal Vazquez & Company

Not Just Weddings

Many of our blog posts, pictures, and work show off our beautiful weddings, but those aren't the only parties we throw! Last week on the On to Baby blog, (a division of Wedding Chicks), our hoedown themed birthday party was featured. Click here to see some of the photos and to read more about it.

There was food of course, as well as hay rides, potato sack races, a place to hang your hat, donut eating contests, s'mores, bobbing for apples, and relaxing! Thanks to Michelle Girard Photography for capturing the day and the fun that was had by all.