A New Year’s Eve wedding is absolutely a night for any couple to remember forever and an excellent date to gather all the friends together year after year to celebrate the big anniversary! With so many event planning options already folded into the day of celebration for the new year, we have compiled a few tips and tricks to planning a flawless New Year’s Eve Wedding. All the standards come into play such as the dress, the flowers, the guest list, but important consideration is needed for the venue, the views, the catering and drink menus, and of course the after-party transportation for getting family and friends home safely!

A New Year’s Eve Wedding is the perfect new beginning for the couple looking to come into the new year with just the right ‘spark!’

The Venue: Preferably with a View!

Unless you have the budget to put on your own pyrotechnics display of fireworks spelling out the names of the bride and groom in flash bangs and whirly whoos, the perfect venue for a New Year’s Eve Wedding is typically going to be downtown with a view of the city fireworks display. Both the City of Seattle and the City of Portland put on fabulous displays with plenty of downtown venues sitting front and center for the perfect view of show. Spaces on holiday weekends typically get snapped up pretty quickly and often have returning clients for year after year celebrations so make sure to start the hunt early and don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions about visibility of the fireworks. We also recommend checking out the venue both in the day time and in the evening once the sun has set to get a true feel of venue.

Venues Continued: Winter Weather Prep

As with any winter wedding, extra attention needs to paid to the venue amenities such as heating, lighting, and restrooms. The good news, if you find the perfect venue with all the views in the world but they are lacking in the foundation items such as heat and restrooms – fear not! Each of these options can be brought to your location including restrooms! Luxury Restroom Trailers by Privy Chambers have both compact and oversized options for all guest list sizes and most options will even fit through the bay doors of large warehouses for downtown locations bringing the restrooms INSIDE! With the long night of celebrating, your guests will certainly appreciate a fabulous place to “go!”

Timing: Midnight Nuptials

Hoping for a wedding exactly at midnight? Be sure to plan well! You’ll need a fool proof strategy to get all your guests seated, paying attention, and ready for vows. If you want the “I Do’s” to happen exactly at midnight, best to do several practice runs to see how long the lead up takes and be sure to have some “hurry up” tactics in case of running late. Just for good measure, have a few stalling tactics saved up your sleeve as well in case the excitement gets you ahead of schedule. It’s a specific day with a specific time and you want it to be perfect!

Food & Drink Menus: The Important Stuff!

Food and beverages on a night such as New Year’s Eve are one of the most crucial components – balance without overdoing it! For a New Year’s Eve Wedding celebration, the festivities will likely be starting later in the evening – especially if you are planning for midnight nuptials. With this in mind, a full dinner course may be overkill but keep the appetizers flowing if drinks will be served to be sure your guests make it to the end of the night. Themed hors d’oeuvres such as Ball Drop Cake Pops and the infamous Champaign Fountain are a sure hit for any New Year’s celebration!

The Party Is Over: Get Home Safe!

With any late night celebration, and especially on a day so many celebrate such as New Year’s Eve, you want to be sure EVERYONE gets home safe and sound. Having accommodations downtown nearby the venue are the best solution to getting home safe. If a trip across town is necessary, hiring a car service, having a taxi company alerted to a large crown leaving the area at a certain time, or having an “Uber Waiting Station” set up outside the venue are excellent ways to show your guests how much you appreciate them celebrating your special day. Their safety is your top concern!

A New Year’s Eve Wedding is the perfect date to get family and friends together to celebrate a day of new beginnings. Lots of planning is best as the popular date is in high demand for venues, caterers, and hot spot views of fireworks across the city. Don’t forget about special accommodations for downtown venues such as restrooms, heat, and lighting for the flawless night you and yours will remember for a lifetime!

Happy New Years from the whole team at Luxury Restroom Trailers by Privy Chambers!!

With so much focus on what we can do to help the environment, there is an emerging trend of Eco-Friendly Glam. Wedding ceremonies and receptions can be your chance as a couple to celebrate your environmental stewardship as a nod to your forever future together and can help kick start your guests to the Eco-Friendly Glam path.
Keeping waste to a minimum and repurposing items are a great place to begin but keeping a fine balance of glam in your eco-friendly inspirations is the ultimate goal for a flawless event. Choosing local and organic food sources for your catering, using vintage décor and even a vintage gown and suit, purposeful wedding favors, water saving elements with over the top amazing outdoor restroom rentals, and a consideration for locally sourced live floral arrangements are all among our top list of favorite tips and trends into Eco-Friendly Glam.  

Vintage Gown, Suit, & Décor!

A fabulous Eco-friendly venue is one that comes with most of its own décor. Whether it be through amazing architectural designs that need little accenting or a mature outdoor landscape providing its own live flowers and foliage. With the extra little items use to accent the happy couple’s personality and interests, a touch of vintage décor such as old books and antiques from any interest or hobby sourced from either the local shop on Main Street, Grandma’s attic, or go extra eco-savvy with vintage rentals – the more couples are able to share different items whether it be throughout the generations or throughout the season, the better!
Check out these amazing vignette inspirations: http://bit.ly/2en7Ijp

The Catering: Keep it Local, Keep it Fresh, Keep it Organic!

Being in the Northwest, we are surrounded by some of the freshest meat, dairy, and produce in the country. Organic has been become a household norm and our farms and food suppliers are listening!

Home to some of the best honey crisp apples, black berries and raspberries, wild chanterelle mushrooms, filberts (or hazelnuts to all you non-northwesterners!) locally owned and operated dairies, wineries, and breweries, it is no wonder so many of our caterers have opted for seasonal menus to be able to offer the freshest ingredients all year-round. Keep your caterer closely involved in your guest counts to avoid waste for the compost. End up with too much extra food? Consider donating it!

Check out the Instagram feed of one of our favorite local caterers: http://bit.ly/2en7HvO

The Restrooms: Beauty & Environmental Stewardship in One Package!

Often times, an eco-friendly venue may have an abundance of natural beauty, but they may be lacking in some of the basic necessities for a ceremony and reception lasting into the evening.

Don’t let a lack of restrooms deter you from your dream wedding venue! Luxury Restroom Trailers by Privy Chambers has the perfect restroom replacements for your black tie affair whether it is in the middle of the woods, within the vines of the vineyard, down on the farm, or in your family backyard. All of these restrooms are built with low flow water systems helping to save thousands of gallons a year, LED lighting for low power draws, equipment made in the USA, and the new option of solar power on some units. These restrooms are the absolute best in the Northwest over any of options and are definitely keeping the Glam in Eco-Friendly Glam!

Check out all the local options here: www.luxuryrestroomtrailers.com

Fresh, Local, Live Floral Design

The choices in floral design can be overwhelming. Style, color, cut, arrangements or bouquets, singles or bunches; the choices are endless! When choosing eco-friendly glam options, keep local availability in mind. Ask your florist what their local vendors have available season to season to help avoid costly delivery fees while also keeping an eye on that carbon footprint. Want to go the extra mile? Choose live plants and floral designs! Potted ferns and flowers, live mosses, shrubs, trees, are all wonderful examples of sustainable floral design. And the best part, with a proper green thumb these live florals can be a lasting reminding of your budding love for seasons to come!

Check out these amazing ombre floral inspirations: http://bit.ly/2efJus3

Eco-Friendly Glam is the hottest new trend aimed at keeping our one and only earth at its coolest. Minimizing your carbon footprint with repurposed gowns, suits, and décor, locally sourced catering options, restrooms that will amaze while also saving thousands of gallons of water, and thoughtful floral options are the perfect tips and trends for an over the top glam affair while also celebrating our environmental edge in the Pacific Northwest!

When searching for my ideal wedding venue, I visited all the typical “Best Wedding Venues” within a couple of hours from Portland. The options and amenities varied depending on whether I was looking at a hotel ballroom or a local community grange. For me, it was a bit overwhelming putting a sizable chunk of my budget into the space – because I still needed furniture, lights, flowers, food, the works! In a moment of budgetary panic and an impending schedule, we chose our friends backyard over a swanky “all inclusive” venue. It may have been a bit more work, but it turned out even more beautiful than I could have imagined!
My “dream wedding venue” was created in a place meant for casual BBQ’s and birthday parties in my childhood. With these tricks and tips below you can transform any “casual space” across the board including empty industrial buildings, oversized parking lots, an open field on a farm, a state or city park, historic building, sandy beaches, in the grape vines of a vineyard, or among the trees of an orchard; you can go anywhere!
Here are a few of the obvious and not so obvious necessities for planning an event “off the beaten path!”

Lighting

Event rental companies have most anything your heart desires to set the mood; string lights, chandeliers, spot lights, up lighting, marquee letters, lanterns, candles and more. Lighting is one of the major ways to transform a space and create the ambiance your party craves. But don’t forget, if you bring in a device that needs to be plugged in – you’ll need somewhere to plug it!

Lighting is single-handedly the most important design element in any room, any concept, and any event.

For more on lighting http://www.theluxuryspot.com/decor-spotting-ideas-for-unique-wedding-lighting/

Restrooms

Yes, restrooms! If you’re inviting 100+ guests to a historic building, a farm house out in the country, or a ceremony among the vines of the vineyard, you may find yourself in need of restrooms that meet the same standards and design detail as the rest of your reception. Our friends were super gracious in letting us use their backyard as our venue but they weren’t interested in 200+ people traipsing through their house using their restrooms. Luxury restroom trailers have solved the porta potty dilemma with elegance for any black tie event. Heating, air conditioning, sound system, crown molding, and custom cabinetry are incredible innovations for outdoor restrooms – they are like a party zone all to themselves!

Boutique luxury restroom rentals are an essential piece to any upscale event. Treat yourself and your guests!

For more on restrooms http://luxuryrestroomtrailers.com

Electricity

Many of your vendors will need electricity in some capacity. Whether it’s the DJ, the caterers, the lighting, or extras such as a fun photo booth or luxury bathrooms, your vendors will need power. Often, they can each provide their own power when arranged in advance. If that option is not available, you can also check out your local event rental company or even your local hardware store for the best weekend deals!

It’s important that you always calculate what [power is] needed, then make sure there’s twice as much power available as required.

For more on electricity https://rickryan.wordpress.com/2012/07/12/stuff-to-know-how-to-power-a-tent-wedding-reception/

Tents

Tents have become an art form. The options available are incredible and can transform anything; a parking lot downtown, a backyard, field, farm, garden, ANYWHERE! Tents define a space. Want an extra tall multi-point tent draped in silk, a clear tent that allows you to see the stars once the sun goes down, hanging chandeliers, or up-lighting behind the drapes that puddle to the floor – all of those options exist!

You can’t describe it but it’s so dreamy under the clear tent, everyone lit by candlelight, everything just glows — pure bliss.

For more on tents http://junebugweddings.com/wedding-blog/haiku-mill-wedding-maui-definition-enchanting/

Furniture

Overstuffed sofas and lounge furniture pieces have become an amazing alternative to the structured grid layout of linen draped tables. But no matter the direction you choose with seating, additional accents such as faux boxwood walls with room for marquee letters, mobile bars, or focal point pieces such as linen lined event tents. Whether you are focusing on lots of little accents or a couple of large focal points, the whimsical touches certainly define your aesthetic and help shape the party atmosphere when your guests arrive.

Create an area where guests can kick back and relax using colorful rental lounge furniture.

For more on furniture http://www.bridalguide.com/planning/the-details/color/pantone-colors-of-the-year-2016#157598

Linens and Lace

Whether you are already in a gorgeous space or have some sprucing up to do – linens are an absolutely stunning additive! Looking for a bohemian woodland feel? Lace drapes hanging from trees sets a whimsical scene. Hoping for a luxury feel? Pleated silk lined tents are gorgeous! Whether your linens are hanging from the ceiling in exposed rafter, draping the entrance to your venue, billowing curtains at the sides of a tent, or framing the alter; pipe and drape companies have you covered and will blow your mind with the finished product!

Chic or romantic, rustic or organic, there’s a textile choice to suit your style.

For more on linens http://thelane.com/style-guide/style-elements/reception-decor/how-to-drape-table-linen

Floral Masterpieces

I was not big on flowers for my wedding – now that I have put in the research – I have definitely changed my tune. An entire wall covered in rose buds? Beautiful! An arch of flowers and greenery garland hanging from a tree swing or constructed alter? Absolutely spectacular! Sculpted flower arrangements are here to stay. You don’t have to go overboard with small flower bouquets here and there – you can go big with one or two pieces and have an impact none of your guests will expect!

I strive to feature unique and personal weddings that choose to hew close to the heart rather than to the latest trends, as well as gorgeous and innovative style and inspiration!

For more on flowers http://heyweddinglady.com/unique-floral-design-inspiration-for-spring-weddings/
 
 

Wedding costs are skyrocketing: the national average is $26,444—that may seem like the cost of a new hybrid vehicle, but there are often a lot of items on the “Wish List” (or Pinterest Board) and those wishes and pins add up quickly!

To make life a little easier, we’ve created a cheat sheet of the top 7 ways to help you create your dream wedding without breaking the bank.

Weddings range from the “sky is the limit” high end events to the more budget-friendly trip to the court house window for a quick exchange of “I do’s.” However, most weddings fall somewhere in between and it can be a figurative maze trying to navigate what best fits your taste, your style, and often most importantly, your budget!

1. Your Wedding Dress – SAVE!!

In terms of wedding costs, what you pay for your dress can be all over the map.

When I was shopping for my wedding dress, I wanted something classic and beautiful. But mostly, I wanted a dress I wouldn’t look back on in 20 years and say “What was I thinking?!”

After searching the internet high and low for the styles I liked, the true test came when I went to an actual gown shop (don’t forget to make an appointment – most shops are by appointment only!). I tried on “all the latest styles” and found many were built for a woman with a passion for Pilates and coming in at about a foot taller than myself. With disappointment on the horizon, I perused the sale rack as a last ditch effort with my mom coaxing me to try on a dress I knew I wouldn’t like. Once on, I saw it had all the beading I wanted, the lace, the vintage feel was everywhere.

But it was about 4 sizes too big, way too long, and had a halter top which was a little less than flattering. We spoke to the Alterations Queen and after addressing some of my concerns, she said a revamp would be no problem. She was able to cut the straps of the halter top, turn the straight neckline into a sweetheart neckline, she removed some of the length from the lace skirt to help it fit my frame and made cap sleeves from the extra lace. After all was said and done, it looked like a completely different dress. But the best part was the final sale of the dress: $495 INCLUDING the alterations. It is incredible what you can do with a talented seamstress and a great imagination.

MAGICAL WEDDING GOWNS FROM EVER AFTER BRIDAL
Around the World in 25 Wedding Dresses

2. The Wedding Venue – SAVE!!

Do you or someone in your close family & friends have an amazing piece of property? Put it to use! With venue rentals ranging from $1500 to over $15000 and sometimes being the highest of all the wedding costs, this is an amazing budget saver for any wedding.
We held our wedding in a friend’s over-sized backyard. After stringing up party lights across the dance floor, hanging battery operated chandeliers from the trees, and the white linen tables for the guests, the space was breath taking and a bit of a step up from the classic BBQ’s the backyard had seen in the past. And with all the blooming nature surrounding us, we were able to save HUGE on the florist budget!
Handcrafted Orchard Ranch Wedding

3. Wedding Restrooms – SPLURGE!!

This is typically the last item on anyone’s radar. Everyone needs to use the restroom at some point and if you are in a friend’s backyard they may not want anyone coming in and out of their house—or worse, they could be on septic (if it’s a big rural space, chances are it will be on a septic system)—which really puts a kink in the bathroom works. Plan ahead and bring in extra restrooms.

People—for the most part—will sort of remember your dress, they will recall pieces of the ceremony, they’re likely to remember the meal, and they will absolutely remember if they had to use a port-a-potty or not. Skip the port-a-potty!! Do not let your dream wedding be brought down by a trip to the blue plastic box.

At Luxury Restroom Trailers, we have forever solved the dreaded port-a-potty adventure for a black tie event. With heating, air conditioning, sound system, dimming lights, full vanity, faux hardwood flooring, this will not only be a hit with all the guests, it becomes a party destination in itself. Instead of whispers of, “Ew, have you seen the bathrooms?” you will hear exclamations of “Have you seen the bathrooms yet? You have to go now – they are amazing!”
Check All of the restroom options at Luxury Restroom Trailers by Privy Chambers

4. Your Guest List – SPLURGE!!

Always splurge on the guest list! Sure, it will add to the wedding costs, but you never know when those second cousins from Texas are actually going to show, and you want to make sure you invite the old friends from high school, plus the new friends from work.  And the last thing you want is worrying about how so-and-so didn’t get an invitation.

This day is supposed to be a celebration of your love and commitment, and you want the ones that helped you get to this place with you while you celebrate. My mother’s side of the immediate family has over 65 individuals including her brothers and sisters, their husbands and wives, and their children…And that doesn’t include my husband’s side of the family or any of our friends…Insane! So, saving in other ways was very important to us, so we could have all the guests there that we wanted.
A Timeline for All of Your Wedding Stationery Needs

5. Catering for the Wedding – SAVE!!

Every great party needs incredible food! What most people don’t tell you when you’re planning a wedding is that YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT! It’s your party and you can plan it however you like (within in reason, of course). We planned a sit-down dinner catered by one of our favorite restaurants. If I had it to do over again, I would probably still get the same food but I would nix the sit down dinner part. With over 200 guests (aye aye aye), there were so many faces to see and talk to—some were family I had not seen in a while, and some were my best friends I just wanted to spend all my time with.
To avoid the time commitment of a sit down dinner, I would have swapped out the dinner plate for hors d’oeuvres sized portions of all the dinner choices. That way people could still get in a full meal, but the atmosphere would have been more causal, we could have walked around more and talked to all the folks we were so happy to see!

6. Your Photographer – SPLURGE!!

The wedding photos are the best source of memories from the day. Everything happens so fast, most of the time you don’t even have time to eat, let alone finding a quiet moment to take it all in.

Make sure you are comfortable with your photographer. My husband and I can be a bit awkward when the cameras come out, so having someone we were comfortable with was crucial. Every now and then we thought we were doing our “super nice wedding smile”, when in reality we looked like trolls under a bridge with some goofy grin we had never tried on before going full frame with it. It was great having someone who was able to say “…maybe try a different smile…this one isn’t quite fitting…”.

But trust me, some of the troll photos are some of my favorite! It captured the craziness of the day and were great for a laugh!
Finding Your Perfect Photographer From a Planner’s Perspective

7. The Wedding Décor – SAVE & SPLURGE

If you are crafty and have the time, you can make almost anything yourself. My mother and I kept Michael’s Craft Store in business during the lead up to our wedding and hand crafted nearly everything that wasn’t already growing in the backyard.

We had big round tables with white linens, hand-sewn burlap runners made by my mother-in-law, and handmade centerpieces with a “vintage museum” feel with glass domes containing handmade aged scrolls, mossy rocks, and battery-operated candles for a night time glow. We even put together handmade LED twig chandeliers hanging from the trees; they’re still a hit to this day on Pinterest!
We really went above and beyond in the crafty department. Here are some things I would have changed:

I would have rented more items. We purchased EVERYTHING for the centerpieces…now…five years later, I still have all of those centerpieces packed in boxes taking up valuable storage space. Décor companies have so much to offer; they are a fantastic option for renting anything from a fork to a faux boxwood wall. Check out their catalogs and see what works best for your design – Maybe buy one of two centerpieces and rent the rest – save the closet space!

Beyond just renting things, I think I would have opted for more causal seating.

Looking back on it now, I would also have chosen different furniture: rather than tables and chairs for every guest, I would have gone with a more causal lounge atmosphere featuring over-stuffed couches and alternative seating choices.  All of which would have gone perfectly with an hors d’oeuvre menu and casual conversation hamlets throughout the evening.

Your wedding is an event you and your guests will remember for a lifetime, but few us can simply afford to ignore wedding costs.  Our experience—and we’ve seen hundreds of weddings—has taught us that there places you can can save, and those where you shouldn’t.