Yummy Slideshow!

The lovely Jen of Jen Kroll Photography emailed me this wonderful slideshow this afternoon. I've posted some photos from the August wedding we produced but you'll have to check the slideshow out for even more goodness!

~Jodi

Sealing Wax, Flower Cones, and Lots of Coffee

I hate to admit it, but I don't get much time to do the 'hands-on' crafty work related to events. The assembly of invitations, the wrapping of party favors, the DIY projects...those tasks get relegated to my staff members. My inner-crafter really misses these things! So, imagine my excitement when I got to make hundreds of wax seals, cut and round corners on escort cards, and make paper cones. All in the name of my sweet sister's pending nuptials!

My sister and I converged on my parent's home over the weekend to do all those fun little projects that make weddings personal and special. Now, I need to remind you that my mom and my sister aren't so crafty. And, though they try, their work doesn't often stand up to the 'Jodi standard.' But, they did a magnificent job! I evaluated their skills on each project and assigned accordingly. The one task that they did get really good at was keeping my coffee cup filled all weekend!

All kidding aside, what a blessing it was to spend the weekend with my mom and sister. There was a lot of laughing, some great childhood reminiscing, and a whole lot of fun!

~Jodi

Ode to...Amy Atlas Events

*photo courtesy of Amy Atlas Events

Oh my, there haven't been many 'Ode to...' posts lately! Better get one in before the weekend begins!

So, I'm working on concepts for a fabulous little dessert buffet this fall. I want something that will blow the socks right off of the guests. In doing some research on the topic, I came across Amy Atlas Events in NYC. Holy cow! Can this woman design a dessert buffet! Seriously, she's my new hero. I've never seen anything like it. And I'm totally inspired by her.

Do check her out! You surely won't be disappointed by the eye candy (pun intended :).

~Jodi

Random Goodness

The week has come to a close. It's been a busy week. A good week, too! I thought I would post about some fun little things that have come across my desk this week.

First, if you live in the Grand Rapids area, Leigh's, a high-end women's clothing store, will play host to Luis Soto, global make-up artist for Laura Mercier, and his team of amazing artists on October 1 and 2. If you're looking for wonderful make-up advice and desire a make-up lesson, you can call Leigh's at (616)942-6300 to schedule an appointment. Space is limited and will fill fast so call soon!

I'll be busy all weekend putting the finishing touches on an event proposal and concept boards. Jill, my assistant, is a gifted artist and has done an amazing job putting my vision on paper. She's spent hours on these boards drawing and coloring each detail to perfection and I'm so excited to present them to the client next week!

Aside from finishing this project, I've decided I can no longer stand the state of my office. It's a flippin' disaster. I've got magazines and tear-outs laying everywhere; sample linens and china strewn around; four water glasses and two coffee cups that need to be washed out; piles of receipts that need my handwritten notes so our lovely accountant knows who they should be billed to; a rescued vintage chair that needs to be dropped off to the upholsterer; um, I could keep going but I'll save you all the pain. So, after the kiddos soccer games tomorrow morning, I'm going to get things back in some semblance of order!

Finally, you've got to check out Modern Day Floral's recent blog entry! They provided amazing florals for the SKYY Vodka premiere party a couple of weeks ago. I shouldn't be blown away by their talent anymore because I've come to expect it, but they still seem to amaze me every time! The craziest thing about this event was that they did it the day after the big wedding we did in August. They're so professional that they didn't even let on that they had this event the next day! I had no idea! Way to go, Jenn. You and your team rock!

Have a wonderful weekend! You can look forward to a post and some pictures of a bridal tea we did a couple of weeks ago. Such a wonderful occasion with some great details for you to enjoy!

~Jodi

Gastric Distress

I think that's the most politically correct way to describe the current state I'm in! I just returned home from a 4 1/2 hour taste-testing at the JW Marriott. No, I'm not kidding! I just sampled 15 courses of food and 8 courses of wine and champagne! It's a wonder that I didn't need to be rolled out to valet!

Though feeling stuffed might be a gross understatement, I can't even begin to describe how unbelievable the food and wine pairings were. Seriously, I've never tasted anything like it. And to top it off, Melissa, the pastry chef at the JW blew us all away with her creative desserts. We loved them so much we decided we had to serve them all by way of a dessert buffet in the dancing room.

Here is the mouth-watering menu that will be served at the event:

• Kabocha Squash Bisque with Apple Butter and Apple Cider Creme Fraiche
• Filet of Beef atop of a layer of Goat Cheese Pave Potatoes in a Dried Cherry Gastrique
• Goat Cheese Raviolo, Rapini, Tomato Fondue all in Basil Oil (Vegetarian Option)

And on the dessert buffet:

• Apple Tart with Black Butter Custard in Cider Caramel
• Honey Cake with Autumn Fruits
• Butterscotch Creme Brulee with Gewurztraminer Poached Pear
• Lavender Custard with Fresh Blueberries
• Chocolate Fudge Tart
• Caramel Cheesecake

Seriously, can you even stand the thought of these lovely goodies dancing on the taste buds? All I can say is this menu makes me so happy I could smile :)

~Jodi

Breaking News!

Can't tell you too much yet, but you can look forward to a spread of In Any Event's work in Brides magazine very soon! Once I'm allowed to share more details, I'll let you in on the secret!

~Jodi

Fun, Fun, Fun!

So, CPA is playing poker with the guys tomorrow night. And I told him that in trade, I needed to attend the The Wedding Affair hosted by Grand Rapids Bride magazine tonight with my two event managers, Kara and Jennifer. Then we needed to go to San Chez for some staff bonding over sangria. He thought that sounded like a good plan. I'm So Excited!

I really do like this show. It's high-end and I love chatting with my vendors in a more casual environment. Even more exciting is the thought of ordering a pitcher of the best sangria in Grand Rapids and sharing it with Kara and Jen!

Happy Friday!
~Jodi

Here's What's Cookin'

I know, I know...posts have been few and far between. Suffice it to say, I'm swamped. A good swamped, for sure, but nevertheless, swamped!

We're full-speed-ahead with our beautiful November vintage-glam bride. The gorgeous... now say that with me...g-o-r-g-e-o-u-s invitation suite from Bella Figura went to press yesterday. It's completely custom...you won't see anything like it on their website. I'll give you all a look after they are mailed because some of my blog readers are on the guest list and I don't want to ruin any surprises!

Their menu and cake tasting appointments are next week. We'll be trying such lovely entrees as:
Fillet of Beef, Goat Cheese Pave and Dried Cherry Gastrique...Braised C.A.B. Short Rib, Japanese Sweet Potato with Red Wine Syrup...Fillet of Beef, Blue Cheese and Bacon Whipped Potatoes with “Country Fried” Sauce. Ummm, YUM! We'll also be sampling a number of Vegan options as many guests attending this wedding are vegetarians. Those menus are equally as fabulous!

In other news, we just landed a HUGE job for early next year. Unfortunately, I can't tell you anything about it because it's top secret. But trust me when I say, it will be unbelievable!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! I'm looking forward to the kiddo's soccer games on Saturday and some wonderful family time!

~Jodi

Website is Updated!

Check it out! The website has been updated with some new event photos. I'm still waiting for photos from a couple more events we produced this summer. In the meantime, enjoy the new eye candy!

~Jodi