Thank You for Our Nomination

Wow, what an amazing week it has been! Thursday, Special Occasions was invited to the Flint/Genesee County 2013 Business Awards. We were honored to be nominated for the Outstanding Women in Business Award.

The event was held at the Riverfront Banquet Center in Flint, MI. A beautiful venue which we were able to compliment with our linens for an overall stunning event. The awards banquet brought light to many of the stellar businesses that we share a community with. Awards were given in the categories of outstanding service businesses, outstanding manufacturing businesses, outstanding minority-owned businesses, outstanding woman-owned businesses, outstanding green businesses and outstanding corporate citizenship. To say the least, we were surround for an evening with truly amazing people. To contribute to the collection of amazing people, we brought with us several of our staff members. If you have worked with us in the past or met any of our staff members we hope that you will agree with us that we have one amazing staff as a whole. Everyday they make us proud with their actions and attitudes. It is because of them that we believe we were honored in this way at the Flint/Genesee County Business Awards. 

It turned out to be a lovely night filled with conversation, laughter and appreciation. While we did not take home the woman owned business award our owner, Lorrie Sage, was honored during the event for her growth and excellence in business with the ATHENAPowerLink® Award. 

After the award banquet we finished out the week by sending a few of our staff members to the Hero Round Table conference being hosted in Swartz Creek, MI. The conference spoke about the knowledge and tools needed to create humanitarian, service-focused hero's in our community and through out the world. We were honored to be part of this ground breaking cause and simply cannot wait until we can attend again next year with even more of our staff members. 

Like I said before, it was an amazing week! We are rejuvenated, ready and looking for more ways we can create a positive ripple effect within our community and those who we have the pleasure of coming in contact with on a daily basis. 

- Special Occasions

Gearing up for a Great Holiday Season

Things are starting to slow down now for the 2013 wedding season. We're seeing only a few weddings each weekend instead of the 25+ per weekend we were doing over the summer months. However as the wedding season starts to wind down, the holiday party and bridal show season is starting to ramp up! This is always such a fun time of year for us as we are able to really put our minds together and come up with some show-stopping displays of our talents at the bridal shows. If you haven't been to a bridal show with us, we would love for you to join us and see what our displays consist of. This will really give you an idea of what we can do! 

A list of our 2013/2014 Bridal Shows

November 7 : Sloan Museum, Flint

January 3/4: Four Points Sheraton, Saginaw

January 4: IMA Brookwood, Burton

January 5: Holiday Inn, Grand Blanc

January 11: Bavarian Inn, Frankenmuth

March 1: Durant, Flint

April 5: Grand Banquet Hall, Freeland

This weekend was our first bridal show of the season at the Birch Run Expo Center. What a fun time we had getting to know many of the brides and grooms we will be working with over the 2014 wedding season. 

Here is one of the tables we put together for the Birch Run bridal show. What do you think of this color combination? Do you think it will be a trend for the upcoming season?

Dessert Bars

One of the hottest trends hitting the wedding scene is dessert bars. Imagine, if you will, a table filled with divine chocolates, tantalizing treats and scrumptious cakes ready for your guests to indulge in. 

No waiting for the cake to be cut here!  

We've put together a list of our all time favorite dessert bar photos below. 

WARNING: This is going to make you incredibly hungry.

Isn't this a great idea and fun for fall? We love the use of a seasonal treat (caramel apples) as well as the use of non-traditional wedding items for the display such as the water tubs and crate boxes. 

Tips for Planning a Fall Wedding

Although I hate to admit it, fall is right around the corner. Soon the trees will be turning from green to a gorgeous array of red and golds, the weather will cool and the pumpkins will start to ripen. While I am totally sad to say goodbye to summer, fall does offer a spectacular time of the year to get married. If you are getting married or are thinking about getting married in the fall read on to learn about how to make the most of what mother nature has to offer during this time of year. 

Color Choices: 

You are planning your event during one of the most colorful times of year for nature. However, don't feel like you need to stick only to the "autumn" colors of brown, orange and red. Open your wedding pallet up to rich hues such as plum, navy, aubergine, or a dark ivory and compliment what mother nature already has to offer. If your set on using a fall hue such as orange or brown, try highlighting them with a fresh pop of color such as charcoal grey spiked with a blush pink or tangerine. 

Your Gown: 

Who says short wedding dresses are just for summer? This year, the knee length dress is in style for fall. With the trends pointing towards all things vintage, search out a dress that either has invisible neckline or tons of lace. Better yet. . find a deep ivory dress and pair it with a knock out, color spiked shoe. Worried about being too cold? Love will warm you. :)

Go Green for Your Wedding

Now, being born and raised in Michigan, when someone says "Go Green" two things come to mind. The first being Michigan State and the second being eco-friendly living. And if you are a Michigan State Grad you already know that these two go hand in hand. Michigan state has implemented a campus wide sustainability campaign that helps them to reduce their carbon footprint and also helps to replenish the natural environment around them. Did you know that you too can reduce the carbon footprint you leave when planning for your wedding? You can, and it's easier than you think!