THREE THINGS I'M LOVIN'
RIGHT NOW

Photo from The Fantecee Blog

Another wedding season ends and another event planning season begins. Here are just a few of the concepts and items of which I'm stoked that my clients are taking advantage of right now.

RAW, UNPOLISHED SPACES
AND UNBELIEVABLE TRANSFORMATIONS

Photo from Artscape

I absolutely love that clients are thinking outside the lavish ballroom and choosing raw, unpolished spaces in which to work their event magic. Whether it's a heritage building with exposed brick, an empty warehouse space or barns and hangers, these empty slates provide a wealth of opportunity for any theme from lavish to eclectic to off-beat.

Photo from The Burroughs

I'm also loving that clients who have chosen a typical banquet hall for their function aren't taking what's offered lying down. What I mean is that they aren't accepting the banquet room at face value but instead are choosing to transform the room into a sweet, non-traditional space through various elements including uplighting, projections, draping, linen choices and more. For example, a client of Et Lofte Events is opting for the street-haute look for their fete with grafitti projected on the walls and rustic linens combined with every day street items incorporated into their decor (think bicycle wheels, chapboards and blown out umbrellas)!

UNEXPECTED FOOD CHOICES

There's something to be said for choosing to dine off the beaten path. I'm stoked that wedding clients are choosing cultural food that is completely opposite of their ethnic background. I'm talking about a Polish couple choosing Thai for their menu or Indian cuisine showcased at an Asian couple's wedding. I'm also stoked to see totally unusual food themes like "fast food restaurant" inspired stations.

I'm also lovin' that clients are offering food stations that have fun, interactive elements such as stack-it-yourself poutine stations that offering a wide variety of toppings rather than just your standard cheese curds and gravy, ice-cream sandwich stations with a variety of ice-cream flavours or passed popcorn in a variety of flavours including curry.

Photo from The Wedding Wardrobist

SURPRISE ENTERTAINMENT FOR WEDDINGS AND CELEBRATIONS

Photo from WardrobeAdvice.com

DJs and bands will forever be staples of weddings and celebrations. And I'm always fond of having your entertainment options match your theme for continuity. But I'm also over-the-moon with the idea of surprise entertainment -- meaning having an element of entertainment that is completely off-kilter from your theme or out of a wedding couple's comfort zone. Just how off-kilter do I mean? I'm speaking of hip hop instructors teaching wedding guests some funky dance moves, fortune tellers offering advice for the future during cocktails, a scavenger hunt challenge or live glass blowers during dinner. The possibilities are endless!

HALLOWEEN PARTY THEMES
THAT ARE JUST SO

There are two holidays each year that bring out the kid in all of us -- and Halloween is one of them. I mean, what's not to love? Loads of candy, dressing up, a good fright, loads of candy...did I mention loads of candy???

But our Halloween fetes don't have to be traditional. They don't have to be that same old haunted house decorated in orange and black with jack-o-lanterns in every crook and cranny and skeletons hanging from the doorways. Oh no. Halloween begs for creativity and so this Halloween, hop on your broomstick and fly in another direction. From the posh soiree or the cute child-like carousal to the utmost creepy affair, give your guests a real treat -- a Halloween party they won't be expecting.


TIM BURTON'S ALICE IN WONDERLAND

Tim Burton is a genius at making anything dark. And while Alice in Wonderland has been a theme for everything from weddings to tea parties, why not extend it's quirky, dark capability to Halloween? Warped clocks, mismatched tabletops and one (in my opinion) creepy looking Mad Hatter all lend themselves to endless possibilities with this theme. Take a twist on the Eat Me, Drink Me tags for edible goodies and add a darker message. Turn that cute white rabbit into a matted, rabid animal. Challenge your guests to dress up like their favourite character -- Tim Burton style. However you choose to do it, Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland is a unique theme to an old tradition.

Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland by et_lofte_events

CIRQUE DU...FREAK

We all know how visually stunning Cirque du Soleil can be. In fact, it's my dream theme for any event. But taking a darker stab at a happy, child-like theme like the circus and twisting the knife to make it dark and creepy will give you that Halloween party with a certain je ne sais quoi. Evil lion tamers, scary clowns, faceless showgirls, creepy puppets, rabid animals, popcorn containers filled with red-tinted popcorn...there's nothing scarier than turning a childish fantasy into a nightmare.

Cirque du freak theme (Halloween) by et_lofte_events

ALFRED HITCHCOCK BIRDS

Alfred Hitchcock was a literal film making genius. Why not pay him homage with a Halloween tribute party to one of his most famous films, Birds? Easy to do and a vast land of possibilities, this party falls into the Halloween spirit but without going overly spooky. Scatter endless fake crows about the room and sitting on vintage home accents like old clocks, mirrors, telephones, bird cages, etc. Strategically place black feathers in everything from door wreaths to napkin rings. Have the famous black and white movie projected silently on a blank wall in the room.

Alfred Hitchcock Birds by et_lofte_events

DON'T BE PETRIFIED OF POSH PURPLE & BLACK

Who says that Halloween has to be scary? Or orange and black for that matter? Take a more sophisticated approach to Halloween by pairing purple with black for everything from linens and napkins to decorative accents. Paint miniature pumpkins purple and scatter them along a black tabletop among the occasional black crow sporting a thin purple ribbon bow. Attach purple glitter-covered spiders to napkin rings and hang them from chandeliers. Adorn your front door with a purple and black feather wreath. Serve purple and black cupcakes and purple martinis. Or to spice things up a bit, throw in a hint of lime green. While being petrified is the main theme of Halloween there's no rule that says it can't be posh too.

Purple and black Halloween theme by et_lofte_events