We love this time of year! Not only because of the holidays and the season for giving, but this is the most popular time for engagements. Christmas time is also great to make memories with friends and family extra special. Thinking about planning a Christmas time wedding? Here is some great inspiration to keep your wedding with the season but also keeping it elegant and gorgeous. Don’t forget to follow us on Pinterest! ❤

To see more inspiration for a Christmas Wedding, follow the link here:

http://www.pinterest.com/c9eventsandacc/christmas-wedding/

http://www.pinterest.com/c9eventsandacc/christmas-wedding/

Are you newly engaged or close to your wedding day? Have you and your fiancé found yourself asking, “Should we hire a planner?” Many couples debate the idea of investing part of their wedding budget to hire a professional wedding planner. Is it worth it? Well, despite your mother, sister, BFF, or anyone who will quickly run to your aid to get that chance to help with your wedding, they are not professionals. Sure, they planned their own wedding but do they do this for a living? Have they experienced all the behind the scenes knowledge that will save you time, money, and stress of the planning process or handling of issue that arise on the day of? Do you really want your friends and family “working” your wedding, or would you prefer they enjoy and actually be a part of your special day? These are many questions you need to ask yourself when deciding if you should hire a professional planner. Whether you want help planning the entire wedding, or just want help on the big day, this investment will prove to be one of the best decisions you will make. Take a look at our top 5 reasons why every couple needs to hire a wedding planner.

1. Stress – When it comes to the day of your wedding, the most important thing is that you, your family and friends are able to relax and enjoy it. This is your day and you don’t want to end up being the person everyone comes to for issues and questions that will inevitably arise. Hiring a planner frees you and everyone you love to live in the moment on your wedding day.
2. Saves money – Because wedding planners provide so much business to vendors, they are often able to negotiate discounts for their clients.  Wedding planners are also well versed at helping couples set budgets and sticking to them. Because we know the industry, we can get you the best deals and steals without compromising on your vision. Wedding planners know the industry. We’ll give you stunning and TRUSTWORTHY vendors you can count on.
3. Experience – Most people are planning their wedding with no knowledge of how to throw a large-scale event.       A planner is in the unique position to know what things should cost in every range. They can tell you if you are being cheated or if that “expensive” photographer really isn’t so expensive after all. How to plan and organize using the most cost effective process. They know what questions to ask your vendors and how to schedule the day so that you can get your photos taken, your guests fed, your speeches completed and everyone out on the dance floor.       Wedding planners know how to handle all unforeseen circumstances, so if the cake is delivered and it’s the wrong one, or the flowers are late, the planner will know how to handle the crisis and you won’t have to.
4. Prioritization – A planner will offer guidance about what is within your price range and what will throw everything else out of whack. It is easy to get excited about all of the possibilities and make an uninformed choice, but a planner will serve as a great resource since they often know the acceptable range of what a service is worth. It is also valuable to know what is important to you and put your money there. If food is your thing, then you might want to throw extra money into the catering budget. If you are a music lover, you might want to put a greater amount of money there. That’s why it is important to discuss what you (and this means anyone who has a say in the wedding) care about the most and in what order.
5. Making your vision a reality – No matter whether you know exactly what you want, have a vague idea, or no idea at all, a wedding planner can help you define the look, style, mood and emotions you want to create. They know the latest trends and are inspired daily by other brides, suppliers and the industry. They can visualize what will work in your venue and know how to bring your desired mood to life.

Here at Cloud Nine Events & Accessories, we offer complimentary consultations for our planning and coordinating services.  Contact us at cloudnineweddingsportland@gmail.com or 360-521-5984.

We had the pleasure of welcoming Julie and her daughter Melissa to the Cloud Nine family for Melissa’s baby shower.  Julie who was in need of someone to handle the design and logistics of Melissa’s baby boy shower approached me and I was so excited to accept.  As this is to be the first grandchild, Julie wanted to create a simple but elegant event.  Our goal was to design a woodland themed event with little details that the guests would enjoy.  From moss and fern covered tables to the mushrooms and little woodland creatures scattered along the tables, we did just that and loved every minute of it!

One of our most favorite things to create was the guest signature tree.  In lieu of a guest book, guests were asked to sign a wood slice and hang it on the tree.  Once the shower was over, Melissa was able to take a smaller version of the tree home to use in the baby’s nursery.  What a great and unique way to remember all who were there to celebrate, right?  We could not have pulled it off perfectly with out Laura from Gifford’s Flowers. She did some amazing work with the floral.

Julie told me that their family had a special meaning for bumblebees and asked how I could incorporate this into the décor. We thought the bumblebee would be a perfect way to use as favors. Guests were greeted at their seats by this delicious cookie hand baked and decorated by Debbie from Sugar Shapes. Debbie is amazing, she took a picture I email to her and created her own template and went to work creating these tasty treats.   The picture does not do the cookie justice, but Debbie is simply amazing.

If you follow us, you know that we love details. So, we handcrafted little stuffed felt animals to add to the décor and tie in the baby woodland creatures to the theme. They are adorable, right? Melissa was able to take some home and add to her nursery, but we have lots left over, so be on the look out for some amazing woodland baby items on our Etsy Store soon.

If you have an event you would like us to help plan/coordinate/design don’t hesitate to contact us for your complimentary consultation!