Style Alert

Bouquets: Does Size Matter

Thursday, June 24th, 2010 | Filed under: Party Planning, Style Alert | author: By admin,    

By Laura Madden, Senior Sales Manager, Pleasantdale Château
Remember playing the daydreaming game, “He loves me, he loves me not?” Well, if he’s marrying you, he obviously does love you, but some brides-to-be play a version of this game with their bouquets: they put so much attention and thought into them, they ask themselves, “Should I or shouldn’t I toss my real bouquet?”

Be that as it may, it’s smart to spend time planning your bouquet. And invariably the first question that comes up is, “What size should the wedding bouquet be?” The answer depends on a number of things. And the flowers you want to use aren’t the only consideration. Your size and, believe it or not, even your strength – no, not so you can toss the bouquet across the room – are important factors to consider, as well. The size of the wedding bouquet should be appropriate to the size of the bride. Petite brides could get lost behind an overly large bouquet, while a larger bride could make some bouquet arrangements look undersized. And consider your strength – You’ll be holding the bouquet for a long time, so you don’t want a bouquet that’s going to seem like a lead weight after a few minutes.

And let’s not forget the boutonniere for the gentleman. A smaller flower for the guy is a must. Keep the boutonniere a modest size. I’ve seen some grooms parties where the men look like they’re wearing corsages. For bouquets and boutonnieres alike, size does matter.

Have a great day!

Laura

Putting Dash in the Sash – adding a second color in your wedding dress

Thursday, June 3rd, 2010 | Filed under: Style Alert | author: By admin,    

By Laura Madden, Senior Sales Manager, Pleasantdale Château
Bill Idol was right – it is a nice day for a white wedding. But the solid white wedding gown is seeing some competition these days. In an effort to challenge conventional wisdom – and longstanding tradition – some brides are adding a splash of color in their gown’s sash. It doesn’t mean the bride is rebellious or out to topple the establishment. It’s just a simple way to express a little individuality. I’ve seen more of this trend at the Pleasantdale Château, and from talking to my colleagues at our other Knowles restaurants – The Manor and Highlawn Pavilion in West Orange, New Jersey and the Ram’s Head Inn in Galloway , just west of Atlantic City, I know they are noticing this, too.

We like the idea of the colored sash and think it’s perfectly acceptable – as long as you pay attention to a couple of caveats. First, make sure the color is appropriate for the season – for example, reds, oranges and yellows in fall, and greens and lavenders in the spring. And keep the colors muted, not glaringly obvious. A little bit of color goes a long way against the background of a white wedding dress. And it’s a fine way to add a fresh tone to a bridal wardrobe.

Have a great day!

Laura

Welcome to The Art of Reception

Monday, April 5th, 2010 | Filed under: Bright Ideas, Cost Savings Ideas, Going Green, Party Planning, Style Alert | author: By Michael Mahle, Director of Public Relations, Knowles Restaurants   

Welcome to The Art of Reception, a blog about everything to do with weddings. The Knowles properties (The Manor, Highlawn Pavilion, Pleasantdale Chateau and Ram’s Head Inn) have been hosting wedding of every size, style, nationality and budget since 1953. That’s more than five decades of experience, something few others can claim.

As a result, we have some of the finest, most capable bridal experts both in-house and as preferred vendors. This blog will feature the expertise and helpful hints from our in-house bridal experts and occasionally we’ll hear from our preferred vendors too, on trends specific to their line of work. Here’s a Who’s Who of our blogging wedding experts… Read more…

Style Alert: Mismatched Bridesmaid Dresses

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010 | Filed under: Style Alert | author: By Laura Madden, Senior Sales Manager, Pleasantdale Chateau   

Being asked to be a bridesmaid is a very exciting moment for all involved. But more often than not, bridesmaids-to-be immediately switch from being super-ecstatic to wary of their friend or family member’s style choices – specifically regarding the bridesmaid dress.

One way for brides-to-be to ensure that the bridesmaids aren’t feeling locked into some sort of stylistic jail sentence at the same time showing contemporary taste is to let the bridesmaids pick their own dress within a monochromatic theme. And preferably of designer quality.

And don’t worry brides-to-be…your bridesmaids will pick out a dress nice enough that they’d want to wear again and again. Bridesmaid dresses for as far back as we can remember, have only been suited to one thing – the wedding day. Weddings cost a lot for everyone involved, so by letting your bridesmaids pick out a dress that they can use for other events, they might just spend a little more on your gift or bachelorette party.

Jokes aside, this style tip will make both your bridesmaids and photographer happy as well as showing your contemporary spirit!

Have a great day! Laura

To make an appointment with a banquet manager, please contact us at 973-731-3100.