The 3rd Annual NACE "Event Elements" competition was held on June 22nd at the Arizona Grand Resort. It was an awesome opportunity to see a room filled with some of the most creative minded individual's work brought to life. The tablescapes were out of this world! Its truly incredible to see how each person interoperates their category. This year it was Tokyo, Paris, Rio, and Cairo. We teetered between Tokyo and Paris, but in the end we chose to bring Tokyo to life.

By the order of the Queen of Hearts,
You are hereby invited to a very merry unbirthday party

Now, statistics prove that you’ve one birthday.
Imagine, just one birthday every year!

Ah, but there are three hundred and sixty four unbirthdays
Precisely why we are gathered here

Because it’s a very merry unbirthday to you!
To me! Yes, you! …. Oh Me!
Lets all congratulate with another cup of tea!

Find your Queen’s Men and take a seat
Enjoy a light snack and a sweet sushi treat.

A Garden with confections, characters and chatter
Don’t miss this fabulous tea party, hosted by the Mad Hatter!

For being our guests, we have a small favor
That is taken with you to later savor!

Eat Me! Drink Me! And don’t be late!
Join us as we celebrate

And down the rabbit hole we shall go
To Disneyland in Tokyo

Photography rocked out by the AMAZING Ben Quillinan of BQ Photography (shots 1-3, 7-11) and Stuart Thurlkill of Eyes 2 See Photography (shots 4 - 6). THANK you for your talented work!!

The Spring Green Wedding Invitation Challenge by Minted.com.  Designers were asked to create fresh wedding invitations that use a spring color palette of green and white.

We are honored to have the five designs above showcased in this competition and appreciate all your support as there is so much great talent. Check it out and don't forget to vote for us! Constructive comments are encouraged and welcomed for us!! Be careful - there are so many fabulous designs that you might just be inspired!! :)

Happy voting!

YAY!! Congratulations to the first 8 random picked individuals. You have won a monogram from our designer collection. Please click on the picture above to check out our selection and choose 2 of your favorites. We will then create a beautiful JPG file for you that you can use on any of your paper pieces. Don't forget to email your info to us!!'

Bride Name:
Groom Name:
Last Name (to be):
Date:
Colors:

info@theEventEssentials.com

To those of you who weren't chosen, thank you for entering. There will be many more monogram contests in the future. Also, thank you to all of you who emailed us. Our box was filled this past week, which was wonderful!!

{P.S. thanks Liene at Blue Orchid for the totally cool generator website!!!}

Today is the last day to be able to enter our monogram contest. Please leave us a comment with your email address. 8 lucky winners will be awarded a monogram by the end of the day tomorrow.

Also, check out our current monogram design stash on our website to choose your favorite top 3 designs. Simply go to -- website -- and click on the middle picture "Designer Invitations and Stationery" -- then click on the box that says "Monograms" and check them out!

What could be a better opportunity to hold a contest - it's Friday and it's the coolest date ever 08.08.08! Awesome!! And we are not only giving away 1 monogram to one of our very lucky readers, but 8. Yes, that's right, 8 monograms from our current inventory of monogram designs. The prize will be awarded randomly next Friday to 8 very deserving winners. Please leave your name and email in our comment box below to apply!

Also, check out our current monogram design stash on our website to choose your favorite top 3 designs. Simply go to -- website -- and click on the middle picture "Designer Invitations and Stationery" -- then click on the box that says "Monograms" and check them out!

As a culture that knows how to celebrate, we love our inspired tabletop designs. Tabletop designs have become a popular competition angle for many professional event organizations, charities, design groups and the like. NACE, the National Association of Catering Executives, a nationally based professional organization dedicated to networking for professionals in the special events industry while building educational opportunities, hosted its 2nd annual Elements Competition at the JW Marriot Desert Ridge on Monday, June 30th. While the temperatures soared above 110 F outside, the attitude inside the competition space was very cool, ultimately hip, and super inspirational!

Nationally acclaimed event producer Scott Corridan was the event's celebrity judge, and with his 15 years of experience and exacting eye to detail and what inspires us to celebrate at our utmost best, he offered the group of 35 contestants some valuable insights. (read the rest of the story on SonoranLiving.com HERE)

We were greatly honored for Scott to have chosen our pieces from our tablescapes to showcase on this segment. Check out this video to see him cover some great facts about event planning and view some fun pieces from the competition.

The beautiful glass flower creations that artist Scott Johnson from Jade Glass created.

To participate in future NACE events and to become a member of the Phoenix NACE chapter, please visit www.phoenixnace.com.

For more inspiring tips on table design and the luxury lifestyle world of Scott Corridan, please visit www.CorridanandCo.com.

Scott is also President and Creative Director of White Chocolate Label wedding gowns. For more information, visit www.WhiteChocolateLabel.com.

CONTEMPORARY TABLE - NACE Table Decor Competition
Simplistic Statement, Lasting Impression

Eye-catching and completely contemporary, these glass blooms feel entirely fresh by avoiding the usual interpretation of a floral centerpiece for a mainstream table. The striking color combination of cherry red, bubble gum pink, and citrus lime teamed with slender stainless stems, will turn heads and demand a second look at these abstract effloresces. Pairing them with simplistic linens and rich black leather elements, the emphasis placed upon these blossoming beauties allows them to become a focal point, attracting a closer examination leading to greater appreciation. With an effortless swivel, the interchangeable glass blooms can be coordinated to fit any color palette, making a chic impression to compliment ones personal style. Designer menus showcase a brief description of the decadent flavors that will fill the evening, as the soft glow from the frosted candles establishes a warm ambiance, making a subtle, yet enticing statement for this tablescape.













First and foremost, I have to give a huge THANK YOU to Scott Johnson from Jade-Glass.com. About 2 months ago I just called him randomly to make these beautiful glass pieces for me and he didn't blink an eye. He and his wife were absolutely and incredibly amazing from day one when it came to assisting me with this project. I couldn't have done it without them. I'm not an artistic contemporary designer who thinks outside of the box with this kind of stuff, but I wanted to showcase a centerpiece being non-floral that someone could actually re-create at their own wedding or event. Scott will rent these beautiful blooms out or sell them and the flowers just simply swivel off the head and you can change the flower colors to any desired combination you shall choose.

Stay tuned -- there is still MANY more posts to show from this competition and tomorrow we will post our award with our MANY MANY and MANYYYYYY more thank yous!

Yes, we are officially back in action with our batteries recharged .... well, almost recharged!  Last week was a very hectic week for us as we spent many hours preparing for NACE's 2nd annual table top decor competition that was hosted yesterday at the J.W. Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa.  

Rachael at MetImages is hosting a contest for complimentary wedding day photography coverage for an Arizona wedding!

What does this mean? This means you can enter our contest for a chance to win your wedding day photography! Rachael will be the shooter for your wedding and included is coverage from 2 hours prior to the ceremony all the way to an hour after your first dance, an online gallery of your images for 3 months and a gorgeous set of casual albums.

To enter please email us at contest@metimages.com

Tell us in 1,000 words or less what makes your Arizona wedding UNIQUE. Entry deadline is June 22, 2008. The team at Metropolitan Imageworks will collectively judge the entries and the winner will be announced on our blog on July 1, 2008.

The contest rules are as follows:

The contest is open to anyone having a wedding anywhere in the state of Arizona. (Hence us asking what makes your Arizona wedding unique.)

Entrants must have a wedding date set! We also prefer you have a venue secured as well.

Entrants may not already have a valid contract with another photographer. (No contract interference on our end.)

Your wedding must fall on a date I am not already booked. (I have many dates available in prime AZ wedding season.)

Prize includes my shooting, online gallery for 3 months and casual album set. (All items non-transferable. Winner may purchase additional items.)

Please contact them with additional questions. 

Good luck!

YAY! Today marks our 100th post on our blogger account. In celebration, we thought we would give something away. One lucky entry will win 50 complimentary Save-the-Date cards from our signature collection. You can choose from our two designs (tribal band or floral frame) below and change the colors to your chosen wedding colors. Layer one is printed in either white or ivory linen. Layer two is a thick cardstock in the color of your choice (yes, it can even be metallic!). We will then find the perfect spot to add one kiss of a Swarovski rhinestone!

To enter, please leave us a comment with:
- your name
- wedding date
- wedding colors

On Friday February 22nd, we will randomly choose 3 lucky contestants who will in return send us their love story. We will then post them online for our readers to help us choose the lucky winner!

How very exciting!!  I was checking out the Handcrafted Wedding blog today and saw  her announcement for a new product and a fun giveaway.  Sally Hansen and Brides Magazine have teamed up to introduce their new polish called "Just Engaged". It's absolutely stunning and the price is just right (under $5) to help showcase that beautiful ring of yours!!