Platinum Event and Wedding Rentals

Today I Married My Best Friend.......

2011-11-05T13:55:00.000-05:00

27 years ago I married my best friend! Three kids, 1 son-in-law, and 1 grandchild later you see the full circle of life. I see my mom in me and I am sure Sophie sees me in herself... probably pretty frightening!

I am going to post a collage of photos of weddings I have done since my last post. Yes, I'm trying to catch up, but also I want you to see how the reception takes on the personality of each bride and groom.

This is Piper and Lindsay. These girls have been besties forever. Even their fiancee's are great friends. I was honored to do Piper's wedding in Hastings on August 6, 2011.

And 2 weeks later doing Lindsay's wedding. Same place. Different feel. I LOVED working with these happy girls!!!!!

Check this out .... What a great photo of Lindsey Zimbelman Howell!! I loved working with Lindsay and her mom. Lindsey was soooo chill - my kind of bride!

Risa and Ben with Platinum's backdrop. Her colors were pink and black and it was perfect for them!

Fall was in the air for Amber Francescato- Lemmer's wedding and reception. The reception was held at the National Guard Armory and her team decorated beautifully. Amber is Miss Organization so I wouldn't expect anything less!

Marcie and Kish - LOVE THEM!!!!

Platinum's backdrop

Torri Maloley McCracken used Platinum's runners and chair ties for her reception at Younes Conference Center. I also fancied up her head table. The whole event was beautiful!

On to Jessica and AJ's Shabby Chic Reception.

I wish I had a dime for everytime a bride askes how to make the Ag Pavilion "Pretty". It can be done - you just have to think outside the box. Check. It. Out.

Jessica's colors were champagne and brick with texture. It was an elegant but comfy combo.

For a surprise for Jessica, I added the embroidery hoops! The idea came from Martha Stewart, the fabric from Mood New York and the placement from the quilting ladies who sought shelter in the pavilion when the tornado sirens went on! I think it is spectacular.

Two of my favorite ladies - Courtney Hughbanks and big sis Jessica....gorgeousness!

In January the new issue of Nebraska Wedding Day hits the stands and Platinum has an ad in it!!!! Check out their website www.nebraskaweddingday.com for some great resources and ideas. A big shout out to Dovehill Photography for the wonderful photo!

Well, that's it for now.... a reminder to my brides next June and July are booking fast so if you are newly engaged you need to come see me!

Till next time my friends,

Fran

July Weddings

2011-08-11T17:02:00.001-05:00

This has been crazy girls.... fun, but crazy. I love this time of year! Platinum has been in business for 18 months and it has bee one wild ride! Thanks to all my fabulous brides, MOB's, MOH's, and support staff!
I really do love the relationships that are formed. Those relationships are priceless to me.

On to my BRIDES!!!!

July started off with only 2 weddings on July 2, 2011. Margot Icenogle and Eve Leagacie. Unfortunately, no pics as they did the setups and tear downs.

The weekend of July 9th was a fun one. Platinum had 3 weddings that weekend with 2 of them as setups. My hubby and I traveled to Alma to deliver chairs and linens for Shauna's outdoor wedding. It was so dang HOT & HUMID that weekend. The wedding reception went off without a hitch...except for the cake, maybe :)      So festive! Diane, you did a wonderful job!

Then on Friday I setup the wedding of Hannah Johnson at the Boxcar. You know how much I LOVE that dance floor there! Check out this picture to see what I'm talking about. Love, love, love it!!!

Hannah was one beautiful bride. She and her mom were such a pleasure to work with that I hated for it all to end! Much love Hannah!

July 16 was Cruise Night and the wedding & receptions for 4 Platinuim brides.One in Kearney and three out of town. Monica came and saw me right after I opened in January 2010. She was going to be the 1st wedding in the new Prince of Peace Catholic Church. Well, we have all heard about 'best laid plans' haven't we. The church was ready to go, Monica's invites were sent, Midtown was ready to have the reception.... well, you get the idea. Father Mike calls Monica just after the invites went out to tell her the church opening would be pushed back a month due to faulty flooring. Monica didn't panic - she went to work getting things changed. She and her fiance decided to have the wedding reception BEFORE the actual wedding. They made lemonade out of these lemons! Monica was married on August 6, 2011. She was the first bride in the new church!! Kuddo's to you Monica!

Additional brides for that weekend were Shaina Meier, Brooke Amsberry and Molly Trettel
Sorry no pictures :(
The next week was crazy nuts! I had appointments every day plus the normal traffic in the store, I had a funeral to attend in G.I., Zach Brown Band Concert in Omaha, daughter Sophie and baby Collins arriving, 1 of 2 family reunions, and my family arriving from California and Lincoln for the 2nd family reunion. I would like to thank all my brides for their patience with me.  A BIG thank you to the Burger King of Cozad for letting me nap in their parking lot! Next year I will write down the CORRECT date for the reunion! I had 3 weddings and no pictures... I need to get better about the camera.

Five Weddings the last weekend in July. I'm still napping in Cozad, still entertaining family at Lake McConaughy, still participating in the family reunion and still snuggling with baby Collins, and always,always thinking about my brides. Thankfully, no disasters!   YAY!

How I wish I had pictures of Valerie's reception. It was at Midtown which is always very accomodating to the brides and me. She wanted a shabby chic reception and boy was it cute. Val did a shout out to family for old card table cloths ( from the 50's & 60's) which she used as overlays. She also used hankies from that era on her tables. Blue Mason jars with white hydrandgeas were the centerpieces. Candelight was everywhere! I loved it! It was so Valerie. Too bad I didn't have my camera. I will see if I can track down some photo's of July's weddings.

Last Sunday I met DoveHill Photographers at Yanney Park to do a photo shoot for an ad that will run in the Nebraska Wedding Day Magazine. These two lovely ladies are amazing. So profesional, helpful and talented. If you are searching for a photographer you need to check them out.
Photo will follow soon.
Till next time,
Fran

May and June 2011

2011-06-15T17:48:00.000-05:00

Been awhile and I am sorry... It has been quite a wild ride these last 6 weeks! Don't you just LOVE the wedding season? I do and I love my Platinum Brides!

Since May 14 to June 11 Platinum has been involved in 26, I repeat, 26 weddings! It has been so much fun and very rewarding. I love the relationships I have with my brides and I hope they feel the same.

Here is a peek at what's been going on~

Jenn Hickey ~ May 7, 2011

Jenn was a bride that liked things that hadn't been seen before - so we went with stripes! So lovely and so Jenn!

Yes, I had 2 weddings that were black, white and yellow. Even though the colors were the same ~ they each had a completely different feel!

Kelly Chehola ~ May 21, 2011
Kelly is a sweet, softspoken girl and her colors were as soft as clouds. No bling or lah-de-dah look at me colors and centerpieces for her. Soft and elegant.

Amanda Fisher ~ May 21, 2011 Valentine, NE

Gorgeous! Amanda is a doll and we had alot of fun planning her day! She used a soft sage color along with white. You can see her colors in her bouquet ~ beautiful Amanda!

She rented my backdrop and took it up to Valentine in pieces! Look how nice it looks and look at that look she is giving Wyatt ~ soooo cute~ Good luck to you in Lubbock, TX.

Abbie Rhoads Henzlik ~ May 28, 2011

Abbie chose black, white and yellow as her colors. I love, love, love the pop of yellow! It really adds a touch of sunshine! This is at the Holiday Inn.

The chair covers and yellow ties complete the look~ and using the damask runners really lighten up the black tablecloth.

What a great cake! And what a great Cake Plateau! (Platinums!) I think the plateau makes the cake have even more omph. Try to visualize without the plateau - and you have a cake sitting on the table!

A nice clean yellow line to highlight the head table

This picture is to show you how fun the paper lanterns are. These were hung over the dancefloor ~ different sizes and different heights ~ So festive!

Thanks Mrs. Henzlik for using Platinum!

Jaylynn Merriman Graham June 11, 2011

It was so fun working with Jaylynn and her mom. Super nice people. Jaylynn's reception was at the Ramada Inn and it looked so lovely with the colors of navy and periwinkle.

Lindsey Grauerholz ~ June 11, 2011

Sometimes a person walks into your life that you click with right off the bat. Lindsey is that girl. She reminds me of my daughter Sophie, and the paralells in their lives are uncanny! I met her soon after she moved to Kearney and the same week she got her job as a stylist at Olivia's Salon. She and Taylor had an outdoor wedding at Harmon Park. The day was beautiful, my chairs were beautiful and Lindsey? Well, she was beyond beautiful!

Makahla Nielsen Krueger ~ Reception June 11, 2011

BEAUTIFUL!!!

Makahla and her hubby went South of the Border for their destination wedding and had a reception back in Kearney. MidTown Event Center was the venue and Makahla and family had so much fun decorating!

Alesa Paulsen ~ June 18, 2011

GASP!

You know how I say "The Magic is in the Details"? I believe that so much that it has become my motto. I live and breath details ~ Some would call me a control freak ~ and I take that as a compliment! Ha
Anyway, I discovered a younger, cuter version of me and her name is Alesa. We clicked right off and ideas started to fly! She took many of those ideas and ran with it and her mom Jeanne just got out of her way- it was all Alesa! I told Alesa's new husband to watch out because the dining room table will NEVER be eaten on!! ha ha
Feast your eyes on this wedding ~

Platinum's Runner in Willow, wrought iron votive tree
and glass votives

I found these curtains at Pier 1.com and showed them to Alesa. What a beautiful backdrop!
She could have stopped at 3 candles ~ but why? 10 is soo much better.
I also heard Alesa made adorable aprons for her cake ladies! Great idea!

Willow Overlay (left) and table square (below)

Alesa hung fabric from rods and hung those from the ceiling. (Ramada Inn)

Another one of the ideas we came up with... Foam board with adhesive and moss. Too cute!

This sign was in a galvanized bucket and put out by the door!

OMG ! So wonderful!!!! Great job Alesa! I can't wait to see more pics!

So my friends, if you get anything from my blog, I hope you get that Platinum brides are special. Some have a great sense of color. Some have a great imagination. All are blissfully happily and all are beautiful!

Till next time,

xoxoxo

Fran

Five Top Style Trends to Watch for from the Royal Wedding

2011-05-04T15:49:00.001-05:00

Hi Friends,
Well we all know we watched it.... and loved it.... so lets talk about some trends shall we?
Typically, all bride and groom's want to put their own identity and signature on their wedding day - NO ONE wants to be a copycat of someone else's wedding day - but, some trends will emerge from the Royal Wedding.
Trend # 1. Green, green, green. Weren't those trees beautiful in Westminister Abbey? The only flowers I could see were the bouquet of the bride and the flowers in the little girl's hair. The idea of putting trees in events is not new but the royal wedding spoke of the graceful sophistication of keeping it simple at every turn. If you are planning a spring wedding consider a few Flowering Crab trees or Cherry Blossom trees for your ceremony - have them moved to the reception - then donate to your church or community park when wedding the weekend is over. Or, using flowering bushes (lilac's) in rustic pots on every table - and given away at the end of the evening. Brillant!
Trend # 2. Ok. We all know not everyone has great sculpted arms. We also have seen the bride who spends the evening tugging on her strapless dress. Isn't it refreshing to see a glorious gown with sleeves? A classic, romantic silhouette. Then the topper (literally), the sheer veil covering her face. Beautiful! I saw a photo of Kate's father folding the veil back and it was such a special moment between them.Very sweet.
Trend # 3 Smaller, unstructured bridal bouquets. How beautiful was Kate's bouquet? Did you know that the flowers they used all had meaning to the bride and groom? What a great idea!
Trend # 4. Bridesmaids in white. Now, this I am not too sure of. I am pretty old school when it comes to the bride being the only one in white or ivory. This is a common practice in Britain but has been considered impolite in America. It wasn't that long ago that black for bridesmaid dresses was also considered impolite. So maybe in a few years white will become the norm... I personally love bridesmaids in lovely colors that reflect the bride and groom's tastes.
Trend # 5. Inviting guests to contribute to charity rather than giving a wedding gift. This is great for the older bride and groom or the bride who is on her second marraige, but if a couple is starting out together fresh and have little or nothing, they need to register for gifts. What I do see are the bride and groom who donate the amount that they would spend on guest favors to a special charity. If we have talked, you know how I feel about guest favors ( SAVE YOUR MONEY!!!!! ) , so I guess your donation is a nice compromise. :)
That's it ~ the 5 trends. It will be fun to watch if any of these catch fire in Nebraska. What do you think?
I know that sometime soon I am going to wear a hat to a wedding... how about you?
Take care friends
Fran

Life without love is like a tree without blossoms or fruit ~ Kahil Gibran

2011-05-03T16:45:00.000-05:00

Oh my, it has been way to long since I have posted. I am soooo sorry. It has been busy at Platinum - that is great for the business - not great for my postings!

Well, let's see, what has gone on since March 5th..... I became a Grandmother! For the very first time! It is a wonderful thing seeing YOUR beautiful baby have her own beautiful baby! I can't explain the emotions that come with grandmotherhood...but believe me, it is wonderful!

Collins was born on March 15 though she was actually due in early April. I was sweating this one out my friends... I had 4 weddings on March 26 and 3 on April 9th. The potential was there to mess up my world big time ~ but, sweet little Collins said "Why Wait?" and arrived early. It worked out great - I got to Kansas City two hours after she was born and got to stay for 5 wonderful days. Big thanks to my husband Rick for watching the store while I was gone ~ He is awesome help and so supportive.

A few of my March Weddings~

Amanda Hammer

Jamie Ellis

Jenny Carpenter

and Amy Drake

Amy's reception was at the Boxcar.Don't you just LOVE that dance floor?! And this picture with her dad is priceless. Amy and her family were so wonderful to work with during the set - up. So relaxed and just out to enjoy the moment. It really was lovely.

April Weddings~ April 9 Jenna Pinion's reception at the Holiday Inn

I don't have pictures of Brooke Conroy's Reception. Argh! Her reception was at the Midtown Event Center and I wish I had my camera to show you gals how nice that space can look.

Molly Keiss got married at the amphetheater at Yanney Park. Molly really lucked out with the weather that day - it was glorious!

Molly rented 200 of my white garden chairs for her wedding. Don't they just scream wedding? I love them. We had 200 on the stage and really had room for more. Just to let you brides know, if you are thinking of this space for your wedding, it is quite windy - ok, it can be a wind tunnel. Molly had a breezeless day to work with - lucky girl!

6 ~ I repeat 6 wedding and events last weekend!

Kirsty Prouty and her fiancee took off to Vegas with 40 of their nearest and dearest, got married, then came back to Kearney and had their reception at the Armory. Take a peek.

Well girls, NOW I am caught up! Woo Hoo!!! May is looking crazy with 20 weddings and graduations! My daughter, Maggie, will be working with me until July. She just recieved her bachelor's in Event Planning from UNL. She will be a great asset to have here and I am looking forward to her help!

Make sure you come and see what's new at Platinum - and listen to me on KGFW Radio every Thurs. morning at 9:30 ish.

Till next time ~ Fran

PLATINUM BRIDES 2010 Part 2

2011-03-05T17:50:00.001-06:00

Wow! It has been quite awhile since I have had a chance to post. We have been so busy at Platinum that sometimes we can't catch our breath! I am going to continue with my brides... they are so beautiful and I just want to share. June 2010 had 2 weddings compared with the 18 I have booked for this year! By the time I opened my doors in January, most of the June brides were already taken care of. My June brides were Motika and Ashton. Beautiful girls and fun to work with!
Enjoy!

June

Ashton

Motika

Motika and Matt's reception was in North Platte - so it was a weekend set-up and tear down! Fun!

July~ 18 weddings in July ~ oh my! What a fun month. Platinum chairs went up north for a wedding on a ranch in the Sandhills and down to Kansas for a park wedding. Platinum Rentals went everywhere in between. No Pictures ~ So sorry!

August ~ 26 weddings. Busy, busy, busy and I love it!

Michelle

Erin

Blair

Lisa

Melissa

Lindsey

Kelly

This is just a few of my many August brides ~ September thru December coming up!

If you are planning your wedding and reception don't to forget to include Platinum!

My 2010 Brides! Part 1

2011-01-18T14:01:00.000-06:00

Platinum opened it's doors on January 11, 2010 so this month is my anniversary! Throughout this blog I will relay some of my memories of my first year AND my brides! As you can tell ~ they are my brides~ I become very attached to these girls!

I thought I would start out the New Year with pictures of my 2010 BEAUTIFUL Brides!

As you will see~ no two brides are alike. Some are traditional brides and some are non traditional. That is the fun of this job! What you will see is happiness and love. All my brides wore traditional white/ivory gowns - though what some wore on their feet showed the brides personality!

January ~ No weddings. Motika walked in my door and became my 1st paid customer! Allison comes in to Platinum in a panic. Her "planner" basically took the money and ran - can I help? You betcha I can! Her wedding is March 6! I would say to her and her mom "Yes, no problem." And lay in bed at night worrying if the items would arrive in time!

Febuary ~ 1 wedding- (base lights only). I am still trying to figure out if I am way over my head! Brides keep coming in to book their dates and I am feeling excited and overwhelmed! Platinum is also a presence at 2 Bridal Fairs and we decorate for a Valentines event at Tru Cafe.

Bridal Fair

March ~ Here we go! A few of my March Brides...Enjoy!

Alison Robinson

Megan Bebb

Prairie Miles

Shondra Hausserman

Are they not gorgeous! WOW!

April~ 4 weddings but no pictures :(

May~ Many, many graduation parties plus we kick off the wedding seaon in style! Two of my May brides

Shannon Hayes

Rachel Bayley

These are two of the nine weddings Platinum helped with in May. We also did 4 graduations and 2 private parties!

More to come on my Platinum Brides!
Thank you to all who read this blog and who have made Platinum's first year a success!
Fran

Mallory & Ryan

2010-12-14T16:13:00.000-06:00

    The weather was awful on Saturday. It was bone chilling cold and the wind was howling out of the north which made it much, much colder. But they didn't care. It was warm and sunny in their world. They were getting married! It was a perfect day!

    Let me tell you a little bit about this couple. Mallory is one of those girls who is as beautiful as her spirit. She radiates warmth and sincerity. I envy her friends. She has the uncanny ability to look as pretty without makeup as she does with, and she is oblivious to her beauty, which makes her even more beautiful. My best friend in college, Beth, was the exact same way. Perfect teeth, perfect figure, perfect hair and a warm personality. People gravitated to her and I was honored to be her sidekick. There were times when my self imposed imperfections got in my way but mostly I learned from Beth how powerful it is to be confident.

    Mallory is confident. She had an idea of how her wedding and reception would look and she got it! She is confident in her relationship with Ryan. She seems really confident with her life! She is a lucky girl. Now, about Ryan... Ryan is one word. ADORABLE. Cute, cute, cute. And he loves her so much. Watch out Kearney, this is one dynamic duo!

    When I talk about "The Magic is in the Details", this reception is what I'm talking about. We set up tall pub tables in the foyer of the Holiday Inn for the cocktail hour. We draped the tables in white satin tied with purple runners. Mallory email me the Wednesday before the wedding and asked what she should put on those tables. I suggested pretzel rods dipped in chocolate displayed in glass cylinders. She loved the idea and somehow found the time to make them! The pretzels were perfect! Details, Details!

Mallory and Ryan were excited to have a candy buffet and rented lots of different apothocary jars and glass vases for the candy.They had 30 pounds of different candies. 30 pounds - thats alot of candy! There was not one piece of candy left. Not one Hershey kiss, not one lemon ball, not one oreo. It was an awesome array and obviously their guests enjoyed it! Details, Details!

When talking to Ryan in the planning stages of their reception, it became clear that this would be no ordinary reception. One way they acheived this was with lighting! Yanda's was hired to light the ballroom and they did an awesome job. The room was a purple hug. I loved it! Details, Details!

Mallory chose purple as her main color along with the browns and greens of pinecones and cedar trees. I found a ribbon taffeta runner that was perfect for her tables. It is a beautiful fabric ~ so very elegant. I used those runners, folded in half lengthwise, on the head tables, cake table, and candy buffet. It was exactly what was needed.

    Mallory's new mother in law, Kathy, put together the centerpieces. She used Platinum's 29" Eiffel Tower vases for the tall centerpieces. She filled them with cedar, greenery, and a flower stem. I love the look! On other tables were lanterns, and wrought iron candle holders.

    Do you know how to tell if your reception was a huge success? It's when NO ONE WANTS TO LEAVE! You could tell the guests were disappointed when this one was over. The band "The Innocence", http://www.theinnocencelive.com/, are incredible. People danced the night away and hummed to themselves on the way out. Good Job! I recommend this band highly.

    I got a moment with Mallory and Ryan before they left for the night. Mallory was glowing and said this was the happiest she has ever been! She said she was excited to be Ryans wife "til death us do part" and he said, "forever and ever". I have no doubt about it. Congratulations you two! I am so proud to have been a part of your day!

   More pics of this one will be coming. Note to self... always have backup batteries for the camera!

Stay warm!
    Fran

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love! ~annonymous

2010-12-07T19:21:00.000-06:00

I just got back late Sunday night from Dallas. It was a fun weekend but a lousy game. Oh Well. On to the Big Ten! Thanks to my darling daughter, Maggie, for watching the store for me ~ love you!

Last Thursday was the Downtown Christmas Walk. It was a beautiful, crisp night and downtown was bustling with people. The Horizon Middle School 8th grade ensemble sang Christmas carols. They did a lovely job ~ thanks kids!

I had 3 brides come in last week to plan their receptions...3!...in January!...Next month January! Girls, you are killing me here! :) I do understand that sometimes time gets away from us, and they have been very understanding when I tell them I can't get some items, and we will pull it off ~ those receptions will be as wonderful as the 6 month planned ones!

Here is a link to one of my favorite suppliers out of California. Hitomi is a goddess in the design world!
http://accentdecorinspire.blogspot.com/2010/12/floating-silver-spheres-sales-and-more.html

This weekend belongs to Mallory & Ryan. An adorable couple who are so it love it makes my heart sing! I will have pics to share next week ~ can't wait!

Till then, stay warm.
Fran

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-24T15:24:00.000-06:00

WHEW! I gave myself til today to finalize Platinum for Christmas! I did it! Yay! I think it looks spectacular ~ but I am biased. See for yourselves ~

I used sage green satin to offset the white and ivory. This one you need to come in and see in person! It's beautiful!

The silver table. I used jingle bells, crystals,ornaments... you name it. If it was silver ~ I used it!

My sweet little Christmas tree. I used the big, clear bulbs and probably will not decorate it. I like it plain considering there is alot of bling going on in the store! ha
The reason I have a sweet little tree is because I needed the greenery. It was cheaper to buy the whole tree and cut it up than to buy the greenery. Once I cut it up and got the greenery I wanted, it seemed a shame to just throw away a perfectly good tree! So in it came. I'm sure it is as pleased as I am!

Gorgeous!

So, now that I am done, I am off ~ literally~ over the river and through the woods! I will not be open on Black Friday. I will be spending the day with family, eating, and watching the game. I will open Saturday at 10. Please stop in and see me ~ and my sweet little tree!
Have a warm, wonderful, safe Thanksgiving,
Fran

Silver table

2010-11-23T17:04:00.000-06:00

Here is another table with alot of silver and crystals! I love it and hope you do too!

More to come tomorrow!

Who, being loved, is poor? ~ Oscar Wilde

2010-11-22T16:41:00.000-06:00

Well it's been quite the week at Platinum. I helped K.W. Wedding and Events on Nov. 13 in North Platte. It was a very pretty event. The bride, Tessa, used my rust and brown table runners, beautiful satin brown chair covers with rust ties, and numerous Eiffel Tower vases. Cody and his crew at the Quality Inn/Sandhills Convention Center did a fabulous job getting the room prepped for the big event. Way to go Cody!

This past week I worked hard to get my store ready for Christmas. I found this BEAUTIFUL table skirt on http://www.davidmonn.com/

David Monn is an Event Planner from NYC and his work is spectacular! This skirt was made for the Martha Stewart Show years ago. It is timeless and a showstopper - and I had to make me one! I think it turned out equally beautiful. It is not for every bride. But it is for a few. I call it the Ballerina Skirt.

And while I was at it I decided to make a Christmas Wreath with the leftover Tulle!
Pretty, Pretty!

Candy Buffets are always a fun addition to any reception.

This is my red & white Candy Bar.

Erin and Jon got married this weekend! Congrats to you both and best wishes for a lifetime of happiness!

Come to Platinum and watch the progress from fall to winter! The Downtown Christmas Walk is December 2, from 5-8pm. Platinum will be open serving hot cider and a sweet. Hope to see you there!

You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams. ~ Dr. Seuss

2010-11-12T11:38:00.000-06:00

I love finding these quotes! They make me smile!

I leave today to set up a wedding in North Platte. I have been working with KW Wedding & Events of North Platte for 6 months or so. It has been fun working with Kristina and I know she has been a big help to the bride! I will bring back pictures to share!

Sometimes I am so full of inspiration that I think my head will explode, and, other times I'm in an idea drought. I am flowing with inspiration right now. I'm sure it's due to the holiday's ~ my favorite time of year! ( you will notice I have MANY favorite times of year!) I am thinking of making one window display white and silver and the other white and green. On the credenza I plan to use lots of fresh cut greenery in the silver stem candle holders. (Ringed with red roses!) Then, to the back of the store I plan on a red and white candy buffet! I can't wait to get moving on it ~ please stop in and see the transformation.

Just a reminder ~ if you are having a houseful for Thanksgiving ~ I do rent tables, chairs and linens. I just got off the phone with a gal who is hosting her first Thanksgiving and wants it to be perfect. Platinum will help her achieve perfection! We provide items for large scale events and items for smaller events. For example: A client rented 10 tablecloths for a bridal shower this weekend. She wanted the space to look uniform and beautiful and she knew matching linens was what she needed. Way to go Karen!

After we leave North Platte tonight, Rick and I will be heading to Lake McConaughy! Talk about inspiration! The colors are breathtaking, the lake is calm and peaceful and the deer, turkeys,and coyotes are very brave. The solitude of the lake this time of year always recharges my batteries. I hope you have the same opportunity to recharge!

Bye, for now...
Fran

Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking together in the same direction.

2010-11-04T17:02:00.000-05:00

Twenty six years ago yesterday, Nov. 3, I married the most wonderful man in the world. The day was beautiful. It was warm for November and we had an overflow in the church. I will never forget my dad's face as we prepared to walk down the aisle together. He was fighting back tears and looked liked he wanted to say something but couldn't. I said, "Dad, please don't make me cry" and he patted my hand and off we went. The rest is a blur. Now my memories are from the pictures we have and memories of others.

Twenty six years is a long time. When I married him I knew it was forever. Not the "until I don't like you anymore" that some people feel. I haven't always liked him and he hasn't always like me, but, we were in it for the long haul. It hasn't always been easy. Sometimes it has been down right difficult, but in retrospect, I wouldn't trade those times for any other. When times are tough you find out what you are made of and you find out what is important. What was important to him and me was our family. Our 3 children, our parents, our brothers and sisters and their families, our cousins and aunts and uncles. That is what it all came down to for us. Family. There is a quote, "You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family". I have been blessed. My family are my friends.
So, Happy Anniversary Honey! I love you more today than yesterday!

Now, on to Platinum business! The word of the day is 'Layering'. The concept of layering in centerpiece design means to build a centerpiece by combining a number of different visual elements - which are thoughtfully placed one on top of the other.

This tablescape consists of ; white tablecloth, light blue overlay, round mirror, vase with flowers and filler and, finally, crystals scattered. So 5 layers on this one table.

This is an interesting centerpiece. It consists of; gold tablecloth, cranberry overlay (scrunched casually), lily bowl with rocks, cylinder with sunflowers and twigs and rocks and, finally, more sunflowers. I really like this one. It has a casual elegance to it and has 5 layers.
Brides, don't forget to think ouside of the box ~ use coffee beans or acorns for vase fillers. Use a bordeux wine instead of water to float a candle. Use your imagination!
Till next week......
Fran

'Love one another and you will be happy. It's as simple and as difficult as that' ~ Michael Leuning

2010-10-28T16:36:00.000-05:00

Last weekend was the wedding of Jamie and Mitch. Jamie came into Platinum months ago and knew exactly how she wanted her reception to look. She was going with the red and black color scheme and she had seen pictures of how she wanted the tables to look. She brought those pictures to me and together we brought those pictures to life for Jamie! The Holiday Inn was the reception venue and once again they did a wonderful job.

So elegant and classy!

                                       Chair ties are the "Icing on the Cake" so to speak!

Jamie and Mitch ~ A lifetime of happiness for you two!

A few more fun statistics:
35% of weddings occur in the summer; 29% in the spring; 23% in the fall and 13% in the winter.
      FYI ~ I already have 6 weddings booked in May!
Every year an average of 2.4 million weddings are performed in the U.S.
53% of weddings occur in the afternoon; 31% in the evening; 16% in the morning
60% of brides say they will be changing their surname.

I hope you enjoy those stats as much as I do!
Come see me at
Platinum Event and Wedding Rentals
2017 Central Ave
Kearney, Ne 68847
308.237.4402         http://www.platinumeventandweddingrentals.com/

Grace and Daniel ~ A Marriage made in Heaven

2010-10-19T13:44:00.000-05:00

I had the pleasure to work with Grace Smith and her mom Bev. This dynamic duo are from Gothenburg, NE and chose me to help with Grace's wedding and reception. When we first met, Grace and mom had the date, the venues and colors. They were so easy to work with. Some decor ideas changed due to a "Not Pretty" crop of apples, and mom, with her green thumb, saved the day with mums! The reception was held at Walkers Steakhouse in Cozad. They were very accomodating with us hanging paper lanterns and all the chaos that goes into a set-up! Thanks to all involved!

Grace is a beautiful girl and a gorgeous bride!

Grace told me recently that the flowers from Kearney Floral were beautiful and that she was so glad she chose them to do her wedding flowers! I can see why she was so thrilled!

I want to wish Grace and Daniel best wishes for their life together! Thanks for sharing !

Falling In Love with October!

2010-10-12T11:55:00.001-05:00

Don't you just love Fall in Nebraska? The colors are so rich, the nights are cool, the crisp air smells of carved pumpkin and spice. The brides that I am working with this week and last are using those rich, Fall colors in their weddings. The browns , rusts, cranberries, and gold. BEAUTIFUL! Stacey and Tyler's wedding last weekend was at the Cottonmill Amphitheater. The day was gorgeous. The trees were turning gold. The path to the amphitheater crackled under your feet. I was transported to the Rocky Mountains for a moment! Cottonmill is a great venue for an intimate outdoor wedding. Brides - go check it out!
I had one bride who got married on 10-10-10! Plus they have been together for 10 years! Best wishes!
Platinum has 4 weddings this weekend! What lucky brides these are. The weather is going to be fantastic and the NU vs Texas game is not so much a factor!

How about some more fun statistics?

$22,000 is the average amount spent on a traditional American wedding. Midwest girls tend to spend less than the average, but for a large wedding with food and drink, that is pretty accurate.

The average amount spent on a bridal gown is $800.

An average honeymoon vacation is one week. Most of my Kearney area brides still take a honeymoon right after the wedding though I am seeing a lot who postpone the honeymoon until a later time or do not take one at all. Brides, even if it means you go camping in the mountains for 3 days, I think you should go away after the wedding. You have just come through a very stressful though fun time and you owe it to yourselves to have some alone time. I'm just saying. :)

28% of your wedding costs are for the reception. Yes, that seems about right - though it feels like more! ha

Enjoy the Fall. Take a deep breath when you walk outside and let me know if there is anything I can do to help you with your wedding. Remember,

'The Magic is in the Details'

2010-10-05T13:33:00.000-05:00

First Blog!

My first entry of my first blog! This should be interesting to see how this evolves! The reason I even have a blog is because I just came back from the Wedding Merchant Business Academy (WMBA) convention in Las Vegas where I learned that I was sitting at a rest stop on the super highway of technology! Time for me to merge into the traffic! Thank heavens my daughter Maggie knows what is going on with technology - she’s been a great help. So about Vegas…. I learned a lot. It was exactly what I needed to remind me why I am in this business.

Here are some fun facts I learned from Carley Roney who is the Editor in Chief of The Knot and who was a speaker at the convention.

1. Nationwide the average age of today’s bride is 28. In Kearney I would say the average age is 25. This is just a guess since I don’t ask my brides such personal questions. :)

2. Nationwide 59% of weddings are done outside of a church. In the Kearney area I would say 59% of weddings are IN a church. Is this because of our unpredictable weather? Or the fact that we don’t have a beach close? Or because wedding vows in a church are still important to the traditional Midwestern bride? I don’t know the answer to that one but I’m guessing it is a combination of all three.

3. 175 guests are invited to an average wedding nationwide. In the Midwest the average is 300. From my experience in the Kearney area the average is closer to 350 guests. My Midwest brides think a wedding with 250 guests is a small intimate event!

4. Average size of the wedding party nationwide is 12. Kearney area average is 14.

Interesting isn’t it? I will have more tidbits like this next week.

In the meantime stop by Platinum - downtown Kearney - on the Bricks.