Best DIY Wedding Decor for the Budget Conscious Bride

Anybody who has ever planned a wedding or been a part of paying for a wedding knows that the costs can creep up on you without you even knowing it. Sometimes you want so many things you see, you lose yourself and your budget. If you are a budget conscience bride-to-be and refuse to get lost in the bills created, payments owed, and receipts of your extravagance Coastline Conference and Event Center is the place for you.

Your décor and decorations are where the unexpected cost can begin to mount. You went from carnations to roses, roses to candles, candles to chandeliers, and the next thing know you have blown your decorations budget out of the water. There is no reason that this has to happen to you or your budget. With a few DIY tips you can have the décor of your dreams, and not break your wallet.

Décor and Decorations

Greenery 

Greenery is not only beautiful, it is on trend and it is very inexpensive. You can get Garland, plastic vines, leaves, and other various leafy greens that you can hang from the ceiling, use in your bouquet and as centerpieces, or decorate the chairs, tables, or the aisles. There are so many variations of greenery that you can use, that there is really no limitations on which direction you go into, and it will be a lot cheaper than using flowers, real or fake.

Gold-Dipped Balloons 

Gold is an awesome party color and balloons are a party favorite. Put the two together and you have an instant upgraded party. Liquid gold (or platinum) paint adds some sparkle and shimmer to the atmosphere. All you need is the balloon and the paint, and you have a decoration good for your wedding and reception.

Glitzy Glasses 

Make all your glassware pop with large-crystal sugar rims in the color of your choosing. You simply dip the rims of your glassware into clear corn syrup and then dip it into the colored sugar. Give the sugar on your glasses 24 to 48 hours to set, and you will be ready to give your guest something fancy to drink out of.

Wax Paper Backdrop 

The same wax paper that is used to make your delicious cookies is the same waxed paper that can be used a backdrop at your wedding. Make it background for guest pictures or the backdrop behind the bride and groom table, or even a backdrop behind the couple in the actual wedding ceremony. At the end, you will have a soft airy look that fills your space with elegance.

There are so many DIY projects you can do to conserve money and throw a beautiful and fabulous wedding. There is no reason to break the bank when you can do it yourself! Contact our office today for a complimentary tour of our wedding and reception venue.

Wilmington: Ideal Location for Corporate Retreat

When companies are looking for places to hold business conferences or corporate retreats, they tend to look over some of the best places in America like Wilmington, North Carolina. These places are often looked over because they are not mega metropolitan centers that have a lot of different things to entertain their employees, which actually may be the best thing for the team building portion. These are some reasons to consider as to why Coastal Convention is the ideal event venue in Wilmington, NC for your next corporate retreat.

Location

Wilmington is a smaller port city in North Carolina. Almost three-quarters of the state is surrounded by some type of water and beautiful beaches. This is not important so your employees can hang out at the beach and set some sun, but it is a place where they can feel more relaxed. The beaches and the ocean can invoke a feeling of peace and it is beautiful. If you are having a corporate retreat, the beach is a great place to retreat to.

Hotels and Convention Center

Wilmington, NC has beautiful hotels and conference areas that overlook the ocean. It is almost as if there is no “bad” place to stay. They also have a new convention center with beautiful views that overlook the water. There are multiple rooms and they will also provide the food for your attendees.

Cuisine

At a corporate retreat or business conference, there is a level of expectation for good food, especially if you are in North Carolina. The Wilmington cuisine consists of extremely fresh seafood, locally owned establishments, and beautiful outdoor dining locations. This allows you to have working business dinners with delicious food surrounded by a wonderful ambiance. You can also get drinks and grab a bite to eat with coworkers after a long day of sitting in seminars and training.

Small Town

Unless a company’s headquarters is in a small town, companies don’t typically think to have their retreats or conferences in smaller cities or towns. However, it may be something they want to consider. Have you heard the stories of people who go out after the conference or sneak away from the retreat and get into trouble outside of the reason they are there? Being in a smaller area can elevate the temptation and opportunity to go out and do things that are more readily available in larger metropolitan areas.

The next time you are looking to have a business convention or company retreat, look to Wilmington, N.C and the Coastal Convention Center, you will be pleasantly surprised with our facilities. 

Fall Wedding Trends in Wilmington, NC

If you are planning a wedding this Fall, you are in for a treat. This fall season is already centered around beautiful deep colors and the warm feeling of love and home. Of course, every person will have their own idea of what they want for their wedding, but adding these trends in could take your wedding from a night to remember, to an event people will never forget.

Colors

This season deep rich burgundies and plum’s are the Fall colors of choice and are the centerpiece of this year’s wedding color schemes. A neutral color or pastels are the colors most used to complement these deep colors. In the Fall, the typical spring hues are frosted over giving them more dimension. Together the dark hues give you the sense of earth and season, while the lighter colors add to the whimsicalness of the moment.  You can also add metallics for a little pop.

Wedding Cakes

There is a new trend for the Fall season when it comes to wedding cakes. Instead of adorning a cake with thick design frosting and sugar flowers, the couple is choosing cakes with a more textured look dressed up with real, small bunches of flowers, greenery, or a combination of both. ‘Naked Cakes’ are also growing in popularity. Nude cakes are cakes with a thin layer of frosting so some of the cake shows through. Then it is dressed up with caramel or ganache drizzle, and some foliage.

Fashion

There is always a place for a traditional dress, no matter the season, but this year’s trend is leading brides and grooms down a less traditional path. Two piece wedding dress sets are this year’s bridal dress trend, and that doesn’t mean you have to bare a lot of skin. Some brides are paring cashmere sweaters with luxurious full-length skirts, or lace long sleeve turtleneck crop tops with exaggerated high wasted gown skirts. You can really express your own style.

Flowers

Wild looking bouquets containing freshly picked flowers and greenery is leading in the Floral department for Fall weddings. The arrangement is more leafy and green, and fewer delicate flowers. And, for this season, forget a long stem. Vines, thistle, berries, bushes, and small leafy twigs are catching the eye of many people having weddings.

Food and Drink

Creativity is the name of the game, and food and drink stations are all the rave. The eating portion of the wedding is way more fun than getting served a plate. Build your own tacos, barbeque stations, and even a sushi bar is how people are choosing to feed their guest. And just in case you were wondering, an open bar is always on trend.

Contact us today for a complimentary tour of our outdoor wedding venue in Wilmington, NC.

Wedding Reception Dinner Ideas

When it comes to your wedding reception dinner you can go so many different ways, and choosing the best dinner for your wedding depends on a variety of options. Cost, food allergies, wedding venue, if you are going to have an open bar, how you want the food served, will there be children there, and many other factors have to be taken into consideration. Here are some reception dinner ideas that will make your guests mouth water.

Seafood

This may be one place you have to take food allergies into consideration, but if you know that your guest and their guest are cleared for seafood consumption, you could offer many different varieties and combinations of seafood. You could have steamed lobster tail with grilled broccoli and butter and herb roasted potatoes. Another idea is to have two choices of seafood like lemon salmon and honey-braised scallops, and then build your menu around those dishes. You could also have more seafood selections with a buffet style reception.

Seasonal Food

There are always certain foods that are seasonal, and you could combine some of those flavors and dishes to create your reception dinner. A rotisserie season Cornish Hen with herbed long carrots and fresh green beans not only add to the taste of the season but also the theme and colors of your reception.

Surf and Turf

It just seems like steak, lobster, and chicken cover the taste pallets of your entire guest list. The reason people love surf and turf is that you generally know what you are getting. You can make it as simple as you like with French fries, onion rings, and whatever else you would like to have, or you can get more fancy with mashed potato martini bar, breaded oven baked zucchini spears and wild long grain rice.

Barbeque Favorites

This option can get a little messy, but you know people will be full and happy. Fried chicken, barbeque chicken, ribs, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, coleslaw, corn on the cob and other dishes someone may have at their barbeque to make your wedding reception feel like a family reunion.

Food Stations -Served and DIY

Food stations have become quite popular at weddings recently. This gives people a different kind of variety that was not available in most cases. Consider a build-your-own taco food station or a sushi station. These food stations can be manned by servers or you can allow the guest to do it themselves. Either way, this can add another layer of fun to your reception dinner.

Wedding Favors That Will Impress Your Guests

Wedding favors are the proverbial icing on the cake for your wedding reception. It is a fabulous way to thank them for participating in your love and special day. It also allows them to have a keepsake and lasting memory of your wedding. There are so many things you could give to your guest, but whatever you give it should come from the bottom of your heart.

Personalize It

Personalized wedding favors have grown in popularity because it makes people feel like you took the time to honor them and their presence at your event on a very personal level. So, if you are going to give your guest wedding favors make sure that you have personalized them, and watch your guess be impressed.

Give Them A Snack

Little chocolates, mints, and even nuts are a great wedding favor to send your guests home with. They will have eaten quite a bit at your wedding so this may actually be something that they keep longer than some other wedding favors. Whether they enjoy it now or enjoy the treats later, it is something sweet for them to remember the moment by.

Make it Useful

A cognac glass, coasters, a plate; these are all items that a person can use once the wedding is over. Bottle cap openers and candle holders are all gifts that keep on giving. They can last forever; which is as long as the bride and groom plan to be together.

Go Unisex

It can get tedious when you are trying to determine how many wedding favors do you need for the men, and how many do you need for the women. If you choose a unisex gift then you can generally get the same thing for everyone. This will save you a lot of time and possibly a lot of money.

Get Creative

Almost anything can be a wedding favor regardless of how big or how small. You simply have to decide how much money you have to spend on the favors. Whether you spend a little or spend a lot you can give or make something that is very unique. You also give something that is decorative that people could put on their wall or on a coffee table. Yes, everyone’s taste is different but you can find something that is tasteful and that most of your guests would enjoy.

The Best Wedding Songs

The Best Wedding Songs

There are many tasks that go into planning a wedding, and the playlist is one of the more fun tasks that you will take part in. However, it can be difficult to know how to make the best playlist. Here are some tips that might help you through the process. (more…)

Notes for Conference Keynote Speakers

Notes for Conference Keynote Speakers

If you are chosen to be a keynote speaker at an event, chances are you are already an engaging and wonderful speaker. However, if you could use a few tips for improving your keynote speech, this article is for you. Below are a few tips for conference keynote speakers that can help improve your presentation and make it more memorable for those who are in your audience. (more…)

Ways to Make Your Conference Memorable

There are many details that go in to organizing and planning a conference. Amidst all the details, there are some factors you want to consider in order to provide your guests with a memorable experience. If you have a conference that you are in charge of organizing, consider the following tips so that your guests walk away from your conference with a memorable experience. As always, Coastline Center is available for all of your conference needs. (more…)

Event Catering Do’s and Don’ts

Catering is much more than being an expert in your culinary cuisine. It also includes people skills and excellent customer service. There are many pieces to the puzzle that make for a successful catering event. There are many do’s and don’ts that are simple to remember. Here are a few to help get you through your next event. (more…)

Why Your Conference Needs a Theme

Themes are often associated with parties.  They are also essential to a successful conference.  Sometimes, a theme just kind of happens naturally.  Other times, it takes a bit of effort.  No matter what type of situation you are in, the theme of your conference is everything.  Here’s why. (more…)