Top Celebrity Weddings of 2011

We can't believe that 2011 is almost over. It was definitely a big year for celebrity weddings and we look forward to what is in store for 2012! Below we listed what our Top 10 Celebrity Weddings for 2011 are. Hope you enjoy our picks!

10) Michael Kors and Lance LePere

When: August 16, 2011

Where: Southampton, New York

Just days after same-sex marriage became legal in the state of New York, the fashion designer wed his longtime partner in a beautiful beach ceremony.

9) Gene Simmons and Shannon Tweed

When: October 1, 2011

Where: Beverly Hills, California

It was a wedding fit for a rock star! After 28 years together, the couple exchanged vows in front of 400 guests. Among them were daughter Sophie, 19, and son Nick, 22 and even their dog Snippy which served as the ring bearer! Sophie and Nick took to the stage to perform - Sophie sang the couple's first dance to Etta James's "At Last".

8) Brooke Burke and David Charvet

When: August 12, 2011

Where: St. Barts

The couple jetted off to the tropical island making it look like a family vacation but secretly had plans to say "I Do" aboard a private boat. Brooke and David exchanged vows in front of their four children, two friends and the ship's captain.

7) Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnillo

When: July 15, 2011

Where: British Virgin Islands

We all remember Nick's first time down the aisle in a stunning church ceremony so it wasn't a surprise that this time around the nuptials took place on an exotic island. Nick and Vanessa kept their guests guessing on all the wedding secrets: the invitations were plane tickets and the location was a surprise! But even though it was an intimate celebration in front of just 35 friends and family members, adoring fans got all the details from a wedding special that aired on TLC a few weeks later.

6) LeAnn Rimes and Eddie Cibrian

When: April 22, 2011

Where: Malibu, California

Surprise! That is what LeAnn and Eddie did to their guests when they showed up to celebrate what they thought was their engagement party and instead the couple tied the knot! Eddie's childhood friend designed the couple's rings and LeAnn wears three to represent Eddie and his two sons.

5) Shania Twain and Frederic Thiebaud

When: January 1, 2011

Where: Rincon, Puerto Rico

Shania and fiance, Swiss businessman Frederic, wed in a beautiful sunset beachside ceremony just weeks after announcing their engagement. The couple became close after both of their ex-spouses had cheated on them with each other (Frederic's ex-wife was Shania's best friend!)! I'm guessing that their ex's were not on the guest list!

4) Amy Smart and Carter Oosterhouse

When: September 10, 2011

Where: Traverse City, Michigan

This couple couldn't be any cuter! Both environmentally friendly, it was only fitting that Amy and Carter had a Green Eco Friendly wedding. With a tent filled with vintage apothecary bottles and home grown flowers, food provided from local farms and a bar that Carter built himself, this wedding had the beautiful rustic affair the couple was going for. The outdoor affair took place at the couple's 13 acre Traverse City, Michigan farm in Carter's hometown and coincidentally near Amy's parents' estate.

3) Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth

When: March 26, 2011

Where: Ojai, California

Reese is America's sweetheart so we were all happy when she announced her engagement to Jim Toth. We hated seeing her alone! Reese donned a stunning blush color satin and chantilly lace Monique Lhuillier gown and later changed into a shorter white dress by the same designer for a night of dancing!

2) Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries

When: August 20, 2011

Where: Montecito, California

It was very hard to find any details on Kim's secret wedding....I could barely get that sentence out lol. Kim had her over the top fairytale wedding in front of 450 of her closest friends. And in true diva fashion, she wore not only one, or two but three custom Ver Wang gowns. The couple shared their fairytale with their fans in a two-part E! special. And as beautiful as the black and white themed wedding was, Kim sadly filed for divorce just 72 days later.

1) Prince William and Kate Middleton

When: April 29, 2011

Where: Westminster Abbey, London

It was the wedding everyone was waiting for. Many of us set our alarms at 4:30am to watch the start of it all. We held our breath when we finally got to see Kate in her beautiful Alexander McQueen gown designed by Sarah Burton. We watched in awe as the royals and celebrities walked into the church. We were surprisingly enamored with Kate's younger sister Pipa. And who could forget those balcony kisses! It was the day every little girl dreams of....marring the Prince of her dreams, becoming a Princess and living happily ever after!

We hoped you enjoyed our top picks. We know there were many more to chose from. Do you have a favorite that didn't make our list? Leave a comment. We'd love to hear your picks too!

We wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year and we can not wait to see who makes our list in 2012!

XOXO,

Aelicia & Rachael

AART Event Planning's Launch Party!!!

We can't believe that it was a month ago already where we had our launch party/open house with Soundbar Entertainment and Sonia G Professional Makeup and Brow Artist. We had such a great turn out and are so thankful for the friends, family and future clients that came out to see us. The professional pictures are finally in and we are so excited to share them with you!

Food was provided by the fabulous La Bella Italia Restaurant & Cafe and let me tell you my mouth is watering just thinking about it! And yours will too once you take a look at some of the food that was provided that night. And let's not forget about dessert. Our friends at Lavish Lollies handed out their cake pops throughout the night and all we can say is OOO!! MMM!! GGG!!!!

Of course we all had to show off our talents lol. Music and the always so popular photo booth was provided by Soundbar Entertainment and makeup was done by Sonia G. We designed beautiful tablescapes for each season.

Winter

Winter Wonderland meets Blingtastic!! This was our winter elegant setting, perfect for a wedding!

Spring

Spring was inspired by the the amazing New York City. Yellow, Black and Grey were used for the color scheme making this a chic tablescape for any party!

Summer

Who doesn't love anything vintage? And with the colors of creams and light pinks and greens, it makes for a perfect outdoor Summer luncheon don't you think?

Fall

When you think of fall, you think of reds and oranges and golds. We thought a little outside of the box and went with a Peacock Inspiration tablescape. With the use of deep purples, gold and burgundy, you still get that fall feel while exuding a WOW factor.

All of the stationery was designed by our design team AART Designs. Isn't Rachael a genius!!

We also want to thank those special people that helped make that night a huge success:

NJ Weddings

Floral Expressions

Magique Studios

La Bella Italia Restaurant & Cafe

Lavish Lollies

Swag Bag Contributors

The Elan

Skylish Photography

Hallak Cleaners

Creative Custom Card Boxes

Renee Casella for Stella and Dot

We want to thank everyone that came and supported us. Your love and support means the world to us. Here is to a successful 2012!

XOXO,

Aelicia & Rachael

Yay!! You're Engaged...What's Next???

If you are one of the lucky couples that just got engaged this holiday weekend, Congratulations!! This is such an exciting time for you, your fiance, family and friends. Now that you have made all your phone calls and have stopped staring at your ring (for now!!) your mind goes to Now What??!!

We thought we would help you with that. Here are a few tips that we have given to past couples:

1) Head over to your salon and get that manicure! You will be showing off that ring to the stranger walking down the street so it only makes sense to make sure your nails look great!

2) Make it official. After you have left that salon, break out the camera and take a beautiful picture with you and your new fiance and send it to the paper. Then make sure you grab a copy when the announcement comes out!

3) Create your budget. This is one of the most important, and all be it scary, first wedding decision you will make. You want to agree on a number that you are both comfortable with and then.....

4) Prioritize what is most important to you! Do you absolutely need a band over a DJ or is there a venue that you have dreamt about since you were little? This information becomes very helpful when you start to distribute your funds to each category.

5) Contact us! You finally have calmed down, a little, from the excitement of when you said yes, you've set your budget and now you have no idea where to start. Hiring an experienced Wedding Planner will keep you on your budget as well as referring vendors that fit your style and budget. We can help you come up with a design concept and our design team at AART Designs can create invitations and other wedding day stationery that will reflect you and your wedding's style (and not to mention saving you some money by going with our design team!). We are here to make your visions become a reality. Contact us at 201-873-4921, 201-315-8747 or email us at info@aarteventplanning.com to set up your complimentary consultation and let us show you how we can help make your event a work of AART!

Congratulations again and we look forward to hearing from you!!

XOXO,

Aelicia & Rachael

Wondering what the 2012 Color of the Year Is????

Pantone, the world renowned authority on color, announced yesterday on December 8th that Pantone 17-1463 Tangerine Tango is the color of the year for 2012!

The bold reddish/orange hue of the Tangerine Tango will be a beautiful addition to any color combo for any season. We love this color especially when it is combined with a beautiful royal blue. It reminds us of our Latin heritage!

Our heads are already filling up with great ideas for decor and invitations using this color. I think I know what our next office tablescape will be!!

XOXO,

Aelicia & Rachael

The Holidays Are Here!!

Hello everyone and Happy Hump Day!! Can you believe it is December already? There's only a few weekends left until Christmas so that means get those Christmas lists out and send out those holiday cards right? Well, we might not be able to help you with that list but those holiday cards are right up our alley!!

My partner Rachael has been working around the clock designing our very own holiday line and we now can reveal it to you!

She is amazing at what she does and we are so excited to add this new line to AART Design's stationery! Take a look at some samples below and email info@aarteventplanning.com to place your order. Already have an idea of what kind of design you want? No problem! Rachael can design anything you want! Just email us and she'll work her magic. Place your orders today!!

Thank you and we can't wait to see all those beautiful pictures come in!

XOXO,

Aelicia & Rachael

Tips on Tuesday: Thanksgiving Tablescapes

Happy Tuesday. It's only a few days till Thanksgiving and we are prepping our tables so we are dedicating this blog on ideas and tips on how to decorate your table!

Who doesn't love the fall colors of reds, oranges and golds? A beautiful color combination. And when you add candles, pumpkins and gourds in the center, you have a wonderful traditional table setting. Take it one step further and add names to leaves and use them for place cards.

Want to go the non traditional route? White's and ivory's will do the trick. Using white pumpkins and linens will provide a classic sophisticated look.

Adding a colored placement and napkin to your white table setting adds a divine elegance.

Looking for that elegant setting without the pumpkins? Create the dramatic look with an all flower centerpiece, break out the china and the silk linens. It's all about thinking outside of the box!

Thanksgiving is about family and everything we are grateful for. Why not display that love in your centerpiece? We adore this centerpiece comprised of pictures of the family young and old.

It is a great tribute to your loved ones and a wonderful conversation piece during dinner.

And let's not forget those precious children! If you are setting up a children's table, make it fun for them. Give them a placement with crayons that they can color. Create an activity for them to keep them entertained that can be used as their centerpiece like painting pumpkins or cutting feathers to make a turkey.

We wish you and your families a wonderful Thanksgiving and we would love to see what you did for your table settings!

XOXO,

Aelicia & Rachael

Open House Launch Party

It's been months in the making but it's finally here...our Open House Launch Party!!! Stop by to celebrate with Soundbar Entertainment, Sonia G Makeup and us for the opening of our new office location in Saddle Brook, New Jersey!

You will see amazing tablescapes that we designed for every season, have fun in Soundbar's photo booth and watch Sonia G work her makeup magic. We'll have great discounts, a special gift bag to take home with you and and one lucky winner will receive an amazing door prize! And let's not forget some light food and refreshments while we all mingle amongst each other.

This is an RSVP only event so act fast.

http://openhouselaunchparty.eventbrite.com/

We look forward to seeing you all there!

XOXO,

Aelicia & Rachael

Tips on Tuesday: Choosing Your Vendors

What a beautiful Tuesday it is....70 degrees in November...after a snow storm two weeks ago! Weather can be so unpredictable and we can't control it. What we do have control over is picking the perfect vendor for your occasion!

You have to do your research! Yes your friend may have told you about this amazing band she saw and you trust her so you booked them right away thinking it'll be fine right? Wrong!! Not everyone has the same taste in music and that is ok. If you want a band, check out their showcase to see them perform. If you are looking into a DJ, have them show you a video of one of their events so you can see how crowded the dance floor was. Ask them about their playlists. You want to make sure that you get someone that can offer a variety of music you are interested in.

When meeting your vendors, come with a list of questions. For instance, when meeting a photographer, ask them about places they have taken their bride and groom for outside pictures. Have a place in mind already, ask them about it. Having this dialogue will allow you to easily figure out if you and the photographer will have the same vision for your day. And don't forget to look at their albums. This is something you are going to look back on year after year.

Read their reviews. If you do not know anyone who has used them before or you do not have a wedding planner that recommended some great vendors, read what others said about them. This will give you a great feel for them too.

Don't get caught up in the price. Yes it is very important to look at a vendor within your budget if you have allotted one. But sometimes the expensive choice isn't always the smartest choice. You can get an excellent vendor without breaking the bank.

Trust your instincts. Many couples that we speak to all say the same thing: "I knew I wanted them within the first 5 minutes....". You know who you are comfortable with. If you are second guessing a lot of things, then clearly they may not be the right vendor for you.

Remember, you have been preparing for your event for a long time and you want only the best to make it everything you had dreamed of. When you follow your instincts, you can never go wrong! And if you need some reassurance or recommendations, we are always glad to help!

XOXO,

Aelicia & Rachael

The Wedding Coordinator vs The Venue Coordinator

We have been seeing a lot of blog posts lately on this subject and we wanted to share our insights on the subject. We have heard it before: "Why do I need a wedding coordinator when my venue already has a coordinator". As great as they are and very helpful to the bride and us wedding planners, the conception of how much they help the bride is a little misleading. Here is a breakdown:

Don't get me wrong, venue coordinators can be very informative to the bride and we love working with them. Like we said they are extremely helpful to us. But we have to remind a bride that the venue coordinator works for the venue not you. They deal with things like making sure there is appropriate staff, the food, setup, etc. Also what a bride needs to keep in mind is that even though they have talked with the venue coordinator when they booked the venue, it doesn't mean that they will be there on your wedding day. Many times the venue coordinator will staff the maitre de that will be working with you on that day and you may not even meet them until you walk in as husband and wife.

A wedding coordinator is there for YOU throughout the whole day. Yes we will oversee the setup at the venue and making sure it meets your vision but we will also be in constant communication throughout the night. We will make sure your photographer took the pictures you requested, that the cake cutting and bouquet toss happen in a timely manner, that your entertainment played your favorite song. Our work isn't done until all your guests leave!

A wedding coordinator will contact all your vendors prior to the event to make sure they have everything they need, confirm arrival times and create a timeline that will be distributed to them that night.

Planning a wedding is a lot of work and can be very stressful. The help of both the venue and wedding coordinators is a nice reliever of that stress. We are not downplaying the venue coordinator at all. We are simply just stating the differences between the two so that you know the importance and benefit of possibly having both.

XOXO,

Aelicia & Rachael

"Work of AART" Real Wedding: Marisa & Rob

Last week one of my dearest friends married the love of her life and I had the privilage of being apart of the wedding as well as helping design her menu cards and candy buffet. So since I was in the wedding, I actually took off from my normal wedding working duties and enjoyed myself. And that means I don't have all the best pictures to show off. But I hope you enjoy what I do have and look out for professional pictures soon!

Marisa had a very beautiful wedding and gorgeous weather to match! How adorable are the two pumpkins painted with the words "I DO" on them! A great fall touch to this fall themed wedding. And how can anyone forget about the family pet. The family dog in her little white dress was just too cute for words!

Look at that dress! So beautiful and amazing beading and crystals on the bodice, bottom of the skirt and train. And that cathedral length veil....simply stunning!

Here is a look of Marisa's bridal party, one picture with her "sisters" and the other with her newly extended family (doesn't the first girl on the left in the first picture look familiar? LOL). She chose Bill Levkoff dresses in a cranberry color with an ivory sash. Perfect for her fall color scheme.

Marisa's sister in law served as one of her Matron's of Honors. She wore a different dress in a slightly darker hue to accommodate that beautiful baby bump.

Following the ceremony which was held at Our Lady of the Assumption in Wood-Ridge, New Jersey, guests went to enjoy cocktail hour at The Valley Regency in Clifton, New Jersey. The exquisite ballroom was set up for her 180 guests and the lighting throughout the room set the romantic room. Following the couple's first dance as husband and wife to the Bon Jovi song "All About Loving You", came the parent dances. The most heart warming dance was the groom's dance with his sister to Celine Dion's "Because You Loved Me". I can say there was not a dry eye in the house and I was no exception!

Next it was on to dinner, drinks and dancing and boy did everyone have a great time....especially with a special guest, well actually 2, for the night (their band consisted of the Queen of Freestyle Judy Torres and the brides uncle is famous for his Elvis impersonation!). Topped off with the wedding cake and our candy buffet display and it was the perfect end to a great wedding.

The best part of our jobs is seeing the love and happiness between two people and being allowed to be apart of it. It's even more special when you ahve seen that love grow and grow throughout the years. We are so happy for you Marisa and Rob and we wish you a lifetime of happiness!

XOXO,

Aelicia & Rachael