Random Saturday#4: Happy 2017 everyone!

Hello my dear Cardoonistas!

I would like to wish everyone a great 2017! Let us leave whatever bad happened in 2016, and start fresh this year!

I want you to always have a reason to smile.

Wake up every morning with a positive thought!

Enjoy the small things, and the big ones will come.

Spend time with your loved ones.

Don't be afraid to take a risk to improve your life!

Whatever life brings you, focus on the positive things.

It is up to us to make this world a better place.

It is up to you to make your life better!

I wish everyone good health this year, a lot of happiness and love, success and anything else your heart might desire!

Thank you!

Random Saturday #3 || Random Saturday #5

2017 wedding trends

2017 is right around the corner, and with it, the new wedding trends are coming. This year brings a lot of interesting things to the wedding world and keeps some amazing trends from 2016. In this blog, I will write about the top 10 trends that I personally loved!

1. Bring some color to your life

This year adding color to your wedding is going to be a "thing". Having a wedding dress of a light pink, light blue, or any other color you like the most, will add an interesting touch to the whole event. Give your bridesmaids to choose between 2 -3 different shades for their dresses. Add color to your flowers and other decorations, anything from blush shades to vivid colors. Make your wedding day bright!

2. Wedding cakes are fun

Ombre cakes, painted cakes, doughnut cakes! Add color to your wedding cake as well, get creative! Although white cakes will never go out of fashion, why not have a colorful cake and make it an inseparable part of your wedding decoration. Not a big fan of traditional tired cakes? Order your wedding cake to be made from doughnuts, cupcakes, macaroons or any other sweet you like. Be unique!

3. Hanging decoration

I find the idea of hanging decorations absolutely wonderful! Not only this is a unique way to decorate your wedding reception, but it is also really practical. No more struggles to get comfortable at the dinner table, simply because there isn't enough room left due to the big floral centerpiece. Have small floral and candle centerpieces on the tables and go crazy with the hanging decoration.

4. Go Green!

In 2017 greenery will be quite a popular choice for wedding decorations. Starting from the bridal bouquet, ending with the cake decorations. Mix the greenery with some white flowers and the final result will be outstanding! This is an especially nice idea if you plan on having your wedding in Santorini.

5. Rustic theme still going strong.

Lanterns, candles, burlap, wood, barrels! They all will stay with us in 2017. With this wedding decoration style, whether you choose to have simple decorations, or bring tons of flowers, the end result will still look really, really nice! This is also the style for those of you who love to make their own wedding decorations! It is a DIY heaven!

6.Jumpsuits and cropped wedding dresses

I couldn't help but notice the wedding dress trends for 2017. I've already mentioned the colored wedding dresses, but the most amazing trend is that it is not necessary for a wedding dress to be a… dress! Cropped, two piece wedding dresses look outstanding. They should also be much more comfortable to wear during the whole wedding day. But the best part are the jumpsuit wedding dresses. Not all of us feel comfortable in dresses, and with the big variety of jumpsuit dresses to choose from, everyone will feel both beautiful and comfortable.

7. Interesting Sweet tables.

It is becoming more and more fashionable to have a big sweet tables, with various sweets decorated in interesting ways. Hang your doughnuts, use ferris wheel cupcake stands, marshmallow trees. Let your imagination free and make a sweet table to be remembered.

8.Handmade favours

Favours are a great way to thank your guests for sharing with you your special day. Why not make it even more special by having handmade favours at your wedding? This is one really nice wedding trend which will be with us in 2017. Get crafty and surprise your guests!

9. Charity

Wouldn't it be really nice and thoughtful of you, to give the money you would spend on wedding favours to charity. This is a great way to give back to society, and I'm sure that your guests would appreciate such a choice. Your wedding day is a happy day for you. Share your happiness with even more people, by donating to change someone's life.

10. Be yourself!

By reading all the blogs and magazines which spoke about the 2017 wedding trends, I've come to realize one really important thing - 2017 will be a year where you can show your personality through your wedding. This is probably the most amazing trend which 2017 will bring us… this and doughnuts!

Thank you very much for reading! I wish you a lovely day and I'll see you again on Saturday for the Random Saturday #4! 

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Useful tips on how to choose music for your wedding!

Music has become a really important part of our daily lives, and the way we have fun and celebrate. Weddings are not exception to this. As a matter of fact, the music which you will choose, can set up the mood for the whole event.

  

Over the years, I've noticed that when I mention the wedding playlist, most couples think I'm talking about just for the music that will be playing at the reception party. I believe, this is not the correct way to think about your wedding playlist. Since weddings consists of more than just the after dinner party, your wedding playlist should do so as well.

What are the parts of a wedding? To begin, we have the half an hour or hour before the ceremony, when your guests will be waiting at the wedding venue. Next, is the processional and recessional music. After that, we have the cocktail hour, followed by the dinner. After dinner we have the party music. This brings us to at least 5 or 6 different playlists to think about, not to mention the cutting of cake, first dance, entrance songs etc.

Your prelude music playlist, the music which will be playing while your guests will be waiting for the ceremony to begin, should consist of soft, melodic songs. You could choose to have acoustic music, instrumental music, or even classical music playing. It should be music which won't distract your guests from getting to know each other and explore the venue and the set-up. It is also good for the music to produce positive emotions… so avoid any requiems.

You could have a live band playing, although I find it not to be necessary at this point. Better keep the live music for after the ceremony and/or for the party. Let your guests mingle, rather than focus on the live band.

For the processional music, choose anything that you believe represents you. No reason to stick with classical music, as a nice rock ballad could do just fine. Try to avoid any songs with explicit lyrics though… no need to make your parents uncomfortable. You could also have two different songs for the entrance: one song playing for your bridesmaids' entrance, and a different for you, the bride. In this case, to avoid any gaps between the songs, find someone who will mix them into one song, so that there will be a smoother transaction between them.

The recessional music, should be something cheerful, a song which will better represent your feelings at the moment. You are married! You are happy!! Show it through music as well!

For the cocktail hour, you can choose anything you like - popular, happy songs, or something classical. If you go with mainstream music, don't use songs which you plan on having during the party. Better to avoid repeating songs. When preparing the playlist, keep in mind that the cocktail hour is a chance for your guests to get to know each other better, meaning there will be a lot of chatting. The songs that you will choose, should be more of a background music, rather than the main attraction.

The cocktail hour is also a good time to have live music. You could hire a harpist, a pianist, a string quartet, an acoustic duet, anything you like. Something pleasant, and not too loud. Even if you have live musicians during the cocktail hour, make sure to run through their playlist and choose the songs that you would like them to play.

It is quite likely, that between the cocktail hour and dinner, you will have the couple's entrance, especially if you were away for a photo shoot. It's time to go crazy! Don't be afraid to choose upbeat music for this part. Make your entrance memorable. Throw a show if you feel like it! Not too lengthy of a show though. The length of the couple's entrance should be around 3-4 songs. Just the right duration to make everyone enjoy it without getting bored.

For the dinner, melodic jazz music or Bossa Nova would be a good choice. From my experience, a wedding dinner lasts for one and half hours, maximum two hours. Make your dinner playlist three hours long, just to be on the safe side.

Dinner is a good time for your DJ to start playing. Not because he or she will have to mix your dinner music, but because your will most probably need someone to turn the music on and off for the speeches. It is also good to have a DJ for the couple's entrance, especially if you plan on putting a show, as mentioned above.

Once the dinner, the cake cutting and the first dance are over, you can start the party. You can finally have upbeat dance music playing. When having a DJ, which is highly recommended, make sure to discuss with him your music preferences, as well as your guests' music preferences. Send your DJ a number of songs, around thirty the least, which will better show your music taste. Don't forget to mention which songs you would absolutely want to play at the party. Don't be shy to ask your guests about the songs they would like to hear at your wedding! It's not only you, who will be dancing after all.

Don't send the songs to the DJ a day or two before the wedding. Do it a month before, so that he or she will have enough time to prepare your playlist. Like you, he is a human being, and needs time to organize himself properly.

Should you decide not to have a DJ for the party, you can instead have a playlist on your iphone or tablet. When preparing the playlist, don't forget to include songs that will act as a "breather" between the crazy dancing. It could be slower, romantic songs. You don't want everyone running out of energy after a 30 minute non-stop dancing session.

Don't be afraid to add songs to your party playlist from different decades. Not only the 80's and 70's had some amazing dancing hits, but it will also be a great way to get the older generation to the dance floor to do that twist!

Whatever your music choices will be, be sure to have fun!

Thank you very much for reading! I'll see you again on Thursday with my top 10 wedding trends of 2017!

Photos in this blog taken from Oceanids Estate - http://oceanids-estate.com/ 

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Random Saturday #3: Lock your car please... tired people are at loose!

Hello my dearest readers!

Today I woke up with an amazing mood, full of positive energy! It was raining for 3 days and today the sun finally showed its warm face. Got reason to be positive.

I was thinking yesterday about what to write today and remembered the time when I entered the wrong car. It took almost five minutes to realize that it wasn't my car. Thankfully nobody saw me…

I have an old Hundai Atos. I never lock it because honestly I don't believe anyone will think about stealing it… it's a really old car. But just to be on the safe side, I always park the car next to new, fancy cars, so that even if someone decides to steal a car from the parking lot I left my Atos, the will take preference in a newer and better car. Another important detail to know about my car, is that in summer my driver's window did not close at all. I simply couldn't roll it either up nor down, as the mechanism was broken leaving it was stuck in the middle. My passenger's window was also always left open or half open. But even if I close the window, it never closes correctly, and as a result a gap is left between the door and the window.

This information is crucial to the story, trust me.  

It was the beginning of June, a really busy period for wedding planners, as it is a popular time to get married in Santorini. I was working for 14 hours that day, and you can imagine that I was really tired when I finally could go home. I left the wedding venue at 23:30 or later, drove the office's car back where we parked it, hopped into my car, threw my bag to the passenger's seat and took a minute to relax.

It was chilly that night, for me at least, a person who manages to get cold in August in Greece. Knowing that my passenger's window would be open, my first action was to close the window. Imagine my surprise when I found out that it was already closed! I was 100% sure that I didn't close it before leaving to the wedding. I spent some seconds staring at the closed window, while my brain was trying to process the information. "Who is the kind gentleman who saw my open window and decided to close it for me" I thought. Not only this kind gentleman closed the window, but he did it perfectly, without leaving any gap between the window and the door. It wasn't an easy task, so I really appreciated his effort and thanked him.

Then I noticed a small heart hanging next to the window. "Do I have a secret admirer?" I thought smiling to myself (a "smart" thought…) "Could it be my kind boyfriend, who decided to come all the way to Pyrgos to close my window?". That thought was immediately discarded, as he was probably in Akrotiri all day, and wouldn't come all the way to Pyrgos for a window. I definitely had a secret admirer! (again… what a genius conclusion)

A sudden thought came to my subconscious, triggering the first panic attack. I reached for my window -the driver's window. It was closed as well!!! It was impossible to close it!! The window crank handle was broken! I broke it myself!! Did the kind gentleman, my secret admirer, managed to close the driver's window with his own bear hands? Who was that knight of closing strangers' windows??

As embarrassing as it might feel admitting it, the thought that it was in a strangers car didn't even closely passed through my head.

"Someone robbed me!!!" this was the second panic attack. "I knew that was going to happen eventually! Everyone probably already knows that I leave the car open, and someone took the opportunity to rob me. I'm so stupid…secret admirers and stuff… who would ever come to do such a thing for me? But what is there to rob from my car? It has absolutely nothing of value!". Those where the thoughts that passed through my mind at that exact moment.

I grabbed my phone and switched the flashlight on. I turned the light at my car mats. There weren't there. But they weren't missing also. There were mats on the floor, but not mine. My brain popped an error message at that point and refused to function. "What kind of thief would steal my own mats, and replace them with different ones? It makes no sense". I was puzzled. Something wasn't right here… (duh!)

During all summer, I always had a bag with me with clothes, as I was staying at my boyfriend's most of the nights.

Third panic attack! I turned to light the back seat. The bag wasn't there. The robber took my bag with my clothes! Why would anyone take a backpack just with clothes in it? Just… why?? Where is the logic in that?

And then… I noticed a sweatshirt that I failed to recognize. It wasn't mine.

Nothing made sense at the moment. I was baffled! Why would a thief put a great effort into closing my windows, hanging a small heart, replacing my floor mats, taking my bag with women clothes inside, and leave a male sweatshirt. What in the starts was going on?!

I switched my attention the seats! Those weren't the seats my car had in the morning! It wasn't possible for someone to change all of my seats… Suddenly, my inner idiot was pushed aside and the logic part stepped in - "This is not my car!!" … (well no s**t Sherlock!)

I took my handbag, stepped outside the car, looked across the parking lot to find my own car and make sure no one saw me, double checked that it was indeed my car, got inside and drove away.

I still feel kind off embarrassed that it took me so long to figure out the obvious, but hey… a 14 hour working day is no joke! In my defense, I wouldn't expect that there would be another daredevil (or a stupid enough person) who would leave his car unlocked!

That's all with this story. Keep your cars locked, and if you don't check your license plate before entering the car… just to avoid any misunderstandings J

I don't have a picture to share with you today, so here is a picture of my dog standing on top of my car's rooftop (he thinks he's a cat… or a goat… I haven't figures out yet).

I wish everyone of you a Merry Christmas, lots of love, health, and many - many happy moments!

Have a great day!

Random Saturday #2

When is the best time to get married in Santorini?

Santorini is wonderful place all over the year. Not only because of its landscapes and views, but also due to its weather conditions. It doesn't rain often on the island, although when it does you better hide. We are lucky enough to have sunny days almost all year long. Even now, while I'm writing this post, I can see the sun picking though the clouds (I started to write the post last week… today is a disaster!). Winter is relatively warm and pleasant, with the only exception being the days with north winds. In general Santorini is a paradise.

Someone may ask, if the weather in Santorini is so good all year, why does the wedding season is from April till October? Circumstances mostly. Greece in general is considered a summer resort, and Santorini is not the exception to this rule. There have been a rise in winter tourism the past couple of years, so this might actually change soon. With the tourist season expanding from March till November, the wedding season will do so as well.

Another reason why winter weddings are not yet a thing in Santorini, is that there are barely any venues with indoor halls on the island. If you decide to get married in Santorini in winter and you will be ^unlucky enough to get a rainy and windy day on your wedding, you and all of your guests will get soaked to the bone before the ceremony even begins. Don't get discouraged though, as there are clever solutions to any problem… like choosing an indoor space for example. Oceanids Estate tossed the idea of winter weddings, and their indoor location is perfect!

So, when is the best time to come and get married in Santorini? Anytime is a good time, and you should really choose based on your own preferences. If, for example, you like extremely warm days, July and August would be perfect for you. If you prefer cooler temperatures, then go with April or October. Each month has its good and bad face, and I'm here to show them to you:

April - Soooo beautiful!!  

April is a wonderful month to come and visit Santorini. It finally gets warm enough to feel comfortable without a coat, the days are getting longer and nature puts on her best dress. Everything blossoms! The whole island is green, the caldera is green and colorful, even the volcano is covered in flowers and grass. The weather is also quite pleasant, but still offers some surprises. In April, we get warm, summer-like days, as well as cold winter days. Thankfully, the warm days happen much more often than the rainy ones.

So, why come to Santorini in April, if there is a risk of having your wedding day ruined by a sudden rain? Well, because the nature and the colors of the island are absolutely worth the risk. Your wedding pictures will be amazing! I personally adore April. When having a wedding in Santorini during April, be sure to book a venue that includes an indoor area, so that you could be safe from the rain and wind. Be prepared for cold evenings and nights, so don't forget to bring warm clothes with you, not just your swimming suites and shorts. 

May - is it summer yet?

May reminds more and more of summer. They days are getting long and warm. There is still a possibility of a rainy day, but if it rarely rains in April, you can imagine that the rainy days in May are so few, that there isn't much reason to worry about them. The only drawback are the evenings - they can get a bit chilly, so inform your guests to bring jackets with them, should you have an outdoor reception.

If you decide to have your wedding in Santorini in May, there are some things you should know to reassure that your wedding day will be a success. Consider having your wedding reception at an indoor location, so you could be safe from the cold and a possible rain. Plan to have your ceremony start around 16:00 - 17:00. This way, it will start when the day is still warm. As mentioned above, don't forget to inform your guests to bring something warm with them, so they won't get cold once the sun sets. If the venue or restaurant you chose for your wedding does not have an enclosed area, have a plan B.

Keep also in mind, that the last week of May is quite popular for weddings, so make all your bookings as early as possible, should you wish to have your wedding during that time!

June - beach season is on!

It is officially summer, though the weather might not agree with this statement completely. For the last couple of years, the first half of June reminded more of a late spring, rather than the unbearably hot Greek summer. But there are no rains, which is good. As June proceeds it becomes warmer and warmer until finally summer sets in for good.

Don’t get frustrated if you wake up on your wedding day and the sky is full of clouds. At some point during the day it will clear up and you will enjoy the sunshine. Even if the sky is cloudy, don't forget to use sunscreen. You might not feel the heat, but this doesn't mean it is not there.

If you wish to have small gifts for your guests for the ceremony, sun glasses with the date of your wedding and hand fans would be a great, handy gift. If you or any of your guests get cold easily - jackets! Bring jackets!! When the sun has set, it might get uncomfortable for those of us (I'm one of you) who get cold easily.

As with May, the first week of June is quite popular for weddings, so don't take too long to make your bookings.

July & August - hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot!!  

Summertime!! Yes, it is official, the warm hot, long summer days are finally here. The beaches are full, the tan is getting nice and even. The island gets more and more tourists every day, we start to get traffic in Fira, the bars are full, the clubs are full, there are people everywhere! It is the high season for Santorini, so don't wait till the very last minute to make hotel reservations.

It is recommended to have your ceremonies around 17:00 - 18:30 during those two months. The later - the better. The heat can become so unbearable, that you or your guests might miss out the fun, trying to hide from the sun. The sunset is at 20:40 on July 1st and at 19:47 on August 31st, so don’t  worry about not having enough daylight when having the ceremony at the time mentioned. I guarantee that you will still enjoy your wedding day to the fullest. This is also a perfect time for a beach wedding.

Sunscreen should become your best friend - before the wedding, during the wedding, after the wedding, especially if you have pale skin!

When planning the transportation for you and your guests, take into consideration the traffic in Fira, and in some other points of Santorini. The traffic points, which can get quite nasty, may result in having people arriving late for the wedding.

Take good care of your guests, and offer them cool, non-alcoholic drinks throughout the wedding. Keep them, and yourself, hydrated to avoid any heat strokes.

September - the wedding month!

For reasons, that I don't yet know, September is the most popular month for a wedding in Santorini. It could be because of the weather - it is not extremely warm, neither it gets too cold in the evening. It may also be because of the prices on hotels and flights - September is considered mid-season, so the prices are usually lower than in August and July. It may also be that the positive energy flows of the island are on their peak! Whatever the reasons are, book early if you wish to get married in Santorini in September.

September is still considered a summer month for us, even though it is technically autumn, so sunscreen, hand fans, sun glasses, and hats are still pretty handy. Since the days are getting shorter, the ceremonies should also start earlier. The best time to start a ceremony in September is around 16:00 - 17:00.

If you plan on having your wedding towards the end of September, it would be a good idea to think about having the reception in an indoor venue, just to be on the safe side. It might get windy and you don't want your salad flying all over the place.

October is the new May!

Yes, October is much like May, except for the fact that the weather is a bit more stable. The first winter rains happen in October which means that it is better to reserve an indoor venue for your reception. It is also less crowded in Santorini in October, so if you prefer to visit the island on a calmer period, October is your month!

When it comes to weddings in October, what applies to May, will apply to this month as well. Have your ceremony earlier in the day, starting around 16:00, to get most of your wedding day. For an outdoor reception, think about outdoor heating or tents in case of rain. Inform your guests to bring jackets and warmer shoes (this goes especially for your lady guests). Have hot beverages serving at the bar, in case any of your guests wishes to warm up.

Winter?

Winter is the period when the locals get married, so weddings still happen on the island. I say, if you are not afraid of the elements and you are a risky person, I will most certainly find the best solution for the best winter wedding in Santorini!

Hope you enjoyed this post and that it was helpful.

You have my best wishes for now, and I'll be glad to see you again!

Special thanks to:

Dream On photography - http://www.dreamonphotography.gr/ 

Click by Christos - http://www.clickbychristos.com/ 

for providing the photos for this post! Great wedding photographers, make sure to check them out! 

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5 proposal mistakes better to avoid

Last time, I shared with you my thoughts on marriage proposals. I've mentioned that I'm a big fan of unique and memorable ways to ask for the hand of your sweetheart. While looking for an unforgettable way to propose to your special someone, there are some things that you should consider…  things that might actually turn the romantic moment into a disaster.

After performing a small survey on Santorini, I've chosen the top 5 worst marriage proposal mistakes.

1. The crowd

I'm sure a lot of us would love the idea of a public proposal, be that at a popular location of your town, in the movie theatre, with a public announcement at the metro station etc., there are still a lot of people who would prefer a more private proposal. Before conjuring an amazing plan, which will involve the whole football stadium sharing your special moment, make sure you other half would be comfortable with such a big audience. If she or he does not like to share personal moments with strangers or is simply a shy person, your proposal might end up being remembered for the wrong reason. Better go with a "stay-at-home" plan.

2. The argument

Sometimes, even the most loved couple's can get into fights. The best way to end it, is by acknowledging your mistake or offering a peaceful negotiation. By no means proposing in the heat of the argument is a good idea! Yes, it might sound like a perfect way to switch the energy from bad to good, in reality it is an almost guaranteed "NO!". Your significant other won't feel surprised and excited, and most probably receive it as a really bad joke. Surround the proposal with positive memories, not negative ones.

3. The panic attack!

You are an adventurous type. You like to go kayaking, sky diving, bungee jumping. You might be in love with the adrenaline rushing through your veins. While your other half might be supportive of your hobbies or job, it does not necessarily mean that he or she would like to engage in such activities. Before planning a paragliding proposal, make sure your future Mrs. or Mr. is not afraid of heights! If you really wish to propose during a fun activity, choose something less … exciting. Go on a catamaran cruise or at a nice hike.

4. The lazy

Some people prefer the quite indoor life: watch a movie, read a book, play chess. It is especially great when you, yourself, are an indoor person, and the love of your life is an indoor person as well. Together you conquer the minecraft universe, enjoy cooking, or spend hours snugging on the couch and just being lazy together. Having said that, as much as you like being lazy on your free, this does not mean that your proposal should be a lazy one as well. Don't just ask your sweetheart to look at drawer for a surprise. Get creative and get of the couch!!

5. The food allergies

The most classic and 100% success proved way to ask for the hand of your one and only, is after a delicious and romantic dinner. If you decide to go to your favorite restaurant to propose, your girlfriend or boyfriend will choose something for themselves. If, on the other hand, you decide to prepare dinner yourself, make sure to know any food allergies your other half might have. Ending such a promising evening at the emergency room because of a silly tomato allergy, is certainly the last thing you would wish for.

Whichever way you choose to propose, ensure that both you and you loved one will equally enjoy it. This is a good reason not to jump into marriage after the first six months you've been together, but to give it some time to get to know your new found love. Don't make it a 30 year wait though. ;)

Thank you very much for reading!

You have my warmest wishes. 

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Random Saturday #2 - I am not a morning person!!

Hello my dearest Cardoonistas!

You are not many (yet), but it means the world to me to know that there are people out there, who spend some of their time to read my random thoughts… and my efforts to have a serious blog. I thank you all from my heart!

On a less sentimental note, this week I had a revelation: I am not a

This is what you lose when being  at early bird! *evil laugh*

morning person! I've tried to become one, I've put so much effort into it over the years, but it was time to face the truth. I'm a creature of the night late mornings. When I quit my job at the wedding planning company I worked, and no longer had to go to the office every morning at 9 am, I promised myself that I will still be waking up early, to get some work done. I kept my promise, until I realized that my muses wake up at noon, so even if I got to work at 10, I still wasn't able to get productive.

So one morning, as I was enjoying a warm cup of coffee, I decided to embrace who I really am - a late bird. A came to peace with that. Even my blog statistics push towards that direction. When I posted my Thursday blog at noon, I did significantly worse than those posted at midnight. I officially pronounce myself a night owl.

This is actually one great perk of being an adult. I can arrange my day schedule in a way, that I will use all my creativity and my willingness to work in the most effective way. Or, to say it less poetically, I can sleep in without being accused of being a lazy butt!

On Sunday I decided to play with the boys. The boys are the nieces of my beloved boyfriend… on the day, there were four of them, and they where around the ages of 8-9 years old. We played waaaaar!!! I died a lot… mostly because they didn't follow the rules of the game, if there were any anyway. Still, it was fun!! I was running around with a plastic gum making "pshiou pshiou" noises. Just like during my childhood… I'm a serious wedding planner, I promise!!! 

Of course, I got sick after that. I guess I still need that adult which will shout at you from the window "Put on your coat or you will get sick!!!". It wasn't the best idea to run around for an hour with just a jacket on. I didn't even had my scarf on. And it has not been really warm on Santorini lately, which is not helping at all to get better. I can say I regret my Sunday decision to take my coat off.

A piece of advice to all of you adults who are still children at heart, don't take off your coats when running around remembering your younger days. Play responsibly… being sick is not fun.

Enjoying the view, while waiting for my flat tire to get fixed. 

This week is also the week of practical knowledge. I learned how to change a flat tire on a car! And I even had the chance to do it twice, as the exact next day after I got a flat tire, my friend got one to!! Amazing eh? I certainly feel excited to finally know that I won't ever get stranded in a far away location, just because I got a flat tire. Make sure that your spare tire is inflated though…

As you can see, here on Cardoon Events, we not only give advises that have to do with weddings, proposals, and other fun events, but also give advises on various topics from everyday life :p !

Stay with us for more insights of a wedding planner's everyday life.

I wish a good night to those who are ready to go to sleep, and a great day to those who are just beginning their day.

Sincerely yours,

Not your everyday wedding planner ;) 

Random Saturday #1 || Random Saturday #3

Marriage Proposals - Thoughts and ideas

I've been posting about various topics about weddings, so I would like to take a break from that and talk about probably the most important part of a wedding - the marriage proposal! This is the first big step in the couple's life (second, if you have already moved together), that leads to the I-do's and a happy life together. It would be unfair not to put this topic under the spotlight.

Original and unique marriage proposals are becoming more and more popular this days, and I personally absolutely really like this trend. Of course, romantic proposals at a nice restaurant will never go out of fashion, but the more creative your get with your marriage proposal, the more memorable it will be for you and your future Mrs. or Mr.

Two years ago I had the chance to plan a truly unique, carefully thought, and amazing marriage proposal, which included hidden cameras, a helicopter, horse riding, and a private dinner at the most isolated location I could find in Santorini. It was a combination of romantic and adventurous, just the perfect combination for a memorable proposal.

As you might guessed, I love unique marriage proposals. I know for sure, that if my lovely boyfriend decided to propose, I would be a little bit disappointed if he didn't involve horses when asking for my hand. I'm crazy about horses and if I didn’t see horses on that day, I would probably had doubts that he really knows with who he's dealing with. Make your other half feel truly special, by including his/her favorite thing in the world.

What makes a proposal unique? It could be a song, it could be the location, it could a game or movie he or she loves. Whatever is "special" for you and your boyfriend or girlfriend, it would be really nice and thoughtful to include it in the proposal. This could serve as proof, that you truly pay attention and care about what is special for your other half, as silly as it may sound or look.

For example, does your special someone likes to dance, but you yourself are not such a good dancer? Surprise her or him by taking some dance lessons, and then taking her/him out where you could show your freshly acquired skills. When he or she less expects it make the proposal. You sweetheart will not only be moved that you took interested in his/her hobby, but will also love the fact that you asked for her/his hand in such a special way.

Another idea is to make the marriage proposal part of an unforgettable adventure. Plan fun activities for 3, 4, or even more days. Go to a nice trip to a different country, go sightseeing, go horse riding, diving, sky diving, if you are brave enough (I'm not…), carnivals, wine tastings, anything the place your are visiting has to offer. Then, at the end of it make the proposal. After the proposal, the "Yes" and the tears of happiness, go to a nice, romantic dinner.

You could plan something which will include your friends and family. Have a family dinner at her or his parents' house. Have the lights suddenly go off and when they will be back on again, surprise your future Mrs. or Ms. with the message. Have a party at your house (find a good reason though, so you won't make her/him suspicious) and conjure up a plan with your friends for the memorable proposal. What a better way to propose, if not around your loving friends and family. Just make sure to let them know about your plan.

If you prefer something more quite and away from the public, there are plenty of ways to make the proposal in a unique way at home. My personal favorite is involving your pets, like hanging the ring or the message on your dogs collar. Make sure your dog or cat knows what to do, so they won't end running away with the ring! Have a quite game of scrabble, and surprise your sweetheart with the "marry me" message. You could even plan a special evening for your other half when he or she comes back from work. Prepare a relaxing bath for her or him, offer a massage to further relax your loved one, cook his or her favorite dinner. At the end of all that, pop the question. It will the best way to end an amazing evening!

Whatever you decide to do, making it unique and special is what will make it remembered for life. Put some effort in the proposal. Your other half will most certainly appreciate it! Who wouldn't melt from love, knowing that their boyfriend or girlfriend takes interest in his or her hobbies and favorite things to do. This is a perfect way to show how deeply you care about your future Mrs. or Mr.

The next blog post will be dedicated to what not to do for your marriage proposal.

As always, thank you very much for reading, and I'll be glad to see you again! 

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Eat me! or how to choose food for your wedding reception!

 In the Thursday's "Drink me!" post I shared my knowledge on how to choose drinks for your wedding day. As mentioned in the post food and drinks are a major component of any wedding, and can make a great impact of the success of the day. Now, it's time to discuss the eating part of the food & drinks duo.

While drinks are quite easy to choose to cover all of your guests' tastes, the same cannot be said about food. With drinks, you can simply buy a full open-bar for the whole day, and not worry about them. Food, on the other hand, requires you to put some thought into it. The variety of choices does not make it easy either! You have buffet and sit down menus, you have to think about the number of courses, types of courses, think about your lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegeterians, vegans, tomato allergic guests. If there are children, they will also need a different meal. And since weddings don't last just for a couple of hours, it is also good to provide nibbles before and after dinner! So many things to think about!!

Don't panic, it is not as hard and scary as I made it seem. You'll just need to take the food planning step by step.

Buffet VS Sit-down!

This is the first thing you should think about, when it comes to food at a wedding. Both options have their advantages and disadvantages. The simplest rule you should follow when making a choice between buffet and a sit-down, is the number of guests. I think the following way: if you plan on having 30 guests or less attending your wedding, then a sit-down menu will be a good choice for you. With 30 to 50 guests, you can go with either a sit-down menu or a buffet, both will work well. With 50 guests or more, a buffer dinner will be the best for you.

A sit-down menu usually looks more elegant and gives a more sophisticated feel to the whole wedding. The guests won't need to leave their tables to have their food at the table, but there should be a correct planning of the timing of each course. The kitchen will have to know exactly what time to prepare each course, so that everyone will get their food still hot, or not melted, in the case of an ice-cream dessert.

The reason I believe a sit-down menu is not a good option for more than 50 guests, is exactly because of the timings. For a perfect sit-down wedding meal, each table should have at least one personal waiter, so that all the tables will be served at the same time. You really don't want the first tables to have their meals half eaten, while the last tables are just being served! With that in mind, the more tables you will have at your wedding dinner, the more waiters you will need, and that might not look very nice, especially at some wedding venues in Santorini. Imagine having a horde of waiters suddenly storming into the reception area!

It is quite possible that you will wish to offer your guests more than one choice of menu. With a sit-down menu, a sitting plan will be a "must" in this case, otherwise the waiters won't know where to serve each meal. This is not a big problem, unless you don't like restricting your guests with their sitting options. Keep in mind that the wedding venue you chose for your reception, will need to know in advance your menu choices. This means that if you decide to offer your guests multiple meal choices, the venue will have to know how many of each menus you will require. Create a questionnaire for your guests and let them know that you need a reply by a certain time, Include the menu options in the RSVP's, for example. It is absolutely not a good idea to leave this to the very end.

A big advantage of a buffet menu is that you can choose as many different dishes as you like. Let your guests choose on the spot what to eat. You can include meat and fish, a variety of salads, sides, and appetizers, enough options to satisfy the most picky guests. All this without getting to mess with questionnaires and worrying about getting the reply in time. This is the main reason why the more guests you have, the best of an option a buffer style dinner is. That, and the fact that you won't need the previously mentioned horde of waiters.

Another advantage of a buffer, is that everyone can choose as little or as much food as they like, and only the type of food they like. I've never had guests stay hungry after a four course sit-down meal, as it is enough to get full even the professional food munchers among us, still there could be someone who would prefer to eat meat the whole evening, without having to wait through the salad course. This is based on experience. A sit-down menu does not offer as much customization, as a buffet menu. With a buffet menu, every single person attending the wedding, will have in their dinner plates only what they like the most.

Nibbles, when and why?

Wedding days last for 8 hours minimum, and can easily last twice as that. This means, that people will get hungry during that time, and probably more than once. Also, there will be alcohol involved, and it's not such a good idea to offer your guests alcohol without food. This is why having finger food and canapés is a really good idea for a wedding. When to serve them though?

This really depends on the schedule of your day, so let us begin from the very first moment your guests set up their foot at the venue. I personally don't like having any food before the ceremony, for various reasons. One of those is that the guests will be too occupied getting to know the place. rather than to think about food, so the carefully chosen canapés will go quite unnoticed. There is also a chance that your guests had something to eat not long before starting to get ready for your wedding, another reason why the canapés might go to waste. Lastly, there is a slight chance, someone will get stained by the food served, by accident of course. You don't want guests with stained clothes on your group photos, don't you?

In case you plan to have your guests arriving at the venue an hour before the ceremony is scheduled to begin, then feel free to offer your guests some fruit, not so much for the hunger, as to make the waiting time less noticeable. Fruits will keep them occupied and make the hour seem shorter. I'm not joking…

A good time to serve some finger foods and canapés is during the cocktail hour. As mentioned in the last post, this is where stronger alcoholic drinks will be served, so it will be nice if your guests had something to put in their stomach along with the alcohol. There is no need to have a huge variety of canapés and an unlimited number of pieces. I would say 2 - 4 different canapés and 3-5 pieces of each per person, is a good number. Have one kind of canapé and just a piece or two per person, and it will look too "cheap", have too many of those yumy-yums, and your guests might get too full to enjoy the actual dinner.

Don't serve all of the canapés and finger foods at once. Spread them through the whole cocktail hour. Have some of them served at the beginning of the cocktail hour, and the remaining, half an hour later. This way, the canapés will serve as a way to distract your guests from your absence, won't result in your guests getting stuffed and losing appetite, and will give them a good and always successful topic to chat about. Again, I'm being serious here!

Should you plan to keep the party going until late at night, or rather, early in the morning, offer your guests some nice finger food once again. Around 4 to 5 hours after dinner, with all the dancing and drinking that will take place, your guests, and yourself, will need some fuel to keep the party going. Have some hot dogs, or small pies, maybe even small sandwiches for your guests. Everyone will be happy with those late night snacks!

 Sweet!

Most sit-down meals and buffet dinners have desserts as their last course. What a great way to end a delicious dinner, if not with something sweet. But, if the menu already includes a dessert, when to serve the cake?  

As a really good friend, and a fellow wedding planner, suggests, ask the cake to be served an hour or two after dinner. Should you serve the cake right after the menu dessert, your guest won't have enough room for it, and it will simply go to waste. Let some time pass between the dessert and the cake, and your guests will love it! I followed her advice, and it turned out to be a great idea!

If you wish treat your guests with a lot of sweets, set-up a sweet table. You can have it at a corner of the dance floor, to lure your guests to dance, or have the sweet table together with the wish table, so that your guests will notice the guest book and write in it. Just make sure to have the guests book at a safe distance from any chocolate sweets, to avoid getting it stained … and provide napkins for the same reason. Don't have the sweet table set-up from the very beginning. Chocolate can melt creating a mess, and your guests will start eating the sweets before dinner and then won't want to eat dinner. Set up the sweet table once the dinner is over, while your guests are distracted by the cutting of the cake or the bouquet tossing, for example.

Those are some of the advices I have stored for you on how to choose food for your wedding reception. As with everything, your final choices will depend on a variety of factors, so feel free to discuss all of your options with your wedding planner. One last advice I would like to give you is not to overeat, because then dancing becomes not an easy task… this is something learned from personal experience.

Thank you very much for your time and I hope you to see you around.

Special thanks to Le Ciel Santorini for providing their pictures. 

I wish all of you a good night and a great day! J

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Random Saturday #1: What will happen on January 16th, 2017???

Hello and welcome!

I decided to launch a different blog series called "Random Saturdays", were I will share my random thoughts, interesting moments from my life, and anything else that might pop into my mind. Yes, it will be somewhat of a personal blog, but there is a good reason why I decided to host it here, rather than on a personal site. I believe that this way you will get to know better the person who hides behind "Cardoon Events", and I would really to let you in the mind of this particular wedding and event planner.

I wanted to start this blog series last Saturday, while traveling to Santorini from Athens by ferry. The trip lasts for 8 hours! Enough time to get bored out of your mind, as a result becoming creative to make the long journey seem a bit more interesting. That didn't happen though. The ferries where on strike, which ruined all my plans... and my mood as well, so I postponed the launch of the "Random Saturdays" for a better time. This Saturday was perfect!

This past week was amazing! I flew to Santorini in a small plane full of excited and a bit noisy tourists. Good thing the flight lasts around 40 minutes. One of my weird fears, that I will forget how to drive after my vacation, thankfully, did not come true. When arriving home, I was glad to see my pets and get back to my beloved life on the island. This was the first time in the three years I've been living in Santorini, that I couldn't wait to get back on the island. You cannot imagine how happy this makes me. I feel balanced!

Why it took me three years to love the place I'm leaving and working, I can tell you in person, should you get the chance to meet me ;)

This whole week I've been trying to get into a productive program, start working out, get some work done in general... and I'm ashamed to confess that I somewhat failed. Between tiding up my house, meeting with friends, taking care of bureaucratic obligations, researching to better understand twitter, I couldn't keep track of time, which was always throwing me of schedule. On the bright side, I found out that a really good friend, that I made this summer, is a fellow 9gagger!!! Finally someone who will understand my jokes! On Friday, I spent my entire morning at Oceanids Estate, chatting with Nina and Nikitas. Very interesting people!

Something else I realized and I want to share with the world, is that every day that passes, makes me feel more and more happy! I suddenly have the urge to make compliments and tell people that I appreciate, that I appreciate them! It never happened before!! And it is a great feeling to share your positive emotions. I believe everyone should do this least once a day. Really helps the daily anxiety and stress go away.

And then it happened! Yesterday's night-out brought a great mystery into my life, and to the lives of those who were with me on that fateful night! Something will happen on January 16th, 2017! But what? No one knows, not even me, the person who, while leaving the cafe, said in an enigmatic way to wait for that day. When I was asked to clarify, why is the date so important, I just smiled and answered "You'll see".

Funny thing... I don't even remember telling that. One of my friends, who were with me yesterday, tried once again to learn what I meant, but I had to disappoint her, as I couldn't even recall the event!! I honestly have no idea what was I talking about. I'm intrigued! Even though I don't remember what daydreams I had at the moment of the curious phrase, I do have an idea of what could be done on that day... I won't tell now... I'll do so when the time is right! ;) But remember, January 16th, 2017!

That's all for now. Thank you for your time. I honestly appreciate it. :)

As promised, on Monday you will have a post with some wisdom on wedding food and how to choose it.

Sincerely yours,

The proud CEO of Cardoon Events!

Random Saturday #2

Drink me! or how to choose a drinks' package for your wedding!

Food and drinks are a very important part of any wedding. A carefully thought dinner and a correctly chosen open bar can have a big impact on the memories that your wedding day will leave to you and your guests. You should make sure to never leave your guests thirsty or hungry, but not overdo it, and as a result getting your guests drunk too early, or too stuffed to enjoy the party. With big weddings, there is also a challenge of guessing everyone's tastes with food and drinks. Good news are, this is not so hard to achieve, as long as you keep some simple things in mind.

In this post, I will write about the drink part of a wedding, sharing with you my point of view on the subject, which is based on my experiences and some knowledge I gathered by studying various other articles and blogs about weddings.

First and most important rule is to keep your guests hydrated, especially if you plan to get married in a warm country like Greece, in the summertime. Make sure to at least have unlimited and free water for your guests. It might sound silly, as every venue should offer free water, still it will do no harm to double check with the venue you chose, that they offer free water. Even better, provide unlimited soft drinks along with the water.

It is good to have your guests arriving at the wedding location earlier than yourself, the couple. This will give them some time to get comfortable at the venue, take some pictures before the ceremony, settle at their seats, chat about how amazing couple you are and how happy they are to be at your wedding. Upon the guests' arrival, arrange to have welcome drinks served. This will help them feel more comfortable. Since it is just the beginning of the wedding day, no need to have alcohol in the welcome drinks. No reason to start getting your guests drunk from the very first moment, as they will have enough time ahead of them for alcohol consumption. The welcome drink can be a non-alcoholic cocktail or fruit punch. Anything nice and refreshing.

It is better to serve the welcome drink the latest 30 minutes before the ceremony. This way, you will be sure that all of your guests will finish their drinks by the time the ceremony should start, and they won't make a mess with all the glasses under their seats.

After the ceremony is over, you can have glasses of sparkling wine or champagne served for the congratulations, preferably one glass per person. If you will have guests that won't be drinking alcohol, replace it with juice, a soft drink, or even non-alcoholic champagne. Don't take group photos immediately after the ceremony. Give your guests some time to speak with you, congratulate you, and enjoy their beverage without the hustle of the photo shoot. There is nothing worse than having glasses in your wedding group photos.

Once you are done with the group photos, it is time for the cocktail hour. Why I believe a cocktail hour is a "must" for a wedding, I will discuss in a different post. For now, let's stick with the drinks. During the cocktail hour, you, the couple, can leave your guests to take some post-ceremony photos, or have a couple's photo shoot, as I usually call it. Feel free to have a bigger alcohol variety at the bar this time. Offer your guests beer, wine, sparkling wine or champagne, and a couple of light cocktails. With the cocktails I would recommend having a sweet cocktail and a sour cocktail, to satisfy all guests.

Again, be careful not to overdo it with the alcohol, as it is still too early to serve too much of it. You need everyone to be relaxed and sociable, yet straight thinking, not drunk and blurry. Instruct the venue, not to add a lot of alcohol to the cocktails, and not serve any strong alcohol, including shots!! There is a possibility that a guest or two might feel displeased with that, but in the end of the night, they will be thankful you helped prevent a possible disaster.

In case you know you will have a certain guest, that drinks only one type of alcoholic beverage, let the venue and the stuff know about it. For example, if your lovely aunt Martha drinks only Piña coladas, make the sure the staff is informed about it so they could serve her just Piña coladas. She will most certainly appreciate it.

During dinner have wine on the tables. Ask your guests' wine preferences in advance, so you could know which type of wine to choose for the dinner tables. Have both white and red wines on the tables, unless you already know that a certain table will be having only white wine, in which case no reason to serve red bottles of wine there. It will just take space on the table and make it look messy. Always have bottles of water on the table. Remember, keep your guests well hydrated!

At the end of the dinner it would be a nice idea to serve a digestif. You probably had at least four courses and it is quite likely that your guests feel full and a bit heavy. Help them digest the food before inviting them to the dance floor.

You've exchanged your vows, enjoyed a nice dinner, laughed and cried at the speeches, cut the cake, had your first dance. Your guests are feeling good and happy, and are brave enough to conquer the dance floor. What to do with the drinks? This really depends on your budget and on how much your guests drink. If the majority of your guests like to drink, then a full open bar is the best option to go with. In case a full open bar sets your budget of limit, them put some money behind the bar, but don't forget to provide unlimited water, soft drinks, and coffee till the very end. If you have a mixture of heavy and light drinkers attending your wedding reception, have an open bar with light alcohol, like wine, beer, and sparkling wine (soft drinks and water... I will never grow tired of repeating this). If you want to treat your heavy drinking friends, then just put some money behind the bar for them. Should you wish not to have your guests drinking heavily, again offer them unlimited wine, beer, soft drinks, but let them pay for any spirits they might order extra. Whatever your choice might be, make sure to inform your guests beforehand. No need to put them in the uncomfortable position of not having money to pay for their own drinks.

Finally, make sure to have coffee at the bar. After a long day and long night partying, your family and friends will most certainly need a hot cup of coffee to keep them going the final hours of the party.

Those, are some guidelines to help you make better open bar choices for your wedding. As you can see, there is no need to spend a ton of money on a all day full open-bar package to enjoy your wedding day. Whatever your choices might be, make sure you won't end up having guests snoozing drunkenly under the dinner tables. Calculate what kind and how many alcoholic drinks you will have based on the preferences and alcohol tolerance of your guests... and yourself.

Lastly, make sure that no one from your drinking guests will return home driving. Better provide everyone with a way to go home safe.

Next time I will share my knowledge regarding the food choices for your wedding. Buffet or sit-down? Meat or fish? This questions, as well as other will be answered.

It was my pleasure having you around and hope this post will be helpful to any future brides and grooms out there. I wish you a great day and remember to drink responsibly! 

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