Music soothes the savage beast, makes your heart sing and fills your life with so much joy and wonderful memories.  We all remember where we were when we heard “our song” for the first time.  And every time we’ve heard it since, we proudly exclaim, “That’s my song!” as we groove to the beat.  Music just has a way of weaving itself into the very fabric of our lives.  So, if your love fills the air with the sound of birds chirping or you carry a special song in your heart just thinking about the one you love, a music-theme wedding might be perfect for you.  What a wonderful way to celebrate your special day, with the songs and the theme that moves you.  Music—it’s a beautiful thing!

Classic colors with contemporary flair
Most people think of black and white for a musical color scheme, and rightly so.  Black and white is classic, chic and trendy all at the same time.  Add an accent color or metallic hue, and you’re good to go!  But, there are lots of other colors that work well with a music theme, like blush pink, cream and black or metallic silver and gold as an accent.  Basically, any color that goes well with black and white will work for a music theme.

Musical details make your wedding sing!
Probably the most common way to personalize your music theme wedding is with your favorite music.  But, in addition to that, you should let your love of music be seen in all of your wedding details.  Sheet music can be used to create all sorts of things, like place cards and place mats, and they can be rolled to create a cone holder for confetti for a musical sendoff.  Speaking of sheet music, if you’re a crafty, do-it-yourself bride, you can make a simple streamer by cutting hearts out of sheet music and suspend them throughout the room.  If you play an instrument, use it as a prop at the reception or in your engagement photo shoot.  Musical notes can accent your wedding cake or be used as a cake topper.  For a different kind of guest book, have your guests sign a guitar!  You can probably find an old instrument at a garage sale or flea market.  You’ll also find musical ring bearer pillows, guest books and other wedding accessories that you can use for your special day.

Love’s song never ends…
Clearly, you don’t have to be a musician to have a musical celebration.  Simply let your love of music be your guide.  For the perfect finale to your concert of love, give your guests a music-themed wedding favor to complement the song in your hearts!  From cookies to place cards and bookmarks, music notes and instruments make excellent music favors.  But, remember, the key to pulling off this or any other wedding theme is to keep it simple and tasteful—and Kate Aspen’s wedding favors help you do just that!

Happy planning!

Here we are, on the cusp of the 2011 holiday season, and you can almost feel the excitement! So what are you hosting between now and New Year’s Day—a wedding? Bridal shower? Dinner party? Baby shower? Halloween party? Girls’ night out? Thanksgiving dinner? Christmas Eve or Christmas Day party? Chanukah party? Kwanzaa party? New Year’s Eve party? New Year’s Day brunch? See what I mean? Do you have any idea how many favors would love to get out and do their stuff for you?

I’m talking about lifting your parties to a whole, new level! Guests love little surprises. I know I do! We’ll start with favors for fall holidays and events. Later on, I’ll show you my top favor choices for Thanksgiving dinners, Christmas parties and New Year’s celebrations. First, you’ll see my Kate Aspen favorites for this time of year, and only you can decide if a favor fits your event. Feast your eyes on these little, autumn-themed extras!

Is it possible that all the coolest holidays arrive in the winter to lift our spirits at a time when the weather often gets us down?  For me, it doesn’t matter! I love winter, and you have a special selection of season-saluting favors to dress up your holiday décor and demonstrate your skills as a host.

My top pick for Thanksgiving dinners? The “Turning Leaves” Bookmark with its elegant burgundy-silk tassel! The leaf truly represents the harvest season, which is what the holiday celebrates, and this gift of thanks encourages everyone, young and old, to enrich their minds and souls with reading.

For Christmas events, the “Snow Flurry” Glass Ornament Place Card/Photo Holder has my vote. You have the choice of using this fantastic, flocked favor as a place card holder or to display a meaningful photo; when your guests take them home, they also have a photo holder—when they’re not using it as an ornament on their tree!

Winding up the year with a wedding or a party? My choice is “It’s About Time! Let’s Celebrate!” Champagne Bucket Timer—perfect for counting down to midnight!

Happy Holidays—and Happy Planning!

For just one solitary letter, an initial carries a lot of weight—even more so when it’s accompanied by two more!  Flexing their monogramming muscle all over the place, your initials can be presented on cool things like bags and boxes to make a striking “initial” impression.  Taking things up a notch or two, a simple cube favor box can be transformed into a monogrammed wedding favor with all the elegance a stylish wedding, like yours, should have.  Always stately and distinguished, it doesn’t matter whether you use one, two or three letters.  But, don’t make the mistake of thinking monograms are stiff and boring.  They have a way of becoming quite trendy when placed on flip-flops, cosmetic cases and travel totes.  When it comes to wedding favors and bridesmaid gifts from Kate Aspen, it’s all about the alphabet!

Worth its weight in gold—and silver!
A gift that is personalized just for you is priceless!  That’s why we’ve designed quite a few than can carry your initials or monograms in style.  What a way to increase the value of your thank-you gifts!  You can see what a difference a letter makes on these favor boxes.

Personally yours
If you’re looking for a bridesmaid gift that’s letter perfect, you don’t have to look far.  Cosmetic cases, tote bags, comfortable kicks and aprons give their initial a fun place to hang out.  An expression of your personal style—and theirs—your bridesmaids are sure to appreciate these personalized perks that come with being a part of your special day.  It’ll be just their type!

Add your own character
A great thing about personalizing items with an initial or monogram is that you don’t have to leave it to the professionals.  You can personalize many items yourself by slipping a monogrammed piece of paper inside an elegant picture frame, using a custom stamp to imprint a favor box, or adding a personalized tag to any gift presentation.  Here are a few ideas that you can transform into something wonderful with just one letter:

Happy Planning!

You’re in the process of planning, picking and choosing every detail of your wedding, scanning bridal magazines, going to bridal shows, perusing wedding blogs and popular wedding planning sites, comparing possible locations for a destination wedding, running from bridal salon to bridal salon, reception venue to reception venue, florist to florist…

But you already know that. I’m here to offer a possible reason why your wedding planning might seem never-ending, yet you’re not getting anything accomplished.

It’s called “Bride Envy.”
Here’s what might be happening: Your effort to keep up with new trends and incorporate the latest in wedding ideas has you grasping onto every fabulous, new thing in the most recent mag, blog, wedding site, anywhere you’re going to catch the latest and the greatest for brides.

Stop. Focus. Every time you see an amazing idea, don’t feel you have to figure out a way to incorporate it into your wedding. You’re probably the only one attending your wedding who’s aware of all the cool options brides have these days. And, in case you haven’t noticed—something new and breathtaking hits the market every day.

What Makes a Wedding Perfect?
Two words: Your attitude. Don’t lose sight of the reason you’re celebrating—you’re going to spend the rest of your life with the person you fell in love with, and all you really need is an officiant, a couple of “I do’s”, and a kiss for luck. Everything else is just icing on the wedding cake.

Start by picking a theme—the title of a love song, your wedding season, hearts, wine, beach, fairy tale, whatever has meaning for you as a couple. Sticking with a theme (and your budget!) will help keep you focused and somewhat simplify your style choices.

Even with a theme and color scheme, choices will be practically endless. Only you can keep your planning under control, and, by the way, you do have a deadline.

Speaking of Practically Endless Choices…
One of the most important accessories for your day is, happily, an easier decision, thanks to Kate Aspen’s incomparable favor selection. Thanking guests with a favor for sharing your day should absolutely be on your checklist.  Let’s look at our fall wedding favors, for example. Our selection might not be endless, but it IS the very best! And we’ll try not to add any new, spectacular favors until after your wedding…but no guarantees!

Happy Planning!