It’s Valentine’s week, a whole week to be showered in cute little cards, flowers and chocolate (of course!). While many of you reading this are already engaged, every once in a while I get a desperate plead for help with a romantic and unique way to get the ball rolling. So for all you guys, here are a few ideas I’ve drummed up, thanks to Groomsstand. Enjoy!

For many, Valentine’s Day, the national holiday of love, seems like the perfect time to propose. The day’s already reserved, the anticipation is already building… Then again, there is an implicit pressure in trying to combine to momentous romantic occasions into one. The key is to let the natural romantic ambiance of Valentine’s Day work in your favor, while adding some unique touches to create a personal proposal.

The first thing to do, since you’ve already selected a traditional date to propose, is to avoid any traditional sweet-but-cheesy proposals. So, no chocolate script on the restaurant dessert plate, no skywriters, and no fortune cookies! Groomstand’s unbeatable Valentine’s Day Proposal Guide will get you from bended knee to “will you marry me?” with superb creativity and aplomb. Simply take one of our suggestions, wait for the ecstatic “Yes!” and then come back later to pick out groomsmen gifts!

THE PROPOSAL: QUIZ ‘O’ LOVE

Secretly type up a Valentine’s Day Trivia Quiz. Start with general questions (i.e. “Is Valentine’s Day a pagan or religious holiday”) but make sure they are all yes or no questions. Have the last question be, “Will you marry me?”

HOW TO PULL IT OFF: Tell your lady you’re exhausted from work and you just want to have a low-key night in. If she’s a worth it woman, she’ll be disappointed, but agree. Get her to sit down next to you on the couch, and then casually pull out a Valentine’s Day trivia quiz you’ve typed up in advance. Pull it out of the newspaper and pretend it was an ad. Say, “Hey honey, I know you’re bummed about spending Valentine’s Day in. I’m just going to jump in the shower, but why don’t you take this Valentine’s Day quiz to get in the spirit of things?” While she’s taking a quiz, rush into the other room, where you will have stored the ring, flowers, and wine (bonus points for presenting it in our romantic personalized wine box – hey, it works for more than just groomsmen gifts). When you hear the tell-tale scream, rush back in the room, get on one knee, and propose.

THE PROPOSAL: YOU PUT THE STARS IN MY SKY

Okay, I know we said no skywriters, but that’s because we have a better idea. Have a star named after your intended, only with her first name and your last name (or your last names hyphenated, if you prefer.)

HOW TO PULL IT OFF: Take her to a scenic vista with plenty of star-gazing spots. Give her the document to open, and then say “I want to spend the rest of my life star-gazing with you. Will you marry me?” Spend the rest of the night picking out “your” star.

THE PROPOSAL: GET IN TOUCH WITH YOUR FEMININE SIDE

We know it’s not macho, but women do stuff like this all the time. Drop in on your local craft circle and get some knitting tips. Embroider “Will You Marry Me?” on a table cloth. Bonus points for multiple languages.

HOW TO PULL IT OFF: Invite her to an intimate dinner for two at home. When she gets up to go to the bathroom, switch your old everyday table cloth for your handcrafted masterpiece. Wait and see how long it takes her to notice. When she does, pull off dinner plate cover to reveal ring box. Say, “Honey, now you know that when I said I’d do anything for you, I really meant anything. Will you marry me?”

THE PROPOSAL: SAIL AWAY WITH ME, HONEY

If you two are sailing sweethearts, a romantic moonlight sail is your perfect Valentine’s Day proposal.

HOW TO PULL IT OFF: Wait until the moonlight is just right, and then tell her you have a Valentine’s Day present for her. Give her this beautiful silver compass and tell her “With you, I can never lose my way. Will you marry me?” Have the compass engraved with a special message for a perfect proposal memento. Bonus points if she wears it on the wedding day.

NOTE: If you don’t sail, another idea is to take her on a drive and pretend to get really lost. At the last moment, pull into a romantic spot, give her the compass and say, “I’m never lost as long as I’m with you. Will you marry me?”

THE PROPOSAL: BUTTERFLIES IN FLIGHT

Make the location of your Valentine’s Day Proposal a huge surprise! Take her to a tropical butterfly museum for an exotic proposal she’ll love re-telling.

HOW TO PULL IT OFF: Get on one knee and say “Honey, you’ve given me butterflies since the moment I met you. This is my chance to give some butterflies back to you. Will you marry me?”

THE PROPOSAL: YOU MAKE ME FEEL SO YOUNG…

Especially if you have been high school sweethearts or together for a long time, this Valentine’s Day proposal is a sweet gesture. Plan a kid-themed day of amusement, ending with a timeless proposal. Spend a day swinging on swings, picking apples at an orchard, wading in a creek, and flying kites. At the end of the day, surprise her with either a grade-school style valentine that says “Will you Marry Me?” or even more classic, a simple folded “Will you Marry me? Check Yes or No” note.

THE PROPOSAL: BUILD-A-BEAR MARRIAGE . . .

What is sweeter then given her a cuddly bear? Given her a cuddly bear with a marriage proposal! Create a “Proposal Bear”. With hundreds of Build-A-Bear Workshops around, getting a hold of one won’t be hard. Stop by your local Build-A-Bear and pick out a bear. Before stuffing the bear you will be given the option to insert a message box. Select a personal message box and record your proposal. Place the box inside of the bear and then continue the process of it. Once your bear is created you can dress it how ever you would like to but keep in mind they do have wedding dresses and tuxedoes. This way you will have a romantic proposal along with a keepsake!

And if you are one of the lucky ladies to get engaged over the holiday, be sure to let us know!!!!!

I’d love to hear your story! How did he propose? Leave it in the comments and we’ll repost it again soon for others to enjoy your story!

Tags: build a bear, name a star, proposal, Valentine's Day

If I had the opportunity to take advantage of this myself, I wouldn’t be sharing it with all of you! Ok, maybe I would! J

So to all you brides with dreams bigger than you’re budget, and I know mine are, here is a chance at an amazing lifetime chance! Crate&Barrel partnered with Daily Candy to giveaway an amazing $100,000 Wedding. Oh, what I could do with that!

The contest started February 1^st, so get cooking on your entry details, stir up your registry, and flood your Facebook friends for votes!

Best of Luck!

Tags: contest, crate&barrel, daily candy, dream wedding, registry, win

I happened upon this artist by chance, but how fitting for my week of Korean celebration. It didn’t start off that way, but it certainly has ended that way. Check out these amazing custom rings!

If you are looking for a way to make a lasting impression with your future husband or wife, this just might be the most unique impression yet!  Inner message ring by Korean artist Jungyun Yoon!  The custom rings can be designed with a personal saying in the inside like Marry me, Love you or Forever!  The cool thing is when you take off the band those words are impressed into your finger.  Love it!!

Tags: Bridal Jewelry, bride and groom gifts, custom jewelry, fashion

I am so enchanted by Korean culture, I’ve decided to share even more this week. What better inspiration than these stunning hanboks?! I told you yesterday, they would surface again, but I didn’t know it would be so soon. Of course there are the more traditional styles, but as we are always looking for cultural fusion, I am head over heels with these designs by Kim Mehee.

But is has been a very long time since my last imagination board. So . . . to quiet the riots, here are a couple boards inspired by the traditional ceremony hanbok and the westernized prismatic hanbok.

And I can’t leave you without one of the cutest elements I found in my work. If you know me, you know I tend to fancy Hello Kitty!

Tags: hanbok, hello kitty, Kim Mehee, Korean, prismatic, rainbow colors

I decided to step a bit outside my comfort zone this week and talk about a cultural wedding tradition I am unfamiliar with, but I’m looking forward to the day I get to work with this bridal couple! As I am always looking to expand my cultural knowledge and understanding of traditions far and wide, I came across a great wedding planner out of California – My Bride Story. Esther’s site is chalk full of goodies and nuggets of inspiration. Her approach to topics and honesty is refreshing. I’ve gathered a few gems from her collection that I will share with you, of course with my own perspective on the topic.

What I am sharing with you today, as I mentioned before, is beyond my current repertoire of knowledge, and was inspired by Esther extensive information on the Paebaek – the Korean Wedding Ritual. With her permission, I am very excited to be able to share with you a quick video demonstration of the ritual from start to finish! I want to go over the quick basics before you watch so you have an understanding of what is there.

A Paebaek ceremony is a traditional Korean ceremony performed at weddings. The ritual is the groom’s family acceptance of the bride and a way for the bride to pay her respects to the groom’s family.

The engaged couple will enter together dressed in ceremonial Korean wedding attire called hanbok. Their parents, the honorees, will be seated in front of a table laden with various edibles and tea (or soju – rice wine). The couple will bow deeply to the honorees, and then kneel as one pours tea/soju. Once each honoree drinks the tea/soju, they impart wisdom, advice or a wish for the couple’s future.

Finally, the honorees will throw dates (symbolizing girls) and chestnuts (symbolizing boys) which the bride will try to catch in her apron. According to legend, the number of dates and chestnuts caught signifies how many children she will bear. Later in the evening, the couple is supposed to eat the dates and chestnuts that were caught.

Traditionally, as noted above the ceremony is set in respect to the groom’s family, but now often includes relatives on both sides of the family participating and offering blessings to the couple. The ceremony is traditionally limited to family only, but increasingly Paebaeks are performed in front of guest, especially here in America.

In respect to cultural fusion, Korean-American couples incorporate both a Western ceremony and a Paebaek ceremony, with the Paebaek following the Western ceremony, often during cocktail hour.

So now that you have a quick understanding, take a look at the intricacy of this tradition.

Paebaek Demonstration from Full Circle Eventi on Vimeo.

The traditional costume is, for me, the most striking visual of the ceremony, and quite detailed as well. I am absolutely in love with the hanbok! I secretly want to wear one (I guess it’s really not a secret anymore!) I never knew that Sandra Oh, of Grey’s Anatomy, actually worn a modernized hanbok to a few red carpet events, but here’s an images from her hanbok red carpet look. There is so much detail about the hanbok, I think I will have to leave more information for another post! Hee, hee . . .

Tags: hanbok, Korean, paebaek, Traditions, wedding ritual

If you checked in last week, you read about Full Circle Eventi’s latest addition of services to bring to the Metro Detroit Area. If you’re just checking in now, it’s the Strolling Tables. As I mentioned before, they are the latest trend in cocktail hour receptions on the East and West Coast. You will notice many of the photos are in Las Vegas as well. Last week, we featured a video of the strolling tables, but I wanted to share my favorite pictures with you here on the blog. Of course, all the images can be found on our site, and details about hiring can be obtained by contacting us directly.

I’d love to hear your feedback on strolling tables. Like Coldstone Creamery – Like It, Love It, or Gotta Have It!

Adding Spice to your Life!

Lia

Tags: asian, hawaiian, hula, human tables, japanses, marilyn monroe, show girl, Strolling Tables

Full Circle Eventi is happy to announce a new addition to our blog feature. There is so much information out there, and there is no way we could cover it all. While we have featured real weddings and cultural tips over the past few months, we want to expand this tradition by including submissions from other vendors and brides.

If you are a vendor or a bride who would like to share the details of your day with us, we would love to feature you here. Click on the new Email Me form and submit information. You can send pictures and any information directly to submissions@fullcircleeventi.com as well.

Additionally, I have received fabulous feedback from all of you regarding our imagination boards. Many have inquired about how to have a personalized board created for them. It would be my pleasure to create an imagination board to cater to your wedding. Be it a color scheme, a theme gala, cultural fusion display, or modern meets traditional, I am up to the challenge you present. Any ideas you have, send them my way and I will realize your imagination.  Again, checkout the Email Me form and submit your details, or email me directly at submissions@fullcircleeventi.com.

I look forward to hearing from you all soon!

Adding Spice to your life,

Lia

Tags: cultural submissions, email me, imagintion boards, real weddings, submissions

Today’s traditional nugget was inspired by my trip to Hawaii. While I covered many of the Hawaiian traditions last week, I witnessed a beautiful fusion wedding on my trip. A Japanese wedding set in a beautiful little chapel overlooking the stunning blue sea! With that in mind, I thought it might be a great opportunity to talk about some Japanese wedding traditions.

Image Via sarahpostma.com

A traditional custom in Japan, and among many Japanese Americans include the “san-san-kudo” sake sharing tradition, which translates to “three sets of three sips equal nine.” Three is an indivisible number, and it is considered a sacred number in Buddhism.

Image Via The Knot

The traditional Shinto ceremony honors the kami, the spirits inherent in the natural world. After a purification ceremony using a special branch called the harai-gushi, the priest calls to the gods to bless the couple. The ceremony ends with a ritual sharing of sake from three flat cups stacked on top of one another. Popularly called san-san-kudo, this ritual can be performed any number of ways, depending on your family’s custom. The groom may lead, taking three sips from the first cup, followed by the bride, who also takes three sips from the first cup. Then they move on to the second and third cups. The sake is then offered to the couple’s families.

In the U.S., Japanese Americans seeking a traditional ceremony turn to the country’s Buddhist traditions. One highlight of the ceremony is the rosary, or o juju, which has 21 beads of two different colors. Eighteen beads represent the couple, two represent each family and one represents the Buddha. Joined on one string, the beads symbolize the joining of the families. The san-san-kudo, more cultural than religious, is also performed at the Buddhist ceremony.

Dharma

Adding Spice to your life,

Lia

Tags: buddhism, hawai'i, japanese, juju, juzu, san-san-kudo, zuzu

I am so excited about today’s major news, I just might burst.  If you are like me, you are constantly watching wedding shows, Platinum Weddings, Who’s Wedding is It Anyway?, Rich Bride Poor Bride, Wedding Day, My Fair Wedding and the list continues.  I am blown away at some of the things that are out there, but are still not available in Michigan.   One of my goals is to be one of the first to bring you the latest and greatest from all over the world, including what is hot on the East and West Coast.  I am constantly scouring the web, talking to contacts, and reaching out to knew companies on your behalf to bring these opportunities to Michigan (and the Midwest).

So if I don’t tell you about today’s major news now, there just might be a big mess to cleanup.  The hottest trend on the East and West Coast has officially landed right here in Metro Detroit brought to by Full Circle Eventi and our New York partners.

Strolling Human Tables make an offbeat yet elegant addition to your wedding, casino event, opening, black tie event, product promotion, super sweet sixteen, masked ball,  and even bat mitzvah o rbar mitzvah!  Consider strolling table for New Years Eve, Halloween, Carnivàle,  Bastille Day, Mardi Gras, Christmas, or any holiday party or gathering.  Custom designed walking table costumes are always an option.

If you haven’t seen a strolling table, check out the video below.

“Bringing  artistry and theatrics of strolling tables to Michigan”

The latest addition to wow your guest at any event.  Be it strolling cocktails for cocktail hour, holder for place cards, party favors or hor d’ouerves, or a breathtaking dessert table, your guest will never forget these elegant and stunning human tables!  Check out our website for additional photos and ideas for your event.  For more information, email us!

Adding spice to your life,

Lia

Tags: bar mitzvah, black tie event, casino, cocktails, Full Circle Eventi, hor d'ouerves, michigan, my fair wedding, platinum weddings, rich bride poor bride, Strolling Tables, sweet sixteen, wedding, wedding day, who's wedding is it anyway

As promised, here is part two of the Brides to Be experience for Pam and I at Full Circle Eventi!  We had a lot of fun adding little touches to the booth to step up the details to another level.  We added the beautiful 4′ vases on the side to add some height.  But let’s stop talking and check out the photos!

Adding Spice to your life,

Lia

Tags: Bride's to Be, design