Articles by Nadine Crozier

Jul 09 2015

Parisian (Letter P) Theme Party

Author: Nadine Crozier • Discussion: No Comments

We have so much fun here when a client comes to us and says “Here’s our theme and here’s our budget – please weave your magic and surprise us.” Having such freedom often means we can go above and beyond to create an occasion that will exceed the expectations of the client. One such party is what we have featured here, in today’s blog.

The theme had been set as a ‘P’ Party. To be honest, when I first heard this was the theme I had a hard time getting my thoughts to move past the tacky ‘P’ parties I attended as a teenager (for some reason they were all the rage back then), but since the client had given me plenty of notice I was able to brainstorm and plan something quite elegant. I’ve always liked the idea of a Parisian themed party so I was quite excited to make this the basis for the décor. From there items starting with the letter ‘P’ just seemed to fit in without any effort.

Party Highlights:

The hanging parasols looked fabulous and made the atmosphere more cozy.
The striped backdrops made from rolls of wrapping paper brightened up the space and provided the perfect background for the Photo-booth and Perfume Bar.
I was pretty excited to find that the venue had a collection of Eiffel towers that we could use at no extra charge.
For each table of guests we had an ‘eye-spy’ style challenge. The prize for the person to found the most décor items starting with the letter ‘P’ won a packet of Pebbles.
My most favourite thing had to be the Perfume Bar. Not only did it start with the letter ‘P’, it was also the party favour for the guests.

We hope you enjoy looking at the photos as much as we enjoyed creating it.

Vendor Credits:

Styling & Décor: As You Wish Events Ltd
Parasol Hire: Bali Flags
Venue: Totara Springs

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© 2015 As You Wish Events Ltd. Want to use this article in your E-newsletter, blog, or website? You can as long as you include this complete statement: Auckland, New Zealand – Event Planner & Designer Nadine Crozier publishes the ‘As You Wish Events’ blog filled with secrets, tips and how-tos for planning your fabulous event. Get your exclusive inspiration, tips and tricks at http://www.asyouwish.co.nz. As You Wish Events is an event planning and design company based in Auckland, serving the Auckland region and certain areas of Northland.

Jun 04 2015

Kicking Off a Soccer Party

Author: Nadine Crozier • Discussion: No Comments

Inspirations for a Soccer Themed Party

Putting all the FIFA scandal aside, it is pretty cool that New Zealand can play host to another World Cup. With the FIFA U20 Soccer World Cup now well underway I thought it would be a good time to gather up some ideas for a Soccer themed party.

As seen on: Catch My Party

As seen on: Catch My Party

As seen on: Hostess with the Mostess

As seen on: Kara’s Party Ideas

As seen on: Kara’s Party Ideas

There’s lots of fun to be had with a theme like this, whether it’s a birthday party, a party to celebrate your or your kid’s soccer team or even for the watching world cup finals with friends. So be creative, have fun and we hope you are inspired for your own party.

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May 27 2015

Hand-Stamped DIY Invitations

Author: Nadine Crozier • Discussion: No Comments

Today we are so excited to have guest blogger, Susan Wong, sharing some great tip and hints for making your own invitations. Susan is a very talented lady, who I know you will find inspiring.

Hi As You Wishers! Such fun to be able to share with you today. I’m Susan Wong – wife, mother to three and Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator in Auckland. I also represent New Zealand on our Stampin’ Up! Global Artisan Design Team. Nice to meet you!

Do you have an event coming up and want to include a more personal touch? Hand-stamped invitations are a fun and fairly cost-effective way to go about it.

My tips to get you started:

1. Remember invitations set the mood for your event. Casual, formal, somewhere in between… Can a bit of paper say all that? Yes!! First impressions count so you should have a fair idea of your theme before you sit down to create. Even if it’s as basic as a colour.

2. Simple is better. Every small detail can add a few hours of work when you have to replicate it 50 times. Pick one thing to be the feature.

3. Think paper economy. Could you tweak the size just slightly so you can fit more onto an A4 sheet with minimal leftovers?

4. Always use a quality laser printer for the words, digital stamps or photos/images. This is the part that gives you the professional finish.

Supplies used in featured invitations:

Stamp Sets: I Think You’re Great, A Dozen Thoughts

Classic Inks: Cucumber Crush, Watermelon Wonder, Tip Top Taupe, Delightful Dijon, Mint Macaron

Papers: Whisper White Note Cards & Envelopes (20 per pack)

Most of these supplies are sneak peek items – available from 2^nd June 2015 in our brand new Stampin’ Up! Catalogue. Contact me at stampingwithsusan@gmail.com for more information and/or to consult about invitations for your upcoming event (weddings included). I’d love to help you make your ideas come to life.

Susan Wong

If you want to see more of Susan’s work check out her blog here ‘Stamping with Susan’ or here on facebook

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May 20 2015

What Should I Do With My Wedding Bouquet?

Author: Nadine Crozier • Discussion: No Comments

I love flowers – I feel that they bring an element of life and beauty to any setting. And it’s no surprise that one of these settings are weddings. Whether you choose to have flowers in your décor or not, most brides will always choose to have flowers for the bridal party. Now it’s not everyday that you walk around with a bouquet of flowers in your hands, so it’s only natural that some brides will forget them and others will feel awkward holding them. So what are you supposed to do with your bouquet? Is there a right way to hold it? Where should you put it when you need your hands for something else? And at the end of the day what do you do with it then? These are just some of the questions I’ll answer today.

Photo by Sarah Joy Keys

So your planning is complete and your wedding day has arrived. In your planning you will have determined how the bouquets are going to get to you on your wedding day – so you will either have arranged delivery with the florist or organised with your wedding planner or trustworthy friend to collect them for you. Make sure that you have your bouquets onsite with you at least 2 hours before you are due to leave for the ceremony, so that your photographer can capture some beautiful detail shots just like the one above. Also if you are having some pre-ceremony photos with your bridesmaids and parents make sure you are holding your bouquets for these too.

With all you pre-ceremony photos complete it is now time to leave for the ceremony. Remember to take your flowers with you. This may seem a little obvious but in all the excitement it is easy to forget something, and believe me it does happen. If you are worried you’re going to forget, ask a couple of people to specifically remind you (maybe even set an alarm on their phone as a backup).

Photo by: thephotographer.co.nz

You have now arrived at your ceremony venue and excitement is building as you prepare to walk down the aisle. You and your bridesmaids are all holding your bouquets – but are you holding them correctly? Yes, there is a correct way to hold your flowers. You should have a steady grip with both hands, holding the bouquet just below your waistline. But do keep your arms slightly bent, as this will reveal the curve of your waist. Of course two hands isn’t really an option if you are being escorted down the aisle, but you can still hold your bouquet in this position with one hand.

The main reason for holding the flowers lower, is so that you don’t hide the details on the bodice of your dress. But I also think it causes you to have better posture when you’re not all hunched over your bouquet of flowers and this will mean that all the photos taken of you walking down the aisle will be far more flattering.

Photo by: Grace Photography

Having walked down the aisle you now stand before the love of your life. The celebrant asks you to face each other and hold hands for the exchanging of the vows and rings. You now need your hands free from your flowers, so you simply turn to your Maid of Honour and gracefully hand her your bouquet. When it comes time to sign the register, she will need to give them back to you, so that you can take them with you and place them on the signing table while you and your groom sign. Assuming your Maid of Honour and Bestman are signing as your witnesses, she can do the same thing when they sign. By doing this you are naturally creating a more beautiful photo opportunity.

Photo credit: seancraig photography

As you leave the ceremony for photos, again remember to take your bouquet with you. Incorporating your flowers into your wedding photos can turn a nice wedding photo into a stunning wedding photo. I see a lot of wedding photos, and when the bouquets are left out it often feels like the photo is unfinished. The cost of flowers and photography often represents a large portion of the wedding budget so it only makes sense that you get the most out of them.

Photo by: Joanna Wickham Photography

Its party time! The MC has announced your arrival and you enter the reception ready to celebrate with your family and friends. And yes, you are still carrying your bouquet. As you are seated you look for somewhere to put your flowers. Again this is a great opportunity to make the most of your bouquets. I suggest placing the bouquets either along the front of the bridal/head table in a way that works in with the table decorations or place them on the cake or gift tables.

Later in the evening you might choose to throw your bouquet – this is something you should decide on during the wedding planning process. Some brides who wish to keep their bouquet, but still want to throw one will either throw one of the bridesmaid’s or have an extra one made up especially.

Photo credit: The Ruche Blog

Now that your wedding day has come to end you can say farewell to your bouquet, however many brides choose to keep them. There are many lovely ways to preserve and display your wedding flowers. You can see some of these on one of our boards on Pinterest.

I hope that by having read this you can now feel confident that you know exactly what to do with your wedding bouquet.

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May 14 2015

How to Avoid Giving the Worst Wedding Speech Ever

Author: Nadine Crozier • Discussion: No Comments

Photo by thephotographer.co.nz

You can imagine that being in the profession that I am in, I have listened to many wedding speeches. Most have tugged on the heart strings, brought smiles to the faces of the guests and tears of joy to their eyes. But then there are those that will forever be remember for all the wrong reasons. These are the kind that simply make you want to hide under your chair or take that unnecessary trip to the bathroom. So today I’m going to share 3 keys on how to avoid giving the worst wedding speech ever.

1. Keep it about the bride and groom. Wedding speeches are supposed to be short. 2 – 3 minutes at the most. Any longer and everyone’s eyes start to glaze over, they start checking their watches or (my pet-peev) destroying the centrepieces. So think carefully about what you are wanting to say. Cull out all the long winded back stories and your unnecessary personal opinions so you have plenty of time to get to the point, which is to honour the bride & groom and their parents. After all if it wasn’t for all of them, you wouldn’t be there.

2. Humour is tricky. If you are going to tell a funny story about the bride or groom, please, please, please make sure other people will find it funny too. Test it out on some family and friends who are going to be brutally honest with you. It is better you hear it from them, than face an awkward silence from 100 or so guests. If you do tell a story that is proven to be funny I recommend at the end of it, draw it to some conclusion that compliments the bride or groom for their good character. This helps bring the mood back from embarrassing to warm and fuzzy.

3. Write it down. I can not stress this point enough. So many people think, “Nah, it’ll be right” and then they get up to give the speech and they bomb out big time. I can all most guarantee, whether you are an experience speech-maker or not, when you get up there the nerves will get you and your mind will go blank. At least if you write it down (and practice it too before the wedding day) you can read what is on your paper. To be honest I have no problem with people reading their wedding speeches, it is far better than the alternative.

So there you have it 3 things that will keep you from giving the worst wedding speech ever.

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May 07 2015

Rustic Farm Wedding {Julie & Alister}

Author: Nadine Crozier • Discussion: No Comments

A January Wedding in Te Kopuru, Kaipara, New Zealand.

I am super excited to share this wedding with you today as it is of special significance to me. I have known Alister and his family since he was in primary school and I first met Julie when she came, from the U.S.A, to live with my family as an exchange student. Back then I would never have guessed that, 10 or so years down the track, I would have the privilege of helping them to plan their wedding. As you will no doubt be able to tell from these photos this was a very fun wedding, full of laughter – which was exactly what the couple had hoped for.

Thanks again, Julie and Alister, for allowing me to be a part of your special day. Congratulations!

A big thank you to Sharney from Grace Photography as well as various guests for allowing us to share these photos with you today.

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Vendor Credits:

Wedding Planning, Coordination & Design: As You Wish Events Ltd
Photography: Grace Photography
Catering: The Original Spit Roast Catering Company
Flowers: Dahlia Haven
Floral arrangements, Details, and Cake: Bride, family and friends.

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Apr 30 2015

10 Things Event Planners Can Do For You

Author: Nadine Crozier • Discussion: No Comments

Header Image

If you follow us on Facebook you might find today’s article vaguely familiar since we ran this as a series of posts sometime last year. This time, though, we have made a few tweaks and gathered all the points together in one place. So here we go …

# 1 – We bring all of our experience to your special occasion. Even if you enjoy planning your own parties, you don’t necessarily know, what it is you don’t know. With the experience of having planned and managed many events we can help you ask the right questions, find what you need and tick all the boxes to planning a fabulous event that is talked about for years to come.

#2 – A good Event Planner will work to understand the vision you have for your special occasion, as well as suggest ways to enhance it that are consistent with your wishes and budget.

#3 – This is likely to be no surprise, but an event planner helps to reduce the stress you experience when planning your special occasion. Our planning process brings a method to what otherwise could be madness. By managing your planning tasks and providing emotional support when needed, we can ease your load and increase your level of joy in the planning process considerably.

#4 – We can save you money by helping you to stay on target with your budget. We can also help you find the best deals for your special occasion as well as provide tips and advice on how to make your money go further.

#5 – There is so many beautiful design options available to brides and event hosts, that it can be difficult to know where to start and even where to stop. A good event planner will seek to understand your personal style preferences and then help you to bring together a cohesive design plan for your occasion.

#6 – Because of our experience in the industry we are able to provide you with vendor recommendations that will compliment your special occasion’s style and budget.

#7 – We lead you through the planning process. Planning an event, especially a wedding, can be a rather daunting task. Many people try and do too much too soon, or they leave it all to the last minute. We can help set the right pace for you and your occasion and lead you through the planning process step by step, breaking it down into tasks so that everything is done in a timely manner and nothing is forgotten.

#8 – An event planner will create for you a detailed schedule for the day of your wedding or event. This will mean everyone involved will know exactly what to do and when to do it.

#9 – We make your plans become a reality. On the day of your special occasion we make sure it all comes together nicely. If problems arise we sort them out quickly and without causing a fuss. This means you and your guests can sit back, relax and fully enjoy your day.

#10 – On the day of your special occasion we enable you to fully absorb every joyful moment. Because of the relationship we have built with you throughout the planning journey you’ll know without a doubt, that everything will be taken care of to a standard that will exceed your expectations.

If you are interested in having us help you with your wedding or special occasion feel free to get in touch by emailing us at info@asyouwish.co.nz and we can arrange a time to chat about your planning needs.

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Apr 23 2015

10 Ways to Warm Your Winter Guests

Author: Nadine Crozier • Discussion: No Comments

Autumn is, and Winter will soon be, upon us. But that doesn’t mean that the season for parties has come to an end. Instead a whole new world of cozy fires, comfort food and warm beverages is beginning to opening up to us. So here’s 10 ways to keep your guests warm as you party on.

1. Heaters, Fireplaces & Fire Pits

I thought I would start with the most obvious of winter warmers. If we’re cold we turn on a heater or light the fire, right. Whether you are indoors or outdoors there are so many options. Most of us will have some sort of heating system in our home, so I won’t go into this side of things. But here are some of my favourites from more of a party side.

Patio Heaters are a good choice for outdoor areas. While you can buy these at places such as Bunnings, Mitre 10 Mega, and The Warehouse you’ll find that most hire centres will have them too. These particular ones can be hired from www.insphire.co.nz

I am loving these electric fireplaces, available for sale at www.mitre10.co.nz . Some of them look so realistic and all you have to do is plug them in and turn them on.

Fire-pits are becoming increasingly popular. Both wood burning and gas burning options are available. This one can be seen on www.bestplants.com . For those operating on gas there is the option of covering the pipes with Fireglass instead of the traditional fake logs or coal. You can see here how effective the fireglass looks here in this picture. Fireglass is available in New Zealand click through to www.nzfireglass.co.nz for more information.

2. Warm Lighting

Creating an atmosphere of warmth can also help your guests feel warm and one of the key components of this is lighting. Consider using lighting options that have a warm-toned glow (colours like yellow, gold, orange, and red). Things like warm-white fairy lights and candles do a great job of this.

As seen on hwtm.com

3. Hot Chocolate

Hot Chocolate is such a great way to warm up from the inside out, and it is great for all ages. I love the idea of setting up a Hot Chocolate drink station which guests can help themselves to. Add a few extras like flavoured marshmallows, spices and sprinkles to make it even more interesting.

As seen on discoverweddings.ru

4. Other Warm Beverages

Instead of the usual cocktails you might have on offer, mix it up a bit by trying some that are served hot. There are many great recipes out there just waiting for you to try them out.

As seen on mycrazygoodlife.com , click on the link for the recipes.

5. Active Entertainment

Keep your guests busy and active by having a variety of activities for them to do throughout your party. If they are moving they are more likely to stay warm and if they are enthralled in what is taking place they’ll have less time to think about the temperature.

6. S’mores Bar

I love S’mores. Toasted marshmallows, chocolate and biscuits – what not to love, right? So setting up a station that has all the ingredients for guests to make their own is a great idea. Not only is it warm food, it is a great activity. So guests will be entertained and fed.

As seen on glamourandgraceblog.com

7. Other Warm Food

‘Tis the season for warm comfort food. Break out the slow cookers and casserole pots and start cooking those family favourites for your guests. Consider making a hearty vegetable soup or heating up some Watties canned tomato soup and serving it with fresh, warm bread. Or maybe if you’re feeling a little more adventurous have a go at cooking a roast dinner. Oh my goodness, now I’m hungry.

8. Mini Wheat Bags

Heat up these little wheat bags in the microwave for your guests to pop in their pockets to warm up their hands. They can also make great party favours for the guests to take home.

As seen on weddingpartyapp.com

9. Borrow a Blanket

Some people are going so far as to give their guests a blanket or shawl as a party favour, but if your budget doesn’t extend that far your can simply offer to loan them one. Some of our lovely local venues consist of covered in porches and if guests are unaware and don’t come prepared then this is a particularly a good idea.

As seen on theknot.com

10. Give Them Warm Treats for the Trip Home

Thinking of your guests comfort on their journey home is a way of sending your love and warmth home with them. It’s this kind of warmth that goes beyond temperature. Maybe it’s a warm chocolate brownie or beverage of some sort. Or maybe you can zap those mini wheat bags again or gift them a scarf. I’m sure with your creativity and maybe the help of Pinterest you’ll come up with the perfect idea for your guests.

As seen on weddingpartyapp.com

I hope this has inspired you for your cooler weather celebrations. Remember that we’d love to see your celebrations, so take some great pics and drop us a line.

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© 2014 As You Wish Events Ltd. Want to use this article in your E-newsletter, blog, or website? You can as long as you include this complete statement: Auckland, New Zealand – Event Planner & Designer Nadine Crozier publishes the ‘As You Wish Events’ blog filled with secrets, tips and how-tos for planning your fabulous event. Get your exclusive inspiration, tips and tricks at http://www.asyouwish.co.nz. As You Wish Events is an event planning and design company based in Auckland, serving the Auckland region and certain areas of Northland.

Apr 16 2015

Sofia the First Inspired Birthday Party

Author: Nadine Crozier • Discussion: No Comments

We recently celebrated my niece’s 4th Birthday. She had order a Sofia the First party, so on a fairly small budget my sister and I worked together to create just that – a Sofia the First inspired Birthday party. Here are the photos, we hope you enjoy.

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Apr 09 2015

Vintage Pearls and Lace Wedding {Kamahl & Paul)

Author: Nadine Crozier • Discussion: No Comments

An April Wedding in Auckland, New Zealand.

I adored working with Kamahl and Paul. For various reasons we had only 12 weeks to put their special day together. But it was a beautiful thing to see their family and friends rally around them to make their day happen in such a short time. One of the things I loved the most was the use of some family heirlooms, as a way to honour and include a couple of Kamahl’s close family members who had passed away. It was also very special for her to have her elderly Grandmother fly over from Australia especially for the occasion. All in all it was a beautiful day, the weather was fine and everyone enjoyed themselves. Congratulations Kamahl & Paul!

Many thanks to Sean of seancraig photography for sharing these beautiful photos of their day with us.