1st Place, 2 Years in a Row!!

Arcularius Events just participated in the Second Annual Tabletop Competition and Fundraiser hosted by NACE, the National Association of Catering Executives.  After winning first place at last year's competition we were extremely excited to participate in this year's fabulous event, where eight teams of designers went head-to-head to see who could create the best tabletop.  The judges had a tough time deciding which of the gorgeous tables would be the winner, but one table managed to capture the first place prize - the one designed by Arcularius Events!!  

Catriona teamed up with our new in-house florist Suzanne to come up with a innovative design in which natural beauty merged with a sleek, modern aesthetic.  Underneath the clear tabletop, rocks, moss, and tiny lights were combined to suggest a riverbed, while in the center of the table a modern twist on a manzanita tree replaced the traditional centerpiece.  The table was kept uncluttered with clear blue plates, curlicue flatware, and simple glasses - the menus, napkins, and table assignments were placed on rustic white benches surrounding the table.  In keeping with the "natural meets modern" theme, the menus were printed on clear plexiglass with images of dogwood trees and 

the place cards were replaced with river rocks.

Everything besides the china and glassware (from Celebrations Party Rentals) was custom designed by Arcularius Events - that's right, we sewed the table linens, found and painted a manzanita branch, constructed the benches and even the table.  This was truly a labor of love, and we hope you love our table as much as we do!  We really had a blast at this event, and our thanks go out to NACE, Celebrations Party Rentals, and Jenn Bartell Photography and Design for the beautiful photos.

Vote for Us!

 

The three ladies here at Arcularius Events are so excited to participate in KCRA 3's A-List competition!  This competition chooses Sacramento's best wedding planner based on the number of votes that each business gets, so if you like Arcularius Events, vote for us!

Voting is easy:

Click here to go to Arcularius Events on the A-List, then click the big, yellow "Cast Vote" button.  You'll create an account with the A-List, and then you will receive an email with a link to click on to confirm your account.  That's it!  Couldn't be easier!  

Please help us make it to the top of the list - thank you so much to all of you who have voted already!

Our very own is...ENGAGED!

Marianna, Associate Wedding Planner with Arcularius Events, and our youngest sister is engaged to her high school sweetheart.  She and Darwin have a unique and romantic story.  They have been in love for over 6 years.  In this time they have followed each other to Berkeley for college, traveled all over Italy, and had many adventures. The most recent adventure shocked Marianna while they were backpacking, camping, and hiking 36miles.   Darwin surprised her with his grandmother's incredible vintage ring! Marianna was certain he was joking, though she managed a, "yes! But are you serious?!"

Marianna and Darwin ....just after their engagement

Heirloom Family Ring...lucky girl!

We are so happy for you two. We look forward to planning an amazing wedding with you when the time comes!

A Traditional Hindu Ceremony

Traditional East Indian ceremonies are extremely ornate, elaborate, and luxurious.  They often require above-average time and effort on the part of the bride, groom, and their families because of their size and the many details involved.  Mandeep and Chirag, a wonderful couple that Arcularius Events had the pleasure of working with, decided to join their cultures by celebrating their wedding with Sikh and Hindu ceremonies.



Countless hours were spent hand-delivering invitations to each of the 650 guests, and many more hours were spent on several trips to India for jewelry and clothing shopping.  Check out these incredible jewels!!

Mandeep and Chirag's wedding day was truly one of the longest that Arcularius Events has ever been involved in.  The couple began preparing at 5 AM to be ready for their first ceremony at the Sikh Temple.  This was followed by their first lunch recepetion, their Hindu ceremony, and finally the main wedding reception for their 650 guests.  Arcularius Events was most involved in the Hindu ceremony, so let's take a look at how a traditional Hindu ceremony is organized:

To kick off the Hindu ceremony, the groom led his party in a procession and was received by the bride's mother, who applied kukum to his forehead.

He was then greeted by his lovely bride, who presented him with a garland of red and white flowers.  The giving of the garland reflects ancient Hindu custom in which the bride would choose her groom by presenting him with flowers.







The bride and groom then made their way the the mandap, a sacred structure under which the bride and groom perform wedding rituals and exchange their vows.

Gorgeous pictures of the many rituals from the ceremony.  The henna on Mandeep's hands was absolutely exquisite.

At the end of the ceremony, the bride and groom's clothing was tied together and they circled the ritual site, with seven final steps for food, strength, prosperity, happiness, children, harmony, and friendship.  What more could you ask for?

After the ceremony in the mandap, Mandeep and Chirag circled the room to thank some of their friends and family members...

...and then it was time for them to change, and for the eating and cake cutting to begin.

Along with the bride and groom's transformation, the mandap was turned into an intimate, elegant head table with plenty of beautiful fresh flowers.

The evening ended with a giant dance party, with what seemed like all 650 guests up and out of their seats, boogying down until midnight.  This group knew how to have fun!

Everyone, including the Arcularius Events team, had a blast and we thank Mandeep and Chirag for allowing us to help with their one-of-a-kind, amazing event. We wish them all the best!! We would also like to thank Riz at Adit-Studio for the beautiful pictures, Ambience Floral, Classic Party Rentals and BBJ Linens, and The Lux Productions for the lighting.  

*Check it Out* - Great Wine Find!

Anyone planning a wedding in Napa Valley will tell you that one of the most important aspects of a successful wedding is good wine.  Even if you aren't celebrating your nuptials in wine country, providing your guests with delicious, high-quality wine to enjoy with their meals adds a certain specialness to their experience.  Of course this seems easy enough, but when it comes to staying within budget, shelling out an extra $20 per bottle isn't always an option.  That's why we'd like to let you in on a little secret...

...Sonoma Valley Wines.  SVW offers an unoaked Chardonnay packed with fruit and citrus flavors, a Merlot with hints of berries, chocolate, and cedar (!), and grapefruit-y tropical Sauvignon Blanc.  We tried all three of them and thought they were fantastic.  But what makes these wines so special that we would blog about them?  Right now at Trader Joe's you can find all three selling for $5.99.  With a typical cost per bottle around $11.99, this price is a steal!  These wines would make special yet budget-friendly additions to your wedding, rehearsal dinner, bridal shower, you name it!  For a fun pre-wedding evening, invite members of your bridal party over for a tasting to see if they approve...Enjoy!

The Knot Best of Weddings 2010 Pick

We are proud to announce that Arcularius Events has been rated by local brides and voted The Knot Best of Weddings 2010 Pick.  Thank you to all of the brides that voted for Arcularius Events!

Three-Sister Team - Mairead

We recently decided to take the time to introduce the members of our Three-Sister Team, so that you know exactly who you are working with when you hire Arcularius Events.  A few days ago we introduced Marianna, and now we'd like to introduce another sister, the lovely and talented Mairead.

Mairead has worked with Arcularius Events for the past three seasons as our Event Space Designer.  As our space designer, Mairead employs her design expertise to create custom layouts for each event.  She uses precise dimensions to ensure that each event is well-thought-out and perfectly designed.  

Mairead graduated from Sacramento State with a Bachelor’s degree in Interior Design and for the past six years has worked with clients in the areas of residential, hospitality, healthcare and corporate design.  From private residences to large scale venues, her layouts provide the team with detailed pre-event planning and day-of organization every event needs to flow smoothly.  Along with her event layouts Mairead brings the knowledge to give your special event the opportunity to be “Green.”  

After a short break to have her second child Mairead is back, bringing with her a new enthusiasm to our Three-Sister Team! Catriona’s unique passion and intuition teamed with Mairead’s attention to detail and Marianna’s thoughtful organization ensures that your event will be everything you dreamed of and more.