A lot of couples opt away from traditional gifts at their reception, and donate to a charity instead.  A lot of couples really like wine.  How can you combine both of these ideas into one amazing wedding gift?  Purchase a bottle, or wine membership from One Hope, and give the gift to both the couple and to a great charity! 

The goal of One Hope is to do their part in saving the planet, and they do this buy donating 50% of their profits to a charity, depending on which wine you purchase.  Their company is contributing in such a creative way, and Imoni Events loves their idea and efforts.  Here is how your gift donates:

One Hope Carneros Reserve Pinot Noir- 50% goes to charities supporting the fight against cancer

One Hope California Cabernet Sauvignon- 50% goes to charities supporting the fight against autism

One Hope California Chardonnay- 50% goes to charities supporting the fight against breast cancer

One Hope California Merlot- 50% goes to charities supporting the fight against AIDS

One Hope California Sauvignon Blanc- 50% goes to charities supporting the planet

One Hope California White Zinfandel- 50% goes to charities supporting our troops

If you purchase a wine club membership, the gift you’re giving is a bottle of wine every other month, from the list above, and donating to the corresponding charity each time. 

By purchasing this wine, you can contribute to the wedding couple’s favorite charity, or your own, and give a gift that is giving in more than one way.  What a great concept! Imagine if all companies did this!  Hats off to you, One Hope!

Oh how we love Customized Wedding Creations at Imoni!  Their name is pretty self-explanatory, but their abilities are endless!  Click on their homepage and you will see that they will create customized wedding products in all kinds of categories, covering some fun aspects of your wedding needs.  Let’s take a look at their inventory of customization:

Aisle Runners

Creating runners with customized printing and colors, these are very special and a very classy, personal touch to your day.

Parasols

How cute would it be to have your guests receive a personalized parasol (especially if your wedding is sunny and outdoors) as their gift at the ceremony?  Or how much cuter would it be to have your bridesmaids or flower girl carry one down the aisle?   This company makes the  prettiest!

Banners

Customized banners are a nice decoration to have at your reception or ceremony, and you can get them done beautifully here!

Table Runners

A uniqe and personal way to decorate your reception tables, or even just your gift table, is with a customized table runner.  You can choose your color, font, and wording at Customized Wedding Creations.

This company also does optional enhancements on any of the above items.  Want a blinged out parasol?  No problem.  Thinking of ribbon borders on your table runners?  They can do it.  Love the look of glitter paint touches?  Yep, they do that too. This company is an Imoni favorite because it allows the couple to choose their own decor and make it personal to you and your event.  Loving it Customized Wedding Creations! 

Once again, we’re blasting the best vendors out there and when it comes to videography, we cannot say enough good things about the amazing team at Serendipity Videography!  Owned by the coolest husband and wife team out there, Taryn and Jeff Bills, Serendipity is absolutely top-notch talent for filming your most special day.

They have been voted “Best Videographer” by Arizona Bride Magazine for 2008 & 2009, and “Best Videographer” for 2009 by The Wedding Chronicle Readers Poll.  They are also Emmy Award winners!  They have almost 20 years of experience and they only hire the very best, the most experienced, and the most professional videographers to join their team.   They do not intrude upon your event as many people carrying around huge cameras and cords and microphone booms tend to do, they blend in seamlessly with your day and you will honestly forget that they are there, until you receive your amazing video.

They are true professionals and truly the best in their field, as they have been acknowledged and redeemed time and times again.  They also have amazing relationships with all the other vendors you’ll be working with, which says a lot, because on a day when you want everyone working together for you, it’s nice to know you’ve hired people that are respected in the community in which they work, and that can work with everyone else on your team with ease.  Creating some of the most wonderful wedding footage you can imagine, and capturing your moments perfectly, we tip our hats to Serendipity Videography.

Serendipity Videography

602.380.3869

info@serendipityvideography.com

All Photography by Jennifer Bowen Photography

As an event coordinator, at Imoni we meet vendors of all kinds, all the time, and Arizona has so many fantastic ones.  There are so many talented and wonderful photographers in the wedding business, and one of our most favorites is Jennifer Bowen Photography.  Jennifer Bowen is an amazing lifestyle photographer who captures special moments as few can.  We have been lucky enough to work many events with her, and every time it is a treat and results in wonderful pictures for our clients.

She not only does weddings, but also takes gorgeous portraits, baby sessions, and just about any other kind of picture you could ask of her.  Not only is she phenomenally talented, though, she is also kind, funny, and a great business woman.  You are in capable and artistic hands with Jennifer, and you can bet that your wedding day will be recreated in your pictures with all the love and beauty the day held.

Jennifer Bowen is located in Scottsdale, Arizona and has been Nominated Best Photographer 2009 & 2010 by Arizona Bride Magazine.  We at Imoni praise her beautiful work and are very honored and grateful for all we get to do with her!

Jennifer Bowen Photograhpy
Studio: 602.402.5600

A super cute, super fun way to add a little flair and a little personality has been showing up by way of footwear at 2010 weddings.  More and more brides are ditching the traditional ivory slippers and heels for funky, goofy, comfy, and adorable accented shoes.  Not only does it make for a more fun outfit, it also makes great pictures!  There are a few ways to go fun with your shoes, and for every bride it’s different.

Bright Accents

What shows off a beautiful ivory/white gown than a bright heel underneath it?  If you’re a girl that loves her red high heels, or pink peep-toes, this is definitely a style for you.  Adding this punch of color is flirty and cute and very photogenic!

Comfy Choices

Many brides on beaches have been rocking flip-flops with their dresses for years, and now it’s showing up in land-locked affairs too!  If your wedding is in warm weather months, and you don’t want to hobble through your reception, a cutie pair of flip-flops or flats is a great choice!

Funky Footwear

Are you a girl that has worn Doc Martens your whole life?  Did you meet your husband in your favorite Chuck Taylor Cons?  Do you own ten pairs of vintage Vans?  Wear them with your gown!  They won’t show unless you want them to, and it’s such a cool way to keep your event real.  You wear them, you love them, they are an expression of you-of course you should bring them to your most special day!

What the heck IS Etsy?  A lot of people talk about it, a lot of people purchase things from it, but some people are not lucky enough to know just what the heck it is!  Well, let’s spell it out, because Etsy is an Imoni Events favorite and we share our favorites! 

Etsy, in basic definition terms, is a social commerce website where people can buy and sell items, the majority of them handmade or vintage.  Of course, they also sell art, new items, and other goodies, but generally speaking if you want something unique, handmade, or vintage, you can log on to Etsy and find something in any price range, from $3 to $3000.  

In Imoni terms, it’s a smorgasborg of delights that are always very pretty, special, and fun!  It’s almost like treasure-hunting through a craft fair, but a really fancy craft fair!  Their vintage items must be over 20 years old, and the things you can find on there are endless!  Looking for a lace, vintage gown?  Etsy has 10.  Looking for a special clutch for your trendy friend that has everything?  Etsy has a million and they’re all unique.  The finds are amazing, the prices fit anyone, and the circle is awesome. 

A perfect site for gifts and special pieces you won’t find in two places, Etsy is definitely one of the best things out there right now! 

Wedding albums are a pretty standard staple of the ways to display your most special of days, but with digital imagery and availability so prevalent these days, there are SO many other ways to utilize and showcase your favorite wedding and engagement images!  Here are some creative ideas to show off your couplehood!

A Calendar

Parents and grandparents and even you as a couple are going to love receiving a calendar with each month showing another picture from your beautiful day.  What a cute and useful way to have your favorite twelve pictures up in your home for the entire first year of your marriage, or what a nice thing to put in with a Christmas gift to Mom and Dad.  With self-printing and various outlets for photography printing, creating a calendar of your event’s pictures is very easy, and if you can’t find the time, your photographer is sure to know how!

A Customized Guest Book

Have you ever wished you could do more with your engagement pictures?  A really great way to use them is to create a guest book with them.  Instead of the traditional lined paper in a pretty book, you can make an album with various pictures of the two of you, with ample space to be filled in with messages of love from your guests.  Pretty much every photographer out there is able to make this a reality for you, and such a special way to show off those gorgeous engagement pictures, besides just in your invitations and various social outlets.  It also makes your guest book something you two will look at again and again, as it’s also an album of pictures.

Pillow Cases

It might be a little silly, but a big trend with loved ones is to create a personalized pillow case for their loved one to sleep on!  This is a cute, fun gift and can be done easily with sites like Snapfish.com and is something sweet, especially if your sweetheart travels a lot!

Album Ideas

Most people are going to get an album from their wedding, and these can also be turned into outlets of your tastes and style.  Instead of having a plain album, there are endless options these days for ways to personalize them, make them just for you, and really customize the product.  One thing you can do is pick a spine and style that is complimentary to your personalities.  Nowadays you can get an album in anything from zebra-print fabric to leather to metal coverings.  To add an immediate touch, you can customize the covers and backs with a picture from your day, words you’ve chosen, and a material of your choice.  Also, you can get miniature duplicate albums, that are laid out excatly the same, for parents and grandparents, a really special gift for the people you want to thank most for your wonderful event.

The options are pretty endless when it comes to photography products and ways to use your favorite pictures.  If you think it up, odds are your photographer can make it happen with a photo they’ve taken of you.  Get creative with it!