Draping and Events Training. To connect Events Co-ordinators and Wedding planners as well as Decorating companies. Sharing ideas, advise and contacts!
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
2014... a year of great opportunities!
As we enter the last bit of 2013 we
want to make a few BIG announcements for 2014!
First of all... Our accreditation with the Services Seta's will be finished the end of January 2014.
2014 is our year of celebration! ECTA Creative Solutions will be 5 years old! For that reason we decided to run huge specials on all our courses! For more information please contact Adel at 0218560163 or info@ectaint.com.
We are SO excited to announce the fact that ECTA Creative Solutions will have their very own Events Management course that we can sell from January 2014! Contact our office for more info!
Monday, May 27, 2013
2014 wedding trends - part one - examples
Some examples of wedding mood boards for the Majestic Wedding color scheme.
Wedding Attire in the Majolica Blue, Boysen Berry, Petal pink and Buckthorn Brown color scheme.
Wedding trend number one for the Winter of 2014!
Wedding Decor in the Majolica Blue, Boysen Berry, Petal pink and Buckthorn Brown color scheme.
Wedding trend number one for the Winter of 2014!
For more info on this wedding trend - feel free to read our other blogs about this exiting wedding trend for 2014 or go to our website www.ectaint.com - also be on the lookout for our free youtube tutorial!
Photo credits for mood boards:
weddinginvitations4u.net
weddingawker.com
blog.yourethebride.com
2014 Wedding trends - part one - continuing
In our previous article we
had a chat about the Majestic wedding trends for 2014. I just want to elaborate
a little about the majestic elements.
First of all it is necessary
that you realize that you don’t have to use all the elements discussed above into
one wedding. The majestic trend consist of 7 different colour pantones – please
have a look at the Lenzing trends photo below -
For the purpose of the mood
board I decided to use 4 of the 7 colours. I added photos of a bride dressed in
a brocade wedding dress, groom dressed in Jacquard material, invitations with a
ikat pattern and Boysen berry colored bridesmaid dresses just to mention a few.
Important points to
remember:
- When you are deciding on your wedding colours
and theme I would suggest that you make use of 2 to 4 of the above colours
– not more than that. Decide which one of the above materials you would
like to use and then bring it across in all your dresses and décor.
- If you are extremely adventures you can use the
ikat patterns together with the brocade however you will have to be
careful on how you carry the theme through your wedding. Don’t try and use
too many elements in the wedding décor.
- If you want to use the two patterns – rather use
ikat on your wedding invitations and then you do the rest in brocade.
- Another thing that you need to keep in mind is
that ikat tends to be very overpowering – it is a pattern that makes you
think back to the hippy era. So be careful not to use it as the primary
décor trend – rather find places here and there where you can bring it in
without it taking over for example: Use a plain type of material or even a
brocade table cloth but bring the ikat pattern in on your serviette ring.
- You can use the ikat patterns and the Fil coupe
materials successfully in a themed wedding – just think about a 1960’s
wedding theme.
For more info on this wedding trend you can go to our other blog articles:
Saturday, May 25, 2013
2014 Wedding Trends - Part one
This is going to be a very interesting series on wedding trend for 2014. After hours of research on the internet - reading and studying the pantones, Interior design sites, Fashion forecast sites etc I noticed that their are a few color palettes that came up on every site.
Every year the event and wedding industry looks to the above industries and take their lead on color schemes. I decided that I will do a series on the wedding trends for 2014. Enjoy!
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Photo credit:
http://www.etsy.com
Every year the event and wedding industry looks to the above industries and take their lead on color schemes. I decided that I will do a series on the wedding trends for 2014. Enjoy!
One of the top ten Pantone colors for 2014 is Majolica blue as shown on the picture. Majolica blue might strike you as a little dull, but it is a good base color and well as a good add on color. Majolica blue is actually a deep, mysterious teal blue - it has more vibrancy than the good old navy blue and it definitely brings in an exotic flair to this color scheme.
Boysen berry is a dark red blackberry like fruit. To get this color into your color scheme youcan make use of the plum color calla lily, dark red/pink orchids or even dahliahs. Mix the boysen berry color with a soft petal pink and you have a winner.
A suggestion is to look for a petal pink brocade material to use as a base material at your wedding. Part of the Majestic trend is the use of brocade materials, Jacquard materials, ikat materials and patterns and even Fil coupe materials.
Fil coupe material
Brocade material
Jacquard material
Ikat materials
Choose a wedding dress made from brocade materials, plait your hair and use antique vintage jewelery and you will for sure have on Majestic One in a Kind Wedding!
For more info on our Majestic color scheme go and read the following blog articles:
Enjoy the planning and remember - watch out for our free youtube tutorials on a regular basis or contact us if you are interested in receiving our newsletters.
www.ectaint.com
http://www.etsy.com
willowchicboutique.typepad.com
vlwedding.blogspot.com
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Draping course schedule for May, June and July 2013
Join us in our
next draping courses in South
Africa
Dates of our next courses in Johannesburg
Draping
Foundation
20-21 + 25 May
2013
2 evenings and 1 day
Draping
Advance
22 – 25 May
2013
3 evenings
and 1 day
Dates of our next courses in Pretoria
Kids Party
Planning
11 - 13 July
2013
3 Day
classes
Draping
Foundation
9 – 10 July
2013
2 day
classes
Dates of our next courses Durban
Draping
Foundation
24 – 25 + 29 June
2013
2 evenings and 1 day
Draping
Advance
26 – 29 June
2013
3 evenings
and 1 day
Are you the best in the Events Industry?
Being the best in the
Events Industry
I believe Kenya Kenya
it is a Gold Mine that is waiting for the events coordinators in Kenya
But… not everyone that
starts out in the events industry will succeed. What do I need to not only
succeed but also to excel in the industry?
With looming deadlines,
fires that need putting out, the strain of constant travel and all the little
details that need to be taken care of are just a few reasons why working in the
meetings industry is so challenging.
A few point that any
prospective events coordinator needs to know:
·
Understand the
basics of the business around you and always be curious about it. It is
important to be an expert in your field but it is also important to know about
all the different events genres – things like the use of Lights, the use of
soft décor – draping, the right materials, the use of the 5 senses to make an
event successful etc.
·
Stay current!
Are you following the trends of the wedding and events industry in Kenya or are you setting the trends in Kenya
·
Stick with what
you do best and become a master at it BUT see to it that you get yourself more
than one stream of income! It is good to organize events but there is nothing
wrong to do some of the décor for the event as well and in the quite times you
can even organize kid’s parties for an extra income.
·
Aim higher…
Dream bigger. People want to experience something new and meaningful if they
attend an event. Can you produce that?
·
Michelle
Bergstein Fontanez said once: Do this well and your event audience will no
longer budgets for you – they invest in you!
·
You need to
differentiate yourself in the events industry – anticipate the trends, issues
and challenges that will continue to reshape the events industry.
·
NEVER STOP
LEARNING! By leaving yourself open to new ideas, new knowledge you will be a
more valuable team player and more creative: Great ideas breeds even greater
ideas
·
Take the
opportunity NOW to enroll in our Practical Skills courses and become the best
in the Events Industry in Kenya
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Levi year end function
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Loreal Paris Product launch
Sanral Year end function
Dates of our next
Practical Events Courses at Divine Schools Africa - Kenya :
Event Draping – Day classes
Dates:
6th – 17th May 2013
Time:
8:30 to 13:00
Extra:
Manual to buy
Event Draping Evening
Classes
Dates:
6th – 17th May 2013
Time:
18:00 – 21:00
Extra:
Manual to buy
Centre pieces course
Date:
25th May 2013
Time:
8:00 – 16:00
Extra:
Manual to buy
Students will receive a list of things that they need to bring to the course.
Kids Party Planning
Dates:
20th – 31st May 2013
Time:
8:30 to 13:00
Practical exam:
Children’s party – each student
needs to bring one child to the party
Extra:
Manual to buy
Students will receive a list of things that they need to bring to the course
Friday, April 5, 2013
Country style buttonhole - DIY
ECTA Creative Solutions have just release another
Wedding Buttonhole tutorial.
This one we will show you how to put together a
beautiful country inspired buttonhole. It's simple, rustic and yet seems
complicated all at once. We love these rough textures in the buttonhole,
setting it apart from the stiff everyday traditional buttonholes we find so
often.
I decided to go and have a look at where the
tradition from a buttonhole and an corsage comes from. According to eHow - A corsage is
worn by a woman, either on the left side of the dress or on the wrist, and the
boutonniere is worn by the man on his left lapel. The colors and designs of the
flowers either match or accent each other and unify the couple for the occasion.
Read more: The Difference Between a Corsage & Boutonniere | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_6658993_difference-between-corsage-boutonniere.html#ixzz2PbEKRWko
Read more: The Difference Between a Corsage & Boutonniere | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_6658993_difference-between-corsage-boutonniere.html#ixzz2PbEKRWko
Buttonholes must normally not be bigger than a golf
ball. If it is – it will tend to drop down during the wedding and that can
really look very sloppy. Another thing to remember when you are making your own
buttonholes is that it is normally better to use on big flower with some
smaller ones to fill it up – if you want to use more than one flower it is best
to use an unequal amount of flowers. Three flowers is normally a good number.
When you are making a “Country feel” buttonhole – it is
best to use flowers that almost look as if it was pick in a garden or a while
walking in the country side. Flowers like lavender, sticks, pods etc can be
used for this type of buttonhole.
One of the biggest differences between a corsage and
a buttonhole is the fact that when you pin the buttonhole to a man’s suit
jacket the flowers must face upwards. If you pin the same flowers to a woman’s
dress the flowers must face downwards.
Here are a few other samples
of country style buttonholes. The last two photo's are from the following website: http://thenaturalweddingcompany.co.uk/blog/2010/06/beautiful-buttonholes-part-two/
www.ectaint.com For more info on our courses.
10 Universal Laws For Success
Last night I went to my son’s graduation ceremony. I was
absolutely inspired by the speaker Seton Bailey – FILMSA – www.filmsa.co.za. Seton is very much part
of the film industry of SA but also heads up the Non Profit organization F.I.L.M.
His speech was about the film industry and newcomers (like
this young graduates) to the film industry but while he was talking I just saw
all the faces of our young students before me. Students with dreams to become a
Wedding Planner or an Events Planner.
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Just like the film industry – the events/wedding industry is
extremely competitive, and extremely difficult for a newcomer to make a success
in. BUT – all things are possible for him who believes!
In the next few blogs I’m going to start going into more
detail on each of the points that he gave us that evening. Seton called it:
10 Universal Laws you
may choose to use – or lose – in the real world.
1.
Flexibility and adaptability are absolutely key out
there in the real world.
2.
Work from the inside out
3.
Take small achievable steps
4.
Don’t reinvent the wheel
5.
Look, Listen and Learn
6.
Talk is cheap
7.
The decisions and choices you make along the way will
break or make your future and your product
8.
Never, ever forget the foundation stones or if you like
– the four pillars:
a. Professionalism
b. Attitude
c. Creativity
d. Entrepreneurial
or business savvy
9
Don’t give up… ever. Try and try again – nothing is
impossible – impossible just takes longer to achieve
10
Believe in yourself and your vision and mission in life
– if you don’t nobody else will.
SO WHAT’S STOPPING YOU? THERE’S NO PLACE FOR EXCUSES IN THE
REAL WORLD. THEY JUST GET IN THE WAY OF ACTION!
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JUST DO IT!
GO OUT THERE AND MAKE IT HAPPEN!
Monday, March 25, 2013
Wedding planning course
I think it is one of the most rewarding jobs that there is. Being
a wedding planner... being able to see the joy on the face of the bride when
she walks down the isle.... being the person that will help make her dreams
come true for her wedding day!
Just think about
it - most girls will dream their whole life about their wedding day. They will
first start to play weddings with their friends, when they are older - they
will start dreaming about prince charming and the beautiful wedding dress that
goes with that.
That’s not all...
add to that the fact that you will be the person that will need to organize the
day to the most final details - from the cake, the dress, the honeymoon, the
reception to name a few. Think about all the human emotions that flow at a
wedding. Mother in law and the bride, mother in law with the bride’s mom - I
can not count how many times me or my staff had to help make peace between two
warring factions! But it is all in a days work.
If you think a
wedding planner is just sitting behind her computer and organizing the wedding
- think again! You will have to know about the latest trends in the wedding
industry, you will have to be able to advise the client what is the best way to
go about with their budget and you will have to know how to make the best with
the money that the bride have available for her dream day!
I always say that
it is not difficult to make a dream come true with a budget of R200 000.00.
What makes you a GREAT wedding planner is if you can take a small budget of a
bride and groom and STILL make their wedding day a huge success!
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Come and learn the
tricks of the trade!
ECTA Creative Solutions have just launched their Wedding Planning Correspondence course!
Enroll in April 2013 and get the course for R2500 instead of the normal R3500.
For more info: contact our office at 0218560163 or go to our website: www.ectaint.com
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Draping course - Graduation in Kenya
That evening we rubbed shoulders with Mrs Kenya, the owner of the Mrs Kenya competition Terry Mungai, Esther Passaris of Adopt a Light, Treasurer of the American women association Mrs Trudy Hall Mugo and many more.
The
evening started of with ushers bringing in the 200 students. Sue introduces the
sponsors of the evening - Mrs Catherine Matsitsa(Samantha Bridal), Mr Mathew
Gathua (Valentine Cake House), Mrs Terry Mungai (Ashleys Kenya), and Mr Stephen
Maina (Kenya Weddings).
The best
student of the year was Pascalia Maingi of Mashariki Consultancy. The students
got certificates for Draping, Flower arranging, Event Management and Wedding
Planning.
After
the handing out of the certificates it was time for a little bit of fun. The
excellent MC - Mr Alexander (Ole Sankale) had the guest dancing and laughing
with his jokes. We had the privilege to cut the large cake that was given to
Divine schools.
Then the
fun of the evening started. We had a wonderful networking dinner at the Panari
filled with entertainment, good food and new friends. An awesome graduation
tradition that we can bring to SA. Watch this space….
Indian themed event
When the
client – Echo (Erinvale Care and Help Organisation) ask us to do their yearly
gala event and they announced the theme – I was immediately so excited. I’ve
always wanted to do a themed event on India. What is there not to love about
the Indian Décor? The bright colors, vibrant décor and amount of flowers!
The
website Colors of India describe it like this -”India stands for its incredible
culture, spectacular forts & places, great traditions and rituals. This so
called "country of snake charmers and magicians" boasts of a great
civilization. Be it the people, lifestyle or the mystical charm- India has
always amazed the world with her uniqueness. Colors of India, as the name
suggests, is an attempt to highlight various aspects and achievements of India
and its people.” http://www.thecolorsofindia.com/
If you
decide to use the Colors of India for a function – make sure that you choose
bright jewel colors and not dull pinks, purples etc. First go onto the internet to start
researching what the colors means to the Hindu people. Also go and Google
Indian traditions and pictures to start getting an idea on different focus
areas that you can try and create. As an example: www.manicksorcar.com has a picture of an Indian
shrine in a home.
We took that idea and create at the fire place in the venue a
type of shrine. The difference between realistic décor and suggestive décor is
the amount of thought you are putting into your focus area. We could have just
put the statue in front of the fire place with a few candles on the ledge – but
we decided to do realistic décor and due to that reason you need to bring a lot
of smaller detail to make the “shrine” look real. Have a look at the amount of
statues, candle etc. On the ledge of the
fire place. Also look at the water in the little container of the statue with
some rose leave floating in them.
We were
extremely fortunate to have a few of FCE’s students (http://www.fce.org.za/) at our function to help us set
up the décor. It was part of their practical training on how to do themed décor
and they really did an awesome job in setting up this Colors of India function.
Just look at the photos of when they were busy setting up versus the finished
themed venue.
When you
have to decide on colors that you are going to use for your function – look at
jewel colors, Bright pink, emerald, yellow, blue etc. Be careful not to just
throw color around – try to use the color with a purpose in mind. Rather use
bright color tablecloths instead of a white or black color table cloth. It will
make it so much more difficult to bring in the brightness of the Indian
functions if your base colors are in black or white.
Depending
on your budget – you can play around with a multitude of different centre
pieces. You can just use candle or you can “paint” a picture with flowers on
the table. When you decide to go this route – try and use a flower type that
will not wilt to easily. Especially if it is a warm day. Have enough people
around to help you pack out the patterns on the table. Try to start painting
with the flowers not more than an hour before the function.
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Don’t
forget colourful Indian dancers! Indian music, incense and last but not least –
the smell of real Indian food. The real success of any themed function lies in
the use of all 5 senses. Enjoy your
colors of India function!!!!
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
DIY traditional buttonhole!
Do you need to make your own buttonhole for your wedding?
Would you like to make a traditional rose buttonhole?
Watch ECTA Creative Solutions exiting youtube tutorials on how to make a traditional buttonhole - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMl_GjIHZqo or go to our website www.ectaint.com
Would you like to make a traditional rose buttonhole?
Watch ECTA Creative Solutions exiting youtube tutorials on how to make a traditional buttonhole - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMl_GjIHZqo or go to our website www.ectaint.com
Buttonholes for weddings
Buttonholes or
Boutonnieres
To learn more about buttonholes and how to make your
own watch ECTA Creative Solutions youtube tutorials: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMl_GjIHZqo or go to our website www.ectaint.com
The definition of a boutonnieres is “A flower or
small bunch of flowers worn in a buttonhole.” First question that pops up in
one’s mind is … is it not out of fashion for a groom to wear a buttonhole?
Immediately I would say NO. Not all grooms will
choose to wear a flower buttonhole but there are so many other types of ideas
for buttonholes. You can either go for a themed buttonhole, maybe something
old, something funny… the list is endless. We are going to help you decide on a
buttonhole - by showing you in the next
few weeks a few tutorials on how to make your own buttonhole for you wedding.
For a little bit of inspiration – look at the design
board with ideas on flower buttonholes and buttonhole alternatives.
It is important that the buttonhole a groom chooses
must reflect his personal style and it must fit their outfits for the day.
Traditionally the buttonhole will have something in common with the bridal
bouquet – maybe the same color or maybe the same type of flowers. Sometimes a
groom will just wear a certain buttonhole because of the fact that the bride loves
the idea and HE JUST LOVES THE BRIDE – anything to make her happy!
When you do use flowers for a buttonhole make sure
that you use flowers that will last in the heat, but also something that will
withstand all the hugs and running around of the day that the groom will do.
Because of the fact that most suits don’t have a
buttonhole for flowers anymore, it is best to actually wrap the stem of the
flower with a ribbon or something to make it look more interesting.
Men should wear buttonholes on their lefts side just
above the heart. It would be best if you can pin the buttonhole on the
underside of the lapel so that you would not see the pin afterwards. If you do
use a special pin with a diamante or pearl – you can consider to pin on the top
part of the lapel. It will then be part of the beauty of the buttonhole.
Who needs to wear a boutonnier at a wedding?
·
The
groom
·
The
groomsmen
·
The
fathers of the bride and groom
·
The
ring bearer
·
The
ushers
·
The
pastor
·
The
person driving the brides car
·
Anyone that you would like to give one
to wear…..
A note from “The art of manliness” to the groom and
his groomsmen:
Wear It with Confidence – Do not be afraid to be an individual. Wear a
boutonniere because you want to.
Pay Attention to Proportion – If you’re a small man, wear small flowers. If
you’re a large man, consider something that is more befitting your size.
Never Upstage the Ladies – A boutonniere is a single flower or a small collection
of tiny blooms; never wear something unwieldy.
Photo’s from the following websites:
arletteflorist.com
wanelo.com
fiftieswedding.com
cecilymae.com
thenaturalweddingcompany.co.uk
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