Another insider tip from Judy Moore!

Another great insider tip is to take photos before the ceremony. If you can get past the tradition of the groom not seeing the bride before the wedding, this is a great opportunity to free up some time to actually enjoy your reception. Taking couples photos before the ceremony allows the bride and groom to have some fun together before the wedding and to enjoy each other and loosen up before walking down the aisle. Choose a place or two that are unique or special to the two of you – somewhere you probably wouldn’t have a chance to take pictures on a regular day.

An amazing event at PAFA

I just thought I would take a minute to write about the extraordinary bridal event at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts that we hosted on Saturday night. Everything was lovely, the ambiance, the lighting, the music, the models, the vendor displays... everything! We got so many compliments on our event and how classy and original it was - no tacky hotel bridal show with bad food and boring runway shows for us!! No way - this was definitely a sophisticated event with world class vendors in a one of a kind venue and we couldn't be happier with how it turned out. Special thanks to JP Event Design's Josie Molas for all of her hard work and dedication to make this event successful. She was the behind the scenes brilliance that made everything go off without a hitch and since us planners are rarely recognized for our efforts, I wanted to make sure she knows how much she is appreciated. Kudos to an event well done!
~Judy Moore
owner JP Event Design

June Wedding at Cairnwood

We are so excited to finally be sharing with you the beautiful photos from Emily and Tevor's wedding at Cairnwood, Enjoy!

Photos by Michelle King

Another Insider Tip!

Time for another installment of "insider tips" from owner and operator of JP Event Design - Judy Moore!

• Have your reception at a RESTAURANT! Yes, I said a restaurant. As a former director of events for one of Philadelphia’s premier restaurants, I know firsthand how much money brides can save by having their reception at a restaurant. Restaurants are one stop shops – the venue, food, and beverage is all included in one price – no hidden rental fees, bartender fees, catering fees. Etc. Usually restaurant chef’s can accommodate any menu, not just the menu they serve on a regular basis. Also, there are SO many unique restaurants in Philadelphia – the list is almost endless, from tropical themed, upscale, modern, classic, urban, chic, you can find a Philadelphia restaurant that will totally reflect your style. Not to mention, how much you will save on décor! Restaurants spend tons of money on decor – you will barely have to do a thing – the ambiance, lighting, and style are already built in. My favorite new restaurant in Philly is Union Trust – a former US Mint building converted into a stunning restaurant complete with original century old architecture completely restored – its is gorgeous – a perfect choice for a reception or rehearsal dinner. Another favorite – MELT in Center Valley, PA.


See photos and get inspiration from Lisa & Rob's wedding that took place at Marsha Brown's Restaurant in New Hope, PA!

BEST OF PA 2009!

We are so proud to announce that we have won a spot as on the of The Knot's Best of PA 2009 Wedding Planners!

Pick up your copy today and look for us in the spring/summer 2010 in the best of section as well as insider tips from Judy Moore!

Insider Tips

We'd like to introduce our new weekly series of "Insider Tips"!

The most important insider tip I can give to brides is to hire a wedding planner, no matter what your budget! First and foremost a wedding planner will alleviate your wedding day stresses – brides should not have to worry about the insane amount of details that need tending to on the wedding day. A good wedding planner will take care of all of the details, ensuring that your event is perfect and if there are any unexpected issues that arise, the planner will take care of it – the bride should never even know if anything was less than perfect! Secondly, a wedding planner can save you thousands – we know the value of goods and services for weddings – we will find and get the best rates in the industry and pass along the savings to you – these savings will far surpass your investment in a planner. A planner may cost a few thousand dollars, but a stress free wedding is PRICELESS!!!


Stay tuned for more tips!

Yellow Bridal Shower

Yellow can be such a versatile color. Put it with pink and you've got a great spring party, put it with green and it's fit for a summer bash. When it comes to fall there's so many great things you can do with yellow. It looks great as a compliment to orange, but my favorite recent trend is to let it pop as the main color with black, grey and white as back ups to it.

Bridal showers are can be so much fun to plan and equally as fun to attend. Heres some of my favorite inspirations for a fall yellow bridal shower...



[clockwise from top left]

-Love these homemade jam ideas as favors - so cute! [found via rockandrollbride]
-With the cold weather upon us in north it's a great excuse to make it a tea party and have bowls of lemon both for tea and for decoration! [ben blood photography]
-Yum! scones are a great sweet treat to serve with that tea [Martha Stewart]
-LOVE these invites be Mermag!
-How adorable is this headband from HouseofTelsa? oh how I love etsy!
-How about setting up a little buffet of sweets to munch on during the party? [found via liveyourstyle]
-How much do you love this vintage inspired dress by modcloth? so chic!
-Don't forget to stand back and enjoy the party! [photo by Katherine Elizabeth]

Introducing Josie...

Hey there! I am one of the new interns, here at JP Event Design for the summer. As it is summer we are keeping busy! A large part of what I'm doing right now is working on my "Inspiration by JP Event Design" which I'm very excited about. To tell you a little about me, I consider myself to be an artist who just happens to love organizing and planning too, and I'm really hoping to use my art background to bring new and different ideas to all of the events I help with, as well as my "inspiration." It's great to be learning how to pull everything together, from getting a venue, to flowers, to designing a table and everything in between.

I'll be blogging weekly and would really like to concentrate my posts on the subject of buying local. With how America's economy is, it's becoming more and more important to support businesses that are based right here in the U.S. and keep the money right in our own "back-yard." One of my favorite tools is a site called Etsy. This is a fantastic site to find things for your event that are handmade, local, professional, and incredibly unique! One of my favorite tools on the website is their Shop Local tool which helps to find people who may be right in your own town that you didn't even know existed. I've found etsy to be particularly good with finding stationary for events such as invitations, place cards, thank you notes and everything else. If you can't find exactly what you're looking for (which is hard to imagine with the expanse of things on etsy!) there is another great tool that allows you to request custom items. I've also found that if you find a seller who makes things similar to what you're looking for, you can send them a message and they are almost always willing to custom make things for you.

Well thats it for me today! hope you have a great Memorial Day weekend!

Why hire a wedding planner?

Interesting question - I should be a pro at it since I get that question all the time. Recently, however, it has been altered somewhat to include, "Why spend the money to hire a wedding planner?" and while the answer to the initial question is endless (relieve stress, save time, get the best vendors, manage budget, the list goes on and on...), having a friend and confidant that knows absolutely everything about weddings should be considered priceless. Then, of course, there is this nasty economy and services that should be considered worth every penny get tossed like the garter. In an economy like this - is it even feasible to hire a planner? Feasible... yes. Affordable... yes. Worth it... YES! In fact, the economy is one of my top reasons to hire a planner (well, if you hire a good one, anyway). A wedding planner will not only help you manage your budget when times are tight, but a good planner will get you the best prices for the quality services you need at your wedding. We know the right florists, the best caterers, the hottest DJ's, and tons of different venues - so a good planner will not only match you with vendors that compliment your style, but also negotiate to get you the absolute best prices these vendors can offer. As a wedding planner in the industry for over 10 years, I know what these services are worth. If you come to me with a request and it not feasible for your budget, I will tell you - you won't have to go through endless web searches, six consultations, and 3 bridal shows to find out. Without a planner, you will probably spend thousands of unnecessary dollars because you didn't know what the best prices were for the services you sought. The investment in a wedding planner will go further than almost any other investment you make in your wedding day. The real question should be: Can you afford NOT to hire a wedding planner?

Happy Spring!!!

Happy Spring!!!

Spring is in the air at JP Event Design.

Our first official "Inspiration by JP Event Design" is complete! Our lemon and lime theme came to life after all of the hard work and creative ideas of our brilliant staff (in this case, mostly Sara :)