Inkling Calligraphy Custom Gift From Ira + Lucy

I am so thrilled to announce a new offer for our wedding and special event clients! As a token of our appreciation when you book our Design + Coordination services you will receive a custom hand lettered sign by Inkling Calligraphy to use at both your event or wedding and then for keeps in your home or business. We're offering this for both our "Enhanced Day Of" Design + Coordination Package and our Full Design + Coordination Packages *new bookings only.

We adore Claire's incredible talent with calligraphy and hand lettering and are so excited to offer such a beautiful gift! We're sharing below some of her beautiful portfolio! Please inquire for more details!

Fine Art Boudoir Photography, Dutch Still Life Inspired Shoot by Katie Rivera Photography Radion Photography

Ira + Lucy Vintage Boho Wedding, Southerland's Ranch, Eagle ID

Something that I've always focused so hard on, is the relationship I and my team have with our couples, including their parents, especially the Mother-of-the-Bride. We work very close, usually with Bride and Mom in the months leading up to the wedding. Sometimes that means late night conversations on the phone about concerns or stresses and how we can help them through those challenges. I'll never forget when Sydney reached out to me back in November. She found Ira + Lucy on WeddingWire and sent us an email inquiring about our services. It was a match made in heaven! When Sydney shared her vision I immediately wanted their wedding. Sydney and Bryce are both film students in Denver and I just adore their style and both are such quality people. Soon, Sydney's mom, Denise and I were shooting emails back and forth in prepping for the big day.

Sending Sydney and Bryce off in a sparkler exit to a dreamy vintage car, a surprise gift from the Groom's parents, was so special and a bit emotional for me. Dealing with 105 degree weather, and over 13 hours in the heat, Sydney hugging me before they ran to the car and telling me how happy she was, "Heidi I just love you! Thank you!" meant the world to me!

You'd think after three years of doing Ira + Lucy I wouldn't get nerves or deal with anxiety, but I totally do! I can barely sleep the night before our clients' weddings because I'm so caught up in all the lists, logistics, management etc and I can't stop my head from those lists. I want the day perfect for my couples that have trusted me and my team. It's one thing to kick ass leading up to the wedding, but it's another come "go-time". It was an incredible day! I've never seen such a stunning wedding party! Wait till you see the pics! E + E Photography were wonderful to work with and I'm just dying to see the pics! So, for now here is one stunner of a sneak peek! Thank you Sydney and Bryce and the Thomas and Hoogland Families for inviting Ira + Lucy to be part of such an incredible moment! xx

Stay tuned for more pictures coming soon!

TEAM Ira + Lucy Event Design, Coordination, Vintage Rentals The Southerland's Ranch, Eagle ID E + E Photography The Florist at Edwards, Matt A Lively Chef Catering Hannah Ganatos Hair + Makeup Greg Marsh Designer Cake VCI Audio - DJ

- Heidi

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Ira + Lucy Event Design, Seattle Spring Gala

Boise is a city, but it certainly has a small town feel and we know the industry is wondering.... Is Ira + Lucy moving out of Boise? Nope! We are still based out of Boise and working hard as ever on our home base turf for our incredible clients with a very awesome team of creatives! I can't wait to introduce you to them all! We'll have brand new team profiles coming soon! So, stay tuned! So, what about this announcement on Instagram about Seattle and Portland? We are glad you are wondering and asking. Jonnathan and I are from WA and also lived in Portland for some time and do miss our more greener homes and are excited to have the opportunity to expand our service to meet the PNW markets. We'll be focusing on Event Design in those areas, while utilizing existing coordinators and rental companies already in place. So, yes, we are stationed in Boise, but we are serving clients in Portland and Seattle as well. We will continue to take a limited amount of events to ensure that our clients get our full attention and care. So, hope that clears any questions up for you. Have no fear Boise! We aren't leaving.

Seattle Spring Gala

The Children's Garden School "A Garden Life" Spring Gala

Now, let's chat about our recent event in Seattle! We were pleased to design "A Garden Life" Spring Gala for The Children's Garden School, in Issaquah at Blakely Hall Community Center. We focused on a classic green and white palette with organic touches. Details included custom throw pillows for the VIP Lounge, milk glass and vintage mason jar centerpieces, hand lettered signage, a French Garden photo booth station, and a beautiful food station featuring incredible catering from Zimmer and Co. Jonathan Zimmer is a renown chef in Seattle and was such a joy to work with him and his team. We adore having the chance to style catering stations to allow the catering to focus on what they do best and let us handle the styling, for a cohesive experience for the event.

Obviously, I'm going to be biased, but I thought our "photo booth" was so perfect! The guests LOVED the set up and were taking pics all night! I'm beginning to be very partial to a green and white palette. I just love it! "Fantine" settee from France worked her charm on the guests, perfectly accented with our vintage crates, lanterns, mason jars and planters. Now if only I'd put that much effort into our home patio! I need more plants!

Our attempt at organic styled floral design! In keeping with a tight "fundraising" budget, the Chair of the auction requested that we and some lovely volunteers pull together the floral centerpieces. I might say, it was pretty fun, but I would much rather have the professional florists handle the flowers!

P.S. you NEED to try Armstrong Family Wine! The Chardonnay was out of this world! I might add that the Gala raised about 35% over their goal!!!! Wahooo! I'd say we were successful! Inkling Calligraphy rocked the signage for us! She's a Texas sweetheart who's moved to Boise and we are so happy she's here!

Zimmer and Co.

Lissa, from Weddings with Lissa, did a great job handling the coordination for the auction logistics! We love working with other fabulous planners.

Ira + Lucy Black and White Bohemian Wedding

I can't get enough of this "Boho" vibe that we are seeing all over! Perhaps it's because we have a very special Ira + Lucy couple getting married in July, who rock this Bohemian Chic look like no other! I've been on a black and white, or just white design kick lately and when I stumbled on these black and white geometric poufs for our rental inventory I squealed with delight! I ADORE these modern boho seating options. Our poufs are not the "cheapy" ones out there that are super soft and collapse when sat on - I don't know about you, but the last thing I want is my bride and groom or any of their guests getting stuck in a pouf! Ours are perfect for seating at a dining table or lounge set up! Keep it chic with black, white, greenery, and pops of wood and bronze tones! You can't go wrong with a black and white bohemian wedding design! GORGEOUS! Be sure to reserve your Ira + Lucy Geometric Poufs for your wedding or special event! We require rentals be finalized 30 days prior to your event! Get crack'n!

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Feeling a little more classic? You can still rock the "pouf" using a less bold option! We have some new inventory items coming soon that we are soooo excited to share! Here are some great concepts you can see from our "Wedding Lounge Poufs" Pinterest Board.

DIY Wood Pallet Wedding Projects

DIY Wood Pallet Wedding Projects

A former thrifty DIY Bride myself and now a Vintage Rental business owner and wedding designer, DIY is something we do often! And ohhh the lessons we have learned! Today we're sharing some tips for working with wood pallets. Hopefully we'll help you from a "Pinterest Fail".

TONS OF GREAT IDEAS of how to utilize recycled wood pallets are all over Pinterest and leading wedding blogs. You can check out some of our favorites! In the meantime, let's talk the reality of working with these puppies!

1. Wood Pallets are hella heavy! Enlist the help of your friends or fiance when working with wood pallets. They are super heavy and large! Think about what your use for them is going to be. A large pallet backdrop looks awesome, but you are really going to have to think through how you will prevent it from toppling over, especially if you are adding floral or other weighted decor to it.
2. Decide new vs old pallets. Is the end product going to look best with rustic upcycled wood pallets or would new be a better option. For us, we wanted not quite as rustic of a vibe old would offer, so we purchased new pallets and sanded the top of the boards down some for a smoother surface.
3. Disassembling wood pallets takes some sweat! Get your crow bar out! But, BEWARE! Removing the boards can also cause them to split where the nail was in place. Take your time, but realize you may split them during the process. I personally liked working with brand new pallets from a local wood pallet supply company. Also if you want your project symmetrical, like our wood backdrop, make sure you pick the most similar pallets, otherwise, like us... you'll be forced to disassemble them and rebuild them to match.
4. Staining wood pallets is a *^%#@ after the first attempt of staining wood pallets, I was ready to throw the project out! I was irritated, covered in stains and I was so sore from the crazy positions I had to put my body into to get to all those hard to reach places. So, here you go!

Insider Tip!

Do not stain with a brush! GET A SPRAY GUN! You'll blow (literally) through more stain this way, than doing it by hand, BUT, it'll take you less than 5 minutes vs 2 hours per pallet! Also, you need to cover the ground with more coverage than you see I did below... I killed some of my grass...

We LOVED this model we purchased from Lowes! The Wagner Opti Stain Plus for only $49.99! Keep in mind, it is for STAIN only! They have a different model if you are wanting to use paint. We used the Minwax Special Walnut from Home Depot for this project, which matches our custom bar.

Ira + Lucy Custom Wood Pallet Backdrop

Yes Dear. Studios

Ira + Lucy Matching Bar

Laken Fulton Photography

Hope this helps you with your wood pallet DIY projects! If this all seems like more work than you want to handle, you can rent for a fraction of the price! Contact us to rent our wood pallet backdrop!

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TIPS for DIY Brides working with Wedding Coordinators

We recently wrote an article for Sound Wave Music and Lighting about the DIY bride with some tips! Head on over for the full article. Since writing that guest blog post I have continued thinking about the DIY couples and how as designers and coordinators we can help our Do It Yourself Couples with some helpful tips! So, get your notepad out and start taking notes! Here are some tips for DIY Brides working with wedding coordinators and designers!

Some Background

SAVING MONEY! From experience talking with DIY couples, many assume they can't afford a professional Coordinator or Designer. DIY, usually lends to a couple being serious about having their wedding on a strict budget , so they are opting to tackle the details as much on their own as possible to save money. They immediately write off any option of having a Coordinator OR they hope to use a family friend or relative to help with coordination. Sometimes this works great and other times not so much... In our own wedding, many years ago and pre-wedding industry professional, I was in the same boat. I felt that $10k was a lot of money and had no clue what weddings cost and thought it would stretch far. I made the mistake of blowing through a decent amount of that buying decor, as there weren't vintage rental businesses back then. I certainly thought hiring a coordinator was out of the question!

Questions to ask yourself:

• Budget - have you actually figured out an itemized budget? Not just an overall budget, but how it is broken down? Usually DIY brides are reaching into the unknown trying to estimate price range for services: venue rentals, catering, DJ, flowers, attire etc. Often the answer is... "I had no idea how much that costs!" A professional coordinator can help you navigate the budget with a clear idea of what the different services cost and how to best guide you to reputable vendors that fit your budget.
• How much of your budget went out the window on those spontaneous shopping sprees at Hobby Lobby? You know exactly what I'm talking about. I know how tempting it is! That $75 here and $50 there and another $130 last month... Those add up! Instead, that money could have been saved up to go toward catering vs your family having to prep all the food. Or that dream floral arch for your ceremony! Those details will last in photos and give you the real bang for your buck vs. all those cute chalkboard signs. Really go through and ask yourself what you definitely need. Return the extras before you get any further into planning.

• Prioritize needs: (some of the main things to consider)
  • Venue
  • Officiant/Ceremony
  • Catering
  • Photography
  • Rentals (chairs, linen, tables etc)
  • DJ
  • Attire
  • Floral + Decor
  • Lodging
  • Travel
  • Hair + Makeup
• Coordinator fees. We highly encourage you reach out to local coordinators and ask lots of questions! Each of us offers different packages and services and all share the belief that each couple will find the coordinator that fits their personality and needs. It's okay if you meet and find that it isn't a good fit. It's all part of the process. Ask about coordination and design services - YES, there is a difference. Let the coordinator know your budget up front. Talk about it. See if you can figure something out that works for both of you. Maybe you need to pick between having a designer/decorator or a coordinator - what do you need most? ASK why they are beneficial to your particular needs. *side note! As with all industries there are always businesses that want to get into the industry and therefore do research on the market and then underprice the competition in hopes of getting experience and business starting out. Beware. As a couple with budget on the mind, that doesn't mean the cheapest coordinator is quality.
• Utilize PINTEREST. Pinterest can be a bride's AND coordinator's best friend or worst enemy! Autumn is a perfect example of how awesome Pinterest can be utilized for DIY couples!
  • Set your Pinterest Wedding Board to SECRET! You don't need the opinions and input of everyone AND you want to keep some elements a surprise right?
  • Start pinning things that catch your and your fiance's eye.
  • EDIT and DELETE pins that no longer fit the vision (or move them to a different board if you are attached to them)
  • Once you have narrowed down your board make sure to put in the comments the specific description:

With Autumn giving us all the details we knew EXACTLY what she wanted! This is perfect for the DIY bride who really wants to make sure her hard work comes together at the end; how SHE envisioned it. Autumn functioned as the designer until the last three months and then handed the reins off to our incredible team.

My husband and I both so grateful for Heidi's and her team's part in making our wedding day truly memorable and amazing. It was more than we dreamed about, and it was surreal to walk into the space with all the little details I'd been planning and working so hard on fully executed beyond my wildest dreams. It was beautiful, and I wouldn't change a single thing about any of it. The Ira & Lucy team was truly incredible - so kind, thoughtful, and hard working, and their dedication means the world to us. Because of all their hard work, we were able to relax and enjoy ourselves from the first second to the last, and focus on our vows, our guests, and most importantly, each other. My husband even made a point of telling me the next day how happy he was that we found Ira & Lucy - we couldn't have pulled it all off if we hadn't! Special thanks to Arielle for her attention to detail - she had lots of questions in the days and weeks leading up to our big day, and it really showed that she was thinking through everything to make sure it was just how we pictured. You know you've had a successful event when there isn't a single thing you'd change when you look back! - Autumn

We work with DIY couples often and don't want you to shy away from contacting us to inquire about our services. Hopefully these tips will help you in your planning! Certainly, we could give many more tips, but this post is already long enough! After you take a look at your budget with realistic expectations and think you may benefit from hiring a coordinator or designer/day of decorating team - shoot us an email and let's chat! You can see our packages here. Now put the car in reverse and pull out of that Hobby Lobby parking lot!!!

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NEW Wish List Feature!

We are very excited to announce a new feature for you! Talk about simplifying the process! Now as you browse through our online rental inventory you can select which items you are interested in and create your very own WISH LIST! When you submit the wish list I am notified immediately and can send you the itemized price list. Hope you find this helpful! We look forward to hearing from you! Visit our [button url="http://iraandlucy.com/inventory/"]online rental inventory gallery[/button] now and submit your wish list!

Spring and Summer Internship Openings

Internship Openings for Spring + Summer 2015

INTERNSHIP

We are a family-owned business based our of Nampa, ID, with our business named after our great grandparents, Ira & Lucy. We specialize in supplying vintage prop rentals, event design and styling in the wedding and event industry. We hope you will take time to view our website to learn more about us! Thank you for your consideration and time!

• Individual will work under the direct supervision and guidance of Lead Designer of the Ira & Lucy Design Team.
• Individual will learn to navigate event design & vintage rentals in the following technical and creative aspects:
• venue research & collaboration
• concept & design initiation
• design presentation (idea boards & social media/blogging)
• styling (styled shoots, events & displays)
• scheduling of meetings, styled shoots, consults, etc
• compose detailed BLOGs with final approval by Heidi
• Initiate press publishing with direction from Heidi on preferred platforms
• exclusive access to Ira & Lucy Inventory
• maintain implemented procedures to ensure cleanliness, professional presentation and effective organization of inventory
• honor strict privacy standards regarding inventory, client interaction, styled shoots, event and business events and activities
• contribute your own ideas for improving procedures and design concepts! We love to hear your ideas!

Internship to begin June 1, 2015 for a period of approximately 5 months ‘til October 2015, with potential for full time employment at the end of the internship or sooner. Our season goes through the end of October. We will review for employment for the duration of our wedding season and into 2016! Review may occur sooner on a case-by-case basis.

Our IDEAL CANDIDATE must:

• THRIVE on creative passion
• function on innovation! We strive to add a fresh approach to event design and not to merely copy what has already be done!
• work as a team! We can’t excel alone... we believe in the power of networking, collaboration and recognizing that it isn’t about “I”, but about a cohesive team effort toward “awesome’ness”
• never compromise on integrity. We value honest, hard work. Every action must be performed with outstanding character.
• experience with composition, interior design and/or graphic design
• strong verbal and written communication
• efficient with MAC computers and software
• graphic design skills, proficient with Adobe Creative Suite
• proficient or willingness to to learn WordPress and effective blogging
• ability to lift up to 50 pounds
• punctual, organized and flexible
• sparkling personality
• provide avg 15-20 hours per week (more during wedding season)
• COMPENSATION:

Pay will be dependent on experience and there is strong potential for this part-time position to grow into a full-time position if the candidate ends up being a good fit for our team.

TO APPLY

The right individual(s) will be hand selected through a four part process:

1. Submit your cover letter & resume, including: 2 example “idea” boards, 2 references and your availability (days + hours), and salary requirements
2. Write a 300 word essay on why you are an asset to Ira & Lucy. Email with above items to heidi@iraandlucy.com
3. In person interview
4. Final Selection

heidi@iraandlucy.com

www.IraAndLucy.com