Besides your photos and video, having your guests sign the guestbook is the next best thing for remembering your special day! We heart our brides over at Plaza Lecea because they are so darn creative! Here are some quick ideas for making your sign-in completely different and uniquely you:

1. Matted frame: Put your beloved engagement photo in a frame that you’d like to display in your casa. Make sure you choose a mat for the frame that is large enough for all of your guests to sign. Pick up a couple fine-tip sharpies and you are all set! Put the mat in the frame for guests to sign because otherwise they might sign too close to the edge and their message may not be readable when you put the glass and frame on.
2. Quilt: Have guests sign or leave a well-wish on swatches of fabric in the colors of your wedding (or really any colors you’d like to have a quilt in). Ask a quilting enthusiast to help put your lovely quilt together!
3. Photo booth: Love this fun idea because it gives your guests an opportunity to take home some instant photos of your special day! Most of the photo booth companies will print two copies of the pictures you take and give one to your guests as a keepsake and put another in a book and have them sign it. And there are so many fun accessories that the photo booth companies bring to make your pictures memorable! We recommend San Antonio Photobooths: http://www.sanantoniophotobooths.com/ or TNT Photobooths of Texas:  http://www.tntphotobooths.com/
4. Guest Book Store: Ok, so we haven’t seen this one here, but I came across it on another blog and thought it was too cool for school! People always find it troubling figuring out what to write in that small two inch space, and a guest book from the Guest Book Store gives them an opportunity to answer a couple of fun questions and even draw a picture of the bride and groom! You will be amazed at the funny things your guests come up with! Here is the site: www.guestbookstore.com.  
5. Wishing tree: Pick up some branches or curly willow from your local florist or Hobby Lobby and spray paint them the colors of your wedding. Cut out shapes (we’ve seen lots of hearts) and connect a hook to the shape so guests can hang the wishes from the branches. You can display this tree at your home or put the shapes into a scrapbook later.
6. Photo book: Gather all of your favorite photos as a couple (or even as kiddos) and put them into a photo book on Kodakgallery.com or shutterfly.com. There are so many ways to personalize the book

Check back tomorrow for six more awesome ideas–you’ve most like not heard of a few of them!!!

Plaza Lecea is proud to host the “Celebrating Art” Hope for the Future Art Show & Sale on November 9th. The local art community is coming together to share their talents to increase the tuition assistance available for San Antonio children in need. This art show and sale features work from local artists Brother Cletus, Lionel Sosa, Paula Cox, Jung Hee Mun, Jesse Trevino, Carlos Cortes, Bill Meek, Paul Northway, G.E. Mullan and more. The Marian Choir from Providence Catholic School, the Central Catholic High School Jazz Band and two St. Anthony Catholic High School students, Eric Garza and Sarah Centeno will be performing throughout the event for your entertainment as well.

Brother Cletus, a renowned artist and Marianist Brother, designed the signature piece for the show and will sell additional copies for $25 with 100% of the proceeds benefitting Hope for the Future. This special piece (shown to the right) sends schoolbooks soaring in the air from a Catholic school, as a sign of hope rising.

The show will also feature student’s work from local Catholic high schools,  judged by Kathy Armstrong, Director of Exhibitions for the Southwest School of Art. Approximately 25 submissions will be on display and up for sale with 50-100% of the proceeds going towards Hope for the Future in support of its mission to provide tuition assistance to families in need.

Details:

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Refreshments provided by The RK Group & Sessi Wine Co.

$40 per person

RSVP: hopeforfuture@archsa.org or 210.734.1963

Hope for the Future is a non-profit organization that makes the proven benefits of Catholic School Education available to economically disadvantaged children. With tuition assistance and grants for programs and technology, Hope for the Future supports the 45 Archdiocese of San Antonio Catholic schools.

We’ve had a lot of people wanting to know more and more about our facility, so we thought we’d share some of the most frequently asked questions:

1. Where are you located? Our physical address is 5441 Babcock Rd., SATX 78240. Our offices are located in Suite 200, but the event center is located on the fourth floor–you will need to come to the second floor and sign in with us during the week in order to reach the fourth floor. We are located on the corner of Babcock & Eckhert Rd., just north of the Medical Center. Sonic, Valero and The Bubble Car Wash are adjacent to us.

2. When do you tour? We tour Monday-Friday between normal business hours of 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. by appointment and on weekends (when we have events) by appointment as well. Contact us at 210.615.0009 to set up a time to tour.

3. What packages do you offer? We have day-time and evening packages available. Pricing is always based on date, time and number of guests. For more info, you can find pricing here: http://www.plazalecea.com/wedding-reception-fees.html 

4. Do you offer ceremony sites? Yes, we have two ceremony locations available. Our first location is in our two-story atrium lobby which boasts floor to ceiling windows and a grand staircase. The second location is in our Boardroom which overlooks the Texas Hill Country and has picturesque sunset views. We provide the chairs, all you need to provide is the decor, minister and groom!

5. Do you have adequate parking? Yes, we have 145 close parking spots available.

6. Is your facility handicap accessible? Yes, we have handicap accessible parking, ramps and elevators.

7. How many hours do we have for the event? We provide you with three hours prior to the event for set up, five hours for the event and one hour aftewards for the clean up. You can also add extra hours for $150 per hour or $75 for a half-hour. This charge is inclusive of your security guard’s time, coordinator’s time and associated building costs.

8. How far in advance do reservations need to be made? The is no real time constraint, just as long as we have the date available. Dates around holidays and specialty dates (ie: 11-11-11) book up quickly, so try to contact us sooner than later!

9. Is there a dressing room? Yes, we have a space off the second floor that has a private restroom, floor-length mirror and space for your bridal party to relax before the ceremony and leave their property in a secure spot during the event.

10. Are there convenient and adequate restrooms? Yes, we have women’s and men’s facilities available and both are handicap accessible (which will help with your ballgown!)

11. Is there a dance floor? Yes, we provide you with a 400 sq ft. dance floor in our large ballroom that is movable for an additional charge. You can also extend the dance floor where it is located to 600 sq ft. for an additional fee as well.

12. Are there any restrictions on decor, photography, videography or dj services? Nothing is allowed on the walls, but we do allow free standing objects (such as arches). Please consult with us if you have specific items you’d like to bring in. We do allow candles, but they must be in glass. We do not allow smoke or bubble machines from the dj. The photographer and videographer can access any part of the event center with the bride & groom but may need to have the coordinator give them access.

13. Who will coordinate with the vendors about set up? We will actually contact them the week of your event to go over set up times and specific details about your event. One less thing for you to worry about!

14. Do you provide a cake cutting service? No, this is something that is normally done by the caterer.

15. Is there an on-site caterer? Are we required to use your caterer? We have a list of approved caterers who are familiar with our facility. Although we strongly suggest you use one of our approved caterers, we do allow outside catering as well. We do add a 15% surcharge of your catering bill to your final payment when you choose an outside caterer. We also require that they have proper licensing and insurance. Outside caterers are required to adhere to the requirements of the Event Center at Plaza Lecea.

16. Do you have specific vendors for bar services? Yes, we have two approved bar services: Cocktails or Rookies. They can do a cash or open bar service for your event, but you will need to contact them for specifics. All of our caterers can provide a bar service for you as well.

17. What can I use for a grand exit? Please keep in mind that you will need to clean up anything that you use for the grand exit. We allow rose petals (must be silk if thrown inside), sparklers or bubbles. No confetti, birdseeds or rice.

18. Who will be my on-site coordinator? We have two awesome coordinators that have years of experience with special events. We normally know which one will be your coordinator a month prior to your event.

19. Are there any additional fees associated with the rental? We do require a damage deposit–this is normally just a credit card number on file–we do not charge your credit card unless any damages incur.

20. What are your terms of payment? We require a $600 deposit to secure your date (basically your first payment toward the rental), 1/2 is due nine months prior to your event, 1/4 due six months prior and the final 1/4 due one month prior to the event. Any monies paid towards the rental are non-refundable as they are liquidated damages.

December is only 33 days away! Why haven’t you booked your event location yet for that office holiday party?! Lucky for you, we have a few dates and some great specials still available. In keeping with the spirit of giving, we have partnered with An Event to Remember to give all clients that book a holiday party in December will receive a free upgraded linen package for their event. You can make it look like it took a lot of time and effort to make your event spectacular when we’ll do all the work! You can choose from a ton of different fabrics including pintucks, iridescent crush, embroidered overlays and more. An Event to Remember offers over 60 colors to choose from in a variety of linen selections to choose from to make your special event a little extra special this year!

We are also extending this offer for weddings as well! Always wanted a winter wonderland-themed reception? Or just in love with the idea of a Christmas wedding? Let us help you create the memories that will last forever!

We currently have a few dates available, including a Saturday! Contact Stephanie for more information at 210.615.0009. As an added incentive, An Event to Remember is also offering a special on catering for the month of December as well-5% off your catering. Tis the season for savings!