We had such a great time visiting Glitter and Grit last week. Located on the corner of 53rd and Butler Street in Lawrenceville, this bridal boutique will sweep you off your feet! Erin Szymanski, boutique owner, said she came up with the idea to open up shop when she was a bride and looking for a dress.

Glitter and Grit offers many options to choose from. Erin curates the collection herself and many of the designs are handmade. The shop also offers a selection of embellishments such as veils, bridal belts and hair pieces. Erin also holds trunk shows featuring different designers several times a month.

For more information, visit Glitter and Grit’s website and Facebook page! Thanks for having us, Glitter and Grit.

Last week, makeup artist, Carmel, paid a visit to The Event Group offices. Carmel has been doing makeup for brides for many years and we had her come in to teach us a few tips and tricks. Carmel did makeup for Cortney, our event coordinator, and Gina, our Director of Events. For Gina, she went for a nighttime smoky eye and for Cortney, she went with lighter, more natural tones. Either look would be perfect for a wedding or event.

She also talked about perfecting and evening out skin tones for a glowing, flawless look… because who doesn’t want to look flawless on their wedding day?! She also taught us the importance of highlighting and contouring and how it can make a big difference in how you apply your makeup and the end results!

Carmel used many different brands on both Cortney and Gina. From Nars to Bobbi Brown, Carmel had makeup shades that worked for both skin tones and coloring. To see their before and afters, check us out on Instagram! Also, please see our previous post about Julie Marckisotto, another Pittsburgh makeup artist that visited our offices!

Food is always an important part of an event. How much food to serve? How to serve it? Any guests with allergies or dietary restrictions? All of the answers to these questions play an important role into what is served at a wedding or event. But, something else that is very important is the presentation of the food. Here at The Event Group we believe this to be equally as important as the taste! The food should look visually appealing while creating unique flavors and textures for guests to enjoy.

We are constantly pinning great presentation ideas and wanted to share some of our favorites.

Caprese salad gets reinvented with hollowed out grape tomatoes filled with mozzarella and topped with a balsamic pipette. Talk about innovative!

A piece of pear, cheese and herbs, wrapped in prosciutto makes for a simple yet pleasing presentation.

Using a ribbon of cucumber to wrap different foods can be an interesting way to add a pop of color to the presentation. Tasty Kitchen offers a great recipe using cucumber slices.

Not only are the individual presentations important, but it is also important to create a seamless display between all of the foods that you are offering at your wedding or event. Whether having butler passed hors d’oeuvres, stations or both, presenting the food in an aesthetically pleasing and creative way is key for a successful cocktail hour.

Besides the way the food is arranged on a platter or serving tray, there are many different ways that food can be displayed. We love the above bowl made of ice to serve sorbet balls to guests. It is unique and eye catching! We also love to serve vegetables in clear containers to show off the bright colors of the vegetables. It makes displays attention grabbing– sometimes they are almost too pretty to eat!

Whether you are passing hors d’oeuvres or having stations at your next event, remember to always take food presentation into consideration! Follow us on Pinterest to see what other food fun presentations we are loving!