Votive Lantern

I love votives and the warm flicker of light diffused through a tea light holder. However, tea lights, floating or any candle for that matter can be a fire hazard if knocked over.

I have come up with some safer alternatives. Placing tea lights on crushed ice in a high ball glass and making a vellum collar with an image printed on an inkjet printer to diffuse the light.

The safest alternative is the new led tea lights that are available at most retailers from Halloween thru the Christmas season.

By using three glasses that vary in height the centerpiece can be a candlescape. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.

Votive Lantern Instructions

I lifted the candle sleeve idea from Martha Stewart (her site is full of good things) but adapted it to make tealight votives safer for events about 4 years ago. It's become my signature item for events I have created.

You take a tall glass (smooth cylinder) fill it halfway with crushed ice and place the tealight and votive inside. I have a template in Publisher I made to fit around the standard highball glass. Then all I do is print the artwork template on vellum. Wrap the vellum around the glass. Secret weapon (use a hole punch and two duotang fasteners)

Voila you have a votive lantern that if someone moves - it is not hot to the touch and less likely to be knocked over.

Story Board and Design

Creating a narrative for an event is about understanding the client’s own story and applying their taste to the overall look and feel of the venue. Since Hart House is a restored heritage house the room reflects elegance and old world charm.

My Mum’s brunch took inspiration from the Greta Garbo movie “Grand Hotel”. Garbo was an icon of the 30’s and 40’s and was my Mum’s favourite actress in her teens.

Garbo’s famous line from “Grand Hotel” was “I want to be alone” but because of her Swedish accent the line is quoted as “I vant to be alone.”

Making a play on those words with a picture of Garbo the invitation was simple but reflected the era. I used art deco martini glasses as bud vases and chocolate ribbon as a serpentine accent for the table. The votive lantern vellum collar was an image of a gardenia which was a reference to Mum’s favourite Garbo movie “Camille”.

Rather than using table number cards - each table was named after a Garbo movie.

The prominent flowers were dahlias and each table had a slightly different arrangement in a complimentary colour range based on Mum’s favourite colour mauve. All the flowers reflected the fall season.

Guest List & Catering Menu

In the case of Mum’s Birthday brunch, I was given a hand written list of names. It is so important to build a list that you can track and sort as you create and update your database of guests.

Since 80% of the world uses Microsoft software build your list in Excel. If you’re planning a complicated event like a wedding this tool is essential. Usually the client builds the list based on a template I provide. In Mum’s case I created and maintained the guest list.

Suggest to your client that only one person be the point of contact for responses. If they only have a business email account suggest they setup a separate email account for the event and if Net savvy a website or blog.

The menu and execution of the caterer is one of the most essential elements of a successful event. Always have a face to face meeting with the caterer to discuss menu options and price points for buffet or plated service before you sign the contract. Don’t be afraid to ask for recent referrals as quality control can change with a back of the house management change. Room rental charges often can be negotiated in shoulder season.

As a rule of thumb, breakfast or brunch buffets are the least costly whereas dinner service or a dinner buffet are the most expensive.