Bringing Dreams To Life All Year Long

Grand Occasions Hosts Okoboji Weddings Bridal Fair in February

Magical dreams come to life at Grand Occasions. With over twenty years of local event experience, Grand Occasions’ passion is to create the unforgettable wedding or party. From the linens to the centerpieces, this design and rental boutique knows how to build a magical event from the ground up.

Grand Occasions’ owners Bob and Sheila Ove and their daughter Gina Thompson offer a wide range of services from their shop in downtown Spirit Lake.

“We love being creative with someone’s dream – taking their plan from the start and seeing it all the way to the end,” Sheila said.

From the very beginning, Sheila and Gina will walk a client through all of the details. This first visit is a complimentary consultation where Sheila asks the bride to list everything she’s dreamt of throughout the years.

“We help walk them through the details, including the ones they may have forgotten,” she said. “I want to hear every imaginable dream and get a full understanding of what’s desired for the couple’s special day.”

Sheila will then create a detailed itemized list with everything they discussed. She gives it back to the bride and asks them to whittle down the list and decide on their most important things.

This allows the couple to decide what fits into their budget, which for some, may be everything they’ve dreamt of for their wedding.

Every wedding plan is also completely customized, according to the bride.

“I want to make it special and provide as much as possible according to the their budget,” Sheila said. “I want to decrease the stress levels and make our brides happy.”

There are options for a bride with the lowest of budgets to options for those couples where money is no issue.

Themes for 2019

In 2019, Sheila sees many of the past bridal trends continuing into the New Year. She said a rustic theme has been popular for a number of years, with Country Rustic to Rustic Glam being unique twists off the original concept.

“Rustic Glam is a theme we coined, as brides started to combine rustic with sequins and wood,” she said. “It’s really fun to see how different personalities are displayed through their selections.”

Trends Sheila has observed is a lean towards the eighties, including lattices and cake foundations.

“Every young lady that comes in has suggestions and ideas but rarely knows exactly what they want,” Sheila said. “They have a general idea but by the time they leave, their view has changed. We enjoy the evolving process.”

At the shop, they have a wide variety of items that can be rented for a party, whether it’s linens, dishes, lights, “wow” furniture pieces, vases, silk flowers, sea shells, and more. There are wine barrels, ladder shelves, and countless décor items. If they don’t have a decorative piece, they generally just create it.

“We have everything but tents,” Sheila said. “The local Kiwanis, a local charitable organization, rents out tents. They are in great condition and my first referral whenever anyone needs tents.”

The Ove’s also plan everything from Halloween parties to decorating for Santa’s Village held downtown every December. They can host special birthday parties at the shop or can bring to life a fund-raiser event.

“We really just love decorating,” Sheila said.

For more information on Grand Occasions, they can be contacted at (712) 336-2759. Their website is www.mygrandoccasions.com. The staff at Grand Occasions looks forward to creating a magical experience for your special event.