Simple Rustic Elegance

This is the first of the entries in regards to items we find interesting and not so "cookie cutter" for weddings.  These items from Bragging Bags' shop on Etsy are unique and can be used for all different types of weddings.  From fall, rustic, outdoor or even western there is something in this shop for you to find and create your own unique touch for your wedding.  With the right elements you can achieve Simple Rustic Elegance. Below are some of our faves.

Down the aisle, instead of roses, why not use miniature pumpkins? 

For the reception, from table numbers to centerpieces the options are limitless.

For those brides that do not want real flowers or may be even allergic.  Bragging Bags' Shop even offers some beautiful alternatives to live flowers.

Garters to cuff links. The options are limitless.  Make your day special by adding any of these items to you day.  It will truly be a day to remember.

Check out Bragging Bags' shop on Etsy.  Tell them we sent ya!!

Happy Planning!

AMAZING wearable Art!!

Want something uniquely yours for you wedding day?  How about a pair of hand painted shoes?  These shoes by Norakaren are unbelievable.  They are absolutely gorgeous.  No matter what you theme, color or season of the year, she can design a shoe that best reflects your unique style.  She offers a wide array of shoes...flats, sandals, peep-toes & pumps.  There's something there for everyone!

She can design shoes for all occasions.  Weddings, Proms or just a great night on the town her designs will be something that you will wear over and over.  These shoes are definitely wearable art.  They will be the talk of the town!

If shoes were not enough she also can make matching clutches.  What would be a better fit for your bridesmaids?  Matching shoes and clutch...what a great gift!

Check out Norakaren's etsy store and facebook page.  There is nothing better than making your wedding uniquely yours, these shoes will do just that. 

Is there a difference???

I get this particular question many, many times!  My venue provides a site coordinator, why get a wedding planner?  What's the difference between a site coordinator and a wedding planner?  Is there a difference?

YES THERE IS!! 

A site coordinator handles just one piece of the puzzle: the Venue.  Their "allegiance" is solely to that venue.  Think about this, who do they work for? They have been hired by the venue to ensure that the what they are supposed to provide is completed.  They make sure that the room has enough tables & chairs, the staff is aware of the nights events and that the kitchen is running on time etc.

A wedding planner will put all the pieces of the puzzle together.  Even just a "day of" coordinator provides so much more.Your wedding planner works for you and their sole "allegiance" is to YOU.  You hired this particular person to handle the details of the day. They work for you. They make sure that your vision of the day is executed flawlessly.  They will be the contact of all your vendors including the venue. 

Don't get me wrong there are site coordinators that go above and beyond.  They are asset to you as well as the wedding planners. They know the venue, inside and out.  So they would be able to tell you the best way to run your ceremony and reception layout. But, what they can and cannot do is limited. Most of  the times, they've only met with you once or twice.  Aside from emails and phone calls you barely know this person.  A planner is the one who gets to know you and your family so they can provide that personal touch.  The person during the planning process you can call and vent to without any judgement.  The person who will help with the planning woes.  Because in the end it can be stressful.  There is so much along the way during the planning process that can cause you do be nervous, the planner is that person that will give you that encouragement.  Help ease those nerves.

 Wedding planners make sure to contact each of the vendors prior to the wedding to go over specific details.  If there are any concerns that we or the vendors have, it gets resolved before the wedding day.  The site coordinator usually will not have contact with the vendors before the day of the wedding.  Unless, of course, the vendors themselves contact them.  Which means you are the "middle-man".  You refer questions or concerns from one to the other.

A wedding planner is there to assist you with anything that you may have concerns about.  Whether it's before or on the wedding day.  They offer your a personal touch, making sure that you on your day are stress free.  The site coordinator normally doesn't have the time to give you that personal touch, maybe only checking on you 1 or 2 times throughout the event.  Again, the main focus is the venue, they have to make sure that the kitchen, the timing and everything else dealing with the venue is executed perfectly.

All in all, both are an asset. When a good site coordinator meets a good wedding planner, fireworks happen.  It's the best of both worlds.  On your wedding day, instead of having one piece of the puzzle amazing, wouldn't you want someone that knows how to make all the pieces fit and make your entire day flawless?  If you had a choice wouldn't you want someone there on your side, "your right hand gal", to help every step of the way with every aspect and not just the venue?  In the end it's your day.  And don't you want the best people helping you make that day as amazing as you have envisioned your entire life?

Fall in Love

This past weekend we had the pleasure of working with a very special couple.  I did the wedding of the bride's cousin a few years back.  So needless to say I was very happy to be asked to help plan this wedding. They got married in their church,  Shore Fellowship Church in Egg Harbor Township NJ.  It was a beautiful setting.  The church has a lighting department that made sure the lights matched the colors of her wedding and music.  On each side of the stage were two big screens that had picture slide show of them both.  The ceremony itself was personalized to them.  This made it a touching experience for everyone involved. Reception was held a few minutes away at the Farmington Fire Hall.  I'm usually not a fan of fire halls.  But, this one was exceptional.  With all the decor that we had, it definitively did not look like a fire hall.  The staff was excellent.

Photography by Kim Angelo

Orange was the wedding color.  Combined with different fall colors it was gorgeous.  Her bridesmaids wore different shades of orange.  She looked beautiful in her dress. And as a "shocker" she wore a hot pair  of orange shoes.  Her bridesmaids even bejeweled the heels.   He had a white with black stripes jacket with black pants.  Black and white shoes.  He looked very handsome as well.  Very cute couple.

The bride decided to do fall theme wedding.  A "Fall in Love" theme was created. We had brown linens on all the tables adorned with mums, leaves, pumpkins, pine cones and cinnamon sticks.  Of course, there were tons of candle throughout.  Giving it a very romantic, simple elegance.  She opted not to do table numbers but table names.  Love in different languages.  Just beautiful.

Karen's Kreations

The cake was a four tier cake with two seperators filled with flowers.  Cake topper was the letter "P" bejeweled with their colors and a few added flowers.  The bride surprised her groom with a cake shaped like a helmet from his favorite football team.

They had a couple surprises throughout the night.  The bride and groom started off dancing their first dance to a slow song and then ended with a Bachata song.  The guests went wild.  Then she danced with her father.  It started slow and then ended in a fast song.  It was really great.  The guests were greeted with a candy bar.  Different shaped containers both square and round filled to the top with candy.  Though it was mainly adults, there was barely any candy left over at the end of the evening.  They had quite a sweet tooth!

The bride and groom had a photo booth, Scott Roth Events.  It remained busy the entire night.  It was a big hit.  Guest would dance then go take some pictures.  We even had some guests making props to take in.  It really was a good time. I felt terrible, Scott was so busy he didn't even get a chance to eat.

Photo Booth Scott Roth Events

 The dance floor was so packed we even had to break down some tables to make more room.  They definitely had the right crowd to keep that dance floor full.

The entire night was full of  touching events, from the toasts to the thank yous.  The whole evening was filled with love.  The love they have for their family and their friends was evident. And of course, the love they have for one another was overflowing.  I wish them all the best throughout the years.  Thank you for sharing your day with us.

An Apple A Day

From the beginning with this wedding, we knew it was going to be unique and beautiful.  You normally would not think that dark purple and "apple" green would look good together.  The colors are so pretty on their own but they look stunning together.

They had both their ceremony and reception at Cabell's Mills in Centreville,VA.  The ceremony was held on a outside deck in the middle of a wooded area.  The area looked like it may have been used for a outside theater. The unique area of the deck required the bridal party to enter form the front.  Not down the aisle in a traditional wedding.  The bridal party walked through a field to the deck while a guitarist and cellist played. 

The dinner portion of the reception was held in a outside patio.  Just below the patio was a small stream lined with trees. Once the light started to dim, it was absolutely breath-taking.  Tables were adorned with dark purple linen.  Each table had different glass containers filled with green apples and purple orchids.  Each one was a little different in size and shape.  The railing outside was decorated with tulle and twinkle lights. Just enough light to see once it got dark.  Very romantic setting.

Once dinner was over the guests moved upstairs to continue the party.  The bride's mom (with a few family & friends) made tons of cookies for a gorgeous cookie bar.  Can you believe over 90 dozen?  Wow, it was amazing.  No cookies were store bought. Unbelievable and delicious, if I do say so myself.  There were plenty of cookies for everyone to eat there and plenty to take home.  The bride was thoughtful enough to think of all the woman guests.  She provided flip flops for those "tired toes".  The guest sign in were pieces of square material in her colors that each guest provided a little message for the newlyweds.   Her mother took each piece of material home with her to make a memory quilt for her daughter.

Artistic Cake Creations

The cake made by Artistic Cake Creations was a 3 tier square purple cake with green sugar flower orchids.  Beautiful cake.  All the stationary from the escort card board, the table numbers, the signs were all made by one of her very talented bridesmaids.  The favors were caramel apples tied with a purple ribbon. 

Even just for a few hours, the wedding provided an escape for her guests from all the hustle and bustle.  Surrounded by nature in a beautiful location the newlyweds enjoyed the company of their closest friends and family.  All the personal touches, the unique ceremony and the amazing cookie display made for a wedding that their guests will remember for a long time.  Thank you for letting us be a part of this amazing day. 

Football on the Beach

Heaven on Earth Wedding  Flowers

This wedding had one of the most unique themes I had the privilege of planning. It was football on the beach theme. From what you can probably already gather the bride and groom are big sports buffs. The groom is a huge Packers fan, well more specifically Brett Favre fan. They got engaged on the beach. Since they were not able to do the wedding on the beach we incorporated the beach feel with some added football touches. Their colors were turquoise with peach & light pinks. Beautiful together!

The ceremony was at St. Timothy's Church in Chantilly. Her and her maid of honor"s bouquet had starfish incorporated into them. They arrived at the reception in style. Driven by the groom's father in a turquoise and white 55 Chevy, decorated by all the groomsmen. Once they arrived at the reception they drove around in a golf cart that we equipped with a "just married" sign. Too cute!

The reception took place at Evergreen Country Club in Haymarket, VA. The table centerpieces were both tall and short, both incorporating the beach theme. Starfish lined all the table centerpieces with turquoise glass beads. The escort cards were individual starfish with the table name in metal containers filled with sand. (Well, crushed graham crackers) They had table names instead of table numbers. The table names were of football teams. It was great hearing the cheers and boos when certain teams were called up for dinner. Definite a crowd pleaser!

Artistic Cake Creations

The cake was a 4 tiered beach themed cake. It had the sky, clouds and birds hand painted onto it. The cake monogram was painted to look like a sunset. White picket fence and white Adirondack chairs were placed to give it a more unique beach feel. CB + JD (their initials) was written in the "sand". The topper was a groom carrying his bride on his back while holding a football. Some edible shells and sand (crushed graham crackers) completed the beach look. The favors, silver starfish bottle openers, were placed at each place setting on top of a turquoise lamour napkin. Each chair had a chair cover and turquoise lamour chair tie. The turquoise really "popped" against the white linen and subtle colors of the centerpieces.

We worked with this bride and groom for over a year.  We were overjoyed by her reaction when she saw the room.  She was overcome with emotion.  We absolutely love that reaction from a bride.  Nothing is better!  They are a really adorable couple. Their families, their guests everything about this wedding we loved. It was truly a very fun, unique and beautiful evening. A wedding we won't soon forget!!

Quest for the perfect shoe

If you read my blog entries in the past you noticed that there are a few entries or passages in regards to my sore feet.  Weddings take it's toll.  That's why I need a good shoe due to all the blisters, bumps and bruises I end up with at the end of the night.  I would have never thought that I would blog about sore, blistered feet.  ha,ha  But, it's actually a very important part of being a wedding planner.

I'm usually on my feet for 10+ hours.  Between following bridal prep, setting up, ceremony, reception and clean up it's a very long day.  I barely have time to stop, let alone sit and rest my feet.  I run back and forth all day making sure all the details are taken cared of.  So, needless to say shoes become very important.

Of course during the setup until closer to the ceremony I am in more comfortable attire.  Therefore, able to wear a more comfortable shoes.  I usually wear similar to a sneaker. Now if I could wear a nice cocktail dress with a sneaker, I would be in heaven.  I don't think the bride, family or even guests would approve.  So I'm left with wearing a dress shoe.  Now ladies as you know, not very many nice looking dress shoes are very comfortable. I've tried flats, heeled, semi-flat, leather and non-leather shoes.  Nothing seems to work. I always end up with sores and blisters.

Now with the urging (wink-wink) of a friend, I've decided to go on the lookout for the all mysterious, often fabled comfortable nice looking shoe.  I'm going to shop diligently and experiment with probably at least a dozen shoes until I find it.  My goal is to find that oh so elusive shoe.  And I will, my feet depend on it!

Garden Wedding

This wedding was a stunning Aqua and Magenta Pink colored Garden wedding.  Both the ceremony and reception took place at Raspberry Plain in Leesburg, VA.  The ceremony was in the formal garden.  The bride walked down the Magenta Pink Hydrangea lined aisle looking beautiful.  The service was a very touching ceremony officiated by the bride's uncle.  The ceremony was complete with the breaking of the glass traditional for Jewish ceremonies. Mazel tov! Although, the ceremony was not Jewish, they had traditions which they incorporated for the groom's parents.  The whole reception incorporated Jewish & Greek elements. From part of the favors to the dances throughout the evening.

Amphora Cake Bakery

The tables were adorned with aqua colored ribbon taffeta linens.  White lanterns glowed throughout the night.  Magenta Pink Hydrangea were placed on the tables in between votives.  Just a beautiful setting, especially at night when the centerpieces looked liked they were glowing upon a sea of blue.

The cake table had a fuchsia lamour underlay and a white lamour overlay.  The cake was aqua colored with white lace cutouts that matched the lace on the bride's dress.  It had touches of pink complete with Magenta Pink colored Hydrangea topper.  The favors included jordan almonds wrapped in tulle placed at each place setting.  They also had treats that the bride and family made for their guests. Delicious Blondie Brownies to Chocolate Chips & Peanut Butter Cookies were provided to all their guests.

 Absolutely gorgeous end to the evening with the couple walking through a sparkler lined walkway to an awaiting limo.   The whole evening was absolutely gorgesous.  The Bride and Groom were such a cute couple and we loved being a part of their special day.

'Zillas

There is nothing worse than being a planner and having a bride turn into the dreading BRIDEZILLA. By now, unless you live under a rock, have heard of the term Bridezilla.  It's a term that is used to describe completely chaotic, crazy, irrational, rude bride.  Brides going ballistic with their wedding plans and  of course day of.  Now being in the business for some time now, we have been fortunate to not come across many Bridezillas.  Having said that, we never know what we will encounter the day of.  Sometimes the bride is calm as a cucumber other times she will break down into tears, having a complete melt-down or throw tantrums for no apparent reason.  This all comes down to nerves.  We wouldn't call that Bridezilla-ish.  That's just a bride being a bride.  We take that all in stride.

Now there are creatures that are more dreaded than the Bridezilla.  We have encountered quite of a few of this not so rare animal.  More Zilla-ish than a screwy bride.

MOMZILLA, this one is usually apparent right from the start.  They usually don't hide their true identity to easily.  They make sure we know they are around from the start.  Now this Zilla tries to influence all the vendors.  Whether it's trying to change the first dance song to a more appropriate song, trying to run the rehearsal, questioning every decision the bride has made, telling the decorator/florist where everything should go and completely just taking over the planning process.  In the end we have no contact with the bride. Momzilla has taken complete control. Crazy right?   One Momzilla even tried to change the flowers behind the bride's back.  She called the florist and insisted the change.  Just happy the florist called us before she changed anything.  Can you imagine?  Showing up to you wedding and getting totally different flowers then what you anticipated?  Talk about a potential melt down!  Mom's mean well, their hearts are in the right place.  They want the best for their little girls and they won't stop at anything to make that happen.  But, what happens is they end up stepping on toes and in the end upsetting the bride.  Usually by day of, and we do mean usually, they are a mess with emotion and really can't conjure up enough strength to dictate any more.  Advice, this is you daughter's day, let her have her day.  Don't live vicariously through her, enjoy the day with her.

The dreaded and once unrecognizable GROOMZILLA. Yes, there is such a thing.  When the groom, who is usually so laid back and calm morphs into this monster, it is not a pretty site.  We have had the unfortunate encounter with a few Groomzillas.  They arrive very discreet, very cunning and then when you least expect it they spring it on you.  Why isn't my hotel room ready? Why are still getting the room ready? Why is this here?  Why do I have a rose?  Why is she still getting ready? why, why,why...UGH!!  Really?  To top it off they usually will try to include their bride in their madness.  Calling them again and again. You really haven't been involved in any planning process now you want to question everything and everybody including the bride.  Action of attack...it depends on the groom.  First, make sure bride's phone is off!  Second, calm them down with a drink from the bar--if they drink. Food works too. Talk slowly and rationally to them, try to resolve the issue.  Even if there isn't one.  Appease them with some type of sporting event on TV or possibly a video game of some sort.   Lastly, get the best man to take him for a walk, shoot some pool or whatever just get him away. It's usually the case of the nerves and they just need to see things rationally. They will calm down after a few minutes.  But, they can reek havoc so quickly it'll make your head spin.

(Logo made by vintageglaswedding.blogspot.com)

For the worst perpetrator of all.  THE VENDORZILLA.  Yes, we dare say it out loud.  Now Vendorzillas are the most cunning of them all.  They can totally fool the wedding couple.  They sneak around and keep there true Zilla form hidden until one day....BOOM!  All heck brakes loose.  They don't return calls or emails, don't provide the service they are contracted to do and are always late. Somehow have the disillusion that this is their day.   Now I've encountered quite a few of these Zillas.  Some were almost as elusive to me as to the bride at first.  But, then they always show their true colors.  DJzilla, Caterzilla, Flowerzilla, Bakerzilla, just to name a few. They are all unique in their own way, but can totally ruin a wedding from the inside out.   Some think that they "make" the celebration.  They are the only reason we have all gathered.  Really?  How soon they forget the real reason we are here.  To celebrate the marriage of the bride and groom.  We all work for them.  Supposedly as a team.

When a bride asks for red roses, WHY do you show up with fuchsia? When they want you to play a certain song at a certain time, WHY do you completely ignore them?  When the food is supposed to be one way, because that's how they want it, WHY do you provide what YOU want because you think it's best?  Why when we say arrive at a certain time you arrive so late that the guests see you setting up?  They are unprofessional, not dressed properly, rude, unaccommodating, barking orders left and right to both guests and their workers, and did we mention half the time show actions of a person who is quite frankly a lunatic.

In Zilla world there are so many things that can go wrong.  We have to shield the bride and groom from all things Zilla. We have to battle for them behind the scenes either before or after the wedding. We have to take the Zilla aside and make them understand what the whole point of this day is.  And yes sometimes we do have to show our teeth and growl at them.  Sometimes that's all it takes.  We start off sweet as pie but we can tear into them, if need be.

Now we know that wedding planners can turn Zilla-ish.  We sometimes would like to pounce on someone every now and then.  But, we have to maintain composure, keep smiling while biting our tongue. We've come quite accustomed to that over the years.  Many times having to leave the room to scream or count to 10, over and over.  Vendors are supposed to be a united front.  We all work for the same person and should act like it.  We're just the directors of this wedding movie.  If one of us is off, we all suffer.  We should have the same voice, the same goal.  That is always to keep the bride and groom happy. The whole goal for this one day is to give them the best day possible.  A day to remember.

If that means going into the jungle that can be a wedding to hunt these Zillas, that's what we will do.  But, the Zillas should not be so calm in their madness.  So poised to do what they want at the cost of the happiness of our couple.  Beware Zillas, we come armed and ready.  We will do what it takes to make our couple happy.  After all, that's why we are their wedding planners.

Just the right amount of Bling!

Usually Memorial Day Weekend involved 1 or more BBQ parties.  This past one involved a very special wedding: The Wedding of  Melissa and Eddie.  We've been working together for over a year.  Planning the perfect day for a wonderful couple.  Through countless emails, texts and phone conversations we managed to give them a day to remember.  The colors were shades of pink & silver with some bling.

The day started early in the morning with Melissa and her bridesmaids getting ready at the hotel that would hold this amazing event.  The Sheraton in Reston, VA.  Both the ceremony and reception were to be held there.  As the time grew closer to ceremony time, emotions grew stronger.  Tears were filling every one's eyes.  It was great that the bride provided "tears of joy" tissue packets for everyone. It's a great feeling when you are able to be a part of a day that the bride and groom feel so strongly about.  Now this couple didn't believe in the superstition of not seeing each other before the wedding.  They opted to see each other before and take a few private pictures.  This I love.  It gave them some private time before the ceremony.  I think that many people believe that if you see each other before that the moment is not the same when you walk down the aisle.  This is not the case.  This couple is proof that you will get the same reaction.  Everyone was teary eyed as she walked down the rose petal and candle lined aisle. A very romantic setting with the lights dimmed.  Just gorgeous.

The reception had several personal touches and full of surprises.  The bride & groom gave important women in their life roses in a rose dedication.  The best man speech was quite a surprise to say the least.  After saying a few touching thoughts he proceeded to provide a dance to the bride and groom as they sat handcuffed. YES! handcuffed, so they couldn't run. Baby got back played over the speakers, it was absolutely hilarious. This was a surprise to not only the bride and groom, the guests but also the planner.  I had no idea.  All the guests loved it, and so did I. The decor was beautiful.  Hurricane candle with glass beads wrapped with feathers adorned the tables.  Silver chargers with their initialed favor cookie was at each place setting. Each favor tied with a tag that said "love is sweet".  A blinged out table number on each.  Some added pink & clear diamonds added just the right amount of bling. 

My favorite part of any wedding is when I get to spend just a few moments with the bride and groom showing them their reception room.  All the little touches that we added. I usually don't get overly emotional during the wedding day. But in this case, my eyes filled up with tears as I saw her reaction. Melissa was overcome with emotion.  I have to admit that is the best reaction ever.  To bring a bride to happy tears is the best feeling ever.  To make her day that much more special.  Just to think that we had something to do with that.  I have the best job ever!

The love Melissa and Eddie share is so apparent.  It brought joy to my heart to see them get married, do their first dance and just enjoy the night thoroughly.   Everything from the excellent vendors she picked to the decor and even the guests.  It was a flawless night.  I don't know if it's just the countless hours we've spent together or just the connection I feel with them, but this wedding was one of my favorites!  I have to say that their cookie favor tag is right "Love IS Sweet"!  I wish them a life full of sweetness!  Thank you for letting us share this day with you.  All our Best!

Family & Friends

Creations by Brenda is made up of a group of really good friends and family. With our business growing, it's getting more and more evident of how much I appreciate all they do. Throughout the years they have all helped with various events, set-up, day-of & clean-up. Some of the time even without getting paid, other than a tons of appreciation. You have to love them for that. Being willing to help me with events without making any money.

My sister in law, Carmen is my main assistant. She has been there from day one. Always by my side, even into the wee hours of the night. We've gone on 2 hours sleep. Worked whether rain or shine, sick or not, tired or exhausted, she is truly someone I can count on to be there no matter what.

My husband, no matter how much I throw myself into the events I do, he in the end,  very supportive. He may not understand why I throw myself or put so much into each event. But he too, has helped with setting up and cleaning up events. He's my very own incredible hulk with a knack for Tetris. I've never seen anyone carry as much or fit so much in the back of our van. Amazing to watch, really! He deals with the long hours, constant calls & my "vents". He gives me advice, although sometimes I don't want to hear it, he is usually right. It's funny how much he knows about weddings, I guess it just rubs off. I am truly one lucky woman!

   A recent example of my wonderful family, is when I needed silver chargers. I needed silver chargers for an upcoming wedding. Chargers are decorative plates to be set on table. They are not to eat off of, just for decoration. We couldn't get enough of what we needed in time. I had promised a recent bride that I would provide them, assuming that I would get them in time. I, of course, was going crazy trying to figure out what to do. I hate nothing more than to have a disappointed bride. I had tons of gold colored ones. More than I would need in any future event. I thought,"hmmmm, maybe I can spray paint them". Well, that didn't work, aside from the fact that it would be crazy expensive for the amount I needed but it would also not look to good. Thanks to my brother, Jimmy aka Jim, Jimbo, Jimbalia, Jaime, he was able to figure out a better way to paint them. They look amazing, in fact better than what I was going to buy. The years he took things apart, painted and rebuilt them again to only take them apart again. It used to drive us nuts! But he has developed quite a technique. He painted 100 chargers in no time. He didn't hesitate to help. My parents, husband, my children and nieces all helped sanding and placing them to dry. What can I say, I have an amazing family!

Along with an amazing family I have a great set of friends that are willing to help at a moment's notice. Whether it's editing my website to make it just right, listening to my constant "vents", providing very talented balloon "art", provide endless help with decorations, drive an hour to help with an event, or just going above and beyond the call of duty to help. I have an incredible group of friends.

With our little business growing more each day it's great that I can depend on our family and friends for help when needed. They are a very talented group and are willing to help with whatever they can. What more can I say I'm very lucky to have all them in my life. I'm very happy that I get to share this experience with them.  I appreciate every single one of them.  Thank you all for all that you do.

Mondays

I'm just "recouping" from this past weekend's wedding. But, I don't get time to rest. It is the beginning of the week and time to do all the follow up calls.  Some minor issues need to be addressed with various vendors.  Details of the night's events need to be discussed with event staff.  Things needed to improve our service or things maybe that we could have handled better.  There are, of course, things out of our control...rain for example.  We did plan for the rain so that is always a plus.  Always, be safe than sorry!  Time line had to be adjusted along the way: the DJ, caterer, photographer & our staff rolled with the punches.  In the end, we finished everything on time.  Just had to be diligent and make sure nothing slipped by without us noticing. We can double, triple & quadruple check everything before hand but on the day of you just do not know how things are going to happen.  You have to be prepared to change things in a moments notice. You have to be able to have that wiggle room but still keep the bride's vision.  It's a delicate balance.

We did not need our enormous ER kit other than for minor issues.  Loose buttons, tuxes not fitting correctly, boutonnieres falling and of course our set of extra umbrellas.  Other than that, no major issues that couldn't be fixed with some creative thinking and hard work. At the end of the night, as always, we are just exhausted but extremely pleased with the work we did. I am a perfectionist with my weddings...so I always can improve on something.  My feet are sore and full of blisters, never fails.  I have to find a more comfortable, nice looking, shoe...this is ridiculous!  This time I must have hit or did something to my right foot.  It's bruised and swollen, nothing a little ice won't fix.  Don't have a choice...Saturday we do it all over again!

Beautiful Day

We had the privilege of being a part of Nicole & AJ's wedding this past Saturday. Every once in awhile a couple comes along that you just really want the best for them. A very sweet couple, full of fun.  The type that work just as hard as you to make their day perfect.  The bride even made a very special binder for us with all the details, which we loved!! We were ecstatic to work with them. The ceremony was held in a beautiful church, Hamilton Baptist Church in Hamilton, VA. The service was beautiful.  The whole wedding day was unique and filled with personal DIY projects from the bride. The programs were made by the bride & family. The bride made pew decorations made up of white tulle, black ribbon & red Gerber daisies. Nicole looked stunning as she walked down the aisle with her father. The mother of the bride sang during the ceremony.  It was a beautiful song, definitely not a dry eye in the place. One of the most important elements of the ceremony was the timing. It was to start at 3:13, the groom proposed on March 13. We had it timed perfectly, the groom walked in at exactly 3:13. YaY!  The newly married couple left walking through a bubbles blown from heart shaped bubbles by guests to a waiting antique car driven by her grandfather.

The reception was held at Grandale Farm in Purcellville, VA. They had a tent on an area of the farm. The colors were black & white with touches of red. It was set up beautifully designed by the bride. Floor length black linens with white overlays adorned the tables. Red floral arrangements in black vases were the centerpieces. The bride and groom looked amazing dancing their choreographed first dance. They even had their dance instructor show the guests a few new dances. From the Latin Merengue to the Waltz, the guests really seemed to enjoy themselves. The cake was a 4 tier cake with red roses in between each space. On the cake table, more personal touches, the cake topper as well as the crochet table cover was from the bride's grandmother. Something that was not only beautiful but sentimental.  We love it when the bride and groom include so many personal & sentimental touches.  It makes their wedding day so much more special and something to remember! They also chose the perfect favor! Since the groom is a caterer they had little whisks for each guest.  How cute is that? Clark bars were provided for the guests to enjoy. Clark is the groom's last name. A very well thought out reception with tons of personal touches.

Although it did end up raining, it did not dampen any one's spirit. It just required a little bit more creativity. Nicole even had a special white decorated umbrella just for her. Just another element of this well thought out day.  Everyone had an excellent time. More than anything you could truly see the love Nicole & AJ had for one and other. Rain does not mean bad luck but rather it is said to be good luck, a renewal of sorts. We wish them both all the best today and always! Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your special day.