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.

Bridal Emergency Kits

The name says it all.  EMERGENCY KIT.  This kit has everything.  We've stocked all types of supplies. Things that you may not necessarily think you will need.  There's the obvious.  Brush, extra bobby pins, hairspray etc. There are items that you would not necessarily think of when doing your kit.  A good planner will have a well stocked kit. Any and everything that over the years they've come across.

Nothing like cleaning the church carpet when the red rose petals have stained the carpet. On our hands and knees  scrubbing with carpet stain remover in a dress, not so cute. But, we were thankful we had that in our kit. Or having the right cleaning supplies when someone needed to clean up a friends drunken mess off and from in his car.  Not that a good car wash wouldn't have worked, but at midnight in the parking lot some of our supplies helped him enough to get home with as little smell as possible. Sometimes the groomsmen rented pants just do not stay put.  The button pops off or the buckle messes up.  Nothing a quick sew or safety pin won't fix to get them through to the end of the night.  After all, unless they look like the models in the magazines, we really don't want a bunch of groomsmen running around with their pants falling down. Right?  How about the bride that is so rushed in the morning she either forgot to brush her teeth or even put deodorant on.  Crazy right?  Not really, it happens more than you know. They are usually focused on hair and makeup and getting out the door.  It just slips their mind until they start to put their wedding dress on and then they realize it.   Nothing a little extra toothbrush/tooth paste and some deo can't fix.  Trial sizes work great in those situations. We have extra unity candle, ring bearer pillow, card boxes, toasting glasses, knife/server set, throwing garter...all just in case.  Sometimes when you're rushing out the door, it's the last thing you are thinking of.  We have it covered.


You may not have any wedding day emergencies, but it's better to be safe than sorry.  Avoid any possible emergencies by having yourself a wedding day emergency kit.  You, obviously, do not need all the supplies that we have.  We try to accommodate for many different situations for many different brides and their guests.  But if you don't have a wedding planner, then at least have a mini-emergency kit, just in case. This link is a good list of items you may want to include:


http://wedding.theknot.com/bridesmaids-mother-of-the-bride/bridesmaids/articles/the-brides-emergency-kit.aspx


All in all, it's usually minor situations that occur on your wedding day, if any. Nothing that a little extra planning will make easier to deal handle.  Make a little ER kit and keep that peace of mind.