See your name in Lights!

What a fun wedding idea brought to us by Martha Stewart Weddings! See your names, monogram or wedding design in lights for your big day!!

Sign by: http://www.artisticneon.com/Home/

Fun Centerpiece Idea

I love this mirrored candle centerpiece for any venue that requires that all candles be enclosed (which are most venues) This adds a very contemporary look to any event!!! Right now these are only available to buy from Fete in New York. I hope to see them in this area soon!!
Happy Friday!

A New Take on Your Favorite Songs

I was at a tasting today with a client when we started to talk about ceremony music. My bride said she wanted something different and not the typical wedding songs. This reminded me of when I saw the “Today Show” Wedding this year. I heard the string quartet as the bride walked down the aisle and had goose bumps. They were playing “Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys and it sounded so elegant and so well placed, after all they were in the middle of New York.. What better song to celebrate.. and what a classy way to play it!!! A few weeks ago I had a bride have her bridesmaids process down to “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga. Not only are these great ways to personalize your ceremony, but I also think it puts a fresh spin on your ceremony! These ideas can easily be customized for your pianist, string quartet or guitarist. It’s amazing how everything can sound elegant when played on a string instrament. Here a few a examples that I found online:

Sketches of your Wedding Dress

Do you want to feel like a celebrity?? Do you want the designer dress experience without the designer dress price tag? There are a few companies out there now that are sketching your wedding dress for a very unique keepsake that will last the test of time. Dreamlines is a great company that will sketch brides their wedding dresses based on photos that they send in. A great way to preserve your dress in a whole new way!

Idea I love

I stumbled upon this great website the other day and I Love these totes. Maptote is a website that creates customized totes with over 40 popular destinations sketched on the. What a great idea for your out of town bags, your bridesmaids and even as a summer beach bag! I know I will be buying one for myself very soon. They have even expanded recently into baby onesies and very cute mapnotes. Mapnotes can be used for a million really fun ways throughout your wedding.. Save the Dates, Tags for Out of Town Bags, Thank You’s, Favors, and on and on.....

Be proud of the area you are getting married and really create a theme around it!!!

Kentucky Derby Wedding

Like many others, I get Kentucky Derby Fever around this time of year. And even though I did not get to see the race this year becuase I was putting final touches on Katie and Colin’s wedding I thought it was fun to think of southern weddings that really “get into” the Kentucky Derby and create a derby themed wedding. The derby is glamourus, timeless and an all around fun event, so why not incorporate that into your wedding? These are also great ideas for a Kentucky derby viewing party (Which I vow to throw if I ever have that Saturday free!)






​

{Photo Credits}: Photo 2-5 - Inspired Goodess, 6- Hugh Forte, 7-8 - Christine Gallagher, 11- Posh Floral.com, 12- www.platinumblondelife.com

Carnations....

I Love Carnations!! I know it sounds funny.. especially ever since I can remember I told everyone.. buy me flowers.. but dont ever buy Carnations! I get that same response from my brides when I say... what do you think about Carnations?
But they are soon surprised when I show them photos of what I mean... Carnations are so vesitle, inexpensive and fun if put into the right arrangement! Here are some of my favorite ideas from our weddings and from magazines!
​


​
​
​


​




Martha Stewart Weddings
1. Brooke Howell Flowers

Your Married.. You Have a Great Dress... Now What??

​

​
All Photos by EyeSpy Photography

Usually after the wedding my loving couples say good bye to me and get on with the rest of their Happily Ever After!! One of the questions I rarely get asked is about “What do I do with my dress”. I think a lot of brides decide to get their dress dry cleaned and preserve their dress. That of course is a great idea and will preserve your dress for many years to come. But I want a lot of brides to know.. that is not your only option.. actually that is one of many routes you can go!!

1. The newest way to “get rid of your dress after the big day” is to Trash the Dress... now this does not always trash your dress. I did not realize that until I saw my assistants dress. She literally sat in a lake and the dress is practically spotless (I was amazed)!!. Trashing the dress became really popular last year, not only to get those creative photos you did not get on the big day.. but to do the things you would never really do in your wedding dress!! There are so many fun ideas you can do. I love this idea and so will your photographer!


2. Donate your Dress - Making Memories is a donation service that benefits Breast Cancer. What better idea than helping others with an article of clothing that meant so much to you!


3. Use your dress as a keepsake for later. Obviously cleaning the dress and preserving it is still the popular choice of a lot of brides. But what I find so touching are the little things that can keep your dress “alive” for many years to come! I have heard of a lot of brides using parts of their dresses for their child’s baptism gown. I have had a few brides who have incorporated parts of their mothers dress or veil into their bouquet. I have also had a bride sew part of her moms dress into the underneath portion of her dress (that beats wearing a dress with sleeves on your big day!! -- sorry mom!!)


4. And of course I feel like I need to share my idea.. I am not exactly sure why I thought of this.. but I had my grandma take my dress and sew a pillow out of it (just a 15 x 15 pillow.. not a full body version!!). So now there is a wonderful pillow on our bed that is made out of one of my most prized possesions. I did have her keep a lot of it for all of the items listed in #3! I knew I would want to keep parts of it.. but I never really card to try and preserve mine. I wanted something I could look at everyday.. and this worked for me (with the thanks of Grandma’s sewing skills)

Wedding Songs: Best Wedding Songs of 2010

The Knot recently Publised the Best Wedding Songs of 2010. This is a fun assortment of slow songs, group dance songs and fun songs to incorporate into every part of your wedding. For full clips of each of these videos go to The Knot and Enjoy!

"Say Hey (I Love You)" by Michael Franti and Spearhead

Who will like it: Everyone

When to play it: The cocktail hour or between dinner courses

"You & Me" by Dave Matthews Band
Who will like it: The bride, the groom, and the rest of the lovebirds
When to play it: The first dance

"Only You Can Love Me This Way" by Keith Urban
Who will like it: The country-music lovers
When to play it: During the photo slideshow

"I Got a Feeling" by Black Eyed Peas
Who will like it: Your guests who are ready to party
When to play it: As you make your reception entrance

"Never Had Nobody Like You" by M. Ward
Who will like it: The romantics and nostalgics
When to play it: The cake cutting

"My Life Would Suck Without You" by Kelly Clarkson
Who will like it: Your best girlfriends (who think life would suck without you)
When to play it: During the bouquet toss

"Hey Soul Sister" by Train
Who will like it: All the couples
When to play it: As one of the first slow songs

"Down" by Jay Sean
Who will like it: The younger, dancing crowd -- single and taken
When to play it: Following a slow song to get everyone back on the dance floor

"Blame It (on the Alcohol)" by Jaime Foxx and T. Pain
Who will like it: Your guests who like to dance
When to play it: Late (when the older folks have made their exit)

"Everyday" by Vetiver
Who will like it: All the couples
When to play it: As the last slow song of the night
Yeah, we know the video isn't romantic (it's a parody), but the song still is!
Photo by: Erin Johnson Photography

The Cost of a Tented Wedding Reception...

Photos by: Photogen-inc.com
A few weeks ago I ran across this wonderful post from Michigan Wedding Planner Jessica of Stella Event Design.. I thought this was the perfect read to repost. She hits it right on the head. We get a lot of calls wanting us to assist the couples in making their backyard dreams come true. I believe we do a lot of weddings in backyards because they are hard. Simply Put.. you really need to hire a professional planner when you are doing a backyard wedding. Not only to help you see all of the unforeseen issues (Parking, Bathrooms, Bugs, Lighting, etc) But also to be there on the day of the wedding to run to the store to get more ice if needed, pick up a generator, move tables and chairs around.. all of the little things that you take for granted when you are in a banquet facility.
I could go on and on about all of the issues we have encountered... wind, humidity, a swarm of bees, blown fuses, seven trips to the liquor store (yes, Seven....They liked to party!)
Here is what Jessica Wrote: The key to creating a tented wedding on your own property (or even a rented space), is keeping in mind all of the rental costs you are going to incur. While a tented wedding may seem like the budget-friendly option, let’s take a look at how the numbers break down in comparison to a local venue that has a flat $2800 rental fee:

I am not by any means saying you shouldn’t get married in a backyard or on a beautiful piece of family property—that can be a very meaningful and beautiful option for your wedding location—the thing you have to consider is if you are choosing that option only because it seems like the cheaper way to go.  Because in most cases, bringing in all of those rental items will cost you much more than renting a venue (not to mention all of the extra work for you and your family), and that’s something you should realistically consider when choosing between a tented wedding on private property, versus a reception venue.

I Heart Etsy!!

I love Etsy... Not just because I love to shop, but because it is a great new resource for all couples planning a wedding. The contributors take DIY to the next level. I have had lots of brides buy purses, cake toppers, veils and jewelry. Here are some of my favorite items and the stores you can find them!
​
​

​

1. Custom Parasol - michellesthisandthat


2. Mossy Ring Bearer Pillow - thetreasuredpetal


3. Ceremony Dish - palomasnest


4. Bridesmaids Cluth - ModDotTextiles


5. Cake Topper - sophiasworkshop


6. Heather Headpiece - FlortiniDesigns


7. Moss Letter - SimpleSweetDesign


8. Poms - PomLove

Candles

Candles are one of the most inexpensive ways to decorate and give the room such a glow.... I always suggest incorporating candles on the table or doing a 1/3 of the tables in just a candle arrangement. And of course votives.. you can never have too many votives in my opinion. Candles dont have to look minimal - Grouped into larger arrangements they look very lush, put a ribbon or some decor around them to change there look all together. Here are some of the ways we have found to use candles over the years....

Happy Decorating!
Sarah

Most Amazing "First Dance"

This past Saturday I had the pleasure of helping Jim and Katie with their amazing wedding! We have been working together for over the last year planning their wedding at Katie' Parents Home in Chisago City. The whole time Katie and Jim lived in Chicago. So it was fun to see them when they came into town and I had the pleasure of working with their families and really help create this amazing backyard wedding! I cant wait for the images to come in... and mostly the photos of their "First Dance". I see a lot of cool things... but this one I think tops the charts. Katie loves the water and loves skiing..... So when she told me that she and Jim would do a "secret" water ski dance for their first suprise dance I was sooooo excited!! It was a secret and it was so hard to keep!! I will post the whole video when I get it, but Katie emailed me this today before she left on her honeymoon! I cant wait to show more details... but look at my wonderful bride who is not afraid of a little water or sand on her (even before dinner... she is a trooper!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BreAOaaTSvs

The First Dance....

I was talking to one of my brides yesterday and we got talking about first dance songs. I know that when I got married this was an area that I really stressed about. I wanted to pick something perfect.... Not to new, not to overplayed, not to mushy.... I will never know if I picked the perfect one, but I do know that I picked a song that really expressed how I felt about my husband and what really expressed our life together. I really love music (and especially country music) so maybe this is why selecting the song was so hard! I am lucky enough to hear some great songs every week and I am always left thinking..... How does this song express their life together?

Based on what I see a lot and what my personal choices are in music here are some great FIRST DANCE Songs!!

The Classics
1. At Last
2. My Girl
3. True Companion
4. Crazy Love
5. I Cant Help Falling in Love
6. Unforgettable
7. Wonderful World
8. You are so Beautiful
9. The best is Yet to come
10. Wonderful Tonight
11. Always on my Mind
12. Stand by Me

The Best of The Last Few Years
1. "I'm Yours" - Jason Mraz
2. "Fall for You" - Secondhand Seronade
3. " All My Life" - K-C and Jojo
4. "God Bless the Broken Road" - Rascall Flats
5. "Dont Want to Miss a Thing" - Aerosmith
6. My Best Friend - Tim McGraw
7. I Do - Paul Brandt
8. Come What May- Moulan Rouge
9. I'll Be - Edwin McCain
10. Carried Away- George Strait
11. Shes Everything - Brad Paisley
12. By Your Side- Sade
13. This Years Love - David Grey
14. Its You - Michelle Branch
15. Feels Like Home- Chantal Kreviazuk
16. Your Everything - Keith Urban

My 2009 Favorites
- Love your Love the Most - Eric Church
- You Found Me - The Fray
-Then - Brad Paisley
-Better Together - Jack Johnson
-Unbelieveable - Josh Gracin
-Fall Into Me - Sugarland
-Nothing Fancy - Dave Barnes

... As you can see I love country :)

Some of my favorites are when old songs are remade by new artists, just to give them a new twist....
- Somewhere Over the Rainbow - Eva Cassidy
-Fields of Gold - Eva Cassidy
-Make you Feel My Love - Adele
-Heaven - DJ Sammy (CAndlelight Version)

Fun Idea

The gals over at Blue Orchid Designs are always thinking of great ideas and finding great resources! I have been trying to find a great color swatch book, online tool, etc So I would have some more creative tools! The gals over at Blue Orchid Posted this...
http://colorschemedesigner.com/
I am so excited!

One of My Favorite Ideas

Nate and Jessica were a wonderful and creative couple to work with! I will blog more about their unique and amazing decor later... I had just went online to check out their fun pictures for Traveling Photobooth. How fun are these pictures! You can really tell the couples personality in this photo! Congratulations Jessica and Nate!