Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009 Kristin of Simply Stunning Events is back to give us an update on her wedding! Be sure to check out her last post on selecting a Nashville wedding venue to get a great insider's perspective.
Guest Post: Kristin of Simply Stunning Events is a Nashville, TN-based wedding and event planner who is currently engaged to Brian Kaplan, a Nashville wedding photographer. Greetings! When we last left off, my fiance and I had chosen a reception venue, The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Now we needed to focus on how to decorate it. First up, a color scheme. I always tell brides to look around their homes for some inspiration on possible wedding colors, chances are, if you like certain colors enough to use them in your home, you'll probably like to see them as part of your wedding. Also, consider the season and location of your wedding; it is much easier to work with the colors that will exist in nature at the time of your wedding and in your venue, rather than against them. For our wedding I knew we had to have some bright green since it's my absolute favorite color and Brian doesn't mind it. In fact, much of our home decor is in shades of green. And since the Hall of Fame has a beautiful brown wood floor we decided to use that color as well. To accent the green and brown we looked to nature! Since our wedding date is in the early stages of autumn, we figured bright oranges and reds would compliment the green and brown nicely. We had an official color scheme!
(our wedding colors)
Next up, my favorite aspect of wedding planning, decor! I spent a few months searching for and collecting images online of ideas and flowers that seemed to work with our colors and then sat down with the immensely talented Hillary Robson of Brocade Designs to make some decisions. We studied the flowers in the images and decided to work with a variety of green hydrangea, green cymbidium orchids, white dahlias, white hydrangea, red dahlias, yoko mums, orange roses, green and amber spider mums, orange calla lilies, and red James storey orchids. These flowers all provided a good range of color and the modern, unique vision I was aiming for. We then broke down each aspect of the ceremony and reception decor and came up with ideas for the bouquets, boutonnieres, church decor, and three different centerpieces in a range of heights to bring some interest to the reception hall. After the wedding I'll reveal the final look since I don't want to give it away with six months to go!
(our inspiration board)
(detailed picture of our decor inspiration)
To sum up, when choosing your decor, find inspirational images online that spark your interest and bring them to your floral meetings so your florist and/or event designer can get a feel for your style and the look you're trying to achieve. Work with the colors that are available at your venue and during your wedding season. And don't be afraid to think outside of the box, especially if you are on a budget. A good florist will work with what you have and make affordable suggestions to keep you from spending a fortune. Hillary and I decided to do a very large, elaborate centerpiece on only some of the tables to give the room a big impact but keep the rest simple to save money. I cannot wait to see the final result in September!
(more ideas from our second inspiration board)
Kristin - thanks for sharing your insight on choosing wedding colors and decor. Brides - contact Kristin with questions regarding your wedding and also - check out polyvore.com - a great way to create your own inspiration board and save your favorite visual ideas.
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Inspiration & Trends, Real Nashville Brides, Wedding Planners & Coordinators
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Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Have a favorite engagement or wedding photo? Phunk Lab helps you further personalize it by adding your favorite quote or poem. These make great gifts for your fiance, parents, bridal party members or wall art for your new place. Thanks to A Delightful Day for directing me to this great find!
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
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Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Southall Eden Paperie (formerly myOWNvitations) specializes in creative custom event stationary that is truly unique. They are designer owned and operated, which allows us to create a one-of-a-kind stationary suite especially for your big day!
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Invitations & Paper Goods
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Monday, April 13, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Guest Blogger: Tara of Lavish Events , a Nashville-based, wedding planning company
It's always wonderful to support a local business, and even more wonderful if that business supplies products that are environmentally friendly. Now, don't get confused - I am not a believer in global warming or the notion that the world is going to self implode. But I do believe in personal responsibility and I believe that carries forward in every facet of life. It's important to treat God's creation with the utmost respect, and always try to better the world in which we live. This brings me to Nashville Wraps - a locally owned packaging company right out of sweet sweet Tennessee. Nashville Wraps is where Schakolad (our chocolate factory) buys most of their packaging, and also where I direct clients who need favor boxes or gift bags for their events. They have an entire section devoted to eco-friendly products made out of recycled or biodegradable materials. They are also stylish - gotta love that! Here are a few picks:
100% recycled kraft boxes in many different sizes
Gift packaging printed on 100% recycled kraft paper
Bags made from Encore film - 25% recycled plastics collected in the US - also 100% recyclable at any collection station
Cotton curling ribbon made of 100% non woven renewable and biodegradable cotton fiber
Biodegradable cello bags - perfect for a candy buffet!
Thanks Tara for telling us all about Nashville Wraps. In addition to all of the great eco-friendly products, since they are locally based, their products don't have to be shipped far, which further reduces the impact on the environment!
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
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Monday, April 13, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
Company name: Music City Events, http://www.amusiccityevent.com
Contact Info: Sarah Willard
Phone number: 615.727.3903
Ashley: How did you get started in weddings? Sarah: I began planning my own wedding in 2002 and realized just how much is out there. It was overwhelming to sift through the dozens of names and websites and prices and availability and styles. 6 months after my engagement a friend of mine got engaged herself and I helped plan her wedding as well as mine. Before I knew it, I had spent a year planning several weddings for friends. When the last one married, I felt so empty - that's when I knew this was truly more than "something fun" and that is was my passion!
Ashley: What do you like most about weddings? Sarah: I love to see brides different ideas and desires. I've never had a bride ask for the same thing and I love being able to expand on their dreams. To show a bride a design and see her eyes light up with excitement is one of the best experiences. Ashley: What's your favorite wedding pic/video and why? Sarah: I love the photo of this reception. The bride wanted an "Old Glamour Hollywood" theme with Sinatra, Lauren Bacall, and Katherine Hepburn as inspiration. We decided to go with jewel tones - dark purples, amythest, emerald green, and stunning blues. I added the peacock feathers for a whimsical modern feel. We held the reception in an old factory chosen for the exposed brick walls and original wood flooring - perfect for our ambiance. We hung bare round lights along the perimeter of the room for a soft glow and to supplement the candles.
Another was Laura Lee, whose favorite color is red - so that was inspiration for her August wedding. Red rose petals were grouped with candles on the altar and red linens, chair covers, and organza ties were used in the reception with a stunning square cake with red roses and Swarovski crystal cake topper. Two kinds of centerpieces were used for depth some topped with balls of flowers and other with floating candles and curling willow.
(photography Dale Doreman)
Then there was Nancy and Keegan who held an intimate ceremony at one of my favorite tucked away venues: Cools Springs House in Brentwood. After the ceremony they were whisked to the Factory at Franklin for a small Laotian reception - meaning about 250 guests instead of 500!
(photography Scott Hammaker)
Ashley: What is your service philosophy? Sarah: Your wedding is a glorious, important day of your life. You should not spend your engagement worrying about its outcome. My goal is take the stress away and bring out the pleasure and fun in the planning.
Ashley: What are your strengths compared to others in your category? / Why should a bride hire you? Sarah: I am very passionate about what I do, and I approach each wedding and each bride as the unique individual that they are. I stay up to date on all the latest trends and designs and most importantly, I listen to what the bride desires and help her achieve that! I love to play with different color schemes and textures, and to pull design ideas from everything around us. My inspiration has come from some of the strangest places!
Ashley: You have years of experience and have done so many Nashville weddings. Who are your 5 favorite Nashville wedding vendors - helpfulness, professionalism, style? Sarah: 1) Chef's Market: Shannon is a wonder to work with and can create exquisite menus and tablescaping. Scott is incredibly talented and crafts spectacular arrangements and designs. We've worked together so often that we practically read each other's minds! 2) SS Graham Florals & Events 3) REM Entertainment: Whenever I need a DJ, Bob is automatically who I turn to. You can't get a better Emcee and entertainer than him! 4) Gray Photography: Zach and Jody are IT as far as photography is concerned. You get the both of best worlds, dramatic artwork worthy of magazines and fun, candid moments of the whole day. 5) Party Providers: Dana and her crew are so on the ball that I never need to go to a different rental supplier. Everything is always pristine when delivered and the service is unbeatable. Ashley: Who do you recommend when you’re not available/not a fit? Sarah: Emily Humpries of Simply Yours Weddings & Etc. I have brought Emily on for larger, more detailed weddings and she is certainly a person that you can rely on in any situation.
Ashley: What do you read/watch regularly to stay on top of wedding/event trends? Sarah: I like to look "outside of the box" and stay on top of design trends, not just wedding trends. I am a member of different event organizations. I subscribe to several wedding and design magazines and meet with industry professionals on a regular basis. I also keep an emphasis on continuing my education in the industry and of course I watch all the fun shows out there! Ashley: Let's discuss current wedding trends...Which trend do you love? Sarah: Gobos! I love projecting the couples monogram, logo, or design over the dance floor, down the aisle, above the cake - you name it. You can have virtually anything anywhere in any color, it's an amazing decor item with instant glamour.
Ashley: Which trend are you glad is gone? Disposable cameras on the reception tables. Most guests carry tiny digital cameras these days. Instead, opt for a PhotoBooth, it's much more fun and interactive for your guests!
Ashley: Which trend are you sad is gone? Sarah: A private dinner for the bride and groom. The whole wedding day is so high paced that the bride and groom often don't get to spend time with each other until the next day! I like to have all the photos shot early in the day and let the bride and groom have a private dinner during the cocktail hour. It allows them to focus on each other without 300 people in the room with them.
Ashley: What are your favorite wedding resources? / Neatest wedding find? Sarah: Brides.com is a great resource for just about everything and Flicker is a fun place to find tons of photos for inspiration (just be sure to search with 'wedding'!). http://www.brides.com/ http://www.flickr.com/ Ashley: Advice for brides? Sarah: Look into hiring an event planner - even if it's only for the weekend. You'll be glad you did before you even get to the rehearsal! Planners can readily answer any and all of your questions and will be the buffer between you and vendors on your wedding day. You should be able to enjoy your wedding without worrying about the reception setup, time, musicians, etc. Pay attention to your photographer. If you don't get a good one, you'll regret it. Your photos are the only lasting item from your wedding. Be sure to get a photographer you are comfortable with and who will work with you - not make you work with them. A bad/uncaring photographer can make you, your family, and wedding party uncomfortable or upset and that will show in your photos. Most of all - have fun! Enjoy your planning process and keep your fiance as your focal point. He (or she!) is, after all, the reason you are celebrating.
Thanks Sarah!!
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Wedding Planners & Coordinators, Wedding Resources
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