I just got off the phone with Shannon, my girl over at myOWNvitations to learn a bit more about their open house. (BTW, she did the fabulous black, white and red wedding invitation that’s on my current love list - see below.) Anyway, you know I love wedding stationery and wedding cakes so I am super-duper excited about their upcoming invitation open house. I’ve never been to a paper party (but I’ve certainly been to a million jewelry/pampered chef and beauty product parties against my will). But, this is a must-attend party if you are a modern, stylish Nashville-area bride who wants custom wedding invitations and paper that makes your statement.
(Shannon says: This Asian-inspired invitation with concise, modern wording let’s everyone know that your wedding will be a party to remember! The coordinating origami folded program is held closed by bamboo skewers. What a fun twist!)
Shannon’s invitations are all about the paper - she uses the most interesting textures for her invitations. And, because all of her work is custom, she can do all of the coordinating pieces like labels for your welcome baskets, save the dates, etc, which you’ll see first hand at the open house!
(Shades of orange and coral work great for both summer and fall weddings. The shimmery metallic backer adds an elegant touch to this invitation.)
The party will be held at a super-chic downtown Nashville loft and will be a lot less congested/rushed than a bridal show where you have to scream just to talk and can forget about discussing important questions - like prices, timeline, customization, etc. At this event, Shannon promises that you can expect one-on-one q&a with the designer.
You know you’re in love with these invitations too. Your wedding invitations set the tone for your wedding. So, contact myOWNvitations asap to rsvp for this wedding paper party. This event is open to Nashville’s most stylish brides, planners…and geeky bloggers like me. See ya there!
(A pale blue paper embossed with a bold pattern adds interest and texture to this classic patterned invitation. The layers are held together with a single crystal brad.)
(Pink and gold have been a wedding scheme favorite even before Martha said it was cool! This imported fuchsia cotton paper is flocked with a beautiful gold pattern. Add a shimmery gold ribbon and a rhinestone buckle and you have an invitation that is absolutely regal!)
(Strawberry is a fresh new take on the ever-popular pink! It’s paired with chocolate in this contemporary geometric pattern to create an invitation that is simple and modern, yet interesting. Who doesn’t love a chocolate covered strawberry?)
(What better way to make your invitation represent you as a couple than adding a cute photo? The invitation is wrapped in a shimmery plum jacket and tied with a delicate organza ribbon.)
Anyway, be there or be square (…my throw-back phrase today). No seriously, if you want a hot invitation that wows your guests, come out and see the latest in wedding invitation fab.
I am doing a lot more events now that I have started AshleysBrideGuide.com. (That’s the extent of my event planning to the left. All online!) In doing so, I’m learning a lot about myself, event planning and how to hire and manage help.
Here’s what I have learned:
1) To enjoy an event, a bride should hire a planner. So, when I took Nashville brides to see 27 Dresses event, I asked A Magical Affair to do the heavy lifting. That allowed me to “do me” - chat!
Now, I am busy preparing for the upcoming Nashville bridal show this week and I’m a total stress ball. No really, bridal shows stress me out completely. It’s not the attending part - because I LOVE chatting with brides, moms and wedding professionals. No, it’s the whole booth design and set-up thing. We have such little space - smaller than a bathroom really and we have to make it fabulous enough so that brides will come and chat with us.
So, all this week, I’ve been IM’ing Kat (Selah Style) and Hillary (A Magical Affair), both wedding planners, about my booth.
2) The “micro-manager” bride tends to prefer micro-manager planners. I am a micro-manager bride type. I didn’t realize it until today but now I am persuaded. Christine of Wedding Dish says there are two types of brides - a CEO and a micro-manager. In my mind, a CEO bride hires great people and lets them do their job. She then shows up and expects everything to go as she set forth. A micro-manager bride hires great people, but still likes to know whats going on, likes to be apart of the planning and wants to know every detail.
3) A “micro-manager” bride can work well with other planner styles too, she just has to manage expectations. A micro-managing bride appreciates overcommunication. For instance, I like to know the when, where, who, and how. When I work with planners with a diferent personality, I can freak out because I don’t know what the heck is going on. Like this week, Kat had everything under control for my booth (Thank God!) but I was freaking out. She understood and we hashed out every detail. I learned that I must manage expectations and let my event planners know that I need A LOT of info:) Kat was awesome about it all. She gave me a detailed run down of everything.
My girl Tiffany (also a recent Nashville bride, bride of 2005) is just the opposite. Tiff wanted to show up at her wedding after a couple of meetings with her planner and didnt care about what happened in between their meetings. “Need to know basis” is Tiff’s motto. She doesnt care for details.
So, regardless of your personality - just be sure to manage expectations. Let your planner know your preference and make sure you know your planner’s personality. We can all get along and make life fabulous, when we communicate our expectations.
Oh - Kat has created the most beautiful booth for me. She’s building stuff, sewing and designing something unique to me.
It’s going to be fantabulous. You’ll see it on Sunday at the PWG bridal show. We’re going to incorporate some Wonderful Graffiti monograms and logos into my design. I love them! I really wanted their “suckers for love”” but I waited to long to order them. But, you should definitely check them out for your wedding day. Their stuff affords any bride an elegant way to customize while adding neat details.
SNEAK MOVIE PASSES!!!
Anyway, enough about my booth. Let’s focus on my movie break. I have 20 sneak passes to see Definitely, Maybe. It comes out Valentines Day but join me and crew and see it early!
The sneak is tomorrow (Tuesday) at 7pm at Green Hills 16 in Nashville. Check out the trailer and if you (plus 1) want to go, simply post a comment telling me what you are doing special for V-Day. (I need ideas!)
First 10 responses get the tixs. You must be registered, of course:)
Here are the final highlights from my 27 Dresses, Nashville bridal event. Plus, Wes sent the final video just in time!
The Photography:
All of the pics I’ve shared this week were captured by two super gals - April and Michele. Check out their websites to learn more. But, I’ll tell ya - they are both very professional, punctual and great to work w/. In fact, they jumped right in to help out with the event, going beyond their “expertise”. I saw April making lemonade and Michele stuffing swag bags. This may not mean anything to you now, but wait until your big day. You’ll appreciate a photographer who is willing to do double duty - from photography to keeping the flower girl and ring bearer focused long enough to get down the aisle:)
Pursuit Video - Wes came out to support the Nashville bridal event with only a day’s notice! He was such a good sport and did a great job editing out my chatting (and Michele’s).
Thanks to all of the vendors and brides who came out.
Sammy, my husband John’s best friend, came to town this weekend to spend time with us. I rarely see Sammy and my husband works Saturdays so Sammy’s hanging with me. My plan was to go to the bridal show today but after considering that Sammy probably wouldn’t enjoy the event (just a hunch) and $50 is a lot to spend on someone who wouldn’t enjoy the darn thing anyway, I’m home with him. (Hope I don’t regret this forever! John - you owe me one:)
As I steal a few minutes to blog today, I am a wee-bit jealous of all the fun that everyone is going to have at today’s Nashville Lifestyles Bridal Ball. It’s taking place at The Hermitage Hotel, one of my favorite Nashville wedding venues. I really wanted to go because Tara Guerard is speaking and she is oh-so-talented. She’s like the Ace of Cakes guy, coming to your town, live and in person. If you aren’t familiar with Tara, she is a top ”event producer” and author of Southern Weddings. (I’ve got to find a fancy way to describe what I do:).
My friends at A Magical Affair are going to take tons of pictures and promised to share every single detail. Hillary say I’ll be there in spirit. Expect a fabulous update next week.
Now, more highlights from my fabulous event on Sunday, the Nashville bridal break. (Tara - you can add these fantastic Nashville wedding finds to your preferred vendor list. I’ve checked them out and they’re good to go.)
The Personal Touches - What’s an engagement/wedding without a celebration of who you are and all the wonderful aspects of being engaged? These two vendors do just that - bring “you” to everything they do.
Selah Shop by Kat of Selah Style and Events - Kat is one of the most spectacular chicks I know. She does stunning event (wedding) design but she has a very strong fashion background. The combination is truly magnificent. She is in the process of launching a line of bridal accessories/attire and debuted pieces of her line at my bridal event. She brought the cutest bride tees, bridesmaid tote bags and adorable “underthings” as she calls them. Her goodies make great gifts for your bridal party or great indulge items for this special time in your life. Let everyone know you’re a bride; these items keep you cute even when you’re being an ugly bridezilla.
Designs in Paper- Yes, I’m always talking about Designs in Paper but I think they are the neatest things since…since forever! Donette (pictured chatting w/brides below) and Steve approach every project with a blank slant and come up with something completely custom to express your personality, theme, etc. For instance, for my party, they created Happy Valentines Day confetti and gave a bag of confetti to everyone who attended. DiP (as they liked to be called) made “The Future Mrs.” buttons to every bride2be, which the brides are still raving over. They even made AshleysBrideGuide.com confetti for me, which I picked up after the event and plan to use again and again. (So you will see it at the Opry Mills show and the Perfect Wedding Guide show!)
They made some neat confetti for the Lipstick Jungle premiere on Thursday and it was soo cute. They made mini lipsticks with jungle prints. They never cease to amaze me. And, the good thing is - they are paper experts so they can create paper around all aspects of your party or wedding theme - from save the dates, invitations to confetti and t-notes.
If you have an enviable wedding budget, head over to The Hermitage to meet Tara and Nashville’s top vendors for the high-end Nashville bride.
Well, that’s a wrap - back to the couch for more b-ball with Sammy! I love Sammy but John owes me big…it’s going to be a great Valentine’s Day.
There were just so many great aspects of the party that one post just wasn’t enough. If you missed the event, relive the moments virtually…more highlights from the Nashville bridal break.
The Party - Party Patrol
What’s a party without a real jam session? Well, my 27 Dresses was no different. I left the music to Party Patrol, who I’d met at Weddings, The Bridal Show. They were the DJs responsible for the “Shuffle” stampede that I captured on video. If you missed it, you’ve got to check out this post.
When I walked into the event on Sunday, I heard Maxwell! Maxwell? I haven’t heard Maxwell in forever. I knew then I was dealing with a real music connoisseur. It was such a refreshing blast from the past. And the surprises didn’t stop there. Over the course of the afternoon, I was amazed by the hot tunes Party Patrol kept delivering. Of course, I danced to the Cupid Shuffle and the Electric Slide. I’m actually in the dance line pictured below in hot pink. I must admit that I am getting a bit rusty ‘cuz I nearly broke my ankle trying to “act” like I could dance.
The good thing is - I never had a single conversation with Party Patrol about what to play. They sensed the ambiance, the guests and took it from there. That’s a great DJ. Thanks Kelly!
The folks at Tina’s Salon came out and treated my guests to wonderful manicures, hand massages and back massages. I was a bit jealous that I couldn’t partake. Tina’s offers specializes in nail, skin and hair services but they were kind enough to come out and pamper Nashville brides, bridesmaids and moms - giving them a great break from wedding planning. If you need a place for your bridal luncheon or are in need of great stylists for your wedding hair, they would be a great place to start your search.
Tina’s Salon gave each bride a gift certificate for hair and nail services. Thanks Tina!
Getting jealous just thinking about how you need a massage? Yeah - me too:)
As you know, this week I am introducing the folks who helped with my 27 Dresses party. The following vendors provided treats on Sunday:
Down South Delights - Rita, the owner, reminds me of Mallory from Family Ties. I think it’s her stunning eyes. Anyway, she’s very professional, her food is tasty (especially the chicken!) and everything is presented so perfectly. Your guest will love the food and her remarkable presentation will bring instant decor to any room.
Edible Fruit n’ More - Fruit is such a colorful, healthy addition to any party and I love these adorable fruit arrangements. These are especially great for bridal showers/luncheons.
Been waiting to hear all about the 27 Dresses Party? I couldn’t wait to share all of the details and now I have the pics!
First - Congratulations to Dawn, the ABG member who won the “Sparkling Josh” mug contest. Her wedding colors are chocolate, pink and green. She chose the apple green mug to match her fabulous wedding colors.
The Guests & the Goodies:
I have so much to share that I’ll have to share over a couple of days. It was so much fun! I met so many wonderfully cute brides, bridesmaids and moms. (Nashville must have the most beautiful brides2be.) I especially loved meeting all the wondeful moms.
It was great meeting ABG brides in person. I have gotten so many emails from you. I am glad you enjoyed yourself. Hope you liked your swag bag from our sponsors.
Organization - When I arrived, the planners were already there. They were so easy to work wtih that it reminded me over and over again why I should have hired a wedding planner for my wedding. To be able to walk in and know things are under control is simply priceless. There main concern was reducing my stress and making sure the party was fantastic. They organized every detail leading up to my event and were awesome the day of the event. (Plus, Kenneth and Don, their significant others came too and were sooo helpful. Kenneth was passing out directions, Don was cutting notecards - it was a family affiair.)
I didnt have to do ANYTHING but show up and greet my guests. That’s what I consider a perfect party. You should not have to worry about the details; you should be able to actual “enjoy” your event. So, thats what I did:)
Personality - I didn’t hire a wedding planner for a few reasons. The main reason was that I couldn’t find anyone that I “connected” with. Sorry, but a lot of the planners were better suited for my mom. They were all about etiquette and tradition and were like 30 years older than me. Don’t get me wrong, I am sure they were very experienced BUT I wanted someone who could relate to the modern, contemporary bride who didn’t want to be beaten over the head with tradition every step of the way. I wanted my day to represent me. That said, hire a wedding planner who works with your personality. Its important that they are flexible, willing to understand your priorities and someone you like being around. A Magical Affair is one of the planning companies that fit my personality. It is important to hire a wedding planner but do keep searching until you find the one thats right for you.
Decor - Everything was beautiful and in my website colors (pink, chocolate, oranges, etc). My fav touch of the event was the lemondade bar! Take 121 offered wine which was great but I really wanted a fun beverage. I simply asked A Magical Affair for lemondade, nothing fancy. But fancy it was:) Check out this wondeful assortment of lemondade and fruit tea.
The Flowers: Sherrell’s Floral Design, 615-289-5211
Speaking of decor, I asked Sherrell’s Floral Design to provide the floral arrangements. I have been a big fan of Tonya’s work for a couple of years. Now, I am working with Tonya on the website thing, b/c she doesnt have one. But, she had amazing floral design. Plus, Tonya is so precise. She asked really good questions when trying to create the perfect flowers for my event.
The ladies of A Magical Affair secured the venue. I had complete faith in their ability to find something super. A few days before the event, I started wondering if that I was totally nuts for doing so but when I arrived I knew we were in good hands.
Aside from being a funky spot, Nanette (of Take 121) took great care of us and made sure we had what we needed at all times. If you are looking for a venue thats accessible, fun and full of character - Take 121 might be your spot. Only drawback is the $10 parking spots adjacent to the building. But, if you dont mind a short stroll, cheaper parking is only a few feet away. Space standouts - love the hardwood floors, artsy feel, and great bathroom decor (black walls and super chic appliances).
Well, it’s time for breakfast. I’ll share more details on Thursday! Check out these great wedding pros in the meantime. Or, share your thoughts on the message board.
Thanks Brides, Courtney/Hillary, Tonya and Nanette!
