Thursday, November 20, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
A good planner will not just help you execute but help you figure out everything from your vision, style to color palette. So, when I wanted to know the wedding color trends for 2009, I reached out to one of my wedding planner friends - Mindy of Ever After Weddings. Mindy helped me with my Sex and the City party. I knew she was great at execution and coordination but she really helped give me the color forecast and how to bring the colors of 2009 into Nashville weddings.
Guest Post: Ever After Weddings is a Nashville-based, wedding planner.
Fabulous Wedding Color Trends of 2009: Here's the Pantone color report for Spring 2009. This is a good place to start.
What do your emotions say about you; joy, jubilation, love, excited, cheerfulness? What colors would you use to express those emotions; purple, yellow, red, blue, green? Let's think outside the box of basic colors and take it a step further. 2009 is being predicted as the year of vivid shades; turquoise, fuchsia, aqua, lime, periwinkle.
Photography by Kathy Ziegler Art & Photography
Colors not only enhance the appearance of a wedding, but they can also influence the behavior of the wedding. Imagine a wedding reception decked in pink and tangerine.
Pink is a top choice for color in spring of 2009. Brighter colors will be brought forward, from invitations to linens, wedding stationery and wedding cakes.
Invitations by Relish
Pink will be everywhere; in tents, tablecloths, flowers, and trimmings. Watermelon and fuchsia will also be "in." Trends by Ever After Weddings Invitations by Relish Photography by Kathy Ziegler Art & Photography
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Details, Design & Florals, Inspiration & Trends, Wedding Planners & Coordinators
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Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Rhonda Patton doesn't follow trends; she sets them. Designers and brides from all over the country watch her every move to get ideas to make their wedding and events fab. So, when she talks wedding trends, I listen! Lucky for us Nashville based folks, we can follow her and hire her! Check out her post below on 2009 Wedding Trends in Floral Design. Guest Post: Rhonda Patton Weddings is a Nashville-based, event floral designer. Wedding planning for 2009 is underway! Brides are flocking to the coolest venues and consulting with the most fashionable style team {"wedding vendors"}. Learning about the season's hottest trends can make your wedding even more unforgettable. 2009 will call for an enticing mix of modern and classic designs. Brides want anything but ordinary. DRAMA…OPULENCE… ELEGANCE and CHIC will be the bridal buzz words for 2009. COUTURE WEDDING FLOWERS "Couture" {koo-toor} typically referring to high fashion design and dressmaking has now shifted into the wedding industry from couture gowns to couture flowers, the term "couture" is being widely used. Couture in the floral industry encompasses monochromatic palettes (or jarring), unexpected, unusual textures and unique shapes.
Rae Leytham Photography for Southern Weddings Magazine
Rae Leytham Photography
From couture flowers to bespoke bouquets, contemporary-modern will pre-empt traditional floral designs. Posh nosegays, beautiful biedermeiers and cascading will be the most requested bouquet styles in 2009. Embellished Bouquets... Bouquet wraps add glamour at hand while sparkling adornments such as rhinestones {BLING}, jewels, pearls, brooches, floral or bullion wire can take an average bouquet from lackluster to luxe. More and more brides are requesting unique bouquet wraps. {Note the unique wraps in the pictures above} WEDDING TABLESCAPING Out with contrived centerpieces and in with tablescaping - another bridal buzz word for 2009. Low centerpieces will be the top contender for 2009 weddings. Grouping of low, multi-leveled vases featuring multi-color and multi-textured flowers will dominate wedding table decor.
Traditional brides may prefer low designs for a more cozy and intimate ambiance while modern brides may prefer more dramatic designs with taller arrangements. Nevertheless, brides are requesting an overabundance of candles (floating, pillars and votives) to be incorporated creating a romantic ambiance.
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Details, Design & Florals, Inspiration & Trends
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Monday, November 10, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
On Saturday, I hosted a baby shower for my sister. Some might wonder why I am blogging about a baby shower on a wedding website. Well, many of the ideas for baby showers can be used for bridal showers too. As you plan your Nashville bridal shower (and if you are the bride and you like some of the ideas - feel free to forward this article to your maid of honor), here are some ideas...ESPECIALLY if you are on a budget like we were. Budget: Our goal is to plan fabulously fun baby shower for less than $1000. The final spend was $800. Colors: We started with a color palette. Initially, we were thinking aqua and red, based on an inspiration board that Jessica aka Ms Fondue shared several months back. However, after my sister registered, she decided to do the nursery in hot pink and brown (imagine that) so we decided to do the shower around those colors so that she could use many of the decor elements again. Venue: We wanted a venue that was free and didn't require that we use an on-site caterer because we wanted to do a potluck style menu. We also wanted a space that was easily accessible and that could accommodate a large or small guest list (ended up being 50 guests). Hillary of Brocade Design Arts suggested Nashville's East Park Community Center, which proved to be a GREAT suggestion. She is sooo helpful and always has a great solutions for event problems. The folks at East Park were super easy to work with. The space is free during their normal business hours and is only like $65 after hours. You really can't beat that. They didn't have any restrictions, other than no alcohol. Barbara (615-862-8448) is the event coordinator.
Food: - We relied on the hostesses to provide the food. Our menu consisted of salad, spaghetti, chicken alfredo pasta (which we ordered from Pizza Hut - was horrible, even though it normally isnt), tuna and turkey sandwiches and sliced fruit. - Drinks - We offered purified water in water pitchers, lemonade and fruit punch from Walmart. We bought simple drinks, placed them in beverage dispensers and added lemons and strawberries to make them a bit more fab. Decor:
I reached out to Hillary (Brocade Design Arts) to get a few ideas. She added her touch to the shower decor BUT the event wasn't representative of all that Hillary can do to a space...Now, if I'd hired her for the event planner, it would have been more fab...but I didnt:). Hillary helped with the event styling - by giving me ideas and added her neat touches. - Lanterns - The ceilings at East Park are like 20 feet high. All of that height was just craving attention. So I bought hot pink lanterns from the Target Dollar Zone and was obsessed with them. Even when I saw the room and the height, I wasnt deterred. So...Hillary and I got really creative. We bought metal weights from Home Depot, added them to the bottom of twine and started throwing them into the air. It was soooo funny! Everyone was running around trying to dodge our flying weights on strings. I am so thankful that Hillary and my friends were so patient with my determination. We eventually got them up and they looked great!
- Floral arrangements / Candles - I bought hot pink pails (Target Dollar Zone), pink votives and small flask vases (IKEA) and Hillary made adorable floral arrangements. - Pails with goodies - I also took a few of the hot pink pails and filled them with tissue paper and small baby items, like receiving blankets, pacifiers, etc. (You could do these same for your bridal shower - fill the pails with small items for the bride.) - Stickers - I went to Hobby Lobby and Target and bought all types of letter stickers - all sizes. We placed letters on the linen tables - spelling baby words like cry, mom, dad. We did the same on the pails after decorating them with ribbons. - Big letters - we carried the letter theme into every aspect of the shower. I bought 15 inch letters form JoAnns Fabric (Cool Springs) and Hillary spray painted them hot pink and added glitter. Super cute! My sister will hang these in her nursery. - Linen - We rented hot pink and brown overlays from Art Pankcake Rentals and placed them over white tablecloths. - Balloons - hot pink, orange and light pink bought from Shindigz party store in Green Hills.
Games: - Hate corny games but these two are always a hit and can be great for brides or babies - 1) Song Remix, Bride/Mom Trivia - email me if you want to know more about these. Favors:
For favors, I decided to do a sweet stop bar as treats/favors. I made copies of the ultrasound, taped them to treat bags and wrote a special message on each bag from the mom/baby to guests. We then invited the guests to snack off the bar during the shower and to take treat bags home. Here's what we placed on the sweet stop bar - - Publix Cupcakes - I really wanted gourmet cupcakes but our budget didn't allow for it. So, I went with my next favorite - Publix. I gave the color swatches and they made them pretty, pretty. While I so wanted pineapple with heaven-ganache our budget allowed for chocolate and vanilla:). But, they tasted and looked great and went fast! I didn't even get one. We decorated the cupcake stand (Walmart) with wrapping paper and more letter stickers.
- Gourmet Popcorn and Candy Bar by Kernels Gourmet Popcorn Kernels is a new, Nashville-based, gourmet popcorn company. They are under the radar now but will soon be a Nashville hot spot. They offer popcorn bars and created ours with caramel, cheddar, white cheddar and butter. We also added assorted chocolates (taking advantage of the 75% off Halloween sales!). We tied cute ribbon around the scoopers to add color to small details. Most of the jars can be purchased at Walmart (near kitchen cutlery) or World Market. Kernel's event coordinator is Amber Heater and she can be reached at 646.808.5540. - Chocolate Fountain I have a small chocolate fountain that I bought last year but never used. I simply bought the chocolate and a medium fruit tray from Publix that consisted of apples, pineapples and strawberries. Most people loved the chocolate fountain - and for a shower, a small fountain will do. But beware - all chocolate is not created the same. I bought chocolate from Party City and it was only $5.99 for 2lbs. When I went to Michaels, it was $16 for 2lbs. The difference - chocolate flavored vs real chocolate. But the real chocolate usually requires a bit more work (aka adding of oil).
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Bridal Showers, Luncheons, Parties, Bridesmaids & Bridal Party, Cakes & Catering, Details, Design & Florals
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Thursday, November 6, 2008
Thursday, November 6, 2008 Once you have decided your preferred wedding style, an event or floral designer can bring your wishes to life and give you a sample to see, feel and approve before your wedding day. In today's post, Hillary (Brocade Design Arts), shares a recent session with a bride who sought an elegant and romantic wedding style. Guest Blogger: Brocade Design Arts is a Nashville-based, event floral designer. Mock ups are great, because you can play with a design concept and see how you like the overall look and feel of a design scheme. I am working with a wonderful couple for their upcoming December wedding, and the feeling for the event is romantic, lush, and elegant. I came up with two mock-up designs. One was a rustic candlestick interwoven with shades of white and cream roses and gold and pearl accents:
Another look:
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Details, Design & Florals
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Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
People are addicted to Etsy and I am starting to see why. There are so many neat finds and it's always great to support a talented entrepreneur with really cool products. After seeing that Tara of Lavish Events also has a store on Etsy (see below). Yes Tara - I am stalking you:). No seriously, the girl is always creating something - She did my candy bar, does custom dance floors...I think she can do it all.
Check out some of her items and other neat wedding finds on Etsy.
Chocolate dipped oreo favor by Lavish
Paper Luminaria by Lavish
Personalized photo cupcake toppers - might be an option for a bridal shower, engagement party
Personalize cake toppers - very reasonably priced (at $90) and they look great!
Handpainted personalized portrait mug - not sure if it's worth it BUT it is a neat idea and very artistic
Wedding Bells Monogram - might make a unique wedding gift or anniversary present
Custom Wedding Illustration
Cute Keepsake - Bridal Party Platter
Guestbook/Photo Album
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Details, Design & Florals, Guests, Gifts & Favors
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