Tuesday, October 5, 2010
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the entire StudioWed office will be decked out in pink - pink cupcakes, pink decor - I can't wait to see it! In fact, this Tuesday's open house is not to miss. It will be a rare opportunity for you to meet some of Nashville's top decor specialists, from florists and draping to specialty lighting!
You'll meet some of Nashville's best floral designer like Rhonda Patton Designs (RhondaPattonWeddings.com) and Brocade Design Arts, lighting and draping experts Blue Nova Drapery (BlueNovaWeddings.com), audio/visual specialists Nashville Audio/Visual (NashvilleAudioVisual.com) and two of our favorite custom stationery designers Sweet Life Designs and Southall Eden Paperie. (LOVE THEM!)
Rhonda Patton Designs {floral design}
Brocade Design Arts {floral design}
Blue Nova Weddings (event drapery)
Sweet Life Designs {custom paper goods}
Southall Eden Paperie - love the bachelorette party invitation on the right. {custom paper goods}
Be one of the first 10 brides to register and attend will be receive a swag bag with the brand new - Weddings Unveiled Fall and Southern Weddings V3 magazines! Click here to register for the StudioWed Nashville Open House.
To find out more about StudioWed Nashville, or to schedule your consultation with Mary Alice or Leigh, visit their website and be sure to let them know that Ashley's Bride Guide sent you!
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Posted by Tabitha |
Filed under: Inspiration & Trends
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Tuesday, October 5, 2010
In our second installment of our Wedding Planner Inspiration series, we talked to Kristin Kaplan, owner and lead event planner with Simply Stunning Events. From modern weddings in loft settings to gorgeous outdoor celebrations, Simply Stunning Events has put together events their brides and grooms' hearts desired. For an upcoming wedding Kristin fills us in on what and how she's been working with her engaged couple on their plans.
Kristin Kaplan, of Simply Stunning Events, Shares Inspiration for an Upcoming Nashville Wedding
Tell us about your engaged couple:
Karen & Austin are a sweet and energetic couple who first came to me last June to plan and design their spring, 2011 wedding. They wished for a classic, romantic wedding (nothing too trendy or that might look dated in 10 years) and most of all it had to be “fun”!
We sat down a couple of months ago to begin the planning process and they immediately won me over by bringing Gigi’s Cupcakes to our design meeting (seriously folks, if you want your vendors to work extra hard for you, all it takes is food and treats).
One of the first steps I take with couples is to talk about their personal styles, favorite colors, family backgrounds and heritage, favorite foods, the music they listen to, stores they shop in, anything to give me an idea of who they are as individuals and who they are as a couple. When the guests arrive at the wedding I want them to think “Wow this is SO Karen & Austin!”.
As a couple, Karen & Austin are both very grounded and practical, but at the same time have warm and funny personalities. Karen’s family is Chinese and from the mid-west, while Austin is Korean-American but hails from New Orleans, Louisiana. It was important to them to give a nod to their heritage and somehow work it into the wedding. They both love the color blue and from there we decided on a color palette consisting of shades of blue, silver, white, and pearl. After learning more about their personal styles and going through many different adjectives, I really felt they were going for a classic elegance with a contemporary twist: very pretty and sophisticated, without being overbearing or stuffy. Finally, they wanted to incorporate the Fleur de Lis into the design, since Austin is from Louisiana.
What excites you about this wedding? Is there an inspiration board you can share with us?
I then pulled all the ideas together and create an inspiration board and color board for the couple. This step is REALLY important to me because with an inspiration board we can be sure that we are all on the same page creatively. I typically take a few images that the couple has provided and then fill in the rest using everything I’ve learned about their style. Many of the images are not of things we plan to actually use (sometimes I include images of furniture, artwork, and architecture), but they are meant to convey a particular style or vibe and of course “inspire”. We then use these boards throughout all the various steps in the planning process. It’s a great tool to use with each of the vendors so that they immediately understand the vision and style that we’re aiming for and as a result, the entire event has a cohesive feel.
I am in love with what Karen, Austin, and I came up with for their wedding! The colors, predominantly the blue, in conjunction with the pearls and baroque patterns, have such and “old-timey” romantic feel while still being classic and contemporary. They recently chose Scarritt Bennett for their ceremony and the War Memorial Auditorium as their reception venue and both locations are a perfect fit with their style. I am so excited to see how the design evolves from this point and to continue to incorporate their fun and lively personalities into their wedding day.
Lastly, from your expert perspective, how would you encourage brides/couples to find their vision for their wedding?
Your wedding is your day together as a couple, to proclaim to the world with the support of your family and friends, that you will share your lives together forever. So it should reflect who you are and your own style. When you first begin the design process for your wedding, sit down and discuss what makes you unique as a couple, and find ways to incorporate that into your wedding day. Brainstorm a list of adjectives to describe your style and how you want the wedding to look and feel for your guests and hone that down to 3-5 words. Then start searching for images that reflect the style and build an inspiration board around them. And be creative! I love weddings that incorporate unique touches that reflect the couple.
Thank you Kristin for sharing the inspiration for Karen and Austin's big day! Everything looks gorgeous and we can't wait to see how it all turns out. You can see more of Simply Stunning Events' wonderful weddings and events at their website to keep up with what Kristin and her brides have done!
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Posted by Tabitha |
Filed under: Inspiration & Trends, Wedding Planners & Coordinators
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Friday, October 1, 2010
I love that wedding florals have progressed beyond simple bouquets. These days, flowers take centerstage to complement the food, the colors and the lighting. They can be larger than life to create a feeling of opulence for a big, spectacular wedding or more subdued and simple for more intimate settings. Behind those wonderful designs are floral designers like Hillary Robson who owns http://www.brocadedesigns.com. Hillary's an artist who loves her work and loves what she does with weddings and brides, and that passion is totally your gain. If you don't know her, you should!
Spotlight on Brocade Design Arts Nashville
How did you get started in weddings?
I’m one of those people that were always enamored with weddings. I think maybe I grew up in an age where the pageantry of weddings were super celebrated and that impressed upon my young mind—like Lady Charles & Di, or even Luke and Laura. I can vaguely recall the thrill of being a flower girl in my uncle’s wedding and how I knew that one day, I’d be the bride. I didn’t play with my Barbie’s in a “here we go to work, and come home, and get dressed…” but instead it’s “Barbie’s Wedding!” over and over again. I have played an integral role in most of my close friend’s weddings long before I was involved in the business, and I’ve never grown tired of the planning and execution of an event that celebrates two people in love. I went into the business of weddings in December of 2007, when I realized that this passion of mine could become a career.
What do you like most about weddings?
There are two moments that I love most about weddings. The first is when I meet with a bride for the first time, and I learn about her vision, the vendors she’s using, the space she’s using, and we dream up the décor for her day. The second is the very minute I’m finished with a wedding setup and I see that vision come to life. I love the dream to reality aspect of what I do, and I love knowing that I’ve helped a bride execute her dream and make it into something that is real and tangible, and something she and her husband will remember forever. The other thing I love is when I watch their ceremony and I see that look on the grooms face when he first sees his bride walking down the aisle—it makes me cry every.single.time.
True confession: my favorite thing to do is to make bouquets. It’s like therapy for me, some people take long walks, some people lie on a couch, some people paint—I make a bouquet. It’s guaranteed to lower my blood pressure and let me slow down and just be creative and artistic. Some of my favorite bouquets from this past year were the ones I made for Kristin Kaplan & her wedding party last September. Everything came together and was so perfectly coordinated—and full of color, texture, and depth. I like to think of my bouquets as little works of art—and it’s such a beautiful thing to see a perfect bouquet come together that is absolutely redolent of the bride’s style.
What is your service philosophy?
First and foremost, I’m a perfectionist. While I can admit (freely) to being a bit type-a, I think that this serves my brides in the best of ways. I take their wedding day as seriously as though it was my own, and I expect nothing short from all of my team members. I believe in providing my brides with the very best level of service, with complete and utter attention to detail, flawless execution, and a commitment to using only the highest quality materials.
What are your strengths compared to others in your category? / Why should a bride hire you?
I think that perhaps my biggest strength is that I put a lot of myself and the love for what I do into every event that I’m part of. I think it’s important to create a relationship with my bride and her groom—so that I can truly know them, their tastes, and more importantly—their vision for their day. I feel that if I don’t have that personal, real connection that I’d miss out on a detail that I know they would delight in. Details are something I take VERY seriously (just ask my design team members and planners that have worked with me in the industry—I make nothing short of three “final review” trips around a reception setup to make sure that everything is absolutely perfect, and I’ll stare at a table to find out what is “missing”). I believe that brides can always trust that I’ll be a million-percent committed to everything looking as fabulous as possible.
Who are your 5 favorite Nashville wedding vendors – helpfulness, professionalism, style?
Kristin Kaplan, Simply Stunning Events—amazing to work with, super-attentive to detail and a perfectionist like me, I love working with Kristin because I know she can always get the job done with class and style!
Chef’s Market: Delicious food and endless style. There’s a reason that they are so hot in Nashville—it’s because they are awesome!
Nashville Event Lighting: I have watched Blake and his company go from a few can lights to an entire lighting production, and I couldn’t be more proud to have watched the evolution. They are excellent from design to customer service, and always a pleasure to work with.
The Bride Room (TheBrideRoom.com): The ladies at the bride room have a genuine love for all that they do, and they work with brides to help them to find THE dream dress. They are so kind, so conscientious, and so wonderful that I recommend them to every bride I speak with that has yet to find her gown or her bridesmaids’ gowns.
I must confess—we are so lucky to have so many wonderful photographic professionals in our community that I can’t just pick one, I have to pick several of my favorites, all for their genuine personalities, attention to detail, and excellence: Donald Yeager Photography (my fiancé and talented artist behind the lens); Kristyn Hogan, lifestyle photographer (Sweet beyond compare and amazingly talented); The impeccable McLellan Style (MeLellanStyle.com) (wow is all I can say!), and I could literally go on for days…
Who do you recommend when you’re not available/not a fit?
I recommend Melissa with Vintage Florals, A Village of Flowers, Fresh! by Carry Ann, and Rhonda Patton of Rhonda Patton designs. I try to give brides a few referrals so that they can synch creatively and on a personal level with their designer.
What do you read/watch regularly to stay on top of wedding/event trends?
I’m in love with Martha Stewart, have been forever, and so M.S Weddings is a staple of my reading materials, as well as other regional & national wedding mags. I follow Style Me Pretty, Southern Weddings, and a variety of other national & local wedding blogs, tivo all the wedding shows, and read a lot of different bridal blogger posts to hear from brides about what trends they are following.
What trend do you love?
I love that brides are willing to experiment and mix-and match with fun and funky containers, found objects, et cetera—this is a very Style Me Pretty inspired trend and it’s a lot of fun to come up with fabulous components that integrate together but are all unique. We participated in a shoot styled by Opulent Couturier’s Latrice at Front Porch Farms with Kristyn Hogan, lifestyle photographer. It was great to embrace the rustic, vintage feel with many different containers—from mason jars to antique-inspired tins.
Is there a trend that you hate?
I don’t really hate anything – I am always open to experimenting with something new and different, and even if I might not think it’s my innate style, I like the challenge of trying something I might not gravitate to naturally. I think that my main peeve is seeing certain things get overused and overdone, which is a natural occurrence because brides are presented with ideas that seem unique to them but may be something I’m doing every weekend. I take these occasions as an opportunity to provide a new twist on something that is tried & true and make it different and fresh
Is there a trend that you are glad is gone? The only trends I’m glad are gone are trends that tell the same color story. For a long time, Tiffany Blue & Chocolate Brown, Colbalt & chocolate, and green & white were really big color schemes, and it got challenging to keep coming up with fresh & new ideas—I love that we are starting to see more bold and creative mixes of colors, like Vibrant orange & blue & grey, or color palettes that embrace a range of colors—these are the most exciting to work with, so I like any opportunity to get out of the good ol’ tried and true.
Which trend are you sad to see leaving the wedding scene? I admit that I’m sad that very few brides want to do a “traditional” white wedding. An all white wedding is such a unique & thrilling challenge as a designer—selecting flowers that integrate together to provide visual depth in an all white scheme is so much fun, and I look forward to that coming back in once again. One day.
What are your favorite wedding websites?
ABG is one of my faves, of course, as well as Style Me Pretty, Wedding Bee, Southern weddings, etc etc—I prefer blog-based sites with editorial content, because I feel you get so much more out of them. My newest neatest wedding find is shoesofprey.com, where you can custom design your own shoes (for your wedding or whatever else).
Advice for brides?
I’m getting married next June, so I can say completely that brides—I know what you are going through. That being said, as both a bride and a vendor, my biggest pieces of advice are as follows: 1. Hire only vendors you like: Don’t let price or style be your only deciding factors. Make sure that you have a connection & relationship with the people you are hiring. It’s important that you feel completely confident and assured that you have people working for your wedding that you honestly trust and respect and know they feel the same way about you. 2. Read your contracts: Yeah. It’s not fun, and you may have to get out a dictionary to understand some of the terms, but read through and know what you are agreeing to… it will prevent you heartache and confusion—and don’t work with a vendor that says they don’t “need” you to sign a contract. That’s a red flag. 3. Hire a wedding planner: I think this is maybe the most important thing you can do. The savings and benefits of a wedding planner will offset the investment in having one—and the less stress and relaxation you’ll experience is worth their weight in gold. 4. Do what you want. Who cares what anyone else says, what your mom thinks is pretty, what your bff tells you is the “thing” to do… it’s your day. Own it. I hear so many brides say “But, I don’t want to hurt so-and-so’s feelings,” or “Well, my dad is paying for this so he gets to decide.” Advice is great, and contributions to your day are wonderful, but at the end of your day—it’s yours. Don’t have regrets, make decisions that you love and can live with, and everyone else that loves you will understand. No one’s going to resent you for having the wedding day you want to have, don’t be afraid to speak your mind.
You can see more of Brocade Design Arts' work and get some fabulous ideas for your wedding flowers on their website!
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Posted by Tabitha |
Filed under: Details, Design & Florals, Inspiration & Trends, Luxury Wed Finds
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Thursday, August 26, 2010
We usually feature real weddings after the couple's big day. But how are those days created? What goes on behind the scene? How can you take all of those magazine pictures you've torn out and turn them into a wedding design? And, how exactly does a wedding planner take your concept and help you execute?
With the help of Stephanie of You're Invited, we will take you behind the scenes of an upcoming Nashville wedding. As Stephanie shares this engaged couple's wedding details, we hope their wedding planning process will help you develop your own plan or help you understand how an effective wedding planner adds value.
When an engaged couple comes to you, how do you approach finding their wedding vision?
When I start the planning process with a bride, I ask lots of questions to get to know them (this helps me help discover their vision). Questions such as - what colors do you love, what are your favorite things to do, what are the 3 most important aspects of your wedding, what type of experience do you want to create for your guests?
I will also ask the couple to bring in pictures they like, whether they are wedding photos they like, or even just magazine photos. It's amazing what an interior decorating magazine can do to help me understand and create a bride's vision for her wedding. I never want a bride to feel overwhelmed as we start the planning process. Their vision can evolve over the course of the planning process, and doesn't have to be created on day one.
I'm sure you are working with many great couples, helping them plan their wedding. Tell us about one of your engaged Nashville couples. What is the engaged couple's personality?
The bride and groom are extremely professional, family-oriented and fabulous to work with. This will be the second marriage for both, so they wanted to keep this wedding "simply elegant." Also, a lot of traditions that 1st time brides want to use, we won't be doing with this wedding (large wedding party, father walking her down the aisle, garter/bouquet, etc).
What is the vision for their wedding?
The bride and groom both want their families and friends to really enjoy this evening together. They want fabulous food, beautiful flowers and a really fun party.
Have they selected wedding colors/their theme?
Yes, we've actually changed the colors throughout the planning process. When she and I originally met, we knew she was going to have a fall wedding, so those were the colors we chose (bronzes and golds, oranges, eggplant purple, and pops of green). As the wedding planning process has evolved, so have my bride's color choices. We are now utilizing more of the rich eggplant in the main color scheme, instead of as an accent color.
What is the inspiration for their wedding?
Fall and her love of those particular colors
Engaged couple's wedding - Picture source: You're Invited.
Which vendors/venues have they hired to date and why were they hired specifically to execute on their vision?
Noah Liff is the ceremony and reception location site. It is a fabulous new Nashville venue and the Opera Studio is a blank canvas to create an amazing event. Jessica, the facilities manager there, is so great to work with on projects/events.
Left: Ragsdale Lobby. Right: Opera Suite (Photo courtesy of NashvilleOpera.org)
Nashville Event Lighting - I knew I would need Blake and his team to work their magic on this space. We have the ceremony, reception and then a lounge area to create, and I know lighting will be one of the key elements to help accomplish this.
Blue Nova Designs - The bride and I immediately knew that we wanted to drape the walls and the ceiling to soften the look. The team at Blue Nova has been great during the design process offering us multiple options from which to choose.
Jay from Maple's Wedding Cakes - who doesn't love Jay's yummy cake and fabulous design work!
Terry from The English Garden - my bride described her vision to Terry in regards to flowers, and they immediately connected. Terry has an amazing eye for color and design, and will make my bride's vision come to life in his floral design work.
Jonathon Campbell Photography - We love their work and ability to capture even the smallest details. After my bride met with them, she knew Jonathon and Sharon were a great fit for what she wanted in a photography team. She loves the fact that they are a husband/wife team and she loves their portfolio!
Sargeant's Catering - they have a long-standing reputation in Nashville for delicious food and great service. After our tasting with them, we were blown away at how fabulous the food is going to be for this bride and groom and their guests.
Valet One - for valet parking. Becky is so great to work with and very accomodating.
Music City Tents and Events - for rentals-very professional to work with both before, during and after an event.
Tabitha: Fall colors really are elegant. I especially love the way the multi-colored ribbons are tied to the back of the fruitwood chiavari chair in the bottom right corner. Picture source: You're Invited.
What is their splurge item?
Food!!
How are they choosing to maximize their wedding budget?
They are not having a large wedding party; instead the bride has a Matron of Honor and that's the only one who will stand in the front with them.
What excites you most about this wedding?
I am excited about several things - the amazing transformation that will happen to the Opera Studio at the Noah Liff; from lighting to draping to the table arrangements, it is going to be unrecognizeable from its current look. I'm also excited about the "flip" of the Ragsdale Lobby from the ceremony site to the "after party lounge" after guests finish their seated dinner. Third, I'm excited about the interactive dessert concept we're doing for this wedding. It's going to change guest's experience at wedding receptions.
Any words of advice to couples beginning their wedding planning on finding their inspiration?
Look at magazines, surf websites and blogs, and ask your friends what kind of wedding they envision you having. All of those things will help inspire you to create the wedding of your dreams!
For more of Stephanie's work, check out You're Invited's website or their wedding planning blog for more ideas and resources for your dream Nashville wedding!
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Posted by Tabitha |
Filed under: Inspiration & Trends, Wedding Planners & Coordinators
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Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Everyone is raving about Thistle Farms - from Opulent Couturier (who first mentioned the organization to me - thanks girl!) to The Thirty Something Bride, who visited Thistle with me and who shared her story on her blog today.
So why are we all in love with Thistle? Because Thistle Farms is a great Nashville non-profit that supports local women while offering great gifts for women, bridesmaids and wedding guests!
About Thistle Farms
Thistle Farms is a non-profit business for women who have survived lives of violence, prostitution and addiction. Thistle Farms creates bath and body products that are good for your body and that support and empower our sisters - from Nashville to Rwanda. All of the proceeds go directly to the women in the program for transitional living, counseling, job skills, etc. While based in Nashville (located on Charlotte Avenue), they are changing lives in our backyard and the entire world!
My Visit to Thistle Farms
To learn more about the group, I was invited to visit Thistle Farms, a day that was life transforming. The day started with a meditation session where the group of recovering drug addicts, prostitutes, visitors (like me, Tabitha, Louise and the Jonathon Campbell Photography crew), volunteers and staff shared life affirmations. Listening to their trials, experiences made us all realize that regardless of our backgrounds, our human story was the same - our lives were parallel and that self-love and survival are universal goals.
The topic of the day was secrets and how their existence keeps us imprisoned while our release frees us. After sharing my love story last month, I could totally relate. I could also relate to a group of women working together to raise one another, thereby raising humanity and the Nashville community specifically.
Pictured above: Carolyn (a Thistle Farms volunteer who invited ABG to visit) + wonderful survivors showing me how the products are made.
Words will not do my visit justice so I encourage you to 1) visit Thistle Farm yourself to learn more about the organization and unique opportunity to help other Nashvillians by introducing your church, girlfriends, fellow bloggers or out of town gift lovers to TF and 2) consider being a Thistle Farms bride/supporter!
5 ways to be a Thistle Farms Bride / Supporter!
1) Leave a comment, spread the word and we will donate!
The easiest way to support Thistle Farms is to leave a comment + spread the word! When you share today's post on Twitter or Facebook, ABG will donate $1 to Thistle Farms. How easy is that? Just share this post on Facebook or tweet the link and mention @weddinggirl and @thistlefarms and link to this article (here's the shorten link - http://bit.ly/beMN3W). Simple!
2) Purchase gift baskets for your bridal party, birthdays, new baby or any occasion where a fabulous gift is needed!
For the select few people you've invited to be a special part of your big day, consider personalized gift baskets from Thistle Farms. Filled with your choice of four fragrances (tuscan earth, citrus vanilla, lavender healing and tea tree mint), pick the size of basket filled with handmade bath and body products that fit your needs and pocketbook. Each basket will also contain a personal note from the bride and groom."
We loved this! it would be a great gift for your bridesmaid to pamper them during your hot summer Nashville wedding!
3) Give your wedding guests Thistle Farms favors - from lip balm to scented satchets
Thistle Farms Lip Balm is a perfect one to use at a wedding!...Pick from five scents of handmade lip balms (tuscan earth, citrus vanilla, lavender healing, tea tree mint, unscented – or let us choose a mix of scents), which will be attached to a keepsake postcard with the Bride & Groom’s names and wedding date."
4) Host a Thistle Farms bridal shower
Instead of a typical bridal shower, host a unique Thistle Farms Bridal Shower. Two of our trained employees will come to you, share their personal stories of hope, and tell you about our products. Sample our divine Body Polish...or smell our naturally fragrant candles. Celebrate your special day with women and products that truly say 'Love heals'.
3) Consider a {donation} wedding registry in lieu of gifts
Donating funds to a charity in lieu of giving guests favors is a very socially responsible and heartfelt way to thank your friends and family for sharing in your wedding. Thistle Farms will create a beautiful framed piece of artwork on thistle paper to let your guests know that a donation has been made in their name to the organization.
4) Buy every day products - from geranium spray (aka bug repellant) + candles to shower gel - to pamper yourself!
5) Volunteer and give of your time, love!!
AshleysBrideGuide.com is proud to support them and excited to share the many ways that EVERYONE can support this wonderful Nashville jewel. Special thanks to Carolyn Snell who is a wonderful person and the Thistle Farms volunteer who invited me to visit and to Jonathon Campbell Photography who took time out to not only capture my visit but to meditate + share this incredible experience.
Find out where you can pick up their awesome wedding products via their website or via their Thistle Farms wedding blog post.
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Bridal Showers, Luncheons, Parties, Guests, Gifts & Favors, Inspiration & Trends
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