Monday, June 28, 2010
Last month, AshleysBrideGuide.com hosted a Girls Night Out to celebrate the debut of the second Sex and City movie. We threw a fabulously fun party at Nashville's Aloft Hotel, which is one of my favorite places to celebrate anything! We just received the party pictures from Kristyn Hogan, lifestyle photographer and Jonathon Campbell Photography!
Over the next 6 days, Tabitha and I will share our "Six Days of Sex" - to take you behind the scenes and give you the inside scoop on the party. These details will give you everything you need (from ideas to a full list of event vendors) to plan your own wedding, rehearsal dinner, bridal shower, birthday party, anniversary or corporate event.
THE TEAM: Nashville Wedding & Event Planners + Me
No successful event can be achieved alone. With me, no event can be undertaken without wedding and event planners - no event! I break out in hives just thinking about planning a party. I dont event like to coordinate dinner plans with friends. It's just not my thing. For this reason - I strongly advise brides to hire a professional wedding planner. Your wedding is much more involved than my SATC party. You're emotional, trying to manage family and friends who are emotional, spending more money on a day that you will ever spend again - you need a planner!
Tabitha of ABG (left), Sharon of Jonathon Campbell Photograph (mid), Amy of Swizzle Events (right)
For my event - I turned to ABG wedding planners. I like to work with planners on my site because I like to know their strengths and who is best to recommend to you as you plan your wedding. Plus, I know many of them personally and it's always fun to work with people you know and trust.
My SATC planning team was large because I didnt want to overwhelm out any single wedding planner, since this wasnt a paid gig:). My team consisted of:
Event Planners: Meropi of By Heart and Hand, Kristin of Simply Stunning Events, Amy of Swizzle Events
Event Decor: Toni of Celebrations by Design and Stephanie of You're Invited Gifts, Paper and Events; Jennifer of Reveal Event Style.
Stephanie of You're Invited (left), Toni of Celebrations by Design (right)
THE VISION: The Look and Location
My vision for the SATC2 party was sexy, city chic. I wanted a venue that was modern and sleek. Initially, I selected Events @1418, a wonderful downtown venue with exposed brick, rooftop party, great location. I was concerned about rain because I had to use the rooftop to achieve the "vibe" but I would need a tent as the month of May can often be rainy in Nashville (hence the May flood!) but a tent was not in the budget. So Events @ 1418 was out:(...for this event - maybe not the next!
Then it hit me - Aloft Hotel! I love their look, it already had the NYC look and was right off the interstate with ample parking, making it equally accessible. (You should also consider accessiblity as you plan your wedding. It will make your guests happy:).
I called Kristen of Aloft and she said yes! Aloft made it super easy! They were flexible, accommodating and worked with us as we transformed their hotel lobby into an all out girls party! Aloft is a great option for guest rooms, small parties. All of our partygoers LOVED the look of the hotel. You really feel like you are in a big city when you're in the hotel. You should check it out.
THE DECOR: A Sexy Welcome
My one specific request was that you needed to know it was a SATC party when you walked in. That wasn't easy! By the end of the party planning - a few days before the event, those famous SATC pink letters were no where to be found. I turned to two wedding magicians to help - Jen of Reveal Event Designs who then referred Designs in Paper.
Jen is the girl when you need hard to find design elements or are planning an event that requires out of the box styling. She designed movie sets and is one of the most creative folks I know. I told her that I needed a backdrop that guests could take pics in front of and one that would also serve as our entrance. She said "no problem!". And like that - my sexy backdrop problem was solved. She turned to Blue Nova Designs and together, they created the party's entrance wall with custom draping. It wasnt easy due to the space's ceilings but Blue Nova made several trips from their warehouse to the hotel until it was perfect!
I told Jen that I still needed the SATC letters and she informed me that Designs in Paper created a vinyl floor monogram for one of her brides. I spoke with them on Monday to tell them what I wanted and by Wednesday, the letters were done and were EXACTLY what I wanted. These letters are vinyl stickers that adhere to just about any surface and are removable! I reached out to a few printing companies to quote the letters and their rates were double DnP's rates!
If you need letter so for your dance floor or accent walls - contact DNP! It would be great for a wedding monogram that you could then remove and place in your home.
We placed the SATC monogram on the floors, the fabric backdrop and the bar. These vinyl letters from Designs in Paper can also go on windows, doors, anywhere!
THE DECOR: Sexy Party Rentals & Accessories
The party had to be sexy, vibrant and fun! Aloft didnt require a lot of decor since it's colors are vibrant and modern. Plus, the space was very limited so my decor team had a lot of contraints. I was "that client" who had a list of wishes but no budget AND many obstacles:). I told Toni and Stephanie, my decor experts, that I wanted it sexy and sleek but they couldnt have any floor space. Yikes! The delivered!
They headed to the party planners dream resource - Fabu Event and Wedding Decor! The goal at Fabu was bling! They were looking for stunning elements that could be used in limited space. They did a great job with my crazy restrictions. The also went to Hobby Lobby for the oversized SATC letters which they spray painted and glitterized.
The large bar cylinders are from Fabu. They added pop and bling without taking up space.
The jeweled votive holders are also from Fabu; letters from Hobby Lobby and customized by You're Invited.
Don't miss more party details tomorrow!
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Inspiration & Trends, Wedding Planners & Coordinators, Wedding Resources
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Friday, June 18, 2010
I simply could not wait to feature this art-nouveau photo shoot created by some of Nashville's best wedding vendors.
First - I love working with Swizzle Events, the planner/event designer who was the mastermind behind shoot. Second, the bridal shoot took place at Houston Station, one of Nashville's newest, up-and-coming wedding venues that offers a clean slate for creative brides. I've heard nothing but amazing things about the venue.
It's always fun to see what happens when a group of creative minded wedding professionals get together on a project. I had the chance to have a quick chat with Amy a while ago and she said that everything came together after she and all the vendors discussed the details and they came up with an art nouveau inspired shoot. "A little more art deco but quite floral" as she explained.
The coolest part about this wedding design concept is that you can easily get this look without busting your budget! Amy says, "What people may not realize is, it looks really luxe and glamorous with the crystal and glass elements but there's really a lot of D.I.Y. elements involved in the details!" She went on to tell me that her intent was to do something contemporary, but not so outrageous and edgy that the everyday bride wouldn't be able to wrap her mind around it. So as you're looking at the pictures, bear in mind that, while everything looks exquisite and out of reach, they're all details that an experienced event planner such as Swizzle Events can help you attain without breaking the bank!
Can't argue with that!
Guest Blogger, Amy Thomas, Swizzle Events: Art Nouveau Conceptual Photo Shoot at Houston Station
When I began this design, I wanted to do something a little vintage, a little retro and a little edgy. What I came up with is Art Nouveau meets the modern bride. Art Nouveau as a style has been around since the late 1800”s. Filled with lovely floral patterns and free-form lines, it was a predecessor to the very popular Art Deco age. But, I couldn’t just leave it there. I wanted to take a lovely retro style and combine it with modern touches. Reach out to those brides who enjoy a little frill, a girly touch of romance but are also strong, confident women.
The beautiful linen is a perfect example of our modern Art Nouveau style. The strong, vibrant colors of fuschia, purple and sterling grey speak to the modern bride. The floral pattern was right out of the pages of Art Nouveau history. Eureka! I found the perfect combination of old and new!
The tablescape was designed around the bold pattern of the linen. Layers of clear glassware add sparkle and a touch of glam. Carnations were the perfect choice for echoing the ruffled floral look of the Art Nouveau style. Clean lines and repetition of pattern is also a very intentional element to give a strong, clean look. You can see this in the circular pattern of the floral balls, glass pedestals and candleholders. It shows up again in the beautiful lines of the chameleon chairs and the sweeping precision of the drape and chandelier.
Each little detail is delicious. The sparkle of the brooches, and the clean lines of the ribbon used on the placecards. The tiny jewels on the mini cake pedestals echo the design of the brooches. And, let’s just enjoy those little cake stands for a moment. Something so simple, yet so stunning. A touch of glam added to bring it all together. And, the pink lemonade cakes filled and iced with fluffy perfection. Scrumptious!
Speaking of details, I want to point out the exquisite use of lighting. The beautiful chandeliers add another dimension of glamour to the style. It was very important to have a vertical element above the table and the chandeliers gave a beautiful patina to the overall look. With a hint of vintage glam, they are perfect! We were also very intentional about utilizing color wash on the walls to add dimension and spotlighting to make each detail sparkle.
And, oh the dessert table! We filled it with a combination of decadent desserts and old favorites. Featuring cake truffles, chocolate berry cups and sparkling jars of candy, the crowning glory of the table is definitely the ruffled wedding cake. Another example of combining the vintage Art Nouveau with a modern flair, the cake has a decadent ruffled feature with a touch of glam in the sparkly buttons.
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That flower detail carries over into the bridal fashion, as well. The lovely bride is breathtaking in a soft white gown with appliquéd silk rose buds and flowers. Bold accessories were chosen to add a unique touch – a black silk peony for her hair, a chunky necklace of white and silver. The groom is striking in a Calvin Klein sterling grey tuxedo with a pop of fuschia found in a perfect peony boutinniere.
Photo shoot credit:
Jonathon Campbell Photography - photography/pictures
Swizzle Events - event design & styling
Rhonda Patton Design - event styling & floral
Houston Station - venue
Nashville Event Lighting - lighting
Blue Nova Design - draping
Romantic Creations - bridal gown (RomanticCreationsBridal.com)
Street Tuxedo - tuxedo
Sherita Leslie - hair & make-up (SheritaLeslie.com)
4th Leaf Studio - paper design (4thleafstudio.wordpress.com/)
Crumb de la Crumb - wedding cake & desserts
BBJ Linens - linens (bbjlinens.com)
Classic Party Rental - rentals (ClassicPartyRentals.com)
TruLu Couture - bridal accessories
Stella & Dot, Krystal Mann - jewelry (StellaDot.com)
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Details, Design & Florals, Inspiration & Trends, Luxury Nashville Wedding Finds, Wedding Planners & Coordinators, Wedding Resources
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Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Let's face it, we love weddings. This site wouldn't exist if not for the fact that Ashley, me and the ABG team just love the whole kit and kaboodle of weddings from planning to the big day itself. I get teary eyed when the bride has her first dance with her groom or dad, I laugh and cheer when the bouquet is tossed, I've even come to love the lighting of the unity candle!! Traditions are wonderful, but sometimes it's fun to mix things up a little and put your own personal spin on things.
Today we hand the baton over to Nashville wedding planner, Sarah Willard, as she shares ways Nashville brides can add fun twists to their wedding ceremony.
Guest Blogger: Sarah Willard - A Music City Event
Weddings are steeped in tradition. Some are still eagerly embraced: the couple exchange rings as a symbol of their love and fidelity. Some traditions entice and annoy brides at the same time: the Bride and Groom cannot see each other prior to the wedding. Some are swiftly being carried away: the bridesmaids wear matching dresses (and yes, I have to say: thank goodness!). Some are quickly becoming a new tradition: slideshows of the couple growing up!Every bride has her idea of what traditions she does does not want. And every one of them wants something special and unique. It is always fun to incorporate new ideas even when – or maybe especially when - they are actually old!
A few fun traditions from around the world to think about as you plan your ceremony:
In Japan, purple is the color of love and a young bride may choose to wear an elaborately-embroidered silk kimono covered in purple iris-flowers.
Make this tradition your own - which conveniently falls into a very popular color right now! Use purple as a main color and pair it will bold yellows for the summer, or rich auburns for fall. Use irises in your centerpieces to incorporate a little about where you come from. Considering the Iris has been Tennessee's state flower since 1933, you can also give a little shout out to the lovely state we live in.
In Scandinavian customs, fiddlers and horns accompany the wedding precession to the church. Have trumpeters or other musicians lead the procession down the aisle.
Source: http://www.ingebretsens.com
The familiar English tradition of a throwing petals before the bride as she walked to the church – or her groom – invoked a happiness for the bride for her new life.
Photo source: A Music City Event
One of the most simple yet elegant of ceremonies is the Moravian Wedding Ritual. The bridal couple together lights one large candle. The flame is passed along to the guest, each of whom has been given their own candle. Each guest lights the candle of the one beside them until the entire room is aglow. This is a wonderful way to include your family and friends. I recommend doing this at the end of the ceremony – then you recess awash in candlelight!
Instead of using a traditional guestbook, that you most likely will not look at after the wedding, think "outside of the book" for your guests!
Big ticket items right now include a framed photo of you and your fiance with a wide mat for guests to sign, a vintage poster board with your wedding date and names, or a scrapbook with places to insert instant photos of guests. Why not go a little further and have a Wedding Guest Note Tree? Decorate the branches to reflect your taste and style - jewels, orchids, or moss are great touches and instantly transform the feel of the tree. Have your guest write a note on provided papers. Have fun with your note's shape, doves (traditional symbols of love, happiness, and harmony) are my favorite.
Photo Source: Jonathon Campbell Photography
Eastern European weddings set themselves apart from all others with music, song and dance. Weddings are a time to celebrate, to look forward with hope and courage and love. Weddings in Eastern Europe, as everywhere, symbolize the human spirit as nothing else can. Violins and lively gypsy music fill the air as colorful costumes twirl across the dance floor in a never-ending kaleidoscope of joy and happiness for all the world to witness. This could be excellent entertainment for your guests during dinner!
Source: http://www.krisallan.com
Whatever you choose – or do not choose – to do, be sure that it reflects you and your fiance. It is your wedding after all!
Happy planning!
Sarah Willard
Thanks Sarah! For more great twists on wedding ceremonies you can visit A Music CIty Events' blog or Wedding Nouveau, another blog we LOVE for multi-cultural ideas.
We'd also love to hear from those of you who have incorporated any fun twists in your weddings - share it in comments!
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Posted by A Music City Event |
Filed under: Advice & Planning, Inspiration & Trends, Wedding Planners & Coordinators
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Friday, April 23, 2010
What was once a shopping center in the heart of Belle Meade has now become a fantastic event space. The retail shops that used to inhabit S.P.A.C.E.S. seemed to have set the perfect area for a modern, almost industrial venue, bringing an "L.A. chic" option to the Nashville wedding scene.
They recently had an open house which Jennifer Neal Edwards of Reveal Event Style invited us to as her plus one. We were attending a wonderful tasting at Chef's Market that night and couldnt attend. But Jen did! And, she shared the following recap and pictures to share with you!
"Dutifully named "SPACES", it is an architectural, artful treat that boasts modern art forms - very metropolitan and edgy. The venue has a natural flow mingled with floating art crafted walls creating an exciting anticipation of what is around the corner! The organizers created a warm, welcoming environment infused with lighting provided by Colin (Tech Works Sound & Lighting). The textured linens (provided by Connie Duglin) were made of wonderful, crinkle taffeta in a color and texture reminiscent of rushing water. These flanked the feature art installation, a modern interpretation of a riverbed mirage.
I can just see an intimate wedding ceremony in the round! Ilex provided a lovely floating orchid candlescape. The table top florals were Asian inspired bamboo sculptures juxtaposed with tropical blooms and foliage. Each space within SPACES was dictated by lighting in hot colors including turquoise, hot pink and orange.
A floor inset of river stones with sleek silver orbs and iron tree silhouettes hosting a melange of earth tone glass and candle glow provided by the ever fabulous FABU (fabu.com). Absolutely stunning!
The culinary offerings at the grand opening were indicative of the atmosphere and what you can expect when you celebrate your special occasion at SPACES. The presentation was brilliant thanks to Kristen Winston Catering (kristenwinstoncatering.com). One eye-catching detail was the rockerfeller oysters on a half shell served on "shards" of plexiglass mimicking a bed of ice! Dessert Designs (dessertdesignsbyleland.com) provided pastry art cupcakes topped with pearlized sugar flowers. Glasses of wine and champagne clinked about as big band sounds filled the venue and enveloped the guest as they enjoyed every aspect and detail of this most wonderful new venue!" -- Jennifer
From the sounds of things, S.P.A.C.E.S. is going to be a wonderful venue that can suit all sorts of wedding styles from the simple, zen-inspired styles to over-the-top, spectactular tablescapes and decor.
I love the taller chiavari chairs - certainly beats standing all night!
It's all in the details - The simplicity of the bamboo and orchids don't take attention away from the food. Those pillows on the banquette are nicely complemented by the neon lights.
So pretty how the candlelight bounces off the orbs. Really gives it a magical feel without trying too hard.
Thanks again to Jennifer for a great recap of the evening. Hopefully we get to attend an event there soon. Until then, I'm really looking forward to seeing more pictures of events at S.P.A.C.E.S.
For more information about having your wedding at S.P.A.C.E.S., contact Anne Clayton at Music CIty Tents & Events (MusicCityTents.com).
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Posted by Tabitha |
Filed under: Wedding Planners & Coordinators, Wedding Venues and Locations
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Thursday, April 8, 2010
Today I'd like to share questions that we received from ABG readers on wedding etiquette and budget wedding planning. I reached out to two Nashville wedding planners who offered great advice that might be helpful for you.
Since budget and etiquette are necessary but not "fun" topics, I'd like to start with a little wedding humor.
This is a story that my mom emailed me. I almost never entertain those infamous "forwards", but this story I liked.
HOW TO BE GRACIOUS
Jennifer's wedding day was fast approaching. Nothing could dampen her excitement - not even her parent's nasty divorce.
Her mother had found the PERFECT dress to wear, and would be the best-dressed mother-of-the-bride ever!
A week later, Jennifer was horrified to learn that her father's new, young wife had bought the exact same dress as her mother!
Jennifer asked her father's new young wife to exchange it, but she refused. ''Absolutely not! I look like a million bucks in this dress, and I'm wearing it,'' she replied.
Jennifer told her mother who graciously said, "Never mind sweetheart. I'll get another dress. After all, it's your special day."
A few days later, they went shopping and did find an equally gorgeous dress for her mother.
When they stopped for lunch, Jennifer asked her mother, ''Aren't you going to return the other dress? You really don't have another occasion where you could wear it."
Her mother just smiled and replied, "Of course I do, dear... I'm wearing it to the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding.''
NASHVILLE WEDDING ADVICE
Question from Nashville Mother of the Bride:
Ashley - I have ready many articles about gifting etiquette but have run into a few issues since my daughters wedding. I have always believed that a shower and a wedding are 2 different gift events. I always brought a less expensive gift to the shower and then a bit more for the wedding gift. We only invited our closest friends to the shower. I was surprised at how many did not bring a gift to the wedding. On top of that, people who asked to be invited, asked to bring a guest (and we said yes) and then did not bring the guest or a gift!
I am from New England. Could it be that the customs are different here in the south? I could never imagine not bringing a gift to a wedding and the shower. And I am not talking about the punch and cake wedding in the church where the whole congregation is invited. I am talking about a full dinner, dancing, etc wedding. This has nothing to do with the price of the gift. I believe that is entirely up to the individual and everyone has a budget. But to bring a family of 4 and not give a gift? What if the gift was lost? Can we ask them?
The other thing is we have 2 gifts that did not have a card attached and about 15 guests who did not give a gift. My daughter wants to be sure that everyone gets a thank-you note who gave a gift. How do we ask those individuals if they gave a vase or a grill for instance? It is so awkward!
Thank-you for clearing this up for us!
Expert Advice from Kristin of Simply Stunning Events:
Gift giving is always a tricky part of wedding etiquette and has been made more complicated in recent years by the economic and financial problems many are facing. You are correct that is is customary to bring or send a gift to both a bridal shower and the wedding itself. And typically people will bring a smaller gift to the shower because it is a smaller, more intimate party.
Unfortunately there will always be people who either don't know the proper etiquette or decide to blatantly ignore it. It is a shame that people asked to bring guests to your daughter's wedding, and then showed up without a gift or the extra guest. At this stage, it's up to you whether to continue having relationships with these people based on their behavior, but hopefully you can forgive and forget, regardless of how rude they were.
My personal thoughts are similar to yours in that you should always bring or send a wedding gift if you are invited to a wedding. Even if you choose not to attend, you are still obligated to send a gift. However the cost of the gift is entirely up to you. These days traditionally people spend about $50-$150 on a wedding gift and tend to spend more if they are invited as a couple or family instead of just as one person.
As for the dilemma over the gifts missing cards, I would suggest possibly sending an email to the entire group for which there was no gift, however be sure to blind copy (BCC), all the recipients so that no one else can see who the others were. In the email just state that you received a few gifts without a card attached and if anyone sent a gift and has not received a thank-you note, could they please respond with the gift that they gave. That way you're not calling out anyone in particular but still getting the message across. Hope that is helpful!
Question from a Nashville Budget Bride:
Hey Ashley - I just wanted to put a question out there... I have been looking at venues all over Nashville and am having trouble finding a reasonably priced but nice reception hall. I am getting married in January 2011 and would love to hear from your readers about non-budget-busting venues.
We don't have an exact guest number laid out but are just trying to be careful. My fiance and I are having to pay for the reception ourselves and would like to keep things on the low end of the scale. I think we have about $7,000 to work with but would love not to have to spend that much. Our photographer is going to be $600, the cake $650 and the flowers about the same. As you can see, the money gets spent quickly and before you know it there is no money left. I really just need any help I can get right now because my ideas are running out...as well as what's left in my wallet.
Expert Advice from Hillary of Your Day of Fairy Tales:
Personally, I love the Peacock Room in Lenox Village. Very reasonably priced, no required caterer, and has a kitchen so the bride can have catering on spot. Tables and chairs are provided as well as sound system. If you are willing to venture outside of Nashville and go to Murfreesboro, there is the MidTN real estate building which rents for either $250 or 500 based on space utilized, tables and chairs included as well as kitchen. Both of these spaces are blank canvases and are perfect options to really showcase their personalities by bringing in decor elements.
Keep those wedding questions coming, and we'll help you get your answers. Leave them in comments or contact us!
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Advice & Planning, Wedding Planners & Coordinators
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