Trying Something New!

I know, I know, it's been a while! I have some great new brides who I have been spending a lot of time with, so I know you understand that they come before the blog!

So I am going to find one picture that inspires me, and "plan" a wedding (or parts of it) around it! I think it sounds like fun, and maybe you will get some new ideas!

So here's todays! Peonies are really only readily availible in the spring, and who doesn't love them? I know I do. I'm sucker for pink too...but that's a whole other day!

So a venue....hmmmm....let's go with Cheekwood. I'm thinking the Willis Perrennial Garden. I can't get the pic to do right, so click the name for the link. Let's keep it in the early afternoon, to take advantage of all of the beauty of the site, and the weather. I think it will be 70 degrees and sunny....

Food, light hors de orveures I think, and quite a few good desserts, focusing on the cake of course! Fresh, spring ingredients should be key. I always have to find a way to throw in my favorite cupcakes around here too!

Hmm, decor.....BBJ Linens has a gorgeous new linen I've been dying to try! Chair pad to match, and a chair tie....with a brooch perhaps?

Centerpieces- more peonies! And some green in there too.

Flower petals for the exit for sure.

I think Crystal Mann with Mint and Sage Photograpahy would be perfect for this event too!

Guest book cards, in the proper colors of course.

Just think spring, and light and airy, pinks and greens (a tiny bit only) and laughter and green mint martins and pink bubbly champagne!

Let's talk showers!

As a bride, I thought one of the greatest parts of the wedding process was the showers! They were a great break from the planning process, and were a chance to see the people you cared about but hadn't had time to see in the past months!


I am willing to bet that if you are getting married, probably some of your friends are heading in the same direction, and you may be planning a shower for one of them! Here are some fun ideas for different types of showers.


1. Color Themed shower- Let's go with black and white for an example.


Invites~ On the invitations you can make up a little poem to let everyone know that they should wear black and white.


"Jenny and Chris are tying the knot, Come join us for a shower at 6 on the dot. The theme of the party is black and white, So come dressed in those colors to shower her that night!"


Decor~ Wrap silverware in black napkins and tie them with a white ribbon. Print black and white pictures of the bride and groom and place them around in black and white frames. Wrap gifts in the colors. Provide favors that also reflect the theme.


A "color" themed shower makes for some great pictures!

2. Couples' Cookout shower- Admit it, most grooms do not want to go to any sort of shower that involves tea sandwiches, petit fours, and giggling women! But they do like to see all of the gifts that come along with all of that. So, make a guy friendly shower.

Invites- Make it clear on the invitation that it is a shower for both the bride and the groom.

Decor- Casual! Red and white checked tableclothes, wildflower bouquest for centerpieces.

Food/Drink- Hamburgers and hot dogs, pasta salad, typical cook-out food. If the group is one that drinks alcohol, provide beer and wine, and maybe a mixed cocktail or punch.

There really is a lot of room for creativity for showers. Some brides may want the traditional, girls only, tea party type shower, and that is wonderful. But some may want to do something outside of the box! Be sure to ask the bride her opinion, in a subtle way, about the type of shin-dig she imagines, and then go from there. It's all about showering your friends with love and good wishes, and not to mention fun!

Perfect Wedding Guide Bridal Show

Today's show was awesome! I can't believe the great turnout we had. though I shouldn't be surprised because the venue, the Frist Center, was amazing!

We did a drwaing today for a free "day of" wedding coordination package, which was a hit. The winner was the lucky Miss Krista Batts of Brentwood! I called her after the show to tell her she had won, and she was really excited! Her wedding is on September 20th. We talked for a few minutes about what she has planned so far, and once I heard that her colors were burnt orange and chocolate brown, I was sold!

We also set up the infamous "coffee bar" and added pink lemonade and green tea for fun. It was a hit as there were lots of caterers giving out food, but no drinks to be had! (Ok, except for at the Ashley's Bride Guide booth, but since we are such great friends, I was glad to share the beverage wealth with her!) I used my current fave color scheme, apple green and chocolate brown, for the table. Southern Events was in charge of the rental items for the show, so I made a couple of special phone calls, and voila! Gorgeous linens appeared on my table!

Colors are typically hard to convey well through the wonderful Internet and digital cameras, so the above picture is about as close to the real color as any other pictures I took today!

As always, my favorite part of the day was talking to some great ladies who were at various stages of the planning process. I met quite a few who had gotten engaged just this past week and were so cute and excited! What a great time!

Thanks go out the the Perfect Wedding Guide and especially Krinda Hie for putting on a great show!

Adorable summer favor idea!

Believe it or not, summer is right around the corner! These fans would be adorable sitting on each seat at your outdoor ceremony. The bamboo fans featured here are pretty inexpensive, coming in at $1.25 each, and are customizable with colored ribbon. They would also be great for a spring bridal shower!

Brianne and Dan

Make a slideshow - it's easy!

First of all, I cannot even start this blog without saying a huge THANK YOU to Mclellan Studio of Franklin. They are certainly at the top of my list for photographers, and you can see why by viewing the slide show above. Some of the pictures were not done justice by this slide show, so I will sporadically post other pictures throughout this post.

Brianne and Dan were married this past September at the Carnton Plantation in Franklin. The venue is amazing. There is not enough to be said about the old Southern charm that is apparent in every aspect of the property. Although I did manage to scare a few of the catering staff with stories of the ghosts that are said to roam the property, everyone managed to get through the night without seeing any of them!

Suzette with Constant Cravings put on an amazing spread for the reception of good traditional Southern food. A 3 piece string quartet played before and during the ceremony and then Four on the Floor kept everyone rocking into the night at the reception; the dance floor was always full! The kids (young and old alike) had a great time with the fully stocked candy bar.

Brianne's biggest desire was to have a colorful wedding, and I think we pulled that off without a doubt. Gobo lights on the ceiling set the mood, and colorful candle holders and bridesmaids attire tied it all together. One of the cutest things was that the bridesmaids all wore red shoes, and the bride wore blue! There is a great shot of that in the slide show above. The cake was beyond amazing and also included all of the colors that were featured throughout the night.

This wedding was one to remember for sure! The families were amazing, and the bride and groom were so much in love.

It's a must have!!

The Real Simple Weddings edition is out!

I ordered mine through Crate and Barrel... along with a beautiful shower curtain that led me to painting my guest bathroom bright green, but that's beside the point.... anyhow, it's not been released in bookstores yet, and it is worth having for ANY bride.

The checklists in it are better than any I have ever seen. Think of the most simple breakdown of what you need and that's what you get from them. I love the magazine Real Simple anyways, and their wedding edition is lacking nothing! There are some pictures and ideas as well, but it's really more of a planning guide for brides.

I strongly suggest it, and am going to be keeping mine around for a long time!

Easy DIY Idea

Well, you've got to love Martha Stewart! I came across this idea in Martha Stewart Living many months ago, and have since tried it out for myself. It came out just as cute! The idea was originally posted for home decor, but I think it ttranslates really well into a wedding centerpiece idea! You can use lace (as shown) or even burlap for a rustic, fall wedding.

Here's the "how to" link , and just try one or two out first to get the feel for it before deciding to make a whole wedding full of them! It can be done without a lot of work, and would make great little gifts to send home with your bridesmaids and family members who attend your wedding. This is a great way to DIY a little something for your wedding that you don't even have to be too creative to do!