Going Green

A new trend that is finally hitting the Nashville market is Eco-Friendly Weddings. I have seen some great things happening lately and thought I should share! These are easy, cost efficient and fun ways of getting the Eco-Chic wedding. A local company jumping into the "green"

world is Nashville's restaurant/catering company Tayst. They are launching their new menu that caters to those interested in producing a "green" menu for their guests.

Jewelry: GreenKarat-Buying recycled gold is one of the most ecologically and socially responsible choices you can make. GreenKarat is a great site to have options with your jewelry purchase. Another article of interest about Diamond purchases and your responsible indulgences is just that...Responsible Indulgences. It is an interesting piece and can educate you on the diamond mining process and it's social & eco downfalls. There are ways of impacting the positive and responsible side of the "eco-friendy" world that you might not have realized. This article was helpful.

Gowns- A Bridal Gown company I like that uses organic materials and still has a current style is Morgan Boszilkov. They are beautiful gowns made with sustainable fabrics.

Dinnerware- BranchHome has some fabulous recycled bamboo dinnerware that can be purchased in bulk. It has a natural tone and a rustic/urban feel to it. Perfect for the Urban Eco Bride!

Favors- There are lots of options for eco-friendly favors and one of the more popular items is a candy bar. Candy.com has a great selection of Natural and Organic Candy that actually tastes delicous and is a fun take on a new trend. Seed packets are also a fun favor to give and there are companies that have custom packets for your wedding. Check out American Meadows and their Wedding packets. 10-199 packets are only $.50 a piece.

Thank you notes after the wedding/party are a must and why not send a Grow-a-Note? It's lovely to receive a note from a friend, but even lovelier to get a "plantable" card that blooms into a beautiful garden. Green Field Paper Company sells a variety to choose from.

Groom's Gift- For the tech savvy groom there is the coolest company that makes motherboard money clips and luggage tags! Founded in 1991, Motherboard makes unique and colorful products from obsolete and used circuit boards rescued from TV sets, audio components, phones and computers. They estimate they use 25,000 to 30,000 pounds of circuit boards bound for landfills each year. Very hip and very unique.

Confetti-About 3 years ago I started using a bio-degradable confetti that has been so fun and easy for clean up. Ecofetti is the new safe and accepted wedding toss with no cleanup worries. Water-soluble and completely biodegradable confetti - either hose it away or let nature help with the cleanup...The perfect economical and environmentally friendly alternative to rice or birdseed, no slipping or staining, and ecofetti flutters easily to the ground. It comes in a variety of colors and you can even mix and match for that perfect theme combination. It is as light as snow falling and comes packaged with a scoop.

I hope these Eco-chic favorites inspire you to be a little more responsible in your planning. Even if only one aspect of your wedding reflects an eco-friendly idea, it is all the more earth friendly!

Making a budget wedding fabulous!

The sign of the times....budget weddings. The current client for me is stretching every dollar to make their dream wedding fabulous. It is challenging and frustrating for most of them. Thankfully, they were smart enough to hire a wedding planner!:-) Whether it is Premier W.E.D. or not, a wedding planner can save you a lot of time, money and headaches. They are your knight and shining armor when it comes to making things happen. The right planner allows your dreams to be expressed and then executes them with your budget in mind. However, you have to be realistic about your budget and the most common mistake I see is venue choices that are out of the budget from the get go. That puts you under extreme stress the rest of your planning period! Be flexible, smart and thorough in choosing your venue. That's my number one piece of advice. After all, sometimes getting everything you want means minimizing your needs.

I have also had to encourage clients to go "old school" and use their own car or a family friends car for the get away. That can save anywhere from $400-$700. I am not a fan of plastic for a wedding, but clear glass is just fine. It can be as low as $.30 a plate and $.25 per flatware piece!

Flowers- using the some of the same flowers you had at rehearsal dinner at your receptions is also a smart use of money. I also use extra vases at the reception that await the bridesmaids bouquets when they are finished with photos. These vases can adorn the guest dinner tables, the cake table, or a guest registry table. Mother's bouquets can also be used in the same fashion.

Invitations- Southall Eden Paperie has produced a line of stationary that is budget friendly and can be colored adapted with a small fee. This local wedding invitation designer has hit a market that was in desperate need of stylish but money savvy choices. Shannon O'Kelly competes with other online invitation companies in price and she offers you the local connection.

Combo Discounts- You might want to consider companies that offer more than one service and can discount you for using them for both. This is common with DJ/Lighting services, Photography/Videography companies and Catering/Cake companies.

I never want my client to feel like we are taking over. That is not our job until the day arrives. Through out the entire planning process it is a necessity for me that the client is involved and happy. However, allowing someone who does this day in and day out to help you can be intimidating and worrisome. I know some Brides think, "I don't want someone else to plan my wedding!" It's not about that. It's about allowing a professional to help you get what you want and finding ways that you aren't aware of to keep you on budget. A Wedding Director will bring you peace of mind (which is priceless) the day of your wedding. A Planner gets you there.

Christmas Decor'

If you are overwhelmed with the thought of getting Christmas decorations up, let Premier W.E.D. take the burden off of you! We offer design install services for interior home/business and exterior home. We can wrap all your gifts for you in a design that matches your Christmas decor; we also breakdown after the holidays and package your items so they can be used for years to come. No job is too small and the prices are based on your particular needs. It's quite reasonable and worth every penny! Your home looks fabulous for you and your family and it's party ready when we leave. One of the most common services we offer is to install your current decorations with a new design twist. Sometimes all it takes is a fresh eye to bring new life to something you've seen year after year. We can also purchase new items to add to your existing decorations. Time is money these days and why not allow yourself a beautifully decorated home and the extra time with family!

Some of our specialties are:
Live Garlands or faux (clients preference)
Banisters
Mantels
Fully trimmed faux trees
Exterior Door treatments/Mailbox treatments
Landscape lights

Consider us your little elves and let us help you enjoy your holiday season to it's fullest! Call 615-332-0592 to schedule a free consult.

Southern Weddings Blog Feature

I am excited to have Southern Weddings Blog feature Betsy and Josh's wedding we directed and designed in the summer. Joanne and I had so much fun with this family and it's great to see their happy faces again!

Butterfly Parties

Each girl had their very own butterfly birthday cake and custom made party hat!

It has been two years since I designed my daughter's 2year birthday party and since that time I have seen the butterfly theme take off! One of my sweet friends, Jennifer Neal Milam with Reveal Event Style, recently married and it was a theme for her wedding. Martha Stewart Weddings did a feature on the theme and even in the fashion world it has taken over. With my daughter's party, I used simple tricks to pull it all together and stay with in a budget. I did the floral designs myself in aluminum butterfly containers I already owned. I purchased fabric from a store to create a table cloth. I also rented small table and chairs that were inexpensive, but appreciated by the little ones who sat in them. The chairs were made of plastic, but I adorned each chair with a sparkling butterfly to dress them up. The Dollar Store was my best friend for the favors! I wanted to share with you why the butterfly theme suites girls old and young alike and could be your next party or wedding theme!

I hung g white draping, butterflies and silk lanterns from the underside of our deck

I handmade butterfly wings for each girl

They are usually featured with brilliant colors in many shades. This helps you to have versatility with your color theme. I have also used them in beautiful fall colors on my own dinning table at home.

The favor station included lollipops with custom tags and butterfly purses filled with treats!

Some shimmer can be used to bring a little "bling" to the delicate design of the butterfly. I dressed my daughters up with glitter and jewels purchased from Michael's.

If you have ever visited the butterfly sanctuary at the Chattanooga Aquarium, you'll see why I think adults and children are suited for this theme! Everyones faces are excited and amazed by the many different colors and the harmless appeal they have.

Birthday girl could hardly wait to eat her cake!

Many pre-made products are out there to select from including: invitations, paper goods, toys, clothing, etc. I used a napkin pattern I found to inspire everything else about the party, including the invitation designs done by Southall Eden Paperie.