Singing Song Birds

Southern Weddings Magazine Online, this REAL wedding was a pleasure to be a part of. Meg and Josh met on the reality TV series, Nashville Star. Both very talented musicians and VERY creative. The planning process with Meg and her mother, Donna was so fun and I was honored to help execute their plans and ideas. I think having a planer's voice to confirm design ideas and thoughts was all Meg needed!

I still giggle at the day Meg was in my office for a design meeting and somehow the subject of Josh's boy's came up. (The handsome tykes in the photo below!) We soon realized that my daughter Greer and Josh's son Drake had been in preschool together. We then put two and two together that sweet Drake (really is a sweet kid!) had a biting problem his first year at the Preschool and Greer was the last to experience his fetish. I still can see the horror on Meg's face when she realized it was my "Greer" that he bit! As a mother of two....I know that kids go through phases that you aren't always sure they will come out of! Just ask me which phase mine is in at the moment and it will make your jaw drop I'm sure! All that to say...Greer, being the dramatic 2 year old at the time, still talks about the moment and that makes it even funnier. I quickly settled Meg's fear of "Mom going to beat up the kid who bit my kid!". Life happens....But BOY Nashville is so small!

I know that they (Donna and Meg) are starting their own business with vintage finds that will be rented or used for weddings. I hope to have all the information to share with you soon. Not only are Meg and Josh great musicians, but they are up and coming photographers. They studied under their dear friends, The Parsons and do some fantastic work! You should check them out! Souder Photography In the mean time....enjoy this southern song bird's wedding!

Photos Courtesy of WE ARE THE PARSONS

Damask Fall Wedding at Noah Liff Opera Center

Mary and Terrance were married in early Oct. at the St. John American Church in Nashville with a beautiful fall reception held at The Noah Liff Opera Center. (I blogged about their engagement a few months ago and you can view it here.) The couple had many friends and family who shared their special day with them. It was fun to see the family gather around this couple and embrace them with such excitement.

The design of the evening came to me from the binder that Mary had chosen to hold her wedding details in. She brought the binder to our first meeting and shared with me her favorite colors for the wedding. With out even noticing she had chosen the same for her book, I pointed out the similarities in the binder. We were off from there....Chef's Market brought a fun flare to stations set up around the reception, Village of Flowers created budget friendly arrangements that popped with color and texture. The Bridal bouquet was STUNNING against Mary's dress and beautiful skin! Jay Qual's with Mapel's Wedding Cakes did a fantastic job matching the invitations and Jason Davis handled the warm lighting that providing the mood for the evening. With out Divine Images, I surely couldn't share the fun and beauty of the night! They were "work horses" rallying family and friends for as many shots as they could get. All the while, grabbing the amazing detail shots that I, as a planner, need to show.

Happy 2011 to this couple and their new marriage!

Enjoy the pictures shared with me by Divine Images!

Holiday Party Time!

A new company to TN, Jackson National Life Insurance is a welcomed addition to Williamson County and I was so excited to have been selected to handle their first TN office Christmas Party.

Being politically correct, I suggested a Winter Wonderland Themed party. I imagined a cool blue surrounding with pops of bright red on the tables to represent the season but more importantly the company's color. Lot's of sparkle, great food, and dessert room and a killer DJ helped to make this party an urban holiday oasis for the client. Durego in Cool Springs was selected to be the host venue because it is not far from the corporate offices and it is a great clean slate to work with.

I ordered mirrored curtains from a online source that I use and had them installed into the ceiling in various places to provide even more shimmer through out the space. Think updated version of mirror ball effect. I also took some strands of the same material and hung them from the tree branches (real branches sprayed and installed around metal posts in the room). The light up cubes around the lounge seating were a design I came up with a year ago for another client's wedding. Blue Nova made them for me and I have been able to re-use them several times for clients.

The dessert room not only showcased a beautiful table of treats, it also had a hot chocolate bar with all sorts of condiments to add to create a warm delight!

Signature drinks for the night were peppermint martini's dressed with a candy cane and sugared rims. I used the LED ice cubes to bring a little fun and urban feel to the drink.

Thank you to the following vendors who helped make this party a fabulous wonderland of sparkle and fun!

Prop Design for the Trees: Ellen Summers

Lighting and DJ: Jason Davis

Florals: A Village of Flowers

Rentals: Liberty Party Rental

Catering: Chef's Market

Photography: Keoni Kuer

Lana and Ethan - A Thanksgiving Wedding Weekend

This pair is the quintessential college couple. Meeting at Old Miss, Ethan was Quarterback and Lana was cheering on the sidelines! Lana is a Mississippi girl and Ethan's family resides in TN. They came to me through Ethan's father originally...(Steve Flatt, also minister for their wedding) when I was hired to do a surprise party for Patsi Flatt, Ethan's Mother. I now have Steve and Patsi's daughter's wedding in March and really look forward to keeping in touch with this sweet family.

Lana's parents were out of town so you could see the panic in their faces when they first arrived for the wedding festivities. Having not been involved in the planning process, Mrs. Barrentine was nervous things were "all taken care of". Of course, with my amazing side kick, Joanne and all of my favorite vendors....every thing was completely flawless that evening and the guests had a ball! I think Mrs. Barrentine approved and could let her heart settle. This is quite common for my company lately...out of town parents of the Bride. They had planned their other daughter's wedding with out help and the stress was over whelming for them. I was honored to help Lana AND her family be able to relax and enjoy the day!

Ethan was diligent with the budget and Lana was amazingly trusting of my suggestions and designs. It is usually harder for a client to relinquish control of the design, but Lana was ready for it. Her work was very demanding, they were going to be moving, and she was clear about what she wanted. She then released Premier W.E.D. to make that happen!

I always feel a sense of disappointment when I know I won't see my clients anymore...this was certainly true of this couple. However, I get to be with them in March as Rachel Flatt takes her vows! Kristin Vanzan t did a fantastic job catching the spirit of this sweet couple. I get the pleasure of working with her again in March as well! Enjoy the pictures Kristin has shared and I hope to have more details of this Thanksgiving wedding for you later!