Another week, another wedding. Gosh, I love my job!  Chay & Brandon were also at the Cotton Mill this week, although their ceremony took place at the Waddill Street Baptist Church.  With colors of Claret, Champagne and Khaki, the tone was definitely different and while a little more formal, they incorporated the rustic feel of the Cotton Mill more.  Eddie Deen’s was there to cater some great finger foods and Sweet Art Bakery was back with both cake’s, including the groom’s cake which was Star’s Hockey puck.  It was so playful and GOOD!  I wish I’d gotten a picture of it whole, but alas did not have time as it went FAST.  If Jason Kindig shares, I will definitely post it for you to see this favorite of the bride & groom.  (He also got some great shots of the lightning show we had, can’t wait to see that!)   Here are some of the pics I got Saturday:

We of course filled the fountain with candles and rose petals.  We had to relight them several times throughout the night due to the breeze from the passing thunderstorms.  They were so romantic though, I simply couldn’t let them stay unlit!

Chay & Brandon had many, many family photos to share with their guests to personalize and capture moments from lots of special days, not just the wedding day. We had a table for her family, his family, her bridal portraits and a table for their combined pictures.  I loved getting to create these displays.

The famous Hockey Puck Cake already going like hotcakes. It was so delicious! You can see a bit of the bride’s cake in this picture, which had their names and special words of love wrapped around the middle layer. I love words on cakes!

Chay and Brandon’s dads, along with Brandon, added twinkle lights to the dance floor to give it a more intimate feel. With these lights and the Cotton Mill chandeliers, the lighting was perfect for a rustic setting. (Made me feel like we might be out in an old barn in west Texas, but with the advantage of it being fully restored and gorgeous!)

Thanks for a fabulous time Chay & Brandon. I hope you have a blast in Hawaii!

The number one question I get from the key person who is paying for the wedding is:  “Will you save me money?”  (Yes, it is usually either dad or the groom.)  The answer is whole-heartedly YES!  How do I do it?  Here are the big three ways:

 1.  Negotiation - One of the largest portions of my education is simply knowing what products and services are out there, who the best vendors are and how to negotiate with them.  I will absolutely save you money by making sure that you are not only getting what you want, but you are getting it for a fair price.  We will negotiate for exactly what you want and get it for the best deal possible (taking quality into account of course). 

2.  Prevent overspending - I cannot tell you how many times I’ve seen brides come in my door (that have not hired me yet) with a contract for something they paid an outrageous price for because they simply did not know what to expect.  Or, they have overspent on a category that is going to cost them something else they truly wanted.  If you hire me at the beginning, I can help you outline that budget and stick to it!  The only reason you will overspend while working with me is if you have not consulted me or did not take my advice.   We will prioritize the items you are spending your hard-earned money on so you do not leave out that one crucial item (like a horse carriage) because you did not know how much it was going to cost or how to plan for it.

3.  Saving you time - We all know that time is money.  (If you don’t know this, then you just don’t realize how much your own personal time is worth.)  In working with me (or any wedding planner worth her salt), you get to cut out all that time you would spend on comparing prices and services, interviewing vendors, searching for the perfect place, making to-do lists and simply just stressing about if you forgot something for the big day.  Trust me, this can be (and usually is) a full time job.  If you are already working, going to school or are a stay-at-home mom, do you really want a second full-time gig?

1.  Hire a wedding planner and find your venue
If you would like a wedding planner to help you from A to Z, this is obviously the first vendor you’ll find.  Immediately after, you’ll start looking at venue choices.  (If you are not hiring a planner for the entire process, add planner to step 2.)  Your venue is probably the biggest determining factor when deciding on a wedding date.  Plus, it sets the style and tone of your wedding, so it helps to determine what vendors you’ll need.  Venues also have preferred vendors they work with, so you have the opportunity to see who has worked well there before.

2.  Hire those who only work one wedding a day.
The photographer, videographer, officiant, entertainment and specialty transporation (like a horse carriage) usually fall within this category.  Those who only work one wedding a day book fast, so you’ll need to go ahead and place a deposit to make sure you reserve those you truly want to help with your special day.  If you have not hired a wedding planner yet, they also fall into this category.

3.  Work from the biggest budget item down.
Your top budget item will be the food and beverages.  If this is not included with your venue, you’ll need to start shopping for an outside caterer.  The next vendor will depend upon your priorities, but here’s a common order I follow:  florist, rentals (including linens), transportation (such as a limo), bakery (for your cake or other dessert choice).  The reason I do this is to help prevent overspending.  If your love florals and are willing to sacrifice your limo, this is the way to go.  If your cake is first priority, move it up on the list, etc.

For the past 3 months, I’ve been working with the most fabulous team of Tricia (bride) and Fran (MOB) to create, plan and organize her wedding for June 21st.  (Yes, we did it all in 3 months.)  Tricia and Fran were my dream team and we just had so much fun discovering Tricia’s taste and style (along with Josh’s) and putting together a wedding celebration that would truly reflect them.  When I met with them for the first time, they had selected St. Gabriel’s (in McKinney) for the ceremony and the Cotton Mill (also in McKinney) for the reception.  The church is beautiful and the Cotton Mill is just amazing with possiblities.  With fun, bright colors of pink, yellow and green, we decorated both to suit their personalities and make their special day so unique.  Here are just a few snippets:

The fountain at the Cotton Mill was filled with flowers and floating tea lights which we lit once it was dark.

More candles were hung at the entrance to light the guests way as they arrived.  (The reception started just after sunset.)

I just love this pic of the cupcake tower (even if it is blurry) which stood in place of the traditional groom’s cake.  Flavors were Strawberry with Lemon Curd filling, Chocolate with Raspberry Mousse, White with Banana Cream and Chocolate with Cookies ‘N Cream.  (Thanks to Sweet Art Bakery for these amazing morsels!)

And of course their beautiful cake, with each tier a different flavor…yum!

Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to take a picture of the beautiful and yummy dessert buffet set up by Small Potatoes Catering, but trust me when I tell you it was delish!  I’m sure the photog, Photos by Suki, has some and I’m hoping she’ll share.  Also a big thanks to Creative Touch DJs for the sounds and lighting and RainFlorist Designs for the flowers.  Everyone was pleased as punch! 

Tricia and Josh, thank you so much for letting me be a part of your wedding planning and special day.  You are wonderful people and I’m so glad we got to spend this time together.  Congratulations!

Oh wow, it’s been a total month.  So sorry about that!  All I can do is blame it on June being the busiest wedding month.  I promise to do better!

For those of you who don’t know, my husband is a computer programmer.  The true geek.  Well, this week he got to see me “geek out” over one of my role models, Preston Bailey.  Preston is who I would consider to be THE premier event designer.  He designed Joan Collins’ daugther’s wedding, Donald Trump’s wedding (yes, the most recent), many, many, many events for Oprah and even TomKat.  He is the designer for the stars and his works is truly amazing and inspiring.  You can check out pics of his impressive portfolio at www.prestonbailey.com.

Well, to my total luck, Preston came to Dallas.   During an event at The Crescent, he spoke to wedding professionals and brides about his career and gave advice to both sides of the field.  It was wonderful and heartfelt, funny and helpful.  He gave advice on being in the field, how to work with brides and even helped brides to understand how being open and adventurous can truly make their wedding special.  I was in total heaven!  I even got to take a pic with him!!!!

Yes, I totaly geeked out about seeing Preston Bailey.  For those of you who are at my CCEP meetings, you’ll get to hear all about it soon!