Green & Brown Wedding Inspiration

Considering today is Earth Day and how I was feeling a little woodsy and romantic.  I put together this inspiration board for brides who care about the earth and want to celebrate their weddings at the same time.  Sometimes putting the right colors together for your wedding or event is a challenge for many brides or expressing the ideas that you have in mind.  There are so many beautiful colors and ideas to choose from.  I throughly enjoy creating inspiration boards and hope that you find some inspiration from this one.

Happy Planning!

Spring Bridal Shower

It's the height of wedding season and this year I've decided to do something a little different to celebrate the kickoff of the season!  To celebrate and congratulate the recently engaged, I'm throwing a Spring Bridal Shower, just because.  The event will be held on Sunday, April 21st, from 1pm-4pm, at the Marriott Atlanta Buckhead Hotel & Conference Center, located at 3405 Lenox Road, NE, Atlanta, GA,    30326.

The Bridal Shower will be bold and bright with colors of navy blue, yellow, and pops of teal.  There will be great food, entertainment, decor by me (Enraptured Events), and you will meet some amazing vendors and have the opportunity to chat with each of them about their services and the ones that you may be able to utilize for your own personal showers and wedding day.  From a photographer, a florist, a drape specialist, lighting technician, make-up artist, bartender, baker, a cookie artist, and a candy buffet designer, we have a little something for everybody! 

So, RSVP today for this FREE event.  Come out, dine and mingle with us and other brides and simply have some fun!  What have you got to lose? RSVP by April 17 to Hello@EnrapturedEvents.com 

Gorgeous Ring Shots

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.  The weather here in Atlanta is getting warm and the flowers outside my windows are starting to bloom. It's beginning to look and feel a lot like spring!  With that, wedding season is about to be in full swing!

Yes when a woman gets engaged, everyone wants to see the ring.  When you're a wedding planner or photographer, you want to make sure you've captured that ring in the most creative way possible; one that still captures the unique style, personality, and characteristics of the bride and groom.  Today, I've rounded up some of my favorite and most creative ring shots, all of which I hope you enjoy and will spark some creativity when it's time to plan your own wedding.

Image Courtesy of AisleCandy.com

I always love to see rings nestled inside florals and succulents.  This one is no exception!

Image Courtesy of BridalGuide.com 

Putting the rings in the back of the dress, inside the corset was just brilliant! This is definitely a picture worth keeping in an album!

Image Courtesy of StyleMePretty.com

I just love this ring shot of the three rings layered between some macaroons!  So creative.

Image Courtesy of AKStudioDesign.com

The rings hanging off of the couples new last initial, atop the wedding cake.  I think this is a great idea!

Image Courtesy of KristinViningPhotoBlog.com

Who doesn't like the look of piano, especially in this classic black and white photo?  This one is classic and modern all at the same time.

Image Courtesy of Izlas.com

For the modern bride and groom, this ring shot is simple and gorgeous.

Whether you're a bride, a wedding planner looking for a great shot, or a photographer, I hope these ring shots have sparked some creativity for your upcoming wedding.  Happy planning!

Outdoor Cocktail Hours

The time has sprung forward, which means that Spring is almost here.  The birds are chirping and flowers are about to bloom; and so is wedding season.  With that, there will be more and more outdoor weddings.

When having an outdoor wedding, people tend to forget the beauty of an outdoor cocktail hour.  If done right, the space can be romantic or show off the cityscape that you call home.  If you can't decide on whether or not to have your wedding indoors or outdoors, this is a great way to have an outdoor ceremony and cocktail hour and an indoor reception and allow your guests to have the best of both worlds.

Image Courtesy of Cocoon Beach Club

Weddings and receptions are about the experience.  Outdoor cocktail hours are ways to add to the experience that your guest will have to enjoy and share with you.  If it's something that your budget can allow, and the venue can accomodate, why not give them that experience?  Besides, it's not like you're getting married everyday right?

Steampunk Exhibit

It's been a while since I've written a blog, but it's time I've gotten back into the swing of things!  Let's start by talking about the great time I had at the Occasions Magazine Bridal and Party Expo.

I was asked to partner with one of my favorite florists, Perfect Petals Design Group, and help design the booth.  I was beyond excited because she and I work so well together and "speak the same language".  She wanted to do something different and came up with the idea of doing a steampunk design.  I was all for it and took the idea and ran with it!

Image Courtesy of ImagesByWinston

Image Courtesy of ImagesByWinston

Image Courtesy of ImagesByWinston

Because the design was all about clocks and gears, we decided that it would be a 50tth birthday party instead of the typical wedding setup, which was appropriate for this expo.  I made chargers into clocks, purchased gears, bicycle chains, and the whole nine yards.  The booth turned out to be fabulous and many people recognized the steampunk design right away!  I even created a steampunk soundtrack to play during the show.

Image Courtesy of ImagesByWinston 

Image Courtesy of ImagesByWinston

Image Courtesy of ImagesByWinston

To top it off, we even had a cake that fit the theme of steampunk and had a clock on the top and a ton of gears all around it.  The gears actually looked as if they were supposed to turn!  Everyone that stopped by the booth were in awe of the cake, done by Cakes by Lameeka!

Image Courtesy of ImagesByWinston 

Image Courtesy of ImagesByWinston

One Day In December ~What A Difference A Year Makes!

Logo by Cris of Kiss My Tulle

Wow, it's been a year already!  It's truly amazing how time flies and what can happen in just 365 days.  I was excited that us TWIPS (A community of wedding planners and bloggers) wanted to do this chain of recap blog posts again.  In my previous "One Day in December Post, that I posted on my gift basket blog, that you can read about here, I spoke of how one car accident changed my life and it truly did. 

I wrote of how my children and I survived a major car accident and how I ended up losing the job that I hated, because of the accident.  I spoke of how the accident left me unable to speak, so I started a blog and was accepted into TWIPS.  There were so many things that I mentioned, but so many things went unsaid as well, which makes this Christmas extra special.

Image Courtesy of Tumblr via Pinterest

What I did say was was that my world flipped upside down when my SUV did.  What I didn't say was that after the accident, I lost my home too.  I stated that business picked up for my gift baskets and event company, but I didn't say that I really depend on my day job because, although my businesses have picked up, I still don't have enough business to survive solely off my two companies alone.

Image Courtesy of Tumbr via Pinterest

With all of that being said, I couldn't be happier with the way 2012 has progressed.  After seven months of being unemployed, I found a job that I absolutely love, where I get to work with at-risk youth and show my passion for education by day, and at a place where I no longer have to hide the fact that I'm a wedding and event planner.  I'm constantly busy with Enraptured Events, planning and designing, and also busy with Wrapped Couture designing custom gift baskets for various occasions.  I've been able to attend a few wedding conferences out of state and cross those things off of my bucket list.  I've also been featured in Stiletto Woman Magazine for pushing through the pain and overcoming adversity.  I was able to meet a bunch of TWIPS at a meet up here in Atlanta and  finally meet Shafonne of Pretty Pear Bride in at one of the mini wedding conferences in NYC!  With the way 2012 has turned out, 2013 looks to be even better!

Image Courtesy of Tumblr via Pinterest

I heard something on the radio recently: "Do you know how you know that God isn't done with His plan for you?" After a pause from the DJ, he simply said, "He keeps waking you up."  To me, that was a very profound question and it confirmed what I already knew; there's something bigger and better just waiting for me and all I have to do is wake up.  The same goes for you!


For more great "One Day in December" posts, visit Shafonne of Pretty Pear Bride and her recap post  of 2012 from yesterday and tune in Monday for Amanda's 2012 highlights and recap of Baci Designer. 

Hire A Professional & Not Your Friend!

Happy Friday!  I hope you're looking forward to the weekend as much as I am.  Although we're just getting over the Thanksgiving break, I'm ready for another one.

At the request of one of my brides, I'm writing this post.  This is something that many of us in the wedding industry talk about quite frequently, why you shouldn't hire your family or friends to be your wedding planner or vendors at your wedding.  In theory, it sounds good, but in actuality, it only works out in rare instances.  Today, I'm listing my top 10 reasons why you should really refrain from doing so and stick with the professionals.  It may keep you from being a stressed out bride on your wedding day.

Photo Courtesy of The Plunge Project

1. Direction:  A professional offers direction and helps guides you through the planning process.  Even though the wedding planning books can give you and outline of what to do and when, a professional wedding planner is there to offer continued guidance and ensures that you're staying on target with securing your vendors in time for your wedding.  Your friend may not be so cognizant of benchmarks to keep you on task for your wedding to give you the gentle push you need in the right direction.
2. Vision:  A professional helps articulates your vision to other professionals.  One of the things that I do, and most of the wedding planners that I know is to create an inspiration board for my clients, after the consultation.  When communicating with other vendors, it makes it much easier to present a photo.  A professional is able to listen to the bride (or groom) and create a concept, vision, or direction for other professionals to follow.  A friend may not know how to fuse your style with his to create one cohesive vision for your wedding or special event.
3. Budget:  A professional manages your budget and helps you stay on target with your budget while maintaining the vision that you've originally set.  If there is something that you'd like to have, the professional planner knows the budget and whether or not you can afford it.  If your budget is low, a professional can offer creative suggestions to still maintain the original vision, whereas your friend may not..
4. Knowledge:  In this business, trends are constantly changing.  The professionals that I know and work with are masters of their craft; certified wedding & event planner, certified photographers, and certified florists, and so on.  We are always attending conferences and seminars to continue our knowledge of what's going on in the industry so we're always fresh.  Your friend may not have the knowledge, the certifications, and my just look at planning as a hobby.
5. Listening:  Many brides have been thinking of their wedding day since they were little girls.  As a professional, we're able to actively listen to what our clients want and offer suggestions based on what they want and what they can afford.  Your friend may not be fully listening and may be more interested in offering ideas and suggestions.
6. Accountability:  As a professional, we' often hear, "My cousin can do this" or "I know someone who can".  It's difficult for us to get a bride to understand that friends and family members typically want to enjoy the day and aren't looking to work, like a professional would.  Professionals show up to work and get the job done that they were hired to do.  They aren't looking to join the party or have a good time.
7. Quality:  Professionals are not only want to give you the wedding/event you've envisioned but are also concerned about their name and reputation.  They want to produce a quality product that you and they would be happy with.  Your friend may be more concerned with producing a product that you can afford, without offering any options or creative alternatives for what you can afford, often leaving you disappointed; after the fact. as the old adage goes "you get what you pay for"
8. Mediation: As a wedding professional, we are often having to play a mediator between the mother and the bride, or other family members.  If you're a friend or family member, you may be too close to the parties involved to provide mediation.  It's often a great idea to have an outside party.
9. Vendor Relationships:  As a professional, you have the opportunity to build relationships with vendors in all aspects of the industry.  With these relationships often comes added benefits that are passed on to your wedding. Your friend wouldn't have this.
10. Venue Spacing:  As a professional, we aren't always there when the venue is chosen, but we know how to come in and make the space work for what your vision is.  If we're fortunate enough to be there before the venue is selected, we're able to help you choose the one that most fits your vision, budget, and works well logistically.  Your friend may not be thinking of these things and thinking of the venue that looks that best.