It's the Big Day before the Big Day

Have a mercy.  It has been a whole week since I blogged.  Not that I haven't thought about it.  I even have a sticky note in my planner that has my blog topics written on it.  Like, you know, I had a plan.  Which I do.  This week has gotten away with me and the main reason for that is it is a Wedding Week, like the week before a big wedding tomorrow.  Which means along with the everyday responsibilities, it seems every spare minute in my mind I am obsessing, mentally checking and rechecking every.last.detail of the Day.  To say that I don't want anything to go awry would be an understatement.  Funny side note:  I just googled the word "awry" to be sure I spelled it correctly and looked at the definition.  Awry means:  to fall apart, unravel or to  fall into disorder. Ah yes, that is exactly what I don't want to happen.  And it won't, I know that.  I tend to be a bit of an over-thinker and so a Wedding Day that You Want to Go Perfect is an over-thinker's nightmare.  As E and I always say, Sunday's Comin.'  It gives double good meaning to that old phrase for a wedding planner.

But Sunday is stacking up to be a busy day.  So I hope I can get this old body up and out the door early for Worship and Sunday School.  I sure don't want to miss.  We won't be in town next Sunday so I really want to be with my "church people" this weekend.  It really makes me happy. 
Sunday afternoon we will celebrate with our dear friends their Daddy's 90th Birthday.  Since Mimi turned 89 last Sunday, I have been reflecting on a long life well lived all week.  It is truly a blessing to have a parent for such a long life.  I am so thankful.
Sunday night is an Inaugural Night of sorts.  D and I, along with three of our best couple friends are starting a new tradition, a Supper Club.  We have talked about what a great idea this would be for years and by golly, we are going to do it.  However, lest you think we are all going to do the traditional go-to-each-others-houses-and-cook-type Supper Club, that may not happen.   We are just going to Supper. Together.  We'll take turns planning the monthly outing and just go enjoy being together.  You just have to be intentional about these things or they just don't happen.  I can hardly wait to be with these precious friends.

And speaking of Inaugural Nights, did you hear the whoop-whoops of excitement coming from the houses last night?  If you had been close to mine you sure would have heard it.  Just in case you aren't immersed in sports, specifically football, you might not be aware that last night at 6:00 the ... drum roll please ... SEC Network premiered!!  There might or might not be a few words of the "Halleluiah Chorus" sang at my house.  Believe you me, it was a BIG night!  We (and by that I mean, my husband) had been counting down the days until this premier. 

And get this ...  for the past few days D had been in Kansas City at a food show.  So yesterday morning he hears that he can get an earlier flight home than expected so he jumped on it.  As he was standing in line to board the plane, his phone rings.  It is our Coke Rep/friend/huge Bulldog fan who says "I've got an extra ticket for the 3:00 Bulldog practice in Athens, can you come? and oh by the way, Matt Stinchcomb (from the SEC Network) will be interviewing Coach Richt while we are there so we'll get to see that too. And it's a party type thing with food and drinks, a couple of talks from the Coaches, it kinda sounds like something you might enjoy."    Are you kidding?  D could have flown home without the plane.  As soon as his feet hit the Georgia clay, he changed clothes and made a bee-line to Athens.  To say that he was over-the-moon excited when he got home last night would be an understatement.  So pretty much, he had the.best.day.ever   You know, I just had to smile.  My husband works hard, long, long days.  His job comes with much responsibility and stress.  He has a lot to juggle.  So when a little fun unexpected something comes along to break up an otherwise stressful week for him, this wife was extremely thankful.  I truly believe it was no coincidence that he was able to get an earlier flight.  I believe our good God knew what he needed.  As He always does.

So today and tomorrow will be hectic but oh so fun.  I have had the pleasure of watching this precious bride grow from a girl to a woman, and now a wife.  I'll be honest, these are my favorite weddings.  Having a history with the family makes a Wedding Day oh so much sweeter.  So much love to Erin and Will!  Your Big Day is going to be Wonderful! 

More Big News!!!

Wow!  This month has turned into a biggie let me tell you!  One of our weddings is featured on Style Me Pretty blog!!!  Check this out and please take time to read the words written from the heart of this precious bride.  This young woman is extra special to us as she and her family are long time family friends of ours.  Kayla and Emily have a childhood full of memories together.  To witness the love of her and her groom throughout the planning and wedding weekend was nothing short of breathtaking.  Her wedding reflected her personality perfectly.  We prayed and prayed for beautiful weather for this day and God was good to provide.  It was amazing.  I might have cried like a baby when I first caught sight of her in her wedding dress.  I've seen her grow and mature through the years into an amazing woman.  We were incredibly blessed to a part of this special time in the life of their family.

Oh my word ...

HUGE Wonderful Events News!!!!!

When I first saw this come across my email I had to look twice, three, four times.  Did that say what I think it said?  We are so excited!  So excited!!!    Here's the big news:   It seems that the super popular wedding blog, Style Me Pretty http://www.stylemepretty.com/georgia-weddings/  has chosen one of our weddings to feature!!!!   Oh.My.Goodness!!   So exciting - imagine me skipping around waving arms :)  Have I mentioned how thrilled I am about this?  This is truly an honor.  I really think that it's the amazing work of photographer, Kristen Alexander and florist, Amy Osaba that sealed the deal but that's okay, we'll go with it. 
E and I adored this wedding, held last May. When we first met Whitney, her fiance Jarod was still in Iraq.  That alone tore us out of the frame from the get go.  The more time we spent with them and got to know them, the more we just loved them.  Whitney's family lives in Ohio and she was living in Alabama, so they chose a true destination wedding for all involved at the amazing Montaluce Winery in Dahlonega.  One thing about Montaluce, it.is.bee-u-ti-ful.  Just naturally gorgeous.  Built high on a hill, the winery overlooks the vineyards and pond.  Whitney and Jarod got married down by the pond then moved to the winery for the cocktail hour and reception.  The details she and her mom chose were incredible.  Her mother, an interior designer, had a keen eye for the exquisite and it truly shows.  So beautiful. 

Please go check it out.  I would love it if you would!!

What I Love about September 2011

Remember back in the day, when I used to blog on a regular basis, before my life turned into a big ole whirlwind of activity, that I used to post about what I love about a particular month. Like on the first day of the month. Well, here it is the 19th day of September but I'm not going to let that stop me so here we go . . .

What I Love about September 2011

When you start on the 19th, you have to look at some things in the rear view mirror so that's what we'll do with the first few . . .

1. The Labor Day weekend was anything but restful for E and I as we were in Athens assisting with Sarah and Daniel's gorgeous day. Hey, one advantage to doing this two weeks in, their amazing photographer has already posted some of their pictures so if you're interested, you can have a sneak peak at this beautiful wedding.

http://melissatuckblog.com/

2. A certain young woman who is special to our son celebrated her birthday on September 7th. The Big 21! Happy Birthday to a beautiful girl - inside and out!

3. The second weekend in September, D and I made a whirlwind trip down to Savannah and back up through Statesboro for visit with our boy. Savannah was as beautiful as ever, what little we saw of it. This trip was quite the experience for a variety of reasons but always a fun time when D and G are involved.

4. Okay, so this past Friday night D had his college reunion. Oh yes he did. I knew three people in the whole room of 75 but that's better than not knowing anyone I suppose. This event was so special to D and I loved that he could reconnect with old friends. Since this was a reunion of the folks from the Baptist college he attended his first two years, this wasn't the typical college reunion. It began with a time of Praise and Worship; followed by a little preaching/inspiration from one of the classmates and then a share and prayer time. It was amazing. I actually loved it and even though I didn't know hardly anyone, I came away from there truly uplifted by the whole experience.

5. E and I completed about 9 months worth of planning with one of our precious couples when they married this past Saturday at Montaluce Winery outside of Dahlonega. This was an outdoor wedding down by the pond and the weather could not have been more beautiful. This was such a fun wedding! There was a Mariachi Band during dinner; a great dance band called Str8 Pipe for the reception; then a DJ for the post reception. To say that these folks had a par-tay is an understatement! They partied so late into the morning that I finally crawled into bed about 3 a.m. E drove home and I don't know if we were overtired or just wound up tighter than a string, but we talked non-stop for the 30+ minute drive. This wedding was executed by all vendors flawlessly. I by no means am taking credit for that but when you have some extremely talented folks coming together, you get an amazing event.

6. Okay, so now I am caught up to current. Tonight I get to go out with my Birthday girls and I am pumped! I had to miss last month's get together and I have mourned that for the past four weeks so I just cannot wait to see these girls. They are some of the coolest women on the planet.

7. On Friday, I'll be heading on over to the FBC Gainesville for the Hearts and Hands Emporium. I love this shopping event. Admission goes to a great cause, The Gateway House and the shopping well, it's awesome. I'm considering beginning my Christmas (really? Christmas? Ahhhh!!) shopping this weekend at this event. Can't wait!

8. On Friday evening, D and I are looking forward to attending the John Jarrard Concert held on the Brenau University campus. This is always a fun event and this year it will be held two nights, Friday and Saturday. Again, proceeds go to some mighty fine organizations. Music and dinner under the stars - yes, please.

9. On the 27th, my hubby will have a birthday and much fun will be had. Still ironing out the details for this special time so more to come here.

10. Our church is having a church-wide study right now, called "If God is Good." This study is based on the book by the same name by Randy Alcorn. We have joined a small home group for this study that meets on Sunday evenings and while we've only been once (last night), let me just tell you, it was blessing.

Well, that's the highlights for September 2011. More to come . . .

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Is it really Thursday morning already? I realized late yesterday that I hardly gave a mention to Valentines Day! Hope your Valentine treated you well. I know mine did. In fact, we are continuing our celebration Sunday night with a little "surprise." I love surprises (good ones) and I can hardly wait. We began our Valentine's Day celebration on Sunday evening with a table for two at a local restaurant which recently opened in town. What we didn't realize about this little "romantic" spot was that they bring in poker tables on Sunday nights for a little game of Texas Hold 'em. Just what you want to hear when you're gazing into each other's eyes, "I'm a-gonna havta fold em there, buddy. That was the lousiest hand I ever had." Although, it did bring back memories of a certain silver fox from my younger days who could sure croon a tune about holdin 'em and foldin em, knowin when to walk away and knowin when to run. (Did I really just use the word "croon" in a sentence? I'm not sure which is worse: knowing and using the word croon, quoting old Kenny Rogers lyrics, or calling him a silver fox. All of those statements are so wrong on about ten different levels.)

So. Okay.

Maybe I should catch you up on what's been going on around here. Let's see. The weekend was actually pretty quiet. The weather was in one word - lovely. It made you just want to stare at the blue in the sky and sit in the sun. And I did just that.

E and I had meetings with brides on Friday and Sunday. Friday's bride is getting married at Montaluce Winery in May. Outside next to the lake. Reception inside the winery. Purples and greens for colors; birds and birdcages for decor. Oh so pretty. Actually Montaluce needs very little in terms of decor. It is stand alone gorgeous.

Our Sunday bride is getting married outside as well in October. This bride has actually asked to use our family farm for the venue and we could not be more pleased. We can totally rock the farm. It was made for large events such as weddings. She wants to get married down by the pond and have the reception up on the deck. But I will admit though outdoor weddings make me oh-so nervous. They require Rain Plan 101 detailed to the nth degree. You have to have a tent on standby and then you have to make the call if you'll need it or not a couple of days before and oh my word at the uncertainty of it all. But if all things go as planned, outdoor weddings really are some of the prettiest. So we are super excited about planning this wedding and working with this precious bride and her family.

Then last night we met with a bride getting married in August. You know the thing about our business, we never do the same thing twice. Ever. No two weddings are even remotely similar. I really think that is why I enjoy it so much. It keeps life interesting. This bride is going totally glam. Black and white bridesmaids dresses; touches of pink; rhinestones; pearls and lace. Everything classic, traditional and streamlined. I love this look.

Tuesday morning I was in Alpharetta at the coolest place ever - a linen rental company. Doesn't sound exciting? Oh, you just don't know. I walk into their showroom and it is just packed full of beautiful fabrics, colors and tablescapes. I went down there to get linens for a project I'm doing this evening. I am creating a mock-up of a reception table for a potential client. I met her at the Bridal Show and she loved one of the tables we did for the "Be Inspired" Room. I am re-creating that table but tweaking it a little for her specific needs so we'll see what she thinks about it tonight.

I just have to mention that Bible study was amazing Tuesday night. This "One in a Million" study has already changed me. But I have to admit, this study has raised some difficult questions for me. But the beauty of Bible study with this group is that we can speak openly about our questions and concerns with no fear of condemnation or ridicule. We share hearts for God and each other. What a blessing.

I better run. I've got a working lunch meeting in Buford with some folks I am very excited to meet. They own a super cool company down that way and I can't wait to hear more about it. So I'm off.

But I've just got to leave you with this. While I was running around already this morning trying to get stuff done and blabbering insistently to my husband about what I have to do today, tomorrow and into infinite, he grabbed my face with both hands and said this:
"Stop. Slow down. You are going to miss the beauty of this day. Don't get so busy that you don't see all of good stuff that God is doing all around you. So, shut up and kiss me."

Just gotta love that.

E's Best Friend's Wedding!

When I pulled up the blog, I couldn't believe that the last time I blogged was LAST Monday. Where did the time go? Well, let's see, there were two brand new Bible studies to launch last week, a shift at the Care Center to work, a hospital gift shop to stock, an upcoming vacation to be planned, work at the office to be completed, a radio show to be done every day and oh yes, the best friend of a certain daughter to get married last night!!!! Have mercy.

I'm sitting with my feet up for the first time all weekend. Before I go any further, let me just tell you that I stayed over after the post-wedding brunch this morning (D went on home) and met a friend at the Fox Theatre for a matinee showing of "The Sound of Music." It was like a huge musical bonus after an oh-so-busy weekend. I had almost forgotten how much I adore Maria and the vonTrapp family. I fell in love with Julie Andrews when she first played the role of Mary in my all time favorite movie ever, Mary Poppins. Well, then a year later, we reconnected when she originated the role of Maria in The Sound of Music. Just a little Julie Andrews trivia for all of those who love her as much as I do - Julie won an Academy Award for her role as Mary and was nominated for her role as Maria. Love her.

Okay, back to the wedding. Oh, glory, what a good time we had with Miss C and her family at the Marriott Marquis. I know practically every nook and cranny of that gorgeous hotel now Wow. I just wanted to stay there a little while longer and do nothing. I told D today that I don't know when I've worked so hard and had so much fun all in one weekend. Let me just tell you, this family knows how to have fun!! They were a hoot and a half and we loved each and every one of them. It was great!

E and I left out Friday morning and headed down to the hotel to get things unloaded, unpacked and settled in before the normal chaos of the wedding would occur. Thank goodness we did. It was quite the "full time job" for E to be the wedding planner and Matron of Honor all in one fail swoop but she pulled it off with flying colors. This wedding was perfection, in my humble opinion.

This whole experience made me weepy-ily nostalgic. When I turned and saw Miss C standing there ready to go down the aisle with her parents, I just lost it. I remembered what a huge part of E's life she has been and the immediate friendship that they have shared since the day they met during Rush the week before they began GCSU. I remembered all of the sorority events I attended with them; the visits she's made to our home; the summer she and E spent in London for their study abroad program. I remembered all of the long talks I've had with those two precious young women; the laughter and tears we've shared and of course, E's own wedding with Miss C being a huge part of that.

Let's see if I can give you a glimpse of this wonderful weekend in photos.

Here are the brand new bride and groom, the matron of honor and her "best man."

Wedding photos on the atrium level at the Mariott Marquis.

E's dress is looking mighty blue in these photos but in reality it was a most beautiful aubergine color.

Yea! We made it to the reception!

Oh, this was so much fun - the Horah!!

I included this picture because I just love it. I was standing on the stage with the DJ looking down onto the dance floor. Well, who did I just see whiz by? Can you see them in the forefront? Yep, that's my girl and her dancin' man. (He's gonna love that - :) )

Here's to the old married couple!!

I was blessed beyond measure to be included in this weekend's festivities. Wishing many years of love and happiness to this very special couple! We love you!

Too Much Fun!

On July 9th and 10th, E and I were in LaGrange for a very special wedding. We came in at the last minute on this wedding as the MOB (Mother of the Bride) was basically suffering from the we-live-in Gainesville, the wedding-is-2 1/2 hours-from-here, last-minute, I'll-never-get-all-this-done, please-please-help-me syndrome. Very common. She actually had a very loving husband (FOB - Father of the Bride) who basically said, "enjoy the day with our daughter and hire someone to do all the things that need to get done that day." What a great guy.
That is, of course, where we came in. MOB gave us creative license with the Bridal Luncheon and boy, was that ever fun. The Lily Pulitzer Juice Bar pattern was the theme which I immediately fell in love with. E immediately fell in love with the charming little house where it was held, the bride's sorority house on campus.
After the Bridal Luncheon, we went straight to the reception site, the local country club, where things had to be confirmed, directed, tweaked, fluffed and made beautiful. Mission Accomplished. When the bride and the MOB arrived, they were beyond pleased and we were beyond thankful they were.
This family was awesome and we became fast friends. I know I say this every time but it is true. We continue to be blessed to work with the sweetest brides and families. We love, love, love our job.

Just a few details about this wedding. Because if you're like me, you adore the details.
Colors: Purple (Bridesmaids dresses), Ivory and Gold (table linens, chair sashes, wedding cake)
Bride's Shoes: Pink
Favors: Photo frames
Reception Fare: Ice Cream Bar - this was a BIG, huge hit! (It's July in middle Georgia after all)
Music: A Band that played fabulous music. BIG Hit!
The One Thing that Invariably Goes Wrong: Storm comes through, power goes out. No power = no air conditioning, no band, and melting ice cream. Thankfully, this didn't last too long and the ice cream was saved. Whew.

But the absolute biggest draw for this reception was this contraption below. I'm sure you recognize it . . . a photo booth complete with all the gaudy props you can imagine. Oh. Yes! E and I squealed like adolescent girls when we saw this. What could be more fun than getting in one of these things with those ridiculous accessories and making total fools of yourself? Not much. So after all our tasks were completed and the reception was running like a well-oiled machine, we just cut loose and put our own selves in there and had a huge time.




This speaks for itself. You can never, ever have too much just plain ole good fun.

Thankful Thursday

Today I thankful for the clients that God has sent to our Wonderful Events and Celebrations business. So very thankful. E and I met early this morning at Panera to work and talk. We have three weddings between now and the end of May so we had lots to work on and talk about. Tonight we have what we call a "details meeting" with the bride getting married on April 24th. So we were meticulously going over the notes we already have for this event. We also revised and reworked our consultation document so as not to miss a single detail for our brides.

The funny thing about being a wedding planner is that brides don't always think they need you - until after the wedding. Then the bride and their mother, (especially the mother) practically kiss your feet. On more than one occasion, they have said to us, "you are the best money we spent" and "thank you so much, there is absolutely no way we could have done this without you" and "you made this whole process so easy." And that ladies and gentlemen is why we do what we do. Our whole goal is to take the stress of coordinating the mountain of details involved with a wedding off of the bride and her family so they can enjoy the day and then to handle those details in a thorough and professional manner.

I am going to be posting more about this subject here and on the WEC website very soon. Stay tuned!

Happy Thursday! What are you thankful for today?

"Marry" Christmas

No, I'm not clever enough to come up with the cute little title all by myself. That was the name of the Lifetime movie D and I watched last night. And guess what? It was about a mother/daughter team who were wedding planners. Isn't that cool? I loved it but I love sappy Lifetime Christmas movies . . . and weddings. Speaking of weddings (how was that for a really bad transition), we had a wonderful weekend of weddings! Oh my goodness! I have officially recovered thanks to an all afternoon sleep induced coma yesterday.

This is one of my dearest friends who was married Saturday morning in her beautiful home! I have known this precious woman for years and let me just say, she deserves every ounce of happiness she has found. Love and much happiness to Melissa and Roger!

In Hiawassee, we were in for a full day and night of wedding festivities with this fabulous young couple. The best thing about our job is meeting the coolest people we would have otherwise never had the opportunity to meet. These two are just precious and their wedding was, well, perfection. Funny story about this wedding, though. All day things had gone like clockwork with only a few very minor hiccups which honestly, is unusual. It is not uncommon for something to go a little off track but not this one, not a hitch (no pun intended!) . . . until the exit. The plan was for the couple to exit through a hallway and out into the parking lot where their guests would line the walls waving streamers with jingle bells attached over head as they walked right onto a horse-drawn carriage that would take them off into the moonlight. Perfect plan. Okay, so everyone is in place - guests, photographer, videographer - here we go. As soon as they get to the carriage . . . the. horse. bolts! Runs like the wind. We all stood there stunned not knowing whether to laugh or cry. So we all look at the bride (who you always look to for your emotional que if you know what I mean) and she cracks up! Whew! So, in a few minutes, after the horse with carriage and driver in tow has taken a few laps around the parking lot, the bride and groom successfully make their exit!

Before the run for the roses:

And after.

Thanks to Josh and Laura for allowing us to be a part of your special day!