Heather and Ben were married in a gorgeous ceremony at Hermitage Hotel.  Although she was traveling for a lot of the time during planning, Heather and her mom created many DIY elements for her wedding.

The red, white and black color scheme added a very elegant feel to the day.

Each guest was given a small box of flower petals to throw as the couple left the ceremony. 

This elaborate and ornate cake matched many of the details on the brides dress.

Look at this great groom's cake - the WKU mascot

Custom framed escort cards for all the guests

A candy bar was one of the many details the bride provided for her guests. 

The color scheme added an elegant feel to the reception.  Red roses were the centerpieces throughout with red napkin rings, black napkins and an assortment of crystal candle holders. 

Check out this awesome kids table!

The head table was in the middle of the room.  The bride and groom had red and white pillows for their chairs.  

The bride changed dress for the reception

As a cheerleader, the bride performed a few stunts for her guests. 

The bridesmaids and groomsmen having some fun during photos. 

So beautiful!

Nashville Wedding Video :: Heather + Ben from Catchlight Cinema on Vimeo.

Photographer:  Matt Andrews Photography

Venue Name:  Hermitage Hotel

Videographer:  Catchlight Cinema

Makeup Artist:  Shelly Nicole

Cake Designer:  Signature Cakes by Vicki

DJ: Brandon Cummings

Dress:  The White Room

Flowers: Belles Fleurs

Stationery:  Prim and Paper

Ceremony Music:  Blue Tone Music

Tuxedos: Street Tuxedo

Photo Booth:  Aww Snap!

This Sunday, November 4th will be the "Here Comes the Brides" bridal show in Franklin.

The show will held from 1 - 5 pm at the Factory in Franklin.  There will be lots of prizes, a fashion show and the bridal wars games.

Print this image for 2 free tickets.   I hope to see you at the show.

If you are a DIY bride, this book should be your encyclopedia.

It is filled with ideas and projects for different styles of weddings from vintage to modern.  Each project gives the difficulty level, category (decor, ceremony, etc), time estimate, when to start before the wedding, whether it is a group or individual project and finally the cost for supplies (not tools).  This key is what makes this book so friendly for both experienced crafters and newbies.

In the front is a list of places to find inspiration as well as materials ranging from the usual to unique.  In the back is an appendix with multiple resources.  First is a list of tools broken down by type and usage.  Next, is a list of website resources arranged by project style.  Following that is a wedding planning timeline and then a guide to invitations.

The book is broken down into six distinct wedding styles.

• Retro homespun
• Girly romantic
• Happy graphic
• Organic minimal
• Modern classic
• Found

Each style contain nine projects in the style and color palette.  There are unique ideas for each section.

Check out this great book:  

Handmade Weddings: More Than 50 Crafts to Personalize Your Big Day

Yesterday, I visited the intimate bridal show at McConnell House.  This is truthfully my favorite kind of show; It is smaller, intimate and allows for more mingling.  Guests and vendors had time to talk, visit and enjoy the afternoon.

McConnell House is a beautiful house with multiple large rooms.  In addition to weddings, he versatile space lends itself to corporate events and private parties.

Some of the many great vendors in attendance were:
(Disclosure: I am not a photographer.  These were quick photos with my phone)

High Tone Entertainment provided the music and lighting for the event

John Jordan Films was in the entry showing brides his fabulous videography options.

The makeup and hair for the fashion show was provided by Marz and Bishop's Salon

The bar was giving complimentary champagne as well as multiple St. Germain cocktails

The apparel was provided by Arzelle's and Street Tuxedo

Flashtastic Photo booth was providing guests with a fun memento of the day. 

Something Detailed  had a display of their gorgeous invitations and stationery. 

Check out this great idea for a "guest book".  The front has a variety of phrases and Scriptures along with your wedding date.  The back (see sign on far right) has your name and space for all of your guests to sign.   Richard - 615.474.3034

Southern Events staged a stunning table with some of their rentals, as well as inspiration books for the brides.  All of the florals for the day were provided by Green Finch Floral Design

Cake and desserts were provided by Wolfe Gourmet Cakes.  Look at the Smores bar...

See photos from the fashion show.

Most fall weddings use colors inspired by nature - red, orange, gold, and browns.  However, you can create a beautiful fall wedding using pastel colors.  The trick is to use soft, muddy, muted, faded colors instead of bright spring-like or "Easter egg" colors.

(Madie Flourney Photography)

Using darker colors such as brown, gray and black will keep a fall feel, while softer colors make a fabulous contrast.

Pastel shades lend themselves to a softer vintage style wedding as well as natural elements.

Using darker vases and elements can keep centerpieces from feeling too light. 

The tangerine color of summer fades into a beautiful antique color of orange, gold, and copper. You can still use traditional fall motifs such as leaves and pumpkins. Choose them in more faded pastel colors or as dark accent pieces such as black pumpkins. 

Superior Nut Company has put together this great infographic with instructions to make a Jordan almond flower.

See more great ideas from Superior Nut on Pinterest

I am the top, premiere, best wedding planner ever!

OK so maybe not....

It seems as though the websites of every wedding professionals lists them as the premiere in their field.  But who decides if they are the top?  

Do they do the most weddings every year?  

Do they make the most money?  

Who really decides who is top. Is there a wedding czar who hands out levels? And how long does that last for. Is there an expiration date to being the top? If their website says that they are award winning or that they were chosen  in a bridal survey then it validates what they are saying.  But to say that they are the top.....do they really represent the very best in their field ? 

Saying that you are the premiere of your field is very arbitrary yet almost every wedding professional mentions it. Can every one be top? Well of course they aren't about to mention if they are the bottom of their field, lol.  It would be like a doctor saying they graduated at the bottom of their class.

But don't take everything you read at face value.  Even if they are the absolute pinnacle in their field it still may not make them the right fit for you.  Choose wedding professionals based on the services they provide, their ability to meet your budget and how well you work together not some boiler-plate words on their website.

Sincerely,

The most amazing wedding planner that has ever lived :-) 

It rained and thunderstormed; then the clouds disappeared giving Hannah and Luke a beautiful wedding day.

They were married in the mountains of western Maryland at Country Acres Retreat.  This picturesque location has a rustic cabin, pavillion, and pond.

Hannah decided to create paper bouquets using

tutorials

she found online.  One of the bride's friends took on this labor of love and created over 200 origami flowers in different styles.   In addition to the regular colored paper, she used pages with Bible verses to incorporate the couples love of God.  The printed pages also helped to break up the color.

The bridal party took photos around the pond with the bridesmaids in mismatched jewel tone dresses.

After a quick dress change for the bride, the couple joined the guests for the reception.

Other fun elements  - check out the cute "wooden" pencils. 

Congrats Hannah and Luke...

otography: Chelsi Kling
Venue: Country Acres Retreat
Catering: Goehringer Catering
Flowers: Vicious Studios
Music: Kyle Bowman & John Meyers, Mark & Linda Treasure, Caroline Stahl
DIY Tutorials: Programs,Table Numbers

(Learn more about planning a destination wedding)

A wedding can require a lot of time, energy and resources.  Many brides are choosing to use their wedding celebration as a time to also give back to a charity.

The I Do Foundation makes it easy for couples and guests to donate to a charity of their choice.  There are many ways to do this, but here are the top 2:

Favors:
Instead of trinkets, mints or other small gifts for the guests, couples can instead choose a meaningful gift that is special to them.  You can opt to honor a loved one or family member with a donation to their favorite charity or in their name.  You can also have the donation go to a local charity in your community.

Select your charity and then place a card on each table telling guests of your donation.

Source

Gifts:
Instead of guests buying you gifts, instead your guests can generously donate that money to a charity that you choose.  Provide your guests a link through your wedding website telling guests of your preference or include the information in the invitation.

From I Do Foundation: "By incorporating charity into life celebrations, we help families establish a pattern of giving that will last a lifetime."