I can't tell you how many brides I meet with who tell me that wedding planning is giving them nightmares or keeping them up late at night with all the details.  Complicated logistics can stress anyone, when the truth is that most brides want simple wedding planning. Here are 9 wedding planning tips to help you stay in control and keep your sanity. 

1. Create a plan.  Use a wedding checklist to prioritize your decisions as well as a due date for completion. This list will also help you with the things needed to plan a wedding.  There is no point worrying over the flavor of the cake if you still don’t have a wedding venue.  Staying focused on the required wedding preparation tasks helps you stay in control of the decisions without feeling rushed.
    
2. Be realistic.  If you expect everything to be perfect, you will add unneeded stress.  Nothing is every perfect.  But you will be surrounded by friends and family marrying the one your love.  Instead choose to be happy in the moment.
    
3. Use technology to stay organized.  An online wedding planner or planning tool makes it easy for you to access your images, notes and contracts from your phone or tablet anywhere and is easy to share with vendors. Create a master contact list to keep track of everyone’s information.   Read more about using Evernote for your wedding. 
    
4. Choose Professionals.  Hiring professionals can reduce large amounts of stress.  Your wedding planner can help by giving you professional resources and answers to questions.  Your florist will tell you which flowers are in season and the colors your prefer.  Your stationer will help you with etiquitte for the invitaiton and programs.  Working with professionals keeps you from feeling like you have to do it all yourself.   Help is always just a call or email away.
    
5. Invite fewer guests.  Fewer guests means less space, less rentals, less food, less alcohol and a lower budget which is always a good thing.
    
6. Use an online RSVP.  While not traditional ettiquite, most younger guests will appreciate being able to RSVP online on their compute or phone.  Tip: If you do send RSVP cards, number each one to correspond to a guest so if they are returned without names, you can decipher them.
    
7. Don’t spend hours on Pinterest. While I love Pinterest as much as the next girl, it is easy to find a dozen things that you have to buy for your wedding.  Trust me, your guests won’t notice.
    
8. hink carefully about DIY.  While it is great to be creatively involved in your wedding, think about the details and logistics involved in making, transporting and storing your projects.   Plus, you don’t want to be up late every night the week of your wedding because you still have things unfinished. 
    
9. Take a break.  Go on a date night with your fiancee or just agree not to talk about wedding plans for one week.  This is essential to keep both of you from getting burned out on wedding planning.  Making decisions is mentally tiring so take a break and focus on the people who matter. .

Megan & Vince wanted their wedding to be a reflection of nature and their love of the outdoors. They chose a perfect location, a protected green space that is dedicated for the conservation of owls, for their natural and woodsy elements that kept the day very personal and true to them. 

Nested among the trees and under an arbor built by the groom, the couple said their vows in front of friends and family.   

After the ceremony, guests went to the "cocktail hour" for some snacks and a chance to look at some of the owls. 

Here guests could sign the couples thumbprint tree guest book. 

Megan told the florist to be creative...and she was!  All the florals for the wedding were unique and gorgeous.  The brides bouquet was filled with wild stems, berries and greenery.    

The reception was held at the pavillion onsite. 

The white wedding cake had a cute pennant topper and was surrounded by hedgehogs (adorable!)  

A few more great images:

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Vendors:

Photographer: Alex Bee  http://www.alexbeephoto.com/
Videographer: With This Ring  http://withthisringvideo.com 
Officiant: Ralph Griggs  http://www.tennesseeminister.com/
Catering: 8 Lavender Lane  www.8lavenderlane.com
Rentals: Grand Central Party Rental    http://www.grandcentralparty.com/
Flowers: Color my World  http://colormyworldflowers.com/
Cake: Homestyle Bakery  http://www.homestylebakery.com/
Venue: Owls Hill Nature Sanctuary  http://www.owlshill.org/
Dress and Suits: The White Room Lebanon  http://thewhiteroom.us/
Makeup:  Michelle Crowder
Guitarist:  Rob Higginbotham   http://nashvilleweddingguitarist.com/
Cake Toppers: Lovebirds Goods  http://lovebirdsgoods.com

Pantone has once again released their top colors for the upcoming year, based on runway fashions, designers and sketches.  

Two things jump out to me immediately.  First, the overall color palette is muted and subtle with large hints of natural inspiration.  Second, blues and greens are taking center stage.   Some of these colors have been popular in previous years (hello again tangerine).

Here is the list:

Glacier Gray - This neutral color is a perfect partner to almost every other shade
Classic Blue - Timeless beauty is reflected through this vibrant color
Marsala - This color is warm without being bold while still keeping earthy roots
Custard - This mellow color remains subtle and relaxed while adding warmth
Lucite Green - This blue/green shade is both fresh and nostalgic
Tangerine - This bright color is sunny and brings a smile to your face
Strawberry Ice - This color is like a charming dessert that speaks of youth and renewal
Toasted Almond - Earthy and all natural, this neutral color provides balance
Scuba Blue - This eye catching color bring energy and excitement
Aquamarine - With a soothing feel, this color reminds of both the sky and the sea

Updated: 2017

Social media is full of inspirations, ideas and tips.  I love scrolling though all the pretty images on Instagram.  So, I thought I would put together a list of some of my Nashville wedding favorites.  How many of these do you follow?

Triple Crown Bakery – Yummy cake inspiration with amazing designs as well as pastries

Elder Floral – a local florist with a beautiful, organic style. 

Houston Station – A popular wedding and event venue with brides and planners

The Dress Theory – stunningly beautiful wedding dresses full of romance

The Cordelle – This beautiful wedding venue is a favorite among both brides and vendors. 

Bright Event Productions - Custom lighting and visual design

Jessica Williams Paper - Custom wedding Stationery and invitations

Flavor Catering - Delicious food and service. 

Nashville Wedding Planners Group - Ideas, vendors and behind the scenes of the Nashville wedding scene.

Events by Elaine - Be sure to follow me on Instagram as well. 

Cheekwood  Weddings -  See photos of the beautiful gardens in every season. 

Cassidy Carson photo – wedding photos full of light and romance

Street Tuxedo – Men's formals and tuxedos for over 30 years with excellent service. 

Madi Flournoy – Wedding and lifestyle photographer for wild, adventure seeking couples.

Mary Love Richardson - The designer behind Rosemary and Finch with a wild, organic style. 

Hannah Elaine Photography - Wedding & lifestyle photography 

The Bride Room - Couture dresses and accessories for the bride. 

Visual Elements - Draping, furniture & decor

Allenbrook Farms - An organic CSA farm with a beautiful barn and a setting. 

I thought I would share a little wedding planning advice for both brides and grooms.  It can be very easy to get caught up in wedding planning and make these mistakes. While some may seem like common sense, I still see brides making them all the time. 

1.      Trying to tackle too much DIY.  I am not only talking about DIY projects but also about not delegating tasks.  I know that Pinterest is filled with amazing crafts you can create for your wedding. But, you can truly overdo it with to-dos, projects, tasks and details.  Choose 1 or 2 tasks that are important to you, delegate what you can and skip the rest.    Don’t make these DIY mistakes

2.      Thinking your friends and family will be glad to do everything.  While your friends and family will offer to help with the wedding, don’t abuse that offer.   Folding 75 programs is fine; folding 200 origami cranes is not.  The same is true on your wedding day.  Your friends and family will want to celebrate with you not spend 4 hours setting up and 2 hours cleaning up afterwards.   And while your mom may have been an enormous help during planning, she probably doesn’t want to handle things on the day of the wedding. 

3.      Hiring a wedding planner or coordinator too late.  If you know you want to hire a planner or coordinator, do it as soon as possible.  Planners can help guide you in the best resources for your budget before you actually spend any of it.   They can also advice you when you may be making a bad choice.  Use their experience; this is one of the advantages of hiring a wedding planner.   If you only want a hire a wedding coordinator, you should book them early too.  Trying to find someone available 4 weeks before your wedding isn't the best idea; it adds unneeded stress and gives you fewer options.  I can’t tell you how many inquiries I get less than a month before the wedding date.  Since the price doesn't change for coordination, do it early and enjoy the extra peace of mind.

4.      Not doing a trial hair and makeup.  Want to know if that perfect hairstyle can stand up to southern humidity or 3 hours of dancing?  Do a trial.  The same for your makeup.  You will know how it feels and how well it lasts avoiding wedding day issues.

5.      Worrying that someone else will copy your wedding ideas.  They probably already have.  Although, they didn’t steal it; they found it on Pinterest just like you did.  Most wedding ideas are not completely new.  No two weddings are ever identical even if they have a few similar details.  If you are really concerned then don’t share your Pinterest board or wedding details with anyone but close friends and wedding professionals. 

6.      Not planning the guest list.  The mistake is in choosing the venue or planning other large details before discussing the guest count.  I have seen weddings guest lists double once the families start adding people.  Have that discussion early before signing any contracts.  If you have to change venues later or (forbid) uninvite people to your wedding, you will have created some large headaches for everyone involved.

7.      Going on an extreme diet.  Almost every bride starts watching what she eats and working out more so that she can look amazing for your special day.  However, sometimes brides lose too much weight and there isn’t time to have the gown altered properly.  Buy your dress at the size you are now and stay away from crazy diet fads.

8.      Not trusting your vendors.  You have chosen great wedding professionals so trust them to do their job.   Don’t hire a florist whose work is all natural with lots of greenery and then expect structured centerpieces with no greenery.  Choose vendors who fit your style and then trust their creative genius to give you a unique event. 

9.      Not paying attention to your guests.  While every wedding detail is important to you, your guests probably won’t remember most of them.  They will remember the experience.  Communicate to your guests if the wedding is outdoors.  Watch the weather and offer extra drinks if it is extremely hot.  Make sure you provide plenty of seating for older guests. The more comfortable your guests are; they more they will appreciate and remember your wedding.  Keep your guests informed

10.   Not having enough time to eat.  This is one of the big things that I always talk to my brides and grooms about.  Take time to eat before the wedding.  Then once you arrive at the reception, I will make sure that your plates are filled so you can take a few minutes to eat.  After taking all the months of planning for the perfect menu and fabulous cake, be sure to enjoy it.  Even if it is just 15 minutes, take the time to sit down and eat. 

11. Trying to control everything.  While there are a lot of decisions to be made and details to be managed, don’t micromanage your friends, family or vendors.   Some of the happiest brides are the ones who just let everything go and truly live in the moment during their wedding.  Trying to control things like weather or traffic will just make you unhappy and you will lose focus on what is really important. 

These are just a few of the mistakes that I see brides and grooms making.  If you want to have someone helping you avoid these, contact me for a consultation

As a little girl walking through the woods, I would always imagine stumbling upon a hidden glade and find a tea party for the fairies.  So while I never managed to find one, I thought I would create a simple styled shoot of tea party in the woods.  I set up a little tablescape and grabbed some photos with the ipad.

A lighted path to lead the way. 

Pink flowers, some Spode teacups, and vintage china with some lace and a ruffled pink parasol create a whimsical setting. 

Now if only the fairies had come out to join our charming setting and share some of the sugar cookies. 

I recently had the opportunity to participate in the 2nd Nashville Not Wedding.  This event is unlike your typical bridal show. Instead it is a vow renewal ceremony and a reception, similar to most weddings.   

The shows, held around the county, each have their own theme or idea board.  When I saw this in my email, I knew the show was going to be amazing:

So I got to thinking about how to create a down to earth feel but not rustic.  So mason jars and burlap were out.  I got to do a trial run, when I helped with a styled shoot for the show.  Check out the charming couples dinner party. 

I had the chance to work with some amazingly talented vendors.  First our sweet couple. This ceremony backdrop was by Rosemary & Finch:

Hannah Elaine Photography

Maile Lani Photography

Cassidy Carson

Hannah Elaine Photography

For a bridal show, my role is less about wedding planning and more about event design.  This was about my design style, the colors, the textures.  My biggest challenge was creating a head table that was perfect for our theme and completely befitting a southern wedding. I also knew that it would get photographed and blogged about so it had to be memorable. I was inspired by the idea of a French Farmhouse with subtle colors and simple elegance. 

Hannah Elaine Photography

Maile Lani Photography

I placed a long piece of barnwood down the middle of the table.  Then added off-white pillar candles, small brown bottles with red and white flowers, and finished with some greenery.  For each place setting, I used artisan stoneware plates topped with different vintage saucers and a cloche dome.  Each setting had gold rimmed glasses and vintage silver flatware.  

(Vintage saucer with cloche dome) Maile Lani Photography

(White pillar candles on barnwood) Maile Lani Photography

Above the table, I hung a greenery swag and two lanterns with candles.  

(Eucalyptus swag with lanterns) Hannah Elaine Photography

For the finishing touch, and to add a bit of whimsy, I placed a small 3-tier naked cake under each cloche dome and topped them with red flowers. 

Hannah Elaine Photography

Hannah Elaine Photography

Hannah Elaine Photography

(Mini naked cakes with red ranunculus under a cloche dome) Maile Lani Photography

These adorable mini cakes under cloche domes were made by The Frosted Affair who also created this beautiful table of cakes. 

Cassidy Carson Photography

In addition to my head table, I also created 4 reception tables.  These were all different and eclectic.  I included a hand lettered table number on slate and created unique floral arrangements to match the style of each table. 

Table 3 was a cream and gold pitcher filled with roses and hydrangeas on an antique plate with gold details setting on an old piece of barn wood.  Votive candles and small vases of roses were scattered around. 

Cassidy Carson Photography

Maile Lani Photography

Maile Lani

Table 12 used a long piece of drift wood down the middle.  Footed vases and crocks contained different floral arrangements in red and cream. 

Cassidy Carson

Table 9 was a rusty crate filled with weathered rocks and topped with moss.  Inside were a collection of old bottles each filled with flowers or greenery.  A small metal cup was an accent on the table. 

Maile Lani Photography

Table  6 was a very large log slab with a green foot vase filled with hydrangeas, roses and eucalyptus.  Small bottles and votive candles surrounded them. 

Maile Lani Photography

Hannah Elaine Photography

Some of the fabulous stationery from the show. 

Hannah Elaine Photography

Hannah Elaine Photography

Hannah Elaine Photography

Look at some of these other stunning centerpieces from the show.  

Maile Lani Photography

Maile Lani Photography

Hannah Elaine Photography

Venue: Events at 1 Cannery Row / Rehearsal Dinner: Edgehill Café / Photography + Save the Date: Cassidy Carson Photography / Photography + Styled Shoot: Hannah Elaine Photography / Photography + Rehearsal Dinner: Maile Lani Photography / Day-of Coordination + Event Design (Table Numbers 13, 14, 15): Creative Designs & Events / Event Design (Head Table + Table Numbers 3, 6, 9, 12) Events by Elaine / Floral Design (Ceremony Backdrop + Table Numbers 2, 5, 8, 11): Rosemary & Finch Floral Design / Event & Floral Design (Bridal Party Flowers + Table Numbers 1, 4, 7, 10): Shay Brown Events / Invitations: Nesting Project / Programs: With Love Paper Goods / Save the Dates: Green Bean Paper Company / Menus: J. Amber Creative / Local Handcrafted Goods + Gifts: Batch Nashville / Paper Accents: Liddabits Design Shop / Groomsmen Attire:Street Tuxedo / Bridal Party Attire: The Bride Room / Hair: Salon Nfuse / Makeup: Hayley Bidez Makeup Artistry / Perfume: Flower Acre / Catering: Chef Penelope’s Catering / Wedding Cake: Frosted Affair / Cupcakes: Connie Cakes / Desserts: Ben & Jerry’s / Event Rentals: Southern Events Party Rental / Entertainment: Snyder Entertainment / Photobooth: Snyder Entertainment / Wooden + Iron Accents: Narrow Gate Artisans / Travel: 2 Travel Anywhere, LLC / Transportation: F.A.D.D.S. Party Bus / Health + Wellness:Nashville Healthnote / Wedding Website Builder: Squarespace / National Linen Vendor: Linen Tablecloth / National Sparkling Wine Sponsor: Ferrari / Media Partners: flower Magazine, Nashville Lifestyles Weddings,Wedding 101 Nashville, Ashley’s Bride Guide

It was with great sadness that I heard about the passing of Robin Williams.   Reach out to those around you.  Be kind...always.  Help others.  Share laughter. Be compassionate.  Show grace. 

I could probably think of a dozen adjectives to describe this one of a kind wedding.  From the first moment I met Julissa, I knew her wedding would be amazing.  The very first thing she told me was that her wedding was called "Havana Nights meets Casablanca".  From that moment on, I knew that everything about this Nashville wedding would be memorable.  She didn't want a typical southern wedding with soft colors. She wanted vibrant and lively and full of personality, just like the bride herself. 

(See Julissa and Ben's engagement shoot)

Julissa and her mom told me they had enormous goals.  They planned to sew 2 dresses for the bride, 7 bridesmaid dresses and of course a flowergirl dress. I was honestly speechless.  They wanted to focus on this personal and important crafting project while I managed all the rest of the wedding details.  The end result was a distinctive wedding that fulfilled the bride's vision.

The bride's peach raw silk dress was one of a kind.  Look at that train (it's detachable)!

Each bridesmaid had a different style of dress and a different hair accessory.

Instead of a traditional guest book, guests signed postcards which the "mailed" to the bride and groom.

Doubling as both favors and escort cards, handmade truffles of either chocolate and green tea or dark chocolate and lavender were placed for guests.  

To incorporate her unique theme, the food was a custom Caribbean menu.  Vivid colors in the linens and flowers also carried this theme.  Multiple chandeliers were placed around Houston Station to add the elegant feel the bride envisioned.  We used a mix of both round and square tables with chiavari chairs to continue the elegant but fun feel. 

After dinner, the bride changed into her second dress of the evening.  A short, fun silhouette in the same peach color.  

Instead of the traditional top 20 songs for dance music, all the dance music was from before 1980.   This unusual request kept the dance floor filled with everyone from young to old. 

Working with this couple was truly a joy.  They had a wonderful vision, had amazing personality and weren't afraid to express it through their wedding. 

Vendors

Photography:  Jenna Winstead  

Venue: Houston Station Nashville 

Flowers:  Enchanted Florist

DJ: High Tone Entertainment

Catering: The Chef and I

Rentals:   Southern Events

Lighting: Bright Event Productions

Planner: Events by Elaine

Hair: Glynnis Garcia

Are you planning a small dinner party or family get together at home?  Here are some simple ideas for design and decorating.  

No matter what you are serving, presentation is important.  If food looks appealing and attractive, then your guests will naturally think it is better. 

Choose your colors:

To create a smooth and pleasing appearance, choose two main colors for your party (white doesn't count).  When buying items choose one of these two main shades.  

Use these same colors or different shades for the plates and napkins as well to make everything look seamless.

When creating a food buffet: 

Instead of laying everything of the table at one level, stagger the heights. This is very easy to do with things you already have.  Pick one or all.

• Please some empty votive holders or vases under a tray and then place food on top.
• Flip a cake pan upside down and cover it with some fabric napkins. Use this to hold a bowl or another tray.
• Use pretty flower pots to create height. You could also use jars wrapped in holiday wrapping paper or fabric.  (Wrapping paper makes a fun, disposable table runner. Read More)
• Use individual containers. Instead of a vegetable tray, place each vegetable in its own container such as square vases, small bowls or even short drinking glasses.
• Try to keep all the presentation dishes either clear or white.

Need more help planning a social event?  

Talk to me about how I can help you celebrate