Chic Blush, Red & Gray Washington Wedding

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Mar 28th

by: Carly

Ashley said yes in Maui, Hawaii, and she and Jon exchanged their vows while surrounded by lush mountain views at Suncadia Resort in their Washington wedding last fall. Bouquets were filled with gorgeous shades of pink and burgundy (perfect for the season!) and ribbon cascaded beautifully down from the blooms. Bridesmaids wore long mismatched dresses in shades of blush and charcoal, and the gents wore suits and colorful socks. Inside the tented reception, guests were greeted with long farmhouse tables paired with ghost chairs, even more gorgeous tall arrangements filled with florals, and tree stump place cards personalized with their name. I adore the wooden backdrops for the photo booth and dessert table too! You most definitely need to set aside a few moments to take in each and every photo captured by Cassie Pepper of this beautiful day coordinated by Manette Gracie Events, while Ashley shares her insight into her planning experience with us along the way.

What (or who) helped you most in your planning process and/or on your wedding day?

We didn’t hire a wedding planner until right before the wedding, when we hired Rachel to work with us the day off. So for the ten months before that we were pretty much on our own with the planning. This was a bit overwhelming, but I am fairly organized so was able to stay on top of things. In terms of planning, I found that following certain wedding sites on Instagram was helpful. Creative ideas would pop up daily and I would just screen shot them if it was something that inspired me. I liked ‘simply wed’ and ‘green wedding shoes’ the most. On our wedding day, having Rachel there as our day of planner was amazing. It was so great to know she was taking care of final set-up and last minute details. I honestly don’t know how brides and grooms have any peace of mind without a day of planner at least!

What was the most important thing to you when deciding who to work with for your wedding?

For all of our vendors, we worked with people that were recommended by friends. This gave us a lot of peace of mind that we had made good choices. I of course checked their reviews online, but tried not to let what I read have too much weight as I feel like sometimes people unfairly judge vendors online. I also took into account how long it took vendors to get back to me when I sent general inquiries.

What was your inspiration for your wedding details and/or design?

We were married in the Pacific NW, so we wanted a very NW feel without too much of the burlap/mason jar/etc look as this seems to have run its course. I kept jokingly saying our theme was “Northwest chic” as we wanted some natural elements, like our bark wrapped vases, but also modern like the sequin table runners. I also used wood chairs for the tables except went with clear ghost chairs for the head table to add some dimension. I tried to use colors that we really loved, like gray, peachy blush and marsala, as opposed to what people said I should choose. I feel like as long as something is in a color you love, if the design isn’t perfect, you will still really like it.

What was your favorite thing about your wedding?

We really loved how our ceremony came together. We were married by a close friend, so it was all very personal to us. My brother built us an arbor himself out of locally sourced birch wood found on craigslist. Our florist did a phenomenal job with the arbor flowers as well. We went with an ‘unplugged’ ceremony, so our officiant asked everyone to leave their cell phones in their pockets and just be in the moment with us. Even with 170 people it all felt very intimate and personal.

What is your best piece of advice for other brides?

If you know you are going to be making and organizing a lot of things on your own, get as much done as early as possible. We booked all our vendors early and then left some of the smaller details until too close to the end. This made our last two weeks before the wedding rather stressful and busy. Make a list and keep adding to it and crossing things off of it and be realistic about how long DIY projects are going to take. And don’t be afraid to ask friends and family to help. The people you love really do want to be involved and feel like they are helping make your special day come together.

To me, the best weddings are the ones where joy and happiness are the most palpable even just through photos. While viewing today’s sweet wedding, we hope you quickly realized that these two have such a relaxed happiness about them. And their wedding day just looks like it was filled to the brim with fun, friends, and family!

Vendors who made it all happen…

Coordinator: Manette Gracie Events // Venue: Suncadia Inn // Photographer: Cassie Pepper // Videographer: True Northwest Productions // Bakery/Dessert: Whole Foods // Floral: Denney Designs // DJ: Leujam Entertainment // Hair & Makeup: Off-White // Rentals: Pedersen’s

A Blush and Gold Lake Mary Wedding

Category: MEMBER FEATURES, REAL WEDDINGS 2 Comments

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Mar 25th

by: Carly

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Although neither lives in beautiful Florida, Aleesa and CJ welcomed their families and their guests to the Sunshine State for their Lake Mary wedding last August. Captured by one our favorites, Cat Lemus Photography, Aleesa and CJ’s wedding was filled with so many sweet moments and lovely details.

Aleesa wore a beautiful Madison James lace gown while her bridesmaids wore convertible ivory dresses that they each styled to match their vision. The bouquets and boutonnieres were filled with garden roses, Queen Anne’s Lace, and so much more blooms to perfectly match the vintage theme that overflowed with elegance and just a touch of whimsy. And when you see it, please take a moment to pause and take in the gorgeous aisle design. We’re also pretty sure your jaw may drop when you catch your first glimpse of the sweetheart table. Enjoy, friends!

What (or who) helped you most in your planning process and/or on your wedding day?

Knowing my exact vision for my wedding definitely helped me in the planning process! It’s easy to look at other’s ideas and compare, but having a clear picture and sticking to it helped me the most. Also, I had a wonderful day of coordinator (Jaclyn from At Last Weddings) that took over all the details for me the week prior to my wedding and the day of! That made a huge difference in my stress level.

What was the most important thing to you when deciding who to work with for your wedding?

When picking vendors, the most important thing to me was their dedication to my vision for my wedding and their reliability. I knew I needed to be able to trust them with capturing the most important day of my life.

What was your inspiration for your wedding details and/or design?

I found inspiration everywhere for my wedding. It came mostly from my personal style and values of classy, timeless features while staying on trend. I wanted it to be a reflection of myself and my future husband’s personality and style.

What was your favorite thing about your wedding?

My favorite thing about my wedding…so hard! I loved, loved, loved how our sweetheart table and area turned out…the blue sette with the flower garland and the shimmering tablecloth with the draping backdrop. It was dreamy!

What is your best piece of advice for other brides?

My best piece of advice for other brides is to dream big and incorporate everything you want to truly make it the day of your dreams, but remember that not every little thing is necessary and needed. As long as you and your husband are married at the end of it, it will be a perfect day.

Each and every detail from today’s Lake Mary Event Center wedding is completely on point, and I adore the importance Aleese and CJ placed on their ceremony, especially because he’s a pastor. We hope you enjoyed this beautiful day as much as we did!

Vendors who made it all happen…

Photographer: Cat Lemus Photography & Cinema // Event Planner: At Last Wedding + Event Design // Makeup Artist: Beauty Bullies // Floral Designer: country club flowers // Cake Designer: Gigis Cupcakes // Reception Venue: Lake Mary Events Center //Dress Designer:Madison James // DJ:Rhythm Of The Night Entertainment, Orlando DJ // Equipment Rentals: RW Style // Videography: Cranman Cinematography

Florida Rustic Glam Wedding

Category: REAL WEDDINGS 10 Comments

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Mar 24th

by: Carly

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Anngela and Larry hosted their rustic glam wedding (the style was dubbed by the bride!) at Lakeside Ranch in Central Florida. Y’all, the location and venue could not have been more beautiful. Their ceremony was held outside, they danced in the middle of a horse field during their portraits, and their reception was held in a gorgeous draped pavilion.

From the stationery and calligraphy details, to the hydrangea, rose, baby’s breath, and greenery filled arrangements designed by the bride, it’s no surprise that Anngela is the very talented event planner and designer behind All The Lovely Details! Each piece she designed was so thoughtfully planned to create an atmosphere that felt at once relaxed yet completely elegant. Prepare to slowly take in each and every moment from today’s wedding captured by Kaitlin Poirier Photography. You’re going to LOVE it! : )

What (or who) helped you most in your planning process and/or on your wedding day?

I planned the majority of our wedding by myself. By far what helped me the most was a wedding binder I created immediately after we set a date and everything kicked into gear. I continuously added sections to my binder that correlated to each aspect of our wedding (venue, caterer, photographer, guest list, ceremony, attire, floral, rehearsal dinner, etc.) where I kept inspiration photos, notes, questions and contracts for each in. A calendar in the back helped me keep track of payment dates and important deadlines. A giant checklist in the front was a constant reminder of things needing to be done (although it always seemed to grow no matter how often I crossed things off!). Even when my brain was scattered and overwhelmed with wedding thoughts, my binder kept me grounded and on track!

In terms of people that helped; my mom was my right-hand lady with any major handmade projects along with a few bridesmaids and my mother and grandmother-in-law. My husband was also a great sport in building the larger projects I had envisioned along with doing smaller crafts just sitting together on our couch. My photographer helped me organize a day-of timeline which was a huge task! And hands down, our day-of-coordinator (and good friend of ours) was priceless! Knowing that all my hard work and planning would be executed perfectly the day of was what kept me so happy and stress-free on our wedding day; all of our vendors kept saying that I was the calmest bride they had ever seen and I have our coordinator to thank for that! Everything went so well between our vendors, myself and my coordinator that my coordinator and I now work together and have our own event planning and design business named All The Lovely Details.

What was the most important thing to you when deciding who to work with for your wedding?

I wanted anyone we worked with to be personable, professional, flexible, caring and of course to have the same vision as us. We had a very defined budget so staying within that was also important–we had to find the best bang for our buck! We did this by asking around for referrals rather than just going with who came up first in a google search or who was rated top on all the wedding sites and we found some AMAZING vendors this way. Communication was almost important to me; all of our vendors responded to e-mails so quickly which made planning that much smoother and stress-free!

What was your inspiration for your wedding details and/or design?

Most of my inspiration came from the venue itself; it was so beautiful that I wanted to make sure anything we added was complimenting to it. I wanted a formal event with a laid-back feel and somewhere along the line the theme for our big day was labeled as “rustic glam.” Since the entire event was outdoors on a ranch, I wanted simple decor made out of natural elements with a ton of greenery and a sprinkle of gold. Of course Pinterest and various blogs were a great help in sparking ideas if I was ever in a rut. I also found that looking at past weddings held at Lakeside Ranch was a huge help! It let me see the space in tons of different ways and I learned what I did and did not like in terms of decor and setup.

What was your favorite thing about your wedding?

How can I choose just one!? I loved that we got married on our 13th year dating anniversary–we get to keep our same anniversary date! I loved our ceremony. Since my husband and I wrote it together with our officiant (who is a good friend of ours) it was a ton of fun to see each other once I came down the aisle and finally experience all our hard work. We also wrote our own vows that we did not share with each other beforehand. To make sure they didn’t get too overwhelming to write, we decided to follow a simple format; we each read 10 sentences all starting with “I vow to…” and we alternated reading each sentence to each other. I don’t think I have laughed and cried so much in all of my life as I did during our vows! Another favorite part was when my husband surprised me by playing his acoustic guitar and singing “A Thousand Years” to me during our reception with all our friends and family gathered around. I also ADORED my dress, so finally wearing it was so much fun!

Hands down, my favorite design element were our tables and place settings. The centerpieces were exactly what I had envisioned; long rows of greenery with tons of white flowers and candles tucked in. I took what some would consider a risk with ordering our floral wholesale and doing the centerpieces and bouquets ourselves, but it turned out wonderfully! The gold charger with a mason jar perfectly portrayed our “rustic glam” theme.

What is your best piece of advice for other brides?

Do not procrastinate. Try to get as much done along the way and as early on as you can so that you can keep your schedule for the last week or so open, allowing you to enjoy company that may be in town or getting to a spa appointment or packing for your honeymoon, all stress-free! Also, be decisive. Pinterest and blogs are great resources when starting out, but it can start to become overwhelming and at some point you need to decide on what you love and solidify ideas and stop looking for “the next best thing.” Most importantly–do what makes you happy! This is the ONE day that you can do ANYTHING you want; don’t worry too much about pleasing everyone else. It’s YOUR day. You’ll be surrounded by the people who love you most, so take it all in and enjoy every moment!

Oh and guess what? Anngela and Larry met on her second day of high school, starting dating during her sophomore year (his senior year), and became husband and wife on their 13^th dating anniversary! Whether it’s a birthday, family anniversary, or a date with personal ties, I love when wedding days are chosen with meaningful details in mind.

Vendors who made it all happen…

Venue: Lakeside Ranch // Photographer: Kaitlin Poirier Photo & Video // Assistant photographer: Ashley Poole Photo // Videographer: DeCon Productions // Planning and Design: All The Lovely Details // Catering: David’s Real Pit BBQ // DJ & Photo Booth: Event Concepts Inc // Florals and Invitations: Handmade by the Bride // Bride’s Gown: Allure // Bridesmaid Gowns: Mori Lee // Cake Topper: ReadyGo // Cake: Publix

A Classic Navy and Yellow Maryland Wedding

Category: REAL WEDDINGS 2 Comments

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Mar 23rd

by: Lauren

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After knowing one another for 10 years, Mary and Nick knew exactly what they wanted for their Maryland wedding. They turned to a fresh, elegant color palette of navy and yellow to pair beautifully with a classic, simple style. Taking place at Rockland Estates, they incorporated a few rustic elements to tie in the surrounding outdoors, and it all turned out beautifully! Anna Grace Photography was there to capture the day, and Mary is here with today sharing tons of amazing insight about her wedding planning experience… we can’t wait for you to see (and read) it all!

What (or who) helped you most in your planning process and/or on your wedding day?

My mom definitely helped me the most during the wedding planning process. I had a day of wedding planner, so my mom became my wedding coordinator throughout the whole planning process. My mom has amazing taste – very classic and elegant, so she was a huge help in all of my decisions. Pinterest was also really helpful especially working with my florist and coming up with some unique touches we could incorporate into our wedding. My day of planner, Krista Strahan of Crafted Events, was amazing on the day of. I must have sent her 100 different emails of how I wanted the venue set up and it turned out perfect. It’s like she was in my head!

What was the most important thing to you when deciding who to work with for your wedding?

I feel like I really lucked out when picking vendors for my wedding. Before we even started planning I knew that it was important for the vendors to really understand our style, vision, and personality. I wanted my wedding to really reflect that and who we are as a couple. I also wanted to make sure that when I looked back on my wedding 20 years from now, I could still say that it really reflects who I am. My amazing photographer, Anna Grace, went to college with my sister (we actually went to the same summer camp growing up also!). My sister mentioned that she loved Anna Grace’s work so I went to her website, sent an inquiry, and found out she was available for our wedding date! My sister also went to college with our DJ and had wonderful things to say about him as well. My wedding planner was someone I had actually worked with at a previous job and my florist was a friend of a friend. Our delicious desserts were done by a friend my parents went to college with. To say we got to work with people that really knew us is an understatement! Being able to feel comfortable with the vendors made everything so much easier and allowed them to really understand what we wanted in our wedding.

What was your inspiration for your wedding details and/or design?

If I could pick two words to describe the “style” of the wedding I’d say classic and simple. I’ve always had a very classic and simple style and I didn’t want to stray too far away from that on my wedding day. We got married at a gorgeous estate with a big red barn, so I wanted to make sure we had elements of rustic and classic which I think we did really well. We didn’t really have a theme necessarily since we felt that having an outdoor wedding provided enough natural elements to the ceremony and the reception. Our colors were navy and variations of gold/yellow. I’ve always loved navy and yellow together, but since it was a fall wedding we toned down the bright yellow to allow more fall colors to be incorporated into the color palette and the flowers. My husband LOVES University of Michigan and their colors are blue and yellow so it was easy to convince him of the color choices :)

What was your favorite thing about your wedding?

I think my favorite thing (as cliche as this is) was seeing my husband for the first time during our first look. For some reason I was SO nervous. We didn’t have an audience…it was just use and the photographer (but I think a few people snuck a peak!) which made it SO special. I’d never seen Nick smile that big and I really felt like the most beautiful girl in the world. He looked SO handsome in his suit and I just couldn’t wait to get that ring on his finger!!

What is your best piece of advice for other couples?

I would say in terms of planning make sure to always go with your gut. It can get very overwhelming with so many options and sites like pinterest and etsy. Once we made a decision on something we stopped looking. If we didn’t do that I probably would have changed my mind 100 times. Some advice that I was given for the reception is to make sure to step away, just you and your spouse, for 10 or 15 minutes to sit together and remember this time. The day goes by so fast and it is important to step aside and just be together and soak it all in.

We absolutely agree with Mary’s advice, so definitely take it to heart! Thank you so much for sharing your wedding day and planning experience with us Mary and Nick!