Vintage Elegant Pink and Gray Wedding

Feb 25th

by: Elisa

This pink and gray wedding, photographed by Justin DeMutiis Photography, is just so incredibly PRETTY. From the lacy pink invitations to the sparkly silver tablecloths to the gorgeous ceremony with that stunning chandelier, it’s classy, elegant, stylish, and beautiful. All rolled into one. Plus it features a bride and groom with infectious smiles and SO much love for each other! [A note from Lauren: I personally LOVE this wedding because I went to college with this adorable couple! I am so excited to be able to share their beautiful wedding with you all!]

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

My wedding planner and close personal friend, Melissa Vu with the Jubilee Company, helped the most in our planning process and ESPECIALLY on the big day. Melissa has always had such great style in her daily wardrobe and home decor that she not only served as our wedding planner, but also as our style consultant. She took our shotgun blast of different ideas and turned it into something that was cohesive and tied everything together. If I ever had any questions or crazy-stress at random hours of the day she would answer them and calm me down.

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

One of, if not the most, important thing we did when deciding who to work with was to find vendors that not only matched the style we wanted to achieve, but were people that we got along with. I met Leigh Growney at the Short Giraffe with my wedding planner at a Starbucks to do a cake tasting and it was so laid back and comfortable that I forgot that I was actually planning a wedding. Justin DeMutiis was another example of a completely awesome vendor and person! I met with a few different photographers before meeting Justin and he was so easy to get along with and had such great ideas that there was no doubt that we wanted him to shoot our wedding. Justin is just one example of our many vendors that we wish we could just be best friends with!

What was your favorite thing about your wedding?

My favorite thing about the wedding was the fact that everyone had such a great time! Having just our closest friends and family created such a comfortable atmosphere with such good energy. It was just so upbeat and positive and I’ll never forget it. It means so much to have our friends still tell us way after the wedding how much fun they had. I know weddings are supposed to be about the bride and groom, but we wanted our guests to have a memorable time and our outstanding DJ, lawn games, and photobooth played a big part in that.

I was also happy (and relieved!) that our little details came together so perfectly. At times when I was planning I kind of wondered if I was just throwing a bunch of things together that didn’t fit or make sense, but then when I saw how the flowers and dining area, or the outdoor living area came together, I couldn’t be any happier.

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

We pulled inspiration from all over. ELD and other wedding blogs, wedding photographer websites, magazines, architectural salvage yards, pinterest, style blogs, everything. Our friends and wedding planner would also send us ideas that we would sort through and see what we liked. From those we created an inspiration board/binder and tried to pick what we loved the most.

What is your best piece of advice for other brides?

Get a wedding coordinator! If I did not have Melissa I would have been running around making sure everything was perfect and would not have been able to enjoy my wedding as much as I did. It will save you so much stress and time that should be enjoyed with your new husband! Also make sure to eat some of your cake! :)

Have you had enough of this totally adorable wedding? I know I haven’t… Good thing there are videos!

Billy + Shannon | Trailer from Mortar & Pestle Films on Vimeo.

I love that even though Shannon and Billy had a first look, they still obviously had the “walking down the aisle” moment. (Did you catch it? It’s a perfect example of why a first look doesn’t affect that aspect of the wedding ceremony at all!) And I am totally loving the outdoor space at this venue… I think that’s such a great touch for cocktail hour! How would you bring the indoors outside at your wedding? Would you create a living room like the one Billy and Shannon did?

Vendors who made it all happen…

Photographer: Justin DeMutiiis Photography / Reception Venue: Powell Crosley Estate / Hairstylist: Beauty Brought Out / Catering: Fete Catering / Lighting: Affairs in the Air / Wedding Planner/Coordinator: The Jubilee Company / Flowers & Decor: An Exceptional Florist

Exclusive ELD Vendors

Like the post above? Here are the Every Last Detail vendors that participated making this post beautiful! Featured vendors are hand picked and approved by Lauren. Get more information by clicking on them below:

Vintage Elegant Pink and Gray Wedding
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Rustic Red and White Alabama Wedding

Category: REAL WEDDINGS 1 Comments

Feb 22nd

by: Sammantha

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Hello there everyone! I hope your Friday has been absolutely fantastic and I really hope that this gorgeous red and white wedding makes it even better! I simply can not get over these beautiful images from Green Tree Photography! Okay, less talking about it, and how about I just show you the gorgeousness… :)

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

When picking my vendors I looked for quality and a artistic side. I have a wild imagination and I wanted some one who could see my vision with me, which I found in all the lovely ladies I worked with.

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

My Mom was my rock when planning everything. Under the stress of work and wedding I knew my mom would have the best interest for me and not let me make any rash decisions.

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

I wanted a relaxed country setting so when a friend told me about Creekside Plantation I fell in love! It had old world charm with a beautiful back drop with the vineyard and horses.

What was your favorite thing about your wedding?

My favorite thing about my wedding was my family and friends who sat through a hour of construction traffic to share my special day. And we were blessed that it went from 30 degrees to 78 degrees in a day!

What is your best piece of advice for other brides?

My advice for other brides don’t sweat the small stuff. Every single detail won’t be perfect in your eyes but the guests won’t notice if the table cloth is ivory not white. And my biggest piece of advice: get sleep the night before the wedding so you’re not evil to your photographer and hairstylist in the morning :)

Haha a very good piece of advice there at the end! My husband and I left our bridal party and family after our rehearsal dinner to get some good rest the night before. Did you party the night away or head to bed before your big day?

One thing I absolutely loved about this wedding was how they so sweetly incorporated their family members who had passed away. I hear lots of brides always wondering great way to remember their loved ones who have passed away. Any ideas to share on this? I would love to hear what you are planning or even what you did for your wedding!

Have a fabulous weekend!

Cheers!
Samm

Vendors who made it all happen…

Photographer: Green Tree Photography / Hairstylist: So Vain Salon / Cake Baker: Endless Catering / Flowers & Decor: 333 Designs / Bride’s Dress: The Something Blue Shoppe / Reception Venue: Creekside Plantation

Rustic Pink & White Tennessee Wedding

Category: REAL WEDDINGS 5 Comments

Feb 22nd

by: Carlee

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I’m swooning over this sweet, summertime wedding from Morgan Trinker Photography. Details such as the blush hued peonies, burlap and DIY driftwood centerpieces are rustic, yet, effortless and lend a timeless feel to the marriage of this Tennessee twosome. The lovely bride, Erika, is here to give her insight on planning her perfect day:

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

I am a planner by nature, so of course I was going to be on top of it when it came to the planning process of my wedding. I quickly found out that I could not do this on my own so thankfully my parents helped me keep my sanity. It was a DIY type wedding where we were made pretty much everything. The centerpieces actually had to be fished out of a lake near our house, dried, cut, drilled, cleaned and then re-drilled. My mom went to every vendor meeting with me and helped me make all of the right decisions. Meanwhile, my dad was a calming force during my entire engagement, always assuring me that my wedding would be perfect.

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

It was the energy and passion of my wedding coordinator, photographer, cake designer, etc. that really made it clear that I was going to hire them to help me turn my dream wedding into a reality.

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

We decided on an outdoor wedding in June so I wanted to stay true to the beauty of nature. I longed for a clean and classy white wedding so I looked at using white and other natural hues. I am in love with burlap so of course I incorporated that wherever I could. But the true inspiration came from an idea my mother had formulated which was the fashioning of driftwood into vases that would hold some of my favorite flowers at the reception.

What was your favorite thing about your wedding?

My favorite thing about my wedding was that my husband choreographed a dance along with his groomsmen to the oh so famous song, “Call Me Maybe”. My photographer, the fabulous Morgan Trinker, was able to film it and it will be a memory that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

What is your best piece of advice for other brides?

Relax. This may be the hardest thing to do but even still now I can hear the wise words of my father telling to relax because everything will be perfect. If you find that you can’t relax here is another piece of advice: don’t try to tackle everything at once. Try to accomplish a few tasks at a time. If you can do that, soon enough all of your wedding tasks don’t seem so daunting and you might even have some time to relax.

Y’all, how adorable are these groomsmen? It takes a good friend and a gentleman to agree to a choreographed number (especially one set to the breakout hit of Summer 2012)! Wouldn’t you love to have been at those rehearsals? Ha!

Brides, what would you do if your Groom surprised you with a song or dance? I’m pretty sure I would die, either laughing or possibly of embarrassment. How about you?

XOXO,

Carlee

Vendors who made it all happen…

Photographer: Morgan Trinker Photography / Catering: Nancy Keddrick / Flowers & Decor: Nancy Elmore/Hunter Valley Farm / Reception Venue: The Pavilion at Hunter Valley Farm

Ask Lauren: Planning An Out Of Town Wedding

Category: WEDDING PLANNING 3 Comments

Feb 21st

by: Lauren

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Hey friends! I’m back with another “Ask Lauren” post today! This is the second time that I’ve received a question about planning an out of town wedding, and so I thought it be perfect to finally touch on here on ELD! Plus, it’s something that I did for my own wedding, as well as something that I wish I had known more about…

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Hi Lauren!

I found a venue that I absolutely Love, however it is about 2 -3 hours from where i live, and where most of my family live. I was wondering what your advice is about planning a wedding from afar. Such as finding vendors such as catering in a place that you are unfamiliar with. Is this a wedding no-no? i would love to hear your thoughts!

Julia

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Hi Julia! I think your question will help lots of other brides, so thank you so much for asking! As I mentioned above, this is something that I myself experienced for my own wedding. And I actually wish I had done things differently.

It’s most definitely possible to plan your wedding from out of town. You just really have to have your ducks all in a row! I myself got married in my hometown where my family was, so my situation was kind of opposite from yours. However, I’ve also planned weddings for brides were from out of town, so I’m quite familiar with this song and dance. :)

So with that said, here are a few tips for planning an out of town wedding:

1. Get a planner who is familiar with the area. If you’re concerned about being able to find vendors in a place that is unknown territory to you, your best bet is to have someone helping you out who DOES know the area. Just think about it for a second- when you go somewhere new, what do you do? Ask your friends for recommendations of what to do and where to go, right? It really shouldn’t be any different when it comes to your wedding, and having a planner will help you way more than you could ever imagine. Your planner will be able to give you reputable vendor recommendations, as well as help you set up meetings for your visits- which leads me to…

2. Kill two (or three or five) birds with one stone- aka schedule your vendor meetings ahead of time and on the same day. Since it takes some traveling to get to your wedding’s location, you are going to want to schedule your vendor meetings all on the same day if you can help it. Your planner can work with you and your vendors to schedule meetings to occur on the days of your visits. Keep in mind that these need to be planned somewhat in advance though. Taking into consideration your own travel, as well as vendors’ schedules, expect to schedule your days of meetings at least 3 weeks ahead of time. If you’re meeting with floral designers, schedule all of those meetings on the same day. If you’re going to cake tastings, schedule all those on the same day. And on and on. However, with the awesomeness of technology now, it may not be completely necessary to even make trips and meet in person for some meetings. Some vendor meetings can easily be done via phone or Skype, especially if they’re solely information based.

Photo by Leo Evidente Photographers

3. Do your research. Since you’re not local to the area that your wedding is taking place, it’s important to do your research to find your vendors. Now, if you have a planner, you don’t necessarily have to put too much weight on this part. But if you didn’t hire a planner, you’re going to want to make sure that the vendors you’re finding are great, right? Because let’s face it- nowadays, Google doesn’t always cut it. I recommend looking for vendors via resources like Every Last Vendor, to find vendors that have a stamp of approval. Yes, these vendors do usually pay to be listed on these sites, however, some sites have specific requirements in place for vendors to be able to be listed- look for vendors on those sites! For Every Last Vendor, I myself review all of my vendors- checking reviews, asking their colleagues about them, and of course making sure their work is consistent- because I want brides to know they can trust ELV members. :)

[BONUS TIP!] When it comes to vendors, you don’t have to be tied down to your wedding’s location. This is something that I wish I had known when I was planning my own wedding. I thought that I could only use vendors who were local to my venue, when in reality, there were much better vendors just a mere hour away. Yes, I know I said to get a planner who knows your location, but that is mainly for your own sanity. It’s important that you know that all wedding vendors travel. In fact, it’s pretty normal for them to travel an hour or more to get to weddings. It’s just how it is- and they’re used to it. So maybe you’re not quite happy with the selection of vendors in the area that your wedding is taking place, or you have your heart set on a photographer already- it never hurts to ask vendors if they’re willing to travel! Just be up front with where your wedding is taking place. Remember- you don’t have to be tied down to any specific area when it comes to finding the vendors of your dreams!

4. When it’s time for the wedding, establish a home base. Since you are from out of town and you don’t have any family in the area of your wedding’s location, I definitely recommend establishing a “home base” when it’s time for you wedding. Chances are good that you’re going to have tons of things- decor, favors, programs, etc- not to mention your dress, and everything else that you need for a weekend away! Look into renting a house or condo near your wedding venue, or perhaps a hotel suite. This doesn’t necessarily have to be where YOU stay, but more for where your family members can gather, as well as house all of the items that you’ll need for your wedding to happen!

5. Accomodate your guests. Since you’re from out of town, chances are going to be that your guests are from out of town too. It’s always nice to do something to make your guests feel more at home. Providing a welcome bag upon your guests’ check in is a great idea. Also, if you know that you’re having guests fly in, it’s also a good idea to provide transportation to your wedding, so as to avoid any issues or complications.

Photo via ELV planner, Leigh Pearce Weddings

Planning an out of town wedding is indeed a bit more difficult compared to living close to your wedding venue. Just stay organized, plan ahead (aka hire a wedding planner!), and you can make that out of town wedding happen! :)

Brides, are any of you planning out of town weddings? Do you have any other tips to share with Julia?