Modern Purple and Black St. Louis Wedding {Part 2}

Dec 14th

by: Lauren

Alright, and we’re on to Part 2 of today’s wedding! If you haven’t seen Part 1 yet… well you definitely have to go and start there! Now we’re really into ALL of the details… get ready! ;)

Did any of your vendors do anything special for you before, on, or after your wedding day that you would like to share?

Our photographer, Lisa Hessel, her husband, Jon, and their assistant, Lindsay, were phenomenal. Shortly after our reception began, my husband and I snuck away for a few minutes alone to let it soak in that we were married and to get some bride and groom photos. While we were poolside shooting, we encountered a bit of a problem, leaving us in quite the pickle. Lisa, Jon & Lindsay immediately stepped up and stood in as our coordinators for the night, in addition to taking hundreds of drop-dead-gorgeous photos. Our photographers could have just been photographers, but instead, they were “wedding-savers,” too.

What was your favorite thing about your wedding?

Our wedding was very much about us and our families. Three of our four parents have passed away, so we wanted to include everyone as much as possible and make sure that our families knew that they were responsible for us being who we are today, and that they have given us an amazing foundation for our marriage. Additionally, we wanted the details of our wedding to showcase our love and our passions. I loved hearing the compliments on all of our DIY projects!

What is your best piece of advice for other brides?

Remember that the time you spend planning should not overshadow the time you spend with your fiance enjoying your engagement and working on your relationship. The wedding is just the beginning of your marriage! Oh, and make your wedding your own! The details make the wedding! :)

YES! When you make your wedding “your own”, the details definitely do make the wedding! This wedding is pretty much everything that I’m always preaching- having details that all flow well with your wedding’s style and reflect you and your fiance! :) So what’s your favorite detail? I think mine is the coasters- did you see those? They have fun facts and trivia questions about the bride and groom on them! HOW FUN!!!

A big thank you to Ashley for sharing her wedding with us, and also to Lisa Hessel Photography for capturing it beautifully!

Vendors who made it all happen…

Photographer: Lisa Hessel Photography / Reception Venue: Private Residence / Invitations & Stationery: Signatures by Sarah / Hair & Makeup: Arco Hair Company / Dessert Table: Sarah's Cake Shop / Catering: River City Catering

Modern Purple and Black St. Louis Wedding {Part 1}

Category: REAL WEDDINGS 7 Comments

Dec 14th

by: Lauren

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Happy Wednesday! This modern purple and black wedding by Lisa Hessel Photography that I have for you all today is filled TO THE BRIM with details. The bride, Ashley, did an awesome job coming up with all of them! Since there are so many fabulous details, I had to split up the wedding into 2 posts… so here is Part 1, and Part 2 is of course coming up later today!

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

As a DIY bride, my wedding lifeline was Project Wedding. PW is a fantastic group of women who are supportive, who have fabulous ideas, who give honest but tactful feedback, and who have a wealth of knowledge and resources to help fellow brides. In addition, my aunt, my six wonderful bridesmaids and a close group of sorority sisters assisted with several projects and decisions in the months leading up to the wedding. Lastly, my husband helped keep me sane throughout the wedding planning process, and he even helped with some of our DIY projects!

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

When we were planning our wedding, we were very budget conscious. Once we found vendors within our price point, the most important factor in deciding who to hire was that we were comfortable with that vendor, personally and based on reviews and with that vendor’s body of work. We were not afraid to work with new vendors, as long as they provided that comfort level we desired. In hindsight, I probably would have sacrificed budget for some vendors that were extremely professional and had excellent reviews, in addition to providing that level of comfort. For the most part, though, we had amazing vendors.

This is only just a glimpse of what all of the amazing details of Part 2 will be like! My favorite thing so far? The fact that she changed up the bouquets’ colors from what traditional colors are… Ashley carried a purple bouquet and her bridesmaids carried white! Love it! More details and the full vendor list are coming up in Part 2!

Vendor of the Week: Palm Papers

Category: SPONSORS 3 Comments

Dec 13th

by: Lauren

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Woo hoo, time for another Vendor of the Week! This week’s vendor is Palm Papers, an invitation and design company based in Texas! Have I told you lately how much I love invitations and all of the cool things that designers can do for weddings? No? Okay, well now I just did. Seriously though- having invitations and details of your wedding custom designed for your wedding is one of the best decisions, because it sets the whole tone of the wedding! And I love that! :) Now let’s learn a little bit about Lauren of Palm Papers and see some of her work too!

Why do you see yourself as being Modern, Vintage, Classic, or Eclectic?

My style is classic, in that you won’t look back at your invitations and say ‘What was I thinking?” With a focus on beautiful type, subtle details and luxurious paper, each design is fresh and current, while still elegant and timeless at the same time.

What is your favorite wedding detail you’ve ever seen or created?

I loved using empty wine bottles as table numbers. So easy, elegant, and fun to empty! The couple I did this for had a wine tasting party to choose the wine they would serve at their wedding and used the empty bottles as their table numbers. How fun is that?

What is your favorite store or brand?

My favorite store (and brand) is J.Crew. Classic, yet current. Perfectly polished and chic.

What advice do you have for a newly engaged bride?

Prioritize your details. Is the photography the most important? Or do you absolutely need to have letterpress wedding invitations. Or maybe it’s the venue or the dress? When working with a budget, whether big or small, you’ll never have regrets if you focus on what you think is the most important. Prioritize the important things and it will help you make decisions on all the rest.

What is your favorite thing about weddings?

I love anything that is a reflection of the couple. I love seeing or watching something and immediately thinking “This is so (couple’s name)”. It doesn’t always have to be quirky or different, just ‘them’.

What qualities do you possess that enable you to work well with brides and grooms?

While I think my creativity is my best quality, as a former accountant, I’m nothing if not organized and reliable. When it’s invitation time, it’s usually when everything starts to get hectic. I like to keep the invitation process fun and stress-free. You’ll have no question about when you’ll receive proofs, if your invitations will arrive on time, and if they will be anything less than perfect. Delivering a beautiful product and a great experience is so important to me.

What steps do you take to ensure that your clients will have amazing wedding days when working with you?

I take pride not only in my designs, but also in the bride’s experience. If I remember anything from being a bride myself, it’s that it’s an extremely overwhelming time. There are so many decisions to make and even more questions. I like to be a consultant of sorts, walking a bride through the process, the timing (which will change along the way, because nothing ever goes exactly as planned) and the etiquette involved in the wedding invitation process. It should be a fun exciting experience, because putting the invitations in the mail is the official start to your wedding day.

Don’t forget to go see more of Palm Papers’ designs in their Every Last Vendor gallery!

Palm Papers

contact: Lauren Chism | email: lauren@palmpapers.com | phone: 903.245.3409

website: http://www.palmpapers.com

twitter: Follow @palmpapers | facebook: “Like” Palm Papers!

location: Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas | type: Paper Products | style: Classic | price: $$

A Twofold Vintage Pink Inspiration Shoot

Category: INSPIRATION 5 Comments

Dec 13th

by: Lauren

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Happy Tuesday loves! Yep- twofold… I actually looked it up to make it meant what I wanted it to and it does indeed… “having two elements or parts”. This vintage pink inspiration shoot from Roohi Photography and Fishhawk Weddings has 2 different takes on vintage- which I LOVE! First up, we have a quaint vintage look, created with soft pink garden roses (my FAVORITE!) and dahlias mixed in with some lovely Queen Anne’s Lace… oh and an adorable, happy model too! I love smiles, in case you haven’t noticed! :)

The second part of this shoot is a vintage glam look, using pink garden roses and fuchsia orchids, with some crystal bling thrown in for a nice glam effect!

WOW I absolutely LOVE garden roses. Seriously- look at those centers! How could you NOT love them?! One thing’s for sure- this “twofold” vintage shoot has definitely given us lots of gorgeous floral inspiration! :) A big thank you to Roohi Photography and Fishhawk Weddings for inspiring us with this beautiful shoot!