The Greening of the Wedding Industry

Yes, yet another trip. Jeffrey and I ventured to St. Petersburg a few weekends ago. It was all business of course. Easy to say when all of our friends are in the event business.

Our initial reason for going was for Jeffrey to video Susan and Kristy speaking at ISES Event World’s conference. However, we managed to see some of our great friends from our Denver excursion.  We went to dinner with Kristy & Scott Chenell (Kristy and I managed to have the very same dress on for this evening, by accident), Lisa Konecny, Ryan & Elena Joseph and Susan Southerland and her fella Scott. Zoe from Botanica made a great recommendation for dinner and even took care of making the reservation for us. We went to this wonderful restaurant in Tampa called Mise en Place. The food was amazing and we had such a great time catching up with friends who don’t live in Orlando.

After dinner that evening, we headed back to the Vinoy so that Kristy & Susan could finalize their presentation. I hung out with the fellas. Always one of my favorite things to do. Scott toured us around the property. He and Kristy were married there and it was fun to see where their ceremony and reception were. They were at beautiful outdoor venues. I wish I had known them then.

This hotel is quite historic and really reminds me of how the wealthy must have vacationed back in the 20’s and 30’s.  I love that lobby!

The next day, bright and early was Susan and Kristy’s presentation. It was all about the greening of the wedding industry. I really enjoyed listening to the many ideas that they suggested. Some of my favorites were,

Using evites for other events surrounding the wedding instead of more paper.

Giving cloth shopping bags as amenities or guest favors.

Having a no utensil event. This is something that Kristy is working on with her Chef from the Ritz-Carlton Denver for an upcoming event. I can only imagine the level of creativity that would go into brainstorming those ideas.

Giving a tree as a favor or amenity. The tree can then be planted in the city where the event is being held or can be taken back to the guests home and planted there.

Using Microsoft One Note or the backside of scratch paper to take notes.

Instead of providing your guests with disposable cameras, give them rented digital cameras. No waste!

Have your corporate group or wedding guests do something charitable in the area where they are. They could donate some time at a shelter or assist with building homes for those less fortunate.

This was a very informative presentation and Susan and Kristy are wonderful speakers. If you haven’t seen them speak, then don’t miss the opportunity.

We also premiered our 77 Secrets for Greening the Wedding Industry. This is a great DVD that gives those in the event industry many suggestions on how to green up their way of doing business and also give their clients green ideas for their event.  How great is that cover?  Thanks Amy Morelli for giving it a fresh and fun look.

Here’s some photos from the speaking engagement and such,

Don't they look famous?

Ah, come here little sis.

Definitely up to no good.

Our cute fellas

My dear friend Kristy

Not nervous at all

This says it all

Richard with who??

The speakers themselves

This excursion was such a green weekend of great information! I loved every minute. And something must have rubbed off on me. Jeffrey and I returned home to our previously flooded dining room (thank you Tropical Storm Fay), ripped up our carpet and headed to Home Depot to find replacement carpet. Guess what we chose? Green carpet made from corn fibers. And we didn’t find that the carpet was anymore expensive than comparable brands that weren’t made with green products. So, you don’t always have to pay extra to be green! I guess there goes the phrase, “It isn’t always easy being green”. Thanks Kermit!

Top Five Fab Finds for August 2008

Well, here they are.  My Five Fab Finds for August.  I know, there were ten the first time.  Jeff said that I was putting too much pressure on myself with ten, so I shortened it to five.  They are still fab!

1.  Going all out with the same color.  For example, bright purple, pale purple and dark purple.  Purple is a hot color right now as well.  You know you have a favorite color, so go with it and share your love of your color!  Picture below courtesy of Jay from Flowers of Winter Park.

2.  Make your dance floor different!  One of my favorite ideas for a dance floor is to surround it with garden boxes full of flowers or greenery.  It gives it a magical feeling.  You can also pinspot your dance floor with a gobo of your wedding logo or your initials.  Take it one step further and have your dance floor covered with a pattern or keep it simple with one color.

3.  A honeymoon or destination wedding to Santorini, Greece.  Yes, I want to go there so badly.  It’s at the top of my list.  When you think of Greece, this is typically what you think of.  The views are amazing and they have some of the top rated hotels in the world.

4.  I’m loving cool styles of chairs with chair covers.  How about personalizing them even more with a personalized monogram cover?

5.  A new trend in centerpieces that has really begun to light up tables is to use lamp shades in your decor.  I think it really helps to give a comfortable, homey, yet elegant spin on your table decor. The following picture is courtesy of Flourish Productions.  Keep an eye out for their new website launching soon.

And the following photo from Botanica.

A Truly Meaningful Wedding – My Friends Art & Lana

Art & Lana

What can I say about them? They are perfectly matched for each other. This proving that it’s never too late to find true love. They did! And now they’re hitched, as of July 19th 2008. Congratulations my dear friends. Art being one of the people I’ve known the longest in the biz and Lana is part of our girls night group. The best friends a girl can have.

I was so lucky to be included as a guest at this intimate celebration. And of course I had to offer a bit of help. I know that my good friend Susie Weiss with Wonderful Weddings truly would have loved to help and to be there to see this couple get married. After all, Susie helped them get together. Unfortunately, Susie and Jeffrey already had a wedding that day at the lovely Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes. So, I did what I could to help make sure things were organized and was even smart enough to bring along some extra help in my talented associate, Sally Jarvis with Just Marry! With her there, I was able to relax and have fun at Art & Lana’s wedding.

They really made it their wedding. You could say that they put the Art & Lana stamp on it. Here are just a few of the special touches they chose to incorporate into their special day:

Keeping their event casual and intimate. Sun dresses for the ladies and guys in pants and casual tropical shirts. Not a suit to be found. And they only included their family and close friends. Which made it a truly love filled evening. Everybody celebrating Art & Lana and their marriage to each other.

Seeing each other before the ceremony to do some romantic pictures. This always helps to take some of the tension of the wedding day away.

Having the cocktail hour before the ceremony and having a specialty cocktail. A Mojito none the less. The perfect Florida cocktail for a hot day. Refreshing.

Including their dogs, Smitty and Nick in their ceremony and giving them lovely floral decor for their collars.

Including their grand-daughter and niece in the ceremony. The processional was beautiful with the girls and then Art & Lana being walked by the pups.

Writing their own vows. Now, I was already crying from seeing them off down the aisle, but all of us girls really turned on the water works when they read their personally written vows. It was so obvious to all of us how much they love and adore each other. This is one couple that will certainly stand the test of time. Precious.

The homemade limoncello that Art had been cultivating since December. It was included as a shot with the melon and prosciutto.

The surprise from Susie. She had hired the beautiful antique Rolls Royce owned by Larry Gerry for the departure. And they left to sparklers of course. Always the best pictures with those.

Here are some of the gorgeous photos shot by Art’s talented photography team,

Here’s some of our girls night group. Those of us who were able to attend. We missed you Bonnie, Faye & Jennifer. Pictured below from left to right are Susan Southerland from Just Marry!, myself, Janine Boylan from the Grand Bohemian Orlando Hotel, Lisa New with BBJ Linen, Stephanie Rounds of nu visions in photography, Lana and Lisa Konecny from E Events.

The happy couple!

Here’s some of Lana’s beautiful decor. You can visit her at Fairbanks Florist.

Such a silly couple

The vendors that assisted Art & Lana with their beautiful wedding were,

Ceremony & Reception site, Casa Feliz located in Winter Park

Family vacation rentals, Villas by Christi

Hair & Makeup, Kari Larsen with About Face

Bride’s Jewelry, Sandi Loychik

Officiant, Judge Rom Powell

Decor, Fairbanks Florist

Photography, Art Faulkner Photography courtesy of Neal Sands

Catering, Arthur’s Catering

Ceremony Music, J.R. Krisanda

Reception Music, Danny with Power Entertainment

Transportation, Larry Gerry with Classic Rolls Royce

Honeymoon Location, Grand Bohemian Orlando by Janine Boylan

Just Marry! Vendor Spotlight on Bonnie Garfield with the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando

My newest spotlight is focused on one of my dearest friends in the industry, Bonnie Garfield. Bonnie is with the beautiful Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando. Truly one of my favorite locations in the city for a wedding and so very beautiful! I invite you to learn a bit about Bonnie Garfield and see some of the amazing weddings that Just Marry! has done at the property through the years.

Here’s a picture of Bonnie,

How did you get started?

After 4 years of working for a doctor out of college, I realized this field was not for me. I answered an ad for an Executive Secretary for the Director of Catering at the Hyatt Regency in Cambridge Ma. She really did not want to hire me as I was “over-qualified” to be a secretary but I begged her..the rest is history.

Where do you get your inspiration?

From the many friends in this industry that have guided me, mentored, and stood by me in the good times and bad..and still do. You all know I adore you.

What’s your favorite part of the wedding day?

I think seeing the bride in her gown. Since I have usually cultivated a relationship with each one, seeing them at their worst and at their best throughout the planning process, when they emerge in their ever so hand selected gown, they all feel so special and “princess-like”. I can feel their energy around me.

What is your favorite movie?

Paulie (It’s about a parrot who loses his owner and finds her at the end..i cry every time) go figure its about a bird.

What’s your best wedding story?

I did have a bride who misplaced her veil about 1 hour prior to the wedding. She insisted it was in her changing room which showed no signs of a veil. Upon investigating, we found that housekeeping thought the veil box was empty (they are quite light you know) and threw it out. I personally went into the dumpster and found the veil already crushed in the compactor. Now, as you all know me, fishing through garbage is not one of my favorite things to do. It had all kinds of food and condiments on it..with the help of my wonderful housekeeping department, they got it cleaned, pressed and placed on the brides head without her knowing. It was not until 5 years later and 2 other sisters weddings that I revealed the whereabouts of the veil. To this day, every time I see the mother of the bride she just laughs at how “cool” I was and never let on. Little did she know, I was sick to my stomach!!

What in your opinion is the coolest trend right now with weddings?

I am loving the small plates menus. It showcases the chef’s food and allows all the guests to get a sampling of more than one entree.

If you could give brides one piece of advice, what would it be?

Please, please enjoy your wedding. It goes by so fast and you will never be able to capture those precious moments again (Unless you have Jeffrey Stoner as your videographer..then you are golden).

What is one thing that you want everybody to know about you?

I am a creature of habit and hate change..So, as Billy Joel says “Don’t go changing to try and please me”.

Do you have any pets?

I think everyone knows about my feathered baby birds..Cashew (little green Parrolette 11 years old), Nouba (Big boy..Black headed Caique 5 years old) and my little Windsor (parakeet 2 years old). LOVE THEM!!

What is the best color combo for weddings?

I am favoring the celadon green and chocolate brown.

What are your favorite blogs/websites?

What the hell is a blog..I just discovered them recently, so Just Marry! and E Events tend to be my go to’s. So girls..keep them current..they are fun to read.

What does the future hold for you?

Well, I guess I will be involved in this crazy business for a good while longer. I cannot see myself doing anything else but someday I want to retire in Long Boat Key and interior design my condo on the Gulf.

What do you do in your spare time?

Work out at the gym, drink pinot grigio or Pomegranatemartinis, travel with Howard and take my dear sweet mom out when I can ( the pinot grigio goes hand in hand with taking mom out!!).

Thanks Bonnie for sharing! We appreciate all you have done for us through the years and Susan and I both value your friendship so much.

Here are some photos of weddings that we have done at the beautiful Portofino Bay Hotel,

Photos from Kevin Keelan.

Dan Higgins Photography,

Sunshine Photographics

Jen Adams Photography

Mini Vaca with the Family to Anna Maria Island

Ah! You know how much I love to travel. I really do live for it and am always looking forward to my next vacation.

Jeff, Griffon and I returned late last week from our quick jaunt over to the beach. We went to Anna Maria Island. Our good friend Stephanie from nu visions loaned us her parents condo and it was just perfect for us. It is so beautiful over there and relaxing and laid back. I love that. We even ventured to the beach once in awhile. Definitely every evening for the sunset. I’m afraid it just wasn’t enough beach time for Griffon. But, Jeff and I tend to be a bit sun shy. So, we did the best that we could. We did lots of fun family things and really, really relaxed. We napped, did some reading and even played some games as a family. It would seem that I’m really good at Scattegories. Love that game! I even beat Jeff, which I consider quite the accomplishment because I really do think he’s brilliant.

A few of my favorites from the vacation:

A trip to the Alpine Steakhouse in Sarasota. The Food Network show, “Diners, Drive In’s and Dive’s” filmed there last year. Jeff and I love that show because we love diners! So, I had to go to the Alpine Steakhouse. They have the Turducken. Very weird, but you might be able to tell that it has turkey, duck and chicken in it. Still can’t believe I didn’t try it. I was a bit scared. Shame on me! The food was very good and the place is certainly unique. I definitely recommend checking it out, but for goodness sake, have the Turducken!

Another trip up Sarasota way to St. Armand’s Circle. It’s located on Lido Key. My parents used to have a condo over on Lido Key, until I insisted they move closer to me. Now, I really miss being over there. Jeff, Griffon and I walked the circle like old times. Had lunch at the Crab & Fin where I had a few of my favorite foods, the Martha’s Vineyard Salad, Fresh oysters and Gazpacho. And of course a Bloody Mary! Yum! After that lunch, we were pretty full, but walked along the circle and went into one of our favorite stores, Garden Argosy. We love this place! It has so many neat things. Jewelry, wall plates, bath items, towels, dishes, just anything cool that you possibly imagine. Before we could leave the area, I had to drive the way that I used to drive when I came into Lido Key. I would always call my Dad as we crossed the bridge. It really does feel as though you check your stress on the other side of the bridge. No stress allowed once you cross over. My parents lived in St. Armand’s Towers and my Dad would always be on the balcony waving at me as I drove into the parking lot. We would hurry upstairs and he would have wine, snacks and plenty of humor waiting for us when we arrived. Being over there, really made me miss my Dad. He was one of my favorite people and we had so much fun while they lived over in Sarasota.

Here’s a picture of the condo,

Here are a few pictures of me and my Dad from the last few years. I must say, for as close as I was to my Dad, we sure didn’t have many pictures. Makes me so sad!

Here we are at the Melting Pot a few years ago. From the left, Jeff, my Dad, Me & Griffon. My mom is in the wheelchair.

Here we are at the Walt Disney World Dolphin, just after an amazing meal at Shula’s. One of the best steakhouses in Orlando.

Sorry, I spun off on a remembering the good ole days and my awesome Daddy.  Back to the trip details.

Loved spending quality time with the family. Really such a rarity in the fast pace of life these days. I loved hanging out with Griffon and watching Forrest Gump and eating freshly made ice cream from this wonderful ice cream place on the island.

Finally, what would a blog entry be without me telling you a few of my favorite places for a wedding over in the Sarasota area.

The Ritz-Carlton Sarasota. Just beautiful, with a location just by Sarasota Bay and a beach side location as well.

Lido Beach Resort. This was formerly a lovely little Radisson and now it’s an impressive beach side resort. Wow!

Longboat Key Club. A gorgeous club located in one of the prettiest areas on the west coast of Florida.

The Beach House. This is located right on Anna Maria Island and they have the best food and love weddings as well. One of my recent visits to the restaurant yielded a wedding in progress. It was fun to see one happening that we weren’t responsible for. For once!

I hope you enjoyed my trip to Anna Maria Island and Sarasota as much as I did. You must, must go and visit very soon. So relaxing!

Oh, how I love Colorado!

We’re back! Back from an amazing trip to one of my favorite states, Colorado. Jeffrey and I arrived in Denver on the 7th. We were greeted by text messages from one of our best friends, Lisa Konecny from E Events. Lisa had mapped out a great meal for me, “The Belly”. I do love my food! We ate at Rioja in Larimer Square. Such a great area! This was definitely one of the best meals that we had on our trip. Probably ranking right up there with one of my best meals of recent.

We were in Denver because Jeffrey was invited to participate in the 2nd annual Down the Aisle show presented by E Events and hosted at the Ritz-Carlton Denver. Lisa and Kristy are two of my best friends and I was anxious to help out wherever I could, while still trying to chill and enjoy my vacation. It was a great team that had been assembled for the show. Come along and meet some of them:

DJ Carl emceed the event and did a great job. He chose some fun music for the models to walk the runway to.

Rolly represented the Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch who partnered on the event. Rolly, I thought you nailed that speech! We did get excited about the prospect of having Bachelor, the resident pet at the property walk the runway. However, Bachelor was so excited that he kept leaping off of the runway. It was decided that wouldn’t be a great option for a model in heels.

Kristy Chenell and her amazing team from the Ritz Carlton Denver. Katie and Angela really pulled it together for the property.

My adorable Jeffrey Stoner with Jeffrey Stoner Video represented the video arena. Showing his Down the Aisle video from last years show. Last years show was held at the Ritz-Carlton,Orlando Grande Lakes.

Garrett Nudd and his lovely wife Joy were two of the photographers included for the national contingency. Their work is always so beautiful and I look forward to working with them in the future. Garrett was even so kind as to do Just Marry!’s team photos last year. The photo that is attached to my blog is a sample of them and I have it listed everywhere. On linkedin.com, myspace.com and facebook.com.

Ryan Joseph. A truly talented photographer with the coolest sense of style. And so much fun to hang out with. It was great getting to know him better and I can’t wait to work with him very soon and hang out with he and his lovely wife, Elena.

The E Events team was led by the one and only Lisa Konecny. Assisted by Brittany Sobering, one of her recent additions. And a great one at that. And intern, Jessy Rivers helped round out the team. She would be a wonderful addition to the team when she’s officially done with school.

Ian Prosser from Botanica who helped to create all of the beautiful table displays.  What an amazing talent!  And to top it off, Ian is a great guy.  It was so much fun getting to know both he and his wife Fiona.  That’s what a little horseback riding up into the mountains can do you for you.  Oh, and sharing many cocktails.  I can’t wait to work on an event with Ian.  It would be a true honor.

Awny from Unique Option provided the funky furniture. And we learned very quickly that Awny has a photography hobby. Or is it a habit? Thanks Awny for documenting the days leading up to the event.

Lindsey Luxa from Dragon Fly helped design all of the promotional pieces for the show.

And of course Austin Scarlett who designs for Kenneth Pool. The runway show showcased his designs and amazingly enough a few of his designs were silver in color. See my blog on Top 10 Fab Finds for July 2008.

At the end of the show, we took a great photo of the entire Down the Aisle team. I was honored to be included. Thanks Lisa! I feel so loved.

Enjoy some of Garrett Nudd’s photos from the show.

We celebrated an amazing job well done by taking over Elways Lounge at the beautiful and stylish Ritz-Carlton Denver. Our good friend Kevin Terp even joined our crazy wedding friends. Kevin lives in Denver and works in the software industry and is also a part time ski instructor at Beaver Creek Resort. Can’t wait to join him on the slopes for the next ski season. Or at least see him for a beer after the ski day! I’m not typically on the same slopes as he is.

Oh! And I can’t forget to mention our three trips to one of the best breakfast places in Denver. Maybe anywhere. Snooze. The pancake trio is to die for and those pineapple upside down pancakes are just so delicious.

After the show, Jeffrey, Kristy, Scott and I headed to one of my favorite places in Coloardo. The mountains! We stayed at the Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch and lived in style on the club level. I can never go back to being a regular guest. I’m officially spoiled. Five meal presentations and cocktails! Perfect for me. This is such a beautiful property with ski in, ski out access. And the relaxing grotto in the spa. I want one at my house. We had such a great time in Beaver Creek/Vail.

Let me share just a few of my favorites from the trip.

Being all emotional and proud of two of my dearest friends, Lisa & Kristy for what I know was a lot of work and truly amazing to see come together.

The concert on top of Vail Mountain and my fun hike with Kristy.

Horseback riding at Beaver Creek Stables with Kristy, Scott, Ian, Fiona and Jeff. So much fun! What beautiful views of the Beaver Creek Resort. And it was so neat to ride on some of the same trails that I skied earlier this year.

Click here for a video that Jeffrey put together of all the photos from the trip. Enjoy!

http://stonervideo.blogspot.com/2008/07/all-work-and-no-play.html

Ah, but all good things must come to and end. It was time to return to O Town. So, back to work. Much to do to plan for the many upcoming events. The weekend after we returned, our dear friends, Art Faulkner and Lana Pelham’s wedding was at Casa Feliz. They are two of my favorite people in the wedding biz and I was so excited for them. This wedding was definitely a tear jerker.

A trip to Denver & Bachelor Gulch

I’m getting so excited and just wanted to share with all of you. Jeffrey and I leave today to head out to Denver for a week. I’m on vacation, relaxing and enjoying myself. My Jeffrey has to work some. He is shooting some video for the Ritz-Carlton in Denver and then also participating in another Down the Aisle Wedding Show with one of our best friends Lisa Konecny from E-Events. Lisa did this show at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes last year and now she’s taking it national. I’m so excited for her. Austin Scarlett from Season 1 of Project Runway will also return for this show.

After the show, Jeffrey and our good friends Scott and Kristy Chenell are heading off to the Ritz-Carlton in Bachelor Gulch. For those of you who aren’t familiar with this property, it is located near the Beaver Creek and Vail resorts. It’s very near to where I love to ski in Beaver Creek. It will be so weird to be up in the mountains with no snow, but we plan to enjoy the outdoors by horseback riding and hiking. We will return for the next ski season, so that Jeffrey can finally try his hand at skiing or snowboarding.

I’m so looking forward to to this trip and the fact that I’m not working! As some of you may know, Susan from Just Marry! is currently in Italy coordinating a wedding along with two of our other best friends from nu visions in photography, Curt and Stephanie. So, it will be nice to get away, because I’m dying that I’m not in Italy. Jeff and I love Italy and can’t wait to go back. Our favorite city is Venice!

Hope everybody had a fab & fun 4th of July! I’ll be back in touch when I return to the office on Tuesday, July 15th.

A Just Marry! Real Wedding to share, The Wedding of Kimberly Pugh & Jay Pounds

Kimberly Pugh & Jay Pounds

An amazing wedding sprinkled with lots of love.

Wedding date, Saturday, June 7th 2008 at 6:00pm

Location, Orlando Shakespeare Theater

Photographer, Scott Watt Photography

Videographer, Jeffrey Stoner Video

Floral designer, Lee Forrest Design

Catering, Puff n Stuff (specifically Heidi Brice)

Pastry Chef, Bake me a Cake

Linens, BBJ Linen

Lighting & Draping, TEC Support (Tim Eggers)

Ceremony, Cocktail & Reception entertainment, Jeff Scott

Photo booth, Plumb Fun (Zach)

Just Marry! Coordinators, Michele Butler, Kristen Wilkins & Cathrina Dionisio

I love to talk about this wedding. It was two great families with wonderful friends. There was so much love and happiness at this wedding. And well, that’s what it’s really all about. This wedding was different. Not your run of the mill, looked like last weekends wedding. The bride is an actress and had very specific ideas about what she wanted for her wedding. I love that in a bride. After all, it’s her wedding. I love being able to help point her in the right direction based on her vision. All of the stars aligned for this wedding. From beginning to end on the wedding day, this wedding was virtually flawless and as a wedding planner, that is a true rarity. Something always goes wrong. But, the vendors were on time and brought the correct products, the venue was cooperative, the wedding party and family were ready to go on time for the wedding and the weather even stayed sunny. Definitely hot, but still a beautiful backdrop for the ceremony and cocktail hour. Perfection on a wedding day is not easily achieved. We, wedding planners have all of the ingredients to oversee. I expect such perfection that it really does consume me, but the reward is always in viewing the photos and video. Enough of my ramblings.

I asked Kim to answer some questions about her wedding, so that I could share her wedding day with you, in her words. We invite you to enjoy a Just Marry! real wedding in both pictures and words.

Where did you all first meet?

We met in college, and both had significant others at the time. When we remet 6 years later at a karaoke bar (!), we were instantly drawn to each other. He does a mean “Fly me to the moon” 🙂

Tell me about the engagement.

First, you must know that both Kim and Jay love word games. They often challenge each other in Scrabble and love to do crosswords together. While on a trip to Orlando (they both live in Manhattan), Jay surprised Kim with a crossword puzzle he had made her. The theme was “Can I ask you a question”, with such answers as “is this seat taken” and “to be or not to be”. Jay insisted she work on the puzzle right then, so she proceeded to solve it (with his help, naturally). The next night, Jay had made reservations for dinner at Manuel’s on the 28th, a restaurant they had always meant to visit while living in Orlando. As the two finished dessert, the waiter returned with a special delivery for Kim. To her surprise, it was the completed crossword puzzle, but with an additional clue: “The most important question of all”. The answer was made up of four answers in the crossword puzzle: “will – ewe – Mary – mi”. As Kim finished putting things together, Jay got down on one knee, pulled out the Tiffany’s box he’d kept hidden, and made the question official. Kim of course said “Yes” through tears of joy, and the waiter reappeared with two glasses of champagne!

What is your favorite detail of the wedding?

Seriously, too many of our favorite things to choose one. The day is a blur of joy. . . I loved it all. I was so giddily thrilled to see the venue with all the details pulled together . . . the DIY projects my family and Jay helped create, the wedding “cake” by Bake Me a Cake complete with a bird topper pulled from a graphic on our invitations/programs — designed by my super talented friend Jessica Rodgers, the florals (and the blue mason jars that my parents lovingly tracked down), the paper lanterns, the lighting, the mashed potato bar!. . . it was the perfect backdrop for a celebration with our closest friends and family.

My bouquet had 3 calla lilies for remembrance of deceased loved ones, and the stem wrap was material taken from my mothers wedding dress — it was very special to me.

What was your biggest challenge to overcome while planning your wedding?

General: the plethora of design resources online! It’s overwhelming!

Specific: the girls dresses! I kept meaning to order the final 2 bridesmaids dresses, but between school and production work the time slipped by. . . three months later I discovered the line had been discontinued!!! The good news was that they were discounted big time, the bad news was that we had to call at least 7 Davids Bridals to track the elusive sizes down. Advice to future brides? Helping with details like this is what Just Marry does best !!! No need to go crazy with issues like this yourself when you have trusty planners in your corner.

What is your most memorable moment of the wedding?

JAY: The moment I first layed eyes on you. (awwwwwwww!)

KIM: When we danced to “In Your Eyes” — and the speeches at our reception. So heartfelt and touching.

Is there a funny moment?

🙂 Yep.

We stayed at the Grand Bohemian, and decided to go downtown for a drink or two (after changing clothes, but some of our wedding party stayed dressed). At some point Jay and I were seperated long enough for a guy to approach me and say “Hey… so, how’s it goin’? You look really nice. . .you guys with a wedding party?” “We sure are!” I said. “Who’s the bride?” he asked. I smiled and held up my newly be-ringed finger and said “I am.”

Ouch.

Looking through our “guestbook” the day-after was also hysterical — so many funny pictures and captions! I am so glad we chose to have a photobooth, I will long treasure that guestbook.

Was there an unexpected event on your wedding day?

Honestly, Just Marry! took care of everything on our wedding day — if there were any snafu’s, we had no idea.

Can you give some advice to a bride who is planning her wedding?

I kept an idea-book that helped me when meeting potential vendors (I know you were waiting for mention of this one, Michele ;). I cut-out all of my favorite images from magazines and online resources, and collaged them in a journal. I think it gave our vendors an immediate sense of what Jay and I wanted — and it helped me remember off-beat ideas I came across. There are an abundance of resources and it’s easy to get overwhelmed, and this was an easy way to stay focused on our favorites!

This is by no means a new idea, but my advice is to make the wedding and reception as personal as possible. Choose details that mean something to you and your future husband — and don’t shy away from bringing back old traditions or kicking tired ones to the curb, whatever suits you! You’ll end up with a celebration that is a unique expression of your love for each other . . . and it doesn’t get much better than that.

What was the design inspiration for your wedding?

I adore the displays at Anthropologie. . .I think we started there. I knew I wanted a celebration that wasn’t terribly formal, and felt like it had homespun elements. Along the way we came up with the phrase “rustic elegance” — making choices such as using blue mason jars to hold the florals, a chalkboard for our seating arrangements, and cupcakes instead of regular cake (with a cupcake stand built by my dad!). We also worked with Lee Forrest to incorporate branches into our table arrangements. . . and he designed an archway that added so much to the aesthetic of our wedding cerimony. I didn’t even notice it on our wedding day, I was too focused on Jay. . . but it stands out in the photos! Along with Just Marry!s help, our vendors really brought our ideas to life.

On a sidenote 😉
We sketched a JK logo which was refined by a friend who is a graphic designer — we used that on our save the dates and invites, as well as on napkin rings we crafted and the take-home boxes for our candybar. That simple element really tied the entire wedding together, from start to finish!

And our favorite photo???

Eeeek! Also impossible to narrow this down, as Scott is just an incredible artist. I love the shot on your blog. . . me slipping the ring on Jays finger, with two of my dearest friends looking on. I also love love love the shot of my dad and I (with my mom blurry in the foreground) — just after the ceremony. His expression is priceless!! He looks so thrilled and excited. There is a surprise shot of my cousin and I dancing that is pretty amazing too (she has short, blonde hair and we are dancing back to back).

Looking forward to sharing…

a vendor spotlight and a Just Marry! real wedding!!

It’s Saturday and I don’t have a wedding. Such a rarity. I’ve spent loads of time reading blogs and searching around on websites. Looking forward to doing the first two features on my blog. One will be a vendor feature. The first victim will be Scott Watt Photography. We worked together for the first time recently and he was amazing. Here are a few sample photos from the wedding.

Also, I’ve decided to do a proper feature of my beautiful weddings. The first will be that very same wedding that Scott shot for me. Kimberly Pugh & Jay Pounds. Such a sweet wedding which was so full of love. So, check back. I’ll be putting those up in the next few weeks.

Thanks for reading. I think I’m really finding my footing with this blogging thing!

WESH A List Nominated for 2008

Hi all!

Last year my favorite Orlando TV station, WESH (NBC) started their A-List and Just Marry! was nominated and ranked in the top 5 wedding planners when it was all said and done. You really should check it out. You can vote on everything from weddings to restaurants. It’s lots of fun and one of my favorite restaurants, Stefano’s won for best Italian last year. And my fabulous videographer fella, Jeffrey is also nominated as well.

Just wanted to share!