Top Five Fab Finds for November 2008

Ah the trends of the wedding world.  Always fun keeping on top of what’s cutting edge.  I love it!

Here are my Top Five Fab Finds for November 2008.  Hope you enjoy!

1.  Fall Flavors, such as squash, pumpkin and turkey.  How about a mini squash bisque at your cocktail hour?    A pumpkin cheesecake as one of your cake flavors.  A deep fried turkey carving station.

2.  Carnations are cool again.  They can really make for beautiful centerpieces and bouquets.  And they aren’t the most expensive flower.

3.  Out of the box ring holders.  It doesn’t always have to be a ring pillow.  Boxes and shells and moss covered boxes, oh my.

http://www.faycullen.com

http://www.etsy.com

4.  Clay flowers as decor.  So delicate and elegant.  And a great keepsake for your guests.

http://www.estiloweddings.com

5.  Serve your guests flavored water infused with cucumber or varied types of fruit.

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2008 Favorite Wedding Ideas and Vendors from A to Z, J is for Jesus Rodriguez and Raining Roses

J is Jesus Rodriguez and Raining Roses. The genius himself along with his design associate Chris Giglio really can do anything. They design weddings with floral chandeliers and bar mitzvahs with halloween and soccer themes. I just don’t know where the ideas come from, but they never seem to run out! Thank goodness. They can also cover dance floors and place gorgeous custom designs and logos on them. Here’s also to never forgetting Jesus’s partner and Chris’s good friend, Jonathon Panczuk who brought Raining Roses to Orlando along with Jesus. We miss him and I assure you that we think about him often and remember the fun banter and the beautiful decor that he brought to our lives.

Here’s some of the amazing events that Raining Roses has done throughout the years:

http://www.davidwillems.com

http://www.damontucci.com

http://www.damontucci.com

http://www.nuvisionsinphotography.com

http://www.sterlingphotography.com

Top Five Fab Finds for October 2008

After much research of what is “in” right now.  Here my pics for the fab finds of October 2008:

1.  Special water at guest tables.  Evian has partnered with Christian Lacroix to produce an elegant bottle of water.  Pretty enough to be placed right on your guest tables.

2.  Colored aisle runners.  Runners are no longer just simple and white.  You can do so much more with them.  You can even theme them to your wedding colors and add decor and logos on to them.  After the wedding, you can even take a portion of the runner and have it framed.  It can be a beautiful addition to your new home and a wonderful memory always.

3.  Creative escort card displays.  There are so many wonderful ways to display your escort cards.  You can go from the simple escort card table with an over the top arrangement in the middle to delicate ribbons that hold your cards or one of my favorites over the years, grass with pear candles on them.

http://www.damontucci.com

4.  Specialty table names or numbers.  No, you don’t have to have the cafeteria looking numbers for your wedding tables.  I’ve seen so many fun ways to do table numbers over the years.  How about, pictures of the two of you holding numbers.  Table names that signify something to you, such as places you’ve lived or visited.  How about love quotes with a one of the words in the quote being the table name.  If you choose to keep it simple with numbers, then don’t be afraid to incorporate the numbers into your centerpieces or even place them in a frame that matches your decor.

http://www.nuvisionsinphotography.com

5.  Small personal wedding cakes at each place setting.  Whether they are mini chocolate ones such as Godiva’s Sylvia Weinstock cakes or miniature versions of your wedding cake made by your pastry chef.

http://www.godiva.com

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 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).

Impress, Indulge, Inspire at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes

It was an honor for Just Marry! to participate in the Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes most recent wedding show. This show had the top planners and decor designers in the area featured. The planners involved were Susie Weiss with Wonderful Weddings and Lisa Konecny with E Events. And truly the creme de la creme of the floral designers in Orlando, Lee Forrest Design, Greenery Productions, Lee James of Grande Lakes Floral, Raining Roses, Flourish and Botanica.

The evening began with couples networking with some of the Ritz’s preferred vendors, Damon Tucci, John Unrue, Jeffrey Stoner and nu visions. Beautiful Music played some lovely background music during this meet and greet time. We planners and floral designers were in the ballroom putting the finishing touches to the tables. Each planner was able to do at least 3 guest tables. Just Marry! chose to do 4. We have to thank Lee Forrest for providing the beautiful decor and design ideas. It was great fun working with him. He is extremely talented. BBJ Linen provided us with the beautiful linens (table linens, napkins, chair pads) and PKS Rental provided us with the mahogany, black and white chiavari chairs that helped to finish off our tables. Our fourth table was added a bit later in the game and Stephanie Rounds with nu visions in photography suggested that we use some glass sculptures from Keila Glassworks located in the City Arts Factory in downtown Orlando. This made for a clean, modern look for our final table. Once all of the table designs were complete, the doors to the ballroom were opened and the guests entered and visited the various table designs before finding their designated spot at the beautiful tables. We had an amazing meal. Following was the official menu of the evening,

Appetizer

Duo of Dumpling Squash

Ravioli with Nutmeg Froth and Bisque with Vanilla Cream

&

Gulf Coast Crab Gnocchi

Fiddlehead Ferns and Corn

Basil Foam

Salad

Layers of Baby Greens

Pumpkin and Chevre Cheese Cake

Cranberry Orange Vinaigrette

Gingerbread Tuile

&

Layers of Baby Greens

Gorgonzola Wellington, Spicy Walnuts

Strawberry Rhubarb Vinaigrette

Entrée

Grilled Filet Mignon

Potato and Celery Root Puree

Spaghetti Squash, Jumbo Asparagus

Red Wine Jus

&

Cashew Crusted Halibut “Summer Roll”

Purple Thai Rice, Enoki Mushrooms

Preserved Ginger and Green Tea Broth

Dessert

Chef to Prepare

Chocolate Tart with Burnt Marshmallow

Flambéed Bananas, Espresso Ice Cream

&

Chef to Prepare

Lemon Curd Crepes

Grand Marnier Strawberries

Coconut Sorbet

All I can say is yummy! I’m such a foodie and this was so delicious. I especially loved the fiddlehead ferns. The dinner courses were also paired with some wonderful wines. Starting with one of Susan’s and my favorite wines, Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc. It really was a treat for anybody invited to the show as Arthur Murray Dance Studio performed to the wonderful stylings of the Ricky Sylvia with the Buzzcatz. This band is truly one of the best around! The evening ended with the couples being able to chat with the various A-1 vendors in attendance and enjoy some delectable desserts and after dinner drinks. It is always a pleasure to do a wedding at the Ritz-Carlton. Truly one of my favorite venues in the city! Following please see our table top displays, provided by our amazing sponsors. Thank you again to Lee Forrest! A true artistic talent. The following images were provided by Damon Tucci where noted and nu visions in photography. Thanks guys for the beautiful images.

Heidrich and Hebbeler Wedding on March 15th 2008

I had the greatest time working with this couple and the bride’s family. They all have so much personality and passion. It really was fun. It was a very smooth planning process and I hoped the same for the wedding day. Especially since they were such wonderful people. The wedding day started out as normal as most and then at 1:00pm on the wedding day, I received a call from the catering manager at the country club that the ballroom had been double booked. They wanted me to come and see the alternate location. Well, after I was able to shake the shock and awe over the whole situation, I called the father of the bride and told him the situation. He and I both headed straight to the club. We were told by the GM when we arrived that the event has been double booked, only to find out later that the catering manager had entered in the wrong year when booking the event. We were shown the new location which was the Member Grill at the club and we decided that we had to make it work. It was now just about 2:00pm on the wedding day. We just didn’t have any other options. The bride was upset, which always makes me so sad. You really want it to be a perfect day for her. And now she was having drama. We all got to work making the best out of a bad situation. The country club, Lee Forrest Design and American Audio Visual. It truly was a great team effort. The room in the end looked very pretty. Thank goodness for the beautiful linens and chairs that were ordered from Panache and BBJ Linen, the cake from Bake me a Cake, the florals from Lee Forrest Designs and the lighting from American Audio Visual. Each of those important components helped to make a much smaller room beautiful. In the end, it was a very pretty wedding. But, of course not the one that the bride truly wanted. The family is still in negotiation with the club for compensation. We will hope for a positive outcome on this situation.

Still, I was so excited to work with an old wedding friend of mine, Hal Wade. I met Hal back when I first started with Just Marry! and it was so great to spend some time with him again. He provided the photos seen here. And he’s just the sweetest! Also, thank you to Alex with Voila Creative for making the trek over from Tampa for another wedding. He’s very talented and so wonderful to work with!

So, in the end, alls well that ends well. Kearce and Alex danced their last dance to “Little Red Corvette” and then departed into a little red corvette through a line of sparkler wielding family and friends.