The Cake Lady!

I'm so excited to post about my first tasting with Eileen Carter, aka "The Cake Lady." We met where she works her magic! People always wonder, "What happens at meetings with vendors?" So here's your inside scoop on the meeting with the baker!

When we arrived, it was first and foremost important that we look through albums of past cakes to pick the design. Leah and Christian decided to go with a petal design which is so new and exciting!

From there, Eileen actually put together styrofoam cakes so they could visualize which one they liked best. It was so cool!

Then it was time to try the cakes flavors. We got to try so many, and the bride and groom had fun coming up with different combinations for each layer.

The best part, Eileen is creating a stadium for the Groom's cake. She's quite excited about this one, and I can't wait to see it!

Oh- and she's blogging now, check out Eileen's Blog.

Pro Pics: Marva & Pascale!

I know it's been a little while since I've posted, so I figured I'd start up again, sharing new pics that I got in the mail today from Gene Ho. Gene and his assistant were an absolute pleasure to work with. They were professional from start to finish. I was so excited to see the pictures because I knew he was able to capture so many of the important and personal moments of the day! All of the following pictures are thanks to Gene and the fantastic team he's put together.
The day started with the Marva and the bridesmaids getting ready at the Ritz Downtown. Their makeup was done by Deetvekio, one of my personal favorite to work with. He is able to keep you looking natural, while adding the perfect amount of color! After getting ready, they headed to Piedmont Park to take some great pictures, and to put the finishing touches on the bride.

She was absolutely BEAUTIFUL!

The flowers were done by the AMAZING Carla Duncan with On Occasions of Atlanta. They were the freshest flowers I've seen! It's always a pleasure to work with her, and her creativity always impresses! Carla also pays so much attention to detail. Take the hand-wrapped bouquet above, flawless!The ceremony took place in the meadow just off the Piedmont Garden Tent. The bride was escorted down the aisle by her mother.

The ceremony was absolutely beautiful, and the sun peeked through the willows perfectly. They were surrounded by loving family and friends.

You can see here how truly happy they were!

Following the ceremony, the couple and their guests moved into the garden tent for a stylish reception.
The food was also the talk of the night, and absolutely delicious!

All in all, I would say that it was a fabulous wedding!

Such an amazing couple!

Need a Map?

Are many of your guests from out of town? It might be a good idea to provide them with a map of the local area. I'd suggest checking out Wedding Maps. Their creative staff will come up with something in just your style!

You can put them in the Out of Town Guest bags, or you can mail them with your invitations! They've got tons of paper styles and colors to choose from and they promise prompt quality service! Get in touch with Eric today!

Vendor Spotlight: Illuminated Videos

I had the pleasure of working with Kelley Hammock with Illuminated Videos on Marva & Pascal's Unforgettable Soiree! It was my first opportunity to work with her, and I can't wait to do it again! She's got a great sense for what she's doing and she manages to not be in the way like so many brides are afraid of! You can check out their website for demos, and they'll even send you one for free! I just got mine in the mail today and let me just say that it's phenomenal! Their prices are very reasonable for the services they provide! Oh- and people will think you have a movie star filming you wedding because Kelley looks just like Reece Witherspoon!

Venue Preview: Signature Events, Dunwoody GA

Monday I had the pleasure of visiting Signature Events in Dunwoody GA. It's a beautiful site that can host ceremonies and receptions for up to 300 guests.
As soon as you enter, you are in a large open space that serves at the cocktail hour room or ceremony room. The bar is in the back and the ballroom is to the left. During cocktail hours, they place high boys out for guests as well as sometimes put some food displays. They've also got some pretty comfortable lounging furniture!
Judy mentioned that they usually move the highboys out of the immediate bar room because of the clutter, but that they can always keep a few in there if requested.

The ballroom is large and has a pretty good sized dance floor. In the picture below, the room is only set for 100, but you can imagine that there would be enough room to fit quite a few more tables and chairs. It really is a beautiful place, and a clean slate, so a lot can be done with it by simply using some imagination!
Their packages are very reasonably priced and they also have many different bar packages available. The Chiavari Chairs come with any event and they're in really good shape. Check them out!

Registries 101:Timing

Many brides ask "When should I register?" Here are a few things to think about before you start to register!

What are you planning to register for? Some products go through cycles where they become discontinued. Safe bets that are long lasting and OK to register early (1yr out) for: Fine China, Crystal, Silverware, Luggage, Pots & Pans, Kitchen Odds and Ends. Here are some items that are often seasonal and shouldn't be registered for until 6 months out: Bathroom Sets, Everyday China, Everyday Glasses, and Sheet sets.

If you're getting married in the Spring or Summer, go ahead and register before the holidays- for a few key items in each price point (-$50, $50-100, $100+). You should plan on watching your registry monthly just to make sure that your items aren't discontinued. If they become discontinued, you'll be on top of it so that you can swap it out! If you're getting married in the Fall, I suggest you wait on the main items until after the new year.

Get excited and make sure you include your Fiancé!

Monogram Cake Topper?

A trend that's been popular for quite some time now is the Monogram Cake Topper. Sure, there are many places to order them, but I personally suggest Toppers With Glitz. From personal experience, they do beautiful work, with quality metal being used for the actual letter.

They have many different fonts available, and any color crystal you could imagine. Sure, their pricing might seem a little steep, but they provide great products, and something that you can have displayed on a shelf or next to a framed invite for years to come!

A Sneak Peek at Jennifer & Jey's Unforgettable Soiree!

Here's just a quick sneak peek of Jennifer and Jey's wedding from Saturday the 13th. They were married at the Magnolia House in Powder Springs and it was very beautiful.They have an on-site baker who came up with their very beautiful cake as well as their fun and original groom's cake! It was a surprise to the groom, and he LOVED it. It was at that point that he shared the secret that he was taking her to Hawaii for their honeymoon.

Outdoor Wedding?

Are you having an outdoor wedding? Do you wish you could wear the perfect set of heels without sinking into the grass? Well, there is finally a solution. "Heel Stoppers" are slowly catching on, so I thought I'd bring this new idea to you!They slip onto the bottom of your heel, and can be easily removed when the party moves inside. They keep you above the grass, keep the heels clean, and are clear and subtle. No twisting ankles either. Check out Belle Devine.

Another Sneak Peek: Cathy & Danny!

Look familiar? Danny and Cathy were also married in the Piedmont Meadow, with their reception following in the Garden Tent.

It was a romatic evening ceremony with plenty of fun to enjoy in celebration of the couple.

Sorry this one is a little dark, but everyone was enjoying the food- they had a carving station, a sushi station, as well as a mashed potato bar- a huge hit!

I'll be sure to share some new pictures when I get them in a couple of weeks!

A Sneak Peek of Marva & Pascal's Soiree!

Marva and Pascal had an incredible wedding day, and I just wanted to stare two of the pictures I was able to snap quickly.

They were married in an evening ceremony in the meadow just outside of the Piedmont Garden Tent. It was a beautiful ceremony!Following the ceremony, guests made their way into the reception in the tent. The decor was provided by Carla Duncan of On Occasions of Atlanta.

I'll be sure to post some more pictures when I get them from the photographer, Gene Ho.

Who's RSVP is it anyway?

After the excitement of getting your invite in the mail, so many reply almost immediately! How exciting right? So you open up your self-addressed (and stamped) envelope to check out the RSVP. Uh-Oh! They forgot to write their name, so you know that 2 people are coming, but you have no idea who they are! Want an easy fix for this? Here's my easy, inexpensive, and best of all invisible solution.

1)I suggest that you head to a craft store and pick up a pack of Crayola Changeables markers.2) Print out a copy of your invite list and start numbering them. (1, 2, 3...) You can also just save the numbers on your spreadsheet where you'll be keeping track of the RSVPs!

3) On the back of the response cards, use the clear, color-changing marker to number it, corresponding to the number on your invite list. Write the number in the same place on every card so you'll remember where to look for the invisible ink!4) Send the invites and stalk the mailbox!

5) If you happen to get an RSVP where the guest forgot to write their name, turn the card over and use one of the Changeable colored markers to highlight that area. You'll see the number in a matter of seconds, and you'll be able to look them up on the list!

Voila! No last minute phone calls or looking through old letters or cards to determine who's handwriting it is!

Vendor Spotlight: Shannon Wright

Shannon Wright is one of my favorite photographers to work with. We've worked together so many times that I know that brides are in good hands with her. She is able to capture every emotion of each bride's wedding day. I can't wait to work with her again!

I was able to catch up with her and ask some questions so we can all know her just a little bit better:)

So what first inspired you to be a wedding photographer? I was in school at the time and assisted a wedding photographer and knew (even though I was just carrying equipment) that's what I had to do!

What keeps you coming back? My desire to be a part of couples happiest days and well I just absolutely love photography.

What is your favorite picture to take? Hmm, tough question I guess my fave would be the one I take at he reception in a dark place lit with intense light. It's a very funky shot!

If you had to provide one picture to win a client, what would it be and why?? How about two? I love shoes and it's kinda of a signature shot and I just love this one at Piedmont! If I have extra time to do creative formals this is what I can produce!
If you had one word of advice for future brides, what would it be? Don’t forget how and why you fell in love in the first place…… The wedding day does not have to be perfect but your life together just might be…..

What is Project 42 and how is it going? Wanna share a picture or 2? Project 42 stands for Love (4 letters) Is(2 letters).... This session is for couples that are already married. The idea is .....what does love mean to you? Let me capture that for you in pictures to show others. The picture I am going to share has to do with their love for their children. We went to Piedmont Park and had a great time. It is obvious in this picture that they love each other, and their children, very much.What a great photographer to have capturing your wedding day. Book her early!