Tuesday, January 22, 2013

MVP

I saw Drew Barrymore on Oprah’s Life Class.  She was talking about her wedding and the person in her life who helped out with all the little details, like seeing that the girls’ dresses looked good, etc.  She called her the MVP, most valuable player.
That is what you need to think about as you plan your wedding.  After all the planning and selection of every detail, you need someone experienced to help you get through the day.  I love being the MVP and helping with everything imaginable.
The last wedding I worked was in a very old house, which has not been wired for the three-pronged electrical appliances.  Did the bride need to know that her coffee and hot chocolate couldn’t be served in that room because there was no way to heat it?  I can handle lots of little things like that, and the wedding party doesn’t need to know.
The bride was going to make her entrance down a beautiful staircase.  It just wouldn’t have been half as special if all the bridesmaids came in that way first.  We were able to bring the wedding party down by the servant’s stairs, and hold them in place until we could get the guests seated, without the guests seeing too much of the pageantry of the event in advance.
Do the bride and groom know what I do for those three-four hours leading up to the wedding?  They mostly do not, but when everything runs smoothly and the wedding of their dreams comes off without a hitch, I am happy, knowing that the details were handled so that they could enjoy their friends and family.
You are worth it.  You deserve one day when someone else worries about every little thing, and you can have an opportunity to just experience joy.


Sunday, January 20, 2013

Congratulations Amy and Tracy Carter

Amy Sanders and Tracy Carter were married at Allandale Mansion on January 5, 2013. This was one truly beautiful wedding, thanks to all the wonderful ideas the bride (and I, a little) came up with. The mansion was already decorated for Christmas, so that was an added perk to begin with. 

The bride made the cake herself!  It was so professional.  It was just a beautiful thing to behold.






Along with Amy's good friend, Tara, Tracy's three daughters were in the wedding.  Amy did such a great job choosing the bridesmaids' and flower girl's dresses.  When you have some adults, some teens, and some almost teens, it's not so easy to find just the dress appropriate for all, but she did, and they were beautiful (the girls and the dresses).  Amy's dog served as ring bearer.

We were able to use lots of pine from the bride's trees, lots of snowflakes, and silver touches.  If it had been this weekend, it could have been real snowflakes.

The bride was so beautiful as she came down the stairs at Allandale and entered the ceremony, escorted by her father and papaw.

She has posted on her facebook page that this was the happiest day of their lives.  I sincerely hope that I was able to contribute to that in some small way.



Congratulations Chrissy and Wesley Idlette

On December 29, Chrissy Eastridge and Wesley Idlette were married at First Broad Street United Methodist Church.  The wedding was very beautiful, but the story of the proposal was so touching, it would make the most cynical person cry. I so much enjoyed working with these young people, not only the bride and groom, but every one of the wedding party. Chrissy and her mother Joy allowed me a lot of freedom to do what I wanted with the bouquets and boutonnieres.  Chrissy had told me that Wesley absolutely refused to wear flowers, but that is no problem.  I am thankful that I can do what I really love, and have it be appreciated by the families.



Monday, January 14, 2013

Foundation Event Facility

I had the opportunity to see the Foundation Event Facility at 620 State Street, Bristol, Tennessee on Friday.  Was I ever overwhelmed!  I had seen their website and the pictures of events being held there, but it doesn’t begin to capture the beauty of the place.  The outside doors, with the impressive brass pulls, bring you into a huge hallway with hardwood floors and exposed brick.  That space could be used as a wedding reception venue for a stand-up cocktail party, since there is a bar on that floor. 
The mezzanine, which overlooks the first floor, is a smaller, more intimate space for maybe 70 people.  It would be great for a small company party or a shower of some type.  It also has a bar.
The third floor is huge, with big windows at the end, with seating for 500.  There is a large separate space for staging the food, or serving a buffet.  There is a fixed bar, but the room could be used for many purposes, and in many different configurations.
There are dressing rooms, very nicely decorated for each wedding party.  There are floor-length mirrors in both.  The men’s room is very masculine, and the women’s room is beautiful.  Even the doors throughout have architectural detail.  I can’t say enough about how much I loved it. 
I am not attaching a picture.  I am not a photographer.  You need to see it for yourself.